《The Heavenly Martial Empress Returns: An OP Xianxia Returnee LitRPG》 Chapter 1: Return ----- The Nine Heavens trembled, rainbow-colored lightning spreading, constantly attempting to destroy my body with each strike. Primordial Essence flowed through my body as I stared at the Cosmos that the Nine Heavens colorful layer of clouds hid from all of us, even Immortals. My Ascension was only halfway through, but I was already beginning to feel the accumulated damage. Heavens Will was not happy with what I was trying to do. Its endless power surged across the Nine Heavens, constantly attempting to interrupt my transformation, my evolution, and the breaking of my chains. The damned Chains of Fate that have kept me enclosed in this horrid world for thousands of years, where Might makes Right. People called it by many names, but the most common name its inhabitants gave it was "Murim, a World of Martial Arts, Immemorial Treasures, Myth and Legends, as well as a world of bloodshed, ruthlessness, and endless battles for supremacy. RUMBLE! More lighting strikes struck me; my Primordial Nine Heaven Protection was slowly beginning to weaken, a special Immortal Technique I refined using the Fragments that fell from the Nine Heavens in the Mythical Era of this worlds creation. Crack CRACK! The rainbow-colored barrier of light began to slowly gain cracks, slowly starting to shatter into pieces. My Primordial Essence was also dwindling. Id been doing this for a year now, yet it felt like only minutes had passed. Not even with the Nine Heaven Protection will I be able to Ascend?! Heavens Will! How many years will you have to torment me?! As if responding to my words, the Nine Heavens started to swirl around. The large crack in the Spatial Pillars I had made was beginning to slowly close. The Cosmic Energy coming from it, bathing my body and allowing me to slowly refine my Primordial Essence Core, was beginning to disappear. Without it, I wont be able to ascend into an Immemorial Void! STOP! With a mighty roar, I unleashed my techniques, which Ive saved until this very moment. Countless colors appeared around me, dancing as beautiful butterflies reached the skies, immediately exploding into swirling storms of Primordial Essence. The Nine Heavens were affected, slowly beginning to weaken. At the same time, I unsheathed my sword, one divided into black and white colors, glowing with the power of the Primordial Essence of Yin and Yang. This was a sword I forged using the body and soul of the Divine Harmony Venerable, whom I felled a hundred years ago. That damned old man was a tough nut to crack. Haah! With a roar that reverberated across the heavens and the entirety of Murim, I swung my sword with all my strength. A wave of black and white energy was unleashed, splitting the nine heavens again. An explosion of bright and tenebrous essences engulfed it all. The Worlds Will was furious, and I had finally attained the power to go against it. Ugh! But even then, I vomited blood; my Dantians were struggling to keep up with all the energy I was forcing myself to absorb from the Cosmos above. I always knew this was going to be a painful and agonizing process, but it seems that even after all my calculations, it was still a gamblea desperate gamble to escape from this world. In a world that had me trapped in an endless cycle of death, bloodshed, and destruction for over ten thousand years, Ive lived so long that I can barely remember who I used to be before I landed in this world. I can hardly remember how my mother and my sister looked like.The more I survived and fought in this world for all thousands of years, the more foggy everything became. Yet I still tried to always remember, always. I won''t allow this world that stripped me from who I was to take away these memories, even as foggy as they felt. I tried so hard to fight and survive, just to see them again one day. I fought just for that, all these years. And even after reaching the pinnacle... You dare oppose me?! After everything Ive done?! After all the things Ive accomplished! Wasnt this what you wanted me to do?! Wasnt this the reason you dragged me here, Heavens Will?! Show yourself! Speak to me! Despite how old I was, I couldnt help but feel a surge of emotions, perhaps the first ones in thousands of years. Tears fell from my eyes. Very well Suddenly, a heavenly voice spoke, a mix between a female and male voice, but not one; it felt like thousands or millions of people speaking at the same time. The Nine Heavens swirled together, their essences combining into a materialization of pure Primordial Essence of the highest and most refined grade, Heavenly Essence! A humanoid figure appeared, resembling a god made of stars and rainbow light. It looked down on me with its bright, shining eyes. It had no mouth, no nose, or anything else but bright eyes that could see it all. So you finally show yourself." I smirked, blood still coming from my mouth. The Legends of the Ancient Venerables describing the Heavens Will Embodiment were true all along! Bing Xue, or should I call you Katherine?" The Heavens Will Embodiment spoke. You have indeed worked hard. Youre the first person in this entire world to reach the pinnacle of pinnacles. Yet you still desire more. Ive offered you a life full of excitement and power, yet you desire to leave me now." What is this bastard talking about? Leave them? You I muttered with a disgusted face. What are you? I am Heavens Will, and I am also someone who has fallen for you, my dear Bing Xue. The entity muttered. I dont want you to go. Youre my everythingpowerful, mighty, domineering, yet full of beautiful, delicate emotions inside! A beautiful rose that protects her beautiful interior with sharp thorns. What is there not to love here? Since you were dragged here by a Spatial Disturbance, that Ive been observing you all this time. Ive gained a greater consciousness by comprehending the struggles and emotions of someone. I might no longer be just the embodiment of the worlds will. All thanks to you. You sick fucking thing..." I spoke with disgust. Im not into primordial cosmic monsters. I like girls, you know? I can be a girl; I can be anything you want. So please, Bing Xue. The very reason I have not killed you yet is because youre precious to me. Come to me; let us assimilate one another. I will give you the privilege of ascending into a Heavenly Will! We will be together foreverno more struggles, no more pain for you! Isnt that what you desire the most?! The Heavens Will asked, spreading their bulky arms. So this whole time... The Heavenly Will was in love with me! What sort of sick fucking plot twist is this? All my efforts, all the fights, and all the friends Ive lost All because of some sick bastard that loved me. I wont accept this! No I reject your offer, Heavens Will. I spoke, channeling all my power at once, as I directed my eyes into the crack in the Spatial Pillars. I wont let anybody chain me down anymore. I am free, and I will die with my freedom! I always hated you; do you truly believe I will ever accept you?! I would rather die! So that is your decision." The Heavens Will Embodiment nodded. Then I will simply have to forcefully extract your Immortal Soul and devour it. You will become one with me, like many others." So the reason they have so many voices is because of their souls?! This monster This isnt the will of heaven; this is just an aberrant monstrosity! I wont let you! I flew towards them with all my strength and power. My Primordial Essence rapidly coursed through every Immortal Dantian of my body. My Primordial Core shone brightly with gold light. My Primordial Nine Heaven Technique encompassed my body into a rainbow-colored dragon armor as I swung my sword. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. A storm of attacks was unleashed, and the Heavens Will Embodiment was cut down to pieces in an instant. Exploding with rainbow flames, I quickly flew upwards, only to see one, two, three, four, and five more of them! You cant escape! I wont let you escape." Come back, my precious Bing Xue! NO! I spun in midair. Waves of rainbow divine essence were unleashed, explosions of colorful flames engulfing them as the heavens reverberated more. The skies cracked; the Cosmic Gate I had opened to absorb Cosmic Energy was my only way out. I had not used it before because I knew I would definitely die. But now, I had to gamble and see if that was really true. Even if it is minuscule, there could be a chance to get me out of here alive. And even then, I would rather die trying than stay with this creep. Youre not going anywhere, Bing Xue! Youre mine! Gigantic hands made of rainbow clouds caught me in midair, dragging me down. Beams of light rushed down towards me, piercing through my armor and shattering it with each impact. I gritted my teeth as I forced my way upward, kicking the sky below me until cracks appeared in space and time. I dont belong to anybody! I slashed my way through. Heavens Will tore apart my armor and then grabbed my legs, which, as I flew upwards, were quickly torn from my own body. The pain was the least of my worries. I kept flying upwards, faster, and faster! DONT GO! The cries of Heavens Will continued reverberating as I stretched my arms upward. His countless hands tore my body to shreds, yet my torso and my head managed to reach the portal, a sea of stars greeting me. I triggered a Martial Dao Technique left in my heart as my body slowly regenerated. Goodbye, motherfucker. With my newly regenerated legs, I kicked his face and then leaped into the unknown. I could hear his screams filled with frustration; his power could no longer extend out of Murim. I couldnt breathe now, and only an endless, encompassing coldness started covering my body. I floated in an endless sea of stars, my energy slowly decreasing. Hahaha So this is freedom! My life force began to dwindle as I tried to resist my attempts to cultivate the cosmic energy here, but it didnt work properly, only destroying my internal organs in the process of assimilation. I had not reached the Immemorial Void Realm, so surviving in the Cosmos was impossible. I was going to die. Yet, I couldnt help but feel so happy. I was finally freefree from all the bloodshed, from all the pain, from that monster. From everything Although I was dying happily, I still wished for one thing. I wish I could see my family again. RUMBLE! As my eyes were slowly closing, I noticed something within the endless cosmosa spiraling mass of chaos. Slowly, my body was dragged inside, twisting and trespassing through countless dimensional membranes. I fell unconscious before I could even comprehend what was happening. I dreamed of coming back with my family and finally meeting them again. I couldnt remember their faces, so they were faceless. But they were there; they greeted me with hugs and kisses. And I hugged them back. I thought I could finally go back to those times, but I knew deep down that I was dreaming, perhaps the last dream before my death. Yet, I wish it could last a bit longer. Hey, miss! Are you alright? Voices started speaking to me. Perhaps I was hallucinating, remembering my past when I was weak and pathetic, running away from danger while hiding like a rat. It took me ten whole years to finally begin cultivating when I appeared in Murim out of nowhere. Most of the first ten years were spent trying to live normally, yet I was always caught in danger. Its dangerous to sleep in the middle of the streets, you know? It was a harsh life, but I never gave up. I tried to sell all kinds of things; I even started a small farm of Mystic Grass that could recover some Ki Energy when processed into pillsanything to get by. I never sold my body, and I always kept fighting, even against a world mostly dominated by men. This is bad... Should I call the ambulance? That damned voice, cant it let me have my monologue in peace?! What do you want?! Leave me alone already! Uaagh! Suddenly, as I opened my eyes, I found myself in an alleyway. Right in front of me, there was an old, homeless-looking man who had fallen to the floor in shock as I screamed at him. Huh. Hm? I looked at myself. I was alive and fine. My clothes were slightly torn down but were beginning to regenerate thanks to their natural self-repair abilities. What happened? Is this another dream? Hey, you, the mortal over there. Whats your name? I dont remember ever meeting you. Huh? Eh?! I-I am Jose... I was just looking at the trash, like every day, and you appeared out of nowhere. I was shocked! So I tried to help. Sorry! I didnt intend anything else; I swear! He cried. Dont call the cops on me, please." Hmph I looked into his eyes. My eyes shone with some Immortal Essence as I activated the Nine-Colored All-Seeing Eyes. It could detect lies and see through all the information. And indeed, he was telling the truth; he was an honest man. I see. Well, sorry for startling you. Can you stand up? I offered him my hand. I wasnt going to hurt an innocent mortal; I wasnt a Demonic Cultivator. In fact, I killed most of them. Y-Yes, thank you. Damn, you sure are tall, Missy." He looked up at me. Youre like over two meters?" Hm? Ah, well, it comes with Cultivating my Physique for the Immortal Realm. I used to be a rather small girl. Wait a moment. I quickly grabbed the mans clothes, lifting him. Are you some sort of Nightmare Demon that trapped me inside his Domain?! What?! No, Im not that! The man cried. Are you an Awakened Person, miss?! Youre so strong- Ugh! Ah I let him go once I realized he was telling the truth. So this is reality? This is not a dream I looked around in utter disbelief, my eyes detecting everything as the truthit was reality; it existed, after dreaming of these streets, of these blue skies, of these tall buildings, and of these cars for thousands of years. I was finally back?! Im back? Im back I muttered in disbelief, tears flowing from my eyes. Im finally back IM BACK! As I cried and laughed, I lifted little Jose with my arms and celebrated. He was shocked and crying out of horror, but I ignored that. Hahahaha! Im back! Thank you so much, mortal! I will never forget your act of kindness! I owe you a favor. I smiled at him, offering him a gold coin. This is an Immemorial Gold Coin! It probably costs something, right? Buy yourself some food with it. Is this a gold coin? T-Thanks! He almost stole it off my hands; he seemed quite desperate. I left the old man behind as I leaped onto the nearest buildings rooftop, admiring the city around me. It was not just a simple city; this enormous, slightly ugly city was full of shitty people. This was in New York. I was back home. Did I somehow get teleported back to Earth through that black hole that swallowed me? I wondered to myself, admiring the modern city and the bright sun bathing my body. My power It has certainly weakened after that fight against Heavens Will, and then going through that Black Hole. Maybe I lost around thirty percent of my total strength? And almost all my Primordial Essence. I will need to recover more- Wait, no! That doesnt matter right now! I need to see what year it is! I quickly leaped back to Jose, who was ruminating through the trash. Jose! I called him. Uwaagh!The crazy woman againI mean, yes?! He cried. I will ignore that remark for now, I said with a stern voice. Tell me, what year is it? I remember leaving when it was roughly... 2013? It is the year 2024; why? He wondered. So Ive been away for eleven years only? But it was... almost eleven thousand years in Murim! I gasped. So that world had such a huge time difference with Earth. No, wait, it''s still a lot! Over a decade has passed! My little sister must be an adult now, and my mother... I need to go back home! Thank you, mortal Jose. I will be leaving now. If you ever want your favor repaid, just call me and I will come to your aid. A-Ah, yes The gray-bearded old man stared in disbelief as I stepped into midair and ran through the skies at lightning speed. Even without any Primordial Essence, I still had Immortal Essence and Ki Energy in near-infinite quantities. I simply had to refine it back into Primordial Essence later! If I remember correctly, my house was a apartment we were paying for together with mom, around York Avenue, a white building! I looked around as I reached York Avenue, noticing that most old buildings were gone; new ones had been built. I also noticed that there was a huge building called Hunters Association for some reason, but I decided to ignore that for now. Ah, there it is! Thanks to the heavens! No, wait, I shouldn''t say that anymore. Thank God its not gone! I flew into the white building, noticing most of the surrounding ones had been rebuilt. There was some sort of catastrophe here in the past... Something must have happened. Does it have anything to do with the strange Hunter Association and the walls surrounding New York? Apartment number... 16, right? As I flew around, old memories started blossoming in my mind. My smile only got wider as I reached apartment 16 and knocked on the door gently. Someone slowly came to open ita young man! Who is this guy?! Huh? A cosplayer? Yes, do you need something? He wondered, looking at my attire with strange looks and raising an eyebrow. Cosplayer?! How dare a mortal call me that? These clothes have been made by sewing the Immemorial Heavenly Dew Silk extracted from the Moonless Heavenly Void Silkworm! I roared. Who are you, though? Are you related to my mother and my little sister? Do the names Ruby and Elena, ring any bells? Rubys my girlfriend- Wait, are you one of her freak friends? He wondered. Shes home Let me call for her. Im not her freak friend; I am her damned older sister! Move aside; Ive had enough of you. Mortals should simply bow down to immortals the moment they see them. I slammed the man away as he fell to the floor and groaned in pain. He was fine, just a drama queen. Stop crying; I am fairly sure I broke no bones. I am a gentle lady. I smiled back at him. Wait, where are you going?! You said youre Rubys sister? Theres no way; her sister died in an accident like ten years ago! I ignored him; I was clearly alive. I opened the door to my sisters room, finding her awake, her eyes widening in shock. Her long black hair, her cute blue eyes, and her baby faceshe had grown and developed more, but it was still my little sister Ruby! The last time I saw her, she was barely 14, but now she must be around 25, right? Ruby! Your big sister is finally back home." I spread my arms, waiting for her hug. Come to big sis! Uwaaaah! Get away from here, you thief! Juan?! JUAN, CALL THE POLICE! I guess its fair she didnt recognize me at first; Ive gone through almost eleven thousand years worth of aging, de-aging, and body transformation. ----- Chapter 2: Family Time! ----- Ruby! Why are you screaming this early in the morning?! My mother suddenly stepped in as she saw me and Ruby, her eyes widening. K-Katherine?! Its you?! Unlike my sister, my mother immediately recognized me. Amazing! A mothers ability to discern their children is unparalleled, even among the nine heavens! Mother! I cried, running to hug her. With her short black hair and her tired-looking green eyes, she was the same as ever. The mother who raised us after our father died all on her own, working in everything she could. Am I dreaming right now? Is this another of those nightmares I always have? She muttered in disbelief, accepting my hug. My Katherine No, this cant be. Y-you disappeared ten years ago! Where have you been? Why are you so different, girl?! And what are these clothes? Were you living in China all this time?! As she cried, she started to grab my face and stretch my cheeks. A lot happened, mother. I disappeared because I was sent to another world. I cried. I was there for approximately eleven thousand years. Ive changed too much, but I never forget my roots, and in all this fighting, you were always in my heart. You and Ruby, always. I found that there was no point in hiding where I came from. W-What are you even talking about? Maybe the Awakening Event made your brain turn to mush? She checked my head. My little girl... Even after you said all that nonsense, Im so happy youre back! You dont know how long I''ve been waiting for you to return! I never lost hope, never! S-Shes really Katherine? But I remember she was so small, like almost my size back then! How come she got so tall and looked like a model?! Ruby cried. Is it really you?! It is me, of course, Ruby! Let me prove it to you. I smiled. Remember that time when you lost your teddy bear and cried for three days, only for me to end up finding it right below your bed? Or that time you pissed yourself and tried to frame the dog for covering the bed with piss. Or that other time when you tried making me pancakes for my birthday, but you burned them, and I still ate them with a lot of syrup? Or "Okay, its you She nodded, gulping saliva. B-Big sis She was slowly trying to process everything, unlike Mom, who accepted it very quickly. Holy shit Youre alive. It has been eleven fucking years, you know?! I know Im sorry. I sighed. Katherine She started crying, standing up, and hugging me as well. Its really you, arent you? Its really you, big sis! Yes, it''s me, my dear. I smiled as my mother and my sister hugged me. They were much smaller than me. I was almost half a meter taller than them, so I could easily embrace them both with my longer arms. Everything is okay. But your hair and your face..." Ruby said. Why is your hair silvery-white now? And your eyes are gold-colored! Or rainbow? I cant tell; they keep shifting. Did you have some surgeries to look pretty? W-What have you been working on since you left? My mother asked me in horror. Dont tell me you became a Mother! Of course not! I facepalmed. I have changed because I cultivated my body. These eyes were stolen from the Seven Rainbow Rivers Immortal Venerable; that damned bastard never expected me to set a Blossoming Volcanic Rose Bomb inside his Immortal Realm, hahaha! And this hair? Well, it changed color once my physique changed. W-What? Ruby and my mother were confused. So do I call the cops or? Juan was holding a phone outside the room. No, dont call the cops, Juan. My mother sighed. Can you prepare us some coffee? Theres a lot we NEED to talk with this young lady over here. Yeah, youre completely nuts, Ruby said. You better tell us the truth now; we were too worried for you to bullshit us with stuff like this. I know there are Dungeons, Monsters, and a System now, but even that is more realistic than what youre telling us. Dungeons, Monsters, System? What are you talking about? Oh, so thats the strange energy Ive felt permeating the world for a while, huh? I wondered, rubbing my chin. And those annoying things in the sky are glaring at us too. Are they aliens? Did they make the System? Things in the sky? My mother asked. Katherine, you mean... You can see the Gods watching us? Gods? I raised an eyebrow. Wait, whats that?! I hadnt noticed before, but there was a huge tower in the background of the city, right outside of the city. I was so focused on finding my family that I never paid attention to it. Thats the Tower My sister sighed. It is where Players go. You seem to have no idea about anything, dear. What happened to you? Do you have amnesia? My mother asked. Earth was not like this before. What happened here? Why are there magic and dungeons now? And monsters? Why? Who dares do this to my world? Who dares bring destruction and an apocalypse? Gods? Towers? Dungeons? I suppose my journey is not over yet. Thankfully, I have not lost all my power. Ill refine everything and kill all the gods. Maybe that way, Earth will be freed or something. worth a try. "Okay, theres way too much to process; lets sit down and talk. My mother said, It has been years, honey, but do you still like your coffee with two spoons of sugar? Ah, yes I nodded, feeling at ease despite the changes, as I sat down. The atmosphere of my family and the smell of my housemy sister and my mother are here. And... Juan, why is he still here? Cant he leave? Hey, youre no longer needed in this house, mortal. Leave this instant. I shall now provide for my family in your stead. I said. Im thankful you took care of them, but I dont want to see your face here ever again. Eh?! I know youre Rubys sister, but thats overly rude! Im her boyfriend; I cant stay? He cried pathetically. Worm! Ive had enough patience; leave before I crush you. I stood up, my Immortal Aura surging endlessly from my body, resembling an endless pressure that made him fall to his knees. My patience has limits! And my mercy as well. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Uuggh! AAGH! He could barely move before my pressure, and that was only a very small portion of it, perhaps 0.0001%? What the Katherine, are you awakened too?! My mother asked. Let Juan go, please! Hes a bit annoying, but hes a good kid. Hey, enough, Katherine! Hes my boyfriend! Ruby angrily said, Leave him be! Ugh Okay, sorry. I sighed, letting my powers run rampant, which was unbefitting of me. Maybe I need to calm down a bit. I am still on high alert after that fight against Heavens Will. I will try to tolerate him around. But I am not too fond of men taking advantage of women. He better work hard if he wants to earn my respect. Cough, cough Just how strong are you? Only A Rank Awakeners can even release such a strong Aura Muttered Juan. Im barely F Rank A Rank Awakeners? I wondered. What are these weird ranks all about? Well explain to you as we eat something. You look really tired, honey. Sit down and relax, please. My mother said, kissing me on the cheek. Okay? Very well, but only because youre my mother. I nodded. I will take no orders from anybody else. As I sat down and enjoyed the bitter and nostalgic flavor of coffee, more memories I thought I had forgotten came back to me. I started remembering them as I landed on Earth. Memories are not lost forever, and they can be remembered over time. Perhaps too many thoughts, too many things within my mind, made me put them in the back of my head, but they were returning, I could feel. I am not suffering from as much amnesia as I thoughtjust lots of information inside my head, perhaps. We talked about the world and how it changed as I drank coffee and nodded in silence. My sister was preparing me pancakes; the smell was nice. I believe this time she wasnt going to burn them, luckily. So this happened ten years ago, just after I disappeared." I said. I see. The Tower, is there only a single one in the entire world? Yes, we received a message... when that thing appeared. It broke through half of New York as it surged from the depths of the Earth. A voice told us that we needed to grow stronger and climb the towers one hundred floors if we wanted to protect our world from destruction. My mother said, The Gods, who originally inhabited the tower as well, started spreading blessings and choosing people amongst the Awakened, who were able to assimilate Mana into their bodies and unlock the systems status. I have one too; Im a D-Rank Hunter. These Gods Are they the creators of the Tower? I wondered, squinting my eyes. We dont know where they came from or who made that tower. Ruby sighed. We only know that we need to climb the towers floors, one floor a month. If we delay it, more Dungeon Gates will appear. In these ten years, the Tower has only advanced by 21 floors, and Dungeon Breaks are happening a lot lately. Have you noticed the new buildings all around? When one happens, a huge disaster appears, everything is destroyed, and monsters come out endlessly. Its horrible. Many people have died. We are lucky it hasnt happened to us yet. I wont let that ever happen to any of you, I said with a firm tone of voice. So to free this world, we need to climb that damned tower? Can anybody go? Only those who have awakened are allowed inside. My mother sighed. Its really quite a problem... I have only explored the first and second floors myself, which have a few permanent dungeons where monsters spawn. I hunt them and sell their carcasses and magic cores to the Hunter Association to gain money and maintain our family. Luckily, your sister just got her doctorate degree, so shes going to start working too. A doctor! It was what you always wanted to be, Ruby! I felt really happy. Yeah It was hard, but I did it. She nodded. I always wanted to be a doctor because of my dad... If there had been a doctor nearby when that happened to him, he wouldnt have Ruby You dont need to think like that. My mother sighed, patting her shoulders. Father I looked at the photo of him hanging on the wall. A bulky man with a short black beard, sharp blue eyes, and a gentle smile. Ruby, you pursue a very noble job. I remember meeting many doctors in Murim. They were inspiring people with similar goals and traumas as us. They wanted to save people because, back then, they were unable to save the ones they loved. They were all wonderful people, wonderful friends... Most of them have passed away, while I left some behind. I wonder if theyre doing well. Sister You look so serious when talking about that nonsense. My sister muttered. A-Are you really saying the truth? The Tower is an amalgamation of many different worlds fused together; each floor is a different world. My mother said, "Maybe... It could truly be possible that she was sent to another world. Did you enter a gate, Katherine? I I don''t remember how it went. But there was a blue light that swallowed me. I nodded. Maybe shes like the Lost People, then? Juan asked. Those people that get swallowed by Dungeon Gates and never return. But she returned, Ruby muttered. I smiled back at them gently. Of course I did; I would never leave my family behind, I said, eating the pancakes. Hmm, so soft and sweet. My sisters pancakes are truly a delicacy of the nine heavens, seven continents, and eleven seas. Eleven thousand years." My mother looked into my eyes with pity. My dear Katherine, were you really that many years in another world? I was. I nodded, feeling slightly sorrowful. So much happened But Im so happy I am finally back. Lets not overthink things. Theres a present at hand we need to take care of, isnt it? "Yeah, I guess. Ruby nodded. Youre too strong, though, big sis. You need to register as a hunter, alright, if you dont want us to get into trouble. Unregistered hunters are usually seen as criminals. What? Such an unjust society! I said. Why?! It is because the government needs to keep track of all of us. My mother said, After all, unregistered hunters are always people who become criminals and use their powers not to protect humanity but to bring destruction. Hmm I suppose that does make some sense. In the Heavenly Judgement Pavilion, I led; we did something similar to control the creation of new Demonic Cultivators. I nodded. Well, anyways, I suppose I should, for the sake of it and because you ask me to. Can you lead me there once we are done eating breakfast, my dearest? Of course! Well bring you there, big sis. I think you could even be an S-Rank hunter. Holy sh*t." My sister was amazed. It would be incredible." My mother was still processing it. But dont force yourself to fight if you dont want to, Katherine. If you were truly eleven thousand years old in another world fighting every day, I want you to rest and relax for a bit, if possible My world is in peril, and you ask me to relax, mother? I sighed. Im sorry, but I must refuse. This is the world where my precious family and the food I love come from, as well as where my father has been buried. There is no way I am giving it away. With that thought in mind, once breakfast was over, we moved to the big city. My mother and my sister talked to me a lot about the rules and other things hunters must follow. As I took mental notes on them, something happened. A strange crack in space spread out, opening up and revealing a spiraling purple-colored portal. Crack, crack! CRASH! Ah, no! A Dungeon Break?! Run! SHIT! Get out of my way! As the people panicked and ran away, creatures from within the portal crawled out. Green-skinned, with long ears and noses, and sharp, crimson-colored eyes, wearing bone armor and holding rusty weapons. Gryehehe Goblins! My sister cried. Stay behind, you two! Ill distract them until Hunters arrive. My mother attempted to fight them, but I stopped her. Hmm, so these are monsters, huh? I wondered, patting my mothers shoulders. Worry not, mother. I will take care of them. I disappeared from the scene and swung my hand with a minuscule amount of Immortal Essence imbued into it. My movements resembled an endlessly flowing, golden river. {Golden Serpents Flowing Fist} The goblins that were touched by my gentle hands were immediately overflowing with energy and exploded into pieces, leaving a rather gross and bloody scene. Their screams of agony were quite entertaining to hear, and without realizing it, I started to smile a bit. And done Oh my, did I overdo it? I realized I was standing over a pile of at least fifty of these goblins. People were staring in disbelief, and then I heard something weird in front of me as I felt a foreign energy entering my body, which I quickly decided to analyze and refine. It felt rather gentle and strong at the same time, but very different than Ki Energy. Could this be Mana? Ding! [You have absorbed Mana into your body! Congratulations, you have Awakened as a Player!] [A Status System has been created to] [ERROR] [Incomprehensible levels of strength detected] [ERROR] Ah, of course ----- Chapter 3: Folding The System ----- This System was both suspicious and very interesting to me. From what I can analyze already, it seems to be a powerful Divine and Magical Construction fueled by the power of the Tower itself and the Gods that dominate it. This System feeds on the Mana of the environment to fuel itself infinitely, and it apparently infiltrates the souls and bodies of people like parasites, to extract information and mana from them, and, in exchange, help them develop their internal Mana into new supernatural abilities. I suppose this is what they call Skills, right? Despite how curious I was; however, I would never let such a strange and suspicious thing get a hold of my soul. I have not lived eleven thousand years inside of Murim to have my soul freely exposed. It is one of a Cultivators greatest weaknesses. Once you become Immortal, losing limbs, or even your head, is no longer a problem. However, your soul is very important; it is the very root of your existence, and to lose it is to eternally and completely die. This is why I dedicated over a thousand years to perfecting various Immortal Techniques to protect my soul against any Soul Attack possible. And I also refined it to achieve the Primordial Immemorial Venerable Realm, my current Realm, which has been stuck at the highest stage for five hundred years by now. So you are the famous System, huh? What an annoyance you are! Stop this at once. I wont let you enter my Soul, you filthy Magical Construction. I swiped my hands as I crushed the System messages to a spiritual level, making them shatter. More Error messages kept appearing, but I squeezed them with my Immortal Intent until they were reduced to a few, much smaller messages. [ERROR] [Incapable of fully assimilating with the targets Soul.] [Requesting the assistance of an {Administrator}!] [An {Administrator} has agreed to appear and solve this issue.] [Hello, Administrator number 1034 here. You can call me Clide; whats your problem?] So other beings are managing this? I wondered. How amusing. I have no problem; your strange thing has been trying to parasitize my soul for a while now. If you continue with this, I will be forced to destroy it and perhaps kill you, Clide. Do you have anything to say in your favor? [W-What?! Wait a second- This isnt just some bug? Who Who are you? A being so powerful the System cannot assimilate?!] Oh my, you got a bit startled there. I swiftly touched the system window displaying Clides messages as I turned my hand into a mass of rainbow light. {Primordial Spiritual Body Arts}: {Photon Injection} ZAAAP! By spending a few amounts of Immortal Essence, I transformed my hand into pure Photon Energy, a special Energy that I created through refining my Element of Light for thousands of years. It allows me to infiltrate most ethereal constructions and destroy them from the inside. It helped me destroy most Immortal Domains and invade Demonic Cultivator''s Inner Realms. [AGH!] A zap of lightning reached the administrator, and the entire system message struggled to even keep themselves up, lightning and then disappearing constantly. Although I couldnt see him, I had my hands grasping whatever his body was. Now, Clide. You will answer a few questions for me if you want to continue living. Of course, you are free to not answer either! We all have freedom of choice here. Naturally, that choice will also bring your death. I smiled gently at him. [M-Monster! What are you- UGH! T-The High administrators need to-] ZAAAP! [AAAGGH! No more! Please stop! STOP!] Okay, good. We are in a mutual understanding now, right? I spoke as I grabbed the head of a goblin to look at it. Then, I noticed the magic crystals inside their bodies, and with my Divine intent, I extracted them all and stored most corpses inside my Inner Realm. Now tell me, what is this system, who manages it, and who are YOU? And who is behind this whole Apocalypse? [I-I cannot answer that!] Oh? Was my light not bright enough? [Its not that; please wait! I-I am restricted. I cannot say these things to Players or anybody below a certain Level within the System. If I try, I receive penalties, and theyll kill me anyway."] They? Whos they? [T-Thats The #######] Oh, alright, yeah, they censor it, huh? [I-Im sorry. But who are you exactly? How come a normal human of that world that hasnt even been assimilated by the system is so strong?!] You could say that I trained very hard~ [T-That doesnt make any sense!] Clide. [Yes?] Elaborate on the System if you can; any information you can reveal would be appreciated. [T-The System was created by them to further spread Mana into the Universe Towers are made as Well, you could think of them as Mana batteries; they extract, produce, and refine Mana endlessly.] And the worlds inside? [T-The Worlds inside were Well, qualified to be there. They belong to the Gods inside the tower; each God or group of Gods controls one Floor, which is a different world. They call these worlds Apex Worlds, which were assimilated after a large multiversal competition. Thats all I can say before they find me and kill me. I swear!] I see. Youre saying the truth too. I nodded. Good, youre a good little man, obedient. Very well. Now, tell me, how can I benefit from this System? Ive found that there is this Mana energy. It is surprisingly delicious. And it helps me replenish my Primordial Essence once I refine it with Immortal Essence. It''s slow, but much faster than the traditional methods. [If the system cannot be assimilated into your soul, its impossible-] Clide, I am a fervent believer in the saying nothing is impossible! Are you? My grip tightened within his body. By now, I could more or less guess he wasnt human. He was a strange being, composed of many tentacles and eyes. Yet he could not hurt me, no matter how hard he tried to free himself from my etheric grip. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. [There might be a way... But, well, it wont reflect your abilities because you wont be assimilated. The system status that can be created will be more like a piece of equipment over you. It can grow stronger and give you more power, though. I-Is that okay for you? I am already reaching the limits of what I can do as an administrator; merely doing such a thing would risk me getting fired. So please dont reveal this to anybody else] Okay~ Got it! I smiled. A piece of equipment, isnt it? I love forging Immortal Relics. Especially out of annoying old geezers that think theyre superior to me because they lived a million years ago. [I dont know what youre talking about, but just stay still] The Mana energy that the System possessed encompassed me like a robe or a piece of armor; it didnt bind itself to my body or soul, but it was indeed with me, and I could even fold it and manipulate it. But for now, I left its invisible veil encompassing my body. FLASH! Oho, this is wonderful! Well done, dear Clide! I smiled. Ding! [Due to the usage of the {Administrators Authority}. Youve been given a special privilege of the System!] [You are now able to access your personal status even without binding the System to your soul or body.] [Your personal System Status can be controlled and unequipped as you please.] [Because your innate abilities cannot be assimilated, the System Status will begin as a clean slate. But based on your actions and other things, it will develop rapidly.] [The Stats and Skills shown in the System Status will not reflect your actual Battle Power, which cannot be properly measured by the System.] [However, any new Stat, Level Up, or Skill learned will add to your already existing power.] [Generating Basic System Status] [Basic System Status has been generated successfully!] [You received the Title: [The One Who Folded The System]!] [You received the Skill: [Premium Player Privilege (SSS): Lv1]!] [You have slain [Green Goblin Barbarian (E+ Rank)] x57!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Your Level has increased from Level 0 to Level 33/50!] [The [Premium Player Privilege (SSS): Lv1] Skill has been activated] [You gain +10 Mana per Level and +5 to all other Stats per Level while being Classless.] [Stat Points and Skill Points earned per Level are multiplied by five.] [Once you reach Max Level, you can further advance by entering the Tower, completing the Tutorial, and receiving a Class.] ----- [Name]: [Katherine] [Race]: [Human?] [Titles]: [The One Who Folded The System] [Class]: [None] [Level]: [1/50] -> [33/50] [Mana]: [100/100] -> [430/430] [Strength]: [10] -> [175] [Agility]: [10] -> [175] [Vitality]: [10] -> [175] [Intelligence]: [10] -> [175] [Dexterity]: [10] -> [175] [Classless Skills (1/6)] [Premium Player Privilege (SSS): Lv1] [Magic Skills (0/6)] [Empty] [Class Skills (0/0)] [Locked] [Stat Points]: [165] [Skill Points]: [165] ----- [You can use Stat Points to increase your Stats even further.] [You can use Skill Points to enhance the Proficiency of existing Skills or learn new skills from the Skill Shop.] Oh my, this is quite interesting! I felt the power that the System granted me increase drastically. Not only did my Mana reserves increase drastically, but a bit of my physical strength, agility, perception, and even focus increased a tiny bit. It was still enough to be slightly noticeable. But Clide, you gave me a Privilege? How nice of you. [It is the only way for you to possess a System Status Can you let me go now? Please? I have a wife and children!] Youre lying about that, I can tell~ But alright, I shall let you go, for now, Clide, I said. But remember that I might require your assistance in the future, alright? [Y-Yes] [The {Administrator Number 1034} has logged off.] Now, can I see what this Title and Skill even do? ----- [The One Who Folded The System] Title Requirements: Fold, control, and destroy the Systems structure. Effects: You can learn Skills much more easily. Skills Level Up ten times faster. Grants the ability to Synthetize Skills that have reached the Max Level. A Title is given to someone who has quite literally folded the System. Youre unbound by the System, yet you use it to your advantage to become even stronger. The Administrators are crying right now because a new troublemaker has appeared. ----- Quite funny; I like it. ----- [Premium Player Privilege (SSS): Lv1] [Skill EXP]: [0/100.000] A Premium Skill is often given to Administrators that beta test new System Functions. Not something that Players should ever receive. Grants the partial ability to manipulate System Functions, allowing you to keep your System even without it being bound to your body and soul. Increases the amount of Stat Points earned while being Classless by 10 for Mana and by 5 for other Classes. Increases the amount of Skill Points earned while being classes by 5, grants access to the Skill Shop. These bonuses will change and shape themselves around based on the Class you choose and the Level of the Skill. You can further accumulate Credits by slaying powerful Monsters and Boss Monsters, which you can exchange for valuable items in the Administrators Shop. More privileges can be unlocked as the Skill Level increases, which can be done by using Credits. Next Upgrade at 100.000 Credits. Available Credits: 0 Level Bonus (1): Credits Earned Increases by 10%. All Shops give you a discount of 5%. The Gods will show 10% more interest in you. ----- Quite useful, although I dislike the whole interest deal, but whatever. Ive had enough of this little new plaything. I swiftly cleansed the blood off my clothes and decided to go back to my mother and my sister, only to realize I was surrounded by dozens of people, most of whom resembled journalists, asking me all kinds of questions. Oh my "Please, can you answer some questions, maam?! You have just slain fifty E+ Rank Monsters in just a few seconds! Are you an A Rank Hunter or higher?! Weve never seen you around! Are you a new super rookie?! Are you single? I did often experience this level of popularity back then, but this is indeed quite overwhelming. I see no truly bad intentions toward you, so I will spare you. However I let my Immortal Intent out, my Aura fluctuating. If you dare block my path any longer than ten seconds from now, I will not be held responsible for what might happen to you. I am not in the mood to entertain children right now. W-Wha?! Such a powerful aura! Uaagh! The people quickly stepped back; some even fell to their knees. I walked past them as I reunited with my family. I had no time for any odd and weird interviews. I hope these mortals can understand that the life of an immortal, although long, is always very busy. Im back! Is the portal closed yet? I wondered as my mother and my sister greeted me with eyes wide open, their jaws dropping. K-Katherine, how strong are you?! My mother cried. T-That was insane; I couldnt even see her move! Said Ruby. And thenah, wait, what did you do to the journalists just now?! Your big sis is a monster, Juan muttered, looking at me with a slight sense of admiration. You shouldnt be so surprised; those creatures were weaker than most Martial Beasts in Murim. I laughed. A Farm Rat would easily kill a goblin without blinking an eye. And lets not even start with the Gray Wolves or the Sprinting Foxes. It seems the world you went to was very, very different than this, honey. My mother sighed, patting my shoulder. My poor girl, you went through a lot to get this strong, didnt you? She ended up hugging me. Its fine, mother. I will happily use this strength to protect you and trample over anybody or anything that dares get in the way of our happy family. I smiled. S-She has really changed Ruby sighed. Well, anyways! Should we get going? Before the journalist tries to chase us again- Ah, wait, the portal isnt closed yet? But you killed every single monster that came out. My mother suddenly pointed at the blue portal. Indeed, it doesnt close until all of them die, then? But this one remains open; how odd. I said. I have to admit that I am not too fond of these portals, so if possible, I would rather not enter them. Should I collapse the spatial aperture, then? Wait, collapse the what? My sister asked. GRUOOHH!! As I started my Spatial Collapse Technique, which I used to open the crack in heaven to absorb Cosmic Energy back in Murim, something roared within the portal. A green-skinned giant appeared, its head and arms crawling out of the portal. [The powerful Dungeon Gate Boss: [Hobgoblin Champion King (C+ Rank)] has appeared!] [Its roars weaken anybody that hears them, decreasing their Stats by 30%!] However, right after that, I used the Spatial Collapse Technique by folding my hands and pressing them into the empty air. Waves of Immortal Essence pressured the entire portal to close permanently, cutting the monsters head and its arms off before it could completely come off. TRUM! As if they werent already staring a lot, everyone in the vicinity was left even more speechless than before. Oh, well. ----- Chapter 4: If Youre Going To Bark Like A Dog, Die Like A Dog! ----- [You have slain the Dungeon Gate Boss: [Hobgoblin Champion King (C+ Rank)] x1!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Your Level has increased from level 33 to Level 37!] [All your Stats have increased. You gained Stat Points and Skill Points.] [You earned +11.000 Credits for slaying a Dungeon Gate Boss all by yourself!] [What an incredible feat! You received the Title: [Dungeon Gate Keeper] for forcefully closing a Dungeon Gate!] [You have used Mana to manipulate Space itself, you have gained enough skill proficiency.] [You learned the Magic Skill: [Partial Spatial Manipulation (B): Lv1]!] [A Dungeon Gate Treasure Chest has been generated.] POOF! As I glanced at the corpse of the monster fall into pieces, I ignored the system messages for a moment and looked at the strange yet incredibly interesting process. I saw the monster and the gates mana condense and then absorb cosmic energy from the system itself, materializing into a golden-colored treasure chest. Impressive! I have only seen this level of Energy Materialization in the oldest Venerables of Murim. You slain the boss already?! Ruby cried. Big sis at least makes it more interesting, like a big fight with stakes! Oh my, you wanted something longer? Sorry, I was trying to close the gate, and the poor thing just came out at the worst time. I laughed. Ah, dont worry about new Gates ever appearing around here. Ive folded the space very, very tightly. So if something tries to appear, it will fail miserably. This extends around... a hundred meters from here? Wait, you can just stop Dungeon Gates from ever happening?! My mother is now the one shocked. I guess so. Unless they come from the skies I looked up. Anyways! Look at this big treasure chest! Doesnt it make you feel rather excited? I feel like Ive become a child again with all these frivolous game-like mechanics. Let me see. I opened the treasure chest, revealing three prizes inside. [You have opened the [Dungeon Gate Treasure Chest (C+ Rank)] x1!] [You received the following rewards: [Skill Book: Mana Manipulation (C Grade)] x1 [Hobgoblins Champion King Butchering Axe (C+ Grade)] x1 [Hobgoblin Champion King Soul Orb (C+ Grade)] x1] Ooh, arent these quite the interesting little trinkets? I wondered, grabbing the huge axe. Ah, this is useless, though. I threw it away. Did she throw away a C-grade weapon?! G-Grab it! That thing costs at least a million dollars! Get away; I saw it first! As usual, the mortals fought for trash like rabid dogs. But this is a soul contained within an orb! Now this is something only immortals of middle to higher stages can do! No mortals could ever... How amusing. I will need to study this method. Andoh, a skill book, huh? I might as well use it, no? [You have learned the [Mana Manipulation (C): Lv1] Magic Skill!] [You can now sense and manipulate Mana better. With each Skill Level, this ability will rise greatly.] FLASH! I felt the flow of Mana become much better around my body. More or less, I could better grasp its conditions. Although it was still very evasive of my grasp, I was slowly getting a better hang of it. Though it is much easier to increase my Mana level. Ahh, more Primordial Essence! I sighed in relief as I combined my Mana with Immortal Essence, generating a beautiful seven-colored dew within the interior of my Core. Wonderful, I feel much better now. I need to keep leveling up if I want to completely restore my strength, I suppose. [Your [Mana Manipulation (C): Lv1] Skill has Leveled Up!] Oh? That fast? I suppose refining Primordial Essence must be a very high level of mana manipulation by itself? I wondered as I made my way back to my family yet again. Im done! Lets go now, family. "Katherine, why did you drop the axe?" My mom looked pale. Someone already snatched it away! Oh, that thing? No worries! If you want a better weapon, I can make you something with my Eight-Layered Golden Sun Alchemy Cauldron, mother. I have it stashed away inside of my Inner Realm. I smiled at her. Just ask later, and Ill make you something stronger than that pathetic little toy. E-Eh? Okay, honey, I guess My mother was still trying to process what I just said. Lets go now; no more distractions, alright? You get too sidetracked! Ahah, my bad. I am just too curious sometimes. I giggled merrily. Seriously, I guess you havent changed in that regard. Ruby laughed. In a few minutes of walking through these memorable streets, we reached the Hunter Association Building I had eyed before. People kept coming and going from it. Most of such people contained sizable amounts of Mana inside their bodies. I held back my desire to just absorb all their Mana for myself. I was from the Orthodox faction, so we dont slay mortals without reason. Though those monsters'' Mana reserves were decent. And about these crystal things, I should probably absorb them later. And here we are Well, Katherine, are you planning on entering in those clothes, though? My mother wondered. You look like some geisha or a cosplayer, dear. What?! These beautiful and colorful robes were refined for hundreds of years, Mother! I complained. I know that Earth has its own clothing customs, but why should I care? So you dont embarrass us, big sis! Think a bit. Ruby complained, crossing her arms. Before the stares of my mother and my sister, I only sighed. I suppose they were not wrong. I had to fit in, even if a bit. Ill keep the whole aesthetic and the dress, but Ill take away a few things here and there. I suppose wearing heels is okay, right? Jeans too. There. FLASH! Its done; is this more acceptable? I changed my robes to something more fitting. I smiled. W-Woah My sister muttered. So you can change your clothes to look however you want?! Thats amazing. My mother said. And yes, this beautiful dress, the jeans, and those red heels go so well with you, honey. Youre really a doll! Ahaha, mother, you flatter me. I smiled, feeling slightly embarrassed. Now, lets go inside. Wait, big sis, youre really ripped! Look at that belly, so hard, like a brick! My sister muttered. And your arms... I didn''t notice before, but theyre bulky too, yet delicate at the same time. How? A lady must always keep their beauty if possible, but that doesnt mean I will shy away from developing a strong body, I answered. Once were done with these things, I will teach the two of you some techniques. I might even allow you to begin your cultivation journey. I want you to be strong as well. You too, Ruby. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Eh, me too?! Ruby cried in surprise. You can share your powers with us? My mother gasped. Be careful where you say such things, honey. Dont speak it loudly. There are cameras everywhere in this building. Right, I shall be more careful from now on, mother. I nodded. Now, you must be the receptionist of this little hut? As we entered the building, I walked, skipping the line and talking to the receptionist, who was assessing a young black-haired mans things. Both she and the young man stared at me first, perhaps in awe of my appearance and beauty. Mortals are very easy to read. Y-Yes, I am. But please wait in line; many people are waiting and- Line? A Primordial waits no lines. You will attend to my needs right this instant. I touched the table, slowly spreading cracks through it. Young man, will you wait patiently behind me? What?! No way! I waited here for like half an hour! He said, barking back like a savage. "Don''t think that because you''re a hot bitch, you''ll get to do whatever you want! I am a fervent believer in gender equality, so if you don''t stand away, I won''t hold you responsible for what I do to you, ma''am!" Is that so? Such a savage. Mortals these days, I swear." I sighed. "Well, if you-" "Just get the fuck away, whore!" He barked back even more furiously, suddenly throwing me a kick. Yet his kick didnt even get to me, hitting an invisible wall. This wall was the difference in power between the two, my very intent. "So this is how it''s going to be. Very well, if youre going to bark like a dog, you might as well die like one. I kicked his stomach and sent him flying faster than their eyes could see. BAAAM! [You have kicked someone with such strength and speed that they almost died! In fact, you held back most of your power, showcasing incredible control over your own inner strength. You learned the [Kicking Strike (D): Lv1] Classless Skill!] Ugh! The man vomited a mouthful of blood as a huge crater formed in the walls. I waved my hand, my golden energy healing all his wounds. I was a merciful immortal. Will you attend to me now that the dog is gone? I asked politely. Dont worry, hes healed. Hes fine. [Due to your merciful acts and your amazing control of healing techniques, you learned the [Healing Golden Light (B): Lv1] Magic Skill!] [Because of offering help to someone wounded, you learned the [First Aid (D): Lv1] Classless Skill!] Oh, grinding Skills is quite easy. W-Wha What the hell?! Kyaaaah! A criminal! The receptionist ran away. Alarms suddenly started ringing all around the entire building. People started running away. And the hunters that stayed quickly pointed their weapons and magic at me. Oh my, such a generous reception. I smiled. I guess this is what I get for trying to ask for some respect around here. Maybe I should teach everyone here some manners first? Stand where you are! A tall black man showed up, wearing sunglasses and a black robe. He was bulky and looked to be overflowing with Mana. I am the Hunters Association Chairman of this area; my name is Nicholas Heisen, and I am an S-Rank Hunter. Lady, you just kicked someone and almost broke the reinforced walls out of nowhere. Do you understand what you did? You killed the man! Hes not dead though; look. I pointed in the distance; the man was standing up, looking around confused. Huh? Im alive? But I am sure my stomach was crushed He muttered, touching his skin and finding not even scars behind. See? I kicked the dog, but I dont like killing animals without a reason, so I healed him back. I smiled at the man named Nick. Now, I just came here with my family to be registered. As an Immortal, the minimum treatment I ask for is to not wait for a damned line. Will you help me register so I can please my family, or will you make this harder for the two of us? Is that a threat, maam? The man asked. Take it as you will; I only speak the truth, I said. I will do what I say I will do. Alright, take her down; shes nuts. The man said this as dozens of hunters rushed towards me. Oh no I could hear my mother face-palming. Katherine, please, be gentle. She loves getting into trouble, huh? Ruby crossed her arms. As soon as I heard their words, the hunters approached. A barrage of weak and very slow weapon attacks came my way. It was so slow that it felt like I could drink tea while waiting for them to reach me. I simply walked across the attacks; I didnt even need to evade them; my body simply resisted it all. How dull. And you call yourselves hunters? I yawned. {Primordial Spiritual Body Arts}: {Photon Needles} Needles of Photon Energy surged endlessly from my body, piercing the hunters bodies and electrocuting them, knocking them out on the spot. I dont know what Ranks they even were, but they were all weaklings. W-Wha?! She knocked down ten B Rank Hunters?! Nicholas muttered. You Youre a monster hiding as a human, arent you?! Everyone, run! I will handle this! The mans body suddenly started swelling up, his body size increasing up to four times, as he was now packed with gigantic, large muscles. His black skin turned as black as charcoal, giving it a metallic gleam. His Aura of Mana was rather sizable, so this is an S Rank Hunter, huh? RAAAH! He leaped forward, his gigantic and bulky arms pummeling down on me like titanic hammers. The ground below us shattered, yet his fists couldnt even hurt me. Rainbow-colored barriers made of nine colorful colors protected me from his attacks. What?! A magic barrier? You could call it that, yes. Sure. Heh, perfect then. He smiled, his face distorting into pure joy as he activated one of his skills, and his hands overflowed with a black energy that seemed to attempt to distort Mana itself and destroy it. {Mana Break}! His fists rushed down once more, both at the same time, attempting to smash the barrier into pieces with a mighty strike. The entire building trembled; it was slowly falling apart. These people really dont know how to keep their things, huh? BAAAM! Yet there are were no cracks left over my barrier. Youre incredibly weak, son. Yet you boast with such confidence. Are you sure youre not the one who has gone insane? I asked, looking at him in the eyes. W-What? Nothing is working?! He muttered. Is that an S-rank barrier? Youre S Rank! S Rank? I asked. No, I think I might be beyond that, perhaps. I disappeared from there and reappeared above him, using my new Partial Spatial Manipulation Skill to teleport a short distance. It''s quite a useful little ability, I have to admit. Now, lets see {Kicking Strike}! Was it? I swung my left leg towards the mans right shoulder, and my Aura exploded with my Mana, forming a slashing blade so powerful and fast that he was unable to detect and evade in time. My kick not only pierced through his incredibly hard skin, but it cut through his limbs, his arm falling down and splattering blood everywhere. UUAAAGGH! The man screamed in utter agony, his eyes glaring at me furiously as he kicked me, but that didnt help at all; I remained in midair no matter how hard he attempted to pummel me down. I suppose he has no more tricks. Is he just a brawler who relies on endurance and fighting prowess? Hes awfully weak to do so. The battle monks in Murim would easily crush him like an ant. How many limbs must I cut or break before you learn your lesson? I kicked his other arm, and it was gone. I then kicked his legs and broke them, and then I pushed my palm into his chest, using my techniques at the same time. A zap of Photon Energy reached the rest of his body, paralyzing him as it pierced through all his nerves and electrocuted his muscles. {Primordial Spiritual Body Arts}: {Photonic Seal} Uuggh!W-What did you?! How can you- Aaggh! I am an S Rank I shouldnt lose at all! I-I Ugh! He kept vomiting blood as I stood over his chest. Nicholas, I do not intend to kill you, nor do I ever intend to fight you either. I sighed. I will heal you and everyone else. I can even repair your little building. Will you allow me to register with your hunter association and not make a fuss about it now? Y-Yes! Sure! Whatever you say! Please dont kill me; I have two daughters! He cried; he was telling the truth. Of course I wont. I think youre a good person, Nicholas. You were just protecting your place, right? Any Sect Master would understand that. But you committed a grave mistake by offending an immortal. I hope you can learn from this experience and never commit the same mistake again, okay? Other immortals would have killed you within a split second of you ever badmouthing them. I believe I am quite merciful instead. I-I will I will learn Ugh He was already looking rather terrible. I better hurry. Okay, well done. I nodded, patting his forehead. How about we use another skill, eh? {Healing Golden Light}! A wave of healing golden light encompassed everyone I hurt, and their wounds immediately healed completely. In fact, even their energy and stamina were restored. By fusing these skill effects with my techniques and Ki energy, much better results can be created. What an interesting power this system thing has! Are you alright now? There, there. Everything is fine. I looked like Nicholas slowly sat down, looking at himself. I am healed completely. My wounds, everything, not even scars He muttered. Lady, thank you for your mercy I Well, we apologize for offending you. We were not aware you were so supremely powerful. Are you perhaps a World Class Hunter? My boss never told me someone like that was coming to New York Oh, no, I am trying to register, so I am not a World-Class Hunter or whatever, I said. Now, now. Lets get started while I repair your little building. Everyone gasped in disbelief as the building swiftly came back together to a pristine appearance. I manipulated my Immortal Aura and my Ki Energy into countless hands and repair tools, quickly crafting everything back to normal with some synthesizing abilities that I acquired from learning Alchemy back in Murim. And done! As good as new and more reinforced than ever before. It should not break anymore, even when S Ranks fight inside. I answered. T-Thank you so much Nicholas swallowed saliva as he looked at me. Please, come with me if you want to register; I will personally do it for you, lady What is your name? Hmm, you can call me Bing Xue! I said. I prefer to save my real name for only my family. Bing Xue Alright, please come with us. And once more, I am deeply sorry for our disrespect. You are so powerful, you could kill us all, yet you only taught us a lesson and healed us. I think this is the first time I have ever experienced such overwhelming power from a person and not a monster, yet such benevolent mercy at the same time He started crying while walking upstairs. I waved my hand at my family, telling them to wait for me. Do you need to cry for that? I sighed. Seriously, mortals these days [You have manipulated a powerful foreign energy similar to Light and Thunder with incredible dexterity and prowess, you learned the [Photon Essence Manipulation (A): Lv1] Magic Skill!] [Your [Kicking Strike (D): Lv1] [First Aid (D): Lv1] [Partial Spatial Manipulation (B): Lv1] [Mana Manipulation (C): Lv2] [Healing Golden Light (B): Lv1] [Photon Essence Manipulation (A): Lv1] Skills have Leveled Up!] [You have defeated dozens of powerful hunters and even completely folded an S Rank Hunter, said to be the strongest in the city right now, you received the [Undefeated] Title!] [The Gods of the Tower have begun to watch you with great interest.] [Some of the Gods of the Tower show great fear of your overwhelming, unprecedented, and nonsensical strength.] [And other Gods of the Tower feel captivated and fascinated by your overwhelming and domineering authority.] [You have received several Avatar Requests from the Gods of the Tower (38)!] [Once you accept the Avatar Request, the Gods can descend into your body and, at the same time, give you great power to climb the Tower more easily.] No thank you. I waved my hand, rejecting all these creeps. Theyre not going to be my friends, nor will I ever become one of their avatars. I will kill them and free my world. Thats what I will do. ----- Chapter 5: Tower Gods & World-Class Hunters ----- [The Tower God {Wielder Of The God Slaying Spear} says that youre perfect to become his Avatar!] [He offers you great amounts of items, equipment, skills, and much more that will make it easy for you to climb the tower until you reach his world, where you can join and become his second wife.] [He is confident you would make a wonderful heir with the strength you possess.] Youre one of the first ones Im killing. [The Tower Goddess, {Queen of the Frozen Sea}, is disgusted by the remarks of the {Wielder of the God Slaying Spear} and offers you to become her sister in her own world, governing the Ice Titans.] Oh, the Titans? Is that so? Well, its the same response either way. No. [The Tower God {Snake That Circles The World} wonders if you could become his Avatar instead. He can offer you an egg that will hatch a mighty pet that can carry you through all the floors of the tower until you reach his world!] [He honestly just wants a friend] Youre lying; youre just greedy. Nothing escapes my eyes. [The Tower Gods are slowly growing angrier about your remarks! Many of them have developed a terrible impression of you.] [None of them wants to give you a gift or a sponsorship anymore!] [Some of them have begun to plot your demise.] Already? Well, I guess youre not so different from the old men of Murim then. I laughed. Ill welcome every single challenge you throw at me with open hands. But be aware; the more you anger, the more painful your death will become. [Some of the Tower Gods who are more aware of what you truly are capable of have begun cowering in fear! They have quickly decided to leave.] [A few others are still looking at you.] Enough with you, creeps. I quickly waved my hand as I sat down in front of Nicholas, releasing a veil of Photon Essence combined with my Primordial Nine Heaven Fragments power within my Inner Realm. [You have conjured a strange, powerful veil that is fueled by foreign energy!] [The System Broadcast Function has been completely disabled.] [It can be disabled once the veil is taken away.] [Because of the incredible feat of stopping the Constellations from watching over you, you received the [Mirage Veil (A): Lv1] Classless Skill!] [The Skill [Mana Manipulation (C): Lv3] has Leveled Up.] Another Skill, huh? Much better; it was getting very annoying. Were you talking to the Gods of the Tower, Lady Bing Xue? Wondered Nicholas. With the level of power you possess, I am sure you must be the Avatar of one, right? How far have you advanced in the Tower? Advanced in the Tower? I have not done any of such things. I said, sighing. For your information, I am still only at Level 37. This system thing was something I acquired an hour ago. Wait, what?! Nicholas gasped. Mortals these days. Y-You dont have a Sponsor, yet you possess a power that can surpass S Rank Hunters? What is an S Rank Hunter anyway? A feeble label to simply measure your Realm of growth? Because it is very inaccurate. I said. To begin with, if there are Levels for everyone, how come there are fixed Ranks for people? Wouldnt everyone eventually get to S Rank? Then what makes it such a unique of a Rank? At that point, you will be forced to make higher tiers, making everything increasingly convoluted. T-Thats Nicholas was left speechless for a moment. Youre not wrong. This system is very old and rather outdated. But there are some foundations for it. You see, these Ranks were born at the beginning of the Apocalypse, when the Towers appeared, and the First Wave came. A series of Dungeon Breaks appeared all over the world constantly. Humanity constantly fought to survive for almost a year before the number of Dungeons Gate appearances finally decreased significantly. By then, half of the worlds population was gone, and many countries were also destroyed. Half of the worlds population?! I almost screamed in utter anger. So those Gods Theyve been killing my kind as if they were nothing but cattle?! I can see why, though, by killing humans, they get to harvest Life Force and Mana, isnt it? And also managed to filter out the weaklings and leave those that were able to assimilate Mana into their bodies, mostly. Giving them even more chances to harvest even more Mana and Life Force. Monsters I-I dont know what the Gods of the Tower intend, but... Indeed, it has been discussed and theorized by many of our governments figures that we are nothing but cattle to the Tower Gods. Sighed Nicholas. However, such things are never revealed to the population. A-Anyways, moving on to the Rank System. Even though everyone can level up, not many can. There are people innately awakened with stronger skills, higher stats, and more talent than others. Then there are Avatars, which throw the balance off the charts even more with their bonus stats, items, and skills from their Godly Sponsors. Because of this unbalance, we had to create Ranks to qualify talent and strength. Of course, even F Rank Hunters, with enough effort, could theoretically rise to S Rank, but it is usually impossible due to their already very low initial power, which increases the chances for them to die fighting monsters. Hm, I see. I guess I do understand more. I nodded. So it is also based on what youre given from the beginning How many of these weaker people have risen to S Rank? No more than a hundred across the world, but thats still a lot, I suppose, Nicholas said. All of them are hardworking and admirable people... I was formerly A rank; I Awakened very strong Skills from the get-go and was also chosen as the Avatar of a God. Although it might be shameless, I had no choice. In those times, I needed strength to protect my wife and my daughters. But even with that strength, I couldn''t... I couldnt save my wife. But you saved your daughters. I smiled. Youre a good and admirable father, Nicholas. I am sure your wife is proud of what youve done and accomplished. Make sure to raise those girls well. T-Thank you It really means a lot coming from someone like you, Bing Xue. Nicholas felt slightly touched. Anyways, your strength... It is completely unprecedented. It seems youre one of perhaps the only three unique cases in the entire world. People who had no powers suddenly awakened to overwhelming strength, surpassing veteran S Ranks without even Leveling yet. We call them World Class Hunters. There are only three in the entire world; you would be the first one in the States, maam, and the fourth in the entire world. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Huh, interesting. I nodded. World Class Hunter, eh? It doesnt sound too bad; it''s much better than just a letter. Seriously, Murim has a much better naming sense than Earth. Murim? Nicholas asked. What are you talking about, Lady Bing Xue? Forget what I said. Who are these three World Class Hunters? I wondered. The first one ever comes from Africa; his name is Jamiel, often known as the Champion Of Wild Beasts. He awakened a power that allowed him to tame any beast and monster weaker than him, immediately forming a gigantic army of beasts that he used to singlehandedly protect Africa, one of the most vulnerable continents in the world, and unify various smaller countries that were devastated. He said. I see, an admirable man with the aura of a conqueror, I see. I nodded. The second is Yanisse, from Russia. Shes known as the White Void. Her powers are the ability to control space and the element of the void to instantly devastate any foe, quite literally deleting them out of existence. Sighed Nicholas. Shes a cold and mysterious woman; most are afraid of her, but shes also very beautiful and quite popular in her country as a model. Oh, the Element of Void? Amazing. I felt slightly fascinated. Perhaps I should meet this girl one day. I could earn a few things about this elusive element! And the third is from South America; his name is Pablo, the most recent World-Class Hunter before your appearance. Said Nicholas. Hes known as the God of the Black Sun; he is not only capable of summoning a domain that encompasses everything in endless darkness, but he is also the avatar of several Aztec Pantheon Tower gods that govern their underworld. He is a Necromancer as well, controlling endless armies of Undead. He has protected South America since his awakening, and hes known as their hero. He was born in Peru but recently moved to Chile. Quite an interesting trio of fellows. I suppose I could meet them all eventually and gauge how truly powerful they are. I smiled, feeling slightly interested. Jamiel, Yanisse, Pablo... I will remember those names. Now, can I register? Yes, of course. First of all, I would like to, even if it might seem ridiculous, gauge your total stats and skills to some extent; this is a procedure necessary for registration. I know you are incredibly strong, but even then..." He muttered, feeling slightly afraid of my response. Dont be afraid, Nicholas. I wont feel angered by such things. Is that the orb I must touch? I touched it. Is that it? FLASH! A flash of bright light surged from the crystal orb Nicholas offered to me, suddenly showing some numbersmy current System Stats. And also some of my Skills. The Privilege Skill was apparently hidden; it didnt show Titles either. S-So these are your stats. Wait, arent they too low for how strong you are, Bing Xue? He asked. How does this make any sense I didnt let the System assimilate my body or soul, so these are the surface stats I am accumulating from a blank slate. I think of the system as a little piece of equipment that grows along with me. I smiled. And well, it allows me to gather Mana more effectively too. S-So you were strong before even The System Assimilation? He muttered, his hands trembling in horror. Yes. I smiled with honesty. Is that it, Nicholas? So what Rank do I qualify for? I only possess the authority to give you A Rank. I will need to contact the HQ and ask them for a meeting later, where your true power will be tested, so we can see if we either give you the S Rank or the World Rank. He said. Im very sorry for this; I know youre at least S Rank, without a doubt. But I cant give you the Rank yet Its fine; give me any rank; I dont really care. I shrugged. Are we done? Not yet! Please wait a moment." He started printing some papers, and then he asked me to sign my registration. I read everything, and it was just frivolous things I wouldnt follow anyway. I wont be bound by stupid contracts. I am only registering because my family desperately wanted me to do so. And done, I said. When is this meeting with the HQ youre talking about? I asked him. Tomorrow, everything has already been set up. They will come running once theyre done with their own jobs. He sighed. About twenty Hunter Association Chairmen, the president of all the Hunter Associations, and probably the Prime Minister of the United States will all be coming. You might not know, but videos about what youve done are already circulating all over the internet; they need to address this quickly or therell be an uproar over your existence. Huh, I suppose this is fine. That''s a nice and quick response. It reminds me of my times in the Heavenly Court when I had to control every new little monster that wanted to join us, fufu. I laughed. Well, I will amuse your little game for now. But I wont be wasting my time with all of you more than that, alright? After that is done, I hope I am no longer bothered. Those who attempt to do so will receive great punishment and, perhaps, a merciless death too. I am merciful and have great patience; I would not have lived eleven thousand years without them, but such virtues have limits. Is that okay with you, Nicholas? Y-Yes Nicholas nodded. It is perfectly good. I understand. We will not bother you anymore once tomorrow''s gathering is done Perfect. I also expect some compensation for taking away my time, yes? I asked with a gentle smile. It is the least you could do to pay respects to me, as your great immortal venerable. Immortal Venerable? Ah, yes, of course, maam. He nodded obediently. And I apologize once again for what I did to you before... We all panicked; you kicked that man, so we thought." He was very rude, so I had the right to be rude to him as well, I said. But when someone treats me with kindness and respect, I will do the same to them. I hope we can get a better understanding from now on. We will. He nodded with a gentle smile. Thank you for being so understanding about this entire ordeal. I wish you a good day. And this is your Hunter Association License. Youre now an A Rank hunter, Lady Bing Xue. Tomorrow, you might even become Americas first World Class Hunter. The man handed me a very lame-looking silver card with my name and rank. So that was it? This card? Honestly, maybe I shouldnt even have bothered with this! I laughed. Oh well, fine, fine. I will play along. Goodbye, and see you tomorrow, Nicholas. Make sure to behave, son, and tell your girls I say hello! Here, give them these things. I am sure they will like them. I handed him a box of cookies and chocolates I had crafted using ingredients inside my Inner Realm, a small show of generosity that Immortals often gifted to one another to keep formalities and respect with one another. Oohh! Yes, of course. He nodded obediently as I walked away. A-And thank you for the sweets. I am sure the two will like them. Goodbye. I walked away and moved downstairs, where my mother and my little sister greeted me. Well, now that was quite a long conversation we had there. But this gives me a better understanding of how the world has changed. Katherine, youre finally back! Did you register? My mother asked, looking very exhausted and slightly stressed. I have made her feel this way; I should apologize. Im sorry for worrying you so much, mother. I have brought shame to our family for making such a huge fuss about these feeble little mortals and their lack of mannerisms. Perhaps I should have simply ignored the barking dog. I apologized. Barking dog? My mother was confused. A-And well, youre not too well yourself; you were away too long. I am sure you must be very tired and stressed. Lets go back home now, honey. You need to rest. Theres no need to apologize, big sis; you kicked ass! Ruby said. Youre so cool! It''s been a while since Ive seen such a strong awakening. Most of the time, theyre just lame-looking dudes that think theyre gods and are so cocky and annoying. Hahaha! Murim was also full of arrogant men like that. I laughed. Do you know what I did with those arrogant men who thought that because I was a woman, I had to kneel before them and obey them? I crushed every single one of them. And I will do the same here if any of them, men or women, dare to stand before my new, peaceful life with my family. A-Ah, ahahaha My sister didnt take that too kindly; it seems she got a bit scared. Anyways! Let us go eat something, yes? I smiled back at her, giving her a head pat and a kiss on the forehead. Big Sis wants to spoil her little sister. How about we have a delicious feast inside my Inner Realm? I will show you all kinds of things there! You will be really amazed. S-Sure? My sister said, Whats an Inner Realm though? I am so confused right now." My mother wasnt in the right place either. I suddenly noticed that the man named Juan was not around. Is Juan gone? I wondered. Ah yeah, he has a night shift in his job, so he left already. Said Ruby. He works as a porter and gatherer in low-level dungeons inside the towers first floor. Its the only thing F Rank Hunters can do without risking their lives. Is that so? I should visit that tower soon; I am quite interested in how everything works there. I said. Ah, Katherine, so whats your Rank? My mother wondered. A Rank for now, sadly. Tomorrow maybe World Class. I said. What?! Both had the same shock in their reactions. ----- Chapter 6: World-Class Hunter Test ----- Yesterdays dinner was filled with laughter, amusement, and surprises from my mother and sister. I brought them inside my Inner Realm for a trip, where they met the Inner World that my Immortal Core had cultivated inside. It was around as big as the planet Mars by now, I would assume. It contained a lot of Immortal and Primordial Treasures that kept growing everywhere as I cultivated them for further extraction of their materials. They meet some of the creatures that guarded the area, and well, nothing else. The whole trip by itself was incredible for them. I do not keep mortals inside my Inner Realm as slaves, unlike many other Immortals. So my Inner Realm was empty of any person; maybe I should have brought some in my journey here now that I think about it, but that cannot be undone now. I cooked them a full course made with the best ingredients I could offer them, all part of my master plan to help them awaken as cultivators. Each meal they ate contained large quantities of Ki, which they consumed slowly. Their bodies, overnight, should have begun to change as their mortal bodies finally evolved into cultivators. In Murim, there were several Ranks that Mortals, Immortals, and Primordial had to go through. Although a fancier name could be Realms instead of Ranks. Mortals, once they finally reach Rank 2, must learn an Elemental Technique which will become their Core Martial Arts and element. These two will shape how they grow from now on. And they were: Rank 1: Initial Ki Assimilation Realm. Rank 2: Ki Core Formation Realm. Rank 3: Physique Forging Realm. Rank 4: Martial Soul Realm. Rank 5: Martial Aura Realm. Once they reach Rank 5, they must combine their Soul and Aura together to acquire an Immortal Spark within the core of their souls. Once that is done, they ascend into Rank 6 Immortals. Rank 6: Immortal Soul Refinement Realm. Rank 7: Immortal Physique Creation Realm. Rank 8: Immortal Aura Intent Realm. Rank 9: Immortal Core Formation Realm. Rank 10: Nascent Immortal Soul Realm. Once they reach Rank 10, they must assimilate the Essence of the Primordial Energies of the Nine Heavens, discarding their body in the process to obtain a new one. When the Primordial Physique is attained, they become Primordial and must forge Primordial Techniques to further ascend, while awakening their Souls and Bodies to the Enlightenment of the Dao, which should be born of all the time they spent cultivating their Core Element and Martial Art. Rank 11 to 14: Elemental Primordial Realm. Rank 15 to 18: Divine Primordial Realm. Rank 19 to 20: Primordial Venerable Realm. There were only ten people in all of Murims history to reach this Realm, they became the absolute gods of the world in their respective Eras. When I destroyed Fate, they were unbound by their lifespan and began to revive one after another. I had to kill them as I ascended to an even higher realm, using their bodies as materials for my growth. These were the last two thousand years in Murim, and perhaps the hardest of my entire life. Rank 21: This is the Realm I achieved; it was called the Primordial Immemorial Venerable Realm; it was above all the old geezers that were never able to reach it. I became the pinnacle of the pinnacle, unparalleled. Rank 22: And this was the theorized Immemorial Void Realm, which was supposed to allow me to become one with the Void and the Cosmos, forging a body capable of withstanding it all. I failed, but I will continue to aim for it. And thats about it! Right now, my sister and my mother should already be at Rank 1 and should soon reach Rank 2 once they forge a Core and choose an element and martial arts as their core. I didnt ask their permission, but I am sure they wont mind. Ruby said she wished she had awakened so she wouldnt be looked down on in a society full of awakened people. So this should help her. Judging Nicholas'' power as a base, my mother should be able to become as strong as an S-Rank Hunter once she reaches Rank 3, without a doubt. Shes already a Rank D hunter, after all. She could probably become a World-Class Hunter once she becomes Rank 5, though I still need to judge their full power. I will make my family the strongest, so nobody ever messes with us. Only staying strong myself wont do. I need them to be powerful too, or they will bring disgrace to the family. I might be acting a bit harsh right now. I love them, but if I am ever away from them for something I need to do and they get attacked... I dont want to think about it. For now, I left the Seven Layered Rainbow Protection Ward on their bodies while they slept peacefully; that should be able to protect them from at least a hundred lethal attacks! And it can regenerate by draining my own energy. This Ward is also perfect against creeps. If anybody attempts to touch them with bad intentions, the Ward will immediately electrocute them with high concentrations of Photon Energy. Ah, the sun is rising. I smiled, looking through the window of my old room. I had slept for a few hours. I had never slept so peacefully before. Knowing this worlds people are so weak made me feel at ease. In Murim, I always had to sleep with an eye open. But here, I can fully immerse myself in my sleep. A new morningoh, right, this thing. My mother had given me a new phone; it was the old one she was using before, and she said shed buy me a new one later. There was a message already in there. Somehow, Nicholas has gotten the hang of my number already. Perhaps through espionage using technological devices? Anyhow, he was telling me to meet him in the association building at ten in the morning. And it is 9:45! Ah, I must hurry then. I swiftly went to take a warm bath in the bathroom while listening to the music of this world. Some Green Days, Coldplay, and then even Metallica at the end. These songs and singers brought back so much nostalgia. I remember my many innocent years before I landed in Murim, when I was just another girl on Earth. Mother, I must go to the association for a conference with the Heavenly Court of the United States. I will come back in a few hours. Should I bring something to eat? I asked her while she was half asleep. Hmm? Bring anything, honey." She groaned, quickly going back to sleep. It was the weekend, so she usually slept until late. Good luck, please behave, okay? No more building destruction. I will try. I winked at her, quickly leaping out of the window. D-Dont leap off the window! KATHERINE! She screamed as I flew away. I quite literally walked over the skies, quickly landing over the Association Building and then teleporting inside the entrance. I was greeted by Nicholas, who quickly led me inside a large hall, where many people were located. There werent as many old geezers as I imagined; there were also many handsome men and beautiful women. I especially eyed the ladies; there were many beauties. However, none of them was quite what I liked either. Too weak as well, and arrogant, too arrogant. None of them looked at me with honesty; everyone here just held immense greed within themselves. They are probably looking to use me as their weapon. The first world-class hunter in Americas United States is indeed a big deal after all. So you must be Bing Xue. A blonde man with sharp and dull-looking blue eyes glared at me. I am Mister Franklin, the Prime Minister of the United States. Ive been called here to meet someone who, yesterday, managed to defeat the S-Rank Hunter and Chairman, Mister Nicholas. You were not only able to defeat him, but you did so effortlessly and could have easily killed him at any time. Yet you showed incredible mercy by healing him and all your attackers and even repairing the building? Is this thing right? He stopped reading the paper in front of him. Yes, it is right, Prime Minister; I can testify for her. Nodded Nicholas. Alright then The blonde man sighed. Bing Xue, you know that even though you did that in self-defense, you still attacked an innocent man and caused tremendous disaster? We will let you off the hook for now, but you owe a favor to the country now. You could easily get arrested and stay in prison for twenty years for what you did. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Ive lived eleven thousand years, child. I dont think that is much for me. But well, I doubt that would ever happen. If someone ever tried to imprison me, they would drop into a pile of bones and flesh before they could ever know what happened to them. I smiled gently. The strength I possess will always be used to protect my own life. Do you understand? What did you say?! The Prime Minister muttered. Is this a THREAT?! Prime Minister, please calm down! Shes just being honest, I mean Its not like we can imprison someone as strong as her even in a million years, though. Let us not be delusional here; we have to cooperate with her; dont try to intimidate her with your words, Prime Minister. As a Hunter, I can completely relate to her about this too. Sometimes you really think you have a lot of power over us, huh? What Shut up already. Sighed the Prime Minister, cleaning the sweat from his forehead. It seems I was wrong; the government actually doesnt have as much political power as the hunters themselves. What an interesting society has been shaped out of this apocalypse! Yet this fool was still trying to trick me into believing I owed them something so they could control me and turn me into their weapon. What an adorable attemptcertainly not as good as the schemes of the Venerables, though. Now, now, I didnt come here to waste my time. Nicholas, you promised me this would be quick. Am I an S-Rank, a World Class, or whatever? I have a life, you know? I wont stay here for more than an hour. I said, as I quickly broke off the discussion. Well, yes. Thats why I came here, young woman. The Prime Minister said it with a pissed-off face. Lets move to the other room then. Thats a specially designed test room modified by the White Void to be able to withstand world-class-level skills and spells. Therell be a simulation of a powerful S-Rank boss monster that once appeared in France; you will need to fight it and win. Based on how you handle that thing, well see how powerful you are. Excellent! Lets begin right away then! I smiled. As I walked inside the room, the rest of the people gathered around the seats, observing with curiosity and interest. The Prime Minister was rather angered still; I could tell that he was wishing I could fail or something. The entire white space suddenly trembled as something appeared within it. A gigantic entity materialized out of pure condensed Mana. It took the form of a majestic and monstrous European Dragon. With red and black scales. It was as big as a hundred meters. With three heads, each one with sharp horns and many eyes. It spread its gigantic wings as it roared back at me. It emanated a mighty aura. This Illusion Level was immense. No, this was a "simulation." To somehow completely imitate a living beings power and appearance of at least 90% accuracy is incredible. Not many Primordial could do this in Murim. I definitely need to learn this technique or skill! ROOOAAR! As the Dragon roared, the Prime Minister spoke. The test will begin now, Bing Xue Or should I say Katherine? Please defeat the monster. Let us see how much power youve amassed in these eleven years you were gone, the missing girl. He spoke with a slightly threatening attitude. So they researched me to such an extent that it was impressive. I guess that was within my expectations, and it is not like I care either. The Venerable of Deep Dreams was able to predict the future through her Dream Domain and even read minds with a single glance. As the Dragon flew towards me, I analyzed its power. It was decently strong, yes. Very big. Maybe I should show off a bit before these people? Just to show them that I mean business, as they say. Okay, Ill go a bit more serious. I smiled, my body overflowing with an Aura of Rainbow Light. I unsheathed my Yin and Yang Sword, channeling its {Aura of Eternal Harmony}, darkness, and light, encompassing and fusing with my Aura of Rainbow Light. I disappeared from where I was a second before the dragons claw impacted the floor, leaving a huge explosion of black flames behind. I appeared right above the creature, channeling Immortal Energy into my sword as I swung it carelessly against its back. It was very slow. SLAAASH! A single slash cut through its wings. Its powerful scales managed to resist a deeper cut, but they were already vaporized. The monster dropped to the floor, blood and rainbow flames covering its back as it groaned in agony. RAAAAH! With a mighty roar, it greeted me with a powerful breath attack, unleashing an endless storm of black flames. This time I decided to test their power, receiving the attack head-on. The black flames were pure manaamazing. They had the power of Curses and Darkness and were trying to infect my body with deadly curses to weaken me. It obviously didnt work. These flames I think I could copy them, yes. Like this? I wondered; the black flames spun around my hands as they swirled into masses of black fire. I quickly imbued Mana and Immortal Essence into them, making them grow into a gigantic black sun. Take it back. The black sun impacted the dragon, and the beast, unable to escape with its wings and its wounded back, succumbed to an explosion that completely vaporized it. Oh well, that was quite dull! It couldnt even take more than two hits. BOOOM! The dragon was gone, but I happily absorbed the leftover Mana in the environment, storing it inside my own body, and then slowly refining it into more Primordial Essence. More of these golden dew drops appeared within my Inner Realm. I would say this was a bountiful harvest; I farmed three whole dew drops of Primordial Essence with the dragons mana alone! [You have showcased great talent with the sword; you learned the [Basic Swordsmanship (C): Lv1] Classless Skill!] [You have absorbed a large quantity of Mana and manipulated it with tremendous dexterity and mastery, to the point you can steal the spells of foes and use them against them. You learned the lesser version of this Spell, the [Cursed Flames (B): Lv1] Magic Skill!] [Several Skills have Leveled Up.] [You have slain the projection of a powerful S Rank Monster. Even if you cannot earn EXP out of it, you still earn 11.000 Credits.] Im quite satisfied! Now Huh? Why are you all paralyzed? I wondered, looking around me. S-She She killed it so fast? Is this a new record? In less than twenty seconds, are you seriously?! Two hits It took two hits." She stole the dragons black flames?! What is that sword shes wielding? The Prime Minister was left speechless; he wasnt even talking anymore, opening his mouth wide open. But I could notice greed quickly taking over his eyes more than ever before. He smiled back at me with a slightly cynical smile. E-Excellent, perfect, magnificent! Youre youre Americas Pride, Bing Xue- No, let us simply call you Katherine! That is your true American name after all! Laughed the Prime Minister. With you by our side, we can do anything, ANYTHING! Maybe even even invading- I mean, ahem! No, well done. Yes. You are without a doubt a World Class Hunter. I wont do anything for you, I said to him. I wont invade lands for you either, and I will not be your Americas proud weapon, Prime Minister. I appeared behind him. I heard everything you said, and I can also read your thoughts by merely looking at your face. Uagh! D-Did you teleport behind me?! He cried. And what are you talking about, woman?! I never said anythingEEP! I grabbed him by the neck and lifted him off the floor, staring him into the eyes. My energies quickly encompassed him completely. If you ever dare mess with my family, I will kill you and destroy this entire country." I answered with a simple threat. Make sure to treat me very well from now on. And dont touch my family. I know people like you will do it. And I am fervently resisting the urge to kill you right now because that would upset my mother. E-Eek! Someone! Help me! I! Did you hear me? ! His eyes suddenly started to widen as I stared into his very psyche. He started trembling, pissing himself like a pathetic rat. Y-Yes, I understand I-I will do anything to protect you and your family- I will tell them not to mess with you or them. P-Please dont kill me. Please He started to cry. I felt the presence of a few S-Rank Hunters approaching me, but they were unable to even break my barrier. Lets make an oath then. I touched and grasped his soul with my hands. Done. FLASH! AARGH! W-What did you do to me?! He cried. If you ever break that promise, you will die an agonizing death, I said. Of course, it wont work on others, but I hope you can convince them to not commit suicide by going against me. Ugh Y-Yes, I will I WILL! His greed was gone. The only emotion left was the innate instinct of survivalto do anything to live. Good, that is the purest form that a feeble little animal like him must feel at all times. I let him go gently, and as he fell to his knees and continued crying, he was left traumatized. How amusing I resisted my impulse to laugh. My barrier slowly dissipated as the Prime Minister stopped the Hunters from approaching me. L-Let her go She did nothing wrong. Ugh He groaned. A wave of golden light encompassed him, as he felt much better. I extended my hand toward him. Come, stand up. It is fine; youve learned your lesson. I smiled. Protect the country and work hard for your people from now on, alright? Ive decided to forgive your evil intentions. You must see this as a new opportunity to change and become a better person. A-Ah He started crying in front of me. Im sorry I Ive been so foolish my entire life It all started when my wife left me, and my son said he hated me I am such a pathetic man There, there. Its alright. Let it all out. I patted his shoulders. An aura of light and healing encompasses everyone. Their minds felt at ease. There is no need for rage or battle, everyone. Let us finish this day well. I dont want to take any lives. The hunters slowly stepped back and retrieved their weapons, leaving them in disbelief about how everything went. As I walked outside once I was given the recognition of a world-class Class Hunter and a new Platinum-colored License, Nicholas was talking with everyone else. She did the same with me. She teaches you a lesson and then heals you. It was an incredible, spiritual feeling Ive never had before. Bing Xue is a wonderful woman, not someone we should hate, someone we must admire and look up to. He explained to the people were still in doubt. Hmph, he sure is a good bootlicker. I laughed to myself. Oh? However, blocking my path were two hunters who were not afraid of me. A short-haired blonde woman with sharp silver eyes, and what seemed to be her bodyguard, a tall, bulky man with messy red hair, holding a giant great sword. You must be Bing Xue; I came rushing here the moment I heard you were taking the Prime Minister hostage. It looks like everything ended fine, though. She spoke with a Russian accent. What exactly are you? Oh my! Just the person I wanted to meet! You must be the White Void, Yanisse, isnt it? I greeted her. And yes! I am a human; dont worry. Shes not lying. The man whispered to her. Maybe he had a lie-detection skill? She is truly a human. Her status says she is, at least. Hmph The Russian girl, probably not older than her mid-twenties, looked up to me again. Youre overwhelmingly powerful, and you know it, and youre not afraid of anything Youre perhaps the first person I''ve ever met who is capable of all these things. Yet instead of using this power to further destroy our world, you seem to be dedicated to healing it and helping us instead. Even when you threaten us, you heal us afterward. Youre oddvery odd. Strange, even. But I like you. Hm? I muttered in confusion as she walked towards me and looked up at me, directly into my eyes. I know it''s early in the morning, but want to go for a drink, Bing Xue? Oh my I giggled. Well, gladly. I have to definitely not mess this up; shes a beauty I am too interested in to lose this opportunity. I must create a strong connection with her at all costs! Tch However, that burly guy only glared at me with anger. So annoying; why cant he leave? Its not like the World-Class Hunter even needs a bodyguard. ----- Chapter 7: Chatting With A Russian Beauty About The State Of The World ----- I went to a local bar with Yanisse and her bodyguard, whose name was Alexander, the most common Russian male name, actually. He was a powerful S-Rank Hunter that belonged to the girls Guild. He possesses special Skills such as Lie Detection, Telepathy, and Damage Share where hell take any damage from a target he has imbued with a Rune beforehand. Hes pretty much her shield and utility tool. And hes happy to serve, I suppose. So thats how it is! I had no idea that Russia was such a good ally of the United States. The last time I saw any news about the two, both were in quite a rather... not so well in the situation. I said. But I was never into politics too much, so I am guilty of being ignorant about everything regarding these topics. Well, when the Apocalypse began, most of our country was devastated. Especially by the Three Calamities, as we call them. Three S-Rank Dungeons opened and destroyed our three major cities. The president was killed, and most of the government officials and your military were devastated too. When I awakened and managed to slay the damned S-Rank Monsters with my allies, it was too late; our country was in complete ruins. It was America that extended a hand of help. She sighed. And we had to reluctantly agree. Even with my power, I can only destroy; I cannot create. I couldnt rebuild peoples houses, I couldnt create a safe environment, and I couldnt feed the orphaned children. I see, so thats why, when you got a telepathic message of me touching that Prime Ministers tender little neck, you immediately came here? So, can you teleport? I asked her. Yes, I can leave special areas imbued with my Runes, which I use as Teleportation Spots. She answered, revealing her powers to me with confidence. She was rather laid-back. Alexander, go get me another vodka. He quickly left with the small cup. As I drank the liquor, I asked her something. Why did you invite me to drink? Did you want to gauge my strength? How honest was I? By now, Ive told you mostly everything regarding my family. I said. But I cant talk more than that... But as youve already guessed, I indeed disappeared and gained these powers while I was gone. And once I returned, here we are. Then you dont need to tell me anymore. You must truly be a Lost Person who got lost inside a dungeon gate and returned. She said. Incredible Youre the first one in the world, Bing Xue. I suppose I am. I shrugged. So, Miss World Class Ranker, how is life as one? Stressing and tiring, you should have hidden your strength instead. Youre up for a life of endless bloodshed." She started smoking her cigarette, below her silver eyes I could see black slits, she looked very tired. I am much more used to such a life than you could ever be; trust me, I answered with confidence. Oh, may I heal you? You seem quite tired. I need to touch your shoulder, though. You can heal me? Im fine, though. She said. There is a lot of exhaustion and accumulated stress; I can take that away, I answered with a gentle smile. May I? Sure. She said. Do your worst. She smiled almost cynically as she smoked her cigarette. Although she looked very tired and stressed, she was still a very attractive and cold beauty. I touched her shoulder, imbuing her with a Golden Aura of Healing Light. In a mere second, all her exhaustion was gone, and her appearance looked much more radiant. And she gained the energy worth several days of sleep, which she had been probably missing. I also made sure to lessen the stress on her small body due to her tremendous quantity of Mana and gave her a good massage on her shoulder muscles. Oooh, fuck She almost moaned in pleasure. Hahhh No healer has ever- What the hell did you use?! It is Its amazing. I feel so refreshed, like Ive slept for a whole month! It is an Ancient Healing Technique that repairs the Meridians. It combines acupuncture with Ki injection techniques. I answered. I combined it with a healing skill; it seems to work well. It worked more than well, Bing Xue. Dammit, now I feel indebted to you. She groaned. "Argh, and its already going to be 12? I got another S-Rank Dungeon raid later. I guess I should get going. I hate to leave it like this, though. Its fine, dear; have fun. I smiled at her. Youre way too nice, girl. She sighed, suddenly approaching me and looking into my eyes; our faces were quite close out of nowhere. You got the prettiest eyes Ive ever seen, though, I have to admit it. Here, take my number. She winked at me while giving me a piece of paper with her number. Lets meet again sometime; youre fine. Your number? I couldnt help but blush slightly. Well, thank you, Yanisse. I will make sure to add you to my phone number then. It was a nice experience to meet you. I wish I could have seen your Void Magic though. We can do that later if you want. I also want to spar with someone like you. She smiled as Alexander finally came back, bringing the vodka. Hey, Alexander! Why are you so late with the damn vodka?! The girl drank it and then dropped the glass on the floor. Lets go; were going to be late for the Dungeon Raid! Goodbye, Bing Xue. I hope I can see you again soon. Bye! And likewise, I would love to meet you again, Yanisse. Take care, please. FLASH! The two disappeared before I could even say anything else. I wish it could have lasted a bit longer. Her beauty was comparable to some of the most beautiful immortal women Ive met in Murim, if you took the general beauty all cultivators gained through their ascension into account. Although they didnt match her honesty, sincerity, and true-kind heart. Those women were all rotten, and most of them were just the loyal, brainwashed slaves of male cultivators who boasted gigantic harems. Well, most of them were Demonic Cultivators that were slaughtered by my sect; their harems were mostly spared, but the girls, even as immortals, were too traumatized. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. But aside from that, yes... Yanisse was amazing. I want to meet her more. I dont know what could come out of that, but friendship and perhaps something else? I am not really experienced with dating. I never dated anybody in my entire life. And I hate to admit it, but I am still a virgin as well. An eleven-thousand-year virginityhow hilarious! I remember that people on Earth used to make fun of virgins; is it still the same now? I wonder. It''s not that I didnt want to date, nor that I didnt want to find a woman to love or even make her my wife, but I simply couldnt. I had to always be focused on my goalsfighting, growing stronger, and survivingthrough all these years; this has never changed until now. I feel like my life is finally beginning again now that I am back home. Now, what should I do? I wondered, stretching my arms and then leaving some money for the drinks and leaving the bar, walking through the streets. I am finally done with all the things I wanted to do; I even made a connection with a World Class Hunter. I suppose I should go check on my mom and my sister, then cultivate some more and consider my possibilities. I need to make money and also reach a maximum level so I can get a Class in the Tower. So I suppose once I am done inspecting my familys cultivation progress, going to a dungeon gate should be good. Some stay permanently open and spawn monsters continuously outside; they often form their own Wild areas," where people hunt regularly. I should go there. But above all, money. I cant just rely on my mothers money. And selling the things I possess is Too much for now. I should probably sell the goblin materials and the carcass of their boss too. And then, hunt and sell things, as Mother does. I guess thats much more relaxed than all the stress I had to go through back in Murim; I prefer this life without a doubt. Im back~! I greeted my family. Katherine? What happened? You came so late! My mother said. Hey big sis, I feel stronger out of nowhere; what the heck did that food have? Ruby wondered. Look! Theres a whole golden aura around me! Oh, excellent; it worked well. I will help you two cultivate using the Ki you gained from the food I prepared. I said. "Also, Im now a World Class Hunter. World Class?! My mother gasped. Oh my god! Katherine! You make your mother even prouder. She hugged me tightly. Did the test go well? Ah, yes. I even learned this new skill. Check this out. I revealed to her a black fireball emanating a cursed aura. W-What the hell is that fire?! Ruby cried. Its creepy; turn it off! POOF! As the flames dissipated, I laughed a bit after seeing my sisters reaction. Eleven years have passed here, yet this young woman still has the same reactions as when she was a little girl. Shes so endearing. That flame It reminds me of the Calamity Dragon from France. That thing could also conjure black flames and burn all of Paris with them. Said my mother. It is said those flames contain powerful curses too; you can wield that, Katherine?! Yeah, they had this simulation about that exact creature, Mother! As expected, youre very smart and resourceful. I fought it and defeated it with two blows. I then managed to copy its ability. The System likes to spoil me, giving me all kinds of skills easily. It makes the assimilation of Mana much faster. And it''s quite fun. I nodded as I sat down and stretched my arms. You had to fight a simulation of such a monster?! Ruby complained. Thats so crazy No wonder youre World Class, big sis! Now Ill become so popular if I tell everyone about this. Wait, no, Im already out of college! Ugh, dammit. I guess I could tell the nurses? Maybe just dont tell anybody, Ruby; lets keep these matters private. My mother said, Katherine. I saw the news treat you as Bing Xue; is this some other name you had? Yes, it is the name I created for Murim. Calling myself Katherine there would only raise suspicion. So I chose the name of my favorite Cultivation Novel female protagonist. I told Mother, as she quickly served me some green tea. I see Well, I suppose thats better. My mother nodded. Though, I am guessing they already know your true name and everything, right? Yeah, I met the Prime Minister of the States, quite a peculiar man. He said that he became bitter because his wife left him, and his son told him he hated him. I said this as I drank the green tea. I hope he has a better life, and I really hope he takes care of his family. To think he would cry in front of me for that." W-What? The prime minister? Katherina, what the fuck are you talking about? Ruby asked. Ruby! Who taught you to talk with such manners to your big sister? Please talk to me with a bit more respect, alright, dear? I asked her with a cute smile. I will always have patience for my family, but I dont really like when you use swearing words against me, please? A-Ah, yeah, sorry But yeah! What are you talking about, big sis?! She asked. Well, some representative of the government seemed to need to take into consideration my Rank or something I said. Ah, mother, are you alright? Katherine, what did you do to him? She asked me with a pale face. Y-You didnt do anything bad to him, right? Nothing like with Nicholas, right? A-Ah I mean, I taught him a valuable life lesson, and we took a strong oath. Dont worry, he will not bother us. It might quite literally kill him if he does! I laughed out loud. But my family didnt find it funny. She definitely did something. My mother sipped her coffee half-bitterly. Seriously Ruby facepalmed. Now I dont know if I should feel proud of you being a World Class Hunter or not, big sis Anyways, did you bring something to eat? Ah yes! I bought some KFC! I said. The chicken is terrible, and the spices are horribly low quality, without even mentioning the sugary drinks. But well, this is something I also missed. Eating Chinese food for eleven thousand years quickly makes you want to indulge in some classic American fast food. Lets enjoy! I placed the plastic bags over the table, retrieving them from my Inner Realm. The fried chicken was piping hot, and there was a wide assortment of dipping sauces and many sugary drinks. I also bought a lot of sweet desserts, such as mini pancakes, ice cream, and cinnamon sticks. Nice! I wont have to cook lunch and dinner; you brought a lot! My mother was strangely happy about the simplest of things. Mothers are like this, I suppose. Been a while since Ive eaten fried chicken. Oh, the tartar sauces good; its creamier than before. My sister enjoyed the chicken. Yes, these dippable sauces are actually made using my own ingredients. Although were indulging in such terrible food, I wanted to add some of my own creations. It will also hasten your cultivation, so please eat! Youll soon be able to form your Core. I answered happily, eating some myself. The crunchy chicken, its strong flavor, the slight spiciness, and the creamy white tartar sauce made with Immortal Treasure Materialsit was quite a godly combination. "Ah, right, we havent even addressed that, Katherine! My mother seemed angry. Why did you trick us into eating all of that superfood that makes us weirdly stronger? You never asked for our consent first! Yeah, but Im fine with it. So I get stronger by just eating? Ruby seemed more along with the ride than our mother. I-Im sorry, mother. I should have indeed asked for your consent first. I nodded. But seeing how dangerous this world has become, I wanted to make sure you two become strong so you can protect yourselves, even when I am not around. Katherine My mother sighed. W-Well, if you put it like that Fine. Youll have to teach us how to do this whole Cultivation thingy, though! Of course! Leave it to me, my dear mother. I smiled happily, drinking the fuzzy and bubbly cola. Ooh, after tasting thousands of Elixirs, this drink in comparison is absolutely deplorable, yet I cant have enough of it! I kept drinking until I emptied the can. We enjoyed a relaxed and lazy day, eating all kinds of snacks and greasy fast food, while I taught my dear family the steps of basic cultivation and more. It was a lot of information to take, so I wrote it all down into manuals for them. Tomorrow, Ill help them forge the strongest Ki Cores! Ding! [Because of the strong connection and bonds you have with your family and your endless desire to protect them, you learned the [Family Bond (D): Lv1] Classless Skill!] ----- Chapter 8: Titles And Skills ---- Um, big sis, do we really need to sit cross-legged right now? Asked my sister Ruby as she sat cross-legged on the floor of the living room. I suppose its part of channeling the meridian thing? My mother asked. Yes, sitting in that precise position will help the two of you channel your Internal Ki much more easily and spread it through the Meridians within your body. I nodded. It was currently ten in the morning of the next day, and my sister and mother were about to begin the forging of their Elemental Ki Cores, meaning that they were soon going to ascend into Rank 2! This was the moment when every Cultivator would finally decide their fate from now on. Rank 1 was just getting used to the Ki Energy flowing through their Meridians, but the Core was when they would amass all their Internal Ki and use special materials to create a crystallization of such essence. This crystallization is placed right in front of the heart, and it usually changes color depending on the element they choose. Anybody can choose any element, as long as they have the materials. Back then, I was forced to choose the Element of Light as it was one of the most common and cheaper Elemental Materials I could acquire. The Evening Sunlight Flower, a Rank 1 Spirit Treasure that still cost me eighty percent of the savings I accumulated through four years. So we gather this energy into our chest? My mother wondered. She was actually quite eager to grow stronger. It is a bit difficult, though." Y-Yeah, it keeps escaping my grasp, Ruby complained. Usually you would need roughly five years at minimum to grasp how to properly manipulate Internal Ki Energy at Rank 1 before you even dare reach Rank 2, I answered. Even back then, when I finally became a Cultivator, although I was no longer looked down on by the mortals, I still struggled against other Cultivators, even of my same Rank. It took me six years to get to Rank 2 after becoming Rank 1. S-So much time? My little sister looked at me with disbelief. Big sis Hahaha, well, it wasnt that long anyway. I smiled. Compared to the other Ranks, it was very quick! Now, I know I cant just tell you to practice for many years, so let me do this for you instead. I will manipulate your Internal Ki Energies and form the Ki Cores all for you. I might hurt a bit, but I will be healing you constantly as well, so bear with it for a bit. Okay. My mom said, nodding. This world It is too dangerous; every day, even as a D-Rank Hunter, I dont know when Ill die and end up leaving Ruby alone. If its really possible, I want to become stronger, Katherine. I know, mother. I know that feeling way too well. I nodded. Now, I hope you dont feel upset about this, but I need to touch your chests and stay quiet. I placed my hands over their chests, right above their breasts, where I could hear their heartbeat. It was much easier with my mother, whose breasts were much lower, but my sisters always got in the way. Nevertheless, I managed to connect to their Internal Ki Energy quite quickly by using my own lowest-grade Internal Ki Energy, forming it into golden threads. After that was done, I simply willed it, and slowly, all their energies gathered into their chests, right in front of their beating hearts. The Meridians were also cleansed of all impurities with my energies rushing through their bodies, making it easier for a Physique to form in the future. Now, calmly Stay still; this is the tough part. I said as I saw my mother and my sister groaning, gritting their teeth. There, breathe in and out slowly." I gathered their internal Ki into their chests, and then, as I harnessed it more and more, it swiftly began to crystalize. As it did, the materials I had placed around them beforehand activated, flying towards them and becoming masses of energy. Thanks to my special abilities and the materials I had, it was possible to give them Dual Element Cores. After I offered them the strongest elements available, they decided on their combinations. The materials merged into their bodies, becoming part of their Cores. Elemental power flows through them. This was something that the System would never be able to grant to someone: the power of Cultivation and the absorption of the Essence of Heaven and Earth. Its done. I smiled, noticing my mother and my sister had slightly changed. Their eyes were shining with bright colors, and their hair had become colorful as well. Once the Core is created, we usually take into account the appearance of the element we choose. My hair turned blonde when I first forged my Light Ki Core, and my eyes were completely white. As for my mother and my sister, it was quite different. My sisters short and messy hair became black, with sharp red stripes. Her eyes remained almost the same blue color but gained a slightly darker hue. She had a slightly demonic aura. My mothers hair, in the other case, gained a metallic silver color, growing longer and reaching her hips. Her eyes turned a bright gold. My mother was already a gorgeous woman, but after this, she looked like an immortal goddess of Murim. [You have helped two people attain unprecedented new powers through otherworldly techniques and means, awakening their inner talents and helping them break through their limits.] [You received the title: [Talent Seeking Guider]!] [You have continuously manipulated and harnessed a strange energy and power. The System has managed to analyze its properties and has assimilated part of its powers into itself.] [You have unlocked the [Martial Power] Stat!] [You have gained +500 Martial Power as a bonus for unlocking a Hidden Stat not many have awakened before.] Interesting, a Talent Seeking Guider Skill and the Martial Power Stat? It doesnt say the first time, so there are people out there who have unlocked it! How amazing. I would love to meet them one day. Perhaps I am not the only one who came from Murim. So this is Wait a second, my hair! The color changed so much?! My mother panicked slightly. I did choose the Metal and Light Elements because they were both useful for defense and recovery, but this is too much, no? I chose darkness and fire because they are deadly. Said Ruby. I look almost the same as before, so its fine. She shrugged. Youre rocking that new style, though, Mom. You look like some X-men girl. What? Ugh My mother seemed slightly uneasy with that new form. W-Well, at least I do feel stronger than before. Despite being a D Rank Hunter, I only could ever learn three Skills. Spear Wielding, Steady Fighter, and Mana Shield. So I am usually a frontline fighter. My mother explained. With the Metal Element, you should be able to learn Metal Attribute Martial Techniques and Strengthening Auras. Itll make you tougher than ever before! I clapped. And the Light Element is good for healing, so you can keep yourself moving even after taking a lot of damage. It also has good range, damage, and utility, and if you can properly learn some of my techniques, Photon Energy Manipulation will help you easily paralyze most foes. I-I dont think I could ever go as far as you, honey. But thanks for helping me grow stronger. My mother hugged me and kissed me on the cheek. So how do we do this? How do we progress? Well, the normal way would be to meditate for years, I said. While absorbing compatible materials you find But that wont do here. I will simply continuously feed you every day with Divine Dishes imbued with your selected elements. You should be able to reach Rank 5 by the end of the month based on my calculations. Wait, that fast?! Ruby asked. But thats a bit. I feel bad now. My mother sighed. If you help us so much like this, doesnt it feel a bit unfair? I dont want to take advantage of my daughter, who has been gone for eleven years! Mother, this is a way for me to show my gratitude for having raised me, for having accepted me back quickly, and also for the money youve lent me, I answered with a smile. I always repay kindness with a thousand times more kindness. Geez, if youre going to do it like this, I suppose I can show you around the places. You said something about wanting to earn money as a hunter, right? If you want to go to the tower, you need to first hit your level cap; it''s more efficient, so you can Rank Up right away once youre done with the Tutorial. She said. Whats your level cap right now, Katherine? Mine was twenty. Fifty, I said nonchalantly. Is that bad? Was it supposed to be lower? Wait, fifty?! Ruby gasped. Ive heard that based on the level cap people start with, their Ranks can vary a lot! Most weaklings have a level cap of five, actually. That would be like Juan who was F Rank. Then there is level ten, which is considered an E-rank Rank talents, and then mom, whose cap is level twenty, D-rank. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. So fifty would be A Rank? No! S Ranks are fifty! Ruby said. I guess it was to be expected Well, whatever you say, dear. I gave her a head pat. Now that you two are done with your Ki Core formation, it is time to train! So yeah, mother. If you would like to do so, can you lead us to these Wild Lands, or whatever the mortals around here call them? Those areas are full of wild creatures. Ah, yeah, outside of the city walls, there are a few of them. My mother nodded. Theyre Wild Lands formed from various Dungeon Breaks that appear every now and then. Because they cannot be dealt with easily, monsters escape the Gates and then breed very quickly, forming enormous groups or even tribes if theyre more intelligent. So at this point, monsters have become commonplace, almost like animals." I sighed. "I wish it could just go back to how simple it used to be. You dont know how much we wish for the same thing. My mother said. Anyways, if you truly have the World Class Hunter license, then they should let you enter anywhere you want with ease. Nice, but what about me? Asked my sister. I havent gotten the system yet, even now. It seems I have no talent with Mana at all! Isnt that unfair? It certainly is unfair. I nodded. But well, your big sister here also became stronger without relying on such a trifling thing as a System. So let us go. I shall hide you from the mortals plain sight with ease. Trust in your big sister, Ruby. A-Ah, well, I bet you got some crazy technique for it, huh? Alright! Im ready for some monster beatings. I got a lot of stress accumulated. Working as an apprentice nurse is really not nice. She groaned. Very well, then. Once we finish our breakfast, we shall depart, my dearests. I smiled happily. For todays breakfast, Divine Dishes it is! I decided to quickly feed them with more compatible dishes. [You have cooked a large quantity of delicious dishes using otherworldly gourmet ingredients.] [The Level of the [Cooking (D): Lv3] Skill has increased!] [The Level of the [Cooking (D): Lv4] Skill has increased!] [The Level of the [Cooking (D): Lv5] Skill has increased!] [You received the Title: [Apprentice Chef (Growth-type Title)]!] Ive been getting a lot of new Titles and Skills lately. I decided to check them one after another as Mother guided me towards the outskirts of the city across the skies. I carried both of them inside a bubble made using my Partial Spatial Manipulation Skill. Titles firsts are always quite interesting; it feels like earning achievements, a nice little thing to look forward to while relaxing in this world. ----- [Dungeon Gate Keeper] Title Requirements: Control a Dungeon or Forcefully Close a Dungeon. Effects: Grants the ability to absorb 20% of a Dungeons Internal Space when forcefully closing them and destroying all life within them. Using the accumulated Dungeon Internal Space, you can build your own Dungeon. Large quantities of Mana are required. A Title is often granted to Administrators who keep, manage, create, and destroy Dungeons when required. ----- [Undefeated] Title Requirements: Defeat dozens of foes without breaking a sweat, and even S Rank and above threats with no effort. Effects: Increases Damage Dealt against Boss-type foes by +30%, ignores 10% of their total defenses when attacking them. You automatically generate an {Aura of the Undefeated}, that lowers the stats of those intimidated by your power by -20%. A Title granted to completely unparalleled beings, often born from Apex Worlds. ----- [Talent Seeking Guider] Title Requirements: Awaken the Talent of someone and accurately predict their limits. Effects: Grants basic Appraisal Authorization, allowing you to easily see the Talents that people possess. Your charisma also increases by +100%. A Title is given to true Talent Seekers who also guide their talents down the right path, awakening their powers. ----- [Apprentice Chef (Growth-type Title)] Title Requirements: Cook over fifty Dishes using the Cooking Skills, that are enjoyed by people. Effects: Increases created Dishes flavor, texture, and Mana and Stamina recovery rate by +30%. A Title that can grow over time as you cook dishes and feed them to people. Aim to become a Master Chef! ----- So, I can now absorb pieces of a dungeons internal structure once theyre cleared? Interesting. Very interesting. Oh yeah, the other Talents They exist, I suppose. But this one particular Dungeon Gate Keeper Title is what attracts my attention the most. And about Skills, I had quite a bunchalmost twelve of them. My Classless Skill Slots have been full now. So whenever I learn a new one, it''ll apparently be stored until I desire to switch it around. Classless Skills: ----- [Kicking Strike (D): Lv4] [Skill EXP]: [0/4.000] A Classless Skill granted to those who have begun their journey as Martial Artists specializing in kicking. Channel Mana into your legs and unleash powerful Kicking Strikes at your foes, increasing Damage by +100% and Attack Speed by +50% Level Bonus (4): Increases Damage Dealt by +40%, ignores -10% of a foes Physical Defenses when kicking them. ----- [First Aid (D): Lv5] [Skill EXP]: [0/5.000] A Classless Skill granted to those who are good at giving First Aid to the wounded and attending to their wounds hastily and rapidly. Increases the ability to analyze wounds, heal wounds, and craft medicine using available materials by +100%. By using Mana, the potency of medicine can increase by +50%. Level Bonus (5): Increases Skill Healing Effects by +50%. ----- [Mirage Veil (A): Lv4] [Skill EXP]: [0/20.000] A Classless Skill given to incredibly stealthy people. By spending Mana, encompass yourself or any ally on an invisible veil of stealth and camouflage. Increases the chances of being undetected, to stealthily infiltrate places, and to trick people by +100%. Level Bonus (4): Increases invisibility when using the Skill by +160%. ----- [Cooking (D): Lv6] [Skill EXP]: [0/6.000] A Classless Skill granted to masterful chefs capable of imbuing Mana into their dishes, granting them special effects. Grants the ability to use Mana and Magical Ingredients in the preparation of powerful Magical Dishes, that can restore Health, Stamina, Mana, and even grant special buffs based on Skill Level. Level Bonus (6): Increases the Healing and Buffing Effects of created Dishes by +120%. ----- [Basic Swordsmanship (C): Lv4] [Skill EXP]: [0/6.000] A Classless Skill is given to those who have showcased basic talent with the Sword. Grants the ability to unleash a few basic Magic Swordsmanship Techniques by utilizing Mana and channeling it into the weapon. Available Swordsmanship Techniques: Level 1: [Rapid Slash] [Piercing Attack] Level 2: [Block Strike] [Parry] Level 3: [Consecutive Slash] [Blade Strike] Level 4: [Slashing Mana Wave] [Armor Breaker] Level Bonus (4): Increases Swordsmanship Techniques Damage by +80%, grants the ability to ignore 20% of a foes Physical Defenses. ----- [Family Bond (D): Lv3] [Skill EXP]: [0/3.000] A Classless Skill is only given to those who have a strong and deep bond with their families. Innately connects your internal Mana Flow with all those you deem as Family Members, granting you the ability to immediately learn their current status and health. Additionally allows for the ability to speak to them through telepathy. Level Bonus (3): Increases the Stats of your bonded Family Members by +15%. ----- The Classless Skills are a huge variety of abilities, and they can be almost anything! Most of them are quite useful, I would admit. The Family bond, in particular, comes in handy. I could do the same with my other techniques, but this sure facilitates everything. And moving on, Magic Skills: ----- [Partial Spatial Manipulation (B): Lv4] [Skill EXP]: [0/8.000] A Magic Skill is only given to those who have been able to tamper with the Pillars of Space themselves through the use of Mana. Grants the ability to more easily manipulate Space around you. By spending Mana, you can shift your own position within space, fold space itself into barriers or bubbles, or even distort or delete space to deal damage to foes. Everything costs a progressively larger amount of Mana depending on how large the range of such a Spell is. Level Bonus (4): Increases Space Attribute Magic Proficiency by +160%, decreases Mana Cost by -20%. ----- [Mana Manipulation (C): Lv6] [Skill EXP]: [0/8.000] A Magic Skill granted by a Skill Book. Allows for the ability to more easily manipulate, control, and transform the Mana within your body or even the environment, with rising levels of difficulty based on the complexity of the task. Level Bonus (6): Increases Mana Manipulation Speed, Focus, and Proficiency by +120%. Each time you deal Magic Damage to a foe, you can absorb 0.06% of the damage dealt as Mana. ----- [Healing Golden Light (B): Lv4] [Skill EXP]: [0/8.000] A Magic Skill learned after utilizing Mana to heal allies with bright golden light. Summons bright golden light which can heal upon contact with a wound. Can heal almost any wound as long as enough Mana is given. Level Bonus (4): Increases Healing Speed, Tissue Recovery, Limb Reattachment, Internal Organ Regeneration, and more by +80%. Decreases Mana Cost by -20%. ----- [Photon Essence Manipulation (A): Lv4] [Skill EXP]: [0/20.000] A Magic Skill learned by discovering a new source of energy and power derived from the Element of Light. By absorbing Sunlight and utilizing Mana, Photon Essence can be created, manipulated, shaped, and transformed into a myriad of powerful, both protective and deadly, shapes. It can paralyze, deal internal damage, bypass physical objects, destroy magical circuits, and more. Level Bonus (4): Increases Photon Essence Manipulation Proficiency, Generation Speed, Power, and Effects by +120%. ----- [Cursed Flames (B): Lv3] [Skill EXP]: [0/8.000] A Magic Skill acquired by absorbing and copying the Abyssal Black Flames of a deadly Dragon. Channel Mana to summon black flames that can use deadly curses. Such curses not only deal damage over time to a foe but rapidly burn their Mana reserves and decrease their stats, based on Skill Level and the Mana used to conjure the flames. Level Bonus (3): Increases Cursed Flames Damage and Curse Duration by +90%. Decreases Mana Cost by -9%. ----- They all seem quite useful, without a doubt. I am constantly using them to facilitate things. Although most Skills say Mana as a requirement, I can easily replace such requirements using my other internal energies. Its over there, Katherine! My mother pointed at the distance, as we had already bypassed the feeble little magic barrier surrounding New York and arrived at a huge forest that spread through hundreds of kilometers surrounding the city. So this is the place? I wondered, smiling. Yeah, this is where most newbies come to hunt monsters all the time. My mother said. I spent two years here before I hit max level and could do the tutorial on the tower But I am sure you wont even need half a day to get things done. Certainly, I said. Alright, let us descend. The moment we descended into the lush green forest, we were immediately surrounded by monsters. A pack of Giant Blue Horned Wolves, E Rank Monsters, were just wandering by, and once they felt our scent, they came rushing rabidly. Roar! The creatures roared, leaping towards me. Because it was too fast and surprising for my family, I decided to quickly take care of them on my own. Please, we just arrived, and this is how youre going to greet us? I waved my hand as I imbued it with Photon Essence. {Photon Wave} A wave of bright golden light was unleashed, cutting through all the wolves and tearing them down into pieces, their blood and guts splattering over the forest floor. Ding! [You have slain [Giant Blue Horned Wolves (E+ Rank)] x18!] [Level Up!] [Your Level has increased from Level 37 to Level 38!] [All your Stats have increased. You gained Bonus Stat Points and Skill Points.] Well, twelve more levels to go. ----- Chapter 9: Max Level & The Tower ----- We continued our exploration after hunting the wolves for a little while. We came across a new open gate while exploring the forest, which was of a green color. This gate poured a lot of Goblins, the same ones I had slain before, so they were fairly easy prey. We slew them all, making sure to see the progress of my mother and my sisters new cultivation abilities, and then crushed the boss, another Hobgoblin, although a Shaman this time. And, well, rinse and repeat two more times, and my level was now fifty. To repay my mother and my sister for having welcomed me back into the family and for simply existing and making my life happier, I let them take the treasure chests. They got a few pieces of equipment and some potions, which they said they were going to save for future dungeon raids. My sister, after having slain the third boss we fought, a C-Rank Yeti King, gained system status. I wasnt too happy about the System parasitizing her, though, so I did the same trick as before and extorted an Administrator to give her a Privilege and let her wear the system instead of full integration. I couldnt do the same with my mother right now, as she had fully integrated with it. But maybe once her soul grows strong enough to take on the backlash of tearing the system apart from it, I could do it too. Anyways Ding! [You have slain the [Yeti King (C Rank)] Dungeon Gate Boss!] [Level Up!] [Your Level has increased from Level 49 to Level 50!] [All your Stats have increased. You gained Bonus Stat Points and Skill Points.] [You have reached Max Level. You can now choose a Class inside of the Tower once you complete the Tutorial.] [You gained +11.000 Credits.] [The Level of several Skills has increased.] [You received the Title: [Boss Slayer]!] ----- [Boss Slayer] Title Requirements: Slay five or more Boss-type Monsters alone. Effects: Increases Damage against Boss-type Monsters by +30%, take -10% less damage from Boss-type Monsters. A Title given to true Boss Slayers, Youre on a roll! Keep going! ----- Another useless title, but I guess it is still nice. I took a peek at my "status," or, well, this ever-growing piece of Etheric Equipment, as I like to call it. ----- [Name]: [Katherine] [Race]: [Human?] [Titles]: [The One Who Folded The System] [Dungeon Gate Keeper] [Undefeated] [Talent Seeking Guider] [Apprentice Chef] [Boss Slayer] [Class]: [None] [Level]: [50/50] [Mana]: [600/600] [Martial Power]: [500] [Strength]: [260] [Agility]: [260] [Vitality]: [260] [Intelligence]: [260] [Dexterity]: [260] [Classless Skills (6/6)] [Premium Player Privilege (SSS): Lv1] [Kicking Strike (D): Lv5] [First Aid (D): Lv6] [Mirage Veil (A): Lv5] [Cooking (D): Lv6] [Basic Swordsmanship (C): Lv5] [Family Bond (D): Lv4] [Magic Skills (5/6)] [Partial Spatial Manipulation (B): Lv5] [Mana Manipulation (C): Lv7] [Healing Golden Light (B): Lv5] [Photon Essence Manipulation (A): Lv5] [Cursed Flames (B): Lv4] [Class Skills (0/0)] [Locked] [Stat Points]: [250] [Skill Points]: [250] [Credits]: [55.000] ----- Not bad, more mana, which means I can continuously create a bit more Primordial Essence as well! A few more golden dews were produced today. A dew drop would usually take a month back in Murim, but I can make them daily here. Anyway, these other stats do seem to work, and over time, bit by bit, it feels like their strength is stacking on my already supremely powerful body. A bit only, but a bit on a being such as myself is still quite a lot. Above all, this Martial Power Stat is strange; it is not growing like the other Stats and has remained at five hundred. Do I need to do something else to increase it? Hey, Clide. [] Do you want me to drag you back? [P-Please, everything but that! I had no idea you could even do that! Even when I didnt log into the System! J-Just what kind of entity are you?!] Answer my question, Clide. How do I increase the Martial Power stat? [A-Ah, that Stat It increases with a lot of physical exercise, fighting, and healing. It is only one of many Hidden Stats that can only increase through specific methods!] "Interesting. Tell me about the others." ["Please, I cant do that; I am not permitted to reveal all of these secrets. My boss is seriously looking at me right now. His big, red eyes are really angry. I am giving so much attention to just a single person so] He wasnt lying. I see, this boss of yours, can I talk with them? [I-I wouldnt recommend it. But perhaps you could hear something if you let the Gods speak to you again like before, master Katherine.] He calls me Master now. Good boy. Alright~ I quickly disabled my invisible veil and allowed the gods to speak once more. [Several Tower Gods are furious against you for having ignored them for so long!] [Some of them are deeply offended by what youve been doing with the System.] [The Tower God {Spawn of the Abyssal Chaos} glares at you with hateful red eyes.] [It proclaims that you will be punished for abusing the goodwill of Administrators.] [Be careful when you enter the Tower] Oh my, what a dull threat. Is that it? Wait, are you Clides boss? [The Tower God {Spawn of the Abyssal Chaos} invites you to the tower if you want to talk with them.] Alright, if youre so eager to invite me inside I laughed. Is there any other Tower God who wants to say something? If youre only going to give me empty threats, I might as well just not hear them; your pathetic words cant hurt me. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. [The Tower Gods that despise you only hate you even more now!] [They have begun plotting your demise the moment you step inside the Tower.] [However, a few Tower Gods find you very interesting. If you can show them that you truly meant what you said, they are willing to reward you for taking care of the Gods they despise.] Oh? So all of you arent allies, huh? Interesting Killing gods for other gods, am I a mercenary now? I laughed. I havent killed any of you yet; be a bit more patient, please. It was incredible how quickly they believed I could kill them instead of taking all I said as just bullshit. I suppose that my strength alone has proven that I am quite competent, as a world-class Class Hunter and all. Perhaps every World Class Hunter gains the attention of the Gods like this. So this tower thing, mother, how does it work? I asked her. Is the one we see from here the only one on the entire planet? No, theres only a single tower, but there are many entrances across the world. They emerge as those huge, black spirals. People tried destroying them before; I remember one being nuked. But nothing happened to them; theyre completely indestructible. My mother said this while butchering a magic core from a monster carcass, as if it were something normal for her now. I see. How do they deal with players overflooding the useful dungeons and such? Or taking away all resources? I wondered. Remembering Murim, it was always utter bloodshed everywhere some place with a large quantity of treasures was found; in just a couple of days, there would be nothing left after the Immortals battled to get everything from it. A-Ah, well, no, it is a bit different here. Materials and resources appear endlessly, I believe. They just take some time to grow. She said. About the Dungeons of the different floors, it depends. Dungeons usually have many entrances and are gigantic. Monsters respawn rapidly, and some floors are as big as entire worlds of their own. So the number of people that enter is never enough to overflow everything. And thats without considering all the Tower inhabitants themselves. Havent you noticed some weird people in the streets somethings, big sis? Like overly pale women with red eyes and pointy ears, or people with tall frames, blonde hair, pointy ears, and wooden armor. Sometimes you see tall, muscular, green-skinned people too. Or other times, they got animal traits. Said my sister. Those are tower inhabitants. When they become players themselves, they can also visit our world and the other worlds on the towers floors. Perhaps I didnt notice because I am so used to Murims myriad of different races. I laughed. But youre right, I do remember some non-humans walking around. How amazing! How has the cultural exchange been so far? Err, well, it depends. Not so good most of the time. They dont like talking about their worlds and only come to Earth to buy our technology and food. Said my sister. Sometimes to also hunt monsters. Some of them really like our food, especially everything that is processed or packaged. My mother said, And well, they also love phones, computers, video games, movies, and so on. Hahaha, I guess I can relate to them in that regard. I laughed out loud. Oh well, now that I am here, I might as well do this a third time too." I waved my hand as I touched the Dungeon Gate that was slowly closing, grasping its inner spatial pillars and then tearing apart a piece of it, extracting it completely. Crack, crack! CRASH! The sound of broken glass reverberated across the entire forest for the third time today. This was the third time I extracted a fragment of a Dungeon Gate, which appeared in front of me as a miniaturized sphere containing a small world. This one showed a snowy forest of sorts. I combined it with the jungle dungeon where the goblins came from and the riverine dungeon where the other monster we hunted came from. A larger sphere was formed in an instant, containing the combined landscapes. H-How are you even doing that? My sister wondered. Oh, this? It is easy! You simply have to learn how to manipulate space and close a gate, and then you get the Title. I think Yanisse might have it. I wondered. Maybe Its incredible; you can somehow... make your own dungeon? My mother wondered. "Oh, not at all, but maybe if I combine enough fragments..." I said. For now, it is just a piece of space containing a large quantity of leftover Mana, which I will be absorbing over time to refine it and produce more Primordial Essence. I placed the sphere made of three Dungeon Fragments inside my Inventory. Hmmm, should we continue? Perhaps I could close all the Dungeon Gates here in a couple of hours. Wait, stop; dont do that, dear. My mother stopped me. Youve taken enough; if you end up taking away all the dungeons, wont you make the other hunters upset? This is a newbie training ground. After all, very weak people often come here to level up because the towers first floor is usually quite hard. Oh, right! I guess I should be more considerate with the little mortals, shouldn''t I? I laughed. Though I could simply not care, I sympathize with you, Mother, and also with hunters like you. So I will listen to your advice and not take everything for myself. My bad, it is just a bad habit from Murim. I-Its fine, honey, as long as you get it. She smiled, patting my shoulders. Alright, can you store the rest of the things for us? Of course. I nodded, waving my hand and storing the rest of the monster carcasses inside my Inner Realm. It''s still rather early today! I want to go explore the tower. Do we need to take a plane there? "Usually, yeah, the tower entrance might seem close to here, but it is very far away. Located near Canada, actually. My mother said, It usually takes a day of flight to get there. You also need to manage some documents and What a waste of time. Why must I play by these mortals rules? Mother, sister, come with me. We are all going to the tower now. I said, opening a portal to my Inner Realm. Enter my Inner Realm for a bit; once I am there, Ill let you out. E-Eh? Really? Is this even legal? My mother wondered nervously. Dont worry, Mom ~ Let Big Sis spoil us a bit~ Ruby was relaxed after trying out her new powers. Her fire and darkness techniques were quite deadly. Her palms unleashed explosions of black flames, similar to my own, weakening foes easily. Based on power alone, she already had the talent of an A Rank, and my mother had much more. Mothers abilities evolved tremendously; her Mana Shield could now generate shields of hardened magic metal that could take on hits from B-Rank monsters like nothing. Above all, she could summon Metal Aura Swords from her Ki Aura, slashing and slicing foes with ease. And as if things werent amazing enough, her palm attacks released explosions of blinding light, blinding and damaging foes. Her healing abilities were still developing as I taught them to her, but she was already on her way to becoming an S-rank at minimum. But is that it? No, I wont stop until my mother and my sister become world-class Class Hunters as well. Or even beyond that. Alright, thank you for understanding. Once both were inside my Inner Realm, I kicked the ground and left a huge crater behind, blazing with flames and molten stone. I flew high into the skies, as high as I could, and set my gaze on the Tower. I kicked the skies once, my body zapping through the heavens and splitting every cloud in my path. I arrived in front of the tower in a split second, generating a shockwave as I stopped moving right in front of it. The structure was made of a black metal of sorts. By using my special eyes, I could detect that the metal itself was anchored to a spatial pillar. I see, it is some sort of Space-Time Attribute Divine Formation! It is indestructible for these mortals because their attacks cant possibly move pillars of space. Not even Yanisses magic could, most likely. However, if its like this, I dont even need to use the entrance. I tapped the black metal very gently while releasing waves of Primordial Essence. Cracks spread in mere seconds, which I controlled and formed into the shape of a door. Crack, crack! CRASH! The tower shattered. Something humanity was never able to accomplish was done by me in just a split second. Well, it was a rather unguarded Space-Time Divine Formation. The ones from the Venerables were a million times stronger. Now BAAAM! I kicked the cracks and opened a spatial door for myself, revealing to me a swirling mass of blue energy. The people making a long line to enter right below me could only watch in utter disbelief as the tower was finally shattered by nobody else but me. I noticed many were filming, but I didnt care. I passed through the portal I opened, and I noticed the crack slowly closing behind me. I guess they were desperately trying to stop the destruction I caused. Oops, my bad. Once I passed through the portal, I felt a spatial disturbance. Something was trying to drag me somewhere else. Perhaps that Tutorial of sorts, or something. I want to do that Tutorial too, for the sake of it. But I will go there willingly; I wont allow anybody to force me to do as they please. I released my Primordial Intent; a shockwave of rainbow light was unleashed from my body. The force dragging me down immediately came to a halt, as I was able to see where I was. It was a pitch-black space, full of stars and distorted masses of colors. It slightly resembled the Cosmos, but at the same time, it was an inner space of sorts within the tower. This might be the space between each floor. W-Why I heard a monstrous groan. I looked up to find a mass of black tentacles with countless red eyes. He definitely didnt look human at allsome sort of alien creature or something. Oh, I remember him now. Hes my good friend. Clide! Is it you? W-Why did you?! How did you?! T-This is! He was having a panic attack. Calm down; I just want to enter the tower without waiting in line. A Primordial Immortal such as I doesnt need the assistance of anyone to move around. I go wherever I please, understand? I said. Now, can you show me around? Is this the space in between floors? Y-Yes, it is! It is not a place a human could ever survive! Yet youre completely okay?! How can you even breathe here?! He groaned, his long black tentacles wiggling. More importantly, you need to do the Tutorial first! Its the Rules of the Tower! Please, please, master! If you dont do this, theyre going to kill me for being a failure! Hmm, I suppose you have helped me enough, huh? Very well, I shall do you a favor and do the Tutorial now. I nodded. Teleport me there then. Thank you so much! He cried, tears coming from all his eyes. FLASH! I wanted to explore more, but Clide looked tremendously worried about his own life, and I worried a bit too. So I decided to go along with the rules of the tower for a bit. The moment I was teleported, I found myself standing inside an ancient-looking temple of sorts, made of gray bricks. There was a single corridor in front of me, but my aura could easily detect anomalies in the walls. Numerous traps were set there, waiting for an unsuspecting fool to step on them and be swarmed by an assortment of deadly projectiles. Ding! [Welcome to the Tower, Player Katherine!] [As you have entered the Tower for the first time, you must first complete the Three-Part Tutorial of the Tower.] [The Tutorial Difficulty will be adjusted based on your Total Stats, Skills, and Innate Power.] [Calculating your innate Power] [ERROR] [Players Power is incomprehensibly high; it cannot be calculated.] [Reinitiating procedures] [Setting up the maximum level of difficulty ever available.] [Tutorial Difficulty: Infernal+++] [The First Tutorial Phase has begun; please complete the {Walk Through Fire} Trial by running across the trap-infested corridor and reaching the end of it.] [The Tower God {Spawn Of The Abyssal Chaos} laughs, saying you should have never entered the Tower!] [He says you should prepare yourself for the most agonizing Tutorial in existence.] [He assures you that you will not walk alive out of it.] Is that so? ----- Chapter 10: The Hardest Tutorial? ----- RUMBLE! The corridor changed, becoming a hundred times as wide. Traps spread out through it allgiant magic circles I have never seen before imbued into the stone. Runic engravements generate all kinds of high-level spells. The elements unleashed a rain of powerful and colorful attacks. But I walked through it all without even activating a barrier, my body unscathed, not even my clothes damaged. Once I reached the end, I had at least calculated roughly a hundred magical missiles sent my way, all of them enough to destroy half of New York. This Tutorial difficulty was truly Infernal! However, for me, it was yet another walk in the park. These elemental attacks could simply not even compare to 0.1% of Venerables Primordial Technique. Well, Ive reached the end; is that it? I wondered. Ding! [Well done! You have passed the Tutorials First Trial!] [Rewards will be administered once you complete all three trials.] [You have been automatically healed of all your injuries, and your Mana has been fully restored.] I felt a wave of golden and blue energy rush into my body. It seems this was full recovery or whatever. Even though it didnt even compare to my weakest healing technique, Whatever, the Mana was well appreciated. I also decided to take all the bricks with magic circles imbued into them to examine them later. This is some nice loot already; Im satisfied. There were roughly thirty such magic circles for me to analyze later. I was rather curious about how this entire formula of runic engravements worked. Itll be a nice hobby to find out how it works once Im done with this shabby Tutorial. [Please cross the gate to enter the Tutorials Second Trial.] A message appeared above me: there was a stone gate in front. I gently pushed it, breaking it apart into pieces by "accident" as I stepped into the second room. The entire space around me shifted, rapidly changing into what appeared to be a medium-sized village. The village was full of peoplemortals. And the entire place was set ablaze. However, these mortals were not humans. They resembled anthropomorphic beings, more animal than human. Still, they wore weapons and had emotions just like humans. Uuuaagh! Help! Run! Nooo! They were all screaming and crying, running away from the ever-growing flames as larger creatures chased after them, invading their village. They looked even less human-like, covered with black and red scales and with sharp horns growing from their heads. While the average person in this village was not taller than two meters, these monsters were over four meters each, glaring down at the villagers with cold, crimson-red eyes. [You have entered the Tutorials Second Trial: {Special Randomized Scenario}!] [The Tutorials Second Trial consists of a randomly generated Scenario that once happened within the worlds of the Tower.] [You must search for several objectives and survive to complete them within a time limit.] [Because of the difficulty level, the Scenario has been set to its maximum difficulty and level of complexity.] [Scenario Completion Requirements]: [1: Defeat the Devil General] [2: Slay a minimum of 20 Devils.] [3: Rescue at least 30 Villagers.] [4: ???] (Hidden) [5: ???] (Hidden) [Time Limit: 120 Minutes.] Interesting. I disappeared from where I was as I read the messages. I appeared and disappeared constantly, cutting through the bodies of the Devils one after another with my nails, charged with Photon Energy. Their bodies fell with a mere touch. I scanned the entire village as I did, spreading my Aura and then transforming it. {Primordial Spirit Aura Arts}: {Heavenly Doppelgangers} My Aura divided into hundreds of doppelgangers of myself, running in all directions, rescuing every person that was about to die and healing them rapidly. At the same time, I clapped my hands around myself, releasing a cold shockwave of winds that turned off all the flames. FLASH! A second later, I appeared above a larger-than-usual Devil, at least twice as large as the rest, surrounded by at least a dozen Devils as guards. So youre Devils, huh? Ive never been fond of barbarian races. I sighed. In Murim, I never stopped until every barbarian within my territory was slain. Of course, the children were spared and re-educated to become good people. This is but a simulation, so I sadly cannot enlighten you. RAAAAH! The Devil General roared, lifting a huge bone axe and leaping into the skies. His legs unleashed bursts of red flames, which he used to maneuver in the air. Interesting. I will give you a swift end. I summoned my Yin and Yang Blade and swung it vertically; only a single slicing attack was all I needed. A wave of darkness and light descended, cutting through the Devil Generals entire body and disintegrating it. The rest of his bodyguards had a swift end as well, disappearing before they could feel any pain. Death is the only mercy I can offer to barbarians. I sheathed my sword as I looked around. Every villager was safe, the village was saved as well, and all Devils were slain. Yet the scenario had not ended yet. I looked down, quickly flying towards the church of the village. I entered rapidly, ignoring the trembling dog and cat-faced people. The statue I looked at the statue of what appeared to be their Goddess, a chimeric being made of many animal parts combined together, yet it still had the shape of a beautiful woman, a mother, with a big belly, perhaps signifying pregnancy, and large breasts and wide hips. Despite most of the people here being mammals, she had the face of a reptile. [The Statue of the Tower Goddess {Mother Of All Beasts} blesses you with her strength to save her people.] [You have received a temporary buff: {Devil Slayer}: Increases Attack against Devils by +300%, ignores 50% of their defenses. Duration: 10 Minutes.] Oh Was I supposed to use this to? I wondered, feeling like laughing right now. My bad, I suppose. Ill take the blessing anyway. Thank you. I left the church; the scenario was not done yet either. I quickly moved to another place, underground, right below the village. I broke through to find something rather horrid. There were dozens of Devil women and children chained, trembling, some about to die. So thats how it is I sighed. I shouldnt have jumped to conclusions so fast, huh? Well, its not like it can''t be fixed. They died just recently, right? Even if vaporized," {Primordial River of Time Arts}: {Regression} I channeled some dews of Primordial Essence into my Inner Realm, where a Primordial Heavenly Treasure of the Murim World, named the Primordial River of Time, was flowing. I had stolen only half of this treasure because it kept Murims world moving forward. Once I channeled its powers, Time itself started to go back, and the areas where all the Devils died began to regress; they revived in an instant. My Doppelgangers quickly restrained them before they were able to kill any more villagers. And then I freed the Devils below, healed them, and brought them to the surface. The people were shocked at what I was doing; some didnt know of this, others did. Hey! What did you do?! Didnt you slay the devils?! Why are you freeing those slaves?! Slaves I sighed. I know this is a simulation, but this is getting slightly annoying now. Move aside if you dont want me to kill you. E-Eek! The dog-faced nobleman stepped back, angered and frustrated. It seems the house above these slaves was his. From just a glance, I could tell he was some sort of ruler of this village. The fool kidnapped and enslaved the Devil women and children and then never expected the men to come back for them. T-Thank you. The Devil General was still trying to process what happened, but the moment he met one of the Devil women and two little children, he quickly hugged them, tears flowing from his eyes. No, its fine. Im sorry for killing you without thinking about it twice. A bad habit of Murim, for sure. I sighed. I will have to rethink my actions so far. Even as strong as I am, I often commit mistakes. You may go, and please never return to this village. As long as the beast people dont do anything, we won''t come back. The Devil General nodded, walking away with everyone alive. And the scenario was finally done. All my surroundings shifted as the people and the devils disappeared, turning into nothing but particles of light. They were indeed never real; I knew from the beginning that they were just projections of Mana. Ding! [You have completed the following Requirements for completion]: [1: Defeat the Devil General: 1/1] [2: Slay a minimum of 20 Devils: 20/20] [3: Rescue at least 30 Villagers: 30/30] [4: Receive the Blessing of the Beast Goddess: 1/1] [5: Find the Devil Slaves and uncover the true reason behind the Devil Attack: 1/1] The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. [6: Send the Devils back home with their families: 1/1] (Never seen before!) [Time spent: 12 Minutes.] [You have completed the Tutorial Second Trial!] "There are quite a lot of tricky requirements. It is certainly a Trial made for someone powerful. I smiled. Though, I feel rather interested now! Are all the Trials on the Towers floors going to be as interesting as this? I am beginning to feel rather curious now. [Well done! You have passed the Tutorials Second Trial!] [Rewards will be administered once you complete all three trials.] [You have been automatically healed of all your injuries, and your Mana has been fully restored.] [Please enter the Gate for the third and last Trial of the Tutorial.] A gate opened in front of me, spiraling slowly as it glowed with a bright blue light. I stepped forward without any time to lose, finding myself in an open field. A wasteland of only stone and rocks. In front of me, there was another gate, a blue portal that slowly turned red, then black. Something from within was coming. Ding! [You have entered the Tutorial''s third and final Trial: {Surpass your Limits}!] [To end the Tutorial, the Player must showcase their potential to the Tower Gods and surpass their limits. The Tower is a place where anybody can become powerful with hard work and temperance.] [You must defeat the foe in front of you with all your strength. It is a foe specially designed to fight yousomeone that might even be similar to you but that will, without doubt, try to kill you.] The gate slowly opened further as someone stepped out. It was a man, a simple human male. With short and shabby-looking black hair and bright blue eyes, he was rather muscular but not overly bulky. Slightly tall, but not too tall. He was wearing a suit of medieval clothes and silver-colored armor, holding a magic, golden sword in his hands. He immediately looked at me, and I could feel an immense amount of Mana surging from him. It wasnt endless, but it was certainly very big, almost comparable to Yanisses own Mana reserves. Which I already thought were the largest Ive ever seen. This place Am I back on Earth? Wait, no! I didnt want to return! He muttered, looking rather shocked. Who sent me here? The Saintess? But shes my obedient slave! Who else then? Back to Earth? Wait, is this man? [To complete the Third Trial of the Tutorial, slay the [Returner (??? Rank)]!] [Once it is confirmed that you have slain the monster, you will be able to complete the Tutorial and receive all accumulated rewards.] Monster? I wondered. How amusing Yes, I am from Earth. And you seem to be trapped inside the Tutorial, son. Tutorial? What are you talking about? He asked me with sharp eyes, full of doubt. He slowly approached me, his Aura of Mana folding around his body as protective armor. Wait, arent you cute? I was just done fucking my harem, and I was suddenly sent here I guess I can just go back and forth now? Excuse me? I asked. Nah, not like I need to explain anything else. Youre cute; you want to become my wife too? He asked me out of the blue. Dont worry, Im going to take good care of you. The moment he realized I was beautiful, he easily lowered his guard, and his Aura receded almost completely. Instead, he had a disgusting expression on his face. His eyes only looked at me as some sort of object to pleasure himself. Nothing to say? I guess youre baffled about my Mana. Heh, everyones always surprised. He laughed. Since I got sent into that world, Ive been finally living the life I wanted. Free from my job, free from society. I even lost my virginity to my cute beast girl slave. Is that so? Yeah! Youre so hot, actually; can I grab your tits? He stretched his hands towards me. However, the moment he was about to touch me, a blast of rainbow lightning blew up both of his hands, blood splattering everywhere. E-Eh? His eyes opened wide as he moved as quickly as possible before my sword was about to cut him apart. I glared at him; his arms suddenly began growing back up as he conjured a potent healing spell. I was feeling a bit bad about you, but it seems I was completely wrong. Youre just another bastard, the same type of man Ive killed many times. I smiled. For daring to offend a great primordial such as myself, the only thing you deserve is an agonizing death. W-What the fuck are you talking about?! Ive never met such a powerful woman before He cried. Y-You damn slut! Im going to cut you down and then rape the shit out of you to show you whos boss here! While screaming like a pathetic teenager, despite being way past his thirties, he leaped towards me. I cant wait to see your face once you get pregnant with my seed! HAHAHAH! A flurry of powerful spells descended upon my bodyexplosions of divine flames, black lightning, crimson winds, swords made of ice, and even summoned spirit familiars to all elementsconstantly attacking me. Yet they couldnt even get past my Immortal Intent Aura. Very flashy, but dull. W-Wha? Are you immune to magic or something?! Then He suddenly smiled wickedly, unsheathing his divine magic sword and pointing it at me. A sudden surge of tremendous quantities of mana and other energies surged from within. How about this?! SLAAASH! The wave of light cut through any stone or rock in the vicinity, making the floor collapse. Yet when it reached me, I didnt even need to use my sword to parry it; I used one of my fingers. His face was distorted in utter disbelief once his attack was completely negated. CLASH! W-What?! You seem to have landed in a much weaker, safer world than the one I landed in. In a world where your high quantity of mana makes you their king, you abused the people there, and you have done terrible things to them, it appears. By merely looking at how you act and talk, youve never met someone stronger than you. What are you talking about? I am the strongest! I am the strongest Isekai protagonist! I am the main character! He was completely insane. A flurry of powerful attacks was unleashed against me, magic and sword techniques combining into endless explosions of elemental colors. Yet, there was absolutely nothing to fear; he was weak. Youre only feeding me with your Mana. I laughed. I appreciate it, but I have to be honest. Youre completely insane. I walked right in front of him, his eyes full of shock, but then he smiled. Hah Hahaha, yeah. I get it now; its an illusion of sorts, right? I am dreaming or something. Must be Lilith giving me another weird dream as usual, that Succubus really likes pranking me. He was becoming delusional. But I couldnt pity a man like him. "Okay, Lilith, enough! I get it! Just get me out! Ill fuck you three times today just so you can shut up. I grabbed his sword and shattered it into pieces with my bare hand. I absorbed all the Mana inside of the sword; it was a nice amount. This is not an illusion. E-Eh? This is real, and youre going to die now. What? No! I killed the Demon King; I am Arcadias strongest! Maybe, but not the strongest outside of Arcadia. I grabbed one of his arms and then tore it apart from his body. The pain that came with it quickly made him realize this was indeed not a dream. When I vaporized his hands before, it seemed like it was so fast that he didnt feel enough pain. AAARRGH! He fell to his knees, his eyes full of disbelief. Let me see what youve done. I touched his forehead, peeking through his memories, only to find absolutely disgusting things. Rape, pillaging, killing nobles that offered him a helping hand, destroying the Demon Kingdom, which was actually peaceful. And even more, because he was tired of people, he later burned the same kingdom that summoned him there to the ground without even sparing children. Even though they offered to return him to Earth as a reward. I dont want to return, idiots! This is my Isekai life; Im living here! Ill be here forever. I am your new ruler! Hahaha! Without a doubt, youre a monster fitting of living in Murim as a despicable Demonic Cultivator. I sliced his other arm as he continuously screamed, imploring me to stop. I drained him of all his Mana, so he couldnt do anything but see as I cut his body into pieces bit by bit. This was a method of torture I often used against irremediable and corrupt demonic cultivators, so they would learn and taste the pain of all those they had wronged and killed. Do you feel it now, young man? The pain? The agony of all those youve wronged. It is now all over your body. Pain, agony, and blood. Do you understand that you were never perfect? That you were merely a speck of dust in the universe? You should have been a good person instead; you should have at the very least attempted to continue being a decent human being. I sighed. "Yet, what did you do once you gained power? You killed innocents; you raped; you pillaged; you did as you pleased. P-Please wait! I did it because I didnt have any other option! I-I was scared, okay?! And because you were scared you brainwashed, tortured, and raped girls all the time? Oh, how scared you were! Y-YOU! YOU FUCKING SLUT! He gave a mighty roar of fury, and suddenly, a draconic power surged from within. His bloodline boiled in the last moment; his body started transforming into a half-dragon being, rapidly regenerating all the damage I dealt. Oh, so hes that kind of fighter. I will kill you with the power of my Divine Black Dragon Bloodline! I still have this; I almost forgot! HAHAHAHA! Interesting transformation, but aside from being flashy, it doesnt make much of a difference. SLASH! As he laughed loudly, I slashed through his entire body again with my sword this time. His gigantic, over a hundred-meter-tall dragon body fell into pieces, splattering blood and flesh over the wastelands floor. E-Eh? His head fell from the skies as I quickly stomped over it. I kept only his head alive, constantly injecting it with life force, so he could see as I slowly started to shatter his skull under the pressure of my weight. I can imagine the pain was unbearable. P-Please wait! Dont kill me! I dont want to die yet! CRACK! Slowly, I shattered his skull and crushed his brain. Crack, crack! I havent even fucked enough girls! WAIT! Slowly, very slowly, until he finally PLEASEEEE! His brains exploded out of his gigantic, draconic skull. CRASH! The Returners body didnt turn into particles of light as I imagined; blood splattered everywhere. I sighed in relief. Well, this was just a normal day back in Murim. Almost every day I was slaying an immortal that attempted to catch me, kill me, or enslave me because I was a beautiful woman. I didnt even ask his name... Oh well, may you rest in peace. I gave a silent prayer as I stored his body inside my Inner Realm. I will analyze his magic abilities and dragon bloodline later. I could use him to create a new weapon, or maybe armor for my mother and sister. Ding! [Congratulations! You have passed the Tutorials Third Trial!] [You have completed the {Infernal+++} Difficulty Tutorial, and you will now receive the best rewards available from the Tutorial. Use these rewards to begin your climbing of the Tower!] [You have received the following Tutorial Rewards: [Divine Healing Elixir (S Grade)] x5 [Divine Mana Elixir (S Grade)] x5 [Gold Weapon Ticket (S Grade)] x1 [Gold Armor Ticket (S Grade) x1 [Gold Accessory Ticket (S Grade)] x1 [Random Skill Book (S Grade)] x1 [Classless Skill Slot +1 Ticket (S Grade)] x1 [Magic Skill Slot +1 Ticket (S Grade)] x1 [Legendary Monster Pet Egg (S Grade)] x1!] [You can now choose a Class once you enter the Towers First Floor!] [The Tower Gods are full of utter amusement and disbelief over your strength.] [The Tower God {Spawn Of The Abyssal Chaos} cant believe his Avatar was unable to kill you!] [Hes now screaming and sobbing in frustration that the Avatar he spent so many resources on rising in that fantasy world has now become mere fodder to you.] [The Tower Gods that hate {Spawn Of The Abyssal Chaos} smile happily at you, nodding in approbation.] [They have sponsored: 100.000 Credits and [Golden System Gachapon (S Grade)] x10!] Oh, well, thank you for the generosity. And I got many rewards. I hope some of these items are slightly useful. I smiled. I didnt know I could earn Credits this way. I should check that Credit Shop later. As I inspected what I earned, a new portal appeared in front of me, leading me to the Towers First Floor. I stepped forward, finding myself in the middle of a medieval European city, bustling with all kinds of people of all shapes and sizes. Mostly a lot of humans. But I also noticed the Devils from before, the beast people, elves, orcs, and dwarves. [Welcome to the Towers First Floor: {The City Of Beginnings: Nexus}!] [To be able to reach the Second Floor, you must first register as an Adventurer in the Adventurers Guild, and complete Ten Missions, with a minimum Rank of D!] [Once the ten missions are completed, you will gain access to the Towers Second Floor and rewards based on the level of difficulty of such Missions.] [Note: You can choose your Class and open your Level Cap in the {Divine Shrine of the Gods of the Tower}, situated at the center of the city.] How simple I yawned. Oh well, here we are! I suppose you two can come out. I let my mother and my sister walk out of the Inner Realm; theyve been inside my Golden Palace, petting the Golden Fluffballs, a bunch of little creatures I keep that clean the palace for me. Phew, youre finally done? I was tired of petting those things. My mother sighed. Hey, were here! So this is Nexus, Katherine. Youll like this place. The Adventurer Guild is a really nice place. A bit rough around the edges, but it''s still nice. Ugh, what with these system notifications?! Ruby groaned as I noticed she was getting swarmed with them. It says... Error, and then that I completed the Tutorial? But I didnt do anything? Let me see [Congratulations, youve completed the ERROR] [ERROR, unregistered Tutorial Completion.] [You have completed the Trial of the Tutorial- ERROR.] [Congratulations! You have completed the Tutorials Trials.] [ERROR] [The {Administrator: Clide} has decided to handwave things as usual.] [Your Tutorial Completion will be counted as the same one Player Bing Xue completed because you were technically with her.] [The Gods of the Tower are growing rather annoyed that you and your sister are getting so many special treatments.] [You have received the Tutorial Completion Rewards] Suddenly, a bunch of items materialized in front of Ruby without her doing a single thing. She received the same things I did! Hahaha, this was hilarious. E-Eeeeh?! Is this okay?! I have so much good stuff! Wait, why did I get an egg? A lot of people started staring at our rewards in awe. I suppose S Grade items are not even a thing on the Towers first floor. For now, we should go find a safer place with some privacy. Follow me. I know of an Inn with a big room. My mother led us through the treacherous city, and I admired every corner of it in awe. Of course, some suspicious figures began following us as well. ----- Chapter 11: She Does As She Pleases! - ----- My mother led us to an Inn near the Adventurers Guild, where we would register later. She had to pay the Inn Owner, a tall tiger-faced man, one gold coin for a day. This is the currency of a few of the Tower''s worlds. You use these Gold Coins to pay the inhabitants and buy anything from them. Such Gold Coins can be acquired in the exchange center, where you can exchange real money for them. Apparently, this was only made recently due to the cultural exchange between the Tower Inhabitants and Earth. Currently, the twenty or so worlds are on good terms with Earth, or mostly their leading Kingdoms or Nations. Because each Tower God controls their worlds so much, wars and opposite forces dont break as commonly. However, I did read online about a few large incidents where Tower Inhabitants attacked and invaded cities around the world. Especially inhabitants of Floor 6, Floor 15, and Floor 20, all of such Worlds are mostly filled with aggressive races and warmongering nations and kingdoms. If it werent for the organized Hunter Association and our World Class Hunters, those forces would have continued to further expand. Some of them retreated, but not all of them. Nonetheless, that was not my problem anyway. Now that we can rest here, lets talk a bit. My mother said, The rewards you got are a bit too ridiculous. Usually, people get at most C-grade items, but you all get S-grade items? And Ruby somehow didnt have to do anything at all! Mom, come on, I am just as confused as you are! Ruby protested. This is all because Big Sis carried us inside her inner realm. I suppose it is my fault, yeah, but why does it even matter? I shrugged. I said I wanted to make you stronger, and these rewards will help Ruby get stronger. Open your items and use them all, Ruby. Dont feel bad about it. A-Are you sure? I still feel kind of guilty, big sis I mean, you carried me, and I was just a sitting duck. Do I even deserve all this kindness and help? Ruby felt slightly guilty, her blue eyes shining slightly brighter than sometimes. My little sister was so cute even after eleven years; that sincerity of hers is something precious. Just her guilt alone is enough of a payment for me because I know that her good heart will not grow corrupt due to the things I do to help her. Dont worry, Ruby. Your big sister is here to protect you, love you, and help you. I wont ever ask you for anything in return for the things I give to you. I smiled, kissing her forehead and hugging her. I love you, my cute little sister. Ive been all alone for eleven thousand years; the only thing that keeps me moving is the fading memories of you and Mother. Seeing you here is enough payment. Katherine My sister sighed as tears flowed from her eyes. I-Im sorry, I didnt think about that It must have been hard. She hugged me back. Ill be here for you too; just ask me, and Ill hug you anytime, alright? Fufu, alright~ I kissed her forehead. Now! Enough is enough; use those items and become stronger, Ruby. A-Alright! If you insist Then Ill take them. She nodded with a serious expression. She quickly stared at the items; she got the exact same things as I did, including a big egg that was supposed to be a special pet familiar that would be linked to the player. It apparently can level up on its own and progressively become stronger to help you out. I dont need such a thing myself; if I could gift the egg to my mother, I definitely would, but all items acquired in the Tutorial are bound to me through the System Status, so they cannot be gifted. If I attempt to do so, the items will be destroyed, or so I assume. I would like to try that; perhaps if I can cut the connection, I can gift them? But I believe bothering so much for a few little items that barely hold any power compared to what I have is a waste of time. Anyway, my items so far were: [Divine Healing Elixir (S Grade)] x5 [Divine Mana Elixir (S Grade)] x5 [Gold Weapon Ticket (S Grade)] x1 [Gold Armor Ticket (S Grade)] x1 [Gold Accessory Ticket (S Grade)] x1 [Random Skill Book (S Grade)] x1 [Classless Skill Slot +1 Ticket (S Grade)] x1 [Magic Skill Slot +1 Ticket (S Grade)] x1 [Legendary Monster Pet Egg (S Grade)] x1 and [Golden System Gachapon (S Grade)] x10 The Elixirs appeared to be healing items, so I simply hid them. The Mana Elixirs looked very interesting, though, so I might consume them to accumulate more Mana and learn how to produce them by tasting them. The tickets were very interesting and strange itemssome sort of metallic scroll imbued with divine runes and advanced magic runes connected to the system. When activated through will, it summons an illusory Gacha game of sorts, where you get a random item from a group of assorted items. Then theres the System Gachapon, which is the same as the tickets but with more items. And then there is the Legendary Monster Pet, which awakens and hatches once I imbue it with my own Mana and other energies. The monster was apparently born based on my abilities, talents, affinities, and potential. The skill book was self-explanatory; using it grants a random S-grade skill. And then the Slot Tickets are also self-explanatory, helping me hold more Skills. Because I have already accumulated a few more that I can no longer equip. Indeed, there were some system notifications I ignored throughout the tutorial. Ding! [Because of the amazing control and absorption of magical elements, such as Fire, Ice, and Lightning, you have harnessed the power of the elements within you!] [You learned the [Triple Elemental Magic: Fire, Ice, Lightning (A): Lv1] Magic Skill!] Ding! [You have proven yourself to be an unshakable, overwhelming slayer of all Devils. Your ruthlessness knows no bounds.] [You learned the [Demon Killing Arts: Lv1] Classless Skill!] [You acquired the [Devil Slayer] Title!] Ding! [Your power to channel time itself and shape it to your own liking is incredible. Not even the concept of time can resist your overwhelming magical prowess!] [You learned the [Partial Time Flow Manipulation (A): Lv1] Magic Skill!] Ding! [You have mercilessly killed someone who was believed to be the strongest of the World of {Arcadia}, and who had taken complete control of this world.] [Therefore, youve become the new Ruler of Arcadia, and all magic ever conjured by the former Ruler over their subjects has been dispelled. Millions of souls have been freed from brainwashing and curse-type spells.] [For freeing a world from such wicked evil, you received the Title: [Savior of Arcadia]!] [The System Function: [World Ruling] which is reserved for Climbers who have reached Floor 80, has been unlocked ahead of time.] [You can now manage and visit the World youve acquired through the [World Ruling] interface at any time.] I dont think I have the time to manage a world, so I will simply leave it alone. Whatever happens to it, it is not my responsibility. But maybe if I ever feel like going on a vacation, I might visit it. Anyway, regarding the other skills, the only one that interests me is partial time flow manipulation, which I acquired right away. The other two were placed in the Stored Skills category, and I cant use them unless I place them in the other Skill Slots. About the Titles, Devil Slayer is useless; why would I need more attack power against beings I can easily kill anyway? It is utterly pathetic. And then there''s the Savior of Arcadia; apparently, it gives me buffs and authority over that world, but only if I go there. It''s useless too. I wonder if I can just delete Titles? Theyre just cluttering and useless all the time I sighed to myself. Look, big sis! I got cool red armor! My sister called for me as my mother was looking at her with surprise. Ruby used the tickets, obtaining S Grade Armor called [Fire Dragon Scale Armor], which imbued her with a part of the soul of a fire dragon. Interesting. You look good in that! I clapped. What about the others? I have this rainbow-colored ring and a katana. She showed me. The rings called [Valhallas Treasure Ring], and it boosts my magic power and mana a lot while giving me the ability to access an inventory! Its so useful! The inventory is not empty either; it comes with magic weapons I can summon on foes to attack them. Oh, and the katana is called the [Phantom Shikigami Devil-Slayer Katana]. It contains a thousand evil spirits inside, and it can slay monsters with explosive phantom flames! Oooh, thats so interesting." I pretended to be surprised; Ive seen even more incredible things before. With this, youll surely clear any mission. Yeah! She nodded. Wait, right, we need to do missions, isnt it? And ten of them! She said. But doing just the low-ranked ones wont fit, wont it? Ive already done that requirement a while ago, so I suppose it is going to be just both of you doing it. My mother smiled. Nonetheless, I can still guide you around. Thank you, mother. And yeah, the message said something about giving better rewards based on the rank of the missions completed, isnt it? So if we complete the highest-rated missions, wont Ruby get the best items again? I wondered. A-And you too, Katherine. My mother laughed. Im surprised at how little care youre giving to the amazing things you have. Ah, if I could gift them all to you, I would, Mother. I sighed. But indeed, I do not care much about them. But well, I will use a few now, for the sake of it. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! I decided to just roll with it, open it, and use all the items I got. It seemed that, although I could only see them as little toys, my family saw them as invaluable and incredible items. If I looked down on them, it could be insulting to my mothers efforts as a D Rank Hunter until now. [You have used the [Gold Weapon Ticket (S Grade)] x1!] [You received the: [Lava Dragons Flare Cannon (S Grade)] x1] [You have used the [Gold Armor Ticket (S Grade) x1!] [You received the: [Quetzalcoatls Divine Feather Dress (S Grade)] x1] [You have used the [Gold Accessory Ticket (S Grade)] x1!] [You received the: [Underworld Ruler Necklace (S Grade)] x1] The equipment I acquired was rather interesting. The cannon was, well, a gigantic, red-colored cannon I could easily handle. By activating it, the cannon would fire giant cannonballs made of fiery lava to deal explosive damage. It can also recharge with Mana to unleash a Lava Dragon breath through a certain range, but it needs to cool down after using it once. The dress was rather beautiful, if slightly flamboyant, and made of green, red, yellow, and blue-colored feathers, shining with slight sparkles of divinity. It was quite beautiful, and it offered wind magic manipulation and flight with no Mana cost. Lastly, the necklace was somehow connected to a Realm known as Helheim where a contract with a Goddess of Death was formed with the item. By activating it, it is possible to summon ten Random Undead from the Underworld between B to S Rank in strength. They stay until they die. Interesting, but I dont need help or an army. [You have used the [Random Skill Book (S Grade)] x1!] [You learned the [Emperors Conquest (S): Lv1] Classless Skill!] [You have used the [Classless Skill Slot +1 Ticket (S Grade)] x1!] [Your Classless Skill Slots have increased by +1!] [You have used the [Magic Skill Slot +1 Ticket (S Grade)] x1!] [Your Magic Skill Slots have increased by +1!] ----- [Emperors Conquest (S): Lv1] [Skill EXP]: [0/10.000] A Special Classless Skill that only mighty Emperors might acquire. Unleash the conquest of a mighty Emperor, conquering lands, nations, kingdoms, and people. The larger your {Territory} grows and develops, the stronger you will grow, and comparatively, the mightier your people will also become. By activating this Skill it is possible to unleash a {Conquest} against a designated land, kingdom, nation, or similar thing. Once a {Conquest} is successful by slaying or forcing the leader to surrender, you take over their land through the {Territory Takeover}. Lands youve conquered are below your total control and power, becoming areas you can instantly teleport into. You can manage and assess every single person that lives in each {Territory} you possess, and based on their abilities and stats, you gain extra stats as well, and you can even borrow some of their powers temporarily. Those below your authority can grow as well as develop new abilities, skills, and talents significantly faster. This Skill Levels Up as you conquer more Land, unlocking new Abilities or Effects with each Level. Level Bonus (1): Increases All Subjects Stats by +10%, and their Talent Growth Speed by +20%. ----- This was quite an amusing little Skill. It feels slightly connected to that other System Function I had unlocked. But should I care about conquering lands? I had already done so much before. I only want to do as I please. Conquering and managing land is such a chore that I would rather never do that again if possible. So, for now, I have no interest in ever using this Skill, but it is quite interesting, yes. [You have used the [Golden System Gachapon (S Grade)] x10!] [You received: [Divine Skill Fusion Ticket (S Grade)] x2 [Skill Copy Ticket (S Grade)] x1 [Yggdrasils Divine Seed (S Grade)] x1 [Martial Power Growth Elixir (S Grade)] x3 [Guild Creation Ticket (S Grade)] x1 [Dungeon Key (S Grade)] x2] Oh, more strange items. Tickets that allow me to combine up to three Skills without any cost and without needing them to be max level. A ticket that can help me copy a random skill from any target as long as the skill is S Grade or below. A seed of a mythical, world-creating tree, elixirs that increase Martial Power Stat, a ticket to create a Guild and two Dungeon Keys of S Rank. Quite amusing I said while drinking the Elixirs. Hm, it tastes like mango juice? [You have consumed the [Martial Power Growth Elixir (S Grade)] x3!] [Your Martial Power has increased by +3.000!] [Youre overflowing with Martial Power! Your Physical Strength and Stamina have risen tremendously.] [You learned the [Basic Martial Arts (C): Lv1] Skill because of your high Martial Power Stat!] Oh, I do feel a tiny bit stronger after that." I smiled, licking my lips. Now, youre the last little toy. Lets see I decided to try something outrageous, as I imbued as much Ki Energy, the little Mana I had, Immortal Essence, and a few drops of Primordial Essence into the Legendary Monster Pet Egg all at once. FLUOSH! For a moment, I thought the egg would explode. Instead, it absorbed all the energy gluttonously and voraciously, slowly changing its blank white color into one of pure golden radiance, with rainbows and clouds across its entire eggshell. [You have imbued tremendous quantities of foreign energies into the [Legendary Monster Pet Egg (S Grade)] x1!] [The [Legendary Monster Pet Egg (S Grade)] is slowly absorbing the energies and evolving, becoming a powerful new Pet. But this might take some time] [Incubation Duration: 30 Days.] It seems I need to wait until it hatches I sighed. Ruby, is it the same for you? Yeah, it says I need to wait for 12 Hours. She nodded. Her egg had turned red and black, showing fiery red flames. How much for yours, big sis? Apparently, a month. I laughed. Wait, a month?! Asked my mother and sister at the same time. Oh well, now that we are done with these little toys, Shall we go look for a Class now? I asked with a pleased smile. After that, we should eat dinner and go to bed. The day is slowly coming to an end. It has been a rather eventful day, without a doubt. I-I guess so; let me guide you to the Class Changing place then. My mother liked acting as our guide. Sure! Ruby was very excited. We walked out of the Inn Room once we were done with our things. Walking through the beautiful medieval city was quite a nice break from all the huge skyscrapers of New York. The people who were following us were still there. They sneaked around buildings, hiding in the shadows while keeping a watch on us. I dont know what they intended to do, but if they got an inch closer to us, they would receive a fitting punishment. And were here. My mother pointed in the distance. A gothic-styled church greeted us, big enough to cover an entire block of the city. Its gates were guarded by two tall and bulky paladins. Both were elves with long white hair and sharp emerald eyes, wearing golden and white armor. The gates were open, and they allowed entry for everyone. But they were still watching for anyone suspicious. Because I could easily suppress my intimidating aura, we were able to easily enter without making them think I was a monster. Entering the church, there was a small line of Players, each one deciding on their Class. If it werent for my mother and my sister holding my arms while looking at me with a rather... very angry expression, I would have already skipped the line again. Just be patient and wait. My mother told me. Dont make a scene like before." My sister insisted. I wasnt making a scene; I was merelyah, forget it. I sighed. We only had to wait ten minutes before it was our turn. I let my sister decide on her class first. They had to enter a chamber and choose based on a list of options. These options were generated automatically and offered by the Tower Gods, apparently. The strongest Classes were given by Tower Gods, but with the Class came restrictions and requirements, such as, usually, becoming one of the Tower Gods Avatar or Sub-Avatars. I told my sister to choose the Classes that didnt require the Gods'' Authority. I chose Magic Swordsman! It was the strongest one that wasnt below the Gods'' jurisdiction. She said. Good girl. Nows my turn; wish me luck Or not. I shrugged. I stepped forward into the chamber as it closed down behind me. The projections of class lists appeared in front of me. There are hundreds of options. I could barely see the list of classes without the jurisdiction of the Tower Gods, most of them were glowing with bright colors. [Many Tower Gods are interested in you! They have offered you their strongest Classes.] [Available Classes: 119] [Divine Spear Wielding Monarch Of Light (SSS Rank Class)] [God Tower Contract Required] [Barbarian Titan Queen Of Primordial Frost (SSS Rank Class)] [God Tower Contract Required] [Abyssal Lord Of Eternal Death And Darkness (SSS Rank Class)] [God Tower Contract Required] [Tyrannical Empress Of the Golden Divine Sun (SSS Rank Class)] [God Tower Contract Required] [Abyssal Void Warlock (SS Rank Class)] [God Tower Contract Required] [] The list went on and on, with a variety of fancy names. It seemed that each Tower God wanted me on their team; even those who said they hated me still offered me a contract with their Class. Interesting, so all these Classes are bound to the Gods, isnt it? I wondered. To their souls, isnt it? [The Gods of the Tower nod in unison.] [Theyre impatient! Please choose a Class already!] Of course! I will choose All of these And this one too, and that one. [Warning, you cant choose more than one Class.] Why should I care? {Primordial Spiritual Body Arts}: {Photon Injection} My hands transformed into translucent masses of divine rainbow light, Photon Energy overflowing with Primordial Essence. They trespassed the system list of classes and quickly grasped into the very core of their existence. I saw linkscountless links connected to over a hundred different Gods. [The Gods of the Tower are shocked!] [They ask you what youre trying to do!] [They order you to stop immediately!] [System {Administrators} are being called immediately!] I felt my hands being suddenly attacked by hundreds of beams of darkness and void, titanic tentacles attempting to tear them to shreds. But they were completely unfazed. I grasped all the threadsthese divine links connected to the Tower Godsand broke them. Crack, crack! [The Gods of the Tower are all panicking!] [Theyre trying to pull back their Divinities, but it is impossible to do so without taking tremendous damage!] [They implore you to stop!] Consider this your first punishment for having invaded Earth, and for killing half of the population with your monsters. CRASH! The screams of hundreds of divine beings reverberated across the entire Tower as I did that. At the same time, I pointed my fingers at the Administrators attempting to stop me, firing beams of Photon Essence. Their bodies quickly exploded into pieces, one after another. I dont know how many died, but at least a few dozen Administrators immediately perished. [ERROR!] [SYSTEM ERROR!] [SERVER ERROR!] [Many System Administrator deaths have been detected.] [The Link between the Tower Gods and the Classes has been broken!] [You have stolen their Divine Essence Fragments!] [ERROR!] [The Tower God Classes are available to choose- ERROR] Silence. I grasped all the System Fragments which were constantly shifting and distorting and fused them together with the Divinity Fragments I acquired, combining them through my Primordial Alchemy into a blue-colored pill overflowing with power. FLASH! [You have combined hundreds of [Divine Essence Fragments (??? Rank)] with the [Glitched System Class Fragments (??? Rank)]!] [You have created the [Divine Class Pill (??? Rank)] x1!] Thank you for the meal. I swallowed the pill, as I felt my power quickly rise. Each divinity fragment was full of rich Mana and Divine Essence, an even higher form of Mana. Above all, I was able to see their appearances, how they looked, and even a few pieces of their memories. I see, how interesting. So these are the Tower Gods! I laughed. [You have acquired the Divine Class: [God Eating Calamity: Ragnar?k (Primordial Venerable Rank Class)]!] [10 Classless Skill Slots have been unlocked.] [Class Skill Tree has been generated; you can now learn Class Skills using Skill Points.] [All your Stats have increased by +2.500 for acquiring a Divine Class!] [Your Level Cap has been increased to 999!] [You acquired your first Class Skill: [God Predator (SSS): Lv1] Skill!] [Use God Predator to devour the Divinity of Gods and their Avatars and steal their Divine Powers.] [You acquired the Title: [Primordial Calamity: Ragnar?k]!] Hmm, yes! Much better now. I laughed out loud. [Several Gods of the Tower have fallen unconscious after the damage they have taken.] [The ones that have stayed conscious are incredibly furious about what youve done.] [They have declared war against you!] [And will not stop until youre dead!] Come! As many of you as you can! Youll need the numbers if you ever plan to kill me. I challenged them. Your little tower is interesting, but I will not let you take Earth from me. This is my world. After that, I turned off their notifications and walked away from the chamber, as if nothing had happened. However, many of the priests of the church and the paladins panicked the moment they saw me. The Aura I exuded was dangerous; it seems this Divine Class was clear to their eyes. S-She! SINNER! What has she done?! She hurt the Gods?! How What?! P-Paladins! Kill her! The priest far away quickly ordered, as a dozen Paladins came rushing from outside the church. Quickly! KILL HER! Im sorry, mother; it seems Ive gotten into some slight trouble once more. ----- Chapter 12: I Am Light ----- The priests looked so calm and relaxed when we entered the church, and the paladins were so bored they were looking at the sky with little to no thoughts in their heads. Once they received a message from their gods about what I did, it seemed they panicked. Their entire little world shattered, and it came alongside the very screams of the gods themselves, whom I hurt quite a lot. More than I imagined my little mischief would cause. I could see the same messages they could. Somehow, when I consumed that pill containing fragments of the system itself, my connection with it was heightened. I could easily spy on the system status of others and even the windows they could see. [The Tower God {Brilliant Mother of Light} is furious and screaming in agony!] [The Tower God {Lord of Deep Darkness} is groaning in utter fury!] [Using their authority as the gods of the first floor, they quickly ask all members of the church to eliminate [Player: Katherine] at all costs!] [A bounty has been set for her head! The bounty will increase over time as more Gods add their resources.] [Current Bounty]: [100.000.000 Credits] [Divine Weapon Choice Ticket (SSS Grade)] x1 [Divine Armor Choice Ticket (SSS Grade)] x1 [Divine Accessory Choice Ticket (SSS Grade)] x1 [The Favor, Blessings, and the possibility of becoming the Avatar of both the {Brilliant Mother of Light} and {Lord of Deep Darkness} at the same time.] It appears these Gods are quite eager for my head. How amusing this is. Ive never had this much fun since my earlier years as a Mortal Cultivator, where I had to plan the assassination of many bandits and slowly take them down while hiding. It was a slow yet very satisfying process. And bandits often had many stashed treasures, so it was always nice to steal all the things they stole beforehand. Kill her! You must kill her this very instant! Shes a sinner! Someone who dared to hurt our goddess and our god!" The pope stepped in from a room behind the chamber where people could change classes. He looked fat and was wearing white and golden robes, with a crown made of gold decorated with jewels. Paladins! Priests! Surround her! Eliminate her now! As swiftly as he said such words, a dozen Paladins, whose Levels were between Level 150 and Level 230, surrounded me. The priests were between Level 150 and 180, and the Pope was Level 300; despite looking like a lazy old geezer, he had leveled up a lot. Katherine! What happened?! My mother cried. Big sis?! My sister cried. Oh, are you related to her? Kill them too; you might as well! Laughed the pope as the Paladins rushed towards them. CLASH! However, their weapons only hit a semi-transparent barrier of rainbow light. Photon essence gathered within my fingertips as I pointed them against the Paladins that were trying to break the barrier protecting my family. Those who dare hurt my family deserve no mercy. {Photon Spear} Spears of golden, blinding light pierced the heads of three Paladins in a second. They were unable to react at all; their entire heads were blowing up into pieces. Their brains and guts splattered on the churchs floor as their lifeless bodies took a few seconds to fall onto the floor, as if incapable of believing they died so easily. W-Wha? D-Dont let her kill you! Quickly! Attack her as I seal her! {Chains of Sanctification}! A second later, countless golden chains attempted to pierce through my barrier and catch me, trying to seal me. I amused them as I deactivated my barrier to show them how strong I was. Hahaha! I got you, you sinful woman! Now prepare yourself to- Cute chains. The pope gasped, his eyes widening as he was unable to believe what he was seeing. I touched them with my hands, imbuing them with Immortal Essence in large quantities without even using Photon Essence. The Immortal Essence flowed into the Level 300 Popes body through his connection with the magic chains, overcharging his body with a powerful energy he couldnt control or assimilate. Uuuaaaggghh! POPE! The priest and the paladins panicked, attacking me with magic and sword techniques, yet my body and dress were unscathed no matter how many attacks reached me. Your pope is nothing but a walking bag of grease; look as he explodes like the balloon he is. I flicked my fingers, and the Popes entire body started to swell until he became twice as large, with blood and light coming from his eyes and mouth, until his skin started to be torn apart. His body ultimately exploded into a mass of flesh, blood, grease, innards, and broken bones. BOOOM! Y-You monster! The priests started stepping back as they hid behind the paladins, who were also trembling in horror. However, they were not giving up. Their rage and frustration knew no bounds. Their eyes were flaring with the intent to avenge their fallen ones. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. You think well let you touch us?! Get off me! I heard my mother and my sister fighting. My mother used her spear techniques and her metal martial arts to pummel down a Level 180 Paladin with ease. And then she broke his mandibles with a powerful punch, using her fists, enchanted with her Metallic Skin martial arts. BAAM! Katherines not alone here! If youre trying to kill her, youre going to pass through us, fuckers! If you mess with my daughter, you mess with her mother too! Ruby used her newfound strength, and black flames covered the bodies of the priests. Their light was unable to dispel the flames, burning them to a crisp as they agonized. Incredible. I didnt expect the two of them to be so merciless. Perhaps my mother, but my sister?! I guess in this world, you cant survive if youre innocent anymore. How are they so strong?! That woman is only Level 100, and that girl is only Level 23! It doesnt matter; keep them in check! The popes dead, but we are still not done yet! Ill use it! I dont care anymore, you sinful monster! One of the priests, probably second in command, started sweating nervously. He suddenly grabbed a golden relic from his hands, activating it in a hurry as he spoke with disbelief. A wave of pure divine golden light surged from the entire surroundings, reaching the skies like a golden pillar. [The Priests of the Church of Light and Darkness have Summoned the [Divine Angelic Spirit: Lv500 (SSS Rank)] to battle!] [The [Divine Angelic Spirit] rapidly descends from the Domain of the Goddess of Brilliance and Light!] FLASH! A gigantic angelic entity descended from the clouds, rapidly rushing down. I was able to easily see it as there was a huge hole in the beam of light left behind in the churchs ceiling. I suppose they were not going to care about the entire place getting destroyed. The sinful shall perish! As the entity spoke, its hundreds-meter-tall body rapidly moved from the clouds down into the ground, shaking the entire city of Nexus. Panicked low-level players ran away from the church a while ago, but more of them started escaping once a Level 500 monster appeared. Hahahaha! You will die no matter what against such a powerful being! Theyre direct servants of our Goddess! The priest laughed a second before I blew his head off with a single needle of Photon energy piercing his forehead. SPLAT! So noisy I looked at the other priests and the paladins who were still aiming at my family. I waved my hands and released a wave of Photon Energy. Know your place. The wave swiftly pierced through their entire bodies, and their screams reverberated across the entire church as the wave destroyed the pillars and made them fall apart over their corpses. I made sure to leave not a single member alive. After the offense of not only declaring they were going to kill me but that they attempted to attack my mother and my sister, there is no place for forgiveness. I am a merciful venerable, but I know when to not give mercy to the wicked. I floated in midair as I looked into the skies, greeting the entity, whose countless eyes started charging hundreds of beams of light. Are you truly planning to destroy the entire city, Goddess? You sure dont care about "sacrifices," isnt it? Well, let me show you something. Hundreds of beams of holy light were immediately fired against me and the city. I could easily tell they were charged with the divine power of their goddess. I believed that the city was pretty and lively enough to deserve protection. I expanded my {Primordial Nine Heaven Protection} into a domain that encompassed the entire city, protecting it from a myriad of explosions of light. I unsheathed my Yin and Yang sword after making sure my mother and my sister were outside the churchs rubble. I was just slightly tired and still shocked about the events, but they were fine. For me, this was just an everyday squabble in Murim, but for these people, I suppose it is more surprising. Lets see, how do you want me to cut you up? Die, sinner! The giant Divine Angelic Spirit spread out its titanic wings, releasing more beams of light against me. All while it concentrated its divine light into two gigantic swords of divine holy light. Then, it swiftly swung them against me, attempting to end me with these two strikes. There is no element that I know more than light... It is the element that makes me who I am, and it is the element that accompanied me through my life as I grew stronger and eventually surpassed the Venerables themselves. CRASH! Both swords struck my body at the same time, but just as quickly as they hit me, they shattered into pieces, becoming particles of light and disappearing. My eyes shone with rainbow light as I directed my gaze toward the monstrous entity in front of me. Light cant possibly damage me, I explained while smiling calmly, the particles of light slowly becoming part of me, absorbed into my very physique. Light is part of me. Light is my body. I am Light. My body glowed brightly, and my entire being became a mass of pure Photon Essence. I pointed my sword towards the entity, as all its attacks were completely meaningless against me. I swung my sword once, a horizontal slash was unleashed, and darkness and light slashed the entity not once but twice, then thrice, then four times, five times, six times, seven, eight, ten, twenty, thirty, a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand times. {Yin and Yang Harmonious Blade Arts}: {Endless Cycle of Harmony} The entity couldnt keep up with the damage, pointlessly attempting to heal itself, only for its body to be divided into more pieces constantly. Eventually, it completely collapsed and exploded into countless fragments of light. BOOOM! I gathered all the fragments of light and then absorbed them, slowly concentrating them into a golden, brilliant pill using my Primordial Alchemy Arts. The pill glowed with delicious light. I couldnt contain myself, quickly eating it as well. My strength rose slightlya fine amount of growth. Thank you for such a bountiful harvest, Goddess. I looked into the skies. I am not in the mood now, but I will go visit you later. As I descended towards the city, the people looked at me with awe. I noticed most of them were looking at me as a hero. I suppose the church didnt care about civilians dying, so when I slew a monster they summoned that would have destroyed half the city, they were naturally happy. Even if my own actions provoked this outcome, no civilian died. Well, except for the church members, who were all slain in cold blood, but those werent civilians; they were just pigs ready to be slaughtered. They were so desperate to die that they asked me to end their suffering at this point. Those who are so weak yet dare oppose a being as strong as myself probably only desire death, so I gave it to them. I hope they can find peace in the afterlife, away from the wicked goddess. Big sis! Ruby ran to my side, hugging me. What the hell just happened?! Did you do something to make everyone want to kill you? Are you alright, Katherine? My mother looked into my eyes, examining my face. I am fine, mother; dont worry. I giggled. And yes, Ruby. I did something badreally bad. You see, my intention here is to free our world. And I will go against the gods of the tower to do so. This might only become commonplace as we climb the tower. I am sorry if it surprised you, but I cant promise you I wont do it again. Because I will. This might happen several times, dozens, if not hundreds of more times. Y-Youre really crazy I just want to take a break now. Lets get out of here My sister sighed. Its better if we dont attract a crowd; lets go. My mother nodded. As we walked away hurriedly, I sensed the figures continuing to chase us. [The Tower Gods have increased the bounty for your head by 100.000.000 Credits.] ----- Chapter 13: Divinity ----- Above the Heavens of the Towers First Floor, there was a palace made of eternal brilliance and glittering gold. Despite being the weakest world in the entire tower, this world was still guarded and protected by two Gods. Polar opposites of one another. One of them embodied the eternal brilliance of light, life, and day, and the other embodied the eternal darkness of shadows, night, and death. Both were born from the primordial mythical essence pouring from the very depths of the worlds core, combined with the faith and beliefs of billions of living beings. Ancient entities whose sole purpose was to fulfill their mortals wishes, but that slowly developed their own egos and selfishness. Inside the golden palace above the skies, the figure of a beautiful and voluptuous woman, covered by a long veil of eternal golden brilliance, walked through her throne room. Her appearance and other features were impossible to discern; she looked as if she were made of pure light itself. In front of her, there were dozens of angelic spirits prostrating themselves before his divine brilliance. However, despite how powerful and almighty she was, She had taken a deep wound. And even now, she could feel the stinging pain, something she had never felt before. How can she How did she This is not possible. No, wait Ah! The light Why does she wield the light? Heavens chosen? Impossible. No, but She kept talking constantly. A God was a being above mortals in many ways. The goddess possessed countless minds within her own; she was a colony of thoughts and emotions. Born from the faith and belief of billions, she was more than just a single individual, but the combination of all believers ideal of a goddess. How is it possible for someone below Level 500 to defeat a Level 500 heavenly spirit?! She cried. Can any of you answer this question, my useless creations?! Her thoughts and minds suddenly merged together as a single emotion was equally shared between all of them, and that was frustration. Goddess, that being is not a human. Shes not even bound by the system; weve checked. It has been reported that she killed administrators, a feat not even we can do. She what?! The Goddess stepped back, her hands trembling. All her minds were now overtaken by a new emotion. Fear! I havent even harvested enough Souls from Earth to further ascend, and a monster like that has already appeared! Could this be a scheme from one of the Gods from a higher Floor?! She screamed. No, I cannot have my position in the tower taken away! I cant! I must claw my way up; I must tear through anything. Increase the bounty to another hundred million credits! Add more items too; whatever those mortals want, Ill give it to them. I need her dead! I want her dead! Ill even lift the restrictions for higher-floor Players to come down. Anybody below Level 500 has no chance. Call Players from Floors 20 and above! To balance the tower, players above a certain level would receive penalties for their stats and skills when they descended from higher floors, something the Tower Gods of each Floor set to maintain peace and balance. So it wouldnt be possible for them to easily destroy everything if they ever desired. Of course, this didnt work most of the time when the Tower Gods themselves waged war against one another, something that, despite humanity knowing very little about it, was fairly common, especially on the higher Floors. Depending on the amount of Souls and Energy they can steal from each World, the Worlds of each Floor would constantly shift. The higher they are, the stronger the World is, and the lower they are, the weaker they are. Naturally, those that lose when they are at the bottom will get expelled from the Tower. And that doesnt necessarily mean getting their world destroyed or something, but much like Earth, they will become open grounds for the Tower itself to appear within them and for Gates to flood over. Inhabitants will be forced to climb the tower and stop the gates from appearing. This is an endless loop that has happened before; almost every world in the Tower went through something similar. The Goddess knew all of this; although she didnt feel bad or guilty about killing humans on Earth at all, she knew it was necessary to maintain her power and her worlds position. And this woman, Bing Xue, someone unfathomably powerful, comparable to the strongest Rankers in all of the Tower, was something that needed to be eliminated right away. She might have killed my Level 500 Holy Spirits, but can she beat Level 1000 or 2000 foes? How about Level 3000 foes from the higher floors? The Goddess smiled with a wicked expression on her face, made of pure light. Once a being as strong as she dies, my world could even climb a few Floors as well; that rich essence she possesses, I need it! Greed, avarice, and desire for powerall of these corrupt emotionsinfected the goddess''s once pure heart. The existence of the tower had changed her from her humble and kindhearted origins. She was once known as a merciful and motherly goddess, but now the only thing she could think about was power and more power. Ill send my Avatars for now; they should be useful for something, right- Ugh?! However, as she was thinking about that, she vomited golden-colored blood from her innards. She fell to her knees in agony as she realized she was incapable of retrieving the Divine Blessings she had conjured on one of her Avatars, the Pope of Nexus City! W-Whats happening?! My power! Why cant I get it back?! It feels like It was eaten?! Her eyes widened as she looked down, her pretty face below her veil of light quickly distorting into an ugly, demonic face full of fury and rage! THAT DAMN WOMAN! This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. . . . Ding! [You have slain [Pope of The Church of Light: Madeus: Lv300+], [Priests of the Church of Light: Lv150+], and [Paladins of the Church of Light: LV180+]!] [You have slain [Holy Angelic Divine Spirit: Lv500 (SSS Rank)]!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [] [Your Level has increased from Level 50 to Level 403/999!] [All your Stats have increased. You earned Bonus Stat Points and Skill Points.] [Several Skills have Leveled Up!] [You earned +200.000 Credits for slaying a Level 500 Monster cataloged as Boss-type] [You have mercilessly killed almost a hundred church members and their pope, you acquired the [Enemy Of The Church Of The Brilliant Mother Of Light] Title!] [You have become an official enemy of the Church of a Tower God; any ally will seek to hunt you down. Theres also a big bounty for your head, be careful!] [The Skill: [God Predator (SSS): Lv1] Skill effects have been activated. You have devoured the Divinity Fragments of the Avatar of the {The Brilliant Mother Of Light}!] [All your Stats have increased by +2.000!] [You have unlocked the [Divinity] Stat! You gained +1.000 Divinity.] [Divinity]: [A Stat that signifies your connection to the Divine. Your existence is slowly becoming more than physical, but conceptual. Once it grows high enough, you may be able to choose an Elemental Divinity to develop through Faith, Belief, and Comprehension of the Element.] [You acquired the Magic Skill: [Divine Brilliant Light Magic: Lv1]!] [The Tower God {The Brilliant Mother Of Light} is groaning in agony that youve eaten a piece of her Divinity!] [She furiously asks you to give it back! It belongs to her and was only given temporarily to her Avatar!] [The Skill: [God Predator (SSS): Lv1] Skill effects have been activated. You have devoured the Divine Power of the {The Brilliant Mother Of Light} contained within her Holy Divine Spirit!] [You gained +500 Divinity.] [The acquired Magic Skill: [Divine Light Spirit Summon: Lv1]!] [The Skill: [God Predator (SSS): Lv1] has Leveled up to Level 2!] Once I fully consumed what I had eaten, my strength rose rapidly. The cries of a Goddess didnt really mean anything to me. But that whole battle was quite amusing, if not way too easy. I half-expected followers of a Goddess to be at least within the level of an Immortal, but they were still pitiful mortals. The Pope, despite being level 300 died in an instant after I infused his body with Immortal Essence. At least a strong Mortal Cultivator of Murim would have resisted it for a few more minutes or could have even sent it back to me if they were smart enough. But that man, despite boasting such power, died in an instant. How disappointing. That giant Spirit was quite interesting, but ultimately died without much effort as well. Although its abilities were much flashier, I liked that it was gigantic. The city was now safe, and using my Veil Skill, I camouflaged all of us and quickly lost the chasers that were watching over us as we moved back to the Inn we had paid for before coming to the church to get a Class Change. And like this, while below the strong stares of my mother and my sister, I had to slowly explain to them why I suddenly became the First Floors church enemy. So thats what happened I cant believe you possess so much power that you can easily mess with the system in such a way, Katherine! I Well, since this world has gone to sh*t, Ive also fought. And although Ruby didnt know until now, Ive also killed people too, so I suppose this wasnt as surprising to me. Mother admitted. What? Youve killed people before, Mom?! Ruby panicked a bit. No, wait, I just killed like two priests and a Paladin myself. They gave some nice EXP though. Yes, it happens whenever thieves or bandits appear inside dungeons. Theyre Rogue hunters, often called. Criminals take advantage of dungeons being sealed from the outside world to kill and loot the hunters that go inside. Ive gone through this twice. Both times, I was forced to kill them to survive with my team. Some even died. I remember a good friend I had who got killed before I could do anything I suppose in that regard, this world, everything, is still quite the same as Murim, huh? I wondered, feeling slightly melancholic. Well, at the very least, I have you here. I did tell you what I intended to do. And although I am all for having a relaxing life, with the Tower, the Gates, and the Gods here, thats impossible. I know But did you have to make such a big fuss?! Ruby complained. Im sorry. I apologize. Ill try to do this while you two arent around next time. I smiled. Now, it is not like I intend to destroy everything; by falling for the Gods, I might learn some important information about the true purpose of the tower and the real plan the Gods have. I wonder if any of you have ever wondered what their motives are? I I never thought about it, but sure, there should be something they want, right? My mother wondered. I guess? I thought they just wanted to see us suffer. Ruby said. Its not that, I said. Or well, maybe thats some partial entertainment. But I have seen, through their intentions, fragments of their memories. Earth is nothing but a playground for them, a place full of Souls and Life Forces, all of us humans, even the animals and the plants. The planets core. They want it all. W-What? Really? My sister asked. But I thought the Gods were helping humanity survive somehow? My mother asked. It might look like that at surface level. I sighed. But thats far from the truth. Earth is a big cake, and everyone wants a slice of it. The Gates appeared all the time, and there was an urge for humanity to climb the tower so they would stop appearing. From the very beginning, they never intended to spare humanity. It is a slow death, but humanity and our world will eventually perish. I can already calculate that, if things continue as they are, in the next ten years, therell be a cataclysm that will wipe out the rest of humanity and life on Earth. Whoever survives will only escape to the towers worlds, and the entire world will be devoured, torn to pieces, and disappear in the endless cosmos. T-Thats no So everything, all the World Class Hunters, theyve been working so hard to climb the tower, even then! My mother muttered. It is all useless. Humanity has taken too long to climb the tower. To even qualify to be saved, you all should have reached Floor 50 by the second year at the very minimum. None did so. I sighed. Now, you can see what has happened. So we are just a meal to the Gods, is that what youre saying? Everythingthe peace we thought we achieved, the hunter association, all of it It will be meaningless in just ten more years." Ruby asked with a trembling voice. Yes. I nodded. But I am here now. And I wont let Humanity or Earth suffer such a fate. This is MY world, and I wont let any God or Tower take it away from me. I dont want to involve you in this anymore, though. Therell be times I have to go alone. I hope you understand. I-Its fine My mother nodded, smiling faintly. I never thought my dear Katherine would come back after disappearing for eleven years and suddenly become our worlds very last hope. But let me tell you that all the suffering you went through, all the bloodshed, all the battles you told me aboutit was all for this moment. As your mother, I can tell, my daughter. Everything had a purpose. I know. I smiled back at my mother. The power I amassed through eleven thousand years of endless battles, bloodshed, suffering, agony I will use it to end this, all of it. Big sis Ruby muttered. Are you going away again? Not for now, dont worry. I giggled. I plan to complete the missions with you and move forward together. But as I said, therell be times Ill go on my own. Alright? I need to just get you two strong enough, so I dont have to worry about you all the time. Im sorry if I am a burden; you dont really need to My mother said. No, its fine. Youre not my burden; youre my strength. I laughed. Dont ever dare say such a thing, my dear mother. Anyways! Shall we have a feast and wait until things cool down around the city? I can tell there are a lot of guards looking for me now. Y-Yeah, should we go to your Inner Realm thing? My sister asked. Lets go. My mom nodded. Alright~ Like that, we entered my Inner Realm and had a bountiful dinner before going to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a very busy day. ----- Chapter 14: The Next Morning ----- It was the morning of the next day within my Inner Realm. Time Dilation was possible here as well; I could accelerate its internal time up to a hundred times faster than the time outside. But to make it possible for us to sleep well and synchronize with the outside world, I disabled the Time Dilation function. Right now, it was morning. The Rainbow Sun Crown, formed of nine colorful stars I had refined long ago, rose from the horizon, illuminating my expansive Inner Realm with a myriad of beautiful colors. The gentle sound of the Immemorial Fountain of Youth behind me created a nice background noise as I woke up from my sleep. I was strong enough that I didnt need sleep at all, but sleeping was like a delicious cup of wine; it still felt nice to do so, and it calmed things such as stress and soul exhaustion. Although I wasnt going through the latter, I was slightly stressed. Not because I was going to fight Gods, but because I was worried about my family, and it made me feel slightly guilty for being too direct with my approaches. Imagining getting them involved in something terrible was one of my worst nightmares. Now that I have two people I need to protect, I cant be too reckless in my attempts. Or, well, I simply have to do it alone while theyre not watching! For now, however, I was looking at a skill I have possessed since the beginning of my new journey on Earth. One that Clide, the only Administrator Ive trusted, granted to me and also to my sister. ----- [Premium Player Privilege (SSS): Lv1] [Skill EXP]: [0/100.000] A Premium Skill is often given to Administrators that beta test new System Functions. Not something that Players should ever receive. Grants the partial ability to manipulate System Functions, allowing you to keep your System even without it being bound to your body and soul. Increases the amount of Stats gained per Level by x2 of the chosen Class Stat Growth. Increases the amount of Skill Points and Stat Points earned by 10 after taking a Class, grants access to the Skill Shop. You can further accumulate Credits by slaying powerful Monsters and Boss Monsters, which you can exchange for valuable items in the Administrators Shop. More privileges can be unlocked as the Skill Level increases, which can be done by using Credits. Next Upgrade at 100.000 Credits. Available Credits: 355.000 Level Bonus (1): Credits Earned Increases by 10%. All Shops give you a discount of 5%. The Gods will show 10% more interest in you. ----- Its description changed the moment I obtained a Class, yes. Especially this: ----- Increases the amount of Stats gained per Level by x2 of the chosen Class Stat Growth. Increases the amount of Skill Points and Stat Points earned by 10 after taking a Class, grants access to the Skill Shop. ----- The amount of Stats I earn per level is now doubled, and above all, the Stat and Skill Points I get per level are also made into 10 instead of the previous 5. My mother told me most people earn between 1 and 3 stat and skill points per level, so I was ridiculously privileged with my higher growth. Although the System is something like a piece of equipment for me, it might become a powerful weapon to devour the Gods and obtain their powers properly, so I have begun to both appreciate it more and desire to make it grow faster. Why do I want their powers? So the Worlds they manage dont end up collapsing or dying. If I can become the world''s pillars instead, they will be spared from destruction. Therefore, devouring the power of the Gods and taking their place as the goddess of these worlds is also my new plan, something Ive thought about as I slept in my dream realm. For now, I have over three hundred thousand Credits, so I should be able to easily upgrade this Skill. I can also spend credits in some Credit Shop thing? But I bet therell be more useless items there. I will check it later, I suppose, just for the sake of it. Ding! [You have exchanged 100.000 Credits, and the Skill [Premium Player Privilege (SSS): Lv1] has Leveled Up!] ----- [Premium Player Privilege (SSS): Lv2] [Skill EXP]: [0/200.000] A Premium Skill is often given to Administrators that beta test new System Functions. Not something that Players should ever receive. Grants the partial ability to manipulate System Functions, allowing you to keep your System even without it being bound to your body and soul. Increases the amount of Stats gained per Level by x2 of the chosen Class Stat Growth. Increases the amount of Skill Points and Stat Points earned by 10 after taking a Class, grants access to the Skill Shop. Decreases required Skill Points to learn new Class Skills by -50%. (New Ability!) Increases Classless and Magic Skill Slots by +1 (New Ability!) You can now Sponsor other Players by using Credits to buy a Divine Blessing, giving them special Skills related to your developing Divinity, Abilities, Bonus Stats, and Items. (New Ability!) You can further accumulate Credits by slaying powerful Monsters and Boss Monsters, which you can exchange for valuable items in the Administrators Shop. More privileges can be unlocked as the Skill Level increases, which can be done by using Credits. Next Upgrade at 200.000 Credits. Available Credits: 255.000 Level Bonus (2): Credits Earned Increases by 20%. All Shops give you a discount of 10%. The Gods will show 20% more interest in you. ----- Interesting! Thats quite a lot of upgrades and three new Abilities right away. I could spend the Credits again, but Ill save them for later. Seeing how I dont gain more stats out of leveling the skill, theres not much of an urge right now. More importantly, it seems I can now sponsor people. I should try doing this with my mother and my sister first. Perhaps simply helping them cultivate is not the only thing I can do now. If I could turn them into my Avatars, they could become even stronger. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. But my Divinity is developing; it is not something that existed in Murim, the growth of this world is completely different. And for my Divinity to grow, I either need to create a religion or just eat other beings that already possess Divinity. I should try to comprehend this better now- Ah. I realized my sister and my mother were on my left and right sides. They wanted to cuddle with me after the terrific talk of yesterday, and like the family we are, we simply slept in the same bed. It was nice to be hugged by my family after so long. It almost made me feel like when I was a little child. I stealthily walked away from the bed while the two were still sleeping soundly, taking a bath in the waterfall behind my palace while admiring the beauty of nature and resting in silence. While being naked, I sat cross-legged. Lets see Divinity and Mana, is it? I channeled my Intent and Energies into the System, looking through what it had absorbed for me and quickly infusing it into my body. Aside from the endless seas of Mana, which had increased by almost ten times their original numbers, there was a small sparkle of golden light. This must be the Divinity, isnt it? Let me grasp that. I moved the Mana and the Divinity into my body. While I refined more Primordial Essence Dew Drops with the Mana and the Immortal Essence combination, I analyzed the sparkle of light. Its nature and essence were completely alien to any power I had acquired before, yet it still felt both frail and strong. I can easily destroy this if I want, but I must channel its powers. The small glowing light continued growing larger and brighter, finally landing in the middle of my chest as I deposited it inside of my Primordial Core. Rapidly, the entire Divinity spread its roots, further combining its essence with my energies. FLASH! And I felt my power suddenly rise tremendously, for a bit before everything went back to normal. It was very faint, but the power of a Divinity was amazing! So this is your power, Gods. Interesting. I giggled to myself. Well, cultivating this the normal way doesnt seem to strengthen it. Ill truly need to eat a God, huh? Well, not like I havent eaten old geezers before to become stronger. I had to kill all previous Venerables of Murim to ascend into an even higher existence than them, so I wasnt foreign to the whole concept of devouring another persons powers. However, I dont know if I could call these Gods persons, seeing how theyre more akin to monsters due to their nature and origins. I had acquired some new Skills as well, something related to the Pope and the Spirit I killed. One of them allowed me to conjure... a much weaker version of my Photon Essence Arts, and the latter has the ability to summon spirits of light. Both seemed okay; perhaps if I could combine them with my abilities, I could create stronger soldiers of light. However, Ill leave that possibility for later. More importantly, and the most amazing skill Ive acquired so far, is this: ----- [God Predator (SSS): Lv2] [Skill EXP]: [11.740/200.000] A Class Skill that only belongs to the Divine Class: [God Eating Calamity: Ragnar?k]. Devour the Divinity of your foes. By killing and absorbing the powers of Gods and their Avatars, you can devour their Divinity to drastically increase your Stats and inherit Skills and Titles from them. The larger the prey, the stronger the rewards. The higher the level, the more power you can draw and assimilate from your prey. Level Bonus (2): Deals +100% more Damage against Gods and their Avatars. Increases the amount of Stats, Skills, and Divinity assimilated through God Predator by +20%. ----- Simple description for an SSS Rank Skill, but it works. It does what needs to be done. I believe the description might be smaller because it was a Skill the System had to just recently create, perhaps. Also, theres apparently a Class Skill Tree, lets see. ----- Level 100: [God Killer: Lv1 (SSS)] [Cost]: [2000 Skill Points] Level 200: [Divine Class Absorption: Lv1 (SSS)] [3000 Skill Points] Level 300: [Divine Soul Parasite: Lv1 (SSS)] [5000 Skill Points] Level 400: [Undead God Summon: Lv1 (SSS)] [6000 Skill Points] Level 500: [Locked] Level 600: [Locked] Level 700: [Locked] Level 800: [Locked] Level 900: [Locked] ----- Four Skills available. God Killer most likely increases damage dealt against Gods. Divine Class Absorption could let me steal the classes of foes that have divinity or divine classes related to Gods. Divine Soul Parasite might allow the creation of a parasite made of divinity, or perhaps parasitize divinity-holders. And lastly, Undead God Summon could let me summon Undead from the Gods I kill or devour. Apparently, there are nine Skills in total, each new one can be learned with a certain level requirement! As of now, I can learn four new Skills. However, there is a catch: I cant learn them all. Right now, I have less than four thousand Skill Points. Meaning that through normal means, I cant obtain the other Skills. For now, I will pick the obvious one because I can easily predict they will come for my head. Ding! [You have exchanged 3000 Skill Points, and you learned the [Divine Class Absorption: Lv1 (SSS)] Class Skill!] [You can now absorb and assimilate the Divine Classes related to Gods of the foes you slay, including the possible Skills that can be learned and part of their own Skill Points.] [The Divine Classes you steal will be either assimilated into your current Class to upgrade your Stats and existing Abilities or can be granted to another person after modification using your own Divinity.] Good! With this, I could give my sister and my mother very strong classes. I smiled. A good harvest. And I can even steal my foe''s Skill Points once I kill them, even better. I suppose this was how it was intended to earn more Skill Points for these ridiculous Skills, isnt it? A Class specifically made to kill the Gods. Once my family woke up and we had a hearty and relaxing breakfast inside my Inner Realm, we decided to finally walk back into the city. The place had calmed down, although there were still many people around the destroyed church. Mostly workers clean up the rubble. We noticed a few nobles walking around; apparently, they were looking for the culprit behind this. Apparently, they were with church members as well. You can go to the Adventurer Guild. I will resolve the entire problem with the church for now. I told my mother and my sister to cover them with stealth veils that would allow them to be unrecognizable to those pursuing them by any chance. Are you sure, Katherine? What if My mother was worried. What if what? I wont lose. Dont worry. I will follow your words and not be as aggressive, mother. I smiled at her. You got this big sis! Ruby was already looking forward to what I would do. Thanks to my Veil Skill and the {Umbral Night Stealth Art} which I had stolen from the {Venerable Of Night and Nightmares}, I was able to easily camouflage them amongst the crowd. As they moved to the adventurer guild, I quickly set my gaze toward the groups of church members. Around the entire city, there were roughly five more groups. Each one was made up of five paladins and two priests. They were constantly looking for me, asking random people in the streets too. There were nobles as well, and their guards. However, they were not helping them but simply watching over them with suspicious expressions on their faces. I can tell that the Lord of Nexus City does not like the church that much. I am here if thats what you are looking for. I stepped forward, standing in front of the group of two priests, and gave paladins, their eyes widening. Y-You! Its her, right?! Foolish woman! Do you truly believe youll be spared if you appear before us so recklessly?! Ill kill you right now, sinner! There was little room for conversation with these fanatics. I was planning on holding a conversation. But if you greet me with bloodshed, I will also greet you back with more bloodshed. I unsheathed my sword, and with a single and gentle swing, a wave of darkness and light was unleashed. The paladins were cut down into shreds, and the priests died in the resulting explosion. It was like crushing ants; there was neither fun nor excitement in this. Yet, it didnt make me feel bad either. Ding! [You have slain [Priests of the Church of Light: Lv150+] x2 and [Paladins of the Church of Light: LV180+] x5!] [Level Up!] [Your Level has increased from Level 403 to Level 404!] [All your Stats have increased. You gained Bonus Stat Points and Skill Points.] [The Tower God {The Brilliant Mother Of Light} groans in frustration!] Well, thats that. I yawned. Oh, sorry for making a scene. Ill clean the place for you. I noticed several people were watching in utter horror as I waved my hand, and all the corpses disappeared. W-What is she?! Shes a monster Ive never seen someone kill those high-level NPCs so seamlessly! R-Run! RUN! A lot of the low-level players ran away, followed by the rest of the population. And right after, the rest of the church members appeared, led by a blonde woman wearing saintly white clothes. T-There she is! The sinner! Attack her! She commanded, waving her staff. Rays of light rushed towards me, attempting to restrain me. Your light is nothing against me; Ive already told you people. With a simple thought, an overwhelming Primordial Intent Aura surged from my body, like an endless eruption of golden essence. The church members fell to their knees before they could even touch me. The woman trembled in pain, vomiting blood, as she grabbed a golden relic. Y-You damned monster! As the Saintess of the Church of Light, I will not go down! I will avenge my fallen comrades! RAAAH! She activated the eye-shaped relic as it suddenly fused into her chest. Her entire body transformed as she started to become incredibly monstrous. Gaining a pair of angelic wings, long and lanky arms and legs, and a face with a single mouth and no eyes. [Saintess of Light: Raffilia: Lv300] has utilized the [Forbidden Divine Relic: Angelicus (SSS Grade)]!] [Due to her strong faith and belief, she has been granted the wish to obtain a body that could match your power, evolving into the [Fallen Angel Of Despair: Rafflesia: Lv600+]!] SINNER! And they keep pulling out tricks from their asses; these people are truly resourceful. Sadly, that body of yours cannot match my power either way. ----- Chapter 15: Doing Things The Murim Way ----- [Saintess of Light: Raffilia: Lv300] has utilized the [Forbidden Divine Relic: Angelicus (SSS Grade)]!] [Due to her strong faith and belief, she has been granted the wish to obtain a body that could match your power, evolving into the [Fallen Angel of Despair: Rafflesia: Lv600+]!] Saintess Raffilia, was your name? I suppose you were quite a pretty girl before. It''s a pity youve decided to reduce yourself to a mere puppet for your goddess. I sighed as the angelic abomination rushed towards me. Does your religion come with becoming brainwashed fanatics? I am not brainwashed; I am willingly serving my goddess! She is my everything, my light, my salvation, my world! The monstrous angelic creature rushed down. With a barrage of powerful claw-and-kick attacks, explosions of blinding light were unleashed. I quickly conjured up my Nine Heaven Barrier, not to protect myself but our surroundings. I trapped her and every other church member inside the barrier, isolating the world outside from our battle. You hit really hard, but far from ever comparing to an immortals strength. I sighed. I suppose not even Level 600 can compare to immortals. Anyways, how high do your levels go? SHUT UP! Raffilia was utterly baffled after seeing that her attacks dealt no damage. She quickly raised her arms as her wings spread out, opening countless golden eyes. The eyes gathered mana and divinity, firing beams of golden light against me. How crude. I waved my hand as I blocked all hits without any issues. I quickly sprinted forward, charging my fingers with Photon Essence and then creating threads with this energy, which I used to wrap around her wings. {Photonic Sun Threads} SLASH! The threads cut through the wings as I moved faster than lightning, and the angelic abomination collapsed on the ground, unable to fire her annoying lasers or fly anymore. She quickly attempted to regenerate the wings again, though. GRAAAH! She gave out a loud, furious cry, so loud and powerful that it made all the other church members scream in agony. Their ears started bleeding, and many even died on the spot. That must have been some sort of skill. Naturally, nothing happened to me. Ive heard first-stage immortals talk louder than that. Youve killed most of your people now I laughed. I can assume youre not right in your mind, huh? DIE! The angelic abomination reached me in an instant; a barrage of explosive claw attacks, kicks, bites, and beams of light coming from her entire body came down at me. Perhaps nobody else would have been completely torn to shreds. I doubt anybody on this floor could ever withstand so much power. However, for me, this was Like taking the playful little hits of a child. Come on now; this is not getting us anywhere. I yawned, using my threads to wrap them around her limbs. If it wasnt for the barrier, you would have destroyed the whole city. Does your church not care about the poor mortals? I suppose your goddess follows the Demonic Cultivator doctrine of ruthlessness and selfishness above all else, isnt it? As I spoke, I heard her screams of agony as my threads quickly cut all her limbs off, her entire body falling over the ground, blood splattering everywhere. Her countless eyes spread through her body, and she was unable to understand how I was completely unscathed. H-HOW?! Youre not! Youre a mere mortala human! How can you... be so powerful?! A mere mortal? I am a primordial, someone who even surpassed immortals." I stated. I am barely playing with you. Do you want to see a speck of what I am truly capable of? Sure, but you will die so fast you wont even be able to savor your own agony and despair. W-Wha?! Youre not even fighting yet?! The monstrous Saintess groaned, vomiting blood. Let me show you. Blinding light surged from my fingertips as I gathered it in the palms of my hands, generating a dozen beautiful rainbow-colored pearls, which quickly danced around the monstrous abomination. Interconnecting with one another through golden lightning. {Primordial Rainbow Spiritual Formation}: {Bringer of Nirvana} With a mere thought, the pearls overflowed with tremendous quantities of light. My foe was encompassed in an endless sea of burning light, capable of disintegrating most matter. Her entire body disappeared in a second as her screams of frustration reverberated. The rainbow light surged endlessly and then slowly formed into a blossoming lotus flower. May you rest in peace. I gave a silent prayer as I looked around myself. The shockwave of my technique disintegrated the rest of the people around us. All the church members of Nexus City are dead now. Well, that was that. I cleansed my clothes from the dust and opened my barrier, only to be greeted by a hundred soldiers pointing their spears toward me. There was a group of nobles commanding them from behind. You saw what I am capable of. Your struggles will be utterly futile. And you cannot stop me either. I spoke with a stern and loud voice. My very Immortal Intent making them all kneel before me. But I know you must be afraid. However, youre mistaken, children. I dont intend to hurt any of you. Only the Church of Light sect has declared war against my family. If you dont want to get involved, simply walk away. This is my first and only warning. I am merciful, but not enough to let fools walk over me. Y-Youre not lying? A trembling, young blonde man with fearful green eyes muttered. Yes, I am not lying. I smiled. What is your name, son? Stolen novel; please report. I-I am Augustus Nexus, the Lord of this city. Well, a young lord. My father died a few... years ago. He muttered, incapable of even looking at me as he was kneeling before my presence. I-I If we leave your conflict alone, we wont get involved, right? Will the city be spared, great ranker? It will be. Also, I am not a Ranker. I laughed, patting his shoulders. Be at ease, son. You are safe because I do not intend to let any innocent die. The church will be taken care of, and everyone else will be safe. T-Thanks? He muttered, baffled by my words. No, wait, why?! The church What did they do to you? How could they have made such a strong player upset? Based on your strength, lady, you must at least be at Level 1000? Levels? I havent seen that, but I dont really care either way. I am a Primordial Immemorial Venerable, concepts such as Levels are nothing but small entertainment to me. Even your System is a toy I like to play with to pass the time. Well, perhaps it is more of a tool now. I smiled. Be at ease; it will all be alright. Now, walk away, and dont ever bother me again. W-Walk away. We are retreating." The young lord walked away without saying another word, his soldiers and the other nobles retreating too. Ah, right, I might visit you later. I smiled at him, his back suddenly turning stiff. Y-Yes? Why? He wondered, trying to act calm. Ill need to learn where the rest of the churches are located within the Kingdom or Nation, I said. Perhaps even the continent. I will have to do a small purge- Actually, lets do that right now. I dont want to waste more time with future conflicts. E-Eh? Augustus was shocked as I walked by his side. Lead the way, Augustus! I smiled at him. Y-Yes! He didnt have any other option than to agree. He was a smart young man, so he knew he had to cooperate. Once I entered his manor, he was greeted by a myriad of servants and family members. He was married to a red-haired maiden named Elisia and had two beautiful twin daughters. Augustus was trying his best to remain calm around them; his family had no idea what I was capable of. Wow, maam, youre so tall! Big! I never thought human girls could get this tall. I guess its not just the orc warrior girls. Nina, Mina, please stop annoying your fathers guest. Elisia sighed. I am so sorry; theyre at their age where they just want to ask about anything and explore everything. It is fine. Children must be curious and talkative; it is a good sign of them having a good and kind heart! I giggled. Youve raised them well, Elisia. And I dont really mind. Children are precious and innocent souls, which we must protect and raise with the utmost care. So they can grow up to become exceptional people. You two lovely princesses can ask me anything you want. And you can also call me Auntie Bing Xie. I sat down while drinking tea with Augustus'' family while he went to fetch me the documents I asked him for. Auntie! Why are your eyes so shiny? Auntie, auntie! Why are you so pretty? Can I get so pretty too? Fufu, come on, ask more slowly now. I spent a few lovely minutes with these adorable twins and their very polite and nice mother. Augustus came running after that, almost having a heart attack as he saw his daughters sitting over my thighs while touching my hair and clothes. Nina, Mina! S-Stop! Dont touch her! He screamed, his soul almost coming out of his body. Huh? Whats wrong? Daddy? Dad? Why? S-Shes dange- Ugh! He quickly took a step back as I stared directly into his eyes. Did you bring the documents, Augustus? I asked with a stern voice. Elisia quickly raised an eyebrow as she noticed I was treating her husband rather carelessly. Y-Yes, here Please please leave us alone now. We will not do anything to you or your family. He sighed, giving me all the papers. Please spare us Hmm. I started reading the documents one after another. So the real name of your world is Eclipse? Interesting. There are two continents: the Continent of Light, Radiant. And then there is the Continent of Darkness, Umbral. Oh, and this City is part of a three-kingdom alliance, isnt it? The only ones on this Continent. All three of them have churches of light. Ten cities to visit, alright. I understand now. Thank you, Augustus. Ill be back really soon. Y-You will?! He cried. Yes! Ill come back in about ten minutes. It shouldnt take longer than that. I smiled. FLASH! I quickly disappeared at that moment, appearing above the skies of the city. I spread out all my Senses and released a wave of invisible light, encompassing the entire world. I was able to see its boundaries rather quickly. There was no space, but there was a sun and a moon. The entire planet was being contained within some sort of Spatial Construction in the shape of a spire that stretched through millions of light years. I suppose this is how worlds are assimilated inside the Tower. Scan complete. I had scanned the entire world to quickly be able to move through it seamlessly. By activating my Partial Spatial Manipulation Skill and combining it with my {Nine-Colored Lightning Steps}, I moved through the world with ease. In a single step, I appeared in front of the church of the next city. I stepped in, took down everyone inside who was a member, and left. I also hunted down any other member who was roaming the city using my lightning. I repeated the same nine more times, and the entire continents church was utterly destroyed. It was the easiest elimination of a sect Ive done since I was an Immortal destroying evil mortal demonic cultivator sects. P-Please, spare me! I havent done anything wrong! Its not my fault that youve committed such sins! The goddess is justified for her rage! Cried the Archbishop of the church, within the Kingdom of Heavenfell. D-Do you know what youve done?! The church of Light is a pillar of this continents economy! Everything is going to go down the gutter! The world everything! And thats where youre wrong. Your world does not need a goddess. I will free you from her chains. I smiled at him. And despite you saying such things, the near hundred slaves you kept underground would like to say otherwise! My sword flew toward his head, piercing through his ten-layered holy light barrier and then striking his brain, his head blowing up into pieces. The old man was gone. And so the entire church of light from the face of the Radiant Continent. Four areas were raising orphan children, and the nuns and the people serving those areas were quickly forced to make an oath to never persecute me again and to abandon their religion for the sake of protecting the children. I convinced the nobles to take care of them and the slaves of the capital of Heavenfell, with a few more oaths as well. I did fight a few more divine spirits and angelic abominations along the way, which gave me some precious Divinity once they were slain. The archbishop in particular had a rich amount of it! He must have been the Goddess main avatar. Y-Youve wiped out the entire church The King of Heavenfell glared at me in utter disbelief. A tall, muscular man with a short blonde beard and sharp gray eyes. His Level was actually 700, which is surprising! He was a seasoned ranker, apparently reaching Floor 30. However, he was now trembling in horror in front of me. After all, the Archbishop was Level 750. I hope we can get along from now on, King of Heavenfell. I smiled at him. Here, this is a little present for you, as a show of goodwill. T-This is? He grabbed a small wooden box, opening it to reveal its insides. Huh? Snacks? And tea? It is a custom between Orthodox Faction Immortals to gift each other their best tea leaves and snacks as a show of goodwill and companionship. Have a good time with that! I will be seeing you again one day. Take care of your Kingdom. I gently patted his big shoulders. Despite being a tall and bulky man, I was much taller than him. Y-Yes He nodded, his strong and bulky hands trembling as I patted his shoulders. Thank you for sparing all of us. He glanced in disbelief as I disappeared from the scene, leaving only a trail of golden light. I reappeared inside Nexus City, now inside the Adventurers Guild, surprising every adventurer inside. My mother and my sister were sitting around a small wooden table, drinking coffee while waiting for my return. Youre finally back! My mother said. Big sis, what were you doing?! You took like half an hour! My sister complained. My apologies; things took slightly longer to resolve than usual. But Ive never felt this refreshed in a while. Now, shall we register? I asked. [The Tower God {The Brilliant Mother of Light}''s amount of shock, anger, frustration, sorrow, depression, wrath, hate, and vengefulness has made her completely lose her mind.] [Because the amount of Faith Points that she gathered daily has dropped significantly, her power is beginning to decrease rapidly.] [The Tower God {The Brilliant Mother of Light} is having a stroke.] ----- Chapter 16: Adventurer Guild ----- Ding! [You have slain a large quantity of powerful foes related to the Church of Light!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [] [Your Level has increased from Level 404 to Level 487!] [All your Stats have increased. You gained Bonus Stat Points and Skill Points.] [The Skill: [God Predator (SSS): Lv2] Skill effects have been activated. You have devoured the Divinity Fragments of the Avatars of the {The Brilliant Mother Of Light} you have slain so far!] [All your Stats have increased by +3.000] [You gained +5.000 Divinity.] [Despite being stored Skills, the Skills related to these Divinity Fragments have gained +5 Levels!] [The Skill: [Divine Class Absorption: Lv1 (SSS)] Skill effects have been activated. You have devoured the Divine Classes of the Avatars of the {The Brilliant Mother Of Light} you have slain so far!] [You devoured the [Radiant Light Divine Archbishop] Divine Class!] [You devoured the [Brilliant Mother Of Light Holy Saintess] Divine Class!] [You devoured the [Divine Radiant Templar Of Holy Light] Divine Class!] [You have earned +3.000 Skill Points!] [The Devoured Classes have been stored within the [Divine Class Absorption: Lv1 (SSS)] Skill, you may choose to either assimilate them to gain bonus stats according to each Divine Class, alongside some new random Skill, or to modify them and assign them to somebody else.] [For having slain so many powerful Avatars of a Tower God, you gained +300.000 Credits.] [The Class Skills: [God Predator (SSS): Lv2] [Divine Class Absorption: Lv1 (SSS)] have Leveled Up!] [Their effects have been strengthened and intensified.] Although I hated to admit it, this System thing was quite fun to see sometimes. How it all progresses and how I can easily see how much power I gain. I can tell why the mortals here have become so obsessed with the System and with leveling up and gaining skills. It is certainly quite addicting. It reminded me of the rush of adrenaline I got in my first days as a cultivator, each time I grew a tiny bit stronger, or each time I acquired a special martial art, or every time I defeated a foe I never thought I could slay. A similar feeling, although it is more gamified? It reminds me of my younger years playing RPG games. Perhaps I would have even more fun if they were actual challenges to me, but well, beggars cant be choosers. I am already too strong, and I wont be nerfing myself to have fun or something. ----- [Divine Class Absorption: Lv2 (SSS)] [Skill EXP]: [82.822/200.000] A Class Skill that only belongs to the Divine Class: [God Eating Calamity: Ragnar?k]. As you Devour the Divinity of your foes, it is now possible to further extract their powers and abilities. You can now absorb and assimilate the Divine Classes related to Gods of the foes you slay, including the possible Skills that can be learned and part of their own Skill Points. The Divine Classes you steal will be either assimilated into your current Class to upgrade your Stats and existing abilities, or they can be granted to another person after modification using your own Divinity. The Devoured Classes will be stored within the Skill itself, and you may choose to either assimilate them to gain bonus stats according to each Divine Class, alongside some new random Skill, or to modify them and assign them to somebody else. Stored Divine Classes: [Radiant Light Divine Archbishop] [Brilliant Mother Of Light Holy Saintess] [Divine Radiant Templar Of Holy Light] Level Bonus (2): Has a 20% chance to steal more than 1 Skill out of assimilated Divine Classes. Increases Skill Points stealing quantity by +20%. When combining Classes to grant them to somebody else, theres a 20% chance to further upgrade the resulting class. ----- And this skill seems to work just as intended; I can store Divine Classes as easily as that! I could combine them or give them to somebody else. By assimilating them, I could probably gain more Mana and Divinity, which seem like the only two stats that I care about. But it wouldnt be bad to combine them to create something very powerful and grant it to my mother or sister. Ill have to think about it for now. Ding! [You have slain all members of the Church of Light, and those that survived have been forced to desert their authority as members by you!] [You have completely destroyed the Church of Light within the World of Eclipse, the authority of the Tower God: {The Brilliant Mother Of Light} has been greatly weakened due to the lack of constant Faith Points. Her Divinity is growing weaker.] [The Title [Enemy Of The Church Of The Brilliant Mother Of Light] has been upgraded to [Destroyer of the Church Of The Brilliant Mother Of Light]!] Ok? I dont really care. S-So you resolved the problem? My mother asked me curiously as I sat at their side once I arrived inside the Adventurers Guild. A bunch of people had approached me at first, asking me if I wanted to join their parties after they saw I could practically teleport inside. But I rejected them. They kept insisting, though, so I had to release some of my Immortal Intent to quickly intimidate them and force them to leave us alone. Mortals nowadays really believe they can get away with asking some Primordial to join their parties by simply insisting endlessly and being overly annoying. But to save face in front of my family, I decided to simply intimidate them and let them go away. Ah, yes, I did! The Church of Light will never, ever annoy us again! I smiled. In fact, it might never annoy anybody ever again, forever. I dont even want to think about what you did to those people now Ruby sighed, drinking the last amount of tea she had. Yeah, lets just not address that My mother sighed. I guess as long as youre okay. Also, I havent heard any big explosions either, so I assume things resolved fine enough. Now, shall we get started? You two need to get your ten missions done. The first step, however, is to register. Come with me. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Welcome to the Adventurers Guild! My name is Peperina, I am still an inexperienced guild assistant, but I hope I can be of help! Do you need anything? A cute beast girl with a rabbit-like face and long ears on top of her fluffy face greeted us. She was smaller than Ruby and was wearing a cute guild assistant dress of blue and red color. Honestly, she was such a cutie that I was barely resisting petting her head. Hi Peperina! I brought my two daughters here to register them in the Adventurers Guild. They need to get their ten missions done, after all. My mother said, showing her license. Oh, it is a C Rank Adventurer! Alright, very well! If they have a connection like this, we can register them right away without going through a special test. The rabbit girl nodded after seeing my mothers license. Now, please let me know your personal information. You can write it here. Just the simplest of things. You dont even need to specify your class, but just what it can do within the categories, like Warrior, Tanks, Healers, Magicians, Technicians, Alchemists, and so on! Sure! Sounds easy enough. Ruby nodded. Very well~ I giggled. I wrote down the information on the paper; it asked for my age, sex, basic special abilities, what my talents were, and the class category. Alongside a little introduction of myself, which was slightly funny, Ive never seen such a simple registration process for a sect before. Usually, they would make you go through a life-or-death trial. Thank you so much! Please wait a tiny bit here; also, theres a fee of ten golds per registration! Peperina said. Ill pay for them. Mother gave the girl a bag of twenty gold coins. Thanks a lot! Ill be back in like ten minutes; we need to make the license cards. The girl said this, quickly leaping away. While we waited, I couldnt help but feel the strong gaze of almost every person there. Since I rejected them all, they have gotten very annoying. They were not saying a single word, but they werent really approaching either. I had not conjured any barriers, yet it felt like there was one separating me and my family from them. Honestly, it was quite hilarious! Big sis, you sure have a bad reputation now." My sister sighed. Will we ever recover? What are you talking about, Ruby? This is a good reputation! People need to know that youre strong and capable. Those that approach you carelessly are disrespecting you; it means you have a bad reputation and youre prone to getting bullied and abused by others. I explained it to her. I-Is that also some sort of Murim thing? My mother wondered. I guess shes not completely wrong. I Eeeh, I guess! Ruby crossed her arms, checking her phone. Hmm, Juan went to the Mine Dungeon again. Hes coming late today Does he work mining inside dungeons all the time? What a dull job. You should find yourself a better man, Ruby. I told her directly. Someone as weak and pathetic as him does not have the right to become my beloved sisters lover. Ugh, shut up! Juan is a good guy! Ive known him since I entered the university. Sighed Ruby. Hes already graduated as well! But hes working part-time in mining dungeons because it actually pays better for a F Rank hunter to do that. Is he really a good guy? The only thing I remember about him was him being pathetically weak and trembling at my voice. I laughed. Youre so out of touch Ruby groaned. Hes fine, and I love him, okay? And hes good in bed too; thats a big plus! He got a big one, you know? Big one? Oh my, I never thought my little sister would talk so vulgarly about such things Youve surely lost your innocence now, my poor little Ruby. I sighed. Maybe I should truly just get rid of that Juan, huh? Ruby! Did you have to talk about that like that?! My mother reprimanded her as I nodded. And Katherine! Stop saying such threatening things. At least treat Juan as a member of our family as well, okay? Hes a nice kid. Hah I suppose theres no helping it. I shrugged. Sorry, Ruby. Its fine, I guess Ruby sighed. Youve gone through a lot, so maybe your brains not really well, big sis. Hahaha! I cannot deny that! I laughed. It is thanks to you two that I can behave better within this society that I now see as completely alien. Im sorry for my words; they come so naturally out of me sometimes I am trying to adapt better. Its fine, dear. My mother smiled gently, caressing my hands. Well help you get through this. Y-Yeah, dont worry, okay? My sister nodded, both of them giving me empathic glances. You got us, and we got you. Aww I couldnt help but hug them both and kiss their cheeks. I love you two so much; youre my everything, my dear family! I dreamed for so many yearsthousands of yearsto meet you. Even now, this feels like a faint dream. But its reality, isnt it? It is My mother smiled, kissing my cheek and hugging me back as well. Now, the girls coming back. Enough corny stuff for now, Katherine. A-Ah, alright! I nodded as the girl quickly brought us the licenses. There you go, maam! Youre so tall for a human! The little Peperina gave me a bronze-colored license. The same is true for Ruby. Your name is Bing Xue, isnt it? And this is for Ruby. [You have finally registered as an Adventurer inside of Nexus City, congratulations!] [Your current Adventurer Rank is F. To further increase your Rank, please gain Guild Renown by completing all kinds of missions and requests.] [The higher your Rank, the more benefits you will gain within the first floor of the Tower, such as shop discounts, the ability to build connections with important people, the privilege of accessing VIP areas, and more.] [You gained the Title: [Beginner Adventurer]!] Thank you, dearie. I smiled, giving her a gentle head pat; she didnt seem to mind, perhaps quite used to getting them. Here, a little gift because youre so lovely. I gave her a little box with candy and chocolate. Oooh! I am not really a child anymore, but I really appreciate it, maam! Thank you! She smiled happily. Hehe, look guys, she gifted me candies and chocolates! Im going to have a feast for lunch! She ran to brag with her coworkers. A-Anyways, now that were done with that, I suppose little Peperina decided to let me explain to you how to do this. My mother said, guiding us to the quest board. Many papers were stuck there. With small words and pictures of creatures or places. This is the Quest Board, pick a paper, bring it to the receptionist, and youll be registered to do that quest. The quests and Adventurer Ranks vary from F to S Rank. I see, so lets just pick the S Rank Missions, no? We can do them to get the best rewards for Ruby. I said. And I guess myself too; I dont care much about that. A-Are you sure we can do that though? S Rank? My sister was a bit afraid. Even if this is the first floor, there are high-level areas far away. Some of them are only visited by Rankers that are already experienced, some over Level 300! I see, that doesnt really matter though. I shrugged. Ill carry you; the experience points will help you level up quickly to 300 too, maybe. How about that, mother? Way ahead of you. Knowing how strong you are, I already knew you would choose the S Rank Missions nobody takes, so here it is. I took these for you. She handled the papers. Oh? I read through them in detail. Red Giant Ogre King Lair Expedition, Fetch Me an Elixir, Frost Wyvern Mountain Expedition, Spirit Queen Bee Hunt, Forest of Eclipsing Light Exploration I see, they all sound quite lovely for small little adventures! Shall we go then? "First, we must report this back to the guild, Katherine. And if we cant do it within the time limit, well need to pay a fee for it. My mother said, But I am sure we can do this all within a week. I think a day is enough, but sure, a week can do too. I nodded. Y-Youre taking so many S-Rank Missions?! Peperina panicked. Are you alright with that?! Theyre super-dangerous! Maam, your candies are really lovely; I dont want you to die! Its fine; I am very strong, dear. I giggled. Dont worry about me. I winked at her. A-Ah, well She blushed a bit. T-Then, sure I guess Please, if it gets too dangerous, run, okay? Theres nothing wrong with surviving for another day! Its fine; thank you for caring so much. I smiled as we left the adventurer guild. Once were done, well come back to show you what we meant! Wait for us, Peperina. E-Eh? O-Okay! She gulped saliva as she only grew redder; she was so cute. Ill be waiting for you, Miss Bing Xue; please be well! Once we walked outside of the Adventurers Guild, our next stop was the nearby Forest of Eclipsing Light, which was a few kilometers away. There, well solve three S-rank missions in a single sitting. Those are the Spirit Queen Bee Hunt, the Greater Emperor Bear King Hunt, and the Gathering of Eclipsing Sun Rafflesia, a material an alchemist wants, which is apparently guarded by a powerful Plant Monster. Along the way, we tried some of the street food, such as skewered monster meat, cheeseburgers, fresh fruit juice, and even ice cream. They had a lot of delicious meals for a few gold coins my mother bought for us. She was spoiling me a lot; she wanted to really make me happy. Alright, here we are... It took no time at all with your teleportation magic, dear. My mother was surprised we arrived in front of the forest in a whiff. Its technically just moving really fast, not teleportation. I use the Immortal Essence and Photon Essence gathered on my foot to pierce through space and move through the boundaries of time and space. I explained it to her. It is a basic technique among Immortals to quickly move across the vastness of Murim with ease. Okaaay I didnt understand any of that, but yeah, lets go! Ruby was eager to hunt. Yeah, lets I sighed as I noticed people were coming. No, wait a bit. It seems someone is chasing us. They just came with us. Apparently, they can also teleport using magic. Wait, what? My mother gasped as three figures appeared around us in a flash. He was an incredibly bulky man, with short red hair and scars, wearing animal pelts around his body, and holding a gigantic golden axe. He resembled some sort of barbarian. There was also a magician wearing gold and blue robes and holding a staff decorated with a jewel imbued with time and space essence. His face was hidden beneath his hoodie. And lastly, a slender leopard beast woman, wearing tight black robes around her body and holding a pair of long and sharp, venomous daggers. With a mere glance, I noticed they were all over Level 1000. So these are the little noobs that the goddess is so desperate about? Theyre not even Level 200! And that woman is not even Level 500? Hahaha! This will be an easy hunt~ My mother and my sister quickly panicked, stepping back as they felt the strong pressure of their Auras. You must be the Rankers that the goddess sent for my bounty, is it? I wondered, greeting them with a calm smile. Youll have one chance; leave this instant, and I will spare your lives. Take another step, and youre dead. What? Bitch, are you scared? Then just shut the fuck up and die. The bulky man rushed towards me; his giant axe pushed through space somehow, a split second before it was to hack through my entire body. CRASH! ----- Chapter 17: Bounty Hunters ----- CRAAASH! That axe was very heavy; it took almost a speck of my strength to grasp its complete weight and the power that man had added to it with his myriad of stupid skills. His aura overflowed like a crimson flame; he resembled a mighty warrior, yet he remained weak and pathetic in front of me. H-Huh?" His eyes opened wide when he finally realized that the awkward silence that came after he swung his axe against me was because he, in fact, had not killed anybody yet! His stupid, gorilla-like face groaned in disbelief. W-What the?! What did you- A barrier! Barrier? I grabbed his axe and then pulled it, dragging it towards me. He didnt want to let go of his weapon, so I zapped his hands off with Photon Energy, turning them into ashes. ZAAP! UUAAAGH! As he screamed in agony, I grasped his axe. It was made of pure gold with dragon decorations. Quite a beautiful weapon; it reminds me slightly of the artistic aesthetics of Murim. Where did he get this weapon? A rather beautiful axe, despite how pathetically weak it is, might have some sort of hidden potential. I smiled. Ill be taking it from now on- Hm? Suddenly, I noticed rays of cosmic light hit my body, and tentacles made of shadows attempt to pierce my robes, though they dealt no damage. The magician and the rogue woman tried to go for a sneak attack from behind. Well, it did no damage either way. Did you thought sneak attacks would work against me? Now that youve all attacked me, unfortunately, I wont hold back. W-What?! The warrior, the rogue woman, and the magician all screamed at the same time. "Oi, you hulking idiot, what the hell is going on?! Ive never seen someone just steal a weapon off your hands! Also did she just bounce back all our blows?!" That woman is dangerous; fall back! The rogue and the magician quickly stepped back. I suppose being Level 1000 gave them some sort of experience in battles, enough to recognize I wasnt just someone they could easily bully. GIVE BACK MY WEAPON! However, the muscle of their team charged towards me. Magic circles around him opened, summoning a rain of silver-colored swords and spears. It seemed his magic was the ability to summon metalhow amusing! Sure, you can have it back! I swung the axe with minimal effort, and a wave of Immortal Essence was unleashed, slashing and disintegrating his little flying projectiles and cutting through his entire body. The hulking giant, whose stats were probably ridiculously high, died in a single hit. W-Wha?! His split-apart body splattered on the floor, his guts falling and painting the grass red. The smell of blood filled my nostrilsnothing new for me. Ive seen this scene way too many times. He was only able to ask a single question before he died, and it wasnt even a completed sentence. Should I pity him? Why? I told you that I wasnt going to kill you if you didnt step forward, yet you did. I sighed and grabbed his soul. I dont feel so nice right now; you just interrupted a nice moment with my mother and my sister. W-Whats happening?! Crack, crack! AARRGH! CRASH! His soul squirmed as I crushed it and then shattered it into countless pieces. The glowing fragments of his soul were immediately absorbed by my physique. Not bad; the soul of a Level 1000 does carry a bit of power, huh? And Divinity too! How nice. The rogue and the magician were already escaping. They didnt even try to fight back. I noticed them attempting to run away using a teleportation spell. How nice. I want to learn more about that myself, too! With a single step, photonic energy zapped my entire body right behind them. I found the magician desperately forming a magic circle as the rogue guarded his back. Surprise! Where do you think youre going? Shit! Shes here! "Wait, the magic circle is not done yet! As they screamed, I quickly sprinted forward. Swinging the axe, I attacked the rogue woman with minimal strength. The leopard-beast woman, who was incredibly pretty, swiftly evaded my first attack with an explosion of speed and then appeared right behind me, gritting her sharp teeth. {Abyssal Dagger Arts}: {One Thousand Phantasmal Cuts}! A thousand cuts rushed down my back as she attempted to reduce me to shreds. The attacks didnt even tickle, although they had very fancy choreography and many explosions of darkness. It is truly a pity that a beauty like you is my enemy. But let me tell you something: I do not spare people when I decide to kill them. I dont change my mind, even if theyre a beautiful maiden. My axe quickly cut through her hands, which flew away in explosions of golden flames. A second later, I grasped her head with both of my hands and pressed them tightly. A pity, truly a pity, but thats how life is. If you let these insects trample on you and insult you, you wont ever make yourself respected. P-Please no! Dont kill me! I was wrong! I will even become your servant! DONT KILL ME! She kept struggling as her skull started to shatter and her eyes began to pop out of her face. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Goodbye. SPLAT! Her head exploded into pieces. Brains, eyes, skull fragmentseverything. I simply cleansed the blood from my hands as I looked at the trembling magician; his magic circle was finally done. Shit, shit, shit! WORK! FUCKING WORK! FLASH! His body was encompassed by a flash of blue and gray light and disappeared from where he was. He might have thought I couldnt chase after him and that he was a lucky one. However, he couldnt be far from the truth. Nice trace you left behind. I grasped the Mana Trace his magic left behind and simply followed it with my combination of Movement Techniques and Partial Spatial Manipulation. In a split second, I appeared right behind him, trespassing on dozens of Tower Floors. Hahhh I-I made it Those two died. Holy sh*t, shes too dangerous! He muttered. W-What kind of monster is that strong without even being Level two thousand?! As he gasped for air, yet to notice I was right behind him, I looked around my surroundings. It seemed this was the Towers twentieth floor. A land of flames and volcanic scenery. This was apparently a safe area inside a mountain. But the outside world was a hellish and blazing landscape. I noticed countless demonic and blazing creatures walking across the land. So this is floor twenty, huh? Quite big! I laughed. W-What?! He gasped, suddenly realizing I had followed him. Surprised? It is very easy to track a trace of your magic if you are so bad at hiding it. I laughed, appearing right in front of him a second later. G-Get away from me! As he screamed, he fired several beams of blue light. {Cosmic Rays}! The rays didnt even harm me; I simply blocked them with my bare hands. They were ridiculously weak! And he calls these cosmic? Theyre simply a lesser-light attribute spell. Ive seen what truly cosmic power is, and you dont have it. Whoever gave you that spell probably scammed you. I said. W-What?! He screamed before my hands could grasp his arm, tearing it apart from his body. I then stole his staff and left it for myself before kicking his legs and shredding them into pieces, blood splattering everywhere. NO! P-PLEASE! DONT KILL ME, PLEASE! As he screamed in agony, his magic attacked me continuously; chains of light, beams of cosmic light, and stars fell over my body, generating huge explosions. Yet all of it was mere replicas; nothing of it was actually at the level of power to call it Cosmic! What a disappointment you are. Is that all your magic? Oh, did you run out of Mana already? W-What do you want?! Please Dont kill me! Ill give you anything! All my credits, all my items..." Is that so? Drop them there then. A-Ahhh! He quickly dropped a pile of valuable items and credits, shown as white-colored coins. It seems I can first extort these mortals out of their items before killing them, as killing them doesnt give me access to their inventory items most of the time. This will be useful for my sister and my mother. Thank you. For that, I will give you an agonizing death! What?! But I! Do you think I spare anybody? Foolish mortal, this is merely the divine punishment you receive for offending a primordial such as me! Repent in hell! I quickly grasped his head and slowly tore it apart from his neck; his screams reverberated everywhere, and people started running here to see the massacre, only to catch a glimpse of my hands tearing his head off his body, blood covering my face. What? Did you lose something? I asked. Take one step, and you might face a similar fate to this utter fool, I said as I grasped his soul and shattered it into pieces. So? Anybody? The Players slowly started walking back, full of horror, and then ran away. Good! Dont get involved! I cleansed myself again as I sighed in relief. I hate to admit it, but I did enjoy killing these fools. It seems Murim has truly fucked my head. I know my mother and my sister accept me even as a bloodthirsty monster. But when comparing my past self to what Ive become, theres a certain sense of hollowness. I suppose this is what comes with having become Murims strongest. I sighed. Yet even then, I was unable to even confront the Heavenly Will, and I had to run away Despite how strong I might seem, compared to that monster, I am weak. I need to get stronger. I have a feeling that the time I escaped from his clutches wont be the last time I see him. Ill become strong enough so I can make him pay for everything he did to me. For having put me in that horrible world and for forcing me to turn into the monster I am now. Hahh Well, that is that. I moved back to where I was, greeting my family, who were still paralyzed where they were. I hugged my mother and my sister and told them that everything was alright. Sorry about that! Everything is alright for now. If anybody like them comes around, Ill just kill them. I smiled. Okay, but big sis, your face has some blood on it Ruby sighed. Dear, did you have to chase that magician down?! My mother asked. Arent you a bit too ruthless? If I didnt kill him, we would be risking him coming back for us with even more hunters, I said. It is better to remove the opportunity for this to even occur. Sorry if it comes off as distasteful, but now that the world has changed and the Tower exists, I am sure many more share this thought process. I guess Youre not wrong; maybe we are the dumb ones for feeling bad about it. My mother said. Not exactly either I said, smiling back at her. That feeling you have, that feeling of remorse, of guilt... Embrace it. Dont let it go away. It is what makes you human. And it is what makes your emotions precious. I, in the other case, have forgotten what it feels like to even be a human anymore. I glanced into my bloodied hands. Katherine My mother muttered, hugging me from behind. Its fine, dear... Youre human to me; youre my daughter. Y-Yeah, come on Ruby was trying to say something but couldnt think of anything. The very thought of them just trying to cheer me up was enough to quickly make me smile and feel completely happy. Nobody was ever there for me back then; I was completely alone, always alone. Nobody was there to hug me, to tell me that it was okay to feel sad, or to question yourself. Im happy to have you two with me. You two remind me that I was once a human. I smiled, hugging them both. Now! Shall we go? We got some bees to hunt! Alright! Ruby nodded; she was doing her best to cope with everything, although I could notice stress building up on her. Lets go then; I am making my two daughters S-Rank Adventures. My mother smiled, nodding. As we moved forward, the figures chasing us continued their pursuit. However, no matter what, I could not feel any sort of animosity from them. If anything, it felt like they were waiting for an opportunity to talk with us. Oh well, I did get a lot of gains from those three fools too, so its not so bad! Ding! [You have slain [Blazing Berserk Warrior: Gustaf: Lv1014], [Shadow Leopard Rogue Kunoichi: Essenica: Lv1008], and [Spatial Warlock: Herleck: Lv1050]!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Your Level has increased from Level 487 to Level 553/999!] [All your Stats have increased. You gained Bonus Stat Points and Skill Points.] [The Skill: [God Predator (SSS): Lv3] Skill effects have been activated. You have devoured the Divinity Fragments of the Avatars of the {Father Of War And Iron}, {Maiden Of Crescent Moon}, and {Scholar of the Stars}!] [All your Stats have increased by +4.000] [You gained +3.000 Divinity.] [You learned the Magic Skill: [Blazing Iron Weaponry Creation (S): Lv1] [You learned the Classless Skill: [Crescent Moons Shadow Dagger Style (S): Lv1] [You learned the Magic Skill: [Cosmic Star Magic (S): Lv1] [The Skill: [Divine Class Absorption: Lv2 (SSS)] Skill effects have been activated. You have devoured the Divine Classes of the Avatars of the {Father Of War And Iron}, {Maiden Of Crescent Moon}, and {Scholar of the Stars}!] [You devoured the [Blazing Berserk Warrior] Divine Class!] [You devoured the [Shadow Leopard Rogue Kunoichi] Divine Class!] [You devoured the [Spatial Warlock] Divine Class!] [You have earned +5.000 Skill Points!] [For having slain so many powerful Avatars of many Tower Gods, you gained +600.000 Credits.] [The Class Skills: [God Predator (SSS): Lv3] [Divine Class Absorption: Lv2 (SSS)] have Leveled Up!] [Their effects have been strengthened and intensified.] Oh, they were Avatars too [The Tower God {Father of War And Iron} roars in fury, asking what happened to his Avatar!] [The Tower God {Maiden Of Crescent Moon} was sleeping when it all happened and is confused!] [The Tower God {Scholar of the Stars} is shocked by your brutality and monstrosity. He swiftly decides to never interact with you again.] Sorry about that; dont worry, youre going to join your Avatars soon enough. ----- Chapter 18: Custom-Made Class ----- As I waved away the system notifications, I looked at my Inner Realm, my treasury had become even larger, as there were many monster materials, items, potions, and equipment I had taken away from that spatial magician whose name I dont remember anymore. But above all of that, I got Credits, and not just a few, but a few million of them, right away! Indeed, it seems that higher-floor players accumulate a lot of credits. This level one thousand man had quite a small treasure with him. I managed to get 3.320.000 Credits out of him, and with that, I now had a total of 4.475.000 Credits. Next time a fool appears, I might as well extort them out of their belongings before killing them. Although I belong to an orthodox faction, there was nothing wrong with taking away the belongings of the wicked for us and using them to help good-hearted people, innocents, or even the victims who survived. I will probably sell these items later and earn enough money for myself. Although I want to keep living with my family, I would prefer to still get a home for myself back on Earth. And not whatever thing, but a big manor if possible. For that, I need a lot of money. We decided to walk towards our destination instead of just flying there to watch the scenery, relax, and chat. I needed to help Ruby with something because I now feel guilty that she might have lost the opportunity because of me. For now, though, I decided to upgrade my Privilege Skill to Max Level as I had enough Credits for that. [You have exchanged 4.400.000 Credits.] [The [Premium Player Privilege (SSS): Lv2] Skill has Leveled Up to Level 10!] [Your Skill has reached Max Level! Max Level Bonus Ability has been added to the Skill Effects.] ----- [Premium Player Privilege (SSS): Lv10] [Skill EXP]: [--/--] A Premium Skill is often given to Administrators who beta-test new System Functions. It is not something that Players should ever receive. Grants the partial ability to manipulate System Functions, allowing you to keep your System even without it being bound to your body and soul. Increases the amount of Stats gained per Level by x2 of the chosen Class Stat Growth. Increases the amount of Skill Points and Stat Points earned by 10 after taking a Class, grants access to the Skill Shop. Decreases required Skill Points to learn new Class Skills by -50% Increases Classless and Magic Skill Slots by +1 -> +5 (Upgraded!) You can now Sponsor other Players by using Credits to buy a Divine Blessing, giving them special Skills related to your developing Divinity, Abilities, Bonus Stats, and Items. Decreases the Prices of Credit Shop Items by -50% (New Ability!) Increases Credits Earned by +50% (New Ability!) When slaying a powerful foe, theres a 20% chance to randomly obtain one of their Skills. (New Ability!) Decreases All Damage Taken by -20% (New Ability!) Grants Total Immunity to all Status Effects. (New Ability!) You can choose to {Extract} on the corpses of foes you slay, turning their corpses into EXP, Mana, and Vitality. (New Ability!) You can further accumulate Credits by slaying powerful Monsters and Boss Monsters, which you can exchange for valuable items in the Administrators Shop. Level Bonus (10): Credits Earned Increases by 100%. All Shops give you a discount of 50%. The Gods will show 100% more interest in you. Max Level Bonus: You can now further edit and change the System Structure within your vicinity and your Status. To create more precise changes, however, you can spend Credits. ----- Ahh! Now this is a fine Skill. These abilities are indeed quite something. Although the damage decreases, immunity feels completely useless. Extract has many uses, at least in terms of mana, so I can further refine my Primordial Essence and also gain even more EXP, so I can further level up and gain even more Mana. Then theres the Bonus Ability after Max Level. I can further edit and change the System Structure. Huh, Ill have to try that later. I wonder what I could do. It certainly gets messy when I try to change it, as I am not proficient in this strange magic, but I can indeed shatter it and transform it by using my Alchemy abilities. Perhaps with this and some credits, I could make changes that wont become too messy later on. But for now, theres something I need to do. Ruby, did you get a Class by any chance? I asked her. A-Ah, about thatWell, yeah, but its kind of lame. She sighed. I see, I guess the chances of getting an Avatar-related class were out of the question. Let me remedy that for you. I can now create classes; do you mind if I give you one? I asked her. W-Wait, what? You can make Classes? Hows that even a thing? She gasped. It seems thats a new power you acquired somehow. Said my mother. How though? It is part of my Class Skills! I can absorb the Divine Classes of foes I slay and then grant them to others. I smiled. But the normal ones would be lame, so lets combine them. Lets see [You can combine up to three Divine Classes together. Please choose carefully; once its done, it cannot be reversed.] [Stored Divine Classes]: [Radiant Light Divine Archbishop] [Brilliant Mother of Light Holy Saintess] [Divine Radiant Templar of Holy Light] [Blazing Berserk Warrior] [Shadow Leopard Rogue Kunoichi] [Spatial Warlock] Which ones do you want, dear? I asked my little sister. Choose three of whatever you want. Ooh! Wow, you can combine them and make them even more OP? Thats wicked, big sis." Ruby gulped saliva in awe. Err Ive heard hunters with space magic are really famous. So Spatial Warlock, for sure. Then Hmm, Blazing Berserk Warrior because of fire, and I use a sword. And then... Err, how about the Kunoichi one too? Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. So you want the classes of those pesky bandits that attacked us, I see! I smiled, nodding. Yes, they seemed strong. Alright! [You have chosen the Divine Classes: [Blazing Berserk Warrior] [Shadow Leopard Rogue Kunoichi] [Spatial Warlock] for Divine Skill Fusion!] [Fusing Divine Classes] FLASH! All three Divine Classes combined in front of us, showcasing as bubbles of divine essence, and then came together into a brand-new Divine Class. A bubble of black flames and spatial essence is surging from within. [You have successfully combined the Divine Classes: [Blazing Berserk Warrior] [Shadow Leopard Rogue Kunoichi] [Spatial Warlock] into [Abyssal Blazing Berserk Blade Master Of Dark Stars (Divine Rank)]!] There you go, Ruby! It is done. I quickly imbued the bubble into her chest. Ding! [You have exchanged 10.000 Credits. You have sponsored [Player: Ruby] with a new Divine Class of your own creation: [Abyssal Blazing Berserk Blade Master Of Dark Stars (Divine Rank)]!] [Player: Ruby] has fully assimilated the compatible Divine Class. Her previous Class has been forcefully deleted by your System Authority.] [Player: Ruby] Stats have increased! All her related Skills to her Class have gained +2 Levels as a bonus.] [She has unlocked the Divine Class Skill: [Space Tearing Black Star Swordsmanship (SS): Lv1]!] Woah! She gasped for a bit in surprise as the Class''s immense power flowed through her whole being. In mere seconds, for a moment, her appearance changed. Her hair turned long, blazing like black and red flames. Her skin turned deep red, with black tattoos resembling black stars, and her sword was encompassed by a mass of space-distorting black fire, growing in size to a ridiculous appearance of over ten meters. T-This is insane! I got a new Skill out of it too! She said it in excitement. Mom, check this out! She swung her sword into the skies, and as a giant wave of black flames exploded into the blue sky, a crack in space suddenly opened after the explosion, which then slowly closed. I was able to faintly see several little black tentacles and red eyes glaring at us through the cracks. So administrators also repair these things, huh? "Calm down, Ruby; dont do that again if you are not fighting a monster, okay? You almost broke space itself." My mother was still processing what happened. Hahaha! Well, we are here, so we might as well let her go crazy! I admired our view. There was a huge castle, or more exactly, a beehive, in the shape of a castle. It was surrounded by giant stone walls, and there were thousands of enormous, four-meter-big bees flying everywhere around the beehive. Inside of it, there was a powerful S-rank monster known as the Spirit Bee Queen. This must be the Spirit Bee Queens Castle, huh? Considered an S-Rank Dungeon that nobody has ever cleared yet. I laughed. I suppose that band of bandits could have been able to help here but were too busy trying to look for easy money. Too bad it ended badly for them. Y-You dont need to put it that way My mother sighed. Oh, right! Before we go, Ruby, didnt you have a monster pet? It would be better if you hatch it now so it can gain EXP. R-Right, the egg; I left it inside of Big Sister''s Inner Realm! Ruby said. Can you get it back for me, Katherine? Sure, here. I waved my hand and quickly brought something with me. It wasnt an egg anymore; it had hatched a few hours ago and had been roaming my palace without end. It ate some of the Primordial Golden Lotus Flowers on my ponds and then ate a Yin and Yang Koi Fish too. So it got quite the appetite. Meow! It was a cata cute black and red catthat was sitting over the palm of my hand, rather perfectly so. It was a kitty for now, but it had quite a sharp glance. It has bright red eyes and tiny black horns over its head, adorned by a pair of cute demon-like wings and a long, pointy tail. Its called Demonic Doppelcat, I answered. You can go now. Mereow! The cat leaped off my hand and then immediately ran to Ruby, rubbing their nose over her legs. Prrr~ It was purring adorably. Oh my gosh! Its a cute kitty! Ruby was very happy, holding the cat with her hands and lifting him up. Ill name you... Felix! Meow! The Doppelcat suddenly leaped into the air and released an explosion of black smoke. After that, the cats form changed, becoming a nearly identical copy of Ruby! What?! So thats why it''s called Doppelcat! Ruby gasped. It seems so. My mom nodded. So it can copy your appearance? Mereow! The cat turned into shadows, summoning a black flame swordor, well, two of themand unleashing slashes against the walls in front of us, breaking them apart. This quickly alerted the bees. The power of those slashes was at least half as strong as Ruby, which is not bad. CRASH! W-Wait, the walls! My mother panicked. BBZZZTT! A swarm of angry Giant Spirit Bees rushed towards us. Each one was at least cataloged as A+ Rank Monsters. Who were above Level 300. I can tell why nobody came here; a single one of these bees could destroy even experienced hunters. And it was on the first floor, where experienced hunters were very rare as well. {Photonic Sunlight Spear} I materialized a spear out of my Photon Essence and launched it into the skies. A blast of pure golden light illuminated the skies as an explosion of thunder and light covered everything. BOOOM! The bees were instantly disintegrated; the swarm coming towards us was no more, although a hundred more were on their way. Alright, Ive opened the way! Ruby, Mom, Ill cover your backs; you also have barriers to protect you from damage, so attack them without fear until you can kill them. I said. No matter if it takes you many hits, Youre going to level up a lot today; be prepared! Gotcha! Ruby nodded. Felix, lets go! Meow! Her doppelganger, made of shadows, leaped with Ruby. Ruby! Even with a barrier, dont be too reckless! Mom followed her from behind as I stayed right by their side. I constantly conjured Photon Sunlight Spears to blast the annoying bees, while my family slowly started killing them one after another. I was able to see how they battled as well. Ruby slashed her foes with her swordsmanship techniques, releasing explosions of phantasmal energy and black flames. The level 300 bees took heavy wounds each time they received her blows. Though they didnt die right away, after getting hit three to five times, they did. Felix complemented her attacks, making it much easier for her to kill the bees. She was also practicing her evasion techniques, despite the bees being much faster than her. She got hit several times due to the big level difference, but thanks to my barrier, there was little to worry about. My mother followed her from behind, conjuring swords and spears of steel conjured from her elemental martial core. At the same time, she unleashed strong fist and palm techniques. Her spear techniques were also used, now with her being able to conjure spears out of her own body as her cultivation advanced further through the paths of metal and light elements. The more these elemental essences are cultivated within the core and physique, the stronger they become, to the point where our own bodies gain the ability to produce these elements as well. My mother had gotten the hang of it very quickly, barely being hit as she constantly created floating steel shields, enchanted with light to further grant them defense. In less than thirty minutes, all bees were eliminated, and after we massacred everything inside the castle, we came in front of the Spirit Bee Queen; she was at least over Level 500 according to the system, a true S-Rank threat. She had the shape of a fatter and bigger bee, but with the upper torso of an insectoid woman. She looked rather cute, but I didnt have any time to fall for a monster we had to slay, and one with barely any intelligence either. BBZZZTTT! She constantly conjured spirit magic, summoning the power of the environment and drawing the elemental essence of the nearby forest. With this, she could conjure endless spear-pointed roots of wood and beams of light. And even slicing wind attacks, which looked quite deadly to any mortal. While acting as their shield, I advanced forward while yawning a bit. My mother and my sister rained as many attacks as they could on the Queen Bee, slowly debilitating her by cutting off her many limbs and then her wings. The beast gave its last struggle before its head was slashed by Felix, sneaking behind her at the last moment. SLASH! Hey Felix, you stole my kill! Meow! Felix, however, started purring after turning back into his cat form and rubbing his face on Rubys legs. She couldnt get angry with the little kitten anymore. Whew, we really did it... Well, without your help, it would have been completely impossible, though. My mother smiled. But I never thought I could ever do something like this nonetheless! Indeed, Mother, dont give me too much credit; you dealt most of the damage! Congrats! I clapped my hands. Shall we go to the next mission then? Wait, so soon? My mother cried. "Let''s rest for a bit, please." She sat down on the floor. Yeah, lets take a snack break or something. My sister nodded. I brought some soda and chips. Here, grab your favorites, sis. She threw me a can of Pepsi and a bag of hot chips. Oh well. I shrugged, sitting over the throne of the bee queen and eating chips. Naturally, the ones chasing us finally appeared, rushing towards us. and then kneeling in front of me. It was a trio of beasts. Two of them were black-furred wolf women, and the only man was a gray cat. They were all wearing black robes, resembling rogues. Oh, so youre finally here, huh? What do you want? Depending on your answer, your fate might change. P-Please help us! We need someone strong like you W-We will give you everything we have Everything you have, huh? I smiled. Go on, show me your sincerity. ----- Chapter 19: This Great Venerable Is Merciful ----- Katherine, who are these people? My mother asked with concern. More enemies?! Ruby panicked. No, they arent enemies. But theyve been chasing us and spying on us for a little while. I sighed. Ive left them to do so because they had neither bloodthirsty auras nor evil intentions. In fact, they seemed desperate. Now, state the reason for your acts. The trio of beast people glanced at one another, and as they let one of the black wolf beast women speak, she stepped forward while still kneeling in front of me. W-We require someone powerful, someone like you. Please, help us." She cried. We belong to a small tribe of beast people that migrated from the Second Floor. We thought that things would be nice here, but But? What happened? I asked them. "Well, our tribe has been constantly assaulted by the citys rogues and bandits for a while. We endured while trying to reinforce our defenses, but over time, they only became more destructive and cunning. Even employing P-Players. Cried the wolf woman. A-And my daughter... our children; they recently took them all away! What? I asked, immediately noticing that this wasnt something I could overlook. When? Answer quickly. T-Three days! Three days ago. Weve been looking for them this entire time. We found a few of their hideouts, but they were usually always reinforced. Theres also something else. I think something might interest you, lady. You, as someone so admirable as to destroy that church..." She muttered. Apparently, they''re... well, theyre being controlled by a cult, a cult of the God of Darkness of Eclipse. God of Darkness, huh? So they dont have churches but cults? I wondered. And I see why youre trying to ask me for help in specific now. It is because of the actions I took, I see. Please help us." Please. We dont have anybody else to ask for help! Everyone else looked down on us... A-And we dont have that much money so- So you expect me to help you without being paid? Despite seeing me as strong as I am, you dare not offer payment? I asked with a ruthless voice. That is a serious disrespect towards me, dont you think? T-Thats! W-We didnt mean that! We actually want to pay you with our belongings, even with us. W-We are willing to become your slaves if that would be of any value. Cried one of the black wolf women. Just please help me My child We will offer our bodies, everything we have left, even our souls if you want to! The other black wolf woman cried by her side; they seemed to be twins. Y-Yes, anything The gray cat man sighed. Big sis! Help them, please! Look how theyre crying! Ruby was very soft-hearted. Youre strong enough to give them a hand, right? My mother asked with a smile. I Well, yes, I was going to help them. They speak with sincerity and without any lies; I can tell with my eyes. However, I wanted them to show me how much they would be willing to go first. I walked towards the two black wolf women, caressing their fluffy heads; their black fur was very soft. Dont worry, dears; I will help you. Such beautiful and honest ladies as you must not shed any more tears. I will bring back your beloved children. A-Ah R-Really?! T-Then! We are willing to Oh, no, stop, I said, stopping them from saying another word. I despise the thought of ever enslaving or taking slaves. I dont like that. Your freedom, your bodies, your strength, and your spirit are all yours. I will help you simply because I want to. Now, youll need to wait for a few hours, though. Do you think you can? Y-Yes Thank you. Youre our savior! The trio nodded happily as they kneeled before me over and over again, bowing constantly. I suppose they at least know how to treat someone with respect! Anyways, tell me your names. I smiled, helping the ladies stand back up. I-I am Urbosa My name is Merkite. And I am Helix. I see. Are you two twins? I wondered, asking the girls. Y-Yes, we are sisters born below the same day in the same full moon! Nodded Urbosa, wagging her tail happily. Weve been together since then. I dont have a daughter, but my sisters husband died long ago, and she has a daughter Ive helped her raise. Merkite smiled with honesty and pureheartedness. So wonderful; you two are a lovely pair. I smiled, giving them another head pat. And your fur is very soft as well; I hope you dont mind my head patting you. W-We dont! Its the least we can let you do, my lady. Helix was your name, right? My mother asked the cat man. Did they also take someone from you? Yes, my wife and my son Sighed Helix. I dont know what theyre trying to do; they are still alive. Selling them as slaves was our idea at first, but they had yet to even do that. It feels like theyre keeping them... to do something. A sacrifice to their god, perhaps? I wondered, rubbing my chin. Oh well, for now, shall we resume our hunting, mom, sister? Lets do this quickly so we can go help them. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Alright! Ruby nodded. Lead the way, honey. My mother smiled. "Then you three are quick, so I hope you can catch up with us. I smiled. Lets go. We sprinted across the forest and hunted down the many monsters we had taken on missions for. We destroyed the lair of Red Orcs, hunted down Lesser Phoenixes, slayed Snow Wyverns, gathered all the super rare materials, and once we were done, we moved back to Nexus City. How much did that take? Less than two hours. And as we showed them how strong I was to the trio of beast people, they constantly wagged their tails. Especially the black wolf twins, who were wagging their tails while constantly gasping with their tongues out, like puppies. Beast people are so adorable, honestly! I could have hardly ever rejected them to begin with. Phew! Well, that was crazy! I just leveled up all the way to Level 200 in just a flash! Ruby looked at her own status. I am also almost Level 300 myself." My mother covered her mouth in shock. I feel like were cheating with Katherine helping us so much, fufu. But well, shes my daughter, so it''s fine, right? "Indeed, mother, dont worry. I winked at her. Now that I am finally back, I will make sure to spoil you two rotten and make you the happiest and strongest, that is my promise. Aw, come on, dear. My mother giggled, hugging me and kissing me on the cheek. You dont need to go overboard. Just having you here is enough to make me happy. Yeah! Though I dont mind it either way~ Ruby giggled mischievously. As we talked, the trio of beasts seemed surprised. What a beautiful family bond. Urbosa smiled. It reminds me of my daughter "Indeed, sister, I think we made the right call by asking her for help. Shes just as we thoughtsomeone amazing! Merkite wagged her tail constantly. With such pure family bonds, it is easy to trust her. Helix nodded. Though, arent you two wagging your tails too much? Usually, you should only wag your tail to the person you love, you two! A-Ah, were we?! Urbosa gasped. W-We apologize Merkite sighed. Their two cute tails then went down immediately. Aw, were they falling for me or something? So cute! But for now, I should first concentrate on the present. There were many system messages, mostly level-ups. Ding! [You and your Party have slain a large quantity of powerful monsters of all sorts!] [You used {Extraction} on the corpses of hundreds of monsters, gaining additional EXP!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [] [Your Level has increased from Level 553 to Level 596/999!] [All your Stats have increased. You gained Stat Points and Skill Points.] [The Levels of Several Skills have increased! Many Skills have reached Max Level.] [Because of your Excellent Leadership, you learned the [Commander (C): Lv1] Classless Skill!] [Due to your ability to easily manipulate the wind to cut through your foes, you learned the [Windstorm (B): Lv1] Magic Skill!] [You can now combine any Skill that has reached Level 10 together to create even stronger Skills.] Well, not bad, two skills out of it; most of the older skills also hit max level after I used them constantly. Now I could combine them together, but thats something Ill do later. Well go report things later, I said. For now, tell me where you saw these hideouts, you two. Y-Yes! Urbosa nodded. Through here, my liege! Please follow us. Merkite said. Alright, you two should stay in the adventurers guild for now, I told my sister and my mother. I dont think this is something that youll need to help with. Well, fair enough. My mother said,. What?! I want to beat baddies too! Ruby complained. Let me go, mom! Urgh! Mother dragged Ruby away as I smiled, quickly going with the trio of beast people, who led me through several hidden and dark alleys until we landed on the poorest zones of the city. Inside this area, there was an abandoned house with a door leading to the underground sewers. This is the first hideout we found; outside, it is not so guarded, but inside, very! Helix said. There are some of our kin trapped there Urbosa said. Please, will you help, my liege? Merkite asked. Of course, you will stay right here for now. I wouldnt want to endanger your lives. I smiled, giving them another head pat that quickly forced the two cute beast girls to rapidly wag their tails again. Helix facepalmed; he felt embarrassed over how obvious they were being with me. I-Is that alright with you?! Urbosa asked. We can fight too, Merkite said. Yeah, you dont need to- Ah, shes gone. Helix didnt even finish his words, as I was gone from the scene. I moved at lightning speed inside the hideout, ignoring the smell of the sewers and quickly investigating the inside area. As I was surrounded by bandits that were still trying to process how I got there, I looked around. There was a room in there with a few dozen people, mostly children or young women. What the? Huh? Who are you? Where did this bitch come from?! Oi, take her down! Quickly! The dozens of bandits rushed towards me, pointing their weapons at my body, only to end up hitting an invisible barriernot even my Nine Heavens Technique, but simply the pressure of my auraenough to block their blows. Insects should go back to crawling on the ground. With a mere thought, pressure quickly forced them to kneel. And then, not only did they kneel, but the weight of my aura was also so strong that their entire bodies exploded into pieces, twisting and breaking apart. Their screams of agony quickly alerted more of them, as they all came to die with the same fate. "Now, calm down. Everything is okay. I smiled gently, opening the door to reveal the light of my body to the dozen beast people here. It seemed this tribe was composed of two races: wolves and wild cats. They varied in color but were all either gray, white, or black. They also seemed larger and stronger compared to the other beast people Ive seen in the city. Even the children and the young women were tall. Urbosa and Merkite were already almost my same height too. Helix was quite the midget, though. W-Who are you? Did you come to kill us? No, Urbosa, Merkite, and Helix sent me here. I spoke. Follow me; Ill bring you to them. They quickly followed me; the moment they heard the names of those warriors of their tribe, they immediately knew I had come to rescue them. Once we were out, a young, white-furred cat-beast woman ran towards Helix, alongside a little boy similar to him. Helix! Dear! Papa! Ahh! My wife! My son! Helix ended up embracing the two of them in a big hug, the trio of adorable cat people crying constantly, happy to be finally together again. One of the things I learned through my many years as an Orthodox faction cultivator was that strength wasnt just to satisfy my own desires or to change the world as I pleased. It was also a medium for me to be able to bring happiness to others. If used correctly, I could save lives instead of destroying them. For every evil soul I took down, I promised myself I would save a hundred more. To redeem myself for the savagery of my acts and for the blood Ive spilled. Now, there are more to visit, right? Lead the way. With their lead and with my analyzing abilities and searching techniques, we visited four more hideouts, freeing dozens after dozens of people from their tribes. It seems they took almost every person who wasnt a grown adult or man. I had slain at least over a hundred of these rogues and bandits, most of them not above Level 200. Though there were some players mixed in, they were usually Level 300, some even from Earth, but I didnt really care about that either; they died easily. I even slapped one gently and ended up tearing their body to shreds. That could happen very easily if I didnt control my strength all the time, but when I simply let my inhibitors go loose, a mere move from my hands could easily delete most living beings from existence. It is certainly not easy to be strong. Y-You! You are that woman! The one that destroyed the church of the goddess of light! Once we landed on the sixth and last hideout, we were greeted by the cult. Hundreds of men wearing black robes, wielding enchanted, cursed weapons, greeted our sight. And of course, their trembling leader, an Avatar of the {Lord of Deep Darkness}. ----- Chapter 20 Part 1: Destroying An Evil Cult In 1 Easy Step ----- P-Please spare me!" Cried the Avatar, the leader of the cult of the {Lord of Deep Darkness} and also a Level 400 Player from Earth. From what I dug out of his information, he was named Eustace Knigthheart, a member of a prestigious British Guild, and considered an S-Rank Hunter. "My guild is big, you know?! W-Well give you anything! His Mana was already emptied; I simply siphoned it out of his body the moment he allowed me to touch him. He was dried completely and had no other way of fighting. Opposite to the mighty cultivators of Murim. Who, even with their Ki emptied, had at least a few dozen tricks to quickly escape or defend themselves. But this man relied too much on his God-given skills and his pitiful amount of Mana for everything. The same happened to the rest of the cult, with their dead bodies decorating the underground chamber. Urbosa and Merkite just managed to rescue, in time, a white wolf-beast girl who was about to be sacrificed. Apparently, the {Lord of Deep Darkness} demands sacrifices to gain Faith Points, forcing his cult members to kidnap and kill people for him. I dont care if your sect is big. I sighed, grasping his neck. All four of his limbs were already cut off; he was constantly bleeding yet remained alive. I suppose Level 400 bodies were tough enough to survive such things with more ease. I will not target them for now because I dont want to get involved with Earths problems for a while. Now, give me everything you have, and I will spare your life. R-Really?! he asked with surprise. Yes, I know your guild is very important! So? Give me your things, and Ill let you go. Hell, Ill even heal you. I smiled back. T-Then! With a mere thought, he opened his inventory item, a pile of items dropped, and also credit coins. I quickly stored them inside my Inner Realm and then dropped his body on the ground. "Actually, I already healed you; your wounds are no longer bleeding. W-What?! But I gave you everything! He cried. Hey! Where are you going?! Its all yours. I walked away as the people slowly started walking towards the man. H-Hey, what are you?! He screamed. N-No! No! Go away, you monsters! You disgusting beasts! Let go of me! Do you know who I am?! NO! AAAGGH! Their sharp claws immediately began to tear him apart. Because they were so weak compared to him, it took them a lot of effort to tear through his skin with their claws, making it an even more agonizing and slow death. However, after a couple of minutes, he was dead, torn to shreds. Urbosa, Merkite, and Helix had participated in the killing, their claws and faces covered with the blood of the man who kidnapped their family. And we are done. I smiled. Feeling better now? Ah, let me clean all of you first! You wouldnt want to show yourself covered in blood to your children, right? I sighed, waving my hand and cleaning them with a wave of golden light. T-Thank you for everything." Helix bowed his head. You dont know how much we owe you, Lady Bing Xue. Thanks to you, my daughter is fine, and we even avenged our family members that we couldnt save by killing those bastards; our hearts are nothing but gratitude to you. Urbosa bowed down. We owe you everything Merkite nodded as well, kneeling by her sisters side. The rest of the beast people we had rescued who joined the hunt also kneeled, bowing down respectfully. They were full of eternal gratitude. Such respectful and honorable people! I was growing fonder of this tribe than of anybody else Ive met in this city. Well, maybe Peperina was an exception because she was way too cute. Its fine. Now that your family and friends are safe, Will you return to your tribe village? I wondered. We would, but what about paying you back for everything youve done, lady Bing Xue?! Helix asked. We do have some treasure inside our village! M-Mostly just weapons, or old relics of our ancestors. Urbosa said. We could give that to you, great lady, Bing Xue. Yes, please. Take it all. Merkite nodded. Will you allow us to guide you to our tribe? It is rather far away, within the Northern Lands. I suppose I could go, yes, for a change of pace. I smiled, and as I did, all the people were extremely happy. "Mommy, shes coming! The little daughter of Urbosa, who looked almost exactly like her mother except she had bright blue eyes instead of her mothers gray eyes, jumped towards her. A-Ah, baby, please stay behind! Dont disrespect our great liege! Her mother reprimanded her. Its fine. I smiled, walking towards the little girl. Children must be left to be children. Shes happy; let her be happy. I gave her a gentle head pat and then caressed the little girls fluffy ears. Whats your name, little princess? I am Hekita! It means great warrior! She said while happily greeting me. Thank you for saving us, Auntie! Daddy would be happy and grateful too! Is that so? Im glad youre well. I nodded. Your mother is a good woman too; despite knowing how dangerous I could be, she approached me and asked for help, offering her body and soul as payment. Of course, I declined their payment but accepted to help. Your mother loves you very much; never forget that, okay? Okay! Hekita nodded as she licked my hand, and then she ran to hug her mother. Youre such a gentle person towards children; what a good heart. Urbosa smiled gently. Those who are gentle towards children are people of strong and big hearts. Nodded Merkite. Our chief passed away a few months ago; we were considering... if possible..." Helix muttered. Me? Becoming your chief? I wondered, raising an eyebrow. I had never considered such a thing... I dont think I could; unfortunately, I have many things I must do. But I would gladly come to visit your village and stay a few days too. I can help you with anything you need as well. I hate to admit it, but Ive already grown attached to your kin. "Such blissful words; thank you so much. Helix and the rest bowed down again; even Hekita did. It is fine. I smiled; feeling finally respected feels good. Now, now, how about we go celebrate? Theres a big inn where they serve delicious food and drinks. I will pay, so feel free to ask for as much food as will fill everyones bellies. R-Really?! Shes a goddess, our goddess! Thank you so much! I was so hungry." Y-You all, enough! Urbosa suddenly reprimanded the rest of the beast people. Dont speak in such words; respect and bow to her! We cant possibly accept more of her generosity now! T-Thats right, I am sorry, great liege, but we cant! Merkite was also about to reject. However, I walked to their side, helped them stand up, and hugged them both. It is fine; I know that you must have some pride as great warriors. But it is also okay to receive help when you need it. Accept my gift, because it would be even more disrespectful if you didn''t than if you did. I smiled at them. The twins suddenly fell silent, and I noticed they were growing slightly redder, their tails wagging incredibly fast as they were smelling my scent. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. I-if you say so Awoo Urbosa seemed to feel protected by my embrace. B-But Ah, okay Just because you say so. Merkite nodded as well, pouting adorably. T-These two are already in love with someone we just met Helix sighed. Ahem! A-Anyways, thank you so much, Lady Bing Xue. Everyone, please come along. Dont make a fuss in the streets, alright? Follow us silently. Ding! [You have slain a large quantity of strong rogues, bandits, and members of an evil cult!] [You used {Extraction} on the corpses of hundreds of victims, gaining additional EXP!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [] [Your Level has increased from Level 596 to Level 616/999!] [All your Stats have increased. You gained Stat Points and Skill Points.] [The Levels of Several Skills have increased! Many Skills have reached Max Level.] [Due to the great respect and gratitude the Silver Moon Beast Tribe holds for you, you acquired the [Silver Moon Beast Tribes Hero] Title!] [The Skill: [God Predator (SSS): Lv4] Skill effects have been activated. You have devoured the Divinity Fragments of the Avatars of the {Lord Of Deep Darkness}!] [All your Stats have increased by +1.000] [You gained +1.500 Divinity.] [You learned the Classless Skill: [Evil Cult Leaders Authority (S): Lv1] [The Skill: [Divine Class Absorption: Lv3 (SSS)] Skill effects have been activated. You have devoured the Divine Classes of the Avatars of the {Lord Of Deep Darkness}!] [You devoured the [Abyssal Dark Sorcerer] Divine Class!] [You have earned +2.000 Skill Points!] [For having slain an Avatar of a Tower God, you gained +100.000 Credits.] Once things were side and done, I looked at my gains. Some easy levels, four million Credits from that guy I let them kill, and lots of Cursed Robes and Weapons. I could probably sell these for more money and quickly make a capital, right? Or I could combine them together into something stronger. Using my alchemy. Maybe a cursed weapon? But why would I ever need that? M-My liege, do you happen to have a husband already? Or perhaps a wife? Wondered Urbosa as she looked at me with adorable puppy eyes. U-Urbosa! Why are you asking her that out of nowhere?! Her sister cried in embarrassment. Well, Merkite! You also want to know, right? So dont act like a pure maiden when youve been wagging your tail since she touched you. Urbosa reprimanded her. T-Thats I didnt realize! Merkite covered her face in embarrassment. Fufu, its fine. Theres no need to fight or feel embarrassed. Ive never had any of such relationships before. I smiled. Why do you ask? A-Ah N-Nothing! I just wanted to know~ Said Urbosa. Well, I was just wondering I mean, someone as strong and beautiful as you... You should probably have a big family with many children, right? I dont I sighed. I spent eleven thousand years fighting and growing stronger; I never had the time for romance or finding a partner, sadly. I only like girls, though; I dont feel attracted to men, if that helps with whatever youre thinking. I winked at her. I-Is that so?! Merkite asked while almost barking out of happiness. H-How interesting I also dont like men. Oh? I wondered. Really? Y-Yeah, the reason why my sister hasnt found a mate and had a child yet is because she cant bring herself to fall for any men. Sighed her sister. But most people in our tribe usually like both sexes. We have quite open relationships." Oh really? I giggled. How interesting! What a beautiful culture! Shall we talk more about this as we enjoy some drinks? I hope you dont mind some of the ale they make here. O-Of course! Anything you want Merkite was looking at me with a slight amount of obsession in her beautiful, gray-colored eyes. I am quite fond of some of the ale sold here, actually, so sure! Urbosa agreed as well. Then lets enjoy the rest of the night! I smiled, holding both girls by their hips as we moved inside the inn; they didnt mind it. [Because of your great charm and ability to talk and seduce others, you learned the [Seducing Aura (C): Lv1] Classless Skill!] [You have unlocked the [Charm] Stat.] [You gained +10.000 Charm!] Huh?! So thats a thing. Well, I suppose its working then! I am not experienced in seduction myself, but I am glad it was working well. I hadnt mentioned it earlier, but both of them had really beautiful and voluptuous bodies. Below all of their black clothes, both had wide hips, and Urbosa had more than her sister for obvious reasons. Their chests were also quite large, enough for them to bounce whenever they leaped into the air. Their tails, however, were the cutest part; they were so big, fluffy, and smelled really nice. I could barely hold the impulse to grasp them and caress them; I even wanted to rub their tails over my face. I am too weak for fluffy creaturesor, well, people in this regard. Anyway, once we entered the inn, I quickly met again with my mother and my sister; both had been waiting the hour I was gone, just eating snacks and relaxing after a day full of monster hunting. Big sis is back! Said Ruby happily, rushing towards me. Oooh? You brought a bunch of cute, fluffy people! Whats going on? I just managed to rescue everyone now, so I invited them to have dinner with us. I hope you dont mind the company, I said. O-Of course not- Woah. She quickly noticed I was going everywhere I went with these adorable wolf twins. I see, I see, you got yourself a double prize. Hahaha! Dont joke like that. I giggled. Lady Ruby, we are forever grateful for what your big sister has done. Urbosa smiled. Naturally, we will also show the same respect and gratitude to her family! Merkite said, bowing to my sister. A-Ah, no need, girls, dont worry! Ruby laughed. Anyways, lets go eat! What do you two like? Meat. Both said at the same time. Hahah, I should have guessed. Ruby laughed. There was thankfully more room for everyone on the second floor of the large inn, so we had a huge party upstairs. They brought all kinds of delicious meals and lots of ale and, well, juice for the little children, which was a lot. Ahh! Cheers! Cheers! Drink as much as you want! Hahaha! The overly serious Helix showed a much more lax and festive personality once he got drunk, embarrassing his wife but making his son clap as he danced over the table. This city food is not bad at all! Urbosa was devouring a huge piece of meat, covering her mouth with barbecue sauce. I like the spicy sauces they add! Her sister had to agree there. Hmm, this creamy bread is so good! She even stuffed herself with cream puffs right after eating a whole roasted pig leg. Mama, give me some of that fish, please! Hekita asked her mother as Urbosa happily handed her a skewered, roasted fish. The little wolf girl immediately began devouring it with her tiny, yet lethal, jaws. Fufu, Im glad you love the meals! It is so nice to see everyone happy. It truly heals my heart. I sighed in relief. It seems youve done a good deed, dear. My mother smiled, patting my back. Well done! So, ahem, are you staying the night here with them? She pointed at the wolf twins. E-Eh?! I felt slightly embarrassed; she had already guessed. I Well, Ill see what can be done. Ahem, but perhaps, yes, maybe. Alright, well go back to our inn once the whole party is done. What about these people? She asked. I think Ill bring them to my Inner Realm for now. Theres plenty of space in the palace. Therell be doppelgangers of me to help them if needed. I said. Alright, tomorrow we go to their village? My mother asked. Yep, thats the idea. I nodded. Anyways, just eat and drink, Mom; dont worry about anything else! Haha, okay then! My mother drank a whole jug of beer. Phew! Ah, Im going to just drink and eat; fuck everything else! Thats the spirit! Ruby clapped. As I saw my family enjoy the dinner, I also drank and ate myself. Well, I was mostly fed, though. The two adorable twins werent letting me go; they were eager to spoil me as a form of gratitude for my help today. Please, eat this delicious meat; Ive cut it into smaller chunks for your smaller jaws, dear lady Bing Xue! Urbosa was wagging her tail while sitting by my side. Try these cheese potatoes too! Here! Merkite also offered me her meals. Hmm, so yummy! Thank you so much~ I giggled, feeling like I was in heaven while being fed by such cute beauties. It becomes so much tastier when I am being fed by such beautiful ladies as well. You make this whole meal even more delicious. A-Ah, is that so? Ahahah! E-Enough with the jokes! Merkite. said in embarrassment. A-Am I really that pretty, my liege? Wondered Urbosa. After giving birth to my baby, I thought I had grown a bit uglier and less energetic Nah, youre as beautiful as you can be, Urbosa. I gave her a gentle caress on her head and then her fluffy chin. Y-Youre calling us beautiful all the time; I thought humans didnt feel attracted to beastkin." Said Merkite. I-I suppose our lady Bing Xue is different. Well, I dont see anything wrong with finding beauty in beautiful ladies. I shrugged. Those that think otherwise are blind fools, most likely. Youre too much Seriously Both were panting heavily, getting redder, and wagging their tails faster and faster. I think they were in heat. I might have to take them to bed quicker than I imagined. But I couldnt leave everyone else behind, so I had to bear with their teasing and their good, sweet scent while eating until everyone was satisfied. They slowly moved inside my Inner Realm after my specifications, leaving behind the twins. Then were off; have fun! Ruby said. You can do it champ! Ruby! I pouted a bit. Dont be so obvious, you! I felt too embarrassed. Have fun, dear. Make sure to treat them well. My mother winked at me while patting my shoulders. Mother! I also felt even more embarrassed once she said that. I couldnt believe how inexperienced and awkward I was about this entire situation, even though I was eleven thousand years old, or more! I suppose theres always something new to learn in this world, even for an old monster like me. Maybe, perhaps, my life is finally, truly beginning now. Shall we go then? Asked Urbosa with a gentle smile. Dont be so nervous; well treat you well. Merkite caressed my hips, slowly moving her hands toward my cheeks below. V-Very well! Thank you; lets go then. I nodded slightly nervously as we entered the room together. It didnt even take a second before I found myself locking my lips with the two of them, taking turns between passionate kisses. Oh, this was truly heaven! Goodbye virginity! It was nice having you as my only companion for eleven thousand years. ----- Chapter 21: A Slice Of Life ----- The next morning arrived, with sunlight coming from the window. I slowly opened my eyes, and the first thing I saw were two beautiful, black-furred, and naked wolf-beast girls to my left and right. They were cuddling with me; their soft fur was so warm and nice to feel over the skin of my naked body. They were cuddling machines, I swear. I started to playfully kiss their little snouts, and slowly, they started to wake up. Urbosa was first, quickly wondering where she was and then calming down. Phew Last night was sure intense. She yawned. Did you like it? She smiled back at me. I-I loved it I hope we can do it again I said shamelessly. Sure, if it''s you, any time. She kissed me a few times; her kisses were so lovely and full of warmth. Hmm~ I kept kissing her without stopping. Ahh, shit I am falling for you too! This is not fair for a being such as me to be so weak against mortals. Hehe, youre not bad either, Bing Xue. She winked at me. I hope you dont mind someone who had a mate before." I dont! I said it nonchalantly. And my daughter... You dont mind her? She wondered. Hekita is such a cute girl! Of course not! I will treat her like my daughter, even. I said without hesitation. Gosh Okay, fine! She laughed. Im all yours too Now hug me and lets cuddle a bit more I never thought that it would be so gratifying and amazing to fall in love with someone and even to care for each other and like one another. I dont know if we truly love one another completely yet. But I wouldnt mind trying to get to that, even if it might be slightly hard. Just cuddling on the bed while sleeping with these two fluffy beauties is all I could have asked for anyway. I ended up sleeping for a couple of hours more until the sun had completely risen over the horizon. Then, I decided to quickly wake them up and cook them some delicious breakfast. Naturally, made using the most gourmet ingredients of my inner realm. I took note of their likings; mostly they liked meat, milk, and fruit juices, so I quickly prepared them a huge breakfast made of a lot of roasted meat, warm milk, and freshly squeezed fruit juice. I also invited little Hekita, the little treasure of a girl who helped me prepare for her aunt and her mother, as I had already served breakfast to the rest of the tribe inside of my Inner Realm, and they were now eating while getting ready to depart a few hours later. Oh, theyre still sleeping, huh? Such sleepy heads! I giggled. Mama likes to sleep a lot! She never wakes up early! Hekita giggled. Mamaaaa! Auntie! Wake up! Its morning already! Dont be lazy buns! Hmm? Ah! Did we oversleep again?! Merkite gasped. Oh, little Hekita- Bing Xue! Good morning! I-I didnt think you would make us food It smells so good Yawned Urbosa. Ah, baby girl! Did you make this with your auntie Bing Xue? Yep! She taught me how to roast meat and make fruit juice! I made this fruit juice for you, mama! It has a lot of fruits mixed together; its colorful like a rainbow! Hekita gave the glass to her mother. I-It is certainly as colorful as the rainbow! What kind of fruits did you use- Hmm?! Its so sweet and refreshing! Urbosa immediately enjoyed the juice, feeling refreshed. It is made of several magical fruits, just the best for you two. I winked at them. A-Ahahah, nobody has ever treated me so nicely before Merkite blushed. Youre only going to make me fall even more for you, you know? She even pouted a bit. Yeah, not even my late mate ever did this Urbosa started eating a large piece of roasted meat. Hmm, so soft! This is so nice to have in the morning! Thank you so much, Bing Xue! Fufu, its nothing! Lets enjoy something delicious together. I smiled as I gave a gentle head pat to the little Hekita. You too, dear, here. I got this for you. I offered her a few snacks. They were salty, meat-flavored crackers. Ooh, whats this, auntie?! She immediately wolfed down three in a single bite. Nom, nom! Oooh! Meat flavor! But so crunchy! Tasty! Because the little girl was around, we decided not to address what happened last night. Or, well, I decided to do that; the twins werent addressing it just because I wasnt bringing it up. But what surprised me the most was the little girls words after we finished eating breakfast. So you will become my new papa, Auntie Bing Xue? She asked. Please, please! E-Eh? I felt slightly embarrassed; she had already guessed everything that happened here! H-Hekita, dear, I dont think you should be asking me that out of nowhere, haha But you and Mama mated! Right? So you should take responsibility! She nodded with a confident and cute smile. Hekita! Dont talk about such things to Bing Xue! Urbosa reprimanded her. Dont get involved in adult problems! But mamaaa! Shes so awesome! She has superpowers, a big world inside of her belly, and tasty food! And look at her eyes, so shiny! Hekita adorably pointed at my eyes. "Listen, dear, its not that I dont want to; this all depends on her decisions, okay? So lets not pressure her into anything for now. Urbosa smiled. I mean, I wouldnt mind at all becoming your papa if you really want to, Hekita. I giggled. But yes, lets take it slow for now, alright? I at least can promise you that I will protect you and your mother and auntie with everything I have. I gave her a gentle kiss on her fluffy cheek. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Really?! Yaaaay! Papa! She hugged my legs tightly. It made me pity her a bit; she must miss a father figure quite a lot to be so desperate like this. Her words only made the twins more embarrassed than anything. And once we all had our meal, we went to take a warm bath in the inns large bathroom. Hekita was also invited, so her mother washed her really well. We used a variety of perfumes and shampoos I brought with us, leaving the twins and little Hekita fluffier than ever and smelling really good. I feel all refreshed! She said. Papa, lift me up, please! Lift you? Fufu, okay, fine. I giggled, holding her gently and then placing her over my shoulders. How about carrying you on a piggyback then? Yaaay! Papas so tall! She raised her arms cutely. By the heavens, this little bundle of love was already healing my heart. Im sorry about this, Bing Xue; I should have taught her to respect others a bit more before. Urbosa apologized. Its fine, honey. I gave her a kiss on the lips. I am her papa, right? Fufu, I dont really mind it. W-Well, I guess if you dont mind it She smiled sweetly. Then its fine. She kissed me back. Lets go find your mom and your sister, so we can move to the village. Im sure youll love the place. Youll sure do! Merkite nodded. Theres a lot of stuff there; our house is also yours now, so come along. Well let you sleep in our bed together, of course. We also raise some cattle. A few sheep, rabbits, and ducks! Youll love the animals! Oooh! Im looking forward to it! I simply let myself go with the flow. Perhaps for the second time in my life, the first being when I met my mother and sister again, I actually felt so happy that I was simply smiling all the time naturally, without forcing that smile. Once we get there, Ill also make sure to leave some strong barriers and wards so your village is never attacked again. Really? Y-you can do that, papa? Little Hekita asked. I can! Your papas very strong! I giggled. Wow! Awesome! Mooch! She suddenly gave me a big kiss on my forehead. Papa deserves a big kiss for being so nice to Mama and Auntie! Aaww... I felt like my heart was melting. Once we walked outside of the inn and into the wide world outside, I spread my doppelgangers rapidly. Although I was now moving to greet my mom and my sister in the Adventurers Guild, I still had a few things I needed to do. Now that I am here, I might as well just not let anybody ever become the victim of these terrible bandits and rogues. My doppelgangers leaped from place to place, searching and scanning the areas until they started to find groups of thugs and bandits. Based on what they saw them doing, they were either immediately killed or restrained and thrown in front of the guards office. I did this for a couple of minutes, but after 10 minutes, the entire city was clean, and I had killed roughly three hundred bandits. There were also a few more people kidnapped that were freed; I left them with Augustus to take care of. Among them, there were some more high-level players and a lot of Earth people here. I guess they had a whole underground slave trafficking ring. Well, thats completely gone now. And I ended up killing two more Avatars of that horrible god. It looks like, unlike the goddess, he likes to mingle with the most deplorable sh*t imaginable. Ding! [You have slain a large quantity of strong rogues, bandits, and members of an evil cult!] [You used {Extraction} on the corpses of hundreds of victims, gaining additional EXP!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [] [Your Level has increased from Level 616 to Level 631/999!] [All your Stats have increased. You gained Stat Points and Skill Points.] [The Levels of Several Skills have increased! Many Skills have reached Max Level.] [The Skill: [God Predator (SSS): Lv4] Skill effects have been activated. You have devoured the Divinity Fragments of the Avatars of the {Lord Of Deep Darkness}!] [All your Stats have increased by +2.000] [You gained +3.000 Divinity.] [You learned the Magic Skill: [Dark Enslavement Curse (S): Lv1] [You learned the Classless Skill: [Evil Abyssal Torture Arts (S): Lv1] [The Skill: [Divine Class Absorption: Lv3 (SSS)] Skill effects have been activated. You have devoured the Divine Classes of the Avatars of the {Lord Of Deep Darkness}!] [You devoured the [Dark Enslaver of the Deep] Divine Class!] [You devoured the [Evil Abyssal Torturer] Divine Class!] [You have earned +4.000 Skill Points!] [For having slain an Avatar of a Tower God, you gained +200.000 Credits.] [You have killed three Avatars of the [The Tower God {Lord Of Deep Darkness}!] [The Tower God {Lord Of Deep Darkness} has also lost their entire cult within Nexus City. His dark influence on the city has been completely taken away.] [The Tower God {Lord Of Deep Darkness} groans in agony and pain, swearing to take revenge against you!] [The Tower God {The Brilliant Mother Of Light} agrees with him; both have revealed they have always cooperated together!] [Both Tower Gods increased your bounty by 200.000.000 credits!] I managed to extort them out of a lot of valuables they had, and I ended up getting an accumulation of roughly ten million more credits as well! Now I had over 14 million right away. How easy it was to get them! These rogues and bandits truly were packed with so many valuables that it was insane how they were left alone. I suppose the righteous forces here werent truly righteous. It was completely a possibility that both the Goddess of Light and the God of Darkness were cooperating together to both create problems and solve them, further boosting the Faith Points they gained by creating conflicts and heroes that could solve them. Such wicked monsters dont deserve to be called Gods. For now, Ill concentrate on the present while weakening them and stripping their influence over everything. Once theyre at their weakest, Ill crush them. For now, the Goddess of Light is at her weakest, so it should be easy for me to kill her now. The thing is, I am now rather busy with my two cute girlfriends and my new adoptive daughter! "Wow, papa, your bodys overflowing with a golden aura! Hekita pointed it out. A-Ah, hahaha! I just got stronger by beating some baddies; dont worry. I caressed her fluffy hands, which were touching my ears. Youre a surprisingly good father, Bing Xue. I guess my little baby girl has already conquered your heart as well. Laughed Urbosa. Dont believe everything she says, though; Hekita is quite a troublemaker back home! Merkite giggled. Youll see! E-Eh?! Auntie, dont say that! Hekita panicked. Fufu, I dont really mind. Children sometimes must be allowed to be children! I smiled. Now, oh, there you are! Good morning to you two. Katherine! Good morning! My mother greeted me. I guess you brought the whole family, huh? Ruby laughed. So how was it, huh? Did you finally lose your V Card? W-What are you talking about, Ruby! Shut it! I reprimanded her, perhaps for the first time. Dont say such things in front of a child! Ahahaha, okay, okay, sorryyyy~ Ruby teased me. Anyways, lets go to the guild! Yeah, yeah, lets go. I nodded. FLASH! However, at that very moment, time itself froze completely. Everywhere I looked, everyone was completely frozen, and everything had taken on a gray-colored color as if becoming static and unmoving. This is most likely Time Magic. As I imagined. As strong as you are, nobody can go against the power of a Chronomancer. A man wearing blue robes and golden accessories walked in, phasing through material matter like a spectral ghost. Bing Xue, right? He laughed. Ill be taking your bounty now. ----- Chapter 22: Chronomancer ----- BAAAM! A massive and bulky blazing titan fell over a landscape covered by ice. The enormous giant of over three hundred meters was covered with countless wounds. Its entire body was bleeding, and its head burst open, revealing the crushed brain inside. Huh? And this was a Level 5000? This was too easy. A young man with short black and gray hair laughed, his sharp blue eyes analyzing the corpse of the titan. His aura of magic distorted not only space but time itself. A gray-colored, semi-transparent sphere of pure compressed time essence flowed endlessly. He wore blue robes decorated with many golden drawings, and his hands wore dozens of bracelets and rings, further boosting his stats and imbuing him with a variety of useful skills. His neck was decorated with over twenty different necklaces, and his single staff was made of combining thirty different staves together using the Synthesis Facility on Floor 40 of the Tower. T-This damned monster A bulky blonde man glanced from the distance in utter shock. Oi, Joseph! Did you kill that thing on your own?! I thought we were going to work as a team? My bad, my bad. I just did a little trick, and it dropped dead. Laughed Joseph. Its hard to contain my powers, you know? Since I entered the tower, I have yet to face someone capable of withstanding my powers. Can you help me dismantle it? Sure, fine Lets go, guys. The man sighed, walking with the rest of the Chronomancers party. As he watched them work for him, because they knew they couldnt just go against someone so powerful, he sat down over a chair he brought outside of his Inventory Ring. After that, he took out a tea set from a world known as Zipangu and started drinking the rich green tea. Well, this is nice. He sighed, smiling pleasantly. Ill get to Floor 50 in a flash with these new Skills I gained. He silently glanced at his Status, his Level was over three thousand, yet he had slain a monster over five thousand! The level difference meant nothing to someone who could easily destroy most peoples perception of logic. Joseph comes from a distant world, one that was called Apex by many: the world of Acacia, a world of Sorcerers, Magicians, Wizards, Warlocks, and Mana Cultivation. Utilizing Mana, these magicians cultivated an Inner Magic Circle. Joseph here had reached the top ten in this world, becoming well known as the Chronomancer of Beginnings and Ends.. Since the Tower appeared inside Acacia, there has been a lot of chaos, and the order of the world slowly started to crumble as monsters invaded through Gates. Joseph and the other ten strongest Sorcerers of Acacia used all their strength to push back the incoming Apocalypse and decided to delve into the Tower, to grow even stronger and reach the summit so they could save their world from destruction. Amongst all ten of them, Joseph was the strongest and also the youngest, the only person in the entirety of Acacia to have been born with the Elemental Affinity of Time. He was a Chronomancer, a powerful sorcerer only theorized in legends. With his power, he climbed the Tower with ease; in just a year, he had already reached Floor 40, and his magic and skills continued to develop and become even stronger thanks to the System. Hmm, I am short on Credits though. He was checking his inventory, looking for his next step toward becoming even stronger. He needed a few hundred million credits to synthesize many materials and items together and forge himself a new set of robes and accessories. Despite being so strong, Joseph was obsessed with power. The exhilarating feeling that the Tower brought to him compared to his original world couldnt be compared to anything he had ever experienced. More power, more stats, more skills, and more levels! He couldnt have enough; even as he destroyed everything on his path from the very beginning, he wanted more and more and more. His mind and personality were slowly warping away from what they once were. [The Tower God {Scholar of the Stars} asks for your help.] [The Tower God {Grandfather Of Time} asks you, his Avatar, to hear the plea of his youngest son.] Hm? What is it now? Im busy, you know? Joseph sighed as he saw the gods'' messages, and then something was shown. His eyes instantly widened as he saw the tremendous bounty given to a single woman who has yet to even climb out of floor 1. What the? Almost a billion Credits?! Grandfather of Time was his benefactor, a powerful Tower God that belonged to Floor 90. It was very rare for such gods to even pay attention to beings below Floor 50, but Joseph was an exception; his growth was ridiculous, and the Grandfather of Time already knew he would soon become a Tower God himself. Therefore, he didnt spare resources, skills, equipment, and Credits to help him grow even faster than before. Joseph was already aware of the Tower Gods'' intentions, though, and he was mostly using him to get stronger without the intention to ever join him. However, this new offer they showed in front of him simply couldnt be ignored anymore. It was a bounty to a single person in the Tower, a woman known as Bing Xue, who had destroyed the towers church of light and had also destroyed many of the dark cults on the first floor, which maintained the neutrality between both of the Gods existing there. They were so furious that they placed all their savings into a bounty to finally kill her. Aside from the almost a billion Credits, they offered over a hundred items and riches. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. These Gods of the first tower are sure rich. I thought they were beggars, but look at this! They had their little treasury, huh? Laughed Joseph. And Bing Xue, is it? She doesnt seem hard. I guess shes strong, yeah, slightly like me, huh? She might come from some sort of Martial Arts world. Those guys were all pushovers, though, and died instantly most of the time. Hmm He continued reading her information and the kill list she had; it showed several foes she had killed recently, including three Level 1000+ Players, all Avatars of lower floor gods. Joseph shrugged at that; he had slain a Level 5000 monster with ease; he couldnt care less how strong she was; she simply couldnt be stronger than him. This looks so easy! Alright, Ill get going then. No time to lose, as they say, hahaha! Joseph laughed at his lame joke as he quickly grabbed a scroll from his inventory, which instantly teleported him to Nexus City on Floor 1. He walked through the crowd of people hurriedly, looking for the woman of the bounty. He activated a myriad of searching and location skills, finally finding her. There you are, Bing Xue. He walked silently towards where she was, and then, with a simple word, {Chrono Stasis} The world itself stopped moving. Time itself weaved to his will; everything froze. The worlds colors disappeared as time stopped, becoming gray. A world of black and white. He walked slowly towards the woman, looking at her and admiring her beauty, without even paying attention to anybody else by her side. As I imagined. As strong as you are, nobody can go against the power of a Chronomancer. Bing Xue, right? He laughed. Ill be taking your bounty now. Bing Xue stayed still as he glanced at her, gently caressing her face with his hand. She couldnt move in this Domain of Stopped Time. It was absolute power! Now {Time Steal} FLUOSH! A gray sphere of Time Magic was conjured, touching Bing Xues body and then beginning to literally steal her time. Joseph used this in most battles. It rapidly aged anybody it touched, weakening them and decreasing their stats. Once it drained its lifespan completely, the target would usually crumble down into dust and disappear. It was a powerful instant-kill attack, though against the strongest monsters who had thousands of years of lifespan, it took a couple of minutes to work properly. Yet Bing Xue, no matter how many minutes passed, did not age and did not lose her lifespan. You sure have a lot of lifespans... More than a Blazing Titan, a Divine Monster He muttered, beginning to find her amusing. Maybe I should hurry. He quickly summoned two, three, four, five, ten, and twenty more spheres. Yet no matter how much they tried to steal her lifespan; it seemed as if she had an endless amount. She was not bound by the concept at all! Whats going on?! Why is she not crumbling into dust?! He quickly swung his staff at her, shaping it into a huge scythe. {Divine Scythe of Time}! SLAAASH! A powerful slash reached her. This attack was capable of cutting the time and soul of anyone it touched into countless pieces! A lethal skill that Joseph used to end fights when he got too bored. Yet BOOOM! As an explosion of time magic engulfed Bing Xue, nothing happened again. She was unmovable, unbreakable, and completely indestructible. Joseph started scratching his head, unable to understand what was happening. No, wait, she probably just has a lot of stats thanks to skills or titles. He sighed. Well, maybe if I Are you done yet? Huh?! His eyes widened as he suddenly saw something utterly terrifying. For the first time in his entire life as a powerful Chronomancer, someone was moving through his Chrono Stasis Domain. Bing Xues gray eyes suddenly regained their light, bringing forth the world with countless beautiful, bright colors, almost blinding the man. W-What is this?! You! How can you- AH! Joseph only grew madder as he saw the womans hands grasp the fabric of time itself so tightly and strongly that cracks spread through his entire domain. I sat down to see, to watch what you would try to do to me. She said. You see, I have yet to meet someone at your Level, but it seems it was all rather mundane. What you can do is nothing but mere tricks. Your Time Magic does not truly manipulate time; it simply creates an illusion. And that illusion I can break it. Crack, crack CRACK! You can break it?! Josephs entire ego was slowly falling into pieces after finally, for the first time in his entire life, meeting someone capable of countering his time magic! And the first thing she did was ridicule him and talk to him as if he were nothing but a toddler?! CRAAASH! The Domain broke, time quickly resumed itself, and Joseph instantly flew away, far away from that woman. Dozens of gray-colored magic circles appeared around his body, encompassing him and forming a barrier of Spinning Time. Anything that touched it would have their bodies shredded by the power of Time! Come here, boy, we are not done talking. Bing Xue appeared above him in a single second; he was not even able to discern how fast she moved. His sharp eyes were directed at her as he summoned a gigantic hand made of pure Time Essence, which he attempted to use to trap her within a Cage of Time, which would slowly devour her Vitality and Mana! Pathetic little tricks. However, Bing Xue simply released a shockwave from her body, and the hand that Joseph summoned quickly disappeared into nothingness. And his barrier shattered into pieces. His much frailer body then received the immense pressure and force of Bing Xues complete Primordial Venerable Intent, so strong it made his internal organs burst, making him vomit blood constantly. Guuuaaggh! As he screamed in agony, he fell from the skies. His wounds, constantly regenerated by the power of time, fused and merged into his Soul and Physique. G-Get away from me! Fear. Joseph, the almighty Chronomancer capable of slaying Monsters three thousand levels above him, was feeling fear! The woman in front of him wasnt a human. Whatever she was, she simply wasnt bound by the same logic he had worked with his whole life! Your magic is simply the illusion of moving time. You choose a space within time and attempt to mold it; you can trap others within it, but it truly doesnt stop anything. The world around you continue to move forward. As mercy for your poor and inexperienced soul, I will show you what truly manipulating time is about. The flowing golden rivers of time within Bing Xues Inner Realm shook, their entire contents suddenly rushing outside of her Inner Realm, fusing into her clothes and her body, and transforming her completely. Joseph was caught aghast as he attempted to conjure magic to stop her. Thousands of beams that could easily slay Level 5000 monsters were fired at her. Yet! {Primordial River of Time Arts}: {Time Regression} Time truly regressed backward, and all of Josephs attacks were canceled, as time moved before he even conjured them! What?! Joseph gasped again, incapable of believing what he had experienced. By facing her, he finally realized something. He was nothing but a frog in a well. ----- Chapter 23: A True Master Of The Dao Of Time ----- This man was but a frog in a well, I could tell. He seemed to have done great things. By merely looking at him, time itself showed me what he had done these last few years. He hunts countless monsters, growing stronger, all to save his world. What a pity this isthat he has met me instead. He shall have a premature death; he could reach higher in the tower. But it is not like it truly matters either way. I will destroy the tower, after all. Although I have to admit that your magic is powerful, it lacks substance and the true meaning behind comprehending the Dao of Time, I said. I would have spared you if there were other circumstances, but you dared to attack not only me but my family and my beloved ones. For that, you deserve death. And death I shall bring to you. B-Bullshit! This is BULLSHIT! The young Joseph lost his mind, screaming like a madman after seeing his magic, which he always thought was all-powerful, fail him. He conjured his magic once more, as I yawned a bit. I still felt slightly sleepy from last night; it was quite an intense night, for sure. Well, this body of mine was still strong, at the very least, even when slightly sleepy. I looked at my appearance, and by fully assimilating the Rivers of Time and channeling the Primordial Dao of Time, I could become the Embodiment of Time. My body and my robes merged together into a being of endless spiraling and swirling time, resembling gray, silver, and white light. The river''s silver color was so strong, and its composition so dense it seemed as if I was covered on an armor made of mercury. DIE! DIE AND GIVE ME YOUR CREDITS, YOU BITCH! Joseph lost his composure as he unleashed more of his time magic." Numerous projectiles in the shape of spears and swords were unleashed. I couldnt believe he called these things time magic; I was going insane by how ridiculous his own concept of time was. He was completely wrong. I told you already that these do not affect me. Do you truly believe you are allowed to call these things time magic spells? You simply grab raw Time Essence and mold it into a sword? Seriously? I sighed as I caught all his projectiles with my bare body, which then absorbed them. Well, at the very least I can give it back to you! Here. I combined all the projectiles and then summoned them out of my body, resembling a giant gray spear, shining with bright, translucent light. Which pierced his barriers and then his chest. CRASH! Ugh! ARGH! He touched the spear with his hands as he absorbed it back into his magic, his wound instantly healing as he accelerated the time of his regeneration skills. I havent even shown you what I can do yet! He gritted his teeth, smiling maliciously as he raised his hands into the skies. The heavens above split open, with endless waves of gray essence flowing. I was born with the innate ability to manipulate Time Essence. Ill use all the Time Essence of this world to crush your existence into nothingness." With a furious roar, the young sorcerer conjured his strongest magic. The Pillars of Time of the World of Eclipse all gathered around me, in the form of two semi-transparent palms! Even I was in awe due to the fancy shownot bad! Now this looks like an Immortal Technique! {Divine Chronos Palms}! {Cage of Decaying Time}! With a furious command, both palms attempted to crush me. I felt the endless amount of time essence swirling around my body, trapping me inside a small pseudo-dimension where time itself started to decay, which, as a result, could even disintegrate matter. Hahahah That ought to do it! Joseph smiled viciously. Yet Crack, crack! Huh? Crack! No CRASH! The palms gained countless cracks and then shattered into pieces, disappearing. My body was unbound, unscathed, and boundless. I looked at him, skipped time, and appeared above him in an instant. Y-You teleported?! He blocked my incoming attack with his staff, an explosion of Time Essence and Primordial Essence clashed against one another, and the entire Tower trembled. Teleportation? No, this is simply skipping time. I call it {Time-Skipping Step} I smiled. What, you cant do that? I-I can do that too! He cried, quickly trying to imitate my movements as we clashed against one another, an explosion that distorted the pillars of time of Eclipse echoing above the skies of Nexus City. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Yet, despite his confidence, he was unable to copy my abilities. He pathetically kept trying, to no avail, though. This is when he finally realized that his powers werent as versatile as he imagined. So young and foolish, it almost makes me shed a tear due to your ignorance. I sighed. Maybe in another time, you could have become my disciple. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. What are you talking about?! FUCK OFF AND DIE ALREADY! Joseph kept screaming like a mad beast. All the Time Essence he manipulated encompassed his entire body, as he took the shape of a giant made of crystalized time, resembling a knight clad in steel armor. Using his relics, he teleported short distances of space towards me, appearing and disappearing. Yet I simply stood there, waiting for the perfect moment. His giant scythe swiftly descended from above, and I swung my closed fist upwards. BAAAM! His weapon exploded into pieces, cracks spread through the rest of his armor, and it quickly fell apart once more. His face, full of disbelief, quickly started to be encompassed by fear. Yet he was too prideful to escape; he started using all kinds of relics against me, but none worked. Why? Why is nothing working against you?! What are you?! How?! It is time! Its supposed to affect EVERYONE! Nobody is free from time itself! He cried. That would be the case if I didnt have my own internal time. I smiled. This body of mine assimilated a piece of a Primordial and Immemorial Treasure, it is capable of giving me my own internal time. I am unaffected by the time flow from the rest of the world or outside. Though you cant even do that yourself, you simply force the Time Essence to take shape; thats not time manipulation. This is time manipulation! {Time Regression} FLASH! Once more, time was rewinding. Joseph watched in utter disbelief as we moved back to the point where he had just fired me a barrage of sword- and spear-shaped projectiles. He kept his memories because I allowed him to do so. W-Wha?! WHAT?! Were back?! How can How can you do something I cant? You Youre even stronger at manipulating time than me... Youre! Are you related to the Grandfather of Time? What? Of course not. I laughed. "I am simply a visitor. But Joseph, the clock is ticking; your death is coming. My wha- He was unable to see it coming because I placed it before he could analyze his surroundings. Regressing Time also allowed me to edit the scenario in which time was moving backward. Therefore, I simply placed my sword above his head. And then his entire body exploded into pieces as the sword descended like a deadly guillotine. SPLAAAT! Blood and guts exploded everywhere, raining down over the rooftops of Nexus City. The Chronomancer died as he came, very quickly. How boring! I suppose this is the full extent of... Oh? Something else happenedsomething I didnt expect, something I didnt see coming! Josephs body suddenly went back to where it was before, reassembling him. I noticed several Runes glowing within him. He had fully regenerated from a sure death! Hahhh A-As long as I have my Runes of Anti-Death, I wont die, no matter what! He laughed. So this was your strongest ability at the end, being a rat that cant die, huh? I smiled, licking my lips. Okay! This might be a bit more fun! I Skipped Time once more, appearing in front of him and grabbing his face. He screamed, attempting to hit my arms, but his attacks were so weak they were laughable. He certainly had no physical strength. Aarrggh!Let go of me! His magic simply dissipated once it touched me; I couldnt be affected by the External Time Flow, yet he kept trying stupidly. I imbued my hands with Photon Essence and burned his body into ashes. AAAGGHH! He burned almost to ashes but quickly recovered again. Wow, alright. Again. And again. And again. He kept coming back. I was trying to decipher how that Skill worked, but then I realized that I didnt really need to. Hahaha! Its useless; you cant kill me! Ill keep coming back for you, Bing Xue! I will surpass you eventually! Now let go of me, and Ill be on my way! If you cant kill me, then theres little point in wasting time with- Huh? My Status?! His status forcefully appeared as I summoned it out of his soul by grasping it with my hands. Then, I placed my hands on his status and grabbed all of his stupid skills, crushing them and shattering them into pieces. He did say it was a skill, right? Crack, crack! N-No, what in the world are you?! CRASH! M-My Skills?! NO! NOOOO!!! His skills shattered into pieces, disappearing into nothingness. He suddenly started convulsing, and large chunks of his soul disappeared along with his skills. Interesting! So destroying a skill is like destroying a piece of a soul. For being so powerful, his protection against soul attacks was pitiful. I learn something new every day; this Tower is truly full of wonders! I laughed. Now, Joseph, lets see if you can die again! S-Stop! No! PLEASE STOP! I imbued the Essence of Time into his body as I quickly used Time Acceleration on him. His entire bodys lifespan was drained in a second, as his entire body, from his youthful and handsome appearance, aged to an old man, which then resembled a mummy, and lastly, a dried-out corpse. N-No My youth My Time! I need TIME! As he screamed, nothing responded to him anymore. He had grown so used to using skills his own magic was not responding. Indeed, he had become yet another victim to feed the system. He was someone strong in his world, yet now? He was just another meal for the parasites in this Tower. Goodbye, Joseph. I will not even spare your soul, just so you know. I will end your entire existence. A-Agh! Please! S-Stop Sto His hands touched my arm before he fell into a pile of dust without being able to ever return to normal. His soul was eaten by my skills too, as I felt a new surge of Divinity and Mana. He was not a bad meal at all, I suppose. The strongest Sorcerer of the World of Acacia You fought well. I said to myself, slowly descending and joining back with my party. I hadnt noticed, but half the city was watching the whole fight occur. Im back! Sorry for taking a while; is everyone okay? I asked with a gentle smile, my body slowly going back to its former appearance. Really sorry about that, my dears; it wont happen again. N-No, its fine Urbosa muttered. W-We just saw that, and it just happened I am still thinking about it. It was certainly a ridiculous fight overall. I never thought Players could do that. Said Merkite. Yet, you were even stronger than him! Incredible, I cant believe I lost my virginity to such a powerful woman. Papas super strong! Hekita celebrated as she came back to my shoulders. Papa, can you teach me to be strong too? Oh? Sure thing, dear! I smiled. Papa will teach you everything! You will become the strongest cultivator! Yaaay! I will become the strongest cultivator Huh? But I dont want to cultivate plants! She pouted. She didnt mean it like that, dear. My mother laughed a bit. A-And well, I think I am growing used to seeing Bing Xue destroy a ridiculously powerful Player now. Me too. Ruby sighed. Anyways, shall we go? Whoever was that guy, I bet he wasnt even that big of a deal. Y-Yeah I nodded, preferring not to reveal his true identity as the world of Acacias last hope. It was certainly a distinctive contrast, from a bloody battle to a peaceful and warm conversation. I think I can get used to this, yeah. It is not a bad feeling at all. At least the battles end quickly and dont last years like in Murim, so it could be said that my life has become very relaxing in comparison. Welcome to the Adventurers Guild! Ah! Bing Xue! Welcome! Little Peperina greeted me happily. You came back alive! Amazing! Well, it helps that there are a lot of cuties around too. ----- Chapter 24: Visiting The Silver Moon Beast Tribe ----- Ding! [You have slain the [Divine Chronomancer: Joseph Steward: Lv3006]!] [You used {Extraction} on the corpses remaining ashes, gaining additional EXP!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [] [Your Level has increased from Level 631 to Level 768/999!] [All your Stats have increased. You gained Stat Points and Skill Points.] [The Levels of Several Skills have increased! Many Skills have reached Max Level.] [The Skill: [God Predator (SSS): Lv4] Skill effects have been activated. You have devoured the Divinity Fragments of the Avatars of the {Grandfather Of Time}!] [All your Stats have increased by +5.000] [You gained +10.000 Divinity.] [You learned the Magic Skill: [Time Essence Absorption and Manipulation (SSS): Lv1] [The Skill: [Divine Class Absorption: Lv3 (SSS)] Skill effects have been activated. You have devoured the Divine Classes of the Avatars of the {Grandfather Of Time}!] [You devoured the [Divine Chronomancer] Divine Class!] [You have earned +6.000 Skill Points!] [For having slain an Avatar of a very powerful Tower God, you gained +10.000.000 Credits.] [The Class Skills: [God Predator (SSS): Lv4] [Divine Class Absorption: Lv3 (SSS)] have Leveled Up!] [You have killed the strongest magician of the {World of Acacia}! You received the Title: [Acacias Tyrant]!] I did gain more than I imagined out of this. Well, now that I have the Skill Points, I might as well learn some new Class Skills later. They seemed very interesting. A class specifically made to help me kill the Gods. Not like I needed the help at all, though, but it makes things more entertaining. [The Tower God {Grandfather of Time} screams in utter horror!] [What has happened?! He asks.] [He is utterly shocked. So shocked, hes left completely speechless.] [] [He has gone into seclusion after realizing the danger you bring to the Tower as a whole. He might begin to plan something grand to eliminate you in secret.] Well, not so secret anymore; the system tells me all your intentions right away, clueless fool. Also, Grandfather of Time? Really? Does he truly believe hes the grandfather of the Dao of Time? Such utter fools everywhere, it is making my brain hurt to even think these people are Gods managing worlds. I pity the people living in such worlds very much. Anyway, now wasnt the time to get angry; I wanted to relax and came with my family to complete the quests. Urbosa, Merkite, and Hekita were very clueless about how the Adventurer Guild worked. So we had to explain to them its uses. We had no idea such a system existed in these cities. Said Urbosa. Well, we spent most of our time away from them, mostly being cautious of these people. We come from Floor 2, after all; we dont know how we would be treated. In the end, our cautiousness was not near enough; those cultists found us, and... well, they did that they did. Sighed Merkite. Mama! Can I become an adventurer? Hekita asked, very eager. Not yet; you havent even awakened as a player, have you? Sighed her mother. You have to first do the Mana Absorption Ritual when youre 12. But Im almost 12! Hekita complained, pouting adorably. Aw, well, come on, does she need to be of that age in particular?" I asked her mother. Well, it is tradition after all; we cant break our traditions; they would be a great insult to our legacy and tribe. Said Urbosa. But Well, if someone were to become the new chief, maybe the traditions and rules can be bent around, hm~? She looked at me with a teasing smile. Ugh Do I really need to take over this sect? I wondered. Pretty please? Hekita asked me with a cute puppy face. Hey you two, thats enough. Dont pressure Bing Xue to become the chief. Said Merkite. Let that be her own decision instead. Chief or not, well stay by your side. "You''re so loyal after just a night. I sighed, feeling rather guilty for having made these two girls fall for me like this. Their society and tribe are certainly different from humanity back on Earth. Well, Ill think about it! Now, lets go complete the quests." "Hello, Peperina, were back! Remember us from yesterday? My mother asked. Oh yes, of course I do, Lady Elena! Right? The rabbit girl greeted us. Oh, and how could I forget you, Bing Xue? So you survived! So did you run away at the end? Remember that you must pay a fee for failed missions and- No, we completed them, I said. Most of them; well complete the rest in the incoming days. Is there a place where we can show the proof? You see, theyre really big. E-Eh? Proof?! You completed many S-Rank quests in just a day?! Peperina wasnt believing it. A-Ah, I Youre not lying, right? Of course we arent, sweetie. Please believe us. I smiled. T-Then Follow me! Through here! She ran towards the backyard of the guild, a huge place with a few wooden tables and chairs, where the staff came to relax and eat their breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This is plenty of space, right? Plenty! I nodded, summoning all the proof out of my Inner Realm. A pile of monster corpses and other materials appeared in front of everyone. The twins werent as shocked because they had seen me slay big creatures before, although they still raised their eyebrows. Hekita was really shocked, though, opening her mouth as wide as she could. This is... T-The Spirit Bee Queens carcass! And that one flower that was so hard to get! And is that a Snow Wyvern King?! And the ogres! By the Goddess! Y-You got it all?! She gasped. Theres actually more inside my Inner Realm, Ill bring it all out so you can count it with everyone else. I smiled. Shall I? W-Wait a second, please! Well need more staff to help with this. Please wait here! She ran inside the guild building. And then she brought back like ten other workers. We spent the next hour and a half counting everything with them so they could confirm we had fully eliminated the threats as intended. After everything was said and done, the missions were completed. Ding! [Congratulations! You have completed 6 S-Rank Missions in the Adventurers Guild!] [Required Missions To Complete The Floors Challenge: 6/10] [Your Adventurer Rank has been immediately raised to S Rank for your great feats!] [Your [Beginner Adventurer] Title has evolved into [Master Adventurer]!] [As a Privilege for being an S Rank Adventurer, you can now access many VIP areas within the city and receive discounts in every single shop.] [Your Party received the Following Rewards for completing the Missions]: [60.000.000 Credits] [Adventurers Mystery Box (S Rank)] x12 [Random Skill Book (S Rank)] x6] T-Thank you so much for all your efforts! Maybe the rewards arent enough, but this is all they were offering for them! Peperina said, bowing to us. Its fine; therere plenty of rewards. I smiled, caressing her fluffy head. Then, we shall see you another day, Peperina; take care, alright? Y-Yes! She nodded timidly, her eyes sparkling, when I gave her a head pat. Thankfully, the twins werent jealous girls, not minding at all that I was touchy with the rabbit girl. Ahem, are they registered, by the by? Oh, them? Do you want to register, sweeties? I asked the cute twins. Oh, we havent thought about it yet." Urbosa said. Is there any benefit to it aside from the quest-taking? Asked Merkite. Yes! There are many benefits, you two! Let me explain..." Little Peperina explained to the twins every benefit for a little while. The twins attentively heard and nodded as they learned about this floors society. So thats how it is; fine, I guess I can pay for the fee; I do have some coins on me, Urbosa said. Me too. Bing Xue, please dont pay for us; we know you love to spoil us, but... It will hurt our pride if you pay for everything. Merkite smiled. Of course, go ahead. I nodded. And what about me?! Asked Hekita. Stolen novel; please report. Youre too young to register yet, dear. Only those above 15 years of age can become adventurers. I am sorry, but thats the law. Said Peperina. So it seems that people who are not 15 years of age cant climb the tower then? I guess it is quite a sneaky way to limit children from getting into dangerous situations. After that, they paid and were registered as F-Rank Adventurers. The twins were really excited, and on the way out, they picked up some F-Rank and E-Rank quests they wanted to do on their own. Despite how they asked me for help before, they had their pride as warriors of their tribes, so they wanted to carry their own weight in our new family. We know you could easily help us, but we want to do some on our own if thats okay, Urbosa said. We are fairly strong ourselves; we both have our classes already, and we are over Level 100. Said Merkite. I know we had no chance against the cultists, but I know, I know, theres no need for any explanation. The pride you carry and the titles you hold only make your beauty even greater. I praised them. Go ahead and do such quests once you can find some time. I will gladly await your return. As I said that, I caressed their chins, and both looked at me lovingly. Very well then. Urbosa nodded. I will buy you something pretty with the money I earn, Merkite said. Both were rapidly wagging their tails. As I had heard before, this was a sign of great love. Fufu, I will happily await your gift then, my love. I kissed her lips. Then shall we get going? Asked Urbosa. Theres a whole village waiting for our return, and I am getting worried they might get attacked if we arent there to protect them. Sure, lets go then! I nodded. Like that, after saying a last goodbye to little Peperina and giving her my number after she asked for it, we moved out of the adventurers guild and then the city, hitting the road to the twins village. And yes, most people here have cellphones; the cultural exchange also brought human technology to the first floor of the tower. These phones are special, magic-infused ones capable of connecting to the network between worlds. I was surprised to find out Peperina even had her own Instagram account, where she posted pictures of herself eating delicious food. She was quite the cute foodie. Shall we split these? I asked, showing the rewards to my family after some time talking with the twins. Come on now, you did everything; just keep it! Said my sister. Yeah, its all yours, honey. My mother nodded. We barely helped at all, haha. What? You did help plenty! I sighed. We will divide this equally between all three of us, and no buts! Do you think I care that much for these feeble little rewards? Here. I quickly divided things into three. We all received 20.000.000 Credits, 4 [Adventurers Mystery Boxes] and 2 [Random Skill Books]. They were S Rank items, so they were bound to make my mother and sister stronger. T-This is too much! Ive never had so many credits before My mother gasped. With this, we can buy like a whole house, right? My sister wondered. You can buy things with Credits aside from player-only items? I wondered. Yeah, theres a whole Credit Market even back on Earth. Because you need them to buy all kinds of amazing items in the Credit Shop, people freely exchange it for other goods through the Trading System. Said my sister. I had no idea of such a thing I laughed. Well, maybe we can get ourselves a fancier place once we return to Earth. Perhaps I could bring you three with me. I looked at the lovely wolf girls at my side. To your home world, Bing Xue? Urbosa gasped, blushing a bit. A-Are we living in your house, then? Oh, t-this is not so bad either! She was wagging her tail happily. I have never visited that world; I wonder how it is. Said Merkite. I would gladly become your wife there too! Well, we are already mates after all. She gently held my arm. How is Earth like? Hekita asked cutely. Oh well, its a place full of really tall buildings all around! I explained, carrying the little wolf princess through piggyback. It might be a bit scary at first, but there are many interesting things over there as well. Oooh! Sounds cool! Hekita got pumped up. I wonder if she can come with us without being a Player? Wondered my sister. I think she can; as long as their parents are players, they can bring children too. Said my mother. Anyways, Urbosa, Merkite, where is your village? Weve been walking through the road for a couple of hours now Ah, mother-in-law, my bad. Weve not been quite specific before. Urbosa said, apologizing. It is over the northwest; well need to move to the left once we walk a few more miles from here. Said Merkite. Thank you for being patient with us, mother-in-law. M-Mother-in-law? My mother felt slightly flustered. A-Ah, well, thank you, sweeties. Im glad you love my daughter; shes a bit lonely sometimes, so make sure to never make her feel alone, okay? We will! Nodded Urbosa. Giving her company is something we can do for free at all times. Merkite smiled. As my mother tried talking with the twins and getting along with them, my sister was whispering to my ears something rather funny. "Hey, big sis, I know that people sometimes hook up with someone they just met, but they often just walk away the next night." She said. Are you okay with them being like this so soon? I thought you were afraid of compromise Theyre very free in their concept of "compromise," Ruby. I giggled. And I dont really mind their love. Ive never felt these feelings before; it makes me feel so free. I want to experience it more, but I am... I guess you could say easy? Im already in love with them; Im afraid. I never thought someone as strong and domineering as you would be so easy to charm! Though I''m not going to lie, theyre pretty hot. She nodded. Good catch, big sis, good catch..." Hahaha! Ruby, enough. I laughed, gently patting her head. With the twins indications, we moved into the nearby forest and walked another hour, until we finally reached the place. Hidden between a dense forest right below a mountain where we had previously hunted the Snow Wyverns, there was a small village. The village was mostly made of tents made of animal leather and wood. It was protected with a wooden wall, but everything else seemed very primitive and rustic. Standing outside the wooden gates that led inside, there were four guards, all of whom were tall, muscular gray and black-furred wolf men holding spears. Everyone! Were back! Merkite said. Hello, you four! How have you been so far? Urbosa greeted them. Huh?! Our strongest warriors are back! Lady Urbosa! Lady Merkite! What a joy to see your beautiful faces again! Oooh, you seem healthy as well! The wolves were all wagging their tails; it seems they had crushes on them. I simply let them be, as I quickly opened the way to my Inner Realm, bringing everyone we rescued. We brought everyone back! All thanks to Bing Xue, our new mate. Said Urbosa, presenting me to the guards. It is good to see you, warriors of the tribe. I smiled, greeting them kindly. I might be considered an outsider now, but I will try to get along with all of you. E-Eh? Such a tall woman S-Shes your mate, to both of you?! Aw, man She got them both? Unbelievable. Their looks of disappointment over me having snatched the beauties were too obvious; it made me pity the poor men a bit. I suppose that, as warriors and beauties, they were constantly trying to woo them both. Well, too bad! Please be respectful with our mate; without her, we would have never been able to rescue everyone here. You better treat her well. The twins glared down at the men as they nodded rapidly, quickly shifting their attention to the people coming back to the village. The gates opened, and they let us all inside without problems. Although being below the gazes of hundreds of beasts was a bit overwhelming, I was able to bear it with my family by my side. Merkite and Urbosa explained things to the figures of authority in the city, the Three Elders, who were all very old wolf and wild cat people. They nodded, greeting me with gentle smiles and welcoming me and my family into their humble tribe. Saviors of our tribe, you are all welcome to stay as long as you want and to even become members of our tribe if you so desire. We already know that Bing Xue here has become the mate of our strongest warriors, Urbosa and Merkite. Please make sure to take good care of these brats; they can be a bit hard to deal with, but I am sure their hearts are in the right place. A black wolf old lady spoke to me, smiling adorably. Thank you so much; I will. I bowed to her in respect for the elderly, despite being much older than her. I just wanted to please them and not offend them; their generosity was very refreshing. Such good manners! You truly found yourselves a good mate. She giggled. Hohoho. Now! I am sure you must be busy; you can go ahead with your mates for now. We will host a banquet tonight to celebrate our kin coming back. I hope you can join us. I will! Thank you for your hospitality. I smiled as the twins guided us to their tent. It was very big, covering several sections, with two large rooms and even a kitchen. There was also a large area where they kept sheep, ducks, and wild cows. Hekita ran towards her animals and showed them to us; she had named most of them already. The gentle breeze of the countryside, the sound of the many animals, a welcoming and warm tribe of people, and two cute beast girls as my mates now. I dont think my life could get any better! This place is sure beautiful; I have to admit. My mother said, For how long do we stay here? I guess we can stay as long as we want, but I know Big Sis has plans. Said my sister. Hmm, lets enjoy a week here while doing a few missions on the way, just to relax and breathe some of the fresh air here, I said. I think I need this to heal a few of my emotional wounds." S-Sure then. My mother nodded, patting my shoulders. Lets enjoy this place! "Then, if were staying, I got to buy a few things. I love the aesthetic here, but I would prefer to use a normal bathroom." My sister sighed. Aahh, no worries, you can always use the bathroom of my Inner Realm, Ruby. I giggled. No need to buy a whole bathroom or something- Wait, can you do that? With Credits, you can buy anything! My mother laughed. I had no idea it was to such an extent! I was surprised. So you can buy a house, and then we could carry it around my Inner Realm too, huh? Interesting. Yeah- Wait, I hadnt thought about that either! My sister covered her face. This is really cool; its like going on a camping trip through the tower! "Ruby, youre taking this too relaxedly; its the tower, so many people die... Be a bit more serious, okay? My mother sighed. A-Ah! Yeah, sorry, sorry. Ruby apologized while laughing slightly nervously. As we chatted for a while inside the tent with Hekita sleeping over my legs, the twins called for us to eat lunch. Its done; lets eat something, honey, Urbosa called. Hekita! Wake up, dear. We prepared a bit of stew for the whole family; my mother-in-law and sister-in-law are invited as well! Merkite called with her harmonious voice. Coming! I said, gently waking up my little adoptive daughter and then moving to a big table in the open grasslands, right next to their farm. There, they served us a delicious and very flavorful meat stew, with potatoes, carrots, and onions they grew as crops. Apparently, they had some people with Druid and Farmer classes that helped with growing crops. Hmm~ I missed mamas stew! Hekita said happily, eating bites off the chunks of meat in the stew. Make sure to eat the carrots as well, Hekita; theyre good for your eyesight. If youre going to become a warrior in the future, you must have good eyesight." Urbosa said. Bleh, but I dont like carrots Hekita was leaving them behind. Fufu, children these days. Dear, if you dont want to eat the carrots, then how about this? I gently mashed the carrots with the wooden fork and mixed them with the stew. See? Now theyre gone! Ooh?! Theyre really gone! She said in surprise, eating the stew as normal, yet she was now eating the carrots mixed in it. I hadnt thought about that! Urbosa said, laughing. I guess children are still children, easily tricked by such things. She giggled, resting her head on my shoulders and kissing me on the cheek. Youre not bad at all as a father, dear. I am trying my best, I answered gently. Urbosa rewarded me with another kiss, this time on my lips. Lets have some fun later, alright~? Now that were in our tent, we can relax much more. A-Ah, of course! I nodded. I couldnt reject such an offer. Oh, right! Ive got some sweets as well. Shall we enjoy them for dessert? Also, I got some tea too, here. I offered my goods to my twins and little Hekita, and they liked everything. The tea, in particular, they said was very soothing and calming to drink. After lunch and drinking some tea, I decided to work on something to protect this beautiful village. I flew outside for a bit and placed several Primordial Formations in several sectors, surrounding the entire village by a hundred kilometers. Once activated, an invisible barrier of Primordial Essence was created. I specifically designed it to drain Mana from the environment, which seemed never-ending, to be able to easily reinforce itself. And if that was somehow taken away, the barrier would simply drain energy from me, which there was an endless amount of too. Ding! [You have formed an incredibly complex Barrier Formation to protect the village you love; you received the [Barrier Master] Title!] [For having constructed many powerful Barriers, and using Barriers both offensively and defensively, you learned the [Barrier Formation (S): Lv1] Magic Skill!] Once I was back, I told the twins about what I had done. S-Such a barrier is possible?! Urbosa gasped. T-Then, but how does it work? Well, all of you people can enter in and out. The barrier itself possesses a bit of intelligence, so it can easily discern those welcome and those unwelcome. I explained that as we sat down over the grasslands outside, Hekita was playing with my sister and little Felix. My mother went to the village and started to get along really well with the other mothers of the village, who welcomed her happily into their conversations. S-Such an amazing thing Merkite said. I wonder if we could ever repay you for such a gift, with this, our village will finally prosper forever." We can at least repay you with something else, hm~? Urbosa immediately started massaging my shoulders. Oh, yeah, I suppose we can repay you with our love. Merkite winked at me, kissing me again. Our endless passion. Uwaah I was feeling once again slightly overwhelmed as these two overwhelming beauties were kissing and massaging my body. A-Alright then, lets go to your room; I will receive your kind payment there. Let us go then. Merkite nodded, grasping my buttocks tightly. Lets have lots of fun, my love. Urbosa caressed my arm as we moved there. It seems that what they showed me last night was but one percent of their total power in bed, however. Because when we finally entered their room in their large tent, we closed the door. They unleashed their inner beasts. And by the heavens above, I was completely eaten by their beastly passion. I shall never underestimate beast women ever again. ----- Chapter 25: Celebrations And Spirits ----- Mama! Auntie! Wake up already! The banquets starting soon! Wake up! Come on! Come on, come on! The voice of little Hekita woke me up, and I found myself cuddling with both of my mates. We were sleeping on their comfortable bed made of fluffy beast leather and fur. I could hear the sound of music and drums outside and the laughter and voices of many people, along with the smell of delicious roasted meat. Okay, okay, were coming, honey, I said, giving her a head pat. As I quickly covered my nude body, she didnt seem to mind it. Sweeties, wake up~ I slowly woke up my two lovers by kissing and scratching their long, fluffy ears. Hmm Ah, AH! Urbosa woke up rather rapidly. Shit! Right, the banquet! Ahhh Scratch me there a bit more, my love." Merkite, in the other case, was enjoying my little scratching. Yeah, right there, ooh." Fufu, enough; lets wake up already. I quickly helped my slightly lazier mate stand up. Indeed, while Urbosa was the more diligent of the two, Merkite was much lazier. She took a while to wake up; I helped her get dressed, and then we finally joined the banquet. My sister, mother, and even Felix was already with them, waiting for us. Were here! Sorry for being late. I apologized to the elders. Hohoho, I am sure you were busy! In our tribe, it is normal for us to show love for one another through all matters of physical contact. If you know what I mean, I hope you can get used to that. The Elder lady smiled while giggling. A-ahaha, I honestly dont mind it. I smiled. Shes really good at it, elder. Said Urbosa with a nod. Very good indeed. Merkite agreed as well. Good! I suppose youre indeed worthy of becoming a member of our tribe, Bing Xue. Now join us in our celebratory spiritual dance. The Elder said. Spiritual dance, huh? I looked at the people of the tribe dancing around a huge bonfire, wearing the bones and leather of the beasts they hunted. For a moment, I thought it was simply a dance, but things became magical very quickly. An energy that I hadnt seen before surged out of the people here, swirling around the bonfire as the dance kept going. The Spirits! The Beast Spirits are here! Hekita clapped while moving around, imitating the dancers. Look! Look! She pointed above the dancers. The colorful energies swirled and combined into a myriad of shapes and forms, enormous beings above the cosmos, the stars, glancing gently at their people. They had the shape of beasts. Yet they werent the Gods I had sensed before. They were something much more spiritual, much more mystical. As the music intensified and the dance became even faster and more intense, the spirits of all shapes and sizes descended into smaller forms, dancing with the dancers and then flying around all of us. Sparkles of light cover our bodies, blessing us with fortune. However, suddenly, as the dance continued, many of the people here noticed something. All of the spirits gathered around me, looking at me with both curiosity and wonder. Hello. I smiled gently at them. Dont worry, I am not a threat. I will protect your people, I promise. The spirits sensed my sincerity almost immediately, wagging their tails. Some of them licked me, others patted my head, and a few only watched. Slowly, they returned to the dance, slowly dissipating into the skies and then disappearing. The dance ended, and everyone celebrated. The elders walked towards me. Incredible, it seems youve been chosen by the Divine Beast Spirits! They said. Chosen? I wondered. It means they want you to lead us to prosperity! Said Merkite. Ive never seen this before! It said that it only happens when a new chief is chosen. "But please dont feel forced; you dont really need to be the chief. Said Urbosa. Im sorry if it felt forceful, but it''s not like the spirits are forcing you either. Ah, well I suppose I can think about it. I said. Thank you for choosing me, though. Well! Shall the celebrations begin then? Let the banquet start! Eat, dance, love, and laugh! Laughed the Elder lady. Tonight, we celebrate the return of our beloved children and the new additions to our ever-growing family! WOOOOOH! The beast people howled and roared in unison, celebrating our arrival with great joy and happiness. Ive never felt like this beforeto be welcomed by so many in such an honest and wild way. I was growing more and more fond of these people by the minute. I sat down close to the bonfire with the rest of my family, now with three more additions to its numbers. Urbosa and Merkite sat right next to my left and right without letting me go anywhere. They served me roasted meat and their wine, which was an exquisite combination of fermented fruit juice and many aromatic herbs. It had a strong flavor and an even stronger aroma. The roasted meat consisted of over ten different monsters they had hunted and a few of the cattle they kept. The cattle they had were rarely sacrificed to be eaten; they kept the ducks for their eggs, the cows for their milk, and the sheep for their wool. The people of the Silver Moon Beast Tribe very much preferred to eat what they hunted instead. And from what I could detect, there was Giant Wild Boar Meat, Lesser Wyvern, Wrathful Bull, Fiery Bird, and Giant Catfishes. Monsters which are often qualified as D Rank or C Rank. Although not everyone in the tribe was as strong as my two mates, they could combine their abilities and power together, hunting large prey in groups of over twenty hunters. Easily taking down C Rank Monsters with their amazing cooperation abilities. Is the wine good, honey? Urbosa asked with a cute and motherly voice. It is really delicious, dear. I smiled, kissing her cheeks. But it becomes even tastier when someone as beautiful as you serve it to me. I caressed her fluffy chin. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Oh my, youre so good with your words, honestly~ Fufu. She felt slightly embarrassed. W-What about the meat? Merkite was wagging her tail, also expecting praise. Really delicious; the flavor intensifies with a beauty like you by my side. I smiled. A-Ahaha, then its good. Im glad. She blushed. Tomorrow well go hunt something together, and well cook you with what we hunted. It is the least we can do as your mates. Well! If you want to spoil me a bit more, go ahead. I feel in heaven right now. But Ill also help if possible. Although I havent decided if I should become or not your chief, there are a few things I could do to help improve the livelihood of your village. Really? Hekita wondered. Yep, but not until tomorrow; lets just relax and enjoy the night. I smiled. As the night went by and my mates and Hekita joined the dance with the rest of their tribe, I had some time to talk with my mother and my sister about life and the recent events that had happened so far. It seems youve already found yourself something you couldnt before. My mother smiled. Im glad they love you, honey. Take good care of them, okay? I will. I nodded. I am still learning the ins and outs of being in a relationship, though. It is easier than I imagined in some respects, but I fear that might be because those two are very carefree. Yeah, other girls wouldnt really like you having a second girlfriend. Said my sister. But I guess the people of this village are quite different. A-Ah, yes, they are indeed. I nodded, feeling slightly nervous. I know it might not be seen well back on Earth, but I dont particularly care about the opinions of lowly mortals. Ah, well, I guess you never truly cared, huh? Laughed my mother. Its fine. Its good to have a daughter who is strong and doesnt care about anything for once." Hey! What with that glare? I just am worried about social stuff, but yeah, I wont care either. Ruby shrugged. Anyways, I just called Juan; Ill be meeting him tomorrow in the Adventurers Guild. Can he join us here for the week? Hm I sighed. How about you just drop that man and find a new boyfriend here? Look at all the strong men around here. I dont particularly like men, but I can recognize they seem attractive to straight women, right? I dont feel attracted to them, sis. I prefer humans! I don''t really like to their animal-like... features. My sister sighed. "Ruby, thats a bit mean. My mother said,. Ugh, okay, sorry... Big Sis doesnt seem to mind it, though. Like, theyre full of hair! She said. Yes! It is the best! I nodded. I love how fluffy and cute they are. I would spend all day caressing their black, soft fur. Your sister just happens to be much more open-minded than you. My mother glared at Ruby. Geh Okay, you do you, I just prefer human beings. And Juans an alright boyfriend, perhaps the best one Ive had so far. So I dont want to ruin our relationship. He said hes okay with coming here, and hes even willing to spend a week with me in this rural area too. Ruby said. You know that I care for him, right? Its not just that hes good in bed." Hm, I can tell. I nodded. Okay, alright. Sorry for saying that before. I gave her a head pat. You may go to sleep then, dear. I was already going to, not like I need your permission~, She said, standing up. Anyways, good night! Hey, dont spend too much time drinking, though. Yeah, bye! I waved my hand. Good night, sweetie. My mother waved her hand. As we were left alone with my mother, I decided to ask her about life and how she had been doing. She told me a few of her experiences as a hunter, how hard it was for her to complete the tutorial, and more. Hearing about her hardships and the countless times she went through near-death experiences only made me more furious against the Tower and the Gods. I see Well, I remember Ruby mentioning something about a boyfriend; do you have one? I wondered. A-Ah! No, not really." She said. She was just joking, though, but... Well, I did date someone. A woman, though Oh my. I giggled. I didnt know my mother was Ive always been bisexual; it''s just that your dad never knew; none of you knew She sighed. I was happy with him though, but now that it has been so long since he passed away, I feel like I want to start a new relationship, but it''s hard to find someone. Really hard. It was just a one-night thing, and she didnt really want to start anything either. I havent spoken with her since then. I see What was her name? I would like to know the one that broke my mothers heart. I smiled gently. Katherine, dont you dare do anything weird! Shes Camilla, a friend from high school My mom sighed. We were girlfriends before, but we broke up and never talked until just a couple of months ago. Huh, I see... I had no idea you were like this, Mom; I can see why you accepted me being lesbian so quickly back then. I giggled. Well, Father was rather shocked at first, but after talking to him about it, he accepted it extremely quickly too. Your father was always open-minded too, but I never thought it was necessary to tell him I was bisexual, not like I was ever going to cheat with a woman or something. She shrugged. But after his passing, things slowly changed... Maybe this is a bit embarrassing to talk with my own daughter, but I really want to experience more of my sexuality as a woman. Is it weird? Of course its not, mom. I am the same! Imagine that Ive been a virgin for eleven thousand years. You cant believe how happy I felt when those two finally took that away. I laughed out loud. Jesus, Katherine. My mother laughed out loud as well. Dont say that out of nowhere! Well, whatever. We are both adults now, right, Mom? I winked at her. Anyways, theres a lot of available people in this tribe, so you should try to experiment more, no? Hmmm I dont know what to think about their fur and appearance. But they do have good bodies, both men and women, so bulky. I like bulky people. She nodded. M-Maybe your mother will give herself a little fun, but for now, just go back with your girls; theyre calling for you over there. Ah, right! Then, I shall go. I said. Have fun, Mother. I walked away as I enjoyed the dancing and celebrations with my friends and my new adoptive daughter. I was never good at dancing myself, but I think I did my best. We also ate even more, drank even more, kissed, hugged, and loved one another. Several other pairs of mates were doing something similar. This tribe was very open regarding that. However, as the night continued, the celebrations finally ended, and everyone slowly started moving back to their houses. When I joined back with my mother while carrying Hekita asleep over my arms, I found her kissing with a silver-furred wolf girl. Hmm~ Ahhh, Catrina, youre too intense Lets go to my tent then; I will give you a good time. No compromises; lets enjoy it together. Uwaah! W-Well, if you really want to! I saw the strong wolf girl carry my mother away like a princess. She didnt resist, and she seemed aroused by that. I suppose my mother will have the fun she wanted at the end, which is good for her. Shes sleeping like a little baby pup. Urbosa giggled as I left Hekita sleeping in her bedroom. I guess so. Good night, little princess. I kissed her on the forehead as we walked away. And similarly to my mother earlier, I was not going to go to sleep yet. Shall we resume where we left off before we slept? Asked Merkite, massaging my body and then greedily grasping my breasts. I believe you dont mind if we do, right? Urbosa smiled, licking my neck tenderly. I-I dont mind at all... Lets have fun together~ Thankfully, I had endless stamina, so I could go on for hours without needing any rest. . . . Within the depths of the Underworld of the World of Eclipse, where darkness and shadows enshrouded it all and where the Undead wandered freely, there was a castle. A black castle, full of deadly undead, and with a throne made of ghosts and bones. Sitting above the throne, a Divine Figure remained in eternal silence, enshrouded in pure darkness, and whose hands were like those of skeletons. He had no face; his true body was merely an endless amount of darkness, a legion of billions of evil spirits. A black hood covered his faceless face as two red dots shone within the darkness of his entire being. He was certainly neither a human nor an undead. He was a God. Unlike the Goddess, he had no servants as loyal as Angelic Spirits, but it wasnt as if he needed them; his red eyes could see through all darkness. A blue orb projected what happened to his cult within Nexus Cityrage slowly swelling within his entire being. Mortal You dont know... who youre messing with His eyes shone brightly as he pointed his claws towards another sphere to his left. In a second, divine power reached countless other disciples he had through the Radiant Continent. Now that my sisters church is gone, this is the perfect opportunity for my cult to rise. If we cant kill her, make sure to destroy that damned city and everything she holds dear. Malefic laughter echoed within the underworld. Pitch-black portals slowly started to open over several areas of both the tower and outside of it. You will regret what youve done. ----- Chapter 26: A Lax Morning & Black Gates ----- The mornings sun was coming from the crevices of the tent, and I woke up feeling refreshedmore refreshed than ever before, I believe. Living here with these people has really been healing me more than I imagined, and above all, it has helped me truly relax for once in my entire life. But above all, what was doing most of the job was Urbosa and Merkites love; it was really healing. Though I have to admit their soft black fluff was really nice, I woke up every morning between their chests, feeling their nice, sweet smell and their fluff all over my face. It was truly a gift from the heavens. But it was already time to wake up and have breakfast, and perhaps help this village a bit more with a few little things while I had the will to do so. Alright, good morning, you two. Time to wakey wakey~ I tried to act cute for them, but I would die of embarrassment as a great venerable if I did this with anybody else. Hmm Come on, lets cuddle a bit more Urbosa groaned, quickly using her arms to wrap around my shoulders, pushing me down over the bed. Lets sleep a bit more; Im sleepy," Merkite said as she put her legs over my own. I was trapped! I had no idea the mighty warriors of this tribe were so lazy in the mornings. It might be a temporary thing while they adapt back to their daily lives, perhaps. I conjured the healing techniques coupled with the healing skill to take away that exhaustion they felt. Golden, sparkling lights covered their bodies momentarily. FLASH! See? All new. You arent sleepy anymore. I smiled, standing up as I freed myself from their entanglement quite easily. T-Thats weirdly nice. Urbosa gasped as she suddenly sat down. I dont feel sleepy at all?! You can do this too? It is as if all the exhaustion was sapped away. Said Merkite. Indeed, it is part of my Healing and Recovery Abilities, I said. I spent many years perfecting them so I could continuously cultivate them without needing to sleep. Now I mostly sleep because it feels good. H-How does it work? Is it light magic? Urbosa tilted her head in confusion. Well! I wouldnt call it "magic." Basically, it is the ability to transform, wield, and manipulate my immortal essence and then transform it into life essence by refining it within my own internal life force. Then I gently inject it into your bodies. So its like you shared your HP? Wondered Merkite. I guess people born in the tower can only understand through System technicalities, huh? Also, the fact that they have been assimilated by the system is a bit unnerving for me. I definitely need to quickly create a technique to free them from the system without hurting their souls. Yeah, I guess it is like I am sharing my HP, I suppose. I nodded. I guess I havent gone exactly in detail about who I truly am; have you heard the term Returnees or Lost People? Hmm, yeah, I believe within our original world, there were some members of other tribes that had said they came back from worlds they were sent to, worlds that didnt exist in the Tower. Said Urbosa. Wait, Bing Xue, youre one of such people?! Theyre said to be always very powerful, bringing from that world tremendous new abilities! Merkite said. Huh, so Floor 2s world has more Returnees! Now thats interesting! I nodded. Back in my original world, it appears I am the only reported Returnee so far. Though a term for people that disappear inside gates is that of Lost People! And yes, I am indeed a Returnee from a world called Murim. Lets chat about this while we have breakfast, shall we, my dears? S-Sure, now you''ve got me curious about it, Urbosa said. I want to learn more about you. Yeah! Merkite was wagging her tail. But first, our morning kissies, alright? Hehe, you two are so lovely; are the women of your tribe all so close with their mates too? I giggled as the two cutely kissed my cheeks and my lips. Yes, in our tribe, physical contact is a must between mates; to make sure to leave each other smell in the other, it means we are mates after all; we belong together in a family. Urbosa nodded. Yep! Now youre all covered in our smell. Merkite nodded with a slightly cocky smile. Your smell? I wondered. Hahaha, I should have guessed it was something like this. You two are so adorable. I kissed their foreheads. Now, shall we go eat breakfast? Oh, we must wake up little Hekita too! Sure, you can make something with Merkite; Ill go wake up that sleepyhead and help her take a bath. Said Urbosa. "Are my mother-in-law and sister-in-law here too? If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. I think so- No, only my sister. My mother is... Ah, in another tent over there. I used my senses to expand my surroundings. I usually had them always on, which I could use to cover the entire Floor 1s world, but it wouldnt let me sleep with so much information constantly entering my head, so for the first time in my life, Ive turned off such senses when I finally returned to Earth, and even in the Tower, I dont activate them that much. Another tent? Merkite wondered. Yes, a gray-furred and blue-eyed wolf girl got together with her and invited her to her tent; I assume both had a good night together. I giggled. Oooh! What joy! It would be incredible if your mother could also find herself a mate here, Bing Xue! More family! Urbosa was very overjoyed. And you say gray-furred? Wait, blue eyes? Wondered Merkite. That woman would be... grandma? Eh? Your grandmother?! I asked. S-She didnt seem that old. Shes fairly young for a grandmother, at the age of one hundred and twenty-six. Said Urbosa. Wait a second, how long does your kin live? I wondered. Usually up to two hundred years. Said Merkite. Incredible, you live much longer than the average human. I giggled. Thats a rather wonderful little thing to know about your tribe. Ah, well, I suppose my mother had a little night with your grandmother; I hope it doesnt feel odd for you? Nah, dont worry. Merkite shrugged. "Since my grandfather passed away, my grandmother has become an active lady of the night, always picking inexperienced young adults who want to have their first time with an expert. So shes that kind of woman, huh? I giggled. Well, I am nobody to judge; after all, I am over eleven thousand years old. T-That much?! Urbosa muttered. So long? Are you not joking with us? Merkite said. Huh? Is it a bad thing? I wondered, feeling slightly scared. Maybe I should have kept that a secret? A-Ah! No, no, calm down; it isnt. Sorry if we panicked a bit; it''s still a shock." Urbosa patted my shoulders. You certainly dont look your age. Merkite laughed. Although you do act very wise most of the time, with us, you mellow down a lot, especially in bed; you act like a young adult girl~ E-Enough with the teasing! I said while blushing a bit. Anyways, we can chit-chat more while we have breakfast! Let''s start the day. I like tidying things up in the morning and having a bit of order. Once we eat, I will dedicate some of my time to cleaning this tent a bit; there are a few messy things I dont really like. I hope you understand. Y-Yeah, its fine. We apologize; we are quite messy Urbosa sighed. It would be nice if you became our cleaner, though~ Merkite got cocky again. But I kind of loved their duality. Dear, you dont know that the words you speak to me would easily bring the destruction of anybody... Except for you, Ill allow such words. I giggled. Youre very lovely; Ill happily clean the house for my two lovers. Aww, isnt she romantic? Merkite laughed. T-That felt a bit oddly threatening, yet at the same time, not? Urbosa wondered. Well, whatever. Hekita! Time to wake up already, daughter. As I moved to the kitchen with Merkite and started looking for what to cook, she hugged me from behind and started kissing my neck playfully. She was getting a bit ahead of herself... "Come on, let''s save this for the night." I said. Merkite quickly felt slightly flustered once I gently moved her hands away. It''s not that I didnt like it, but there were other things we had to do now. "My sister does say I am rough around the edges I also want this to work, so just tell me if I get ahead of myself. unlike Urbosa, I lack the, err, lets say, knowledge of how to behave with a mate. Oh? I didnt expect such a reaction! Fine! I guess Ill tell you then. I gave her another kiss. What do you want for breakfast? Ill make you anything. Meat! She wagged her tail like a cute puppy. I should have guessed! I laughed. Fine, Ill give you some Martial Golden Peak Drake Steak; youll love it. A what steak? Merkite raised an eyebrow. Hahaha! Ill let you know what these beings are, but youve seen my Inner Realm before, right? Well, many creatures are born here naturally by the convergence of the Heavenly Essence. Inner Realms are worlds of their own after all; like this, I can get my own supply of materials and food. I smiled. Thats insane, Merkite said. Youre so strong and sexy, Bing Xue; youve got it all! I Well, I dont think I got it all until I met you and Urbosa; I felt rather empty inside, even when I finally met my family. I sighed as I was cutting a large chunk of meat with my nails, using them as knives. Empty? She asked, slightly worried, while she was peeling potatoes. Yeah, its a long story, I guess. I smiled. Ill tell you later, but just remember that these eleven thousand years... I spent them trying to survive and grow stronger, almost every second. Times like these, where we can enjoy a day without worries, never truly came to me until now. B-Bing Xue Merkite was incredibly empathetic, immediately hugging me from behind. I-I dont know exactly the details yet, but as your mate, I will make sure to bring you the company you need, okay? Fufu, okay. I felt her warmth and love, and my heart only healed even more. RUMBLE! However, something happened. My senses activated rapidly; darkness was approaching from every single area, surrounding the invisible barrier of the village. I opened my eyes wide for a split second, stopping what I was doing. Hm, I suppose that was expected. Thisll be a nice amount of Experience Points. Huh? Bing Xue? Enemies are coming, surrounding the village. I can see them. Ten black-colored gates opened, bringing Undead and Dark critters of some sort I said, analyzing my surroundings. EH?! Merkite panicked. Wait! What?! Monsters? Theres a Gate Break outside?! W-We need to quickly prepare and! Worry not, my love; I have that covered. Remember the barrier? They cant possibly pierce it. I shrugged. This is not a crisis, but an opportunity. I think there are at least five thousand foes. More coming! This is actually really good! Lets eat breakfast and then prepare the warriors of the village. I think I can get them to a really decently high level with this gift from the heavens. Gift from the heavens? Merkite had yet to fully get used to my way of thinking. [The Tower God {Lord Of Deep Darkness} smiles evilly! He says he has prepared a great surprise for you!] [He laughs, saying he will make sure to destroy that damned village, the city near it, and even the one you come from!] [He assures you he shall destroy everything you love!] Ooh, so scary. I laughed. Thank you for the meal, fool. Once Im done with this, I might as well go destroy his whole sect residing inside of his continent, just to make sure to teach him a lesson and weaken him before I go hunt him down. I plan to leisurely bid my time, but Ill make sure to kill these two gods on the same day, within a week at most. Oh, and about New York? Lets say I got that covered too, despite what he might imagine. As a Venerable who watches over the entire world of Murim without rest, I can easily be in many places at the same time. ----- Chapter 27: Attack On New York City ----- Ten black-colored Dungeon Gates had opened surrounding the city of New York, and from them, an endless army of thousands of Undead and Shadow Beasts started pouring out. Their ranks ranged from C to S. For some miracle, none of the Dungeon Gates opened inside the city. The Hunters had no idea how this had happened but had no time to think about it anyway. Every hunter available in the city was quickly forced to defend it, rushing outside in large, organized groups. The five strongest Hunter Guilds of the city organized into enormous armies, each one of a minimum of a thousand Hunters. Led by the five available S-Rank Hunters in the city, they clashed against the endless army while the people inside the city walls could only watch through the cameras. The battle had only started some minutes ago, but there were already many casualtiesthe bodies of hunters littering the groundwhile those that had yet to die were giving their all to clash against the rest of the monsters. The Hunters Association Chairman led the army of humans in this intense battle for the survival of one of the largest cities in the country that had managed to not only survive the Apocalypse but thrive through it. Nicholas transformed. His entire body grew up to ten meters in height, his bulky muscles gaining a metallic sheen as he overflowed with all his Mana Energy, erupting from his body. RAAAH! With a furious roar, he leaped into action, clashing into the middle of the army of Undead and Shadow Beasts, his gigantic fists pulverizing anything that came into contact with them. Zombies, Skeletons, Death Knights, and Undead Wyverns all died the same, their bodies pulverized to smithereens as Nicholas mighty fists crushed them all. Accompanying him were four more S-Rank hunters. A blonde man with angelic wings behind him, holding a spear and a shield, and wearing white armor. His bright blue eyes shone as his spear pierced his foes a hundred times with each swing, explosions of light spreading everywhere and his magic wings allowing him to move at lightning speed across the battlefield. John Allgood, Guild Master of the Justice Guild. A beautiful woman with short brown hair and many tattoos covering her almost red-brown skin. with clear features that gave away that she was a Native American descendant, wearing light armor made of dragon bones and holding onto a huge axe, crushing through it all with her almighty strength. Her muscles easily surpass those of everyone here except Nicholas. Aiyana, Guild Master of the Guardian Guild. A pale-skinned, black-haired man whose eyes were completely silver-colored. He wore only the lightest of rogue clothes; his movements were precise as he melded within the shadows, appearing and disappearing with his abilities and engulfing his foes with a barrage of knife attacks or explosions of shadow magic. Jackes Heisen, Guild Master of the Rogue Guild. And lastly, a young man, not older than nineteen years of age, wearing magician clothes and a big magician hat. His youthful and slightly adorable face showed clear joy as he used his magic to bombard everything. Fire, ice, wind, lightningeverything engulfed the skeletons and zombies, turning them into nothing but ashes with a simple thought. He was a master of magic. Francisco Armstrong, the young Guild Master of the Wizard Guild. All of these S-Rank hunters were the pride of New York and also represented the different groups of people that made up the population of New York. Each of their guilds was like a pillar to maintain both peace and order in the big city, and now they were giving their all to protect their very home from an invasion that came out of nowhere. These damn bastards never stop coming! Nicholas complained, gasping for air as he looked at the system window in front of him. Shit, this damn thing! [Warning! A Surprise Raid is under effect!] [The {Populated Area}: [New York City] has been chosen by the Tower Gods to undergo a special trial of endurance and strength!] [Survive the ten waves of Undead and Shadow Type enemies to receive amazing rewards! Or perish by protecting your city. The choice is yours to make.] [Based on how many Monsters you defeat, you will gain a special Raid score; the more score you have, the more rewards you can exchange for in the Special Raid Shop once the Raid is done!] [Current Waves: 2/10] [Current Bosses: 1/10] For some people, this might seem like a great opportunity to Level Up and gain incredible Loot. Perhaps to the mighty Rankers of the Tower that has reached past Floor 30. But for people from Earth, who were so behind compared to the other Players from different Worlds connected to the Tower, this was a nightmare. The only S Rank hunters here were these five, and everyone else could simply not fight so many foes at once. Even the strongest B Rank and A Rank hunters were progressively growing tired; even with healers and potions, Nicholas had already calculated that they wouldnt be able to resist past the fourth wave. Is Yanisse not here yet?! Aiyana roared; her giant bone axe clashed and sliced apart a Giant Zombie Chimera into two perfect halves before making it explode with black flames coming from the axes cursed powers. Weve already called for her and backup from the nation! Said Nicholas. But theyll take some time to get here! And Yanisse is unavailable; after completing that S-Rank Gate, she went to climb the tower and hasnt returned ever since then! Stolen novel; please report. She went to climb the tower when our countrys safety is much more important than that?! John complained in utter disbelief as he unleashed a rain of spears of light towards his foes, bombarding everything. Weve somehow managed to defeat that S-Rank boss; it was rather weak for an S-Rank, but I dont think we can continue with this for much longer! The backup better brings at least twenty more S Ranks, or were fucking done for! Jackes said, his knives moving at lightning speed as his entire body divided itself into hundreds of clones. But what about that woman, Bing Xue, or whatever her name was?" Francisco asked. Wasnt she world-class too? S-Shes in the Tower too, and well, unlike Yanisse, we have no authority over her decisions. We cant force her to help us. Sighed Nicholas. WHAT?! But she lives in this damned city, right?! Aiyana was losing her mind, her strong, bulky arms bulging with strength, as she took a step forward and gave a mighty lioness roar. Ancient Beast Spirits emerged from within her many tattoos, giving her a temporary boost in power. Her roar intimidated the Undead and Shadow Beasts, pushing them back. I know, but- Humans, your time has come. Before the S-Rank Hunters could even continue their talk in between an intense and endless battle, from one of the portals, a second Boss appeared. And then a second, a third, and a fourth. All of them were much stronger than the first S-Rank boss, who was a Miasmic Slug Queen," slow and big, an easy target for magicians. However, these four were much different; they werent even that big, only about three meters in height alone, but all four of them wore black armor, holding different, cursed weapons. And they were all riding skeleton horses, also covered in armor. W-What? Four S-Rank Bosses at once?! Nicholas muttered in utter disbelief. We need a minimum of four Expert S-Rank hunters to take down one! And the system window, like an accursed harbinger of death, loomed over their heads. [The {Special Raid Boss}: {Four Knights Of The Apocalypse (S+ Rank)} have been Summoned!] [The {Special Raid Boss}: {Knight Of Death} brings back the Undead that has been slain within a 100-meter vicinity of himself!] [The {Special Raid Boss}: {Knight Of Pestilence} spreads a deadly disease and poison that weakens all foes within a 100-meter vicinity of himself, lowering stats and draining HP!] [The {Special Raid Boss}: {Knight Of War} roars with almighty warmongering fury; every ally that hears his roars gains a boost to all their stats!] [The {Special Raid Boss}: {Knight of Conquest} will constantly summon new Knight-type Undead to battle for him. He will not stop until he conquers everything!] All four knights activated their special abilities, bringing despair and destruction everywhere. The Undead, many of whom had just been defeated, suddenly regenerated completely, beginning to massacre the already exhausted Hunters. A deadly disease and poison aura spread everywhere; those that touched it instantly began bleeding from their eyes, ears, and noses, vomiting blood and feeling their health rapidly decreasing while their stats lowered, making them feel completely weak and easy targets for the already raised Undead. The rest of the monsters suddenly became much more aggressive; with enhanced stats, they became faster, smarter, and stronger. Blood and guts splattered everywhere as the knights laughed while seeing the humans suffer and despair. And lastly, hundreds of more knights appeared, being summoned endlessly at almost a rate of one per second; they were all A-Rank Monsters, strong enough to easily cut through most humans with their swords. No Dammit! Nicholas screamed, thinking about his daughters, who were sheltering inside the city. We have to kill them quickly! Ill take down the conquest guy; you all take one of them! Wait, Nicholas! Dont lose your temper! Said John. We cant separate- Wait! Nicholas was confident in his own strength. As long as he landed a strong blow on those small-looking knights, he was sure he could kill them in one shot! RAAAAH! With a mighty roar, his giant fists landed toward the Knight of Conquest, and explosions of magic erupted as his Mana Break allowed him to ignore and destroy the knights barrier. For a second, Nicholas thought he could win! Your magic has no use against my fists! As his fists rushed down, however, the Knight quickly unsheathed his great sword, overflowing with red flames. In a split second, one hundred slashing attacks covered Nicholas''s bulky arms, covering them with horrendous wounds that barely managed not to cut his bones, blood splattering everywhere. AAARGH! Foolish human, you dare go against me, Conquest?! Conquest quickly leaped forward with his horse, his sword piercing and stabbing Nicholas while covering him with deadly red flames that sapped away his soul essence. Uuaaaggh!Noo! Nicholas screamed in agony, trying his best to resist, but he had become the plaything of the Boss already; his ankles were cut so he couldnt move, and his soul was being slowly eaten by his cursed sword! What a delicious soul! Our Master shall be greatly pleased once I present him with this gift! No Why?! Nicholas cried in frustration as he tried to fight, but chains of darkness wrapped around his body. He suddenly saw the other Knights approaching, conjuring magic to keep him in place! NICHOLAS! The four other S-Ranks rushed to help, only for the Knights to intercept their every attack with incredible technique and might. Johns wings were cut off, and his spear was destroyed. Aiyanas armor was crushed, and her arms were cut off. Jackes legs were shredded to pieces, and his chest was stabbed by a poisonous sword. And Francisco was beheaded before he could do anything. No! Dont come! NO! The Undead kept moving forward, every second closing towards the city walls. The only thing every Hunter fighting could feel was utter despair. Humanity, without a doubt, had lost this battle. Nicholas kept praying, but no Tower God answered his plea. He was unaware that it was the Gods themselves that set this up to begin with. Die, human champion! You fought well for such a pathetic ant! Conquests sword moved towards Nicholas''s neck, about to behead him in a second. SLAAASH! Yet. YET! Huh? Nicholas''s eyes widened in shock as a sword made of light pierced Conquest''s head, slowly splitting the knights entire body into two halves and making him collapse over the ground. Above the skies, a beautiful maiden made of eternal light emerged, her presence so powerful and almighty that it made the entire Undead army halt. Her radiance was as bright as the sun, if not even brighter. A-A Goddess? Yet Nicholas slowly recognized that appearance. B-Bing BING XUE! In between tears, he realized that someone had answered his prayers. Fear not, my dear family. For I have come. And I shall not let any of these gods take away the world I live in and the world where my father has been buried. This world is yours as much as it is mine. She spoke with an almost divine voice. Let us protect it together; let us fight together. Rise; this battle is not over. Fight; you have not lost yet. Win; victory is within your hands. With a few inspiring words, waves of Time Essence covered the battlefield. All peoples wounds were instantly recovered, and those who died gruesomely were miraculously revived as their own time was reversed back to when they were alive. Every person who died... They all came back! And this was being filmed and shown on international television! ----- Chapter 28: Earth’s True Goddess ----- Bing Xues Doppelganger leaped off her apartment, which she had left behind to protect her familys house. However, this very Doppelganger ended up being what saved New York City from a disaster beyond anybodys control, which could have rivaled what happened in Russia. Her inspiring words reached peoples hearts. And her powerful techniques, which controlled Time itself, regressed them all to their peak form and even revived those that had died! Such a miraculous thing had never been seen before. No matter how strong the healer was, nobody could revive the dead, not even when they had just recently died. It was utterly impossiblea thing that was thought to be beyond fantasy. Yet Bing Xue here did the impossible. Not only the hunters on the battlefield, but the people all around the world that were seeing this couldnt believe their eyes. Some began to speculate what she was; others thought she was the true and only God of Christianity, who had descended in the form of an Angel to save everyone. Is that God?! It is God; it cant be anything else! He has taken another form, but without a doubt, this must be the second coming of Jesus Christ! Lord Vishnu has come! He has blessed us! He has come to save humanity from their own sins! No, that is definitely Buddha! Oh, Buddha! Thank you, thank you! She she revived everyone? What sort of being is she? Is she truly a Goddess? There was commotion all around the world! Yet Bing Xue couldnt care less about what they thought; her Doppelganger shared all her senses, and even a part of her mind was now controlling it. There were now many essences flowing through her endlessly. Each Realm had different Essences. Mortals wielded Spirit and Elemental Ki Essence, Immortal wielded Immortal Ki Essence, Primordial wielded Primordial Essence, and Venerables wielded Primordial Venerable Essence. And the Realm she had reached, Primordial Immemorial Venerable, was a step even highera whole Realm no other Venerables could ever reach. This was the Realm she was stuck on, slowly trying to get through by first accumulating as much of its Essence as possible thanks to all the Mana around, which helped her produce it rather quickly. However, what about the other Realms below that? What about their Essence? A single droplet of the Golden Dew-shaped Primordial Immemorial Venerable Essence was worth a near-endless supply of all other Essences below it. This was why she had such an almighty power against everything except the Heavenly Will! And after reaching this realm, she was almost completely unparalleled. In a world where such an entity as the Heavenly Will did not exist, it was confined only to its own world. She was without a doubt the Heaven above Heaven! Her body, made of reflecting golden lights with a beautiful dress made of rainbow light, shone like a star above the battlefield. With a mere thought, a million spears made of Photon appeared above the battlefield. {Helios Judgement} Bing Xue activated a Superior Photonic Essence Art, combining all her Essences and further adding the power of her Skills, and even a droplet of her Immemorial Essence! FLASH! The light engulfed the battlefield, and the spears pierced every undead and every Shadow Beast. Their bodies exploded into ashes and disappeared. In just a split second, everything was cleared out, and both waves of monsters were gone in an instant! And above all, the four knights were... Not dead? Hm? Her eyes looked down as she noticed something odd. Conquest had suddenly stuck himself back together and was recovering to fight again. The three other knights were constantly trying to summon more undead. As long as we are together, we are invincible! You cannot kill us, foolish magician! Laughed at Conquest from below. He suddenly leaped into the skies boldly, attacking Bing Xue with his sword. DIE! Such an annoying fly. Bing Xue sighed, waving her hand gently as Conquest was slammed into the ground without any effort, his entire body exploding into ashes and almost disappearing, only for the ashes and his armor to slowly rearrange together. I see how it is, so I need to kill all four at the same time, I assume? Laughed Bing Xue. Youre so hilarious. Dont think thats a clever way to escape death by my hands, fools. FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! With four flashes of light, Bing Xues Doppelganger body instantly divided into four more. It all happened so quickly that the Knights were unable to react before they were pulverized into the ground by Bing Xues kicks, punches, and sword slashes. W-What is happening?! How is she so fast- ARGH! N-No! WAIT! You cant do this to US! You dare talk back to me?! Bing Xue roared. Filthy animals. Perish painfully! All of Bing Xues Doppelgangers cut their limbs off and then pierced their chests, shattering a crystal inside, which was their Core, and then further shattering their Souls! Crack, crack! W-WAIT! STOP THIS! Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! NOOO! CRASH! Everyone saw in utter disbelief as Bing Xue killed four S-Rank Bosses at the same time with minimum effort. The best part was that she even destroyed and then ate their souls, ending their existences completely. Now, there are way too many of those, arent there? She smiled, waving her hand. {Spatial Compression} Her fists closed in the direction of the Black Gates, and all of them immediately were forced to pour every single Undead they had. Five more Bosses were also summoned, making people both panic and feel utter horror. Yet, at the same time, the gates started shattering into pieces and disappearing one after another. Their pieces became bubbles of black light, containing fragments of the gates interior. It seemed that they didnt truly lead to a Dungeon but to something else, the Underworld of the World of Eclipse, which Bing Xue had now taken large fragments from, quickly unifying them with her still-developing Dungeon Sphere. Thank you for the meal. Now, shall we finish this off? All five of you die. With her sword in her hand, Bing Xue cut through the Titan Skeleton, the Ancient Undead Dragon, the Risen Old Hero, the Fallen Undead God Fragment, and the Four-Headed Apocalypse Dragon with ease. Their attacks and law-defying powers simply did not affect her at all; any trick they had below their sleeves couldnt even be used properly, as they were pulverized and destroyed, and their souls only served as small aperitives for her endless desire to grow. As for the rest of the Undead? What are you looking at me so scared for? Do you want to die like your bosses? Bing Xues Doppelgangers raised an eyebrow, noticing every Undead and Monster was still trying to process what had occurred, all of them completely and utterly terrified. One of the skeletons slowly walked towards her and kneeled. And so did the rest of the Undead, one after another. Huh? As Bing Xue was trying to process what had happened, she sighed. No, sorry. I am not going to become your master. Die and become humanitys experience points. She smiled almost cynically, laughing at the almost innocent showcase of honor the Undead had for whom they perceived to be an almighty being that they had to serve. What are you waiting for? Fight and win! Quickly, move! She ordered everyone else, incapable of realizing everyone was so shocked because of what she had done. Or do you want me to force you to move? Y-Yes maam! Nicholas cried. Ahem! Fight! Everyone, fight and protect New York! The war resumed at long last. The Undead were left heartbroken because Bing Xue rejected them, and they were forced to fight to the death against the living once more. She is now unable to go back to the Underworld because she just closed all their Black Gates where they came from! The war still became bloody and intense. The Hunters kept dying again, but Bing Xue simply continuously revived them. Thanks to the new skill she got from that Chronomancer, she could save Immemorial Essence by simply using the Time Essence of Earth to fuel her time techniques. As long as they werent that complex. Like this, an endless battle where humans kept dying and then reviving happened. Then Bing Xue decided to enchant their defenses using her techniques, covering them with Veils of Photonic Essence and enhancing their weapons with anti-undead light magic from the Skills she got after killing those popes and priests. Nicholas and the other S-Rank Hunters were still fighting while trying to process what was happening, and once the battle had finally come to an end, Bing Xue left a strange rainbow-colored barrier around New York and disappeared without saying another word. Just what the fuck happened? Didnt I die? Francisco was constantly touching his own neck. I also died Jackes sighed. A-Are we simply just nothing to her? She can manipulate everything with so much ease. John laughed. Shes truly someone incredible. Ill invite her to my guild, no matter what! Aiyana smiled proudly, perhaps a bit too muscle-brained to think hard enough to realize such a decision was foolish. What? No, Ill do it first! Francisco said. She was clearly an amazing magician! Well, if youre giving it a try, I might as well do so too. Jackes laughed. Fufu, lets see if you get to her first! John smiled teasingly. "Also, why should she join any of your second-rate guilds when she could join the best in the country? Heh. Bastard! Well see about that! Aiyana groaned angrily, pointing her axe at him. Fools Nicholas sighed, facepalming. Bing Xue is simply not a woman you can recruit! Shes someone you must respect and- Nicholas quickly realized they werent listening, chatting, and talking amongst themselves after a battle everyone thought would have been the very end. Although he felt slightly conflicted with himself right now, his Level had risen tremendously after that battle, his skills had developed further, and he felt stronger. Yet he wondered for a second if it could even be possible to reach True Inner Strength, like what Bing Xue showcased. So unbound by the system, she was definitely something better, something greater. [Congratulations, humanity! You have completed the Raid successfully and fended off all foes!] [Raid Score Points have been distributed across all Players that participated in the battle.] [The Raid Shop is now open! Exchange your points for rare products you cant get anywhere else!] [Several Tower Gods are interested in all participants!] Although most Players were overjoyed by seeing these messages, Nicholas only felt anger and frustration with himself. Is the power the System gives to us Just not enough anymore? He looked at his own arms, covered in many recently healed wounds. For my daughters, I need to become stronger. As this happened all over the world, the belief, love, and fascination that people held for Bing Xue spread further across the globe, and their essence became Faith. And this Faith flew towards her Soul and Body, like an endless source of new energy. Her developing Divinity absorbed such Faith, as she felt like she was slowly grasping a new power. Huh, so this is Faith? She wondered, smiling. I didnt think I would be able to harness it from Earth, no less. How interesting. Unfortunately, I have no intention to become anybodys god. I am but a guardian, and I am simply guarding my own home, nothing more, nothing less. As she sighed to herself, she looked in front of her; there were now over a hundred warriors from the Silver Moon Tribe, led by her mates Urbosa and Merkite. Her mother and her sister were also there. They were all preparing themselves to clash against the same Raid that was right outside their village. Unable to price through her barrier, theyve been stupidly trying to attack it for over an hour now. Alright, is everyone here ready? She asked with a smile. Today, all of you will break your limits and become much stronger! Take this first. She said this as she shared a golden pill with everyone, even her two mates. What are these candies? Asked Urbosa. Sniff, sniff, hmm? It smells a bit bitter. Said Merkite, making a weird face. Haha, it MIGHT be a bit bitter and distasteful. But this is a special medicine thatll help you open your Meridians! Bing Xue said as she patted the big and strong shoulders of her tall mates. Everyone, make sure to eat this pill! Once you begin hunting monsters, your levels will rise, which will generate more mana. This mana will help your cultivation progress rapidly. I want to share my power with you all, so you better work hard to attain it! Yes! We will, chief! We shall fight! Let us protect our home then! All warriors roared in unison as Bing Xue led them to battle the undead. Their weapons and armor were also brand new, made by Bing Xue inside of her Inner Realm, using the scales, bones, claws, fangs, and horns of the draconian returnee she had fought and killed before. The armor made from his black scales could reflect most magic, and the weapons made from his bones and fangs could pierce through most defenses and magic barriers. The army of beastly warriors massacred the Undead much more easily than the humans. And Bing Xue didnt even have to revive any either! Certainly, humanity cant easily compare with the inhabitants of the Tower Bing Xue sighed. But whats this feeling of joy? To see them grow strong. Haha, it reminds me of when I was raising all those people in my Sect Bing Xue recalled the few good memories back on Murim and realized that perhaps it was time for her to continue the legacy of the Heavenly Martial Court here now. To bring order and stability to the chaotic Tower. One step at a time, of course. All ten waves and all ten bosses were defeated within three hours. The warriors became so strong, compared to before, that they had a hard time believing it themselves. Above all, Bing Xue had also extracted ten more large fragments from the Underworld as she closed the Gates! The Dungeon Sphere in her hands continued to grow larger and more complex. This Dungeon I think I have some ideas on how I could use it. ----- Chapter 29: A Peculiar Legendary Pet! ----- Hmm, so fluffy~ I was currently resting my whole face over Merkites big and fluffy thighs; just being here was already better than experiencing the nine heavens enlightenment. Also, she had a very aromatic smell, like a sweet combination of honey and all kinds of wildflowers. It must be because of the special soap and shampoo I shared with her and Urbosa. Because they have such dense and fluffy fur all over their bodies, the smell of the shampoo and soap stays much longer than on just bare skin. So they smell really nice and sweet. You worked hard today, there, there. Merkite was pampering me, caressing my head while giving me little kisses from time to time. You can sleep on my thighs as much as you want, dear. Hmm~ Then I might take that offer. I rubbed my face on her legs. Goodnight then~ As I tried to sleep, however, I couldnt. I was constantly awoken by the sound of hundreds of soldiers laughing and celebrating. We had just finished the raid that happened over here. Ten Waves of Undead and ten super S-Rank Bosses, all slain easily. The same happened over in New York and also in Nexus City, although some players arrived from higher floors, some of Level one thousand and above, and were notified after learning there was a raid. Unlike back on Earth, raids and Dungeon breaks arent the end of the world. Players from higher floors will quickly come to reap all of the benefits and steal the newbie''s opportunities rather greedily, but at the same time theyll save the city from danger. Well, not like it even ran through any danger; there was my Primordial Nine Heaven Protection Domain set there, so the Undead were never able to get inside. I took out my phone as I received some messages from Peperina, with whom I was getting some updates about the situation. However, before I could read anything, she called me. Yes? Peperina? Ah, L-Lady Bing Xue! Yes, its me! I call you to tell you that the raid here has also been finished." Im so happy! Well done! I didnt have to do anything myself; it is relieving to know there are many strong people there. We wouldnt have been able to survive without the amazing barrier you set up, though! A lot of people dont know that yet." They dont really need to know anyway, dear. Im glad youre okay. Y-Yes, thank you so much for saving us, though. That barrier did more than you imagined... The Monsters were simply unable to enter at all! It was amazing! I bet it must have been amazing; I am quite incredible compared to the rest. I have to admit it sometimes. I wasnt going to act humble and shy away from praise. I recognize my strength and how hard Ive worked to obtain it. To brag about it and feel happy about how strong I am is not something that I wont do. In fact, it is something I will continue to do because I feel I deserve that much after everything Ive gone through. Y-Yes, you sure are! W-Well, what are you doing now, by the by? I am over at Urbosa and Merkites tribe village; we just hunted our own wave of monsters as well, and the warriors are celebrating with ale and roasted meat. I see I was wondering, err, maybe this is a bit weird. No, never mind. Come on, just say it, girl. If you have any time in the week, would you like to hang out? I want to invite you to eat something. To thank you for what youve done for the city, of course! Ah, shes such a cutie. Of course! I would gladly accept that. Ive seen your Instagram; you post a lot about food, but youre always alone eating it. Some company wouldnt be so bad, wouldnt it? Y-Yes, exactly! Then what day would you like? Err, this weekend? Saturday? Alright~ Lets meet outside the adventurers guild then!" Yes! T-Thank you! Im so happy right now! I cant believe it! Hahaha, calm down, calm down, its alright. Lets have fun together once the day comes, dear. Thank you I-I have difficulty making friends because I am so nervous around people when Im outside of my work. Its weird, isnt it? But with Lady Bing Xue, it might be different! Arent you a cutie? Alright, I hope it is different then. C-Cutie?! Yes, youre very adorable; who wouldnt want to be your friend? A-Ah, nobody had ever said such words to me Thank you. T-Then, l-lets see by that day! Yes, goodbye~ The call was closed as I pocketed my phone back inside my Inner Realm, I looked up at Merkite, who was giving me a teasing smile. I had expected her to get a bit jealous, and I was ready to apologize, but in fact, she seemed happy. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Was that the little rabbit girl from the adventurers guild, dear? Y-Yes Were just friends, though; dont worry about it. Theres nothing to worry about! I wish you the best with her as well! The more mates there are, the stronger the leader of the family usually is. Because youre so mighty, you deserve more mates. I-Is that so? Thats quite a peculiar belief. Well, it originates from the belief that a strong leader of the family will also sire a lot of strong children; therefore, more mates mean more strong children, strengthening the villages foundations. So thats how it is... Well, I sadly cant sire children with another girl, so- Hmm, unless? Unless? Merkite suddenly started wagging her tail. Ahem! I-I, never mind I said. I dont know if I am ready to do that yet. Whatever might that be, my love? She wondered, feeling really curious. Y-You dont need to know right now- Uwagh! She started licking my neck. Tell me~ Tell me~! She continued asking me. Hahaha, enough, that tickles! I laughed as she then embraced me over the grass. We ended up rolling over the grasslands while kissing and playing like two dumb girls. Despite being such an ancient venerable, I couldnt believe how I was acting right now. These girls surely brought out my inner girl. In the end, we landed by a nearby tree, and I started kissing her neck and lips while she gave me cute little wolf noises. Hey, its not like I am taking her or something, okay? I told Merkite, feeling slightly guilty about the whole Peperina talk. Youre still my mate. Fufu, its fine~ She said this as she accepted my kisses and started grasping my buttocks tightly. I liked her too, that rabbit girl; shes really cute. I wanted to give her a little bite, but Ill bite you instead for now~ She started biting my neck gently. Nnggh, you! As I was about to get lewder while hiding beneath the trees shadows, someone came running. Actually, two people! Hey! Arent you two too relaxed? Come on, lets move back to eat lunch! Said Urbosa, arriving just in time before Merkite were to get any lewder with me again. Woah! Look mommy! Papa and Auntie are getting on it! Hekita said this while slightly curious. Will I get a little sibling now? E-Eh? I dont know Laughed Urbosa, slightly nervously. A-Ah, sorry, yes, yes, lets go eat then! I nodded as I quickly tidied my hair back to normal and covered myself some more. We can continue later anyway." Merkite slapped my butt. Hey! I felt both slightly offended and excited once she did that. Leaving aside my sexual life, things continued smoothly after I saved New York. As it was already stated with Peperina, Nexus City was mostly saved by the high-level players; I had to do little to nothing to help them, only leaving the barrier I had set up a few days ago there. As for the raid here? Well, it was easily cleared in a few hours. The amount of EXP given was enough to make most warriors gain at least a hundred more levels. Merkite and Urbosa reached Level 300 as well, so they had progressed quite nicely. My mates were definitely not going to stay weak, not at all. Also, about the Cultivation aspect, my special technique worked wonders. It was a special Runic Arrangement I had set over the warriors bodies, allowing them to further improve their bodies and internal fluctuation of Ki as they hunted monsters and Leveled Up. Now most of them were about to reach the peak of Rank 1 quite easily, while my two beauties were now ready to get their Inner Core. Ill help them get it refined later, and Ill make sure to make their Cores of dual elements as well. And about my mother? She thankfully woke up halfway through the Raid and joined the ranks of the warriors, gaining herself many levels as well. Urbosa and Merkites grandmother also came to visit us but didnt join the battle, saying she was too old to get herself into fighting. And about my sister and her dumb boyfriend? I helped her go pick him up using a Doppelganger, and both were now enjoying the farm right behind my mates house. Hahah, no! Look, hes licking me all over the face! Ugh! Ruby was playing with a young calf that was licking her face playfully. Hahaha, hes really playful. Are you hungry, little guy? Juan patted the Wild Bull calf as the little calf gave him a kick on the legs. BAAM! Argh! J-Juan! Ruby panicked, but Juan was tough enough to not get his legs broken. The calf was unaware of what it was doing, jumping around. That was really cute! I might reward that little calf one day. Once we got inside the twins house, we were greeted by a rather surprising scene: my mother making out with the twins grandma. Hmm~ Ashen, w-wait, theyre here! My mother slowly pulled out her tongue from Ashens mouth. Oh, my granddaughters! Good morning; it seems a lot happened today. Ashen greeted us with a firm and wise tone of voice, completely ignoring the fact that she was sucking my mothers tongue lewdly just a few seconds ago! Grandma! Did you have to come here to make out with our mates mother? Sighed Merkite, crossing her arms. Well, leave them be; theyre part of our family nonetheless. Said Urbosa, smiling. Usually grandma doesnt hang out with the person she spent a night with, though; are you two compatible? Hm, mother-in-law? E-Eh?! I-I dont know. Shes just so fluffy and kisses really well, so Uuh, sorry, Katherine, is this embarrassing? My mother was trying to bear with this. Nah, dont worry, Mom, you do you. I shrugged. Just happy for you! I hope you two can get along. Ashen, right? You better treat my mother nicely, alright? I said, with a slightly menacing tone of voice. A-Ah, yes, honey. She nodded, looking like an intimidated puppy. Your mother, shes very beautiful and gentle. It has been a while since someone has stirred my old heart. I am just as happy that she accepted me despite my age. Well, you dont certainly look old to me, Ashen. My mother giggled, patting her shoulders. Our fur turns grayer the older we are; I am surprised you cant realize that, but you keep saying I am cute Ashen was slightly embarrassed. Youre really cute and fluffy, though. I can see why my daughter loves your granddaughters~ My mother rubbed her face on Ashens fluffy neck. Sheesh, if youre saying that again, you better prepare for the consequences. Ashen licked her lips as the two started kissing again. Theyre really in love, alright. Ah! Do I look like that with the twins too?! I havent realized, but it must have been quite embarrassing too, huh? Honey, can you help us cook something for lunch? Urbosa asked me with an adorable smile. Yes, of course. I smiled, quickly joining in with the cooking. As always, I sneaked inside all kinds of special ingredients from my Inner Realm, even a big golden egg I had stored inside for some reason. Whats this egg? Wondered Merkite. Some sort of magic bird egg? Just break it. Said Urbosa. Sure~ Merkite cracked it open as a pink and golden-colored yolk came out. SPLASH! As it fell over the frying pan, it opened two big, cute blue eyes. Puwaah! Boing! It leaped off the frying pan and into my head. Huh? Wait a moment, wasnt that egg?! Oh, I think I understand what that egg was. Did I really forget that? Maybe because it wasnt that important in my head to even care about, I guess. What is that slime thing? Can we eat it? Merkite asked. No, this is Well, it is apparently a Legendary Pet? I wondered. Puwaah! Buwah! The little pink and golden yolk-like slime started leaping over my head. Its really cute! Urbosa giggled. Just what is this thing anyways? I wondered, grabbing it with my hands. Ooohmmm! However, out of nowhere, it opened its mouth, revealing a black hole inside. A suction force emerged from within as the creature devoured half of the pile of ingredients I had placed to the side in a flash. Burp This damned thing ate all my ingredients! ----- Chapter 30: Delicious Divinity ----- This little creature wasnt an egg yolk after all. Although I got slightly scared it might have been born ahead of time, the egg had just reached the 30-day quota. How? Well, I accelerated the time of my Inner Realm and simply made it ready in just a day or two. While my sister got that overpowered Doppelcat named Felix, I acquired this type of Slime Monster creature. I didnt know what it was, and once I checked its status, I was given just a bunch of errors. It was as if the system was unable to assimilate with this little buddy, so it showed all sorts of gibberish. By merely analyzing the entity with my eyes, I could tell why that was the case; it contained a large quantity of the power it inherited from me, including the Immemorial Primordial Essence. It had become an entity beyond the Systems control, and it apparently instinctively refused system integration too. But from the information I got using my Heavenly Eyes of Deciphering, part of the many abilities contained within my Nine-Colored All-Seeing Eyes, I learned it was called Primordial Voidling," and it apparently was an entity of the Void, something I had not seen before. A natural inhabitant of the Outer Cosmos, beings that thrive in the void itself! Puwaah~ However, she or he was way too adorable to fit such a name and title, already beginning to nap over my head after eating all it wanted. It sure is cute, though! My sister said, analyzing the little slime ball. It reminds me of a video game character we used to play a lot back then, big sis! Remember? What was the name? karb kirbo? Kirby! I said. Hahah! Yes, it is quite similar! It does have that pink color and the blue eyes. And it can absorb things by inhaling them as well. Okay, Ill name you Kirby then. Buuwah Little Kirby continued to sleep soundly. Are you even listening to what I said, you?! I was about to grab him and stretch him, but Hekita was fascinated by the pet. Papa, can I carry Kirby? She asked, looking really hopeful. W-Well, if you want to, Here. I gave it to her. "Kirby, dont do anything dangerous to her; you heard me? Biwiwi Little Kirby nodded while trembling like gelatine before my pressure. Hekita grabbed him and started stretching him, biting him, slashing him, opening him, and even putting him inside her mouth and spitting it. Hehehe, hes so flexible! She laughed as she stuck him to the ground and started running out of the house to see how far she could stretch him. Guwiiii! Kirby cried. Suddenly, it let go of Hekita and came back together into its compact form. Guhh Hehehe, there you are! You shouldnt have escaped yet! Hekita was looking down at Kirby with menacing eyes only a child could have. Well, have fun with him~ I shrugged as I started serving lunch with my mates. Everythings almost ready, though. Hekita, go wash your hands. Okay~ Hekita ran to the bathroom and washed her fluffy hands with Kirby resting over her head. I served a bit of a feast for my whole family, including the idiot Juan, who I guess was family too. Though I dont particularly enjoy seeing guys in my family, I am already used to an all-female group, but I guess hes at least well-behaved and respects me. Today we prepared some new recipes I shared with Urbosa and Merkite! Meat dumplings, delicious spicy noodles, spring rolls, tempura shrimps, and also my favorite, Peking duck! I presented them with a meal from the gods. Enjoy! Ooh, this is such a big feast! Ashen was really happy. It sure looks tasty, honey! Well done- Hm! Ooh! My mother instantly took a bite of the meat dumplings. The meat inside is so soft, and it is slightly sweet and spicy? But not too much; you can taste all the meat flavors so well. Theres more than one type of meat here, right? Thats right, my dear mother. I smiled. To pass the time in between many battles, I also made sure to practice the Gourmet Dao back in Murim, so I naturally have learned the way of wielding the ingredients of the world and weaving them into delicious meals that can both boost cultivation and make you feel stronger and healthier. T-This is in another whole level of food; it even glows when I take a bite?! Juan panicked. I am a bit scared, but I cant stop eating." He slurped the noodles without hesitation. Hmm! Sho good! Ruby was devouring the spring rolls. This duck you prepared is so tasty, Bing Xue. Urbosa was devouring it. You cook so well! Youre such an ideal mate! I dont think I will ever separate myself from you now, fufu! I love the duck too! Merkite was wagging her tail, happily eating. Hmm, but this fried rice, and the crunchy shrimp as well! I didnt think those water bugs would taste this good and be so soft! Papa, I want more noodles! Hekita asked me. Coming in~! I happily served her another plate full of noodles. Here are some more spring rolls that you ate so eagerly. Hmm! Thank you! My adorable Hekita quickly started eating happily. As we enjoyed a delicious meal as a family, I decided to finally check the myriad of system messages that had appeared in front of me. Apparently, not only had I gained some experience points from slaying those bosses, but I also gained some shared experience from all the other slain monsters. Ding! [Congratulations! You and your Party have survived and completed three Dungeon Raids!] This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. [Due to the accumulated support and the monsters youve slain or helped to slay, youve earned Raid Score Points based on your achievements.] [You earned +30.000.000 Raid Score Points. You can exchange these Score Points inside the Raid Shop, which sells exclusive items you cant find anywhere else!] [You have slain and helped slay over ten thousand enemies. Youve killed several powerful S-Rank Raid Bosses on your own.] [You used {Extraction} on the corpses of your foes, gaining additional EXP!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [] [Your Level has increased from Level 768 to Level 864/999!] [All your Stats have increased. You gained bonus Stat Points and Skill Points.] [Several Skills have Leveled Up! Some Skills have reached Max Level.] [Once you reach your Max Level Cap, you can further increase it by visiting a Class Rank Up Trial Dungeon, which appears every 10 Floors of the Tower.] [Next Designated Class Rank Up Trial Dungeon: Floor 10] [Because of your incredible achievement by absolutely dominating three Raids at the same time, you learned the [Raid Empress] Title!] [Your {Dungeon Bubble} has absorbed enough [Dungeon Gate Fragments], and it has become capable of evolving into a {Dungeon Dimension}!] [By spending large quantities of Mana and other compatible energies, you can shape, evolve, and upgrade your {Dungeon Dimension} however you please.] [The effects of the [Raid Empress] will further allow you the ability to Raid other Worlds within the Tower, or that are connected to it using the Monsters you raise inside of your {Dungeon Dimension}!] [Based on the number of lives your monsters take, you will earn large quantities of Faith Points and Dungeon Points, which you can use to further upgrade your {Divinity Tree} and your {Dungeon Dimension}.] There were a lot of new weird words I hadnt heard before. So I can use this new Title to raid other worlds? How strange! I wouldnt really like to take away innocent lives, so I might skip this entirely unless I can find worlds simply filled with wild monsters or beasts. Hmm, this could perhaps work to raid an enemy base, though. As for its functions, Faith Points have been named once more, and something else is called Divinity Tree, yet I possess none of such things yet. I suppose the System is somehow trying to process things I have with things I dont. Nonetheless, a Dungeon Dimension sounds like an interesting new little toy to play around with later. But there were annoying notifications as well [The Skill: [God Predator (SSS): Lv5] Skill effects have been activated. You have devoured the Divinity Fragments of twenty Avatars of the {Lord Of Deep Darkness}!] [All your Stats have increased by +40.000] [You gained +30.000 Divinity.] [You learned the Classless Skill: [Demonic Conquest Blade Techniques (SS): Lv1] [You learned the Classless Skill: [Demonic Death Scythe Techniques (SS): Lv1] [You learned the Classless Skill: [Demonic Pestilence Spear Techniques (SS): Lv1] [You learned the Classless Skill: [Demonic War Axe Techniques (SS): Lv1] [You learned the Magic Skill: [Demonic Book of The Dead (SS): Lv1] [The Skill: [Divine Class Absorption: Lv4 (SSS)] Skill effects have been activated. You have devoured the Divine Classes of the Avatars of the {Lord Of Deep Darkness}!] [You devoured the [Apocalypse Knight of Conquest] Divine Class!] [You devoured the [Apocalypse Knight of Death] Divine Class!] [You devoured the [Apocalypse Knight of Pestilence] Divine Class!] [You devoured the [Apocalypse Knight of War] Divine Class!] [You devoured the [Great Undead Servant] Divine Class!] [You devoured the [Corrupted Necromancer] Divine Class!] [You have earned +25.000 Skill Points!] [For having slain several Avatars of a Tower God, you gained +20.000.000 Credits.] [The Class Skills: [God Predator (SSS): Lv5] [Divine Class Absorption: Lv4 (SSS)] have Leveled Up!] [The Tower God {Lord Of Deep Darkness} is screaming in utter agony as youve eaten over twenty Divinity Fragments imbued into his twenty different Undead Avatars!] [He feels too weakened! He has fallen into a deep slumber within the Underworld!] Oh, hahaha! So that was why I felt so powerful after slaying those monsters. My Mana increased so much, as did my Divinity! I was really slowly reaching this new Realm of the Gods. And I could have never guessed that just killing a bunch of random Undead would somehow weaken this stupid God. Did he truly, by all that is sacred, send his strongest Avatars to die like that? I cant believe the level of stupidity these Gods possess. They completely deserve what has happened to them at this point. With this level of foolishness, you simply cant lead the world. And asleep or not, it is not as if it were to matter to me anyway. I will now proceed to destroy his entire sect, just like I did with that goddess of light, who has become oddly silent since then. Very well, for now, I shall excuse myself for an hour or two, I said, standing up after we finished our meal. Where are you going? Urbosa wondered. Are you going to the city, by any chance? We can come with you if you want! Merkite said. No, my dears, this is a more personal problem I must solve. Lets say I must now purge the other side of the spectrum, if you understand what I mean. I winked at them. Huh? What? They were confused. Well, I will simply go kill every single member of the cult of the God of Deep Darkness, or whatever hes called? Well, maybe not everyone, I will see into their minds and memories, those that might not be as bad could receive another punishment. I said. Is that clearer? Oh, yeah, definitely. Nodded Urbosa. So youre Huh?! Really? Will you be okay? Merkite asked. Please, dont ever, ever worry about my safety. I smiled. If anything, pray to the spirits that Ill be merciful against them~ FLASH! I disappeared from the scene as my body moved at lightning speed across the entire world of Eclipse. I first decided to visit every big city where there was a cult organization hiding. I used all the information I gained from reading the minds of the cultists I hunted down some days ago to easily guide me through all of their hideouts. One after another, they died like flies, their bodies splattered into countless tiny pieces by the mere presence of my Immortal Will crushing them down. The pressure alone was enough to kill all of them, without exception. It wasn''t until I reached the other Continent where... Actually, no, nothing changed. They all continued dying like flies. I ended up fighting five more Avatars, all dead, with a single swing of my sword. They tried to transform into all kinds of dark and eldritch horrors using similar strategies to the priests and saints of the church of light, but it was completely meaningless. W-Why are you doing this?! We havent done anything to you! U-Unlike the Church of Light, we have not even dared to fight you! The last member screamed the dark gods strongest Avatar, a dark elf man named Erebus Alldark. Apparently something like the Archbishop for this dark god. Silence, demonic cultivator scum. Dont you feel any shame asking me for mercy when Ive seen thousands of corpses from the people you sacrifice daily to your evil god?! I pressed my hand tighter on his tender neck. You have no right to ask for mercy! Like the damned dog you are, you will die like one. AAARRGH! He was unable to fight back; all of his mana now belonged to me. I tightly pressed my hand into his neck, and as his neck exploded into a burst of blood splattering everywhere, his head sent flying into the ceiling and then breaking open, falling back into the floor. Hah I think Im done now. I waved my hand and quickly threw away the blood and brain pieces stuck to it. Kirby, can you clean everything like before? I called my little Voidling. Puguuu~! Kirby bounced onto the floor, opening his maws and revealing a black hole inside. And then he swallowed everything. ----- Chapter 31: I Will Give You Opportunities, But I Will Not Be Your Support ----- Ding! [You have slain thousands of Evil Cult Members.] [You used {Extraction} on the corpses of your foes, gaining additional EXP!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [] [Your Level has increased from Level 864 to Level 887/999!] [All your Stats have increased. You gained bonus Stat Points and Skill Points.] [Several Skills have Leveled Up! Some Skills have reached Max Level.] [After having massacred the Evil Cult of the {Lord Of Deep Darkness}, you have acquired the [Destroyer of the Evil Cult Of Deep Darkness] Title!] [Your ruthless and monstrous massacre of countless lives has earned you the Classless Skill: [Bloodthirsty Warlord of the Battlefield: Lv1]!] A new Title and a new skillinteresting, I suppose? I havent checked the new Titles in a long while, and I have an ever-growing disinterest in doing so. They feel more like dumb achievements. Though sometimes, theyll carry incredible abilities, nonetheless. And about Skills, this one seems rather long named, though if itll help me slay more foes more easily, it wont really be of use because I can already do that, won''t it? As always, the system is such a hit-and-miss, most of the time giving me redundant abilities I already have. Nonetheless, my special Class at least never disappoints. [The Skill: [God Predator (SSS): Lv6] Skill effects have been activated. You have devoured the Divinity Fragments of five Avatars of the {Lord Of Deep Darkness}!] [All your Stats have increased by +15.000] [You gained +8.000 Divinity.] [You learned the Magic Skill: [Demonic Abyssal Grimoire Of Deadly Curses (SS): Lv1]!] [The Skill: [Divine Class Absorption: Lv5 (SSS)] Skill effects have been activated. You have devoured the Divine Classes of the Avatars of the {Lord Of Deep Darkness}!] [You devoured the [Evil Cult Supreme Leader] Divine Class!] [You devoured the [Dark Priest Of Shadows And Blood] Divine Class!] [You have earned +5.000 Skill Points!] [For having slain several Avatars of a Tower God, you gained +5.000.000 Credits.] Not bad. I felt my Divinity continuously grow larger; the tiny golden sphere was now several times larger than before. I could already feel itthis developing Divinity, and the Mana I am constantly gaining and absorbingit''ll definitely help me break through my bottleneck as a Primordial Immemorial Venerable. I just need to keep amassing more of this Divine Power and Mana, and itll be completely possible to finally ascend into the Immemorial Void Realm! And thankfully, these Gods'' followers are full of this juicy energy, which they seem so stupidly eager to give to me by offering themselves on a silver plate. And about the Divine Classes, I now had quite a huge sum of them. ----- Stored Divine Classes: [Radiant Light Divine Archbishop] [Brilliant Mother Of Light Holy Saintess] [Divine Radiant Templar Of Holy Light] [Abyssal Dark Sorcerer] [Dark Enslaver of the Deep] [Evil Abyssal Torturer] [Divine Chronomancer] [Apocalypse Knight of Conquest] [Apocalypse Knight of Death] [Apocalypse Knight of Pestilence] [Apocalypse Knight of War] [Great Undead Servant] [Corrupted Necromancer] [Evil Cult Supreme Leader] [Dark Priest Of Shadows And Blood] ----- I should combine them into stronger Classes and give them to my mates at the very least. Or maybe I should make something really powerful for little Hekita, who should be able to soon awaken as well? Well, theres something else bothering me right now, though. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. T-Thank you so much for saving us from the tyranny of the Evil Cult! A beautiful woman with long, cascading silvery-white hair, dark purple skin, long ears, and sharp yet humble red eyes kneeled before me. She was wearing ragged, worn-down clothes, showing her skin in several parts. Despite how she looked, she was a former Queen. Well, Im glad youre alright, I said. Although I didnt really come here to save you, I had come here to kill the evil cult completely. It seems that they still had a few thousand prisoners within their headquarters, though. So what was your name again? I-I am Queen Grayrose; I used to rule the Queendom of Dark Elves here a few years ago. However, my own negligence ended up allowing the Evil Cult to... capture us all and use my nation as a mere reserve for sacrifices. Sighed the dark elf woman. A-And thats why you found us here My population, I Its alright; first, let''s get you washed out. I waved my hands as a wave of refreshing light encompassed her entire body, healing her wounds, cleaning her body, and repairing her clothes. Ahh! She gasped in surprise. I-I am completely recovered?! E-Even my clothes! Could you be some great sorceress? No, I am not a sorceress; I am a Primordial Immemorial Venerable, I said with a firm tone of voice. It wasnt in my plans to take care of people, though, and it isnt now either. Ive already healed your people, repaired their clothes, remade their capital, and left enough money and food for you to survive for at least a year. Itll be up to you how you recover, though; Ive done enough, I believe. Y-Youve done so much, even after saving us?! The Queen gasped. Please, wait, dont go yet! She started chasing me as I began floating into the sky. Stay, at least for a day; it is the least we could do to show you our sincerity and hospitality! I cant. I have important issues of my own. I spoke. But I might come to visit you again in the future. I could stay here and protect you using my abilities as well, but that would defeat the purpose of wanting to see you grow on your own. At the very least, Ive left a barrier, so wild creatures shouldnt be able to attack you at the very least. A barrier? The Queen wondered. What do you mean by a barrier- Ah! Wait! However, I ignored her pleas and quickly disappeared from the scene. The continent of Umbral was rather interesting, much darker and lugubrious compared to the continent of Radiant. It was a place where humans were non-existent and where mostly Beast People and Dark Elves lived. The Evil Cult has been growing endlessly within these lawless lands, devouring every single village and nation they could find and using the people here as sacrifices for their dark god for hundreds of years by now. And all of such injustices were ignored by the Goddess of Light, easily showing how these two gods were cooperating together behind the scenes while making their believers think they were rivals. I had seen this situation myself a couple of times back in Murim too: two factions clashing against one another, generating conflict and gaining from such conflicts while actually being allies in the end. The people of Umbral and their struggles are something I cant worry about right now. The tower has over a hundred worlds; if I were to stop and worry about each and every single person there, I wouldnt get the time to do much else. Unfortunately, my priority is protecting my own world. That means that, although I will free these worlds from their insane gods, I will not work towards guiding them, saving them, or helping them. I might give them some passive protection and some resources, so they start well enough, but the rest of their future will be left in their own hands. This is how I mostly handled mortals back in Murim as well. It was a gigantic world, and to care for every single mortal in existence was insanity. As much as I wanted justice to prevail, evil would always brew somewhere, and it would emerge again. I cant endlessly protect everyone, even if I can live endlessly. If I babysit them for eternity, there will never be space for these mortals to grow on their own. I might sound selfish with such words, but thats what I chose to do. And Ive already decided to live as I please and do whatever I want. Whether my decisions are wrong or not, it doesnt really matter. Im back. I smiled faintly as I descended towards the village once more. Well, this was, of course, an outliner. Because it was the village of the people connected to my lovers, I was giving them some extra privileges. Maybe if that Queen had become one of my lovers, perhaps I would have put more effort into helping her Queendom. And maybe thats why I decided to leave quickly before a beauty like her were to seduce me Although her words were honest and filled with gratitude, I also felt a slight sense of cunningness. She didnt have malicious intentions, but she clearly wanted me to stay with her to protect her and was willing to do things to get to that point. Unfortunately for her, I left before she could do anything. I cant blame her for that; people in any world will do anything to survive. I have to admit, I also did many things I am ashamed of to survive back in Murim. Although I never went to the extent of selling my own body, I did steal and kill from those more unfortunate than me at the beginning of my journey. Yes, it was the darkest years of my life, when I had become nothing but a thief and a bandit. Katherine! Welcome back. Youre here! It didn''t take that long, actually. My train of thoughts was quickly interrupted. To not thread into darker territories, the adorable twins greeted me with happy expressions on their faces. Ah, yes, Im back. I smiled. Sorry for taking a bit too long, though; I was busy dealing with things. With this, both the Church of Light and the Cult of Darkness are gone. The gods should be in their weakest state. Did you really do that? Urbosa asked as we walked inside their house. I am shocked Merkite muttered. W-Will the Umbral continent be alright? It should; I left them some help. If they end up wasting what I gave them, then itll be their fault that they perish. I sighed. I wont help them anymore. I already found a second home here anyway. I caressed their heads as I hugged them both. With you at my side. Bing Xue Urbosa felt slightly embarrassed. Well, if thats what you want, then I will make sure to not leave your side. Youre acting so corny after having done something insane Merkite laughed. I guess it is hard to even guess whats happening inside of your head. My head is a bit damaged; you see. My mind, my thoughts, and my emotions. Theyre a mess after having lived for so long in such a hostile world. I sighed. But slowly, I feel like it is healing. And I owe a lot of that to my mother and sister, as well as to you two. Thank you for showing me love for the first time. I kissed their foreheads. Its fine Really. Urbosa smiled. Come on, lets go rest; you must be very tired. Yeah, let me prepare you some herbal tea from my grandmas recipes for fatigue. Merkite wagged her tail happily. Fufu, thank you. I walked inside their house as Urbosa spoiled me by letting me rest over her thighs on our bed, and Merkite brought me a delicious herbal concoction, which calmed me down slightly. I ended up spending the rest of the day chatting and then napping, trying to simply not worry about things for once. I talked more about my past life to the twins as they learned about the hardships I went through. At some point, they started to cry, pitying the things I had to do to survive. When the night came, there was nothing lewd, they only hugged and kissed me, embracing me with their innocent love. I felt so loved and happy that I fell asleep instantly. I dont remember ever sleeping so calmly and comfortably as tonight. It also helped that they were very fluffy~! ----- Chapter 32: Time To Get This Done ----- The next morning came slowly as I slept peacefully, waking up quite late the next day. As I opened my eyes, I checked my phone to see what news was out there. The news about the complete wipeout of the Church of Light and also of the Cult of Darkness was all over the First Floor News outlets. And of course, because I didnt really hide my identity, my face was everywhere. However, nobody on the first floor dared to call me a criminal. I had already talked with the King of Heavenfell Kingdom, the strongest and largest nation on this continent after all, and weve become good acquaintances. So, this news simply showed that I was the one behind it, but that there wasnt anything else; nobody was blaming me, and nobody was angrily posting news saying I was a criminal that must be stopped. However, the big sign of bounty in my head remained intact, although its price has not increased since then. The God of Deep Darkness had fallen into some sort of slumber, and the Goddess of Light had become incredibly silent, probably deciding to simply hide and regain her power over time while waiting for a fool to come kill me. I also saw some news about the death of this Joseph guy, the Chronomancer. There were large groups of Sorcerers, Wizards, Warlocks, and other Magicians from the Acacia World looking for the culprit who killed him. Although I killed him above the skies of Nexus, not many were even able to see exactly what happened. After all, half the fight was within stop time. Ill leave their search to themselves. If they truly find me and come to take revenge, depending on their behavior, I might kill them or forgive them. I would love to resolve this peacefully, though, so if push comes to shove, I will teach them a lesson, and I might then let them go after I force them into an Oath to not harm me or my beloved ones. Ugh, the same everywhere, huh? The news on the first floor was all about these topics, with endless forums showing the opinions of many Players as well as inhabitants. Some were happy about the destruction of the church; others hated me for what I did. But nobody could really do anything against me. I let them talk and do as they please. Lets see Once I moved to see the news from Earth, things changed drastically. Every news story was about me in a good light. Most news was calling me the New Messiah, and others even called me a Divine-Class Hunter," a speculated rank above World-Class. There was some news about the other World Classes though. I saw Yanisse in an interview, saying good things about me. It was a bit embarrassing, but she overall said I was a good person. I met her once. Bing Xue is a very serious and strong person, and also someone incredibly gentle and good-hearted. However, this doesnt mean you can easily abuse her goodwill. Shes very smart and wise, even. Dont mess with her, and just be happy she saved us. Anybody that tries to take advantage of her goodwill might suffer a fate worse than death. I suppose she got a good idea of how I am. I should contact her soon to have another meetup and hang out. Then there were interviews with Pablo and Jamiel; both had neutral stances about who and what I was. Pablo looked to be clearly disturbed by my immense strength, while Jamiel seemed optimistic and wanted to meet me in person. These three World Classes are like celebrities back on Earththe greatest celebrities, I would say. So naturally, as someone who is seen to be of their caliber, if not even higher, I am becoming a celebrity too. I will go back to Earth once the week comes to an end, so next week, I suppose. For now, I should get to the last things I should do here. With the Church of Light and the Evil Cult of Deep Darkness destroyed, I should simply go and kill the Gods already. Alright, Im leaving. Ill come back for lunch. I covered my two mates with a warm mantle and kissed their foreheads. Hmm? Where are you going? Urbosa wondered. Ill go kill the gods; nothing too much. I smiled gently. Just rest and relax. Huh? Wha? Urbosa didnt understand what I said and quickly went back to sleep. I quickly stepped out of the house and then flew into the skies. I should kill the one below first; hes sleeping, after all, an easier target. I quickly flew into the blue oceans and then landed on a third, hidden, and much smaller continent. This area was completely unpopulated, and it merely had a lot of strong monsters, most at Level 500 and above. It was known in Umbras legends as the Continent of Horrors," and it might be a place where high-level players could come. But nobody has ever come here. Despite how big each floor is, players dont have the time or the powers to easily explore every inch of every world. The first floor is mostly known for Nexus and the surrounding dungeons. The Kingdoms and everything else are barely known and interacted with by most Players. This should be a good place. I quickly gathered Primordial Photon Essence in my hands, shaping it into a gigantic golden drill of over three hundred meters in height. Lets go, Kirby! Time to take a small trip to the Underworld! This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Buugyuuh! Kirby leaped over my head. My little companion was going to be the only company Id have on my god-killing adventure. CRAAASH! I broke through the bedrock of the Continent in a split second, my drill-shaped Photon Essence easily piercing through it all as it endlessly spun downward. In a minute, I was already halfway through my way to the Underworld. I had scanned the entire planet by now, so I knew very well how to get there. I chose this unpopulated Continent because I wouldnt be risking creating earthquakes that could harm the people of the other two continents. There were a lot of monsters dying right now as giant cracks opened across the earth, but I didnt really care that much about those; I was earning a lot of extra Experience Points from that. RUMBLE! Crack, crack! CRASH! The ground below finally broke apart, revealing a huge, wide world below the endlessly thick bedrock of the continent. This was a Realm that should never be accessible to anybody through normal means; only those capable of summoning a special gate to the underworld could go there. It was a place governed by different and twisted laws, though; it is where most of the souls that died inside of Eclipse would land. Either being assimilated by the God of Deep Darkness, becoming Undead Monsters if they had great resentment, or turning into faint Dead Spirits. Were here. I stepped down, falling for at least a whole kilometer before finally landing on the dark ground. As light as a feather, I decided not to leave any destruction this time. The entire world down here was like a gigantic cave system. Barely any walls, an endlessly open cavern space with many black rock spikes, and rivers made of nether, a miasmic substance made from corrupted soul ether. [Warning! You have entered the {Divine Domain} of the {Lord of Deep Darkness}: {The Underworld}!] [The Divine Laws of the {Lord of Deep Darkness} encompass the entirety of his Divine Domain. Any living being that steps here without being his avatar will have their life force constantly drained.] [Once they die here, their Souls will be assimilated by the {Lord of Deep Darkness}.] [Your Life Force is being constantly drained!] [You resisted it.] [Your Life Force is being constantly drained!] [You resisted it.] [Your Life Force is being constantly drained!] [You resisted it.] [Your Life Force is being constantly drained!] [You resisted it.] [] Silence. I waved my hand, deactivating the annoying notifications. Apparently, there was a powerful divine force attempting to take away my life force, but every time it did so, it ended up hitting an invisible wall it simply couldnt touch. That was merely my existence, my presence, and my intent. A being so weak as this God could simply not even dare to take away my life force; it simply was not allowed by my supreme existence. And above all else, I was also able to fight back with his technique. Why dont I do the same with your stupid ability? I smiled. I had walked only ten kilometers towards where he was slumbering, and I was already surrounded by a million Undead Monsters. Ranging from Level 400 to Level 1000. Using my bare hands and imbuing them with an endless stream of Primordial Essence, I grasped the very fabric of his Divine Domain, and then absorbed its powers, repurposing them as a weapon for myself. I quickly combined it with my Photon Essence and created a scythe made of black light with it. What a beautiful weapon Ive made myself. It is made with your own power, dear god. SLAAASH! I swung the scythe horizontally as a wave of phantasmal and dark energies surged, engulfing all the undead. Their bodies exploded into fine dust, and their souls dissipated into particles of blue light. I kept walking, making the same simple move every time. Eventually, I reached the front door of a gigantic black castle, which was protected by a thousand-layered Divine Barrier. It was assembled of millions of Divine Runes, stronger Magic Runes. But even then. Useless! I slashed the barriers into pieces with a mere swing of my scythe, endlessly fueled by the power of Gods own Divinity. I was using his powers against him, and I had yet to even fight him. Crack, crack! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! The barriers shattered like glass, one after another. A path towards the castle opened, and as I walked through it, his most loyal subjects attempted to stop me. Giant knights wearing black and silver armor. Enormous skeleton chimeras, and vampiric zombies. Enough, you monster! We will not let you take another step! Do you even know what youre doing?! Youre stepping into the Divine Domain of our Master and Lord! The Lord of Deep Darkness! A tall Vampire, with long silvery-white hair and sharp crimson eyes roared at me. The man showed me his sharp fangs as he pointed a powerful sword against me. His Level was a bit over one thousand. I swore my Master I would stand here and protect him for eternity, and that is what I shall do now! Because I, the Progenitor Vampire Von Hellseng Allhand Sacred Blood Saint- Your name is way too long I yawned, pointing my hand at him. {Palms of Ascendant Radiance} I combined the powers of my Photon Essence with my Skills, generating a giant palm made of pure golden light. His small body was immediately crushed like a cockroach, instantly turning into ashes as he screamed in agony. Gryyyaaaghh! BOOOM! His soul exploded, shattering into pieces. He had some divinity; he ended up being another Avatar! So that God hadnt wasted them all, I see. Anybody else wants to die for their God? I will generously spare those that escape this instant. I looked back at the other knights. While trembling in horror, they still attacked, roaring at me with all kinds of swear words. I suppose I couldnt expect anything else from this third-rate Gods minions, huh? Then die. I slashed them into countless tiny pieces using my Sword of Yin and Yang, explosions of both darkness and light encompassing my surroundings. Their bodies barely left any dust or bones left after they were hit once. Nobody could take even a single hit at the end. Well, I wasnt going easy on them either; I did put some energy into my attacks. Now, lets see if youre truly sleeping, God of Deep Darkness. I stopped in front of the black gates of his castle as I gently touched them. The entire metallic black door immediately bent to my strength, exploding into pieces after I injected a small amount of my energy. Crack, crack! CRASH! There were no minions inside greeting me, but a single throne made of bones, where an entity sat down. It was completely made of darkness and shadows, yet I could see it had skeletal hands that were sharp and pointy. A black robe made of shadows covered the rest of his body. Two red eyes slowly opened and then continued to open widely in shock. Hello~ Y-You? YOU?! How did you! AH! My minions My Domain! My castle! Why?! WHAT DID YOU DO?! I simply came to kill you, as I promised. I smiled gently. Did you think I was joking when I said those words? Did you think I didn''t had the power to do so? Let me tell you something. FLASH! I appeared right behind him, caressing his face made of darkness with my hand, as Photonic Essence surged from my fingers, which gently wrapped around his neck. I never go back on my promises. BOOOM! ----- Chapter 33: Against a God ----- BOOOM! Primordial Essence was channeled alongside Photon energy; an explosion of blinding light consumed it all. The God of Deep Darkness was instantly blown up, his body disappearing and burning into ashes as he screamed in pain. The eternal light consumed everything; his castle was destroyed, vaporized, and quite literally deleted from existence, and everything within our surroundings was also destroyed. What remained was only me, standing over a huge crater deep within the hard floor of the underworld. I looked around my surroundings and quickly noticed that, despite the attack, God wasnt dead yet. Not dead yet, amazing. So you can take more than one hit. Darkness gathered from all my surroundings. I felt the Underworld itself twist its own laws. The God that governed it all was reformed from scratch, with shadows and darkness quickly gathering above me, forming the figure of a gigantic man made of pure obscurity, umbral darkness weaving itself into a robe, long skeletal claws, and sharp crimson eyes. You cannot kill me. He spoke with a stern voice. Is that so? I pointed my finger at him, and a beam of Photonic Essence erupted. BOOOM! His entire body was destroyed once more, and as the light consumed him completely, nothing was left behind. For a moment, there were a few seconds of total stillness. Yet. I told you its impossible. He reappeared again, the same form, the same shape, altogether above me, looming like a gigantic being that I simply couldnt fight and defeat. He died twice and came back. Hes like Joseph, then? There are some techniques that can reconstruct him completely. And what makes you believe so? He started to laugh at my question, his laughter reverberating across the entire underworld. Suddenly, all the Undead, all of the subjects I killed, came back as Undead skeletons around himghosts, zombies, whatever else there could be, it came back. As you can see, we Gods are eternal beings. Our subjects, as well, are eternal as long as theyre bound to our souls. He laughed. You might have been able to kill my weakest Avatars, but in my Divine Realm, I am supremely omnipotent! Not really, I spoke as I waved my scythe and my sword. Two waves of bright light and dark shadows engulfed the undead, killing them instantly. Ive been studying you, Gods, for a little while since I landed here. You are certainly different than any foe Ive ever fought; your bodies and your existences work differently, yes. However, you can definitely die. Yes, gods can die; I wont deny it. But as of right now, I cant die. He laughed. We Gods are made of the belief and faith of our followers! As long as theres belief in my existence within the world of Eclipse, I will keep reappearing endlessly! I am an absolute existence, the embodiment of Eclipses mortals'' fear of the unknown, their fear of darkness and death. I am the patron god of bandits, thieves, and the wicked! Psychopaths! I am the other side of the same coin, while the Mother of Brilliance is my complete opposite. She loves and cares for everybody and protects them. Meanwhile, I bring them chaos and challenges. Is that so? I asked. So? So! You cant kill me! You might be incredibly powerful for a mortal, perhaps even stronger than me. And because of that, I cant even dare to harm you either. He sighed. However, if we cant harm one another, then lets simply live in harmony. I can become your ally if you desire. We can fight against the other gods; I might teach you a way to weaken them and force them to become your slaves. How cute; youre trying to become my ally now? I laughed. Well, at one point in my life, when I was much weaker, I would have accepted that offer. However, right now, nothing says you cant truly die. If you wanted me to die, you would need to first kill every person who ever believed in my existence. You would even need to wipe out the most intelligent life in the entirety of Eclipse! Do you understand? Your heart is one of a hero; I know it. Deep down, you would never do such a thing. He smiled. You may try to kill me as much as you want now, but you will simply not get any results! Now, either leave or simply stay by my side. The result will be the same. I dont think so, I said, raising my hands into the empty air. You Gods are not "absolute." Although you are fed by your believers through Faith, your existence can still die, regardless of whether your believers die or not. The way to do it, however, is not something most people would know. What? W-What are you talking about?! He muttered. There is simply no way than- AH! His eyes widened as he saw my hands grasping somethingsomething invisible, something not even he could clearly discern. It was the very fabric of his own Divine Domain; they resembled countless transparent threads of Divinity. I was able to easily grasp them by coating my own hands with Primordial Essence. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Stop! Are you trying to destroy my Divine Realm?! Suddenly you became scared, huh? I wonder why! S-STOP! The God of Deep Darkness didnt wait for another second, his endless shadows encompassing me entirely. As I saw countless jaws made of shadows attempting to tear me to shreds, such attacks, however, were nowhere as strong as the Techniques a Peak Immortal could unleash. Each of his blows released explosions of shadows, darkness, and even pure death essence. His abilities constantly attempt to reach my soul. Yet You cant stop me. I closed my hands tightly as I tore apart his Divine Realms "threads," the very fabric of the Divine Realm formation he had created using his powers or skills. He certainly made them rely on a power he couldnt quite understand. I believe even the Gods of the Tower are all subject to the System at the end, and therefore, it makes sense that there are certain things he isnt aware of within the powers he uses seamlessly. Crack, crack! STOP! CRASH! I didnt stop; the Divine Realm was torn open like a piece of fabric. A crack in space opened, which kept expanding as I continued to tear it apart. I moved at lightning speed across the entire Underworld, tearing apart the entire Divine Realm that the God of Deep Darkness had forged for perhaps thousands of years, if not more. NOOO! STOP! I SAID STOP! He grew desperate, countless crimson eyes appearing all around me, firing beams of all-destructive Death Essence, capable of turning most living beings into piles of ashes in a mere instant by injecting them with pure Death Essence. Yet. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Way too weak; youre not even comparable to a Mid-Rank Immortal with such attacks! And you call yourself a God? Youre more like just a puppy to me. RAAAARRGH! He roared with the utmost fury and frustration as his entire Divine Realm started to get, quite literally, folded. I was folding the fabric of his Realm by twisting the space itself; I made it smaller and smaller. While being completely unaffected by any of his attacks, I continued folding and, at the same time, refining the Divine Realm. Stop this at once! What do you think youre doing?! I am a GOD! Give me some respect, at least! HEY! WHAT- UGH! WHAT IS THIS?! However, it was too late; he was now in the palm of my hands, made into a much smaller entity. My way of dealing with Gods was very simple. Because their existences depended on the Divine Realms they possessed, I simply had to fold their Divine Realm into a much smaller form, compact enough to hold them but no bigger than that. Although your existences indeed depend on the belief and faith of your subjects, it doesnt mean you can simply regenerate endlessly. It works differently, is it not? You Gods gain this power as Faith Points, and you use it to grow your Divinity Trees, further improving the clarity of your existences. I explained to him something he seemed unaware of. You kept reviving after I killed you because you continued spending Faith Points to recover. T-Thats! He quickly panicked. E-ENOUGH! Even if my Faith Points reach zero, I will simply earn more and recover again; it wont matter as long as- Ah! Is that so? Then lets give it a go! I laughed, injecting my fingers into his immortal body, and draining him of his endless energy. Thank you for the meal. FLUOSH! UGH?! W-WAIT! STOP! STOP, I SAID! He kept screaming as I started absorbing his energy, and an endless source of Divinity started reaching my body. My Divinity, which had been growing slowly, started shining brighter than ever before, improving by the second. UAARRGH! NOOO! However, my meal was stopped midway through as the God of Deep Darkness mustered all the power he had. I felt like his stats increased drastically as he unleashed his strongest skills, barely managing to slip away from my hands. How? He became part void and part shadow, disappearing and then reappearing behind me, at least a kilometer away. Hahhh Y-You monster! Youve forced me to use my Secret Divinity, the one Ive been forging for a millennium! He screamed. His Divine Realm had been compacted into a single body, making him naturally stronger as well, as all his powers were compacted into a smaller form. Was that the element of Void? I wondered. The only Element I could not assimilate was the elusive Dao of Void! Dao of Void?! He asked. You talk a bunch of words I dont even understand, you insane woman! His body quickly shifted into that of a tall and muscular man made of darkness and void essence, with six arms and three heads. Ill end you. His hands opened crimson eyes, firing Void Beams against me. I felt as if each beam was able to traverse space by deleting it completely. This made it so that when a beam hit me, a huge crack in space was left, with the resulting energy fluctuations generating enormous and destructive explosions. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! He kept shooting and shooting; the impact force of his beams was much more powerful than any ability or attack he had ever unleashed before. For the first time ever, I felt slightly taken aback. Hahahah! You cant escape the Element of Void, woman! The God of Deep Darkness laughed. And this power I owe it to you for having gifted me with such immense strength! I never thought it was possible to refine my Divine Realm and my body together into such a compact form! As he laughed while drowning in his own fake glory, I continued walking towards him, his beams exploding and leaving holes in space, yet these holes and the distortions in the fabric of dimensions were unable to harm me. My Primordial Nine Heaven Protection gained a few little cracks, though, so it was quite commendable. Amusing indeed, the Element of Void; if I can assimilate it from you, itll be an incredible reward! I smiled back at him. Now, now, enough of playing around. Come and die, please. E-Eh?! He stepped back as he saw me appear from within the smoke left behind by the explosion. C-Complete unscathed?! No but thats impossible! Impossible? The only thing impossible here is you ever harming me. I smiled. However, I want to show you what I can do and the extent of my abilities. As a farewell gift. I will show you what you cant become. True Darkness. T-True Darkness? As he started to panic and fire more Void Beams, my entire body turned deep black in a second. I was enshrouded by black, storming clouds and black and crimson lightning surging endlessly, zapping my surroundings. The composition of my entire body changed in a mere split second. {Immemorial Nine Heaven Embodiment}: {Shadow Crowned Black Heavens Physique} W-Wha?! His crimson eyes opened wide as he saw my form change. Much like him, I had become a being of pure obscurity, of umbral, eternal darkness. This was one of the special abilities within the {Immemorial Nine Heaven Embodiment} arts, which allowed me to assimilate Nine different Physiques, all forged using the Nine Heavens of Murim. And the Black Heavens Physique embodied the endless darkness of the black skies. This is the power you will never be able to achieve, I said. Admire it; stay in awe of its greatness. This will be the first and last time you see it. Because your death is now approaching, God of Deep Darkness. ----- Chapter 34: Stand Proud! Fight and Die Like a God! ----- Fear. Utter horror! The God of Deep Darkness was completely awestruck after seeing Bing Xue transform. It was just like him in shape and form, yet she was much more powerful, much more potent, much more... deep? Her very new appearance, her form, and her shape made him start to doubt his own strength and even his own title. Against complete and utter dominance in every aspect, how could a God who has always thought of himself as supreme feel? Like a child who had never experienced the world outside or all the hardships that life gives, he felt completely afraid of it all. He didnt even know what to say or what to do. Bing Xue kept approaching him, becoming shadows and disappearing, only to reappear above him. A dozen enormous palms of shadows descended slowly; his eyes opened wide. Ahhh! He screamed as he stepped back, using his powers to quickly evade a barrage of powerful strikes that made the Underworld tremble constantly. BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! Bing Xue followed him with sharp, crimson eyes spreading through her entire formless and shapeless body. Not only palms, but countless beasts of the darkness appeared. Snakes, spiders, dragons, sharks, crows, and all matters of horror! Tentacles spread, blocking the way for the God to escape. The monstrous beast approached him as he barely fended them off with Void Waves he unleashed from his hands. However, he was constantly wasting his energies, growing more tired than ever before. For the first time in his entire life, the God of Deep Darkness was gasping for air. Hahh Hahhh HAAHHH! He was having a panic attack as the darkness lurked around him. He couldnt see anything but obscurity. And those crimson eyes. Thousandsno, millions of them! Glaring at him, judging him with their endless indifference! Was he a challenge to Bing Xue? No! Was he entertaining to Bing Xue? No! Was he What was he before her? Why was she not killing him yet? What was she seeking out of his reactions, out of his suffering?! Bing Xue, through all her life, had struggled and fought to reach where she was. Even this form she showcased was nothing but the prize of all her efforts. Yet these gods were so different from her that it made her experience an emotion she had almost forgotten. You were given everything from the beginning, werent you? Your power, your abilities, your divinity. Bing Xue finally spoke, her countless dark tentacles wrapping around his body. The God of Deep Darkness kept fighting back, beams of void and explosions of shadows covering Bing Xues body, yet she was completely unscathed. The Horrors of the Dark kept surging from her body, being birthed endlessly to devour him. So what?! What are you trying to say?! He screamed. I had to work very hard for what I earned... So, even though you are so weak compared to me, I cant help but hold a certain emotion I havent experienced in a long while. Laughed Bing Xue. E-Emotion? The god asked. I envy you. She said. W-What? He muttered. You were born with strength; you were gifted a world. But what did I ever have? Just blood, just battles, fear, desperation, tears She muttered to herself without even looking at the God. Hahaha HAHAHAHA! And then she laughed. Her entire body appeared in front of the god, her fists reaching his body. A dozen palm attacks reached him. Each hit sent a wave of pure agony through his entire body. Large cracks started appearing across his divine form. BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! UGH?! His body was launched away, falling over the ground and bouncing several times. The surroundings were a mess, constantly shaking and being destroyed. At any moment, the ceiling would collapse over their heads. Stand up Bing Xue walked slowly towards the God; her eyes full of rage. For being gifted talent and power, are you going to moan in agony as I kill you?! STAND PROUD! GET UP AND FIGHT! SHOW ME THAT THE STRENGTH YOU WERE GIVEN IS NOT WASTED! Y-You! The God of Deep Darkness was, for the first time, experiencing yet another new sensation. The endless desire to fight for his life! Something he never, ever felt before. He had a feeling of wanting to survive, a feeling of wanting to do anything to keep on living, even as he gritted his teeth, even as he bled, even as he cried. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. I dont want to die! So Ill fight ILL FIGHT!!! He rushed towards Bing Xue, their fists clashing against one another, explosions of darkness and void erupting everywhere. The entire Underworld was collapsing. Enormous cracks leading to the center of the planet opened wide, magma drowning most of the Underworld as the two gods fought. If you dont want to die, then show it to me, God of Deep Darkness! You have to fight, fight until the very last moment! BAAM! I have never experienced anything like this! CLAASH! This is life; this is LIVING! BOOM! Living? Even as I die?! The God of Deep Darkness kept gaining countless cracks. He knew it. His life was coming soon to an end; his entire existence was going to finally end. His entire life, he lived without a larger purpose other than to please his followers, to be the god they wanted him to be, to embody darkness, and to create and raise cults. There was a feeling, a desire to grow, which he did passively, over eons after eons of simply sitting over his throne and ordering others what to do. Yet YET! It was only now that he was finally experiencing what it felt like to live and to truly desire to survive. This was the first time he was ever experiencing the desire to live for another dayto win a fight! This exhilarating feeling of being in a battle of life and death made him so euphoric and shocked! His hands trembled, and his body fell apart. Yet he couldnt help but smile. I am smiling? His eyes opened wide as he looked at his own fists, falling apart into tiny pieces. The almighty being in front of him continued attacking him. Bing Xue had no mercy, crushing him with each fist. Each one of her attacks broke him like glass. Hahah Ive finally I am finally living He laughed, his divine body fell over the floor, and an explosion of black flames spread as the last sparks of life left gathered into a single attack, a pure-black spear. I wont die Not yet The spear made of black flames flew towards Bing Xue, and she didnt evade or defend against it, taking it. The spear managed to pierce her clothes and even her shoulder, making her bleed. She could have easily destroyed the attack or blocked it with her defensive abilities. Yet she decided to take the hit and bleed. This is the damage youve caused to me. She explained to him, tearing apart the spear from her wound, as the God of Deep Darkness glanced in awe at a hole where the blood of someone as strong as her was coming out. This was the wound he left on her. I-I managed to damage you He smiled. Haha Hahaha I-I You fought well. Bing Xue smiled. Youve learned my respect, God of Deep Darkness. It is a pity that we had to cross paths in such a way, but I bid you a good rest. In the afterlife, or perhaps, the eternal void where all things come from." Death So this is... death The God of Deep Darkness muttered. An even darker darkness than anything else he had ever created engulfed his consciousness; like a careful mother, it embraced him in an eternal slumber. One he would never, ever wake up from. I lost His existence faded away as Bing Xue absorbed his entire being into her own. Her wound quickly healed but left behind a slightly ugly scar. This was the mark he left on her, as a warrior and as someone who battled for his life. So much power Bing Xue looked at her own hands, analyzing her body. Her dark form became even darker as she felt the entire Divinity of the God of Deep Darkness become one with her. She saw visionssome sort of enlightenment. The birth of the God, the darkness and miasma that gathered within the depths of the Underworld, the fear, the anguish, the horror, the anger, the insanityall of these emotions that were born from the mortals of this world. All of them gathered within him for over a million years. Slowly yet steadily forming him, his pulsating miasmic body continued growing larger and larger, and his roots spread, forming a Divine Domain. The Underworld was slowly born, as his existence and birth altered the very Laws of Reality in the World of Eclipse. The God of Deep Darkness, the embodiment of all that is dark, all that is evil, and all that is death, was born in that moment. As he sat down over his throne, he watched in silence, being what the mortals wanted him to be. Yet throughout all his years, he always felt lonely, despite surrounding himself with loyal subjects. He often wondered if his life had any meaning. Until he met her, Bing Xue. You were nothing but a child at the end, werent you? Bing Xue felt a slight sense of guilt for what she had done, gritting her teeth and shedding a tear. But it had to be done. Your monsters killed my people. And I had to do this. Your existence could no longer be tolerated. And just as she suspected, even when the God of Deep Darkness died, the world of Eclipse remained untouched. Because these Gods were not truly the pillars of the world of Eclipse, they were simply that: Gods. A world without Gods, I will give you this privilege, people of Eclipse. She pierced through the bedrock and reached the surface in a split second. With a wave of her hands, she closed the holes leading to the Underworld and then set her gaze into the skies. Heaven. I am not done yet. She thought. There is another one that must go. By kicking the air, Bing Xue appeared within a split second within the highest of heavens, the highest of clouds, all above it all. Piercing through an invisible Dimensional Membrane and reaching yet another Divine Realm. Unlike the Underworld, this was a beautiful world of radiance and light, of clouds and floating islands. The sun shone brightly above the blue skies as a sea of clouds waved gently below her. There were a dozen floating islands with their own golden temples. Each temple opened its gates, greeting Bing Xue with millions of Angelic Spirits between Level 500 and Level 1000. Certainly, the Goddess of Light was much stronger than the God of Deep Darkness. S-Shes here! She just killed the God of Deep Darkness and is already coming here?! Stop her! At all costs! Our mother has said we cannot let her take another step! Bing Xue saw millions of angelic spirits attack her at once, yet with a mere thought and by combining her Black Heaven Physique with the Divinity of the God of Deep Darkness, she engulfed them all into endless shadows. {Umbral Sea} SPLASH! Her shadows and her darkness changed their form; much like how she was able to manipulate Photon Essence, she now was able to create its dark equivalent, Umbral Essence! Her sea of umbral shadows consumed all of her foes, making them disappear in an instant. Nothing was left behind; the shadows consumed it all. While Photon Energy could be used for a variety of helpful purposes, Umbral Essence was different; it was a greedy energy, a power that desired to devour everything and leave nothing behind. It didnt take long for Bing Xue to reach her destination. After slaying over two million Angelic Spirits, what greeted her were the golden gates of the Palace of the Brilliant Mother of Light. I am here, Goddess. Knock, knock. The golden doors burst open and exploded into pieces before her two gentle knocks revealed the temples interior. There was a single woman of indescribable beauty waiting for her inside. Y-You So youve come to kill me Despite how she had acted before, she seemed oddly serious, with a slight sense of despair in her eyes. You killed my brother She started sobbing. It had to be done. Bing Xue said. You will now join him. Why? Please, lets try to solve this without fighting She started asking her. Please! We can do this in another way; do you need to kill me?! I do. Bing Xue continued walking towards her. "Maybe I could have done it differently, if you didn''t kill millions of people when I wasn''t there." B-But theres so much I want to do left. My world We have to continue climbing the Tower! The Goddess cried, her radiant body shining brightly. Whatever you want to do is not my problem. Bing Xue said sternly. Ive come to kill you, and that is what Im going to do. You will die now, and nothing is changing that outcome. N-No! NOOO! The goddess grew desperate and despaired, her light shining brightly as millions of beams of light flashed, piercing Bing Xues entire body. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! ----- Chapter 35: Avenging Earth ----- RUMBLE! The skies reverberated, and the heavens trembled. The people all around Eclipse panicked as they saw countless cracks above the blue sky open up. Explosions of darkness and light erupted endlessly. Many people believed the end of the world was coming soon. The Players were unaware of what was happening as much as the planets inhabitants. Some more religious people believed that the Goddess of Light and the God of Darkness were finally fighting after eons of trying to coexist within the same world. Others, however, had different ideas. Players believed it could be a new Event happening, but nobody knew how to even enter the Realm of the Gods anyway. The clouds darkened as red and purple lightning started falling endlessly. People across the world quickly hid inside their houses. Many hoped for the end to be fast and painless, or for whatever disaster was about to strike them down to end as quickly as possible. However, the truth was much simpler than that. Above the Heavenly Realm of the Goddess, there was only a single woman causing all of that commotion. Someone who reached the pinnacle of an even more ancient, powerful, and terrifying world than perhaps all the worlds of the Tower combined and multiplied by a thousand. And now, she wasnt the one struggling; she wasnt the one fearing for her life. This time, it was the goddess herself who was crying and desperately fighting to remain alive. Her domain shaped itself around her will as countless beams clashed against Bing Xue. Her body, made of Black Clouds, absorbed the light easily. The Goddess had imagined for a split second that perhaps Bing Xue would be weak against her light in her dark state. But that was farther from the truth; in fact, she seemed to be able to seamlessly absorb her light and destroy it without effort. It was as if her entire body had become a void by itself, absorbing and deleting any light that was absorbed by the darkness. Why?! Why wont you die?! Just what kind of monstrosity are you? Is a mortal capable of taking attacks from a Goddess?! T-This makes no sense! Did you Did you kill my brother in such a similar way?! The Goddess kept crying. However, Bing Xue saw through her lies and those annoying crocodile tears. You should stop pretending that youre worried and sad about your brother already. Bing Xue spoke with a stern tone of voice, her rainbow-colored eyes seeing through all the lies and emotions of her target. You are not different than him in some respects, but much more wicked in others. You were planning to betray him eventually, werent you? Although the two of you are guilty of killing many innocent people from both my world and many others you and the other Gods have invaded, you were still even greedier, planning to kill your brother and absorb his powers. H-How did you?! She muttered, quickly stepping back, her white heels making a loud sound across her golden palace. W-Well, its not like it matters! Why should you care so much about that?! And why do you even care about some measly mortals? Youre even stronger than us Gods, why do you empathize with mere ants? Theyre nothing but resources! The Goddess roared. Resources. Is that so? I sighed. Such a mentality is very similar to Murim too. Mortals were seen as resources by the demonic cults to extract and use. They sacrificed their souls, blood, flesh, bones, emotions, dreams, and everything else they could squeeze from them to ascend to immortality. Countless rituals and abilities relied on sacrifices to quickly empower their users. I suppose being a God is not so different, isnt it? You extract large quantities of power not only from Faith but also by inflicting fear and by extracting their souls. That is how every God works; that is our nature! The Tower welcomes the champions of many universes. We are Apex Worlds! Worlds that triumphed above others. And we, their gods, compete to ascend the tower just as much as you mortals climb it to save your world. The goddess explained. She prepared a thousand swords made of light, charging them with her Faith. It is only the natural thing to do, you foolish woman! It is what we were born to do; this is the harsh reality of our world, of all worlds! We must compete, we must kill, and we must destroy! The worlds must eat one another! The Tower demands it! It is how it IS! No. Bing Xue said as she saw millions of swords reach her body and pierce it. If that is the case, then I reject the rulers of your world and of all worlds! As she spoke with a firm voice full of might and elegance, Bing Xues body expanded into an endless sea of black clouds, absorbing all swords made of light and then injecting them with Umbral Essence and Photon Essence. And unfortunately for you and every other God here. She said this as she smiled defiantly. I have the power to back my words. The Goddess of Brilliance felt a sudden sense of crisis. The sword she fired against Bing Xue all came back to her, not only piercing her body countless times but also tearing through the fabric of her Divine Realm with each strike, and then detonating to create even more destruction. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! No! UGH! What?! This isnt! Possible! Who are you to dare say such a thing?! What makes you think that even with this power, youll be able to go against all the rules and all the regulations that have always existed?! To go against the Tower is like going against all of reality! Youre just mad! She screamed, suddenly growing larger and larger. All her angelic spirits started fusing with her body. YOURE INSANE! Bing Xue raised her head as she looked up into the skies. The Goddess of Light had become a monstrous titan made of thousands of angelic spirits, with tens of thousands of arms and legs and long wings made up of their bodies. Golden eyes covered her amorphous shape. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Insane? She asked, her body suddenly changing once more. If it''s crazy to try to protect the poor souls that cannot protect themselves, then yes, call me insane. If it''s stupid to desire a world of peace and balance, then be my guest; call me foolish. If it''s ignorant to want to see the smiles of the children as they can finally grow up and enjoy a world without bloodshed and fear, then call me ignorant! You are free to call me anything you want! However, you wont stop me from doing the right thing! Because I, Bing Xue, am the Protector of Murim, Mother of all Children, Bringer of Justice, the Holy Mother of Righteousness, and the Creator of the Heavenly Court! Although it seemed ridiculous, with each word she spoke, the heavens reverberated more. The Goddess couldnt understand what was happening anymore as countless cracks kept spreading over her Divine Realm. I am the Heavenly Martial Empress of Murim. She spoke. The first And only one. As she said such words with elegance and strength, her body transformed. There werent just Black Heavens anymore; a second Heaven surged from within her. One of eternal, pure whiteness, the brightest of lights! {Immemorial Nine Heaven Embodiment}: {Radiant Crowned White Heavens Physique} {Physique Combination} FLAAASH! Both the Radiance of the White Heaven and the umbral darkness of the Black Heaven combined as one as the Goddess furiously attacked Bing Xue, unable to understand what was happening anymore. Her dozens of gigantic arms and holy weapons clashed against her, explosions reverberated across the heavens, and the cracks of her own divine realm only spread further. DIEEEE! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! A barrage of hundreds of blows that could definitely kill even Level 10.000 Players that only a Goddess like her could unleash, with all her enormous amount of accumulated Faith and Divine Power, impacted Bing Xues entire body. However, she seemed completely unfazed by the destructive blows, which could perhaps destroy the entire surface of the Radiant Continent. Enough with your childish tantrums! Bing Xue emerged amidst the smoke, her entire body having changed once more. Pure white light and pitch-black darkness merged beautifully through her body. White and black converged together, swirling within her chest, resembling the signs of Yin and Yang endlessly rotating against one another. Her eyes resembled stars, and her hair grew to an immense size, looking like a sea of white and dark light that spread further and further. Bing Xue was using her own hair as a weapon! The goddess quickly noticed as millions of hair threads stopped all her arms at once. Feel honored, as youve been given the enormous privilege of seeing one of my stronger forms. Bing Xue smiled. The {Yin and Yang Rotating Heavenly Physique}! With this, I gather both the Essence of the Light Spectrum and the Dark Spectrum within my body. Harnessing Destruction! She appeared right in front of the goddess monstrous face, punching her with all her strength at once. An explosion of light and darkness erupted, spreading countless cracks through her titanic, aberrant body. BAAAMMM!! Uuuaagghh! The Goddess collapsed over the palace, which was quickly destroyed and crushed to smithereens. Her entire body gained cracks, which she quickly tried to heal, but to no avail. And also, the power of Creation. Bing Xue continued talking; her words were absolute. The Goddess'' countless eyes widened in utter shock as she saw the woman in front of her summon over ten million black and white spears, swords, and axes. Whatever you can do, I can do it better. Y-Youre using my technique?! The Goddess quickly stood back up, her gigantic body overcharging with all her Divinity and her Faith at once. Overflowing with so much power and light that the Heavens completely broke. Countless cracks are spreading everywhere faster and faster than ever before! RAAAH! Her gigantic body reached Bing Xue, only for the surge of enormous pressure to suddenly stop her. Bing Xues very presence was enough to push the Goddess away, creating an invisible wall between the two of them. You should quickly learn your place. She said this as her projectiles descended, piercing the body of the Goddess and shattering her divine soul with each strike. As an insect, you should simply go back to crawling over the ground! Gryyyaaaggh! The Goddess screamed in utter agony. Her entire body had never experienced such pain before, and her scream of both disbelief and agony echoed across the entire world of Eclipse and even reached a few worlds above Eclipse too. N-No! I cant lose here After everything Ive built! The Goddess kept groaning; her body, even as it was being damaged, started rising. RAAAH! Her forms changed once more as she abused the powers of her Divine Realm to recover, shapeshifting into an even more monstrous form, a griffin, resembling a chimeric creature between a bird and a lion. She opened her titanic beak, attempting to devour Bing Xue with a single bite. CRUNCH! For a second, her eyes widened when she realized she managed to devour Bing Xue with a single bite, just as she intended! I-I did it?! However, that thought of happiness and victory lasted less than a second before she felt excruciating pain inside her mouth and then all the way down her esophagus. SLAAASH! A slashing wave of darkness and light cut through her whole body, as the Goddess of light was still trying to process what was happening before her entire Divine Body was split into two halves. Bing Xue appeared in between the two dividing halves and dropped over the nearby floating islands, blood and innards splattering everywhere. A golden and black-colored sword was being held by her right hand as she looked down at the goddess with not a hint of pity. It hurts, isnt it? To lose so pathetically, to be crushed like a bug She spoke, looking down at her. This is how the people you killed and made suffer felt too. When they died, the monsters you sent massacred and devoured them alive. They cried because their families didnt make it. And when they saw entire cities being ravaged and destroyed by calamities, you sent. A-Ah Wait! P-Please! Barely alive, the Goddess began to beg for mercy. P-Please Ill do anything for you! A-Anything! Please dont kill me! I dont want to die! Tears flowed from her eyes. Hahh Bing Xue sighed. No matter how sincere those tears could be, this is your punishment, and I wont back down now or never. When I decide I will do something, I make sure I get it done, no matter what. She pointed her free hand at her. {Yin and Yang Primordial Arts}: {Harmony Between Light and Darkness} FLAAASH! Golden light and black shadows merged together into a small sphere of swirling colors, which slowly descended towards the Goddess. Every second that the sphere took to reach down, the Goddess felt more and more fear. She finally understood at the end of her life. The mistakes she had committed. And the sins she had committed. The pain, the agony, and the fear she inflicted upon millions, if not billions, of people. Im sorry BOOOMMM!!! That she was sorry didn''t mean a thing to Bing Xue. She simply did what had to be done. Avenging her world as its new guardian. ----- Chapter 36: Grieve But Never Regret & The Order Of Gods ----- Countless rivers of golden light and dark shadows spread across the Heavenly Realm. The Goddess was unable to revive or reform herself again as Bing Xue made sure to destroy the Divine Realm through their fight. Crack, crack! CRASH! The Divine Realm of Heaven started falling from the skies. Everybody awake that day saw it through the entirety of the world of Eclipse. Millions of glass pieces started falling, covering the world with bright, transparent snow. The Realm of Heaven shattered, and the Realm of the Underworld was destroyed. Eclipse was now freed from the Gods of Light and Darkness, who controlled their world and the people inside of it as if they were nothing but slaves and Faith-producing machines. However, the skies werent empty. Above them, a single person was flying. The one that slayed the Goddess of Light was a single woman. A human. Yet her body was so different that nobody could even comprehend who she was. Im done Its done. She sighed in relief, ignoring the system messages that were popping up. She didnt have the mood or the time to check that. Eclipses gods have been slain. One world is freed; ninety-nine more to go. She looked at the now slowly falling. Not good; if I let that fall, it might negatively affect the world. Too much divinity spread everywhere could create tremendous chaos. She pointed with her hands. Come to your new owner, Divinity and Faith of the Goddess. FLASH! All the shards of Heaven flew back to Bing Xue, as she absorbed them with her bare hands. Her Divinity continued to develop, her body overflowing with this new power. Now she had absorbed two divinities, divine bodies, and souls from two Gods. Despite being so strong, because these Gods possessed unique abilities she never cultivated back in Murim, she still felt like she had a lot of new powers. Her Divinity, a concept that did not exist within Murim, was now developing tremendously. From a small golden ember, it grew into a dual-colored flame of golden light and purple and black flames. It slowly spread roots and branches across her soul as she felt her base strength rise drastically. And above all, the precious Immemorial Primordial Venerable Essence she had to spend fighting these two Gods was now being restored one drop at a time within the confines of her Inner Realm, as more and more of these golden dew drops were being formed. They fell over a small fountain of this essence, feeding it slowly. Although her Realm remained stagnant at the peak of Rank 21, she had already more or less regained the thirty percent of energies and power she lost through that black hole. To think I could regain my powers this easily, these Gods are shock-full of precious energy and essence. She sighed. However, despite celebrating her growth, Bing Xue wasnt really happy. No, her face showed a different expression, one of guilt and sorrow. She gritted her teeth, looking away into the skies. As someone who has lived for eleven thousand years, Bing Xue had no remorse for the act of killing; she had grown accustomed to it, and she had become one with it. Yet, despite that, always, in the back of her mind, there was a darkness that would come and embrace her with such coldness that it made even her hands tremble. It happened every time she took the life of an intelligent, sentient being. It usually didnt come to her when she was sure the one she was killing was a despicable and irremediable evil. Yet, when she had to kill someone who was not so evil, or when she had to take the lives of those with brave hearts.. It made her feel rather bad. She didnt feel too much when she killed those Mercenaries before, or the Bounty Hunters, or the Church Members, or even the Evil Cult Members. But right now, it felt strangely different with these Gods. Why do I feel this way? She wondered. Is it because they were young? Did I kill some youngsters in cold blood? The Gods were born in a much different way than other living beings, especially the Gods of Eclipse, who were fairly young compared to the others from Towers above her. They lacked experience in life and were only driven by their instincts to gather Divinity. She felt guilty about having taken the lives of people who might have changed for the better. But theres a limit to how much she was willing to forgive someones sins. Especially if these Gods, as inexperienced and childish as they were, had already killed so many humans. Thinking about the innocent people, the warm families, the children, the babies, the mothers and fathers, the grandparents and grandmothers. She clenched her fists. No She couldnt act weak now or ever again. Even after eleven thousand years, was she going to doubt her own actions? I need to only care about my own world, Earth. She sighed one last time, smiling faintly. Ive avenged you, even if a little bit." She looked down, thinking about everyone that was killed when the Apocalypse began. And I wont stop until all of those who took you away pay with their lives. The Heavenly Martial Empress was not going to falter. Her path was already set. The only thing she had to do was keep moving forward. Like she had always done. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. As Bing Xue decided to return to the village of the Silver Moon Tribe, which had already become like her second home, the people across the entirety of Eclipse were completely shaken. Every single statue that somehow survived, depicting the gods, quickly broke apart, shattering into pieces. The scream of the goddess of light was the last call. It was a signal and the beginning of a new era for the people of this world. There are many tribes of people across the first floor, from beast people to elves, dwarves, humans, dark elves, and more. All of them felt it in the deepest part of their souls. No, the deepest part of their existence itself. The two divinities of their ancestors endless faith created the divinities that governed a godless world; they are now gone. Some felt sorrow, and others felt joy. Some were completely neutral toward this. A few seemed to laugh, and many cried. They didnt know who killed them, and they might never learn either. And even if they knew, to face someone capable of killing gods was pure lunacy. There was nothing they could do other than accept it and slowly move on with their lives. Strangely enough, this godless world. It felt almost the same as before. Except for one thing. Hmm The breeze is nice today. And is it my idea, or is it easier to breathe? Peperina said to herself, looking through the window of the Adventurers Guild. Did the Gods truly die? Or was that something else? Many people also didnt believe the act itself. Although stronger people seemed sure, the common folk were not so sure of what they heard or felt. Yet, every single person, those who were aware and those who didnt believe it, could share a similar sentiment. The strong gaze of the gods and the powerful pressure they exerted over everyone were something everyone had learned to live with. It was gone. And for the first time in a while, the inhabitants of the first floor. Felt free. As if invisible shackles they never realized were weighing them down were finally lifted. Bing Xue I wonder what youre up to at this hour. The rabbit girl wondered as she checked her phone. I-I should be more assertive too, r-right? Maybe Ill send her a selfie while Im having lunch. S-She did say I was cute, right? So maybe she wont mind As the adorable rabbit girl checked her phone and was then promptly reprimanded by her coworkers to go back to work, the world of Eclipse slowly moved on. People couldnt simply sit down and think about what happened. Their lives still went on, and the world didnt end either. And so, the first floor of the Tower to be completely Godless was born. The Gods of the Tower wouldnt take lightly what happened. Only hours after the death of the Gods of the World of Eclipse, the first floor of the Tower, many Godly Presences from Floors 49 and below gathered within Floor 50s Divine Realm. They werent the Gods'' bodies themselves, as Gods were stuck to their worlds themselves. But it was their strongest Avatars, often referred to as Divine Avatars. Something that most God Avatars had no idea of was the true plan of their existence. The last stages of their development included their minds, egos, and memories being completely overwritten by those of the Gods. This process was referred to by the Gods as Full Assimilation and made it possible for their Avatars to become extensions of their Divine Souls, with no minds of their own. It could even be said that accepting to become an Avatar of a God was the same thing as letting them parasitize your Soul, and slowly eat away any sense of self in exchange for great power. Many people thought that only their emotions would be gone. But memories and their entire sense of self were also devoured and replaced completely with the minds of the Gods. Of course, their souls remained intact, and that was one of the things the Gods used to convince Players, making them believe that as long as their souls remained intact, everything would be okay. Over sixty figures gathered together within the Divine Realm of Floor 50, all of them being Divine Avatars of their respective Gods on each Floor below 50. The Tower worked differently; the Gods kept becoming more numerous with each Floor. The highest Floors were so strong to begin with because they possessed large pantheons of Gods controlling them. Therefore, a division was created. The first fifty Floors were all controlled by the Fourth Order. From floor 51 to Floor 70, it was the Third Order. From Floor 71 to Floor 85, it was the Second Order, and from Floor 86 to Floor 100, it was the First Order. Each of these Four Orders was composed of the Gods of every Floor. Even though they were allied in such Orders, it didnt mean they were friends. No, they kept competing and dethroning one another constantly. However, these Orders were first founded by the Pantheon of Floor 100 to maintain communication between the Gods when greater threats that they could not handle alone appeared. It has been thousands of years since our last meeting. The figure of a tall, gray-skinned elven woman spoke, with shiny silvery-white hair, wearing silver robes and white heels, and with completely white eyes. What has happened? Im afraid I am too high in the Tower to have heard any sort of gossip recently, hohoho! She laughed with a mocking smile, looking down at the rest of the Divine Avatars. Empress of the Silver Moon. Suddenly, a much taller figure than her spoke. A Devil man with enormous, bulky muscles, wearing black armor, with two pointy horns, red skin, and hair made of blazing flames. This is not the time to laugh like this. There is a serious issue at hand. I am fairly sure you were also notified. King of Scarlet Sun, yes, I am well aware. Geez, do you have to be so serious all the time? The woman sighed, crossing her legs, and then sipped some wine. I cant believe what happened! Sniff, sniff Those two were still young Gods! Who could have done something so horrible as to slay them?! Was it any of you?! A man amongst the many Avatars cried, with golden skin covered in bronze-colored draconic scales, three bronze-made horns atop his head, and a bulky and large, muscle-packed body with a long tail and red-colored eyes. Despite looking so manly and strong, he was crying like a little girl. ANSWER ME! He summoned a giant bronze axe, pointing it at the other gods, who quickly gasped. Lord of Bronze, calm down. This is not the time to fight one another." However, the tallest, strongest figure amongst everyone finally spoke. The Avatar of the God of Floor 50. His appearance was nothing but overwhelming. Resembling the fusion between frost and flames. It was a giant man made of two opposing elements. Half of him was an eternally frozen ice, and the other half was an endlessly blazing fire, all given the shape of a person. His frozen and blazing eyes looked down at everyone in silence. Despite such an intimidating appearance, this was nothing but an Avatar of the actual God. We must quickly discuss an incredibly important and alarming issue. He spoke with a stern voice. A Player from that small world named Earth has appeared, and in the two weeks she has been here, she wreaked havoc on the first floor, destroyed the two major religious organizations, and then proceeded to kill both of the Gods there. What?! From Earth?! But isnt that measly world already on the brink of destruction? A mortal capable of killing Gods, and one from such a tiny little world as Earth?! "Isn''t that world where most of us have been easily grinding Souls and Faith? What is this? A joke?" This makes no sense! Is this true? The Gods of the Floors over 30 had no idea what had happened; they were too far away to have heard the gods'' screams as they died. However, everyone on Floor 29 and below nodded with faces full of fear and concern. I-Its true I could feel it with my very Divine Senses. The Brilliant Mother Of Light and the Lord of Deep Darkness Both Both died! Cried a woman that looked to be made completely out of wood, with long hair made of green leaves and flowers covering her body, resembling a dress. They died, and so agonizingly! I had never heard Gods scream in such pain before. It was so horrifying. Whatever that thing is, it is not human! I dont know how it came from Earth, but this I fear it might be some sort of plot from the Gods of the Second Order! Theyve always plotted to overtake even our worlds! What? The Gods of the Second Order wouldnt do that! The Empress of the Silver Moon spoke. Why would they care about lower worlds such as ours?! No, she has a point The King of the Scarlet Sun nodded. Hmm Well need to investigate this further. Bing Xue was her name, was it? Yes. The giant, made of frost and flames, nodded. And I had already decided to employ some spies to tell us whats truly happening. We will be notified shortly. Depending on the information we gain, we will take a decision. The gods sitting around the gigantic table nodded one after another. Depending on what we learn, well need to take drastic measures. He said. We simply cannot allow a mere mortal to slay us as if we were flies. If she wants war against the gods, then we shall bring her war. ----- Chapter 37: I Don’t Want To Be Alone ----- As I descended from the heavens and landed on the village, I looked around, finding many of the beast people shocked, looking around the skies. Not many paid much attention to me, having grown used to my ability to fly. However, the twins noticed my arrival quite quickly, running to see me. Bing Xue! Urbosa ran to my side. What has happened? The screams of the Gods! Did you Was it you? It was me. I nodded. Ive freed the world of Eclipse from the two Gods for now. It might be painful for some, but it was something I needed to do. T-Thats You can slay Gods? Merkite muttered, utterly baffled. Just what level of strength do you have, Bing Xue? To do such a thing, you must be a Goddess then? I Are you afraid of me? I wondered, looking at my own hands, as I noticed the twins stepping back from me. They quickly realized their actions, gasping and running to me. N-No, thats not it! I Sorry, we didnt mean to make you feel rejected. Urbosa sighed. We know youre a good person even with such power, but It is hard to process, but you can slay deities. Thats not something anybody could ever do at all. Such a feat of power meant you could even destroy an entire world. It is even more baffling how you carry yourself with such elegance and calm even while carrying so much power Merkite said. We knew you were at least, like, very strong, but this is on another whole level. I felt slightly afraid for some reason. Not of my own strength, but of how my power could drive those I love away from me because they would be afraid of who I am. But that too is something that couldnt be helped. Although I was surrounded by people and allies back then, I always felt surprisingly lonely in Murim. Everyone was always close to me due to fear; nobody truly saw me as a person, but as a figure of authority, or perhaps a natural disaster, a force of nature. Its fine; I wont do anything to you if youre afraid of me or if you leave me either. I sighed, smiling painfully at them. I know what I am; I am a monster; Ive always been one. It is fine; Ive grown to live like this. I am quite used to being alone, but thanks for giving me your company and love, even if briefly. It was clear they were afraid of me; deep down in my heart, I was fearing this day would come, but it came quite sooner than I imagined. For someone like me, a relationship would simply never work unless I met someone equally as strong as me. But I am afraid they might also try to kill me anyway. No matter how much Ive enjoyed life here, it still feels like I am trapped in Murim, even though Ive been out of there for a while now. Murim never left me; it remains within me, even in my own personality, my strength, my weakness, my traumas, everything. I hate to admit it, but I both hate and miss that place. It is a curse that Ill never be able to free myself from. N-No, wait, Bing Xue, stop it! Urbosa, however, grabbed my arm. Dont say such things! We will not leave your side! And it is not because youre strong either. We want to be with you. As her beautiful silver-colored eyes glanced into my own, I felt like I almost skipped a beat. Youve already been chosen as our mate; stop with that depressing talk already. Merkite smiled. Weve learned a lot of things from the life you had at Murim anyway; we know you were lonely, and I dont really want you to be lonely ever again. She caressed my face. Calm down, relax. Its fine. It was shocking, but I am not afraid of you. "And if you want to put it more romantically, yes, your meeting has been brief, but you''ve saved our family, friends, and tribe. To us, that was a great act of selflessness. Our love might feel rushed, but it is sincere. We want to be with you and further develop these feelings." Urbosa sighed. "You''ve already filled the emptiness I felt when my husband passed away, so please... Don''t leave this scar open again. I need you, dear." "I''ve had a lot of crushes in my life, but nobody like you accepted me for who I was... Maybe it might be different in human societies, but the bonds we make as mates are forever." Merkite said. "And even if it might have been earned quickly, our love for you is genuine!" Even now, after knowing the monster I am, they chose to remain by my side. Even when I could accidentally kill them if I didnt gauge and control my strength properly, and even when I could even destroy this world if I ever thought about it, even after all of that, they chose to remain by my side. I Has there been someone in Murim who has ever acted in such a way? I simply cant remember. Merkite I felt like crying, but I resisted my tears. Ive reached such a level of strength after so long, after so much, yet even now, I cant believe how moved I am when you speak with such love in your words. Thank you. And yes, I am sorry; I might have let my own depression take over there. Ill try for it to not happen again. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Trust us, as we trust you. Said Urbosa as she kissed my lips. Alright? Lets talk this through inside our house. Lets go. Come on, lets go. Merkite held my hand and dragged me there. Okay I am quite tired myself. I nodded. I need some rest after everything, if possible. Sure, well make you some tea to relax, Urbosa said. You did a lot today, after all. Are you truly okay with this? I couldnt help but ask. With being with a monster like me? I could even kill you by accident, you know? I might even blow up the whole planet if I get slightly angry! To be by my side after knowing this is insane..." Then call us insane! Urbosa said angrily. Bing Xue, are YOU the one afraid of us or something? I-I No I muttered. I Then stop with that already. Were mates; well stick together until we croak, as simple as that. We live together, we share food, and we share our lives. We sleep together, we see the moon in the night sky, and we see the sun rising from the horizon. Merkite said. Weve chosen you, and you chose us. Urbosa spoke. It is a ritual that must not be broken unless one of us dies. Im sorry, I guess I was being foolish. Maybe Maybe I was slightly afraid. I sighed. Ill try to be better; I will. Its fine; nobody is asking you to change, Merkite said. Youve been yourself with us already! Yeah, Urbosa said. It has been but a week since weve met, but even then, we already care for you and everything else... I am rather embarrassed to admit it, but I enjoy your company. You bring something new to our house, and as the savior of my daughter, my gratitude is also endless towards you. Hekita used to be a rather silent girl before you appeared, did you know? Eh? Hekita?! But shes such a ray of sunshine! I said. Yes, she was... Before her father passed away. Urbosa sighed. It happened only half a year before our entire tribe moved down from Floor 2 to Floor 1. Hekita was only five years old when it happened. I remained in silence for a bit. Im sorry, it must have been very painful." It was, but this is how life is in the Tower. Said Urbosa. Hekita changed since then; she was very lively but slowly became silent and didnt like playing anymore. Years after years, she only focused on learning the basics and then often sat down looking at the skies in silence. And she changed so much with me? But why? I am a stranger I sighed. You might have been a stranger a week ago, but youre now a pillar of our family, Merkite said. Thats right. Hekita needed someone else, a father figure, even if you might not like being called that by her Youve become important to her. Urbosa said. I see I understand. I nodded with a faint smile. Though I would prefer her calling me mommy or just auntie instead of father, I am not a man after all, haha. Noted, well tell her about that once we wake her up. Laughed Merkite. Wait, shes still sleeping?! Such a sleepyhead! I giggled. We entered the house, and we met my mother, my sister, and Juan. They were in the middle of having breakfast with the twins when this happened. Hekita had just woken up too, looking sleepy, sitting over my mothers legs. Katherine! Youre back, dear. Said my mother. W-What happened? That scream Was it truly a god, as they said? Big sis Ruby muttered. D-Did you do something again? Err Well, yes. I nodded. Ill be honest with you. I killed the two Gods of Eclipse. PPFFF! Juan, who was sipping tea, ended up spitting it in shock. S-Sorry, sorry, I didnt mean to! Juan panicked as he saw me glaring at him. I shifted my gaze back to my mother and my sister. Lets talk about it then. I sat down near the table, the twins by my side. Papa beat the gods? Hekita wondered. Awesome! A little girl like her had little knowledge about what this truly meant. My mother seemed conflicted; I could see that in her eyes. And my sister seemed both flustered and a bit shocked. I could see hints of fear towards me. I dont know why, but the fear they showed in their eyes hurt more than any torture, wound, or agony Ive gone through in all of Murim. To be rejected by those I love. I suppose because I never truly cared about the allies I made in Murim, as they often always had secondhanded intentions toward me, I never felt this before. But this I suppose my greatest fear is rejection from those I love. It feels like such a horrendous darkness, a fear greater and stronger than anything. To make them afraid of me... What else will I have left if they leave me? Myself and my strength, nothing else. What different would that be from Murim? I escaped from that world because I wanted to meet my family. I wanted company. I wanted their love again. My only goal through my entire eleven thousand years of life. It was to meet them once more. This is a conversation Id like to have with you alone, with your sister too. My mother said, Can we go to another room? Y-Yes, of course. Urbosa nodded. Hekita, come here, dear. Huh? What are they going to talk about? The little girl wondered. Important things. For now, lets have breakfast, alright? Urbosa smiled at her daughter. Okay Hekita looked at me with confusion in her eyes. I nodded silently as I walked to another tent outside of the main one. My mother walked there in silence; her face looked tired, exhausted, stressed, and furious. All these emotions, which she has been accumulating since I appeared, I could see in her eyes. Katherine. She said. Ive been doing my best to cope with everything so far. I know this world is insane, and I know some people would come to kill us. And I know that what youve done so far is justified in many ways based on how our world has changed since then. But even now, I simply cant. I cant accept what youve done. I remained in silence. Why? It is as simple as it sounds! She said it with a furious tone of voice. My daughter, you killed the pillars of belief, faith, and everything in this world! Do you know what youve done? You took away the spirituality of this world; you took away their religion! And with that, their culture is a part of their lives. A part of the pillars that formed their societies. This is wrong, no matter how much I think about it! You should have tried doing it differently! I thought about it many times, but there was no other way, I said. The gods, mother, killed millions, if not billions, of humans. Theyre monsters themselves; I simply cant forgive them. I had to do it. No! You didnt have to! My mother screamed. Ive accepted it and even helped you fight those that came after your life, but this is too much! You came after them?! They were weak, and they didnt intend to fight either! But if I hadnt done it They would have simply waited for the moment to strike themselves! Mother, these beings dominate the Tower, and the Tower is the one bringing chaos and destruction to our planet! All the people that died, it was because of them! I said. If I dont act and do something to stop them, then what else will be left? Our world is going to end! But even then These godsthey''re beloved by people! You cant take away their pillar of faith like this. It just feels wrong to me. My mother cried. I dont want my daughter to just do all these things She started weeping. My Katherine You were such a gentle girl. As I saw my mother crying, I comprehended once more. This was the result of my own actions. The results of what I have achieved. And the pinnacle I reached. All those Venerables I fought, I wonder if they also went through such things. ----- Chapter 38: A Mother’s New Resolve ----- Eleven thousand years, mother. Eh? I spent eleven thousand years in Murim. This was never false, nor a lie I said. Do you know how much that is? Over a hundred times the lifespan of a person, longer than most of humanitys history, over a thousand times longer than all the time I spent on Earth. K-Katherine My mother gasped as she saw me crying. I cried. I couldnt help it anymore. Do you know how painful it was to go through all of that alone? The pain, the blood, the agony. So many times, I forgot who I was. There were years when I had complete amnesia about who I was. There were years that I spent as a slave. And there were hundreds of years I spent hiding and growing stronger; every day, I was chased by others trying to kill me. I spoke. Years after years after years. A never-ending nightmare. That much? Ruby finally spoke after remaining mostly silent through it all. I-I know you went through a lot, but... I didnt know that it was that much, though. Maybe you were exaggerating, or maybe you never really went into too many details. I didnt want to go into details because I knew it would have no point. Why would I want to tell someone else about my traumas? Why would I want to share all the suffering, just to make you feel bad? I asked. I just wanted to see you happy. If only the tower hadnt appeared, maybe I would not have gone to such lengths in these last days. And honestly, I I cant say I am sorry. I dont regret my actions. I cant. My resolve is unshakable. And my will is eternal. I might be showing myself in a humane shape, in the form you could most likely comprehend. E-Eh? Ruby felt surprised. "What... what are you talking about? Do you want to see what I truly look like? I asked them both. It might turn you blind, and it might even burn your skin and kill you. I contain my true body because it is completely made of pure, refined Nine Heaven Essence. I swallowed four out of five suns of Murim. I am a walking star. T-Thats Is that even possible? My mother asked. Ill conjure a stronger barrier, and Ill show you. I conjured a powerful barrier around them and then around us. It was at least a hundred times more reinforced than the usual Nine Heaven Protection. Now, prepare yourselves; you might go blind, so Ill constantly heal your eyes. I took away my clothes, standing completely naked in front of them, as my skin slowly peeled off my body. Something translucent surged from within. There was no blood, no flesh, no bones, no internal organsjust endless rivers of colorful light intersecting together. Once all my skin was peeled off, they saw what I truly was. A being made of complete and pure light, compressed to almost subatomic levels. The two gasped, stepping back as Ruby screamed as the light burned her eyes, but I healed her quickly. W-What is this?! My mother screamed. K-Katherine?! This is you- ugh It burns so much! Ruby cried. This is what I am, I said. As you can see, mother, it is not as if I am a person killing another person. I am a monster, simply taking care of another monster. N-No! My mother defied me. I dont care, Katherine! Youre Youre still my daughter, right? You spent so much time there, but you still remembered us; you still came to us! This means theres humanity within you. I think you should find another way- Ugh Another way to do this! You cant go on a killing spree and slay all the gods; it just feels so wicked. These beingsthey''re beloved by so many in their own worldsfeel wrong, no matter what you show me. No matter what I show you? I asked her. Very well, Ill show you. These are the memories of the gods I slew. I extracted them as I ate their souls. I projected their memories in front of them by waving my hands, which became projections of light. I made the light less bright, so it would stop making them constantly blind. The projections showed several scenes, from their birth to their developing consciousness. Their greed and how they opened countless portals to Earth, where monsters poured out. They feasted on the souls and enjoyed what they did. They might not have known better; they might have been simply following their instincts. But that doesnt mean they didnt deserve punishment for what they did. A-Ah My mother sighed, falling to her knees. I-I did think they did bad things, but... This is so overwhelming. How can you... how can you live with all of this, Katherine? Being able to do so much? I would I would go insane. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. I did go insane many times, I said. Honestly, I dont know what I am right now. If I am insane or sane, or if I am between the two, or maybe Ive been insane for so long that it has become my sanity, I could also show you the memories of my past life, but I dont want to torment you with that knowledge. There are things I would rather not show anybody. I quickly transformed back into my human form, walking towards my mother and my sister. I feared they would step back, but the moment I walked towards them, they hugged me. Huh? Okay, I might have been harsh... I still think your approach is not right, but... I understand that only you could have brought punishment to them. My mother sighed, still looking conflicted. I accept that truth. I know I wont be able to stop you, and I know that even as I accompany you through it, I might not be able to make much of a difference at all. But you have to know that violence, or killing someone, might not always solve a problem and might not always be the solution. I know Ive always known, mother. I told her. You knew? It doesnt feel like that, Katherine. She said. It is because there was no other solution, I told her. I can see many paths with these eyespossible futures that always diverge based on my own actions. In these futures, they always came back. They destroyed Earth; they killed you and my sister... The gods cannot be left alive. Theyre too powerful, enemies of our world. Leaving my enemies alive is but a foolish act; thatll only bring more torment to all of us. Your eyes can see the future?! My sister was once more amazed. Okay I guess thats actually not that surprising after seeing all the things you can do. So youre basically like a goddess of everything? Not everything; there are elements and powers I couldnt grasp. I do have weaknesses, but I have yet to face an enemy here that can withstand my power. Nonetheless, thats the reason why I must keep growing stronger. The Mana of these worlds and the divinity I am developing will help me reach higher realms, so I can better protect our world from all the destruction that is to come in the future. I said. But even then, I understand. I looked at my mother and my sister as I let go of their embrace. I felt like I didnt deserve their love. It is fine if youre afraid of me, and it is fine if you dont want to accompany me anymore. I never intended to drag you into this. And I never intended to force you into killing gods or something either. I sighed. Even if nobody is by my side, I intend to walk this path alone. Because my love for Earth is stronger than that of anybody else, and I want this planet to survive, no matter what I must do to achieve that goal. Even if I have to kill the gods, blast the tower apart, and even get to the one that made it... Even if I have to leave a hundred worlds without their gods, Ill do it. I am selfishvery selfish. I want my world to prosper more than the others. My mother nodded silently. I understand; maybe I am the weird one here, feeling so sorry for people from another world. I should also try to only care about my own, but even then... You do care, dont you? Yeah! You care about Eclipse. You took care of people here, and youve been helping the tribe too. Said Ruby. It is embarrassing to admit that, but I do care. I nodded. I could have simply destroyed the world and everything inside of it to kill the gods instantly and gain a lot of experience points, stats, and skills. But I chose not to do that. I could probably end every world in the tower within a couple of hours, but I chose not to do that either. I want to do this my own way; I will go world after world, protect the people inside of these worlds, and make sure their futures are secured without their gods chaining them down. Im sorry, Katherine. My mother said, Im sorry for doubting you and saying those things; although I still cant completely agree with you, youre not wrong either. And I wont leave your side. Dont be dumb, my daughter. Youre my first child, the baby I gave birth to, and the child I raised. I still have clear memories of when you were a little baby girl. Even if you spent that much time somewhere else, within those eyes, I could see herthat child. As a mother, I just wanted to try to correct you, but I suppose youre already an adult and even older than me now. Still, I appreciate what you did and what you said. Nobody has confronted me in such a way before. It made me rethink everything even more, even if slightly I sighed. I think I need some time to rest before we climb to the second floor. I might need some time alone to think about my decisions and my actions." Are you alright? Ruby asked me. Big sis, I know I overreact a lot sometimes, but I also care about you. Its fine, I know. I smiled, kissing my sisters forehead, as my mother gave me one last hug. A-And of course Im coming with you too! Youve carried me a lot, so I kind of want to pull my own weight for once. Ruby said. Juan is coming too; is that okay with you? Its fine; I do not like him, but Ive grown used to his face by now. I might eventually not dislike him. I said. Hell need to get a bit stronger, though. But its fine. If hes your lover, then hes family. Thank you for accepting him Ruby said. Thank you for accepting me. I smiled as I gave them both one last hug. You dont know how much I yearned for a moment like this my entire life back then. Even now, it feels like I am dreaming. My poor girl My mother hugged me. Lets talk more about these things, okay? I want to learn what you went through there; tell me more and speak with me. Open up; it is fine to tell me these things. I want to understand, and I even want to share that pain with you. Okay, maybe Maybe one day Ill do it." I nodded. Lets go eat now; I am quite hungry." Y-Yes, lets go. My mother nodded. Yeah My sister agreed. Although I was trying my best, I couldnt help but feel down through the rest of the day. It was a mix of sadness, sorrow, frustration, self-hatred, and perhaps some of the traumas resurfacing inside my head. Living for eleven thousand years fills your head with so many memories that it is oftentimes very hard to navigate through all the emotions and experiences youve gone through. But as the night arrived and I spent time with the twins while looking at the moon in the night sky, their words, their warmth, and their smiles slowly healed my heart once more. And I smiled as I watched the stars, the moon, and their beautiful smiles. Thank you for loving me. It is still hard for me to process this emotion, but I will try to love you as much as you love me in return. ----- Chapter 39: Obligatory Beach Episode ----- It has been two days since I slew the two gods of Eclipse, and after having come back to my second home, the village of the Silver Moon Beast Tribe, and explaining to my family what had transpired, I decided to rest and relax. Yes, it was quite a long day, and my family didnt easily accept what I did either. My mother knew that these gods were enemies of humanity and that they had been actively generating the gates to fill Earth with monsters to farm human souls. But even then, being so brutal as to directly kill the deities of a world wasnt something that shed accept with a smile. She told me that I had taken away the pillars of belief and religion from people, and it gave me some time to consider my actions. However, after I explained to her that if I didnt take these rash implementations out of spite but out of concern for the safety of Earth and the future of Eclipse, she ended up mellowing down a bit. I still remember how it all went, even now. It was a rather important conversation I had with my mother. For a while now, she has been rather conflicted with my actions and my strength. It was something that needed to be talked about. Nonetheless, through the past yesterday and yesterday, we spent the day leisurely, relaxing, talking, and overall cooling down from the intensity of the previous days. And for a change, I decided to bring everyone to the beach. Yes, the beach! I had yet to climb to the second floor, as I still had a few things I wanted to do there. One of them was exploring more of Eclipses beautiful landscapes. And that included a large ocean area behind the mountains that surrounded the village of the Silver Moon Beast Tribe. I happened to pick up the last five missions from the adventurer guild that were related to these areas of the continent, which were about exterminating all kinds of S-Rank sea monsters. The sound of the ocean waves was very relaxing, and for once, I was able to fully enjoy the salty scent of the ocean. I do plan to visit a beach back on Earth as well, of course. But for now, this place is ideal to both relax and hunt down some critters. RUMBLE! The oceans trembled as I watched with a calm expression while drinking some fresh fruit juice as a gigantic three-headed sharp covered with red horns surged from the sea, splashing a huge tsunami towards us. GROOAR! It roared, and the tsunami came, only for it to quickly enter a small portal I opened within space, which I redirected back to the sea. SPLASH! Come on now, are you going to ruin my peaceful evening on the beach? I sighed. As I was about to get up to take care of the beast, two flashing figures reached the S-Rank Three-Headed Horned Megalodon. It was Merkite and Urbosa, wearing rather sexy swimsuits I bought for them. Urbosa held a huge black spear with a sharp, white tip resembling a fang, while Merkite held a pair of long black and white swords, finely decorated with black scales on the handles. Both of such weapons were crafted using the plenty of materials I was able to secure from raiding both the underworld and heaven. All the weapons were made using the fangs of that perverted man from the tutorial, who became a giant black dragon, and then reinforced using black soul crystals from the God of Deep Darkness and holy soul crystals from the Goddess. And of course, I added a few more materials, such as his scales and so on. I never thought that degenerate would have such good-quality materials out of his body; Ive been using him really well. His innate ability to negate magic through his scales translated to dealing a large quantity of damage against magic creatures with weapons. Yes, although the major specialty of weapons made using his materials was the ability to ignore a percentage of the defensive stats of the enemy! Let us take care of this. Alright! The twins clashed against the three-headed aberration. Three days ago, they would have never been able to match its strength. But thanks to the amazing weapons they had, the Nine Heaven Protection set over their bodies as infallible, near-indestructible armor, and their cultivation reached the Peak Stage of Rank 2. Well, they were considerably strong. CLASH! Merkite pierced the middle head with her two swords, slashing away its eyes and then opening the skull wide, revealing its brains splattering out into the sea, blood covering the oceans. As she did that, waves of emerald winds were released, and the tip of her head gained a few green-colored fur strands. This was her primary Element awakened from her Inner Elemental core, and she was able to summon Emerald Wind Ki. Meanwhile, her sister Urbosa aimed for the head on the left; her spear was charging with purple lightning, and her entire body was overflowing with an erupting thunderous aura. Golden fur strands appeared above her head. CRASH! With a single strike, an explosion of lightning pierced the shark monsters head, blowing it up into pieces. With two out of three heads gone, the beast panicked, using its magic to unleash a storm of water projectiles on the two girls standing over its large body. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! However, without trying to rely on my protective ability, the two intercept each attack with winds and lighting-infused sword and spear techniques. Explosions of thunder and swirling winds destroyed the water projectiles before they could even reach her. GRAAAH! The formerly three-headed shark then panicked, beginning to swim rapidly and back into the depths of the sea. Despite being a Level 400 S-Rank Monster, it acknowledges its strength and immediately attempts a swift retreat. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Youre not going anywhere! Weve already decided youre going to become lunch! The twins, however, rushed towards the shark rapidly, leaping over the sea and running over the water. They suddenly activated a special technique I taught them: Wind and Thunder Elemental Ki flowing out of their bodies as both of their Auras converged into one. {Elemental Ki Aura Convergence}: {Thunderstorm Aura}! Their elements merged together, and an Aura of both Wind and Thunder was formed. Both twins rushed down into the Megalodon, their weapons piercing the monsters spine, generating an explosion of thunderbolts and swirling winds. BOOOM! The monster stopped moving, its body going completely limp as it floated above the sea, bleeding out. I hadnt noticed, but it was roughly twenty meters bigquite a large catch. Phew, that was good! This strength, I am slowly getting used to it The two quickly ran towards me, bringing me their prey. Well done, girls! I think this one is another S-rank monster. I nodded. It should be... Yeah, this one. I took a look at the mission papers. With this, we got two down, three more to go. Behind me was another thing I had caught when we got here: a giant black and blue crab fifteen meters in height. It was called the Blue and Red Shelled King Crab, an S-Rank Monster of Level 350. It was known as the King of the Shore by many, which is why the locals never came to this beach since it appeared a few years ago. Accompanying us on this trip were also the rest of my family. My mother and my sister were preparing a tent on the left side while preparing everything for a barbecue. There was also Ash, the twins grandmother, who was building a sandcastle with Hekita. And there were also a few other families that decided to come along, including some of the elders that were trying to fish for something to eat or bring back to the village. Strong monsters were fairly common around here, but as long as I was here, nobody should end up harmed. Should we go catch another now? Urbosa was wagging her tail. I dont feel tired at all now with this Ki energy flowing all over my body! Me neither! Merkite nodded. Come on, you two, take a break. Sit down with me and relax. I told them, slowly eyeing their beautiful and voluptuous figures. Ahh, indeed, those swimsuits really look wonderful on them. These two girls are criminally sexy. I gained some levels myself- Ah, Im all wet now Urbosa sighed, readjusting her bikini and sitting by my side. Do you have something cold to drink? Im a bit thirsty. Sure honey. Waving my hand, a portal to my Inner Realm opened as a box full of ice and drinks came out. They were all purchased from Earth using Credits. Oooh! These sweet drinks from Earth are quite good. Urbosa took out a Pepsi and started drinking it. Give me the one with lemon flavor! Thats my fav! Merkite wagged her tail, dragging herself over my belly and grabbing one of the cold soda glass bottles, unaware that her butt was rubbing itself all over my chest and face. Not like I minded her big fluffy tail slamming my head; she was way too cute. As my two queens sat down at my left and right while enjoying their drinks, I was checking some stuff I had actually not checked through the last two days, mostly because I felt like I didnt have the fatigue for that. However, I was well aware I had already reached Max Level by now. Ding! [You have slain both the Legions of the Underworld and the Legions of Heaven!!] [You have slain the Tower God {The Brilliant Mother Of Light}!] [You have slain the Tower God {Lord Of Deep Darkness}!] [You have absorbed the Divinities of both Tower Gods!] [You acquired the {Broken Divinity}: {Holy Mother Of Light and Life}!] [You acquired the {Broken Divinity}: {Deep Darkness and Death Shadows}!] [You acquired the {Shattered Divine Realm}: {Mother of Lights Heaven}!] [You acquired the {Shattered Divine Realm}: {Lord of Deep Darkness Underworld}!] [Both Divinities have been broken due to the brutish handling of their power and have been temporarily stored within your External System until you can properly digest and absorb them.] [Both Divine Realms have shattered and have been temporarily stored within the External System until you can properly assimilate them.] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [] [Your Level has increased from Level 887 to Level 999/999!] [All your Stats have increased. You gained Stat Points and Skill Points.] [The Levels of Several Skills have increased! Many Skills have reached Max Level.] [You have reached Max Level within your Class!] [To Further Rank Up your Class, please visit Floor 10s Class Rank Up Trial.] [The Skill: [God Predator (SSS)] Skill effects have been activated. But you have failed to absorb larger Divinities than Divinity Fragments.] [However, you have absorbed any other Divinity leftover.] [All your Stats have increased by +500.000] [You gained +200.000 Divinity.] [You learned the Magic Skill: [Holy Purity of Light (SSS): Lv1] [You learned the Magic Skill: [Dark Shadows of the Deep (SSS): Lv1] [The Skill: [Divine Class Absorption (SSS)] Skill effects have been activated. You have devoured the Divine Classes of the Gods you have slain!] [You devoured the [Mother Goddess Of Light and Life] Divine God Class!] [You devoured the [Lord of Deep Darkness and Death] Divine God Class!] [You have earned +40.000 Skill Points!] [For having slain two powerful gods, taking everything they had with yourself, you have gained access to their {Divine Treasuries} and +400.000.000 Credits.] [The Bounty these Gods had set for you has been disbanded, and you have acquired the rewards for yourself.] [You gained [500.000.000 Credits] [Divine Weapon Choice Ticket (SSS Grade)] x3 [Divine Armor Choice Ticket (SSS Grade)] x3 [Divine Accessory Choice Ticket (SSS Grade)] x3 [Divine Skill Fusion Ticket (SSS Grade)] x3 [Divine Skill Book (SSS Grade)] x3!] [The Class Skills: [God Predator (SSS)] [Divine Class Absorption (SSS)] have Leveled Up!] [You have killed the two Gods of the World of Eclipse! You acquired the Titles [God Slayer] and [Eclipses New God]!] [The Effects of the God Slayer Title have been activated. You gained +1 Classless and Magic Skills Slots.] [The Divine Thrones of the {Lord of Deep Darkness} and the {Brilliant Mother of Light} have become available.] [Once you take them, you can exert the power of a True God within Eclipse and gain Faith points from Belief directed towards you.] Uh No, not for now. I quickly waved away the annoying system messages. It seemed enticing, but I wasnt going to take such thrones and suddenly gain enormous responsibilities. I already have enough. And becoming the goddess of Eclipse would tie me to this world as well, most likely. Well, I got a lot of credits, some new skills, new classes, and a lot of Divinity and Stats. My mana increased at least by five times its original amount, and my divinity by almost three times. Above all, aside from Credits and Items, I needed to do something now. And that was getting new Class Skills to properly assimilate the Broken Divinities and Shattered Divine Realms, apparently. So lets see ----- Level 100: [God Killer (SSS)] [Cost]: [2000 Skill Points] Level 200: [Divine Class Absorption (SSS)] [3000 Skill Points] Learned. Level 300: [Divine Soul Parasite (SSS)] [5000 Skill Points] Level 400: [Undead God Summon (SSS)] [6000 Skill Points] Level 500: [Divinity Steal (SSS)] [8000 Skill Points] Level 600: [God Throne Usurpation (SSS)] [12000 Skill Points] Level 700: [Divinity Tree Absorption (SSS)] [16000 Skill Points] Level 800: [Divine Realm Assimilation (SSS)] [20000 Skill Points] Level 900: [Divinity Resistance (SSS)] [30000 Skill Points] ----- Ah, theres sure a lot. But I think I might have the Skill Points to buy most of it now. ----- Chapter 40: New Godly Skills ----- Level 100: [God Killer (SSS)] [Cost]: [2000 Skill Points] Level 200: [Divine Class Absorption (SSS)] [3000 Skill Points] Learned. Level 300: [Divine Soul Parasite (SSS)] [5000 Skill Points] Level 400: [Undead God Summon (SSS)] [6000 Skill Points] Level 500: [Divinity Steal (SSS)] [8000 Skill Points] Level 600: [God Throne Usurpation (SSS)] [12000 Skill Points] Level 700: [Divinity Tree Absorption (SSS)] [16000 Skill Points] Level 800: [Divine Realm Assimilation (SSS)] [20000 Skill Points] Level 900: [Divinity Resistance (SSS)] [30000 Skill Points] ----- Looking at this made me feel slightly frustrated. I didnt pick up more skills before, and I didn''t care that much before. But over time, this System Scarf I got has been proving itself to be an excellent tool for my growth. And the Skills the Tree possesses are also quite good. I should try to get them all. Anyway, nows the time. I have over ninety thousand Skill Points, it should be more than enough to be able to get most of them. Ill pick them one by one until I dont have enough Skill Points I suppose. Ding! [You have exchanged 2.000 Skill Points, and you acquired the [God Killer (SSS): Lv1] Class Skill!] [You have exchanged 5.000 Skill Points, you acquired the [Divine Soul Parasite (SSS): Lv1] Class Skill!] [You have exchanged 6.000 Skill Points, and you acquired the [Undead God Summon (SSS): Lv1] Class Skill!] [You have exchanged 8.000 Skill Points, and you acquired the [Divinity Steal (SSS): Lv1] Class Skill!] [You have exchanged 12.000 Skill Points, and you acquired the [God Throne Usurpation (SSS): Lv1] Class Skill!] [You have exchanged 16.000 Skill Points, and you acquired the [Divinity Tree Absorption (SSS): Lv1] Class Skill!] [You have exchanged 20.000 Skill Points, and you acquired the [Divine Realm Assimilation (SSS): Lv1] Class Skill!] [Not enough Skill Points, you cant learn the [Divinity Resistance (SSS)] Skill yet!] I assume the last one grants the ability to resist damage from Divinities. Well, I dont need that one too much for now; its alright. I got seven new Skills right away, and indeed, it was quite overwhelming to see all their descriptions. Seven different Skills have seven different effects. Unlike techniques or abilities that let me intuitively learn what they can do, Skills are much more technical, telling you everything through big walls of text. Im not saying I dislike reading, but it can get slightly tedious. At the very least, it might be appropriate to take a look at the current Systems Status, now that I am finally at Level 999. ----- [Name]: [Katherine] [Race]: [Human?] [Titles]: [The One Who Folded The System] [Dungeon Gate Keeper] [Undefeated] [Talent Seeking Guider] [Apprentice Chef] [Boss Slayer] [Devil Slayer] [Savior of Arcadia] [Primordial Calamity: Ragnar?k] [Destroyer of the Church Of The Brilliant Mother Of Light] [Silver Moon Beast Tribes Hero] [Acacias Tyrant] [Master Adventurer] [Barrier Master] [Raid Empress] [Destroyer of the Evil Cult Of Deep Darkness] [God Slayer] [Eclipses New God] [Class]: [God Eating Calamity: Ragnar?k (Primordial Venerable-Rank)] [Level]: [999/999] [Mana]: [763.900/763.900] [Divinity]: [262.000] [Martial Power]: [577.000] [Strength]: [763.900] [Agility]: [763.900] [Vitality]: [763.900] [Intelligence]: [763.900] [Dexterity]: [763.900] [Charm]: [573.000] [Available Divinities]: {Broken Divinity}: {Holy Mother Of Light and Life} {Broken Divinity}: {Deep Darkness and Death Shadows} [Available Divine Realms]: {Shattered Divine Realm}: {Mother of Lights Heaven} {Shattered Divine Realm}: {Lord of Deep Darkness Underworld} [Classless Skills (12/13)] [Premium Player Privilege (SSS): Lv10] [Kicking Strike (D): Lv10] [First Aid (D): Lv10] [Mirage Veil (A): Lv10] [Cooking (D): Lv7] [Basic Swordsmanship (C): Lv10] [Family Bond (D): Lv9] [Emperors Conquest (S): Lv3] [Basic Martial Arts (C): Lv10] [Crescent Moons Shadow Dagger Style (S): Lv5] [Commander (C): Lv7] [Seducing Aura (C): Lv10] [Magic Skills (12/13)] [Partial Spatial Manipulation (B): Lv10] [Mana Manipulation (C): Lv10] [Healing Golden Light (B): Lv10] [Photon Essence Manipulation (A): Lv10] [Cursed Flames (B): Lv10] [Partial Time Flow Manipulation (A): Lv10] [Blazing Iron Weaponry Creation (S): Lv4] [Cosmic Star Magic (S): Lv4] [Triple Elemental Magic: Fire, Ice, Lightning (A): Lv6] [Divine Brilliant Light Magic: Lv10] [Divine Light Spirit Summon: Lv10] [Windstorm (B): Lv10] [Class Skills (9/10)] [God Predator (SSS): Lv7] [Divine Class Absorption (SSS): Lv6] [God Killer (SSS): Lv1] [Divine Soul Parasite (SSS): Lv1] [Undead God Summon (SSS): Lv1] [Divinity Steal (SSS): Lv1] [God Throne Usurpation (SSS): Lv1] [Divinity Tree Absorption (SSS): Lv1] [Divine Realm Assimilation (SSS): Lv1] If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. [Stat Points]: [3.780] [Skill Points]: [26.780] [Credits]: [969.375.000] ----- Hmm, the numbers went incredibly high compared to how low they originally began. A lot of my Skills are now at the Max Level. Ive been leveling some involuntarily most of the time; some others take longer to level up. But over half of mine are already at Level 10, which means I can either spend Credits to Evolve them, or Fuse them. It is, of course, better to fuse them, isnt it? There are also many more Skills on my Skill List waiting to be equipped; some sound and look much stronger than any of these. So I need to free some space to equip them and experiment with what they can do. Anyway, I am fairly sure these stats are much higher than the average Level One Thousand, or almost Level One Thousand. They had grossly increased because of all the Stats I stole from the Avatars and Gods I slayed. Nonetheless, I should check out each new Class Skill, though I would like to try their effects if possible. ----- [God Killer (SSS): Lv1] [Skill EXP]: [0/100.000] A Class Skill that only belongs to the Divine Class: [God Eating Calamity: Ragnar?k]. You are the bane of all Gods. They fear you; they scream when they see you, and they run when they sense your presence approaching. Not only will you be able to deal more damage to them, but you can even intimidate the weaker Gods with your mere presence. Increases Damage dealt against Gods, their Avatars, and any other Divine type being by +200%, while ignoring 50% of their Total Defenses, including Divine Barriers. You can drain 20% of the Damage Dealt against them as Divine Essence and Mana. When intimidating a God, their Avatars, or a Divine type being, you can decrease all their stats by 30%, and one random Skill is sealed for 1 Minute. Level Bonus (1): Deals +100% more Damage against Gods, their Avatars, and Divine Beings. When fighting such types of foes, all your Stats increase by +50% and your Divinity by +30%. ----- I dont know if itll ever be useful, but it might help me kill them even faster than before, so I dont take so long dealing with their annoying self-regeneration abilities. However, it still doesnt negate that. ----- [Divine Soul Parasite (SSS): Lv1] [Skill EXP]: [0/100.000] A Class Skill that only belongs to the Divine Class: [God Eating Calamity: Ragnar?k]. Shape a piece of your Divinity Soul into a monstrous Parasitic entity that can Parasite other Souls, especially the Souls of Gods, their Avatars, and other Divine Beings. There is a limit of parasites you can place in a soul based on your current Divinity Stat and the souls power. When parasitized with a Divine Soul Parasite, the Souls will be slowly eroded, losing their sense of self until their minds are completely consumed, and their souls end up assimilating with your own or becoming your puppets. Despite your strength, Divine Soul Parasites are extremely weak, so it is necessary to place them sneakily on your foes. Once a foe is fully parasitized, it will become your puppet or even an extension of your own consciousness. Level Bonus (1): Increases Parasitizing Rate and Parasites Resilience by +30%. ----- Oh, this one sound rather wicked. But I like some of it, though I dont know if Ill use it. I might feel forced to use it, and these gods might come out with all sorts of strange powers. Perhaps one day, parasitizing them will be a swift way to win. ----- [Undead God Summon (SSS): Lv1] [Skill EXP]: [0/100.000] A Class Skill that only belongs to the Divine Class: [God Eating Calamity: Ragnar?k]. The Divinity and Divine Souls of every God youve eaten remain within your own Divinity. With this Skill, you can invoke them as loyal Undead Gods, which will possess a part of their former strength, Divinities, Divine Abilities, and even a Divine Realm. The maximum amount of Undead Gods you can summon is solely based on how many Gods youve consumed. Summoning Time: 1 Hour. Available Undead Gods: [Tower God]: {The Brilliant Mother Of Light} [Tower God]: {Lord Of Deep Darkness} [] Level Bonus (1): Undead God Summons retain 40% of their former Stats, Divinities, Divine Abilities, and a third of their original Divine Realms. Summoning Time increases by +1 Hour. ----- This one was the most intriguing to me. It seems I can do some good old-fashioned necromancy. I am not that used to it; I only used it twice or three times through my eleven thousand years of life, and it was within my first one thousand years, when I was still a weak Immortal. I came into contact with a Demonic Cult Inheritance, and due to my need for strength, I ended up taking it and assimilating it into my Core. It caused me a lot of problems later on, but it gave me a new power that I abused to survive the endless persecution of Demonic Cultivators and Orthodox Faction members. I wasnt always the ruler of the orthodox faction after all; the first two thousand years of my life in Murim were spent as a rogue cultivator, going from place to place, trying to get stronger and survive. Naturally, my goals clashed with others, and bloodshed and vengeance ensued for an almost endless cycle. This power, if I use it right, could give me some new valuable allies I can leave behind in other worlds or places. Though, I wonder if they retain any memories or if these are just recreations. Well, Ill try it later. ----- [Divinity Steal (SSS): Lv1] [Skill EXP]: [0/100.000] A Class Skill that only belongs to the Divine Class: [God Eating Calamity: Ragnar?k]. Channel your own Divine Souls powers and steal the Divinity from Gods that are still alive. By targeting their exposed Divine Soul, or their Divine Aura, it is possible to shatter fragments of the Gods'' Divinities, which you can consume and absorb as you fight them, weakening them over time. Foes whose Divinities are shattered and taken away will constantly receive debuffs to their Divine Power and Divine Essence based on how large the fragments stolen are. From a minimum debuff of 1% to a max of 10%. Level Bonus (1): Increases the Digestion Speed, Absorption, and Divinity Power gained from absorbing Divinities and Divinity Fragments by +50%. ----- Simple yet strong, I am fairly sure this is the Skill I needed to absorb their Broken Divinities. It doesnt just work with stealing them; it also helps me naturally assimilate any Divinity I come into contact with. However, there are a few other Skills that work really well with it. ----- [God Throne Usurpation (SSS): Lv1] [Skill EXP]: [0/100.000] A Class Skill that only belongs to the Divine Class: [God Eating Calamity: Ragnar?k]. When overpowering a God, you are capable of stealing their Divine Throne as long as they can no longer resist and their health is below 50%. If the god is slain, their throne is given to you automatically, and you may also choose to either grant it to someone capable of accepting it or keep it empty and protected. When you govern a world or multiple worlds through the thrones of the Gods, you can gain Faith Points over time, to quickly feed your growing Divinity Tree and unlock new Branches and Roots. Level Bonus (1): Faith Points Gain +10%. Belief and Faith from inhabitants +20%. ----- Similar to Divinity Steal, it works both ways: to take away a throne while they are alive or to assimilate it when I kill them. I think I can use its effects together with the other Skills. ------ [Divinity Tree Absorption (SSS): Lv1] [Skill EXP]: [0/100.000] A Class Skill that only belongs to the Divine Class: [God Eating Calamity: Ragnar?k]. When you defeat a God, their Divinity Trees are often destroyed and left in shambles, resembling Broken Divinities that cannot be properly absorbed. However, this changes with this Skill. You can absorb Divinity Trees and restore them to almost the same intact form they once had by spending Mana and Credits. Once formed, you can absorb the Divinity Tree and combine it with yours, further developing and transforming it. After being absorbed, the Divinity Tree cannot go back to normal. Level Bonus (1): Restores 50% of a Broken Divinity Tree, which you can absorb 100% of all its remaining Powers and combine them with yours. Increases Divinity Stats when absorbing Divinity Tree by +10%. ----- Yes, with these two Skills, I can confidently absorb the Broken Divinities without problems. But there was one left. ----- [Divine Realm Assimilation (SSS): Lv1] [Skill EXP]: [0/100.000] A Class Skill that only belongs to the Divine Class: [God Eating Calamity: Ragnar?k]. Grants the ability to shape and transform your soul, giving it the capacity of absorbing Divine Realms and Divine Realm Fragments. The more you absorb, the larger your own Divine Realm will become, progressively becoming more potent as the combination of Divinities creates an immense harmony of elements and divine essences. Can also restore or combine Shattered Divine Realms separately before assimilating them, giving it the ability to either gift them or place them within a solid area. Level Bonus (1): When assimilating a Divine Realm or a Divine Realm Fragment, increases the Rate of Complete Assimilation and the absorption of its energies and resources by +50%. Has a 10% chance to create a Supreme Divine Realm when combining many Divine Realm Fragments. ----- Not bad; with this, I can absorb everything right away. Hah, seriously, all of this feels way too easy, though. These people have it much simpler than in Murim. As my life becomes calmer and more relaxing, I cant help but have all those old memories slowly come back to me. The first years of my life in Murim and all the struggles I went through. And also the first master I ever met, an old lady who taught me a valuable lesson. Granny Zhi Hui, even now, your teachings remain in my heart. ----- Chapter 41: Bing Xue’s Backstory Part 1: A Harsh World ----- Cough, cough Ugh. Inside an abandoned-looking, damp wooden cabin, a young woman in her mid-twenties coughed blood. Surrounding her kneeling body were piles of different grasses, bottles, and a rusty alchemy cauldron. Her hands were bloody, covered by the broken shards of the bottle she had used to drink an Elixir. Agh! Fuck! She felt a throbbing pain that started inside her stomach and then spread across the rest of her body. A burning sensation that made her feel like she was about to melt. The sensation only intensified with each passing second. She felt like she was going to vomit her own guts at any moment. Hahhh I cant die. Mom Ruby! She gritted her teeth as she fell onto the wooden floor. The burning sensation intensified with every moment she gave. She was told that to awaken fully into a cultivator, shed need to first burn her sealed Meridians with Ki, which was only acquirable to mortals by drinking poisonous elixirs. The deadly energies that her human body could not handle properly started to spread further, like a deadly acid. It felt like her insides were burning and melting. The agony she felt was nothing compared to anything she had ever experienced to this point. Even when she was beaten almost to death at the corner of the street for stealing a rice ball to eat or when her left arm was stabbed by a cursed, rusted knife, giving her a horrendous infection and an intense fever that lasted several days. Tears started flowing from Katherines eyes as she experienced the pain. Forcing herself to stand up only to fall onto the wooden floor constantly, blood mixing with broken glass shards and her own tears. Mom As she kept trying to remember her family, she couldnt help but think about the experiences she had gone through after she landed on this strange, alien world. It happened in a flash; a bright blue light swallowed her whole when she was moving back home after a day of hard work at the office. She was going to drink a lot of beer and eat snacks as usual; the weekend was coming. Yet Huh? W-Where am I? In the blink of an eye, she found herself in the middle of farmland. Rice fields extended as far as the eye could see, and in the far background, enormous white peaks extended. However, the most bizarre sight wasnt this, but the skies! They werent blue like back home; no, they rotated in a myriad of colors. Sometimes they turned red, other times yellow, then black, green, and blue again! It was almost psychedelic to watch. W-What is this? Am I am I dreaming? ROAR! However, her first experience in Murim was unkind. From the bushes to her left, something roared, and a creature appeared. A gray-colored wolf with a golden horn on top of its head. The golden horn seemed to be producing small amounts of electricity. E-Eh? Katherine, back then, felt completely paralyzed by the sight in front of her. A wolf as big as two meters with a golden horn appeared! Yeah, this is definitely a dream. Did I fall asleep on the bus? Hahh RAAARR! ZAAAP! Yet the pain she felt when the wolf released a spark of electricity that zapped her away quickly made her realize she wasnt dreaming. Aaargh! W-What?! Ugh! M-My head! She felt all dizzy; her hands looked burnt. The pain didnt come right away, as her heart started beating faster. Adrenaline filled her bloodstream, making her blood boil. Run. Escape! Run away as fast as you can! These three things were filling her mind as Katherine saw the cautious beast slowly approach, sniffing the smell of burnt flesh. Ahh! Aaahhh!!! She ran away, screaming in utter horror. The wolf followed her rapidly. She ended up breaking her heels and starting to run barefoot over the hard soil, her feet breaking out and bleeding. Shit, shit, shit! She kept screaming and running, but the wolf was already right behind her, harnessing Ki to release yet another zap, perhaps the final one to kill her. Uwaah! BOOM! As the zap was about to hit her, Katherine jumped off the road and fell through the wetlands where the rice plantations were located, rolling at least a hundred meters down and getting covered with water and mud in the process. Ugh! Agh! Help! Someone Someone help me! She screamed as the wolf started slowly moving down to eat her; it didnt fear the water at all. Katherine tried to stand up but felt one of her ankles twist the other way. You cant be serious right now; I cant die My mom, my sister! F-For fucks sake! I dont want to die! As tears flowed from her eyes, someone came. Farmersmany of themnoticed the wolf approaching and immediately started screaming loudly. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. GO AWAY! CHOO! CHOO! Throw stones at it! A group of five farmers threw stones at the wolf, which whimpered and started running away once a stone hit its head, making one of the beast''s eyes bleed intensively. H-Huh? People People! Please help me! The farmers slowly approached the woman. Katherine noticed that all of them looked very Asian, more Chinese than Korean, but there were also some with more Japanese faces. They looked at the strange woman who had fallen off the cliff, glancing at her weird clothes and the bag she was carrying. Who are you? One of them asked a tall, muscular pain, pointing his hoe at her. I-I am K-Katherine I got lost; I dont know how I got here. Like a flash of blue light ate me and! What? The man squinted his eyes. You must be some beggar, huh? You twisted your ankle. My wife could heal you if you got something to pay. P-Pay? Katherine felt taken aback by the question. In the world of Murim, nobody was going to do something good for you without payment. The people here didnt pity her; they had gone through so much shit themselves, and they only focused on protecting themselves and their families. I-I got alcohol to pay. This is beer; it is inside this metal can. Katherine said, offering the beer cans. And these are salty snacks. Can I pay you for this? I got these coins Metal cans with alcohol and weird bags with snacks? The man analyzed it all. Oh, is that bronze? He quickly snatched the coins from her hands, smiling. Okay, come then. E-Eh? She slowly followed the man, barely able to move at all. Nobody carried her; she had to crawl her way behind him like a dog. This was tremendously humiliating, and even when she asked someone to help her carry her, nobody said anything. She entered a small village, children laughing and pointing at her ridiculous walk as she reached the small cabin where the man lived with his wife. Shen Xie, there''s someone hurt; can you heal her ankle? What? You brought another beggar again because they gave you some coins, my stupid husband? Come on now, woman. I am busy; Ill get going. The man left without saying another word. Katherine could describe this world with a single word... Too rough! Everyone was incredibly blunt with their words; there was barely any respect. They were also very cold; nobody ever had empathy, and they offered help if they could get something in return. Although Earth was also like this in many places, there were also incredibly kindhearted people who would always offer help to the poor for free. Let me see your ankle- Ah, this is not so bad. The woman who greeted Katherine had one of her eyes burned and had a slightly cute face, looking to be in her early twenties, with long black hair and sharp eyes. She checked the paralyzed Katherines ankle and then brought a mix of herbs and oils, gently placing it on her ankle while twisting it back to its former shape. CRACK! AAAGH! Katherine screamed loudly. There was no warning; the woman just did it! There, its done. Itll heal in a day or two. The woman said, Now Sigh, Ill give you something to eat; these bronze coins are not that cheap to get. She gave her some water and two rice balls, which Katherine ate without thinking twice. She hadnt said a word since she entered the house, still thinking and baffled about everything. Her body was just moving on its own at this point, acting by instinct. Eventually, such a particular ability would become one of her greatest strengths. T-Thank thank you. Katherine sighed, looking at the woman. Could it be possible to Could you tell me where I am? Is this in China or somewhere else? Weirdly, you all speak English, though. English? The woman wondered. Our language is Xing Shu; it is the language spoken in the Eleventh Venerable Era. Eleventh Venerable? Katherine only had more questions than anything. This is not Earth, isnt it? Earth? The woman tilted her head. You must have been hurt very badly... You can stay a night with us; your payment should be enough to secure that. But after tomorrow, you must leave this house. A-Ah Okay, thank you Katherine cried. But what What am I going to do now That is not my problem. Sighed the woman, without batting another eye at her. O-Oh Katherine muttered meekly. Sorry It was a harsh world, full of mean people. Although they would do nice things if paid, many would deceive her. Katherine slept the night there, and then she asked the family if she could work for them as a farmer. She didnt have anywhere to go, was in a strange alien world she didnt know anything about, and didnt have any money, proper clothes, or even a house. Her instincts as a salary woman quickly told her one thing: she needed to work! Her adaptability was incredible, but it was mostly due to the shock value she had and the adrenaline that was still pumping through her blood. Katherine, above all, wanted to survive first and then think later. And like that, she worked and worked and worked. Every day, without a break, for ten whole years. She learned many things, such as that this village was simply named Rice Village, which belonged to the Yeng family, one of the three families that governed the Green Fields and White Peaks sect. The sect city wasnt located here, though, but above the peaks she had seen before, where only people known as cultivators could enter, powerful people that had awakened their Meridians and the ability to control Ki. Everybody in this world was often born a mortal, but those with great talent could awaken their meridians naturally. The worst and weakest families, however, ended up becoming farmers, farming rice and other vegetables for the sects, while the sects offered them some protection. For these farmers, becoming a cultivator was nothing but a fleeting dream, something impossible. They had seen countless youngsters die trying to awaken their Meridians, crafting shitty potions that ended up killing them. In this village, the women that Katherine often talked with always told her, Youre pretty, Kat. Find yourself a fair man and marry him, so you can spend the rest of your days as a housewife and not as a farmer. The only good thing these women could think of was marrying a man and becoming a housewife. There was nothing elseno traveling, no cultivating, no learning. Nobody here knew how to do math, read, or anything. Katherine, however, was different; coming from another world, she had a different set of values. She wanted to meet her family again and find a way to go back to her world. And for that, inevitably, shell have to awaken as a Cultivator. She worked hard, enough to earn herself three rice balls and a cup of water a day, along with some meat from the little rabbits she hunted sometimes. After ten years, she managed to afford a small cabin, and after having been deceived and almost killed three times, she had become sharper and didnt trust just anybody with a smile on their face. Because she learned that those who smile in Murim are either psychopaths or bandits. Nobody will smile at you, ever. She grew bitter, but as a lesbian woman, she couldnt fall in love with a man or accept becoming their wife either. There were candidates, but she always rejected them. And this eventually made it so someone really started to grow obsessed with her. Knock, knock. Ugh Katherine groaned as she was still undergoing her process of Awakening. She felt two out of five Meridians open, but the other three werent opening at all. W-Who is it?! I am busy! Please leave for now Katherine, it is me. Shen Xi! Old man Shen Xi, a man in his late fifties who sold all kinds of herbs and ingredients in the small market of the village, was well known for being a deceiving piece of sh*t, but as the only supplier of medicinal herbs, most people still welcomed him. To become a Cultivator, Katherine learned that she had to create a specific Elixir, one that could awaken her Meridians. The Roots of a 50-year-old Jing Seng. The Sap and Leaves of a Lesser Spirit Tree. And a chosen material of a special element. She chose light, taking the Sunshine Flowers as the cheapest and most available material in the market. However, to buy all of this, she had to work relentlessly for ten yearsalmost eleven years, actually. Shen Xi had constantly praised her beauty, and many times he had offered her to become his wife. But Katherine rejected him gently every time, only making them more frustrated. Slowly, she bought all the materials she needed from him and then left a week ago. Rumors of her undergoing her Awakening have already spread, as she hasnt stepped out of her house for a few days now. And he came to look for her. E-Eh? Old man, Shen Xi? What do you want? I heard that you were going to drink an elixir! Please, let me help you. What? No! Please leave- BAAM! Before Katherine could send the man away, the door was slammed open. The old man wasnt alone; two bulky men came with him. Hired bodyguards. W-What are you doing?! Katherine screamed. Oh, my dear Katherine, I simply cant bid you farewell before I have a taste of that fair white skin. The man smiled maliciously. Now, while youre undergoing your agonizing death, let me... Give you one last gift. ----- Chapter 42: Bing Xue’s Backstory, Part 2: Awakening ----- It was quite clear that the old mans intentions werent good, if not completely malicious and evil. Katherine had already realized, before this, how lucky she was that no man had ever attempted to force their way into her. Many had offered her the chance to become their wife; they were quite infatuated by her exotic beauty, as her Western appearance was considered more beautiful than most of the girls around here by the men, who often praised her as a Snow-Skinned Beauty. However, because they were under the watch of a Righteous sect, the crimes here had to be done very, very carefully. And therefore, she lived in a relatively secure part of this harsh world, although she had already been scammed many times and attacked by a thief too, which took away all her savings once. But this was definitely different. The old man had come to see her in plain daylight, bringing two paid bodyguards, both of whom were still mortals but clearly physically gifted and strong. Against a single woman in her thirties, they were going to easily overpower her. Katherine was still undergoing her Awakening, and the Meridians of her body were burning, flaring with a colorless wave of Ki that slowly became a bright gold color. However, the pain and exhaustion she felt made her incredibly easy to handle. W-What the fuck are you talking about?! I wont give you my body, disgusting piece of shit! Katherine screamed, grabbing a wooden chair and throwing it at the man. However, the bodyguards caught it as the man hid behind them, slowly making their way toward her and subduing her, pushing her to the ground by grabbing her arms and legs. T-This is illegal! The sect will kill you after they learn of your crime! Katherine screamed, tears flowing from her eyes. Let me go! Stop! She felt so powerless! Throughout these entire ten years, she has never felt so powerless. This sensation of utter despair, of anger, of fury! Why? Why is this world like this? Why cant a woman like her do anything to change her fate?! That might be the case usually. The old man smiled, caressing his long, whisker-like mustache. However, you are a foreigner, Katherine. Someone who hasnt been registered as a citizen. You came here ten years ago, thinking you could simply become part of our community. But you are not protected by the laws! Ive already researched enough. A poor and beautiful girl like you shouldnt even dare think she can cultivate! You should be kneeling in front of a man and begging to become their wife instead! You should be begging me to give you a child! The mans legs descended towards Katherine, kicking her stomach with as much strength as he could. BAAM! AGH! Katherine felt her innards twisting. The man then kicked her face as she felt one of her teeth fly away. Her body was still burning, and now she was being beaten once more. You should be an obedient woman! The man kept beating her as she continued bleeding and crying. Yet the pain she felt was minimal; her Awakenings burning sensation overpowered any other sensation she felt. This is how this world is! Do you think you can make a difference?! As the horrid man kept screaming like a pig, Katherines mind was slowly fading away, darkness consuming her entirety. Why Why is this happening to me? Mom Ruby I hate I hate this world so much As she almost gave in to the darkness encompassing her mind, a bright golden light surged from within her own consciousness. Something was flaring up within her. Huh? The light extended through the darkness, forming endless roots of light, which then spread through the rest of her body. The burning sensation of her body slowly receded as all five Meridians fully awakened. And you should simply beg, BEG TO ME RIGHT NOW TO- FLASH! Shen Xi was temporarily blinded by the bright light coming from Katherines body, so bright and warm that it made even the men pulling her down step back in pain, their eyes burning. Aaagh! My eyes! The old man fell over his own butt, and the other two bodyguards ended up hitting the walls right behind them. Their burning eyes were barely able to discern what was happening. However, Shen Xi saw something. Within the endless light is the silhouette of a woman. S-She awakened successfully?! A cold sensation filled his entire body; it felt as if his spine had frozen solid! Paralysis! Fear! A Rank 1 Cultivator had appeared. The pressure of those who wielded Ki greatly overpowered any mortal, even in their lowest rank. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. It was like the difference between a wolf and a small rat! The rat had no other alternative than running and hiding. It would never, ever win against the big wolf! And this was the same between Rank 1 Cultivators and Mortals. Katherines pain faded away as she felt her own wounds heal. The power of Light manifests itself. It was an element often considered a supporting element that only healed wounds and could temporarily blind others. But that was more than enough for Katherine. In fact, it was perfect. I awakened Katherine looked at her own hands. Yet there was something weird about this. Old man Shen Xi could tell! T-This is not right! Ive been under the pressure and might of a Rank 1 Cultivator before! Yet none of them have this much power; this is equal to Rank 2 instead?! Almost! He thought, stepping back. But how How is her Ki Levels so high when she absolutely had none before?! Even mortals are born with small, sealed quantities of ki inside of them; depending on the level of sealed ki within their bodies and meridians, they can awaken more easily than others. People with no sealed ki at all, however, are useless and talentless, usually sickly at birth, die at a young age, and are unable to cultivate, even less than these mortals. Katherine was like that, yet she was always full of vitality and unmoved by her defect. What old man Shen Xi didnt know was that she was like this because Katherine came from another world. In this world, humans did not rely on any supernatural ability; they walked on their two feet from birth and grew into adults by resisting the pressures of their planets gravity. Naturally, powerful muscles grow to contain our skeletons and bodies. Katherine had developed a strong body since birth; she might have been rather small in size, but she inherited her deceased fathers stamina and strong vitality. And right now, what would happen when a giant, empty vessel was suddenly able to finally absorb Ki, not only from the elixir but from the environment itself? A tremendous quantity of Ki would fill her completely, more than any cultivator at her Rank could ever hold! I feel so good right now. Katherine felt like she was in the clouds. Yet her eyes quickly descended toward the men in front of her. This world Just as you said, its unfair; look how the tables have turned. P-Please! Spare me! I was wrong! Please dont kill me! The man in front of her kneeled before Katherine. It was such a bizarre sensation to be praised and respected just because she was strong now. It was something she had never experienced. I kneel and respect the great cultivator! Shen Xi knew that there was nothing he could do now! He felt utter horror and fear and did the only thing a rat before a wolf could do, kneel and ask for forgiveness. To act as small and harmless as possible! And hope for the big bad wolf to walk away. Katherine sighed and extended a hand towards him to help the old man stand back up. Youre forgiven, Shen Xi. For a moment, the old mans rotten heart was filled with hope. He immediately thought about something malicious, however. She was stupid! Why would she forgive him?! He wanted to laugh right now; everything seemed to go well in the end. Ill simply hire some cultivator later and then make him break her meridians He thought maliciously. A-Ah, s-such benevolence! However, he pretended to be happy and nice, quickly standing back up. I Please take this, and- Eh? CRACK! However, he quickly realized something: his hand was bent the other way. Pain quickly erupted through his entire body as he screamed out loud. GYYAAAAH! He fell to his knees again, as Katherine had yet to let go of his disgusting hand. Yes, I forgive you. She smiled. I forgive you. This is my forgiveness for you. My gratefulness. My pure-hearted benevolence! Crack, crack! CRASH! Mercilessly, and as if a murderous demon had possessed her, Katherine tore apart the mans hand, blood splattering everywhere, and the endless screams of old man Shen Xi reverberated through the entire village. Gyyaaaah! M-MY HAND! People gathered around the cabin, but Katherine wasnt done yet. The bodyguards had already run away; she didnt care about them; they were hired to do this and probably were desperate for money. She let them go. But not the rat in front of her, no. This rat was going to receive all her forgiveness! N-No! Please forgive me! Please forgive me, great immortal! The old man, Shen Xi, started running away, crawling out of her house. It reminded her of the time she had to crawl to the house of someone else for help. Nobody had empathy for him. If I have to adapt to this world She kicked the mans spine and pummeled him into the ground. BAAAM! Crack! His spine broke. Gyyaaaggh! His screams reverberated across the small hut and the rest of the village as he looked at Katherine with his once malicious eyes, now full of tears and horror. Please forgive me! Katherine! I am so sorry! I will give you anything, but please, please dont kill me! When I begged you to stop, what did you do? You kept beating me. Katherine followed by crushing the mans left arm and breaking the bone. CRACK! Uuuaaggh! When I told you to go away, what did you do? You barged into MY HOUSE! Katherine kicked the mans crotch, crushing it. Blood splattered everywhere, covering the floor of the small cabin she bought with money she had gathered for ten years. Hyeeeegghh! As the man kept screaming like a pig, Katherine, still possessed by her adrenaline, anger, and power, looked down on him. Her right hand flared with Light Ki, resembling the tip of a sword made of light. She did this instinctively. With a mere thought, Ki obeyed her will! N-No Please stop! PLEASE I BEG OF YOU! PLEASEEEE! As the man screamed and asked for forgiveness, what did Katherine give him? Youre forgiven, Shen Xi. She smiled. Please, take my forgiveness with you to the afterlife. Tired of this world. Furious at the man in front of her. Wrathful about her own powerlessness! All these negative emotions swirled within her own mind as Katherine did something she never thought she would do. Please! No! CLASH! She killed someone. Her hand pierced Shen Xis head, splitting it open into two halves. The people outside watched in utter horror as brains spilled over the wooden floor, screaming and running away, scattering like rats. Hahhh Ugh Katherine grabbed the coins that the old mans purse had and the things she had, placed them inside a bag, and ran. She already knew she couldnt stay here anymore. She ran and ran and ran. Between blood and tears, she thought about what she had done. Even if it was an asshole, she killed someone. She felt shame, she felt guilt, and she felt terrible. And below the rain falling once the night arrived, she fell to the mud, completely exhausted after having spent all her Ki. While being unable to move, she heard someone approachingthe figure of a woman. Her vision was all muddy, but she thought she might be dreaming. Because the woman held her in her arms and carried her away. For a moment, she thought it was her mother. Mom I am not your mother, girl. Look at you, all muddy. Despite being a cultivator, youre on the border of dying too! Your body is a mess! Your Meridians are about to explode! Just what sort of Physique is this?! Ugh Before she could hear any other word, Katherine fell asleep. She dreamed of finally meeting her family againher mother, her sister, and her friendsat the office. A dream that has been repeating itself for the last ten years. And slowly, she woke up the next morning. Her eyes slowly opened, now glowing with golden light. Huh Ugh Ah! Finding herself inside a cabin again, she quickly stood back up, getting ready to fight. But the only thing she found was an old lady, a granny with gray hair and a small, old body. Youre awake Calm down, child. I am not your enemy. If it wasnt for me, you would have died mauled to death by a bear outside. E-Eh? You''re the person that Sit down first, you insolent little brat! Y-Yes! Katherine instinctively sat down in front of the granny. Much better! My name is Zhi Hui! You can call me Granny Zhi Hui from now on. Eh? I see My name is Katherine. Pick a new name; that one sucks and only brings unwanted attention. What? From now on, youll have to repay me for saving your life. Do you know how expensive the materials I used to heal your almost broken Meridians?! Youll be working on my rice field and herb farm for the next five years! WHAT?! And thats how Katherine met her first master. Granny Zhi Hui. An old lady with a bad temperament but a heart of gold. A rare sight in this world full of despair and bloodshed. ----- Chapter 43: Developing A Divinity Tree ---- As I left my family down below enjoying the beach, I flew into the skies to deal with some of the things I had yet to get done with. Reminiscing about the past wont get me anywhere anyway; the present is better than I could have ever hoped, but even then, I feel the necessity to continue growing stronger, even past my own limits. Slowly, Ive realized that the key to breaking my limits is all these powers Ive acquired since I got back to Earth. Mana, Divinity, and now Broken Divinities and Shattered Divine Realms. With my new Skills, I decided to fully absorb them both. Although I might have been a bit too prideful and arrogant before, I have come to the realization that these powers are indeed useful and strong, and I wont shy away from using them if they can get me ever so close to reaching the Primordial Immemorial Void Realm. RUMBLE! The skies trembled as two gigantic spheres emerged out of thin air; they were the Shattered Divine Realms of both of the Gods of Eclipse. I quickly opened a portal to my Inner Realm as I activated a certain Skill with a simple command. {Divine Realm Assimilation} FLASH! The Skill effects activated, and a power I could not grasp entirely was given to me completely now. Although I could break and shatter things, forcefully absorbing these things might only destroy them. So, a fine and delicate ability was needed, and I couldnt afford to practice my ability to absorb these things on my own. This Skill helped me skip that whole process entirely. The two bubbles quickly started melding with my Inner Realm, quite literally melting inside and then slowly merging with it. For the first time, I felt a change. My Inner Realm, the representation of all my cultivation and the growth of my soul, trembled. The Divinity Ive been harnessing this entire time suddenly appeared above the Inner Realm, streams of Divine Essence and Mana flowed from it endlessly. It flowed through the rest of my Inner Realm for the first time, Divine Essence and manaenergies it couldnt produce before! I was only able to produce Mana thanks to my System equipment, but this was now coming from my very own soul. The Divine Realms merged together nicely, their entire structures fused, the colorful heavens of my inner realm swirled together as they extended, and the gigantic heavenly domain of the goddess appeared. Hundreds of floating islands abandoned temples, and then her own golden palace emerged, alongside the blue skies and the white clouds. The Divine Realm emanated a bright divine essence, one that was greatly enchanted with the elements of Holiness, Light, and Life. But that wasnt all; below the ground, caverns opened and extended, making my Inner Realm grow several times bigger. These caverns then gained rivers of Nether, Trees made of Bones, and roaming Undead appearing. The Underworld Divine Realm was made. My Inner Realm became at least 30% larger after absorbing just these two Shattered Divine Realms, but the best part was the Essence! Elemental Divine Essence of Holy Light, Life, Darkness, and Death are constantly produced by them, filling my Inner Realm with new essence and life. And my Divinity absorbed it all while letting out more and more Mana as well; it seemed that at any moment, a breakthrough of some kind would be achieved! T-This is incredible. [You have fully assimilated the {Shattered Divine Realm}: {Mother of Lights Heaven} and {Shattered Divine Realm}: {Lord of Deep Darkness Underworld} inside of your own Inner Realm!] [Both Realms have been completely assimilated; your Inner Realm can now produce Divine Essence of Holy Light, Life, Darkness, and Death in low quantities every second.] [You gained +500.000 Mana.] [You gained +200.000 Divinity.] [Your Divinity Stat will increase naturally over time the more you refine this essence. Your Developing Divinity is shining brightly, slowly about to undergo a special change.] Excellent. The new quantities of mana reserves and divinity were already showing; I felt like this energy was finally flowing through me at a much more decent amount and pace. Now, to the other two aperitives. Two floating masses of divinity surged in front of me. One overflows with light, the other with darkness. I was unable to assimilate them into my Developing Divinity before, and I am fairly sure I could try, but they would end up shattered even more; they were already broken due to my mishandling. I activated the [Divinity Steal (SSS): Lv1] and [Divinity Tree Absorption (SSS): Lv1] Skills together at once. The broken divinities flew inside of my soul as I activated these Skills, I felt like I was finally digesting them properly. My Developing Divinity, which resembled a golden flame, absorbed both of the broken divinities, darkness and light, mixing together and swirling against one another. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. T-This is?! It resembled the Yin and Yang Rotation Cycle. FLASH! Suddenly, my Developing Divinity was not developing anymore; it was born, anew, bright, and yet at the same time, dark. Darkness and light, life and death, destruction and creation, love and war, day and night, sun and moon! So this is my Divinity I should have guessed it would be something like this. I had thought it might be related to light or the nine heavens, but that my Divinity was to be the embodiment of the Harmony between Yin and Yang was both surprising and somehow predictable. After all, Ive been using abilities related to them since I got back home. The rotating darkness and light slowly moved towards the skies of my Inner Realm, spreading countless roots through it all, which also manifested inside my soul. The Divinity swiftly grew to become like a gigantic tree made of darkness and light, encompassed by purple and blue-colored essence. It resembled some sort of cosmic tree rather than a divine one. The branches moved upwards and the roots downwards, rooting themselves inside my Inner Realm while the branches spread into the endless, rainbow skies. Beautiful. [You have successfully absorbed the {Broken Divinity}: {Holy Mother Of Light and Life} and the {Broken Divinity}: {Deep Darkness and Death Shadows} into your Developing Divinity!] [Your Developing Divinity has developed completely, transforming into a Developed Divinity!] [You have awakened the {Divinity Tree}: {Yin and Yang Harmony Tree}: {Tier 1: Rank 1}!] [You have developed your {Divinity Tree}! The Divinity Tree feeds on the absorbed Broken Divinities, forming new Divine Branches and Divine Roots through your Soul.] [The [Faith Point] System has been unlocked. Collect Faith Points to strengthen and increase all your stats, while also enhancing your own Divinity Tree and unlocking Divine Abilities and Divine Authorities!] [You have gained +500.000 Faith Points.] [You gained +100.000 Divinity.] [You acquired the Title: [Demigoddess of Yin and Yang]!] [You have gained a Divine Title, becoming a Demigoddess.] [To ascend further through the path of a Deity, please grow your Divinity Tree and your Divine World.] Divine World? Oh, I see. Does it mean the world I control? Wait, did the System take my Inner Realm as my Divine World? Oh well, thats for the better. I shrugged. Now lets see how I exactly develop this thing I flew towards the tree, and as I touched it with my hands, I felt endless streams of my own Divinity and Mana flowing constantly. By merely being close to it, I felt that my production of Immemorial Venerable Primordial Essence was being produced rapidly. This is a blissful sensation; I hadnt felt a similar thing since I ascended. I sighed in relief. Now. Lets administrate some Faith Points into this thing. The branches or the roots? Whats the difference? System, explain them to me. [The Divinity Branches develop Divine Authorities, while the Divinity Roots develop Divine Abilities.] [It is recommended to first develop your foundation as a Demigoddess, creating a strong Divine Ability. Later, a Divine Authority to go with it would be ideal.] Interesting, alright Without much further ado, and with just a single thought, I was able to inject thousands of Faith Points into the roots. The roots grew longer and sharper, until one of them generated a small bump, revealing a bright golden and dark light. [You have exchanged 250.000 Faith Points.] [You have unlocked the First Roots Divinity Ability: [Dual Rings of Radiant and Umbral Harmony (Demi Deity Rank): Tier 0/3] ----- [Dual Rings of Radiant and Umbral Harmony (Demi Deity Rank): Tier 0/3] [Growth]: [0/100.000] Channel the power of your Yin and Yang Divine Essence to summon two Rings, one encompassing the Radiance of Yang and the other the Darkness of Yin. By channeling their power together with the Demigoddess otherworldly energies, unique effects can be created. The Ring of Radiant Harmony will cut through any foes, ignoring 50% of their Defenses and dealing an additional +700% damage against any foe that belongs to the Dark Spectrum of Elemental Affinities. Allies that touch the ring or are near it within a 100-meter radius will instead have their Health and Mana recovered at +500% of their normal speed. The Ring of Umbral Harmony will slash through any foes, ignoring 50% of their Defenses and dealing an additional +700% damage against any foe that belongs to the Light Spectrum of Elemental Affinities. Additionally, it will inflict random Status Afflictions such as [Soul Corrosion], [Divine Venom], and [Abyssal Curse] on foes at random, while further decreasing their Stats by -30%. Both rings can be combined to create the {Harmonious Ring of Yin and Yang, which will have both effects combined and doubled but will consume Mana and Otherworldly Energies at a rapid pace. More effects can be unlocked as the Divine Ability grows on its Tier. ----- Oh, it doesnt sound so bad. I am amused that the Skill descriptions now recognize the existence of Ki and its refined variants. I giggled. It seems it can also deal damage to Gods much more easily. Well, not like I required this, but it is nicea new toy to play around with. There was something else, though; apparently, I could upgrade the Divine Ability using Faith Points. It could only increase by 3 Tiers, and it was part of the first root. [To further ascend your Tier, you must first enhance your Divine Root and your Divine Branch to the maximum Level and then reach Rank 10 of your Divinity Tree, which can be accomplished by the gathering of Faith and the refinement of Divine Essence.] [Every time your Rank increases, you gain a new Root and a new Branch to unlock and grow.] Huh, interesting. I nodded. Okay, got it. I guess Ill wait and accumulate more Faith Points if I want to continue growing stronger. Wait, cant I unlock the Divine Authority right away? [It is recommended to never have zero Faith Points, as your Divinity Tree feeds off it to sustain itself.] [If you reach zero Faith Points, your Divinity might grow weaker rapidly.] Oh, so thats why Very well. If theres one thing I have the most, it''s patience. Well, most of the time. I walked out of my Inner Realm, or should I say Divine Realm now? As I descended onto the beach, I saw a truly incredible sight. The seas were all swirling upward into the heavens as hundreds of gigantic Sea Beasts emerged. I was gone for only a couple of minutes, and now there was this appearing out of nowhere. Just whats happening? Cant a woman enjoy a nice day on the beach now? I sighed. RUMBLE! The seas rumbled as the skies turned black. Amidst the myriad of S-Rank Sea Monsters between Level 400 and Level 600, something surged. Perhaps the King of the Oceans of Eclipse, maybe? It was over a kilometer in height, a gigantic silhouette that seemed to dwarf the oceans themselves. SPLASH! You! Youre the one! I finally found you! The gigantic entity emerged, resembling a massive sea snake, with glistening azure-colored scales, three draconic heads, sharp golden eyes, and countless scars across its enormous body. [The Ancient Ruler of the Seas [Leviathan: Lv5000 (SSS Rank)] emerges from the depths of the sea!] [After having slept for eons since his creation and growth stage, it has found itself in a godless world, and it desires to become the new God!] I challenge you, holder of the thrones! He roared. I will defeat you and become the new God of Eclipse! Oh, so is that how it''s going to be? I wondered. Come then; Im feeling like having some sashimi now. ----- Chapter 44: Leviathan, The King Of The Oceans ----- In the past, Bing Xue would have never dared to go against such an ancient and almighty being. She could tell it was strong. He was stronger than most of the foes she has fought since she got here. In terms of physical prowess and abilities, it surpassed even the Chronomancer whose only specialty was controlling Time Essence. And his Level wasnt low; it was very high! Level 5000! She didnt know what Level the Gods had; it seemed as if they didnt have any Levels themselves, working with another type of system she might have gotten. The thing is, she had both the systems of the gods and could continue leveling up, unlike them. However, right now, Leviathan in front of her was the mightiest foe she had ever fought since her return from Murim; he wasnt a god, and for the level of strength and his ancient aura, she had to admit he was someone slightly respectable. You seem unfazed! Leviathan smiled, showing his countless teeth through all three of his gigantic heads. Well, lets see how you react to this now! Go, my army of the depths! Leviathan roared as hundreds of S-Rank Ocean Beasts surged from the depths; Megalodons, Krakens, Bloodthirsty Whales, Golde Carapace Crabs, Titan Squids, and more creatures surged endlessly. Yet Bing Xue remained unfazed by the approaching, calamitous army of the oceans. She looked towards her family and winked at them; they immediately knew there was nothing to worry about. Sit down and relax; Ill take care of this little thing. She smiled, two rings appearing on her left and right sides. One ring shone with divine brilliance and golden light. The other shone with dark, umbral energies. Both started spinning rapidly, growing larger and larger and larger. She enlarged them to their very limits; each ring was as big as a hundred meters. Bing Xue nodded. Barely acceptable, I suppose." FLASH! She sent both rings towards the beast below her, and they spun rapidly at lightning speed, so fast they only left trails of blood and guts as the beasts that could take whole legions to defeat were slain within seconds. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! E-Eh? Leviathan remained in the same position he was before, all three of his heads glaring in utter disbelief as all his minions perished in a matter of... twelve seconds. Phew, well, this should be enough food for a while. Bing Xue smiled. The seas were now completely tainted with the color red, the blood and guts of all the monsters decorating them. There was an ocean of blood in front of her. The smell of fresh fish was strong; she already wanted to roast some of that and fry a few of those. So, do you truly want to become a god, Leviathan? I-I! Thats Despite being Level 5000, even Leviathan felt a sudden pressure; a feeling of regret slowly started emerging from within his brave and ancient heart. It has been almost a million years since he was born, another of the many sea monsters in the oceans of Eclipse. However, unlike the rest, he was a bit stronger, learned a bit faster, and became much smarter over time than other beasts. He hunted, ate, evolved, and slept. Continuously, for hundreds of thousands of years. Every fight at the beginning was full of stakes; his life was always on the line; however, as he continuously became stronger, he also felt like everything became much, much weaker. Standing at the peak was lonely, and he went to sleep for eons. His Level continuously rose as his subordinates fought and killed other beasts through eons, until he reached Level 5000 as a beast, the maximum level he could reach within Floor 1, apparently. And as someone bound by the oceans, he was unable to explore the tower. Full of resentment, he continuously trained and cultivated his abilities, refining Mana through thousands of years. His goal was simple: to wait for the opportunity to comeany opportunity! And that opportunity presented itself; the gods were slain, and their divine thrones were empty; he could feel them. He had reached the peak of this world below the gods, and now that they were gone, what was going to stop him from becoming the new God? Well, what stopped him was a single woman. A rather young woman at that, only eleven thousand years old. In fact, he was much older than her, as he was almost a million years old! Yet the eleven-thousand-year-old woman in front of him vastly surpassed this old monster. He could tell by merely looking at the massacre she left behind. But could he give himself the privilege of stopping now, when his subordinates have all died because of him? No! I have to defeat you, no matter what. He spoke with his eyes flaring with motivation. For my foolish minions that died so pathetically, and to make sure to carry the title of the King of the Oceans! Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Good, that is the spirit. Bing Xue nodded. Then come, Leviathan! Fight me to the death! Show me if youre truly worthy of becoming a God. I SHALL! RAAAAAHHH!!! With a furious and draconic roar, the oceans obeyed Leviathan, swirling upwards. The people on the beach glanced in utter disbelief as the seas reached the skies. It felt like at any moment, Leviathan could simply drown the entire continent if he wanted. SPLAAASH! The oceans rushed down as Leviathan decided to drown everything, including Bing Xue! He saw she was strong, but inside his head, there was absolutely no way she could easily overpower the entire strength of the oceans. Drown to death! As the water engulfed everything, a flash of bright golden light and umbral darkness surged from within, splitting the oceans into not two parts but four, six, twelve, twenty-four, a hundred, two hundred, one thousand, ten thousand, two hundred thousand, one million, two billion, and more times! Leviathan could see Bing Xues small figure floating below the seas; her very presence forced the oceans to not go down. Her very pressure defied gravity, forcing the seas to simply stay floating in midair. As she cut them, she cut all of the seas. {Yin and Yang Harmonious Blade Arts}: {Radiant Echo}! {Umbral Cry}! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Bing Xue was using her two rings as blades, slashing through the seas until, before everyones eyes, in just a few seconds, the oceans were cut so much to a subatomic level, that they exploded into white clouds of mist, dissipating into the air. Not only the water above her, but the entirety of the wave, capable of drowning at least a tenth of the entire continent, disappeared into an explosion of mist! H-Huh? Leviathan couldnt comprehend what he saw, but Bing Xue already appeared right above him; her rings spun rapidly and then combined together into an even larger spinning ring, which she moved downwards. Ah! Leviathan quickly swam into the seas, using them as protection. Explosions of white mist erupted every time the ring ran through the waves of oceanic water. Leviathan quickly conjured thousands of swirling spears of high-pressure oceanic water, capable of easily carving through mountains. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! However, they were all futile and useless; Bing Xue was completely unmoved and unaffected by anything. The three-headed behemoth was unable to comprehend how it was possible for such a small body to take on all that damage with ease! And the explanation was rather simple: Bing Xue had refined, recreated, and reforged her own body hundreds of times through her long life, each time making it tougher, each time making it even more dense. It wouldnt be an exaggeration to say her body density was higher than anything Leviathan had ever fought. Yet Dammit! He rushed out of the seas, realizing his attacks were useless. He confronted her head-on, opening his jaws and going for his deadly triple bite, a powerful technique that nobody that ever took it survived! Yet. CRASH! The moment his first head tried to bite through Bing Xue, it felt like he was trying to bite through an incredibly hard metal for a baby without teeth! Utterly impossible. And painful! Crack, crack CRASH! UUAGH! His teeth shattered on the spot, his eyes full of disbelief as he glanced at the fly-sized (for him) woman glare at him with her bright, rainbow-colored eyes. Your breath stinks. My turn. She swiftly disappeared from the scene and then reappeared behind Leviathan. The next thing he knew, he felt utter agony through half of his body as his tail was immediately cut into countless round slices, which splashed into the oceans, generating enormous ripples that almost created another tsunami. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! S-Stop! STOP! Leviathan fought back with teeth and tails, but to no avail; Bing Xue was overwhelmingly strong and tougher than him. Each of his bites did no damage, and each of her attacks cut cleanly through his incredibly hard scales. In the end, the giant, three-headed sea dragon had to beg for his life! Please forgive me! I wont do it again! Dont kill meeeee! He was already missing two heads, and Bing Xue was about to go for the third and finish him off. She looked at her family and noticed that her mother sighed as she saw her about to kill yet another being. No, theres another way to solve this. Perhaps it was the desire to not disappoint her mother for once, or maybe it was her wanting to do something different. For once, it just goes against her own "logic, the logic that she forged inside a world of bloodshed and vengeance. Her mind told her to just kill the talking beast. So she decided to do the complete opposite of that. It wasnt like he was a genocidal god like the other two, so certainly he deserved a bit more time to explain himself to her. Ill stop. Eh? R-Really?! Leviathan screamed in surprise as he looked at Bing Xue making her rings disappear, her Divinity Aura still exuding an almighty pressure that forced him to bow his head to her. Yes, tell me, Leviathan. What is your true purpose in this world? And why do you want the throne of the Gods? I I just want to surpass them; originally, I wanted to be able to walk on land and explore the tower! But I was born too big and bound to the oceans I see. Bing Xue detected no lies; despite how monstrous and savage he was, this beast was more pure-hearted than most of the people she had met throughout her life. Hmm, how many innocent lives have you taken, though? E-Eh! Ah Ugh N-None? SLASH! Bing Xue quickly cut with her bare hands one of his gills, making him scream. Dont lie to me, beast. She spoke. I see through your lies! Speak with honesty! I-I have sunk several ships through my long life! He screamed. I-Im sorry! I might have also caused disasters through history with the tsunamis." Hmm Despite that, Bing Xue saw that such deaths were too scarce and spread over almost a million years. Most of them were without him knowing what he was doing or by accident. Huh Hmph. Leviathan would be sweating the entire ocean if he could right now. Below her sharp gaze, there was absolutely nothing that could escape! Yet, suddenly, her eyes relaxed and were full of benevolence. Youve done great crimes; as an intelligent beast, you still must take responsibility for what youve done! She said. Y-Yes! He nodded. Anything, but I dont want to die! Its fine; I will not kill you. For once, I shall go against my own beliefs. Bing Xue sighed. Maybe because I am desperate for the approval of my soft-hearted mother, or perhaps because you are just a beast without truly evil intentions. Or maybe Maybe, just maybe, you can be useful to me. U-Useful? Leviathans titanic body started to tremble. Leviathan, I have a job for you! She smiled. Become the God of Eclipse for me, will you? I dont want such responsibility myself, and I would be bound to this world as well, which is not something I want. Wha Eh? HUH?! Out of nowhere, Leviathan was granted what he originally wanted! However, why? Why did this feel so unsatisfactory?! He had not earned anything, and it felt like Bing Xue was just handing him a very heavy responsibility. But what else could he do now? It was either becoming a God or dying. I-I accept He nodded with his last head. Good. There you go. With a simple thought, the two thrones were finally occupied again. The Primordial Energies of Eclipse shone brightly, blessing Leviathan with new powers. His body changed in form, size, and appearance. He was overflowing with a divine aura! By the way, I will be taking 90% of the Faith Points you earn. Bing Xue smiled. I hope you accept my terms and conditions. WHAT?! Poor Leviathan was about to become Bing Xues first-ever worker in her ever-growing company of replacement gods. ----- Chapter 45: The New God Of Eclipse ----- Staying in this world as its goddess wasnt going to happen anytime soon, and neither was I going to become the goddess of any world either. I was done with that sort of job. I spent thousands of years doing that in Murim, overseeing absolutely everything, controlling everything, and making sure everyone was happy. It was too tiring. Yes, I will offer my protection and guidance, but I wont be a ruler any more; I dont want to. Maybe I could become somewhat of... Well, lets call me a CEO. I am the CEO of this new little company I am making, a company of replacement gods that will replace the worlds I leave godless. After all, it seems to still be quite a big deal; all of that Faith and Divine Essence would go to waste, and I am not someone who likes wasting precious resources. Because even for a Venerable such as myself, these Faith Points and the Divinity I developed are all rather precious. So, I decided to give this dragon the privilege of becoming the god of both thrones, and I get ninety percent of the Faith he gainsa pretty good bargain, right? Compared to just either being killed or spared, simply going back to being a big monster, now all wounded,. He accepted anyway; it wasnt as if he was going to get worse; in fact, he was going to improve a lot from his current situation, even with me taking ninety percent of his earnings. Fine I accept. I accept! I-I cant just reject this opportunity anyway! And you You would have killed me if I hadnt, right? "Maybe, or maybe not. I might have let you go, perhaps. But now, youve accepted our deal. Sign this paper with your soul. I showed him a long golden paper I summoned out of my Inner Realm, an Oath forged using Primordial Immemorial Venerable Essence and many precious materials, a Soul Oath. The terms and conditions are there; you may read them if you please, I said. Y-Yes, can you give me some glasses? He wondered. I-I cant see well without being underwater. Okay. I gave him a pair of glasses, small but somehow fitting of his gigantic head. He looked rather funny as he read the entire paper more carefully. It seemed Leviathan was more reasonable than I had originally expected. Or perhaps he was pretending to care to give me a good impression, and it might be working. So you will be really taking ninety percent of Faith It also says I am not allowed to Raid other worlds?! But isnt that how Gods gain their income to begin with? He asked. You can gain Faith over time with followers and churches; how is that not good enough? I sighed. Though, I guess I can help you if you need souls. You see, Ive been growing a dungeon myself, one where monsters constantly appear and souls simply materialize out of the Soul Essence I naturally exude, without any pain. So maybe we could find a sustainable way to gain Souls for more Faith Points and Divinity without having to kill innocent people, and just mindless beasts that get constantly created and recycled out of the waste my soul naturally emanates. What?! Thats a thing, boss?! He asked, already calling me his boss. It is only theoretically possible for now; I might need to gather more power and Dungeon Fragments before that theory can become a reality, I explained. But anyway, are you accepting or not? Y-Yes! He nodded as he used his own soul, shaping it into a small little finger, touching the paper, and leaving his sign, which resembled a big fish. FLASH! The oath was immediately turned into particles of light that flew toward both of our souls. And it was finally done. The only thing left was this There, you are the new God of Eclipse, Leviathan. I touched his forehead as two powerful Divine Thrones were given to him. Divine Thrones was a rather funny thing. They didnt exist before these Gods were born, but now that they were slain, they remain. They are quite literally the metaphorical seats the Gods use, which allows them to become pillars of a world, absorbing their energy and also the Faith of believers and even their haters. As long as they believe in you, either by hating you or loving you, you gain power. The terms and conditions I gave to Leviathan were reasonable: no killing, no evil cults, no raiding other worlds, no drowning the world like he originally wanted as a god, and giving me 90% of his earnings. The rest? He can do whatever he wants; he can start churches, force the churches to fight one another, and become a corrupt bastard. I dont care. As long as he doesnt go past a certain line, Ill allow him to handle things on his own; even as a god, he might punish mortals too. No, actually, I am not letting him do that last part unless theyre truly vile people. FLASH! The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Leviathans appearance changed once he became the God of Eclipse. His blue scales became black on one side and golden on the other. His two other heads didnt regrow, though, and from their wounds, a pair of wings came out. The black wing resembled a demonic one, and the other golden wing was feathered, like those of birds or angels. His scars werent fully healed but became beautiful tattoo-like marks glowing with gold and red light. It was as if the wounds I inflicted upon him had marked his body, therefore becoming part of what he is and represents as a God. He even developed a small Divinity out of his already developing one. Apparently, when you live almost a million years in a world of magic and reach level 5000 or higher, your soul begins to naturally form something resembling a Divinity. Is this how some Gods might also be born, I wonder? Ding! [You have allowed {Leviathan, King of the Oceans} to take both of the available Divine Thrones of the First Floor World: Eclipse.] [Leviathan has now become the God of both Divine Thrones! His body and soul are barely strong enough to take on the burden of both powers at the same time.] [His Developing Divinity has evolved into a full Divinity Tree!] [Leviathan has evolved into the [Primordial Serpent God of Creation and Destruction: Leviathan]!] [The message of having become the new God spreads through the whole world!] [The entire population of Eclipse acknowledges the existence of their new God.] [Eclipses Pillars have stabilized.] [Leviathan has been granted the opportunity to create his own Divine Realm.] Looks like its done. You want to make your Divine Realm, my disciple? I asked him. Y-Yes, boss. He nodded. If preferably, can I get the skies? Now that I can fly Ive been in the seas for so long; it is tiring. Okay, I get it. I nodded. Lets go; Ill help you. We moved to the skies briefly, and as he expanded his Divine Powers, the Thrones did most of the job as a new Divine Realm was formed. For a moment, I thought that I could farm Divine Realms and Divinities by constantly allowing other living beings to take on the thrones. They need to be very strong, though, but it could be possible, right? However, I would never do such a vile and cunning thing anyway, and I believe the world doesnt have endless energy. The Divine Thrones are fueled by Eclipses own World Essence, something that comes from the planets core. It regenerates over time, but it is not something that should be abused, or I would risk getting this world entirely destroyed. Ahh, this realm is so beautiful! The skies! All mine! Hahaha! This feels so nice, boss! Glad for you. How about you bring some of your minions back as your subordinates? I remember that goddess had a lot of angelic spirits. Can I do that?! You should be able to revive them by using their souls left behind. I didnt take them. T-Then! Leviathan wished it, and streams of Divine Essence flowed everywhere as hundreds of souls of many giant and horrid-looking sea beasts appeared around him. They quickly were reborn as Angelic Spirits, gaining big, feathered wings and smaller, cuter appearances. Yet they still looked like just flying fish, octopuses, sharks, and squids. Ive created quite a peculiar Pantheon of a single God and many little Divine Spirits. Master Leviathan, youve become a god! We are so happy you succeeded in defeating that human! Hurray! Hurray! I can talk now?! They were quite an amusing little group of sea monsters. They quickly noticed I wasnt dead, though. Wait a second, shes not gone?! Careful! Shes behind you! Uaagh! They screamed and cried, trying to alert Leviathan that I was about to attack him from behind. No, it is fine. I am now working below her protection. He spoke. She allowed me to gain the throne for... Err, she acknowledged my strength! He didnt want to say that I just had pity for him. Yes, thats right. I winked at him, deciding to go along with his little lie. He was very strong and mighty, so I simply had to concede the thrones to him. Admire and praise him; hes your new god! Ooh! Lord Leviathan! Woooohhh! I always believed in you, my lord! You look so cool too! Please give me your babies! Who said that?! Leviathan looked around to find a little fish with three heads. Eeep! S-Sorry! She covered her face with her fins. Im just in my egg-laying season Hah Leviathan sighed. Anyways, we will start doing godly stuff! W-Whatever that is, actually, I never thought I would get this far; what the hell do I even do now? Hahaha! Well, you can start by spreading your doctrine. I dont know. I said. Maybe make a new church? How do I do that?! Do I just go down there and tell them?! Leviathan wondered. Yeah, I mean, you should. I nodded. Make yourself real to the people; show them you exist. T-Then! I will do it! He said it bravely, but then stepped back. Aaahh, I am so nervous though! P-Please boss, can you come with me? Pleaseeee It was as if he was a young child, afraid of doing things on his own. I will watch you from afar, but youll do things on your own. O-Okay! Like that, Leviathan descended from the skies. With my own recommendations, he appeared as a gigantic mass of light and darkness, surprising everyone as he created an artificial eclipse with his powers. Kneel before your new ruler, mortals! For I am the Primordial Serpent, the devourer of life and the bringer of death! I was born from your Gods corpses; I am both of them, yet I am also my own self! He roared. Those who want to become my believers! I will soon bring you miracles! Those with the strongest belief will get the best miracles. I will give you classes, special skills, and even items, as long as you offer me your eternal loyalty! Oooh, a new god?! It is him, the snake! H-Holy sh*t, this is the first time this happens in the tower, right?! I dont think so, but it is certainly the first time in our lifespan. Woah As he gave his show, I nodded from afar as he looked back at me nervously. Once the show was over, we retreated back to the heavens. D-Did I do a good job? I was so nervous, I thought I was going to pee myself! Leviathan cried. I patted his big head and laughed. You did well, haha! I laughed out loud. Now lets see what happens. For the moment, I will go back to my family and enjoy the rest of the day. You You should probably rest. Leave your minions and everything else. I should, yeah... Thank you so much, boss! I will make sure to be a good god! He said. You better be. I smiled. After all, my income from Faith Points will depend on that. Finally leaving this whole ordeal to the side, I joined back with my entire family, where we enjoyed the beach, ate the delicious sea monsters we hunted, and then moved back to the city, where we reported the last S-Rank quests we completed. "Congratulations, Bing Xue! Everyone! You finally completed all ten missions! You can now climb to the second floor! Peperina was very happy. Tomorrow was our date, by the way. ----- Chapter 46: The Regressor ----- He could still remember it. That kick she gave him and the fountain of memories that came with the immense pain he felt. For a moment, he thought he would die. He felt his insides bursting and his bones breaking. Yet he was healed an instant later, completely healed. He was incapable of believing what had happened; that insane woman kicked and healed him! He was very afraid; he didnt even join the fight that came afterward, too worried about the endless rivers of memories rushing inside of his head and the fear he felt against her. Days have passed since then, and Seth still feels like he is barely grasping his current situation. The memories he received, which were triggered by his near-death experience, werent the ones he had experienced at all. In fact, they were his, but from someone else, another version of himself, from the far future. A future devastated by the endless Dimensional Gates and the flood of monsters coming out. He was perhaps one of the last Hunters that continued fighting for Earth, while mostly everyone else had given up on their planet, escaping inside the Tower and its many worlds instead. Although he started his humble beginnings as yet another orphan from the Apocalypse that happened eleven years ago, he slowly rose to the Ranks. Starting at F Rank, he went all the way to S Rank in the span of only three years. His talent to control his unique ability [Rune Creation] was without equal. However, he committed a grave mistake in that future: he became the Avatar of a powerful yet mysterious Tower God known as the [Grandfather of Time]! Although he ended up gaining tremendous power over the years as he climbed the tower and defended Earth, his soul was slowly being eroded and devoured. Without realizing it, his personality became colder; he forgot about his friends and walked a path alone, tired of interacting with people weaker than himself. However, because of this very reason, he ended up all alone at the end of the world. Earth was completely devastated; hundreds of Dimensional Gates of S Rank and above kept being opened, and millions of monsters rushed in, devastating everything. Every country, every person, and every living being on the face of the Earth were all killed, all taken awaytheir souls, their life force, their mana, all precious resources. For the damned gods! Is this how Ill die? His sharp yet cold eyes looked into the black skies. The largest Dimensional Gate opened, glowing with a bright red color, and a titanic being surged. [The Tower God {Vengeful Demon of Wrath} has summoned their Manifestation.] [The Hammer of Wrath is descending!] BOOOM! A gigantic, red-skinned demon descended, and his massive fist moved downwards like a titanic hammer; it smashed the crust of the planet, fracturing it as countless cracks opened. The seas evaporated, the continents broke down, and everything crumbled apart. Demonic flames burned the entire planet as Seth watched the last system message in front of him before falling into the endlessly boiling and disintegrating depths of the planets core. [Your {World}: [Earth] has lost the Game.] [Effective termination in progress Please evacuate to any Tower Floor.] [The Tower has begun to assimilate all leftover matter.] [The Tower God {Grandfather of Time} sighs, saying that you should have run inside the Tower, fool!] And abandon my world?! Never NEVER! As he screamed, the powers of the Grandfather of Time activated. He grasped them out of his soul, cursing himself for having ever become his Avatar, and tearing out his own soul. The agony and pain he felt were tremendous. Crack, crack! CRASH! You bastard Gods! I hate all of you! I will kill you all! I will tear you to shreds! Even if I die, even if I DIEEE! Seth screamed in agony as he slowly burned and disintegrated himself over the boiling lava of the planets core. However, the gray-colored fragment of Divinity of Time, of the highest purity, reacted. FLASH! Absorbing the last streams of World Essence, it started to glow brighter, and brighter, and brighter! As Seth slowly died, he heard a voice. Someone, a woman. It came from the world, from Earth. I will give you all I have... My last warrior, my child W-Wha?! FLASH! The last remaining World Essence of Earth flew into the Divinity Fragment of Time of the Highest Purity, fusing with Seths soul and memories. As he felt his very soul disintegrate due to the agony, his mind came back to his former self, to the present right now. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Ah! So thats I see; I understand. He sighed in relief, gasping for air. I have processed all the memories- Ugh! My soul, it hurts so much He fell to his knees once more; he had been inside his apartment for the last week, recovering from everything that had happened since that day. And finally, he had finally finished processing it all. His handsome face slowly twisted into a smile filled with hope and a bit of euphoria. I am back... I am back! He walked outside his house, looking at the terrace, the city, the people, and the blue skies. Everyone was truly still alive. His two memories and his two selves finally merged into one. System messages appeared in front of him. Ding! [You have unlocked the Title: [Regressor]!] [You have acquired the Title: [Earths Chosen Hero]!] [You unlocked the Special Divine Class: [The Only Regressor (SSS+++ Rank)] [You acquired the Divine Class Skill: [Future Self Assimilation (SSS): Lv1]!] [You have begun slowly assimilating your future self. As you Level Up, your Stats will rise based on your future selfs stats, and you will gain many new Skills and Titles based on your future selfs accomplishments.] [You have unlocked the Divine Class Skill: [Divine Eye of Time (SSS): Lv1]!] Ugh! He felt his left eye burning as he looked himself into the mirror, realizing it now had the shape of a clock, gray and golden colored. [The [Divine Eye of Time (SSS): Lv1] Skill has activated its effects. You can now see the paths for the possible futures and accurately recall all memories of the future.] With this! He smiled, full of resolve. I could maybe become the strongest, finally save Earth, and kill those damned gods! As he filled himself with new hope, he looked around the city again, breathing in the fresh air of the breeze coming in, although it was still mixed with the nasty city smell of New York. The world This must be at least ten years before the end. He sighed in relief. But Wait, wait a second! He quickly realized something terrifying and weird! Something that wasnt in the future, he lived. Who Who is that woman? Bing Xue. That woman who could best anybody with ease, that woman wearing beautiful Chinese dresses. That woman with her bright, rainbow eyes and her almighty presence! She wasnt there before... She was never there. His eyes opened wide as he realized a terrifying truth. The past had been tempered by someonea being he could simply not grasp. A being perhaps much stronger than any Tower God. A being might be watching him from above. As if it were the will of the heavens. Who Who did this? He looked into the skies; all his resolve was now fading away as he immediately regained a horrid fear. The fear of the unknown. A regressor is supposed to know everything and be confident! But once the past they knew so well changes, what will they do? I need to... I need to get my sh*t together first. He sighed, going to take a bath. I need to go to the second floor as quickly as possible; thats where the thing that might help me save the world could be located. Ill worry about everything else later. The Regressor walked through a thorny path; his desire to protect a world that would soon fall into eternal demise would drive him to do anything to achieve it. With both confidence and a slight sense of fear towards a factor he never calculated mixed inside of his heart, he begins his journey. But will the monster that has arrived in a timeline she wasnt supposed to appear to allow him to do as he pleases? What will happen once the wills of two formidable people who want to protect their world clash? Yet, while Seth was completely unaware, within the skies, distortions in space began to open, creating ripples within the dimensions. The arrival of a Regressor was not going to be easily welcomed. The Grandfather of Time was furious; a part of his power was missing. One of his eyes was stolen! A gray-colored Dimensional Gate slowly began forming, looming over New York City, completely invisible to the common eye. The Essence of Time within Earth began to become distorted. Ancient Warriors and Beasts have awakened from time immemorial. . . . (Bing Xues POV) After returning to the city of Nexus with my family once the night fell, we reported all our missions to the Adventurer Guild, showing off the giant carcasses to the masses, who gasped in amusement and surprise. A-Amazing, well done, as always! Peperina said. You completed eight quests! I think these are all the S-Rank Quests we ever had! And you also completed ten missions, so youve completed the first-floor requirement! Ding! [Congratulations! You have completed 8 S-Rank Missions in the Adventurers Guild!] [Required Missions To Complete The Floors Challenge: 14/10] [Your Party received the Following Rewards for completing the Missions]: [80.000.000 Credits] [Adventurers Mystery Box (S Rank)] x16 [Random Skill Book (S Rank)] x8] Oh, that might be a lot of stuff, but Ill share it with everyone. Thank you, Peperina. I smiled gently, giving her a gentle head pat. Well see tomorrow then? Y-Yes! Of course, of course! Ive been preparing for the day. She nodded happily. Ill be waiting as well! Alright, have a good night then. I waved my hand. A-Ah, yes! Thank you so much for helping the guild. She thanked us a hundred times. Once we made our way back to the tribes village, I distributed the rewards to everyone. I gave the twins 40 million credits so they can start accumulating their "savings," while I also gave them eight of the mystery boxes, three for each, and, of course, six skill books as well so they can get strong S-Rank Skills. As for me? I got two Skill Books and nothing else. I shared the rest of the items with my mother and my sister and saved some for Hekita whenever she unlocks the System, which shell get similarly to my sister. I had hundreds of thousands of Credits and didnt particularly care about the mystery boxes that much, though my family insisted, and I ended up taking four after they insisted. Though I took no Credits, this was enough. Looking at my Inventory, there were a lot of items I hadnt touched yet: [Divine Skill Fusion Ticket (S Grade)] x2 [Skill Copy Ticket (S Grade)] x1 [Yggdrasils Divine Seed (S Grade)] x1 [Guild Creation Ticket (S Grade)] x1 [Dungeon Key (S Grade)] x2] [Adventurers Mystery Box (S Rank)] x6 [Random Skill Book (S Rank)] x4 [Divine Weapon Choice Ticket (SSS Grade)] x3 [Divine Armor Choice Ticket (SSS Grade)] x3 [Divine Accessory Choice Ticket (SSS Grade)] x3 [Divine Skill Fusion Ticket (SSS Grade)] x3 [Divine Skill Book (SSS Grade)] x3 Anything skill-related immediately got my attention, though. The Dungeon Key thing was interesting; I might see what that is about. The Yggdrasil Divine Seed was also something I was going to use now. The Guild Creation Ticket? Ill ask my mother later. And Ill use the Skill Books tomorrow morning. For now, as everyone was preparing for dinner, I quickly decided to sneak inside my Inner Realm to plant this mysterious seed, something that didnt exist in Murim. Mommy, where are you going? However, little Hekita caught me as I was about to go. She has started calling me mommy since we talked to her about calling me a father or sometimes an auntie. She calls Urbosa mama, so shell call me mommy. It is very embarrassing, and something I would have preferred not to happen, perhaps! But because she is so adorable and I have a weakness against the purity and innocence of children, I could only give in to her innocent demands. You cant go! Were having dinner soon! Nuh-huh! But Hekita, dear, I need to plant this mysterious seed! Come on, you can come and see too. Ooh? Can I? Okay! She quickly climbed over my body as I carried her over my shoulders. We entered the Inner Realm together as we flew across the skies. Wooah, so high in the sky! I am getting dizzy Hahah, calm down; its okay. I slowly descended over a large patch of Nature Star Grass and a few other Herbs within my Inner Realm, and with a mere thought, a hole appeared there, where I placed the seed, and then gave it Primordial Oasis Fountain Water, of course, of the highest quality within Murim. FLASH! And the tree immediately started growing, almost magically. Rivers of green, gold, and pink-colored energy started flowing from the tree as it continued growing larger and larger. This energy I dont remember it at all in Murim. Is this another new energy? Wow, so much Spirit Energy! Hekita said, looking at the tree grow. So this is Spirit Energy, huh? I smiled. Another new energy I can cultivate. ----- Chapter 47: Spiritual Abilities ----- A beautiful tree was grown from the small seed. It overflowed with both Mana and Spirit Energy, energies my Inner Realm could not produce by itself just some time ago before I created my own Divinity. Although I can now produce Mana internally without requiring my System Scarf, it was another thing entirely to talk about this other energy. Spirit Energy! Hekita and probably her entire tribe are rather accustomed to this energy, even if they dont seem to be able to wield it aside from class-specific skills. It appears this energy comes from all things spiritual. Spirits, entities made of elemental energy and spiritual energy, are one such being that both produces it and can drain it from other sources. The Divine Beast Spirits the tribe sees as their true gods are probably composed of this element, though, unlike the Gods with their Divine Realms, they were rare. It seemed that they didnt live in the physical plane or have their own pocket planes, such as the Divine Realms. No, these Divine Beast Spirits live elsewhere completely; I could even call it another dimension, a dimension where spiritual energy probably originates from. They visit physical planes momentarily to see their descendants. It wouldnt be crazy to say that the tribes of beast people might descend from the divine beast spirits in one way or another. But how could these people be descendants of spirits if they share none of their traits except being beast-like? I guess one of their innate traits is detecting spiritual energy, yeah. It is amazing, mommy, such a big spirit tree! Hekita said, grabbing my leg and pulling my dress. She was very excited. Honestly, she was such a bundle of cuteness that I could hardly resist giving her another head pat. Is that so? Well, I suppose it is quite big, yes. I nodded. Hekita, are you able to see the spiritual essence? Yes, I can see it! You cant? She wondered, tilting her head. I can; these eyes can see everything. I nodded. But even then, I can tell this is not an energy that normal people could ever see or detect. Your family probably has a great talent for Spiritual Energy or even Spiritual Magic, but you have yet to tap into it. Is that so?! I didnt know! She said, amazed. Maybe mommy can help me learn it? Can you help me? Pretty please! Hahah, well, if you insist, I was thinking of something. I smiled. For now, lets tap into the strength of this tree first. I touched the trees bark and gently caressed it. Hekita did the same, imitating me. As the two of us felt waves of spiritual energy surging from the tree, its leaves grew larger and its branches longer. A beautiful tree over a hundred meters tall was formed within minutes, and once it reached this height, it abruptly stopped growing. I could feel the spiritual energy coursing through my body. Unlike the potency of the various refined types of Ki, Spirit Energy was gentlea very gentle and light energy, much more gentle than even light itself. Mana was rather dense and slightly "bitter, if we could give it a flavor. But the spirit energy was different. If I could give it a flavor, it would be like eating a slightly sweet, whipped creamso soft, so creamy, and so light. I could hardly get enough of it, but I knew that if I drained the tree out of it all completely, it would die, so I let it slowly share it with me. But it also shared it with Hekita, surprisingly. Although I didnt experience any changes, she did. The rainbow-colored spirit energy flowed through her small body and then entered her circulatory system, spreading through every vein her body had. Until it reached her heart, and I felt something within it forming. For a moment I panicked, thinking she might be in pain, but she looked so happy and calm, smiling while closing her eyes, as if she were drifting into a good dream. FLASH! The energy condensed within her chest and crystalized, forming a small, heart-shaped, and rainbow-colored jewel that was directly connected with her heart and her blood vessels. Ooh? Ooohh! She was surprised as she looked into her tiny hands. Mommy, look! I can control my spirit energy now! What happened?! She was manipulating the energy she was given. The tree was no longer supplying any to her, but she was now generating it herself! I was shocked. This might be... Okay, this could be incredible. Hekita, we might have just discovered a way for your entire tribe to awaken a power that you all should have been born with. I told her, her eyes widening. Woah, really? Makes sense! If the Divine Beast Spirits are our ancestors! She said, amazed. Amazing mommy! Thank you for letting me touch the big tree! If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. She ended up hugging my legs. Haha, it is fine. Well, you just touched it; its not like I gave you anything else I said. I wonder, have you awakened a system yet? Nuh. She said. Nothing yet. Good. I nodded. Itll be better for you to get yourself a scarf later with my help instead of having it soul-bound. Scarf? She wondered without knowing what I meant. Anyways, lets go. We walked outside my Inner Realm, after noticing there were no System Notifications. Although I had gained some sort of bond with the tree, it didnt register through the System Scarf I had. Most likely because it was connected to the Inner Realm and not the outside world. Well, whatever was the case, we walked outside. Through the spirit connection I gained with that tree, I detected a few things, however. One of them was that it had a connection somewhere. Although it produced its own energies, the spiritual soul the tree possessed was connected to another plane. I dont know how to call it either a plane of existence, a different reality, or maybe a dimension. Whatever the naming sense, it was something completely outside our universe, or even the interconnected array of universes that some might call a multiverse. It was something completely and entirely outside of it alla separate multiverse of its own, maybe? However, the naming sense wouldnt work either, because, unlike our multiverse, what I felt with it was much different and deeper. It wasnt composed of stars, planets, space, galaxies, and so on. No, none of such things seemed present as we know them in that dimension; it was more like an endless expanse of flowing essences, an endless sky. More than that, I couldnt see; however, the connection with this tree was too faint. If I ever want to enter such a place, Ill need to keep raising that tree until its connection with its mother dimension grows more. For now, Ill call this mysterious area Spiritual Plane for an easy-to-digest name. Once we moved back to the village, we explained to everyone what happened and why Hekita was playing around with animal-shaped illusions made out of her rather vast spiritual essence reserves. S-So that Spirit Tree you grew untapped our inner potential? Merkite asked. I-Is that truly something we can do? Maybe Hekita had the talent? No, actually, there might be There might be some truth to this, not just for my daughter. I mean, I am really happy she got such amazing powers, but it might truly be something of our tribe. Urbosa said. You see, there are tales of our tribe when it was much larger. Back then, all the dog and cat tribes belonged to a single tribe. In our home world, which people call the Second Floor. There was a tree, a Spirit tree, that awakened peoples talents. What?! I had no idea of that! Merkite complained. Thats because you never sat down to listen to the elders teachings, Merkite! You were always just barking around, wagging your tail at cute girls, or going out to hunt. Urbosa reprimanded her sister. Both were the same age, as they were twins born on the same day, but it was quite clear who was the most mature out of the two. Urbosa seemed much older than her twin sister, which made for a rather cute and funny dynamic. Aw, man! But those teachings were so BORING! Merkite crossed her arms. They should have talked about that stuff directly instead of having to introduce everything through boring old tales about people talking with animals. Its our history and traditions, my foolish sister! Urbosa sighed. Anyway, I think we can learn more if we ask our oldest elder. Should we go after lunch? We were currently eating lunch together. My mother, my sister, and Juan were with us, alongside the twins grandmother, who had already officially begun a relationship with my mother. Quite the shocker, but my mother had her own life, so I didnt judge if she got with someone older or not. I suppose we should, yes. Their grandmother nodded. I also remember a bit about the Great Spirit Tree. In some of our traditions, I think it says something about the tree being a gift left by our Ancestors, the Divine Beast Spirits, so we could tap into our inner spiritual powers. Or something Unfortunately, I am a lot like Merkite, and I never paid much attention to that, hahaha! Geez, you should have! My mother reprimanded Ashen. It is something important to your tribe; you should treasure these things. Hmm, I suppose youre not wrong, my dear. Ashen apologized. Now that Ive gotten older, Ive grown to appreciate this much better. Sorry, Ill try to be better for you. She held her hand gently. E-Eh? Ah W-Well, if you say so My mother became a young girl in love after her girlfriend said that, blushing like a high schooler. I can make little animals, Auntie Ruby! Hekita called for my little sister, as she made a small cat. It looks like Felix, hehe! Oooh, not bad! Ruby nodded. Can you make, like, a bird? A bird! Hmmm Hekita concentrated on her own hands, and a bird quickly shaped itself out of her flowing essence. There! Bird! The little bird resembled a parrot of sorts, flying up and moving around everyone before dissipating quickly after. We were always amazed by her talent; it seemed she could do a lot with the spirit energy she had gained. I am fairly sure this level of talent is not normal at all; Hekita is probably developing some unique ability. For now, I would call her Spirit Creator," using Spirit Energy to temporarily create Spirits out of her own design and imagination. They are like temporary and useful familiars, and maybe if she can cultivate her spirit energy some more, she could eventually summon very powerful ones that would last for a while as well. This is really incredible, Juan commented. I cant remember a single Hunter capable of doing something like this. Isnt she literally just creating spirits? Even if they disappear. Yeah! Ruby nodded. She could become popular as a very young hunter, I suppose. Really auntie? "Can I become popular in your world?! Hekita started getting excited again. I wanna go! Mama, mommy! I wanna go to Earth! Now, now! Hekita, enough. We will go once Bing Xue decides; do not force her. Urbosa said. Well go next week, so dont worry. Have some patience. I smiled back at her. Okay She nodded. Mommy is much nicer than Mama She hugged my belly. Haha, I guess I am way too weak with children to be harsh with them. Urbosa has to take care of those things, unfortunately. But Ill try to be stricter; I just need to learn how Urbosa does it. Hmph, well, I suppose thats fine. It is very clear that youre very weak against children; you are like a young mother, Bing Xue. Urbosa giggled. Youll learn they can be little devils themselves. I am slowly learning already, ahahah. I laughed a bit. Once we finished lunch, we moved to the Elders tent, and after explanations, she went into much more detail about what happened. She looked clearly amazed and happy, even excited. T-This is incredible! Bing Xue! Is this true? Do you truly possess a Spirit Tree?! And Hekita! She muttered, pointing at the girl. My dear child, youve awakened what our Ancestors called a Spiritual Heart! It is a special organ inside your body, a second Heart that will allow you to cultivate the Essence of the Spirits! ----- Chapter 48: The Deal With The Second Floor ----- A weary black-haired man entered the first floors adventurer guild, carrying with him a large bag full of the pieces of many monsters he had slain. They ranged from measly E-Rank monsters all the way to A-Rank monsters and even the horn of an S- Rank monster, the golden-horned blazing bear king. Both of his eyes looked fierce and exhausted. One of them was of his natural color, a clear green, while the other had become completely gray, its irises shaped strangely, resembling the arrows of a clock. W-Welcome Did you hunt all of that, sir? Asked a receptionist. Please confirm the kills and give me the rewards. The man said he had no time to waste, quickly drinking a yellow-colored potion and recovering his energies. Y-Yes! The girl quickly took care of things while he rested. He looked into his status, noticing his Level had already reached two hundred. This damned Class max level is 999; I am not getting anywhere close to a Class Rank Up. The extra stats are good though, but this wont do. As he analyzed his stats, he quickly started browsing through his inventory and then used his Alchemy Skill, obtained through an Alchemy Skill Book he spent half his savings accumulated from hunting back on Earth to get. {Synthesis} He combined the second horn of the bear he hunted, the exoskeleton of the shadow ants, the skeleton of the sunshine lions, the innards of the lesser frost wyverns, and the heart of the giant mole into a single concoction of powerful essence. Ding! [You have synthesized the [Vigorous Awakening Elixir (SS Grade)] x1!] [You have consumed the [Vigorous Awakening Elixir (SS Grade)] x1!] [All your Stats have increased! You unlocked the Martial Power Stat!] [Your Meridians have awakened. You can now begin Cultivating your Physique.] As he drank the elixir, a smirk appeared on his face. Good. He smiled. With the Martial Power Stat unlocked, I can begin using the Cultivation Techniques I learned from the Tenth Floor and get a Physique, that will be really useful. I need as much power as if I ever wanted to defy the Challenge of the Second Floor and enter those ruins to get that precious item. Itll be the key to my growth later on. And perhaps the only way for me to surpass my former self. Although the regressor seemed to exude confidence and had clear goals in mind, he still couldnt help but feel a slight uneasiness. From having obtained the Eye of Time, to having regressed, and also the most worrying thing of all... Bing Xue. He had learned she had already become a celebrity on Earth and had shown prowess and abilities without parallel, even the power to revive dead people, something that was only obtained by the Saintess, a Hunter that will appear two years from now with the ability to absolutely heal and revive people that recently died. The most worrying thing wasnt her abilities; it was that in the timeline he remembers, she didnt exist. There was no such thing as a Returnee named Bing Xue! And above all, he felt somethinga gaze. It wasnt the Grandfather of Time, though; it was something else. Some could call it an intuition, a premonition, or perhaps just a feeling. But something was watchingsomething glancing at the Tower, its worlds, and even Earth. A threat was approaching, and every second that passed felt like things would only get worse. This timeline might only become even more chaotic from now on. After taking his rewards, he quickly walked away. Seth set his gaze into the faraway forests, where he would begin hunting S-Rank monsters. I have to hurry." Before entering the Second Floor, he wants to be as high-level as possible. However, if he were to learn that Bing Xue was already tapping into powers he would have given his two arms to get, he would probably die of envy. The same gaze he felt before continuing to watch. The cosmos swirls around their endlessly expanding prowess. The nine heavens swirled together; eyes resembling stars watched the events unfold. Distortions in space opened. Dimensions were breached. Realities were being broken apart, and their cracks connected together. How long will it take for its influence to reach her? The order of the Tower might not last much longer. Ive found you, my dear. . This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. . . (Bing Xues POV) Spiritual Heart? Urbosa wondered as the Elder nodded. Yes, Ive read that in the ancient tales, the scrolls weve kept saved within our small library. The Elder spoke with a loud and wise voice. Spiritual Hearts were the special organ that our ancient warriors had; they were called the Spirit Callers, capable of tapping into the spiritual energy to grow stronger. The Spiritual Heart is capable of growing larger and obtaining even more spiritual energy over time. I didnt know we had the talent to get that! Merkite complained. Even I who paid attention to the tales, havent heard such things. Urbosa nodded. Well, it is something that is only specified in the older, harder-to-read tales. Spoke to the elder. "Unfortunately, not many people can read the old runic writing system of our home world. So such things have remained known by the elders. This is all quite interesting I said. So the Divine Beast Spirits I saw the other day are your Ancestors, is it not? Yes. The Elder nodded. And then they left you this Spirit Tree to awaken your Spirit powers, I said. Okay, I get it now. However, I wonder now, what happened to that Ancient Spirit Tree your entire tribe had? Ah The Elder sighed. I suddenly noticed Urbosa, Merkite, and Ashen doing similar expressions; it was like a combination of frustration and sorrow. Ive been mostly trying not to talk about this, but I think it was about time they addressed what happened on the second floor. Can you tell me what has happened in your world? I asked them. I know it might be a delicate thing to speak about, but I plan to climb the tower with my family, so well eventually go there. I need to know, if you were that worlds inhabitants, what forced you to come to the first floor? Its Well, I suppose it can be explained first with the Spirit Tree. Said the Elder. In the ancient scrolls, weve learned many things. One such thing is the birth of our God. Yes, not the Divine Beast Spirits. But the God of the second floor is the God of our world. And unlike this worlds gods, there was only one. A tyrant, a warmongering monster. A god of battle and bloodshed, of calamity and barbaric disaster. A what? Can there be such an evil god out there? My sister asked. It can. And the most surprising part is that it is the second-floor god. Said Urbosa. Hes the reason why we descended the tower and moved to a more peaceful land. That God, hes known as the {Battle-Loving Barbarian King}. The Elder said. Pretty straightforward, right? He was born roughly over a hundred thousand years ago. And he was the one that destroyed the Ancient Spirit Tree from our world and stopped the Divine Beast Spirits from giving us their blessings. How did this God appear? I asked, trying to keep myself calm. Seeing how monstrous he was and his name... Was he really born out of your belief? No, well, not really. Sighed the Elder. From what Ive read, he was something different. You see, in our world, named Elios, there are many tribes. Our Beast Tribes were but half of them all. The Orcs composed almost the entirety of the other half. Unlike us beast people who only wish to live with nature and by ourselves, Orcs have always been warmongering; they love battling and bloodshed, and since eons, theyve hunted one another and our tribes as well. Orcs I said, imagining a few from fantasy media would probably not do them justice. So you think? That God might not have been born out of our belief, but of the belief of our rivals and enemies, the warmongering orcs. Said the Elder. Although there are many that have separated themselves from their orc ancestry and descended into the first floor or even into your world to be normal civilians, the tribes of Orcs remain the strongest. Using the strength and powers of their God, they were able to bring our once large union of tribes into a few, meager, and very small tribes scattered across the endless grasslands of our world. Though we dont really know their origin or something, we just know that the Barbarian God is someone almost every Orc Tribe praises as their one and only divine king, Urbosa said. Ive heard from some Elders, those that have passed already, that it was said the Barbarian God was once an Orc like the rest, the strongest of them all, someone that reached the pinnacle. Like Leviathan, the snake you made into this worlds new god. But somehow, he acquired a Divine Throne and became a God. So what happened with Leviathan wasnt unique to me; it can actually happen in other worlds as well. A Mortal whose Level reaches a certain number, and once they fulfill certain conditions, can be given a Divine Throne in a godless world! Perhaps the Tower or the System didnt include the Divine Beast Spirits as Gods because their origins were from another dimension, and therefore they never held any throne over the people of that world. So you escaped because of the attacks of the Orcs? My mother asked. I always wondered why there were so many orcs there. Ive visited the second floor a couple of times myself, but never involved myself in the Trial you need to do to get to the third floor, unfortunately. Me neither. Juan sighed. It is way too troublesome. Only very strong people ever dare to get involved in that Trial. It is one of the biggest walls that stops most hunters from climbing higher. What Trial is it? I asked. Well, you see, in the second floor Trial, you need to ###### and ##### or #####. My mother started explaining to me, but I could only hear a loud, buzzing sound whenever she spoke about the trial. The system that had taken over her soul was censoring her words. I cant understand anything youre saying, mother I sighed. It seems the Tower itself censors your words. What?! My mother gasped. Wait, Ruby, did you hear something? N-No, you were talking like very loud buzzing sounds; it was creepy as hell! Ruby cried. Thats I guess it cant be helped. If you want to know what you need to do there, youll have to climb yourself, Katherine. My mother seemed slightly sad. Its fine. Ill go there in a couple of days. We might have to delay the visit to Earth for now. If possible, I would prefer to solve whatever problem is happening there quickly. I said. As the home world of my two mates and her tribe, I feel it is my responsibility. Huh? But what about your own home world, dear? Urbosa asked me. You dont need to give yourself such responsibility; weve left that world long ago. The first floor is our home now! Yeah, yeah! What she said. Merkite nodded. Please dont feel pressured to take any responsibility. It is fine. I smiled. I have the strength to do so without breaking a sweat; why shouldnt I bother? I giggled. I am not truly being humble; I am simply rather curious and... quite vengeful. I hate people who abuse their power to kill innocents. I might put some people in their place using mine; I might even kill those who attack me first. And I may even reeducate some insolent fools, but I would never go to such lengths myself. I find it despicable, and it only makes me frustrated to know there are people incapable of doing a thing against such ill fates. I can see within you; theres the wrath of the righteous. The elder spoke. Bing Xue, would you truly help liberate our world from that tyrant? I cant say I will kill the orcs. I believe they might have been brainwashed by such a God. But yes, I promise you that in a couple of days, Elios will no longer have such a barbarian as its only God. My mind was set; I had found yet another purpose. But I suppose it is nothing but a stepping stone across the many Ill have to kick out of my path to reach my goal. [Your Connection with the God of Eclipse has given you a large quantity of Faith.] [You earned +500 Faith.] [You earned +1100 Faith.] [You earned +200 Faith.] [You earned +1300 Faith.] [You earned +600 Faith.] [You earned +330 Faith.] [] Oh, it seems Leviathan has already begun his job officially. He is earning decently well, I must say. ------ Chapter 49: Spreading Cultivation ----- It seems that Leviathan worked very fast. I hadnt gone to check on him yet, but he was working hard and diligently. In just a day, he was already gathering me some Faith. He was a good worker. He was paying his sentence well enough. Ill let this Faith accumulate until I can use it again to upgrade my Divinity Tree. I am fairly sure the next Upgrade might help my Divinity increase its rank or perhaps its stage a bit more. I would have simply not cared about these things before, but seeing how powerful a Divinity can be and seeing how it was something I didnt have before, which wasnt even present within the world of Murim, it is of vital importance to grow it. I might have been fighting all kinds of weaklings until now, but I want to continue growing stronger because I know there is something out there capable of killing me. The Heavenly Will was not slain. I only escaped his grasp. And if this cosmos is so vast as for dimensions and other realities to exist, the presence of beings that could match my power or even surpass it is not outside of possibilities. Maybe I am paranoid or something, but after seeing how vast everything truly was after stepping out of an already vast world such as Murim, being ready for anything should be my priority. Two gods have been slain, but there are at least a hundred more to go for; maybe some might not be the same as the others, and I might even ally with a few if their sins are not big enough. But even then, the number of foes I must fight remains over a hundred, and each one will continuously have more incredible and strange abilities. Growing stronger is a priority, so I can adapt to any situation. I wish I could simply chill with my family, but unfortunately, the tower exists. Come here now; touch the tree. Yeah, just like that. After the talk with the elder, I ended up taking a decision. I wanted every single member of this tribe to awaken their innate potential. Even if some werent fighters, they could be useful in other ways for their tribe. So I opened a portal to my Inner Realm and let every person touch the Spirit Tree. Just like that, after an hour and a half, all of the members of the tribe awakened Spiritual Hearts and gained their unique Spirit Abilities. Some were similar to Hekita, others could wield elemental spirit energies. Others could summon a single elemental spirit; some could summon spiritual weapons, armor, or other tools. The possibilities for how the powers of the Spiritual Hearts manifested were almost endless. I was unable to form one myself, as this was a power of their bloodline and ancestry. I could try to imitate it, but I felt it was not really worth it. Instead, I simply absorbed the Spiritual Energy and made it interact with my Mana and other energies, attempting to refine my Primordial Venerable Essence. And it worked; the dew drops I often created rather slowly were now being made even quicker than before. At least three were fast. However, that wasnt where it ended; the new dew drops were formed differently than before, had a small rainbow-colored aura, and were loaded with spirit energy. It persisted despite having been merely used as fuel, showing how interesting this energy is. Could it give new abilities or effects to already existing powers? Ill have to try them out later once I fight a slightly worthy opponent; a wild monster shouldnt really be something I waste my strongest abilities against. This is amazing Our latent powerwe always had this within us? I never thought this was a thing! Woah, did I conjure some spirit flame?! Mama, look! I made a bird out of winds! It would be an understatement to say that the people werent excited about their newly discovered spiritual powers. My family had also naturally tapped into that. My mates, the twins, had touched the tree right after Hekita, and then even their grandmother, who didnt really want to fight anymore. They awakened unique abilities that were somehow attuned to their cultivation. Their inner martial core fused with the spiritual heart and gained a crystalline cover around it instead of having two cores inside of their bodies. This upgraded their cultivation to new, never-seen levels, as they had reached a pseudo rank, perhaps one between Rank 2 and Rank 3. But they were already clearly stronger than Rank 3 Cultivators, probably as strong as Rank 4. Their elements received boosts to their power, and they gained the ability to conjure spiritual weapons and spiritual magic combined with the elements they could conjure with their cultivation abilities. Merkite gained the ability to conjure a Wind Spear, and Urbosa the ability to create a Thunder Sword, both could be considered permanent, contracted Spirits to them, but they were born out of their cores, interestingly enough. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. These little guys are amazing; we can even make them float around and send them flying in a direction! Urbosa said. I never thought we had such talent inside of us Merkite nodded. More importantly, can they grow stronger? Ive analyzed how everything works, and yes. I believe the method of cultivating Spiritual Hearts is by letting the Spiritual Energy of your body circulate through all your Meridians constantly for many days or years. Also, you can slowly absorb spiritual energy from other sources to increase your maximum pool. However, that can be hastened now that your Spiritual Hearts have fused into your Elemental Cores. I explained. It is very interesting. Urbosa methodically analyzed it. However, I was wondering if you could get something similar, dear? No, I dont possess the same abilities as your bloodlines, unfortunately. But that doesnt really matter; I did gain more than you imagined. Seeing you two stronger is already a great joy. I smiled. Now, shall we prepare? Next week is in two more days. Tomorrow Ill be going to the city to meet Peperina, and then well move to the second floor. Mom, Ruby, do you want to join? Of course were joining, Katherine. Were on this together, my daughter. My mother said, After hearing that the God of the Second Floor was like that Well, I kind of want to see it with my own eyes first. Me too; well see. I nodded. Can we bring Juan? Do you want to come and get carried? Ruby asked Juan shamelessly. G-Get carried? No, no, I would never! He said. Sorry, but I wouldnt be able to bring myself to be so shameless Just please take care of Ruby. Youre not coming?! Come on! Ruby complained. "Sorry, Ruby, but I think it would be unfair if I came with you and leeched off your sister and your accomplishments. Unlike all of you, I am rather weak Juan sighed. Ill go to work and make money as usual. Once you come back home, Ill have you something tasty for dinner. Geez Ruby sighed. Youre shaping yourself to be a good house husband, huh? E-Eh?! Juan blushed a bit. Honestly, I guess he wasnt half bad for a man. Yeah, he was alright. He genuinely cared for and loved my sister. And he was a humble man; he didnt want to leech off our success. That was something I could respect. Hahaha! You got all red like a tomato, dude! Ruby laughed, patting his shoulders. Its fine, its fine! Make sure to grow stronger then; you have yet to reach the max level, right? Hmm If you prove yourself worthy and reach the max level, I will let you accompany us through the path of cultivation. I told Juan. For that, I will not give you any aid other than the armor everyone got before. R-Really? Juan wondered, gripping his fists tightly. T-Then, I will! I will grind on my own and show you that I mean it when I say I care about Ruby, Katherine! Hmph, you better prove your worth, young man. I smiled. I noticed Ruby looking at me rather angrily. Big sis, did you have to give him such a trial?! His Class Level is 200! He wont be able to reach it any time soon on his own. She complained. Cant I help him at least? No, I said. You are not allowed to help him, Ruby. He must do it on his own. This is his trial and the path he chose to walk through. What is his class anyway? My class is Flash Spearman, Juan said. It is a spearman that specializes in fast movements and consecutive strikes. Ive read online that I can learn a Blink Skill eventually and another Skill named Consecutive Strikes, thats why I took it despite the high level it needs to be maxed. Juan said. And yeah, Im not an Avatar. I see, interesting! I nodded. A spear is a good weapon with good range. It keeps you safer, as you can always have some space between your foe and yourself. If youre precise, you can strike a weak point and deal massive damage. However. It can also be easily overpowered. A strong strike into its handle can break a spear. Here, let me give you one. Take this. I gave him a pitch-black spear with a red jewel at the end. T-This is?! He was shocked. I am not gifting it to you I am renting it to you. I smiled. It is a spear made with the black scales of a powerful dragon. That jewel is the core of a Blazing Ogre, it can let you release some flames with each strike. I said. Thats all youll get. This spear shouldnt easily break. Thank you, sister-in-law. He said with eyes full of admiration. Who are you calling your sister-in-law?! I roared back. Youre not getting married to my sister! Now, show me youre worthy of doing that. Yes! He nodded. Ill get going once you move to the second floor. Good. I nodded. Ruby? Y-Yes? She wondered, looking at me while half-expecting some reprimand from me. Hes good. I nodded at her. Eh? Ah She quickly realized what I meant. Sorry for judging him badly before. Hes an alright man. I patted her shoulders, as Juan had already walked away. He began practicing his spear techniques with the other warriors of the tribe. Ive seen him spar with them sometimes. Oh, its ok She said. Did you have bad experiences with men before, big sis? I know youre lesbian, but you never really were this wary of guys. Maybe It was a long life, full of hardships after all. I sighed. It was a world completely and utterly dominated by men that treated women as nothing but tools, materials, or... just slaves to satisfy their libido. Ugh Ruby sighed. D-Did something bad happen to you? Did you? No, nothing like that. I smiled back at her. I fought tooth and nail for them to never do anything to me in that regard. But I still had bad experiences in other forms: beatings, being tricked, being betrayed... Women had barely stood in that hellish world; despite being able to grow stronger themselves, it was a society made around discriminating against and using women. Sounds worse than fucking Earth, Jesus. Ruby groaned, patting my shoulders. Did you... you change that world, right? Of course I did. I smiled. Once I took over it, all such traditions, all of such beliefs. They died alongside all the old men who commanded them. I tried to create a world where both genders could stand on equal terms. And where bloodshed and destruction werent daily occurrences that you had to get used to, I protected that world. Despite hating it deep down, there was also a part of myself that grew to love it. Ruby gasped, looking into my slightly sorrowful eyes. Do you miss that world? Not at all, haha. I laughed. There were very few good memories about such a world, but I do think about it sometimes. If not always, anyway, lets get this over with. You and Mom are getting to Rank 3 now. That fast?! Ruby asked. Indeed. Now follow me. I said. Mother, please come with me! Huh? Katherine, what is it? She followed me. As we entered the tent, I decided to finally let them take another step into their cultivation journey. It was time for Rank 3 to let them forge their own Physiques. ----- New Cover Illustration Hello everyone, I was finally able to commission an original cover for the novel! The work done here is really incredible, and it shows. I also wanted to commission Bing Xue in more casual attire as well, and she looks as gorgeous as I imagined her. Murim Clothes Casual Attire Have you ever wondered what would happen if the pinnacle of a Xianxia Cultivation Story appears in the middle of a post-apocalyptic system and tower climbing setting, without having lost her powers, unrestrained, and invincible?
Murim, a world of Martial Arts, Cultivation, Brutal Violence, Bloodshed, Vengeance, and where Might Makes Right. Bing Xue spent eleven thousand years in such a world, ascending to become the pinnacle after countless hardships, blood, tears, and sacrificing her own humanity in the process. However, she was incapable of ascending into the Immemorial Primordial Void Realm; incapable of escaping the Heavenly Will''s influence, she gambled it all on a single decision, escaping into the Outer Cosmos with her last remaining energies. Despite thinking her long journey was coming to an end, a black hole teleports her back to Earth out of nowhere! However, things on her home planet are much different than before. The Tower now exists, connecting Earth with countless other worlds. Monsters come out of Dimensional Gates, threatening humanity, and awakened people named Players climb the Tower in hopes of saving humanity from destruction. After learning that her mother and her sister are still alive, Bing Xue will use the overwhelming and supreme might she has cultivated for eleven thousand years to destroy the tower, slay the gods that govern it, and save Earth from its untimely demise. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. The System? She will fold it and make a fashionable scarf with it! The Administrators? They might become her new pets. The Monsters? Nothing but ants that die immediately by merely touching her Immortal Aura. The Hunters? If they behave, she might make them her disciples and teach them to cultivate the Heavenly Dao, so they dont rely too much on the System. The Hostile Players? Just flies shell slap to death with a gentle wave of her hands. And the Gods? Merely aperitives for her ever-growing Divinity!
What to expect: -NOT a villain story. OP Returnee from a Xianxia World, she doesn''t lose any of her powers. Expect little to no stakes, just awesome showcases of power and a main character that constantly breaks all rules established. -An active main character which will be the main focus and point of view. I dislike passive main characters and I won''t give focus to random side characters for dozens of chapters like other OP MC stories do. But there will still be a big cast of colorful characters that will give life to the world, or worlds. -She will be a prideful, arrogant, and ruthless cultivator at the beginning, and will slowly mellow down once she gets used to how Earth society works. However, she takes pride on her own strength and her acomplishments. Though, her love for the people important to her is boundless. -Despite being so strong, she still desires to grow stronger. Our main character will continue cultivating and using the new powers she finds to her advantage. Basic LitRPG Progression combined with Cultivation of the Heavenly Dao and all of that. -Lots of God Slaying. -Girls Love, our Main Character will not actively seek girls, but if the opportunity arises, will not shy away from being with one, or even falling in love. There will be occasional slice-of-life and romantic moments if that''s your thing. -Polyamorous Relationships between the main character and many girls. However, it will be more of a side dish rather than the main dish, and I will make sure it doesn''t become suffocating to read. Action and Progression are the focus. Nonetheless, a fair warning that there IS romance. And in many ways, and not just traditional ones. After all, some love interests will be from different cultures and worlds. -Ultimately, I am writing this story for my own amusement and fun, so please don''t feel offended if something happens that you dislike. I am not writing this story for anybody or for any audience. -Chapters almost every day.
My Grammar is not the best, and I am not a native english speaker, so I''m doing my best to improve. I would appreciate anybody pointing out the mistakes.
Copyright ? 2023 PancakesWitch. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or used in any manner without the prior written permission of the copyright owner, except for the use of brief quotations in a review. This novel is also being posted on Scribblehub and Webnovel (for free). If you see it anywhere else, please let me know. Thank you. Chapter 50: Cultivating The Void Dao ----- So how exactly do you know when its time to Rank Up our Cultivation, Katherine? My mother wondered. It often just happens out of nowhere." Yeah? I was wondering the same thing. Ruby nodded. Well, it is simply the amount of maximum ki you possess. Once it reaches a certain point, you can already advance to the next Rank. Usually, a single Rank is divided into Stages. Theres Initial Stage, Middle Stage, Upper Stage, and Peak Stage. I explained. At Initial Stage your maximum Ki has only increased by ten percent; at Middle Stage usually by thirty percent; at Upper Stage, by over fifty percent; and at Peak Stage, it has doubled or more. Once youre at Peak Stage, youll have enough energy to surpass your former limits and continue forging your body. This is the step where youll use all the accumulated Ki and obtain a Physique, which will enhance your mortal body and make it surpass a mortals limitations. I see, and how did we even increase that? My mother wondered. It isnt as if we sat down to meditate that much Your Ki can increase with two simple methods most often used by cultivators, I explained. The first one is through the cultivation of your Ki through meditation and similar techniques... The other is through exercise and the enhancement of your bodys strength, which then translates into more Ki. Get it now? S-So, because we can Level Up our cultivation, is that super-fast? Ruby wondered. Yeah, thats right. Leveling up enhances your vitality, strength, and so on. I explained. Therefore, your body, as it gets stronger, will naturally produce more Ki. Thats an incredibly simple explanation." My mother nodded. Well, I get it now, I guess. Now, lets begin, I said. Ive gotten some nice materials for the two of you, combining my inner realms resources with monsters weve hunted. I had already placed all materials within nodes inside a formation I created inside my Inner Realm. My mother and my sister were now sitting at the center of the formation, within two interconnected central nodes, or the core of a formation. Formations were made by inscribing words from Murim and imbuing them with both Ki and other conductor materials. All these Murim "Runes, as I call them, follow the basic rules of Feng Shui, but you can twist and transform them into many things, giving formations all kinds of usages and effects within a certain range of their own structures. Usually, you can forge a new physique without any of these fancy things, but I wanted my mother and my sister to get strong quickly, so I decided to go all out. So what do we do? My sister asked. Gather your Ki into your bodies and let it flow through everything as much as possible, I explained. The rest will be done by my formation. Really? That easy? My mom asked. Thats right. This is because I am a Great Venerable after all. I giggled. Now, now, enough chit-chat, mom, sister. Lets begin. The entire process was flawless. My mother and my sister accepted the energies from the materials into their bodies as they meditated and let their Ki flow through as much as possible across their internal bodies. Eventually, their core reacted, encompassing their entire bodies with elemental essence, which mixed with their Ki and the material''s energies and components. All of this was being done inside my Inner Realm, right inside my great golden palace. FLASH! And once it was finally done, the materials and the formation were both gone, my mother and my sister having absorbed all they could. Their bodies have changed slightly. Because of their cores abilities, their appearances had already changed enough, so once they acquired their compatible physique, their appearances didnt change more than that. However, I could tell that they gained muscle and some height. Both gained between three and five more centimeters, becoming much taller. Also, their muscles became even more developed than before. Not like a hulking muscle mass type of muscle, but they were very noticeable. Phew Oh, is that it? I feel much- Woah, look at these abs! My sister said this as she lifted her shirt, showing us her beautiful and perfectly defined abs. I-I got some really well-toned ones myself as well My mother nodded, looking at her own stomach. Welcome to the club! I said as I showed them mine. Damn. My mom said. You really got those well-hidden! My sister laughed. My entire body is rather muscular; it''s just that my robes cover most of my body, so it cant be noticed at first glance I said. Perhaps I should wear more modern clothes; leave aside my robes completely, maybe. Maybe, though you do you, honey. My mother said, patting my shoulders. Anyways, is this it? What other ability do we get anyway? Yeah? My sister asked. Well, let me see Ah, perfect. I was looking at their physiques. Their Meridians have been completely reforged, and they have gained Physique Runes across their bodies, or as some called them, Dao Marks. Theyre marks of a specific Dao, minuscule right now, but that will rapidly grow and amplify in number as they let their own elements proliferate through their bodies. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Mother has acquired most likely the {Sunshine Mithril Sentinel Physique} and Ruby got the {Dark Blaze Demoness Physique}. The strongest ones you could get without... Well, without risking your bodies from exploding. I said. Both have extremely good physiques. Once you start fighting and practicing, youll notice you can do new things. The Sentinel Physique will let you grow large shields and scales of gold and silver metal over your body, mother. Once you perfect that, youll be able to cover your entire body in armor and even make your hair into metallic wires for attack and defense. An armor, huh? That sounds rather interesting, I have to admit. Ill have to keep training then. Ive never seen my mother so pumped up as she is right now. Despite her acting with modesty, she loved the feeling of growing stronger. And what about me? Ruby asked. You can now become a pseudo-demoness. You might eventually be able to grow wings, long claws, horns, more eyes, and a tail. I said. Huh?! That sounds She looked slightly conflicted, but then changed entirely. Fucking wicked! I love it! Maybe I should have asked you beforehand, though. Sorry." I apologized anyway. Nah, nah, its fine. You know what I like, big sis. Ruby laughed out loud. Anyways, what should we do now? You two should go train your abilities; maybe spar with Merkite and Urbosa? Theyre eager to train their abilities themselves. Both are getting closer to Rank 3 as well. I said. But thanks to their Spiritual Hearts, they should be even with the two of you. Sounds alright; I guess we can do that, yeah. Ruby nodded. Hehe, Im going to show Juan that his girlfriends pretty overpowered. Then well go. My mother nodded. Are you staying behind? Yeah, I need to do something first; Ill catch you up for dinner, I said. Alright, take care. My mother said this as the two of them stepped out of my Inner Realm. Now that I was alone, I sat down over the throne of my Golden Palace, sighing in relief. Poyoo! A little pink slime with tiny arms greeted me, leaping over my head. Little Kirby had been hiding inside my robes for a while now, and he finally woke up. Youre awake, little one? Are you hungry perhaps? I wondered. Puwooo! He started bouncing. Alright. I nodded. Theres a Martial Beast wave incoming. It seems these beasts are proliferating a lot inside my Inner Realm. So you can eat them all if you want- Oh, there they are. In the distance, right in front of my palace, within the Endless Peaks, there was a giant wave of millions of Martial Beasts, most of them within the immortal ranks, which were fairly weak compared to primordial or venerable rank beasts. Kirby leaped off my head and then floated like a balloon through the air, inflating his body. He was really like that video game character, but slime-like. Rooarr! Graarr! Awoo! The beasts approached rapidly. I could easily end them all with a mere thought. But that would not be fun, and it would not feed my little pet. Go on, its all yours. I waved my hand as Kirby went all out. He started siphoning everything, opening his mouth, and increasing its size by at least ten times. Puwaaaahhh! FLUOSH! It was as if he had a black hole inside. Okay, maybe not an actual black hole, but something very similara void, an endlessly hungry stomach. The beasts were not even able to fight back; the siphoning force absorbed them all, lifting them off the ground and then forcing them to get towards Kirby. They were swallowed, falling into the black void inside Kirby''s stomach. He kept slurping everything until, after just a minute, the two million Martial Beast were completely gone. None were left! Phew! Burp Kirby sat down on the floor and burped while patting his belly, which only looked an inch bigger than before. Wherever his food went, it wasnt something within this physical plane. I think he probably had some sort of dimension inside, a pocket dimension with an incredibly vast size, where all food was stored and digested rapidly. I sensed something from him: an Aura of void. It was the color of dark purple, with small bits of gray and black mixed in between. Although I have been unable to study or comprehend the Dao of the Void myself, I now have a pet that was born within it and naturally possessed it. I could see it, endlessly shining within him; that was definitely the Dao of the Void, of the highest order and rarity. Kirby, dear. Would you let your master channel that power of yours? I asked him, sitting by his side and giving him head pats. Puwah! Poyo? He wondered. Ah, I dont really understand what youre trying to say I sighed. Puwah! He quickly walked towards me and sat down over my legs, rubbing his cute little face on my stomach, and then touched my hand with its tiny little hands. Puwah, puwah! And then, the Void Essence Aura he exuded, rushed towards my body, slowly. Youre giving it to me willingly! Such a precious little thing! Thank you so much. I kissed his little head as he allowed me to channel his powers. I felt the Void Essence rushing inside, just like the first time I tried channeling. Ugh! Argh! Pain! I felt immense pain. This was not something normal for a Venerable such as me. And the reason? Void was an all-consuming and all-encompassing Dao. It was actually made of several incredibly rare Daos. However, the three Daos that composed this Cosmic Dao were the Dao of Space, the Dao of Destruction, and the Dao of Null. I had only barely comprehended the Dao of Space, while I mastered the Dao of Destruction, but the Dao of Null was something I could never find anywhere. Nobody ever cultivated it back in Murim. Therefore, perhaps due to my lack of knowledge or Dao Comprehension, the Void Essence becomes unstable inside my body and soul. And therefore, it causes tremendous pain as I try to cultivate it. It is not, however, as hard as trying to absorb, assimilate, and cultivate Cosmic Energy. As long as I can understand and decipher the Dao of the Void, the path towards achieving the Immemorial Primordial Void Realm should open! I have to do my best. Ugh L-Lets do this! Argh While gritting my teeth and feeling my entire body destroying itself and regenerating constantly, I decided to cheat this method and make things, perhaps, slightly easier. Ill need some assistance. Didnt that god wield the Void Element a bit? Now its a good time to use that Skill, right, Kirby? I giggled. {Undead God Summon}: [Tower God]: {Lord of Deep Darkness}! FLASH! A mass of darkness, shadow, and death essence suddenly materialized in front of me after my command, slowly taking the form of the small skeleton of a child, wearing shadow robes, and with his empty eyes glowing bright red. Huh? Where Where am I? He spoke with the voice of a child. You Youre the one that killed me. Why Whats happening? So you keep your memories, huh? I wondered. This is really interesting... We might as well call your sister while we are at it, hm? Sister? He was still wondering what was happening. FLASH! A bright flash of golden and white light appeared by his side, almost making the little Lord of Deep Darkness fall to his knees, though I protected him with a barrier. And then, from the condensed light, a girl with pale white skin, bright yellow eyes, long blonde hair, and only wearing a white dress appeared. Huh? What the- Eeek! Y-You! Uwaaagh! Noooo! Have you come to kill me again?! I expected such a reaction, quite honestly. ----- Chapter 51: The Regressor That Couldn’t ----- A young man with messy black hair looked at the scene in front of him. A formerly large castle constructed by the Giant Spirit Bees was now a pile of ruins; there wasnt even a single bee left. What?! What happened here? Even as he desperately searched for what he was looking for, he was unable to find it. His face was full of disbelief and frustration. This wasnt supposed to happen... Who did this?! He screamed. Without the Spirit Bee Queens Royal Jelly, I cant synthesize the next pill properly! He had planned to obtain a precious item from the Queen of this castle, a deliciously sweet royal jelly capable of creating a powerful elixir that would boost his bodys strength even further. Yet it was nowhere to be seen now. Someone had clearly come here, killed all the bees and the boss, and then left! But who? This didnt happen back then. He muttered to himself. Who did this? Have I already created a butterfly effect? Although he started to remember that woman who had kicked him, he quickly decided to calm himself down and move to another location. He had no time to waste! At the peak of the Snow Mountain on the first floor, the young man screamed in frustration. He had hunted a bunch of Frost Spiders just now, but these were monsters he didnt particularly care about. Where is the Frost Wyvern King?! The Frost Wyvern King, another S-Rank Monster of the first floor, was a mighty foe no Players dared to hunt. Now how will I get the Winter Bringer? His scales, bones, claws, and fangs could forge an incredible weapon with his synthesis abilities, known as the Winter Bringer, an almighty blade capable of freezing and cutting foes. Yet He was unable to find the wyvern, even when he entered its lair. There werent even the younger wyverns left, the entire flock was slain! This is just a coincidence, right? Yeah Maybe they moved somewhere else. He kept looking forward; he couldnt give up on his goals as the only Regressor. After all, the responsibility of saving Earth was weighing on his shoulders. He moved ahead relentlessly. A smile surged on the young mans handsome face as he looked into the boiling volcano. There were some giant, red-skinned ogre-type foes there. Finally! At least the Blazing Ogres are here! With a wicked smile full of bloodlust, he rushed to hunt down the group of S-Rank Monsters As long as I can hunt these guys and gather their bodies, I can at least make myself decent armor! As he rushed downwards, he suddenly came to a halt once he confronted the red-skinned ogre-like monsters walking around. His foes screamed in fear and ran away from the scene, dropping the bags full of ores they had been mining here. Huh? Wait! He looked towards their group, realizing there were at least thirty or forty people. Yes, people, these werent humanoid monsters. Devils? With a trembling voice, the largest of the devils pointed a sword at him. W-What do you want?! Who are you?! No, wait! I Ah. The regressor sheathed his black sword and then sighed. Keeping his own anger in check, he felt incredibly frustrated to realize the lair of the Blazing Ogres was now being occupied by a small tribe of Fire Devils, people that originate from higher floors in the Tower. Didnt Blazing Ogres live here before? Blazing Ogres?! Why are you calling us like that?" We are not Blazing Ogres! Did someone call us like that? Such an insult Amongst the many races of the Tower, Devils often suffered the worst cases of racism, often compared to ogre-type monsters such as Trolls, Ogres, and Hobgoblins. Calling them Blazing Ogres was a great insult! Leave this place at once! You come out of nowhere, scaring the children who were trying to mine some resources, and now call us blazing ogres?! Get off! The chief of the tribe, a muscular man wielding a blazing spear, pointed his weapon at the Regressor. Im Im sorry. He quickly left, completely disappointed and disheartened. What the hell is happening? Why are all the things I want gone? The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. As he looked into the distance, he decided to move back to the Nexus City he had only visited briefly, without even checking anything or speaking with anybody. As a Regressor, he believed he couldnt waste time with NPC and had to save Earth at all costs, so speaking with people or caring about the situation on the first floor wasnt his business. Yet. Huh? What What do you mean the church of light is gone?! He had changed his Class after awakening his Regressor abilities; therefore, he had never visited the Church of Light to obtain a Class before. Now, after finally coming to visit it after his Regression, he found out the place where it formerly was located had now been occupied by a group of food stalls. The rubble or other things left behind by the church being destroyed were gone, the streets were made clean, and the noble in charge of the city decided to leave the area free for any food stall to sit there. So in the last week, it has become a well-known spot for adventurers or other people to come enjoy the delicious food on the first floor at cheap prices. Im sorry to say this... But are you okay in the head, young man? Wondered a dwarf who was selling meat skewers with a very spicy sauce. The church of light was demolished by a very strong player some time ago! It was completely destroyed by every country on the entire continent. I also heard the Goddess of Light died. Theres a new God around. Huh? WHAT?! Seth fell to his knees as he looked down at the floor. Everything was going wrong! All his opportunities were snatched away. The church of light was gone; without it, he wouldnt be able to obtain divine relics by extorting the pope or the priests. And even less, obtaining a small blessing from the goddess of light would have given him the necessary ability to properly explore the second-floor ruins he wanted to find. But above all, the goddess herself. Was gone! This has to be a joke He hadnt been present in the tower when it happened, unfortunately. Theres a new god now? Who Who is it? "Look, man, I am not going to give more information to a beggar like you. Please just tell me! Ill give you as much money as you want! Seth threw the dwarf a sack of coins. Hmph. The dwarf quickly pocketed the sack of coins and nodded. Well If youre going to be so sincere, it is Leviathan, a serpent god of creation or something; I dont know. Everyone loves him because he used his Miracles to give everyone a bountiful harvest. The dwarf spoke. Leviathan?! Seth muttered. But isnt that just a Divine Monster?! That thing from the sea is a god now? Youve got to be kidding me He still remembered battling that monster in the previous timeline and slaying it after joining hands with the many avatars of the Gods of the first floor and a hundred more Players. It was an incredible raid that everyone did to save the fate of the first floor from being flooded! But now that damned eel has become the first floors only god?! Who Who did this? Who is doing this?! He asked the dwarf desperately. If youre asking who destroyed the tower, everyone knows her at this point. The dwarf shrugged. An incredibly strong Player, a woman with no limits. Some speculate she even killed the gods. Her names Bing Xue; she comes from Earth. B-Bing Xue Seth smiled, laughing. Hah Hahah Of course Of course, it''s HER! With a scream full of frustration, Seth smashed the floor and almost broke it. Oi, be careful! So are you buying or not? Seth remained in silence for a brief moment. Hey? The dwarf asked. Please give me two skewers with extra spicy sauce. Seth sighed. Okay, Ill give you some beer too; you seem to be going through some hard times, son. The gentle dwarf helped Seth have a meal. However, as he enjoyed the food and the banter, he sighed. What the hell do I do now? The Regressor had no idea what to do now! . . . (Bing Xue POV) Ding! [You have activated the [Undead God Summon (SSS)]!] [You have summoned the [Tower God]: {Lord Of Deep Darkness}!] [The God has been summoned with most of their Memories Intact and with 40% of their former Stats and Abilities.] [Summoning Duration: 2 Hours.] [You have summoned the [Tower God]: {The Brilliant Mother Of Light}!] [The God has been summoned with most of their Memories Intact and with 40% of their former Stats and Abilities.] [Summoning Duration: 2 Hours.] Both Gods stood in front of me now. It seemed that because they only had forty percent of their former stats and abilities, they came out in a much smaller and, if I dare say, adorable form. Whats happening now?! Why am I a baby? The Goddess cried, looking at her own appearance. Wheres my beauty? My light! I dislike this appearance! You! Didnt you kill me?! You want to kill me twice now?! Sis Sister, calm down The God muttered timidly, trying to extend his skeletal hand towards her shoulder. Ugh, dont touch me with your hands! Theyre so cold and creepy! The girl cried angrily, pushing the god away and making him fall to the floor. Agh! He groaned. S-Sister Sorry I can see they dont get along. Or well, he tries to get along with her, but she''s really not sociable, huh? What an annoying little brat! Even after reviving her, shes still treating everyone like shit. Ive summoned you with a Skill I obtained. I sighed. It seems this is now a thing. You can only stay for two hours, apparently. No wait, you can stay indefinitely as long as I inject you with Primordial Essence, which I have in endless amounts. Ding! [You have begun injecting foreign energies into the links with the two summoned Gods.] [The energy is fueling their manifestations.] [+1 Hour of Summoning Time] [+6 Hour of Summoning Time] [+3 Hour of Summoning Time] [+2 Hour of Summoning Time] [+10 Hour of Summoning Time] [] [You can keep the Gods summoned indefinitely as long as you share your foreign energies with their Divine Links.] Well, this makes things easier. Why How is this possible? Didnt you completely kill me? The goddess asked me. Is this some wicked game for you? Are you going to torture us now? Not such a thing. Ive summoned you to experiment with my new Skill. I said. This has confirmed a few things. One of them is that you keep your memories, even the ones before your deaths. Second, your power has decreased significantly, and your appearance has changed into child-like forms. Third, I seem to possess the ability to order you to do things, like a puppeteer controlling their puppets. What? S-So we are your slaves now?! The goddess panicked. I mean, we died The god muttered. It isnt as if we had any other option. And It isnt as if we died without a good reason. We thought our actions Would never have repercussions. B-but we killed a lot of people A-And someone eventually came to avenge them What? I! The goddess remained silent after that, as if she were thinking something. Ugh I Well, I-I guess Maybe. Ugh, but even then, I didnt want to die, you know? I was sorry, but maybe too late? Now it is not too late, I suppose, I said. Ive slain you two, yes. Youve been dethroned, and your former selves no longer exist. But youve been given a second chance; lets call this reincarnation, maybe. Youve paid for your sins, but now you can redeem yourselves by working to protect the people you once slaughtered. Thats insane! Why would I want to protect ANYBODY! Said the goddess. I might feel sorry, but I already died; that was enough payment! I-I would like to help, if possible. The god, in the other case, seemed willing to change. You taught me a valuable lesson as we fought. I experienced the thrill of living and fighting for my life, and I finally understood how those people I tormented felt as well. I want to change, to help somehow. This is an opportunity I dont want to let go. Good, youre changing, I see. I smiled, nodding. Perhaps I could make you my disciple, Lord of Deep Darknessno, you need a new name, I believe. Umbra, how about it? Ooh, Ill take it, thank you. He bowed his head. A-And disciple I hadnt considered such a thing. Perhaps this could help me. It could help me understand life much better. You are eager to learn. I smiled, extending my hand towards him and helping him stand back up. Now, you. Goddess. I am the Mother Goddess, and I am not taking any name from you! She said it angrily. Hmph! S-Sister Please be more respectful." The god sighed. Shut it! The goddess barked back. Their dynamic was not healthy at all ----- Chapter 52: Umbra And Estrella ----- I dont want to force you to cooperate. I sighed. "Nor will I be taking any slaves. However, keep in mind that your existence is brought about by me, and it is constantly fueled by my energies. I dont want to do this the hard way. You might look like a young child right now, but I am fairly sure youre hundreds of thousands of years old, so please act like your age. What? The goddess stepped back. You dare! Ah However, she suddenly fell silent, realizing, at long last, her own situation. She fell silent and looked down. My throne is gone, my powers are mostly all gone, my authority, my church, everything... What do I do now? She wondered. What is my purpose? Did you even have a purpose before? I asked her. Aside from gathering Faith and growing stronger to climb the tower with your whole world? Before everything, I was simply trying to be a good goddess on my own accord. I wanted to protect this world, you know? At least, thats what... I originally wanted. She muttered. I guess I wasnt so different myself, Umbra said. But then, the surge of power, the addicting sensation of growing stronger... Maybe killing my own worlds people wasnt something I would do, but... the other people of other worlds looked like nothing like mine. So I I just went and did it. I gained more and more power until I was completely desensitized from it. She ended up speaking from the heart. "Wait, wait a second, why am I talking about all of this?! I used my authority to make you say what you truly felt, to open yourself to us. I smiled. See? How does it feel to finally let us know what you truly feel? Thats not fair! She complained. Estrella, that will be your name, I said. Estre what? She asked. It means Star in Spanish, my father used to talk in Spanish a lot. He was born in Chile, a country in South America. I sighed. Although my name was registered as Katherine, my father used to call me Catalina, like his grandma. Why are you telling me this? She asked, raising an eyebrow. I dont know, maybe just to do so? I wondered. Sometimes there isnt any need to speak about the things we do. Sometimes we just want to talk, and sometimes we just want to open up a bit. I told you about a precious memory of mine, of my father, who passed away many years ago. You told me how you felt inside. Now were even, right? Ah She muttered. I guess! Well, whatever So what is my purpose now? What are you going to tell me to do? For now, I want you to get along. You must respect your brother; hes probably the only person in the entire world who genuinely cares about you and cares for you. I told her. Estrella, you must value what you never did now. He died, but you now have the opportunity to meet him again. Grow your relationship; learn to appreciate your bond as a family. What? Thats not a purpose; thats a bunch of weird human stuff! Only humans care so much about family and... And The goddess then fell silent again. Hahh She looked into her brothers eyes. Not like I got another option. I dont want to bother my sister; I would prefer if Umbra stuttered. If she was happy... Its okay if she doesnt want to talk with me Estrella looked at her brother and furrowed her eyebrows. Ugh, why do you have to be like this? Always act like youre so innocent and a baby! Hmph, this is why I didnt like you! Just act more like a god once in a while; stop being so... I dont know, so condescending? I-Im sorry Umbra cried, hiding behind me. Hey, why are you running away now? Come here! His sister chased him and grabbed his arm. Uwaah! D-dont touch me, sister; I am cold and creepy! He cried. I-Its fine, you idiot. Not like it even matters anyway! She said angrily. Okay, here. And then she gave him a head pat out of nowhere, taking out his shadow-made hoodie and revealing his skull-shaped face. Youre weird, but youre my brother, I guess... Fine, fine Do you feel better now, my idiot brother? S-Sister The god suddenly started crying liquid nether from his empty eyes, creeping out his sister. Ueegh! What the hell are you crying about now? Haha, youre so weird! Sniff My sister gave me a head pat Sniff, sniff I guess they were trying to get along. I couldnt tell if Estrella was either treating him badly and mocking him or actually trying. At least it seemed better than before. Her brother had a lot of resistance against bad words, so she didnt hurt him as much while being mean. Now, now. If you want another purpose, just help me out. Ill let you roam my Inner Realm and then come outside. I hope you two can behave there. I cant just tell them youre the Gods Or should I? Ah, but my family might panic a bit; what do I do? I wondered. Maybe we could pretend to be your contracted spirits? Wondered Umbra. Yeah, I guess that would work, Estrella said. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Contracted Spirits No, I dont want to lie to my family. I will simply tell them the truth. I said. Ill bear with it myself. Ah, talking about that, youre supposed to be Undead, right? But you dont seem Undead at all. Maybe it was in terms of abilities? Well have to see how far you can go later as well. Fine by me, but how is my world? Asked the goddess. Dont tell me you became the goddess now? No, I gave that job to Leviathan; he seemed very happy. I smiled. Leviathan?! That huge and ancient monster that existed before us?! The god screamed. I-I cant believe it! Whats wrong with that? I laughed. He has proven to be better than you two below my commands. For now, lets leave it at that. Now Ugh, to the more important matter. Ive been trying to cultivate Void Essence to comprehend the Void Dao. Umbra, you were able to use Void Energy, right? I Yes, it came out naturally from my own Darkness. He spoke. It was minuscule compared to true Void Wielders, though, but it was my only attack capable of hurting you. I see Void is indeed a very hard element to assimilate. But it might help me reach Rank 22. I said while rubbing my chin. Now, can you channel that very power and help me regulate it within my body? I Maybe? I can try. He said. Good. I nodded. Then lets begin. While Kirby rested over my legs and imbued me with his pure Void Essence, Umbra sat behind me, placing his skeletal palms behind my back and using his powers to control the essence of the void. With both of their help, it suddenly became much easier to assimilate than before. The process was rather simple and not fancy at all, although still incredibly slow. I had to assimilate Void Essence, and let it flow through every inch of my physique and psyche. Slowly, I let it seep through my internal structure, becoming a part of myself. However, such a process was not only painful but agonizing and constantly damaged and hurt me at the same level as the Heavenly Will. I could feel the Void spreading through, further flaring across my entire being. As I did, my mind slowly started to drift away. I tried to ignore the pain I felt as I submerged my subconscious into an endless, dark void. A sea of darkness and nothingness engulfed me. For a second, I thought I could see visions. Of the cosmos and its endlessness. The vast darkness, the stars, planets, galaxies, universes... Everything existed within the vast and dark void. To comprehend the Dao of the Void was to comprehend everything in between. This is why... It was so important to assimilate and refine Cosmic Energy. And probably also the reason why I was unable to reach Rank 22 without having fully comprehended this Dao before. It felt like I drifted across the endless void for thousands of years, my body slowly beginning to dissolve itself. I was slowly becoming one with the void. These visions continued for a long time, as we ended up spending much more time than we imagined meditating. I used the maximum amount of accelerated time inside my Inner Realm to get as much cultivation as possible. However, when more than three hours passed in the outside world, I decided to open my eyes again. Ah... Hahhh W-Well, that was at least something. I sighed. Weve been here for at least three months; they went by in a blink. Three months of time is not much for us, Umbra said. Huh? That much time has passed already? Estrella had been snacking on the fruit of the garden and exploring the skies in the meantime. I guess we are similar to you in the regard that our perception of time is rather slow. Well, enough time has passed anyway; time to go back with everyone else. I quickly stood back up. The Dao of Void Ive at least comprehended 3% out of 100%. It is a big step already. One percent per month is incredible. However, I believe it might become slower as the percentage increases. Three percent. Maybe some would say it was absolutely nothing, but to me, it was an incredible step in the right direction. I had comprehended less than 0.1% of it before, so a whole 3% was an immense achievement. Kirby and Umbra had become the keys to slowly and fully comprehending the Dao of Void. Two helpers I would have never met inside Murim. I looked into my two hands, and without the assistance of anybody, small droplets of Void Essence started coming out. If I combined them with Primordial Venerable Essence, I could create something even more powerful. Perhaps I should create some new Primordial Technique. Even if the amount of Void Essence is not that big, I am sure I can make a lot out of this! Now, we should head back. I stepped outside of my Inner Realm; the outside world had changed a bit as the night had arrived. I joined back with my family, feeling refreshed. I presented my two new summons to my family without any shame. And explained to them their circumstances. My mother was shocked to learn I was somehow able to bring them back, and I told her that it wasnt something I originally wanted but something possible through a Skill, so I gave it a shot. Due to how chill both were and how they were capable of hiding most of their divine essence, it was easy for them to walk around. Although much older than everyone here, they got along surprisingly well with Hekita and Kirby. Were you really the Gods of this world? Hey, can you do this? Hekita asked them as she gave a jump out of the ground and spun in midair, falling onto the grass floor with her four limbs. Like this? Can you jump like that? I-I can try Umbra attempted to do the same but ended up crumbling into a pile of bones on the ground. Ouch, I cant it is difficult for me to do physical activities. Hahaha! You became a pile of bones. Laughed Estrella. Dont mock him! He did his best! Hekita said, helping Umbra recover his body. "Okay, lets play something now! I was surprised Hekita saw them as children because of their appearance. But both werent really menacing beings either, simply going along with her whims. Maybe because I told them to be nice beforehand, be that an order or not. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and then having dinner with everyone. The twins and my mother and sister practiced their new abilities and have begun getting the hang of it much better. Once the night arrived, the gods, without the need to sleep, decided to remain watching over the village from the skies in silence. Maybe thatll give us some time to connect and talk with one another in private too. And, well, with Urbosa and Merkite here, I didnt have a particularly calm night either. Both had been wagging their tails for a while now, so once we were back to bed, we had a lot of fun. I kind of like this relaxing life, to be honest. Even if momentarily, I want to enjoy and embrace these moments. . . . The skies across Earth trembled. Foreign Time Essence was being injected into their atmosphere. The worlds own Time Essence, faint yet still existing, started to overflow. Rivers of gray energy flowed through the skies, creating a strange and alluring spectacle that many people could see across the world. But then that beautiful spectacle was interrupted by a sudden sound. Crack, crack The sound of glass breaking. A huge crack appeared across the skies of many areas around the world. CRACK! Ancient primal beasts of time immemorial, mighty warriors of ancient times, and the legendary monuments and places where they all once originated slowly started to materialize out of the cracks. Some places saw giant buildings appear from the skies of ancient civilizations. But other places, such as North America, saw the cracks spread into the underground. Enormous pits opened, revealing a portal to another time. Giant, scaled monstrosities surged, roaring mightily. And accompanying them came the savage men who hunted them. Primal, barbaric, yet at the same time, humane. And curious about the future world theyve been brought into. The Grandfather of Time controls the Essence of Time itself to an even deeper level. To bring ancient warriors and beasts from the forgotten times of the world was not something hard to do. Even less when he prepared to devour as many souls as he could from the world where the one that suddenly stole one of his eyes had gone and where the one that had killed his precious avatar lived. ----- Chapter 53: Surpassing Previous Limits ----- When I woke up the next morning, my System Scarf finally seemed to react to what I had done yesterday. I kept trying to refine and absorb the Void Essence within me. While Kirby slept over my belly as usual, he freely let me use some of the Void Essence. It still hurt, but I was able to sleep well by simply depriving myself of most of my senses. Nonetheless, once I woke up, a wave of pain came to me, but I was mostly used to it at this point. I sighed in relief and stopped cultivating it to see the notification in front of me. [Because of constantly controlling the Essence of the Void itself, youve learned the Magic Skill: [Channel Void (S): Lv1]!] ----- [Channel Void (S): Lv1] [Skill EXP]: [0/50.000] Channel the Essence of the Void that many cant even comprehend. Let the eternal emptiness and darkness take over your body and manipulate it like many cannot. Slowly, make it yours. Become one with the Void, one step at a time. Grants the ability to manipulate Void Essence, transform it, absorb it, and refine it over time. Despite the high Ranking of the Skill, it can only be used properly after a large amount of proficiency has been accumulated. Level Bonus (1): Increases Void Essence Manipulation, Absorption, and Refinement Proficiency by +35%. ----- [You have equipped this Skill inside of your remaining Magic Skill Slot: 13/13] It was a perfect Skill for my needs. With this, the refinement and usage of the Void Essence were becoming much better. I immediately felt it the moment I equipped the Skill. It felt like I had comprehended the Void Dao by another 3 percent out of nowhere. If I keep leveling this Skill, it might become easier to understand and refine this energy. Although the description itself is quite eerie, it is as if the System itself is afraid of this power. The Element of Void Huh, well, there was also another thing that popped up. Ding! [Due to your great and proficient usage of a foreign energy similar to a combination of the elements of Darkness and Shadows, you learned the [Umbral Essence Manipulation (A): Lv1] Skill!] ----- [Umbral Essence Manipulation (A): Lv1] [Skill EXP]: [0/15.000] A Magic Skill learned by discovering a new source of energy and power derived from the Element of Darkness. By absorbing Darkness and Shadows and utilizing Mana, Umbral Essence can be created, manipulated, shaped, and transformed into a myriad of powerful, both protective and deadly, shapes. It can absorb the energies of those it touches, disrupt their magic creation, weaken them, and curse them in a myriad of ways. Level Bonus (1): Increases Umbral Essence Manipulation Proficiency, Generation Speed, Power, and Effects by +30%. ----- This was Umbral Essence, the counterpart of Photon Essence. I had only created it recently, thanks to having absorbed the powers of the God of Deep Darkness. Before, I had to utilize my Black Heaven Physique to manipulate something similar to it. But now, without the need to transform, I can easily manipulate and create it. And this Skill makes its usage and manipulation even easier for me. I can already tell that this System Scarf is all about facilitating the processes of most things. The only drawback is the Skill Slots which wont let me use everything I want. I cant equip this skill, unfortunately. But thats about to change now. I suppose it is about time I get rid of most of the max-level skills. Ive been leveling them as I cultivated them before, so most of the equipped skills were max level. How did I do that? Simply by constantly using them, this System is incredibly easy to abuse, merely conjuring a Skill a million times, and it reaches the max level! However, I believe not many mortals can do it as I do. Yes, I suppose they cannot completely abuse it. The only exception were stranger Skills that require specific conditions to level up, different from just constant usage. Such Skills barely leveled up much, so they werent all max level. Nonetheless, lets begin with that. I can combine just any Skill together as long as I have Credits to use, right? So lets see. [Classless Skills (12/13)] [Premium Player Privilege (SSS): Lv10] [Kicking Strike (D): Lv10] [First Aid (D): Lv10] [Mirage Veil (A): Lv10] [Cooking (D): Lv10] [Basic Swordsmanship (C): Lv10] [Family Bond (D): Lv10] [Emperors Conquest (S): Lv4] [Basic Martial Arts (C): Lv10] [Crescent Moons Shadow Dagger Style (S): Lv10] [Commander (C): Lv8] [Seducing Aura (C): Lv10] [Magic Skills (13/13)] [Partial Spatial Manipulation (B): Lv10] [Mana Manipulation (C): Lv10] [Healing Golden Light (B): Lv10] [Photon Essence Manipulation (A): Lv10] [Cursed Flames (B): Lv10] [Partial Time Flow Manipulation (A): Lv10] [Blazing Iron Weaponry Creation (S): Lv4] [Cosmic Star Magic (S): Lv10] [Triple Elemental Magic: Fire, Ice, Lightning (A): Lv10] [Divine Brilliant Light Magic (S): Lv10] [Divine Light Spirit Summon (S): Lv10] [Windstorm (B): Lv10] [Channel Void (S): Lv1] This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Now there are a lot of Level 10 Skills. However, I am worried about something else. Should I combine the ones that help me the most? Such as Mana Manipulation, Partial Spatial Manipulation, Photon Essence Manipulation, and Partial Time Flow. I feel like, much like Channel Void, they should remain as they are for the moment. System, is it possible to upgrade a Skill once it reaches Max Level? [Calling System Administrator] [A-Ah, hello. Clide here again.] Oh, Clide! What a surprise. So? Did you hear the question? [Yes I did And yes, you can. You can combine Skills thanks to your Privilege. But it can only be done using special items called Skill Fusion Stones. The same goes for Skill Evolution. You require Skill Evolution Materials of varying qualities and quantities. Sometimes scrolls, monster materials, and such.] How interesting I suppose not everything is just handled so easily. I wondered. Is there no other way to upgrade them, though? [Yes, thanks to the Privilege, you can skip the whole process and use Credits!] Excellent, lets do that then. I have way too many Credits anyway. [V-Very well, I shall evolve the Skills you wanted] Clide was being very serviceable today, it seemed. I was left rather happy about that, and he did everything for me. How nice of him. Ding! [You have exchanged 5.000.000 Credits!] [The [Partial Spatial Manipulation (B): Lv10] Skill has evolved into [Lesser Spatial Manipulation (A): Lv1]!] [You have exchanged 3.000.000 Credits!] [The [Mana Manipulation (C): Lv10] Skill has evolved into [Proficient Mana Manipulation (B): Lv1]!] [You have exchanged 10.000.000 Credits!] [The [Photon Essence Manipulation (A): Lv10] Skill has evolved into [Divine Photon Essence Manipulation (S): Lv1]!] [You have exchanged 10.000.000 Credits!] [The [Partial Time Flow Manipulation (A): Lv10] Skill has evolved into [Lesser Time Flow Manipulation (S): Lv1]!] The moment the Skills evolved; I felt a constant rush of different energies course through my entire body. I smiled, feeling my comprehension of the Space Dao improving greatly. I had only comprehended it halfway through back then, but this one Skill was helping me get farther. As for Time, I had almost mastered it, but this Skill could help me completely master it. And the best part? This System is mine, and nobody will ever be able to take it away. And it isnt even parasitizing me, either. It requires energy to function, which I feed daily with my endless reserves of Ki and its refined states, and it seems to be working even better than normal. The best part is that it can connect to the Main System absorb data, and even bring administrators to answer any questions I have. However, one of the evolutions that surprised me the most was Photon Essence Manipulation. At first, I thought of it as nothing more than a small enhancement to an already perfected ability. But I was wrong; I had yet to perfect any of my abilities. Despite how far Ive come, I have realized that most of my abilities can continue to evolve and transform, to become better and even stronger. At first, I didnt really like the system that much; I was just playing around with it, but the more it upgrades my strength, the more I realize it has become an important relic of mine, something thatll help me reach higher realms in the near future. One of the starting steps was all these evolved skills; once they reached a higher rank, I could clearly feel their enhancements on my body and soul, even if the System Scarf wasnt connected to any of them. FLASH! The Photon Essence had evolvedsomething I never thought possible, but that was right in front of me. By mixing it with my own Divinity of Light, it became Divine Photon Essence! And it shone with so much brilliance! So brightly that it illuminated the entire house and ended up waking up both Urbosa and Merkite. W-What with the light? Urbosa groaned. Dear, what are you doing? Merkite yawned. A-Ah! Sorry, sorry! I quickly deactivated the Ability. I was just looking at some new Evolved Skills. Remember my Photon Essence? It has been upgraded, something I never thought possible. I thought I had already perfected it over a thousand years ago Well, I was wrong. So you used the system to evolve it? Asked Urbosa. Well, thats pretty amazing, I think. Why do you need it to be stronger when it was already so strong it could kill gods anyway? Merkite asked nonchalantly. Hahah, well, that logic is almost flawless, if it wasnt for the knowledge I have about a certain someone I sighed. A being that vastly surpassed all my strength. Despite how strong I might be, there is definitely someone stronger out there, someone who really, really wants me to. And whos saying there arent other beings like that out there? In these countless worlds, dimensions, and realms I must be prepared for the worst. I think youre just being a bit paranoid. Urbosa patted my shoulders. Yeah, just come back to bed and cuddle with us, Merkite said. Todays morning is a bit cold. The two girls dragged me back to bed, wrapped their legs around mine, and hugged me tightly. I wanted to test my other abilities, but I guess thatll be for later. It was very early in the morning, so I decided to sleep for an hour or two more. Hmmm~ Theyre so fluffy, though. Two hours later, we were already having breakfast together. I did sleep for an hour and a half more before it got too late, and we had to make breakfast. Hekita was asking for her meals, and she was very hungry. Hmm? Mommy, what are you doing now? She asked me as she was eating a big piece of meat. Oh, this? I asked. As everyone ate, I was practicing my new Skills. Most of them worked the same, but better. But the one that changed the most was my Photon Essence. Before, it could do a lot of things, from becoming any shape I wanted to paralyzing, cutting, and piercing. It could blind too with ease. And it could materialize and become a solid object. It could also be used to heal, restoring the wounds of those wounded and helping them recover stamina as well. It wasnt just light either; it could become solid and also liquid at will, and it even could transform into lightning or completely ethereal. However, after gaining the Divine suffix, it could do more things as well. Before, it could pierce, slash, and electrocute, but now it can hack and smash. The solidification it possessed has become incredibly stronger now. Hekita asked what I was doing because she saw me create a huge hammer made entirely out of gold, which was actually Divine Photon Essence. It had become differentno longer just light itself, but it resembled metal as if it had become mercury, but gold-colored. Yet I could freely switch it around between its components. Lets see I summoned a giant Martial Beast, flew into the skies, and hit it with the hammer I created. BAAAM! The Martial Beast exploded into pieces. Oh, I see, it is really strong. This was a Martial Beast of the Venerable Realm, yet I was able to smash it with a single strike. Before, it required from five to ten hits using Photonic Energy alone and nothing else. Some might pity the beast, but I was going to hunt it anyway to eat it, so this was a good showcase of power. Woow Mommys so strong! The strongest ever! Hekita clapped. Are we eating that? Yep! Let me cook it for everyone. I smiled, kissing Hekita on her forehead because she was too cute. There were more things I wanted to try out, but first, I cooked this big beast and ate a feast with the entire tribe. I might as well give it to everyone so their cultivation increases. Although I didnt want to at first, Ive already begun to warm up to the idea of becoming their leader. Seeing how lawless the entire tower is, I might as well just make a new sectno, a new Heavenly Court. And take matters into my own hands. But first, my date with Peperina! Without a doubt, Ill prioritize my date with the cute rabbit girl, of course. ----- Chapter 54: Skill Fusion ----- The lion-shaped Venerable-ranked Martial Beast tasted rather delicious, and it was a nice meal for the mornings breakfast. The entire tribe ended up joining in on the feast because there was way too much meat. Although I was still feeling shocked at how strong my Photon Essence had become, I dedicated my time to giving attention to my family. As we enjoyed breakfast and the hours went by, I started to consider creating a sect of my own. Although at the beginning I was against that, as Ive realized the tower and the worlds were so vast and many and that I wanted to protect my own planet, creating a big organization that spanned through many worlds while protecting my own would be ideal. I might end up making another Heavenly Court. Thankfully, I simply have to use my Doppelganger to handle most of it anyway. It shouldnt be so hard, as Ive confirmed I can control them even between worlds. And with my Photon Essence evolving into Divine Photon Essence, the Doppelgangers might have become even stronger now, gaining better solidification and also the ability to turn into a powerful metal-like material. Phew, I ate sooo much, I feel like Im going to explode... Ugh, my belly Hekita was patting her big belly as she rested inside the house. You ate too much, Hekita! Urbosa reprimanded her. I think we might need to skip lunch. Eeeh? No, Im fine! I-I swear Ugh Hekita was groaning. Just let her take a nap, and she should be alright. I giggled; after analyzing, Hekita was fine. Anyways, it should be about time. Ill get going. Oh, to your date with that rabbit girl? Merkite asked. I wish we could go, but its clear shes only interested in you. Good luck then. Urbosa gave me a kiss. Treat her well, alright? If everything goes fine, youre free to bring her here. We would gladly invite her to eat something and know the tribe. Alright, relax though; Im not like... Going to do much. I said. Ill take things slowly. Its more like a meeting between friends? I want to know her better, thats all. At what hour are you coming back? Merkite asked me. Probably after lunch, I believe. I said. Anyways, see ya. Mom and my sister werent here, but I didnt think it was necessary to say goodbye to everyone, so after kissing my two mates, I zapped into the skies. Using the new Divine Photon Essence felt great. Before, I could easily move through space, but right now, it doesnt feel like I exactly walked through it. It was more like I was swimming through space; the Photon Essence encompassed my body, charged with my Divinity, and gave me even stronger liquid properties. Even though this technique used both space and photon essence, it felt like the photon essence made it easier to move through space than ever before. I appeared right in front of the Adventurers Guild within a split second. Peperina wasnt here yet; shell get here at least in half an hour. But I came here early on purpose, and I quickly disappeared again, reaching the skies. While waiting for her, I took a peek at my status again and decided to look into the details of the Divine Photon Essence Skill. ----- [Divine Photon Essence Manipulation (S): Lv1] [Skill EXP]: [64.430/100.000] A Divine Magic Skill acquired through the evolution of the [Photon Essence Manipulation (A)] Skill. After having injected the powers of Divinity, the Photon Essence has evolved into its Divine Form, gaining upgraded abilities and new effects. By absorbing Sunlight, using a Light Divinity, and fusing both Mana and otherworldly energies together, Divine Photon Essence can be created, manipulated, shaped, and transformed into a myriad of powerful, both protective and deadly, shapes. It can paralyze, deal internal damage, bypass physical objects, destroy magical circuits, and transform its composition into physical, liquid, metallic, ethereal, gaseous, and more. Divine Photon Essence can also easily bypass spatial boundaries thanks to the Divinity it possesses. Additionally, Divine Photon Essence can now take on Spiritual and Metallic forms. By absorbing Spiritual Energy, it can transform into Spiritual Photonic Energies, which can gain even more life on their own and develop into a myriad of useful shapes. In its metallic form, it creates a unique metal called Divine Photonite, a metal stronger and tougher than Divine Orichalcum, capable of withstanding the pressure and void of outer space with ease while also being incredibly lightweight and powerful. Level Bonus (1): Increases Divine Photon Essence Manipulation Proficiency, Generation Speed, Attack Power, Range, and Effects by +330% ----- Alright, the description increased a lot. And just as I imagined, if I mix it with Spirit Energy Yeah, this can be created without the need to use that Spirit Creation Skill I got earlier. FLASH! The Divine Photon Essence in my hands took on a new shape, transforming into the form of a beautiful bird and then dividing into many more. Each bird was as gold as the sun and flew around, chirping and glancing at me. I noticed they seemed to even have souls of their own, spiritual souls. This was a power very similar to what Hekita could do. Amazing! My Doppelgangers arent entirely made out of Photon Essence, so they couldnt be compared to this. They were also composed of pieces of my own soul and hundreds of martial beast souls to make their entire composition. But to make a spirit out of just the photon essence I exude from my body naturally... This was on a completely different level. Ill have to keep using it to gain more Skill EXP; its already going to hit Level 2 after all! Now, lets look at the other skills. What should I combine in the meantime? Clide, are you there? How many skills can I combine at a time? Or I can force my way to combine as many as I want? [Y-Yes, Im here! I I think the limit is four at a time for now! If you combine too many, the Skills might end up breaking, and you wont get anything useful. Balance can be acquired at most at 4 Skills!] Hmm, okay then. I sighed. I wouldnt want to break my precious relic after all. Though I can easily do it against others, I would rather not break my own system. [I-I wish you would have thought that way before] What did you say? [N-Nothing!] I ignored his slightly snarky comment as I dove into my Skills. After taking a look at them, I decided to just combine four random choices and see what I can get. Ding! [You have exchanged 40.000.000 Credits!] [You have decided to combine the [Healing Golden Light (B): Lv10], [Cursed Flames (B): Lv10], [Blazing Iron Weaponry Creation (S): Lv10], and [Cosmic Star Magic (S): Lv10] Skills!] This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. [Skill Fusion process has begun!] FLASH! Suddenly, four spheres emerged out of my invisible System Scarf as they started rotating around one another in front of my sight. It seemed each Skill could manifest itself as a sphere of strange energies. I think these energies were made up of Mana, Divinity, and something else, a third and powerful energy that fueled the system itself, which Ive had a hard time deciphering without breaking my own system in the process. But now that I could see all the Skills fusing together slowly, it was easy to tell what it was! So what fuels the System is Cosmic Energy? FLAAASH! All four Skills came together, becoming a large sphere of many colors, which quickly flew back inside the System Relic, combining with it once more. Ding! [Congratulations! You have successfully combined the [Healing Golden Light (B): Lv10], [Cursed Flames (B): Lv10], [Blazing Iron Weaponry Creation (S): Lv10], and [Cosmic Star Magic (S): Lv10] Skills into the Fusion Skill: [Blessed Blazing Starlight Cursed Relic Creation (SS): Lv1]!] [Fusion Skills can be equipped in any of the Classless and Magic Skill Slots.] Oh, thats an interesting name. Interesting. So it creates blessed, blazing starlight relics that are also cursed? How does that even work anyway? I am now rather curious. Lets test it before reading the Skill description. Lets see I concentrated Mana into my hands and then activated the Skill. Suddenly, the Mana and my own elemental essence instantly took upon the blueprint of the System, taking the form of a large golden staff with a blue crystal on top and a great sword made of blue and gold metal, with red crystals embedded into the handle. Interesting Both Relics exuded Auras of blue and golden flames, imitating the color and beauty of cosmic energy but not really doing the same. The flames resembled blue nebulas imbued with golden stars inside, which was very interesting. Huh. I swung the weapons towards the southwest as the sword released a mighty wave of cosmic flames, which unleashed a big explosion. The barrier I left on Nexus easily protected it from it. I see. Not so bad. And the staff conjured a flash of blue and golden light, unleashing an explosion of blazing starlight, but the barrier held off just as well. Hmm~ And then I decided to concentrate on the relics. It did say something about Blessed and Cursed, right? Lets see Bless? FLASH! The swords flames gained a yellow color, and a sparkling light of divine purity exuded from the weapon instantly. After cutting my own finger, I let the blade burn through the wound. And I noticed the wound slowly healing. Amazing, it can even heal the wound a Venerable such as myself takes. Impressive! And the curse I cut the finger again; this time, I cursed the flames, which then gained a black color. When I touched the wound with the cursed flames, I felt like they were trying to seep into my own wounds and body, trying to weaken them. And it slightly worked; I felt cursed for a few seconds, my physical strength went down greatly, and my mind felt only slightly dizzy. I quickly healed back with the same golden flames, feeling refreshed. It can affect a being such as myself... It might prove to be a very useful Skill! Lets see ----- [Blessed Blazing Starlight Cursed Relic Creation (SS): Lv1] A Fusion Skill created from the fusion between the [Healing Golden Light (B): Lv10], [Cursed Flames (B): Lv10], [Blazing Iron Weaponry Creation (S): Lv10], and [Cosmic Star Magic (S): Lv10] Magic Skills. Combine Mana with the different elemental essences you can control to summon special Blazing Starlight Relics that can be Blessed, Cursed, or both at the same time. Depending on the magnitude, form, and shape of these Relics, the amount of Mana required will increase drastically. These Relics can take the form of simple weapons and accessories but cannot exceed a certain height and weight determined by the Skill Level. The Durability and Summoning Time of these Relics are also determined by their Skill Level. Each Relic, no matter if Blessed or Cursed, will come with sparkling gold, blue, and red colors, and you''ll be able to unleash Blazing Starlight Flames of the elements between Blessed and Cursed. Such flames will be able to deal damage, heal, or both, depending on the chosen Blessing. Relics can be combined together to form larger Relics, but larger quantities of Mana will be needed for their proper creation. The Elements that can be given are Blessed, Cursed, and both at the same time. Blessed Element will allow for the healing of both the targets body wounds and soul wounds, as well as status ailments, diseases, and other curses. Cursed Element will allow for the slow weakening of a targets body or soul, worsening wounds, spreading status ailments, and decreasing their stats. The combined elements will be able to do both in twisted ways. Level Bonus (1): Increases Blazing Starlight Flames Attack Power by +250%, and Defense Ignoration by 30%. Increases Summoned Relics Size and Summoning Time by +30%. Increases Cursed Element Power and Curse Duration by +330%. Increases Blessed Elements Healing Speed, Tissue Recovery, Limb Reattachment, Internal Organ Regeneration, and more by +220%. Increases Combined Elements Effects by +100%. Decreases Mana Cost by -50%. ----- A rather long description for a single Skill, but it does sound perfectly good for me. I smiled. And it works just as I tested. I quickly unsummoned both Relics and began to think: Can I make a permanent one? Lets see Theyre temporary because they disappear due to being composed primarily of Mana. For them to not disappear, they would either require a constant supply of energies like the summoned gods Or. I looked at my hands as a beautiful necklace of gold and blue jewels was made. I can simply add a bit of my own blood. I used the blood I bleed from my wound as a physical material, and the necklace suddenly stopped having a timer. It could both switch between Blessed and Cursed forms and allow the wielder to conjure these flames in their respective forms. Good! Itll be a nice gift for her. I should make more for my mates as well! I quickly made two beautiful rings, made of gold and blue metal, with red crystals embedded on them out of the skill. For my Urbosa and my Merkite Hmm, I cant wait to see their reaction~! As I imagined the happiness on my cute girlfriend''s faces, I slowly descended back to Nexus, noticing almost half an hour had passed. There are still more Skills to combine, but Ill leave that for later. Ahh, B-Bing Xue! Peperina greeted me from afar, waving her little hand. She was waiting for me in front of the guild. Thankfully, I wasnt wearing my Chinese-styled clothing anymore, as I wore something more modern. Blue jeans, a white blouse, some bracelets, and a black jacket. Hey, I just arrived; were you waiting too much for me? Not at all! I just came here. Wow, you look good in those clothes! Usually youre wearing that gold and silver dress. Yeah, I tried to go for something more casual. You also look very beautiful. E-Eh? Really? She looked very gorgeous; in fact, she was wearing a white and yellow dress with blue heels and a white summer hat. She looked ready to go to the beach, in fact. Unlike Urbosa and Merkite, Peperina looked more like a humanor perhaps a halfling? Than a beast person, except she had pointy rabbit ears on top of her hair and also a bit of fur across her legs and arms. So? Where do you want to go? A-Ah, I have a few plans! I know you saw my Instagram, so lets go to some of the places I went before." Oh? Nice, sure! I also wanted to eat some of the food they sell around here. Lets do that then. Yep! Follow me, then! Ahahah She was a bit nervous but was putting in the effort of entertaining me. She was so adorable. . . . RUMBLE! A huge tremor suddenly shook the interior of a Dungeon near New York. A party of five Hunters that were exploring the area were left surprised and paralyzed. Their eyes were looking into the ceiling of the caves, and the corpses of weak monsters they had just hunted littered their surroundings. Crack, crack! CRACK! Cracks spread across the caves ceiling, but not physical cracks or spatial cracks. Gray and blue energies began pouring out, distorting everything. W-Whats happening? Wasnt this an E-Rank Dungeon? Oi, Mark, what is this?! The hell I know about, dude! Mark, the leader of the party, was still trying to decide if it was a wise decision to escape or fight. Especially because the spatial crack was happening right in front of their escape route. To escape, one had to go even deeper into the dungeon. Oohhh However, the voice of something or someone echoed from within the cracks. The entire party saw a strange vision across the Gate. There was a giant jungle, bursting with greenery and ancient species of plants and trees. From within, a giant human arm surged. It was at least five times as large as an average adult male; it singlehandedly opened the gate further, making its way out. BAAM! The party of five got ready for battle, but when they saw the person emerging from the gate, they were left flabbergasted. W-What is this? Not a monster? Hes The thing in front of them stood up, packed with muscles and hair, and wearing only some animal pelt wrapped around its nether regions. Long, messy, and nasty hair, and a big beard. However, it had the sharp eyes of a hunter who has gone through countless battles of life and death. Oohh Bunga? Onga It spoke a weird, ancient language. A human? Mark, the leader of the party, looked up at the caveman-looking person that poured out of the gate. Hey, are you Are you a returnee? He asked. However, the human in front of them didnt let the man take another step. GAAAH! With a furious roar, as if it were threatened by the strange, tiny humans in front of him, he swung his enormous and muscular arms. CRASH! It just happened within a second. The rest of the party was unable to even see how it did that. But Marks entire body was flattened into the ground, his bones, flesh, and everything else splattering out, his hard armor made of wyvern scales broken, and his sword shattered. He died against a bare human hand! E-Eh? Huh? Wha?! The rest of the party were left flabbergasted, staring at the scene in silence and disbelief. However, the world wasnt going to stop to let them process what happened. The strange, gray-colored gate trembled as more of these strange, ancient humans poured out. They sniffed their surroundings and then glared at the tiny humans in front of them, baring their fangs like beasts. Someone Help! HEEELP! As they tried to escape, the cavemen chased them. Their screams of help and agony reverberated across the dungeon. Yet nobody came to save them. Ultimately, the ancient men made their way out, seeing what was outside. Both admiring and fearing what their world had turned into. ----- Chapter 55: Date ----- For the first stop, Peperina led me to an area with a lot of pastry and ice cream shops. In there, she showed me the delicious treats they sold. There were two payment methods: to pay using Credits or to pay using gold. I decided to pay using credits, as we bought a triple ice cream crepe with banana and strawberry. It was a rather delicious treata sweet crepe dough rolled around a lot of whipped cream, fruit, and three balls of ice cream on top. A-Are you sure you want to pay? I can buy it myself. Peperina gasped as she saw me giving her the big ice cream. Of course, I invite you. I smiled. Dont feel ashamed; it was rather cheap compared to my own savings. W-Well, if you say so Peperina gasped as she saw the huge crepe. So good! Nom, nom! Hmm! So creamy! I love these! The chocolate, cookies and cream, and strawberry ice cream flavor combo never fails! She was really happy as she ate, leaving her cute face covered with a bit of ice cream and whipped cream. Fufu, it seems you really enjoy it. I giggled. But youre eating too eagerly; look, youre a bit messy. I gently cleansed her cheek with the small amount of cream there and then licked my finger. Hmm, it is indeed quite a refreshing flavor, yes. A-Ah T-Thanks. She suddenly felt slightly embarrassed as I did that. I bought salted caramel, vanilla, and white chocolate flavors, I said. Want to give it a try? Oohh I havent tasted those flavors, okay! She nodded, quickly taking a bite off the balls. Hmm? Oh, the vanilla is rather flavorful. Usually, it is the most plain of flavors. The salted caramel is sure something I dont know how to describe it. Its like sweet and salty and sweet and salty... It makes my head a bit dizzy. White chocolate was good, and the chocolate bits were nice. Is that so? I do like them as well. I licked the ice cream where she had taken a bite. Hmm, delicious. A-Ah She blushed again. D-Do you want to taste mine too? She offered me her ice cream. She had clearly licked them a lot. But it wasnt like I minded that. Sure~! I took a small bite of her flavor. Hmm! This is a cookies and cream one, so it is like cream-flavored ice cream with cookie bits." "Yeah, it is my favorite." She kept blushing. A-Ahh, anyways, let me show you the plaza! Sure, lead the way! Following her around was really fun and refreshing, honestly. And unlike the twins, Peperina had an air of innocence and cuteness that was very unique to herself. She showed me the place I hadnt seen before in detail, and we sat down there to enjoy the ice cream while looking at street performers singing and dancing. There were quite a few wandering bands of musicians, usually led by a bard; they went from town to town singing and dancing and living off of what people donated to them. Their songs were mostly part of the folklore of this world, or, well, of this region of the continent. They usually sang about the ancient dispute between light and darkness and how, at the beginning, there was a never-ending eclipse, therefore calling this world after that. Say, Peperina, are you from this floor or from another? I wondered. Ah! I was born and raised in Eclipse. Yes." She nodded. The Tower has always existed, from what my parents have remembered. I think the old history says our world was added to the tower like... hundreds of thousands of years ago. How interesting! I wonder what it would feel to be born and raised in such a fantastic world full of monsters and magic. I smiled. Ive noticed youre not like other beastkin, though; sorry if this sounds rude. Oh, not at all! Some people wonder that a lot. Its because my dad is a dwarf and my mom is a rabbit-beast woman! So I am what could be said to be like a hybrid? Im a half-dwarf rabbitkin. I am rather proud of my double heritage! She was a bundle of joy. So thats how it is! I nodded. Thats pretty amazing to be blessed with two heritages and two powerful bloodlines. I bet you make your parents proud? I-I mean, I guess they are happy for me, but I dont know if I make them proud She sighed. My dad originally wanted me to inherit his small Smithy Company, but I just couldnt with it and left. I always wanted to be an Adventurer and explore the world, and once I learned there was a Tower, I wanted to climb it too and become a Player and an Explorer! Is that so? Is that something youre going to do in the near future? I wondered curiously. N-No, it was just a dumb dream, though." She sighed. When I finally got to fight monsters, I was just too scared. I couldnt really do it. And She started gripping her hands tightly. I-I ran away and... ended up taking a job as a receptionist here. Oh dear Im so sorry. I sighed. I-I didnt know that... Was I rude, asking too much? Heheh, no, dont worry, Bing Xue. Youre so attentive and careful with your words. It is fine. She smiled. Its just all my fault for being dumb... Ive been gone for four years since then, sending letters to my parents from time to time. They still think I am an Adventurer Leveling Up and hunting monsters inside Dungeons Ahh, I dont really know what to do in that regard. Thankfully, theyre very old-fashioned and dont use a cellphone. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Thats a rather complicated subject... Do you truly want to be an Adventurer still? Or are you still scared of monsters? What made you scared in the first place? The fear of death? I wondered. Yes I I was afraid of dying and I guess I dont have a really strong will, unlike I had imagined when I was younger. She sighed. I should have accepted Dads proposition and become a member of her smithy. By now, I would already be pretty good if I kept practicing all those years Ive wasted Im so sorry. I sighed. But I believe youve got a great deal of talent as a receptionist, Peperina! Youre very attentive, careful, and very cute and lovely. I am sure many other hunters love it when you attend them. You also seem pretty smart and competent, and you work rather quickly. I told her, trying to lift her spirits. I-Is that so? Thank you She smiled a bit. Aah, well, lets just not talk about this again. Sorry, it was just me opening up out of nowhere. Weird I guess I havent really met someone who truly listened to what I said most of the time. Well! Im here to listen to anything you say. I smiled. I am very strong, you know. Maybe I could give you the tools to help you level up and become stronger. Until you get strong enough to gain a bit more confidence in yourself while still keeping your cautiousness. Oh But that would be very unfair, right? And why would you help me so much, Bing Xue? She wondered. I-I dont really think you should. Well, if I have the power to help, then I help. Thats how I go with my life. I smiled. Have you thought about your dreams, though? Have you already forgotten them, or do you still want to fulfill them? I She muttered, looking rather conflicted. I really want to do it... Actually, its just... I get scared, and its not easy. Hmm I nodded. Alright, if you think my helping you is unfair, you can repay me with something; how about it? A favor for a favor. E-Eh? What favor? She asked. I slowly approached her face as she blushed. I could hear her heart beating rapidly. Invite me to a meal! O-Oh! Ahhh Okay! She nodded rapidly as I gave her a gentle head pat. You have some talent and are also really good-natured. I am sure you can get far. Let me be your sponsor or something. You can repay me once you get pretty strong. I smiled. Helping my friends or protecting the townany of such things could be taken as payment for me. I-I guess I can do that Yes! She nodded. But I am still afraid of fighting; how will you help? First of all, lets go have a meal. We can talk while eating. I smiled. S-Sure! She nodded. Within Peperinas eyes, I could see an ever-growing conviction. She invited me to a rather fancy-looking restaurant where they sold a combination of Earths food and Eclipses food. Mostly Italian and Radiant Continent combination food. This is my favorite place! They sell such delicious pasta with creamy sauces! She said. Also pretty decent wines as well! Lets go in! I invite you! Thank you so much. I smiled as I walked right behind her. Ill take this invitation happily. After sitting down and using the table that Peperina had reserved in advance, I ordered what she recommended; it was fettuccini with white bechamel sauce and a piece of grilled, nicely seasoned salmon. As side dishes, we decided to order a medium-sized pizza with pesto sauce, three types of cheese, ham, and some veggies. Peperina got herself a classic Bolognese-sauce fettuccini with big meatballs. Hmm? Oh, this is good. The delicious soft noodles combined with the creamy sauce made a rather comforting combination. As I took small bites of the tasty grilled salmon steak, I found myself immersed in a combination of strong and soft flavors. It is, isnt it? Simple, but good! Also, try the pizza; its my favorite!" She offered me a slice, and I took it happily and tried it out. It was also delicious. The flavors went well together. I never thought I would enjoy a pizza slice with so many veggies, but it worked. So good too! Pesto sauce on pizza wasnt something I had thought about back then. As I enjoyed this food, I remembered my past, before even going to Murim, when I used to bring pizza back home after my job and enjoy it with my family. I want to do the same again. Its pretty tasty, right? She smiled, taking pictures of the food and uploading them to her Instagram page. Hehe, maybe thatll get me some likes You really like that page. I giggled. Well, you got the knack for being a foodie influencer, I suppose. I-Influencer, me?! Nahh She laughed. I just do it for fun, but I dont know if I could get famous... I barely get a few dozen likes. But I appreciate you liking every post! Its nothing. I smiled. Now give me another pizza slice; that was way too good. There you go, hehe! She happily gave me more. After we were almost done, we continued talking about what I was saying before. Peperina told me her current class was called "Explorer, a basic class she picked that had a lot of exploration perks and skills, with a max level of 120. Im currently at Level 6 Yeah, I barely killed a few tiny rats and slimes. She sighed. Hmm, we can remedy that quickly. I nodded. We can go to a dungeon together, and Ill give you some equipment and protect you, but youll do the rest of the job of hitting monsters. You need to learn to not be afraid of hurting others. I believe thats your primary fear, isnt it? Aah, youre too good at this... Yes, its that indeed. She nodded. S-Since I was little, Ive had a lot of strength because of my dads lineage. His family is specifically strong among the dwarves. He descends from the Blazing Dwarves, which once came from Floor 20. They were often known as Blazars. Because of that, I was born with a lot of strength, and I once hurt my mom when I was little; I broke her hand. S-Since then, I..." Since then, you were afraid of hurting others, even monsters, right? I sighed. I understand that feeling; I wasnt good at killing before. In fact, I was afraid; I felt guilt and fear. But it is also an essential part of living and existingto take another being''s life and feed off their meat, blood, bones, and energies. I-I guess so Peperina nodded. I also didnt want to die; my bodys so small, I was always being thrown away." I see, I get it now. I nodded. How about we start with some long-range weapons first? Like a bow and such? A bow! I havent thought about it. I am not too good with it, but Ive heard the Explorer Class can learn some proficiency with it. She said. Nice! Well, what else? I guess once you get more comfortable, I could give you a hammer and heavy armor, so you dont get thrown away. I said. Also, you said your dad is Blazar Descendant, right? Can you manipulate fire? I-I havent been able to awaken that, no Maybe once you level up enough, youll be able to. I also have another trick called cultivation that could help you get stronger! Ooh, cultivation? Where did you learn that? Oh right! Dummy me, Ive been talking about me this entire time, but I never asked you anything about yourself, Bing Xue! Sorry Its fine. It is not like I enjoy talking about myself. But if you want to learn a few things, ask away. Well, you are a Returnee, right? Indeed As I slowly explained to her who I truly was, I suddenly saw a notification pop up out of thin air. [The Tower God {Grandfather of Time} smiles.] [He says your world shall be swallowed by the timelines once lost!] [He says you and your people shall pay for having slain his Avatar!] Is this the Chronomancers sponsor? Ah, seriously, cant I have just a single peaceful day? Oh well. Perfect timing to test my new Skills and Abilities. ----- Chapter 56: Prehistoric Invasion ----- It was another morning for the chairman of the hunter association. After the disaster that almost destroyed New York, the hunter association has been very busy dealing with all the aftermath, from the wild monsters having become increasingly violent to the new appearance of undead creatures, not the same as the army, but that emerged out of the leftover nether that the undead monsters left behind over the surrounding landscape. Because of this, the hunting of undead monsters has become a rather urgent matter. And underground caves that people started to call tombs began to appear, dungeon-like areas on Earth that harbored a large concentration of Undead creatures, usually led by a strong boss-type Undead monster. However, the Hunter Association of America was well organized, and although these new events were tiring, they were nothing compared to the disaster that could have happened if the entire city had been destroyed by the Raid of the Black Gates, as the people of Earth began to call this incident. After that whole incident, Nicholas took a small break back home, deciding to leave the paperwork and other things to the people who didnt participate in the battle to begin with. After having almost died, he had grown rather exhausted. He wanted to be with his daughters and appreciate life for a moment, to take a breather and relax. Its not as if the world hasnt been terrible already, but at the very least, some time ago, he believed he had found some time of respite from time to time. However, since Bing Xues arrival, things have been escalating out of proportion rapidly. He didnt know if it was her fault or something, and he didnt really want to blame her after she saved everyone, but something was lingering in his mind. Daddy, daddy, look! Hm? Nicholas glanced at his dear daughter, who was wearing a colorful dress like those magical girls would do, lifting a small plastic staff with a pink heart on top. The pink and colorful dress contrasted adorably with her black skin, making her look even cuter. Ill heal you from all the exhaustion! Pinky Light! The little toy in her hands glowed brightly as Nicholas'' youngest daughter tried to cheer up her father with her "magic." She had barely reached 7 years of age just a few days ago, and her bright blue eyes were full of innocence and purity. It made her father instantly smile. Hahaha, maybe you just healed me with that! He laughed, the burly man gently hugging his little princess and kissing her forehead. Somehow I feel all healed now; whats this? It worked then! See? I am going to become a magical girl when I grow up! His daughter giggled. She was a bundle of joy and cuteness, and her exhausted father smiled as he gently patted her little head with his big hands. Im sure you will, my little Mary. He sighed. And your mom would be proud, of course. Ive heard that in the Tower theres a floor thats heaven! Is that true? Can we meet Mommy if we go there? Mary suddenly asked. Nicholas felt a bit shocked after that question; his strong-looking eyes suddenly felt slightly emotional as he resisted tears from flowing from his eyes. The innocence of his girl moved his heart; she was still holding on to the belief that she could meet her mother again. M-Maybe Haha, your daddy will do his best to become the strongest, so we can meet your mom one day. He smiled, feeding his daughter with lies. Maybe I will grow strong too! I will become the strongest magical girl! Mary giggled. As she giggled and kissed her fathers cheek to cheer him up, Nicholas second daughter stepped out of her room. She seemed ready to go out. Hey, Clarisse, where are you going? Werent we going to spend the day together? He asked her. His daughter looked at him with a condescending smile. Dad, I told you yesterday I was going to meet with my besties. Were going to the mall to hang out for a bit. Im all grown up already; I can go on my own~ Youre only fifteen! Thats not grown up at all to me. Her father protested. What? Why not? Come on, New York is the safest city in the country! Clarisse protested, her long black hair reaching her shoulders and waving as she made an annoyed gesture. Maybe from monsters, but not from people. Clarisse, there are still some criminals on the loose around the city. Bing Xue is not our eternal protector either. Shell only act when it is completely necessary. Sighed Nicholas. Around the internet, there have already been rumors about Bing Xue being some sort of eternal protector. This created a false sense of security in people, making them believe she would just come to save anybody. At least amongst the youngsters of New York. But that was far from the truth. I think youre exaggerating. Ill be FINE. Anyway, give me some money; maybe I can go with an Uber, so you dont get upset? Sighed his daughter, resting her hand on her hips. Big sister, you shouldnt be mean to Daddy! Also, Daddy is on vacation; lets spend the day together instead! Mary said, pointing her staff at her sister. Or else Pinky Light will punish you in the name of justice! Hmm? Is that so? Maybe Im the villain then, haha! Clarisse stole the staff from her sister. Hehehe! I stole your precious weapon now; whatchu gonna do now? Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Hey! You thief! Take this! Super pinky kick! Mary responded by kicking her big sister in the knee. OUCH! Hey, what the hell is wrong with you?! Oww! Dad, she hit me out of nowhere! Clarisse cried. Hahh Nicholas sighed. He finally remembered that having two daughters was quite a monumental task by itself without a wife to help him take care of a part of the burden. Well, there you go; I transferred you some bucks. Take care and use Ubers to move if the places you go are too far away, okay? Mary, stop hitting your sister. But daddy, she is insulting the justice of pinky light, and- RUMBLE! However, the chaotic yet harmonious family time was broken as a sudden tremor made the entire city shake. Nicholas panicked as he ran towards his daughters and hugged them with his big arms. The tremor continued for a few seconds, making them both panic. W-Whats going on?! Clarisse screamed. "Daddy, Im scared! Buaaaah! And Mary broke out into tears right away. Calm down; Dad is here! Stay still Nicholas said, hugging his daughters and waiting for the tremor to end. Thankfully, the building didnt fall apart or anything. Quietness returned to the city, and as he looked at his daughters, they were fine. I-Its over? Clarisse asked. Sniff Was it a big monster? Mary wondered. I-I dont know, Nicholas said. But it came from outside the city. Something so big and strong that it made the whole city tremble... W-What in the world? And just at that moment, he heard his phone ringing. He quickly answered the call. Yes? Nicholas! Oh my god, are you okay?! John, the guild master of the Justice Guild, called him. John! Yes, yes, I am alright. My daughters, too. Whats going on? Did you see something? Didnt you?! Just look outside the window, man! What? As Nicholas was told that, his daughters suddenly fell silent. They were blankly staring through the window of their apartment building. Across the near-invisible barrier that covered the city. There was somethinga distortion in space, gray energy pouring out, creating a psychedelic view. And from that gate, something started coming outa massive, gigantic, scaled thing. Daddy Whats that? Mary asked. It looks like... some big lizard? Clarisse wondered. Thats a brachiosaurus." Nicholas couldnt forget such a shape. Before the apocalypse began, he was rather fascinated with paleontology and studied a lot of that through his young years. He was particularly fascinated with dinosaur fossils and the ways dinosaurs were all shaped. He knew Brachiosaurus were gigantic dinosaurs, the largest to have ever stepped on Earth. Yet the one that came out of the gate was bigger than all the found fossils. Yes, it was so massive that it easily dwarfed most of the buildings in New York! At least a hundred meters tall! GROOOOHHHH! It gave a loud groan as more of these absolutely gigantic dinosaurs, which looked very accurate to scientific depictions, started pouring out one after another. They didnt look to have any elemental powers or something; they were just titanic-sized dinosaurs! A large horde of at least fifty brachiosauruses started rushing towards New Yorks barrier. And smashing it, constantly hitting it. The tremors the entire city felt were because of these giants trying to break in! Theres no fucking way Are they S Rank? No, even higher? Nicholas asked John. We dont know, but were already mobilizing the hunters outside! John said. But this isnt even the biggest problem; this is pretty new! What? Has something been happening? Nicholas, who hadnt answered his phone for a while, suddenly gasped. Yeah, this morning they found a group of hunters massacred inside one of those Undead Tombs, but not by Undead; the Undead Monsters were all slain already! John said. There are reports of huge men, of humans the size of orcs, if not twice as big, walking through the road towards the city. Humans?! Nicholas wondered. Wait, how did they look? Kind of... ape-like? They looked like... ancient human ancestors. John spoke, incapable of believing his own words. Australopithecus?! Nicholas readjusted his glasses as sweat started pouring out of his bald head. I just got a call that a huge group of like a hundred of those ape-men started attacking more hunters that were hunting around the city! Said John. They just started a few minutes before the dinosaurs appeared out of thin air! Just what the hell is going on? This isnt like anything weve ever faced! Its not like theyre coming from another world Right? Yeah It feels like theyre coming from... like our past? But a very exaggerated one. Do we even know if our past was like we believe it was, anyway? As Nicholas calmed down, he took off his shirt, revealing his big, muscular torso. Girls lets go to the shelter below the building, Nicholas said. I have something to take care of. He quickly led his daughters to the underground shelter, secured with the highest magic technology protection devices. Daddy! Are you coming soon? Mary asked as she was being held by her big sister. Yeah, dont worry! Nicholas smiled. Clarisse, take care of your sister Please. O-Okay. Clarisse nodded. And And if I dont come back Nicholas muttered, making his oldest daughters eyes widen. Please make sure she grows up to be a nice girl, okay? D-Dad Clarisses eyes started crying. Stop saying sh*t like that, dad! Youre not dying! Youre S Rank! Hah, yeah I used to think like that Nicholas sighed. Im going. . . . UNGA! BONGA! GRAAAH! A furious pack of monstrous ape-men roared. Their bodies resembling the apex physique that the body a human could achieve combined with the burliness of a gorilla and the flexibility of an ape, and further enhanced with wild, primal force and strength. With a furious roar, they rushed toward the hunters who had been hunting horned wolves just a couple of minutes ago. Shit, shit, theyre catching up! What the heck are those things?! They look like us, but not?! Fuck, they killed Roslier! BAAAM! However, before the party of four could escape, something suddenly jumped from the skies, landing right in front of them. It was another of those "things"another of those ancient humansthat provoked such a strange sense of fear within the genetic memory of all humans. OOOHH Its giant body of over three meters in height dwarfed all the hunters in front of him. His giant, log-like arms rushed towards them. A simple punch. CRAAASH! The tank that put himself in front saw his powerful Mithril Shield shatter into pieces in mere seconds; his armor broke, and so did his ribs. Guuaagh! He vomited blood as he felt his crushed innards almost coming out of his own mouth; his lifeless body quickly fell over the ground, splattering blood and flesh everywhere. Uuaaagh! His party members all screamed in utter horror at the scene. Their bodies felt paralyzed as the giant humans approached. One of them grabbed the corpse of their friend and started munching on it. Mana and essence began flowing into their bodies as he ate the corpse, bite after bite. Oooggh! Oga! Bunga, bungaaahaha! It laughed happily as it gained a power it didnt have before. Ooohoho The other quickly extended its arms towards them, licking its lips. They were not even enemies. These hunters, these humans. They were nothing but prey! S-Someone Someone help! Heeeelp! As they were about to be crushed... FLASH! A bright amount of light surged from the skies. And a sword of light pierced the cavemans back. Yet it didnt die! Guuuaaggh! Bungaaagghh! The caveman screamed in agony, though, blood flowing out of the large wound. Oh? You didnt die from that? The figure of a woman made entirely out of golden light surged from the skies. You guys Are quite tough. ----- Chapter 57: Tough Foes ----- Bing Xues doppelganger, directly connected to her mind, analyzed the monsters in front of her. They definitely looked very human-like, but they also had a primate appearance mixed in. All while being covered by large quantities of fur in most of their body. Their height was tremendous; each one was at least three and a half meters tall. They carried no weapons and no clothes either; they simply relied on their titanic, ridiculous strength to fight and win against anybody. Bing Xue had just seen how one of them instantly killed a C-Rank Hunter in a split second with a mere wave of their fists. And not only that, as they had come from those strange, gray-colored gates, where she sensed a large quantity of Time Essence coming from. She had already attempted to close the Gates like she had before but failed to do so. Yes, she failed. Her doppelganger sighed, Maybe if I had my full power, but my doppelgangers only possess fifty percent of it all. That also includes comprehension of the Daos. And above all, she felt a stronger presence than her in terms of Space Manipulation. Although Bing Xue possessed unparalleled power, techniques, and power, it was not the same when it came to the comprehension of many elements, as she specialized in Light, which came with both its strengths and its weaknesses. And the Gods possessed myriad divinities of all kinds; the higher the floors, the stronger such divinities were. It was already within her calculations that eventually she would face those who surpassed her in certain aspects. One of them was Space Manipulation. Her Time Manipulation was almost flawless, but her Space Manipulation was at best, halfway through mastery. She knew Gods relied on the amazing power of Divinity Trees, and such Trees, if grown enough, could easily surpass her comprehension of the Daos she had yet to Master. But for now Ungaaaah! The giant caveman jumped towards her, swinging its gigantic arms. Bing Xues sharp eyes noticed something. The cavemans giant arms were imbued with a certain energy. Was it Mana? Or was it Ki? No, none of them, yet both. How interesting. BAAAM! The cavemans powerful harms slammed against Bing Xues doppelganger body, generating cracks through her nine-colored barrier. For a moment, she felt surprised. Each punch from the caveman continued to create more cracks. Impressive! Despite how primitive you look, you all possess incredible powers. Bing Xue laughed. It seems this universeno, this multiversestill has many challenges to offer me! With a mere swing of her hands, several threads of golden metallic Photon Energy were released, further strengthened by her Divinity, and wrapped around the giant caveman. The strange, clear brown energy flowing through his entire body quickly attempted to help the caveman free himself, as he was now being restrained by these threads. And it was slowly managing to do so, as some threads began to snap. "Incredible to think a caveman from all things would be able to resist my power to an extent." She laughed. Well, enough with playing around. Ten swords of light appeared above her, made of her upgraded Photonic Energy, and impaled the caveman until he was torn to shreds. His body offered great resistance, and Bing Xue felt like she was fighting a Martial Beast that specialized in the Dao of Shells and Defense. Yet in the end, even a turtle shell can break if its thrown from the skies. With a powerful kick, she threw the dying caveman into the ground, his body impacting the other one, and with the centrifugal force, both of their bodies exploded, leaving behind a pile of minced flesh, broken bones, innards, and blood. SPLAAAT! Hmph, Ill have to investigate these strange beings later. But for now, I must secure the survival of the Hunters. Bing Xue thought. Lets divide and conquer, shall we? Her body began to divide itself at the same time as she healed the Hunters that had been massacred by the cavemen seconds ago, even reviving the half-eaten one in the process. The Hunters, still astonished, could only glance in utter awe. A-Amazing, shes so strong So thats Bing Xue! She came to save us! I-Im alive?! Bing Xue gave them a deadly glare. What are you standing there for?! Go back to the city! She whisked them away within a split second, their bodies encapsulating into a bubble made of Space, and then teleported back inside the city. Stolen novel; please report. At the same time as she did that, her body had finished dividing. Due to the distance from her true body, she could only divide herself into four more copies that still possessed 50% of her strength. Any more than that, and they would begin decreasing their power. If they were too weak, she feared the powerful and strange primal beings of those gates could manage to defeat her doppelgangers somehow. And she couldnt let that happen when the lives of the hunters were in danger. Despite how arrogant she might sometimes act, she cared for their lives, as they were the guardians of this city, the city where her family lived. Just like an Elder would protect the young disciples from an enemy sect attack, Bing Xue also thought it was her responsibility to protect the younger generations. FLASH! Within a split second, all five of her doppelgangers teleported away in different directions. Her priorities were straight. Save the hunters, destroy the monsters, and then look for a way to close the Gates. As the Guardian of Earth, she will not let any God or Interdimensional Cavemen get away with ever harming her home planet again. [The Tower God {Grandfather of Time} says that this is only the beginning. The earth shall pay for your sins.] So it was you her eyes flashed with red light, and a slightly wicked smile appeared on her flawless face. You love courting death, dont you? ROOOAARR! The mighty roar of a titanic Tyrannosaurus Rex echoed across the surrounding forests of the city. Two groups of Hunters that had been recently hunting low-ranked monsters to level up before entering the Tower were now running for their lives. Maybe if the size of this dinosaur was actually scientifically accurate, it might not have been that much of a problem for two parties of Hunters with magic and skills to help them. However, this thing wasnt just seven or eight meters tall. No, it was over thirty meters tall, so big that it loomed over the hunters from above like a titan about to snatch them all away. The only thing they could do was run as the monstrous dinosaurs gigantic claws grew closer to them. But that wasnt everything; right in front of their escape route, four large, muscular figures appeared. The cavemen had circled them and appeared there, stopping their advance. Ograaah! The roar of one of the cavemen the hunters had not noticed, who was sitting over the Tyrannosaurus, reverberated behind them. The other cavemen raised their giant arms, pointing their big hands towards the hunters. W-What the fuck is going on?! Was that caveman riding the giant dinosaur?! How in the hell can you tame such a huge thing?! Theyre coming; watch out! The tank of the party put himself in front of everyone, placing his shield in front of the cavemens fists, only for his shield to immediately break into pieces once it contacted the fist. CLASH! Not only that, but the fist pierced the young mans chest, blood splattering into the ground, as the group of hunters saw in horror how the caveman pulled the mans beating heart and ate it. A-Ah The tank fell to the ground, his body going limp as he died without believing what he had seen. Unga! The caveman that ate the heart felt a sudden burst of power. The strange energies that fueled the strength and superhuman power of the cavemen and the dinosaurs were complimented by the Mana of this world. Humans, in particular, had high quantities of greatly refined Mana within their bodies, and it was much better to eat their flesh than to hunt the other monsters, as they had already run away. C-Chris The swordsman of the party fell to her knees, looking at the scene in utter disbelief. Fear took over her body, and she couldnt move anymore. The other party members were all being massacred and torn apart around her. As her tears flowed from her eyes, she saw the giant caveman who killed her boyfriend appear in front of her, his giant, bloody hands reaching her head. A wicked smile adorned his face, like the smile apes would make to intimidate others. Yet. FLASH! A beam of black and gray suddenly surged from the skies, piercing the cavemans chest and leaving a huge, bloody hole. G-Guugh?! The caveman vomited blood, no longer with a heart; despite being so tough, his entire body collapsed into the ground with a loud thud. The girl slowly looked into the skies, finding a beautiful blonde Russian girl with sharp gray eyes and an aura exuding dark purple energies. T-Thats! Her eyes were filled with hope as she realized who it was. A World-Class Player. Yanisse?! The Russian beauty disappeared from the skies, shifting through space and then appearing again above the other cavemen. With a swing of her hands, three beams of pure and concentrated void pierced the bodies of the cavemen. They could offer no resistance at all; despite being so powerful and tough, their bodies, covered in bloody holes, dropped dead. Yanisse was the sole wielder of the Element of Void in the world; her mastery over such an element had gone beyond the System itself already. Not only has she learned to use her Skills without activating them using her System Status, but she could also transform, shape, and create new spells out of her own Skills abilities. Just like now. ROOOAARR! The Tyrannosaurus roared back at her, rushing towards her with its gigantic body. Its enormous jaws, which could munch at a whole skyscraper, reached her. Begone. However, with a simple word she uttered from her beautiful lips, a wave of void emerged out of her body, reaching the dinosaur and pushing it away a dozen meters. BAAAM! Not dead yet? Her eyebrows raised lightly as she noticed the dinosaur slowly start to stand back up. The area where her shockwave hit was burned and damaged with a very ugly wound, but the dinosaurs incredibly tough scales and muscles helped it survive against the pressure of the void itself. Im getting softer, or are these things way too strong? GROAAR! The dinosaur ran towards her again, and as Yanisse''s hands summoned a dozen spheres of dark purple light, Void Essence coursed through her entire body and then shaped into these tiny spheres. Using them like bullets wasnt hard, as she ordered them to fly at lightning speed, landing on the dinosaurs skull and piercing it. The monsters head was pierced as blood splattered everywhere, yet its skull was incredibly tough; its jaws opened as Yanisse waved her hands, teleporting the survivors to her side as she evaded. CRASH! The monsters jaws hit the floor, breaking down any ruins from what remained of the city within these areas of the wasteland. Those cavemen died quickly, but this thing will take longer than I imagined! Yanisse moved rapidly from place to place, evading the dinosaurs jaws as they hit the ground, attempting to predate on her. Then how about this? She gathered her Void Essence into her hands and then shaped it into a long and sharp shape. Resembling a spearno, an arrow. FLASH! The arrow flew through the skies, reaching the dinosaur, who foolishly opened its jaws, trying to devour the incoming missile. The arrow pierced its throat and then passed through it as an explosion engulfed the monsters entire head. BOOOM! The gigantic dinosaur finally fell after Yanisse had to attack it like four times. She sighed in relief as she saw the enormous body fall. She opened her inventory as she started drinking a Mana Elixir. Her Void Magic was incredibly strong, but it always drained her Mana very quickly. She had to replenish herself and move on; the survivors needed to reach a safe place after all. UNGAAH! What she didnt expect was for the rider of the dinosaur to sneak behind her, swinging his massive arms towards her. CLASH! ----- Chapter 58: The Primal King ----- UNGAAAH! Yanisse was startled by the roar of a caveman, the rider of the dinosaur that she had just slain. Because her Mana was low, her Mana Senses couldnt catch up to his presence before his giant, log-like arms were to move down. Her Void Magic was unparalleled, but her body was frail, and she knew it. She had dumped all her Stat Points into increasing her Mana and Magic-related Stats so her Void Magic could even destroy S Rank Monsters with ease. The reason she didnt care about sacrificing her defenses in exchange for even more magic power was because of her Blink Skill, which allowed her to do short-range teleportation. However, right now, while restoring her Mana, there is no such option! Ah! Yanisse panicked as the mana elixir bottle fell from her hands. She tried to evade, but the cavemans arms were faster, quickly changing their position midair and reaching her head, about to crush her! FLASH! However, out of nowhere, a bright golden light emerged from the skies and then descended at lightning speed. The Russian girl opened her eyes wide as she saw someone appear in front of her and the caveman. A beautiful woman made of pure golden light, with eyes resembling rainbow jewels and long, silvery hair with a long ponytail, waving around as an Aura of rainbow light constantly shifted colors around her body. Yanisse immediately recognized her. Bing Xue! GRAAH! The caveman roared furiously after being almost blinded, his giant arms charging with his strange Primal Power, and rushing down at Bing Xue with tremendous force. Each of his punches was like a meteor. Her barrier gained cracks again, and Bing Xue could never have enough of how amazingly strong these primitive beings were. However, she had no time to amuse herself. She touched the giant cavemans arms with her own, delicate hands and then lifted him off the ground within a second. GUGH?! The caveman opened his eyes wide as Bing Xue pushed him down, head-first, into the ground. BAAAM! The cavemans skull gained a few cracks as it slammed into the floor with tremendous strength, but it didnt die. Its legs swiftly kicked Bing Xues shield, trying to break it even as its head was deep into the floor. Theyre tough Yanisse said. Incredibly so. Bing Xue nodded. You used void to kill them quickly, didnt you? Yeah, but that''s..." Yanisse stopped talking when she saw Bing Xues doppelganger hands conjure a dark purple energy. Huh?! The energy gathered into a sphere, and the sphere pierced the cavemans head within a millisecond, leaving behind a huge bloody hole in the middle of his forehead. The caveman died on the spot, dropping its giant, lifeless body. I knew it. Void is an all-powerful element Bing Xue laughed. Of course, it worked. You conjured the void element! Yanisse said. I-I thought I was the only one that could use it... Well, not anymore. Bing Xue said. I have also begun my journey as a cultivator of the Dao of Void. But for now Her eyes were set on the corpses of people; there were barely two survivors Yanisse had protected, and the rest were dead. {Time Rewind} FLASH! Gray-colored Time Essence flowed out of her body as the river of time encompassed everyone, their time regressing and rewinding as their bodies regenerated back within seconds, even their souls coming back inside their bodies. Aaah! W-What?! I thought I died." I-Im alive As the Hunters celebrated their revival, Yanisse was once again left intrigued. She hated how little time she had to talk with Bing Xue before, as she was dying to act more friendly with her and to learn more about her. "Incredible. I did see videos about how you revived people, but seeing it in real life is another whole experience, Yanisse admitted. H-How does it even work? Are there any limits? Could you? It works by rewinding the time of a certain target or many targets, Bing Xue explained. Usually, I can only rewind it for a couple of days. And as long as their soul hasnt been destroyed yet, and as long as some of their body is left, full recovery is possible. O-Oh, so it has limitations. But theyre still amazingly generous Yanisse said, although Bing Xue noticed her voice was rather melancholic all of a sudden. Did you want me to revive people that you lost long ago? Bing Xue asked. I am still growing stronger. Maybe one day Ill be able to help you in that regard. Bing Xue smiled charmingly as Yanisse almost skipped a beat. As a bisexual woman, for a while now, she had experienced a slight crush on Bing Xue. Hearing her words full of kindness and her gentle smile was too much for the Russian beauty. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. T-Thank you, but its fine. Really. I would be shameless if I ever asked you something so ridiculously impossible, Yanisse said. For now, we should hurry; there are many other hunters out there and- RUMBLE! The ground trembled, shaking furiously as the hunters nearby panicked. Gigantic draconic figures slowly began to approach, each one as big as thirty meters or even larger. Their appearances were clearly the same as those of ancient dinosaurs, the titans that once walked the Earth in ancient times. Yet their ridiculously big proportions and the strange powers coursing through their bodies made them terrifying beasts beyond S-Rank. This energy, in particular, which Bing Xue called Primal Power," was an energy that she was still analyzing but that she had realized was an amazing meld between Ki and Mana, and something else. Perhaps a powerful Cosmic Dao was melded into this energy, giving it an incredibly unique essence and power that seemed to prioritize durability and physical might above all else. The very reason why the cavemen and the dinosaurs that were coming here had no magical powers other than sheer physical defenses and strength was because of this Primal Power. Bing Xue, Ill bring these people back to the city; can you take care of them? Yanisse knew Bing Xue was strong, so she trusted her. Dont worry. Ill send them myself, Bing Xue said. With a wave of her hand, all the hunters were encapsulated into bubbles of space energy and teleported back inside New York. Ill need a bit of your assistance, Yanisse. Would you stay by my side? With a charming voice and her beautiful, bright eyes, Yanisse was already conquered by Bing Xues beauty, charisma, and strength. She immediately nodded without thinking twice. The opportunity to be by her side was something she couldnt waste. Of course! Ill take care of your back. Lets do this! Dozens of dinosaurs and cavemen quickly surrounded them, charging against them with furious and primal roars. ROOOARR! SHAAAH! GRUOOH! A huge pack of over thirty dinosaurs charged against the barrier set over New York City, their bodies being at least ten times as large as their scientifically accurate counterparts. Bombarding their incredibly tough bodies was an endless rain of swords made of white light. An army of hunters led by the one conjuring such magic clashed against the dinosaurs, surrounding them and conjuring magic to make them trip onto the floor. Chains made of flames, swirling winds, dark curses, spears made of stone, and all kinds of magic spells bombarded the dinosaurs one after another as they fell. At the same time, the man conjuring the magic never stopped. His presence floated above the skies like a true angel; his angelic wings, made of light, spread out, firing their own feathers made of light against the invaders. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The explosions of light spread out Holy Flames of golden and white color, which seemed to be slowing down the dinosaurs and making them weaker and more susceptible to magic damage. However, not a single one has died yet; the gigantic beasts were beyond S Rank. In terms of Levels, the Hunter feared these creatures could be at the same level, if not higher, than the most recent Raid! Why is this happening out of nowhere?! It has barely been a week since the last Raid! Are the Gods of that damned Tower so dead set on killing us all?! John, the one conjuring the magic, lamented. His sharp blue eyes and his short blonde hair clearly gave away his identity as one of the most popular Hunters in America who wasnt a World Class Hunter. The guild leader of the Justice Guild, he took law and order into account and used his guild not only to protect people from the danger of the monsters but also from criminals, acting as second police and most of the time cooperating with them to maintain law and order. His handsome face, which often wore a very relaxed and cocky smile, was now distorted as he struggled to keep up his relentless barrage of magical attacks. His Mana was going down rapidly; if it wasnt for his amazing equipment that healed it quickly, he would have already run out of it. For how long Can I keep this up?! The dinosaurs were not advancing due to his immense efforts and those of most of his guild. Now present here. He quickly started to realize that even the power the Skills he possessed granted him was not enough to fight the ridiculous monsters of the Tower. If only she was here... Where is she?! He had been fighting with the mindset of buying time for Bing Xue this entire time. But deep down, he felt pathetic for even thinking about such a strategy! I used to be proud of my efforts and the place I had reached with my sheer determination." He lamented, blood coming out of his lightly smiling face. John was a man born into poverty who slowly rose to the position he had reached through effort and cunningness, and above all, his amazing skills were gifted to him upon the arrival of the Tower eleven years ago. While most people saw the Apocalypse as a world-ending event, John and a few others saw this as an opportunity to rise through the hierarchy, and he did so even when he was gifted such amazing strength when he Awakened. However, lately, he has realized that the Skills and Powers the System gave him were never enough, and his Level wasnt increasing as fast as he wanted. And even as his Level increased, the amount of stats he could gain was never enough to be capable of clashing against the monstrosities of the Tower. After having explored up to Floor 17, where Monsters of Level 800 roamed everywhere, he realized how small and pathetic he was and returned to Earth, trying to use his strength to better protect his home. Yet even now, he seemed incapable of doing so. That woman He was full of jealousy towards Bing Xue, the woman who had even revived him; he felt tremendous jealousy! A returnee with a power that surpassed the system itself, she didnt rely on the system; she simply relied on herself! He wanted that power. He wished he could have it! Was relying on the System our mistake from the very beginning? And that thought passed through his mind as John vomited blood and felt his entire body go limp, falling from the skies. He felt his body paralyzed as he realized his Mana reserves had emptied faster than his equipment could regenerate them, taking tremendous backlash over his entire body. And the giant jaws of a tyrannosaurus opened right below him, about to swallow him whole. No! No, no, no! As he panicked, a sudden flash of bright light emerged from the skies, grabbing him and carrying him like a princess across the skies. Wha?! His eyes widened as he saw the woman he had been thinking about for a while now; she had rescued him right before his demise. John, right? A wave of blue flames covered his body as his wounds healed instantly. You should be alright now. Y-you''re Bing Xue! John muttered, seconds before he was thrown off from the sky. Eh? Wait WAIT! You can fly, right? Bing Xue said a second before she flew towards the Tyrannosaurus and punched its jaws, dislocating them. CLASH! Y-You insane woman! John screamed furiously as he flew into the skies after regrowing his wings. As he was about to assist her, he quickly realized there was no need! The Tyrannosaurus head was sent flying into the skies and then fell over another dinosaur, pummeling it down into the ground. Bing Xues hands were coated with two blue and gold-colored gauntlets, overflowing with cosmic flames and dark purple void energy. S-She punched its head off? Johns eyes twitched in disbelief as he saw once more the true pinnacle he could never reach. . . . As Dinosaurs and Cavemen battled against the defenders of this "settlement," the King of the Primal World glanced from the distance, sitting over the incredibly tall head of a brachiosaurus. Unlike the other Cavemen, his bodys musculature, size, and the Aura of Primal Power he exuded were on another dimension completely. Wearing the bones of dinosaurs as armor and clothes over his magnificently muscular and perfect body, the caveman giant smiled, showing his sharp fangs. Heh Fun! This world is full of weak little fighters; it was so fun! Ogah! He pointed at the city; his new goal as a conqueror was to invade this new settlement and make it his own property, like he had done countless times. And he licked his lips as he saw that woman, made of light, fight relentlessly against his troops. A worthy meal for a king such as him. ----- Chapter 59: Dinosaur Nightmare ----- Roaarr! Shaaah! Gruooh! The roars of a pack of over thirty Velociraptors echoed behind a group of Hunters running for their lives. After having been hunting low-rank monsters, they were suddenly attacked by these strange, gigantic versions of Velociraptors, each one being as tall as six meters. A lethal combination of a Velociraptors cunning intelligence, pack-hunting abilities, and the size and strength of a Tyrannosaurus. After having already killed two of the Hunters running away, the last four kept running; however, the dinosaurs were cunning, quickly beginning to circle the hunters. Before they could get any closer to the city, six more of these giant dinosaurs, whose dark green scaled bodies were decorated with colorful yet intimidating feathers, appeared before the hunters. SHAAH! With a furious hissing, the creatures stepped forward. The Hunters had already depleted their Mana, and they couldnt use most of their Skills as well. The Hunters began to realize that it wasnt just their own weakness. The System felt flawed! It asked for Mana for literally everything; without Mana, aside from their stats, they were as good as dead. Mana was everything; there was barely any Skill that required no Mana! Passive Skills were extremely rare among hunters; usually, they would get mostly active skills related to weapons and magic, and if theyre lucky, one or two very lame passive skills. It was as if the System was intentionally only giving Mana-intensive skills to Players, while limiting passive effects so they wouldnt have to rely too much on their bodies, despite the stats enhancing their physical abilities. And the problem of always not having enough Mana was common amongst all Hunters! The only one they had seen that was not affected by such a flaw was Bing Xue, the savior of Earth and the strongest World-Class Hunter. Even other World-Class Hunters have complained that they never have enough Mana Yet Bing Xue could do literally anything, and she seemed to have an endless and boundless source of energy. They realized that she wasnt bound by any System. Bing Xue had cultivated her own inner strength, a power that came from the very depths of her own being and of her own existence. And this, from the strongest to the weakest of Hunters, made them all feel incredibly frustrated with themselves. If only we could have more damn Mana If only... we could be like her! This fucking system, its a damn scam! Graaah! The hunters screamed, full of frustration, as they tried to fight until the very last moment. The Velociraptors seemed to enjoy their struggle, bringing out younger and smaller ones and teaching them how to hunt. They let the smaller ones slowly bite, chase, and eat the hunters alive; their screams of horror only lasted briefly; however, a giant man whose skin was pitch black and with a metallic glow suddenly descended from the skies like a cannonball. BAAAM! His gigantic body crushed the Velociraptor pups and shredded them into pieces, leaving piles of flesh and bones where they were. He quickly brought with him two more hunters, the strongest members of his party: a blonde girl wearing white armor and a young man with red hair and a blue wizard cap. I-Is that? Chairman Nicholas?! The Hunters couldnt believe their eyes as help finally arrived as healing waves of light healed their mauled bodies. The two Hunters Nicholas brought were for both the healing and transportation of victims. Theyre too wounded; itll take a while to heal them! The blonde girl cried. Im already conjuring the bubble! The magician said. Okay, Ill buy you enough time! Nicholas roared, his eyes glaring with golden light. His Level had increased a lot since the last Raid. Although he wasnt as confident as before after his humiliation, he still wanted to save as many people as possible, even other fellow hunters. As he said those words, the Velociraptors broke out into a berserk attack, over ten of them rushing towards Nicholas at once as he smashed the ground, his Mana spreading everywhere. BAAAM! Dozens of black steel pillars surged from the ground, impaling the Velociraptor''s much frailer bodies despite being gigantic; several of them were hit in their legs or thighs, immobilizing them temporarily, although none died. These things are not only gigantic, but theyre also tougher than I imagined! Nicholas manipulated the pillars of black steel and created a dome, protecting the wounded and his party members, before leaping into the skies, covering his body with more layers of metal. The only thing he had on his mind as he was about to fight these monstrous S-Rank creatures were his daughters; he was simply praying for their safety. Anything else, even his own safety, didnt matter! RAAAH! SHAAH! The scream of a modern man against a monstrous primal and a prehistoric fiend echoed, both clashing against one another. The sharp fangs of the velociraptors attempted to bite through his body, only for the fangs to break before his incredibly tough metallic body. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. I did well on investing in my passive enhancement skills! Nicholas thought. Unlike the younger hunters, Nicholas had already learned how biased and unfair the System was and had purposely invested all his time in passive skills above all else. Yeah, it made him lack a lot of abilities and usable powers, but it also secured his life the most. Something that he had realized the System somehow didnt want to do. It was a strange thing; he knew the System wanted to help and granted amazing abilities, but most of them were all mana-intensive, and more often than not, physical enhancement powers that needed no mana were incredibly rare. The system was purposely limiting what it gave to humanityto keep them all weak and squishy so other monsters could kill them easily. It was all rigged, and Nicholas knew it. Hmph! With a furious uppercut, he dislocated the jaw of one of the dinosaurs, then grabbed it and tore it apart from the neck. Before lifting the entire gigantic being up into the air and using it as a weapon, he spun into the ground, hitting every dinosaur that got closer with the dead body of their pack member. RAAAH! Then, while still carrying the corpse, he jumped up high and descended rapidly, smashing the corpse into pieces alongside the three other velociraptors below, who died immediately. CRASH! As he did so, five more velociraptors opened their maws, biting his arms, head, and legs, and pulled as hard as they could. Nicholas gritted his teeth as his reinforced, metallic skin layers began breaking one after another. BASTARDS! With a mighty howl, the metallic composition of his body changed. As growths of black steel ore surged from his hands, head, and legs, like sharp black spears, they pierced the throats of the dinosaurs, making them reflectively pull out their jaws, vomiting blood and then falling into the ground, slowly dying. Hahhh Fuck! I used most of my Mana already? Nicholas groaned. To conjure his main element, metal, he had to use Mana, naturally. After all, there was no passive skill that provided him with the ability to endlessly produce metal out of his body. The rest of the velociraptors had grown wary of the metallic man; his body seemed invincible. Yet... these dinosaurs were only the weakest of the bunch, as something else began to approachsomething bigger and deadlier, with larger claws. GRRHHH Nicholas immediately noticed who this dinosaur was, which came accompanied by four more of its kind. He also noticed cavemen riding them. Therizinosaurus?! One of the deadliest dinosaurs ever discovered, with incredibly long, sharp claws and large bodies. The tallest of them are capable of even going toe to toe with Tyrannosaurus rexes. After having been mutated with Primal Power, their body sizes were now over thirty meters, hovering above all like mighty wingless dragons. Unga! BUNGA! The cavemen ordered the dinosaurs, something Nicholas also noticed. He quickly realized that the way all these dinosaurs behaved was strange! Despite being of different species, they all cooperated, helped one another, and didnt attack each other either. It was rather obvious what was happening here. The cavemen, which he assumed would be either Neanderthal or Australopithecus or a strange, chimeric breed of both, had somehow tamed dinosaurs and were commanding them as if they were their loyal dogs. How is it possible for those prehistoric humans to command these gigantic dinosaurs?! Nicholas thought. And didnt humans appear millions of years after the dinosaurs went extinct?! Many things made no sense the more he thought about them, but Nicholas didnt really have any time to think either, as a barrage of claw attacks coming from the Therizinosaurus began rushing down. CLASH! He didnt evade the attacks, relying on his amazing defenses to take on the hits head-on. A terrible strategy, the claws of these dinosaurs couldnt compare to anything he had battled against before, sharper than even the swords the four horsemen wielded. The result was obvious: his skin was torn apart, leaving terrible wounds on his own body. Nicholas vomited blood as he felt his stomach being pierced. Relying on his defenses against monsters he had not battled before was a terrible decision! Ugh..! AGH! He quickly ran away from the claws, drinking a healing elixir and a mana elixir from his storage ring to quickly recover while conjuring spears of black teel to stop the dinosaurs. However, as he attempted to aim at their legs, the dinosaurs sharply responded with their claws again. Using them, they slashed apart the pillars of steel Nicholas conjured, completely negating his offensive magic from even touching them. You have to be fucking kidding me! Nicholas gritted his teeth. He had no time to fight these ridiculous beings. He had already been humiliated and ridiculed after he tried fighting the four horsemen. He had come to rescue people, not to sacrifice his life trying to fight monstrous beings. He jumped towards the dome, hearing that his party members were done. The metallic dome changed shape as he repurposed the metal, composing it and creating a dozen giant spears of black steel, firing them at the nearby Velociraptors that were still trying to kill them. Nicholas, the bubble is done! The wizard said, conjuring a barrier sphere that floated in midair. Nicholas jumped over the barrier and kept conjuring magic as he pushed the dinosaur away from the bubble, which carried the barely alive hunters they rescued and also included the corpses of those that couldnt be healed in time. Bing Xue existed, and as long as the corpses were brought with them, Nicholas knew she could revive them later. Hurry! Ill distract them; go back to the city! Nicholas said. O-On it! The wizard nodded, as he was drinking a mana potion constantly while wielding the bubble of magic carrying everyone. UNGA! The caveman gave a command as the Therizinosaurus roared back, jumping towards the sphere and pointing their giant, sharp claws towards the sphere. Nicholas quickly reacted in time, conjuring a huge metallic shield from the ground. CLANK! The giant claws ended up hitting the shield, which resisted only three hits from those sharp and indestructible claws before it was torn apart. HURRY! Nicholas screamed as the sphere reached the skies above, managing to evade the incoming attacks from the Therizinosaurus in time! Their bodies and claws were big, but they were so heavy that they were unable to jump high enough to reach them. Nicholas had also realized these dinosaurs and cavemen had no magic whatsoever, working completely using their strange energies to reinforce their bodies'' strength, stamina, and resilience. It could be said they were the complete opposite of the hunters, who relied on a system and mana to use spells and skills. These beings only relied on their immense physical capabilities and nothing else! For now, we should be fine. Quickly, back to the city, and- AH! CRAAAH! However, thats where he was wrong. Although these dinosaurs and cavemen could not fly, that didnt mean there couldnt be those that could. BAAAM! Giant beaks started biting and tearing through the barrier, and within seconds of them setting into the skies, a huge flock of enormous flying dinosaurs appeared, attacking them. What?! Quetzalcoatlus?! Nicholas gasped as he saw the enormous group of flying dinosaurs. Most of them also had cavemen riding their backs. And this time, they carried weapons. A rain of bone-made arrows descended from the skies, hitting the barrier and rapidly piercing through it. Cracks started to spread. You have to be fucking kidding me! Nicholas roared as he kept trying to fight the flying monstrosities. Already as big as giraffes originally, they were now ten times as large, easily surpassing thirty meters in height. It was as if he were fighting a flock of S-Rank Wyverns all on his ownno, even deadlier than that! Crack! Crack, crack! FUCK! As Nicholas screamed in fury and frustration over his own weakness and his faulty overreliance on a rigged system, a flash of bright light emerged from above. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The Quetzalcoatlus were all pierced by giant swords made of blue and gold metal, exploding with cosmic black flames. Their burning bodies fell from the sky like flies after being sprayed with insecticide. Oh, thank god Nicholas sighed in relief. It was alright now. She was here. The guardian of Earth. Bing Xue ----- Chapter 60: Bing Xue’s Guidance ----- Bing Xue appeared above the skies, conjuring her powers and abilities. Her doppelganger not only unleashed the powers of her improved Divine Photonic Essence but also conjured her newest fused Skill, unleashing a storm of blazing cosmic cursed weapons against the flying dinosaurs. Piercing their skin and flesh and then detonating them, the flying beasts fell from the skies one after another. Nicholas sighed in relief as he saw the gigantic beasts fall to their deaths. He looked up, a faint smile on his face. He felt luckyeven blessedto have been born a human in this moment. Why? Because Bing Xue was the guardian of all humans on Earth. UNGAAAH! The cavemen roared, and the flock of flying dinosaurs rushed toward Bing Xue, aiming to destroy her with their giant, sharp beaks. Yet she remained unfazed, as she was being attacked by many beasts at once! Before, her barrier was gaining cracks from the blows of cavemen, but that had already changed completely as she decided to simply improve upon the Nine Heaven Barrier, a liquid gold material now further reinforced it, mixed with umbral darkness, blue liquid metal, and also gray energy, Time Essence. I have to thank you, monsters from another world. She spoke. Thanks to you, Ive managed to improve upon my abilities even more. And that wasnt all. The barrier suddenly took shape, transforming into countless swords of blue, gold, black, and red colors, and then they were fired against all the monsters at once. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Explosions of cosmic cursed flames erupted as the swords pierced the bodies of the dinosaurs. In mere seconds, Bing Xue took care of all the flying menaces and cleared them off the face of the Earth. GRAAAH! But the cavemen werent giving up. Imbuing Primal Power into their legs, they jumped into the skies like the superhumans they were. This made Bing Xue quickly realize why those formidable giant dinosaurs were obeying them. In the end, the cavemen were incredibly strong despite being small in comparison to the dinosaurs themselves. Their punches and kicks landed over her barrier like meteoric strikes. Bing Xue felt slightly frustrated that she had to rely on things such as barriers, so she quickly transformed her barriers into weapons and let the cavemen hit her doppelganger body head-on. BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! Each blow was considerably stronger. She felt like she was being hit by at least Peak Immortals strength, which greatly shocked her. Despite possessing no other supernatural powers or magic, these cavemen had enough physical prowess and resilience to be considered Peak Immortals in Murim! Heheh She giggled. This is fun. Are there stronger beings like you in your world? Bing Xue asked this question as the cavemen gasped in disbelief; their blows were simply not doing a single thing to her body. In their world, they, the strongest warriors, could shatter mountains and break the necks of the biggest dinosaurs. Yet here... against her! It felt like they were truly facing a wall they could not overcome with brute strength. Some wielded weapons made of the bones of the strongest dinosaurs, imbued with strange runes that fueled them with Primal Power. Yet CRASH! The weapons all shattered into pieces when they hit her head or body. Even Nicholas and his party were staring in disbelief at the showcase of sheer physical prowess Bing Xue had accomplished. Despite her appearance looking like a delicate yet rather tall woman, she was tougher than anything or anybody! You might be able to split mountains and shatter continents. Bing Xue said. But I have the power to end worlds. Tremble, you insolent fools. You should have never invaded my world! Bing Xue grasped the neck of one of the cavemen and then pressed as tightly as possible. In between screams of agony, the cavemans neck was snapped, and then his head exploded. SPLAT! U-Ungah! Bugah! Unga, bunga! Gugah?! The cavemen screamed in utter terror as they saw the showcase of unparalleled strength. Bing Xue didnt let them escape, quickly chasing after them and kicking their heads off, impaling their bodies with her bare hands, while others had their whole spines torn out of their torsos. Meanwhile, her special, evolved barrier, which combined even her newest evolved and fused skills, was constantly taking care of the dinosaurs. They were tough, but she simply had to stack even more power, and then they started dying like flies anyway. Now. With a wave of her hand, the wounded were fully healed, and the dead revived; time itself regressed, miraculously bringing them back to the time they were alive. Not even the Chronomancer could accomplish such a fantastical and ridiculous feat; the runes of his body only allowed him to regenerate his body, but nothing else. She smiled gently at the mortals; despite seeming ruthless and tyrannical, her heart was of gold. They felt comfortable by merely looking at her smile. For some reason, deep within their instinct, they felt like small children, babies that were being embraced by their mothers. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. They feared the world outside, the cold, and the hunger. Yet their mother both fed them, hugged them, and gave them warmth. This sense of protection, of motherliness, was incredible. They couldnt control themselves, lowering their heads before her, revering her, tears flowing from their eyes. Thank you Nicholas kept crying. "And... sorry for being so weak." Bing Xue extended her hand toward Nicholas. Youve shown me how strong you are already, child of humanity. Nicholas slowly raised his head, looking at her in her bright, rainbow eyes. Her hand touched his chest, healing his wounds and then placing something within him. A flash of bright, golden light was the energy she generated and cultivated. Ki! T-This power?! What is this? Nicholas looked into her eyes as Bing Xue giggled. This is the power you have earned. Bing Xue smiled gently and motherly. Cultivate it; strengthen it. Develop your own inner strength, Nicholas. Y-you''ve given me... Your power?! Nicholas gasped. You cant do much right now, but stay by my side. I want to see your growth, just like I am seeing the growth of everyone else. Bing Xue said as she quickly teleported the bubble with the people inside back into New York. V-Very well Nicholas nodded. Ah, there are more incoming." It seems they never end Bing Xue sighed. Her Aura expanded like an ocean of liquid gold for hundreds of meters, and then an endless rain of attacks constantly fell over the incoming dinosaurs and cavemen. She let some of them escape, making sure that Nicholas hunted them down with his own strength. The special runic system she had created allowed people who had already awakened Mana to easily cultivate the abilities of Murim through hunting monsters, doing a lot of exercise, and fighting. She was still on her beta test," but soon enough, to defend this world, she would have to let its guardians become strong as well. Even she knew that doing everything alone would only spoil humanity and make them grow lazy. GRUOOHHH! A huge pack of over twenty giant Triceratopses roared, charging towards a group of hunters that were fighting near the barrier of New York, letting the hunters that were hunting before in the surrounding, low-level areas retreat inside the city. Triceratops by themselves were already enormous beasts, twice if not three times as large as rhinoceros, bigger than the largest elephants, bulky and tanky, and with enormous horns adorning their large shield-shaped crests, capable of pushing through anything. However, after being boosted through the power of Primal Power, their sizes and strength only became even more ridiculous. Each one is as big as 25 to 30 meters; anywhere they charged, everything was destroyed. The ruins left behind by the areas of New York that were overrun by nature after the people evacuated from those areas were all being smashed and destroyed into smithereens before their mighty and relentless charge. Riding them were big, muscular cavemen wearing armor made of bones and carrying bows, firing arrows made of the vertebrae of smaller dinosaurs towards the hunters running away. However, a group of three hunters, each one a guild master, was defending the citys walls with their own guilds hunters. Youre not getting to them, bastards! A huge, muscular woman comparable to the cavemen in size and muscles rushed forward, swinging an utterly massive axe made of the bones of S-Rank Dragons. SLAAASH! With a single hack of her axe, a powerful wave of golden-brown essence was released, a combination of both Mana and Ki. Her attack impacted the incoming rain of arrows, shattering the projectiles into pieces before they could reach anybody. GRUOHH! A Triceratops intercepted her, rushing towards her and lifting its huge foot, about to crush her like a bug. However, the woman, Aiyana, Guild Master of the Guardian Guild, intercepted the incoming blow with her axe once more. Her muscular, brown-skinned body glowed brightly as countless white tattoos spread over her entire body. Her aura erupted from her body, further fused with the Ki she had been gifted recently. Her Skills, or, well, her Abilities, received a tremendous boost, being amplified several times over as the roars of animals reverberated behind her. Shaping into a mighty Brown Bear, a Bald Eagle, a huge Buffalo, a ferocious Coyote, and even a wise Turtle all surged at once. This was Aiyana''s Unique Ability, something that she had learned beyond the System by combining her related Skills with shamanism from her native North American ancestors legacy. {Sacred Spirit Animal Totems Stampede}! Totemsthe runes tattooed over her entire bodywere the totems of ancient, guardian animals of her tribe. Once Mana and Ki were applied, their power intensified tremendously, and the giant souls of ancient beasts surged, clashing against the prehistoric beasts at once, like a stampede of nature itself. CLASH! At the same time, she swung her axe with the power of all her sacred spirit animals. Her hacking attack was unexpectedly strong, hacking through the legs of the triceratops. The caveman jumped off his dying ride, quickly unleashing a barrage of kicks and punches against Aiyana. UNGAAH! She defended with the reinforcement given to her by her Spirit Animal Totems, their animal parts growing over her body as she was covered by the tough hide of the buffalo; the wings of the eagle helped her give huge leaps and almost fly; the legs of the coyote allowed her to move rapidly; and the defenses of the turtle helped her tank the incoming fists and kicks. BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! Aiyana gritted her teeth, clashing against the savage caveman. She knew she couldnt just pull out or escape now, not when she was below her gaze. Bing Xue was flying high in the skies, making sure everyone could escape and also healing the wounded constantly. Just a minute ago, she had arrived here and helped her and everyone else gain a new inner strength," something they had to cultivate on their own by fighting relentlessly. They all knew this was a test; she wasnt killing everything purposely, so they would be tested and showcase their power to her. And after being allowed to grow beyond the system, Aiyana could simply not waste the chance! She battled, kicked, punched, and even punched the caveman, her axe finally managing to hack through his wound-covered body as she sliced him into two halves. RAAAH! CLAAASH! G-GRAH?! The cavemans eyes opened wide in utter shock as his innards were sent flying everywhere. Aiyana barely survived the encounter as she gasped for air. Her Inner Strength, however, recognized her efforts. Ki constantly flowed through her body, even faster now. It felt like the more effort she made, the more energy she gained! It was almost the complete opposite of the System with its leveling abilities, skills, and mana. To her, the System always felt like a greedy thing that only worked when it was given Mana. But now she could feel it! The power Bing Xue had gifted her was giving her the power to cultivate her own strength, her own abilities, and her own legacy. As Aiyana clashed against the endless wave of invaders alongside the rest of her guilds members, two other guild masters fought as well: Jackes Heisen, the Guild Master of the Rogue Guild, and Francisco Armstrong, the young Guild Master of the Wizard Guild. Both were also given the Gift of Ki, and they were rapidly manipulating and cultivating it; even the Wizard Boy found amazing ways to utilize it with Magic, which at the same time granted Bing Xue an amazing insight into the new usages Ki could have with these many other abilities everywhere. The more they develop it, the more Ill benefit as well She smiled. However, I cant relax yet. Her sharp eyes glared into the far distance as something enormous was slowly approachingthe largest of all dinosaurs and the Primal King of all the cavemen that had tamed these scaled beasts. His enormous, muscular body slowly stood up, carrying with him nothing but a few clothes made of the scales and hide of dinosaurs, while wearing a large helmet composed of the skull pieces of many of them. His weapon? His fists! The Aura he exuded was tremendous; even Bing Xue had become wary of him. An aura of golden-brown color flowed into the skies endlessly, resembling a flowing river of pure power. He must be the one leading all these dinosaurs and cavemen here She said, squinting her eyes. Although she seemed serious, she was rather excited, looking forward to fighting him. I hope youre not a disappointment... Give me a good challenge. ----- Chapter 61: An Old Dog Can Learn New Tricks ----- GRUOOHH! A giant pack of brachiosauruses roared, rushing towards New York City. These were the same packs that Nicholas had seen from his house when everything had just begun. They were the largest of all dinosaurs, reaching a hundred meters each, true behemoths comparable to the strongest S-Rank monsters that had destroyed whole countries. However, many of the Hunters that had faced them had already realized that these dinosaurs were much stronger than the average S-Rank Monster, if not of an even higher Rank, and it was all due to their ridiculously high levels. BAAAM! Their giant heads, resembling huge hammers, smashed the barrier surrounding the city, and a few cracks were already beginning to show. It was incredible how potent and mighty these beasts were. After all, it was the only trait they possessedto be big, physically imposing, and with great stamina. The Primal Power flowing through them seemed to deny them the ability to conjure any sort of supernatural magic, energy, or technique, and instead, it made up for that by helping them evolve into Apex Creatures, so strong that their physical prowess could even begin to pierce Bing Xues barrier, albeit very slowly. BAAAM! The hunters inside New York had already formed the largest formation ever, pointing their weapons and shields at the incoming goliaths, the cracks of the barrier spreading further and further. BAAAM! Their bodies trembled, and their eyes looked to be incredibly nervous. And who wouldnt be nervous? As they analyzed the beasts in front of them, they were terrified! [Brachiosaurus Primal: Lv3002] [Brachiosaurus Primal: Lv2953] [Brachiosaurus Primal: Lv2983] [Brachiosaurus Primal: Lv3011] [] L-Level 3000 monsters?! W-We cant win The barriers breaking! Wasnt this barrier made by her?! So even Bing Xue has limits GRUOOOHHH! The giant brachiosaurus roared once more, their giant jaws opening, revealing big, circular teeth made to munch and crush at the toughest of vegetation. They werent sharp and long like carnivores, but they were nonetheless strong enough. Capable of easily crushing a skyscraper. Above their backs, most of the Hunters noticed strange buildings, like tents, flags made of dinosaur skin and scales, and wooden huts wrapped around the giant dinosaurs back. And standing there, lifting bone spears, bone bows, and bone arrows, there were... Humans? Most of the hunters didnt believe their eyes when they saw that, with every eye, they werent facing Crazed Orcs, Trolls, Ogres, Goblins, or other humanoid races from different worlds. No, they were facing their own kind. Other humans. Primitive humans! [High Australopithecus Primal Spearman: Lv3202] [High Australopithecus Primal Bowman: Lv3112] [High Australopithecus Primal Spearman: Lv3092] [High Australopithecus Primal Bowman: Lv3109] [] Their levels! They were even higher than the Dinosaurs?! Was that even something possible? All the Hunters felt a chill run down their spines. The Raid that had happened earlier was already a tremendous challenge that, without Bing Xue, wouldnt have been possible to overcome. And now, there was something even more insane happening. For the first time since the Apocalypse, humanity has begun to realize how small they are compared to the vast universe of different worlds, timelines, dimensions, and powerful entities out there. Even as they faced a reflection of their evolutionary ancestors, they couldnt help but see them as nothing but monsters, savages, and monstrous barbarians! And perhaps it was something within every homo sapiens genetic memoryan instinct to fear themthe larger, meaner, and more barbaric of their ancient cousins. They looked like them, but they were definitely not like them! BAAAM! Crack, crack The barrier kept gaining cracks, the Hunters swallowed saliva, sweat covering their foreheads, and they gnashed their teeth in fear, preparing themselves for their deaths. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Even now, after growing so strong, was humanity once again going to lose against their invaders? Was the system not enough to help them? Why, despite everything, do they feel so weak and pathetic?! The borrowed strength of the system never truly felt like theirs! Was it all a scam? Were they always going to be just food for otherworldly entities? BAAAM! Crack, crack! Theyre coming Mom Please, be safe. Shit, shit, shit! I-I dont want to die! CRASH! The barrier broke, a small hole appeared within it, and the giant head of the brachiosaurus quickly pierced it like a hammer. Small glass-like shards flew everywhere as the hunters stared at the scene dumbfounded. Dozens of ancient cavemen crawled through the dinosaurs neck, aiming to enter the city their king desired. Its over As the hunters prepared themselves to die... FLASH! A bright purple light surged from behind the dinosaur, hitting its hard skull. Within seconds, it was pierced, and countless small holes appeared across the dinosaurs entire head, its brains splattering out. The creature died instantly, and its head slowly began sliding off the hole, the entire body slamming into the floor. Everything happened so fast that the hunters were still processing what happened before their eyes widened once more as the Russian beauty that had her country devastated and that swore to protect both her recovering country and America appeared. There are so many of you bastards everywhere! She gritted her teeth, her blonde hair waving as her aura exuded the power of the Void. The Hunters smiled, hyped, as they saw one of their heroinesno, one of the heroines of the entire world! Y-Yanisse! Its her! Shes here! Yanisse only took a look at the Hunters, for nothing more than a split second. She was known for being a rather cold and silent woman. She never really gave attention to fans and seemed to always be in her own world. Her sharp eyes glowed with purple light, channeling her Element, Void, and Space. ROOOAARR! The brachiosaurus roared loudly, their voices reverberating across the skies, making everything tremble. They were so immense that even their roars were like mighty windstorms. Yanisse resisted the pressure they released as she quickly aimed at them with the tips of her fingers. Within the tips, dozens of spheres of Void Essence appeared, more concentrated than ever before, and now encompassed with small veils of golden energy, Ki. This energy absorbed her Void, suddenly empowering it greatly and forming an unrefined and lesser version of Void Ki! However, as unrefined and lesser as it was, it was still an incredibly powerful energy. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Ten beams of dark purple energy were fired, and a dozen brachiosaurus dropped dead immediately; their bodies, as tough as they were, were incapable of resisting the all-encompassing and devouring power of the Element of the Void, further boosted with Ki. The Hunters gasped as they saw Yanisse slay Level 3,000 foes like nothing! And Yanisse herself smiled too. Looking at her own system notifications, her levels were increasing like crazy. She was actually barely Level 2000 and was shocked to realize that she could defeat monsters a thousand levels above her with her Void fused with Ki. It wasnt as if Bing Xue hadnt seen such a scene before, though. As she floated above the citys barrier and began to reinforce, she easily recalled Joseph, the chronomancer, someone who was Level 3000 but could defeat monsters of Level 5000. There were certain Elemental Powers in the Universe capable of breaking the boundaries of common sense due to how primordial they were to the very composition of the Universe. One of them was Time, the other was Space and Void. And as she continued refining the Void Dao, Bing Xue touched the barrier. I had made this barrier on a whim, with barely any thought put into it. She sighed. I should have guessed something out there would have eventually shattered it. Well, thats not happening anymore. As old and wise as she had become, what could happen in this chaotic world, now connected to countless others, wasnt something she could have ever predicted. At this point, she simply had to quickly adapt to any new challenge and protect her home planet as quickly as possible. And that was what she was doing right now. Her eyes glowed with bright rainbow light and then dark purple. Combining the powers of her Skills and her ancient Techniques and Abilities, Bing Xue created a complex formation around the entire city of New York. Thousands of Venerable-level Materials were used, extracted from the boundless resources of her Inner Realm, they melded into the barrier alongside a powerful concentration and combination of her Blazing Starlight Armament Alloy, and also Void itself. FLASH! The barrier was quickly reconstructed and reinforced. Although it seemed completely invisible to the people, whenever a dinosaur hit it, it would reveal a metallic, glowing exterior, which would constantly reinforce itself the more it was hit. Later, I should spread this to every other big city in the world, if possible Bing Xue thought she wasnt just the guardian of New York, but the entire world. But for now. She pointed her hand at the barrier, and an explosion of Void Essence erupted; it could have easily blasted the entire city like a nuke, yet BOOOM! Yet! There was no damage. She smiled. The barrier revealed its metallic exterior, the alloy composition reinforcing and growing stronger the more it was hit. I think Ive evolved my abilities once more Despite being so overwhelmingly strong, Bing Xue was still progressing, evolving with every single battle, even those she could easily win. Much like before, she was someone attentive who, although she couldnt predict the danger that might come in the future, could quickly adapt to it and swiftly learn ways to counter it. This was one of the traits that helped Bing Xue reach the pinnacle of Murim in only a few thousand years, a time record compared to the Venerables themselves, who took hundreds of thousands or millions to become Venerable themselves. FLASH! Within a split second, she disappeared from where she was and appeared right in front of Yanisse. The Russian girl was strong, but her reserves of mana were low. She was fighting a dozen frenzied cavemen by herself and was being overwhelmed as she couldnt unleash her Void Magic enough to kill them all right away. SLASH! With a furious swing of her Yin and Yang sword, an incredibly powerful weapon capable of cutting space itself, Bing Xue sliced apart one of the cavemen that were about to hit Yanisses head, his innards and blood splattering into the floor below. GRUAAAH! RAAAGH! UNGAAH! The cavemen, with their immense physical strength comparable to Immortals from Murim, kicked the empty air and rushed towards Bing Xue. Despite lacking any supernatural ability other than their ridiculous physical prowess, they were so strong that such physical feats were completely possible for them, from kicking the air to literally flying or even walking over water by moving at incredible speeds. Yet, it was all the same for her! Your tribe is incredibly strong, I admit it... But can you take this? {Yin and Yang Harmonious Blade Arts}: {Endless Cycle of Harmony} SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Bing Xue disappeared from the scene and then reappeared, disappeared again, and then reappeared again, her movements so fast and precise that not even Yanisse could discern them. Her sword seemed to move through space; in a split second, she appeared behind the cavemen, their bodies covered with countless slashing wounds, quickly becoming shredded into pieces, and falling into the ground below, before explosions of golden and black flames spread across, burning and killing any dinosaur left behind. Amazing Yanisse gulped saliva. Bing Xue, just how did you get so powerful? I spent eleven thousand years cultivating this strength. Bing Xue said. It wasnt easy But I can go into more details later. We could even hang out later, maybe. I-I would gladly do so if you insist. Yanisse smiled, nodding. But youre right, we cant slack off yet ROOOAARR! The portal where the dinosaurs were coming out began trembling out of nowhere as something aberrant started pouring out of it. Whats that?! Yanisse gasped, seeking the origin of that mighty roar. Hoh Bing Xue smiled, looking at the atrocity that surged from the Gate of Time. So they were saving this for later, huh? It was a chimeric abomination, made of a combination of different dinosaur body parts and traits mixed together. [Primal Dinosaurus Chimera King: Lv6162] ----- Chapter 62: The Grandfather Of Times Ambitions ----- An old titan rested his enormous and muscular body on top of an almighty throne carved out of pure white stone. Above the throne, there could be seen a large emblem resembling a sand clock, surrounded by several runes that were constantly glowing a bright blue color. The old man emanated an Aura of tremendous Divine Power, flowing like an endless stream of white, silver, and blue-colored energies. His throne was above the clouds, inside his Ancient Divine Palace. There were no servants around him; there were no decorationsonly him and his throne. Countless streams of Time flowed everywhere, releasing them out of his palace into the worlds below him and even those above him. His single eye glowed with bright white and silver light as he observed a globe in front of him, a projection made using his powers and abilities. The projection on this globe was Earth. He squinted his single eye, the other covered by an eyepatch. His face showed both anger and happiness. A happy yet furious smile. He was overjoyed to see that his plan was working. The Streams of Time he controlled were digging through the planets own Timelines. It is truly impressive how this little planet had so many diverging Timelines While others usually have between one and three, this one... Had tens, if not hundreds, he thought. Each Timeline led to a parallel Earth, one where things had happened differently A smile surged on his lips. And each one was much stronger than the original; how strange He laughed. I have found quite a goldmine! If I told this to the Tower Owner, wouldnt he give me a good reward? We could even connect those worlds to the Tower, and quickly drain their resources and souls, which are so rich and strong! As he seemed to have struck a gold mine, he decided to not be controlled by his own greed. No, no, I cant just tell them yet This is my personal vendetta, my own revenge. He said. Joseph was a fantastic Avatar, someone that would have eventually led me to the top of the Tower, and beyond... That woman took away my ticket to become even stronger, killing him in cold blood. And not only that, but my eye! He gently touched his eye patch, feeling a stinging pain where his eye once was. It had happened out of nowhere just a couple of days ago; a strange force had somehow taken away his eye. Someone took the eye of HIM, the Grandfather of Time, a God of the First Order that controlled Floor 97 of the Tower! He was not only a God but also an Administrator of Time within the Tower. Therefore, his power could even compare to the Gods of Floor 98 and above. However, he was still restricted and lacked enough Faith to ascend further, his power was not enough to wage yet another war against the Floor 98 Gods. After all, although he had a couple of Minor Gods that served him, most of them his own descendants, they weren''t yet ready for another all-out war between Gods and their Forces. Although things seemed much more peaceful on Floors below 50, from 51 and above, Wars between Worlds were commonplace. The Gods constantly attempted to plunder other worlds out of their resources so they could further ascend their Floor, and gain more benefits. Despite the Order of Gods being made, even within Orders, many Factions were created, and only a few were allies with one another, most of them enemies. Although the Grandfather of Time knew that Bing Xue was going to be taken care of by the Fourth Order Gods, he couldnt ignore her like the rest of the Gods of the Third, Second, and First Order. He would have ignored her if it wasnt because she ended up killing the Avatar of his descendant, and then when his own avatar went to avenge him, she killed HIS avatar! Not only is one of my eyes inexplicably gone and now within the possession of one of those Earthlings, but it was also an Earthling that killed two of my Avatars! He roared furiously. Joseph took me so long to find! A genius amongst geniuses within all worlds... Yet she killed him with so much ease! I must put all my resources into destroying her entire world; nothing shall be left behind. He then looked at the many Parallel Timeline Worlds he had opened Gates to, connecting them to Prime Earth through bridges of Time and Space. I wouldnt have been able to get this far without their help, though. He smiled as he further strengthened the bridges. He looked at a different section of his Divine Realmanother temple floating above the skies. Inside, there were over twenty different Gods, all of them of Space Attribute. Their bodies were chained together, enslaved, and stuck to several Divine Pillars, creating a formation. The Grandfather of Time used their Space Attribute Divinity Trees, creating a powerful Relic he named {Heavenly Palace of Spacetime}. He couldnt see their faces, but he could hear their anguished screams of pain, as their powers were being constantly drained, only to be fed with raw Faith injected into their soulsa painful and agonizing experience. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Soon enough, they will lose their senses of self and only live to serve me. He thought. I should simply enjoy their screams for now It does soothe my anger a bit. The God looked at one of the Parallel Timeline Worlds again, one that resembled a glowing golden globe, it was yet another Parallel Earth, overflowing with an energy he had never seen before. This Primal Power they wield in this world It sure is something unique. He smiled. A world where archaic and prehistoric beings never went extinct and where a Primal Power empowers anybody into tremendously strong beings. They are both dumb and strong, perfect for slaves. I might be able to destroy that whole city with these little bastards Haha. The God smiled wickedly. Now, lets see what you can do now, Bing Xue He laughed. You can kill all the minor Gods you want, sure But you simply cant mess with me and come out unharmed. I will take everything away from you. EVERYTHING. . . . It was another day within the Vast Emerald Jungles, an expanse that covered half a continent with Jungles and Mountains everywhere. Giant Scaled lords roamed everywhere, and only the strongest of Tribes of Man dared to ever live and hunt here. Among them, the Brutes were the strongest, biggest, most muscular, and most mighty. Capable of even taming the greatest of Scaled Lords with their overwhelming prowess, there was nothing they couldnt do, and they dominated the Vast Emerald Jungles with tyranny and power. However, it wasnt as if the other Tribes didnt fight back. The Children of Fire, the Hawk Eyes, and the Spider Matriarchy Tribes all possessed their own territories, although they were slowly being eaten away by The Brutes. It was only through cooperation between all three very different tribes that they were able to barely hold them back. But the King of Brutes had already aimed his forces towards total conquest and desired all the land so they could get more food and other resources to feed his growing population. The Children of Fire, the Hawk Eyes, and the Spider Matriarchy were being slowly pushed back again; their unique abilities, even when combined together through cooperation, were unable to fight back against the sheer prowess that the Brutes had been gifted since birth. In the middle of perhaps their last war, where many of both tribes had already died and only the strongest soldiers remained, battling endlessly, something happened. To their primitive eyes, it felt as if the sky had screamed. A wound appeared in the clouds, and the wound bled gold and silver colors, like the golden sap of trees and the silver metal they found in the depths of mountains. The war suddenly stopped, and the wound only grew larger. The Brutes panicked, running away as their King called for them, while the allied tribes retreated as well, only to find their own settlements taken over by the Wounds. The wounds expanded everywhere, opening holes through space and time. The tribes were swallowed, unable to escape in time before they were all sent through strange tunnels. A voice whispered inside their heads. Move forward and kill; take over everything; eat if you want. The Brutes were easily influenced, led by their greedy King. He completely ignored what he had been working on this entire time, aiming his forces toward this new World, full of weaklings he could crush and eat. Not only did they bring their Scaled Lords, but even something else. The Scaled God the other tribes feared the most, which the King of Brutes had tamed with his sheer physical strength alone! ROOOOAAARRR! The roar of the Calamity, the Scaled God, reverberated across the connection between worlds. Fiery Hair found herself resting over the dry wastelands surrounding New York, awakened by the roar of the aberration. Scaled God Calamity! She screamed. No! As she panicked and didnt know what to do, she heard the screams and roars of her people. She ran through the wasteland, entering a large forest full of small and weak monsters she crushed with her bare fists and foot, finding groups of Children of Fire, Hawk Eyes, and even Spider Matriarchy members. This is an opportunity. The Brutes. Going away. If only. We could return home One of the Spider Matriarchy members sighed; they had long black hair, sharp red eyes, and long, lanky complexions. But the people Fiery Hair sighed. She was incredibly tallalmost as tall as three meters. The strongest of her tribe, packed full of muscles, with black as charcoal skin and sharp orange eyes, alongside long, fiery red hair, gave her birth name. We made a pact. Alliance. To save one another. We cant leave people on their own! Help, we must! Our Ancestors are watching! Do not dishonor ancestors! She was known as a righteous, heroic, and gentle-hearted warrior who led the crusade that helped their tribes unify against the menace of the Brutes. The other tribe members respected her a lot, although they never considered helping the tribes of this new world. After hearing her words, they also feared dishonoring their ancestors. Ancestors do not care! Go die if you want! The Spider Matriarchy Leader roared back as she walked away with her tribe members. No, dont leave! Please, help! Fiery Hair asked for their help, but they left. Hahh Fiery Hair, we hear you! Fiery Hair in our hearts! We help Fiery Hair, our leader! Ooh Fiery Hair looked at the rest of the people that stayedover a hundred mighty primitive humans. All the Children of Fire and the Hawk Eyes remained here with her! Everyone Grateful I am! I will not disappoint! She was on the verge of tears. New friends here. We help, and they help us return back! Right? Lets! Not only was she good-hearted, but she was actually smart. Nobody knew how to return, but she could already tell that the people of this strange world not only possessed incredible technology but had been able to survive in this desertic wasteland all on their own! She could guess that they might know of a way to help them return home. She moved forward with her tribe, jumping into battle almost right away. They found a large group of humans in this world struggling against both Dinosaurs and the Brutes. They were about to be slaughtered. RAAAH! Fiery Hair descended from the skies after jumping him, her enormous body slamming over the Brute and pushing him down. Her arms flared with red runes; fire was created from her arms. BRUTE, DIE! UNGAAH?! BAAAM! An explosion of flames was unleashed as both of her arms slammed into the Brutes skull, cracking it open and burning the rest of his body. The other Brutes noticed that their eyes widened once they saw the members of their enemy tribes arriving! They were not as easy to kill as the little insects of this world. UNGA! GRAAH! GRYEGH! They fought against them like savages do, with punches, kicks, and bites. The Brutes were quickly overwhelmed by their superior numbers and fighting styles, quickly dying one after another. The tribe members looked at the humans with eyes full of curiosity, but none approached them. As they trembled in fear, Fiery Hair approached them. She gently extended a hand towards them. You, human. Like us? We friends! And she smiled really adorably. E-Eh? Ah, t-thanks As this first exchange of words between the primitive tribes and the modern humans occurred, Bing Xues bright eyes could see it all. Interesting She nodded. It seems that not all of them are just savages ----- Chapter 63: The Regressor VS The Primal King ----- The Primal King slowly advanced on top of his titanic steed. His sharp eyes looked into the distance; the wounds within space and time that he and his army had come from were three in total. One to the north, another to the south, where he had come from, and the last one, the third "Wound, was located to the east. They were all very far away from one another, and two of them seemed to be growing smaller over time. The one where he had come from, however, was maintaining its size. Being a member of the Brute Tribe, he was rather smart; he quickly realized something. The more the dinosaurs and cavemen that came from the Gates died, the smaller they became. Meaning that the existence of this portal that brought them to another world seemed dependent on the very people and creatures it brought. Killing enough would probably close them! And he couldnt let that happen. Ungah! With a roar, he commanded a dozen cavemen that were behind him, his strongest warriors, who were at least twice as large as the other cavemen. They all jumped off the giant brachiosaurus, rushing towards battle. At the same time, he looked at the distance, admiring the chimeric aberration coming from the portal to the north. He was using a very basic strategy, but one that had worked countless times throughout his life. He was going to do a pincer attack, overwhelming the city from the north and south. With his army of giant Scaled Lords, savage Cavemen, and the monstrous Chimeric dinosaur, he would crush everything and anything. However, he couldnt be completely confident in his victory; after all, he had been seeing a strange woman appear and disappear all the time, helping all the little humans that died so easily against his men and beasts. He squinted his eyes, Primal Power surging through his body, his already enormous muscles beginning to grow larger and stronger, preparing for a clash against her. Yet FLASH! A black spear suddenly rushed towards him from behind, and his senses heightened. The Primal King quickly twisted his body, stepping backward and grabbing the spear before it could even hit him. CLASH! His eyes glanced at a mass of darkness and red eyes. Holding the spear tightly and imbuing it with Mana, a sudden explosion happened before he could even discern who his foe was. BOOOM! Hmph Weak. However, the Primal King was unscathed; the explosion that could easily kill most S-Rank Monsters didnt even leave a single scratch on his body. His sharp golden eyes looked upwards. A young man appeared amidst the cloud of darkness, one of his eyes shining with gray light, its iris resembling a clock. You took an attack imbued with Abyssal Energy head-on? The young man wondered. It was nobody else than Seth, the Regressor. After having heard of a sudden invasion of New York, he rushed to help, finding the catastrophe that was happening right now. He rushed across the myriad of giant dinosaurs, wondering what in the world was happening. Killing one after another, he reached who he imagined was the Boss. The Primal King. A mighty, muscular caveman stands above the largest brachiosaurus. Pitiful Tiny human. The Primal King, despite being a Brute who mostly communicated with groans, spoke rather well. Your tricks Wont work. Where did you come from? What is happening right now?! Seth muttered. Within the memories of the future, Seth had never seen such an outcome happening at all! There was no such invasion from any cavemen before, nor were there giant, overpowered dinosaurs roaming New Yorks outskirts. I shall conquer this world... It will be mine! Laughed the Primal King, kicking the scales where he was standing and pushing the brachiosaurus into the floor. With a single kick, the giant dinosaur had its neck dislocated, but the ruthless barbarian didnt care, using his own steed as a platform to fly into the skies with sheer physical prowess. Seths Eye of Time activated, seeing fragments of the future. His eyes widened. The Primal King moved his fists at lightning speed; his entire body was hit a dozen times. He exploded into pieces before he could do anything! Shit! Seeing the future within a split second, Seth decided to evade, turning his body into Abyssal Shadows, a skill he had acquired from synthesizing the Dark Wyvern Heart, the Abyss Goblins Blood, and the Dark Spirit Stone together into a Special Skill Book. BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! The Primal King ended up hitting the empty air as Seth disappeared into an explosion of black smoke. However, his sharp senses activated once more, quickly kicking the air and rushing down, his hands overflowing with the Golden Essence of Primal Power. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. BAAAM! Seth was unable to predict this; his eyes worked on a cooldown of 3 seconds, and his ethereal body was hit instantly, exploding into black smoke. He felt his physical body being hurt, even within his seemingly invincible form! What?! ARGH! He quickly gathered back his shadows as he was forcefully turned back into his original form, finding out several of his bones had broken. However, how could that even be possible?! This transformation turns my body completely ethereal! Unless he used powerful holy light magic, he shouldnt have been able to hurt me at all! He thought. Was I wrong this entire time?! Are there monsters out there capable of ignoring such things with just sheer physical prowess?! UNGAH! The Primal King rushed towards Seth once more. His eye of time activated as he saw a glimpse of the future. The Primal King grabbed his head and easily tore it apart from his body, biting it afterward and eating his brain like a savage cannibal. Fuck! Seth roared furiously, his Spear overflowing with Abyssal Energies. As a dozen magic circles appeared around him, a bombardment of blazing meteors rushed down. The surrounding dinosaurs were immediately roasted and crushed alive, but the Primal King tanked the meteors and punched them into pieces as he kept kicking the air and reaching closer to him! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! What is this guy?! Seth had never confronted a being capable of overcoming everything with just strength. It felt surreal because his common sense dictated that everything was always tied to the System and Mana! Yet the being in front of him had no such Mana! Petty tricks reminds me of Children of Fire pathetic people! HAHAHA! The King of Brutes swung his legs, which were already like lethal weapons, and an immense shockwave was unleashed. His strength was so powerful that he broke the sound barrier and manipulated the surrounding winds, creating a slicing blade that rushed towards him. And this was no magic at all; this was merely a ridiculous display of overwhelming prowess. BAAAM! Uagh! Seth was unable to evade; his Abyssal Shadow Transformation was on cooldown; he took the hit head-on; his armor was broken instantly; his chest was sliced; and blood splattered everywhere. Pathetic little rat. The Primal King appeared behind him, his fist rushing down towards Seth''s head. Ah?! Seth widened his eyes, suddenly feeling fear. He, the Regressor, was afraid! A single punch blew him away; his entire body fell from several hundreds of meters in the sky down into the forests below, leaving a huge crater behind. BAAAM! Graargh! Seth vomited blood; he felt his innards twist and turn; most of his bones broke; his legs were twisted; and his arms were torn down. F-Fuck! He bit something he had attached to his teeth, a white pill, swallowing it. FLASH! His entire body was quickly restored within seconds, and not only that. Ding! [You have consumed the [White Flame Phoenix Pill (SSS Rank)], and all your wounds have been instantly healed!] [All your Stats have increased based on the amount of damage your body has taken x100 for the next 5 Minutes.] The White Flame Phoenix Pill is synthesized by combining twenty different types of lesser phoenix bird magic cores, blood, and souls. It took him so long to make it, and he had prepared it only for his very last resource, but right now, he couldnt spare resources. UNGAAAH! The Primal King rushed down after noticing he was still alive, his foot about to crush Seth to death. The young man turned into Abyssal Shadows, evading a powerful attack, before appearing behind the Primal King, his spear flaring with phantasmal flames and abyssal flames. RAAAH! With a furious roar, Seth unleashed a barrage of attacks. The Primal King attempted to intercept them, but Seth surpassed his reaction speed, and above all, the strikes began to hurt! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! UGH?! The Primal King opened his eyes wide as he felt pain, feeling wounds behind his back and blood slowly dripping. He was utterly shocked. It has been over a hundred years since the last time he ever felt pain. Since he reached the pinnacle of his world, he has never been challenged! Yet now He smiled! Hahahaha! GOOD! He intercepted Seths attacks, his fists flaring with his Primal Power, resembling golden flames. Fists against spear attacks and magic spells. Constant explosions of darkness and golden aura erupted with each blow, and the landscape around the two began to quickly change shape. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The Primal King only laughed and smiled as his arms were covered with wounds. Seth was much worse. Despite the immense boost of power, his muscles were already slowly being torn apart. To intercept and block one of the Primal Kings blows was to feel his muscles being torn one after another! Fuck! What with this motherfucker?! Seth was growing desperate and furious, quickly kicking the Primal Kings chest and throwing him away a few dozen meters before jumping into the skies himself and taking out another trump card. A Regressor must have as many trump cards as possible! Fuck this! {Sacrificial Ritual}! He took out of his Inventory a white jewel, shining with Divinity. An item he acquired by digging into the ruins where Bing Xue had killed a giant Angelic Spirit, and then harnessing all the leftover ambient divinity into this crystal. It took him a lot of effort and resources as he required many specific gadgets, but this divinity crystal was something that he could use as yet another trump card, but only when sacrificed with his Skill: [Sacrificial Ritual]. A Skill that could seal and overpower a foe the higher the quality of the thing you sacrificed was! And Seth sacrificed nothing else but a divinity crystal. As strong as you are, you cant be stronger than a God. Seth smiled as the Primal King rushed towards him, but the ritual had already started. FLASH! GUH?! The Primal King saw himself surrounded by white chains, wrapping around his entire body and pushing him back into the ground. The divinity crystal disappeared as the Primal King felt his strength being slowly sapped away. GRAAAH! [You have sacrificed the [Divinity Crystal (SSS Rank)] using the [Sacrificial Ritual (S): Lv10] Skill!] [Your target has been affected by the highest-level divine rank, {Chains of Divine Sealing}!] [Your targets stats have decreased drastically!] [Your target is paralyzed!] [Duration: 10 Minutes.] Game over, motherfucker. Seth smiled triumphantly, rushing down towards the Primal King, aiming his spear towards his head. The Primal King kept roaring like a beast, his entire body swelling up more and more, steam coming out of his sweaty muscles as he began to overexert his physical limitations. CLASH! But Seths spear hit his head as an explosion of abyssal flames engulfed the barbaric caveman. It should be done by now... I better get enough EXP for this- Huh? Seth suddenly felt his spear stuck in something. The smoke dissipated, revealing something terrifying. The Primal King caught his spears blade with his own teeth and began to gnaw at it, slowly shattering it. Crack, crack CRASH! What?! Seth saw the future, a fist piercing his chest. He quickly jumped back as he heard the chains breaking down. He turned into shadows. Or, well, he tried. UNGAAH! The Primal Kings entire body had become completely red, his eyes glowing gold. Within a split second, he caught up to Seth, and before he could even turn into shadows, his fist reached his head. CRASH! And Seths entire skull exploded into pieces. His headless, lifeless body dropped to the floor. With little time to prepare, the Regressor was unable to overcome this challenge. And failed. Worthy human, forcing me... to push my limits. The Primal King smiled as he grabbed a piece of Seth''s brain and was about to take a bite. Before a flash of golden light covered his face. Guh?! And both of his hands were sliced off. Ive seen enough. The Primal King looked into the skies. A beautiful woman, made of pure light, appeared. The Primal King, was it? Youre dying now. RAAAH! ----- Chapter 64: Bing Xue VS The Primal King ----- Bing Xue squinted her eyes as she saw the small information she could discern from the Primal King with a mere glance. [High Australopithecus Primal King: Lv7254] Over Level seven thousand, it made sense now that he was so strong. However, she still had to admit that the boy who was barely Level 999 and fought him was even more impressive. Just who was he? Someone who fought a monster over six thousand levels on his own Bing Xue smiled. Youll be worthy of becoming my disciple. With a mere thought, golden waves covered Seths body parts, teleporting them inside her Inner Realm. At the same time, the furious Primal King glanced in disbelief at his own arms, now devoid of hands. G-Grah?! He then looked back at her. RAAAH! With a furious roar, he rushed towards Bing Xue, kicking the floor beneath him and leaving a tremendous crater that only a meteor would have left behind. His arms, even without fists, moved at thunderous speed, sparkling electricity surging from his own muscles, moving at incredible, superhuman speed. BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! Bing Xue was slightly surprised, as she was attacked by a barrage of devastating blows. The Primal King had no hands anymore, but there was no other way to describe his blows other than punches! Her Doppelgangers body was being slowly twisted with each attack, as Bing Xue sensed the durability of the Doppelganger rapidly decreasing. It was incredible how powerful he was! Not bad. Bing Xue talked with a voice full of authority but also an acknowledgment of the Primal Kings tremendous strength. Her entire body flared with the brightest, most burning light her Doppelganger could unleash, as she sent the Primal King flying away with a loud explosion of hyper-concentrated Divine Photon Essence. BOOOM! Uaagh! The Primal King couldnt believe it; the pain he felt was much more intense than anything he had ever experienced throughout his entire life. His body fell onto the floor again, his sharp eyes looking in disbelief at the woman who had appeared and utterly humiliated him. GRRHH! GRAAAHH! With a furious roar, he got back up once more. Despite his body being burned, it began to regenerate rather rapidly. And Bing Xue even noticed something rather shocking: his hands were also growing back, from the bone to the muscles, nerves, joints, skin, and so on. The Primal Power this being had cultivated within his body was on another level completely compared to the rest. Bing Xue started to feel like he wasnt just another fly; she was fighting with what might be cataloged as the Pinnacle of the world it came from. Come. She said, unsheathing her Yin and Yang Sword. Ill take you head on; let us see who stands Supreme between Worlds! RAAAAHHH! The Primal King bared his giant, sharp fangs, resembling those of a furious ape. His entire body grew twice as large out of nowhere, packed full of immense muscles. His skin flared up, becoming bright red as if he had turned into a demon, and black hair began to grow across his body. Hes transforming?! Bing Xue thought for a second before the Primal King appeared above her. UGRAAH! A giant punch reached her, and an explosion of golden essence erupted in front of her. Bing Xues doppelganger body was sent flying down. For the first time since she came from Murim, something was actually offering a decent challenge. Although it was only to her own Doppelganger and not her real body. BAAAM! As her Doppelganger reached the ground, the Primal King rushed down. Bing Xue greeted him with a dozen Void Beams, which exploded over his skin. She noticed that the red skin was incredibly tough, and although it left holes, they were unable to pierce past the bone. Skin capable of resisting the Void Dao? She thought. So he has the properties of a God already, or maybe? UNGRAAH! The Primal King roared, and a dozen fist attacks reached Bing Xue, each one exploding as they hit her barrier, which quickly shattered into pieces. The ground surrounding them started crumbling down. Bing Xue analyzed his attacks as her Doppelganger continued accumulating damage, and then she attacked back. First, chains made of the [Blessed Blazing Starlight Cursed Relic Creation] Skill, imbued with the strongest Curse her Skill could unleash. FLASH! GRUH?! The Primal King was restrained for a second, only for his muscular arms to quickly break through the hard metal, shattering it into pieces. Then it rushed towards her, leaping in the middle of the air. Later, a divine formation was created, encompassing him completely. GRAH?! {Primordial Rainbow Spiritual Formation}: {Bringer of Nirvana} A dozen rainbow-colored pearls made out of Bing Xues Photon Essence and her other energies materialized around the Primal King. The pearls overflowed with tremendous quantities of light. The Primal King was encompassed in an endless sea of burning light, capable of disintegrating most matter. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. FLASH! Gryyaaeerghh! The rainbow light surged endlessly and then slowly formed into a blossoming lotus flower. As the screams of the Primal King reverberated, Bing Xue charged her Ying and Yang sword with her Primordial Energies and Mana, rushing towards the Primal King once more. I know that didnt kill you. SLAAASH! She swung her sword against him, the smoke dissipating to reveal the Primal Kings body half-charred and slowly beginning to regenerate. With a single slash, she slashed against his arms, which he used to protect his chest. The Primal King gnashed his teeth, quickly spinning in midair and evading another swing from above. You! UNGRAH! The will to survive within the Primal King was immense; as he kicked the air beneath, he rushed upwards, hitting Bing Xues stomach with a tremendously strong headbutt. BAAAM! Ugh?! Her Doppelgangers durability quickly decreased, gaining countless cracks. Amazing! Bing Xue only praised him, however, quickly swinging her sword against him while at the same time releasing her Domain and her Aura, suddenly shaking the entire heavens and the earth below. RUMBLE! GUH?! The Primal King was covered in countless slashes, blood splattering from all his wounds. At the same time, he had to deal with immense pressure; it was as if he were facing the weight of the heavens above! {Primordial Spiritual Body Arts}: {Domain of Golden Heavens} The heavens above turned gold, and the earth below became a sea of golden light. The Primal King didnt know what sort of trick this sorceress was doing now, but he panicked! Something was comingmore burning and painful than anything he had ever experienced! And it did. From the skies, gigantic golden spears began to spin, rushing down towards him endlessly. The skies themselves became Bing Xues vault of treasures as she unleashed a myriad of flying projectiles. {Domain of Golden Heavens}: {Primordial Treasure Vault}! A technique that she had used to kill Venerables, a powerful ability that killed over a hundred thousand Primordials at once, this was one of Bing Xues strongest long-ranged, wide-ranged techniques. But she concentrated it all against the Primal King alone! And then she further boosted it with her new Divine Photon Essence and her [Blessed Blazing Starlight Cursed Relic Creation] Skill! RAAAH! GRAAAH! The Primal King roared like a furious beast, punching the gigantic weapons as they came. Each punch disintegrated his arms and fists, and as he kept trying to fight back, the giant weapons kept hitting him, taking away large chunks of his body. Using his tremendous, superhuman body, he kept regenerating rapidly. Bing Xue was fascinated by how tough he was. For a moment, she recalled a time when she also struggled, fighting against the heavens and the Venerables. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! When even her strongest attacks couldnt kill something instantly! And the Pinnacle of the Primal World, the King of Brutes, might be someone comparable to such beings. At least in sheer physical strength and regeneration! The Primal King kept grinding through Bing Xues projectiles, rushing towards her. The doppelgangers body quickly grew tens of arms and palms, intercepting the incoming blows with dexterous and rapid strikes, showcasing her refined usage of Martial Arts. {Golden Serpents Flowing Fist} Her countless hands moved with finesse and majestic beauty, resembling a serpent dancing and flowing. The Primal King was caught time and time again, unable to easily overcome the enormous wall between his physical prowess and her unparalleled technique! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! UNGRAAAH! And then, as his furious mind flared with anger, he began to recall something. The fury of the Trex, the charge of the Triceratops, the sharp beak of the Pterodactyl, and the crushing foot of the Brachiosaurus. All these images blossomed within his body as he struggled to keep up with Bing Xues unparalleled technique. ROAAR! Suddenly, the caveman roared like a dinosaur; his hands became like sharp claws, intercepting Bing Xues flowing fists and crushing them like the destructive bite of a Trex! CRASH! What?! And then, the caveman rushed forward, both of his fists in front, his Primal Power flowing through his entire muscles. A deadly charge broke through Bing Xues defenses and techniques, slamming her with tremendous force. BAAAM! This is! The Primal King didnt end there; his hands became sharp beaks, rushing down against her like piercing, precise beaks, striking the vitals of her Doppelganger! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Her Doppelganger continued to gain more and more cracks. Hes using Martial Arts! Bing Xue thought. Hes creating them as we fight? Imitating the ancient Dinosaurs? This is ridiculous! Haha! UNGRAAH! And then, the Primal King lifted his arms into the air, imitating the long neck of the Brachiosaurus, as his feet moved together, stomping her down like the almighty King of Dinosaurs. CRAAASH! Bing Xues doppelganger was sent down, her entire body shattering like glass and slowly beginning to dissipate. She smiled at the caveman, admiring his incredible perseverance, because it reminded her of her own perseverance a long time ago. You created Martial Arts based on the beasts youve been fighting for dozensno, perhaps hundreds of years? How old are you? Bing Xue wondered. I am... three hundred. Said the Primal King. Woman of light... You fought well. I thank you because of our fight. I grew stronger. Tapping my true potential! Haha You sure have amazing potential, yeah. Bing Xue laughed as her Doppelganger dissipated into particles of golden light. The Primal King looked down, thinking the fight was over. He was tired, but he had gained a new power. To further channel his brute strength, he had to refine it! And Martial Arts were the key! Smiling with his newfound confidence, he looked at the city in the distance. Now- Too bad, because I cant let you blossom any more. AH! What?! The Primal Kings eyes widened as he suddenly found himself surrounded by four more Bing Xues. Their bodies quickly came together, fusing into a single being, an even stronger Doppelganger, sharing an even higher percentage of her powers and a greater connection to her True Techniques. Primal King, youre a threat to my world. She said with a judgmental glare. And I cannot let you grow stronger or threaten my people another second. You and your kind shall go extinct now. What sort of... sorcery is this?! RAAAH! The Primal King grew furious and frustrated, rushing towards Bing Xue with all the power he had acquired and learned! Yet YET! Because of the amazing strength youve shown, I will give you the privilege of seeing the pinnacle of Martial Arts in Murim. Suddenly, Bing Xues stance changedno, it constantly changed! The Primal King saw a swan, a tiger, a dragon, a bat, a snake, a boar, an elephant, and many, many beasts. What sort of trickery was this? What sort of sorcery was this?! The woman in front of him was becoming countless animals! Yet all of them began to converge into one, slowly, together. And then the animal became a human. A woman. The one above Venerables. The Primordial Immemorial Venerable! I do not need to imitate any beast, because, between Heaven and Earth, I am the honored one. Her pose changed, becoming like that of a delicate yet almighty empress. Rainbow light emanated from her entire body. The culmination of thousands of martial arts techniques she learned, mastered, and fused together. It all came back to only one thing. Herself! {Primordial Heavenly Martial Empress of Light Arts}: {Primordial Nirvanas Spear} With a single movement of her arms, Heaven and Earth distorted, fusing into her own movements. The Primal King screamed in utter disbelief as he saw the earth and the sky converge, swirling together and forming two massive, rainbow spears. Bing Xues surroundings were completely encompassed with rainbow light; it was as if she were in another realm entirely. Wherever she looked, heaven and earth moved with her. This was the pinnacle of her martial arts, {Primordial Heavenly Martial Empress of Light Arts}! CLASH! Each of her punches was the attack of this spear, and she only sent two attacks with each of her arms. The Primal King was immediately overwhelmed. His lower half was instantly pierced, and his legs, his crotch, and his stomach exploded and disintegrated instantly. W-Wha What is this?! The Primal King could only look and wonder what was happening before the second spear reached the rest of his body. CLASH! And then the only thing he could see was white light. And darkness. ----- Chapter 65: Hunters Unified Together ----- [Primal Dinosaurus Chimera King: Lv6162] A giant monstrosity that resembled the combination of many dinosaurs together into a chimeric aberration, the Primal Dinosaurus Chimera King could be said to be the strongest Scaled Lord of the Prehistoric World, which would have terrorized the tribes for eons if it wasnt because the Primal King had beaten it and tamed it long ago. Since then, it had become the source of power and respect amongst the entire tribe of Brutes, who continuously expanded their territory across the Emerald Jungles, where the continent of North America was located. However, once the Wounds between Space and Time opened within their world, this creature was dragged away along with its inhabitants from the depths of a gigantic volcano, where it rested alongside the Brutes and their monstrous mounts. ROOOAARRR! The beast, over three hundred meters in height, roared, its countless heads opening and biting through the attacks sent at it. The strongest party of Hunters ever made had assembled within the outskirts of New York. Nicholas, the chairman of the Hunter Association of NY; John Allgood, the Guild Master of the Justice Guild; Aiyana, the Guild Master of the Guardian Guild; Jackes Heisen, the Guild Master of the Rogue Guild; Francisco Armstrong, the young Guild Master of the Wizard Guild; and lastly, the Russian World-Class Hunter, Yanisse. Accompanying them were over three hundred hunters from their respective guilds. Their bodies all overflowing with Auras of Golden and Dark Light, Bing Xue was not present at this moment, using all her doppelgangers to fight the Primal King. However, she had not left them without buffs, enchanting their bodies and souls using the {Primordial Veil of Antiquity}, which boosted the strength of all participants here, especially their leaders. The monstrous prehistoric chimera groaned in wrath and pain; over half of its massive body was now covered in deadly wounds, although most of them began to rapidly regenerate due to its incredible self-regeneration ability and its boundless vitality. This thing cant conjure any magic, but the size alone is ridiculous! John complained. And it keeps regenerating endlessly! How can we even beat this at our Level?! Stop crying! We have to simply find a way, Blondie!" Aiyana roared, swinging her giant bone axe and hacking apart the large claws moving down towards her one after another. RAAAH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! GRUOOHHH! The beast responded by stepping forward, its enormous legs rushing down to crush Aiyana. The muscular warriors swiftly evaded, jumping away from the impact as it hit the ground, making the entire ground tremble. Magic seems to work to an extent against that thing, Francisco said, conjuring over a hundred different magic circles at the same time and imbuing them with Ki. With the power of the energies Bing Xue gifted to me, I can conjure even more magic without getting tired as well. We have to keep attacking, everyone! The youngest Guild Master cheered everyone, floating in the skies as a near-endless bombardment of elemental projectiles fell over the chimeric aberration. Its entire body began to slowly gain countless wounds, with pieces of flesh falling down. Yet the wounds regrew new tendrils, connecting together again. Jackes! Can you conjure some wound-worsening curse?! Francisco called. Ill try! Jackes rushed towards the beast. Resembling a mass of shadows, the young man rushed down from the skies, wearing a completely black suit and a white mask. He resembled a specter of the night. Wielding two sharp, black knives, he descended, imbuing them with the strongest Shadow Curse he could conjure and then further boosting it with Ki! {Abyssal Curse of Rot}! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! As he descended, he used his sharp knives, imbued with large quantities of Ki and the power of the Veil of Antiquity, to slash through the monsters incredibly tough scales. Each wound left behind was suddenly covered in black flames and a poison-like black substance called miasma. As the wounds continued to spread across the left side of the chimeric monstrosity, it began to struggle; its movements became slower, and its countless heads directed their jaws towards Jackes. This beast that had come from a prehistoric world where such powers did not exist began to grow increasingly furious and desperate! ROOAAR! Jackes was unable to escape; the speed of his body descended due to the gravity of the planet, becoming so fast and strong that he was unable to maneuver in time before three giant jaws appeared behind him; two of them belonged to the heads of Trex and another to a massive Triceratops head. Fuck! As Jackes encompassed himself in his Abyssal Veil of Shadows and attempted to break through the jaws, he knew he might die right there. Everyone else was too far away to help him and was busy fighting the countless appendages of the monstrosity, which relentlessly attacked them. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. JACKES! Nicholas jumped toward the skies with all the strength he could muster, trying to reach him before it was too late. But it was indeed too late! BAAAMMM!!! The sound of the jaws closing and bones breaking echoed through the battlefield. Everyone gasped as they thought Jackes would die right there. And she panicked even more when Bing Xue told them that she wouldnt be able to revive them more than two times, as their souls would ultimately leave their bodies by then. Indeed, her revival abilities werent unlimited. However, an explosion of flames was the only thing they could see after hearing that noise. Their eyes widened as they saw a surprising, shocking scene. A giantess of over three and a half meters in height, with tremendous muscles and charcoal black skin that carried a metallic sheen and countless fiery red tattoos across her body, appeared. Her big fists punched the Trex head that would have eaten Jackes, crushed its mandible, and blown it away. Her punch came with that same explosion of flames. Her long red hair glowed with a fiery light, waving as if it were made of flames. Wha?! Nicholas screamed. Who is she?! John asked. Giant Scaled Lord, you must not fight alone! The woman roared, her fiery hair waving by the wind as Jackes looked at her enormous body. Her giant arms moved at lightning speed. Her tattoos glowed brightly, her muscles blazed with friction, and such friction was released as explosions of flames as she punched and kicked the beasts many heads! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! This wasnt magic or a skill; it was something more similar to a superpower coming from her very body! Jackes was left dumbfounded as he was able to fall from the skies safely, quickly kicking the air midair and then rushing down to the ground. Shes incredible! Who is she?! He asked. Dunno, but she looks like she wants to help, and shes not alone! Aiyana said. The guild masters all looked into the skies as a group of over fifty giant, muscular cavemen leaped into the monsters back, beginning to bite, punch, and kick its body into pieces, distracting it from continuing its march toward New York. Are they cavemen like the other barbarians? No, they look different." Theres two tribes there, Nicholas said as he answered the questions of the hunters nearby. One of them seems to have fiery red hair and charcoal black skin; they can produce explosions of flames from their attacks! The others are not as tall and have slimmer bodies. Their eyes are sharp and big, like those of falcons. But their movements are even more precise and fast! And it feels like with each movement, the winds around them begin to compress, generating small shockwaves. D-Do you know who they are, chairman? Their appearances The fire people and the others, but they remind me of ancient Homo Sapiens, Nicholas readjusted his glasses. Fascinating! Just where are these people coming from? Those portals? Just where do those portals lead to? FLASH! Nicholas, focus. I dont think theres any time to ask those questions right now. Are all your people safe? Before Nicholas could continue analyzing everything, Yanisse appeared above him, her Aura exuding the power of Void and Ki together. The World-Class Hunter had only become stronger after meeting Bing Xue. Yanisse! Y-Yes, everyone is alright for now! Good, lets begin our last attack. That thing is being distracted by all those people. Lets not waste more time with this. But can we really defeat a monster at level six thousand?! If you let yourself be intimidated by levels and stats, you will never be able to surpass the System This is something that Bing Xue told me before leaving to fight that Primal King. The System is not absolute?" She is the greatest example of that And she has gifted us a new power, something that not only will help us grow beyond the System but also reject its rules and destroy them. Yanisses eyes glowed with dark purple light, her entire body exuding the power of Void to the extreme, distorting her surroundings. If we want to protect our planet... We must surpass the limits of the system, which has always been rigged from the start. I am fairly sure you know this very well, right? Yanisse Youre not wrong; lets do this! Nicholas nodded. Everyone, attack! Dont get too near it! Use any long-range spell youve got! The alchemist is distributing Mana Potions; drink whenever your Mana is emptied! After his command, over a hundred hunters roared in unison, the Veil of Antiquity powering up their abilities and magic, as a rain of elemental projectiles descended over the chimeric monstrosity yet again. Rock Spears, Icicles, Fireballs, Wind Arrows, Light Blades, Shadow Bulletsanything that could deal any damage from a distance was fired! The Hunters knew that if they got any closer, they would simply get stomped. Nicholas was the only one who stepped forward, punching the giant tails and appendages of the monster as they neared him. Before getting this power from Bing Xue, he would have been easily torn to shreds. But now, it was different! The moment she gifted him with Ki, it felt like his true innate power was finally awakened. All this time, all these skills he used to reinforce his body became a permanent part of his physical body. He forged a physique ahead of everyone else because of this! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Is this my true power? Was the System always limiting what I could do?! Nicholas thought, his giant metallic fists leaving holes across the appendages of the chimeric beast. This is a test! A test that Bing Xue has left to us, to humanity! She is a guardian, but at the same time, shes also a teacher! She wont simply save us all forever. She wants us to eventually save ourselves and fight back on our own accord! As Nicholas realized Bing Xues intentions and the reason why she was no longer present in this fight aside from needing all her doppelgangers to take care of the Primal King, Yanisse flew across the skies. She glanced at the hunters, and the guild masters fought back. John swung his holy blade as he flew using his beautiful angelic wings. Slashes of light left behind large wounds across the monsters body. Aiyana conjured the Sacred Spirit Animal Totems across her body to both reinforce her strength and unleash stampedes of spirit beasts, while her giant axe hacked through anything that dared to get closer. Francisco supported everyone with his amazing magic. Now that his frail body had gained a lot of physical stamina, he had yet to get tired after overusing his Mana and was easily restoring it quicker as well. His magic unleashed storms of elements against the monster while buffing and healing alliesa complete all-master magician! Jackes kept spreading curses, weakening the monster and worsening wounds. It was thanks to him that the wounds no longer regenerated, and the giant level six thousand monstrosity began to rapidly grow weaker. I dont like stealing the show, but if that thing doesnt die quickly, this battle of attrition will ultimately be lost by humanity she noticed a large army of dinosaurs and cavemen hiding behind the chimera. Ill end this now that it has grown weak enough. She flew high in the sky, gathering her Void Essence to the highest degree of purity. Bing Xue, look Humanity is not weak; we can do this! She roared. {Void Star Rain}! Thousands of stars made of void fell from the skies, piercing the monster and the army behind it with countless explosions of void, which consumed matter and made it completely disappear. Yanisses expertise and control were superb, dexterously missing any ally as she attacked. The monster resisted, trying to continue regenerating. However, as its many heads exploded into pieces one after another, it finally stopped struggling; its gigantic body no longer moved. And the titan collapsed. BAAAM! Behind it, a bloody scene could be seen countless torn-apart bodies of dinosaurs and Brutes covered the grass and the forest. At the same time, two of the three portals closed shut, only leaving a third one, which grew much smaller than before. Hahh Its done. Yanisse lost consciousness at that moment, falling from the skies. ----- Chapter 66: Yanisse’s Past ----- Hahh Im so tired. Yanisse sighed as she fell from the skies, falling unconscious. The darkness that engulfed her mind every night as she slept absorbed her once more, as she felt like she was falling, not from the skies but towards an endless abyss. This dream again... She looked down into the abyss and then hit the ground with a loud thud. She opened her eyes, rubbing her face as she looked around her surroundings. Ruins and destruction were everywhere; the sky turned red, houses were burning, and people were screaming. Hahh This It was that dream again. Or that nightmare. Nizhny Novgorod was the Russian city where Yanisse was born and raised. She had woken up like any other day back then, eleven years ago. Yet everything changed forever on that day. An explosion of black and red flames erupted from below her foot; the edifice where she and her family were living was completely destroyed. An explosion of flames consumed everything, including herself. And this moment, which she was reliving now, was after that. Mom dad Yanisse had seen this nightmare many times now; every time she went to sleep, she would relive this trauma that had marked her entire life. The charred bodies of her mother and her father were in front of her as she sat over a pile of rubble and burned corpses. She was the only survivor out of a hundred people who lived in that building. A pale, purple-colored aura covered her body, protecting her. The moment her family died was the moment Yanisse awakened her powers, accepting Mana into her body. The power of the Void protected her, but it couldnt protect what was precious to her. Tears flowed from her eyes as she heard the loud roar of a monster far away. How many times will I have to see this? She sighed, standing up and grabbing ashes and dirt, covering the corpses of her parents, as her tears kept falling over them. For how long? She continued walking across the blazing ruins; the bodies of children could be seen littering everywhere. Right next to her building, there was a kindergarten. Naturally, everyone died. ROOOAARR! A gigantic, scaled monstrosity descended from the skies, over fifty meters tall, covered with black and red scales, looking down at her as if she were nothing but a meal. GRRRHHH Its draconic jaws opened, black flames surging from within, and it spread out its wings, glaring at Yanisse with anger! Why was she alive? How could she have survived that? You again She glared at the giant black dragon, her eyebrows furrowing in anger as she kept crying. RAAARRRGH! The monster roared, rushing towards her to eat her with a single bite. SVOLOCH! As she screamed while crying, her hands were pointed at the beast, a wave of Void Essence surged from them, and a purple beam pierced the monsters head, leaving behind a large, bloody hole where its brain was. BOOOM! The dragon was unable to respond; it was unable to do a single thing, dropping over the floor and dying on the spot. Yet Yanisse wasnt happy. Hahh Why? WHY?! She fell to her knees, crying and hitting the ground. The monster had already killed half of the citys population in just an hour, and as one of the few survivors, she felt utterly heartbroken and alone. Everything she loved was gone. Everything that made her daily life was gone. Gone were the days when she would walk out of her house to pick up her cousin, who was in kindergarten. And long gone were the days when she would come back home from high school to eat her mothers delicious karjalanpaisti. Or when her father would return home after an arduous day at the factory, tired but always smiling and greeting everyone happily, telling jokes, laughing, and then falling asleep on the couch. Yanisse stood up at that moment, looking at the distance. There were still smaller monsters roaming around, and people were screaming and crying. She quickly began moving; there was no time for her to stop. She couldnt grieve yet; she couldnt cry yet. Not yet. She had to save as many people as possible before everyone was to die. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. As she fought and rescued whoever she could, she saw countless orphaned children, left completely alone, crying as they tried to take the corpses of their parents out of piles of rubble and ash. Not long after, news about the capital of Russia, Moscow, being completely destroyed arrived in the local news. The country was in shambles like never before; mostly all politicians were dead, the president was dead, and the military was struggling to even survive. No weapons worked, and atomic bombs were quickly thrown at several cities to eliminate the S-ranked threats. No, what are you doing, you fool? Stop! Yanisses nightmares shifted as she saw herself screaming and crying as she saw the insane people in the military throwing atomic bombs at areas where there were still thousands of people, just to kill the monsters their modern weapons couldnt. NOOO! As she screamed and saw the destruction, the military men ordered her to shut up, calling her a useless bitch and forcing themselves on her, attempting to restrain her because of her dangerous powers. Leave me! I wont let anybody touch me! You bastards! You greedy pieces of sh*t! You know nothing else but to destroy! Youve been ruining peoples lives all this time, and when your damned tyrant is dead, the only thing you do is bomb our cities?! As Yanisse screamed and pointed her hands imbued with Void Essence at them, the men walked back, fully aware of what she could do with such a power. Yet the surprises didnt end at that moment; reports of the bombs not working reached them as quickly as they exploded. The giant S-Rank dragons they attempted to kill with atomic bombs were alive. Their bodies were barely covered in any damage. Their furious, fiery eyes glared at the cameras and then destroyed them. B-Bombs dont work... W-What?! Nevozmozhnyy!! What do we do now?! Chert voz''mi! Yanisse glared at the men screaming in frustration as she stood in the middle of it all, inside the military base they had called her to restrain. However, it ended up becoming impossible to do so, and she was simply roaming the area freely. I told you it wouldnt work... You never listen; this country was already being ruined by all of you! Yanisse furiously said. Im leaving; I wont help any of you anymore! I will go where it truly matters; I will protect my people, the citizens, the children, the elderly... Not you, youre not my people! Yanisse! You damn whore! Come here! Roared the general. Youre a woman! You should listen to men and not fight back, you fucking bitch- BOOOM! Yanisse waved her hand as a shockwave of void reached the man, throwing him away. Uwaagh! He fell to his butt, shocked and afraid, gasping for air. Yet he was not dead. I wont go easy a second time. Leave me alone If you ever dare chase me again, I will not have mercy! She broke through the military base ceiling and left, flying towards the nearest city, where her people still needed her. Yanisse continued working for years after years without stopping or resting, constantly pushing herself to her limits and beyond. She fought dozens of S-Rank dragons, the primary invasive species of monsters that made Russia into a hellhole. It was only after six years of fighting without stopping that she was finally able to kill the last one, closing the cursed red gates that never stopped pouring more and more dragons. Hahh Hahhh She stood over the corpse of the S+ Rank Black Flame Dragon King, Abyss, as she gasped for air. Her body was in tatters, barely alive. She drank an Elixir and looked into the skies, gray-colored from all the ashes. Mom dad She smiled a bit, although tears quickly began streaming down her face. I I did it At that moment, she thought that this nightmare would finally come to an end. But she was wrong. The nightmare never ended. Monsters kept appearing everywhere, and people kept dying. And an accursed tower connected Earth to countless other worlds. Her world had changed completely, and she was never going to go back to how things were once again. Im so tired As she struggled and kept fighting, she realized that Russia would only become worse as the economy of the country pummeled to the ground. With most of their production farms burned, half the population gone, eighty percent of all politicians dead, seventy percent of the whole military destroyed There was no other option than to bend the knee to someone else, another country that was in a much better position. She made a deal with the United States of North America. In exchange for becoming the guardian of their country (as well as Russia), her country would receive economic help, food, and everything necessary for everyone to survive after the terrible cataclysm that took half of the populations lives. Back then, most of her compatriots criticized her decision. The TV called her a sellout, some called her Americas new dog," and many Russian Conservatives called her a traitor to the motherland. Yet she did all of this for them, despite how harshly they treated her and how bad her reputation became. She kept struggling. Im so tired And she continued feeling tired and exhausted. When is it all going to end? As she kept fighting, she only felt hollower inside. The more she used her void powers, the more she felt one with them. And with that came her emotions, slowly fading away. It felt as if her heart was becoming an empty hole. Hahh Mom, dad I want to meet you again Maybe dying wasnt so bad. If she fell from the skies and had her head crushed, she would definitely die. Bing Xue is here now, so maybe... I can finally take a breather Her suicidal thoughts blossomed from her as naturally as breathing. For years now, Yanisse has been considering killing herself. She was so tired of everything. Bing Xue As the darkness consumed her, she still remembered someone who had appeared only recently but who had impacted her life for the better. I wanted to know you more. She remembered her charming smile and her bright, rainbow-colored eyes. She was so mysterious and incredible, yet she also hid behind that cheerfulness a deep darkness. A past even more terrible than hers, perhaps. I FLASH! Yet a bright golden light surged from the darkness, cleansing it. The light embraced her as she felt a comforting warmth encompassing her entire body. Yanisse And her voice resonated across the darkness. Yanisse opened her eyes, looking at her. She was being carried like a princess by Bing Xue as she slowly descended from the skies. Bing Xue Are you okay? It seems youve overexerted yourself again. Im Im fine. Youre not fine at all; let me heal you. That bright, warm light covered her entire body. Even that hollowness that consumed her mind faded away as she felt her mind become much clearer than ever before. As they reached the ground, Bing Xue gently let Yanisse stand back up. She realized the woman carrying her wasnt a doppelganger either. I-Is it really you, the real you? Ive come here, yes. I decided to shift my schedule a little bit and visit Earth again. Bing Xue! Yanisse hugged Bing Xue tightly, rubbing her face on her chest. Oh my! I didnt know you would be so happy to see me again, fufu, Bing Xue''s giggles only made Yanisse feel even weaker before this woman. Yanisse opened her eyes wide, and as the Russian girl realized she was acting out of character, blushing, she pushed herself away from the beauty in front of her. S-Sorry I was too excited for no reason. Its fine! I know how hard it has been for you; dont worry. You came at the end, but your doppelgangers could I know, but I simply couldnt ignore what happened here, so I forced myself to come back. Ive brought my entire family as well. Theres a lot to do, actually. Lets go. A-Ah, yeah Yanisse nodded as she saw Bing Xue hold her hand. Y-Youre! Hm? Bing Xue wondered, looking back at her. N-Nothing Yanisse smiled a bit more as she tightly held Bing Xues hand. For the first time after the Apocalypse, she felt comforted and protected. Her heart was beating, and she felt so warm and embarrassed. These feelings she had werent just for a friend. Bing Xue, wait Oh? Yanisse walked towards her and looked at her in the eyes. Hm? Yanisse stood up from the tip of her toes and kissed Bing Xues cheek. Thank you for everything As the Russian beauty smiled, Bing Xue blushed back in response. Its nothing, I did what I had to do. She smiled. Yanisse, I want to ask you something now. Yes? A-Anything Yanisse muttered, thinking that she might invite her to a date. Yanisse Bing Xue said as Yanisses heart continued beating faster and faster in anticipation. Would you like to join my Sect? Eh? ----- Chapter 67: The Plan To Recreate The Heavenly Court ----- Because of what had happened on Earth, I had to completely shift my priorities. The twins understood that my world was important to me and didnt mind me leaving the Second Floor Exploration for a week from now, as I quickly grabbed everyone, placing them inside my Inner Realm, and quickly left the Towers First Floor, arriving back to my home world, Earth. About the villagers, I left the reinforced, new barrier I had created just recentlya new and enhanced form I used to power the barrier surrounding New York. I also left Doppelgangers there, so the ones that had just slain the Primal King disappeared so they could all get the power back over there. As for the gods, I had thought about leaving them behind, but after a quick talk with Leviathan and his Divine Spirit Guardians, we agreed that he would personally oversee Nexus City and the beast peoples village, so if anything happened, he would defend them personally. So, with that taken care of, I came back to my planet, the one Ive been relentlessly protecting all this time, even when I wasnt even present the moment I entered the tower. On the way, I saw the Primal King dying against my Doppelgangers, which I swiftly dispelled afterward; they cost quite a hefty sum of Primordial Energies after all. I never thought I would be forced to use my strongest Martial Arts Techniques to get rid of that bastard; it truly seems like there might eventually be entities out there that will match my power. And it is quite obvious that the Gods are a big candidate for that. The Gods of these lower floors might be all weaklings, but as we get to higher Floors, I am beginning to think they will only become stronger, ultimately becoming capable of matching my strength or perhaps possessing a comprehension of their own divinities to the point they can somewhat compare to mine. As someone who struggled to survive for eleven thousand years, I never underestimated my foes, and I always prepared ahead of time, sometimes almost paranoically. But it was all for my survival. I need to get stronger if Ill ever confront them, especially a god such as the Grandfather of Time, who seems capable of opening portals to not just other worlds but parallel worlds from different timelines altogethera power not even I can conjure. Why? Because its a combination of both Space Dao and Time Dao whose comprehension has reached the maximum level, hes only one step closer to becoming one with the Cosmos at that level. Could there be Gods in the Tower that are already comparable to the Immemorial Void Realm? The possibility terrifies me, honestly. I need to get to that Realm first, whatever the cost. But for now, I suppose it is time for some rest. Weve done enough; everyone worked hard; they survived; everyone did, and I made sure that such a thing was possible. The invaders of what Ill call Primal Earth or "Prehistoric World" were eliminated; the Primal Dinosaurs and Primal Cavemen were incredibly formidable but had no magical powers or skills, only sheer physical prowess and superhuman abilities that surged from their bodies. Their Levels were high, despite their world not being integrated with the System yet. This means that they were slowly being integrated. I could tell that as I fought the Primal King, the more we fought, the stronger he became. The System was helping him become stronger by giving him Skills. If I let that monster continue growing, he might have one day surpassed me in physical abilities, and thats something I couldnt let happen. The Chimera was also destroyed; that thing and the Primal King were most likely the strongest beings in their worlds, as it showed in their levels. I imagine they were given such high levels because it was the system assimilating them with their strength included maybe something similar would have happened to me if it wasnt because the system was unable to calculate my power. But I suppose that when they assimilate incredibly strong beings, they calculate their power ahead of time and assign a level comparable to their actual strength, interestingly enough. Well, thats only my theory, though. I managed to save Yanisse from falling, though, which was a very dangerous move. She possessed Ki now and had merged it seamlessly with her Void Essence but ended up overdoing it just to defeat all enemies and end this once and for all. I admire her bravery and strength, but like many of the humans here, shes very reckless. I suppose it is part of our nature to be reckless. Maybe it is something we have over othersthe adrenaline that flows through our bloodstream as we find ourselves surrounded and fighting against all odds. It might be seen as a virtue of humansone last stand, a last remnant of our primal instincts, of the past we once had. Seeing all these cavemen and dinosaurs made me think of how far weve evolved, and it also made me wonder what sort of world these barbarians came from. Luckily, not all of them were brutish monsters; two groups of people had appeared, completely different from the brutes, who willingly fought them and helped the other hunters defeat the chimera. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Well meet soon, though, as of now, I had proposed something to Yanisse after she kissed my cheek as a show of gratitude for saving her, I assumed. Will you join my sect? Eh? She seemed eager to hear my question, but once I asked her, she became... paralyzed. Her blushing face quickly cooled down, and she went back to her usual, expressionless face. Sect? What do you mean by sect, Bing Xue? She wondered. Like an evil cult?! N-No, thats not it! I sighed. I guess Earth doesnt have this concept right now, or it is often confused with another, huh? Well, in a way, a Sect could be considered both a Family, a Guild, a Company, and even a Country or Kingdom. A combination of all of them. What? She asked. Youre building such an organization?! Yes, Ive already decided that I would. I nodded. I cant simply leave my people here to despair and be saved by me all the time. I was doubtful at first, uncertain of whether I should step in or not. But after everything Ive experienced, Ive made my decision. Im listening Yanisse seemed interested. I will recreate the Heavenly Court I once founded back in Murim, a large organization, a Divine Sect that will be in charge of order and justice, I explained. We will protect Earth with it, a large organization of Elites and countless talented disciples, and I will personally teach the ways of Cultivating the Heavenly Dao. Yanisse nodded. I will offer resources, accommodations, training grounds, philosophy, challenges, and everything necessary for people to become stronger. I continued explaining. And in exchange, the sect members will offer me their eternal loyalty to help me protect Earth... and also the worlds I will begin to liberate. I already did that in Eclipse; I killed both of their gods, freed the world from the churches and evil cults controlling everything, and made of Eclipse a world with freedom, away from the clutches of their Divinities. Y-You did that?! Yanisse gasped. Y-You killed Gods themselves? And Ive also become one myself. I showed her my Divinity, as Yanisse gasped, stepping back in shock. I will become the Guardian of Earth, but Ill need help. You and other Elites, I will try to recruit all of them. An assembly of Earths strongest warriors, I will call it the Heavenly Guardian Table. T-Thats amazing! She said. Hahah, but that name is a bit wonky E-Eh? Its not good? But I thought it would sound good and intimidating! I said. You have good ideas and are strong, but youve got a terrible naming sense, Bing Xue! Haha. Yanisse laughed for the first time Ive ever seen her. I am still surprised you ever thought about all of this... And you killed the gods. Actually, I am not that shocked about it; there were speculations that you did it. Some people already on the internet began to say that you were as strong as the Gods. Well, I dont know what to say. I suppose thats a relief. Haha, I giggled. I will get into more details later. So, would you join? I I am still thinking about it, Yanisse sighed. You see, I have a contract with this country; I cannot really join any guild or organization, and I must always cooperate with the military. What? What kind of strange contract is that? I asked. It is so I could become kind of a guardian of North America. In exchange, they provide food, money, and other resources to my country, Russia. She explained. Sorry, but I think I might not be able to join. Hmmm, so the whole problem is because of this contract? I wondered. If that contract was abolished, would you join? I I think so, yes. She nodded. Wait, what are you thinking about? That face youre making Hm, what face? I smiled. This is just how I smile. I remember I made a good friend, the Prime Minister of America, that old man Maybe I should visit him soon. Y-Youre friends with the Prime Minister? Right, I do remember you having an interaction with him. They had summoned me to oversee that, but when I arrived, you were already done. Yanisse said. Amongst the three World Class Hunters before your arrival, Im the only one chained like this because I want to protect my country, but if you could somehow help me... But I wouldnt know how to ever repay you. Dont worry, you can think about that once I do it. I smiled. Now that Im really hungry, shall we go back to our home? New York might be a hellhole, but it''s still better than the wastelands over here. Right Lets go then. She nodded. I didnt realize we were holding hands this entire time, I mostly did this to help her move, because she looked very tired. But as I held her hand, her coldness slowly warmed up, and it felt nice. Yanisse had very soft, beautiful hands. She was really a beautiful maiden worth protecting. B-Bing Xue, you dont need to hold my hands all the time She muttered while blushing. O-Oh, haha, my bad! I let go of her after a while. Once we moved across the forest, we reached the group that was fighting the chimera, and we met with all the Guild Masters and the two Tribes of Cavemen that helped us. There were the charcoal-skinned, red-haired muscular giants, and the tall, lean, brown-skinned, and white-haired people with big, hawk-like eyes. Bing Xue, Yanisse! Im so happy to see you two! Nicholas was the first to greet us, rushing to us. Hello Nicholas, I passed out for a little while, but Bing Xue helped me, thankfully. Yanisse greeted him. Is everyone okay? Yeah, is everyone alright? I asked. Yes, everyone is fine, thanks to you two Once more, we owe our victory and survival to you, Bing Xue, and Yanisse as well Nicholas sighed. T-Thank you so much Its fine, young man, I patted his shoulders. Let us return to New York at once. Can we host a meeting with the guild masters? I need to talk with everyone. Wait, really? O-Okay! Nicholas nodded. The Guild Masters, after finally seeing me in person, ran towards me. Bing Xue! Did you see that?! I used the power you gifted me! Was I strong? Did I surprise you? Am I worthy? Asked Aiyana, the muscular warrior. It is an honor to meet you in person this time! I am John, the Guild Master of the Justice Guild! A young blonde man, who would be considered handsome, I suppose, greeted me as well. Auntie Bing Xue! Can we practice more of that Magic fused with your energies? I want to discover how far I can bring my magic! Francisco, the youngest of them all, greeted me; he was an energetic and adorable boy. Do you want to have a coffee? Jackes asked me directly for a coffee. I know a place. Hey you four, get back! Stop stressing, Bing Xue! Dont you think youre being a bit too overbearing now? Nicholas stopped them. Lets go back to the city; theres still many things we need to take care of. She also called for a meeting with all of us at the Hunter Association, so youll get your chance for introductions and more once we get there. Now, lets go. With Nicholas leading, the Guild Masters calmed down and stepped back as we moved back to New York. It was finally time to announce to the world my new project. The recreation of the Heavenly Court. ----- Chapter 68: The True Ruler Of North America ----- In the now reconstructed and reinforced City of Washington, where the White House was once located, a much larger building was built after the Apocalypse destroyed everything. This building was completely different than the White House, resembling a pitch-black castle with crimson and golden linings. The American flag was not present either, as a different flag of crimson red color with a golden, roaring lion in the middle replaced it and was decorating the entire castle. The security was all clad in black and red armor and resembled medieval knights instead of normal bodyguards. A small, nervous old man could be seen slowly making his way inside the castle as the knights made their way once he revealed his identity card. I''m the Prime Minister; the King has summoned me to the throne room. The knights only gave him a deadly, cold glare before they stepped back and the gates of the castle opened. The Prime Minister looked at the huge building nervously, sweating constantly. He walked through the long, expansive corridors, glancing at the fancy decorations. It felt like he was in a royal castle in Britain rather than America! Finally making his way to the end, he entered the throne room after two guards, whose levels he barely noticed were over three thousand, allowed him to enter. At the end of the throne room, there was a golden throne finely decorated with angelic wings and the heads of various beasts, and above such a seat, there was a gigantic figurethe silhouette that could only be described as a beast of a man"sat over there, overseeing it all. The darkness that shrouded the dark throne room covered most of his face, but the Prime Minister could clearly see his shiny, golden armor and how it finely wrapped around his superhuman, bulky, and muscular body. Your Majesty The Prime Minister bowed his head to the King. Ive come as youve called me. Yes, the King of this country. The reason there was a Prime Minister and not a President was this man right in front of him! The King of the United States of North America. Prime Minister. The Kings eyes finally opened amidst the darkness; they shone like two red jewels, and his aura was activated, enshrouding the entire surroundings with a crimson sea of pure energy. You must already know why Ive called you here, right? Y-Yes Is it because of Bing Xue, your majesty? The Prime Minister asked with a trembling voice. As an unweakened man, he could barely withstand the kings presence alone. It was not something that he had ever experienced beforeoverwhelming, overpowering, even higher than the world-class players themselves. And otherworldly. My father has been pestering me for a while. He said. He says that I do not bring enough tribute, that my kingdom is not flourishing, and that I am letting some random woman do as she pleases... Someone who has already slain two gods at that. W-What? She did that? The Prime Minister gasped. Excuse me, your majesty, but your father... Isnt he? For you peasants, I suppose you would call him the God of Floor 74. The King spoke. Yes, that is my father. The Golden Lion Crimson Emperor. And he, himself, has stated his dislike for that woman, Bing Xue. What do you think I should do now, my advisor? The King was impatient, his fingers tapping the throne every second, awaiting a response from the Prime Minister. I-I Bing Xue is an earthling; she means no harm to your kingdom, my lord. If anything, she is a guardian, someone who wants to protect your people. Said the Prime Minister. Is that so? The king said, squinting his eyes. I must see that myself first I shall keep watching. The Prime Minister sighed in relief. For now. The Kings voice echoed, even stronger than before; his Aura alone made the Prime Minister fall to the floor head-first. "Report to me anything you see, anything suspicious. Bring me information about those she cares about: her abilities, skills, stats, techniques, magic, everything. The King spoke. You live to serve me, you servant. Remember the promise you gave me? Remember WHO saved your pitiful country from being swallowed by the Gates? Y-Yes, of course- Ugh! The Prime Minister groaned. We, the people of America, have never forgotten your kindness and generosity, oh great King! W-Without you, our entire country would have been destroyed eleven years ago. As the Prime Minister licked the Kings boots, the menacing mans Aura slowly dissipated, letting his servant breathe. He was ruthless because he was taught to be this way. Always keep a tight leash on your subjects, or theyll betray you whenever they see a weakness to exploit! These were the teachings of his father, and the King kept them inside his heart at all times. Good. Now leave. The king waved his hand, uninterested in seeing this pitiful dog anymore. Y-Yes The Prime Minister nodded, walking away rather quickly. As the King was left alone, the slender figure of a woman with long blonde hair, emerald-colored eyes, and pointy elven ears, wearing a glistening silver dress, stepped out from the back of his throne. My King Arent you being too harsh on the little earthlings?" She asked, gently caressing his flawless and manly chin. The man allowed her in, seemingly slightly infatuated with her charm and her gentle smile. I must. Or else, theyll betray me, he said. I have to always remind him that it was my army that saved them from destruction. I am one of the pioneers of Fathers expansion plans. I cannot lose the territory Ive already taken. Hmm~ That Bing Xue Is she really that big of a deal, though? The woman giggled, as she summoned a crystal sphere, showcasing videos about Bing Xue. Well see The King said, his sharp, crimson eyes attentively looking. Guardian or not, if she becomes a threat to my kingdom or my fathers expansion plans, then I will have to take care of her. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. I suppose theres no helping it~ the elf woman giggled. Our daughter is about to be fifteen years old now; will we have a birthday party, honey? Hmm maybe, the king said. If she behaves and constantly practices her swordsmanship and her aura techniques, then she will receive a proper reward. Youre trying so hard to make it as if you dont care, his wife giggled. Hah The king sighed. Father, father! Suddenly, the voice of a teenage girl echoed through the corridors. A half-elf child with long black hair, pointy ears, and sharp crimson eyes ran towards the King. Cecil, I told you that you must not disturb your father while hes on his duties. Her mother reprimanded the girl. But I wanted to show him! The young girl said. Show me what? The king asked with a cold tone of voice. Look! The girl unsheathed her small golden sword, concentrating her mana into a golden and crimson aura. The king widened his eyes as the girl swung her blade. Sword Aura! SLAAASH! A powerful slash was unleashed from the girl in the opposite direction of the King, reaching the gate in front of her and slicing it open. BAAAM! Countless cracks spread across the castle as it trembled. I mastered it! Sword Aura! The girl celebrated. Am I qualified now, father? Hmmm Perhaps, once you reach adulthood, I could give you a territory to manage. The king seemed much happier now. I suppose we can make her a birthday party then. Hehe! The young teen smiled, very cheerful despite her overly serious, cold father. But much like her father, she also hid a secret. As she walked away with her mom, her face quickly changed. The childish innocence she had dissipated into thin air. Her face became incredibly serious and mature, and her eyes were full of determination. It was as if the only thing that she had as a child was her body. But her mind was that of an adult. FLASH! A small dot of darkness floated above her head. It resembled a star. Her smile widened. The King looked at his daughter as she walked away, a slight smile surging on his lips, as his domineering crimson eyes shone brightly. Im still amassing forces, but soon enough... This world shall become my kingdoms entire territory, he thought. [The Tower God {Golden Lion Crimson Emperor} has high expectations of you, his eighth son.] [Do not disappoint him!] Father, your son shall honor your Legacy. . . . (Bing Xues POV) After we reached New York, I opened my Inner Realm to let my family out safely. Not only my mother and my sister came, but also the twins, Urbosa and Merkite, and my adoptive daughter, Hekita. Aside from them, Rubys boyfriend, too, had recently returned from his training. My date with Peperina ended nicely, although a bit abruptly because I was in a hurry. We promised to meet again in a couple of days. She was busy with work, so even though I invited her to Earth, she rejected me. However, she said she would gladly have another date with me and accepted the necklace I made as a gift. She reciprocated by giving me a kiss on my cheek. With Yanisse, I got two kisses from cute girls today. Woah, so this is Earth! Urbosa muttered, looking around her surroundings. Such HUGE buildings! Merkite said. Look, Hekita, they reach the skies as the tower does! I see them! So big! A-And look at that tooare they carriages? Theyre moving without horses! Hekita said. Those are skyscrapersbuildings we humans built to house many people at once, I explained. And those are cars, metallic carriages that work using fuel instead of an animal pulling it. And whats that?! Hekita pointed at an ice cream shop. Everyone coming out is eating that creamy thing on cones! Thats an ice cream shop, Ruby sighed. "Hekita, I am pretty sure you got this back home too. Havent eaten it yet! Hekita said. The little wolf girl was making a bit of a mess around, surprising the people walking around as she ran around the streets, sniffing and pointing at stuff. She was constantly being surprised by everyone and everything. The twins were also rather surprised but werent making that much of a fuss. Ultimately, Urbosa reprimanded her daughter and calmed her down as she walked back to us. On the way to the Hunter Association, we decided to make a few stops, letting Yanisse and the guild masters go ahead for the time being. We decided to purchase some clothes for my mates and little Hekita, as we wanted them to not draw too much attention by wearing their tribal clothes. They were very beautiful clothes, but they also expressed their intent on wearing new stuff and adapting to my world. As your mates, we should make the effort to try to adapt as much as youve done with our tribe, right? Urbosa smiled. Hmm~ What dress is good for me? Merkite wondered, showing me several beautiful dresses. I think these shorts would look good on you, honey~ I smiled, bringing a pair of sexy shorts. And this black blouse Maybe this jacket. Oooh, you humans really have an interesting fashion sense! Merkite said. Okay, let me try them then~! As she went to do that, Urbosa kept asking me what dress fit her better. Hmm, any dress would look beautiful on you, love. I smiled. But maybe try the white one? Its a nice contrast with your black fur. Aww, not wrong. She nodded. Okay. She kissed me and then quickly went to try it out. At the same time, Hekita was trying out countless clothes that my mother and my sister had suggested. Once half an hour went by, we were able to finally walk out of the clothing shop. I ended up spending over $5,000 on clothes for my mates and my daughter. Theyre my everything, so its fine to spend money on them~ Though, arent I becoming kind of a sugar mommy? Better not overthink it. Anyway, Urbosa decided to wear that white dress with a beautiful sunflower painted into it as if it were a canvas, a white summer hat, and a golden necklace and bracelet I bought for her. I want my girls to look fancy and cute, so buying them some accessories made of pure gold was not out of the question; they asked away, and I bought them! As for Merkite, she decided to wear the jean shorts I showed her; she looked really sexy and beautiful; the shorts really accentuated her thick thighs; and her black blouse, which left her belly covered, looked nice and cozy, alongside a black jacket. She was truly slaying. Slaying my heartthats it! They were already so beautiful, but after getting some of these clothes, they just suddenly became even more beautiful! Is this love? To relish seeing my cute girlfriends wearing cute and sexy clothes? It is a nice feeling, definitely. Oh, and about Hekita, she bought a clear red dress with pink Hawaiian flowers and black sandals. The twins decided to walk barefoot, but Hekitas feet were much smaller and more delicate than the adults, so she wore sandals most of the time until she reached adulthood. Whats wrong? Youre looking at us a lot Urbosa smiled. Do we look that good? Fufu. Yeah, you sure love my new clothes Merkite teased me. Like this? She grasped her thick thighs. I would be lying if I said I didnt like it I giggled. But yes, you two look gorgeous. Shall we eat something first before going to the hunter association? Mom? Sis? Sure, lets go eat something. My mom nodded. Been a while since we came back, I want to eat something from Earth for once~ Me too! Ruby said. Alright, lets go then~! I nodded, and while my two cute mates held my arms gently at my right and left, we moved across NYs streets and found a nice restaurant to have a meal together. It was definitely nice to take a break like this once in a while. The Hunter Association can wait a bit, right? I bet theyre busy anyway. . . . So when is she coming?! Weve been waiting here for almost an hour, Nicholas! Inside New Yorks Hunter Association, the many Guild Masters of New York gathered, surrounding a huge table with Nicholas at the head. I Well, she came with her lovers and her family, so I believe she is taking her time with them. Nicholas muttered. After all, her lovers are not from Earth, so she must be showing them around and stuff! Lets have patience, everyone Haha. I didnt know she had two lovers already Aiyana sighed. Im jealous Can I become her lover too, maybe? Youre being too shameless again, Aiyana Yanisse spoke with a cold tone of voice. Aiyana could tell she was pissed off about her remark in particular. What? Aiyana raised an eyebrow. Hey, its not like you own her or something, dont you? Bing Xue has two lovers, so shes probably open to more relationships. Im just saying~ I know Yanisse sighed. She blushed a bit after that. The men in the room noticed the awkward atmosphere, they could already guess Bing Xue was into girls, and they could also guess that she was really good at conquering other girls hearts very quickly. Its so obvious they like her Jackes sighed to himself. These two are not a good match John thought. I want to learn more magic with Bing Xue! Francisco only thought about that. Bing Xue, please dont take too long Nicholas sighed, sipping on his coffee as he looked through the window, watching the bustling city of New York. ----- Chapter 69: Revealing The Truth ----- After having a comforting meal, we moved back home with my whole family. My room was big enough for Urbosa and Merkite to easily get comfortable there. I had to buy a larger bed for all three of us, but it was quite easy to do. The delivery said it would arrive in an hour or two. As for Hekita, we decided to leave her in the other room that was unoccupied. After cleaning it with Kirbys help, as the room was rather dusty, we decided to make the whole room my cute daughters new room. She was very happy about it and liked the big windows that let the sunlight enter, and she was constantly watching over the city. "Mommy, I love this! Can we stay here, like, forever?! Haha, I dont know if we can stay forever here, well need to eventually move between Tower Floors But sure, if you want to, this can be your home as well, dear. I caressed her fluffy hair as she giggled happily, hugging me. She might be an adoptive daughter, but she really filled my heart with happiness. My sect did raise and help many children, but I never grew attached to any of them. Perhaps I was afraid, back then, of making bonds. Maybe I thought I would lose them quickly. In a world where something like the Heavenly Will exists, you never know when fate will twist itself to ruin you. And after learning that the Heavenly Will was definitely modifying fate to screw me over, I am still glad I didnt create any bonds, nor did I love anybody there, or, well, those that I once loved or cared for were already long gone. I had friends, but even then, I couldnt allow myself to care for them much more. It was a lingering fear that they would one day be taken away. And thanks to that, I can be sure that theyre fine even now. The Heavenly Will knows that I never cared about anybody, so it wont punish these people, which could never move my heartstrings. But it is different now; I am not in Murim, the Heavenly Will doesnt exist, and the Gods, as strong as they are, are still confined within their own worlds, inside the Tower. I can allow myself some respite; I can allow myself to make bonds and to love and care for others much more than before. But its all empty, though! When are the things we bought coming, mommy? Hekita wondered adorably. Oh, you mean the pink bed you bought? Heheh, its coming in an hour or two, I believe, I kissed her on the forehead. Have patience, honey. Ill try, but I can hardly wait! Hekita started running around the entire house after that, sniffing around and getting used to the scent and smell. Naturally, beast people are very sensitive to smells, and going to a place whose smell they dont recognize might stress them if they arent mature enough. Hekita had to get used to the smell quickly, so she started sniffing everywhere. Urbosa and Merkite were much calmer, showing their maturity. Its truly an interesting building, it''s even more beautiful and large than the buildings of humans back in Eclipse Urbosa said, wandering around while waving her tail in excitement. Its truly like a castle of our own! Isnt it, mother-in-law? I am so grateful for you inviting us to live here! Merkite smiled adorably, thanking Mom. Oh, its nothing, dear. Im glad you find it good. Its an old building, but I suppose it was nicely refurbished some years ago, my mother smiled. The pillars were reinforced to resist earthquakes and such. I thought you would find it a bit boring compared to your beautiful homes back in Eclipse, surrounded by nature. Its quite noisy in the middle of New York over here. Well, both houses are certainly different, but we are willing to learn and love the house of our beloved mate, Urbosa nodded. Theres certainly something unique and beautiful about this building, being so high in the skies and looking at the entire city... It makes me appreciate what your people have built; it shows your perseverance and incredible ability to work together. Thats a bit exaggerated, but I get what you mean. Ruby nodded. "Also, Hekita seems to love it, so Im happy as well! Urbosa smiled, hugging my arm. Thank you for accepting us again, Bing Xue... Im so happy with you now. Oh? Well, Im also happy with you, my love, I kissed her lips, as she waved her tail around happily. Why dont we have fun in your bed for a little while? Urbosa asked me while winking at me. Ooh? I suppose we could, but I muttered. Well, I got something to do right now, and I think Ive taken too long. I have a meeting with the Hunters Association. Eh?! I didnt know! And you havent gone to that important meeting yet? Was it for us? Im so sorry Urbosa said. Nah, its fine! I dont mind taking as much as I need to prepare things for all of you, I kissed her again. Ill come back in a few hours; I suppose. Once Im back, we can have some fun. How about it? Ill gladly wait then~ Urbosa rubbed her nose on mine. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. I couldnt resist and ended up hugging her a bit, caressing her fluff. She was so warm, and her scent was so sweet, I could hardly resist her charm! Take care then~ Merkite also gave me a little smooch. Come back quickly, though! Sure, sure~ Hekita, do you want mommy to bring you something? Like a snack? I wondered as Hekita quickly ran to my side. A sweet! Like candy or chocolate! she said. Alright~ I gently patted her little head, and then I decided to finally go. Mom, sis, please, if they are curious about something Of course, dear, well guide them around the house and everything, my mom nodded. Just go already! I bet the chairman has already died of old age waiting for you! Ruby reprimanded me. A-Ah, well, yeah Ive certainly taken too long, my bad, I quickly jumped out of the window, becoming pure golden light and disappearing from the scene. Within a split second, I appeared in front of the Hunter Association. Well, finally here; lets get this done quickly I swiftly walked inside. However, on the way, I was quickly swarmed by all kinds of news reports, journalists, and the like. Its Bing Xue! Shes here, as the rumors said! So the Guild Masters all gathered for her?! Please, Bing Xue, any words on what happened just recently? What do you think about being praised as the New Goddess of Earth? Several religious groups are forming around you! Do you approve of their worship towards you?! How strong are you? Did they know I was coming here? I walked around the city with my family, but I wasnt really swarmed by anybody back then, I guess they did indeed gather around here mostly. Well, whatever the case, I had no time to waste. Sorry, I am quite busy right now. I kept walking until I entered the building, leaving a wall made of light behind so they wouldnt be able to follow me inside. L-Lady Bing Xue?! One of the many receptionists greeted me as I walked to the counter. Greetings, Ive come to the appointment I have with the other guild masters. I hope they are still here. I have taken a while to come back, my bad, I sighed. Y-Yes, of course, please follow me! The young woman quickly led me upstairs; there was a huge conference room. Once she allowed me inside, I found myself standing in front of a long glass table; surrounding it were several seats occupied by the Guild Masters, the Chairman, and Yanisse. Most of the Guild Masters also came accompanied by one of their guild members. Except Yanisse and the chairman, who were independent due to their duties to the country. It wouldnt be incorrect to say that Nicholas and Yanisse were more like agents of the government than public figures. Bing Xue! Youre finally here! Oh my god Nicholas sighed, looking really exhausted. Did you have to take two hours Yanisse sighed. Greetings everyone! And yeah, I cant really justify it, I apologize for my late arrival, I said. Shall we get to the point then? I sat down at the opposite end of the glass table, over a not-so-comfortable black chair, as all the hunters glanced at me at once. Maybe if it were me eleven thousand years ago, I would have certainly freaked out a bit. I am slightly pissed off about waiting, but I guess after you helped us all, I still feel more grateful than anything, Aiyana was the first to comment. Bing Xue! I want to talk to you later! Can we discuss more about magic formula creation? Francisco called. Dont worry, the wait was definitely worth it, Bing Xue, John smiled. This is the perfect opportunity! Will you join my Guild? I am even willing to make you into the vice guild master! Hey John, are you for real? sighed Jackes. Shes definitely going to reject you Well! You never know until you ask! John laughed. "Sorry, but Im good, I rejected him as Jackes expected. A-Ah, I see Very well, John sighed, looking dispirited. Anyway, theres a lot of things we need to discuss first. Although there was a main reason why I called you here, I want to first explain to you what has happened recently, I said. Most of you have already guessed that the Raid we received recently wasnt even a Raid at all, right? It wasnt? John asked dumbfoundedly. Wait, youre right! Where are my Raid Points?! We indeed received no Raid Points, yes, Jackes nodded. Then were those gigantic Gates, just that? Gates? No, it was certainly something more, right, Bing Xue? Aiyana wondered. Indeed, we were directly attacked by a God, I said. Eh?! Everyone gasped. It seemed that the whole concept of being attacked by Gods wasnt as well understood yet. Although most people speculated that the Gods of each Tower Floor seemed to have something to do with the invasions, it was never really stated by the System, so it ended up being just speculation. The Gods of the Tower, or well, the majority of them, have been constantly attacking our world and many other worlds similar to us through the Gates, I answered. They are purposely made portals towards their own worlds dungeons, bringing forth all matter of creatures. There is no gate out there that wasnt made by some God. If you see one, it was definitely a God who made it. Youre saying that the Gods of the Tower Theyre the ones trying to kill us all the time? I thought Well, amongst the many theories, there was one that said that the Gates were a natural phenomenon and the Gods, and the System were assisting us in surviving. Nicholas muttered. Were we always wrong about that? Most definitely, I nodded. I killed the two Gods of Eclipse, so I know how most of the Tower Gods work and function You did what?! Aiyana screamed. Is that even possible? Bing Xue W-What? Huh? Youre not joking, right? Francisco, Yanisse, Nicholas, John, and Jackes all responded in a similar way too. It honestly felt really cute how they all reacted in shock. Im not joking, Jackes, I nodded. Let me display to you what the gods truly are; these are the memories they held; they directly show what theyve been doing until now. I showed them the memories of the gods in the same way I did for my mother. They were left dumbfounded and completely silent. As you can see, those two gods were responsible for attacking our world not once but several times, I said. However, amongst the many gates weve faced, they only amounted to roughly ten percent of everything our planet has faced; the latest raid was hosted by the God of Deep Darkness, who Ive slain personally. Everyone looked devastated without saying a word. The sole thought of being mere prey to beings as incredibly powerful as gods was simply terrific to themhow theyve always been just puppets, bags of energy, and souls to feed them. The Tower does not bring opportunities; it is merely a giant, astral relic that helps gods travel through other worlds, butcher their souls, and then completely consume the planets as usable matter, I explained. The Gods are not our allies; theyre directly responsible for everything weve faced so far. Everything we thought... Yanisse muttered. Was it all a lie? I cant believe this Nicholas muttered. S-So even the gods helping us are actually after our souls too. I am an Avatar, you know?! John cried. D-Does that mean theyre using me as a puppet? M-Me too Francisco muttered. Ugh, my head, this is not easy to process, Aiyana sighed. Jackes remained in silence, thinking. I suppose it wont be easy for them to understand right away; Ill have to give them some time. ----- Character References
These are all AI Generated and I don''t own these images, but they are what I would believe these characters would look like. It''s subject to change as I could commission something in the near future. Yanisse, Vessel of the Void Aiyana, Native American Warrior This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Nicholas, Chairman of the Hunter Association of New York Caesar Chrom III, New King of North America (Canada, United States, Part of Mexico) and Elphiete Greenleaf, the Queen Cecil Chrom IV, Crown Princess of North America Do you want to see another character''s appearance? Comment which one.
Chapter 70: Fiery Hair And The Alliance ----- If any of you present is an Avatar, I recommend you quickly change your Classes into something not controlled by them. I found out through the memories of those two gods that Avatars slowly have their souls degraded and assimilated by the gods; eventually, you end up becoming a secondary body for them; your mind and memories disappear, replaced by theirs, I explained. Eh?! Francisco panicked. N-No way! I dont want that to happen to me! T-This is Are they like parasites or something?! John looked completely different, sweating all over, his eyes opening wide, and he was panicking. No I dont want them to take over my body! The thing is, theres no way to change Classes once you choose one; Class Advancements only make the Class Stronger, Jackes answered. We are already trapped in this situation... It seemed that amongst everyone here, Jackes, John, and Francisco were God Avatars already. Thankfully, the other half of the group was safe; Aiyan and Yanisse never chose an Avatar Class because they knew it was sketchy, and it seemed that Nicholas was never offered one. "If true, this is tremendous news," said Nicholas. It both means that our true enemy was always the gods, and it also means that Bing Xue is stronger than even them, capable of slaying two! T-Thats right John muttered, suddenly calming down. You truly killed them? Francisco wondered. T-Then, does that mean that they arent as invincible as we thought? I wouldnt say that. None of you could ever defeat one, I said. I grew as powerful as I am in the world I was sent to eleven years ago, Murim, where time went much quicker. I spent eleven thousand years there, training, cultivating, and becoming stronger while surviving hardship after hardship. I defeated the strongest beings, the Venerables, and made their powers mine before escaping back to Earth. That sounds so crazy and hard to believe, but I guess its all trueyour strength and what youve accomplished Yanisse said. And that power youve gifted usdoes it have something to do with that world, with Murim? Indeed, Ive gifted all of you the power to become stronger beyond the system; its called Ki, I explained. You will be able to cultivate it within your bodies, forge a physique and a martial core, and through it, rebuild, evolve, and transform your body and souls into stronger beings. This is an Inner Strength, not something connected to any System, something that will be yours and cannot be taken away. Everyone looked at their own hands, and the golden essence of Ki flowed out, blossoming like beautiful lotus flowers. Of course, Ive modified it. The Ki youve received from me is much richer, stronger, and of a higher quality than what a mortal would usually cultivate in Murim, I explained. It will help you grow stronger much faster As long as youre willing to become stronger and work hard. Bing Xue Nicholas said. Youre perhaps the only person who could save our world right now, we are all weaklings compared to the monstrosities out there. And the Gods We could never hope to defeat any. You seem to have a plan, could you share it with us? What are you planning to do? It feels like youve been looking at the big picture for a while now. Yanisse remained silent because she kind of already knew my plan. First of all, I shall explain to you the reason we were attacked and what the origin of the world is beyond the gray-colored gates that have sprouted not only here but across several areas of the planet, I said. Does the name Grandfather of Time ring any bells? Grandfather of Time? No John said. Is it a God of some sort? Francisco asked. I have no idea who it is, said Jackes. I know who he is Yanisse said. I was once offered to become his avatar... I declined, and since then, he has been sending otherworldly players to kill me. Well, he stopped a couple of years ago after he realized he couldnt kill me with a small fry. So I assume hes some kind of really resentful god, huh? wondered Nicholas. Bing Xue, was he the one that? Indeed, Ive checked the news recently; there are roughly five other places around the world where these gates have appeared. Some seem silent, but others have already begun to bring forth strange beings or even floating buildings I checked one piece of news showing a giant golden pyramid floating above Egypt. The Grandfather of Time is a powerful God of the Tower, someone who controls the very fabric of time and can connect to... parallel worlds. Parallel Worlds? Francisco wondered. Wait, like our own world but different because of something else that happened? Yes, I am still trying to understand how these powers actually work, but based on this information alone, I can already tell that the Grandfather of Time is an incredibly powerful God that might be as strong as I am... If not stronger, I sighed. It is hard for me to admit it, but across the endless cosmos, I was bound to find my match or even those that could surpass me in various aspects, or all of them. The Grandfather of Time has a big grudge against me, but it appears that is also against Yanisse and maybe many others on our planet. And now hes sending his full attack on our planet. He has opened portals to Parallel Worlds from our own, which seems much easier and deadlier for him to do than to simply create conventional Gates. So those dinosaurs were actually real dinosaurs and not monsters that looked like them?! And the cavemen too! Nicholas said. So theres a parallel Earth out there where dinosaurs never went extinct! But that still doesnt explain something; how were they so strong? Well, this is why Ive brought with me a few friends. Remember the cavemen we met that helped us fight the Brutes? I asked. Well, before coming here, I allowed them to enter my Inner Realm as a place they could use to rest and prepare for anything else. It was done before I arrived in New York, when I let Yanisse and Nicholas walk back to New York. The cavemen that helped us all were still confused and were asking for help, but our people were too tired, wounded, and exhausted to offer any. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. I managed to convince them after telling them I had slain the Primal King, which they believed the moment I showed them his head, which I had managed to keep while the rest of his body was disintegrated. Their leader, Fiery Hair, a beautiful primitive woman with an enormously tall, muscular build, fiery red hair, and skin as black as charcoal, seemed to immediately trust me after I had done that, and she made everyone else kneel before me. Anyways, heres Fiery Hair; shes an inhabitant of that world and the only one that can talk the best amongst them all, as well as the friendliest. Shes honestly a wonderful girl, so please treat her with respect; she has a hard time talking but does her best. I quickly opened a portal as the giantess stepped in, looking around her surroundings, sniffing the air, and then placing herself behind me. She was a bit afraid of the strange surroundings. S-Shes really her! I remember she saved our lives back then! Jackes said. I thought we had lost her, but it seems she was saved by Bing Xue; what a relief John sighed. Hey! Youre so big, holy shit! Aiyana gasped. I work out every day, but Ill never get that build! S-Shes a big woman Francisco gulped saliva. Uhhh I greet Fairy Hair muttered. Nervous Um, what do? Calm down, I patted her big, rough hands. Can you sit by my side? Bing bing, I trust Fiery Hair nodded. But confusion! Why here? These people dont help! Me angry they dont help! She seemed rather pissed that after she and her people helped everyone, they were utterly ignored and left behind, without knowing how to go back and without even being offered some food or anything. Shes angry you didnt help them, I sighed. I know you were in a hurry to go back and assess everything, but you should have at least invited them. I-I am deeply sorry, Fiery Hair! Nicholas asked for forgiveness. The thing is, our people... We were desperate to go see them; we couldnt lend a hand and... Well, this might come out as harsh, but you might have intimidated the population. We scary? Not scary! Fiery Hair showed her sharp fangs. We good! People good! We fight brutes! We protect protect children and the elderly We we are not bad Sorry I know, I understand, Nicholas nodded. T-This is an incredible moment nonetheless; to talk with people who might be the descendants of long-extinct ancestors of our species, its an incredible opportunity. My name is Nicholas, and I will make sure to make up for the difficulties we might have caused your kind. Hmmm Fiery Hair wasnt taking it kindly, though, crossing her very big arms as she sat down by my side. Come on now, Fiery Hair; calm down, dear, I gently patted her muscular thighs. Lets get along, okay? They said they were sorry; lets forgive them for now. If you cant do it for them, do it for me, alright? Hmm, she groaned. Bing bing, I trust Confusion. Why this? Area? This is building? What? This is indeed a building made by our kind, I nodded. Was there nothing like that back home? No Fiery Hair said, suddenly standing up and towering over everyone; even Nicholas stepped back in fear. She walked towards the windows, looking from above. Wooaaah She smiled with her cute face, her big, red eyes opening wide, showing their orange irises. Shes like a child, somewhat John muttered. Shes actually very mature; shes not a child I said. John, mind your words, okay? S-Sorry! John apologized. Now, Fiery Hair here; she will explain to us the origin of her world, I said. Right? She nodded as she walked back to me and then held my hand. She liked holding my hand as it calmed her down. Bing bing hands so soft I like, she smiled cutely, rubbing her face on them and sniffing them. Flower smell relaxing. She was making me blush a bit, but I let her do as she pleased, if that calmed her down. Now I explain! she nodded again. Our world home. Big world. Big creatures. Good and bad people brutes, evil. Other people, good! Maybe sometimes fight. But we got along! To fight the big, evil brute king. But Bing bing She killed him! Shes our savior! We love bing bing! So she loves you, huh? Yanisse asked with a teasing smile. I-I am fairly sure she doesnt mean romantically, haha I laughed a little, but I also felt embarrassed. Our big world Ancestors say. Elderly says. That it originated. From star! Big star hit our world fell from the big black veil! The scaled lords they didnt die. Nobody died, actually! Big star, didnt kill like others. Big star big star brought power! Ancient power. Everyone. The world! Power that everyone acquired! Stronger scarier! Years millions! Many years! We were born weak and small people. Work together to survive! We make tribes. We make cultures! We make friends and family! We live together we die together. Fiery Hair explained. It seemed that not many understood what she meant, but Nicholas caught on to it. If your world is truly a parallel world, does that mean that the meteor that fell took much longer to do so? When your people were already alive, the dinosaurs were still there. And above all, once the meteor, which you call the star, fell You say that energy permeated the world? Was this when your kind was alive or before? No wait, if it were before, you would have never known Nicholas said. Ancestors saw star! They illustrated in the caves! Fiery Hair nodded. We Children of Fire our hair became red, our eyes red! We became the children of fire! Suddenly, flames emerged out of her own hands. It wasnt magic, it was as if her own body could naturally produce flames through biological processes enchanted further through the power of their unique energy source, Primal Power. I believe they come from a world where the meteor that ended the dinosaurs never came, and instead, a different one arrived much later in time, one that brought the power they all acquiredI call it Primal powerand it made both the animals and people very strong, I explained. Fiery Hair here is part of the Children of Fire Tribe; there are other tribes with supernatural abilities too. That sounds really interesting Yanisse nodded. Amazing! I kind of want to visit such a world now! Aiyana said. I-Its really baffling to think about it, Francisco said. So theyre really just us, other humans John said. An alliance is a must then, as long as our worlds remain connected, Jackes nodded. Fiery Hair, would it be okay for you to ally with our tribe? I asked her. Hmmm Ritual needed for alliance Big sis married hawk eye prince! said Fiery Hair. I must pick someone. To mate with! Then alliance possible. Eh?! Everyone reacted with embarrassment and shock. I-is there no other way? I wondered, trying to make sense of their customs without wanting to offend their culture. NO! Fiery Hair answered angrily. We must not violate ancestors rules! Ancestors protect, ancestors guide! Ah, oh well Lets say, hypothetically, who would choose among us? I asked her. I assume youre the leader, so Bing bing! she immediately said, hugging me with her big arms. Bing bing is the only one! I mate with bing bing, we ally! Bing bing is perfect wife! Ah No worry! Mates can be any any sex! she smiled. We adopt children later!" I-Is that so? Youre all always open-minded I giggled nervously. W-Wait a second, you cant just force her to become your wife out of nowhere! Yanisse complained. Yeah, thats right! Aiyana said. Bing Xue, you surely dont want to, right? Dont just go along with her whims Hmm, Ill have to consider it I sighed. Honestly, I find her very cute and beautiful, but I want to know her more. Perhaps? I gently patted Fiery Hairs big hands. Is that okay with you? Fiery Hair nodded happily. Yes! Yes! We hunt together and eat together! We know each other then love is born! The way she talked was, honestly, very cute. Hahah, okay, fine Sure, I shrugged. But dont think I am easy, okay? I already have two mates. No matter! she said. Thank you for accepting my feelings, bing bing! she suddenly hugged me and tried to kiss my face. I ended up accepting a kiss from her on my cheek, as she caressed my hair. She was very affectionate and smelled kind of like charcoal. A-Anyways! Now that the alliance is in progress, I guess we should move on to the next subject, I muttered, trying to keep my composure. Everyone quickly went back to the main topic, trying very hard to ignore the giantess in love. Ahem! I straightened my face. I will recreate Murims Heavenly Court and bring order and justice to this world and all worlds in the Tower. ----- Chapter 71: Pick Your Choice ----- Although the group of Hunters had been thrown off a bit after seeing Bing Xue flirt with the giantess from a parallel, prehistoric world to ally with the ancient humans and the ones from this present Earth, her words right afterward quickly shook everyone to the core. I will recreate Murims Heavenly Court and bring order and justice to this world and all worlds in the Tower. Her serious face and her solemn expression immediately showed that she was not joking when she said these words. To bring order to not only Earth but the rest of the worlds connected to the Tower was something immense and completely unrealistic. But they knew, deep down, that such a thing was completely possible for her, Bing Xue, the one that had saved their world time and time again, and even managed to slay not one but two gods, freeing the First Floor from them. Even though these gods had now returned as her Divine Summon Familiars, they were now under her control, and the people in here didnt really need to learn about it anyway. Hmm, they all look rather shocked; did I overdo it? Bing Xue wondered to herself, sighing. What do you mean by Sect. Bing Xue? Nicholas asked. Like Is it like your own guild? If thats the case... We cant join, John sighed. Im sorry, but we all manage our own guilds. It does sound tempting, though! Francisco said. Its not a guild, Bing Xue said. A sect is a family; it could be a kingdom; and it could also be an organization all combined together. I will open it and recruit disciples, and my disciples shall not only enjoy the myriad of resources I have to provide to them but also countless cultivation techniques, martial arts, and even the opportunity to learn how to cultivate and comprehend the Daos. It doesnt matter if you belong to any guild; you can keep being the guild master without problems; you will simply become my disciple, nothing else, nothing more. Her aura of rainbow light and her confident smile quickly struck everyones hearts; they knew Bing Xue was telling the truth, and the opportunity to learn from her and become even stronger beyond the system was incredible. They had already experienced a taste of her powers and of her gifts, which they now had within their bodies. However, even now, they were thinking about it too much, and this bothered Bing Xue. Youre doubting too much; youre thinking too much as well, she sighed, waving her head. The future of the planet is within my hands, and you seem to be doubting me and thinking that you have too many responsibilities to join my cause. To tell you the truth, I want to protect this world for everyone. I have no intention of protecting you as if you were children all this time. There will be a time when I wont be able to protect everything, and everyone will die, and I wont be able to do anything. To place your own positions in society higher than the future of your planet is nothing but foolish ignorance. T-Thats! John tried to protest, but quickly lowered his head. Thats true We have a responsibility as guild masters, but at the same time, such things fall flat if the entire world ends. Aiyana sighed. If humanity dies because of our own mediocrity because we prioritized earning money and keeping images, then... Well, it would be really pathetic. But even then... Jackes said. I dont think I could join; as a guild master and as a public figure, there are certain things I must keep; if I suddenly become her disciple, then such an image would be broken, and many people could suffer. Then I will be taking the power I gave to you. Bing Xue directed her gaze into his eyes. Jackes, Ive saved your life twice now, and you still believe your public image has a higher priority than becoming strong enough to protect the world? I thought you respected me at the very least. Was I foolish enough to trust my fellow humans for once? Bing Xue pointed her hands at Jackes, taking away all the powers he had given him, his Ki, and even the Martial Coreall gone; she absorbed them back! To make things worse, his physique also went back to normal; the excruciating pain was horrendous as he was crippled in his cultivation by the almighty authority of a Venerable! Uuuaaaggh! N-No! W-Wait! I-Im sorry! Jackes fell to the floor, squirming in agony. Everyone glanced at him and then at Bing Xue, their eyes widening. Shock, fear, and... respect all together, swirling emotions that those here couldnt comprehend. The gifts Ive given you dont belong to you yet; they shall only belong to my disciples, the dear people I shall raise and turn into mighty sentinels thatll protect this world, Bing Xue said. If you reject my offer, then I shall take away the only opportunity youll ever have to surpass the system and stop being a puppet of the gods... But if you are so desperate to keep on images or keep your pockets full, then go ahead. Simply reject my offer; I shall simply take away what belongs to me. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. They were all left speechless! Indeed, although some of them considered joining her, the others were already thinking that even now, it was simply not worth it. They were foolish, too proud of their own accomplishments and of how far they''d gotten. They thought that they simply couldnt insult their own pride by becoming the pawns of someone else. But Bing Xue made it clear that if you didnt join her, then you would only become forgotten; those that eventually join her will shine the brightest, overshadowing even the strongest guild masters. The power she gifted to them, they thought was permanent, that it was a gift from her goodwill, and that they could insult her goodwill and simply reject her offer, as theyve always done through their lives as celebrities. But it was different this time! Bing Xue wasnt someone they could play around with; she wasnt someone they could mess with. Ultimately, she wasnt someone they could take for granted. Just because of her goodwill, it didnt mean they could abuse it and tell her to save the world alone while they enjoyed all her spoils. Those that reject my offer, raise your hands, Bing Xue said calmly. I shall proceed to cripple your cultivation forever, and youll only be left with the pitiful, parasitic system that will slowly devour your souls. She was simply speaking the truth, but it felt like a threat. Bing Xue was the only saving grace they had now! If they rejected her, they could already predict that their future would be dark, full of misery, and perhaps even a quick death. Nobody raised their hands, not even Yanisse. Jackes, who had still yet to recover, crawled towards Bing Xue, asking for forgiveness. Please Forgive me I will join you, I will become your disciple! Ugh D-Dont take away the only power that could help me overcome my shortcomings Bing Xue resisted the urge to kick the mans head off, sighing. Foolish child, I suppose you are indeed too young, her patience knew no bounds as she healed him and helped him stand up. I shall not give you the power back yet. W-What? But please! Jackes threw away all his pride; like everyone else, he knew that if he didnt join her, he would be overshadowed by the rest! You must receive a punishment for insulting my goodwill, Bing Xue said. You will undergo severe training of both the soul and the body before I allow you to cultivate again. For now, start by running one hundred thousand kilometers starting today, every day until I tell you to stop. O-One hundred thousand kilometers?! Jackes dropped his jaw. Even as a speedy S-Rank hunter, he simply couldnt fathom running such a tremendous distance every single day! To make it in time, he would need to absolutely break all his limits and get incredibly exhausted to the point of almost dying. Yet now, because he betrayed her trust, this was the only way for him. The other hunters didnt say a word, afraid to provoke Bing Xues righteous wrath. They knew her priority was raising strong people to protect the world, and her methods were rather merciless, if not manipulative, but that was the only way when people as prideful as Hunters existed. Yes, now, will you do it, or will you remain as you are? Bing Xue wondered. So? I-Ill do it the often-silent black-haired man looked completely mind-broken by Bing Xue. He had no other option than to obey her. Jackes left right after that, without even being given any more instructions. Now, what do you think? I have yet to receive an answer. Yes or no? Bing Xue wondered. I I accept then, Nicholas nodded. I wouldnt dare insult your generosity, Bing Xue Itll be a bit complicated to the media that we suddenly become your disciples, but I think I can handle any backlash. Backlash? Youre insulting her for saying such a thing! Bing Xue is admired throughout the entire world at this point; what backlash are you talking about? Aiyana complained, crossing her arms. Im definitely joining too, Bing Xue! I would happily become your disciple so we can deepen our bonds and whatnot. I-I John was still struggling; he was even more proud than Jackes. But he was also much smarter in some areas, especially on everything regarding social interactions; while Jackes was more of a cool loner," John was more of a peoples celebrity." He had experienced what being popular was, what controlling others and the masses was all about, and even more, how to manipulate people to his benefit. And now that he was in the opposite position, he couldnt help but feel very frustrated. Yet, there was simply nothing he could do; the worldno, the universewas incredibly vast. If he didnt start bowing to Bing Xue right now, he would only regret it in the future. Shes strong and amazing, he thought, smiling a bit. I suppose its fine; she saved many lives. Wasnt that the reason I became a hunter at the beginning? John considered his past and what had changed about him. Originally a poor child who grew up in the slums, he only wanted to get strong to save those people he couldnt, such as his family, who died miserably when everything began because there was nobody to save them. I ended up stranded off the correct path he said, looking at his own hands. Ive drowned in my lust for power and authority; becoming a celebrity was only a curse at the end... Of course, Ill join you, Bing Xue. I hope... you could teach me how to improve as a person, if even a little. Very well, Bing Xue nodded. Francis? I-I am a bit nervous, but sure! Francisco nodded. I wonder though, will you teach magic in the sect too? I dont really know much magic; I am a complete novice, Bing Xue admitted. But I could teach you my techniques, and in return, you could help me better grasp what this magic is all about. Sure! Francis nodded. Although Bing Xue knew about the Magic Skills she had and how to use them, they were fundamentally different from the True Magic that Francisco conjured, using Magic Circles, Magic Runes, and Magic Formulas of great complexity. Bing Xue was interested in learning more as well; her disciples wouldnt simply receive her teachings, but she would also get to learn from them. Um Yanisse looked slightly worried. I would gladly join, but I did tell you that there was a problem: because of the contract I have with this country, I am not allowed to join any guild or organization. I am pretty much something like... Well, like a secret agent of the country. I see And who made this contract with you? Bing Xue asked. Was it the Prime Minister? What? No, it wasnt him. Yanisse said. It was the King, of course. The King of North America. The King? Bing Xue raised an eyebrow. Huh? I am surprised you dont know about the King, Nicholas said. Well, hes a secretive man who doesnt like showing himself to the public, but since the tower appeared eleven years ago, he and his forces have been singlehandedly protecting our country until its stabilization just two years ago. His forces? You mean Does this man come from somewhere else? How could you allow a man from another world to become your King?! Bing Xue was losing her mind. Well John muttered. Its not like we had an option, just like right now. The King of North America. A Title Bing Xue never thought would ever exist. A man who not only saved this country and Canada but also unified both countries into a single Kingdom. Ill need to have an audience with his majesty then. Bing Xue said it with a cynical tone of voice. ----- Chapter 72: The Recreation Of The Heavenly Court ----- After Bing Xue took care of things, she decided to personally request an audience with the King, and it wasnt through just some political figure. No, she decided to request such an audience, as she reported to the whole world through all the paparazzi, news reporters, and journalists that were waiting outside the hunters association. She walked outside with everyone in the meeting room, even Fiery Hair, who was slightly overwhelmed by the visage of the giant city and the strange people. She kept herself behind her beloved Bing Bing. First of all, she explained to everyone about the recent portals and the new people that had appeared, which she decided to simply call players from this other world and chose Fiery Hair as their representative. From now on, I will be personally helping and assisting these people until we can find a way to bring them back home. They assisted everyone in the recent Monster Wave, and it was thanks to them that the majority survived, I believe. After that, while ignoring the questions that she had no intention of answering, she moved on to the second announcement, this time while releasing her full Aura, pushing everyone back several meters. And my second and final announcement is the opening of my own Divine Sect, its called the Heavenly Court, and I plan to use it to recruit all talented disciples that I shall personally teach how to Cultivate and use the Martial Arts I possess, giving them the possibility to grow beyond the System, which limits everyones growth, she said. This will be both an organization and a family. For now, I plan to recruit those I chose personally, such as Yanisse, Nicholas, John, Francisco, and Aiyana. I will continue recruiting more people, and once the Sect has settled down, I shall then begin to mass recruit talented members, no matter their level or talent. I will personally host a competition of sorts where you will show me your might and your resolve, and only those I deem worthy shall join me. As she continued speaking, everyone in the entire world felt frozen! It was an incredible announcement like nothing that has ever been seen before. She was pretty much the first person who dared to create what most assumed to be a World-Class Guild, one that encompassed the entire guild. It was as if she were forming her own Justice League, not just to protect one country but the rest of the world and even beyond. For now, I will establish the headquarters of my sect in the following weeks. I plan it to be some sort of flying building; perhaps a beautiful golden pagoda or a golden palace would fit me well. Bing Xue nodded. Oh, and of course, as you can see, Ive recruited Yanisse, who has a contract with America that doesnt allow her to join any other organization. If the King of North America has a problem with me breaching such a rule, Hes free to call me for an audience, and I shall gladly humor his majesty. That is all for now. Be well, everyone. The only way to properly protect this world will be if we all work together; staying separated and split apart will only bring our demise. Bing Xue said that as she nodded, quickly leaving with her disciples. The whole interview was honestly insane; nobody could even process what had just been told. Not only was she about to create an organization of elites, but she was also planning to use them to protect the entire world, not just the country she belonged to. To make things even crazier, she carelessly provoked the King of North America, a mysterious yet incredibly powerful man who descended from the tower, personally protecting the entirety of North America from the Gates and establishing balance and peace once more. Although a lot of people from the previous generation still disliked him, they had to admit that it was thanks to his help that they were all alive. Not many liked him suddenly becoming a "King, though, so Bing Xues words resonated a lot with the older generations. The world shook, forums online, and people all over the world kept talking about what had just happened. Many guild masters who were very proud started saying they wouldnt sell themselves to a woman, others showed great interest in becoming her disciples, and others remained mostly neutral. Videos kept popping up online, and the news didnt stop talking about everything, all while Bing Xue leisurely made her way back home. After the entire meeting, she decided to split with her disciples for the moment, agreeing to meet them tomorrow, as she would begin the creation of her sects "building," which she planned to keep near New York. Aiyana insisted a lot on inviting her to eat something out and enjoy some beer, but Bing Xue was already incredibly busy, so she rejected her invitation. Once I find more space in my schedule, Ill gladly enjoy a day off with you, Aiyana; you seem like a wonderful woman. Bing Xue tried to not break her heart though, holding her big hands with a gentle smile. Aiyana naturally skipped a beat; although she was bisexual, she was never too much into girls until she met Bing Xue; her beauty, charisma, and strength were everything she could have ever asked out of someone. S-Sure, haha! I understand; please have a nice day then, Master! she nodded happily. See you tomorrow, then? Yes, yes, well see each other tomorrow, she said. Have a good day as well, Aiyana. Youre one of my most promising disciples, so I have high expectations for your growth. I wont disappoint you! Aiyana was perhaps the most eager of all the guild masters to become Bing Xues disciple. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Although she had rejected one beautiful woman today, there were still two more to her left and right as she made her way back home. Fiery Hair didnt want to return to the Inner Realm yet, wanting to stay more with her bing bing, and Yanisse insisted on coming to her house to meet her family. She was also slightly afraid. Bing Xue, do you truly know who the King is? What if... What if he comes here and... Yanisse seemed afraid. Youre one of the strongest people in the world; why are you afraid of that man? Bing Xue wondered. You truly dont understand who he is, isnt it? sighed Yanisse. Hes not considered among the other World-Class Hunters because hes not even a human from our world! But hes... I am fairly sure hes stronger than me. Is he stronger than the Primal King, though? Bing Xue wondered. Or is he a god? I-I dont know, but no, he is not a god Yanisse said. Then why should I be afraid? Bing Xue asked. If anything, if I can bait him into coming here, I could probably deal with him right away Y-You plan on...?! Yanisse panicked. Calm down; I dont plan on doing anything to him, but if he comes to attack me, I might retaliate with equal strength, Bing Xue responded with a gentle yet cunning smile. The same cunning smile she often wore as she plotted the demise of the Venerables of her world, who were all reviving one after another. Hah Okay, I suppose Ill make you take responsibility because, although I know I am strong, a fight against him for violating the contract is... Not something I want, Yanisse sighed. Dont worry, I know; you can stay by my side as much as you want until he makes a response. Bing Xue nodded. Im sorry if I forced you into this situation; it wasnt truly my intention. No, its not that; I also wanted to do this. I suppose I would have simply rejected it if I was too afraid of him, but I guess with you at my side, it might not be too scary. Yanisse blushed a bit. Thank you for trusting me then, Yanisse, Bing Xue smiled. Hm Fiery Hair was glaring at Yanisse while squinting her eyes. Small woman Do you plan on taking Mate? Bing Bing is mine... Dont take! E-Eh?! Yanisse blushed a bit. Wait, youre misunderstanding something. Fiery Hair, I am not yours, Bing Xue told the prehistoric girl. You already said I could take as many mates as I wanted, right? Dont go back on your words, girl! A-Ahh Fiery Hair looked a bit worried. Very sorry Forgot. I am sometimes. Empty headed Ah, but I want to also spend time alone with Bing Bing! Possible? I suppose so, but later, if thats fine with you, Bing Xue said. I also want to spend time with you and the rest of your tribe and get to know them better. Fiery Hairs cute face quickly lit up with happiness. Aaah! Me so happy! she said, hugging Bing Xue. Bing bing! So nice! So nice! Mooch! She kissed her cheek again. Shes truly a cavewoman, I guess, giggled Yanisse. Their customs are quite different than ours, and they lack knowledge about personal space as well, but shes so cute, I think its fine Bing Xue had a strong weakness against honest and cute girls. Recently, her sexual urges have been blossoming more, so she had to admit that Fiery Hair had a very sexy body and beauty and was also very cute and amicable. The ancient venerable of eleven thousand years old was weak to cute girls. Well, as long as they werent enemies. Personal space? Fiery Hair wondered. Its the area where you shouldnt approach someone without their permission, Fiery Hair, Yanisse explained to her. You shouldnt be touching and grabbing Bing Xue without asking her if she wants to first! Its basic common sense amongst us people in this world. If you plan to stay here, you should learn these things. Hmm, Bing Bing upset? Fiery Hair wondered. Well Not really, I like Fiery Hair, Bing Xue ended smiling at Fiery Hairs question, making Yanisse shocked. W-Wait, Bing Xue, you cant just allow her to touch you and all Yanisse muttered. You must uphold a certain level of respect! Maybe, but I am not a public figure right now, and shes very cute; I can hardly resist her. Her kisses are also cute too. Bing Xue left Yanisse a bit dumbfounded. Bing Bing likes kiss kiss? I give more! Fiery Hair started mooching Bing Xues face. Hehe, shes like a playful... puppy, maybe? Bing Xue giggled. That definitely doesnt look like a puppy! Yanisse facepalmed. After seeing how jealous and angry Yanisse got, Bing Xue thought about it a bit more deeply. I suppose with Yanisse around, I shouldnt let Fiery Hair get away with everything, she thought. Even if I dont mind and I want to get more personal with this hottie, its better to be more careful... I dont want to upset Yanisse or end up ruining a chance with her either. After thinking about it, she gently patted Fiery Hairs head. That is enough, dear. Lets have a personal space if possible, okay? Bing Xue asked. Fiery Hair opened her eyes wide, nodding gently. Okay I am sorry. Bing bing, she accepted very quickly! Yanisse was left speechless yet again. My bad, youre right. Bing Xue sighed. Sorry if that made you upset, Yanisse. Oh, aaah, its fine, really Yanisse blushed and then tried to get bolder. You did this for me, Bing Bing~? she teased Bing Xue! If Fiery Hair could do this, then Yanisse also tried to get closer and more personal. Hahah, perhaps~ Bing Xue smiled, winking at her. Now, welcome to my house. My mates are inside, so you two behave while theyre around. Its Urbosa and Merkitetheir names. Theres also my adoptive daughter, Hekita. Theyre all black and gray wolf-beast people. So Im finally meeting your mates! I am quite interested. Yanisse said as Bing Xue opened the door. Once she did, Bing Xue was quickly jumped by two playful beast girls, who had been waiting for her for a while now. Youre back, honey! Welcome back! A-Ah?! Ooh? Bing Xue gasped as she noticed the two girls were wearing sexy aprons. Where did they get this?! Was this mom''s or Rubys idea?! Bing Xue considered the thought, noticing her mom and her sister were inside their rooms; apparently, Hekita was sleeping already. W-Wait, girls, I brought some guests. Bing Xue tried to stop the two eager beast girls, who were constantly kissing and licking her neck. Huh?! Ah! The two panicked, embarrassed to notice that two other women had just arrived, and were looking at their interaction with Bing Xue with wide eyes. B-Bing Xue! Why did you bring more women now of all times?! I know we told you that before, but I thought we were having fun tonight! Bing Xues two girlfriends got upset! Im so sorry; I didnt know you were so eager! Bing Xue apologized. I promise to make up for it, okay? I love you two. Calm down. Im sorry, sorry After she kissed them both, the wolf girls calmed down and sighed. W-Well, shall we invite them to something to drink, perhaps? I guess so. Urbosa and Merkite nodded. Thank you for having me here, and I am sorry for interrupting the moment. My name is Yanisse, and I am your wifes new disciple. Yanisse tried to act politely. Me Fiery Hair! Fiery Hair said. Well! Lets get to know each other better if you two are planning to become new mates, Urbosa analyzed the two. Yeah, lets do that then, Merkite agreed. N-New mate? I never said anything about that! Yanisse looked embarrassed. As they said that and started preparing some tea and snacks, the two girls had completely forgotten they were wearing only an apron over their bodies. ----- New Novel! I talked about this new novel before, so here it is: Fantasy Story Online: The Crippled Vampire Prince Walks The Heavenly Demon Path (VRMMORPG Progression) | Royal Road Despite the clickbaity title, this is an action and progression focused VRMMO Romcom, I like to mix a lot of genres together into my novels and not concentrate into a single thing because it gets boring. Anyways, enjoy! ...or not? Also Synopsis: Fantasy Story Online is the latest VRMMORPG videogame that promises immersive experiences and a personalized background, story, and plot for any player. A VR game that sent the gaming world into a storm has made every single person out there who wishes to fulfill their escapism fantasies jump right in without hesitation. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Enter Paul, a young man in his nineteens, just entering the second year of college and getting ready to dive into this fantastical game, eager to have a better year at college after working out and gaining some more self-confidence. His aim? Whatever cute girl he can find! However, despite his efforts, Paul only meets a playful, cheeky, teasing, and bratty tomgirl named Chris, who is only interested in poking fun at his social awkwardness while also offering the only friendship he could have. Naturally, Paul wouldnt have accepted any interaction with such a person if it werent because Chris was absolutely the cutest person he has ever met, and thanks to him, for the first time ever, he started having feelings for a man and not a woman. Oh wait, he''s also the Vampire Prince of Fantasy Story Online, and Chris just happens to have become an Incubus in the very Realm both appeared into, Obscuritas, the Realm of Vampires, Werewolves, and Demons. Will Paul survive Chris'' teasing, or will he ultimately succumb to the beautiful young man''s charms? Will Chris change for Paul and try to take things more seriously? And what''s going on with these Seven Evil Gods, Outer Ones, and Pauls in-game Evil Vampire Family? Who knows? Maybe even the most unlikely pair will end up saving the world! Dive deep into this mix of VR action, comedy, adventure, and boy''s love romance, where our protagonist explores his newfound bisexuality while trying to survive Chris'' daily teasing! Chapter 73 Part 1: Targeted Rulers ----- I spent more time than I imagined with Yanisse and Fiery Hair. Urbosa and Merkite were quite interested in getting to know them better, as they called the two my future mates." I dont know how to even react to this feeling, to be honest. I felt perhaps both embarrassed and excited about the thought, but I decided to stay calm as always and simply live in the moment without overthinking things, at least for now. I used to overthink things a lot before. Now that the sect announcement has been made, big things are to come. Within my Inner Realm, I am already preparing all the materials for my Giant Floating Pagoda Divine Relic, which will be both the home of our sect and a relic of its own, capable of moving alone, defending, and even attacking. It will be a powerful sentinel of sorts that will keep New York protected even better than before. I might create access to it in different areas, only accessible to people who have become my disciples, however. Although the response of the King will be what decides my next move, I am quite interested in what that man has to say about this entire subject. Hes someone rather mysterious that I have not seen at all. I had no idea there was a king. To begin with, I had completely forgotten that the USA used to have a president and not a prime minister. I wonder what happened to the previous president. Did he die? As the girls chatted to get to know each other better, I quickly checked my phone and looked for the presidents name. Dead. He died when the white house was destroyed. A monster attack destroyed half of Washington, apparently. Come to think about it, didnt something similar happen in Russia? The equivalent of their white house, their former president, and most politicians all died similarly. Doesnt it feel a bit strange? It feels like the figures of importance for each societys politics were targeted first, or is it just a coincidence? I checked more to see if something similar was happening in other countries. And I found them rather quickly. Almost the entire royal family of the UK was killed in another catastrophe; there are barely two survivors, which were young princes that were on vacation somewhere else. The same happened in Australia, and most African and Asian countries, the prime minister, and the old imperial family of Japan were all killed similarly. Even when the Imperial Family of Japan isnt even managing the country anymore. What in the world...? Were the gods that created these gates purposely targeting these politicians and leaders to cause even more chaos and destruction? Naturally, if all governmental forces were suddenly destroyed, the countries would enter into even greater chaos. Was this intentional? And... can that king control gates too? Is he related to the gods? Could it be that he and others have purposely killed the governing figures to take over the countries? This is... fucked, to say the least. Not only is humanity being butchered by monsters, but even intelligent invaders could be aiming to conquer humanity and use them as slaves while taking away all our resources. If thats the case, then I wouldnt hesitate to kill that king or any equivalent. However, before coming to conclusions, I must first see the evidence; I cant act rashly after all. For now, Ill leave that for later, though. Alright, it is getting quite late I said. I should go to rest I wanted to chat more, but this was a very long day, and I wanted it to end already. Ah! We didnt realize; it indeed got quite late. Urbosa nodded. Wait for us in bed; well go right away once we clean, Merkite smiled. Ah Ill try, but I am quite sleepy~ I shrugged. I could actually wait just fine but giving them this sense of urgency probably made them more excited. Ah right, Fiery Hair, come back to my Inner Realm for now, your tribe must be missing you, I told her. Oh But Hmm, okay. Fiery Hair wanted to stay, but after considering her family was waiting for her, she nodded. But later Can we live... outside? This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Of course, the thing is, well need to relocate you all somewhere where you could rebuild your village; it cant be here I sighed. Perhaps on the outskirts of New York, it is quite verdant there, or maybe on the First Floor of the Tower Outside good! Fiery Hair seemed to like the idea. Big city beautiful but the family might get scared of it all. I must be careful not to upset my dear family. Youre so thoughtful, good night then. I opened a portal to my Inner Realm. However, before leaving, Fiery Hair quickly gave me a big, strong hug with her giant, muscular arms. Mate Bing Bing, love, she kissed my forehead, rubbing her face on my own. She was, honestly, really cute! I never thought a primitive girl would be this charming and endearing. Hehe, okay, okay, now go, I petted her head. Come? To bed with me? she asked me with puppy eyes. No, not yet, sorry, I said. Perhaps later Okay? Uhh I understand Fiery Hair looked a bit saddened, as if I had broken her heart for rejecting spending a night with her. Well, now that I have two other mates, I cant just do this so easily. She walked back inside the Inner Realm, where she met with the rest of her tribe and the Hawk Eye tribe. They briefly talked about several things before everyone went to sleep. There were children and the elderly in this group; they were at least over two hundred if I combined both tribes. I think they still left half their tribe back home, but it was still quite a lot of people. Thankfully, theyre doing well near the golden palace; they even started building their huts on their own and hunted the weakest martial beasts I left for them to hunt on their own. They didnt like that I offered them everything on a silver plate and took pride in doing things themselves, so after I offered them the opportunities, they began doing everything on their own. I remember there was a third tribe that chose not to help us; they scattered into the outskirts, probably trying to find a way back themselves. The only lasting gray portal is still there, but its properties are strange; it is constantly releasing energy from another place but not letting it pass through from here. It means that the spatial and time energies are constantly letting things out but wont let them inside. I had already tried sending a Doppelganger there. But it disintegrated halfway through. I could probably pass through with my full body after taking some damage. However, I would rather not risk receiving damage and ending up weakening as a result. I believe that as long as I keep comprehending the Dao of Space and Void, I could eventually get through it or modify the Gate. But until then, the Grandfather of Time is a league above me in terms of spatial and time manipulation. My space-time manipulation is more about manipulating the world around me. Meanwhile, his space-time manipulation not only does that, but it can also manipulate everything else he can set his eyes on or expand his powers into. Meaning that he can do things such as breach space and time and bring threats and beings from different timelinesa power so ridiculous that not even I could fathom. Why? I had no idea parallel timeline worlds even existed! So, until I can figure out a way for them to get back by modifying the Timeline Gate, as well call them, theyre stuck here pretty much. I hope they can safely go back home; I am honestly worried about them, Yanisse sighed. I will figure out a way eventually, in the near future. It is not completely urgent right now, I said. I have the means; I just need some time. I see, youre so reliable despite all these things happening. Yanisse said she slowly approached me, holding my hands and looking into my eyes with her beautiful blue eyes. Thank you for everything, Bing Xue. Ahh, its fine, really. I smiled back. Dont worry about it, Yanisse. You can stay here as long as you need; I hope that King responds eventually. Im sure he will she sighed. Ah, Im so sleepy. Ill go to sleep now; is that my room? Yes, that one. Good night, I said. Goodnight, she said. She was about to close the door, but then walked out and stood up on the tips of her toes, kissing my cheek. Thank you again. She quickly walked back to her room. Ah, her little kiss was so cute, though her lips are quite cold. Still, its hard to believe things escalated this quickly. Oh well I walked back to my bed to rest. There were several system notifications I had not checked, but I wasnt in the mood to see any of them for the moment. I decided to see them tomorrow if anything; after all, I couldnt waste my time seeing this when Urbosa and Merkite were coming. The door slowly opened as both entered the bedroom. Were back; sorry for being late~ Urbosa smiled, quickly sitting by my left side. Yeah, there was more to wash than we thought, Merkite sat by my right side. You two didnt really need to wash if you didnt want to; I can easily clean things with my abilities, I said, as I felt their fluffy tails wrap around my waist. Well, we just wanted to be good "wives, as your kind often calls this relationship we have now, right? Urbosa smiled. We heard from my mother-in-law that a good wife washes the dishes Merkite nodded. Wait, my mom... I muttered. Ah, I bet she just said that, so you would wash them for her... Shes shameless, huh? How was your day, though? We saw you on that TV thing with your family; you spoke about a lot of things, Urbosa said. Are you truly making this sect? Yes, thats right. Of course, you and my family are all honorary disciples as well, I smiled, caressing Urbosas fluffy hands. Well, it could be said youre one of my first-ever disciples after Mom and my sister. Thats quite amazing Merkite nodded. Youre really shaking even this world too I hope I can live up to your expectations; knowing youre so great makes me slightly nervous. I wont be enough You dont need to worry about such things, dear; calm down. I held her hand, caressing her face. You two are just perfect as you are, and... Well, Ive grown to feel more of this feeling for you, this "love," to the point where I simply cant really think about another day without you two by my side. Bing Urbosa blushed. Really? Of course. I petted her head; her long black hair was silky and soft. You two are already precious to me; its hard for me to admit it. Seeing how Ive lived so long, I imagined I wouldnt feel attached so quickly to people. I-I love you too Im glad Ive been able to soften that old heart of yours, even if a little, Urbosa smiled as she kissed my cheek. It makes me happy that I am important to you in some way Yeah Merkite nodded. Theres a lot of things well be doing the next few days, I imagine... Itll be a busy week again. Indeed, will you two help me out? I could do things mostly on my own, but some help is never bad, I said. Of course, in whatever you need, Urbosa nodded. And if we dont know, then well learn. Indeed! Merkite agreed. Were here to help you as much as you can, as youve helped us before. Aww, you two are lovely; what would I do without you two? As we cuddled in bed, we started kissing a lot. These girls were definitely very horny once more. A long night awaited me ----- Chapter 73 Part 2 As I said, I won''t upload NSFW chapters here anymore, mostly because Royal Road kind of shadow bans your story if it has sexual content, so all of such things will be only posted in other pages. If you''re not interested then all the power to you my friend. You can read it here: The Heavenly Martial Empress Returns: An OP Xianxia Returnee LitRPG - Chapter 73 Part 2
Have you ever wondered what would happen if the pinnacle of a Xianxia Cultivation Story appears in the middle of a post-apocalyptic system and tower climbing setting, without having lost her powers, unrestrained, and invincible? Murim, a world of Martial Arts, Cultivation, Brutal Violence, Bloodshed, Vengeance, and where Might Makes Right. Bing Xue spent eleven thousand years in such a world, ascending to become the pinnacle after countless hardships, blood, tears, and sacrificing her own humanity in the process. However, she was incapable of ascending into the Immemorial Primordial Void Realm; incapable of escaping the Heavenly Will''s influence, she gambled it all on a single decision, escaping into the Outer Cosmos with her last remaining energies. Despite thinking her long journey was coming to an end, a black hole teleports her back to Earth out of nowhere! However, things on her home planet are much different than before. The Tower now exists, connecting Earth with countless other worlds. Monsters come out of Dimensional Gates, threatening humanity, and awakened people named Players climb the Tower in hopes of saving humanity from destruction. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. After learning that her mother and her sister are still alive, Bing Xue will use the overwhelming and supreme might she has cultivated for eleven thousand years to destroy the tower, slay the gods that govern it, and save Earth from its untimely demise. The System? She will fold it and make a fashionable scarf with it! The Administrators? They might become her new pets. The Monsters? Nothing but ants that die immediately by merely touching her Immortal Aura. The Hunters? If they behave, she might make them her disciples and teach them to cultivate the Heavenly Dao, so they dont rely too much on the System. The Hostile Players? Just flies shell slap to death with a gentle wave of her hands. And the Gods? Merely aperitives for her ever-growing Divinity! What to expect: -OP Returnee from a Xianxia World, she doesn''t lose any of her powers. Expect little to no stakes, just awesome showcases of power and a main character that constantly breaks all rules established. -An active main character which will be the main focus and point of view. I dislike passive main characters and I won''t give focus to random side characters for dozens of chapters like other OP MC stories do. But there will still be a big cast of colorful characters that will give life to the world, or worlds. -She will be a prideful, arrogant, and ruthless cultivator at the beginning, and will slowly mellow down once she gets used to how Earth society works. However, she takes pride on her own strength and her acomplishments. Though, her love for the people important to her is boundless. -Despite being so strong, she still desires to grow stronger. Our main character will continue cultivating and using the new powers she finds to her advantage. Basic LitRPG Progression combined with Cultivation of the Heavenly Dao and all of that. -Lots of God Slaying. -Ultimately, I am writing this story for my own amusement and fun, so please don''t feel offended if something happens that you dislike. I am not writing this story for anybody or for any audience. -Chapters almost every day. Copyright ? 2023 PancakesWitch. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or used in any manner without the prior written permission of the copyright owner, except for the use of brief quotations in a review. This novel is also being posted on Royal Road and Webnovel (for free). If you see it anywhere else, please let me know. Thank you. Chapter 74: Overpowered Babies? ----- As the next morning arrived, the sudden realization of what I had done last night crushed me down like the weight of ten thousand mountains. Ahh Not only did we do it a lot last night, but... Well, I used a special technique to grow a special "something. It was just an experiment; my body is mostly composed of compressed energy, light, and essence, and I can shape it as I please. However, this experiment ended up escalating into a full-on night session where I couldnt stop. And I think I ended up doing it more than I should have. I remember that I didnt really care in the heat of the moment, but now... What if they get pregnant?! Hekita is my adoptive daughter, yeah, but shes not exactly a baby; I think in terms of their tribe, shes already a teenager. So I dont know if she would ever count as raising a daughter," as she has already been raised and the hard part of raising a kid has already been done. Raising a baby... That is a challenge not even this venerable of eleven thousand years has experienced before. Well, whats done is done. I am not someone who regrets their decisions, so I will happily embrace whatever outcome comes from last nights events. Deep down, I also kind of wanted a child of my owna baby, or maybe two, I guess. Though, are they really pregnant? Maybe the seed I produce is infertile, and theyre fine. Lets see As my two mates cuddled with me in bed, I checked their physiques using my aura, which I gently wrapped around their bodies. They seemed healthy and really fine, and their Cultivation Rank was already about to hit Rank 3 too. Theyve been training almost every day, either hunting monsters or sparring and practicing their abilities. Refining their energies was a given, as I had personally created a formation of sorts within their very bodies the moment I gave them the ability to cultivate. This formation resembles a bunch of invisible runes over their skin, and they help them develop their cultivation very quickly through fighting, hunting, leveling, skill acquisition, and magic usage. If I had given them the normal way to cultivate, they would have spent three years to reach Rank 2. It would be too inconvenient, and as someone as powerful as myself, doing such a thing seemed foolish and unnecessary. After years of investigation over the creation of Formations, which are the unification of Materials imbued with Dao Particles and the many types of Elemental Ki Essences, back in Murim, Formations were said to be an imitation of the glory of heaven and earth," a culmination of nature and the human mind, but they are also a bit similar to Feng Shui. By grabbing certain interacting elements, putting them together into a certain arrangement, and then feeding that arrangement with energy, several effects can be created. Formations back in Murim were used for everything we use technology on Earth. Bathroom Formations, Warm Water Formations, Toilet Formations, House Formations, Flying Airship Formations, and Carriage Formations. They could be compacted, accommodated, and transformed into a myriad of shapes and forms. I spent several years comprehending how to make them and mastering them; they became one of my trump cards against the Venerables, as I always kept many formations for almost any situation. I was very paranoid. And amongst the many I created, this formation, which I call Heaven and Earth Body and Soul, is one of them. Ive improved it once I landed back on Earth by adding mana and the slow assimilation of the system. This formation allowed people to absorb the Essence of Heaven and Earth as they fought, trained, and cultivated, making their cultivation thousands of times faster. It also allowed them to develop unique abilities and refine their primary elemental affinities to even higher degrees of quality. However, that was only the base effect; with the Mana and the System, I decided to modify the Formation and create something even better. Now, it also takes into consideration the increment of Stats through Leveling, Mana Pools inside peoples Souls, and their Skills and development; therefore, it enhanced their cultivation speed even more the more they trained their already existing, system-bound abilities. But that wasnt all; this Formation, as it developed, would slowly root into the Soul of the user and enchant it, cultivating it alongside the rest of the body. At the same time, the System itself, rooted in the soul, would begin to be assimilated back by the Formation, slowly becoming part of it and, therefore, part of the persons power fully. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. This is the solution I came up with after noticing that forcefully extracting the system from peoples souls would essentially destroy their souls in the process, so I needed a different method. Directly making them cultivate their soul wouldnt work either; it is too slow or painful of a process, so this was perfect. Merkite and Urbosas souls were already growing very strong, overflowing with their primary elements of lightning and wind. The system they had was already slowly being assimilated. My girls are so strong~ Ah, right, I was actually checking if they were- Oh. Right below their fluffy bellies, perhaps near their womb, I could sense something; in both of them, there was a life being formed, a little speck of life that was overflowing with more power than I imagined. It would be stupid of me not to accept it as a fact now, as I could clearly sense two little lives developing inside of them; they werent there yesterday. Theyre really pregnant. Oh well, I just have to accept it and move on. This only leaves one thing in my head, though. Why are they so powerful?! I dont remember that in Murim, children from powerful cultivators ever inherited any power from them, aside from bloodline things. Everyone in that world was always born as a weak mortal, no matter what talents or gifts they were given at birth. The thing is, powerful parents would just quickly help their children cultivate to the top, but nobody was ever born at higher ranks or something. It was some sort of balance so the world wouldnt go into complete chaos. Imagining the children of the Venerable being born as Venerable themselves, the entire world would quickly be destroyed. Yet something completely different was happening right now. How was I able to let my children inherit such a large part of my powers like this? It was honestly baffling. Was it the systems abilities? Maybe Mana has this property? I couldnt tell. If they were born right now, they would have the power of Rank 3 cultivators. But I am sure they will continue to get stronger as they develop. Could they be born instantly as immortals? Or even higher? Wait, can their mothers even handle such a strong child? Im getting a bit worried. For now, Ill reinforce their bodies by fusing the formation set over their bodies with a few more materials and other formations. FLASH! Using the items I had inside my Inner Realm, and combining them directly into their Formation, their bodies gave off a light glow as the girls slept. As I did that, I continued checking their health and the health of the developing children. Hmm, that should do it. Ive done a few things. First, I decided to seal the power of the children. It was the best method, rather than trying to rapidly hasten the girls cultivation. The childrens powers will continue developing and growing as theyre sealed, but they will only be unsealed once theyre born. Like that, both the children can develop just fine, and their mothers will be healthy and alright. Well, I also decided to reinforce the twins power a bit more, making their bodies tougher by evolving their physiques a bit more. This is as much as I can do right now without deteriorating their bodies or causing them pain. I cant directly raise someone to an Immortal without ending up killing them in the process. Even with my Formations, the process must still be gradual. Nonetheless, they should be as physically tough as Rank 5 Cultivators. Okay, phew, well, thats that. The seal I put on my terrifyingly strong babies, which were nothing but tiny cells right now, should even withstand the power of a Venerable, so it''s alright, they can grow as strong as they want. I had panicked a bit, but I am glad things resolved fine. Hmm? Honey? Whats wrong? Urbosa slowly woke up, noticing I was rubbing my face on her fluffy and warm belly and kissing it. A-Ah! You caught me... I giggled. I was just checking a bit... "I think you got pregnant. Oh? You can see such things? Urbosa wondered. Really? Am I having your child, dear?! She got very excited, wagging her tail happily. Y-Yeah, I believe so- Uwah! she jumped over me and hugged me tightly, kissing my cheeks. Im so happy! Lets make a big family! she smiled. I feel so fulfilled! She was really happy, and... Am I happy? I I think I am. I was worried at first, and I still am. Raising a child is a lot of trouble, but its also rather cute and a new experience I wanted to have. I am quite happy, yeah. I want to see the baby already, cuddle with it, and give it all the love a mother could give. I-I see Im also happy as well. I nodded, caressing her face. Ill make sure to be a good mom. I am quite unexperienced, so I hope you can help me in that endeavor, dear. Of course, dont worry. Leave it to me! she nodded. After my husband passed away, I always thought Hekita would be all I had. And I honestly didnt mind, but the females of my tribe usually have more than one child; three, four, or five are quite normal. Even my mother had twins. Having bigger families means that we are all healthy and strong and have enough resources to afford raising another. It is a show of status and well-being that were a strong family. I see How interesting! I nodded. I was a bit worried myself, but I am getting quite excited now... I wonder if it will be a boy or a girl now. What name could we give it to them? It is a whole world of possibilities now! she said. Lets decide something together, alright? Of course I hugged her, feeling her warmth. I think I really loved her. I really love her a lot. My cute Urbosa; shes so precious. I love you. I ended up muttering. I-I love you too, she said. As we hugged each other, we ended up kissing lovingly. I couldnt really have enough of these cute kisses. This whole new life Im having is so different from back then. Im so happy. I cant believe she would make me this happy. I ended up cuddling with my cute Urbosa, hugging her, and feeling her warm fur. Resting my face over her chest was the best; she was so soft and warm. Youre so fluffy and warm~ I cant have enough of this. Heheh, you really love rubbing your face over me, hm? Such a spoiled mate~ I cant help it~ So fluffy I rubbed my face on her belly and then gave her a playful bite. Nom~ Aahahaha! T-That tickles, honey! she giggled. As I was playing with my cute girl, suddenly... Meat. Zzzz Give me the meat! It was Merkites voice. Was she dreaming of eating meat? Ahh, Merkite! Is she still sleeping even at this hour? What am I going to do with this girl? Urbosa quickly noticed Merkite snoring behind me. Yeah, dreaming about eating meat while snoring is definitely what she would do. I laughed. I-I guess so! But lets wake up already; the sun has risen. Shall we have a meal? Oh, right, Hekita! I need to go wake her up as well. Urbosa was busier than I thought, quickly walking out of bed. Ah, I wanted to cuddle more with her. Hmm Oh well, Merkite was here; shes also just as fluffy. ----- Chapter 75: Primal Power ----- Hmm meat Merkite was gently biting my shoulder as we cuddled in bed. I didnt feel like waking up yet anyway, so I happily stayed in bed while Urbosa went to do her things. I didnt really force her to do anything; shes that type of woman who likes starting the day early and doing a lot of stuff. Shell probably bring me breakfast, even though I didnt really ask her to do that. Well, I cant complain; shes a very traditional type of girl in that sense, and she takes great joy in serving her mate. Ill make sure to also serve her back and repay all her favors. And you Youre such a sleepyhead, still havent woken up? I gently caressed Merkites head as she was drooling over the bed. Then she started licking the air. Was she dreaming of licking something? I enjoyed her company anyway; she was very warm and fluffy, and while sleeping, she ended up hugging me back. So cute Ding! Ding! Ding! Ugh. Ding! Ding! Ding! Agh, stop it! Ding! Ding! Ding! The system was a bit annoying today; I havent checked it in a long while, and it kept pestering me about looking at it. It was desperate to be seen. It made me wonder if my system was developing some sort of intelligence of its own, an inner consciousness. After all, I separated it from the hivemind that was the general system everyone has, and it has been feeding off my powers since then. It might be slowly evolving into a powerful being of its own, for all I know. And maybe thats why it''s so annoying too. Like, seriously, just stop it. Okay, I will check it; show it to me slowly. Try to resume everything if possible. Ding! [You and your Party have defeated over a thousand Primal Beasts!] [You have defeated the [High Australopithecus Primal King: Lv7254]!] [You and your Party have defeated the [Primal Dinosaurus Chimera King: Lv6162]!] [The Levels of Several Skills have increased! Many Skills have reached Max Level.] [You have reached Max Level within your Class.] [To Further Rank Up your Class, please visit Floor 10s Class Rank Up Trial.] [The Skill: [God Predator (SSS)] Skill effects have been activated. You have absorbed the Developing Divinity of the [High Australopithecus Primal King: Lv7254]!] He had a Developing Divinity? It makes sense that he had at least something like this; he was even stronger than the Gods of Eclipse combined. [You obtained the {Broken Divinity}: {Prehistoric King of Might}!] [All your Physical Stats have increased by +500.000] [You gained +150.000 Divinity.] [You have stolen the Faith of the Primal King!] [You gained +500.000 Faith.] He even gathered Faith! Was it out of just the fear he provoked in others? [You learned the Classless Skill: [Primal Power Manipulation (SSS): Lv1]!] [You learned the Classless Skill: [Prehistoric Martial Arts (SSS): Lv1]!] [The Skill: [Divine Class Absorption (SSS)] Skill effects have been activated. You have devoured the Divine Class of the Demigod you have slain!] [You devoured the [Primal King of the Prehistoric World] Divine God Class!] [You have earned +20.000 Skill Points!] [Several Class Skills have Leveled Up!] [You have slain the Apex of the Prehistoric World, gaining his crown as the strongest Primal King, and you acquired the [Primal Queen] Title!] [You exude an Aura of Respect that all Prehistoric People will fear and admire. Prehistoric-type Monsters and Primal Beasts can be easily tamed. Once you can visit the Prehistoric World, you can mark it as your Territory.] [You have defended Earth from an unprecedented and unpredicted invasion from a Parallel Timeline, you have acquired the [Guardian of Earth] Title!] Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. [Your Stats will increase whenever youre fighting to protect your home world, Earth, by a certain percentage. You can also better lead the people of Earth, making your words more believable. When nurturing people from Earth, their growth speed increases threefold.] Interesting, from new Skills to Classes, and even two new Titles! I feel way stronger now, I can tell. Those Titles seem quite useful as well; perhaps it is thanks to them that I was able to easily gain the trust of the prehistoric people. And then theres Guardian of Earth, which sounds really good as well. Especially the growth boost for those I nurture, it will definitely be useful. My Divinity increased, and so did my physical Stats. I do feel my muscles and bones have become a bit tougher, yes. Only a bit, but thats good enough for someone as strong as myself. Then, moving on, theres the Faith I gained, enough to upgrade my Divinity Tree a bit more, but Ill wait until I accumulate more from Leviathans work. Now, onto more important matters: that Primal Power. I have a skill that could let me use it! I still have the remains of the Primal Kings body. I had almost completely disintegrated him, but I had devoured his soul and all his energy and body as I killed him. I only left the head to show the prehistoric people that I took care of him. But all this power I devoured from him has been swirling inside my Inner Realm, resembling a giant golden cloud. I had also taken as many of the dinosaur monster corpses as I could, as well as the brutes we slew. Their bodies were packed full of their unique energies, the Primal Power. It was a mysterious, aggressive power that simply wouldnt let itself be tamed. Every time I tried to absorb it, the Primal Power, as if it carried the rough and wild personalities of all the beasts it had taken over, attacked me back fiercely. It couldnt damage me, but it would end up destroying itself before I could assimilate it or refine it. This made me think that Primal Power, unlike Ki, Mana, or Spirit Energy, is much more complex; it is an energy with a personality of sorts. And it somehow inherits the personality traits of all its vessels as it develops, as if it had a hivemind of sorts. It is rough and aggressive, and it has a grudge against me for killing its greatest vessel, the Primal King. And maybe because it knows I wasnt born in the Prehistoric World, so it doesnt want to give me its powers. Well, lets try now with this new Skill I got. Ding! [You have equipped the [Primal Power Manipulation (SSS): Lv1] Skill on your Classless Skills Slots 13/13!] [The Skill has been activated automatically. Primal Power can now be manipulated.] Lets try Sending my intent inside of my Inner Realm, I attempted to assimilate and refine the golden cloud of Primal Power. It rumbled furiously, but it couldnt fight back as much as before. It felt like somethinga connection of sorts. Perhaps this Skill gave me the same sensation as being born in the Prehistoric World, so the Primal Power seemed to accept me more easily now. Ooh? Slowly, the golden, heavy, and almost flame-like energy started flowing inside my physical body. It was a strange sensation; it started making my entire body much heavier than before. Yet at the same time, I also felt stronger and more agile. It was hard to describe, but Primal Power wasnt like anything I had felt before. But I could say one thing for certain:. It was incredibly strong! My muscles started swelling, growing several times larger; my vitality became even higher; my stamina became even larger; and all my physical senses expanded. And this was just a mere taste of it. The Primal Power still didnt trust me completely; it was acting cautiously. At this point, I cant fully refine it yet; itll be a gradual process, even with the skill. Ding! [The [Primal Power Manipulation (SSS): Lv1] Skill has Leveled Up!] But Ill get to it soon enough. Hah~ Well, thats that, I smiled. I might be able to teach my family how to use Primal Power once I master it myself; it looks like a really good boost to all physical strength. It doesnt do anything else than that, though, and I am sure it could enhance Martial Arts to completely new levels. Such powerful and fantastic energy like this definitely never existed back in Murim. And according to Fiery Hair, it even came from outer space, through a meteor of sorts. Just where could it have even originated from, I wonder? Well, for now, lets have a look at my stats; I havent seen that in a long while. ----- [Name]: [Katherine] [Race]: [Human?] [Titles]: [The One Who Folded the System] [Dungeon Gate Keeper] [Undefeated] [Talent Seeking Guide] [Apprentice Chef] [Boss Slayer] [Devil Slayer] [Savior of Arcadia] [Primordial Calamity: Ragnar?k] [Destroyer of the Church of the Brilliant Mother of Light] [Silver Moon Beast Tribes Hero] [Acacias Tyrant] [Master Adventurer] [Barrier Master] [Raid Empress] [Destroyer of the Evil Cult of Deep Darkness] [God Slayer] [Eclipses New God] [Demigoddess of Yin and Yang] [Primal Queen] [Guardian of Earth] [Divinity Tree]: [Yin and Yang Harmony Tree (Tier 1: Rank 1)] [Class]: [God Eating Calamity: Ragnar?k (Primordial Venerable-Rank)] [Level]: [999/999] [Mana]: [1.263.900/1.263.900] [Divinity]: [712.000] [Martial Power]: [1.077.000] [Strength]: [1.263.900] [Agility]: [1.263.900] [Vitality]: [1.263.900] [Intelligence]: [763.900] [Dexterity]: [1.263.900] [Charm]: [573.000] [Faith]: [750.000] [Stat Points]: [3.780] [Skill Points]: [46.780] [Credits]: [901.375.000] [Divine Abilities] [First Root]: [Dual Rings of Radiant and Umbral Harmony (Demi Deity Rank): Tier 0/3] [Divine Authorities] [None] [Classless Skills (13/13)] [Premium Player Privilege (SSS): Lv10] [Kicking Strike (D): Lv10] [First Aid (D): Lv10] [Mirage Veil (A): Lv10] [Cooking (D): Lv10] [Basic Swordsmanship (C): Lv10] [Family Bond (D): Lv10] [Emperors Conquest (S): Lv5] [Basic Martial Arts (C): Lv10] [Crescent Moons Shadow Dagger Style (S): Lv10] [Commander (C): Lv9] [Seducing Aura (C): Lv10] [Primal Power Manipulation (SSS): Lv2] [Magic Skills (13/13)] [Triple Elemental Magic: Fire, Ice, Lightning (A): Lv10] [Divine Brilliant Light Magic (S): Lv10] [Divine Light Spirit Summon (S): Lv10] [Windstorm (B): Lv10] [Channel Void (S): Lv3] [Lesser Spatial Manipulation (A): Lv3] [Proficient Mana Manipulation (B): Lv5] [Divine Photon Essence Manipulation (S): Lv3] [Lesser Time Flow Manipulation (S): Lv3] [Blessed Blazing Starlight Cursed Relic Creation (SS): Lv5] [Class Skills (9/10)] [God Predator (SSS): Lv8] [Divine Class Absorption (SSS): Lv7] [God Killer (SSS): Lv2] [Divine Soul Parasite (SSS): Lv2] [Undead God Summon (SSS): Lv2] [Divinity Steal (SSS): Lv2] [God Throne Usurpation (SSS): Lv2] [Divinity Tree Absorption (SSS): Lv2] [Divine Realm Assimilation (SSS): Lv2] ----- Several Skills Leveled a lot, especially the Channel Void Skill and the Lesser Spatial Manipulation ones; those are important; the more they level up, the easier it is for me to comprehend the Daos of Space and Void. And from the three percent I had comprehended before, I felt slightly more enlightened after these skills leveled up. I think it probably went from three percent to five percent, really good growth in such a short amount of time. My status definitely looks better than before, but it bugs me that I cannot level up anymore. The feeling of increasing my maximum mana was really good, and now Im missing on that. Wait, no, do I even need to go to Floor 10 to get my Level cap unlocked and Rank Up? Why must I rely on the Towers System when this is now my own System? Clide, are you there? Can you tell me a way to break my level cap without going to Floor 10? Ill be a bit busy back home for now. [Eh? You want to do that?! I-Its impossible; you require an actualization from the Towers Main System Frame to Rank Up your Class, the database and everything are stored there, so Well] I see, so it is a thing of a database, information? I wondered. What if I just force the level cap to open? [I-I dont know what would happen, but your System seems strange already. It has been evolving on its own, and it has also been adapting to you, Master Bing Xue] So youre saying it could work? [I-I cant confirm that, but it could adapt? I dont know] Good enough incentive for me! I smiled. This confirms my System is no longer connected to the main System then, so I might as well update it as I please. It is mine after all. I quickly grasped the systems status, and through my Divine Photon Essence wrapped around my hands, I physically touched the ethereal system. The area that showcased the levels was quickly modified as I imbued it with my energy, information, and even memories of my life. If data is what you want, take all of this! FLASH! ----- Chapter 76: System Update ----- I let my System absorb my own "data, meaning a lot of memories, information, knowledge, and more of my Energies, normal Ki Essence, Immortal Ki Essence, Primordial Ki Essence, and Venerable Ki Essence; all of them became the foundations for my own System. Its blue-colored floating holograms slowly started to glitch out and change, slowly becoming green and then yellow. The color then became slightly darker until it gained a golden color, similar to my own Photon Essence. [I-I cant believe this! Y-You actually managed to transform the System?! Its appearance is completely different from what it held originally!] Clide was going insane, completely incapable of believing his own eyes at the moment. I suppose this might be the first time the Administrator has ever seen such a thing happen. I guess that the System in general is subdivided into every single individual status people have, but theres usually a general system core of sorts, that controls them all to work according to the one managing it. Who manages the system, though? My guess would be either the entity controlling the Tower itself, being powerful enough to create a Universal Construct that contains a hundred worlds encapsulated inside, or something else. Theres a possibility that not even this entity, which Ill call the Tower Master, is in charge of the System, but the System might actually be shared with other similar Towers, as I remember Clide having told me this wasnt the only one out there. Yet, thanks to my abilities, I was able to rip out the subdivided part of the System that would become my status and transform it, with an Administrators assistance, into my personal system status without actually parasitizing my soul. With that said, as Clide had stated, it required entering the tower and reaching a certain floor for it to update and allow for certain system functions, so naturally, it still had a connectionperhaps a wireless connection now, but one, nonetheless. Because of this, there were certain annoying aspects and restrictions that I didnt really like. I was forced to move to Floor 10 just to open my level cap, for example. Therefore, I thought it was about time to update the system myself, this time with my own knowledge, information, experiences, and wisdom. And well, lots of more energy to compensate for not being able to draw it from the tower or the Main System. And the result was outstanding! FLASH! As the system window shone with golden light, the glitching messages quickly disappeared, and it showed a simple, blank page with no information at all. And then, a small golden dragon showed up, coiling around itself, I think this is the new loading information animation. How cute. [Loading] [Processing updated information and data banks, success] [Restoring energy battery cores, success.] [Updating and recreating information, success.] [Class Creation registration, success.] [Skill Creation registration, success.] [Adding additional information about Cultivation from Murim, success.] [Assimilating Martial Arts Data and Spiritual Techniques Data.] [Success.] Is it working? I wondered. It sure is loading many things [It is working as intended, yes! Please just wait a little; this is the first time Ive ever seen a system like this before! I-It is quite exciting!] The little administrator was quite excited about it, actually. Are you doing something to assist it? [A few basic things; yes, I am keeping them together. I fixed the glitches and bugs; there are still some inside, but the system has now begun to eliminate them itself. This is the first time I see a system status doing its own thing. It is as if it has become... alive.] The System Is it not supposed to act this way? [Well, since my conception, Ive seen the System as nothing but a tool for everyone, never as an actual being of its own] Do you know more about the Main System that controls all the statuses? [N-No, not at all; I apologize. I was born in this tower and have simply worked there since my creation. I have never seen anything outside of it before] So the Main System is outside the Tower then? I knew it The System is an entity above the Tower itself [Yes, most likely... The Tower Master probably borrows its powers, though; the tower gets to decide who gets a status, and naturally, the one controlling the tower is them] This Tower Master, youve seen him before? [No, never Not even God has seen them before. We dont know their gender, appearance, personality, or anything at all. Theyre a complete enigma. An entity of immense power that every god fears, yet nobody has ever seen. We know they exist; they have a lingering presence everywhere. But it never reveals itself, and it never speaks with anybody. At least not any being below Floor 95.] This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Hmmm, are there different administrators for each floor? Which floors do you manage then, Clide? [I am a lowly Lesser Administrator, I manage up to Floor 5, and I was also assigned to manage Earth with a few Lesser Administrators. We make sure the System stays clean of bugs and glitches And also administrate the Gates, sometimes.] I see So he has no idea about anything happening above Floor 5. I guess I cant ask him anything else. If I ever want to see or know who this Tower Master is, I might have to take a long trip to Floor 95. Or perhaps, if I make enough mischief, they will get angry enough to show themselves? That would certainly be easier. But seeing how strong the Grandfather of Time is and considering hes below the Tower Master, I dont know if I could ever have a chance against such a being. I would need to first grow stronger before I dare do something like that. It is convenient that they never show themselves, which means they barely administrate anything and just let things be for the majority of the time. It also hasnt responded badly against gods being slain because, from what Ive learned, the worlds of the tower are in constant war to rise through the towers floors, and gods dying and being born is rather natural. I suppose that means I am free to rampage as much as I want until it is too late for the Tower Master to do anything about it. Whatever the case, the system seemed finally ready. [The System has been updated successfully.] [New System Function has been added: [Class Selection] [Class Rank Up] [Subclass Selection] [Subclass Rank Up] [By spending Credits, it is possible to use any of these System Functions even without going to the recommended Level of the Tower.] [New Functions can be unlocked over time as the System Updates more.] [Note: You have unused Raid Points from the previous Raid. It is recommended to use them to obtain unique items.] I see, it looks like it worked well! I nodded. I was waiting for something more interesting, but I guess I cant have it all right away. More updates, though; can I directly update it again? [I wouldnt recommend it; you would end up exhausting the system, and it might end up overheating and damaging its internal structure permanently. The best is to wait until it cools down. Perhaps a couple of weeks after] [Also, to update it further, a lot of Credits might be needed Although your Energy and Data work well, Credits are still a source of energy and power for the System, so it will require them for many functions.] I understand. Alright, I suppose I can wait. I nodded. Now, it said something about the Raid Points? I had almost forgotten about that. My bad. It was quite some time ago, though; let me see. How many points did I have? [Available Raid Score Points: 30.000.000] [Open Raid Shop? Items from this Raid Shop are unique and related to the Raid itself.] [Yes] [No] Well, I was about to Rank Up my Class first, so lets leave this for afterward, I yawned, as I felt Merkites cute nose rubbing on my shoulder and then her arms wrapped around my chest. For now, I should just Rank Up already I looked at the system notifications and waved them away. Show me how to Rank Up and open the Level Cap, its annoying to have it. [You have selected the [Class Rank Up] System Function.] [Loading] [Class Rank Up] System Function successfully loaded.] [Information, Experiences, and Data have been used as the ingredients to update your current Class.] [However, a Class Change Trial is required to Rank Up your Class properly.] [The Class Change Trial will be a special Ethereal Space of the Systems own creation using the administrated Otherworldly Energies and will be based on the users past.] [Do you wish to enter the Class Change Trial?] [Yes] [No] What? Its not letting me just open the level cap already? What kind of bullshit is this? No, I dont wish for that. Let me open the damned level cap, or Im going to literally break you this time. I said, pointing my fist at the System. Suddenly, it seemed to be glitching a bit. Was it a bit afraid? [Solving issues] [Class Rank Up] System Function has been modified.] [Do you wish to Rank Up your Class?] [Cost: 200.000.000 Credit Points.] Thats a hefty price, but sure I shrugged, I had almost a billion Credits Points at the moment, two hundred million wasnt that much to me anymore. Apparently, to Rank Up a Class, every player has to always go through a Class Change Trial Dungeon of sorts; the System was trying to provide one for me. But theres no way Im doing that! Why would I lower myself to the level of a mortal? If I have money, Ill just buy the rank-up directly too. Accept. Ding! [You have exchanged 200.000.000 Credit Points.] [Your Class has begun to Rank Up!] [Administrating information] [Imbuing the Class with otherworldly energies] [Adding Mana and Skill Power] [Modifying Class Structure] [Breaking Level Cap] FLASH! I felt something within me slowly shattering and breakinga small wall that my new powers could not break throughand it broke into countless pieces. CRASH! As it broke open, I felt all the accumulated power I had drained quickly beginning to flow through my body again as my strength and mana started to rapidly increase their maximum amounts. Yes, this was most definitely what I was waiting for; all the levels I should have gained before quickly arrived, and the Experience Points I gained were not lost, but simply saved until I could break through my level cap again. Ding! [Congratulations! Your [Class]: [God Eating Calamity: Ragnar?k (Primordial Venerable-Rank)] has Ranked Up to [Heavenly Martial Empress of Light: Bing Xue (Primordial Immemorial Venerable-Rank)]!] [Your Level Cap has increased from 999 to 10.000!] [All your Stats have increased by +500.000!] [You unlocked the new Stat: [Light]!] [You gained +4 Class Skill Slots.] [A new Skill Tree has been unlocked!] [You acquired the [Empress of Heavenly Light: Bing Xue] Title!] [You acquired the Class Skill: [Primordial Heavenly Empress of Light Arts (SSS): Lv1]!] So my Class changed into that, huh? Well, its not like Ive lost the previous Class Skills at all, nor the Title connected to them either. Interesting, the Level Cap now goes all the way to ten thousand. I suppose I wont need to ever bother about Ranking Up for a while. Ding! [All the Accumulated Experience Points have been administered accordingly.] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [] [Your Level has increased from Level 999 to Level 1.232/10.000!] [All your Stats have increased. You earned Bonus Stat Points and Skill Points.] Phew It feels better than I imagined." It felt like I had finally let go of an annoying thing weighing my shoulders down. With it done, I felt more relaxed, much better than I could have imagined. Above all, my true body, composed of pure rainbow primordial light, became stronger. The very fabric of my own existence, the Light that makes me. It became stronger somehow So this is what the [Light] Stat does? Very interesting It seems that even now, my specialization will be the key to my growth. ----- Chapter 77: Buying A Bunch Of Trinkets ----- After finally ranking up, I had enough accumulated experience for over two hundred more levels, ramping up all my stats and drastically strengthening my entire body. I remember that before, the change was barely noticeable, almost like something that didnt matter to mea little toy of sorts. But right now? It felt much more substantial, like I could clearly sense and feel the changes and growth I was experiencing. Even the [Light] Stat ended up being surprisingly amazing in what it could do, enhancing the internal structure of my body, which is composed of pure light. I slowly walked out of bed. I left Merkite sleeping on her own to better analyze the growth of my body. Hmm, not bad. It had indeed become much more noticeable. At least, I had grown considerably. All these levels enhanced my total physical strength and energy by at least ten percent. That is simply ridiculous when considering how far I have cultivated. If I combine my cultivation by comprehending the Dao with my leveling, I could actually and realistically get to the Immemorial Void Realm. But thats still too far. I need to continue growing; I simply cant slack off yet. I looked at my stats again, and the growth was considerable. ----- [Name]: [Katherine] [Race]: [Human?] [Titles]: [The One Who Folded the System] [Dungeon Gate Keeper] [Undefeated] [Talent Seeking Guide] [Apprentice Chef] [Boss Slayer] [Devil Slayer] [Savior of Arcadia] [Primordial Calamity: Ragnar?k] [Destroyer of the Church of the Brilliant Mother of Light] [Silver Moon Beast Tribes Hero] [Acacias Tyrant] [Master Adventurer] [Barrier Master] [Raid Empress] [Destroyer of the Evil Cult of Deep Darkness] [God Slayer] [Eclipses New God] [Demigoddess of Yin and Yang] [Primal Queen] [Guardian of Earth] [Empress of Heavenly Light: Bing Xue] [Divinity Tree]: [Yin and Yang Harmony Tree (Tier 1: Rank 1)] [Class]: [Heavenly Martial Empress of Light: Bing Xue (Primordial Immemorial Venerable-Rank)] [Level]: [1.232/10.000] [Mana]: [1.496.900/1.496.900] [Light]: [1.233.000] [Divinity]: [712.000] [Martial Power]: [1.610.000] [Strength]: [1.996.900] [Agility]: [1.796.900] [Vitality]: [1.796.900] [Intelligence]: [1.296.900] [Dexterity]: [1.796.900] [Charm]: [1.106.000] [Faith]: [750.000] [Stat Points]: [15.430] (+50 Per Level) (1 = 10 Stats) [Skill Points]: [58.430] (+50 Per Level) [Credits]: [701.375.000] ----- So many numbersoh, the [Light] Stat was already quite high from the get-go, huh? And it increased even more as I Leveled Up, I noted. But wait It seems that Stats that are supposed to only increase through other methods, such as Martial Power and Charm, still increase through leveling. This means that my Class allowed me to increase such stats. Martial Power enhances Martial Arts, and anything related to Physical Strength I nodded. Charm is Well, it makes me more attractive? I think Charm had more effects than that, such as being able to convince others more easily, amongst many other things. But for now, these Stats are fairly decent; comparing them to anybody in my house would be a bit unfair, though. I dont think anybody has stats higher than 200.000 at the moment. Although thats still pretty considerable, they might be able to catch up to my status someday, perhaps rather soon. Well, only my status; thats it. It is an additive power, as it doesnt include all the inner power Ive cultivated before obtaining it. Nonetheless, this is good enough. Now, I remember there was something about Subclasses, right? I wondered. Can I pick a second Class? [Ah, yes! It is something your own System created. It seems it will allow you to have two classes at the same time! You should probably choose one of the many youve taken from your foes, or combine them into something for you?] Hmmm I rubbed my chin. My former Class was made by breaking apart the divinities and divine classes that the Gods offered to be and combining them into a pill. I suppose I cant do that right now. Ill do that later. For now, show me the Raid Shop. [Displaying Raid Shop] [Consumable Items] [Equipment] [Skill Books and Grimoires] [Special Items] [Available Raid Score Points: 30.000.000] [Please select the category for the full list of items to be displayed.] Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Consumable Items, Equipment, Skill Books, Grimoires, and Special Items. Consumable Items, display that first. [Displaying [Consumable Items] Raid Shop Category.] [Soul Cleansing Elixir (SSS Grade)] [Cost]: [50.000 Raid Score Points] [Soul Invigorating Elixir (SS Grade)] [Cost]: [25.000 Raid Score Points] [Soul Healing Elixir (SS Grade)] [Cost]: [25.000 Raid Score Points] [Phantasmal Soul Potion (SSS Grade)] [Cost]: [50.000 Raid Score Points] [Ghostly Soul Potion (SS Grade)] [Cost]: [25.000 Raid Score Points] [Undead Rot Curse Potion (SSS Grade)] [Cost]: [50.000 Raid Score Points] [Death Fruit of the Netherworld (SS Grade)] [Cost]: [25.000 Raid Score Points] [Available Raid Score Points: 30.000.000] The only consumable items were these potions and a strange fruit that only grows in the "netherworld, which I would assume is the underworld''s real name. Perhaps? Some Elixirs cleansed, invigorated, and healed the soul, which seemed very good, actually. On my own, I possess little knowledge about healing other peoples souls. I know of several techniques to heal, repair, and cultivate souls, but not a direct healing technique that could completely heal a soul from being destroyed or shattered. Thats not something I ever delved into, as it was mostly correlated with the Dao of Death and the Dao of Souls, both of which Daos I had not comprehended past 10% and 40% respectively. Although my Inner Realm is incredibly big and full of all kinds of Martial Treasures and Martial Beasts, which I could extract and use in a myriad of ways, Soul and Death Attribute Martial Treasures are rare. However, after I killed the God of Deep Darkness and absorbed his Divinity, my comprehension of Souls, Void, Darkness, and Death increased drastically, or at least in terms of the Daos. My Inner Realm had also absorbed his Divine Realm, so the growth of Soul and Death Attribute Martial Treasures was rapidly increasing. Nevertheless, I hadnt had the time to delve into this subject, but potions like these seem very useful to me, as I cannot easily produce something of similar quality due to my lack of knowledge in that aspect. If I could buy these and inspect their components and how theyre structured, I could perhaps use my own Alchemy Dao Comprehension, which is at around 80%, to not only replicate but improve them. Their cost is quite cheap too, but I feel like I shouldnt buy too impulsively. I ignored the equipment section as there was absolutely no weapon, accessory, or armor that could benefit me and moved to the other sections to see what they had to offer. [Displaying [Skill Books and Grimoires] Raid Shop Category.] [Netherworlds Necromancy Spell Grimoire (SSS Grade)] [Cost]: [300.000 Raid Score Points] [Soul Manipulation Spell Grimoire (SS Grade)] [Cost]: [200.000 Raid Score Points] [Nether Energy Manipulation Skill Book (SSS Grade)] [Cost]: [300.000 Raid Score Points] [Soul Aether Manipulation Skill Book (SS Grade)] [Cost]: [200.000 Raid Score Points] [Ghostly Specter Summon Skill Book (SS Grade)] [Cost]: [200.000 Raid Score Points] [Skeleton Soldier Summon Skill Book (SS Grade)] [Cost]: [200.000 Raid Score Points] [Zombie Summon Skill Book (SS Grade)] [Cost]: [200.000 Raid Score Points] [Available Raid Score Points: 30.000.000] The Grimoires and Skill Books were all related to either manipulating the Soul, Nether, or summoning the Undead. I think I could do the same with some of the Skills I havent equipped yet or try doing it by channeling the powers of the Divinity I took from that God. Or I could directly tell God to just use them. Theyre quite expensive, though, so I dont know if I would ever buy any of them. Theres little to no point. However, I am quite interested in the energy manipulation Skills, Nether and Soul Aether seem like energies I havent gotten a good grasp on. Actually, I had little idea that Soul Energy was considered Soul Aether so thats a whole new thing I had no idea about. Perhaps the same as Primal Power, by obtaining the energy manipulation Skill, I could master its powers. Although my Skill Slots are still rather limited, I can always just fuse more skills to make space. So Ill definitely get those two. The Grimoires teach spells, so they could help me further comprehend how Spells work, such as their Magic Circles, Runic Arrangement, and Mana Circuit Distribution. So, lets spend my first million on this. Ding! [You have exchanged 1.000.000 Raid Score Points.] [You purchased the following items: [Netherworlds Necromancy Spell Grimoire (SSS Grade)] [Soul Manipulation Spell Grimoire (SS Grade)] [Nether Energy Manipulation Skill Book (SSS Grade)] [Soul Aether Manipulation Skill Book (SS Grade)]!] Still have a lot more points to spare... I could probably buy the Skill Books, at least for Soul Aether, for my family, so they could more easily control their own Soul and begin to cultivate their internal energies, which would hasten the assimilation of their System Status, so they become their power instead of a parasite. But for now, lets see the last list of available items. [Displaying [Special Items] Raid Shop Category.] [Cursed Skull of Dark Nightmares (SSS Grade)] [Cost]: [300.000 Raid Score Points] [Seed of the Death Tree (SSS Grade)] [Cost]: [300.000 Raid Score Points] [Coffin of a Million Dead Souls (SSS Grade)] [Cost]: [300.000 Raid Score Points] [Thanatos Urn of Souls (SSS Grade)] [Cost]: [300.000 Raid Score Points] [Key to the Underworld (SSS Grade)] [Cost]: [300.000 Raid Score Points] [Elder Lich Phylactery (SSS Grade)] [Cost]: [300.000 Raid Score Points] [Available Raid Score Points: 29.000.000] Oh? Interesting, they seem to all be of the maximum grade possible. And their cost is quite high. However, what can these even do? A Cursed Skull of Dark Nightmares? Does it produce nightmares? Then theres the seed, which seems interesting. And a coffindoes it really contain a million dead souls? Next is an Urn of Souls, and then a Key to the Underworld. It was quite useless, seeing how I almost destroyed everything there, but maybe I could have used that key instead of just breaking in. I had completely ignored the Raid Score Shop. And lastly, an Elder Lich Phylactery. Hmm, from what I remember based on fantasy media before I went to Murim, liches are immortal through their phylacteries, right? Even if their body is destroyed, they can keep recovering or transferring their consciousness to a new vessel; their phylactery is where their true souls are after all. This is one of the things that makes them so terrifying, and it is also what gives them a big weakness at the same time. Usually, you can always beat a lich if you can find their phylactery. In the hypothetical case, if I use this phylactery on myself, I could place my soul in there, and even if my entire body is destroyed, I can quickly recover a new one inside my Inner Realm. At the same time, my Inner Realm would remain always safe, so my phylactery would never be found. Nah, it wouldnt be so easy, wouldnt it? And above all, can I even become an Undead being in my current state? I think thats only something mortals can do now. I have transcended human flesh and human souls, and Ive become a being of pure light. If anything, I am more similar to a divine spirit in terms of physical composition than an actual living being. However, I can also easily replicate and recreate a flesh-like body. Now that I sit down to think, I am indeed rather alien-like compared to everything else. Hah I better not overthink it for now. Okay, Ill impulsively buy all the trinkets anyway. I have a weakness against interesting trinkets; these items arent equipment, but they all have their own unique things to them, so I could one day maybe use them. You never know. Ding! [You have exchanged 1.800.000 Raid Score Points!] [You Purchased the following Items: [Cursed Skull of Dark Nightmares (SSS Grade)] [Seed of the Death Tree (SSS Grade)] [Coffin of a Million Dead Souls (SSS Grade)] [Thanatos Urn of Souls (SSS Grade)] [Key to the Underworld (SSS Grade)] [Elder Lich Phylactery (SSS Grade)]!] [Raid Score Points: 27.200.000] Good, it feels nice to collect weird, strange, and mystical trinkets from time to time. It was one of the few little hobbies I had back in Murim. I should probably try using them later, though, as I am quite busy right now. I needed to quickly have breakfast and then start the pagoda creation. Well, its already mostly done inside my Inner Realm. Also, theres a certain person I rescued yesterday, someone who was rather incredible. I have healed him after his fight against the Primal King, and he has now fully recovered. And he just happened to have woken up. Using one of my Doppelgangers, I went to pay him a small visit. He was sitting down on the small bed I had placed him on, looking around confused; he didnt know where exactly he was. Where is this place? What happened? Ugh, my head, he groaned. You still look to be in pain; it was a bit hard to regenerate your brain after it was completely destroyed, but I am fairly sure I did a good job. I appeared by his side. Uaaagh! He was so spooked that I appeared by his side; he fell from the bed right onto the floor head-first. This young man might be sillier than I imagined. ----- Chapter 78: The Returnee And The Regressor ----- Seth could still faintly recall what had happened to him before. The invasion came from those mysterious, gray-colored portals and the countless cavemen and dinosaurs that invaded New Yorks outskirts. His battle against their strongest and also their leader, the Primal King. And how utterly overwhelmed he was. He used every trick he could use, every technique, every skill, and every item, yet at the end of the day, this was a foe he couldnt overcome no matter what. Or perhaps he could, if he had known about him coming here beforehand, but he was yet another of those strange variables that had not come here before. Something disturbed the original timeline, and beings such as Bing Xue and the Primal King appeared, powerful enough to defy everything Seth had ever known. But at the same time, It was thanks to Bing Xue kicking him that he regained the memories of his past life, which triggered him to obtain his Regressor Class. However, above all else, he was also confused. He found himself resting on a comfortable white bed, covered by golden blankets. He was in the interior of a place made completely out of glistening gold. There were windows without glass, which led to the windy outside. He stood up, looking outside, to find there was a sea of vegetation, enormous forests of all colors, golden and silver-colored mountains, swamps, oceans, and... The heavens above twisted constantly in colors, varying from red to orange and even yellow. The air was also heavy, and it seemed packed with an energy similar to the Ki that the inhabitants of the Martial Arts Worlds wielded. However, the Ki they used wasnt as rich and potent as this one, which was even thicker than mana and spirit energy combined. The more he concentrated his senses on trying to comprehend what this energy was, the more tired he felt. His own body was barely able to resist inhaling this energy without beginning to grow weaker. It seemed that the inferior Ki he had cultivated beforehand had become detrimental to him, an impurity that the Ki surrounding him now was trying to overwrite with itself. Ugh This place Where am I?! Seth felt an intense throbbing pain over his chest and then his head, and also in the eye that had been replaced by the Eye of Time. Cough, ugh! Agh! He fell to his knees after trying to resist the pain. The thick Ki in the environment wrapped around him as if it had a consciousness of its own, beginning to forcefully burn through his impure Ki, the Ki he thought was the only energy out there that martial artists used, and replacing it as he inhaled and exhaled. Slowly, the pain faded as he looked around in disbelief, his hands glowing with golden light. It was incredible; he couldnt believe it! Is this another world? he wondered. Maybe when I died, I reincarnated somewhere else? No, but my body is completely intact! Am I in the Divine Realm of a God then? Seth hastily stood up, walking towards the door leading outside, only to find someone standing right outside of it, looking down on him. A-A caveman?! It wasnt the same type of caveman as the Brutes, though, but it was one without a doubt: tall, powerful, muscular, with a primitive appearance, messy and long red hair, yet a very beautiful face. Her skin was as black as charcoal. Bing Bing said... cant let you out, she said. Go back! Eh?! Hey, wait a second! Seth tried to resist, but the girls powerful hands grabbed his little arms like twigs and almost broke them as she threw him back inside the room. BAAM! The door closed after that. W-What with that tremendous strength?! Seth muttered, feeling a terrible pain in his arms. Hahh She is definitely much above Level 999, isnt she? Just what is this place? Seth felt very tired even after everything, sitting down on the bed and beginning to contemplate his life choices while trying to recall what happened. Where is this place? What happened? Ugh, my head, he groaned. However, the only thing he could recall was his last momentsthe agonizing pain of death as the Primal King blew his head into countless pieces. I was only able to regress in time once, he thought. So naturally, this isnt another regression; at that time, I should have simply died. Someone revived me and put me here. But who has such a tremendous healing power capable of reviving someone on Earth? That shouldnt be possible- Ah. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. And then he felt something, an overwhelmingly powerful presence, right behind him. His eyes flashed with Time Essence, as he tried to evade an incoming attack, jumping out of bed! You still look to be in pain. It was a bit hard to regenerate your brain after it was completely destroyed, but I am fairly sure I did a good job. Seth panicked; the thing behind him moved faster than he could even predict! Uaaagh! In an act of pure human reflex, he ended up falling head-first into the ground from the bed, almost looking stupid while doing so. And then he heard her laughter. Hahah, well, arent you quite stupid for someone as strong as you? she laughed. Come on, stand up. Did you think I was going to attack you? Maybe I would... I tried to test you a bit, but I saw how you were going to evade, so I stopped. Did you predict the future? I had yet to even make a move. Seth looked up as a beautiful woman made entirely out of golden, silver, and rainbow lights converging together stood in front of him, wearing a dress made of the same composition as her body. Her bright rainbow eyes resembled jewels, shining with bright light, and her presence alone irradiated the same pressure a goddess of the highest floors would exude! It was such strong pressure that he could barely even move or breathe. Hahhh Y-Youre! I am? Youre Bing Xue! Thats right Wait, I think I recognize your face from somewhere. Bing Xue squinted her doppelganger eyes, analyzing Seth and trying to recall where she had seen that face before. It didnt take her too long to remember. It was a very random moment in her life. On the first day she came back to Earth, she went to register with the hunter association and ended up making a terrible fuss over the simplest of things. And it was all provoked because someone was really angsty over her skipping the line. He insulted her and even kicked her, so she responded with a kick herself, breaking his ribs and almost killing him. But she healed him and left him alone, forgetting about his existence. She didnt know his name or anythingjust another mortal in a sea of billions. Although she cared about humanity as a whole, she was never going to care about a single person in particular. So you do recognize me... at the end, sighed Seth. Bing Xue, Ive been hearing about it for a while. Did you... revive me? So it was really you! That guy I kicked the other day... laughed Bing Xue; she didnt even look like she regretted that. Yes, I did revive you. Your entire brain was destroyed; I had to carefully stitch it all together with my abilities. It was a bit harder. Theres no pain, right? In fact, it still hurts... my entire head and body. Seth looked at his own hands. But it''s amazing you could revive me after I was torn to shreds like that... I I owe you an apology for what I did back then, and I also want to thank you deeply for having saved me. Ah, its fine; there''s no need for apologies or thanks, Bing Xue shrugged. Were quite even now, right? So, what was your name, young man? I am Seth, a player... I recently hit Level 999; I think its one of the highest out there. Not many players should have reached such a high level yet, Seth said. Hmm, certainly, certainly, but youre more different than I imagined. Bing Xue squinted her eyes, analyzing Seth. Seth was nervous. Bing Xue was a being of unparalleled strength, the first ever returnee, a woman who had gone missing eleven years ago and came back just recently. He could already guess that this woman had at least spent a few hundred years in another world, one very similar to the Martial Worlds but, at the same time, very different too. Her powerful eyes struck his soul; she was analyzing his very existence. Seth wanted to keep his existence as a Regressor a secret, especially from her, a being that wasnt even present in the original timeline! She was too big of a variable for his plans to save Earth, and although she had also said she wanted to protect Earth as its new guardian, he couldnt trust her. She had spent too many years in another world; her very existence had been twisted, and she had assimilated the customs, language, and powers of another world, a ruthless one. Seth, if he had to be honest, didnt consider her a human anymore. She was an alien being, a threat to this world. If he had the power... He would certainly just eliminate her. However, things were much different; her overwhelming power meant he could simply never do such a thing. He had to work around it and find another way to see if she was truly trustworthy. But how? He couldnt even tell or read what was inside of her head; she was a complete enigma. Youre very suspicious, arent you, Seth? Youre strange. How was it possible for you to battle the Primal King so evenly for a few minutes? she wondered. Youre not a returnee like me, right? Your powers, abilities, and even your soul cant ever be compared to mine. So how? Seth felt the powerful pressure of her aura weighing him down. The man tried to keep himself standing, but her presence was overwhelming. Also, she was very tall! Seth had thought he was tall at 1.84cm, but this woman was clearly over two meters! She looked down on him with a domineering gaze, which was strangely charming. Well, I have been blessed by the grace of many gods, Seth explained. Ive been given information and many tips; thanks to their help, I was able to get this far. Seth activated several skills to make his lies more convincing. His voice, his confident demeanor, and his sharp eyesanyone would have easily fallen for such a lie. Yet Youre lying, she said. Youre a terrible liar at that... Do you think I would ever believe such bullshit, Seth? Bing Xue stepped forward, her powerful presence only making the young Regressor tremble. How did things become like this? This wasnt supposed to happen! He was the Regressor, a man who would change the future and save Earth! With all his knowledge and all his powers, he was supposed to become the main character of this story. Yet, a variable that he could have never predicted appeared. Someone who could even make the regressor tremble in fear. I I am lying, yes, he said, deciding not to fight anymore. Im sorry Bing Xue looked at him with a menacing glare, but her face quickly changed into a cheerful and motherly smile. Is that so? Well! Its fine; mortals are like children; they lie all the time. I must teach them how to be proper adults. Now, now, Seth, please tell me... What exactly are you? Her gentle demeanor changed instantly as her sharp eyes suddenly glowed with red light. Seth felt her overwhelming gaze; it felt like he wasnt just facing a beautiful, tall woman. No. It felt like he was in front of an absolute being, something beyond his own understanding! It was like a pillar of pure light, piercing the skies and everything with a single eye, gazing through his very existence. Had he ever fought against such a being before? No, never, even when he reached as high as Floor 96 in the tower. I The Regressor, someone with a power that would only confuse people and make him sound suspicious, was now considering explaining what he truly was. He had no other option; Seth had to gamble and see if Bing Xue was truly someone righteous who wanted to protect Earth. I am a regressor, he confessed. I come from the future, exactly ten years from now. Oh? Bing Xue had never expected such a revelation. ----- Chapter 79: New Disciple ----- Regressor, a title that Bing Xue had never heard about, but that she quickly guessed what it was once Seth explained he had come from the future, exactly ten years from now! But how was that possible? Through her many years of comprehending the power of Time, she had never seen a power capable of regressing time itself for so long. And ten years later, it seemed utterly ridiculous. And she thought that even by comprehending the Dao 100%, it was utterly impossible. Although she could regress time, it was only within a small frame of time, within a small domain, that to revert something for many years seemed ridiculous. But through the power of Divinities, which she had just discovered, maybe once combined with the Dao of Time at 100% comprehension, it could be truly possible. However, if it was really a possibility, why hasnt the Grandfather of Time done that to screw her over? She doubted Seth for a moment, but after analyzing his soul, she found out he was not lying. Youre not lying this time... But how is it possible? How did you even regress back in time? and ten years? Thats ridiculous. Its not that I traveled back in time myself, but my memories came back to the past. Seth said. I honestly have no idea how it exactly worked. But I do remember how it happened. I think my memories were sent back to the past by the power of... Earth itself. What? Bing Xue muttered. Earth itself? Thats not possible; Earth is merely a planet. It possesses no consciousness or a soul. I-I dont know, it just happened, okay? Seth asked, sighing. Its not like I had any way to resist either... It was a mission she gave me; Earth itself did this. I can tell; I can feel her will within me. But thats Bing Xue thought about it deeply. Since the moment she had arrived back home, she would have already been able to tell if the planet had a soul or consciousness of its own. Her senses could feel it all. This world was, without a doubt, just a planet. There was no living being there; it wasnt secretly a giant alien being or something. It was just a rocky planet with vegetation and seas on top of it. However, as she walked out of her bathroom in her real body, she decided to give it a go, spreading out her will and intent into a thin and sharp spear and piercing the ground with it. FLASH! Like a needle that nobody could feel at all, her intent will pierce the worlds surface, reaching its deepest, boiling core. She continued spreading her senses down there, calling for something. Yet there was nothing. No, nothing at all... Could it be that in ten years from now, the planet will... Maybe it could become a god itself? A whole planet becoming a god... It could happen if enough people and energy exist. The faith of humanity to save their own world, and all the mana... It could probably replicate a similar phenomenon, where the planet would awaken as a god itself, Bing Xue commented in front of Seth, who barely understood what she was talking about. What? Wait, so Maybe that happened, yeah? Seth nodded. As the two talked, however, Bing Xue felt something, her eyes widening. It wasnt ever-present or all-encompassing, but it felt like the tiny beating of a heart. Her presence was quickly directed toward it. Something that almost completely hid right in front of her senses. Deep within the boiling, molten core of the planet. There was a small, faint, glowing sphere of light. It was smaller than an apple. It was so tiny; it was obviously hard to find at all! But it was there, slowly growing larger. T-Thats Bing Xue finally realized the process had already begun. Earth was slowly beginning to form a soul and become a god itself. It was the same image she saw in the memories of the Gods of Eclipse; however, this process is supposed to take hundreds of years of gestation before the God is fully created. I can see it now. It''s unbelievable. Wait, what? So its real! See? I wasnt lying! Seth smiled, feeling a bit happier knowing that the goddess that sent his memories to the past was still there, although much younger. The thing is, a process like this would usually take hundreds of years, said Bing Xue. This means that the goddess of ten years from now was still pretty much a baby, yet even then, she used all she had to send your memories back... Impressive; she probably died after that. Oh Seth sighed, looking down. But shes alive again, right? This is the past after all... Right? This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Bing Xue thought about something; the revelation of the Parallel Timelines of Earth struck her as something that might actually be related to Seths origins. Perhaps time was never actually reversed at all. And the memories the Seth of this world inherited were the ones from a parallel Earth that was already destroyed in the future. He had already told her that she didnt appear in the past, so this might also make more sense. Seth, I think the world whose memories you inherited are already long gone, she said. What?! Seth muttered. No, wait, where are you basing this!? Its simple; the existence of Parallel Earths, the Grandfather of Times powers are what opened pathways to them, Bing Xue explained. And your power is a fragment of him, right? You said that this Goddess used this fragment of his divinity, which you were growing as his avatar, to send you to the past But what if she actually sent you to a parallel world, one ten years in the past compared to yours? It would also explain why your original world was absent from my existence. It was simply a parallel version with a few variables. N-No, that cant be true muttered Seth. T-Thats a lie! Thats bullshit! My world Youre saying its already gone?! I am not confirming it, but I am not denying the possibility, said Bing Xue. However, we must also take into consideration something else. The tower of the futurehow different was it from the one of the present? Perhaps that tower could either be a parallel version of our own or actually a completely different one. Or the same. But if it were the same, we would eventually encounter people that come from the exact same planet, but the future amongst the players climbing the tower hasnt happened. So well scratch that possibility. So youre saying... That theres a good possibility of either way? Seth wondered. Yes, it could either be a parallel timeline that has already met its end, with a parallel tower completely separated from our own, which even includes the same gods, floors, and everything... Or it could truly be the future, Bing Xue said. To confirm this, we would need to first assess something. The Grandfather of Time. Right, I guess we will never be able to tell for sure until we confront him, sighed Seth. Hah, this is a headache to think about... Dammit. Bing Xue felt a bit of pity for the young man, patting his head as if he were her child. Calm down, child. It is fine, she said, giving him a gentle, motherly smile. For now, we should concentrate on the present. Seth, do you have any family members? I dont, my mom and my dad... They died when everything began; Ive been alone my whole life, Seth sighed. I''m not saying it for you to pity me or something; a lot of people out there have experienced a similar life. Most of the young hunters of today are all orphaned." Hmm. Bing Xue nodded. Even then, Im sorry for your loss. Youre a brave and strong young man, someone who strives forward despite being alone. But have you thought that your path is the correct one? Were you planning on taking the weight of the future of our world completely, all on your own? I Seth muttered. Who else could have helped? I thought I simply couldnt share the truth with anybody; nobody would ever believe me, or they would try to use me for their own benefits. Your lack of trust in people is justified, I suppose. Bing Xue nodded. However, the path you chose was not the correct one at the end; it led to your death. After hearing her words, Seth couldnt help but sigh, and he nodded. Youre right I guess Ive been looking at things the wrong way. I was desperate to grow stronger and to make a change. I ended up getting involved in that fight because I thought I could do it even without prior preparation, but I died. Its my fault, Seth accepted it. Bing Xue, I wonder though, why werent you there in the future I came from? I dont really know, said Bing Xue. But the chances are many... One of them might be that... The eleven thousand years I spent in Murim also passed on Earth, meaning that countless Earths died before I came back, arriving at one of the many parallels. W-What?! Seth gasped, and the theory that Bing Xue had was utterly terrifying. Thousands of parallel Earths had already died, and when she was finally able to return, her original world was long gone. And so was her family. But of course, that is a very crazy theory; dont take it seriously, Bing Xue said. I want to stay optimistic right now. Not drown in the sorrow of just possibilities or self-loathing. Were here to protect our world and save it, right? Bing Xue Seth muttered, looking down. Somehow, he felt much more connected to her; perhaps it was a similar feeling; both shared the same sensation, their wills to save the world were the same, and the responsibility they carried with them was genuine. Above all, one came back to Earth without even knowing if it was even her own planet or if her world was already long gone. The other came from the future, without knowing if it was actually the real future and not a parallel world that had already been destroyed. I know we started things the wrong way... After getting to know you better, I feel slightly bad after having kicked you now, Bing Xue sighed. I am sorry for that, Seth. N-No, you dont need to apologize, Bing Xue, he said. I also shouldnt have acted like that. After my memories of the future came back, I realized how stupid and reckless I acted back in those days. The trauma of the death of my parents was still weighing me down. I can only blame my horrible attitude for all the unfortunate things that happened to me. I understand how you feel; its alright. Bing Xue had more patience and a much softer and kinder side than Seth imagined. Seth, I think your help would be tremendous for my future endeavors. If possible, I would like us to work together. Together? he muttered. But even with my knowledge, youre so strong; do you even need it? I sure do. Strength sometimes... Is not always everything you need, Bing Xue sighed. Knowledge and insight are also very important things. O-Oh, I understand, Seth nodded. He was still processing what had just happened; he never imagined he would have such a deep conversation with this woman and end up making a friend. Then, of course, lets... work together, Bing Xue, Seth smiled. Its not like I have another option anyway. Fufu, you sure dont! laughed Bing Xue, although her laughter was a bit menacing to Seth. Oh right, I guess I might as well make you my disciple too. Wont you like to learn how to cultivate your inner strength and free yourself from the systems parasitic powers, Seth? I-Is there such a thing? Seth wondered. Wait, the energy of this placeright! What is this place? This is my Inner Realm, Bing Xue explained. Your impurities were already cleansed by the air, so youre more than ready to start. So? Will you become my disciple? It will be the only way for you to become stronger. Seth wanted to think about it a bit more deeply, but he didnt have an option either. If he dared to offend Bing Xue by rejecting her, he would be missing a great ally. And he knew that, for what had to come in the future, hed need as much help as possible. If Bing Xue could have been there when all these terrible things happened... Maybe the future can be truly changed. Okay, I I will become your disciple if that makes you happy, he nodded. Excellent! Now stay right there! Bing Xue smiled. Huh, for what- BAAAM! Bing Xue punched him in the chest. Ugh?! However, instead of the pain Seth imagined to have felt, he actually felt a surge of tremendous power as an endless sea of energies rushed from his chest all the way to the rest of his body. Rapidly, something inside his chest began to crystalize! W-What is this?! Youre talented, so I decided to be a bit rougher with you, Seth! Bing Xue then moved her fingers rapidly, striking Seth at every Meridian and Pressure Point. Rapidly, she freed all his internal energies and mixed them with the ones she donated to him. Within seconds, Seths entire body started to change and evolve. The Regressor had gotten an incredible master, it seemed. ----- Chapter 80: Family Breakfast ----- I could have been more delicate about it, but it wasnt as if it hurt him; it was more like a relieving type of pain for Seth. With that punch alone, I fully imbued Ki into his body and rapidly awakened all his Meridians. Well, they were already awakened, but they were strangely... nasty. He had been trying to use a very low-quality version of Ki; I dont know where he even got that, but it wasnt working properly, and his growth wasnt as fast as it should be. Ugh Seth quickly fell to the floor, gasping for air as he felt the Ki change his body. It was going to be a much faster process for him because he had already done most of the work before. Dont worry, it might be a bit painful, but you will get stronger, Seth, I said. Your talent is very good as well; you might even become Rank 2 right away- Oh, you did. I noticed the Ki in his chest rapidly materialized, crystallizing into a Ki core. I didnt even have time to help him refine a specific element, the Ki Core, before anything could be done. This only meant one thing: his element was already pre-chosen, and it was as crazy as I imagined it would be: a Ki Core of the Time element. FLUOSH! Time Essence surged from his body, resembling silver-colored rivers of energy; time itself distorted and glitched around him. I felt as if things slowed down or rapidly increased constantly. Hahh W-What is this? UGH! A Time Attribute Ki Core was something completely insane; even in Murim, those with such an element were less than ten, and oftentimes they were the children of powerful Immortals that managed large Immortal Sects. Only the richest and most pampered children of the ruling figures of the world would ever obtain a Ki Core of such an element. Why? Because it was incredibly hard to obtain the material for the Time Element to begin with. And because the chances of success were so low, you also needed to create several formations to ensure the safety of the cultivator, which would cost even more resources. But I suppose it is different now, in this world, with the System, Skills, Gods Blessings, Classes, and Mana. Most people come with already-developed traits, supernatural abilities, and elements. So, naturally, it is much easier to cultivate for them than the mortals of Murim, or any mortal now. However, because there was no such knowledge and apparently the only Ki available was the lowest quality possible, I suppose nobody here has tapped into their truest potential yet. But that was about to change; after all, I am here. Right now, my disciples are only a few, but eventually, I shall have hundreds, if not thousands. A force that will obey my every command and will protect this world. Seth here was able to do so much even at his previous level; I cant imagine how strong hell get once he assimilates the true power of cultivation into his already developed and incredible abilities. Hahh Ugh, I think... I think Im fine now." He gasped for air, slowly relaxing as he rested on the floor. With a wave of my hands, I used my pure Intent to make him float over the air and gently placed him on the bed. Then, I took out some food from my inventory and recently made dishes from Murim using the local ingredients of my Inner Realm. There you go, my young disciple; have a meal for now; you must be quite tired, I said. Youve successfully created your first Ki Core. Now, you need to eat a lot and then rest. Unlike other people, your power and potential were already incredibly high, so your process of awakening might have shaken your body a bit more. Bing Xue Seth felt slightly embarrassed. Thank you, but arent you being too nice? I dont deserve this kindness Of course you deserve it. I smiled back at him, petting his head. Youre now my disciple, and I shall pamper you and spoil you as I please. Because a disciple to a master is like a child to their parent. I didnt know you saw such a relationship like this... I feel even more embarrassed now, but thanks; I am really hungry right now. Ill make sure to repay this. Thank you so much." Seth started eating like his life depended on it. Only through a balance between kindness and strictness can a disciple truly blossom and flourish. If youre too mean and strict with them without rewarding them for their efforts, they will grow hateful of you, and if you pamper and spoil them without ever reprimanding them or praising them as geniuses, they will grow conceited and narcissistic, ungrateful to you. Therefore, I cant just be ruthless to my disciple; I will show him kindness, reward him for his efforts, and praise his resolve while giving him great challenges and trials to overcome. Only through this perfect balance can they become true masters. Or well, it was one of the things Granny Zhi Hui always taught me about; so many years ago, she would sometimes beat me because I wasnt paying attention and scream at me like I had offended her entire family. But then, if she saw I did something well, she would reward me and even gift me precious and expensive resources she had saved. At first, I used to slightly hate her, but after I got to know her better, I grew very attached to her. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. It was perhaps the first person who showed me true kindness, from the very heart, in the world of Murim. And one of the very few; they were so few that I could only count them with the fingers of my hands. And yeah, most of them were always mortals. A kind Immortal was rarer than finding a needle in the middle of the ocean. But anyway, thanks to her teachings, Ive always understood how to raise disciples. Phew, Im full... Thank you Seth slowly fell asleep right after that. Well, Ill come see you later, Seth. I walked away from the bedroom after that. As my doppelganger stepped out, Fiery Hair was right there, stuck to the door, listening. She was blushing a bit, breathing heavily while sweating. Fiery Hair? I wondered. Bing Bing Did you mate with a man? She wondered, her eyes in surprise. The man was moaning like when other men mate with females! Hah Of course not; I dont like men. He is my disciple, someone I take care of and teach, and in return, he gives me his loyalty and strength, I said. Theres nothing romantic about that, haha! I only like women like you. I caressed her chin gently. "Oooh, I did not know! she said happily. Bing Bing only like female? How and why? Just a thing of preferences, do you like women too? I wondered. Yes! Female very cute, she nodded. Female precious, beautiful! Male strong and beautiful too. So shes bisexual, I see. Thats called being bisexual when you like both genders, I explained to her. Ooooh! I see! She was understanding things slowly. Well, lets chat for a while; this is not my real body, but its connected to my soul and consciousness, I explained to her. Okay! she said happily as we walked to the dining room, and while she had a feast I cooked for her, we chatted together. Meanwhile, outside of my Inner Realm, I had just finished taking a bath and walked to have breakfast with my family. Mommy, mommy! suddenly, little Hekita came running out of her bedroom. Mommy look! This came with the bed! Hm? Oh my! I didnt see it before; whats this? I giggled. It was a cute teddy bear; it was very fluffy and of high quality. It was just a gift; it had no cameras inside or something, thankfully. They said it was a teddy bear! It is so fluffy; its like a doll thingy. Made of fur? She wondered as she rubbed it on her face and sniffed it. Smells nice! Haha, yes, it is one of the many toys we have here on Earth, I kissed her forehead and hugged her. Good morning, dear. Good morning! Ah, good morning, Mom! she ran to greet Urbosa, hugging her from behind. You finally woke up, Hekita! You should try waking up earlier, sighed her mother. Now, lets have breakfast together. Okey! Hekita nodded, sitting down. Merkite also arrived, and Mom and my sister too. Yanisse was apparently still sleeping; she must have been even more tired from yesterdays battles. She was fine and healthy; I could sense her life force from here. Good morning, everyone, my mother greeted us. Ah, I was going to cook something, but Urbosa already made something? Yes, I woke up quite early, mother-in-law; Ive prepared something from your world. Eggs with bacon, some bread; theres also butter and fruit jam. I also made some pancakes; this is the recipe Bing Xue told me about. Please sit down and enjoy; this is nothing but normal in my tribe to cook and make delicious food for the family of my mate, said Urbosa with a charming smile. Oh my, youre such a nice girl! Thank you so much, Urbosa. My mother was immediately won over; Urbosa knew how to get her mother-in-law to love her. Shes really nice. Ruby said. Youre really lucky, Kat. Well, isnt your boyfriend a good match, as you always say? I giggled. You dont have anything to be jealous about, sis. Well, I guess Juan does cook some nice tortillas and tacos sometimes; hes good at his hometown food, she nodded. Hometown food? Is he Mexican? I wondered. His family is; he was born here but essentially learned everything from them, Ruby nodded. His family is nice; we should go visit them one day, now that I think about it. Hmm, I suppose... I nodded. I think hes mostly done with the test by now. The test? Woah, huh?! Ruby noticed a message from Juan on his phone. Oh! Hes really coming back! Finally! He didnt even take that long, Ruby Said my mother. "Yeah, but I still missed him, Ruby smiled. Nice, he said, he managed to level up a lot. He reached the max level. Good, that should be enough to pass the test, and all on his own. I nodded. Ill let him cultivate and make him into one of my disciples too, if you dont mind. Eh? Sure, I guess. Ruby nodded. Wait, are we also your disciples, Kat? Yes, of course, you and Mother, Urbosa, and Merkite too. I nodded. All of you count as part of the sect. Naturally, you have more benefits as direct family members of the sect master. So youll receive premium treatment. The other disciples also must treat you with great respect. No way, are you making those top-class hunters treat us like their young masters or something?! Ruby panicked. "Kat, thats a bit too much! Haha, well, I wont force them to do anything like that, but if they do it, then thats good. I nodded. Dear, are you still sleepy? I noticed Merkite was still looking half asleep, and her hair was a bit messy too. Hmm, a bit. I am tired Merkite yawned. But Im fine. Here, drink some of this. Its called coffee; it helps people wake up, said Urbosa. "Also, eat some more; last night was intense, but it was necessary. Youll feel better after eating a lot. Thank you, sis, Merkite smiled as she started eating and drinking. Bleh, this is so bitter! Is this really good for me? Dont worry, the best medicines are always the most bitter ones! laughed Urbosa. Now, everyone, eat up! The food will get colder if you dont. My cute wife kept bringing us delicious food she prepared, but I got worried she wasnt eating herself, so I told her to sit down and eat too. Come on, dear, youve made enough; lets eat together; thats enough, I told her. R-Really? But you should eat a lot, she said. Youre so strong, so I bet you need a lot of energy. Haha, perhaps, but Im good with all this feast; come on, my love, no more; sit down and eat with us, I called her. Okay then, she nodded, sitting by my left side while Merkite sat by my right side. Ah, right, I remember I got like this too during my pregnancy; I really wanted to do a lot of things. Maybe I get a bit hyperactive. Pregnancy? My mother and sister wondered. Aaah, ahem Well, with my great powers, I managed to find a way... You dont need to know more than that, I smiled. "Also, I didnt know if they were pregnant or not yet, after all, it was only last night Y-You can do that? wondered my mother. I-I dont know what to say I guess it shouldnt be that worrisome, seeing all the things you can do, now that I think about it. Im still a bit surprised; Im betting she did some sort of body-shapeshifting stuff, right? my sister laughed. Sheesh, didnt know you were so kinky, sis. Um, please, lets not address these things with a child here I sighed, trying to stay serious, but I think I was as red as a tomato. Woah, mama is pregnant? Will I get a little sibling? Mommy did it? Mommy and Mama are having a baby! Hekita, however, immediately addressed the situation again. H-Hekita! Calm down; dont scream these things out loud! Urbosa reprimanded her a bit. At the same time, I noticed Merkite feeling a bit better. Hmm, maybe I really was hungry; I feel better now, she said. I guess that was my pregnancy acting up too Big sis gets hyperactive, so I get very tired? I-I guess? I wondered. Just take care of yourself, alright? Im fine~ Dont worry, she smiled, kissing my cheek. Anyways, what are we doing today, dear? Right! Didnt you say you were building a giant pagoda thingy, honey? Urbosa asked. Indeed, thats right, well be doing that today, I nodded. It shouldnt take too long, so dont worry. Lets finish breakfast first! The Pagoda in question was already halfway done inside my Inner Realm anyway. ----- Chapter 81: The Heavenly Court Sect ----- Inside my Inner Realm, above the skies, several of my Doppelgangers moved around, controlling hundreds of materials together. There were several Formations right below them, which helped them refine and enhance all the materials into usable parts, and right in the middle of everything, the Giant Floating Pagoda Divine Relic was being constructed. Its form was that of a beautiful pagoda building, with five different floors and a nice terrace with a garden on top. There was also a surrounding area that would have training grounds and other facilities for my disciples to train and get stronger. Portals were also being made, and I had already finished creating the accessories to grant them access to the Pagoda. By using them, they would instantly teleport through the portals inside of it. It was coming along nicely, and I was using a lot of expensive materials for its creation. White and Yellow Heaven Alloy, Yang Tree Wood and Sap Cursed Dokaebi Souls, Phoenix Feathers and Bones, and more. It would probably become the greatest treasure on all of Earth, and many might desire it once it appears. So thats why I am increasing its defensive powers as much as possible, so even if a god just steps in, theyll have a very hard time even trying to touch it. Meanwhile, back home, Yanisse had finally woken up, looking still sleepy after taking a bath. She was eating pancakes and coffee. Hmm, thank you for your hospitality... I am still quite tired, she yawned again. Ah, these pancakes are really good, though. Who did them? Me, Urbosa smiled. You can eat them all if you want, Yanisse. You look quite exhausted. If youll become my mates wife in the future, you must have a strong body capable of giving birth, so better eat a lot. Ppfff What?! Yanisse got embarrassed, growing as red as a tomato. Urbosa! You shouldnt have said that out of nowhere. I sighed. Please be more careful with your words. M-My bad, I thought she was going to be another mate? Urbosa wondered. She isnt? W-Well, its complicated Yanisse was getting even more embarrassed. P-Please dont say s-such things "Understood, a story about that... I come from another world, so I might be quite out of touch with human customs, Urbosa apologized. I assume the courting process is much slower with human women, then, honey? Y-Yea, I mean Lets not talk about that, poor girl is dying of embarrassment, I sighed. Haha, okay, I get it, giggled Urbosa. I think she was also doing it to tease Yanisse a bit. Anyways, Yanisse, are you interested in entering the pagoda once it is done? Ill start the assembly soon; it will be right outside the city, I said. Sure, I would love to! I dont really have anything much to do now until we can get a proper response from the King, Yanisse sighed. Usually I would... Either I would be doing missions requested by the government or I would be climbing and leveling in the tower. I need a break, definitely. Alright, I nodded. Once were done with the Pagoda, I guess we can take the rest of the day off, waiting for a response. I think we might spend the rest of the week here, mostly spending days teaching you and the other disciples various things. After that, I plan to go back to the Tower and climb to the second Floor. I really hope that this time there wont be any more interruptions. I hope so too, said my mother. Right, the King Are you really going against that man, my daughter? I dont really plan on doing anything to him; I just wanted to make... A deal, perhaps, I said. But I am beginning to think hes either scared or planning something nefarious; hes taking too long, and that is only creating more suspicion than anything. I have only met him once. Yanisse said. But he was a very intimidating man, someone much stronger than me back then. I dont know if hes still stronger than me, but he was certainly on another level completely. It makes sense, seeing how he comes from another world, I said. But then again, the fact that he has protected Earth remains, so I cant really be hateful against him, even if hes an outsider from our planet. Can we accompany you to see how its being done? Juans coming here, so well meet him on the outskirts of the city, Ruby said. Sure, everyone can come if you want, I nodded. Lets get there then! Once we were done having breakfast, and once Yanisse and Merkite took a bath, respectively, as they wanted to wake up fully, we moved out. {Divine Light Platforms} Using my Divine Photon Essence, I created several floating platforms of solid light, which I used to help everyone move around the skies. Floating by my side, we moved across the skies, breaching through the invisible barrier protecting New York and reaching the wild lands outside. Just a day ago, there was a huge battle here between cavemen, hunters, and giant dinosaurs. The results of such a battle remained everywhere; it was quite a harsh battle, and everyone needed several days to completely rest from all of that. Woah, were so high, Auntie! Hekita was hugging Rubys leg while looking down. Im a bit scared... This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Calm down; the platform has walls, but yeah, its a tad bit scary. Ruby nodded. Ah! Is that Juan?! Hes over there! Rubys sharp eyes, after reaching Rank 3, allowed her to accurately detect someone walking through the wild lands below; it was Juan, who was looking around in complete shock at the huge craters and blood spread everywhere. What in the world happened here? I assume he walked all the way here from the tower, which was much farther into the wild lands. He was pretty confident in his own strength to come back alone. Juaaaannn! The platform where Ruby was quickly started shaking. As it moved down rapidly, Hekita panicked a bit and grabbed her legs, but the platform quickly stopped, floating right above Juan and slowly reaching the floor. Ruby?! Juan gasped as he saw his girlfriend descend from the skies, and then he looked upwards to find all of us up there. Youre back! My sister ran towards Juan, hugging and kissing him. He had even grown a small beard during his training; I guess he did spend a lot of time without shaving. Yeah, Im back. I missed you a lot, but what happened here? And where are you going? wondered Juan. Oh, Hekita, hi. Hi, uncle! Hekita greeted him, sniffing her surroundings as she started exploring the forest. Ruby, Juan, come up. Also, dont let Hekita walk too far away, I called them. Ah, yeah, right! Ruby nodded. She quickly dragged Juan with her and grabbed Hekita, who was about to go running somewhere, her wolf instincts kicking in as she probably wanted to explore a new land. "Wait, auntie, I want to explore! Hekita complained. Later, Hekita! Were busy right now! After that, all three of them returned to the skies, and Juan greeted everyone. I guess this man was already part of the family. Although he was happy to see us, he was a bit surprised once he noticed Yanisse was with me. Huh? Is that the World-Class Hunter? he asked. Oh? Ah, yeah, shes with us for a little while, I patted Yanisses shoulders. Right now Im going to build the Golden Pagoda, so just stay here and watch. Once it''s done, you can go inside to take a shower and change clothes if you want, Juan. Golden Pagoda? He was confused. Eh, ah, okay. Thanks Anyways, without further ado... I whisked my fingers as several golden portals leading to my Inner Realm opened one after another, and large pieces of a much larger building started coming out of the portals. Each piece was completely gold-colored, shining brightly below the sun. With just my Divine Photon Essence and my Intent, I started assembling the gigantic building. It only took roughly ten minutes, but everyone was watching the scene in awe as a titanic building was being created in the skies. I had said it would have five floors, but each floor would usually be rather wide and tall because the interior of the pagoda would also have a large open field, full of nature, and many other areas for recreational purposes. Therefore, it still had to be large enough. The Pagodas shadow eventually loomed over the wildlands, blocking the sun from our position and ending its size at a shocking 953 meters. T-Thats immense my mother muttered. W-What? Is this even possible? And its floating! Ruby muttered. I-Incredible I-I dont know what else to say; she built this so easily too? Juan asked. Such a large building! It is like a floating island! said Urbosa. Woah Our mate sure is incredible, Merkite was wagging her tail. Amazing!!! Hekita was jumping in excitement. I wanna go inside already! Yanisse was only looking, completely speechless. Calm down, everyone; well go inside in a bit. Now that Ive assembled it, Ill synthesize every fragment together like this and that I said this as I noticed a few helicopters already approaching the scene. People, mostly hunters, were also gathering right below us, filming what was happening with their cellphones, most of them were on livestreams. I guess it couldnt be helped. With a wave of rainbow light, the power of Alchemy was conjured, washing over the entire Pagoda and permanently mixing all the components inside. FLASH! The gigantic building released a bright flash of light, and then dozens of rivers of golden and rainbow light started coming out of it, reaching the ground below. And ready! There it is! My beautiful Pagoda remade! The Heavenly Courts Headquarters, the Heavenly Golden Dragon Pagoda! As I announced to the world the Pagodas creation, the light platforms moved, following me as I entered the large building through its giant, golden gates. Heavenly Pagoda, open your gates to your true and only owner. RUMBLE! The giant gates, over thirty meters in height, slowly opened, revealing the luxurious interior of the first floor, a beautiful tapestry mixing Chinese and Western aesthetics and style almost seamlessly, several counters, large tables, many chairs, and a passage that led to a large open area. Everyone walked over the wooden floor in surprise, looking around in disbelief. I told them to follow me so they wouldnt get lost, showing them the interior of the Pagoda. It was so big that it would usually take days to explore, honestly. This is amazing... And there are huge open areas too? With, like, dirt and plants? Holy sh*t, that pond is so beautiful! said Ruby. I wonder if we should move inside of here now, my mother muttered. Living in that apartment is no longer enough when weve seen this place. Well, it depends on you. I would say you should probably still keep living there; this Pagoda might eventually be attacked by an enemy. I explained. Eh? Ah, yeah, perhaps Well, we could visit it if were bored, Ruby shrugged. I guess so Mom nodded. Katherine, how big is this? Roughly 953 meters tall, I answered. It is almost a kilometer in height. Unfortunately, I was unable to make it larger. Or it would have messed with its balance and speed; the Formations that keep it afloat cant take too much weight. I-I see Mom nodded, still trying to comprehend what I just said. Anyways! The bathrooms are over there, I said, pointing in the distance. Ill give everyone a special ring to see where you are currently and not get lost. Eventually, youll memorize the place, I hope. This ring will also help you teleport inside the Pagoda at any time, as long as youre within Earth. Amazing, you really thought about everything, Bing Xue said Yanisse. Thank you. she took the ring and wore it immediately. Its a pretty ring she blushed. Glad you like it, I nodded. Dears, yours too. I gave some to Urbosa and Merkite. Such a glittering accessory! It will go well with the other rings youve gifted us, honey, Urbosa happily said, wearing the ring. Yeah, I love it, Merkite nodded. Both kissed my cheeks as I caressed their heads and kissed their little snouts. Now that were done distributing the goods, Lets keep the tour going! Theres a lot more to explore, I smiled. As Juan went to take a shower in the enormous bathroom on the first floor, we continued exploring the Pagoda. Eventually, the rest of my disciples arrived, using the rings I sent to them using my Doppelgangers. And naturally, their reaction was similar to Yanisse I decided to take the rest of the day off, everyone was tired, and I wasnt going to force anybody to move or train for the moment. However, once the morning of the next day finally arrived, I decided to start the classes with all my disciples, including my whole family, yes, even Hekita. I plan to spend the rest of the week teaching you many things, but first, lets begin with questions! I said. I am sure many of you are curious about what Cultivation truly is, and about Murim, the world I was sent to for eleven thousand years. So, to start with, youre free to ask me as many questions as you want. ----- Chapter 82: The History of the World of Murim ----- Nicholas, John, Aiyana, Yanisse, Francisco, Seth, and the rest of my family were present right now, surrounding me as I sat down over my throne of gold. My disciples sat cross-legged, looking up to me. I had given them special clothes this time; everyone was wearing the same type of golden and silver garments, ancient Chinese-styled Murim robes. They arent just for pleasing my aesthetic choices or something, though; no, these are specifically made to help their cultivation increase rapidly. Even little Hekita had one fit for her smaller body, and she was excited to learn from me. These special robes would enhance their Ki circulation speed, refinement process, and quality. Ah, right, Jackes is not here yet; he has yet to complete his test, but hes getting there. Just as I said, they quickly started bombarding me with many questions. I had allowed them the benefit of asking as much as they wanted to know to learn about the world I came from and the cultivation techniques I know. They learned a bit more about Murim, the method of cultivation, and everything. Murim is the world where I was stranded for eleven thousand years. If you want the simplest explanation possible, it was a world very similar to Chinese mythology and fantasy stories, I explained. It was immense, perhaps thousands of times bigger than Earth. It was divided into five different continents, which were called the Five Regions of the World. The Central Continent, where I landed, the Northern Mountain Range, the Southern Plains, the Western Azure Seas, and the Eastern Golden Dunes. Each region was also divided by strange, supernatural walls known as Heavenly Walls, composed of concentrated elemental and divine Ki. Making it very difficult to move between regions. The stronger you were, the harder it became, as the pressure and weight of the walls would be equal to your cultivation rank. T-That seems incrediblethat big of a world it was?! Yanisse wondered. There is no world in the tower that big... Well, that''s what weve known so far! There were walls? How bizarre Nicholas muttered. Yes, I eventually destroyed the Walls when I managed to learn their connection to the Ki Veins underground, which I refined and then absorbed, making the Walls that had been there for immemorial times collapse, I explained. It only happened when I was already a Venerable, though, and it was after I had to beat one of the ancient, revived Venerables. I-I see John gulped saliva. Um, what were these regions like? Lets see The Central Continent was around... Perhaps a hundred times the size of Earth? Immense and also the only region that shares so many different types of biomes. It is where the largest organizations are located. The former Heavenly Judgement Pavilion was located there. It was a group of corrupted, orthodox cultivators that used their ancient powers and the backing of three Venerables to dominate the world and its laws. I destroyed them and reformed their entire sect into the Heavenly Court, a truly righteous, non-biased, and lawful sect that brought actual justice to the world. Just like this Heavenly Court will do? John wondered. Thats the plan, to an extent. I nodded. Now, lets move on. The Northern Mountain Range was located in the north of the entire world; it was divided into snowy mountains and windy mountains. People here lived by mostly mining for resources and battling the endless waves of martial beasts. It was a region where the Barbarian tribes livedpowerful humans with strong muscles and physiquesthat cultivated the elements of earth and ice the most. Admirable fighters; many of their members used to be my enemies. Barbarians... muttered Aiyana. Were these people like the cavemen? Not that much; the cavemen weve met, aside from the Brutes, are quite kind. I smiled. The Barbarian Tribes of Murim were nothing like that... Hateful and warmongering, they desired to conquer and grow powerful. They are constantly battling between tribes and clans, overtaking their mountains and territories. Sounds harsh, said my mother. Well, every single part of that world was harsh, I commented. Anyways, the Southern Plains were where the largest nomadic tribes were located. Unlike the barbarians, they had to constantly move across vast and near endless grassy plains, often divided by islands made of forests. Slightly similar to the mountain range in some cultural aspects, but also vastly different! People here mostly cultivated the Paths of Wind and Wood. Then the Azure Seas of the West, an endless blue ocean with countless islands, This was a place where the mermen also liveda race of underwater-dwelling people. Which were also cultivators. These beautiful and tropical lands were full of ocean wars, pirates roamed everywhere, sea monsters could snatch you easily, and cultivators always had to learn the water element to get around; it was almost a necessity if you didnt want to get stuck on an island forever. The culture was rather interesting, but just as harsh as anywhere. And lastly, the Wester Golden Dunes, probably the harshest of all Regions without a doubt, have endless deserts with dunes of all colors spread through them, although predominantly gold-colored dunes. These deserts all have their own effects. The Miasma Desert was poisonous; the Illusion Desert created illusions to trick you; the Living Desert would swallow you; the Ore Desert would tear you to shreds with its storms carrying hard metal pieces, etcetera. Oases here were like stars in the sky, making people and cultivators gather around them and form large cities. Cultivators here mostly cultivated fire and sand paths. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. So amazing; it feels like a large world! Ruby said. And you visited all of those fantastic regions? wondered Juan. Indeed, they were both exciting adventures and... not so exciting, I sighed. For the majority of the first one hundred years, I was always running away from place to place, so I ended up traveling through most of the world as a mortal. I invested heavily in my movement techniques, always making sure to be faster than whatever was chasing me. I was a coward, but that helped me survive and ultimately achieve what I did. There is no shame in running away, Nicholas said. As long as you can live, you can fight another day after all. Well said, I nodded. Now, one of you asked the true origins of cultivation. Well, its very complicated. Although I learned mostly everything from that world, the origins are one of the oldest mysteries. There are many tales, legends, and mythologies inside of Murim. But Ive learned to resume most of it with a tale I call The Tale of the First Man." Murim is not a world moved by laws like those of Earth; there was no such thing as evolution and the creation of life as we know it. I suppose thats fair, but who is this first man? Juan wondered. Amongst the tales, he was called The First Father. He was born in the origins of the world of Murim. From what I learned by investigating every nook and cranny and even battling the Heavenly Will, I learned that Murim was created when the cosmic chaos itself distorted to the point of imploding. Heaven was born in that moment; all nine colors surged from the endless collapse and reconstruction of chaos, which is the energy that encompassed the entire world of Murim like a cloud of darkness, I explained. The Nine Heavens were born; each Heaven once had its own Heavenly Will! All Nine Heavenly Wills gained consciousness the moment they were born, immediately combining themselves into the Nine Heavens and creating a separation between Heaven and Earth, which in those times was chaos. Then, the Nine Heavens decided that the world required many things. The Yellow, Orange, and Red Heavens combined their powers to create the Four Radiant Suns that illuminated the entire world. The Green, Yellow, and Purple Heavens created the Earth as we know it, solidifying and purifying the chaos. The Azure and the Blue Heaven created the oceans. The Purple and Black Heavens created the Night. And the White, Purple, and Black Heavens made the three Moons. At that moment, all of Murim was fully formed, and the Nine Heavenly Wills felt content with their creations. However, as time went by, they felt empty. There was no life yet, and they started to grow jealous of each others powers. And then, before even life was born, the Nine Heavenly Wills battled against one another to devour each other. They wanted to have all the power and not distribute it among the nine siblings. They ate and tore apart one another, until the last standing one, the White Heavenly Will, remained. He devoured all his siblings divine powers and became the Supreme Heavenly Will. The true god of Murim. So there was a god in Murim too? wondered my mother. But this is confusing; he was born out of chaos, not belief and faith. Yeah, I nodded. Murim is very different, a world that could only be described as a dimension of its own at this point when I compare it to other worlds. Even the only god-like entity there was much different than any other god out there. Anyways, moving on, the Heavenly Will created the first human. The First Human Father, a man, is the human template for all human-like beings in the future, I explained. And also the precursor of cultivation as we know it. And the first-ever Venerable, the one that cultivated the Human Path, and the last foe I fought before trying to escape Murim. Wait, the first human ever was alive?! John muttered. Yeah, well, no Its complicated. His tales are many; he was the one who created every wonder in the world. He was the one who was able to cultivate, as he noticed the particles floating everywhere and harnessed them into his body. Harnessing the Heavenly Dao itself from birth, he battled the Chaotic Beasts that invaded the world through the cracks left behind by the Heavenly Wills battle for supremacy. Slowly becoming more powerful through thousands after thousands of years of endless battle. By harnessing the Essence of Heaven and Earth, Ki was able to grow powerful enough to survive, thrive, and grow. But if he was only a man, how did he get children? asked Urbosa. Was he made a wife out of his ribs like Adam and Eve? Haha Ruby laughed. Not at all; it is said he used the power of the Human Path, the Element of Human, the Dao of Humans, to combine the essences of the world and create the first children, I explained. Amongst his children, there were also the Barbarians, the Mermen, the Winged Men, the Stone Men, and more. Who was much stronger than the pure humans and had greater affinity for the cultivation of a certain element. But true Humans remained at the top because they reproduced much quicker. He was also, well, the first ever Venerable of the Human Path, using the entire population of the world as his weapon against me. T-The entire population of the world? Wait, what? my sister wondered. It is a complicated thing That was indeed a fight, yeah, I sighed. Due to the Human Path, he could also revive almost indefinitely. Both his soul and body were the same, and he could also connect his powers with every single human or descendant and gain their power, becoming several times stronger. When I fought against him, even after having stolen the strength of the other Venerables I killed and having refined them into equipment, powers, and more, I was confident I only had roughly a forty percent chance of winning. But because of his overconfidence, mostly because I was a woman, he created several openings for me to abuse. Yes, he was the man responsible for creating a world so discriminatory towards women; even though women could gain as much power as men, they were always restricted. Creating a terrible imbalance between genders. Thats awful Yanisse muttered. Yet you fought your way through all of that... For eleven thousand years Yes, and Ive come back home now. So, I shall teach you what I learned. We shall begin our Cultivation classes today. I will now teach you basic Meditation and Ki Refinement techniques, I said. So, pay attention. After a few hours of explaining and talking about the past, the classes of the day finally began. ----- Chapter 83: Her Legacy ----- The heavens above rumbled, trembling as rainbow-colored lightning constantly surged, zapping through its endless white clouds, which sometimes changed in color. An overwhelming and all-encompassing presence, a being that dominated it all and that represented the very laws of everything, roared with anger. He had been in such a state for several years now, lamenting the departure of the only thing he had grown interested in these last eleven thousand years. A woman who ended up landing here from another dimension, a faraway world, weak and powerless, known as Earth,. Surprising him time and time again, her survival instincts surpassed all his expectations, as did her endless resolve and her incredible mental strength, coupled with the morality and righteousness she carried from a weak and pathetic world to this one. A world dominated by men and their power, where women were nothing but servants and slaves due to ancient traditions forced into them by their first-ever ancestors. Yet she broke through all conventions, became truly free, and defeated even the oldest man who created all people in this worldshe, the human woman born in another world, Katherine. The people of the Central Continent glanced into the skies, concerned. Almost 83 years have passed since the Heavenly Martial Empress of Light, Bing Xue, their supreme leader, left for the stars to never return. The governor of the Heavenly Court left everything to her precious disciples, the strongest women and men she raised by herself, teaching them everything she could and leaving the world in their hands. Fen Chun, one of Bing Xues closest disciples, a beautiful woman with long blonde hair and sapphire-colored eyes, looked into the skies. As a Rank 19 Primordial Immortal, she was the closest to becoming a new Venerable, but she had yet to fully comprehend her Dao to reach such a height. Without her beloved master, the cold yet always attentive Bing Xue, she felt lost. 83 years for an immortal were but the blink of an eye, but to her, they felt like very painful years. Master When will you return? She looked at the rumbling, furious skies, noticing how annoyed the Heavenly Will was; it had been the same for the last few years. He had not even attacked anybody either; he simply couldnt. The Heavenly Will, although it possessed an ego, was impartial to all things. Only when they would attempt to breach the walls of the world and tear through space to escape is when he would truly act, because it was against the laws of the worlds pillars to do such a thing. However, the Heavenly Will was cunning and vicious; it could play in different ways, twisting the world and nature itself to go against those it targeted. But none of such things have happened yet. Fen Chun still remembered his master like yesterday: her bright rainbow eyes, her long silvery-white hair, and her radiant aura of supremacy. And her cold eyes, always sorrowful. Even after 83 years, she can still recall their last interaction before she flew into the heavens to never return. Master, please dont leave us! We need you. Without you, how will we be able to manage the Heavenly Court? How will we be able to have a leader to guide us? Fen Chun prostrated herself in front of Bing Xue, asking her to stay with her, with the big family they had made together, with all her disciples, and with the many immortals that had sworn their eternal loyalty. Yet Bing Xue only looked with sorrowful, yet cold, and indifferent eyes, detached from everything. She helped her stand back up and then held her disciples hands. Fen Chun, you know, everyone here knows. I am not from this world. My world is named Earth, and I am a human named Katherine. It has been more than eleven thousand years since then." Bing Xue sighed. Yet the only thing I always think about nowadays is returning to see my family. My mother and my sister... more than anything in the world. I am selfish and self-centered. I am not fit to lead you or guide you. This is not my world; I dont belong here. This is your world; you were born here; it is yours to lead, yours to guide, and yours to grow. B-But master Even after living for one thousand years, Fen Chun was crying like a little girl in front of Bing Xue. Youre the one that helped me... Youre the one that gave me a new life after living as a beggar my entire life I thought we would be a family. I am sorry, but I cannot see any of you as my family, Bing Xue said coldly. And I must return, no matter what. You have yourselves to rely on. Ive taught you enough; Ive left everything you need to lead this world to prosperity. My disciples, the future is in your hands, not mine. Her disciples, human men and women, stone men, mermaids, intelligent martial beasts, and more, all watched as Bing Xue flew into the skies with only her sword in her hands. And she did what no other Venerable has ever dared to do. She clashed against heaven itself. They watched in silence; her battle lasted for a whole year. Explosions of divine and primordial Ki constantly clash against one another. The heavens slowly became more and more conscious as they battled her, to the point everyone could hear and see their battle. The heavens revealed themselves to be an intelligent entity, a being that could even take upon forms and shapes. Yet Bing Xue was unmoving, unfazed; she battled without end, trying to ascend into her Immemorial Primordial Void Realm. But she failed. However, that never stopped her either; even if she failed, so what? She kept fighting and ascending further; using her sword, she cut through space and escaped, even as the heavenly will raged and tried to tear her to shreds. Bing Xue was strong enough to resist the wounds for a whole year before finally escaping. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. It was a spectacle nobody would ever forget. But even now, they were still sorrowful, lamenting her departure into another world, perhaps to never see her again. Their master was someone incredible, but her personality... Although she often showed great care, warmth, and love, she would always force herself to be distant. It was as if she didnt want to become close to them, even after spending so many years together. The door of Fen Chens room opened as a tall man with short silver hair and azure-colored eyes entered, wearing regal silver and golden clothes. Fen Chen, for how long are you planning to cry, my sister? he sighed. Enough is enough, please; you must behave as the new leader of our sect. If the other disciples, or even the leaders of the allied sects, see you in such a state, what will they think of the master''s legacy? Big brother Yun... sighed Fen Chen, looking at her adoptive brother. I apologize, I have... I still lament her departure. I still miss her. She was like a mother to me. She was for all of us. Yun nodded. But that doesnt mean we have to weep every day because shes gone. There are many things we must do. Maintaining the peaceful world she left behind is not easy. If we want to maintain and keep this harmony, we must show our resolve and strength. I understand, said Fen, quickly standing back up. Is the meeting now? She cleansed her tears with a handkerchief. Yes, the Elders of the Sect Alliance have arrived just now. Yun nodded. Come on, we cant start without you, Radiant Star Princess. Ah, thats the Title master gave to me she sighed as Photon Essence surged from her hands, forming countless small stars. It was a title given to her by Bing Xue, who had taught her how to cultivate Photon Essence due to her high affinity with the stars and light elements. After learning such power, she managed to obtain her own version of it, Radiant Star Essence. It was one of the powers that made her so strong and capable of overpowering any other primordial being that ever dared to stand up against her. However, Fen Chen had the weakness of being a girl with a delicate and gentle heart. Because of this, she needed the support of her siblings to keep on living after Bing Xues departure. Walking across the Heavenly Courts golden corridors, she arrived at a huge hall where many Elders sat down over their own floating thrones. Every one of them was a Primordial Immortal who led the strongest Immortal Sects in the world. Below Bing Xues strength, they created a powerful Alliance, and even now, the Oath they took to maintain this alliance forever remains, as Bing Xue has not died yet, even if shes far away. The spoiled princess is finally here It took her long enough. Her master might be gone, but that shouldnt give her justification for this insolence. The Elders were merciless. Not many of them ever appreciated Bing Xue, simply feared her power. But now that she was gone, they were slowly getting cockier, even against her powerful disciples, whom she left to rule the world in her stead. Silence, you dare talk insolently against the leader of the Supreme Court?" Yun asked. Do you have a death wish? There goes her dog I apologize. The elders clicked their tongues and then remained in silence, abusing the fact that Fen Chen was too soft-hearted to retaliate against their remarks. However, that was about to change now. You I cant believe you act like this after everything Master did for all of us, she sighed. Unifying the five regions, stopping poverty, slaying all evil, and creating a new and prosperous world. Yet you think that now that shes gone, her legacy and everything she left behind can once again be violated and destroyed? I could just kill all of you right now, but I know Master wouldnt approve of that. She never appreciated needless violence, but I suppose you insolent old men would love that, right? You have learned not a single thing from her... Parasites. Y-You dare?! How could you say this to us?! We are the Elders of the Nine Primordial Sects! Disciple of the Heavenly Martial Empress or not, you must watch your tongue, you filthy little woman! There they go again, looking down on me because I am a woman, sighed Fen Chen. My master has worked so hard, but as long as old men like you remain alive, the world cannot heal... Maybe I should kill all of you now? Yun, what do you think? Her aura of gentleness and delicacy completely disappeared, and murderous intent akin to that of a monstrous beast surged from her body. The other disciples quickly sighed, noticing she had switched again. Fen Chen, calm down; there is no need to harm them; theyre bound by the master''s oath; they can only talk, nothing else, said Yun. Calm down; your Murderous Intent is not needed. But muttered Fen Chen, her Aura of bloodlust slowly disappearing. Is that right? I suppose I still have a lot to learn. Yes, luckily for you, I am here with you. Yun sighed. Although she had not hurt them at all, the elders were left flabbergasted. Her Intent alone suppressed their entire Cultivation Levels and weakened them tremendously. They were unable to even process what had happened before the switch! But this was one of Fen Chens abilities. {Mirroring Yin and Yang Physique} It created two versions of herself, one gentle and nice, and another murderous and almost evil. It was a power she was born with, and one she had taken a very long time to harness. Only Bing Xue was ever able to tame her powers and allow her to control them completely. Now, lets begin our meeting. I suppose all of you came here for the issue at hand, the Heavens, Fen Chen said. The non-stop rains, storms, and snowstorms have caused large damage to the Five Regions. And this hasnt stopped for 83 years since Master left. . . . Above the heavens of Murim, the Heavenly Will kept roaring in anger, frustration, and even sorrow. My Bing Xue! Where are you?! Where did you go?! His powerful Primordial Heavenly Eyes pierced through the Cloud of Chaos into the Outer Cosmos. He kept looking and looking, without an end in sight. There were only endless stars and nothing else. Is she truly gone? What can I do to find her? How can I find her?! His obsession only grew as he started to spread his eyes outside of Murim, something the Heavenly Will had never tried. However, because of how obsessed they were with her, they had to do it, even if it meant forcing their own existence to stretch and suffer pain. Hm? The Heavenly Will, however, saw something else through his countless eyes. Something is slowly approaching Murim. A giant floating spire made of black stone travels across the stars themselves. It looked like a gigantic tower. A moving relic from an otherworldly realm? Do you truly believe that, below my supreme watch, you can dare enter my world?! The Heavenly Wills giant hands stretched out of his own world through the hole Bing Xue left behind, enormous, they stopped the tower from even getting closer! CRASH! The tower started to gain countless cracks as his supreme hands pressed against them, even as his own essence was burning due to the Chaos and the Cosmos disrupting him. Yet, a sudden tremor produced by the tower sent his hands back to him. RUMBLE! What? From within the cracks, a black-colored ooze started leaking, slowly forming into a large, strange, and amorphous entity made of black tentacles and covered with red eyes. It slowly flew towards Murim, entering through the cracks. The Heavenly Will allowed the entity to enter to better study this alien being. Greetings, Supreme Entity of Universe-111. I am a representative of the Supreme Entity of Universe-112. Due to the Alliance between Supreme Entities, it has been stated that you have accomplished all the qualifications necessary to join the Alliance. However, the master does not approve of you breaking the tower he- CRUNCH! Before the little eldritch entity could continue speaking, the heavens transformed into a gigantic jaw and devoured it. His entire body was crushed and digested as the Heavenly Will swallowed this alien entity to absorb its power. Its strange soul was assimilated as memories, and countless pieces of information about the Outer Cosmos entered his gigantic mind. He learned countless things he never knew: the existence of Supremes, the power of the Cosmos, the Towers, the Worlds, Mana, Magic, Skills, and the System! However, the thing he was most fascinated by was something else. A small bit of information he found about a certain woman from a world known as Earth that has wreaked havoc within a certain tower. Universe-1702. Ive finally found you... Youre there! Bing Xue! His countless eyes, full of obsession, spiraled across the entirety of Murim, forming endless storms of all colors. If shes there and alive, then theres always a chance of rekindling! His giant hands erupted from Murims boundaries once more, slowly approaching the tower. And youre going to get me there... You want it or not. ----- Chapter 84: The Lost Princess And The Mechanical God ----- Three giant gray-colored gates had been reported to have appeared within the Sand Sea of the Sahara Desert; investigators and hunters have come to investigate the gates and have notified the authorities of strange, flying objects. This might be perhaps the first time in the Arab world that there have been reports of such large gates appearing in the middle of the desert. And even more, of Gates that have yet to pour any monsters whatsoever. Similar phenomena have been found in other parts of the world so far, but except for the ones that have appeared in New York, USA, the rest of the gray gates remain stable. However, the people of Egypt have already begun to wonder what might happen now and how it could be possible for such huge gates to appear out of nowhere without even receiving a Raid Notification. Authorities have begun further investigation, and the flying objects that have been seen coming out of the gates have, so far, been registered on camera. We dont know yet what these flying objects truly are, but experts have said... They have the shape of Ancient Egyptian Pyramids, made completely out of solid gold, and each one is as tall as three hundred meters. Here is yet another video of someone who managed to capture them before the pyramids became completely invisible, melding with the skys colors. The old-looking TV inside a small bar in the city of Cairo showed once again the news that the inhabitants of the entire country have been seeing for the last week since the gates appeared. The people had already grown accustomed to gates, monsters, and the hunters that slew them, but they were always filled with wonder and fear whenever they saw these videos. They have another video of them! An old, brown-skinned man with a black mustache called, looking at the TV and calling his buddies. Woah, theyre really melding into the damn sky?! Whats going on? wondered another. My mother said that these might be the ancient gods of the Egyptians! They have come to punish us for our sins! said a third man. What nonsense are you talking about, Shihab? laughed the mustache man. Those things that call themselves gods in that wicked, demonic tower are nothing but false gods! Pretenders. There is only one God. And whoever dares to say otherwise will taste the flavor of my soles. Yeah, yeah, alright. Shihab sighed. Look how they meld in the sky... Are they aliens then? Most likely demons from another world! Im tired of these things! Cant the hunters hurry and just slay them already? They get such a huge paycheck and dont move their asses at all! Well, just give me a sword and some of that money, and Ill go slay all these demons in the name of God happily, as long as I can get away from my old wife for a minute! Hahahaha! As the group of friends laughed, the door of the bar opened lightly as someone slowly stepped inside. It was a girl, a stunningly beautiful girl with glossy brown skin. Most of the men, and even the women in the bar, quickly glared at her presence. She was wearing a single white dress wrapped around her body with golden ornaments, long, pointy black jackal ears instead of human ears, a long dog-like tail, and long black hair that was silky and straight, while her eyes, bright as gold, glanced around her surroundings. She wore golden heels and countless other valuable pieces of jewelry around her body and looked completely otherworldly. There were already orcs, beast people, dwarves, and elves in the bar too, but even then, they had never seen someone like her before. At her side, there was a small pyramid-shaped artifact floating right by her left side; it had a golden eye in the middle, embedded with a red jewel. A-Are you a hunter, Missus?" wondered the bar owner as he was cleaning a cup of glass. Ahem, we wont serve drinks to children, so please show me your identity card. The woman glared at her in the eyes. ?????? ???????? ?????? ???? ?? ??????????, ?????? ??????????????? ?????? ???? ?????? ?????? ???????? ?? ???? ?????? ?????????? ?????????????? ???? ?????? ?????? ?????? ????????????, ?????????????? ???????? ???????????????? ?????????? ?????? ???? ?????????? ???????? ??????????. ?? ???????? ???????? ???????? ???? ?????? ?????? ???? ???????????? ???? ???????? ???????? ???????????? ??????????. ???? ?????? ?????? ????, ?? ???? ?????????? ?????????? ???? ???? ??????????????. Huh? Everyone was left speechless. Just what the hell was she talking about? That was a language nobody could understand. Sorry, miss, we talk mostly Arabic here, or English if possible the bartender apologized. Can you speak English at least? en grish? she muttered. Hmph... She quickly touched the floating pyramid, and then the artifact gave off a glow of blue light. It analyzed the man in front of her completely and then imbued a blue light into her head; the blue jewel in her forehead, which was actually embedded into her skull, shone brightly. Ahem, my apologies. I had no idea you peasants did not speak the Ancient Language of the God Emperors, so I had to lower myself to your level and speak the English you speak. And by Anubis almighty, this is quite the gross language to speak. she sighed. Anyways! What I was trying to say before is that... You dare call me a child, you peasant?! Let me tell you that I am the third princess of the Red Sun Empire, founded three thousand years ago by Great Queen Cleopatra VII! I have come here to ask you to handle me, your most prized panacea. As you can see, I am quite weary of my travels. Otherworldlers... sighed the bartender. Anyways, on Earth, we pay for drinks, and we mostly speak Earth languages, okay? You see a lot of people from other worlds here, but they all abide by these rules, so please try to be nicer. Also, I dont care if youre a princess or whatever; your titles do not apply in another world. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Hmph! You dare insult my bloodline, you peasant?! The girl got pissy, pouting angrily. Y-You! How dare you! Let me tell you that my great ancestry comes all the way back in the Ancient Era of Antiquity, and- Here, some milk. Thats on the house because you are cute, at least. Drink it and get moving. If you got money, you could always hunt monsters; all otherworldly are strong anyway, the man sighed. The girl ended up shutting up as she glanced at the fresh milk, gulping. I I appreciate your kindness, peasant. She drank the glass of milk instantly, almost choking on herself. Cough- Hm! Ah, that was good, ahem. I had not drunk something fresh in quite a few days. You have my thanks, peasant, she smiled. Now, do you happen to have some snacks to offer to your Princess? There are peanuts The man ignored her as he attended to other people. Seeds? Oh, hm, not bad! She started eating them until she emptied the small plate of them. Okay, I suppose this should be enough she sighed. Then, she noticed the old TV and looked at the news, looking slightly surprised. Theyre moving faster than I expected [Are you going to keep escaping, princess?] The little pyramid spoke, it was actually a small assistance robot that the girl brought with herself, and whom she had grown up with. [You know that your sisters and brothers will continue looking for you You cant keep escaping.] [Even if this might be another world weve been suddenly stranded into] [If you dont marry Prince Julius XII, then you will end up greatly insulting the family and the alliance and might even be beheaded for offense.] [Please consider your choices well.] Little Eye, youre nothing but an assistant! Why dont YOU consider your choices well and stop babbling about inconsequential things to me? I will not marry any nasty Roman prince, she sighed. And I will continue on my travels as I explore this world and do as I please! Yes, you heard me! I dont care about my sisters and brothers, even less about my disgusting mother! [But your majesty! Your family is not some weak peasants; every one of them carries the Key in their bloodlinethe power to awaken the Mechanical Gods!] [Do you think they will keep acting nice to you? If you dont obey them willingly, then they shall take you by force!] Well? Its not like I dont- RUMBLE! Suddenly, the princess and her little robot squabble were interrupted as a tremor shook the entire city of Cairo. The people panicked, already recognizing well where this tremor always came from. A gate! A gate opened on the other side of the street! A man came running inside, alerting the people to run away. Quickly! Run! Anybody that can fight, come with me! If you cant fight, you better escape, girl, theres an evacuation center, I can lead you there, the kind bartender said. Heh, there is no need, peasant, the princess smiled. I shall take care of any beastly creature that has come to disrupt the peace of the citizens. That is nothing but the obligation of those that carry the Golden Bloodline! W-What are you talking about? The man muttered. A golden bracelet on the girls wrist shone brightly, golden and azure light surging. Space itself began to twist around as metallic materials started to materialize, creating havoc inside the bar. [Princess Merneith, please refrain from using the power of your Bloodline to help some peasants that arent even of our world!] Shut up, you insolent little piece of metal! I do as I please because I am the Third Princess of the Red Sun Empire! The girl leaped out of the bar as the golden and silver metal pieces continued materializing around her, aligning, and combining together into a giant mechanical construction. CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! The sound of metal combining together erupted, and hunters and people alike watched in disbelief as a mechanical giant was suddenly summoned, shining with gold and silver and embedded with many colorful jewels. It had a long, humanoid form, with long legs, arms, and a pair of metallic wings made of golden feathers; the head resembled that of a hawk or a falcon. I call upon your Divine Power, King of the Sun, Ra! CRAAAH! The mechanical giant gave the loud cry of a falcon. Then, its chest opened, and as the girl leaped inside, the mechanical suit quickly closed again, and the wings generated golden flames, flying into the skies. W-What the hell is that thing?! The bartender and the men drinking inside the bar all reacted with the same face full of disbelief. They never expected that weird girl to have such a weapon in her hands! Now, Ra! Show these peasants the power of the Gods, and the Golden Bloodline which can control them! {Sunshine Feathers}! CRYAAAH! The blue gate, which was constantly releasing beast-type monsters such as Giant Lions, Frost Tigers, and Blazing Cheetahs was quickly bombarded with countless feather projectiles. The projectiles were being released from Ras own wings, erupting with golden flames and consuming everything. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Thankfully, the people had already evacuated, and the hunters quickly ran away the moment they saw the crazed girl firing countless projectiles. ROOOAAR! As the beasts were immediately annihilated, the Boss of the Gate quickly erupted from it, a giant three-headed beast chimera with the heads of a lion, a tiger, and a cheetah, exuding a powerful Aura of Fire and Frost! T-Thats a Beast Chimera?! Its S Rank! R-Run We cant handle this until the S-Ranks get here! The hunters rapidly ran away, but the girl above the skies did not. With a smirk on her beautiful face, her senses became one with her mechanical suit, moving it with her very mind. {Sun Flare Javelin}! The javelin was fired down, impacting the gigantic chimera with a loud explosion of flames and light. The beast was immediately disintegrated, as a huge explosion left behind a large crater in the middle of the streets. BOOOM! Heh, see, you peasants? It was nothing too hard! she laughed. Beast like these are common in the Great Sea of Sand! The people gathered around her as her mechanical giant descended: paparazzi and journalists too, news reporters, and everything. The girl ended up invertedly appearing on TV. Whats your name? Weve never seen a hunter like you before! What is that mechanical robot? Is it part of your Skills? What is your level? What is your Rank? Hehe! One question at a time, you peasants, she laughed. First of all, my name is Princess Merneith, third heir of the Red Sun Empire, independent woman, and adventurer! I will not marry any filthy Roman prince either! P-Princess? What is she talking about? No idea [Princess, I think you might be revealing too much information] As her assistant robot lamented, within the skies several hundreds of kilometers away, a gigantic golden pyramid slowly floated above. The people inside were constantly analyzing their surroundings, finding the first vestiges of the old civilization of Egypt, now lost in time. They were smart, quickly realizing where they were. A parallel world where our Great Empire fell? What nonsense could this be! One of them sighed, a tall man with brown skin and sharp golden eyes. And just where is my sister?! Suddenly, one of his assistants was watching what the TV stations were releasing through a hologram, catching into their programs and news with their high technology. If Im single? Ahahah! Of course, I am! Though I dont really like men that much... I prefer beautiful women! And there she was. Prince I already saw it sighed the man. It looks like my little sister has been playing around, pretending to be what she is not... Even more, stealing Ra from her family! Oh, she is going to get a good reprimand from me! . . . It has been a week since the training has begun, my dear disciples. Youve learned the ways of Martial Arts and Cultivation and have improved greatly. I stood in front of my disciples, all of them sitting down respectfully. You have shown me your great potential and strength, but even now, you still lack experience and practice, I said. I shall now depart back to the Tower for the moment. I have several things to attend to... However, I will leave my doppelgangers to continue your training. Wait a second, Bing Xue, are you going to the Second Floor? Seth wondered. Thats right, she nodded. Then please bring me along the Regressor said. Theres something there that we must procure before anybody else. Oh? ----- Chapter 85: A Week After, An Unexpected Visit ----- Ive spent the whole week training my disciples inside my Pagoda. Since then, there has been no response from the King whatsoever. Perhaps he had been thinking about what to do. Or maybe he simply didnt care at all about Yanisse. Or perhaps hes planning some sort of attack. Whatever the case, he seemed to be struggling if he had not made a move so far. Perhaps he has been unable to figure out a way to attack my pagoda; it is indestructible and inaccessible after all. Well, whatever the case, the progress of my students has been smooth. Of course, I havent confined them here every day for the entire day. Theyve been staying here whenever theyre done with their job or work. Usually, I would call them in the morning before breakfast and then late after lunch. The first day was mostly me teaching them anything they needed to learn about Ki Manipulation, Absorption, and Refinement. After that, we began training in Martial Arts, which would be directly connected to their Martial Core. At the end of the week, they had already managed to learn a Martial Arts-related Skill of their own choosing that went well with their already existing fighting styles. They also managed to develop a full-fledged physique, reaching Rank 3. I didnt really try to force them to learn something else than their main elements or abilities and instead recommended techniques that would meld well with their already existing capabilities and skills. For example, I taught Nicholas the Steel Sentinels Fist and Kick Technique, which would allow him to use his extremities alone to deal tremendous damage. He was really good at defense and regeneration but lacked proper offensive skills, so this worked well for him. John, in the other case, was fast and could fly, along with having mostly long-ranged abilities. I taught him the Sunlight Spear Arts and the Sky Kicking Techniques, which would help him fight from above with ease, making use of his angel-like wings. Aiyana had an amazing physique and a very strong build; she reminded me of the physique that the mighty barbarian tribes of Murim possessed. But, of course, she was not a barbarian. Her elements were apparently Stone, Spirit, and Fire. She was capable of using special magic and runes from her own family in battle. So I taught her special fighting techniques, such as Blazing Giant Fist and Stone Turtle Defense Techniques, enhancing and prioritizing her specializations. As for her spirit magic, I helped her make it stronger by allowing her to touch the little Yggdrasil Tree inside my Inner Realm. It seemed to work rather well even for those who werent beast people, as long as they already had an affinity for Spirit Magic. Jackes finished his punishment three days ago and joined us, having a lot to catch up with the rest, but he started working hard, managing to refine his Martial Core of Darkness and Shadows. Hes now learning assassin techniques from one of my Doppelgangers. Naturally, techniques alone dont make up the whole extent of my teachings. I also teach them philosophy and alchemy to understand the elements of the world and to slowly help them gain enlightenment on their chosen Dao. Some of them were particularly talented at handling elements, such as Magician Francisco, one of our youngest members and the guild master of a guild too. The young Mexican boy was incredible at doing magic in the purest sensethe conjuration of runes through mana and their arrangement using magic rings. The combination of the two creates magic circles, which can summon the elements at will, something that cultivators would never be able to do so easily at such an early stage. His physical body wasnt that strong, but he was agile and rather quick. His body was mostly interesting, and as I analyzed his internal structure, I learned that he had become something similar to a giant bag of Mana. The boys soul would constantly siphon Mana from the environment until it was completely filled. He showed me his Mana stat being already over three million, surpassing mine already, and he said it constantly increases every day with him doing almost nothing. However, this was also dangerous. The more Mana he developed, the weaker his physical body became; the pressure of this powerful energy weakened him as a result, and if he continued accumulating endlessly, he could die. To make up for it, I had to quickly reinforce his physical body using formations and then help him cultivate. He was so talented that he reached Rank 3 within the week, finally forging a physique I helped him make. A tough physique that would help him regulate his magical and martial energies and combine them was called [Dual Martial Arcanist Physique], and it contained the power of Mana and Ki in their most refined forms. He was so talented, it made me feel rather shocked! For the time being, he was saved from dying at a young age, but his mana would continue to grow, so he had to make sure to continue cultivating his physique. As for Martial Arts, I went directly to Spiritual Arts, the more magical side of Murim, or well, the most magical Murim could get; some also called the Dark Spiritual Arts Sorcery back in Murim, as it dealt with cursing foes and poisoning them in a myriad of ways. Martial Arts were not suitable for someone with such a small body, but I did end up giving him a scroll to learn Staff Arts like the Monks of Murim and telling him to refine and enhance his body as much as possible. His Martial Core ended up becoming a rainbow-colored core that encompassed many elements togethera first of its kind, an Elemental Arcanist Martial Core. It was amusing how Cultivation could be seamlessly melded with so many different powers or abilities from other worlds, showing how powerful it was. And lastly, about Yanisse, her nervousness slowly faded away as she spent her time with me. She hasnt gone anywhere else than the Pagoda, deciding to stay in the room I assigned for her. She had been meditating, cultivating her Ki, and melding it with her Void Essence. Over time, I also joined her meditations and was able to connect the Void Auras we had with the help of Kirby too, granting us the ability to further refine their potential. With her help, I was able to reach a higher comprehension of the Dao of Void than before, gaining at least five percent more. Yanisse, in the other case, did say she had gained some strange enlightenment; she had seen similar visions to mine of outer space and of a universe being born. This meant she was already comprehending the Dao of the Void, and she even told me that the Void itself had always been within her; the magical abilities she awakened might be greatly related to the element, giving her a tremendous talent that no cultivator had ever possessed in Murim before. She refined a Void Sovereign Martial Core and Physique, both called the same, and it allowed her to easily tap into her Void Essence and not exhaust her Mana so much as before, as she could now use Ki to compensate for its high cost. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. She seemed happier too, more optimistic, and she liked being by my side more than I thought. She had gotten slightly coquettish too, and I had a hard time resisting that. Ah right! Anyway, there was another disciple who had a great deal of potential, and that was the Regressor, Seth. He was immediately able to awaken a Martial Core of the Element of Time, and Ive been teaching him how to properly manipulate Time Essence, as he seemed rather amateur at that. After that, he refined a Physique that he used his own materials to create, especially those of a Lesser Dragon he had slain from Floor 1. I had no idea there were Lesser Dragons there, but it was a wide world, so I suppose I didnt explore it completely. Using that and his element, he obtained the Lesser Time Dragon Physique, which mixed the strength and magical power of dragons with his element of time to further manifest a greater deal of power than before. With these two combined, he seemed to have amazing talent. He was also good at using any weapon, so I taught him as many techniques as I wanted. I sure missed this feeling of having many disciples and seeing them grow stronger; it fills my heart with satisfaction. I wonder how my disciples back in Murim are doing. Especially Fen Chun, that crybaby girl. I taught her almost everything I could before leaving, and despite her emotional weakness, she was the one I chose to become my successor. That girl was bright, but too dependent on me. I sometimes wish I could have been nicer with them, or kinder... But I didnt have much of a choice; if I had created strong enough bonds, the Heavenly Will would have killed them to torture me or used them to blackmail me into not leaving Murim. Well, theres also Yun Cheng, that boy. He was colder and much more disciplined than her, and he learned almost everything I taught her almost perfectly. The two of them were like siblings; I picked them up from the streets on my many journeys around the world when I had become the strongest being of Murim. I had such journeys mostly to think of ways to escape, but I ended up raising hundreds of disciples while doing so; they were part of the plan to leave Murim well-protected even after leaving. I even imparted to them my secret techniques, such as Photon Essence manipulation, making them stronger than any other cultivator in that world. Amongst them, Yun Cheng and Fen Chun were my most talented disciples, and they complemented one another rather well. As long as I know theyre alive, I can rest assured that Murim will remain in peace and order. Hah Reminiscing about the past does certainly make me feel melancholy. Anyway, a week has already passed, and although I would love to stay with them for many years, I must continue on my path. The Doppelgangers here, directly connected to my mind, will continue teaching them, however. And Ill also come here personally and stay for weeks whenever I feel like taking a rest from climbing. It was already Monday of the next week, and I had gathered my disciples right before breakfast to talk to them about these things. It has been a week since the training has begun, my dear disciples. Youve learned the ways of Martial Arts and Cultivation and have improved greatly. I stood in front of my disciples, all of them sitting down respectfully. You have shown me your great potential and strength, but even now, you still lack experience and practice, I said. I shall now depart back to the Tower for the moment. I have several things to attend to... However, I will leave my doppelgangers to continue your training. I had planned this for a while now, but anyway, they will continue to be trained to become the perfect guardians of Earth. If they want to climb the tower with me, thats fine. But I would prefer if they stayed for the moment. Wait a second, Bing Xue, are you going to the Second Floor? Seth wondered. I had planned for him to stay too; I had little time to speak with him more personally about the future events, but I was in a hurry to get to Floor 2 and liberate the world where my dear wives came from. Thats right, I nodded. Do you want to come too, Seth? I know everyone else here has already gone there; you havent yet? No, I havent So, please bring me along the Regressor said. Theres something there that we must procure before anybody else. Oh? I wondered. Wait, could it be something related to? I would prefer if we talked about this more privately, but yeah, he said. So, can we? Of course, I nodded. After breakfast, though! My dears are preparing some delicious food for everyone to celebrate your first week of learning, my dear disciples. Shall we join the feast? Sure! Thank you so much for everything, Bing Xue. Your training has been incredibly enlightening to me, Nicholas nodded. I feel so strong, yet I also know theres a big path ahead of me, but unlike before, I now know my purpose and the path I must walk. Well said! I nodded. So you will become Earths Guardian, Nicholas? Naturally! Ive learned my purpose, and the power Ive gainedits all for my planet, for my family, for my people, and for my city too, he nodded. I guess I feel the same way. John nodded. Yeah Anyways, whenever you reach Floor 20, we could join you sometime too, master Bing Xue. Oh my, that would be wonderful, my dear disciples. Ill rapidly climb the tower until then! I nodded, petting the two in their heads. M-Master, we arent children anymore. John sighed. Ah, she always does this. Nicholas seemed embarrassed. Dont you think you treat them a bit too childishly? wondered my sister, walking by my side. I mean, theyre grown men, sis My disciples are like my children, so I naturally spoil them and treat them with love and care, I smiled. To see them so eager to help their master fills my heart with happiness. Uh-huh, alright, my sister shrugged. Anyways, lets go have breakfast, you guys. As everyone moved to eat, Yanisse stayed behind, wanting to talk with me. Um, Bing Xue? I would like to talk to you about something. She wondered, looking slightly embarrassed. Yes, dear? I wondered. What does my disciple want? Um, I was wondering if I could go with you too? I mean, the pagoda is safe and all, but I feel safer at your side Until the whole thing with the King is resolved she sighed. Hmm! I had considered bringing you along, so of course, I nodded. What else? Is there something else you wanted to ask me? Ah, n-no, thats all! She looked a bit embarrassed. "Ahem, lets go eat now. I am quite hungry myself Merkite and Urbosas cooking is so delicious as well. Isnt it? I giggled. We walked to the dining room where the rest of my family awaited us. Both of my wives bellies had swollen a bit since the beginning of the week. Pregnancy for beast women was quick; apparently, the children would gestate within 3 months and would be born the first day of the fourth month. Well, it was only a bit for now, so they looked almost the same as before, but not enough to be noticeable. My disciples have noticed something happened, but they have not asked me, and I feel a bit embarrassed to explain to them how it even happened too, so Ill just leave it at that. Glad everyones here; lets eat together then. Urbosa smiled, kissing my cheek and sitting by my left side. I prepared your favorite too, honey. She served me a big pile of waffles with strawberry jam and whipped cream. Indeed, this was my favorite breakfast! I really loved it, actually. As simple and dull as it might be to some. Thank you, my love. I kissed her little nose, caressing her fluffy tail. "Here, I made some tea for you too~ Merkite sat to my left, kissing my cheek too. Let me have some of that waffles too. Hey Merkite, dont eat our mates food like that! Urbosa reprimanded her. It is fine, really; please dont concern yourself over it, I giggled. Oh right, are you prepared to move to the second floor? After that, I might hurry and climb several more floors too. Yeah, Im more than ready after all the training, Urbosa nodded. Me too! Merkite said. Good, then lets enjoy the last day here before departing tomorrow. I quickly started eating. As we enjoyed breakfast, however, RUMBLE! The pagoda trembled lightly. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! And then three explosions were felt outside, blazing bombardments of what I assumed was magic. The pagoda was unscathed, but the attacks kept coming. W-Whats going on?! Little Hekita panicked. Calm down I said. Its alright. I looked outside with my Senses, and well, there he was. The King himself was accompanied by an army of one thousand soldiers. Magicians conjured giant fireballs, trying to take down my pagoda. The King sat over his throne, being carried by a Draconic creature. He was resting his hands over the hilt of his giant blade. I quickly stepped outside, confronting the King and his army. "My, oh my, what is this honor I have here? His Majesty himself has come to greet me this morning? And with such beautiful fireworks! I laughed, waving my hand. FLASH! All fifty magicians were lifted off the ground, and then I closed my hands. SPLAAAT! Their bodies exploded into pieces. Would you try being gentler, your majesty? My family and my disciples didnt certainly take it kindly, you see His eyes widened as he saw the blood and guts fall like rain over the rest of his panicking army. Just as I thought, youre nothing but a monster Oh my, that cant be true! I am a human, in the flesh~ ----- New Original Illustration! Here it is what I''ve been cooking with my artist, this commission was decided in a poll I make in patreon where people can decide what they want to be the next illustration! This features Urbosa, Bing Xue, Merkite, and Hekita below them wearing cute kimonos in a spring festival in japan, eating mochi and whatnot. Hekita looks very excited! This is an hypothetical scenario for now, but I do have planned Bing Xue and famiyl visiting japan eventually, so this scene will be recreated in the novel eventually. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Chapter 86: The King’s Arrival ----- It has been a week since Bing Xue made that announcement to the entire world about the creation of her sect, which would protect not only her country but the rest of the world, and about her taking as disciples important figures of the government and hunters, such as Nicholas and Yanisse. She had invited the King to a civil conversation, for a meeting of sorts where they could also discuss the freedom of Yanisse from her duties. However, throughout the entire week, he has given no response at all. And the reason wasnt because he was being cowardly, but because he had decided not to play around with her and her games. The king immediately received a message from his father. [The Tower God {Golden Lion Crimson Emperor} says that you must slay anybody that threatens your kingdom!] [No forgiveness is allowed! Slay her and end this tomfoolery. The wielder of Void belongs to you, and you mustnt let anybody take her away from you.] He blindly followed his father without question, without giving Bing Xue any response at all. He gathered an army of one thousand powerful knights and magicians, all of them above Level 3000. Not only were their levels high, but these knights and magicians, most of them, were from his home world, Floor 74. In such a world, people could cultivate something called a Knights Aura or a Magic Circle. Magicians could increase the rings of their internal Magic Circle to obtain tremendous magical abilities and spell power, and warriors could cultivate their Knights Aura, learning to surpass their physical strength to superhuman levels. And such teachings, unlike those of Bing Xue, had been kept a secret from Earth; these were Elites that he had raised back home and brought them here. He had employed their help to slay all the invading monsters before, and now he was going to employ them to kill this false Messiah, Bing Xue. Are you sure this is the correct way, my husband? His wife, however, was doubtful of his resolve. The elven woman, with long blonde hair and gentle emerald eyes, seemed very worried. The princess of one of the worlds that his father had invaded and conquered, his union with her had signified an alliance with the Elven Kingdom of Yggdrasia after theyd been almost completely overwhelmed and forced to submit. The elves of Floor 71, led by their goddess, the {Fairy Empress of the World Tree}, were formidable fighters, long-ranged attackers, magic swordsmen, spirit knights, and beast tamers. However, they were unable to overcome the tremendous forces of the {Golden Lion Crimson Emperor} and ultimately succumbed. Their goddess was stripped of her powers and forced to become one of the Emperors many concubines, while her daughters and sons became the wives and husbands of the Emperors many children. This was the Emperors way of alliance by taking away his enemys very will to fight, stripping and humiliating their goddess, and then forcing their entire royal family to marry his children. Many elves, even after fifteen years since then, still harbor hatred against the Empire but cannot do anything other than submit to humans, despite their longer lifespan. This, aside from their conquest, is because the humans of the Empire are warmongering and battle-lovers, while elves have always been guardians of nature and peacekeepers. Naturally, the kings wife would doubt his decisions. You said that this world... We could govern it peacefully so that we didnt have to go to such lengths, she muttered. You promised me that, Caesar. The King remained silent as he glanced at the maps in front of his desk, planning a strategy. Just like Life and Death, Elphiette, War is a constant Law of nature. It will happen anywhere, always. As long as theres Life, there will be War. Even animals and beasts wage War against each other. War is merely a part of our Nature as living organisms. To strip away the weak from their lands and food and use it to nourish our own. I am doing this to protect our family and our daughter. But muttered the Queen. Bing Xue, she doesnt really feel that bad to me; she was sincere with her words. Why wouldnt you choose to first speak before waging war? So many things could be resolved if... if we simply sat down to speak with one another as equals. Equals? sighed his husband. Did that work for your empire, for your world? T-Thats Why would you say that?! muttered Elphiette. You know exactly the pain Ive gone throughthe pain of my people, of my mother Exactly, the King said, walking towards her and gently grabbing her delicate hands. The elf princess sighed, her beautiful emerald eyes looking at her king, his long black hair, his handsome face, and his sharp red eyes. There was an innate cruelty within him, but also a desire to protect what was his. I dont want our country to go through that, he said. We must battle our enemy and defeat them, no matter what. We will build something new, Elphiette. I promised you that, right? I will give you many children, and we will make a new family together. This will be your new home, and you will be its queen. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Caesar... she sighed, still doubtful. You mustnt concern yourself with this; I will deal with it myself, he said, caressing her beautiful, silky hair and then gently grabbing her chin and kissing her. I will protect my beautiful wife and our beautiful child with all I have. Our homenobody will strip that away from us. I will defeat that monster and ascend as a god. So I can better protect everything I hold dear. Dear... she sighed. You want to become... like the tyrant of your father? No, he muttered. I will surpass him, and eventually... I will avenge your family, Elphiette. You Are you serious, Caesar?! T-Thats! Elphiette panicked. She had never thought her husband had such a schemeto surpass his father and slay him! Since she was captured by the Empire, every single child of the Emperor has been nothing but bootlickers, fascinated by his divine existence, and completely loyal to him. But Caesar Chrom III was different; he was one of his youngest children, but also the sharpest and most talented. He was cold and calculative, yet deep down, she was able to know the softness he hid beneath the hard shell of his external appearance and personality. He was a man of family who loved her dearly and even more their child. Elphiette Do you trust me? Caesar asked. I I do she nodded. Of course, I will trust you Good. Caesar nodded, smiling very faintly. Remain calm and take care of our daughter. I will get this done by next week. The Wielder of the Void is too powerful of a soldier to give up. She could singlehandedly help me achieve my dreams after all. Her name is Yanisse... And shes a very wounded girl, sighed Elphiette. Dont treat her... like an object, please. I wont; shes an asset, an ally, and I dont plan on having her taken away from us, the King said. An asset, you say? Elphiette sighed. Very well, do as you please... Please, be careful. I will, the king nodded, walking away. As he planned and gathered troops, the week ended, and the next week arrived. His army was prepared, all gathered in front of his castle. With the magicians using teleportation magic ready, he glanced back at his wife and daughter. Please dont be reckless, his wife sighed. Do your best, Daddy! his daughter cheered. I will return by dinner, the King said nonchalantly. FLASH! The entire army teleported away, appearing right below the massive Golden Pagoda that Bing Xue had built on his own territory and without his permission. So this monstrosity of a building is where shes hidingquite fancy, the King said, sitting above a giant draconian beast. Magicians, fire! He wanted to first see if the floating castle could be called a castle. To begin with, it was big and strong looking, but he assumed that if it was so large, it would be very easy to put it down due to gravity. After his command, fifty magicians out of three hundred pointed their wands at the castle, their magic circles shining brightly within their bodies as gigantic fireballs, each as large as thirty meters, were fired at once. This was an attack often used to decimate enemy defenses within a few attacks, and it was one of the ways the Empire burned through the wooden walls and forests of the elves in the past. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The bombardment began, and the King only saw smoke as the explosions reverberated, neverendingly covering everything with deadly flames that could consume everything. His eyes squinted as he looked at the fortress; it had yet to fall, which was impressive by itself, but he assumed it would be already in tatters if not set ablaze immediately. Huh? How is this possible?! I-Its unscathed?! His knights reacted faster than he could; the smoke dissipated to reveal the floating fortress to be completely untouched, unscathed entirely. The smoke dissipated to reveal an almost transparent barrier encompassing everything, giving off a rainbow glow. A Magic Barrier of some sort Capable of withstanding a hundred attacks from Level 3000 Magicians at that, muttered the King. Hmm Perhaps Ill have to cut it down myself then- Before he could muster another word, Bing Xue herself suddenly appeared out of her Pagoda, through the gates themselves, and showed herself in front of the army. She came out directly the King squinted his eyes. I suppose she has no army other than herself? "My, oh my, what is this honor I have here? His Majesty himself has come to greet me this morning! And with such beautiful fireworks! Bing Xue laughed as she greeted them with a smile. And then she waved her hands. The Kings eyes widened as he felt an almighty pressure cover his soldiers; a strange, invisible force lifted all fifty magicians out of the ground. What is she?! Bing Xue didnt say another word; her merciless eyes only glanced at the struggling magicians. Wait! Do you have any honor?! The King was about to step forward, but it was too late. Bing Xue closed her hands, and this pressure, this invisible force, which was actually her own Venerables intent, tightly grasped the bodies of all magicians. And she made them explode into pieces, their feeble bodies incapable of taking the enormous pressure. They were completely powerless from the beginning! SPLAAAT! Would you try being gentler, your majesty? My family and my disciples didnt certainly take it kindly, you see. His eyes widened as he saw the blood and guts fall like rain over the rest of his panicking army. The King felt both a feeling of surprise, dread, and anger. He had expected casualties; it was bound to happen, and Bing Xue was not weak. But he never thought she would attack them in such a way. To strip them away from their lives so savagely! RUMBLE! The Kings Aura surged from his body, his crimson eyes glowing brightly as his long black hair waved by the intensity of his Auras pressure. His giant sword, made of dark obsidian and embedded with gold and magical jewels, released its own separate Sword Aura. The King slowly lifted his sword, pointing it at Bing Xue. Just as I thought, youre nothing but a monster Bing Xue only smiled and laughed at his words. Oh my, that cant be true! I am a human, in the flesh~ She looked down at the King and tried to calm herself. After all, she just cold-bloodedly killed fifty people like nothing But more importantly than that, your majesty Did you truly expect me not to retaliate after your men started trying to destroy my property? she asked. And what about you? You ignored my invitation for a civil meeting, where we could talk things out as equals, and have now come to me with an army of one thousand men. Who is the warmongering monster here? I have no time to speak with a monster like you, the King said. I shall slay you and free Yanisse from your claws! Oh my, how heroic! Have you come to save your slave, King? Bing Xue laughed. Very well, I accept your sparring invitation; I shall wield my swordsmanship techniques too. Let us see who the better swordsman is! Silence already! The King leaped into the skies with a single kick in the air, his gigantic sword rushing down towards Bing Xue. CLASH! ----- Chapter 87: The Heavenly Empress Against The King Of North America ----- CRASH! Bing Xue intercepted the Kings attack with her sword, the Yin and Yang Harmony Sword, an explosion of Aura erupted the moment both blades clashed against one another. The Kings Aura was potent, resembling an endless wave of darkness and crimson fire, yet Bing Xue remained calm. Despite her body looking much more delicate than his, her grip was firm and unmovable. Her body exuded wavesrivers of lightthat made the King feel they were dangerous. This, coupled with his inability to push her down, quickly forced him to kick her stomach and then retreat into the skies, his sword blazing with black fire. My, that fighting style is quite rudimentary. Did your father teach you to kick the stomachs of your foes? Bing Xue wondered. Oh? Youre tough despite your appearance The Kings entire body was engulfed in black flames, a manifestation of his Aura. I shall showcase a fragment of my true power in return. FLASH! He rushed towards her, resembling a blur of black and red fire. His sword was swung vertically and horizontally within seconds, each attack generating an explosion of flames. Bing Xue intercepted every attack with her sword; unlike the King, she moved gracefully and without rage in her intent; her sword was like a snake, sliding through the Kings arms and defenses, piercing his armor several times while his sword could not even hit her once. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! W-What sort of swordsmanship is that?! The King grew frustrated, incapable of believing what his eyes were seeing! He had sparred with his siblings before, and although each one of them had their own specialties and unique techniques, he could always predict or see what they were going to do. He had sparred with his wife, a master spirit swordswoman of her own world, and always was able to overcome her slightly sneaky attacks. He had fought countless swordsmen from all the towers and from many worlds. Yet Your movements are filled with hatred and anger; you cant overcome my techniques if you let your emotions take over, Bing Xue said. Your grip is too tight, your muscles are tensed, and you charge like a wild boar without thinking about proper technique. She was reprimanding him. Y-You dare?! The King quickly became even more furious; it wasnt just because Bing Xue was acting "cocky." No, it was also because her teachings reminded him of his own father. Yes, for the only time he ever sparred with his father, he was such an overwhelming wall to overcome; it felt like the difference in power was like heaven and earth! Fighting her gave him the same feeling, and he couldnt believe this woman could ever compare to his almighty father. Technique?! Ill show you my familys techniques then! {Golden Lion Swordsmanship Arts}: {Rampaging Blaze}! His sword suddenly grew twice as large, flames of crimson and black erupted, and his sword swung vertically as a gigantic slash of fire was unleashed from his sword, clashing against Bing Xue! BOOOM! The explosion of flames engulfed her body, yet... SLASH! Her sword swung through the explosion itself, splitting it not just once. No SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! But hundreds of times, until the explosion itself simply ceased to exist. As I said, even your techniques seem to rely on charging wildly. Is this the power of your Empire, of your father? Not impressive at all, Bing Xue said, looking at the reflection of her blade, showing the clearly concerned-looking face of the King. If you never achieve Inner Peace and Harmony with the Elements, especially Yin and Yang, you will never be able to overcome the wall between the two. W-What nonsense?! Hah, as if! roared the King. I wont fall for whatever tactics youre using, you monster! I will unmask you as the creature you are and not as the human you claim to be! The King didnt give up yet. Rushing towards Bing Xue, his sword flaring with his blazing Aura, his bodys muscles started bulging, his long, black hair turned into black flames, and his eyes seemed... draconic. The Bloodline of the Golden Lion Empire has been tempered with many generations! he roared. We descend from the Red Dragons themselves; we might know no bounds! And we shall conquer it all, as it is our duty as the Empire! As he roared, draconic wings made of red fire surged from his back, pushing him forward. His attacks became faster and even more intense, and Bing Xue could see his techniques all relying on brute power and some sort of technique. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Vertical and horizontal slashes relying on brute force and firepower were what made up their techniques. This, combined with their flying ability and enormous bodies, made the Empire Swordsmanship an incredibly overwhelming Art. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Yet, to Bing Xue, it was as if she were playing with a child who had yet to truly comprehend the Law of the Blade at all. CRASH! Hes strong nonetheless, Bing Xue smiled, admitting how powerful the King was. It reminded her of the brute force of the Primal King, albeit not as wild, and she quickly decided to stop acting defensively and take a single step forward. Not bad; I will now act offensively. Offensively?! Youve not been doing that this entire time?! The King gritted his teeth. Dont talk nonsense to me, woman! I am the King of this continent! Do you think you can just start teaching me anything?! Youre only insulting my great family! Pay for such a sin with your life! The Kings body erupted with even more flames, the flames shaping themselves into scales around his body, melding his armor with his skin. A tail of black flames surged from his back. FLASH! He kicked the air and reached Bing Xue within a split second; his overwhelming presence seemed to be burning everything within his surroundings, and his gigantic sword swung down, like a guillotine ready to cut her head. CLASH! Yet Bing Xue moved forward, light converging with spiritual essence, the blade she wielded shining brightly, and light and darkness emanated from it, spiraling together, and then... {Yin and Yang Harmonious Blade Arts}: {Heavens Spear} FLASH! It was such a bright light that it almost made the King blind! He instinctively stepped back a second before her swords aura turned into a spear of light and pierced his chest, shattering his armor instantly. CRASH! You have good instincts; that would have killed you. Bing Xue smiled. I am starting to get a bit pumped up; can you keep up? I should be asking that question instead, the King raged, his sword moving downwards and upwards, and then to the left and right as an x-shaped slash of flames surged. {Golden Lion Swordsmanship Arts}: {Blazing Cross}! Bing Xue smiled, swinging her sword against his gigantic attack, so big it could easily destroy the entirety of New York if it fell over it. Let me show you then! {Yin and Yang Harmonious Blade Arts}: {Harmonizing Wave} The harmonizing energies of Ying and Yang concentrated as she gracefully swung her blade horizontally. A wave of pure darkness and light constantly melding together was unleashed. The skies were split in half as both powerful swordsmanship techniques clashed against one another. Flames, light, and darkness covered heaven. BOOOM! As the explosion erupted, the King rushed down, trying to take advantage of the smoke to sneakily attack Bing Xue from behind, something he had never considered before until he realized how much of a true monster she was. Yet, as his blazing blade moved downward, Bing Xues rainbow eyes had already noticed him long ago; her blade quickly moved as she spun her entire body towards him. Her sword shone with light, attacking him several times within a single second. Each attack resembled a spear of light, descending towards the King and piercing, shattering, and destroying any armor he had left, even weakening his Aura itself. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! UGH?! Her attack interrupted his own technique, but she didnt stop, quickly leaping through the sky and using her sword again, this time imbued with pure darkness. The blade quickly pierced not his body but his soul, leaving behind the darkness that cursed his Aura and weakened it even further. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! AARGH! The King felt his Soul growing darker, the cursed darkness making his mighty aura smaller. It was such an enormous humiliation, and right in front of his entire army! T-This cant be! he groaned. I am the King! I am King Caesar Chrom III! With a furious and draconic roar, the Kings Aura erupted one last time, creating a powerful pressure that made Bing Xue flinch for a second. For that very second, she thought for a minute that the power of a Venerable had emerged from his body! Time itself seemed to slow down, her senses sharpening as he saw the man in front of him, riddled with bloody scars and pain, quickly grow more scales around his body, covering the wounds. His blade suddenly changed color; the black obsidian quickly turned deep red, as if the blade itself had been sleeping this entire time. Wake up from your slumber, Centurion! RUMBLE! The sword unleashed its mighty Sword Aura, becoming a completely red blade, not as heavy as before as it discarded most of its mass, becoming longer, sharper, and lighter. I see, your sword is alive. Interesting! SILENCE! The King moved towards Bing Xue; his blade, now much lighter than before, was swung in all directions at the same time, encompassing the King with a barrier of sword slashes, something Bing Xue had only seen in the mightiest practitioners of the Dao of the Blade. {Golden Lion Swordsmanship Arts}: {Absolute Sword Domain}! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Oh?! Bing Xue was pushed back, her normal grip incapable of holding back the endless, unceasing barrage of slashing attacks that seemed to cut the wind itself! This is the almighty Domain Ive practiced my whole life to learn! roared the King. Once I activate it, there is no foe that has survived! Your body shall be shredded into pieces and reduced to nothing but mincemeat. Incredible indeed. Bing Xue smiled as her eyes flared with rainbow flames. Her blade suddenly moved forward with no apparent technique other than a faint rainbow essence encompassing it. The King smiled, thinking of her as foolish. The moment she extended her blade and her arm into his Domain, they would both be torn to shreds! Yet CLASH! His sword was impacted by her blade, suddenly stopping the domain entirely as the Kings eyes widened. A second later, Bing Xues sword cut through space itself. {Yin and Yang Harmonious Blade Arts}: {Atom Splitting Slash} Space and time itself distorted around the King, his eyes widening in utter disbelief as his Domain was not only completely stopped with a mere swing of her blade, but... Ugh?! N-No! SLAAASH! The arm holding the blade was sliced and then shredded into countless tiny pieces, which were then cut even more, leaving nothing behind at all as they were cut down to the atoms that composed it. My arm is completely... gone?! The King still felt his powers surging; even as weakened as he was, he swiftly used his other arm, trying to reach his blade again. And managing to! Centurion, unleash everything youve accumulated, NOW! RUMBLE! The sword flared with an endless amount of red and black flames; the king moved downers; his blade was like a guillotine, ready to behead anything that touched it! {Golden Lion Swordsmanship Arts}: {Red Dragon Meteor}! His sword and his body became one, resembling a gigantic, blazing meteor that could destroy everything. Bing Xue looked upwards in silence, her blade glowing with silver light. Magnificent! she smiled. Then, allow me to show you an ultimate technique! {Yin and Yang Harmonious Blade Arts}: {Endless Cycle of Harmony} Yin and Yang converged as one; Bing Xue didnt even move her sword; her sword moved by itself, her very intent wielding it. SLAAASH! An arc of gold and black light erupted, piercing the Kings body and shattering his sword. The skies above opened, the clouds dissipated, and space itself seemed to have shattered, leaving behind a small black hole. A-Ah I I lost?! The King saw the enormous hole in his chest and the shattered blade falling at the same time as he did, from the skies, all the way to the ground below. K-King! Your majesty! N-No! NOOO! The knights saw in horror as their King fell. And Bing Xue remained supreme. You fought well, King Caesar Chrom III, she said, her words full of respect. But when you walk a path filled with hatred, you will end up tripping sooner or later. ----- Chapter 88: The Aftermath ----- The King of North America fell by my blade; our battle was intense, and I could notice how powerful he was and how much untapped potential he possessed. But at this stage, he lacked finesse and technique, or perhaps the very techniques of his family simply worked around brute force. However, what use does brute force have if you cant use refined, meticulous techniques to let out the best of such a power? It was the very same reason why the Primal King ended up losing to the combination of my Doppelgangers, despite being so immensely strong. I felt slightly threatened when he actually started learning and figuring out his own Martial Arts related to Prehistoric animals. It was too worrying for me, so I had to cut it down immediately. But unlike the Primal King, the King of North America is much more intelligent; he used some sort of technique, but it was simply lackluster in comparison to mine. However, all these thoughts had little point right now; the fall of a king was something everyone saw, and my disciples stepped out of the pagoda to see the battle, including my family. There were flying drones I noticed, filming the entire fight and broadcasting it on TV. I descended from the skies slowly, and as I saw the man fall to the ground, his knights and magicians managed to grab him in time before he was to get crushed. They surrounded him, screaming in horror and disbelief at his current situation. There was a large hole that I had pierced through his chest; his heart must have barely survived, but one of his lungs was crushed, and he was most likely going to die very soon. Yet his immense vitality and stamina made his tough body still survive such a terrible agonizing death, groaning in pain while constantly coughing blood, his wound painting the stone beneath him red. My King! Y-Your majesty No, please dont die! Q-Quickly, feed him the elixirs! Use healing magic, hurry! The magicians conjured healing spells, and the knights brought all their potions and elixirs, pouring them over his wounds. Yet I knew that his fate was already sealed; the damage my techniques dealt always left Dao Marks with wounds. These wounds infected with Dao Marks cannot easily recover unless you use another healing technique from my world that could counter those Dao Marks. Magic, Potions, and Elixirs did not work, and the knights and magicians despaired as the King kept coughing blood. M-My wife, my daughter, he muttered as I slowly walked towards him. Tell them that... That- ugh Cough, t-that Im sorry As I approached him, his servants and knights quickly panicked, pointing their weapons and magic at me. Yet I could tell from their faces that they were all terrified. They knew they couldnt win against me after seeing what I did to their king, but they tried to act brave and die with honor. S-Stand right there! N-Not a single step, you monster! You want to finish the job, dont you?! As they roared back at me, I felt a slight hesitation to step forward. Not because I was afraid, but because I felt bad for them. Your king came to my property, attacked me, and tried to kill me. I defended myself, I explained. And I am a monster to you for doing something anybody would do? I know youre his loyal servants, but did you expect me to sit down and be slaughtered by him? T-Thats But the King did this to To save our Kingdom They were not really well in their heads either, perhaps still too shocked about how quickly the battle ended. Their king was now on the floor, dying. And I Why did I feel so awkwardly hesitant to finish him off? I have done this many times before in Murim, with countless foes that have fought me and then fell against my might. Yet this might be the first time I hesitate so much to kill one. Why? Is it because my family is watching behind me? Or is it because I am being broadcast? No, its none of those things. Or is it? Perhaps not, because I am being broadcast. But my family and my disciples. Hesitating is not a good thing either; if I hesitate, I could die. But at this point in my life, I have grown so much stronger. This king was reckless and tried to attack me without even talking, uncivilized even. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Yet he wasnt doing it out of hatred and pride; there was something within him. The desire to protect his family and his people... While holding the blade covered in the blood of a king in my hands, I could hear the hearts of his servants beating faster and faster, afraid of death. Yet giving it all to him. They were not under any brainwashing spell; they simply had great loyalty. And unlike all those tyrants Ive killed in Murim, they were genuinely sad over his death and not shaken over their leaders death only because they would not have any protection anymore. They were willing to put their lives on the line just so he could live a few more seconds, even when they fully knew he was going to die now. Do you love your King sincerely? I asked. Did he brainwash you into making you love him? Was he abusive towards you? The knights and the magicians looked at one another; none nodded. Our King He took us from our original world and promised us a new, fertile land where we could prosper. Our families are living in this world now... We cant back down. He has always cared for his people and his family. They were not lying. I see. I placed the sword over the dirt as I glanced in silence at the kings last breaths. FLASH! And in that moment, a blue-colored magic circle was conjured, and two people appeared out of nowhere, running towards the King, both in tears. One of them was a beautiful elf woman with long blonde hair and emerald eyes, wearing a green and golden dress, and also wearing a small crown with red jewels. The other was a half-elf girl with long black hair and emerald eyes. D-Dear?! No No, no, no! PLEASE DONT DIE! The elf woman kneeled in front of the King, hugging him as she started crying. Daddy! Nooo! Daddy! And the child started crying as well, hugging her father even as he was covered in blood. E-Elphiette The King tried to say a few words to her. You said you wouldnt die... You say we would rebuild my home... That you would always protect me! The woman kept crying, her tears falling over the kings wounds. I Im sorry He muttered, coughing blood. I was driven by my own greed. Why is nothing working? Why are you not healing?! She kept crying. Daddy, dont die! his daughter kept screaming. I see how it is. He had a family too. I wanted to make make a world where you could be happy the king gasped. Hahh Ugh Forgive me I. I was weak at the end fa- father was right No, dont say that! Youre the only person the only person I love The woman kept crying. I Please dont leave us I noticed sparkles of golden and green light coming from the womans tears, which fell over the mans wounds. Their magical power was intense, so powerful that it slightly began to override the Dao Marks, but it wasnt enough. My tears Theyre not working... Its... this is... the end... Leave, please, find a safe place before she she- ugh! The King couldnt hold back anymore, vomiting more blood. I stood in front of them in silence, leaving behind my sword. The sky was cloudy out of nowhere, and it started raining all of a sudden. Amidst the rain, they saw my silhouette; perhaps to them, I was like the Grim Reaper. Aah! the woman cried, stepping back in horror. N-No! G-Get away! Dont kill him, please! D-Dont hurt my daughter! Y-You His daughter glared at me furiously as she cried, her eyes glowing red. Her aura erupted as she unsheathed her magic blade. I WILL AVENGE PAPA! She rushed towards me with her sword in her hands, fully knowing I could kill her with a single swipe of my hands. CLASH! Her sword hit me once, yet I received no damage. My clothes werent even torn apart. RAAAH! Her aura blazed with crimson and black flames as her power kept rising. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Her attacks didnt hurt yet. Why am I doing this? One part of myself is telling me to kill everyone and that they dont deserve my pity for daring to attack me. And another part of myself tells me... I should do what I think is right. Die! Die! Die! The girl kept attacking me; her attacks became more intense, but there was no damage. This is my fault for forcing a child to avenge their parents. To leave them without family. Ive done this before, yes. Many times I always thought I killed bad people; they were bad. But even the most villainous person could have a family behind them. And sometimes, they are doing everything for them. Where can you truly draw the line between whats correct and incorrect? Maybe this is where it is drawn. When a poor child is trying to kill me because I killed their parent... Cecil! No! Stop, dont attack her! Her mother ran towards her, trying to drag her away. Yet my hands moved towards the girls head. She was probably no older than sixteen. NO! The elven woman cried, conjuring countless branches of wood that rushed toward me like deadly spears. Yet my hand reached her daughters head much faster than her spell. CLASH! Her attack hit me, though; they were strong, but not enough to hurt me either. Im sorry. H-huh? The girl, Cecil, looked up at me with eyes full of tears. Your father will not die; dont worry. I walked past her, moving towards the king. He was already dead, yet I could still sense his life force and his soul attached to his body. The king was resilient. I took your life, and now I will give it back to you, I said, waving my hand. All the Dao Marks within his wounds disappeared, and the magic tears of his wife acted immediately, completely healing the large hole in his chest and everything else. A spark of golden electricity came from my hands as I reanimated his body, making his heart start beating again. Hahhh! He woke up with a loud gasp, coughing up blood stuck inside his lungs. D-Dear?! Father! His daughter and his wife ran towards him, hugging him. The King, with his shattered armor, didnt know what had just happened, looking around in confusion but ultimately accepting their hug. Then he looked back at me. Why... he wondered. You You could have just left me dead. And upset your wife and your daughter? I sighed. I am softer than you imagine... I could never hurt a child. Hah, youve beaten me completely. You humiliated me in front of my people, and even after all of that, you showed me mercy, he sighed. I am no longer worthy of carrying my crown anymore. He took off his crown and threw it at me. Take it Youre the queen of this territory now. I admired the crown for a moment and even thought about wearing it. But it wasnt for me, not at all. I am a guardian, not a queen. I smiled. Take it back. I gave it to him, and as he took the crown, his eyes filled with disbelief. W-Why? Didnt you want this? he wondered. Why would I want that? I laughed. I only wanted to have a civil conversation. You were the one who jumped on me and attacked me. Although I dislike how youre doing some things, it doesnt mean I want to overthrow you, or even kill you. Even if youre not from this world, you saved a lot of peoplemillions. If it werent for you, maybe my mother and my sister wouldnt have been alive when I came back. Thats... he muttered, feeling awkward. This is not how I expected things to go. Of course you didnt, you big dummy! I told you that she was strong; I told you that there was no need for a fight; she wanted to talk! His wife started reprimanding him. Elphiette, he muttered. Im sorry I am done with being Miss Nice here; you died! she cried. You big idiot! Think more carefully before you jump on others like a savage. You told me you werent like your siblings; you told me you werent like your father! Yet you proved yourself wrong. Do you know what could have even happened to us if you had died?! To your people, to your daughter..." I! The king got slightly annoyed but then sighed again. Im very sorry. He apologized and hugged his family; he knew he had to move away from his pride, which had only brought his death. Youre starting to learn, I nodded. Would you care to talk things out now, without violence? I dont have another choice anymore. Of course you dont. ----- Chapter 89: A Diplomatic Talk ----- Things happenedmany things. Perhaps I didnt do it the Murim way this time. But it felt much better than ever before. Giving mercy and a second opportunity was something I never did back in Murim. The King wasnt exactly a good man, but he already paid for his offense toward me; after all, I defeated him and killed him. I suppose that should be more than enough; there was now a new chance for him to make things right. Everything was filmedthe defeat of the king and then his revival. People all around the world were clamoring in shock; some were joyous, others furious, and there were all kinds of reactions. Yet I would not care about any of them if it werent for Ruby constantly showing me her phone. Holy sh*t, sis, youre trending on Tweeter! she said. A lot of people loved what you did! Ruby, thats enough, sighed our mother. Stop bothering your sister about things like those. I dont think she even cares to begin with! But she asked for a phone, so I bet she cares a little bit, she said. I mean... Hmm, I said. Well, I find it interesting from time to time. Back in Murim, it was very hard to understand the intentions of the masses, but here, we got social media for that. As I walked inside my pagoda, leading the King and his family, without allowing anybody else inside, my family kept asking me questions. Some were a bit worried too, which I guess is understandable; the King was strong. Are you really okay? wondered my mother. Im fine, Mom; dont worry. I smiled. And the King is here too. A-Ah, my bad! Your majesty My mother bowed her head. Theres no need, the tall, muscular man told her. You must be Bing Xues mother, right? It is an honor to see you. I would love to talk more with you later and learn how you were able to raise such a powerful person. E-Eh? I mean Its not like shes strong because of how I raised her, my mother sighed. Thank you for your consideration, though, your majesty. Shes not? The King wondered, My father personally taught me almost everything I know... I suppose it is different in other worlds. O-Of course it is different, dear! Dont say such things out of nowhere His wife, Elphiette, sighed. I''m sorry if hes a bit weird. Despite how intimidating he might look, hes quite the dork sometimes. Elphiette, dont talk about me in such a way, the King said, crossing his arms. He looked slightly hurt by her words. Im sorry, but I have to be honest sometimes, honey. She caressed his face. You screwed up big time right now, so its my time to do more of the talking, okay? If it werent for my tears and Bing Xues mercy, you would... you would be dead right now. I know, he said. Okay fine. He was rather prideful, but he was slowly softening. I guess the shock of dying was a strong enough excuse for his wife to finally try to... Well, have more of a saying as a queen. Hi! Whats your name? Hekita, in the other case, ran towards their daughter to greet her. Eh? A beast girl? wondered the princess. Im Cecil And you? Im Hekita! Nice to meet you! Hekita smiled. Sorry for what happened... Mommy went a bit too hard. But she helped your dad be revived, so it''s fine now, right? Were friends? Friends?! she asked. So Bing Xue is your mother?! Hmph I dont want to talk with you then. Cecil then walked away, leaving Hekita with her eyes wide open. Eeeh? So mean! Urbosa and I went to check on her. Hekita, dont try to act too friendly with that girl; she went through a lot and has yet to fully process everything. Urbosa sighed. After all, her father did die against Bing Xue, so... it is understandable that even now she harbors a lot of hatred. I suppose it couldnt be helped. I sighed. I only hope she can forgive me one day. Hmm Hekita nodded, looking very sad. Okay Once the King and his family walked inside a separate room, I took a few minutes to communicate with my disciples and family about what happened. Everyone had something to say after all. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Master Bing Xue are you sure this is the right thing to do? wondered John. King or not, he still tried to kill you! I wouldnt have forgiven him if I were you. I understand if you feel that way. I nodded. There was a part of me that thought the same thing. But there was also a part of myself that thought otherwise. I have changed more than I thought I would in the last few months. All thanks to my family, and perhaps also to my disciples and friends. It doesnt mean I am weaker, but perhaps I am now. Well, be more thoughtful of my actions and the danger they can bring to others. Hmm John sighed. Still Are you saying you would be happy with leaving his wife and daughter alone, John? You sure are a scumbag, Nicholas said, crossing his arms. The King is a reckless and powerful man, yes... But hes not evil. Youre saying it is okay for our master to be offended like this, Nicholas? You and your nonsense again; youre only saying that because you have two daughters, but I cant relate to that, John sighed. Of course you dont, you big fucking jerk! Come here, Im going to beat some sense into you! Aiyana entered the conversation and was about to beat John. Enough, I said, stopping them. Fights between disciples are forbidden inside the Heavenly Golden Pagoda. Stop this at once. They started! John said. Okay Aiyana sighed. Anyways, master Bing Xue, about this... Is it about Yanisse, right? wondered Jackes. I suppose this entire fight was for her freedom... The King seemed too interested in her as an asset, though, to the point he would come and fight you head-on. Yes, theres something more about Yanisse other than her power. I nodded. And I intend to learn about it now. Yanisse, youre coming to the meeting too. Me?! She wondered; she was still having breakfast. B-But Dont be nervous, dear; itll be fine. I patted her shoulders. I will be there to protect you. B-Bing Xue... she blushed a bit. Thanks She ended up hugging me; she was quite cold today too. Its fine; calm down. I smiled, caressing her blonde hair. She slowly calmed down and then finished her breakfast. However, some still didnt like that I was growing closer to Yanisse. Hey! Why does she get all close to her master? wondered Aiyana. Aiyana, dont bother them! Jackes groaned. Haha, shes jealous! laughed Francisco. Well, if you want to be one of her concubines, you will first need to earn her interest, Aiyana, said Urbosa. Thats right, said Merkite. Yanisse had already been closer to her before you, so its quite hard. Be more patient if possible. Hahh Nah, its fine; this is getting embarrassing. Aiyana simply decided to drop the subject entirely. It was better that way; shes a strong disciple. I am flattered that shes so interested in me and so open about it. I might give her some time later, though; my schedule is quite full right now. Can I join the conversation? Seth asked. Oh? Why? I wondered. I would like to talk with the King about what Ive gone through and my identity, said Seth. Is that so? Do you think it would be of some help? I wondered. Of course, if we can make the King our ally, it would be much easier to mobilize powerful groups towards several areas of the world. Hell, even if North America, that would be enough, he said. Bing Xue, I have barely told you everything that will happen in the future. Aside from what could be in the tower, our planet will go through countless hardships. We must prevent them, but us alone might not be enough, and because you are busy and could go to the tower, we will require his assistance. Hmm I nodded. I suppose we could try, but that depends if hes someone we can trust. Thats why you will be there, right? Yanisse asked, smiling cutely as she suddenly held my hand. You can detect lies and intentions in people. I suppose I nodded. Very well, lets test them first, and then well let them know the truth, Seth. Dont be too hasty to reveal your identity to others. In the past, I would have kept everything a secret, but right now, thats definitely not a possibility, he said. Thank you for opening my eyes, Bing Xue. Youve helped me learn that there are good people out there. I could trust the knowledge of the future after all. Hmm, fine, fine, alright~ I sighed. Now, now I walked back to my wife and my daughter and hugged and kissed them. Be careful, and dont let them try to intimidate you or something, said Urbosa. Youre strong and even smarter; use them to your advantage, my dear. Thats right! This is for the benefit of the pack after all, nodded Merkite. Good luck! The two kissed my cheeks together. Haha, okay, fine. I didnt think they had this scheming side to them; I suppose I am still getting to know them. "Mommy, do your best! Hekita said. And Tell Cecil Im sorry. Theres nothing to be sorry about, I said, petting her head. But I will try to tell her that you do not fault what I did. Anyways, Ill go; just wait here for now. Hm? Katherine? wondered my mother, as I dragged her with me. W-Why am I coming with you?! Youre my mother, so of course youre coming with me, I said. Whats wrong with that? Theres nothing wrong with that, but its a bit awkward, dont you think? Is there any need for my presence? She wondered, lowering herself down. Mom, perhaps you havent realized, but youre very strong right now, probably stronger than all the other S-Rank hunters I recruited, I said. Your strength will make the King recognize you, and your authority as my mother could also make him respect me more. You might not be wrong; for some reason, he put a lot of emphasis on family, she nodded. Okay, I will try to help if I can. Come on, dont be like this; youre more capable than you imagine, Mom. I patted her shoulders. Lets go. With Yanisse, Seth, and my mother, I walked inside the room where the King, his daughter Cecil, and his wife Elphiette were waiting for us. There was a Holy Spirit I created using the Divinity of [The Brilliant Mother of Light] that was serving them some tea and snacks. Cecil was eating all the rice cookies, while his wife and he had not eaten anything yet. They looked very tense, despite how they tried to act. After all, just an hour ago, a battle where we tried to kill each other happened. Its normal for them to act this way, but theres no helping it. I wasnt going to give them a week to recover or something either; I wanted to solve this issue now. Sorry for the wait; there were a few people I had to talk to beforehand, I apologized. We sat down, bringing Yanisse, Seth, and my mother. Yanisse, said the king. So you were here... Your majesty Yanisse muttered. I Im sorry Theres nothing to apologize for, I said. He has no right to have you on a leash. And the very reason he fought was because he wanted to keep controlling you. Isnt that right, King Caesar? he remained in silence for a brief moment before nodding. Yes, thats right... Not only because shes powerful. But Yanisse is... something that my father calls The Vessel of the Void," someone incredibly powerful, and the key to attaining a power beyond the Towers limitations. Your father said that? I asked. Tell me more about this father of yours, your majesty. Who is this man? And... did you fight me because he told you to do so? Thats He seemed hesitant at first, but after his wife held his hand and smiled gently at him, he decided to open up to us. To an extent... Yes, I follow my fathers orders. He ordered me to slay you. And? And hes indeed very important; hes the sole god of Floor 74, the {Golden Lion Crimson Emperor}. So his father is a god. ----- Chapter 90: Revelations ----- At long last, finally, a civil, diplomatic talk. All it took was to kill the king. Hah, well, the Tower is full of warmongering worlds; should I have expected anything less? The only way to make your enemy sit down and talk is to beat them down first. Very rarely will you find people willing to sit down and talk without showing them your actual strength. It seems that this law remains the same even now, after being gone from Murim for so long. It didnt used to be this way on Earth, but now that it is connected to the Tower and one hundred different worlds, most of them in constant war against each other... I suppose these laws were brought here as well. North America, and I mean the whole continent and not just the country of the United States, was unified by Caesar when he arrived here once Earth was connected to the Tower. He saved as many civilians as his army and forces could, created safe environments in the largest cities, and quickly took over the government, which had already been almost destroyed by the Gates. In the end, as a conqueror, he had it pretty easy: a giant piece of fertile land, millions of people for the workforce, and no proper government after the White House was destroyed. I cant really blame him; to be honest, he took an opportunity and helped innocents. If anything, although I dont really like to admit it, he fits the criteria of what a righteous man is. Although attacking me out of nowhere... It might not have been too righteous of him, but more of an act of desperation and ruthlessness, ingrained into his own head by his tyrannical family and his father. But well, we are here together to talk about these things, not just about Yanisses whole deal but about everyone else present. And I am especially interested in the Kings past, his original world, and where his wife comes from. Thank you again for bringing us here, said Elphiette, drinking some of the tea I offered her. This tea is really good and relaxing. It feels like most of the tension I felt is gone. What blend is it? Three-Thousand-Year-Old Golden Dragon Grass, finely dried in the Sunlight of the Immortal Sunshine Valley. Huh? Its something from Murim, the world I was teleported from, and the world I came from. This entire pagoda, and perhaps everything I possess, my strength, and my riches come from that world. Murim, said the king. I have never heard of a world with that name in the Tower before. Is it a world that is not connected yet? I would assume so. I nodded. Its probably much farther than you imagine. The very chance I was sent back to Earth through a black hole was pure luck." A black hole? Like those that appear within the Outer Cosmos?! asked Caesar. T-The scientists of some of the worlds my family has conquered have said that the Outer Cosmos is filled with dangerous astral forms. Black holes are born when a star dies. If you could survive such an immense pressure that bends space itself, I never had a chance against you. Well, I wanted things to be as fair as possible, so I didnt use any technique or skill, only my swordsmanship. I smiled. It wouldnt have been fun otherwise, wouldnt it? Thats... I suppose, Caesar sighed. The more I learn about you, the more humiliating that fight feels. Lets leave bygones be bygones, I said. More importantly, lets begin our talk. Yanisse is here after all. Right, the king nodded. Yanisse, you had agreed to a contract with me; my kingdom would offer your country resources, and you would offer me your loyalty and strength. And not to join any other organization. Yes, I know... nodded Yanisse. I ended up joining Bing Xues sect because of how great of an opportunity it would have been. I had been growing much stronger in just a week, all thanks to her teachings. Sect? Elphiette wondered. Oh right, that organization she created... But how? Have you been helping them level up? No, its called cultivation; there might be other methods of cultivation out there, but the ones from Murim are much different and also much stronger, I explained. So within a week, all my disciples have at least become ten times as strong as before. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Ten times?! asked the King. But their levels have barely increased. Levels are tied to the System Status, my Cultivation is the ability to grow and develop internal power, their own strength, I explained. It is much different, and it also works on its own rules. Incredible Caesar seemed rather interested. Anyways, I suppose this breach breaks our contract, Yanisse. I understand I will take any blame you have against me, and its also no longer necessary to help my people from the motherland, Yanisse nodded. I will find my own ways. Very well, the king nodded. It seemed he wasnt nice enough to give resources to the Russians out of goodwill; it was all a contract he had made with Yanisse, and now that it was broken, both parties simply decided to go back to how they were before. At least hes not being possessive over her. Dont worry, if food and money are what your people need, I will gladly help them, Yanisse, I smiled. As my disciple, its the very least I could do for you. B-Bing Xue! But youve done so much for me already. Yanisse sighed, feeling flustered. Please, thats enough. I can handle this. It has been years since the contract was made. I have a lot of money saved myself, and Im strong; I can make more money. Hah Very well, do as you please then, I nodded. But if something bad happens and you cant handle the burden, I will always be there to lend a helping hand. Thank you I really appreciate it. She blushed, holding my hand tightly. You dont know how much of a help youve been to me. It is fine, really. I felt slightly flustered; she was so beautiful, even more up close. The King and Queen smiled slightly as they saw Yanisse holding my hand. It seems Yanisse is much happier with her now, the king sighed. Im glad that girl has gone through so much. Elphiette nodded. Yeah Lets leave her be, the King nodded. What happens with my father... It is something I will take care of on my own. So that problem is solved, but a new problem arises, and I am quite curious about a few other things too. You called Yanisse the Vessel of the Void, and your father is also a god, right? I asked. You said she was someone incredibly powerful and the key to attaining power beyond the towers limitations. Indeed, he nodded. Or well, that is what my father believes. The power of the Void is elusive, and beyond any world of the Tower, it is something that exists outside of it within the Outer Cosmos. All worlds in the Tower are connected and protected by the Tower Walls, so it isolates us from the Outer Cosmos, unlike Earth and other worlds it had just recently anchored into. Anchored I muttered. This starts to sound weirder the more I hear about it. But let us go back to the topic first. Yanisse is indeed incredible; even for someone who spent eleven thousand years in Murim, her abilities are incredible and capable of ignoring her foes defenses entirely. Her void can simply pierce through almost everything. The only way Ive discovered to counter it is by wielding Void myself. S-So youre also a wielder of the Void? wondered the King. Yes, Ive been learning and comprehending the Dao of the Void for a while now, but I am nowhere near the level of mastery that Yanisse has achieved since her awakening, I laughed. Shes incredible, without a doubt. I-I am not that amazing... My power can only harm others; it is too dangerous. I always have to be careful. she sighed. I still remember harming others by accident because I didnt know how to properly use this. But you can protect and heal others, even give them strength; youre much more incredible, Bing Xue. Oh my, youre flattering me so much! Are you in love with me or something? I giggled. E-Eh? W-Well I-I wouldnt deny I- Ah, right, we shouldnt be talking about this. She muttered, quickly regaining her composure. Ahem! the King said. Yes, she is truly powerful. Vessels of the Void are incredibly rare occurrences; theres only... a handful of gods that have a Divinity of the Void, and theyre all on the top floors. Theyre unreachable for my father. As he wants to attain the power of the Void, he plans to use Yanisse, once she grows strong enough, as his weapon. I knew it... So he really wanted her? I nodded. And a weapon? Yanisse is a person. Your father is quite fucked in the head. He indeed is, the king admitted. Father is a madman, a warmongering tyrant that only cares about waging war against worlds and absorbing their resources and people to strengthen our own. He always says this is the towers way," but Ive always thought his methods are too excessive. Compared to his father, my husbands conquest was much gentler; he has been protecting the people, giving them new opportunities, and has not enslaved anybody either, said Elphiette. He became the King of North America, but by helping the people that had already lost everything. I suppose, yes... I dont like conquerors, though; I would rather leave the people of their worlds to govern themselves and decide their own fate rather than become some kind of empress that commands everyone, I sighed. But it could be said hes too good to only be called a lesser of two evils... I suppose hes okay in my book. Now what is going to happen with your father, though? wondered my mother, finally entering the conversation. Caesar, if you defied him now by giving away Yanisse, he wouldnt take it kindly, I imagine. He wont But I dont know what he would do, said Caesar. Father is very far away and busy. He sent all of his children to different worlds to... Well, conquer them in his stead. I am one of the strongest children he has, but Ive also advanced my conquest fairly slowly because I do not wish to kill innocents. Ive promised my wife I wont. I suppose hes not an immediate danger then, said Yanisse. Hm Seth remained silent through the whole thing, but he clearly looked concerned about something. Seth? I asked him through telepathic messages. Whats wrong? In the timeline I come from, none of these things happened. After all, you werent there, he told me through telepathy. King Caesar and his entire family were killed by Raid, and so was almost the entirety of North America. Only New York and two other cities were left; this place will become a wasteland in one year. One year from now... a raid that powerful that could kill this man? I asked him. Yes Theres still time to prepare, I hope, he sighed. The raid was from the Pantheon of the Gods on Floor 80. What happened after that? I asked. They began the extraction of Earths resources; all the ores we had, which turned magical after the apocalypse due to the levels of mana transforming our planet, were precious. Large towers were also planted, injected into the depths of the planets core, absorbing its essence, sighed Seth. Floor 80, is it...? I wondered. Do you know anything about the Pantheon of Gods there? Very little I never reached so far, he sighed. I was only able to climb to Floor 75. I visited the Kings original world; his father didnt even care that his son died. In the trial, there was a tournament against his knights; winning the tournament allowed you to move on. Interesting I suppose Ill have to ask Caesar here after all. ----- Chapter 91: Bratty Princess ----- For now, father shouldn''t be an immediate danger, said Caesar. I know hell at least never come here personally. But he might send his men, or even my other siblings, after me for having defied his orders. I see. Well, the only thing we can do is wait and prepare for the worst. I nodded. But you said you were the strongest of your siblings? Thats right, none of them could beat me at swordsmanship, Caesar said. With my wifes healing, there is no way I could lose against any of them. Such confidence I smiled. I like that; you could make a good disciple. King, you have tremendous untapped potential. I could unlock it for you and teach you even better swordsmanship. T-Thats He seemed surprised by my offer. Ill need to think about it... As the King, I cannot hastily make decisions after all. I understand. Well, Ill give you a month to think about my offer then, I said. Once the month is over, youll have a week to give me an answer. If you dont say anything, then Ill take it that you didnt want to, and I wont accept you as my disciple anymore in the future if you ever change your mind. Hah, alright, Ill think about it, he sighed. I have many responsibilities... But perhaps my daughter, Cecil, could become your disciple. Shes young and talented; if you could help her blossom her talents and abilities E-Eeh?! What are you talking about, papa?! I dont want to join her sect! cried Cecil. S-Shes a crazy witch that killed you! C-Cecil! How could you say such a thing? I did not teach my daughter to speak with such manners! His mother reprimanded her, pulling her elven ears. Ouch, ouch! Sorry, cried Cecil. But do you truly expect me to learn anything from that monster?! S-Shes evil! I dont like her! Cecil! her father roared angrily. Thats fine, I said. Children are like this; theres nothing wrong with her words; I was indeed a monster in her eyes. But you protected us; you arent a monster to us, said my mother. Thats right Yanisse nodded. Little Cecil, we''ve known each other for years, right? Could you reconsider your words? For Auntie Yanisse at least? But you betrayed Dad and stayed with this woman instead! said Cecil angrily. And, um, huh? What? No I dont care! Suddenly, out of nowhere, Cecil started talking to herself, complaining, and looking at the floor. Huh? What? wondered Yanisse. Cecil? Ugh, nothing! Leave me alone! Im going back home! she said, suddenly touching her ring, imbued with a blue stone. The ring flashed with a strong Aura of Mana, it seemed to be connected deeply with the Element of Space, and it was trying to teleport her away. However, my Pagoda was capable of stopping such tricks, so she was unable to teleport away. Eh? Its not working! No way she gasped, looking at her ring. Cecil As she was complaining about the ring, her father and her mother looked at her with rather angered expressions; they werent very happy with her right now. My daughter, if you dont want to be grounded for the whole month, you better apologize! said Elphiette. If you dont stop this right now, I will not teach you any more swordsmanship techniques, and forget about ever asking me to buy you anything! The king roared. Eep! W-Wait, dont get mad at me; its her fault Cecil cried, but then lowered her head. And at the end, she looked at me with an annoyed expression. Sorry, I guess It was a bit funny, to be honest. Her parents are rather strict when push comes to shove, though shes still a very spoiled child. It is fine. I smiled. And indeed! She has great potential and talent! I would gladly take her under my wing. I shall teach her the way of cultivation and also meditation; she must first learn to keep herself calm and not be driven by anger. Yeah, she attacked you madly without thinking. Elphiette sighed. Anybody else that wasnt like you would have simply killed her; you are indeed very merciful, Bing Xue. To me, children are children; they are still learning and deserve to always be given new opportunities. I smiled. Cecil, lets get along. Hmph, she said, looking elsewhere without wanting to even talk to me. Oh well, I hope she can soften a bit with Hekita at least; I know my little daughter is too cute to resist. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. I am looking forward to their friendship in the future; Hekita needs more friends after all. Anyways, moving on, weve addressed many things, but I am still quite curious about several things, and I assume you are of mine, I said. So you are free to ask some things in exchange. The King glanced at the Queen as the two nodded. Alright, heres my first question, the King said. Are you an ally, Bing Xue? And would... would you also protect my people? That is an interesting question. I smiled. I could say I would be your ally, as long as your heart is honest. Your people Do you mean those that came from Floor 74? It''s hard to say I wouldnt protect them. Ive even protected the people on Floor 1 a couple of times. If they live on my planet, then I would protect them, yes. That even includes you and your family. Youve become Earthlings, whether you like it or not. So you are under my protection... as long as you dont suddenly try to kill me. The kings eyes widened alongside his wife, and they looked at the floor again, seemingly surprised. I see he sighed. I was completely wrong this entire time I should indeed have tried to talk first. Violence, violence, violence Always violent, my head has been filled with that since I was a child by my father and my family. I was trained to become stronger than anything and anybody, to conquer and slaughter. For the first time, Ive realized that theres another path than beginning everything with a fight. Youre learning then, I nodded. You probably have a couple of issues with your family, especially your father, I assume? Way too many, perhaps, he sighed again. But that is not something for you to be concerned about, Bing Xue. Whatever happens in my family stays there. I will solve it on my own. I wonder how true that statement is... Caesar, you have a wife and a daughter, and theres even another child on the way too. You should try to be more careful and appreciate your life. Dont be reckless, and if possible, train, I said. Consider my offer again. I-I- huh? Another child on the way?! Caesar looked at Elphiette. I was planning to tell you eventually, but I was a bit afraid you would be upset, sighed Elphiette. I would never be upset about such a thing, my dear! Caesar hugged Elphiette, kissing her. I thought it was very rare for an elf to be pregnant by a human. Cecil alone was a miracle... to think a second child will bless us so soon. I dont know which gender it is; hopefully, a boy this time, Elphiette smiled, caressing her husbands face. Lets work together to make a place where they can live peacefully, dear. Yeah Caesar nodded. I think Ill accept your offer, Bing Xue. Oh? So soon! I giggled. It seems that knowing about a second child made you reconsider things. Yes, it has become even more urgent now, he said. If my siblings come for my head, I cant stay as weak as I am. Nothing is saying they wont be stronger themselves after so long since Ive seen them. Well said, you never know how your enemy could have progressed while you werent looking at them, I nodded. It is a saying back in Murim to never underestimate those that run away and come back later. A very true one. Caesar said. Cecil, arent you happy? Your father will join you as well, and youre having a little sibling! R-Really?! Cecil got happy immediately. Wow! And- Hm? What do you mean this didnt happen in the original story? Agh, just shut up! She talked to herself again. Whats wrong with this girl? Does she have some sort of mental problem, perhaps? No, Ive analyzed her health, even her brain, and shes healthy and fine. Something odd is happening with her... Maybe in her soul? But I dont want to analyze it while were here; her father and her mother are very strong anyway and would easily detect it if I tried looking at her soul. They might think of that as some sort of attack, so I will refrain myself from making them panic. Cecil, are you okay? Youre talking to yourself again, her mother sighed. S-Sorry, wont happen again Cecil sighed. And Im happy about it too! It seems that not only the King but also the Princess will become my disciples. If possible, I would also take the Queen; she has potential and great magic powers. The Queen is also invited; your entire family could come train below my wing. I wont be here personally, but I will leave my doppelgangers, clones made out of my powers connected to my mind directly, I said. Me too? But I am not really a fighter, the Queen said. I well, I am a Priestess of the Spirit Tree. My tears can heal any wound, and my magic is mostly healing and protection. Hm, but youre still frail yourself, right? I asked. There is no harm in becoming stronger; it is not something you cant do. Even if youre a pacifist, I can teach you ways for pacifists to also fight and defend themselves. The Meditation Techniques and the Defensive Techniques of the Monks of Murim come to mind; they are all very good at that. Theres such a thing? wondered the Queen. Well, I suppose I could do it if the entire family is coming! Very well, three new disciples then! A good harvest indeed. I nodded with a smile. I think I could tell you more about Murim as I train you. For now, I need to ask you more questions, your majesty. Your father How many worlds has he conquered so far? And do you have an estimation of his power level? Our original world was Floor 74, but Father has conquered seven worlds so far, from Floor 73 to Floor 66, he sighed. There are also a few other dozen worlds not in the tower, but where the tower is anchored, which he is in the process of conquering through his children, me included with Earth. S-So many worlds?! Yanisse gasped. All of them from the Tower too, with their own Gods and heroes Hes truly a monster my mother sighed. Hm Seth remained in silence. So thats how he works; hes going down, not up? I asked. Hes amassing power and gods to fight the gods of Floor 75, he nodded. He wants to conquer the entire Tower and reach Floor 100 to receive his wish. Wait, wish? I wondered. You didnt know? I guess I never told you My mother sighed. Yes, it was stated at the beginning that those that reach Floor 100 will be given a Wish by the Tower Master. It is one of the main driving forces of all climbers. Its different for the Gods, they have to defeat the worlds above their own to climb the tower with each floor, said Caesar. As a result, they gain more power and can create world annexations, where several worlds can become one. But aside from my fathers conquest, no other world has done this so efficiently. A true conqueror and tyrant, sighed Seth. And your wife, I suppose she comes from one of those worlds, right? I dont really like your tone, commoner, but yes, the King said. I will let those manners slide because you are Bing Xues disciple. My wife Elphiette is one of the princesses of Floor 71, the daughter of that floors only goddess, the {Fairy Empress of the World Tree}. Yeah nodded Elphiette. My mother and my entire familyno, our entire world has become part of the Empire, annexed. My people are now slaves to the empire. The Emperor forcefully married my mother, making her one of his many concubines. And the rest of her daughters and sons were married to his own children. My marriage with Caesar was also like this, but over time, I got to know him, and I learned of his pure heart and fell in love with him. He gave me hope, hope that I had long ago lost. She held his hand tightly. Slaving and conquering, huh? I smiled. Hes a prime candidate for some deicide, isnt he? ----- Chapter 92: Problems At Egypt ----- The press of the city of Cairo had gone insane with this new and mysterious girl, who called herself Princess Merneith, third heir of the Red Sun Empire." Her adorable looks, appearance, golden clothes, and the giant mech she piloted quickly made everyone believe she came from a very high floor of the Tower, a true royalty that had paid a visit to Earth, and Egypt no less! Many of the citizens felt rather excited to see her around, thinking they had gained a new guardian. Unlike the first-world countries, most third-world countries had much less protection against monsters. There were hunters everywhere, yes, even S-Rank hunters too, but usually not as many, especially when the first-world countries would usually offer exorbitant amounts of money to contract these hunters to their own countries, leaving the smaller countries even more defenseless. A prime example of this was the Kingdom of North America, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Germany, which constantly bought over any B-rank and above Hunters from smaller, poorer countries to protect their own. Egypt was one of such victims because the economy wasnt the best, and most of the hunters struggled to make a living even now. The enormous amount of money offered to them was absolutely life-changing, making many of them decide to leave their country with their families to have a better life, be much more protected, and also be well paid. The city of Cairo was one of the few cities in Egypt that ended mostly unscathed from the Towers arrival, although Monster Gates happened more frequently now, which had shaken the populations sense of security. Merneith has become a slight beacon of hope for these people. Although she intended to move over soon enough, she stayed for a couple of days, almost a whole week. Being always praised, fed anything she wanted, and given a nice hotel room to stay in the night made the princess very happy. Not even back in her own kingdom has she experienced this level of hospitality. Oh, its Princess Merneith! Good morning, young lady! Can I see your big robot, Missy? Woah, she really has a tailshes so cute! As she walked through the streets of Cairo, enjoying a cold drink and wearing sunglasses, Princess Merneith was greeted by almost every person she came across. Children ran to see her, asking her to show off her mech. I cant just summon the great Mechanical God so easily, children I do require some Essence every time, but I can do this for almost no cost! FLUOSH! A spark of golden electricity surged out of thin air, suddenly materializing the bird-like talon claw of the robot for all the children to see and admire. The golden metallic construction made all the childrens eyes widen in shock due to its awesomeness. Wooaah! So huge! I cant believe it! You can summon just parts of it? Thats right! laughed the princess. Now if you excuse me, children, I have a meeting to attend. Some of these peasants really have been bothering me lately. The princess walked through the streets and reached a huge building in the middle of the city, where people constantly walked inside and outside. This building was El Cairos Hunter Association Building, where hunters gathered for requests, to retrieve rewards, and also to sell monster products. She made her way inside, showing her a platinum-colored card they had provided her beforehand. It wasnt as if it were that necessary; her appearance alone easily told everyone who she was. P-Princess Merneith?! A brown-skinned, white-haired girl gasped as she saw the princess step in; her revealing clothes, golden ornaments, and pointy jackal ears, combined with that fluffy tail, told everyone she was Merneith, without a shred of a doubt! Who else, girl? Merneith smiled smugly. Ive come here because you peasants called me for some sort of meeting. I have only agreed to come because you do make some good food, so it was my way to repay for your kindness. T-Thank you very much for your honesty The receptionist laughed a bit. Yes, the Association chairman is waiting for you on the second floor. There are a few other Hunters there too. Very well, if you excuse me then, cutie~ Merneith walked away. D-Did she call me a cutie? The girl blushed a bit. Merneith made her way upstairs as her assistant robot, a floating golden eye-shaped drone, started speaking to her again. [Your majesty, it has already been over a week since you ran away from home! Is this really okay? And now youre even meddling with these strange peasants from another world! What will your family say about this? Wont they worry?] Worry? The only thing theyre worrying about is the money theyll lose for not marrying me to that ugly Roman prince, Merneith sighed. I have no interest in marrying any Roman! In fact, I dont want to marry anyone. I am a strong, independent princess! [But your bloodline has a duty To reject it is to insult the entirety of the history of your empire! You are a descendant of the Ancient Queen Cleopatra VII, which means you must be avid about the rules and regulations of your family. They always want the best for you.] They dont! Nobody back home has ever CARED about me since my REAL mom died Merneith sighed. Theyre all obsessed with amassing fortunes and warring against smaller independent countries, and theyre constantly fighting for who has the right to pilot the Mechanical Gods. [Princess] Her assistant always insisted she had to go back to her family; it was within his program to take care of her and bring her to safety. But at the end of the day, it was also an Artificial Intelligence that slowly adapted to their owner and learned the more they talked with them. [I just want the best for you, for you to be safe] Hah, well, as if we could go back anyway. Those gray portals that pulled me here wont let me go back anyway, so were stuck here, the princess shrugged. [Yes, but many of your family members also came; those Golden Pyramids must be looking for you!] Ugh, I dont care! Leave me alone! I am finally important; the people here need me. Thats something Ive never experienced before. I want to... I want to help them. Instead of using my power to just hurt others, I will use it to protect people. [That is very noble of you, but-] Before the assistant could speak any other word, Merneith opened the door in front of her and walked inside. Four hunters were waiting for her on the other side of the room. A tall, brown-skinned man with short black hair and a muscular frame, wearing a white blouse and black pants, and with a big, claw mark-shaped scar in the middle of his face. The chairman of the association of hunters in the city of El Cairo, Mohamed Khaled. A slender, beautiful black woman with short black hair and seductive, bright blue eyes, wearing a colorful dress and many pieces of jewelry, especially rings and magic rings. Heba Marwa, often known as Queen of the Dunes," is an S-Rank hunter. An annoyed-looking man with long white hair and a slender figure, wearing a black blouse and jeans, looks to be in his late teens. His sharp red eyes emanated a slightly menacing bloodlust. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Ahmed Mostafa, known as The Blood Beast Berserk," is an S-Rank hunter. And lastly, the youngest of the four, a girl no older than fourteen, wore a white cloak and black clothes that covered her hair. Her clear brown skin and adorable silver-colored eyes caught the attention of many, especially due to the bright aura she emanated. She was the newest S-Rank Hunter of the city of El Cairo, Sara Asmaa, The Sacred Child.. Every S-Rank Hunter was usually given a special title, oftentimes made by the citizens themselves based on the abilities they showcased. Despite their slightly intimidating presence, Princess Merneith didnt seem to pay attention and only gave them a single glance before smiling at the chairman. And so your majesty is here! What do you want, peasants? She asked with a smug smile. Hahh Mohamed sighed, facepalming; he didnt like her attitude one bit. Hey, whats wrong with this brat? Ahemed groaned. Who does she think she is to just talk to us in such a way? Has anybody even taught her manners? She is quite lively, isnt she? Heba giggled, drinking some tea afterward. So you must be Merneith! I mean, Princess Merneith! Nice to meet you! My name is Sara! Lets get along! Little Sara ran to Merneith, greeting her. Ah, yeah, lets get along, little Sara, Merneith giggled. Despite her short height, she was actually in her early twenties, but it seemed that Sara thought she was around her age. Anyways, Merneith, come sit down, said Mohamed. There are many things we need to discuss. We''ve only been observing so far, letting you do as you please. Youve been helping people mostly, and for that, we are grateful. However, that doesnt change the fact that youre not a human, doesnt it? You come from the world of the tower, right? Which floor do you come from? Merneith sat down, enjoyed the Arabic sweets given, and then drank tea before even talking. I dont belong to that weird tower youre talking about, she said. And as far as I know, I am a human! My ears and tail represent my high lineage as a wielder of the Golden Bloodline. They are the only ones that can accumulate essence and pilot the Mechanical Gods. I am Merneith, the third princess of the Red Sun Empire! I already told you, peasants. Shes a what?! Ahmed wondered. Golden Bloodline? What is she even talking about? My patience is already running low. Clearly, whatever this Golden Bloodline is, it might be what has given her that appearance, said Heba. This probably also means she is a different type of human... Well, it is not as if humans dont exist in other worlds of the Tower. But her inability to accept that she comes from there worries me. Is she truly from the tower, or perhaps... Did you come from that gray gate, girl? A-Ah! Merneith grew nervous as she realized those gray portals had been causing a lot of problems around the world. If she admitted she came from there, they would probably try to deal with her. Of course, she was confident she could beat them all easily with the power of Ra. However, she didnt want to leave yet! El Cairo was a beautiful city, and she wanted to continue enjoying her time here. Of course not! she said. I come Err, from the stars! Yeah, Ive come to visit your little world with my clearly advanced technology. An alien?! Sara gasped. Wow! Does that mean youre from another planet? What planet?! And are they all like, Ancient Egyptians like you? Wait, if shes an alien, that proves the Ancient Egyptians were actually aliens too? Ahmed wondered. I never liked that dumb theory the Westerners created... But is it true?! Hah, after everything weve seen and gone through, somehow, the existence of aliens is not hard to believe anymore, laughed Heba. But youre clearly lying. E-Eh?! Merneith gasped as she was found out very quickly. So shes lying, huh? wondered Mohamed. What makes you think I am lying?! Merneith cried, getting slightly desperate. I have a Lie Detection Skill, laughed Heba. Girl, nobody can lie in front of me. Are you from the Gray Portals or not? And are those pyramids related to you? E-Eeehh Merneith was growing more and more nervous. Heba, dont be mean to her! Suddenly, Sara stepped in, running towards Merneith. I dont sense any malice within her heart. Shes pure-hearted and a good person! She is simply... Well, I think she ran away from an abusive family. Sara! Dont go revealing your abilities like that! Heba facepalmed. Huh? How can you know that? Merneith wondered, tilting her head. Its my ability! I can read peoples hearts and see if they are bad people or good people! Most of the time, everyone is in between. But as long as they lean only a bit to the good side, I consider them good people. But you Youre very nice, arent you, Merneith? Little Saras silver-colored eyes seemed full of honesty and innocence. I-I Okay, fine You peasants win this time! I indeed come from those portals." Merneith sighed. I knew it! Shes like those cavemen that appeared in America! Didnt you hear?! If it wasnt for Bing Xue, they would have killed hundreds of people! Shes going to do the same! Ahmed summoned his giant sword and was about to fight Merneith. Let us take care of her while shes lowering her guard! BAAM! Before he could rush towards her, a giant hand made of sand smashed him into the ground, pushing him down. Ugh! HEBAAA! Let me go! Heba was glaring at the man with her sharp blue eyes. Ahmed, youre too temperamental, she sighed. I wont let you go unless you calm down. Sir Mohamed already said that we were not going to try to fight her, so behave yourself, boy! Tch, okay, fine! Ahmed felt intimidated when he noticed Mohameds glare. Ugh Let me go already. Hmph Heba lifted her hand, and the sand quickly went back to her, spiraling around and then depositing itself inside one of her Spatial Inventory Rings. As Ahmed sat down again, he looked at Merneith. So whats your big plan then? Why are you helping people who arent even from your world? And what are those portals appearing all around the world? Merneith sighed. I dont know either... It just happened out of nowhere. A bright blue light sucked me and, like, half of my city away. When I opened my eyes, I was already in the middle of your desert. So youre saying that portal wasnt something you caused? wondered Mohamed, readjusting his glasses. No Merneith said. Do you know something else about them? I tried going back to my own world before, I swear! But I couldnt cross the portal. Theres a special force that only brings things out but wont let them go back. They looked at Heba, and the woman nodded. Shes not lying either, she said. Hmmm. There is some intel about those portals that have been shared by the North American branch so far, said Mohamed. Apparently, what Bing Xue stated is that... those portals seem to have been opened by a God of the Tower, someone known as the Grandfather of Time, who has opened portals to Earths... Parallel Timelines. I know it sounds insane, but thats what she said. And shes so far the strongest human in this world. P-Parallel Timelines? Merneith gasped. I-Is that way there are ruins of my beautiful Empire in your deserts? So in this world, something different happened? You are truly an Ancient Egyptian, then? wondered Ahmed. My God, this is getting weirder. Yes, that is the name of our Ancestors, the Ancient Egyptian Empire, she said. Dont tell me that you never had a Queen Cleopatra VII?! Yes, she existed, but long ago, nodded Mohamed. History in those times is still being researched, yes. But after the arrival of the Romans, things became blurry. She married a Roman king, I think? But Ancient Egyptians slowly mixed with many other tribes and people. It could be said we are all their descendants, but their culture, their gods, and all of those things are no longer truly... There are new religions now, and well, most people believe that the ancient Egyptian gods were very... fantastical, haha. Y-Youre insulting Ra, Lord of the Sun?! gasped Merneith. But this is Wait a moment, did your ancestors never discover the steam engine? Steam engine? No, thats something that happened elsewhere, said Heba. Oh? Dont tell me... Is this the point of divergence then? It must be! Sara nodded. Wooww! The ancient Egyptians discovering the steam engine sounds crazy! Did you industrialize? Yes, we did! Over two thousand years ago, though, technology has advanced by leaps and bounds since then. Weve even begun colonizing planets in our solar system, Merneith smiled. So you truly come from a much more technologically advanced society, a parallel world. Mohamed muttered. Well have to keep this a secret. Other countries could try to kidnap Merneith and steal her technology if more of her becomes public. Dont you think thats a bit too late now, Mohamed? laughed Ahmed. Miss Princess over here cant get away from the journalists, always showing her face on TV! Ugh, okay, I admit I shouldnt have done that! Merneith sighed. But for now, I suppose most things are cleared, right? I dont really have intentions of going back, so I hope you could let me stay for a bit more. Of course, I guess theres no helping it then, Heba shrugged. Maybe you could. RUMBLE! However, this civil conversation filled with revelations was suddenly interrupted as something above the skies suddenly emerged. Or, well, it seemed as if it had materialized out of thin air! The people of El Cairo pointed at the sky in fear and awe. A giant golden pyramid floated above the skies as several smaller silhouettes started flying off of it, going down into the city. They were all huge mechanical constructionspiloted robots! Merneith looked at the scene through the buildings window. Ah, this is bad. she sighed. Whats going on?! Heba asked. Thats the pyramid?! Mohamed asked. Dont tell me theyre looking for you?! Ahmed wondered. Merneith! Sara said. Merneith gritted her teeth, grasping her hands tightly. T-This is all my fault I have to take responsibility. She suddenly jumped out of the window, making the hunters panic. Merneith?! However, as she fell, her Golden Bloodline activated. An aura of gold and silver light surged from her body as a giant mechanical god materialized around her body. Ra, the God of the Sun! She flew into the skies with her fiery wings, confronting the group of dozens of mechanical soldiers. The group was led by a larger mech, one resembling her own in detail and height. Yet this one was black and gold-colored, with its head resembling a jackal. T-Thats Anubis?! The princess gasped. Big brother Akhenaten... Is it you? Who else than me, Merneith?! Akhenatens voice echoed from inside his mechanical god. I have finally found you... You little brat. Were going back home, and youre marrying that Roman prince! No Ill never marry a Roman! She roared furiously. I am going to be free, and I will not follow your insanity anymore! Youre really bold to say such blasphemy. You dont deserve the power of the gods. The power of Ra would do much better in my hands! With a furious roar, her big brother rushed towards her, materializing a huge black and gold scythe. Are you really going to fight me?! Merneith had no time to think, materializing a spear made of flames and sunlight to defend. CLASH! ----- Chapter 93: New Disciples ----- (Bing Xues POV) With the revelation of the Kings father being an actual god, a few things made sense inside of my mind. The constant need to conquer other worlds was one of them. and I imagine hes not the only one who has been going around conquering worlds either. Not only was he conquering, but he was also enslaving every inhabitant of the worlds he conquered, while even forcing their queens and goddesses to marry him. He seemed like quite the devious character, someone who clearly didnt think the same as his son, who was right in front of me. Do you agree with the ways of your father? I asked King Caesar. Do you think hes justified for his actions, young King? Thats King Caesar remained in silence for a few seconds before answering my words. Of course not; Ive always thought of my father as nothing but a monster. From the moment I was born, he never showed me a shred of love or anything at all! He abandoned his humanity in exchange for the power of becoming a god, and the only thing hes obsessed with is expanding his domain endlessly. He was probably always this way, but perhaps theres also another reason why he is the way he is, Seth commented. The Divinity that Gods obtain often affects their minds. If a God obtains a War Divinity, they will always desire war. This also even affects Gods who once were mortals, not just the Gods that were already born as Divine Entities. I suppose that makes sense; I dont know exactly what Divinities that man has, but most likely something related to War and Conquest, said Caesar. But even then, I believe he was still wicked from the beginning. Indeed, however, Divinities sometimes change a person even more, said Seth. I know that... from experience. Experience? What did he mean by that? Did he have a friend who became a God, or was he a God in his previous life? Ill have to ask him some questions later on, for sure. I see how it is. I nodded. Does that mean that... Caesar, Elphiette, Cecil, are you willing to betray the Emperor? Betray him?! Elphiette wondered. I-I mean Weve thought about something like that, but not now; we are weak, too weak. I have, but it is nothing but a distant dream, something I had thought I could accomplish after becoming incommensurably strong, the king sighed. Not something I can do now. Hmm, well, what if I told you that with my training, we could accelerate that process to just a couple of months? Would you go out of your way to help me kill him?" At that moment, they fell into silence. I knew this was too blunt, but I wanted to ask them this right away. This way, with my perception, I can easily tell if theyre telling the truth or not. And based on that, I can also gauge if theyre trustworthy enough to tell them about the future, where North America is almost completely destroyed. And where their entire family dies, a future Seth told me about, which I later saw through his own, blurry memories. A future event that must be stopped at all costs. I would, the king said first. Dear?! B-But Elphiette panicked. But you dont know if thats true; what if... Elphiette, Bing Xue could have killed me; she could have killed everyone if she wanted, sighed the king. Yet she chose not to. She offered us food; she welcomed us to her home. She offered us strength; do you think I would take this opportunity? I want to trust her; shes different. Shes not like everyone else. Shes not like my father or my siblings. She feels much higher, like someone who has truly become a master. Someone, I think we should... try to gain their trust. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Elphiette remained in silence for a moment before nodding. I suppose youre not completely wrong. I will follow your decision. Cecil didnt say anything; she was mostly in silence but seemed to agree with whatever her father said, so there was no question about her loyalty either. I could sense within the half-elf girl an incredible, blooming potentialnot only the combination of her father and her mothers powerful bloodlines and inherited abilities but also an innate talent. Something very strong, even... otherworldly, I didnt want to discern more because it might seem suspicious if the King noticed my Aura was trying to see through her daughter. But I was sure that there was some hidden power inside her soul. As someone who has raised hundreds of disciples and takes great joy in seeing budding talents blossom and become excellent warriors, I feel that it is my duty to teach her how to harness her internal powers. And in the end, shes also the kings daughter, so another guardian for Earth wouldnt be so bad! The more, the better! I will make this planet, which is looked down upon by every single world, one that they will fear with all their hearts. Very well, youre not lying, your words are sincere, and you have the heart of a true warrior, the chivalry of a knight (to an extent), and the discipline of a king. I nodded. Youre all worthy of becoming my disciples. Lets bygones be bygones, and lets grow closer with each other from now on. I will require your trust in this matter because Seth here is someone very important and special. Seth? wondered the King. So thats your name, commoner? Yes, your majesty, Seth said, slightly annoyed. I could tell he didnt like addressing him as his king; he was quite rebellious, but I can understand him. I mostly address Caesar as Your Majesty ironically, but he takes it seriously. Before we talk about this, we will create a Soul Oath using my abilities, I said. I will need all of you to agree to it. Including the King, the Queen, and your daughter. What is this Oath about? he wondered. To ensure you dont speak about what well talk about without my permission, I said. Hm, so you dont trust me enough yet Fair, he sighed. Lets get done with it then. Are you sure? wondered the Queen. Arent you trusting her too fast? Even after what you said I agree that hes trusting my daughter too quickly, but I suppose between warriors, trust is earned through battle and respect, said my mother. Your majesty, rest assured, my daughter is a good person. Ah V-Very well The Queen seemed hesitant but couldnt really change the mind of her husband. Wait, isnt this going too far, though?! Cecil complained. If youre doing this, then I wont partake! Cecil?! The queen gasped. Hey, Cecil! What are those manners?! the King said. Do you want to be grounded? Just ground me if you want, Father, but I will not do any weird soul oath with that woman; she killed you! Cecil cried. I wont! She ran away from the room before her parents could do anything else. Cecil, wait! Elphiette said, running towards the door. Wait, Elphiette, let her be, said the King, sighing. If she will not partake, then... thats fine. She will simply not learn this information. Shes still young; shes learning. A-Are you sure? Elphiette sighed. Okay, if if you insist. But once were done with this, that girl will have an earful from me! I might also join that, the King said. Now, Bing Xue, lets get done with this. Alright. I quickly activated the technique, summoning a golden tablet from my Inner Realm, it was a small formation I had created for these things. It was imbued with several hundred ingredients, synthesized, and beautifully, perfectly merged together into an Immortal Formation. It was specifically made to create several different effects and Techniques. And the Technique I was using it for was Soul Oath. The process was quick; I first wrote the Oath and its rules on the table with one finger and Photon Essence. Then, once it was done, the technique was activated, and I chose who to place the Oath into. It included myself, the King, the Queen, Seth, Yanisse, and my mother. We all agreed on not talking about this to outsiders unless I had permitted them. It would work very simply: the Oath activates, shutting down any means of communication whenever theyre about to do it. It works every time, and it will only activate once they give up. Communicating this indirectly will also trigger the Oath. I might sound a bit paranoid for wanting this much security, but you never know. Its done. The threads of light connecting each other slowly dissipated, becoming invisible. Once this was done, I quickly explained to them what Seth was. He comes from the future?! The Kings reaction was more shocking than I expected. Unbelievable, the Queen said, covering her mouth. Yes, look, we dont have much time to talk, said Seth. So Ill go directly to the point: in about a year from now, a calamity will befall your kingdom. Gates from Floor 80 will open, and Divine Beasts will destroy everything. All of you will die too, unable to fight back against such powerful beings. F-Floor 80?! muttered the king. Thats! Such a high floor coming down to this pitiful planet?! But why? Like hell, I know, I wasnt even able to do a single thing other than run back then, said Seth. But I bet it has to do with your family and your father... He ended pissing off the real threat in the tower; this is just my theory, but I believe the Pantheon of Floor 80 wanted him and all his children dead. This revelation shook the King and the Queen more than we expected. Especially because they seemed to know who these gods were. ----- Chapter 94: A Future Threat ----- Floor 80 Yes, we do know a bit about that, said Caesar. They belong to the Second Order of Gods, the second strongest amongst all of them. They have a Pantheon; I dont know how many gods are there, but Floor 80 is a vast world that has conquered and assimilated some of the floors below. It makes sense if they were to attack Father; they are also conquerors, but much stronger. So in only a year they plan to strike? wondered Elphiette. There isnt good news at all, and if you say we all died... It means they are much more powerful than we were back then. But it makes sense that beings on such high floors have an average level of eight thousand. Divine Beasts, which are a type of monster imbued with Lesser Divinities, are usually born within Floor 78 and above. These worlds are so vast and imbued with so much Divine Power that they are thousands of times greater in both power and essence than any other world below them. My original world also belonged to the Second Order; after all, it''s from Floor 71 and above, muttered Caesar. Father is too ambitious; he might have instigated the wrath of those gods. Do you know who they are? I asked. How do they look, or at least their titles? I only know three of their titles so far, said Caesar. {The Guardian of Knowledge}, {The Radiant Sun}, and {The Divine Father of Thunder}they''re the three strongest gods, with the Divine Father of Thunder leading their entire Pantheon. Huh, those titles remind me of some famous gods, said Yanisse. But those are alien worlds, so I suppose what they have in common is just that. Yes, I also thought about Athena, Apollo, and Zeus with such names. But at the end of the day, those are the gods from our mythologies. Alien gods are never going to be the same as ours, I said. Well, unless it''s a parallel world? But those worlds are independent. Yeah, I suppose so, nodded Yanisse. They never had names, just Titles, said Seth. Their Divine Beasts, however, are the real deal. Thousands of them, each so powerful, laid waste to anything. It was in this event that other hunters died too; most of the North American hunters died, actually. Nicholas, Yanisse, Aiyana... all of them died. I died too?! Yanisse gasped. I Hah, I suppose I should have seen that coming. Was Bing Xue not there? She was not. This is the point of divergence with this timeline, said Seth. Bing Xue never existed in the future I came from. Shes unique to this timeline and also the cause of my memories awakening to begin with; when she kicked me back then and then healed me, all those memories came back to my head. Thats... strange. How is it possible for her to not exist in the future you come from but to exist in this one? And even before you could have ever changed anything? Caesar wondered. I have no idea; Bing Xue is probably some sort of paradox, a variable, or something else... Perhaps the Murim world she lived in was outside of even timelines. It would explain why it was so ridiculously powerful as to give her so much power after spending all those years there. Seth stated his theory. So youre implying that... Theres a future where my daughter never comes back to me, my mother sighed. Yes, most likely, Seth said, without trying to sugarcoat it. Perhaps And this is only my theory: Murim is a world that exists outside of timelines. It has its own time, and it flows forward without being interrupted. Other worlds kept moving on their own, timelines being born and dying, while Bing Xue spent that time in Murim. That would mean... My original world died long ago, wasnt it? I said it with a melancholic smile. That cant be... But where did the other Katherines go to then? My mother insisted. And thats the problem; we dont know, I said. So thats why it is only a theory and just as improbable as others. Maybe Elphiette suddenly commented. Perhaps Bing Xue here might be an amalgamation of all her parallels within all timelines. What? How so? wondered Caesar. I studied Time Magic and the Time Element when I was young back home. My mother was one of the few gods trying to learn this elusive element the most, Elphiette said. We learned about paradoxes and beings outside of time." She explained that there are certain beings in the Tower that exist within all timelines at the same time but have only one body anchored in a chosen timeline. And this timeline then becomes their true timeline. So youre saying My own self is the combination of countless parallel selves? But I dont really feel like that, nor have I ever met myself before, I said. Yes, thats why it might just be a theory, said Elphiette. I dont know much else, sorry. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Well, its fine I held my mothers hands, caressing them. And dont worry, mom. Youre my mother, and I am your daughter; I know it, and nothing will change that. Kat My mother felt slightly moved as she nodded. Anyways, now that I am here, the future can be changed, even more with Bing Xue, a friend I never thought we could ever have to help us, said Seth. Although I believe shes incredibly powerful, at the level of the strongest gods... Its never good to be too confident. Bing Xue, I would like to accompany you to the second floor. Theres a way for meand well, for you tooto become even stronger. I was going to go there and kill that warmongering, barbarian god anyway, so sure, I nodded. Ill mostly target all gods that deserve their punishment. If I ever come across those that do good or are neutral, I wont kill them, but the rest? They will become my power. To think someone would someday appear, capable of killing gods and absorbing their powers seamlessly, Not even other gods can easily do that, you know? the King said. If the Divinities of the other God are not compatible, it could cause more harm than anything else to the other God. This is the reason why they often enslave the God that was defeated or sometimes seal their bodies and divinities into a special Divine Armament. So the gods themselves are hunting each other already I laughed a bit. Well, isnt that quite ironic? Despite this alliance they have, theyre all just eager to kill each other anyway. Yeah The Tower is a chaotic place, but for the first twenty or so floors, it doesnt feel that way, said the King. This is why Ive been mostly trying to hold back humans from climbing higher, as youll only awaken the sleeping beasts there. Wait, what happens once humanity reaches floor 21? Yanisse asked. Once a race that represents a planet reaches Floor 21, the Tutorial Phase ends, said Seth. And the real game begins. The gods of the tower are allowed to do even more destruction, and gates appear even more frequently. Even Dungeons begin to appearspecial gates that merge with the earth entirely, creating physical places, not just a portal that pours out monsters. In a way, they begin the terraforming of the planet. But thats not all the scariest part, said the king. Players from other worlds of the tower, much higher, will be able to come to Earth too. Players at such high levels could destroy entire countries. They will come here to investigate first, but then they will freely pillage and destroy anything they want. It becomes a free-for-all, and the only way for the planet to survive is by reinforcing its inhabitants and creating a large group of specialized guardians. What Bing Xue is doing has facilitated that process, but we need more help than that. Ill help. Thats right if we can create a unified alliance with your many troops and my sect, I said. We could potentially create a large enough organization to defend the planet. But I think we need more than that. I was planning on unifying the entire planets hunter associations. The elite hunters of every country. I will go visit them one after another and do everything I can, so they join the alliance. If its you... Then I believe it, the king smirked. But I suppose you wont start right away? Not exactly; I will be sending some Doppelgangers to a few countries starting now. I already did it, like a few days ago. I sent them to where the Gray Portals had opened, as Ive been monitoring them and what comes from them. Ill use that as an opportunity to recruit worthy disciples. I see, so whats your plan now? wondered Elphiette. Ill go to the tower and catch up, mostly climb and level up, get skills, and become stronger than I am right now, I said. Because I am sure I need strength if the worst-case scenarios happen... In the world I came from, there was a being, one I couldnt win against. Wait, what? my mother asked. Is that true? What sort of being was it? The Heavenly Will, I said. "I''ve already introduced them to some of my disciples, an insane entity that was the representation of Murims heavens themselves, and perhaps the whole world. It used to be nine, but they ate each other, and at the end, the White Heaven survived, becoming the absolute being. So like a God of Murim? wondered Seth. Yes, most likely, I nodded. I could only escape their tenacious claws, but I can still remember how they said they would eventually find me, no matter what. They were left speechless, a being that instilled fear even in me; they were surprised. They probably thought I was invincible, didnt they? Well, partially invincible. But against the Heavenly Will or beings of his caliber, I am weak. I need to get stronger, even if I am stomping my way through the tower. I know Ill eventually find someone capable of stopping me. For that reason, I cannot slack off or get cocky. Anyways, as I climb, you will stay here, of course, I said, giving the King and the Queen their rings and a third one for Cecil. Use these things to teleport inside the pagoda every day to receive your training. You will be growing exponentially stronger in the coming days, weeks, and months. Eventually, you will become so strong you wont even be able to recognize yourselves anymore. The King and the Queen seemed surprised, admiring the rings I gave them and placing them on their fingers. Thank you; we will come every day then, the king nodded. To save this world, Ive made my new home, to protect my family, to stop the future from becoming a reality, and to defeat my father... I must become stronger. And Ill do my best to help you too, honey, said Elphiette. Thank you, Bing Xue, for trusting us. Its fine. I smiled. Give the third ring to your daughter Cecil as well. I might leave, but my Doppelgangers will remain here to teach you all the basics. I will come back in a couple of days anyway, so dont worry. I wont be there forever. If something very urgent happens, I will step in. I see Thanks, the King said, extending his hand for a handshake. Bing Xue, we owe you more than you imagine. My family and this kingdom, we swear our loyalty. Oh? So soon? I giggled. Oh well, sure thing. I gave him his treasured handshake and then decided to move on. Another thing The magicians I killed, let me revive them, I said. T-Thats you would? The King wondered. Of course, I wouldnt want you to resent me still secretly for that. Come on, let me show you how I do this. I smiled. We stepped out of the pagoda with the remains of the magicians. Although most people may believe my ability to revive others is incredible and omnipotent, thats not exactly the case. There are many rules to it, and it cant be done infinitely either, I explained, waving my hands. Theres usually two ways to revive them. Time Regression or Pure Healing. Both have their repercussions. For now, {Time Regression} will do. FLUOSH! ----- Chapter 95: Yanisse’s Feelings ----- The power of the River of Time manifested itself within the corresponding area, and all the magicians bodies went back to their former appearance before I killed them. And even their souls, which were left wandering around, quickly went back to their bodies. However, through this act, their souls were being worn down quite considerably. People who are revived usually feel a strong headache and some symptoms of anemia if they arent strong enough. The reason is simple: their souls get damaged. W-What happened? Ugh, my head... I-Im alive? But wasnt I...?! S-Shes there! The fifty or so magicians, a large battalion of their own, panicked as they saw me standing right in front of them with a condescending smile. Of course, they would panic. Men, calm down; she has revived you, the king said. Weve agreed with her. And she has even agreed to revive you. For now, you are dismissed; you should return to our kingdom through the teleportation magicians and rest for the rest of the week. King Caesar Your majesty, is this real? Well, if he says so... Ugh, my head... The magicians were about to shoot fireballs into my face, but I quickly accepted the truth once the King told them to calm down and return to the castle. The magicians that could use teleportation spells were there, and they quickly brought them all back. It looks like theyre fine, but I wont be able to do this a second time with them, I believe. I said. Their levels were high, but their souls were very weak, as weak as the soul you have once youre born. Theyre magicians, yet their souls have yet to even improve one bit, huh? Their souls, you say? The king wondered. Wait, your revival ability has to do with souls? Yes, I can restore their bodies without problems, but the soul itself is the problem, I said. No matter what, the damage it takes cannot be healed normally, and not even Time Regression can heal the wounds of a soul. Of course, this doesnt mean I hurt their souls when I killed them, but when theyre revived, their souls are forcefully pulled back into their bodies and undergo a severe amount of strain and damage as a result. The stronger a soul is, the easier it is to get back to their body, but the weaker it is, the less it is possible. I had no idea your revival ability had such a limit, Katherine, my mother said. But it makes some sense, I suppose; not everything comes without a price, isnt it? Yes, more, or less... But your souls are growing stronger over time thanks to my teachings and the formations I placed into your bodies, I smiled. It is both a way to slowly assimilate your system status and also a way to reinforce your souls, so theyre no longer vulnerable. Will we also learn to enhance the strength of our souls? wondered the King. Naturally, of course, I nodded. It comes with the training and the cultivation process! But even then, my comprehension of the Dao of Souls is low, so I cannot teach you to be a master of Souls themselves. At the very least, to make your soul strong, thats not hard. Its better than nothing, to be honest, Seth said. Yeah, youre not wrong, the King nodded. Thanks again. Then we shall go back to our castle for a brief moment to prepare first, and then well return in a couple of hours. Nah, you can take the day off; come tomorrow in the morning if youre free, I said. I will be waiting for your arrival with my Doppelganger. I guess thats more understandable; my reckless husband was already planning to come train here after everything that happened today; hes so rash sometimes, Elphiette complained. Now lets go look for Cecil and return home. Theres a lot we need to talk about too! Also, you need to rest. Hah, I understand, the King smiled. Returning to the Pagoda, they retrieved Cecil, who ended up getting slightly along with Hekitamore than I imaginedand quickly decided to move back to their castle with their teleportation magicians. Bye Cecil! See you soon! Hekita said. Yeah Cecil didnt seem as enthusiastic. Once this entire ordeal was finally over, I decided to sit down and rest for another hour while my party prepared themselves to climb the tower. In the end, I was only going to bring Merkite and Urbosa. Hekita was going to stay here, and my mother and my sister would take care of her. Well, my Doppelganger can also take care of her; I can control it with my mind right now, after all. As for the rest, Yanisse insisted on coming, but I believe she still required another week of training before getting into more dangerous places, so I told her to remain here. The only one that was coming along too was Seth, due to his knowledge and such. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. While waiting, Yanisse entered the living room, where I was enjoying some tea and looking at my smartphone. We were alone. I cant really come along? wondered Yanisse, closing the door behind her. But I am strong; I want to go on an adventure with you, Bing Xue. Youre better here for a week, I already said, I sighed. Yanisse, please behave, okay? Once you reach rank 4, you can come with me. Until then, you cant. But those towers are easy; Ive completed them all, she argued. Of course you had, but have you fought their gods?" What about their divine minions? I asked. I am not saying that those with me are stronger than you, but theyre coming with me for a reason; they have a connection with Floor 2 or know of a secret to it. I get it; Ill stay then, she said, looking slightly down. Hm, what can I do to lift her spirits? Yanisse I held her hand as she tried not to look into my eyes. Yanisse Hm? W-What? She looked at me while blushing adorably. You know I care for you, right? I want the best for you. You are my most talented disciple, so I want the best for your growth. Believe in me, I am not sidelining you or something. If I say something, it has a reason to be. Really? Yes, really. I caressed her face gently, looking into her eyes. Will you be alright without me? I asked with a smile. Who do you think I am? Of course I will, she said. Our faces grew closer together. Good, I know my Yanisse is strong and can do many things on her own, isnt it, dear? I caressed her face and then her long blonde hair. Yeah I guess it cant be helped. She grew redder as I spoke to her. Youre such a good girl. I caressed her head. You deserve a reward. R-Reward? she wondered. I gently touched her lips with my finger. What kind of reward do you want~? E-Eh?! A-Ah I-I well As she grew nervous, our faces were very, very close. Um You know what I want already, right? Is that what you want, then? Yes As she nodded and gave me the prettiest smile in the world, I moved my lips towards hers and kissed her. Hmm~? Hmm~! She was slightly surprised but didnt fight back; she let me kiss her with love and passion; I grabbed her hips and pulled her body towards mine; and she placed her hands over my shoulders. Eventually, her lips became more playful, kissing me and chasing mine; our tongues touched, licking each other; her kiss was sweet and gentle; and her lips were slightly cold, but I warmed them up for her. Her kiss was so gentle and lovely. Eventually, after a couple of minutes of just kissing, our lips separated. Bozhe moy, ya vlyublena... She looked at me, caressing my face. It looks like she liked it so much that she started talking in Russian. Hm? Did you like your reward~? I giggled. A-Ah! Sorry, did I talk in Russian? She looked embarrassed. Yes, I wonder what that meant~? I asked. I can actually understand most languages now after hearing them a couple of times. I mostly understood what she said, but it was better to ask her and make her feel even more embarrassed. I-I didnt Well, I I said that... That kiss made me fall for you, she pouted a bit. You kissed me with so much love... Bing Xue, do you love me? I do, I nodded. Is it too fast? I waited a week and all, but I just couldnt help it. Youre too precious. I dont mind it, she said. I love you too... Um, I know its sudden, and Im glad you also recognize it. Lets take it one step at a time? Sure, I dont intend to rush you into anything. I nodded. Then Then I can be your wife, right? she wondered. Eh? You said you didnt want to rush it. I sighed. I-I mean for later! she said. Haha, of course, if you want, I could make you my bride right now, I said, walking back to her and holding her hands. Hm? Are you sure you want to take this one step at a time? Hahh Pochemu ty lyubish'' menya draznit''? She talked in Russian again. Just go now; that was more than a reward for now... I bet you got a bit horny, huh? E-Eh? Me? N-No way! I am a powerful, heavenly immortal venerable and- I can tell youre all red too~ She smiled, teasing me. Tebe nravilis'' eti guby, ne tak li? Yes, I did love your lips, okay? And yes, I understand Russian, so theres not a secret language you can talk around in front of me, little Miss Yanisse, I giggled. Eh?! You understood everything? she gasped. Aaah! Tak stydno! Tak stydno! I dont know why, but shes even cuter when she speaks to me in Russian. Anyways, Im off, dear, I said, giving her another short kiss on her lips and then another on her little nose and forehead. And lastly, a tight, warm hug. I love you; take care. I will Well, your Doppelganger will be here, right? And you control them? "Yes, we share the same mind; its like a secondary body. Oooh She seemed enthusiastic about that somewhat. Haha, well, once Im back, we can continue where we left off, alright? I said. A-Alright she nodded. Um, this is the first time I have had a relationship like this Is it okay for Urbosa and Merkite? I really dont want to disturb their time alone with you Theyre fine with it; I had already asked them, and even before, they seemed enthusiastic, didnt they? I said. Dont worry. Okay then Theyre nice; I kind of like them, Yanisse smiled. And theyre very fluffy... Can I pet them one day? Haha, Ill have to ask them about that! But theyre not pets, okay? Theyre people; you need to be polite when asking, I said. Yeah, yeah, I know, sorry! "Anyways, another kiss? She asked, running to my side. Pozhaluysta? Pozhaluysta? Hehe, okay~ After a third and last kiss, which finally satiated her hunger for love, I moved out, and she followed me to say goodbye anyway. A portal was opened leading to the tower''s first floor, which I created using my spatial manipulation abilities and the help of the two other gods, Umbra and Estrella, waiting for me over there. Were off! Mom, sis, take care, I said. Please return in one piece, okay? I know the gods are weaker than you, but you never know what could happen, my mother said. I understand; I will make sure to prioritize my safety. I nodded. Big sis, you got this! Go fuck ''em over! My sister was cheering for me. Haha, I will. I smiled. Mommy! Cant I go? Hekita rushed towards us. Not until you become a bit stronger, said Urbosa. Children shouldnt be sent in the middle of wars, after all, Hekita. We got this Hekita, so dont worry, Merkite smiled, patting the girls head. Umm Okay! I will be strong too! Also, mommys light form is here too, right? she wondered. Yes, I am right here too, I said through my Doppelganger as I gently carried Hekita in my arms made of golden light. Then Ill be fine! She happily said. After saying goodbyes to everyone, which I think was being a bit overdramatic about it, we stepped into the Tower once more. It has been a while since my last time here, so as I smelled the Mana-filled air, I was greeted by the two small Gods. And also Leviathan. ----- Chapter 96: A Powerful Rabbit ----- ROAR! A gigantic, three-headed, blazing wolf-like monster roared, towering over four meters tall. The behemoth easily dwarfed all monsters within this S-Rank Dungeon within the Towers First Floor. With its three heads, it constantly unleashed explosive fireballs at his foe, a single, petite rabbit girl with pointy ears and short brown hair. Her golden eyes shone brightly as they turned orange-colored, and her aura of Ki and Mana combining quickly blazed, generating flames of her own. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! She used this powerful aura to enhance her physical body, moving rapidly with her rabbit foot, which allowed her to give potent hops from one place to another. The wolf chased her, rushing towards her and swinging its giant claws. Youre even using your claws?! She evaded the deadly claws with blazing speed, and then swung her huge hammer against the monsters paw, crushing its fingers and shattering its claws. CRASH! The three-headed wolf gave out a scream of agony, quickly stepping back in pain and confusion. Its blazing aura released several fireballs within the cave interior, which the girl rapidly started to gather into her aura. {Blazing Ki Aura: Fire Absorption}! FLUOSH! The flames gathered around her body and fused with her Aura, empowering her even more and helping her leap towards her foes head as she released a blast of fire from beneath her. Gotcha! She swung her hammer at the three-headed monstrosity, crushing its third, middle head with a single strike, blood splattering everywhere. CRASH! The monster agonized; one of its heads died, yet the others remained alive. Their jaws opened, trying to tear the girl apart with deadly attacks. {Body Reinforcement}! Her body suddenly increased its durability and defense, and the jaws of the monster ended up being unable to pierce through her black-scale dragon armor or her powerful, tough skin. As the fangs tried to tear through, she used this opportunity to finish the monster off, imbuing Ki and Mana into her hammer and suddenly transforming it. {Shapesmithing Arts}: {Spear Form}! Her hammer absorbed her energies and transformed its shape into a sharp, silver-colored spear overflowing with crimson flames, which she used to pierce one of the wolve''s throats and then retrieve it to destroy the other. CLASH! CLASH! She quickly leaped away as she saw the monsters two lasting heads bleed out and die, its giant body finally collapsing over the floor, spreading flames and blood across the room. Hahh I-I did it! The girl celebrated with a smile, looking at the system notification, showcasing she had gained several levels! And with each level, she felt her body and her internal core grow stronger, more refined, and reinforced, with Ki overflowing through her body. The clapping of someone behind her resonated as the young woman quickly ran towards the origin of the clapping, finding a gorgeous silver-haired woman whose body seemed completely made of golden light. Well done, Peperina, she said. Youve grown considerably stronger this week. I think youre probably at an even higher level than most of the S-ranks in my world, surprisingly enough. This method seemed to also work well. Bing Xue! Thank you so much for helping me so far. I never thought I would ever complete so many dungeons in just a week. Peperina laughed. I feel so strong... So confident! The more I leveled up, the more my body became tougher. And I was even able to awaken Papas powers from his bloodline. Yes, youve worked well. The power of cultivation can also awaken bloodlines; no matter how thin the blood might be, with enough cultivation, you can force its powers to come out eventually. Bing Xue nodded with a smile. It worked well that your level wasnt high; like this, your cultivation was able to begin right away and grow at the same time as you leveled up. People whose level was already very high from the beginning have slower growth compared to yours. Youre catching up to my other disciples very quickly, Peperina. I never imagined that being leveled would help me grow faster than stronger people. Peperina laughed. And fathers powers... So this is Shapesmithing? And also the Fire Element! I have fully awakened both. Yes, the bloodline abilities of your father are Fire Control, Absorption, and also Shapesmithing, Bing Xue said. They were the powers and abilities of your fathers tribe, the Blazer, right? Yeah, usually Dad suppresses his fire powers because they can be dangerous, but when he goes to the smithy, he unleashes them. I always admired that and always wished I could one day use them, sighed Peperina. But the first time I used something similar, I panicked, and I was unable to contain them. I was afraid of the harm I could bring others. And because of that, I didnt like fighting or anything related to that. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Well, after over a week of fighting, do you feel better? Bing Xue asked. I know the act of taking another life is harsh, even for animals or monsters. But it is a necessary thing to do to become strong. Monsters and beasts are also creatures that could threaten innocents, so taking care of their populations so they do not overflow cities or villages is a necessary task. I do feel better, and yeah, I understand that as well. Peperina smiled. Though I have only tapped into the surface of these powers... But to further advance, I think I need to climb the tower as well. I want to go to the second floor, where the tribe of my mother originated from. I want to find them, my long-lost family, and then talk to mom about how I met them and if they ever remember her anymore. I see. Bing Xue smiled. Youve become strong enough and have a good reason, so I suppose I can bring you along. I was going to climb to the second floor as of now. Eh?! Really? Can I come? The little rabbit wondered. You could, but arent you tired? You should rest for a day at least, said Bing Xue. "Nah, Im fine, really! Your Ki cultivation techniques always keep my little body strong and refreshed, Peperina nodded with a confident smile. "So, can I join? Pretty please? Ill behave and try to be of help, of course! Oh well, you said you took a two-week vacation in the adventurer guild, right? I suppose you can join then. Youre strong enough to protect yourself, Bing Xue smiled. Ahh, right, my job... Ive been considering quitting it now, Peperina said. I want to grow stronger and explore the tower. Find my mothers family, and then climb even higher where the Blazer Dwarves Tribes live. I want to meet my people and learn about their cultures." Well said, a very good decision, and also a very hard decision, said Bing Xue with a nod. It is also perhaps a very noble reason to become stronger, one I approve of very much. Lets go then, dear. Ill bring you along. A-Are we going together alone by any chance? Peperina wondered as she stored the monsters corpse inside her storage ring. Oh, of course not. Urbosa and Merkite, my wives, are coming along, said Bing Xue. They also have many things to do on the second floor. Also, I am bringing along someone from my world, a young human man named Seth. I will tell you more about him as we go. Ah, alright! Peperina nodded, masking her slight disappointment that she wouldnt get to spend alone time with the real Bing Xue and not just a Doppelganger, a projection made out of her powers. The two made their way out of the dungeon, finding hundreds of monster corpses, most of which were creatures between Levels 600 and 800, which Peperina had singlehandedly defeated. Indeed, she had become very strong, and with her, Bing Xue was able to further perfect her own techniques and cultivation and growth formations, allowing her to further synchronize Level Growth and Cultivation Growth. Eventually, she wants to perfect it to the point that even Leveling Up itself can be hastened through Cultivation and not just the other way around. Perhaps back in Murim, power was something that could be obtained over many yearshundreds, sometimes thousands of years. However, right now, that wasnt the case anymore. With threats and worlds colliding together thanks to the Tower, an endless downpour of monsters, dungeons, players, and malicious gods constantly appeared, making the Tower an even more dangerous place than even Murim. If they dont grow strong enough, . . . (Bing Xues POV) We arrived on the first floor without any problems, moving towards the village where we met with Estrella, Umbra, and Leviathan. Why is he here from all places? Is a giant body not really hard to discern? The people of the village are panicking already. RUMBLE! His enormous divine body made the skies rumble, golden and black lightning surging everywhere; his serpentine body seemed to move across the clouds freely, although he had a slightly worried expression on his face. Leviathan! Why have you descended from your Divine Realm again? I told you that your very presence can cause natural disasters, and you havent even mastered your Divine Powers enough to hold them back. I''m very sorry, Master Bing Xue! I was just too worried, and when I heard that you were coming back, I had to come talk to you personally! What? Whats wrong? As I asked him, Estrella broke her silence. I cant believe you chose that disgusting multi-headed serpent as the new god of our world! Just what is wrong with your head, master?! The pesky girl complained. I would have rather had the entire world destroyed than Leviathan becoming the new God! Sister, I think youre being too harsh, sighed Umbra. Besides the two of us, Leviathan was the most ancient living being and also the strongest. He was there even before we were born, based on the peoples beliefs and faith. Hes technically our elder, you know? Shut up! Hes dumber than the two of us, so I am not going to call him a wise elder or something; hes a rabid beast that once ate my divine spirits and tried to eat me when I went to reprimand him! said Estrella. Huh, I had no idea there was this drama between the old gods and Leviathan. Urbosa smiled with a slightly mocking expression. Im glad that Leviathan has become the new god now. Yeah~ honestly, I wouldnt have been able to accept having this type of person as a goddess sighed Merkite, crossing her arms. What an annoying little twat. Indeed. The two were poking Estrellas face with their fingers, annoying the very annoying girl. H-Hey, stop it! I tried being a good goddess! She was about to cry already. Damn, I never knew those two had this side to them; theyre definitely even better now. Hah, please forgive my sister; shes always this way, even though she said she was trying to improve, said Umbra. Just yesterday she said she loved me and wanted to make things right again, but shes too prideful, so she has to act like this, or she will feel embarrassed about opening up and being more honest. W-What?! Umbra, why did you say that?! Estrella cried. I see, so shes actually trying to improve; thats nice. Its good that shes trying to love her brother now; it would have been nicer if she tried when she was alive. Shes now something like a minor god tied to me as a summons, unfortunately. Now, lets talk with the real god here. Um, are those two the old gods?! Leviathan wondered. I-I thought you had killed them before, Master Bing Xue- I was able to revive them as Divine Spirit Familiars, I answered. Now, Leviathan, lets get to the point. I am in quite a hurry to go to the second floor, so tell me whats wrong. I cant sense anything threatening right now, though. I hope this is not for something minimal. I-Its not, look! I was sent this Leviathan suddenly gave me a blue-colored jewel, and when I grabbed it, a projection was created. FLUOSH! And it showed several figuresdivine beings, gods, perhaps, or their avatars. This is a message to the goddess known as Bing Xue, who had slain the two gods of Floor 1. We represent the gods of the Fourth Order. And we want to offer you a new opportunity. -----
Chapter 97: An Offer From The Gods ----- The projection spoke to me, but it wasnt actually live talk; it was all pre-recorded. I couldnt quite discern their forms, but the auras they let out within the projection were permeated even in the crystal itself. Various elemental auras could be sensed, which was quite surprising. This is a message to the goddess known as Bing Xue, who had slain the two gods of Floor 1. We represent the gods of the Fourth Order. And we want to bargain. After analyzing your abilities and also what youve accomplished, including the ability to even create a new God, weve decided to offer you a new opportunity. As you probably already know, the Fourth Order of Gods is a combined alliance of all the gods of the first fifty floors of the Tower. We work together to protect each other from external threats, and at some point, we believed you were one. But after further analyzing the events that have happened so far and the transgressions of the Gods of Floor 1, weve decided to lift this restraining order we had prepared. And instead, we have prepared to welcome you within our alliance as a new Goddess. What? Are they serious? Why would I ever join their alliance of Gods? Most of them are megalomaniacs; most likely, theres no chance there arent more Gods like the ones Ive fought before, or some that could be even worse. Naturally, there will be several benefits as well. Weve even discussed matters with the Tower Master. If you agree to our terms, we will compensate you with Divine Treasures, special Divine Grimoires, and Divine Artifacts. And also, you will be given a special Artifact that will allow you to combine Earth with Floor 1, the world that is rightfully yours. Wait, what?! Once that happens, the planet Earth will be assimilated into the Tower and you will be able to live without worrying about your planet being in danger of Gates or Raids, for the most part. Of course, you will also receive our support and help when needed, and we expect to get the same treatment from you in the future to make things even. Please, instead of going down the path of violence, consider becoming one of us. We will gladly welcome you. The call then stopped at that, the projection quickly dissipated, and the jewel in my hands remained unmoved. Well, that was... Not what I expected, Urbosa said. Me neither Merkite muttered. Are you going to consider it, honey? Of course not! I am not going to join any shady Order of Gods, I bet they want this only to control me, I said. And theres no way I am letting the Tower swallow Earth. My planet shall remain untouched. Well said, Seth smiled. He had remained mostly silent until now. The Fourth Order is the weakest order of gods, but theyre cunning. They are most likely attempting to recruit you into their ranks, so they dont have to deal with you for now, and once you lower your guard, they will attack you and finish you off while taking your entire planet too. Its a good plan; too bad for them that youre strong and not stupid. Ill ignore their stupid offer for now, I said, looking at the blue jewel. But this projection artifact... It contains their powers to an extent; they have permeated it with them. I will keep it for now; I could use it to do something with it, something good. I smiled, saving the precious jewel inside my Inner Realm. Alright, were good now; was that all of it, Leviathan? I asked him. Yes, that was all... Are you seriously not joining the order? he wondered. It could be life-changing for everyone! Youve already heard my response, Leviathan, I said. I wont be joining anybodys order or whatever. I have my own sect, my own disciples, and my own life and goals. I wont tie myself to a bunch of gods; most of them are going to become my targets soon enough anyway. I see Leviathan nodded. "Then, if that is your decision, I shall remain true to our deal and stay by your side, master. Leave the first floor to me; I shall take good care of it. The giant serpentine dragon smiled as he remained in the skies, the sky becoming less chaotic as he made his decision. Well said, I nodded. Take special care of this village of people, okay? Yes, of course, I am well aware it is where your beloved ones originated from, yes? This shall be personally guarded by me and my Divine Spirits! he said. Good, I nodded. Does that mean we can come with you then? If we dont have to guard this place? Estrella asked. I am SO bored, and I never got the time to explore outside! Right Come to think of it, since the moment we were born, we never had the chance to explore another world, said Umbra. But now that we are no longer bound by the world of Eclipse, perhaps... The two looked at me with puppy-like eyes, asking me to bring them along. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Honestly, they could be of some use if there is more than one threat on the second floor. Okay, fine, Ill bring them along, but with some conditions. Your presences are very divine, so first take upon reduced forms, I said. And you can only come along while pretending to be my Spirits. Dont go around screaming youre Gods or something, okay? W-What? Such humiliation! Whats wrong with saying I am a goddess to whoever I see? All those mortal peasants need to know their place, and- Mmggh?! Her brother quickly used his skeletal hands to cover her pretty mouth. Sister, please stop, he sighed. We agree to those terms, Master Bing Xue. Okay then, I nodded. I know you already look small, but the auras you exude are very divine; can you suppress that? Yes, I think we can, nodded Umbra. Right sister? Do you have to cover my mouth like that, Umbra?! Estrella cried. And yeah, of course I can do something so BASIC! Who do you think I am? Ehe! Did she say Ehe!? That was a bit cute, actually. Anyways, it is weird to bring children to climb the tower, and it is often frowned upon, so their childlike appearances should change if possible. Well, Umbra is a skeleton, but the skeleton of a child would be weird. I can take any shape, said Umbra. Do you want a skeleton wolf, perhaps? I can do that! Or maybe a bird? A monkey? Perhaps a skeleton pony? Oh! I can also take the form of a skeleton beara small one, though. Or perhaps a wyvern? Small sized. Umbra constantly shapeshifted his bony form into many shapes; it was a bit amazing to see and a spectacle for everyone. Okay, okay, just take the form of a skeleton wyvern, a small one that could sit on my shoulders, I said. Very well! FLUOSH! He quickly transformed into that, sitting over my shoulders. Is this alright? Yes! Youre so cute! I ended up petting his white skull. Ugh, I guess I can take a reduced form as long as it is not as dishonorable as my brother. Estrella groaned. A spirit, you said? Then a fairy is enough, right? POOF! She quickly transformed; her appearance remained mostly the same, but she was now fist-sized and had beautiful butterfly wings. Ehe! Do you like it? Am I cute? She asked that question while flying around; her wings left behind tiny sparkles of golden light. Very cute! Well done, Estrella! I praised her so she could gain some confidence. Eheheh! Yes, keep praising me. With that said and done, we moved to the village, where we met again with our favorite tribe of people. Urbosa and Merkite had a talk with the villagers and their grandmother, Catrina. We gathered in the biggest tent with several other elders and people of the tribe. Good to see you two back, but it seems youre departing just as soon as youve arrived, said Catrina with a gentle smile. My girls, youve gotten much stronger... And- Huh? I sense life within your wombs! What is this? Oh, well, Bing Xue got us pregnant, actually, said Urbosa with a smile. Things happened, and weve been blessed with her seed; we shall have strong children, said Merkite with a nod. What a miracle! To think she was capable of that? wondered Catrina. Bing Xue, you never mentioned that! I-I mean, I didnt really have to... And, well, its kind of a private thing, so I would rather... I muttered. Oh, of course, Catrina nodded. How is your mother, by the way? I cant believe Im saying this, but I miss her a bit. Ah! My mom also misses you, Catrina; dont worry; I think she might come here soon enough, I said. She said she would come with the rest of my disciples for a trip to test their abilities against monsters. I would be so happy to meet her again. Catrina smiled, wagging her tail. I-I had never asked you this before, but does it not upset you that your mother and I are in a relationship, Bing Xue? Of course not! Theres nothing wrong with it, I smiled. Im glad mom is finally moving on... I am just expecting you to not break her heart, okay? You make a cute couple. Mom loves you, I think... but she doesnt like to say it. S-She loves me?! Catrina gasped, her eyes looking rather brighter. Oh, Elena, I miss her even more now! When will she come back to our bed? Awooooo! She started howling in sorrow. I guess she really misses her. It was a bit funny, though, and I had to admit it. Grandmother, please restrain your emotions! said Urbosa. Youre very old already; you mustnt act like a young girl in love. Indeed, Merkite nodded. Mother-in-law will return briefly, and the two of you shall do love after that, so have patience. I understand, my girls, sighed Catrina. I shall wait for my beloved Elena for now. Anyways, onto the meat and potatoes of the discussion, I said. Were going to the second floor to investigate whats going on there. Free your tribe from the god and slay him for good. I see, so the time has finally come, the elder of the tribe said. Will you truly defeat the Barbarian God, Bing Xue? It is a task higher than anything ever before. The very concept of slaying gods seemed like nothing but a dream. But youve proved us wrong. Youre perhaps our last hope to finally regain our homeland. Not only the Barbarian God must be punished for his heinous crimes, but also the orcs that worship him. Although there are also many orcs like us that desire peace, there are also many large factions that desire battle and bloodshed above all. It is part of their very religion to slay foes and fight; their minds have been twisted by their wicked faith. Our tribe was among their targets; we dont know what happened to the other half of our kindred, but we ask you and our two warriors, Merkite and Urbosa, to please find them... or at least, what remains of them." We shall not disappoint you, elders, said Urbosa. It has finally come to this... Leave it to us. Merkite nodded. I am doing this mostly for my own personal benefit; slaying a god and absorbing their power is my way to become stronger, I explained. But I shall honor your request and do what I must with that in mind. That is more than enough, the Elder smiled. Now, you may go ahead. Thank you for everything. After that conversation and saying goodbyes, we moved to the second floors stairs, which were located to the southwest of the largest city on this continent. It took little to no time, as I used my abilities to bring us there within seconds. And right in front of the stairs, one of my doppelgangers was waiting for us alongside Peperina, whom Ive been personally training. "Oh, so this was the girl you were also bringing along, nodded Urbosa. Interesting, was she this strong before? I dont remember! said Merkite. Aha, Ive grown stronger since then; hello, Urbosa, Merkite, said Peperina. I also have similar goals to yours when going to the second floor, so I decided to tag along! I hope I wont be too much of a bother. Of course not; youre strong enough. I nodded. Now, lets go; no more time to waste, isnt it, Seth? Yeah, we must go to the place I told you right away before anybody else finds that place first, he said. If someone else gets to that, someone evil... Things could only escalate into an even more chaotic event. As we moved through the stairs, a bright white light engulfed us whole. Our bodies and souls trespassed through dimensional walls and membranes that kept the worlds separated yet also connected. FLASH! And then we found ourselves standing in front of an endless and beautiful grassland, a blue sky, and white clouds. There was little to no difference in Eclipses landscape. Though, apparently, this world was just all plains, with some forests, jungles, and swamps, and nothing else throughout the entire single continent of Elios. But that wasnt all; to the left, there was a huge camp where three different flag poles rested, each flag showing a different color and an emblem representing a faction. The three factions of the second floors endless wars. ----- Chapter 98: War Games ----- There it is, the camp, said Urbosa. It''s probably the largest area where people are living in this entire world, and it cant even compare to any city weve visited so far. Only held together by the God Cultists themselves, by the orders of their God, sighed Merkite. Apparently, the Barbarian God doesnt want it when everyone dies miserably, so this camp is both a way to organize the troops and also to heal those that were wounded and survived. Huh I nodded. Then this beautiful little camp with the three flagsits the only damned place where people can rest? Yes, and most of those inside are then forced outside anyways once the War Games begin, said Urbosa. War Games? Ding! [Welcome to the Second Floor, Player Katherine!] [To complete the Second Floor Trial and be allowed to advance to the Third Floor, you must complete two of the following Requirements]: [Participate in the War Games and Win in Any Faction]: [0/3] [Contribute to the War Games by earning Points]: [0/10.000] [Slay an enemy Faction General in the War Games]: [0/1] [Rewards will be given based on your performance and how many Requirements you Complete.] [There is no time limit, so the Tower God {Battle-Loving Barbarian King} invites you to get comfortable with the camp of the three factions and to learn of the War Games from his faithful believers.] [Good luck! And may Lady Victory shine upon your path to Glory!] So these are the requirements. I looked at the system notification. Who else has these? I did as well; I havent come here after all, Seth said, waving away the system notifications. We havent completed our requirements either, as we ended up running away with our tribe, said Urbosa. Yeah This War Game is just too wicked; they treat the lives of people like nothing but a game, Merkite sighed. D-Do I really need to kill people? wondered Peperina. I thought we could always just slay monsters. To earn points, you must slay an enemy faction soldier, Seth explained. Usually it''s between 500 and 2000 points per foe, depending on how strong they are. A-And these people just die? They wont revive if its a game? wondered Peperina. Thats where the Points come into use; although you can use them to purchase new weapons, skills, and food, you can also use them to revive after death; the costs increase the more times you die and are revived, Seth explained. It only works on the second floor, though. So thats a way this god made so people wont die so fast, right? I wondered. What a wicked bastard; this only incentivizes people to kill each other even more. Thats what the god wants; hes a barbarian, the embodiment of war and bloodshed. Urbosa sighed, looking into the skies. Are you going to slay him right now? I kind of want to explore the place first and learn more about him before anything else, I said. Is there a schedule for the War Games? Yes, they start once every week on the seventh day of the week, said Merkite. The three factions wage war against each other for that day only, then rest for the following six days. Because theres a constant surge of Players coming from all other Worlds connected to the tower and Floor 1, theres never a shortage of new soldiers. Albeit the factions of the three tribes still lead them. Who are these tribes? I wondered. The Orc Horde, the Beast Alliance, and the Thralls. Each one of them offers special perks when you join them, said Seth. Based on the faction you choose; you can get exclusive equipment and even skills or items handled for free. Of course, youre given all of this because youre expected to fight and die most of the time. It is a very huge contrast to the requirements of the first floor. I analyzed my surroundings. See? And you said we were ruthless and evil! Compared to this floor, Eclipse was the nicest place out there! said Estrella. I wouldnt go as far as saying that sister... We both did bad things, Umbra sighed. Ugh, shut up already, Umbra! Nobody asked for your opinion! Why are you so harsh with me? As the fairy and the little skeleton wyvern discussed, we made our way to the camp. They werent wrong; to be honest, the second floor was a huge change from the first. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. It makes me wonder if its the gods who decide the requirements to climb or if it''s the tower itself. Are the gods the ones to decide the requirements of each floor, Seth? Yes, thats right; they decide everything. This is why it sometimes changes. Before the Barbarian God of the second floor was born, the requirements were different, I think, said Seth. Our world has been connected to the Tower since ancient times, said Urbosa. The gods of old were the Divine Beast Spirits, and they were fair and good. It is said that the requirement to climb the tower was something related to participating in a hunting competition where three factions hunted down wild beasts; the faction with the biggest beasts would win. Now that feels a bit more normal, said Peperina. So that evil barbarian God ended up twisting it all into War between people? Indeed, nodded Merkite. But were here to change that now, right? Of course, I said. And were here. There were several guards in front of the camp; most of them were giant, three-meter-tall orcs packed full of muscles. Their skin colors were varied; some were green, others were red, and a few were gray. It showed how they were from different areas of the world. They were usually bald, although some had long hair instead; their hair color varied between red and black, not in between. They had sharp fangs coming from their lower jaws and small, red eyes. There werent only male orcs; there were also many female orcs; their appearances were slightly different, although they had the same size and immense musculature. Although they were a lot like males in terms of their physiques, they still had beautiful curves and large chests. Most ladies had long hair as well, made into braids, yet their expressions were just as serious and domineering as males. Though I have to admit, theyre quite attractive. Halt. The guards quickly crossed their spears, stopping us from advancing as they eyed our entire group. Are you from floor 1? Players from other worlds? Yes, thats right. Hmph, then why are you bringing those two with you? Theyre from here. We can already tell! Theyre deserters! The guards pointed at Urbosa and Merkite, their spears overflowing with their Auras of Mana. And so what? If they want to participate in your War Games, they can, right? To participate, Deserters have to pay a fee. Yes, pay a fee. The green-skinned orcs, one male and one female, smiled maliciously. Oh, they are trying to scam us, I believe. Y-You shameless orcs! Stop this! There are no such rules! Urbosa and Merkite tried to argue, but the two wouldnt budge. Of course, how much do you want as a fee? Wait, Bing Xue, you dont need to pay anything! said Urbosa. Yeah, we can always just come back at another time when these two assholes arent here, said Merkite. I dont think I want to waste my time like that, dear, I said. Whats your fee? One hundred thousand credits for both! Yeah, like that, you can step in. They were very greedy, werent they? That many credits are not easy to come by at all within the Tower. Oh, thats very cheap! You can have all of these if you want, I smiled, quickly materializing two bags with Credit Coins, and handling them to them. Oooh! So much money so easily?! Gahahaha! Stupid human! As they laughed, they let us in without issue. Urbosa and Merkite looked slightly sad and disappointed that I ended up paying them. Im surprised; I thought you would have ended up crushing their noses or something. Urbosa laughed a bit, trying to lighten the mood. You didnt have to pay them. Merkite sighed. Now, now, violence is not always the answer! I said. Sometimes, its better to scam the scammers, right? Wait, did you scam them? Seth wondered. But those were genuine coins. Oh yes, genuinely made out of my own Photon Essence, theyre perfect replicates, I smiled. And well, they might disappear in ten minutes from now. EH?! I was never going to give some scammers a dime! But it would be too barbaric to just punch them, I said. So I played their game instead. I hope they can enjoy it! As we made our way through the camp, we saw all kinds of people. There were thousands of Players here, from all races, probably coming from different worlds. But there was also a great abundance of the three types of orcs: green, red, and gray-skinned. I noticed slight differences between them aside from skin color. The green orcs seemed much taller than the rest; they were also mild-mannered and aggressive when provoked but otherwise calm, if not even slightly cunning. Then there were the red orcs, smaller than the three green ones by a few centimeters; their bodies were much wider, and both males and females had large bellies that sometimes glowed with red color. They were very temperamental and would rage at one another or at other people who just looked at them; they also seemed like the most religious towards the Barbarian God, and I think they had some sort of fire-breathing ability. Lastly, the gray-skinned orcs were the smallest, only as tall as a very tall human; their bodies were lankier and quite slender; they all had long black hair; and they seemed silent most of the time. They werent as sociable as the rest, only talking with one another. And then there were the beast peoplethere were many! A lot of wolves like my wives, but also cats; the Silver Moon Beast tribe has wolves and cats after all. I also saw rabbit people and bird people resembling crows. The tallest and most robust were the giraffes, lions, and tigers. They all looked so fluffy, though. Ah! Right, and lastly, the enigmatic third party, the Thralls. They were beings around the same size as humans, with pale white skin and long white hair, pointy ears, and usually long noses and sharp red eyes. They had unusually big hands with sharp black claws; they wore black robes and clothes; and they seemed always angry and mysterious. The Thralls are people that live in the underground, said Urbosa. According to what Grandma has told us, they thrive underground beneath the faint light of giant mushrooms and crystals but are still voracious and ferocious fighters on the surface. They look not so strong, but their strength comes in numbers; they make colonies of millions, said Merkite. According to old legends, they were always a constant threat to our people because they fed on blood the most and would hunt down children who, for them, tasted the best. Oh! So theyre like vampires? Prehistoric vampires I said. How interesting! This world, Elios, was it? It is quite incredible; there are so many varied people here! Vampires? Whats that? wondered Urbosa. They are a race of blood-sucking demons, said Seth. Before the Tower, in our world, they were also part of our fiction, but they seem to be real beings in the Tower. Oh, so theyre considered demons? I wondered. Yes, or, well, descendants of them, said Seth. I have fought a couple of them; theyre incredibly strong, even if their level could be lower than yours. Thankfully, it doesnt seem like theres any here. They are more common on floors twenty and above. Thralls seem similar, but vampires are even stronger and, well, refined in their wicked ways, like demons. Interesting, said Urbosa. I could never imagine the Thralls acting refined; theyre all very barbaric and aggressive little midgets. Well, here we are. Is this where we register for the War Games? I wondered. We finally arrived at our actual destination: three large buildings separated by the flags representing each faction. To register for the War Games, it''s necessary to choose a faction here. ----- Chapter 99: Mursha Bloodfang ----- The camp was divided and led by several of their Generals, but there was also another smaller section where one could register, led by a single, green-skinned woman with short, spiky red hair. She looked rather bored, looking around while closing her arms and sighing. It seemed she had been here for a while, but why wasnt she in her own faction? She mostly wore silver armor around some of her body parts, but her body was so big she didnt have enough armor to cover it entirely, and there were also red tattoos across her green skin. Her emerald eyes were rare amongst orcs, who mostly had all red eyes. So this is where we register for any faction we want? wondered Peperina. How complicated So we really need to choose who we kill? It is a tough choice, yes, but its not like it should matter, I said. I will change things for the better now, but for now, it would be preferable if we played around. I need a way to provoke that god. Provoke? wondered Urbosa. I thought you could simply go and hunt him down. The faster, the better, no? Merkite asked. "Yes, but I also dont want them to just disappear; I must first show him that I will not play by his games, and I will change things. And I need him alive for that, I said. Also, nothing is saying hes not waiting for me with another gods for an ambush, right? Its always better to let them come to me, or at least to let them react to what Im doing. I also need to learn more about them if possible. F-Fair enough, sorry for trying to hurry you up, Urbosa sighed. Its fine, honey; dont worry! I know youre quite nervous, but we have to do things right as well, I said. And Seth here is quite crucial in that endeavor, right? Because once God is dead, what do you think will happen to this world? There needs to be a new one; well have to find it. Or make it. Make it? Urbosa wondered. Maybe shes really planning something great; lets trust her! Peperina smiled. I am wondering if we could hunt down monsters here at least. And is the food good? Especially the food! I am a blogger, you see, and I like vlogging about the food I find and giving reviews to restaurants. Oh, is that so? Urbosa wondered; she only seemed mildly interested at best. Seth looked at me as he spoke. That woman over there is hosting for something called personal factions." They are never hosted anyway, but you can pay huge sums of credits to make your own faction and try to screw everyone else over; it never actually happens though, said Seth. You dont get any special benefit from making your own faction either, and you even have to host recruiting new members. But if you happen to win, you get big rewards. A lot of War Game Points too. Interesting! Just what I wanted. I walked towards the orc lady as the wind made my long silver hair wave by. She quickly looked at me, her eyes widening for a second, perhaps surprised by my bright appearance. Excuse me, are you hosting personal faction registrations? I asked her. I would like to register myself and my group as a personal faction. Wait, you are?! she muttered. I am the General assigned to the personal factions; usually only one is allowed per War Game, but it has been years since anybody has ever chosen to make one... Youre a beautiful woman; why are you here, interested in waging war and bloodshed? You would do much better in the lower floors or the smaller worlds." I am quite flattered that youve called me beautiful, but my appearance has nothing to do with my strength, I said. Ive been mostly repressing all of my power, so I dont scare people, to the point where I only look like a slightly flashy woman at most. Nonetheless, must I show a slight amount of my power for you to believe me? Heh, youre bold, she smiled, showing me her sharp teeth. It is a requirement after all! To host a faction, you actually need to defeat me in a battle. The War Games will start within four hours. People are all getting ready, and there are big armies too. Do you think you can beat me, pay the fee, and find enough people to form the faction? You require a minimum of fifty, you know? Easy to find! I said. Now, lets begin. Where shall we spar? Um, whats your name, dear? Dear?! Hahah! Are you sure youre going to flirt with an ugly orc woman like me? she laughed. You have weird tastes... But my name is Mursha Bloodfang! I am the last surviving member of the once glorious Bloodfang Tribe, now defeated and slaughtered by the wicked Cult of the Barbarian God. It is a pity that the monster cursed me with becoming the general of a faction that does not exist. Only to mock my honor even more and humiliate me as a warrior. Whats your story, human woman? Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! As she introduced herself, she led me to the arena in the middle of the camp. Some people were gathering to see the scene, and my group panicked slightly when I told them I was fighting this lady. I am a normal human that was born in the small and weak world of Earth; I was teleported into the world of Murim, where I had to fight and survive for eleven thousand years, I said. After coming back and seeing the state of things with the Tower, Ive decided that my world must not be subject to the whims of the gods. I decided to climb the tower and kill all those wicked gods, freeing my world and all those involved. Oh? Hahaha! Mursha laughed. What sort of story is that? Are you seriously saying youre eleven thousand years old?! As if! She unsheathed a huge black axe, pointing at me with her large frame. I could only look up to her because she was quite talltaller than me. Her big, muscular arms were sweating beneath the bright sun of Elios, and her entire body was just too much of an eye candy for me to not look at it quite intensively. She was a beautiful woman; I cant believe she would call herself ugly! Well, perhaps youll believe me once I show you eleven thousand years old worth of strength. I asked her, unsheathing my Yin and Yang swords. Go all-out from the start, Mursha; do not hold back nor look down on me, or you will regret it. As I provoked her, she took the bait, her emerald eyes shining bright red as her Aura of Mana surged from her body, her muscles suddenly giving a metallic sheen, and her aura became bright red. Was that a provocation? Because it worked really well! she laughed. Ill show you the true Martial Arts of the Bloodfang Tribe, our Legacy! I wont let anybody mock it anymore! I shall regain its honor by defeating you loud-mouthed woman! As she roared, the people started commenting, giving me more insight about her. Murshas at it again! Is she going to beat another newbie who thinks they can form a faction? Hahah! Well, she always crushed their dreams, but rarely likes to kill. Shes too soft of a woman! She values life too much. Well, she was cursed with this position, so it''s her duty to take any newbie down. Lets see how she handles this strange human. Lets begin then! I said. Come at me, Mursha. I shall receive any attack from you once, without defending or blocking. Youre insane, hahaha! Okay, then, DIE! RUMBLE! Her Blood-colored Aura surged, resembling a giant demon emerging from her body, which then fused into her skin. Her red tattoos flared, glowing brightly and resembling flames expanding through her body. Her fangs became bright red, resembling rubies, and her eyes turned completely crimson too, all while her short, spiky hair became long and wild, resembling the tail of a beast. Incredible, yet another technique from another world! The Tower surely never stops to disappoint. CLASH! Her axe struck me down with a single, powerful strike. She didnt aim for my head, however, but for my left shoulder. They were right; as brutal as she might seem, she never aims to kill; at most, shes aiming to leave me without an arm. BOOOM! An explosion of crimson flames made out of her own Aura surged, engulfing me whole at the same time. The entire scene was covered by red smoke, only for it to dissipate with a clap of my hands. She surely died! Or at least lost a limb, definitely! She doesnt kill, but yeah, she often leaves newbies without limbs, hahaha! However, despite the words of the public, the scene seemed much different. Murshas eyes opened wide as she realized her axe had not managed to pierce through my robes, and I hadnt even moved from my original position. W-What?! she muttered. What sort of robes? Wait! You didnt even take a step back?! Whats your level?! One thousand and two hundred, I answered, my sword moving towards her. What?! Im level 2500! I shouldnt be struggling against a novice like you- Before she could say anything else, she quickly stepped back as my sword moved towards her, slashing through the air, and unleashing a wave of pure gold and black light. SLAAASH! Shit! She tried to block the attack, but it was too powerful. Trying to unleash her strongest technique again, two auras of gold, black, and red clashed against one another. BOOOM! Ugh Cough! Mursha coughed blood as she was thrown into the floor, the explosion of light and darkness burning through her body as she was covered by several cutting wounds. The audience gasped in disbelief as I slowly made my way towards her. Mursha! I told you that if you dont aim to kill me... Youre going to regret it. Shit! She quickly stood back again, her Blood Aura somehow growing bigger and stronger the more blood she lost. While gasping for air, her fury continued growing and rising. GRRHH! She groaned like a beast. GRAAAAH! With a furious roar, she charged forward, stepping forward and charging towards me like a wild boar. Her enormous axe moved down towards me as I quickly attempted to block it. CLASH! However, she smiled, her movements becoming suddenly incredibly fast as the axe quickly slid through my sword and moved to hit me from the left side. Oh?! CLASH! She managed to push me like four or five meters. I was shocked that Mursha had such techniques and deceived me into thinking she would just charge wildly. Shes actually quite skilled! Before I could move, Mursha was already over me, her beastly red aura forming into the shape of a ferocious creature, a mix between a lion, a wolf, and a red-skinned demon. RAAAH! She swung her axe several times, lifting it up each time she struck. Her physical power was so high that a huge axe could be lifted over and over again. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Impressive! Very impressive! However, this time she wasnt taking me by surprise anymore. Using my sword, I blocked and then parried her blows, pushing her away as I unleashed a bright, dashing series of blinding strikes. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! UGH?! Mursha groaned in pain as she was covered in countless slicing wounds once more. Her blood, however, continued to empower her aura, as it was burning like crimson flames. Her strength continued to grow despite all her wounds. What an incredible technique! She sacrificed her own life; the more wounded she became, the stronger she became. Is this why she didnt cover her body with armor that much then? Ahah HAHAHAHA! She laughed wickedly, completely possessed by the power of her technique. Her Aura reinforced her muscles and size, suddenly making her a whole meter taller. Her axe absorbed her powers, growing larger too. Oh my, arent you full of surprises? ----- Chapter 100: The Pinnacle Of Swordsmanship ----- After taking my attacks head-on, the powerful orc woman began to harness even more power than before, all the damage she had taken fueling her powerful blood-colored aura. Ahah HAHAHAHA! She laughed wickedly, completely possessed by the power of her technique. Her Aura reinforced her muscles and size, suddenly making her a whole meter taller. Yes, she became a whole meter taller out of nowhere; her arms, legs, and everything else became even stronger and larger; she was becoming a giantess. At this point, her musculature was rather close to what Fiery Hair looked like. And even more, it didnt just extend to her body; her axe absorbed her powers, growing larger too. Her weapon possessed some magic properties; once exposed to her aura, it became larger and changed its design. The silver-colored axe turned crimson like blood, gaining several red jewels across its body, which continued absorbing her aura. The weapon itself was incredible. Oh my, arent you full of surprises? She did mention that there was someone who once defeated her in the past, but that even after making their own faction, they were still defeated and died anyway. It seems that she had gained the resolve to stop anybody from even doing such a foolish thing anymore; her position, apparently given to her by the Barbarian Gods cult as a punishment for her tribes "sins, was done to punish her. If she didnt want to see any more innocent people die stupidly, she would have to go out of her way to beat them to a pulp and teach them to be realistic. I can see the burden she carries, but I also find this whole punishment ridiculous, stupid, and unfair. Whatever this cult is, its going down. But first, I have to beat her. RAAAAHH! With all her power and force at once, Mursha rushed towards me like a crimson beast; even her green skin had gained red tattoos resembling flames, and a pair of red horns grew in her forehead. This was certainly a unique technique, something I had only seen in Murim and only wielded by powerful Immortals or Primordials. Magnificent! I received her gigantic axe attack with my sword, unleashing a powerful shockwave of golden light and shadows, imbuing my divinity of Yin and Yang into the blade. CLASH! The explosion of divinity and her aura collapsed into a huge shockwave, pushing away the people looking at the scene, barring my group, as their auras were strong enough to withstand it. RUMBLE! The ground beneath us shattered as I felt the immense power of Mursha pushing me down into the ground; she was mighty, amazing even. She was perfect. I want her as my disciple! RAAAH! With another mighty, beastly roar, the beautiful orc warrior unleashed her rage and wrath at once, her eyes glowing bright red as she attacked me with her axe several times at once, trying to shatter my stance or my weapon with sheer might. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Yet unlike Caesar, she wasnt without dexterity or technique. Although the Kings swordsmanship techniques abused their bloodline powers and brutal force to release devastating attacks, Mursha was both that and more. URRAH! With a ferocious roar, she swung her axe horizontally this time, trying to strike my ribs, which were unprotected like last time, aiming to send me flying into the air. However, this time I moved my hands with dexterity and delicacy, the movements of my sword resembling golden snakes that wrapped around her arm and her axe. CLANK! Her axe was reflected by my swords blocking attack as I changed my stance into a more active role, rushing forward as I took ten steps forward. I recognize your incredible strength, Mursha! Youre an amazing woman! GUH?! Mursha started to lose her footing as the movements of my sword became erratic to her, moving like a golden snake and then striking with tremendous force, like the deadly bites of these small predatory reptiles. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! However I imbued more Ki into my sword, my aura transforming completely, revealing the form of an eight-headed white and gold-colored snake. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. {Yin and Yang Harmonious Blade Arts}: {Heavenly Eight-Headed Serpent Blade: Orochi} SHAAAH! The eight-headed serpent hissed furiously, clashing against Murshas axe techniques. At the same time, as I moved my hands and my blade, eight blows reached the orc woman within. CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! Ugh! AARRGH! Mursha struggled, trying to overcome my blade arts, swinging her gigantic axe and unlashing explosive shockwaves of crimson energy. However, I slashed them away as Orochi continued attacking her; her body was covered not in slashing attacks but in bite marks. This technique allowed my sword to become like the fangs of a snake, and it also came with venom made out of condensed, liquefied Ki. Aagh! M-My arms?! She quickly realized her muscles began to grow paralyzed; she couldnt move as much as she wanted. I pushed forward, quickly slashing her stomach, chest, and legs. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Uuuaaaggh! She screamed in pain, being pushed back as she was covered by more and more wounds. Her aura grew stronger, but without the ability to even move her body, it was useless. Its my victory, Mursha. You fought well. I rushed towards her and, with my bare fists, punched her stomach. BAAAM! Uaagh?! She vomited blood, and then her eyes rolled, losing consciousness at that moment. Her enormous body fell over mine, though, creating a rather awkward situation. Aahh Shes quite heavy indeed, I sighed. Um, Mursha? Ill heal you so you can stand up. I started healing her body, and then she slowly opened her eyes, widening them. Ah! I lost? Yes, you lost. I Youre incredible! Am I? Well, thank you. Ive never faced another woman so powerful; I always thought I was the only female at my level... But you surpassed me, Bing Xue! There are many strong women all across the Tower, I am sure... Um, Mursha, dear, how about you stand up? Her face was so close to mine that I could feel her warm breath in my mouth. Oh? Then she smiled mischievously. What? Are you embarrassed? I wouldnt say embarrassed; I would admit I was quite aroused, in fact. Of course, I cant just tell her that. N-No at all... Ahem, but people are watching; you can stand up again, right? I feel like laying over the grass for a while; youre warm too; I like you. You do?! What is there to not like? Youre strong and beautiful. Well, thanks I am still trying to get used to beautiful women flirting so much with me. Well, it isnt as if that didnt happen in Murim, but in Murim, they always had ulterior motives or were being forced by their masters. However, shes getting a bit too cocky now. Up you go! I quickly lifted her to free myself from her big, heavy body, carrying her in my arms like a princess. Uwaah! W-What are you doing?! Im not a little girl to be carried like this! She complained but didnt really fight me to free herself from my grasp. Mursha had a cute side. You say that, but you seem rather happy I am carrying you, arent you, Mursha? Youre a bit cute. C-Cute?! How dare you call an orc warrior cute? She quickly freed herself from my arms, kicking my stomach at the same time. It didnt hurt at all, though she had enough force to push me a bit back. Damn, I love strong women. As she freed herself, I saw my group rushing towards me and the rest of the spectators clapping after seeing such an amazing fight. S-She won! Mursha lost?! W-What did I just see?! Shes incredible! I have never seen such a powerful warrior in years! It looks like Earth still has some good talents out there. Indeed! Mursha is one of our strongest, yet she was humiliated by that much smaller, yet mightier woman! Bravo! I love bloody fights! Though shes too soft, she spared her life; how strange! They sure loved to see blood; these people had become savages on their own due to all these War Games. And nothing is saying there arent other members of that Barbarian God Cult here. You won, Bing Xue! Well done! Peperina congratulated me. I knew you would win anyway, but that fight was incredible. I had never seen such a technique before; your swordsmanship is truly endless! said Urbosa. Yeah! Just how many hidden techniques do you have, honey? laughed Merkite. It was indeed surprising; that orc woman was very strong, though not as powerful as the Primal King, Seth said. Hes not saying anything more than seeing how well he did against the Primal King; he might have also won if he had come prepared enough. Hes like Batman; give him enough prep time, and theres little he cant beat. Anyways. So? I asked Mursha. Do I pass? Of course you do, Mursha said, crossing her arms and sighing. And to think you even healed me back! I feel utterly humiliated. The same thing was said by the King, said Urbosa. Do all of you warriors of honor feel humiliation when spared? I cant really relate to such feelings myself, said Merkite. I would only be grateful and happy to be spared and be given a second chance. Hahaha! I suppose you deserters wouldnt understand the Pride and Honor of a Warrior in these lands! laughed Mursha. Here in Elios, a Warriors Pride and Honor mean EVERYTHING! That I was spared and healed means I am humiliated by Bing Xue; by my customs and culture, it would mean that I now belong to her, even. Belong to me?! I asked. Mursha, please I know that people from other worlds are softies, so I will not enforce my beliefs and culture into yours, said Mursha with a loud tone of voice. Nonetheless, I owe you a lot now. To restore my honor, I will serve you as a warrior and an ally if you allow me. Thank you, I nodded. Does this mean I can now form my faction without choosing the other three? Ah! "Right, I had forgotten that was the whole point, hahaha! laughed Mursha. Yes! You can now make your own faction! Naturally, as the general, I must join you in battle too. However, theres a problem: even with me, you still dont have enough members! A faction requires at least fifty people. That shouldnt be a problem at all. I nodded with a smile. After all, I do have a lot of friends too. Right everyone? I opened a golden-colored portal to my Inner Realm, revealing a huge army of mighty, primal people. Muscular and strong, with skin as black as charcoal, fiery red eyes and hair resembling flames, and white or red tattoos across their chiseled bodies. Only wearing the minimum requirements of clothing after I forced them to not walk almost naked, they started wearing clothes made of animal pelt, fur, and bone armor; nothing else would make them feel comfortable. These were mighty prehistoric humans from a parallel Earth, one where dinosaurs never went extinct, and one where a strange power mutated everything into overpowered creatures. Here we are, Bing Bing! Fiery Hair ran to my side, smiling and hugging me. Fiery hair brought all family! The fight for Bing Bing! Right, family?! She roared back at her family; they roared back at her. OOOOHHH! FIGHT! WOOOH! BATTLE! READY WE ARE! Their tremendous size, enormously strong, fiery Auras, and their appearances, which screamed mighty warriors everywhere, quickly caught the attention of the rest of the orcs. Are those humans?! I have never seen humans like that! Arent they all tiny rats? How is this possible? Where did they come from? They couldnt believe these people were all, in fact, the humans they looked down on so much. Mursha glanced at me with disbelief and shock. Y-You can summon people here?! H-How?! she asked. Hahaha, we can talk about that later in more detail, I said, smiling. Now, can I register these friends of mine? ----- Chapter 101: Class Exclusive Skills ----- To create a faction, we needed fifty more members, and I just happened to have a whole tribe of cavemen from the Primal World still with me. After all, until we can finally solve the issue entirely, theres not much I can do other than shelter them. Among them were also the Hawk Eye people, capable of unleashing shockwaves of wind with their movements, capable of pushing gusts of wind and even floating sometimes, jumping high, and specializing in long-range attacks and kicks. Unlike the Children of Fire, the Hawk Eyes were slender, with clear brown skin and big, sharp green- or gold-colored eyes; they usually had green or brown hair. There was a third tribe of spider-people or something who possessed the ability to walk on vertical surfaces and even produce spiderwebs and venom from their saliva and fangs; they also had more eyes. However, these people were rather hostile before the Brutes appeared and forced the three tribes to join together to fight them, and after arriving here, they didnt help in defeating the Primal King and his army, instead escaping. As of now, theyre still living on New Yorks outskirts. I didnt really want to force anybody to move or fight, so they have stayed there ever since. Ive been monitoring them, though, and they seem to be doing fine. After their introduction, Mursha led us to a large camp she had set up for the fourth faction, which was covered in dust as it hadnt been used in tens of years. Its large enough, so make yourself at home until the hour of the War Games, said Mursha. Maybe they should be given some weapons at least? Do they know any weapon technique or defensive abilities? Do you? I asked Fiery Hair. Hmmm, Fiery Hair crush with foot and fist! said Fiery Hair with a smile. Sometimes, a big spear made of bone... Hmm, Hawk-Eyed people use arrows and bows. There you go, I said. Theyre big and strong enough to fight with just their bare bodies. We Orcs arent so different, but we do use armor and weapons! sighed Mursha. Unless their skin is made of something harder than steel, I wouldnt be so confident in taking a sword technique in the face without protection. "Well, they fight giant dinosaurs with their bare fists, I said. I have yet to see Fiery Hair bleed even when I made her fight Martial Beasts inside of my Inner Realm imbued with my Divinity, so I think shell be fine, and her people too. A-Are you sure?! Mursha was still a bit worried. Ugh, okay Those that want to use arrows and bows, come with me. The orc lady quickly brought them to the armory, giving everyone proper equipment. It was better than their bone-made weapons and bows; these pieces of equipment had magical enchantments. Of course, I can also give them even better things, but I decided not to do it, mostly so Murshas help is not just for nothing. Though I might enchant their equipment too. Ding! [You have allowed several humans that have yet to go through the tutorial to enter unauthorized Tower Space.] [However, because of your Privilege and the authorization of the System Administrator in charge, it has been allowed for them to skip the necessary trials.] [Rewards, however, will not be given this time.] [Please dont do this too much, or you may receive a penalty.] Huh? Alright then, I guess thats covered. Though there are no rewards, I guess I cant do the same thing I did with my sister with everyone else, eh? And a penalty? I doubt it could ever affect me as I am not connected to the main system, but sure, lets play along for now. Im so sorry; I wont do it ever again. Of course, I was lying. With everything said and done, and as I saw the people I brought practicing on the training grounds, I heard Seth walking to my side. So this is your plan... Youre going to make the fourth faction and beat the others? wondered Seth. However, wouldnt it still be the same as always? Youll please the God instead of making him rage. Hahah, and who said I would play along with the War Games structure? I laughed a bit. Just have faith in me... Also, what do you require? Well go pick it up once the War Games are over. Is that fine with you? Yeah, I dont mind; it''s just a couple of hours from now. The War Games usually last the rest of the day, but if they lose over sixty percent of the soldiers fighting, it can end prematurely. Seth explained. Interesting! I nodded. Very well Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Seth seemed slightly concerned about what I was I even planning and why I was so secretive about it, but I mean, wheres the fun if I reveal everything right away? Sometimes you have to keep things secret so theyre more exciting when they happen. Now, before everything begins in a couple of hours, I should probably use some of that time to check this new Skill Tree I acquired and also probably use some items and do some Skill Fusions. Although I am not going to need it against these mortals, the Gods could be different. The Barbarian God''s presence... I can feel it from here, faintly so; hes well hidden. Hes strong. Not like I am worried about him either, but I have a feeling that those Gods who sent that message might have something planned. I can brute force my way through their powers and tricks, but what if theyre receiving the aid of the strongest gods of the tower on much higher floors? Then things could become slightly troublesome. I need to be prepared. I am not saying I am weak, and I am not saying I have suddenly become weaker than others or something. I am simply thinking that it''s necessary to always be prepared; I am definitely not the strongest in the entire universe, and until then, I will keep preparing and being cautious. Or at least try, to an extent. And well, lets be honest here: who doesnt like new, flashy abilities? Because I sure do! Now, lets see, how many Points do I have? Stat and Skill Points... ----- [Stat Points]: [15.430] (+50 Per Level) (1 = 10 Stats) [Skill Points]: [58.430] (+50 Per Level) ----- I see. That''s quite fine, I would say. Thats more Stat Points than I imagined. Should I use them right now? Yeah, why not? Ill add them all to Mana; as usual, more Mana, more power; I require it to refine my Primordial Venerable Essence after all. Ding! [You have exchanged 15.430 Stat Points into Mana!] [You gained 154.300 Maximum Mana!] [Current Mana]: [1.651.200/1.651.200] FLUOSH! I felt a slight enhancement in my Mana Aura, now overflowing with azure blue-colored energy. This was the purest mana; the one created through Stat Points was always the best. FLASH! A droplet of golden syrup-like essence surged from the depths of my Soul, then two and three more, and the fountain of Primordial Venerable Ki Essence was overflowing with more energy than before. With it, I continued cultivating my Physique and my soul while also comprehending the Dao of Void through the Void Essence Kirby and Umbra were constantly supplying me with. Kirby was resting inside my Inner realm, by the way. I dont think Ill bring him for the War games; he would end everything too quickly, and thats not really fun. But against the Barbarian God? For sure. Anyway, talking about Skill Points I currently have a good sum of 58k; I dont know if thats enough to buy too many new Skills, but its worth a try. However, theres also another last Skill I had yet to purchase from the previous Class, so I might as well get that one too. Ding! [Because you have already Rank Up, the Skill Tree Prices from the previous Class have been discounted by 50%!] [You have exchanged 12.500 Skill Points.] [You have learned the [Divinity Resistance (SSS): Lv1] Class Skill!] Oh, a discount! That was sure a surprise, but a welcome one. Now, Divinity Resistance, I can guess what it can do, but lets check it. ----- [Divinity Resistance (SSS): Lv1] [Skill EXP]: [0/100.000] A Class Skill that only belongs to the Divine Class: [God Eating Calamity: Ragnar?k]. Your body is not only capable of destroying and devouring gods, but you are also capable of withstanding their might and defending against their powerful Divinities, the very source of their tremendous, world-ending, and world-controlling powers. When fighting against gods, you naturally generate a protective layer of your Essence, which can decrease damage taken from gods Divinities by 30% and increase all Defensive Stats by 50%. The durability of this protective layer is based on Skill Level and Mana. Level Bonus (1): Increases the Effects of the Protective Layer by 10%. When a God strikes your Protective Layer, theres a 5% chance for their Divine Power to decrease in Strength by 30%. ----- Oh my, I have to admit this is quite useful; if it works with just anything, then even the strongest gods wont deal their complete damage against me. The bad part is that this veil consumes Mana, so I need to have even more Mana than before to make it work properly. Well, now, with this... Oh right! Once I changed Class, I received a new Skill too, which I have been using, mixing its powers with my normal abilities. This one ----- [Primordial Heavenly Empress of Light Arts (SSS): Lv1] [Skill EXP]: [11.630/100.000] A Class Skill that only belongs to the High Divine Class: [Heavenly Martial Empress of Light: Bing Xue]. You are the Heavenly Martial Empress of Light; your body is light, and so is your soul; your entire being is light, and you can turn this light into lethal weapons of your choosing. Combining your experience with many weapons, techniques, and martial arts, youve created your own Martial arts, representing what you are as a whole because, within Heaven and Earth, only you are the Honored One. As the strongest Human of Murim, there was nothing you could ever imitate other than yourself; therefore, you created techniques that combined all your experiences through your life together, not only representing how you fight but also who you are. Additionally, by gathering enough required Essence, you can unleash the power of the {Primordial Nine Heaven Domain} and invoke the might of the Nine Heavens within your surroundings. based on the Heaven Color, you gain special effects and boosts to your Stats or even obtain special Abilities. New Arts will be unlocked with each Skill Level, and their total power is permanently increased by 300%, while their Energy cost decreases by 30%. Available Arts: Level 1: [Heavenly Light Domain] [Primordial Nirvanas Spear] [Nine Heaven Spiritual Doppelganger Creation] Level 2: ??? Level Bonus (1): Increases the Arts Damage Dealt and the ability to ignore all Defenses by 30%. Decreases their Energy cost by 5%. When fighting foes using these Arts, theres a 10% chance for a defeated foe to explode into Light Essence, which you can absorb to gain [Light] Stat. ----- Very interesting techniques. I am fairly sure only the Nirvana Spear is something I have; the other two are new. It seems theres a new Doppelganger?! And also something with a Domain of Heaven! I should have checked this much earlier. Also, the Nine Heaven Domain Ability is original to this Skill, and it depends on the color. I have only absorbed a few fragments of the Ancient Heavens, and they were only the Yellow, White, Black, and Azure Heavens; the other heavens... I was never able to absorb them. This means this Skill allows me to summon a power I originally didnt have, much like other Skills allow me to unleash Void, Space, and Time much easier than before. It doesnt give details about these other heavens and their effects, but they might appear as I play around with them, as has happened before. For now, though, I want to see my new Class Skill Tree. ----- Chapter 102: The Dao Of The Blade ----- I opened the new Class Skill Tree to see what it had to offer me. [Opening [Class]: [Heavenly Martial Empress of Light: Bing Xue (Primordial Immemorial Venerable-Rank)] Skill Tree.] ----- Level 1.000: [Divine Yin and Yang Harmonious Soul Blade Arts (SSS)] [Cost]: [25.000 Skill Points] Level 2.000: [Primordial Spiritual Body Divinity Arts (SSS)] [Cost]: [30.000 Skill Points] Level 4.000: [Nine-Colored All-Seeing Void Eyes (SSS)] [Cost]: [35.000 Skill Points] Level 6.000: [Primordial Nine Heaven Divine Protection (SSS)] [Cost]: [40.000 Skill Points] Level 8.000: [Primordial River of Time and Spatial Membrane Arts (SSS)] [Cost]: [45.000 Skill Points] Level 10.000: [Primordial Rainbow Spiritual Formation Creation Arts (SSS)] [Cost]: [50.000 Skill Points] ----- T-This is?! I was slightly surprised; these were all my most commonly used techniques! Now made into Skills, I had used them so much, yet the System seemed unable to even turn them into Skills, but now it seems possible. The thing is, theyre still different than the originals; they have new words added to them, such as Divine in some; others become complete Arts rather than a single technique; and then theres the Nine-Colored All-Seeing Eyes, which now have become Void Eyes.. The Nine Heavens Protection is now Divine Protection," and the Primordial River of Time Manipulation has become an Art, and it also contains a Spatial Membrane within it, which is interesting! And lastly, the Primordial Rainbow Spiritual Formation has become a whole set of arts, with "creation and arts added to it. This probably means direct upgrades from the original techniques and abilities, which only seem more exciting the more I see them. It also has much fewer Skills than the previous Skill Tree, and their level requirements are very far from one another. I am Level 1200+ right now, so I can only buy the first one for the moment, but thats fine. An upgraded version of my sword arts, in which I thought I had reached the pinnacle of Murim... It just feels exciting what this little system can come out withwhat a wondrous scarf this is! Ding! [You have exchanged 25.000 Skill Points!] [You learned the [Divine Yin and Yang Harmonious Soul Blade Arts (SSS)] Class Skill!] [The Class Skill has been equipped in the available Class Skill Slot: 12/14] FLASH! The moment I learned this new Skill, I felt a surge of power, a wave of light and darkness washing over my body, the comprehension of the Sword Law, and the Yin and Yang Divinity converged together as one, something I wouldnt have been able to do before, as there was no Divinity within me. For a moment, I felt like I had become a piece of ore within a mountain. Resting inside the mountain, my components continued to expand over thousands of years, if not hundreds of thousands of years. My growth and my existence were so slow, yet I could feel connected with nature to a level I had never thought of or considered before. Then CLANK! A strong blow hit me hard, and I broke into countless pieces. Something grabbed me and placed all my pieces into a casket of sorts, carrying me far away from the mountain, my mother, and my home. The flames of a smithy engulfed my fragments. As I melted, my impurities washed away, and I felt a sensation of strange relief. The hotter my body became, the more I felt like I was becoming more refined. The real me, which had been hiding within the depths of my very existence, was finally coming out. The smiths gentle hands shaped me, his hammer hit me as I hardened, and the mold he used made me take shape. I took the form of a blade. A strong, long blade lacking sharpness. Born on a mountain, I never thought I would one day become a weapon used to kill. The man glanced at me with a proud smile. After sharpening, attaching me to a hilt, and then polishing me, his masterpiece, me, was complete. Good enough. He placed me aside, inside a barrel with many swords like mesome of them even made out of many of my original fragmentsand I was all of them at the same time. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. I traveled through many places, moving across mountains and valleys. The old blacksmith sold me inside a small village, where a young, rich child purchased me for a few coins. Papa! I finally have my first sword! He swung me around carelessly, unaware of the sharpness I possessed. Yes, my son, you will one day become a strong warrior, will you? His father laughed. Yeah! I will protect the legacy of our family! I will become a strong swordsman! the child said. I can still remember his eyes, full of hope and ambition, but also of foolish, ignorant innocence. The years passed, and as he used me, he swung me countless times. "I''ll use you to protect my family!" I cut through anything he ordered me; I comprehended how the world around me was very soft compared to me. I was strong and sharp, and I could cut anything I wanted. Yet at the moment that he was finally given the chance to cut down another human... "A-Ah...! My hands... they''re trembling?" Why did he hesitate? CLASH! "Fa... ther..." He was struck down in a war, and that child, who grew up to be a soldier, died because he was too afraid to fight in a real war. "This is a decent sword!" And I was taken away by his enemy. I passed through many wielders, and as I cut through flesh and bone, my sword was constantly covered by their blood and guts. I learned about the world through my blade, by cutting and killing everything and everyone. The sharpness of my blade. The hardness of my steel. The softness of the flesh. The fresh, warm sensation of blood covered me. Yet as I grew older, I became rusty, and my blade became dull. I was unable to cut anything anymore without a lot of effort, and as I passed through many hands over the years, I was sometimes sharpened again and polished. My blade gained internal, tiny cracks. I was slowly falling apart, piece by piece. CRASH! It broke? The warrior holding me, three hundred years after I was born, looked at my blade in disbelief as I broke into tiny pieces. He was a peerless swordsman that only sought to improve his skills. A lonely man with no family or friends, yet my strongest wielder. To him, I was the only thing he needed. My blade So when I broke, he seemed sad. He closed his eyes and then continued swinging me constantly. Why is he doing this when I am now completely useless? A sword is not just the blade... A sword is the act of cutting, the act of slashing, the act of taking anothers life, sometimes for the benefit of many, or sometimes for selfish reasons. He kept swinging me for days and nights; his body was sweating, and he looked tired. Yet as he spoke to me with such a soft, comforting voice, I felt something within my steel body awaken. Something ethereal, something innate, something within me. Youre right It doesnt matter if my blade is broken. I was able to speak to him. Ah! He gasped in surprise as he looked at my broken sword body. Swing me, my swordsman. He smiled warmly, swinging my blade against the nearest mountain. There was no blade within me, yet with his words and the experiences I had, everything came togetherthe concept, the essence of a sword. I was a sword, and I would always be a sword. SLAAASH! An invisible wave of air was released as he swung me. It hit the mountain, and I reached really far. The mountain where I had been born was right there. And I finally came back. Only to show Mother how strong I have grown. RUMBLE! The mountain trembled as its upper half collapsed, completely cut in half. I did that. This is Soul Blade. The pinnacle of what a sword can become is no longer just physical; I am the soul of a blade. I finally got it. just when I thought I had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship, I learned that I wasnt even there yet. I never thought that to further comprehend it, I had to live as a sword and feel like one too. The power to make my body into a blade... And this is perhaps only the beginning of a much higher ceiling than before. When I opened my eyes again, I felt within my own hands something surginga blade made out of my very soul. My fingers and my nails all became as strong as a sword, with an endless sharpness that would never go dull. I can cut through anything much more easily than before. I swung my hand lightly as a slash pierced through space and cut it open, revealing a crack in the membranes of space and an infinite cosmos beyond. Huh I couldnt help but smile lightly as I quickly patched the slice and closed it, although that should have surely brought the attention of the God of this world. Then, I looked at my own Aura, and the Dao of the Sword itself, within me, had increased its comprehension. I had reached 100% comprehension before, but I was wrong. After receiving this revelation, my comprehension changed, as I had fully comprehended that there was now a higher ceiling and much more to it. The Dao itself absorbed this information and expanded, becoming grander; it turned into the Dao of the Blade, an evolved form. And their comprehension? A measly 10%! I guess I am really starting all over again, huh? But somehow, its fun, really fun... Now, lets see that Skill description. ----- [Divine Yin And Yang Harmonious Soul Blade Arts (SSS): Lv1] [Skill EXP]: [0/100.000] A Class Skill that only belongs to the High Divine Class: [Heavenly Martial Empress of Light: Bing Xue]. You have fully comprehended the Dao of the Sword and attained the Divinity of Yin, and Yang, the Heavenly Martial Empress, must now forge a new path with your Blade. The sword is not enough, and you must now use your very soul as your sword, a Soul Blade that cannot be broken and wont grow dull no matter what. By further comprehending the Dao of the Blade and strengthening your Divinity of Yin and Yang, you will be capable of moving forward into a new world of possibilities. Combine the Divinities and the comprehension of the blade with your Essences to unleash devastating Soul arts. Any Swordsmanship Technique and Soul Blade Arts Attack Power and Attack Speed permanently increase by 400%, and their Essence Cost decreases by 25%. Gather and harness the harmony between Yin and Yang to unleash your Soul Blades true power, combine your comprehension with your divinity, and summon the {Harmonious Soul Blade of Yin and Yang Domain} around you, which allows you to both trap enemies within a world of endless blades and to turn anything into a sharp sword no matter what, increasing Swordsmanship Techniques and Soul Blade Attack Power and Speed by 200% while giving them the ability to ignore 50% of a foes Defenses and breakthrough Divinities and Divine Domains the more Essence and Faith are applied. Available Soul Blade Arts: Level 1: [Primordial Heaven Soul Blade: Red Heaven Inferno] [Divine Soul Blade Spirit Summon] Level 2: ??? Level Bonus (1): Increases Swordsmanship Techniques and Soul Blade Arts Damage and Attack Speed by 50%. Decreases their Energy cost by 10%. Whenever you deal damage to a foe with Soul Blade Arts, you can hurt their Souls directly with 10% of the original Damage, with a 50% chance for their wounds to be covered with Blade Dao Marks, worsening them and halting regeneration. ----- Oh, its wonderful already. It only offers two techniques, but both of these are quite good and interesting; they even combine Magic with my Martial Arts. This is perfect; I simply have to keep using it continuously, and the Level will increase. It is a lethal technique, but how lethal can it be? Now that the sword is my own Soul, I could even control how much damage it deals to others, right? The sword, which is always lethal no matter what, can now become a non-lethal weapon in my hands, perfect for teaching people a good lesson. I am not really a warmongering battle-loving madwoman, but I cant wait to use it! ----- Chapter 103: Skill Fusion ----- Despite the enlightenment I went through, barely half an hour had passed, so I still had plenty of time to see a few other things. I wanted to first use some of my items above all else, especially the Skill Fusion Tickets I possess and also the other Skill-related items. I would like to learn a lot of these skills and combine them over and over again until I get something ridiculous. The [Cursed & Blessed Blazing Starlight Relic Creation (SS)], my first and only Fusion Skill so far, was already very strong and useful, giving me the ability to create powerful equipment using blazing starlight metal, which I could imbue with either curses or blessings. It required a lot of proficiency to level up, so right now, it is only Level 5 so far. But Ill be leveling it steadily in the coming days, as Ill be climbing the tower quickly. I want to at least get to Floor 10 before going back home. We have a bit over a year before the invasion of Floor 80, and although the Gray Gates are pouring out parallel timeline threats, things have relatively calmed down a bit, except in Egypt, where those floating pyramids are becoming rather suspicious. I had already sent my Doppelganger towards these areas to investigate, but if I spread them too thinly, their power would decrease, so I have to play it carefully. Thankfully, with my new [Primordial Heavenly Empress of Light Arts (SSS)] skill, Doppelgangers became much stronger, as I immediately began summoning them using this skill. They can now be imbued with fragments of my Divinities, and also with Faith and more of my Essence without them exploding in the process, plus, if I merge them with my Cursed & Blessed Blazing Starlight Relic Creation Skill, they become much more durable, just like the barriers I had upgraded using that very skill. My calculations say that within a day, I should have covered every area with Gray Gates, and Ill be actively looking for strange things so I can stop them in time. My mind is currently divided into many parts, but theyre all capable of concentrating on their own tasks, so I should do the same with whats in front of me. First of all, lets fuse Skills! If I use tickets, Skill Fusion is completely free with no Credit Cost, so Ill do that first. Right now, these are my current Skill-related items: [Divine Skill Fusion Ticket (S Grade)] x2 [Skill Copy Ticket (S Grade)] x1 [Random Skill Book (S Rank)] x4 [Divine Skill Fusion Ticket (SSS Grade)] x3 [Divine Skill Book (SSS Grade)] x3 [Nether Energy Manipulation Skill Book (SSS Grade)] x1 [Soul Aether Manipulation Skill Book (SS Grade)] x1 Alright, its quite clear that the SSS Rank Divine Skill Fusion Tickets are better than the others. But lets do this anyway. Ill first combine any skills I find quite not so... well, useful, and then Ill combine them again with others. Like this! The ticket I grabbed was an S-Rank ticket; it quickly turned into pure light, engulfing me with its divine radiance. I quickly chose the skills I wanted to combine. Four Skills. Ding! [You have used the [Divine Skill Fusion Ticket (S Grade)] to combine four skills!] [You have combined the Skills: [Triple Elemental Magic: Fire, Ice, Lightning (A): Lv10]. [Divine Brilliant Light Magic (S): Lv10] [Divine Light Spirit Summon (S): Lv10] and [Windstorm (B): Lv10] into the [Multi-Elemental Heavenly Light Spirit Divine Magic (SS): Lv1] Fusion Skill!] Oh, that sounds interestinga Divine Magic Skill that combines several elements with Divinity and Light, huh? Lets see what else we get. Ding! [You have used the [Divine Skill Fusion Ticket (S Grade)] to combine four Skills!] [You have combined the Skills: [Kicking Strike (D): Lv10] [Basic Swordsmanship (C): Lv10] [Basic Martial Arts (C): Lv10] and [Crescent Moons Shadow Dagger Style (S): Lv10] into the [Eclipsing Moon Shadow Weapon Martial Arts (SS): Lv1] Fusion Skill!] A martial art that encompasses the aspects of darkness and yin and summons moonlight powers becomes stronger under the night. Now that Im done with those S-Rank Tickets, lets use the SSS-Rank ones now. Lets move on to combine some of the skills I have in reserve. I think I can also gift them to others, but I want to see what I can get first. [You have used the [Divine Skill Fusion Ticket (SSS Grade)] to combine four Skills!] [You have combined the Skills: [Demon Killing Arts (B): Lv1] [Evil Cult Leader Authority (S): Lv1] [Dark Enslavement Curse (S): Lv1] and [Evil Abyssal Torture Arts (S): Lv1] into the [Abyssal Heavens Cursed Domain of Demonic Torture (SSS): Lv1] Fusion Skill!] Oh?! Now that one sounds pretty deadly! It has a nice Murim-like name to it, which is catchy. Okay, what else can I get? [You have used the [Divine Skill Fusion Ticket (SSS Grade)] to combine four Skills!] [You have combined the Skills: [Demonic Conquest Blade Techniques (SS): Lv1] and [Demonic Death Scythe Techniques (SS): Lv1] [Demonic Pestilence Spear Techniques (SS): Lv1] and [Demonic War Axe Techniques (SS): Lv1] into the [Demonic Asura Aura Manifestation: Bloodthirsty Demon Warlord Battle Arts (SSS): Lv1] Fusion Skill!] This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Ah, this creates a manifestation of an Aura, materializing into a powerful multi-armed demon thing that can use destructive attacks. It''s pretty amusing and flashy. Now, onto the last ticket. The rest of the fusions are going to cost me Credits, but I got plenty of them. The good thing about credits is that I dont need to have the skills at the max level. Though with Credits, I just have to pay an additional price if the skills arent max level anyway, heh. [You have used the [Divine Skill Fusion Ticket (SSS Grade)] to combine four Skills!] [You have combined the Skills: [Demonic Book of the Dead (SS): Lv1] [Bloodthirsty Warlord of the Battlefield (SS): Lv1] [Demonic Abyssal Grimoire of Deadly Curses (SS): Lv1] and [Barrier Formation (S): Lv1] into the [Archdemonic Death Grimoire of Infernal Cursed Demon Formations (SSS): Lv1] Fusion Skill!] This is strange. Well, I did combine four weird Skills. This thing summons a big grimoire into my hands, which contains powerful spells capable of summoning phantasmal-like cursed demonic beings, which can be shaped and transformed into powerful formations with a myriad of different effects. They can also be turned into summoned demons to ravage anything. How interesting and amusing! Fusing Skills is always quite fun. Now lets combine a few more Skills too, fusing the fused skills, heh. [You have exchanged 30.000.000 Credits!] [You have decided to combine the [First Aid (D): Lv10] [Cooking (D): Lv10] and [Family Bond (D): Lv10] Skills!] [Skill Fusion process has begun!] FLASH! The three Skills came together in a slightly different way than with the tickets, yet their power was much more than I imagined. It was only three D Rank Skills; I thought it wouldnt be that surprising. However, perhaps because of the strong bond I have with my family, the resulting Skill was greatly boosted. Ding! [Congratulations! You have successfully combined [First Aid (D): Lv10], [Cooking (D): Lv10], and [Family Bond (D): Lv10] Skills into the Fusion Skill: [Divine Golden Heaven Gourmet Bond Arts (SS): Lv1]!] [Fusion Skills can be equipped in any of the Classless and Magic Skill Slots.] Gourmet Bond Arts? So it combines the Bond Powers with Gourmet- Ah! FLASH! Suddenly, something within me awakeneda golden spark, inspiration for cooking arose within me, and also the warmth of family accompanied it. It was a small vision, but it was a vision of my beloved familymy mom, my sister, her boyfriend, Merkite, Urbosa, Hekita, and many moreall together. The warmth that the food I cooked brought, and everything else... It was rather comforting. Thats right, the warmth that can only be created with familythis warmth Ive been missing my entire life back in Murim. Which Ive already recreated a few times with everyone through cooking delicious meals, food is something that connects us all. Of course, how could I ever forget? This is a wonderful Skill; I think Ill keep it and not fuse it over. Now, another two I want to get rid of already. [You have exchanged 25.000.000 Credits!] [You have decided to combine the [Mirage Veil (A): Lv10] [Seducing Aura (C): Lv10] Skills!] [Skill Fusion process has begun!] FLASH! Something within me fused, bonding into a single being; these were the skills within me. Every time I fused them, I felt my power, dispersed in many shapes, combine into larger ones within me. Ding! [Congratulations! You have successfully combined the [Mirage Veil (A): Lv10] and [Seducing Aura (C): Lv10] Skills into the Fusion Skill: [Divine Illusionists Veil of Mirages (SS): Lv1]!] [Fusion Skills can be equipped in any of the Classless and Magic Skill Slots.] Oh, the veil evolved into something even more interesting: the ability to create Mirages, not just to hide or lower ones presence but also to create new shapes, perhaps to attract or bait others. This certainly could be very useful! Ill keep it too; if it''s divine, it could even trick other gods. Now There are a few other Skills in reserve, so lets combine them all and get over this. Theyre pretty strong Skills, so I am excited about what I can obtain from them. [Because the Skills selected are Level 1, the Fusion Price has been doubled.] [You have exchanged 80.000.000 Credits!] [You have decided to combine the [Time Essence Absorption and Manipulation (SSS): Lv1] [Holy Purity of Light (SSS): Lv1] [Dark Shadows of the Deep (SSS): Lv1] and [Prehistoric Martial Arts (SSS): Lv1] Skills!] [Skill Fusion process has begun!] FLASH! These four powerful Skills in reserve were all obtained from the mighty gods, or their Avatars, and also from the Primal King. Their powers were very different, creating an unstable force when I combined them; it shook me to the core. RUMBLE! Yet I kept it all together until I saw them merge as one. Good. Ding! [Congratulations! You have successfully combined [Time Essence Absorption and Manipulation (SSS): Lv1] [Holy Purity of Light (SSS): Lv1] [Dark Shadows of the Deep (SSS): Lv1] and [Prehistoric Martial Arts (SSS): Lv1] Skills into the Fusion Skill: [Primordial Divine Sentinel of the Dark Past and the Bright Future: Aeternitas Martial Arts (EX): Lv1]!] [Fusion Skills can be equipped in any of the Classless and Magic Skill Slots.] What the hell did I make? A Martial Art that uses Time, Light, and Darkness Elements? Time itself is such an unstable element; it cannot really be used to fight in martial arts; its a tool at most. But that young man I fought used time as a weapon, combining Time Essence into solid matter capable of both accelerating time and killing someone with it. And this... an EX-Rank Skill! Doesnt that sound incredible? I like this! The power to wield the Dark Past and the Bright Future There was no enlightenment, mostly because I understood its foundations very quickly. I better combine the other fused Skills too; I want more power. Another EX-Rank Skill... Can I get another one? [Because the Skills selected are Level 1, the Fusion Price has been doubled.] [You have exchanged 100.000.000 Credits!] [You have decided to combine the [Multi-Elemental Heavenly Light Spirit Divine Magic (SS): Lv1] [Eclipsing Moon Shadow Weapon Martial Arts (SS): Lv1] [Abyssal Heavens Cursed Domain of Demonic Torture (SSS): Lv1] [Demonic Asura Aura Manifestation: Bloodthirsty Demon Warlord Battle Arts (SSS): Lv1] and [Archdemonic Death Grimoire of Infernal Cursed Demon Formations (SSS): Lv1] Skills!] [Skill Fusion process has begun!] FLASH! The four already powerful Fusion Skills came together into a single, ridiculous power. RUMBLE! My surroundings shook, and friends and allies around me suddenly noticed something strange was happening. Endless darkness and demonic, crimson flames surged from my body, washing away, and burning the grasslands around me. The sky suddenly darkened, and the ground below burned and then melted into a pool of black miasma. Oh my, this is a bit flashier, isnt it? Haha! To think fusing four fused Skills could produce this level of power! Ding! [Congratulations! You have successfully combined the [Multi-Elemental Heavenly Light Spirit Divine Magic (SS): Lv1] [Eclipsing Moon Shadow Weapon Martial Arts (SS): Lv1] [Abyssal Heavens Cursed Domain of Demonic Torture (SSS): Lv1] [Demonic Asura Aura Manifestation: Bloodthirsty Demon Warlord Battle Arts (SSS): Lv1] and [Archdemonic Death Grimoire of Infernal Cursed Demon Formations (SSS): Lv1] Skills into the Fusion Skill: [Primordial Demonic Heaven Dimensional Library Domain of Abyssal Curses and Sealed Demons: Pandemonium (EX): Lv1]!] [Fusion Skills can be equipped in any of the Classless and Magic Skill Slots.] A Dimensional Library Domain? This is! FLUOSH! Suddenly, I felt like half of my senses were abducted and completely sent elsewhere. To another dimension altogether. A dark, endless world of old books, overflowing with demonic elements and even demons themselves. I created this...? If think Skills can create such things, just how powerful is the System to manipulate reality to such an extent? This power I need to be careful; I am not the only one with power over such a reality-bending thing. Nonetheless, Ill make sure to use this well. ----- Chapter 104: The Library of Demons and Curses, Pandemonium ----- When I activated the demonic library skill, a sort of domain and also a dimension were summoned into existence, one where I felt like I could freely enter or step out at any time. Inside, there seemed to be a world of its own, one where the sky was red with black clouds and a green-colored moon. The ground was made of black or red stone, with strange, demonic crystals growing out of it, faintly illuminating the endless corridors. The bookshelves themselves were made out of the grounds stones themselves, as if they had been shaped from them. Inside the bookshelves, there were many books, perhaps thousands of them across this entire dimensional domain. I dont know if it was truly endless, but as I walked around it and spread my Immortal Senses, I realized it was incredibly vast, but not endless. It was roughly the size of Texas, though. And it wasnt everything a library; although there were mostly bookshelves, there were also large open areas that led to subterranean caves. I wanted to check what was inside of them; there were more of these glowing crystals and strange, demonic ores, but first I looked at the grimoires themselvesall of these books. Well, not all of them were grimoires though; some were empty, others had information and knowledge, and only a couple dozen, perhaps around thirty or so, were actual grimoires with spells and something inside of them. I think that, as the skill level increases, these books will obtain knowledge and spells, I suppose. I cant just have the entire library at full power after all. Now lets seeoh! The moment I grabbed one of the grimoires, it shook, beginning to move on its own. A powerful black and red energy emerged from within, which made the air around it very heavy. It seemed to be releasing a lot of pressure. Free me! Free me from this place, librarian! I heard a voice whispering to me from the booka strange, evil voice. I immediately assumed that it was some sort of demon or something. I dont know how it even ended here inside of my skill. Sure. I opened the grimoire pages as red and black smoke surged from the book, taking the form of an imp-like demon with red skin, a pointy tail, a bald head, pointy ears, and a long nose, holding a trident. Gyehehehe! You freed me! You actually freed me, you fool! Once I kill you, Ill become the owner of the library! He pointed his trident at me and rushed to fight me, trying to pierce my body with it. I could feel within him a large amount of raw strength, enough to easily impale all S ranks. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! However, I reflected his blows with my bare hands, or well, with the nails of my fingers, which I had painted gold because I liked that color quite a bit. Hmm, so, how did you end up in this library? I wondered. Eh? Why are you so strong?! He screamed before I kicked his chest, trying to put some distance between the two. BAAAM! However, it seemed the kick was too strong because he quickly exploded into red smoke and dissipated after giving an unsightly, ghoulish scream. Guuaagh! As I heard his last scream, the red smoke went back to the grimoire, and the grimoire closed itself, showing a number of flames on top. It showed the number 10. After waiting a minute, I learned it wasnt a minute; it was ten hours of cooldown until I could summon this particular demon again. Interesting I grabbed another Grimoire and summoned the demon inside; this one didnt even speak to me. When something appeared, I saw what resembled a floating eye with many red tentacles attached to it and a pair of golden horns. Hopefully it will go differently; I believe you wont try to attack me, yes? Bubuuub! Blururururub! It couldnt even speak, I see. Hah, go back. I quickly sent it back to the grimoire and started looking for a demon that could speak to me and wasnt an asshole. It took me three more shots, but I finally found someone willing to talk to me who didnt look like some hideous creature. Huh? Wha? Where am I? It looked like a petite woman, wearing a blue mask for her face, with pointy black horns, long, silky black hair, and scaled arms and legs; in fact, she had scales around her entire body; even if she was nude, she didnt look like that. Truth be told, she was quite beautiful, with her wide hips and puffy chest, accompanied by her beautiful mask-face and that long, silky black hair. As a person who appreciates the beauty of all women, she was beautiful without a doubt. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. The hell! Where did you come from?! You spooked the hell out of me! Her pointy tail waved around the second she saw me; she was scared. Sorry, I was just admiring your appearance; it is quite different than the other demons, I said. And you can talk! Do you have a name? Name... she wondered. I... Beelzebian Belzeeraskhasn Sataniankicha Herbellzuhbub. But you can just call me Belze for short. Quite a fancy name you have. I said. You see, I just created this skill, and all of this appeared. You demons were also sealed in these grimoires; theres this library. And there are many other mysteries I have yet to find out. Okay, my first question. Was this library already made beforehand, or was it created by them? Hmm, so youre the new owner... No, it could be said its both, Belze said. This is an ancient prison, actually, for very bad demons that disobeyed the Seven Archdemons or rebelled against them. It is a Dimensional Space that remains hidden within the Abyssal Void between the Worlds of the Tower. Once every few thousand years, someone is chosen to wield this power. Usually, a key is given to the chosen one by the Seven, but... but you got it from a skill?! Yes! It seems that I somehow hijacked your prison and made it into my power, I laughed. I guess thats part of what my System can do now. W-What the hell? she muttered. I cant believe that! Is this true?! Ah! Wait, the entire area changed appearances too. And youre right, it is more like a library now. Most of those books are empty, though. I imagine more demons will appear once the skill increases its level, I explained as we walked across these arid demonic lands. Hah Hahaha She started to laugh as she began running around. Hahahaha! Its true, someone actually stole the Endless Demon Prison?! She began to jump around and dance. Yes! Finally! We can finally start fighting back now! Um Ah! Right, my bad. She walked towards us. Um, what was your name, master? Master? Ah well, my name is Bing Xue, also Katherine. What a weird name! Well, you already know my name and our circumstances. Youve somehow committed a grave crime. By creating this skill, somehow you were able to create a connection to the Prison, and youre now actively helping all prisoners escape into your library. I did that?! I was just intending on making a new powerful Skill, but it has now become the way out for several demonic criminals that have been imprisoned and sealed away by the Seven, the Archdemons that seem to govern all demons in the tower. Yes! I dont know how you even made this Skill; can I see its name or something? Sure I quickly decided to check the skill in detail; I was sure I had missed several effects within it. Once I opened its description, it was rather long. Oh wow, okay, Ill need the glasses. She whisked her fingers as red and black smoke materialized into a pair of glasses, which she wore as she started reading, squinting her eyes. Um Uh-huh. ----- [Primordial Demonic Heaven Dimensional Library Domain of Abyssal Curses and Sealed Demons: Pandemonium (EX): Lv1/30] [Skill EXP]: [0/500.000] A Hyper Fusion Skill created from the fusion between the [Multi-Elemental Heavenly Light Spirit Divine Magic (SS): Lv1] [Eclipsing Moon Shadow Weapon Martial Arts (SS): Lv1] [Abyssal Heavens Cursed Domain of Demonic Torture (SSS): Lv1] [Demonic Asura Aura Manifestation: Bloodthirsty Demon Warlord Battle Arts (SSS): Lv1] and [Archdemonic Death Grimoire of Infernal Cursed Demon Formations (SSS): Lv1] Fused Skills. Materialize a Dimensional Domain of your own, composed of both dark, demonic, and heavenly powers combined. Enter the library, where all the demons are sealed, a prison to pay for their sins. But what are the sins of demons but good deeds? Demons that pay for their crimes oftentimes would be considered good people in other cultures. The Seven Archdemons designed the prison for them, traitors that would rather betray their kind than do what they say, even less to import upon the worlds with their mischievous malice. By harnessing the powers of this library, you can enter this separate space where time flows faster compared to the world outside. The library offers you countless books; some contain forbidden knowledge, others are ancient, sealed demons, and prisoners of the past that remain sealed. You can control the library and its space. Even the ground, the sky, the clouds, and the ores that grow beneath. And perhaps even the annoying pests that might try to eat the books. Yours is all of this and everything it could ever produce. Conjure Abyssal Curses, Summon Sealed Demons, and channel, cultivate, harness, refine, absorb, and assimilate the Primordial Demonic Heaven Essence within to unleash devastating Demonic Arts and Cursed Sorcery upon your foes. Every demon has its own story to tell; some might obey you, and others would take a while to do so, but they all recognize you as the Librarian and know of our great Authority. You are the owner of the Demonic Prison, the Library of Demons and Curses, Pandemonium. With each Skill Level, more books will be filled with forbidden knowledge, curses, demonic spells, and ancient, evil arts. And naturally, even more, imprisoned Demons. Level Bonus (1): Increases Abyssal Curses and Demonic Arts Power and Effects by 1000% and Magic Defense Ignoration by 50%. Increases Summoned Demons Stats by 500% and their ability to develop their Magic and pass it to you by 200%. Increases Curse and Demon Elements Power by 500%. Increases the size of the Dimensional Domain by 100% and its Natural Resources production speed by 500%. Enhances the Power, Production Speed, and Absorption Rate of Primordial Demonic Heaven Essence by 200%. Decreases Mana Cost of all things related to this Skill by 50%. ----- Wow, this is really long. I said. But at the same time, quite simple, isnt it? Although it doesnt go into detail about what these Abyssal Curses, Demon Sorcery, or Demonic Arts are all about..." Hm, I see, I see, the demon lady said. So it is as I thought, though theres something new, this weird essence you can now extract from it. Also, you, as the Librarian, can receive our powers as well. Demon Powers, huh? I wondered. I am already very strong, so I dont think I need them, but perhaps in the future I could. Heh, dont underestimate what demons can do, young lady, she said. Young Lady?! I am over eleven thousands years old, dear, I said. So? Im past my hundred thousand years of age! she said. Oh I muttered. Well! I guess for a human, youve lived plenty, but our demons never really die. Or, well, even if our bodies perish, our essence never truly disappears; we go back to Hell, and then we have to find a new contractor to bring us out. You are that for all of us, a contractor that can bring us to the world out there. Belze explained. And I, for once, would like to apply as your secretary. I see youre quite confused about everything. So how about you leave that job to me, Bing XueI mean, dear master? She seemed a bit cunning, but she was still below my Authority at the end. And she was cute. Hmm, fine Youll have to do a few tasks for me first to show me youre competent, Belze, I said. Hah! Sure, tell me anything. She readjusted her glasses, quickly materializing some clothes. Her clothing was quite casual but cute: a black overall-like dress with a white blouse, a black witch hat, black heels, and white stockings. She truly looked kind of like a cute little secretary. Then your first task is reorganizing the entire library; make me a list of what every book is for, from demons to spells and so on, I said. That sounds really hard, but bring it on; Ill do it! she said. If I ever become your secretary, I want some payment, though. Hahah, quite bold, arent you? Fear not, your efforts shall be paid well. I nodded. Now, if you excuse me, I am quite busy, so Ill get going. Once you return, youll see everything well organized, master! she said with a confident smile. I am looking forward to it then! I stepped out of the dimensional domain; barely a minute had passed in the outside world. ----- Chapter 105: New Skils And Mursha’s Strenght ---- There were three other new Fusion Skills I had yet to try, but I decided to first use some other items I had. Now that I had freed up a lot of Skill Slot Space, I decided to learn these skills right away. They might not be important, but I think I could find some interesting things to use or even fuse later on. It was a bunch of books too, so by just opening them one by one, their contents emerged like glowing runes of light, imbuing themselves into my body and making me overflow with new power. I started from the lowest Rank to the highest Rank Ding! [You have opened and absorbed the contents of the [Random Skill Book (S Rank)] x4!] [You learned the following Skills: [Blazing Sword Spirit Summon (S): Lv1], [Wind Gale Veil of Protection (S): Lv1], [Super Body Reinforcement (S): Lv1], and [Quadruple Slash (S): Lv1]!] Oh, interesting Skills! I tried all four of them as I saw Mursha sparring with Fiery Hair. FLUOSH! A spirit materialized in front of me, starting with crimson flames and then taking the form of a huge, blazing sword. At level 1, the skill could only create a single one. It seemed slightly sentient and would obey any commands; it was rather strong, and you can easily use this as a powerful living weapon and projectile. Next is FLASH! A gale of spiraling winds covered my entire body out of nowhere, creating a dress-like shape, glowing with emerald, semi-transparent light, and sparkling brightly. It was quite beautiful and flashy; it allowed me to easily fly around and release gusts of wind. Hmm, not bad. Then the other two were simpler. Oh? I felt my body gain a slight boost to its physical strength and stamina; at my current level of power, it wasnt anything too big, but it was noticeable. It could become something big in the future, for sure. Then, in the fourth skill, I swung my blade into the skies. FLUOSH! Then four slashes appeared, slashing through space and creating four cracks. The heavens above rumbled slightly, but I quickly repaired the cracks afterward. Hm! So it divides a slash into four? Amazing Though they are reduced in power, it could be interesting to use. It works similarly to my Orochi technique, in a way. Now, I quickly opened the other, higher-quality books. Ding! [You have opened and absorbed the contents of the [Divine Skill Book (SSS Grade)] x3!] [You learned the following skills: [Divine Winter Draconification (SSS): Lv1], [Divine Thunderstorm Spirit Armament (SSS): Lv1], and [Divine Body Enhancement: Golden Mountain Physique (SSS): Lv1]!] Hm?! These are quite interesting now. Lets see BOOM! My body suddenly erupted with frost power, ice spreading around my body as I saw azure scales and silver scales grow around my arms and legs, and even draconic horns and wings. How amusing! SSS Rank Skills are sure something. I had undergone Winter Draconification, taking upon the power of a Winter Dragon into my body. Right now, it was quite low, but it seemed that it could improve. Ice powers surged from me out of nowhere, an element I had not even cultivated before. By merely staying in this form, I could feel the cold encompass my body and bring me some enlightenment into the Dao of Cold, Snow, and Ice. These three Daos make up all things involving ice, frost, cold, low temperatures, and so on. Now the next one is quite flashy. RUMBLE! Thunder fell from the skies, encompassing my entire body and resembling a living being made of golden lightning, quickly shaping my body as armor. With my mind, I could easily shapeshift its form into weapons or even shields as I wished, which is pretty good and interesting. And lastly The physique was a passive ability, so the effect was already applied. It was mostly another enhancement to my physical strength and stamina. Through concentration, I was able to feel a clear connection to the ground, the roots made of stone and ores, and what lay beneath. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. There was some sort of Underground World in the world of Elios, perhaps where the Thralls come from. Next Ding! [You have opened and absorbed the contents of the [Nether Energy Manipulation Skill Book (SSS Grade)] x1 and [Soul Aether Manipulation Skill Book (SS Grade)] x1!] [You learned the following Skills: [Nether Energy Manipulation (SSS): Lv1] and [Soul Aether Manipulation (SS): Lv1]!] These two Skills were quite important, I believe, and with them, I can finally begin my proper cultivation and comprehension of the Dao of Souls and Death and improve not only my own Soul even more, but the Souls of everyone. This means that the more I improve their Souls quickly, the faster they can absorb their System Status instead of letting the System parasitize them. Nether Essence... and Soul Aether. In my right hand, a slightly moldy, slimy black and dark blue energy materialized, Nether, the essence that Undead use to maintain themselves in the world of the living and to fuel their bodies. It was sticky and cursed and seemed to have the property of keeping souls stuck to physical objects. Then in my left hand, a glowing, ethereal, and bright essence surged; this one came from my very soul, materializing as a beautiful flame of gold and white light. This was Soul Aether, it was faint and would dissipate at any moment; it had a hard time staying in the world as it is; it needed a vessel, a living vessel. Both are similar, yet at the same time so different. I smiled with a sigh. I shall use these Skills well. After that, I took a look at Mursha and Fiery Hairs spar. These two were almost equally strong. Mursha was shocked that Fiery Hair was fighting with her bare fists and legs and successfully blocking her sword attacks with them. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! W-What is this ridiculous woman?! Mursha muttered in disbelief. How is it possible for a human to just deflect my technique with their bare body?! Fiery Hair is the strongest of her tribe! Fiery Hair said. "Mursha, not bad... But we need more power, more strength... Lack of conviction... no determination! Fiery Hair rushed forward, her red hair suddenly glowing and becoming flames themselves; her eyes flared with fiery flames. As her powerful and tall body used its tremendous weight to her advantage, her two fists fell over Mursha like blazing meteors, generating explosions with each blow. BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! Ugh! Mursha gritted her teeth as her blade easily blocked the attacks, but the immense explosions coming from Fiery Hairs blows pushed her back constantly, making her struggle quite a lot. RAAAH! Mursha pushed forward, swinging her sword vertically and then horizontally. Her blade clashed against Fiery Hairs bare hands, barely leaving a small bruise that didnt even bleed. Fiery Hair might be shaping up to be the next Primal King, or, well, Queen. She hasnt been slacking off inside my Inner Realm. Ive been training with her and learning how to use Primal Energy from her. Shes a rough girl, though, so after a lot of training, my Doppelgangers would break apart, surprisingly. As she trained with me, she also cultivated Ki and Mana, two energies I helped her obtain; she now had her own non-parasitic System, as well as a Physique, and an Elemental Core. So she had grown even stronger than before. Much stronger. But above all, W-Wha?! How come youre so tough? Are you made of steel- Not even steel! Heheh Fiery Hair strong! Must be strong to protect people and family! You must be strong to love Bing Bing! Because Bing Bing is very strong, she wont love weaklings! I lack?! What are you even talking about! Mursha roared angrily. I dont lack resolve! I am a proud warrior of the Bloodfang Tribe! Fiery Hair wasnt wrong, Mursha; in her attacks and her techniques, even in her movements, I could still recall a lot of hesitation; it wasnt because she was weak. It was because she lacked resolve and something to drive her. If her story is right, after her entire tribe died, I can tell why she became like this. Maybe she was even stronger before everything went to sh*t for her. And that lack of resolve is affecting her strength; it makes her doubt herself. And because of that, she cannot let out all of her latent potential. HAAAH! With a ferocious roar, the orc warrior swung her blade once more, her Blood Aura surging from her body fierily as her skin started growing red with flame-like tattoos of fire. Her eyes turned deep red too, and as blood flames appeared in her sword, each attack unleashed explosive waves of cutting sword energy. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Yet Fiery Hair did not evade; she imbued her entire body with the mighty Primal Power and then used Ki to further reinforce her foundations, making her a walking, indestructible sentinel. But I know Mursha could do more than this; these attacks she was doing were desperate, lacking any substance or technique behind them. Mursha cannot fight anymore! You are desperate! Not a warrior! Sit down! Fiery Hair roared, rushing towards her and slamming Mursha in the head, hitting her so strongly that she was pushed into the floor. BAAAM! Ugh! Y-YOU! With a ferocious roar, the orc warriors unleashed a devastating storm of slashing attacks, hitting Fiery Hair, and trapping her in a tornado of blood energy. Yet Not enough! Fiery Hair clapped her hands with tremendous force, and the tornado instantly dissipated into thin air as Mursha was left speechless. Yeah, Fiery Hair was very strong; I would even go as far as saying shes my strongest disciple in terms of raw strength and power. Only Yanisse can compare in terms of power with her Void Essence. Hahah Ive been defeated twice today; this is... My whole pride is broken into tiny parts now, sighed Mursha while laughing dryly. I guess I have grown weak. Fiery Hair then extended her hand. You are not weak; you are strong! Mursha is a very strong warrior! Fiery Hair likes Mursha! We train together, grow strong together, yes? You Would you help me train? I help! You help back! Yes? Hahaha! You have such a funny way to talk, okay then Mursha took her hand and stood up. What can you teach me then, cavegirl? laughed Mursha. Primal Power! You can use it! You have talent! Mursha has talent! Fiery Hair said with excited eyes. Wait, what? Does she have talent? Do people have a talent for that energy? Primal what?! BOOOM! Before Mursha could say anything, Fiery Hair hit her chest with her Palm as an explosion of golden Primal Power rushed into Murshas entire body. Wow, I guess she learned from me, huh? Uuaagh! W-What is this power- AH! Mursha gasped for air, suddenly feeling it rush through her entire being. Usually, Primal Power would destroy your body, anybody that cannot withstand it. It has a will of its own too, and it even tried to destroy my body; if I wasnt so strong, it would have surely killed me. Yet with Mursha, it was different. I walked towards the two girls, checking on Murshas "awakening.. My body It is much larger now? Did I get a bit taller? Mursha stood up, feeling her muscles becoming slightly larger. Yes, she had grown slightly more muscular and taller; she was very hot. It looks like Fiery Hair here has chosen you as her disciple now, hahaha! I laughed. Dear, I had no idea you were going to choose one now. Will you let me have her as my disciple too? Yes! I recruited Mursha for Bing Bing! she said, kissing my cheek. Bing Bing happy with Fiery Hair? Love me? Aww, arent you cute? I giggled. I appreciate the help! Thank you. I kissed her cheek in return, making her fiery hair blaze and turn blue for a moment. Uwaah! She was like a cute girl sometimes and then a rough warrior other times. Now, can you feel it, Mursha? I wondered. I do But what is this? she wondered. A new power, one that could help you finally avenge your tribe, I said. Mursha, the War Games will soon begin. And I have a grand plan in mind. Will you aid me in putting it into motion? Grand plan? she wondered. I am sure youll be interested, I smiled. ----- Chapter 106: The Past Of The Last Bloodfang Warrior ----- The words that Fiery Hair had said about Mursha were still constantly resonating within the orc warrior''s heart and mind. The lack of resolve, the lack of self-confidence, how she hesitated, how she could even be afraid deep down, doubting herself. And therefore, becoming weaker as a result. Her fight against Bing Xue and Fiery Hair showed her that she wasnt truly as strong as she believed and that, deep down, she was filled with many insecurities. It also filled her with the sense that she hadnt been herself for a long while, even as she polished her skills and continuously leveled up with each War Game and Hunt Game. Even as she tried to find a way to break out of her terrible prison, the curse of being confined in this camp was to see her tribe die one after another. Yes, she could still remember it; the Blood Fang Tribe was one of the strongest tribes in the entire world of Elios. Strong orcs with the most refined swordsmanship techniques possess the power of their Blood Fang Stigma, the ability to become stronger the more they bleed and are hurt. This made their tribe incredibly tenacious, becoming almost invincible, and a great headache to the ever-growing Cult of the Barbarian God. The War Games were never as widespread as they are now; the entire population wasnt completely forced to do them like before. No, back then, when she was much younger. When the wind was calm and soothing, and when she ran barefoot around the grasslands with an innocent, childish smile. Those moments when the world hadnt become an endless blood fest to please a mad god... She still could remember themthese memories that wouldnt go away no matter how much she tried to forget them. No matter how much she tried to move on and accept her reality,. Thirty years ago, when she was a young orc warrior girl in her early teens, she was still too inexperienced and still looking forward to the future and the beautiful world she was born in. Back then, she would spend the whole morning practicing her sword techniques, swinging her blade vertically and horizontally, imitating her parents and the other warriors abilities. Phew And one hundred! After doing a hundred swings, she sighed in relief, sitting over the soft and cold grass. The morning sun was already rising, and its warmth washed over her body. Murshaaa! Come back home! Breakfast is ready, honey! And then a voice, her mother calling her, like every day, like every morning. Oh! Breakfast! Little Mursha ran across the grasslands, sprinting rapidly as she greeted the other members of the tribe that she saw. Hello everyone! Its a good day today too! Ah, little Mursha! Arent you energetic today too? I wish my son would be half as disciplined as you are! Hahah! There she goes again, that girl As she reached her familys large tent, she greeted a pack of enormous fluffy creatures, resembling a combination of sheep and cows; these were the normal cattle of the orc tribes, named Waltrogs. They were resilient, strong, and capable of sustaining themselves with just grass. And they fed the orcs with delicious meat and milk, and they were also capable of producing soft wool and a strong pelt; they were strong beasts too, so most predators would not get close to their offspring. Hello everyone! How are you doing? Mursha petted them as she went to her tent. A little Waltrog ran towards her, hitting her with a playful headbutt. Ouch! Haha! How are you today, little one? Meehee! Wanna play later? I gotta go eat breakfast! She petted the creatures head. She could still remember, to this day, how soft and warm its little head was. Mursha! Come eat already! Her father called her; he seemed a bit upset that she was taking a while to come to eat with the family. She quickly ran without saying another word. Im here, haahh... Sorry, I took a while! giggled Mursha, sitting over the grass and seeing a huge wooden table covered with delicious food. Milk, cheese, bread, some dried meat, wild berries, and boiled potatoesmost Orc tribes used to be nomadic hunter-gatherers, only having one type of cattle, the Waltrogs, the only creatures capable of keeping up with them and benefiting from their protection and care. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Well, finally back, my girl. Did you do your daily hundred swings? wondered her father. A huge orc man, almost as tall as three meters, with huge muscles and a manly, slightly ugly face, which was decorated with a gentle, fatherly smile, his sharp tusks were longer and larger than the rest of the orcs, showcasing his title as the Chief. His muscular body was covered with several blood-colored tattoos; the more warriors in the tribe, the stronger they were, as their Blood Fang Stigma expanded over the years. The only thing he wore were some pants made of animal pelt and sandals, exposing his big upper half to the world. "Yeah, I did my best! said Mursha. I did a hundred before breakfast! Youre not lying, right? wondered his mother. She was much smaller than her husband, but still clearly strong. Tall, muscular, and around two meters and a half in height. Her mother had long red hair, while her father was completely bald. Decorating her silky red hair, there were several bony ornaments, all gifts from her husband. Woah, mom, you got red berries today?! Mursha looked at the pile of huge, avocado-sized berries. Yeah! I was able to exchange some for meat with a passing merchant, said her mother. Theyre fresh and ripe, so make sure to eat a lot! Anything leftover will be made into jelly. Yaaay! I want jelly too! Mursha said. I wont eat too many then! The girl still took one of the wild berries and gave it a big bite. The sweetness and juiciness it had were otherworldly for such youth, who loved sweet things but found them so rarely in these lands. Hmmm! So good! Hahah, theyre quite good, aint they?" Her father laughed, grabbing one of the berries and eating it whole. Hm! Reminds me of my childhood, haha! What?! Dad, you had childhood? wondered Mursha. I thought you were born old! W-What?! How dare my daughter say such a thing about her respected father? Come here, you rascal! Her father grabbed her and started tickling her belly, making the little girl giggle. Hahaha! No, daddy, stop! Hahaha! W-Wait! Theres no mercy for those who disrespect the chief! Her father then kissed her forehead and let her go. I hope you learned your lesson, little brat! Hmph! One day Ill grab you and tickle you once you become an old gramps! Haha! I want to see you try! Murshas mother giggled as she ate a giant sandwich and drank some milk with honey. Fufu, come on, you two; the food is getting cold. Lets eat already! We have to get moving in an hour from now. Ah, right, honey! Her husband immediately started digging out, grabbing a big piece of meatthe whole leg of a giant bird monsterand taking giant bites out of it. Nom, nom, nom! Mursha continued eating berries, sometimes with milk and honey, bread with cheese, and then taking bites out of small nuts. Once they finished their meal, the entire tribe set everything up, made a huge caravan, and started moving out across the grasslands. The orcs followed summer and left behind winter, moving to warmer lands across the sole continent of Elios. While they moved out, Mursha played with her pets and admired the beautiful view. Her mother brought her company when her father was talking with the rest of the tribe or leading them. Mommy Why arent there any kids my age? Where are they? Oh And sometimes Mursha would wonder this many times: Where were the other kids her age? No matter how much she looked around, there were only adults, and the youngest of them was already past their twenties. Well, thats Her mother hesitated to answer that question, but she thought it would be good to tell her. Its because of the curse of the mad god, she said. A god made by the barbarians... He cursed our people to not be able to give birth anymore. The mad god? That evil god that the evil people follow? wondered Mursha. Hes awful! He truly is... her mother sighed, looking at the distant mountains. Our tribe once used to be the largest and strongest of Elios. We followed the doctrines of the Keutzalfrir, the Divine Beast Spirit of Blood Fangs. But when those mad barbarians conceived their god, he slayed and sealed our Divine Beast Guardians, becoming the sole god of the world. Our guardian Mursha looked at the red tattoos on her skin. So Im the last... I No, of course not, smiled her mother. Youre special, dear. You somehow have been spared from his curse. Perhaps, in the future, you could continue our tribe and legacy. Uh Mursha still felt sad; such responsibility felt too heavy on her shoulders, especially at her age. Um, is there a way... to defeat that god? To defeat a god? wondered her mother, smiling slightly. Theres no such thing, dear. Nobody can kill a god. Theyre gods for a reason. But if we grow strong enough, we could try slaying him for good! Mursha protested. No matter how strong we can grow, it will always be impossible; gods dont even manifest here; they live inside their own realms, far away from our grasp, her mother sighed. Their orders are absolute, and their authority must be obeyed. We are being punished because our ancestors fought back against his cult; we didnt want to participate in their wicked war games. The War Games the people from other worlds do? Mursha asked. Yes, that wicked game to entertain that insane god... Her mother held tremendous hatred against the Barbarian God, but even with all her hatred, she was a realistic woman. She knew that it would always be impossible to fight, and even less defeat, a god. The only thing they could do was work hard and continue living and surviving. She hoped that one day her daughter would have more children with another orc, one from another tribe, and pass on their legacy to another generation. Perhaps the Blood Fang Tribe would have already died off by then, but she hoped... She hoped that at least her daughter would live a happy life. Away from the curses of her ancestors, as she had no blame for any of this. Divine Beast Spirits... Please, please protect my daughter. Every night, Mursha would see her mother praying in her room, crying as she prayed and as she implored their ancient guardians to protect the only child in their tribe. Mom Mursha could still remember that night, when she looked at her own roughed-up hands, finding her own strength lacking. At this point, she wasnt going to ever accomplish a single thing. She needed to become stronger, stronger than everyone else. Every day since then, she has continued training even harder than before, growing slightly serious and often times colder. Learning the truth impacted her more than her mother would have hoped. Mursha, dear? Can we talk? One late evening, her mother came to see her as she swung her blade for the fifth hundredth time that day. Hahh Hahh Im busy, Mom! Im trying to... get stronger! But But what?! What do you want? Mursha, how can you talk to me in such a tone?! I-I just I just want to become stronger, so... So I So I can help... more. Her mother looked into her daughters eyes, full of conviction. blazing determination to change her fate, and perhaps the fate of her entire tribe. Yet, in the end, the ending of this story was already well known to Mursha. Fate is something nobody can escape from; once it is set in stone, it will happen, no matter what. The dark influence of the mad god slowly sought and chased the last remnants of the Blood Fang Tribe. Weve finally found them. A tall man wearing a black cloak and hood, covered with ornaments made of the bones of other orcs, especially their skulls, and carrying a staff decorated similarly, looked into the distance. Behind him were hundreds of other orcs like him, wearing these same clothes, although of lesser ranks, emanating a much weaker aura of magical power. The last remnants of the Blood Fang Tribe... he smiled. At long last, we can finally offer you all to our god! ----- Chapter 107: The Last Bloodfang Warrior Read while listening to: Pt-9 :Zai ----- The next morning arrived, and Mursha slowly woke up, feeling slightly terrible about what she had said to her mother. She hadnt been thoughtful, and she might have ended up hurting her because of her own selfishness. Her intentions might have been good, but the way she did things wasnt. The first thing she wanted to do was apologize to her mom, quickly running out of bed the moment she heard some sounds outside. The voices of many people talking. Hm? She walked out of the tent to suddenly see most of her tribe gathered together, surrounded by hundreds of orcs wearing black cloaks and holding strange, cursed weapons. H-Huh? There was one of these strange orcs leading them, speaking with her father. She froze the moment she learned who these people were. After she recalled a few words that her mother once told her, Those of the cult of the mad god often wear black cloaks and have imprinted an axe, a hammer, a sword, and a spear into their clothes made of crimson red paint, oftentimes blood. And it was happening right there, as she noticed all of these strangers were wearing the same clothes. None had caught up to her being here; they were all focusing on the rest of the tribe that had come out to confront them. T-Theyre the mad god cult?! What are they doing here? she thought, panicking. Why how did they find us?! As she panicked and started to think about what she should do, she heard them speaking. At long last, weve finally found the last remnants of the tribe that betrayed our god and provoked his wrath, said the cult leader. I assume you must be the chief... The man who confronted Murshas father was immensely powerful. With a mere glance, she felt her senses go numb; his aura of darkness and power was immense, making the world around him grow darker. Yet her father stood firm and didnt flinch before his immense aura and presence, using his own internal Mana to stay strong and stand without trembling. As the chief of this small tribe, he simply couldnt let his family see him afraid or hesitating. Our ancestors are all dead, and the only thing we seek is to live in peace for the remainder of our lifespan! the man said. We do not wish to fight you, even less to insult your god... Please, you must understand that you will not win anything by taking our lives! Is that so? wondered the man confronting her father as he smirked, caressing his chin and nodding. I agree with your statement. You are indeed innocent of all that your ancestors have done. And for that very reason, weve decided to spare you. His words shook the rest of the Blood Fang tribe; they all thought of this as a joke, unbelievable for them to be just suddenly forgiven and spared! Yet, they also secretly hoped that he was telling the truth. And this small hope became the only hope they had right now for surviving. T-Truly? The chief wondered, unable to believe it. Yes, thats right! the cult leader laughed. What did you think? That our god was some kind of barbarian? He is a man of honor and pride! He wont let such powerful warriors have a pitiful death. He will spare you by giving you a chance to fight for your lives. W-Wha?! Murshas mother muttered. What does he mean with that?! the chief asked, calming down his wife. What else? He has proposed something for all of you, said the cult leader. He will spare all of you as long as you complete ten war games consecutively! How about it? For the strongest tribe to have ever existed in Elios, to fight ten battles against two armies at the same time shouldnt be that much of an effort, isnt it? T-Thats insane! Even as strong as we are! Murshas mother protested. However, her husband stopped her from speaking any other words, covering her mouth. We will do it The chief didnt even hesitate. Mursha gasped, unable to believe her father! F-Father?! Why! Mursha suddenly realized she ended up saying her thoughts out loud, quickly stepping back, and trying to hide to not draw attention. But it was a bit too late. What do we have here? Before she could even muster any strength to run away, the silhouette of a man appeared behind her, grabbing her away. As the chief agreed to the terms of the cult, the rest of the tribe argued against it, finding it ridiculous. Yet the chief stood firm on his decision. Are you insane?! Were all going to die! T-This cant be true But if we die, then what about? Ah! Thats right The orcs quickly realized why the chief was going so far. He wanted the cult members to quickly leave with them, leaving Mursha in her tent while she slept. And saving her from their claws. They knew that the girl was their future, and they were all willing to sacrifice their own lives if it meant she would get to live another day. As the only child and one without the mad gods curse, she was precious beyond anybody elsesomeone worth all their lives and more in their eyes. It seems youve made a decision then, the cult leader smiled. If you can successfully pass ten rounds, you all will be revived, and you will be granted freedom; our god even promised to lift the curse on your bloodline! Isnt he the most just and honorable of them all? Yeah, hes great, the chief smiled. Lets go then; we dont have any more time to waste here. Thats right, his wife nodded. Lets go to the area where well join the War Games. Hahah! How eager you are! But I wonder, werent you forgetting about someone? The cult leader called someone, one of his many servants, a tall Orc and Thrall hybrid encased in shadows, who quickly dropped a little Orc girl in front of them. Ouch! Agh, you asshole! It was Mursha, making the entire tribe gasp and panic. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Mursha?! No! Why didnt you hide?! Her father and her mother ran towards her, hugging her and protecting her from the countless crimson eyes of the cultists, glancing at the girl as nothing but a valuable sacrifice for their insane god. Mom, Dad! Whats going on?! she asked. Who are these people? Are they really cultists? Whats happening?! Her parents looked at her, crying as they saw their dear daughter confused. Please spare her, her mother muttered, looking at the cultist leaders wicked smile. We will do anything, but please... Please spare her! Oh my, do you take me for a monster? Of course, I would not get a child involved in this! Hahaha! laughed the cultist leader. Our god is fair! He says that as long as you offer your blood and souls to the War Games, we can spare her and give her a new life by our side. She shall grow to become a fine warrior. W-What? What is he talking about? wondered Mursha. At that time, Mursha didnt understand what it meant to give your blood and soul in the Orcish language. But it was a way to say that they had to give their very lives. All of them. I see Sounds fair Do I have your word? Murshas father said. Of course, I am also an honorable warrior myself, the orc laughed. Mom, whats going on now? Mursha wondered. Nothing Everything is going to be okay, alright? Everything is going to be okay Her mother hugged her tightly, kissing her forehead and cheeks as she kept crying. It was certainly the opposite; Mursha knew that things werent okay. And they would never go back to being okay, ever again. The trip back to the large camp where the War Games happened was swift, yet it felt very long to her and her family. On that trip, every member of the tribe said their farewells to Mursha, smiling, hugging her, and petting her head. Mursha, you have to carry our tribes legacy from now on, alright? Behave and dont do anything to upset those people. Be obedient, and... you may be able to live until old age. But never slack on your training; keep growing stronger; you have great talent. These last ten years, youve been the miracle that has kept us moving forward... Make sure to live for all of us. E-Eh? Why are you saying all of this? Arent you all only playing a war game? Mursha wondered. They smiled, although deep down, Mursha could feel the melancholy in their eyes. Were here, Blood Fangs; move. The cult leader called them as they moved out of the caravan, one after another, saying their goodbyeswomen, men, elderly, all of them. Despite this being a battle, it didnt feel like it. It didnt feel like an honorable fight at all, nor was it fair, nor was it for prideful warriors. It felt like they were walking to a slaughterhouse to be executed for crimes they had never committed. Mom, dad Mursha looked at her parents as they smiled at her. Her mothers tears had already dried; she cried so much that her eyes were red. Youre strong, my daughter, her father said, remaining composed until the very last moment. You have life, alright? Make sure to grow stronger too. I am sure that you will make us proud. Dad Mursha looked at her fathers confident smile. Even in this dire situation, she could feel his blazing conviction and his relentless heart. My dear But her mother was much more emotional, hugging her again one last time. The last time she ever hugged her mother. With a tight, warm hug, her mother kissed her whole face; she even felt the scent of her hair, and then she gifted her all her hair ornaments, her rings, and her bracelets. I love you so much... I love you more than anything, my dear Mursha. Please... make sure to never forget your mom and your dad, okay? M-Mom whats happening? Mursha didnt understand; she was still confused. We will go to battle... And we will honor our ancestors. Her mother kissed her forehead one last time as she walked away with her husband. The two moved towards the enormous battlefield, where two other large armies waited for them. They were holding weapons and wearing armor. There werent just Orcs and Thralls, but also Players such as humans and elves, and many more. Players, huh? the chief wondered. They outnumber us by the hundreds, his wife sighed. Weve come truly to die. Let us die with honor and pride, her husband said. Lets show Mursha our strength and what she will one day achieve on her own. Yeah, thats right, my dear, her wife sighed as the two kissed and hugged one last time. I love you, my warrior... And I will always do so, even in the afterlife. I love you too, my warrioress, and I will never forgive you, even in the afterlife, he caressed her face. May the Divine Beast Spirits bless us with strength! The Blood Fang warriors roared in unison, lifting their weapons. Their tattoos flared with power as their auras turned blood red. And Mursha watched as they battled. The two opposing armies didnt even bother touching one another. They immediately targeted the third, smaller army without hesitation. Mursha screamed and cried, both in excitement and sadness, as she saw a few of the tribe members die. The eldest of them, who could not move and had a swift death, was stabbed in the stomach, beheaded, or burned by magic. But in the first round, it was their victory. T-Theyre so strong Mursha muttered. The more wounded they became, the stronger they were. The second round passed, and a few died, but they survived. The third round was the same. The fourth was the same. The fifth Several reached their limits. Many of Murshas uncles and aunties, big brothers, and big sisters... They died. W-Why She kept crying, as she was being held tight by two cultists who didnt let her join the battle. Yet with the last remaining ten, they continued fighting relentlessly! Her mother and her father were so strong. Amidst tears of sorrow, she also felt tremendous admiration. Of the ten strongest warriors, one died with each round. The sixth round, the seventh round, the eighth round, then the ninth round... And once the tenth and last round began, only her mother and her father remained standing. Covered by wounds, her mother was missing an arm, and her father had half his face burned by magic. Their bodies were shredded with wounds, and they were groaning like beasts. Their power was flaring, surging like a gigantic monstrosity made of blood energy. The two armies rushed towards them. Six hundred are strong against two. Mom dad! RAAAAHHH! They roared like proud and mighty warriors, rushing without hesitation towards their deaths. Because they knew that as long as they died, their daughter would live. And that was more than enough for them to throw everything away. As long as Mursha lived. This battle was worthwhile! CLASH! BOOM! CRASH! SLASH! The sound of weapons clashing against each other, of blood splattering over the floorher parents were beasts, splattering their foes into countless pieces. Her mother swung her giant hammer, crushing foes left and right. Her hammer swung his massive axe, hacking and slicing anything that faced him. Yet at the end... Ugh?! CLASH! CLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Her mother was pierced by several swords, spears, and arrows. She vomited blood, falling to her knees. M-Mom! Murshas face twisted, distorting into utter horror. MOOOM!!! Her mother, in her madness, regained some consciousness. She was glancing at her daughter. And smiling warmly at her. She could still remember her mothers last words to this day. Itll be okay SLASH! Before they mercilessly beheaded her. A-Ah! Aahh! AAAAHHH!!! Mursha screamed in horror and utter disbelief as she tried to run into the battlefield, only for the two men to grab her and subdue her to the ground. Watch! Watch as your family sacrifices themselves for your pitiful life! This is their legacy, hahaha! The legacy of the traitors that gave their backs to our god! Nngh! Sniff! Guuh! Sniff The girl continued crying while gritting her teeth and glancing at her father. Her father, once noticing her wifes death, ran towards her body. My dear He grabbed her head and then her body and hugged them as he started crying. Mursha saw her father cry for the first time. The army of foes ran towards him, weapons about to pierce him. While carrying his wife in his arms, a blazing flame surged from his very soul. He glanced at his daughter as she cried. Dad No! DAAAD! WAIT! DAD! Live, my daughter. Make us proud As he smiled and kissed his wifes forehead, his entire body combusted in deadly flames. {Blood Flare} BOOOMMM!!! The flames burned through all nearby foes, turning them into ashes. And so her father died too, hugging her mother, turning himself and herself into ashes. So their bodies wouldnt be defiled once they died. Their enemies screamed in agony and burned, but many remained alive and then went on to kill each other as if nothing had happened, completely consumed by the bloothirst of war. No! No NOOOO! Mursha kept screaming and crying, kicking the ground and the mens arms, who were completely unfazed by her attacks. And just as they promised, they let her be, they spared her life. Your entire tribe sacrificed to save your pitiful life the cult leader said. You better make it worthwhile, child. Ill kill you Mursha muttered, her aura emanating a powerful killing intent. Ill kill all of you Hah! Hahahaha! The man didnt even take her seriously, walking away. Make sure to give her some scraps so she doesnt die of starvation, okay? She was left there as it started to rain. The smell of blood slowly dissipated as the smell of the wet dirt beneath her foot filled her nostrils. Her tears seemed small below the rain. These memories, always present within Murshas mind, once again blossomed as she heard Bing Xues proposal. Lets ruin the War Games and slaughter those cultists. Then, Ill kill that god for you. What her mother once told her was impossibleto slay a god. Someone came to her with tremendous, unbelievable power. And this person told her that she would slay it. You dont know how much time Ive waited for someone like you. And she hugged her tightly; Mursha even started crying. Please help me, Bing Xue Help me kill that god. Mursha I want to kill it myself Very well. Bing Xue didnt hesitate, caressing the orc womans face. Those tears filled with sorrow Just how much have you suffered? ----- Chapter 108: The War Games Begin! ----- As Mursha suddenly started to cry after the plans I told her about, I ended up hugging her to comfort her. She had asked me to help her get her revenge, and she had gone through all the suffering this world could have offered her. And she wasnt wrong; without her permission, I took a glimpse at her memories when she hugged me. My hand gently touched her head, and a wave of images passed through my mind instantly. They were only fragments; I dared not look at her complete memories. But I did see what she went through and the horrendous things the Cult of the Barbarian God had done to her and the Bloodfang Tribe. These people... theyre truly scoundrels, criminals, and evil demonic cultivators beyond salvation! This cult is full of monstrous people; they do not deserve to live anymore. No, they dont even deserve a swift death, but a painful and agonizing one. They must go through all the pain and suffering they inflicted on others to finally realize the damage their actions do to others. The damage they did to Mursha, whose entire family was massacred in front of her... Mursha I will help you, I said. Do you wish to take revenge on your own hands against that cult? I But theyre too strong and too many, their bishops and- Theres nothing impossible as long as I am here, I said. I will take care of that god, and you will take care of the filthy mortals down here who dared to do such horrendous things while thinking they would never have repercussions. Unfortunately, karma is real, and it will always come back to bite your tail when you continue doing horrendous things. And I am the Agent of Karma, the Judge. J-Judge? She felt confused but could clearly understand the meaning behind my words. Since I awakened in Murim, Ive strived forward through a path of righteousness. Even as I struggled, even as I was forced to kill and slaughter others, I never dared touch an innocent life. I protected those in need. Even when I was much weaker than those hunting them, I sacrificed my all for those in need. And in exchange, over time, the world also changed. When I fully ascended into the new Venerable and the other Venerables, even the Father of all humanity came after me. All of the world of Murim was by my side, as were the spirits of the people and their hope. Perhaps the big sects still opposed me and allied their Venerables, but not even the Primordial Father of Humanity could change peoples minds. They knew the world was unjust and full of unfairness, and they wanted me to win. They waited all their livesall these generationsfor someone like me to finally appear in their world. And I did not disappoint them; I took justice upon my hands, and I slayed all evil and all wickedness. In the process, though, I slowly felt like I had lost myself, becoming nothing but a shell of my former self. Emotions themselves had faded away, and I became bleak and silent, expressionless. Until I came back home, and everything I thought I had forgotten and lost slowly started coming back. Although this madness within me remains, I have slowly begun to remember many things, including my humanity. But when things like these occur in every world Ive visited... Can I truly say I wont do anything? Can I truly stand still and simply watch? I cant. I simply cannot do that. Some might call me a hypocrite. Others may think I am just a selfish woman. But I do not care. When I see those less than me in pain, I must act and save them. Because what other purpose has the strength Ive attained? If I do not embrace this kindness surging within my heart, wont I just become another monster, just like that God? With so much power, all for their own selfish reasons. I would only become what I hate the most. Mursha alright? Fiery Hair wondered. "Cry, do not! Mursha warrior, right? Bing Bing will help! Shes strong and will help you! I will too! Fiery Hair likes Mursha. Mursha is a warrior and strong of heart. Mursha hesitated, but thats because Mursha is a good person! Fiery Hair Mursha finally let go of me, as she nodded and smiled after cleaning her tears. I apologize for what you saw... Weve only met for a day, yet I act like weve known each other for so long. Theres something about you that is so warm; it somewhat reminds me of my mother. She looked at me. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Is that so? I giggled. Perhaps I am quite motherly, yes. Mursha blushed a bit, but then quickly tried to calm herself down. Im fine she walked away, trying to act cool. But... thanks for giving me this chance. I have fought you, and I know firsthand that your strength is near bottomless. You have barely shown me what you can do, right, Bing Xue? Yeah, I smiled. I did an honorable fight and only used swordsmanship, but indeed, there are... There are many things I can do. Then when do we begin? Mursha asked. Once the War Games begin, I said. It shall begin as normal And then I told her my plans, which I also shared with my beloved girlfriends, Urbosa and Merkite, and then with Seth and Peperina, and of course, the rest of the cavemen. I also got to meet the leader of the Hawk Eyes, a very tall man with long emerald-colored hair and sharp golden eyes. His brown-skinned body was covered with many tattoos representing mountains, winds, and birds. Name is Storm Eye he said. Storm Eye is the chief of Hawk Eye people. We are grateful for your help. We serve Bing Bing! Wait, Bing Bing?! I wondered. I appreciate youre trying to speak now; after all, Fiery Hair is the only one that can speak the best among you all, but my real name is not Bing Bing; Im known as Bing Xue! But actually, my truest name is Katherine. Not Bing Bing? Has Fiery Hair lied to us?! Storm Eye was shocked. Lie is... great crime! Betrayal of trust! Okay, fine, its Bing Bing I wouldnt want them to begin doubting her or not trusting her anymore, so lets leave it be for now. Oh, so joke? He laughed a bit. Hahahaha! Funny! Bing Bing has a good sense of humor! We... people appreciate... funny people! O-Okay yeah, I sighed. Sure I suppose Ill have to swallow my pride for now. Fiery Hair and the rest of the cavemen are going to help a lot, so I suppose it cannot be helped. After all of that, we waited, sparring with my friends and allies, while Seth told me about his plan and what he planned for the upcoming fight. And then the War Games were finally about to begin, and the three other factions finally gathered, each under a flag. The Orc Flag, the Thrall Flag, and the Beast-kin Flag. Aside from the Players, there were also many of the worlds greatest warriors here. Some looked excited about the bloodshed, while others were very sad and afraid and clearly didnt want to do this. There were even... children here. Although children arent allowed to climb the tower, those born in this world are being forced to fight. There were chains around their necks; they probably belonged to lesser, nomadic tribes they captured to fight. And act as offerings for their mad, barbaric god. They have gone too far now. This is unforgivable! The cult members were mostly gathered outside of the large territory used for the war, a gigantic area within the endless grasslands that covered several thousands of kilometers. The people fighting were roughly over a thousand. Approximately 1252 people. At least 150 of them were children below 15 years of age. They looked afraid and were not ready to face their deaths. The other participants had all their eyes on them, looking at the children as nothing but bags of points. So this is your little army now, huh? Mursha, youve finally found some worthy fighters, it seems! A huge, red-skinned orc laughed with a long gray beard, holding two giant axes. It has been a couple of years since youve participated I cant wait to tear you to shreds and burn your corpse, hahahaha! Dont worry, you got plenty of points, right? Youll just revive later! So let me do whatever I want with you, okay, little Miss Bloodfang? Infernos muttered Mursha, gritting her teeth. Who is he? asked Urbosa. Hes the general of the Orc Faction, said Mursha. A monstrous barbarian man, and a high-ranking member of the cult. Hes been always stronger than me. But I wont let that happen; things will be different now. Im planning to spare most people, but yes, there are a few that deserve death. I nodded. Hmm? I noticed another general of the beast-kin faction, a tall Lion Beast man of almost the same size as the orcs, muscular, covered in golden brown fur, with sharp crimson eyes. He was covered in black armor and holding onto a huge silver-colored sword, which seemed to be shaped like a giant fang. Hmph It seems some of our deserters have come back with their tails between their legs? he muttered with a serious and tyrannical voice. Leos is here?! Urbosa muttered. Why did he join?! I thought he had retired?! Merkite cried. They both looked upset and even slightly afraid. So this bastard is part of the reason why their village escaped their world, most likely. I suppose you barely have points, yes? he said, smirking. Ill make sure to kill you for your treason to your world. And it wont be an easy kill! You will pay greatly for your offenses! Your heads shall be impaled and placed outside the camp as an example to all deserters that dare come back! OOOOHHHH! The rest of the beasts and players in his faction roared in unison, his aura surging with a golden light. His words were pitiful, but they still made me mad. I wanted to go there and rip his head off. But there was a plan, and I was going to follow it this time. Even more because my girls were not truly afraid, but furious. They groaned, showing him their sharp fangs. Grrhhh Youll see! Well avenge those you killed! Urbosa roared. Gggrrrhhh! Dont you think weve forgotten those you hunted down as we escaped, monster! Merkite screamed. Hahah! You are just weaklings! But sure, so be it! I like your attitude Leos laughed. I shall tear down that pride of yours, you filthy women! Hes going too far Make sure to fuck him over and sideways, girls, I said. Sure thing, this is our battle after all! Urbosa groaned; she looked furious. Well avenge our tribe! Merkite said. Leave this to us... Our strength is sufficient! Okay then I wont insult your pride, and I will leave this to you then. I nodded. Now, whos the third general here? I looked at the third appearancesomeone silent who didnt say a single word but only watched his surroundings; he led the Thralls and other Players. His appearance wasnt completely Thrall-like, though; he seemed like a half-red orc and a half-Thrall with a lanky, muscular body. He wore a black cloak, and his sharp crimson eyes glowed with fiery flames. His Aura was full of complete shadows, surrounding him as it waved around menacingly. Its him Mursha immediately recognized him. Another member of the cult too? I had seen him, actually. In the memories I saw of Mursha, I remember that he was the one who found her when she was trying to hide and brought her to the cult. It was the event that caused her entire tribe to sacrifice themselves for her sake, so they wouldnt push her into the War Games as a child. Yeah, another bastard I must take care of Mursha groaned. But I cant fight two at the same time. Leave the red orc to me, Peperina suddenly stepped in. I remember my mother once talking to me about a red-skinned orc that terrorized her tribe once. I want to ask him a few questions. Are you sure? I asked her. Yes, dont worry, Peperina smiled. I am not the same as before either! Very well, I nodded. I shall assist everyone as well. And you, Seth, help me out taking care of the trash. I know, he said. I wont harm anybody else but those that deserve it. We think alike in that regard, Bing Xue. Good. I nodded. So, when do the War Games end? There are three conditions in which they can end, Mursha said. If all factions lose fifty percent of their soldiers, if at least all generals die, or if the four hours a War Game lasts come to an end. Understood, I nodded. Then lets begin. Ding! [The Floor 2 {War Games} are about to begin!] [Slay your foes to gain War Points and rise to the top of the War Games!] [The Tower God {Battle-Loving Barbarian King} has high expectations of this great bloodshed now that youre here! He is looking forward to your feats!] Yes, I hope you''re looking forward to it. I''m sure youll love it. ----- Chapter 109: There Will Be No Mercy For The Wicked! ----- RAAAAHHH! OOOOOHH! GRAAAAHH! The rallying roars of all factions echoed at the same time as the War Games began. Orcs, Thralls, and Beast people gave their loudest shouts and roars, and their weapons rose into the sky, lifting upwards and downwards, a way to show their respect to their God of Battle and Bloodshed. Meanwhile, my faction remained silent; there was no need to scream or shout like monsters. Not even the loud cavemen said a word. Most of them had also grown pissed off that their foes brought little kids to fight, finding them dishonorable trash. They brought children... dishonorable trash! Do they want children to fight? Monsters! Fiery Hair was ferociously angry, her hair waving like flames. Bing Bing! What do?! Calm down, dear. I patted her shoulders. Ill save the children; you take care of whatever gets closer. Those with weird, dark auras... kill them. The rest, just knock them out. Okay! Fiery Hair trusts Bing Bing! She roared, her tattoos glowing brightly as her hands generated flames. PEOPLE! WE FIGHT! OOOHHH! The cavemen cheered behind her as they charged forward first. The other three factions didnt even bother fighting with one another, quickly rushing towards us. Well, several bastards instantly moved to kill the children, though. Weak and defenseless, they would be easy kills for their damned points. These children had no points themselves, though; if they get killed here, they cant revive. And I cannot let anybody touch children as long as I am here! STOP. With a mere word, I unleashed a shockwave of light and electricity everywhere, all at once. Divine Photon Essence wrapping around the bodies of countless bastards and electrocuting them. W-What is this? Uuaaaggh! Magic?! Is this magic- UGH?! W-Wait, I wasnt! AAAHH! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! No mercy! Those bastards, who ever considered killing a child? They deserve no mercy, even if they were not even from this world. Even if they werent cultists. NO MERCY! Their bodies exploded into countless pieces, and the children were terrified by the scene of blood. Im sorry, but I had to do this; forgive me. I spoke to them as they noticed the Photon essence wrapped around their bodies, creating protective barriers. I created over 150 barriers to protect all children within seconds. It''s nothing hard for me to do. The barriers were further reinforced as I fused my Cosmic Relic Creation into the barriers. Stay there, and wait Youre safe now, I promise. The children were confused, looking around at the bright barrier. W-Were saved? What happened? Mommy?! Is that you?! I want my dad Where is he?! Buaaaah! Most of them were either asking for their family members or crying. Poor, innocent souls. I shall become your shield, forever and ever. I wont let harm come to children ever again! Never again I swore back then that I had made an oath to the last person who ever cared for me genuinely. I promise that for as long as I lived, I would fight for every child I met and for every child I saw. And that I would never hesitate to punish those who would dare bring harm to them either. I promised that to you, Granny Zhi Hui. Now thats taken care of. I moved at lightning speed. I incapacitated every warrior I met that wasnt my target with a zapping strike of electricity and photon essence. ZAAP! ZAAP! ZAAP! ZAAP! Until finally, I found some of them. YOU! How dare you incapacitate those warriors and protect those soldiers?! You dare go against our Gods entertainment?! There were roughly thirty cultists in front of me. Not all of them dared to participate, though; this was a rather small amount. There were perhaps sixty more, and nothing else. They were cowards who enjoyed watching the War Games, but not so much participating in them. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Entertainment?! And dont call them soldiers! They were innocent children! None of them were ready to fight in a War Game, you sick monsters! Monsters, us?! screamed one of them. Youre the only monster here daring to threaten our culture! Your culture? I laughed. Well, if your culture is about forcing innocent people unwilling to do things to fight and kill each other for a sick gods entertainment... Then fuck your culture! Come at me and die honorably! Ill rip you apart piece by piece! I was furious, and I couldnt contain it anymore. KILL THAT INSANE WOMAN! They charged toward me with fury. Their levels varied between Level 1000 and 2500; they were not bad at all; they were fairly powerful beings, without a doubt. Yet so what?! The first man who stepped in front of me swung a giant hammer blazing with his magical auraa giant, red-skinned orc. Die, heretic! CRASH! His hammer only struck my head, and then it gained countless cracks, shattering into pieces. H-Huh? Wha?! His eyes were confused about what had happened. Your pitiful hammer broke when it hit me I explained to myself. Do you understand now? How strong am I? Y-YOU! His fists rushed down, then. SLAP! I slapped him with indignation and disgust. His entire body was torn to pieces by the intense force produced alone, exploding apart into countless muscle fibers, fragments of bones, and shredded internal organs. SPLAT! You dont even deserve me to use any technique against you; you dont have the right to see my true power! Die like the pathetic flies you are! They charged furiously even after seeing them, and I slapped them, all of them, one after another as they came. SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! Their bodies came undone in seconds, exploding apart by the sheer force accumulated in the palms of my hands, capable of splitting whole continents. I didnt even put that much force into them, yet they were still torn to pieces. How weak and pathetic! Is this the strength of the cult of the barbarian god?! It seems your followers are all pieces of trash, just like you! I roared at the bishop, who was still alive. Youre his avatar, right? L-let me go! We understand! Youre strong! he cried. "Please, we didnt mean to- Dont act like youre sorry, you unforgivable monster! I pushed him down and stepped into his head. Stop sullying my view. CRASH! I crushed the green orcs head and crushed it like watermelon, making his brains explode out of his broken skull, splattering into the grasslands. Hahh Hahh I looked around, seeing their bodies torn apart. Yet it wasnt enough! My rage was unending. Hah, and dont think you can revive afterward I smiled, grabbing their souls and waiting near their bodies. I understood how it worked; these points were actually tiny fragments of divinity. It kept their souls attached to their bodies as long as they died within the gods domain, this entire battlefield. Once the War Games ended, he would use some sort of healing magic and fully heal their bodies, while the points, tiny divinity fragments, would return to him after placing the souls back into the bodies. An unending cycle of death and rebirth on a battlefield of bloodshed and suffering. Without a doubt, this was all only strengthening that God. All these battles, all these deathsthey were only making him stronger with each War Game. Your ability to revive will not save you from your true death! I absorbed their points and divinity fragments and devoured them. After that, instead of shattering the souls themselves, I summoned a dimensional crack. Demons of the Cursed Library, youre free to eat the souls of everyone I or my friends kill. A cute demon woman stepped out, petite in height but exuding a tremendous amount of demonic and cursed energies from her body. Her face was a beautiful blue mask, with long, silky black hair and spiraling horns moving upwards, while the rest of her body revealed gray skin and black scales covering her. You heard the boss, everyone. Time to feast. She summoned all the demons available, roughly thirty of them; some looked angry, but none dared to disobey me now that she had led them. Apparently, Belze was a figure of respect for them. We can eat souls?! Really?! And these are so tasty-looking! Full of divinity, gryahahaha! Maybe youre not too bad, boss! Demons of all shapes and sizes surged from the dimensional crack, viciously taking away the souls of cultists and devouring them. Belze took a couple herself, eating them as the souls screamed in agony. Youre quite the generous boss, actually, she said, smiling. I thought you were a goody-two-shoes, but youre up for some mischief, eh? These are all the souls of monsters undeserving of mercy, I said. Do whatever you want with them. Just obey my words, and you shall be rewarded with even more delicious meals, alright? Sure! Belze nodded. You heard her, brats! We better work for our food! YEAAAH! they roared while laughing maliciously. I wasnt too fond of cooperating with these creatures of evil, but if they were sealed and imprisoned by beings that were even more corrupt than them, then it meant they probably were worse... or better. And I kind of liked Belze; she seemed like a good girl. Do we offer you support? We can curse and stuff, she said. Sure, just dont kill those I dont want to kill; can you do that? I asked. If you ever dare disobey, the books where you come from will get burned. We get it, yeah! Were your contracted demons anyway! she laughed. Lets do it, fuckers! Then lets go! I charged forward, unleashing my electrifying attacks; any soldier that came close was electrocuted and knocked out instantly. The demons right behind me covered for those I had not paid attention to, cursing them and making them drop almost dead. Sometimes they struck their heads very hard, making them almost bleed to death. They were brutal, but they obeyed my commands. Breaking a few bones in the process or giving them brain damage by striking their heads wasnt out of the question. As long as they dont kill, yeah. There! I quickly sensed more of the participating cultists. They were gathering around the generals. All while my friends rushed to target them. I saw Urbosa and Merkite rush to fight Leos, Mursha target that shadow man, and lastly, Peperina went alone to confront Infernos. I wasnt too sure about Peperinas victory, so I kept a close eye on her and would assist her if she needed further help. But the rest? I was sure they would win. You demons can also sense their Auras, right? I asked them. Members of the Cult of the Barbarian God possess strange Auras packed with his malefic divinity; find them and kill them while I search for more. Understood! Belze said, spreading her wings out and flying into the skies. Found a few! She smiled, descending towards them while four other demons accompanied her. She materialized a huge spear out of her own flesh and bones, which grew from her own arm, and then unleashed an attack. W-What are those things?! one of the cultists panicked. D-Demons?! The leader of their group screamed in horror. Hello, my meals~! Her spear pierced through their bodies within seconds, impaling them countless times and splattering their blood, flesh, broken bones, and shredded internal organs everywhere. CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! More souls, yahoo! Gimme, gimme! Mine! The demons rushed towards the floating souls, but Belze stopped them, pointing her spear at them. Excuse me? I killed them; these souls are MINE, she said. If you want to eat more, kill the targets, got it? Dont leech on me, bastards! The demons panicked as they stepped back. Belze was good at showing her strength and not letting others take advantage of her, I see. She devoured the souls, feeling stronger. Well, the skill itself also felt stronger; by letting the demons grow, the Skill itself also grew stronger, and its unique energy also grew in power and quantity. This black and dark red energy, which seemed like a fusion of many evil energies, converged and is now flowing through my hands. So this is Primordial Demonic Heaven Essence, huh? Shes there! Stop her! Kill her now! Suddenly, I found myself surrounded by even more soldiersnot all of them were cultists. It looks like they quickly hired a lot of mercenaries, huh? Enough playing around, woman. And then, a tall orc stepped in, a hybrid between red and green orcs, whose skin was brown instead, with a few tattoo-like patches of green and red resembling flames. He was over three meters tall, exuding an enormous quantity of Divinity from the Barbarian God, another Avatar, and a strong one at that. As one of the strongest Avatars of our God, I will not let you sully his battlefield anymore with your filthy righteousness! He quickly summoned two enormous swords, wielding them as he imbued them with green- and crimson-colored energies. Hah? Good, I wanted to try out this new energys power anyway. ----- Chapter 110: The Rabbit Hero ----- With the cavemen right in front of her, Peperina charged forward, wielding her hammer and knocking out any foe that came her way. The cultists of the barbarian God, however, had strange, demonic, and divine auras, which she swiftly crushed mercilessly. Despite how soft she was, Peperina had developed a ruthless side to her, and that she only showed when something of this caliber happened. When she saw all those children being forced to fight in a war and die, becoming nothing but offerings for their insane god, much like Bing Xue, the rabbit girl lost her mind. Bing Xue once told me that the strength we have is not for nothing and that aside from helping us survive, theres a greater meaning to it, a responsibility! As she thought, she jumped from place to place with her amazing rabbit agility, unleashing powerful blazing kicks at her foes and sending them away. Those who werent cultists were hit in the head and knocked out instantly. And the rest? Well And that responsibility is to protect the weak, the unfortunate, and the innocents from the monsters of the world! She leaped into midair, her entire Ki Aura blazing and surging, covering her entire body, and then Spirit and Mana Energies fused with it. Yes, Spirit! Bing Xue had allowed Peperina to awaken her Spiritual Magic after she let her touch her Spirit Tree inside her Inner Realm. This made it so Beast people could unleash three different kinds of energies together: Spirit, Ki, and Mana, giving them a gross advantage over everyone else. Even if the difference in levels was high, the power of Cultivation and Spiritual Energy made her much stronger than anybody on the battlefield. BAAAM! BAAAM! BAAAM! Her giant hammer crushed her foes; the evil cultists exploded into pieces, burning away before they could even harm her. And when they fired magic or projectiles at her, she unleashed shockwaves of flames, burning them all into ashes before they could touch her. The cavemen were right beside her, recognizing her amazing strength, and seeing how she wielded the power of the Children of Fire, they thought of her as an equal despite being so tiny in comparison to them. Rabbit-eared warrior, strong! Fiery Hair said. Rabbit is sister! Sister of the flame! Y-Yeah! Gladly? Peperina didnt completely understand what she meant, but she thought it was something good. Now, that man, I need to confront him... Can you guys open the way for me?! The rabbit girl pointed at the red-skinned, gigantic orc general, leading the Faction of the Orcs. This was by far the strongest faction, and their soldiers werent letting anybody get close to their powerful General, Infernos, the Blazing Cleaver. Open the path! Fiery Hair nodded and immediately rushed forward; enormous and muscular orcs confronted the cavemen, clashing against them. The Children of Fire were by far the strongest of the two tribes, easily overpowering the Orcs with their bare fists while resisting deadly blows with their bare skin, as tough as the toughest metals. How is this possible?! How strong are you for being mere humans- ACK! SHUT UP! FIGHT AND DIE! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! Fiery Hair furiously swung her blazing fists, crushing the orcs face and piercing his skull with it, shattering his entire head into pieces. The headless orc dropped dead. Naturally, those that belonged to the original factions werent all exactly cultists but were cooperating with them. All three Generals and most of their soldiers were also deserving of death, and Bing Xue spared no time to tell them to not hold back and kill them all if necessary. Whos next?! Fiery Hair roared, and as the orcs glared at her in disbelief, her powerful Primal Power Aura surged, making them all feel weaker, a chill running down their spines. H-How does she have such a potent Aura?! All these humans have them! T-This cant be... Are they mightier than the Orc Race?! But we are a Race of Warriors! Infernos clicked his tongue, looking at his subordinates. You foolish cowards! What are you afraid of?! You can revive later anyway! Do your best and kill as many as you can; while you can revive, they cant! KILL THEM IN THE NAME OF THE BARBARIAN GOD! Infernos roared, raising his giant weapons, as his blazing aura of mana encompassed all the surrounding Orcs, which were roughly two hundred of them. Their Auras suddenly flared with divine power, as Peperina realized Infernos was most likely yet another Avatar of the Barbarian God, too, if he could do this. WOOOOHHH! The Orcs went into a crazed, mad frenzy, roaring ferociously as their eyes turned completely red, losing their minds and rationality, and charging like berserkers against the cavemen. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Within seconds, they clashed once more against the mighty Children of the Flames and the Hawk Eyes, who remained mostly in between them for protection. They were tough too, but they preferred to wield spears and arrows as they were not tough enough to take a sword with their bare skin. CLASH! BOOM! CRASH! RUMBLE! Countless explosions, weapon techniques, magic spells, and blows reverberated everywhere. Peperina was growing nervous, but she was strong, keeping herself calm as much as she could. However, after facing what a true war was, she still had a lot to process. So this is what my mother told me aboutthe horrors of the Second Floor her tribe ran away from! Peperina leaped into the air and then descended, crushing the head of a berserker orc and splattering its brains. Their durability is not enhanced, only their power and speed, it seems! she told the cavemen with her very loud voice, inherited from her dwarf father. Hit them hard and dont let them get too many blows on you! You heard our rabbit sister! HIT THEM! RAAAAHHH! Fiery Hair roared, rallying her troops as they rushed forward. The orcs'' relentless charge had given them a slight advantage, yet the cavemen worked together as a family, protecting their weaker foes while taking care of each others backs. The Hawk Eyes spiraling winds and deadly wind-enhanced arrows rushed down on the orcs, killing a few and weakening the rest, while the Children of the Flames crushed their heads with their enormous hands or explosive, blazing punches. As the battle continued, Peperina made her way through the orcs, who went so crazy they left behind Infernos to fend for himself. Well, not as if he needed any protection either. I finally got you! She rushed in front of him but stopped before attacking him. Infernos looked down. Hm? A rabbit? What are you doing here, little one? He started to laugh. Have you lost your mama? Dont mess with me! Peperina roared. My mother told me everything! About a monstrous red orc that set ablaze our tribes camps years ago and chased down the weakest and smallest beast tribes, deemed unworthy because we lacked physical strength! Was it you, Infernos?! As he was faced by the fiery rabbit girl, the man smiled, his grasp of his two enormous axes tightened strongly, and his Aura of Mana and Divinity surged from his body. Compared to Peperina, it was as if a full-grown gorilla was confronting a tiny macaque, the sheer size difference was staggering, yet little Peperina was not backing down. Hahah Yes, I do remember now! He nodded, rubbing his chin. There was something like that a couple of years ago, hm? I slightly forgot about that by now I mean, whats there to remember anyway? Aside from- Oh! Yes, I do remember something really good about that time. The smell of you beasts flesh as it burned It was very delicious. It has been a long time since Ive had a proper meal! Tiny beast-kins are a delicacy, you see This is why you dont see them anymore here. Weve eaten them all already, hahahaha! W-Wha?! Peperina stepped back in utter horror and disbelief. To say such a horrendous thing without shame in his face. This man was beyond salvation; he was beyond anything. He was just a monster, an utter beast. Y-You ate people?! People?! laughed Infernos. Would you call them people when the only thing they did was squeal and cry? Even you Youre quite different; you are a hybrid, arent you? Maybe thats why youre decently strong I wonder how your meat tastes. Is it tender, girl? Hahhh Hahhh Peperina didnt expect this at all; she had at least thought he was a barbarian who killed. But to eat them too? Just how far could their horrors go? Just how much were these monsters capable of? And all for their god? Or perhaps, also for their own sick minds Peperina, however, instead of entering into panic and running away. She stayed there, her three Energies swirling together within her Martial Core, while her Physique began overflowing with Spiritual Flames. Hm? Infernos squinted his eyes as he saw the rabbit girls entire form beginning to change. Her white skin turned fiery red, her hair turned into flames, all her fur did as well, and her hammer became gigantic. RAAAHHH!!! With a furious roar of frustration and anger, she rushed towards Inferno, leaping using her rabbit legs and reaching his face within a split second. The slow and big orc was unable to react in time, his face being smacked down into the ground with the force of a hammer capable of splitting a whole mountain. CRAAASH! UGH?! The orc saw several of his teeth fly away, as well as his big tusks, which he was so proud of! His entire head felt dizzy as if it were spinning, and he suffered severe brain damage. His nose began bleeding, and so did his eyes, ears, and mouth. BAAAM! His enormous body dropped over the floor, rolling through the grass. The other orcs glared in disbelief at the scene. Their proud general was slammed into the ground by a little rabbit! And Peperina was growing ever more furious, thinking that her mothers family, her grandmother, her sisters, and her little brother didnt make it. Were all eaten... It made her sick to the gut. And wrathful to no end. The bloodline of her father was their blazing power, which was based on their anger. It erupted at full power, changing her appearance and unleashing her Blazer Dwarves inheritance. The mighty power to become beings of pure flames. She wasnt a pure-blooded rabbit-kin, no. But she was going to avenge them all as one! NO MERCY! I WILL KILL YOU AND AVENGE MY FAMILY!!! The blazing new form that Peperina achieved unleashed its powers fully as she rushed towards Inferno while leaving countless blazing explosions with her rabbit legs, managing to easily fly in the skies by jumping through the empty air! Hahah HAHAHAH! COME AT ME, SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE! Infernos wasnt furious; he laughed, quickly standing up. He believed this was a trial for him; the spirits of vengeance of all those he had slaughtered had come to make him pay for his sins. Yet this was nothing but a trial for this barbarian warrior; if he could even overcome the spirit of vengeance, then he would truly become unparalleled! He swung his two axes against Peperinas incoming blow as explosions of flames reverberated everywhere, shaking the entire battlefield, and burning through the grass surrounding them. CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! Hahaha! Youre strongtoo strong, I would say! laughed Infernos. To think you people had to mix your blood with another being to finally get to our level, PATHETIC! I wont stop... I wont stop until youre DEAD! Peperina roared, swinging her hammer against Infernos while spinning in midair, resembling a descending, blazing meteor. CRAAASH! Ugh?! AAAGH! Infernos muscles tensed and tightened as he felt the tremendous pressure and might of Peperina at full force running down against his arms. His blazing eyes furiously awakened his divine power. I cant believe I have to use my powers as an Avatar to fight her! This is beyond ridiculous! His Aura erupted from his body, resembling a four-armed demon, swinging their gigantic arms against Peperina, and punching her four times, throwing her away! BAAAM! BAAAM! BAAAM! BAAAM! Ugh! Peperina rolled over the floor, burning through it all, as she fell into the ground and left a huge crater behind. RUMBLE! Hahh Hahhh Hes strong, she muttered as Infernos slowly walked towards her. So this is the power of a Gods Avatar beings I only admired back then, when I was nothing but a little receptionist. But then she smiled slightly, her fury encompassing her entire body, as her flames suddenly turned blue, even stronger than before. But I am not done yet... Not yet! Her Spiritual Powers as a beast-kin surged from her body, fusing with her fathers blazing form. The combination of her two lineages special abilities. Brought into this world a new being. Granny Aunties, Uncle... she muttered. I hope youre watching now; Ill avenge you. ----- Chapter 111: The Revenge Of The Rabbit ----- A combination of lineagesbloodlines with their own unique powersformed something new and even stronger than before. Something that she has never seen before. The Bloodline of the Rabbit-kin considered the weakest of all Beast-kin, and their amazingly high affinity for Spiritual Energy and Magic, way above that of other Beast-kin. And the blazing power and transformation of the Blazer Dwarf lineage, which granted them tremendous power and fire magic power. Both came together, giving Peperinas flames a blue color as they overflowed with both Mana, Spirit Energy, and Ki all at once. RAAAH! With a ferocious, wrathful roar, the rabbit girl leaped into midair, clashing against Infernos dual-axe techniques. The red orc roared back, unleashing countless divine axe techniques, each one releasing countless explosions of divine flames. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The two relentlessly clashed against one another without letting the other overwhelm them. However, because of her size, it was quite obvious that each blow she blocked or intercepted made Peperinas entire body struggle. You keep blocking my blows, but for how long can you handle the force you take head-on?! Infernos laughed as he kicked Peperina right after she blocked yet another dual-axe attack, crushing one of her ribs and sending her flying away. CLAAASH! Ugh! Peperina felt at least three of her ribs break instantly, and thats while considering she was wearing a powerful armor Bing Xue gifted to her. She had told her to deactivate the nine-heaven protection, though, wanting a real fight with risks and honor. She wanted to beat him without having an invisible shield protecting her; she wanted to taste pain and also the euphoric sense of victory. She wanted to avenge her family with the power she had cultivated. Peperina thought she had already received too much help. She wanted to repay Bing Xue by showing her how much she had changed. {Revitalizing Spiritual Flames} However, it wasnt as if she didnt have an ace below her sleeve. Combining the healing magic she learned previously with her spiritual energy and then her ki-flame aura, she conjured white fire that began to slowly heal her wounds, revitalizing her body. Do you think Ill let you heal yourself? Ah! Peperina barely evaded an incoming blow from Infernos two axes, which were like giant guillotines coming for her. Just two of these blows would easily slice her apart into pieces, no matter how strong her armor was. CLAAASH! CLAAASH! As she evaded the blows while in midair, she kicked the air above her and descended towards Infernos head with as much speed as she could, constantly kicking the air and releasing tiny explosions with her rabbit foot. HYAAAH! {Spiritual Shapesmithing Arts: Surtrs Hammer}! Her hammer moved down as she increased its size to its limits, becoming over ten meters big, with an enhancement on its weight of over ten thousand tons. CRAAASH! Infernos received the titanic hammer with both of his giant axes, imbuing them with his powerful Divine Aura and his Mana Aura together at once. {Infernal Rampage}! His eyes flared with crimson flames as he rushed upwards, clashing against Peperinas hammer and unleashing a devastating series of blows with constant blazing explosions. The result of the collision between their techniques unleashed an explosion resembling a small atomic bomb; the floor beneath shattered, and any bystander was instantly calcinated into ashes. BOOOMMM!!! Hahh. Hahahah Inferno smiled, still alive, missing his right arm, only revealing half of its bone, burned to a crisp. It looks like you couldnt absorb all the flames, hm? The vicious orc glared at Peperinas figure. She was on the floor, barely conscious; both of her legs were missing, completely destroyed by the orcs attacks; she wasnt bleeding because her fire cauterized the terrible wounds. Hahh hahhh She was gasping for air, her powers barely responding to her. Her hammer was far away; she couldnt reach it. M-My legs She looked at her missing legs with despair and agony, only to see a shadow loom above her body, Infernos axe, and his sickening smile. At the end of the day, youre still the same as them, he smiled. Ill chop you down into pieces and eat your tender meat... Ive been craving some rabbit lately! She was going to be eaten. Peperina felt despair; her power, at the end, could not compare to that of a veteran and a god avatar like him. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. She felt frustrated and also like a hypocrite for telling Bing Xue she didnt need her help. At the end, he was indeed stronger than me, she thought. Is this how I will die...? Peperinas consciousness was coming in and out, while the axe of Inferno rose into the skies as he prepared to finish her down. And as her consciousness faded away and came back constantly, there were sparks, images, and memories of her younger years. Memories of her father. CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! She still remembers when she was a child watching her father work on the smithy, how he wielded his flames, and the hammer he used to shape his creations into reality. Her father would often times let her watch as he worked, but her mother would reprimand him for letting her so close to the flames. But her father knew that if his daughter inherited his blood, she would naturally always feel attracted to the flames of a smithy. Watch closely, honey. He showed his daughter as he grabbed a piece of metal, melted her through his techniques, then covered it in flames, and lastly, {Shapesmithing Arts}: {Sword Form} FLUOSH! The item immediately took the form of a blade. This was a power she had inherited from him and that, after so long, she could finally use. But There was something she had forgotten about this power. Or, well, her powers. Woah, daddy, thats amazing! she said. Can I do it too? Sure, come and try. While your mama is not watching! laughed her father. The girl walked close to the smithy as her father gave her a prepared ingot. Now do your thing. Oway! The girl grabbed the ingot, trying to shape it, yet she couldn''t, no matter how hard she tried. She tried and kept trying, but nothing. Umm Its not working! Why?! Hmm, well, youll develop that ability one day, Peperina. B-But I want to be like Papa now! Listen, Peperina, theres a time for everything I am sure that one day you will reach even higher heights than me. Peperina back then felt frustrated even after her fathers words, hitting the anvil where her father did his work. I-Its not fair! FLUOSH! And in that very moment, her fathers eyes widened in shock as he saw his daughters Spiritual Energies and Mana erupt into the anvil. Wha?! The anvils entire structure began to change immediately, something that he couldnt do so easily with anything but ingots. She could manipulate any metal she touched, even if it was already processed into something, and even if it wasnt even her own item. P-Peperina, careful! Her father grabbed her as a huge explosion happened right after that. The anvil erupted into countless metallic spikes, destroying half of the smithy. Waaaahhh! Papaaa! Little Peperina started crying in fear as she saw her father hugging her, his right shoulder bleeding as one of the metal spikes pierced him. Its fine Ugh Youre safe Papaaa! Youre not fineee! Buaaaah! Her father didnt die, but because of the wound on his shoulder, he was never able to create his perfect artifacts anymore, lacking dexterity in his two hands. It was such a traumatic experience for her when she was merely 5 years old that she had almost completely forgotten it. It was as if her brain had tried to block this memory. But right now, in this very moment, as her eyes started crying, she understood. A power that her own consciousness had sealed away because of how dangerous it could be. The true power was born when the Rabbit-kins Spirit Magic and the Blazer Dwarves Shapesmithing Arts combined together. It wasnt Spiritual Shapesmithing Arts either, no. The power sealed within her was something entirely different. DIEEE! Infernos laughed as his axe descended toward Peperina. But she suddenly raised her hand, touching the blazing hammer as it began cutting through her hand. CLASH! It hurt like hell as it cut through her flesh and bones. But she managed to touch the weapon with her bare hands. Nnggh! Peperina gritted her teeth as she unleashed her powers in full, unleashing the very last bits of Mana, Ki, and Spiritual Energy within her. {Worldsmith} A power that could even defy the authority of Gods. TRUUUM! Ungh?! Suddenly, Infernos noticed his hammer stopped moving, no longer obeying his hand. And instead, it seemed to be slowly melting. As if it were a living being of its own! What the?! Let go Let go of my axe! Infernos panicked, only to see something even more ridiculous. The axe melted into blazing metal, wrapping itself around his arm and piercing it with hundreds of spiraling spikes, tearing through his arm within seconds. The sound of his flesh, muscles, skin, and bones being torn apart and destroyed reverberated across the battlefield, alongside the orcs agonizing cream. Gryyyaaaagggh! It didnt stop there; the liquid metal wrapped around his torso, piercing through his flesh and tearing it apart. It was as if the metal had become a living being, eating him piece by piece. This was because the metal had been imbued with Peperinas hatred for him. This was her vengeanceher revenge! Within it, she put all the suffering the people Inferno had slaughtered and eaten. EAT HIM! PIECE BY PIECE! An eye for an eye! Inferno saw his own weapon beginning to tear him to shreds, quite literally eating him apart. He tried to fight it back and unleash devastating magic and skills. Yet even as the metal was destroyed, it kept fighting. This was because it was a divine weapon given to him by his God! It was tougher than he ever imagined. Yet that rabbit girl could control it?! I have to kill her! I have to! He tried to step on Peperinas head to crush her skull, only for another patch of metal to wrap around his legs. What?! He didnt realize that Peperina had also touched his footwear when he swung his axe against her with her other hand. {Worldsmith} TRUUUM! His metallic greaves turned into metallic slime-like entities, devouring his legs and then pushing him down until they crawled over his face. And began to slowly bite and tear it apart, piece by piece, until they reached his skull, and then devoured that too. His muffled screams could be barely heard beneath the metal covering him. Until his skull shattered and even his brains were eaten. A brutal death for a brutal man. Hahhh Its finally over Peperina sighed. Wait no! Hell revive later T-This is Just after she finally thought it was over, she remembered the wicked rules of this world. Infernos was going to revive once the War Games were over, and he would come after her again, at full power. After everything this bastard! Ugh! As she cried, a bright figure made of light materialized by her side; a wave of light covered her body; her legs regrew anew; and all her wounds were undone. It was Bing Xue, or, well, one of her Doppelgangers. Well done, Peperina You fought like a true warrior, till the very end. B-Bing Xue! Peperina hugged her tightly, sobbing over her chest. It was hard I thought I would die! B-but I avenged them my family! I know I know. But hell come back, and hell! He is not coming back. Huh? Bing Xues doppelganger pointed at the distance, and the body of the red orc, which was now on the bones, had a large soul floating by its side. And then something grasped it tightly and began to eat it bite after bite; it resembled a red-skinned imp, giggling maliciously. Gyehehe! What a delicious soul this isssss! These are my new friends, demons. They can eat souls. Dont worry, he is not coming back As Bing Xue smiled gently at Peperina, the rabbit girl smiled as she continued crying. Thank you for everything Although this battle had ended, the war had yet to conclude. And above the skies, the rage of a god made the clouds rumble with crimson lightning. His six watchful eyes were slowly being filled with tremendous frustration. ----- Chapter 112: Bing Xue, The Demon Queen ----- (Bing Xues POV) I was left slightly speechless after seeing what Peperina could achieve by combining her innate abilities with the training she had undergone so far. I would have happily assisted her before, but she had explicitly asked me to let her do this on her own. However, once she was finally over, I immediately jumped to heal her. Infernos was surprisingly powerful; despite not having a single speck of knowledge about cultivation or body strengthening, he had managed to create a powerful Aura technique using his Mana alone, alongside the Lesser Divine Essence within his Blessing, as an Avatar of the Barbarian God. It made him formidable, even more so when taking into consideration his high Level, yet Peperina managed to almost be at the same level as him before triggering her unique ability. Mostly thanks to my intensive training and the cultivation she underwent, which boosted her innate bloodline abilities and further awakened their power. Enough playing around, woman. Hm? Oh, right, I was fighting Cultists, and then someone appeared. A tall orc blocked my path, a hybrid between red and green orcs, whose skin was dark brown instead, with a few tattoo-like patches of green and red color resembling flames. He was over three meters tall, exuding an enormous quantity of Divinity from the Barbarian God, another Avatar, and a strong one at that, probably stronger than Infernos, without a doubt. A fitting challenger for someone like me! As one of the strongest Avatars of our God, I will not let you sully his battlefield anymore with your filthy righteousness! he roared. As my name, Onyx the Butcherer, shall be honored on this battlefield as I behead you, fiend! FLUOSH! He quickly summoned two enormous swords, wielding them as he imbued them with green- and crimson-colored energies, resembling blazing flames of pure Mana and Divinity mixed together. Hah? Good, I wanted to try out this new energys power anyway. I smiled. The more Souls the Demons I summoned ate, the stronger they grew, and the more Primordial Demonic Heaven Essence I gained. This strange new energy tied to the Dimensional Library Skill was unique in its composition. You dare look down on me in such a way when youre merely a human?! The furious Onyx rushed towards me, leaping forward as his blazing Aura erupted from his legs, and his two giant swords swung down the moment he appeared above me. SLAAASH! SLAAASH! Two gigantic, cutting waves of green and crimson flames rushed down towards my body, and as I had no necessity to unsheathe any blade anymore, I swung my bare hand, combining it with the new essence together. Did you know that where there is Light, there will always be Darkness? FLUOSH! My light suddenly transformed, becoming complete darkness, absorbing the Primordial Demonic Heaven Essence, and gaining red and purple colors. {Primordial Heaven Soul Blade: Cursed Demon Wolfs Fangs} I swung my hand as the Soul Blade Aura transformed, becoming a ferocious wolf that opened its jaws, clashing against the orcs swords and shattering his Aura instantly. CRAAASH! What?! He gasped in disbelief as the intensity of my attack hit his body. An explosion of darkness engulfed him completely, his entire body rolling over the grass, cursed flames of black and purple covering his wounds. Hahhh Hahhh W-What was that?! He muttered in disbelief. A wolf! You summoned a wolf?! Would a wolf ever leave such a scar on your chest? I walked slowly towards him. It was just a small bite; dont tell me you cant handle that. Aahh! A slash wound?! Onyx noticed the huge wound on his chest; it was horizontal and clean. A slash, without a doubt. {Soul Blade} I said it with a smile. Have you ever tried to wield your own hands as a sword, young man? My hands?! What bullshit is that?! Onyx muttered. Such a thing... Thats just impossible! With that mentality, of course, its impossible, I sighed. Now come, lets make this not so boring. Fight me and die with honor! My two hands materialized swords out of my aura, overflowing with darkness and cursed demonic power. The orc quickly stood back up again, his blazing swords growing larger and his entire body covered in armor of green and crimson fire. Ill show you, filthy human! YOU are the one that shall DIE here! FLASH! Within a single second, he appeared in front of me, moving at an incredible speed despite his large build! Impressive; he most likely had mastered some movement-related techniques beyond just mere System Skills. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Youre very fast; well done! Our swords clashed, sparks of black and green lightning and flames erupting with each impact; the ground below shattered and the skies above rumbled. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Hes definitely not as strong as the Primal King, but he does have enough power to be comparable to mighty cavemen, perhaps almost the same as Fiery Hair. That, coupled with swordsmanship techniques that are similar to Caesar, is someone who could challenge him for his throne. Despite all of that, hes a lunaticsomeone who worships a barbaric god. And as I promised to those children, I will show no mercy. {Rampaging Emerald Flame Storm}! With a ferocious roar, his attacks became rapid, generating a constant swirl of green flames around him that quickly manifested a storm, engulfing the two of us. FLUOSH! The storm constantly attempted to devour my body, trying to burn me and consume my flesh at a rapid speed. Yet it failed to do any damage whatsoever. Nonetheless, it was quite a mighty ability. {Emerald Flare Meteor Rain}!!! With a roar, and as his eyes turned deep green, he swung his two blades consecutively, dozens of times over. Each time, the storm around us manifested gigantic meteors made of crystalized green flames, reaching me and exploding. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Hahaha! Nobody can survive my ultimate technique! I have felled even mighty Players from upper floors with it! laughed Onyx. I remain undefeated! He swung his arms and raised them into the sky as the storm continued unleashing its flames and wrath against my body. A peculiar, if not rather colorful, ability Huh?! However, to his surprise, I moved past his meteors. Each time his meteors were to hit me, they were sliced apart without me even moving my hand or swinging a sword at all. {Soul Blade: Sword Physique} My enlightenment over the blade has given me yet another new ability. To imbue my whole body with the sharpness of Soul Blade, making it so Anything that hit me was sliced apart before it could damage me at all. CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! The meteors exploded into pieces, shattering apart into tiny green jewels I found quite pretty, so I saved some to examine later. I-Impossible! Unscathed?! U-Utterly unscathed?! Let me show you what a true technique looks like. You want to see a storm? I spread my arms, my Aura fluctuating as my hands turned into blades, slicing space itself and distorting it. Within a mere split second, the orc was engulfed in a gigantic spiraling storm of black flames, demonic curses, and darkness. FLUOOOSH! UAAGH?! W-WHAT?! {Soul Blade: Black Heavens Storm} While confused and desperate to learn what was happening, I attacked, rushing towards him. He barely noticed my presence approaching, reinforcing his body with as much power as he could. {Body Reinforcement: Diamond Physique}! FLASH! Suddenly, his body was covered with green and red diamonds, harder than any other substance on Earth. He became utterly invincible. Come at me! You wont be able to damage me in this state- Ahh?! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! A storm of slashing blows reached his body; the Black Heaven Storm merged with my hands, and each swing of my hands cut through his body as if it were a warm knife through butter. N-No! As he saw his body being dismembered, he gritted his teeth as his Aura surged, resembling a giant hand made of green and red flames, perhaps his last resort. Interesting. Is this Aura Manifestation? BAAAMMM!!! The impact hit me directly, with enough force to push me back into the skies. The explosion of flames engulfed my body, and I felt the heat quite well now. Hahhh Hahahah! T-This is?! Ive achieved something new! Onyx glanced at his own Aura, as it suddenly manifested more and more arms, his laughter reverberating across the skies. Hes learning, huh? Becoming stronger over time in his most desperate moments. I have to thank you for that! He continued laughing. {Aura Demon}! RUMBLE! His Aura erupted as a giant demon-like titan surged from it. Six massive arms rushed down, hitting me constantly with enough force to destroy whole mountains. BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! Hahaha! HAHAHAHAH! Even without arms, I can still fight! I am invincible among heaven and earth! he laughed. I will take over the cult and become the true leader! Not even Infernos will be able to stop me now- RUMBLE! Before he could continue his delusional speech, the entire sky turned black, as did all his surroundings. W-What?! What happened?! He was engulfed within a world of endless night and darkness, where demonic creatures started being birthed endlessly, mixed with the shadows and the curses. I have to thank you too, I smiled, surging from within the Domain of Darkness as an enormous Demoness made of shadows and cursed powers. Your techniques have given me a good idea as well. {Primordial Black Heaven Domain}: {Cursed Demon Queens Shadow Realm}! My appearance changed, and all my powers of light were shifted upside down, turning into evil and dark powers. The powers that the Library granted me continued to evolve my abilities beyond my original scope. SHUT UP!!! With a furious and frustrated roar, Onyxs Aura Manifestation attacked me; not only six but then eight, ten, fifteen, and twenty arms rushed towards me. Yet the darkness surrounding him responded faster than he thought. {Soul Blade} manifested within it, forming hundreds of giant shadow blades. {Soul Blade}: {Soul-Feasting Shadow Swords} SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Ugh?! Onyx gritted his teeth, as he vomited blood. BOOOM! His Aura Manifestation exploded and dissipated as countless blades sliced it apart into countless pieces. And then further damaged his body, leaving him falling into crystalline, diamond pieces. This was an entertaining warmup, if anything, I said with a smile. Goodbye. A-Ahhh! Without saying a single word, Onyx started screaming in utter horror as I summoned my physical sword and let it absorb my powers. It became a titanic, demonic, cursed blade. I guess this is overkill, huh? But after seeing within his memories all the villages he had raided, the women he had raped, and the children he had killed. What was there to hesitate about? Die like the filthy insect you are. HYEEEEEHH! With a scream befitting of an insect, my blade sliced through his entire diamond body, countless cracks spread through it and then made him explode apart, his very soul exploding and causing his body to be destroyed even faster. BOOOMMM!!! The Domain didnt disappear but was absorbed by my sword. As I slowly floated back into the grasslands below, the cultists that watched everything were caught off guard as the demons stabbed them in the back and beheaded them. A wonderful display of utter malice, my master! Belze was watching me with fascination. I have never seen such a tyrannical power before! You are truly a Demon! Hah, I will gladly use these powers, but a Demon? Hardly, I smiled, making the gigantic demonic sword rest on my shoulder. Im a human, actually~ Collect those diamond fragments for me; theyre quite precious materials! Yes maam! The Demons quickly started gathering everything as I directed my eyes towards another battle, one involving my two beloved mates, Urbosa and Merkite, against Leos, the traitorous king of beasts, who, according to them, betrayed the beast tribes after he joined the barbarian god cult seeking even more power and authority over the world. Things are only getting more interesting, dont you think? I looked into the skies; the clouds slowly began rumbling harder, with red lightning coming from them. There was someone seriously annoyed with what was happening. You just lost two Avatars already; youre pretty pathetic for a god. RUMBLE! ----- Chapter 113: Confronting The Traitor Of The Beast Tribes ----- Urbosa and Merkite ran across the battlefield, and with the cavemen right behind them, they crushed any foe that got near them; even breaking their bones or crushing their arms and legs didnt matter, as long as they didnt completely die. Although they were aware of the War Games ability to grant everyone the power to revive, there might be innocents here without any points whatsoever, newbies. And Bing Xue told them to simply knock anybody out, as long as they didnt belong to a cult or a faction that supported the cults. Obviously so, but that did not apply to the traitorous bastards that protected Leos, the Lion Beast man who stood pridefully in the middle of the battlefield with a long sword sheathed and full-body armor of white and gold color. He even still wore his golden crown, as if he hadnt betrayed all of the beast-kin tribes already. There they are! The deserters! Dont let them live! They have no points right now, I bet; kill them quickly so they cant revive! A pity that such beautiful females must be slaughtered, but deserts have no mercy! A group of over twenty beast men rushed towards Urbosa and Merkite. The two girls rapidly responded, their Spiritual Ki Auras erupting from their bodies as Thunder and Winds surged from each other, respectively. Our first real battle in a while, sister! Urbosa roared. Lets make it worth all the time weve spent training! Merkite nodded. The two of them resembled a thunderstorm as they rushed towards their foes. The beast people possessed powerful spiritual energy they could manipulate in a myriad ways; however, the ones in front of them could have never hoped to see such a masterful manipulation of these energies! {Spiritual Thunderstorm Spear Arts}: {Lightning Strike}! Urbosa merged with her thunder and spiritual energies, coupled with her vast amounts of Ki and even her resonating Soul, which had been almost completely cleansed and enhanced from the parasitizing of the System. With her spear in front of her, Urbosas entire being turned into a giant, piercing spear of pure, glistening purple and golden lightning, striking through her foes. S-Shes too fast! What sort of technique is that?! Watch out! Defend! They attempted to intercept her or block her blows, unleashing their own spiritual weapon arts, but it seemed utterly futile. Urbosas charge overwhelmed them within a split second of reaching their bodies. CRAAASH! The result? The moment she touched them, she was able to pierce through their bodies, the heat produced by her lightning melting their weapons and armor as she literally passed through them, making them explode into pieces. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Urbosa zig-zagged across the battlefield, moving from one place to another, left, right, front, below, and even upwards, piercing the bodies of anything in front of her and reducing them to mere shreds. The same could be said of her sister, as those who aimed at her thought of her as weaker than Urbosa due to her slightly smaller height and younger appearance. Charge at her! Surround her! The winds she controls arent as deadly! Shes much smaller and younger and weaker! Although she was the same age as her twin sister, Urbosas appearance seemed to have matured more after she gave birth to Hekita, making it seem as if she was the big sister between the two. And Merkite hated being looked down on! Dont underestimate me, you pieces of sh*t! {Spiritual Windstorm Spear Arts}: {Emerald Tornado}! Merkite spun in midair as her spear started spinning around at an immensely fast speed. Her Aura of Winds, combined with Ki, Mana, and Spiritual energies, generated a giant tornado of emerald winds. FLUOSH! W-Wha?! Uuaaagh! This is impossible! Her attackers were immediately engulfed in a storm of spiraling winds, each one slashing through their armor and weapons, and then Merkite herself, piercing their hearts and heads, as she flew around her pseudo-domain of winds as it moved across the battlefield. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Their screams of agony reverberated across the battlefield as their bodies were completely dismembered, and mercilessly so. Both twins reached Leos in a matter of seconds, going through his thirty warriors like nothing. Leos! Traitor of the beast tribes! Weve come to punish you at long last! Two girls rushed down at lightning speed, their Auras fusing together, creating a storm of winds and thunder that descended at the same time as their spears, aiming at the lion-beast mans head. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Yet. Youre strong; I have to admit that! He smiled, his mane waving away the strong winds. However Dont think you can just aim for my life so easily! Unsheathing his long sword, the traitorous king of the beast tribes unleashed a gigantic wave of pure light, blinding both Urbosa and Merkite. The wave of pure Mana and Spirit energy clashed against their combined Aura Attack, generating a loud explosion of elements. BOOOM! Urbosa and Merkite were pushed away by Leos almost supreme-level spiritual swordsmanship as they quickly balanced themselves amidst the air, using [Cloud Step], a technique that Bing Xue taught them to walk in the air. Hes strong, just as I thought! Urbosa smiled. Good, it would be boring if this monster died easily! Merkite said. Both twins groaned, showing their sharp teeth at Leos, as the prideful man, as tall as three meters, stood there, holding his blade as it emanated a bright Aura of Spiritual Light. Whatever youve done to achieve that level of strength, Ill have it extracted once my sword eats your souls, filthy deserters, Leos said. For my sword is craving the souls of strong warriors! Urbosa and Merkite ignored his words, rushing from left and right, aiming their spears at his heart and neck. The special attribute of spears is that you can keep your distance from your foe while using them, keeping yourself much safer as you fight. This was why Bing Xue, who wanted to prioritize their safety, decided to tell them to drop their rogue-like fighting style, replace their small blades and daggers, and teach them everything she knew about Spear Arts from Murim. Because she was faster, Urbosa was the first one to strike. {Spiritual Thunderstorm Spear Arts}: {One-Hundred Thunderbolts}! Her spear shone with golden light as her thunderous blows were unleashed, her hands moving at the same speed as the lightning coursing through her body, clashing against Leos and piercing his armor with each impactful blow. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Leos was not as fast as she was, though, as he was surprised by the incoming blows, his high confidence becoming his demise. His armor helped him take five blows, but the rest all hit him directly. In between being electrocuted and pierced by spears, he swung his blade several times, managing to block her next series of blows, with explosions of light and thunder erupting. You think you can best me?! With a frustrated roar, Leos swung his blade strongly, aiming to behead Urbosa. {Spiritual Light Swordsmanship}: {Holy Decapitation}! SLAAASH! The slashing wave reached Urbosa within a split second, almost about to slice her neck; however, her lightning responded, covering her entire body and releasing an explosive attack, destroying the incoming blow and then allowing Urbosa to step back before another slash were to cut her into two halves. Youre way too fast! How is this possible?! Leos roared. I have fought countless other thunder users before, none faster than me! His body was encompassed in pure light. Well, I bet youve hardly had a challenge to begin with! Urbosa roared, her spear clashing against his sword as explosions of their elements constantly erupted, breaking the ground, and making the skies rumble. Or are you going to pretend you never did anything wrong, that you didnt betray your people?! For how long you plan to run away from this?! Run away?! Laughed Leos. I have simply moved past that; it is YOU and your filthy kind that keep trying to remind me of something that no longer matters to me! Yes, I betrayed you, and yes, I did it for power! Would I do it again?! OF COURSE! With a furious roar, Leos raised his blade and swung it downward, generating a giant wave of pure spiritual light capable of splitting a whole mountain. SLAAASH! Yet! {Spiritual Windstorm Spear Arts}: {Emerald Tornado}! FLUOOOSH! A tornado of emerald winds emerged from below him, engulfing him and trapping him within. His sword technique came undone as he was unable to stabilize it in time, creating a strong backlash that twisted his guts and made him vomit blood. Ugh! Dammit, I forgot about the other one! Leos had completely forgotten Merkite existed as he fought with Urbosa, and that was for a good reason, as Urbosa planned to distract him enough for his sister to surprise him with a strong technique and trap him inside. This is merely NOTHING! TRUUUM! Even as his body was covered with many wounds, Leos released his powerful Aura, shaking the tornado and instantly dissipating it, revealing Merkite right behind him. However, it was too late, her spear quickly piercing his left arm, the arm holding his blade, and then, with an explosive gust of wind, blowing it up and breaking it off his shoulder! {Spiritual Windstorm Spear Arts}: {Explosive Gust Strike}! CRAAASH! Grraaagggghhh! Leos couldnt help but scream in agony as his arm fell from the skies with his sword in hand, and Merkite quickly kicked his face down with immense force, almost dislocating his lower jaw while dozens of his teeth were sent flying. Fuck you! BAAAM! Leos fell from the skies at a tremendous speed, falling head-first into the ground below and shattering it, generating countless cracks that erupted with light everywhere. Uuggh! Hahhh! Ngh! Leos channeled the powers of his Divine Blessing in that moment, as his arm was quickly replaced by one made of pure holy spiritual light through Spiritual Materialization, a technique that Hekita was born with but that took someone like him dozens of years to learn. H-How are you so strong?! Youre nothing but feeble little dogs! he muttered in frustration. To lose to the Silver Moon Tribe! This is a dishonor I must never face! As the proud Lion of the Golden Dawn Tribe! I am Supreme among all beast men! With a furious and frustrated scream, his Spiritual Aura erupted with immense force, and his Divine Sword flew towards him, piercing his chest and then melting over his body into liquid gold, turning into a full-body armor. His golden and red armor was covered in white and golden spiritual flames, as his helmet appearance was that of a ferocious lion. Indeed, his sword was not normal at all. What?! Urbosa muttered. Hes transforming?! Merkite asked. The two girls rushed down to stop him, combining their elements once more for a powerful spiraling spear made of thunder and winds to crush him from above. Face the power of the wielder of the Divine Beast Sword! roared Leos. Forged by the very bones and fangs of the divine beasts our God sealed! His arm grew anew out of this metal as he materialized a gigantic sword of light and golden flames, swinging it against the twins with tremendous, erupting force. DIE! SLAAASH! His attack immediately clashed against their combined one, all three elements constantly clashing against one another, attempting to overcome the other. However. BOOOMMM!!! An explosion happened before the winner could be decided. Urbosa hugged Merkite and quickly flew away, as Leos remained unmoved, the explosion being of no threat to him. As the smoke dissipated and revealed his glistening metallic armor, the twins looked down with slightly concerned looks. That must be the blade made by slaughtering our divine beast spirits, sighed Urbosa. The Divine Beast Spirit Fang Blade, Gaon! Merkite cried. Leos was definitely among the weakest avatars of the Barbarian God, but with that divine sword, he can also become their strongest, said Urbosa. Dammit! Can we win with that thing?! Merkite began to panic. We cant afford to lose now! Well end up humiliating ourselves in front of our wife, and we wont be able to avenge our fallen family and kindred! Theres a chance, Urbosa said, suddenly holding her sisters hand. We must do that. Wait, what?! But we just learned about it! said Merkite. And its unstable! Its the only way we can win with our own strength! Urbosa said. Hah, Merkite seemed to smile a bit. I suppose were out of options, huh? What are you babbling about?! Come and fight me, COWARDS! Leos roared, as his armor suddenly grew a pair of metallic wings, flying into the skies to confront the twins, swinging his blade against them. DIE WITH HONOR! SLAAASH! As he attacked, he saw both twins hugging each other and muttering something at the same time. {Spiritual Fusion} FLASH! ----- Chapter 114: Spiritual Fusion Listen While Reading: Wada Kouji - WE ARE XROS HEART! ----- {Spiritual Fusion}! A unique technique that Urbosa and Merkite had just discovered as they cultivated both Mana, Ki, and Spiritual Energy together. Usually, every beast-kin would develop their own Spiritual Magic, it was often the simplest elemental spirit magic, but there were rare cases where talented people could create contracts with spirits or even create spirits themselves, such as Hekita. However, although Urbosa and Merkite showed the most basic ability to just gain magical power and strength through spiritual energy, as they continued cultivating and improving themselves, eventually... Something was born. Within their Elemental Spiritual Core, a new power blossomed as they reached Rank 5. Each Rank of Cultivation granted a special ability to the wielder, which could also manifest into even more different powers based on their initial talents. And the talents of Spiritual Energy and Mana were often never variables originally, surprising Bing Xue each time the cultivation of her disciples resulted much differently than it should. When the twins reached Rank 3, they forged Spiritual Beast Physiques of tremendous power, enhancing their spiritual powers and even granting them something called Spirit Bodies, a second body made of spirit that, when merged with their original body, could double their stats or make them go even higher. At Rank 4, they reached the Martial Soul Realm, awakening a Martial Soul. Their soul changed, becoming incredibly powerful and attaining the power to manifest outside of their body. With this, they were able to encompass themselves in their elements, which their Martial Soul had absorbed, becoming Elemental Spiritual Martial Soul. And once they reached Rank 5, the highest Rank anybody taught by Bing Xue had reached, they attained the Martial Aura Realm, the power to combine the Martial Soul with their Physique, generating a mighty Aura that can encompass the body and become solid. And through the natural ability of their Aura, further merged and upgraded with their Spiritual Powers, a new Ability manifested within their growing Elemental Core. And that was {Spiritual Fusion}! The ability to combine their Souls and Physiques manifested in their ability to combine their Spiritual Powers, which, because they were already connected to their bodies and souls, practically helped the twins become a single entity, adding each others powers into a single being and fusing all their skills and techniques as well. Although a temporary form, its presence itself was already frightening! RUMBLE! The skies above rumbled as heaven and earth trembled and shook. Leos'' eyes widened as he noticed his sword was stopped from reaching the twins by their bare hands! CLASH! What?! As his mighty sword was blocked by her bare hands, the figure of the entity that was born from the fusion of Urbosa and Merkite emerged, and the smoke dissipated, revealing a tall wolf woman whose fur had become completely silver, with black patches across her shoulders, legs, and arms. She was over five meters tall, with a mighty, muscular frame and a feminine beauty akin to that of a beast goddess. With four large arms covered with glistening silver fur and sharp, black claws, her long tail waved by the wind produced by her body, long and fluffy, ending on a black-colored tip. The armor the twins were wearing didnt disappear, fusing together as they merged, as Bing Xue had modified their weapons to possess Spiritual Power as well, fusing together once they used Spiritual Fusion. A golden armor covered several parts of their body, resembling giant dragon scales emanating thunder and winds, and even their spears fused into a single, enormous spear with a sharp blade at each end. How did you?! Leos muttered, feeling the intense presence of Divine Power within them. Yes, Divine Power! Although it was quite faint, because the twins had reached Rank 5, and were only one Rank from reaching Rank 6, the Realm of Immortals, their power was now evolving. A spark of immortality surged from within their very being, combined as one, with spiritual and elemental energies further mixing up with Ki and Mana. Now, they were quite even. Do you think you have the time to talk? The giant wolf goddess spoke with a furious tone of voice, her voice the combination of both Urbosa and Merkites voices together. As she stopped Leos sword, her hand tightened, and then her sharp claws shattered the weapon instantly. Crack, crack! CRASH! Huh?! As the sword was reduced to mere fragments in front of the prideful warrior, he quickly and desperately summoned a hundred swords of spiritual light, mixing them with the divine power of his armor, formerly a sword, and the divine blessing of the barbarian god given to him. Dont you dare mock me! {Holy Spiritual Blade Rain}! The wolf goddess glanced as hundreds of swords reached her; the four eyes she possessed, two gold and two emerald, seemed to emanate a different aura altogether. Stolen story; please report. She wasnt the same as before. Mocking you? I am doing no such thing. With a mere thought, her Aura surged, a mighty shockwave similar to an {Immortal Intent} surged from her body, and thunder and winds combined into a powerful storm, destroying the projectiles coming towards her. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! As they exploded in midair without ever reaching her, the fusion reached Leos, her four eyes shining with divine spiritual energy. Leos, former King of the Beast Tribes... Your time is due! You will now pay for your sins! As she reached him, Leos desperately unleashed his powerful Aura, resembling a group of dozens of roaring golden lions, attacking the fusion with claws, fangs, and beams of spiritual light. SHUT UP! With a mighty roar, the former king of the beast tribes clashed against Merkite and Urbosa, now fused as a single entity. Her claws, legs, and spear pierced through his manifested aura with ease, tearing apart and beheading the lions, and then reaching his side once more, moving at lightning speed as her body suddenly became pure thunder and wind. For all of those that have died... For all the innocents that have been enslaved and killed because of your betrayal, because of your selfishness! SILENCE! Leos twisted his body barely in time, intercepting an incoming barrage of blows with his steel claws, only to realize the twins combined spear easily pierced through them, leaving countless holes across his body. CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! Ugh?! His hands were torn apart, and so were his arms, destroyed as explosions of thunder and winds engulfed most of his body. Then the spear reached his throat, about to finish him off. NOOO! With a furious and beastly roar, he opened his jaws, biting the spear as thunder and winds constantly ravaged his face, only for his swords melted form to continue replacing more and more of his body. I wont die! I AM THE KING OF THE BEASTS!!! His armor erupted with all his power at once, generating a giant shockwave of light that lightly pushed Urbosa and Merkites fusion a few meters, the twins noticing the former kings body having mutated even more, even the interior of his mouth and his flesh merging with the liquid gold of the sword. Grahhh GRAAAARRRGH! He had gone mad with power; the divine beast spirit powers imbued into the sword, now turned into armor, were going completely crazy. Perhaps the last beastly instincts left behind by the divine beast spirit they used to make this sword were now trying to take him over as a vessel of destruction and vengeance. Now resembling a giant metallic lion made of black and gold metal, Leos rushed towards the twins, shattering the ground around him and making the skies rumble. The twins intercepted his powerful bite attacks with explosions of thunder and winds as they conjured giant swords of their combined elements. This is what happens because youve used the body parts of a divine beast spirit to make a weapon! they roared in unison. Youve transgressed our greatest traditions and desecrated the very beings that once protected us, SINFUL BEAST! With their power unified as one, their spear grew several times larger, spinning around and piercing through Leos'' body dozens of times, leaving holes that were being rapidly regenerated over and over again. Leos attacked back with countless claws and beams of light. The two divine beasts clashed above the skies, constantly shaking them, and explosions of elements covered the heavens. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! GRAAARRRGGH! The relentless lion reached the fused twins, grabbing them with its giant claws and trying to devour their faces off with their massive, metallic jaws. Within its crimson eyes, the two noticed tears coming out. Not from Leos, but from the Divine Beast Spirit that had been turned into a monstrosity. Nnnggh! Forgive me! While gritting their teeth, their giant and muscular arms lifted, their hands reaching the massive metallic head and then twisting it with tremendous, thunderous force, tearing off Leos head off and then blowing it up with thunder and winds! BOOOM! For a moment, the body stopped moving and fell from the skies, showing the wounded, headless neck of Leos bleeding out over the grasslands. Hahh Hahh we did it? they wondered. This Ah! RUMBLE! However, in that very moment, a shockwave of spiritual and soul energies surged from the corpse. Their eyes widened to see Leos presence appear again, fusing with the armor once more. His very soul, contaminated with the barbarian gods blessing, did not want to leave its body yet! No No NOOO! I WONT LOSE! I AM THE KING OF BEASTS!!! The black and gold metal encompassing his corpse started to twist and shapeshift constantly, revealing hundreds of lion-like heads and beastly tentacles and claws constantly surging from its metallic and flesh fusion. GRUOOOHHHH! With a monstrous and almost eldritch scream of both agony and wrath, the lion beast kings soul started to shake the entire battlefield, his form growing larger and larger and larger, its tentacles piercing the bodies of participants, draining them of their blood and souls. I WILL FEAST ON ALL OF YOU, VERMINS! As they saw this immense destruction, the twins decided to end it once and for all. What a monster! Just how far is he willing to go to not accept his punishment for his sins?! they sighed. Lets end this! FLUOSH! Their Divine Spiritual Power surged from their body, fusing with their spear and then their body, gathering a giant storm of thunder and winds, forming a massive entity. Everyone could see it above the skies. Bing Xue smiled as she glanced at the scene, feeling proud of what her beloved girls had achieved. I knew they could do it. RUMBLE! ROOOAAARR! A gigantic wolf emerged, made completely out of divine spiritual elemental energies of thunder and winds, at over fifty meters of height. It descended towards Leos'' enormous, aberrant fleshy and metallic body, opening their jaws and engulfing him in a destruction explosion. BOOOMMM!!! The explosion was caused merely by their bodies colliding with one another; the fusion quickly opened their massive wolf jaws, biting and tearing through Leos apart as their powerful spiritual elements burned and turned him into ashes. Gryyyaaaeeggghh! The scream of agony from Leos echoed as his entire body was being devoured and torn apart, over and over and over again! N-No! STOP! STOOOP! ENOUGH! Accept your death! With a mighty howl, the twins suddenly grew two more wolf-like heads from their transformed fused body, tearing through Leos and even destroying his very soul, covering it with countless bites. Crack, crack! I AM! THE KING OF! CRACK! THE KING OF BEASTS! Crack, crack! STOP! CRACK! STOOOP! CRASH! THIS CANT BE HAPPENING TO MEEEE! Struggling until the very last second, Leos gave his last scream as his soul and body shattered into pieces, never to recover ever again. BOOOM! An explosion of accumulated divine spiritual energy erupted from his body, engulfing the two twins as their fusion quickly deactivated, their bodies falling over the grasslands, covered by powerful divine essence that was slowly absorbed by their bodies. Well done. Bing Xue appeared by their side, not as a doppelganger but as the real deal, waving her hand and healing them. Very well done, my love. As she helped them recover and regain their consciousness, Bing Xue suddenly noticed something behind her. A huge lump of black and gold metal is still groaning, along with the mixed, tiny soul fragments of the Divine Beast Spirit. Gryeeggh! Guuugghh How relentless you are, so youve survived For a moment, she considered vaporizing it and ending its suffering. Yet she could still notice, within its red eyes, the intent to live. Leos was no longer there anymore, but only the agonizing victim of the schemes of the barbarian god. As a merciful and righteous Venerable, Bing Xue took pity on it. She extended her hand as the metallic, slime-like creature slowly walked towards her hand and then was teleported inside her Inner Realm. ----- Chapter 115: Mursha Confronts Her Past ----- FLASH! The little mass of black and golden steel resembling a slime with red eyes and with small fragments of the divine beast spirit inside of it was quickly teleported inside of Bing Xues Inner Realm. It ended up falling over a pile of red and green-colored crystals, looking around in confusion. It was still in pain; its very existence was painful. It was once a prideful and mighty divine beast spirit that protected the lion and tiger tribes. Yet they were betrayed by Leos, and with the power of the barbarian god, they were sealed and then butchered while still alive, creating a sword out of their body parts. Grryyyggh Grruuguguh Guh? It suddenly started sniffing the crystals it was standing on, exuding a strong and large amount of divinity crystallized inside. One of Bing Xues doppelgangers then appeared right by its side. Eat up! These are the crystals made out of the body of an avatar of the god that did this to you, she smiled. Theyre diamonds, though; I wonder if you can eat them properly- Oh. Crunch, crunch, crunch! The little beast immediately started eating the diamonds one after another, with enough biting force to reduce them into dust and swallow them, rapidly gaining a stronger divine aura. Good, keep eating; youre doing a great job, dear. As she walked away, the large Spirit Tree next to her continued exuding its Spiritual Aura. With her Will, the trees roots spread out, surrounding the huge pile of diamonds and the little beast eating it. The roots were shaped into an enormous wooden formation, with its specific runes and cores slowly emanating a larger amount of spiritual energy. The last ingredient... She sprinkled small soul fragments from Infernos, whom Peperina had just fought; the demons had left behind some of his soul pieces for her to eat. But she decided to instead feed them to the creature, and the formation started glowing brightly, emanating a bright aura of spiritual divine power. FLAAASH! And then the creature, as it continued eating, and the spiritual energies infused into it, plus all the leftover divinity from the barbarian god, started to combine together, creating something new. A process that could take months only took minutes inside her Inner Realm as she accelerated the time inside it. A cocoon of sorts was already being formed, glistening with crimson and golden brilliance, and something inside was being created, reborn. BA DUM! BA DUM! BA DUM! The sound of its heartbeat reverberated across her Inner Realm, metal, flesh, crystals, and spiritual energies came together, further fueled by the barbarian gods divine fragments. Rise, little beast; your revenge is soon to come. Bing Xue walked around the cocoon as it slowly started to gain small cracks, spreading around constantly over many days. Take back the world he stole from you. . . . Mursha glanced at the battlefield, her eyes widening as she saw two of the mighty Generals already having fallen in just half an hour since the War Games began. She felt relieved, though, by just how strong her entire army was, especially Bing Xues closest aides. Leos had revealed his mighty armored form and his sword powers, yet he was defeated by the two wolf women that proclaimed themselves as Bing Xues mates, carrying her child in their wombs, managing to avenge the old beast tribes the ancient king had betrayed and given away to the barbarian god cult. Infernos was killed mercilessly by the unassuming and small half-rabbitkin she had seen and barely interacted with, who showcased tremendous power that the orc warrioress had never thought she could have. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Theyre really strong people. Mursha smiled. I also have to do my own job; I cant let them take on everything... Especially when this is personal. She swung her blade, slashing apart at her foes. She knew most of these fighters and knew they had points to spare, slashing their heads off anyway. Those that were newbies or weak had already been dealt with in the first minutes of the War Games, and now the only remaining fighters were the strongest out there. There she is! Mursha, fight me! The last member of the Bloodfang Tribe! Ill have your head today, dear! Several orcs, thralls, and beast-kins rushed towards her, wielding all sorts of weapons and utilizing all kinds of weapon arts and magic spells against her. Explosions of flames bombarded her; giant icicle spears attempted to impale her entire body; and mighty winds rushed, trying to push her back. Yet Mursha was not defenseless against magic; she swung her axe, imbued with her blood and mana, for many years; it had grown into a special weapon, a Cursed Spiritual-type weapon imbued with her own emotions of hatred and her blood and those of the foes she had slain. One of the abilities it awakened once it fully evolved was the power to break through magic itself. {Magic Eater}! She swung her axe down several times, breaking through the magic spells and making them explode and disappear with each blow. Her axe was growing stronger as its aura of mana increased with each mana spell destroyed. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Who wanted to face me again?! Mursha smiled defiantly and menacingly as her foes trembled in horror. Her axe moved down, hacking their bodies into pieces mercilessly and splattering their bodies over the grasslands, painting them red. W-Wait a second! CRASH! M-Mercy! CRASH! Mursha, wait! Dont be rough- Ugyaagh! CRASH! She mercilessly took their lives, like they had mercilessly taken the lives of many others. She mostly did not care either way, as the bastards would revive later on. Well, perhaps not, as she noticed a lot of demons eating their souls right afterwards. More and more warriors kept attacking her, with weapon arts coming from left and right. Piercing spear blows, slashing sword attacks, hacking axe blows, and crushing hammer strikes. Yet Mursha rapidly evaded and intercepted the blows, easily parrying them and beheading her foes one after another. Her axe mercilessly tore through flesh, her body covered in the blood of her foes. As she roared like a warrior, her runes activated, making her grow stronger. The Bloodfang Tribe Runes not only activated from the users own blood but also when they bathed in the blood of many foes, strengthening them. She kept moving forward, leading a group of cavemen behind her to raid the Thralls Faction. Suddenly FLASH! Wha?! CLASH! A giant shadow hand emerged behind her and then swung a massive sword against her. Murshas senses flared up as she barely managed to intercept the incoming blow, parrying it away and then releasing a blazing attack against the shadow hand with her other empty hand, destroying it. BOOOM! Not bad! The voice of someone echoed behind her as the shadows kept fluctuating around her, quickly taking the shape of several more shadow claws, some grabbing her legs and then her hips, trying to push her down. You think these tricks are going to work against me again?! With a furious roar, Mursha unleashed a mighty shockwave of energy coming from her body, destroying the shadows instantly and then striking the ground with her axe, generating a huge explosion of blood flames, and shattering the floor, burning any grass left behind. CRAAASH! Whoever was sneaking around her was immediately forced to appear in front of her as the surroundings burned. Mursha smartly targeted her very shadows, where her foe was hiding. Tch, quite smart as always, arent you, my girl? FLUOSH! The shadows quickly gathered, forming the enormous and lanky form of a Thrall and Orc hybrid, a man with the traits of both races, giving him tremendous power as well as speed and flexibility. And above all, great power over Dark Magic that controls Shadows, Curses, and Darkness With pale gray skin, an ugly orc-like face, long silvery-white hair, and very long bat-like ears like those of Thralls, along with long arms with hands that reached his knees, giant hands with long fingers and even longer claws, and a lanky yet muscular appearance, one of the culprits behind what happened to her and her family in the past emerged. Only wearing a black cloak, the mans crimson eyes shone brightly beneath his hoodie, giving him both a mysterious and a dangerous appearance and aura. Yet Mursha knew this man way too well; he had been the one that found her when she was hiding from the cult back then and the one that caused her parents and the tribe to sacrifice themselves for her sake. You finally show yourself, Obsidian, you filthy coward! Mursha roared, her blood boiling in anger, as she faced the right hand of the barbarian god cult. Things will be different now; this time Ill kill you! Hahah, Ive always loved that attitude of yours, my dear, the man smiled. Always so savage and furious! Youre what an orc woman should be! Shut up, you disgusting pig! roared Mursha. Ive come here to settle things once and for all! Ill kill you, and your soul will be eaten by those demons! Reviving will no longer be a thing for a bastard like you, who does not deserve it! Is that so? So thats what those things are doing. Obsidian nodded with a smile. But Mursha You see, I am much, much stronger than you could ever be, dear. What are you even going to do against me? I mean, I can let you try if you want! FLUOSH! Suddenly, Mursha found herself surrounded by dozens of shadow hands, wielding several weapons and swinging them against her, activating a dozen weapon arts at the same time, all within a split second of hitting her. Weak, you say? However, Mursha wasnt as weak as he said anymore; golden energies were surging from her heart and spreading across the rest of her body. Her physical strength, stamina, vitality, and senses suddenly skyrocketed as Primal Power, a gift from Fiery Hair, surged from her body, constantly producing more as she burned calories. I dont think so! SLAAASH! She spun at lightning speed, destroying every single weapon coming at her with her own axe, and then destroying all the shadow hands at the same time as she leaped towards Obsidian, her axe coming down towards his head. Today youll pay! What?! CRASH! ----- Chapter 116: The Orc Warrioress Takes Revenge ----- Obsidian, the right hand of the Barbarian Gods Cult Leader, was shocked to find that Mursha was not the same as before. He had been seeing her grow firsthand and had also seen the limits of her strength and how her level would not go up anymore as she was confined in this world. With his amazing abilities derived from the combination of his bloodlines, dark magic, and the divine blessing of the Barbarian god, he was simply superior to her in every aspect and considered the second strongest avatar of the Barbarian god! However, right now, Mursha unleashed her true potential, as the visitors from another world gifted her with a power that allowed her to surpass her limits, a power that had its own sentience, and a power that chose who could wield it or not. Primal Power, an alien energy said to have originated from a parallel earths meteor, instead of killing the dinosaurs, ended spreading this sentient, living energy into this world, taking upon all life, and mutating them into even more extreme and powerful forms. And Murshas physique, her innate abilities, and, above all, her prideful heart as a warrior were all the requirements that the Primal Power deemed necessary to wield their powers. Mursha glanced as Obsidians shadows attacked her, wielding dozens of weapons at once and unleashing countless weapon arts imbued with large quantities of Mana and Divinity from his divine blessing. Anybody else would simply be shredded into pieces after being attacked by such a terrifying onslaught of attacks! Obsidian was a terrifying foe that nobody would ever want to fight in the entire world of Elios. Yet Mursha faced him head-on, filled with the determination to finally avenge her mother and her father. And her tribe! RAAAHHH! SLAAASH! With a mighty roar, Mursha spun at lightning speed, destroying every single weapon coming at her with her own axe, and then destroying all the shadow hands at the same time as she leaped towards Obsidian, her axe coming down towards his head. Today youll pay! What?! Obsidians crimson eyes widened in utter disbelief as he saw Mursha destroy one of his ultimate techniques and quickly reach towards him. Her fiery axe was imbued with her powerful Bloodfang Runes, imbued with blood flames capable of dealing extra damage against foes. Shit! CRAAASH! Obsidian attempted to escape as the fiery axe rushed down, barely managing to pull away his torso and head, but it wasnt the same for the rest of his body, as he felt an agonizing, sudden, and sharp fang reach one of his legs. Uuuaaaggh! H-How dare you?! My leg! Screaming like a pathetic bastard, Mursha cut off Obsidians left leg as he attempted to escape within the shadows! However, that wasnt really the only surprising thing about it; the surprising thing was that she managed to find his body within the shadows. "Usually, it would be impossible for me to be damaged within my shadows! As long as I cover my body parts with them, I become immune to most damage! thought Obsidian, gritting his teeth in agonizing pain. Its that axe, isnt it?! That damned axe she hasthat cursed relic Ive always wanted for myself! How did this brat even manage to create such a mighty weapon on her own?! Im coming for the second one, you ugly piece of shit! Mursha leaped towards Obsidian without letting him even take a break; her axe swung down several times, unleashing explosive hacking blows that released blood flames with each attack. BOOM! CLASH! CRASH! BOOM! Ugh! ACK! Obsidian gritted his teeth as he attempted to resist the blows, his shadows constantly shaping into giant hands, yet they were all sliced and destroyed easily! This was thanks to Murshas axe special ability, the power to destroy magic structures, {Mana Break}. Obsidian! You dont know how MUCH Ive waited for this moment! Im going to KILL YOU! Mursha seemed possessed by something else; her aura kept growing larger and larger, and even as Obsidian managed to sneak some attacks on her with poisoned daggers and arrows, she would still remain unmoved and unaffected! This was thanks to Murshas incredibly powerful body, her Bloodfang Runes, which made her almost immune to most status effects because they absorb them to gain power, and also the Primal Power, which further strengthened her toughness. How is it possible?! The poison is not working on you?! Obsidian quickly turned into a mass of pure shadows, trying to escape Mursha and make some space between the two. Just die already, you whore! {Shadow Cannon}! Obsidian quickly transformed his entire body into the head of a dragon-like monstrosity made of shadows, opening, and unleashing a purple and black-colored beam of pure concentrated Mana and Abyssal Energies. TRUUUM! Using spells now, huh? You couldnt even just fight with weapons, it seems! Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Mursha stepped forward, running at lightning speed as her Blood Aura continued to grow stronger as her wounds fed it with her blood and vitality. Her eyes were glowing redder as she turned into even more of a berserk. RAAAAHH! With a ferocious roar, her axe swung down, hacking through the entire beam coming towards her and... dividing it into two! CRAAASH! The divided cannon was sent into the skies as a huge explosion engulfed the clouds above for a second. At the same time, Mursha reached Obsidian once more, her axe suddenly beginning to grow larger as her blood aura started to transform, covering her with a red fur-like veil. Dammit! Obsidian quickly extended his shadows towards Murshas own shadows, parasitizing her shadows and attempting to control her body with them. Aha! Youre within range, fool! {Shadow Puppet}! FLUOSH! Ungh?! Mursha suddenly felt her entire body paralyzed, as shadow strings seemed to be controlling her entire body! Her red eyes widened in shock at an ability she had never seen before. This is not something I usually utilize against my foes; they die too quickly, laughed Obsidian. But youve forced my hand, little bitch! Ive changed my mind! I am not even going to use you to have fun, JUST DIE! With a furious roar, the half-Thrall and half-Orc emerged from his shadows, reinforcing his long claws with darkness, and pushing his hands towards Murshas chest, aiming to pierce her heart and destroy it. CRASH! I got you! Ill crush your heart- Huh?! However, the gray-skinned sorcerer could only gasp as he realized his claws couldnt get past Murshas chest bones, barely piercing a bit of her skin and muscles! S-Shes so tough! What in the world?! he thought, furious. MURSHA! What is this?! How can you Agh, it doesnt matter! DIE! He unleashed a barrage of attacks using both of his long arms and their sharp claws, alongside his own shadows shaped as spears, trying to grind through Murshas bones to tear her insides to shreds. CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! As Mursha kept getting her body covered with wounds and continued bleeding, her eyes continued to grow redder. She felt the pain but didnt cry. The only thing she felt was unending wrath. GRRRHH! GRAAAHH! Her Bloodfang Runes covering her entire body glowed brightly as their Bloodshed powers activated again, imbuing her entire body with an even stronger, larger, and more terrifying Bloodfang Aura than before. I wont let anybody! Crack, crack! Suddenly, Obsidian realized that the threads of shadows he was using to keep her in place began to break through Murshas sheer physical prowess. Control me! Crack, CRACK! The sorcerer panicked, suddenly taking a step back out of pure fear. EVER AGAIN! Her Bloodfang Aura fused with her Primal Power and even the Ki that Bing Xue had gifted to her, all gathering within the center of her chest, fusing with her blood, and crystalizing. Into an Elemental Core of Crimson Red and Gold Colors! RUMBLE! The shadow spell of Obsidian came undone against Murshas sheer might as her aura of Ki, Mana, Blood Energy, and Primal Power combined together. And there was even... something that shocked Obsidian even more than before! T-Thats Spirit Energy?! Her Runes resonated, evolving towards a new level as Mursha forged her own Martial Core through pure anger and wrath. The Bloodfang Runes that passed through her tribe werent just some cheap magic constructions; they were the gift of an Ancient Divine Beast Spirit. The protectors of the Bloodfang Tribe Warriors and their patron divine beast spirit deity! AWOOOOO! The ferocious howl of a giant wolf echoed throughout the entire battlefield. Obsidian saw Murshas aura transform into a ferocious, malefic-looking three-headed crimson wolf. The Bloodfang Wolf?! muttered Obsidian. W-Wasnt that beast killed by our God hundreds of years ago?! H-How HOW?! He never died! Mursha roared, her entire body changing as parts of her body were suddenly covered by crimson fur, her clothes fusing with her crimson blood, creating the illusion of a huge crimson wolf pelt covering her body and even the head of a wolf covering her head. The Bloodfang Wolf lives within the Runes imprinted into our skin! As I live, he LIVES! No! Thats impossible! Divine Beast Spirits are nothing but inferior beings when compared to what a TRUE GOD is! Obsidian roared, his shadows fusing with his body as he unleashed his ultimate form, combining flesh and blood with his darkness, further reinforced with his divine blessing. And Ill show you the true might of our GOD, Murshaaaa! His entire body changed, becoming a tall, completely pitch-black entity with six long and muscular arms, and three heads with a single crimson eye each, adorned with demonic horns coming from each head, a long and pointy spear-like tail, and bat-like wings surging from his back. {Demigod of Shadows Embodiment}! laughed Obsidian; his powers seemed to be surging endlessly, with sparks of divinity within them. This is the pinnacle of my power! Face me in my strongest form! I am but a single step from reaching Divinity, hahaha! Aaahhh! Ooohhh! H-Heeelp! Mursha noticed thousands of howling, agonizing souls within Obsidians Shadow body, constantly screaming in pain and agony. The souls of all those warriors that could no longer revive were swallowed by his developing Divinity. So that bastard has been raising you as his pet gods?! I wont let you ascend any further, you monster! Mursha charged against Obsidian, moving at an even faster speed than before. Within a split second, she reached the man, his crimson eyes widening as he didnt even notice her moving. So fast! Obsidian moved his six arms towards her, materializing giant spiraling spears out of his claws and attempting to resist Murshas onslaught. A grave mistake. {Bloodfang Wolfs Rampage} GROOAARRRGH! The Bloodfang Wolf roared furiously and ferociously, reinforcing Murshas power even further. She rushed forward, hitting Obsidians stomach with a deadly headbutt and making him vomit blood, before a barrage of hacking blows with her axe started slicing through his body, setting it ablaze. Aaaaggh! Obsidian screamed as he drowned in his own blood. Shes too strong! FUCK! With a desperate scream, Obsidians entire body constantly attempted to regenerate his wounds as giant claws, shadow weapons, and beams of darkness attempted to wear down Mursha as much as he could possibly afford. CRASH! BOOM! CLASH! CRASH! BOOM! CLASH! Explosions of blood flames and shadows constantly erupted as the two clashed, tearing each other apart with the fury and wrath of warriors that put their hearts and lives on the line. DIE, MURSHAAAAA! With all his might, Obsidian gathered all his power within a single point of his left hand, generating a sphere of concentrated darkness, shadow, and divinity together into one. {Shadow Nova}! The sphere reached Mursha, exploding and erasing everything within its vicinity, engulfing it all in an explosion of shadows and darkness. BOOOM! Aha! I-I got her! Obsidian smiled as he saw Mursha being completely engulfed by the endless darkness. However. {Bloodfang Wolfs Howl}! AAWOOOOO! The howl of the Bloodfang Wolf echoed the entire magical explosion about to engulf her RUMBLE! Was completely destroyed. N-No thats And before Obsidian could try anything else, he suddenly realized his vision was divided. SLAAASH! Murshas axe had cleaved through his head and down his crotch, slicing him apart into two halves. This cant be happening to me! This is for mom, dad, and my tribe! Using his own blood as fuel, Mursha quickly blew him up into pieces. {Blood Flare}! BOOOMMM!!! ----- Illustration Gallery
I''ll be updating this Gallery and linking to it every time there''s new Illustrations. First Cover: Second Cover: Third Cover:
Have you ever wondered what would happen if the pinnacle of a Xianxia Cultivation Story appears in the middle of a post-apocalyptic system and tower climbing setting, without having lost her powers, unrestrained, and invincible?
Murim, a world of Martial Arts, Cultivation, Brutal Violence, Bloodshed, Vengeance, and where Might Makes Right. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Bing Xue spent eleven thousand years in such a world, ascending to become the pinnacle after countless hardships, blood, tears, and sacrificing her own humanity in the process. However, she was incapable of ascending into the Immemorial Primordial Void Realm; incapable of escaping the Heavenly Will''s influence, she gambled it all on a single decision, escaping into the Outer Cosmos with her last remaining energies. Despite thinking her long journey was coming to an end, a black hole teleports her back to Earth out of nowhere! However, things on her home planet are much different than before. The Tower now exists, connecting Earth with countless other worlds. Monsters come out of Dimensional Gates, threatening humanity, and awakened people named Players climb the Tower in hopes of saving humanity from destruction. After learning that her mother and her sister are still alive, Bing Xue will use the overwhelming and supreme might she has cultivated for eleven thousand years to destroy the tower, slay the gods that govern it, and save Earth from its untimely demise. The System? She will fold it and make a fashionable scarf with it! The Administrators? They might become her new pets. The Monsters? Nothing but ants that die immediately by merely touching her Immortal Aura. The Hunters? If they behave, she might make them her disciples and teach them to cultivate the Heavenly Dao, so they dont rely too much on the System. The Hostile Players? Just flies shell slap to death with a gentle wave of her hands. And the Gods? Merely aperitives for her ever-growing Divinity! Chapter 117: The Barbarian God’s Descent ----- Obsidian saw his entire body being divided into two halves. His flesh, blood, bones, and internal organs all helped, becoming fuel as Mursha touched his flesh and imbued her runic powers inside, conjuring a suicidal technique into his own body. Remember this technique?! It was the technique dad used in his last moments! Mursha recalled how her father told her to live and to make them proud before he used Blood Flare to explode, dying honorably in his last moments. That memory was imprinted into her mind even to this day, as Mursha decided to punish this bastard using that very power! S-STOP! I SAID STOOOP! Obsidian attempted, in his last moments, to reattach himself before being blown up, but that failed, as Mursha conjured the spell faster than his two halves could move. {Blood Flare}! FLUOSH! His internal organsflesh, blood, and bonesall combusted, covering and burning his very insides. Developing Divinity or whatever, it didnt mean shit when he was being blown up from the inside out. MURSHAAAAAHHHH!!! With a scream of utter agony, frustration, and disbelief, Obsidian perished. BOOOMMM!!! Whatever remained of him splattered over the grasslands, burning and turning into calcinated pieces of bone and ashes. Uuuggh! Aaaggh! However, against Murshas expectations, she noticed a small sphere of darkness with a single crimson eye floating above the remains of Obsidian. What?! she muttered. What the hell is that?! Mursha could barely move anymore; the immense pressure of having used all her powers was now weighing her down, making her fall to her knees, gasping for air. M-My body M-My soul?! muttered the thing in confusion. You YOUUUU! The sphere of darkness suddenly started growing larger and larger, taking on an amorphous form and exuding a corrupted, dying divinity that wouldnt accept its physical bodys death. RUMBLE! A mighty shockwave of darkness encompassed its surroundings, making the entire world tremble. Mursha felt the immense pressure and quickly knew what it was. Obsidian?! No, this is not exactly him! What is this?! His Divinity? So he had one a developing one, and- Ugh! Before she could even move or do something, she felt an intense pain all across her body. The dulling abilities she had were already being turned off, making her consciousness drift in and out. You You! You will become my new bodyyyy Murshaaaaa! The thing started crawling towards Mursha as the orc warrioress tried to muster any strength within her, beginning to struggle more and more. Bloodfang Wolf Please Please give me your strength! This being this demon! He will not die Until we completely erase him! Please, give me your power! Orc quickly stood up against all odds, wielding and carrying her axe towards the weakened mass of darkness. Her blood aura continued to grow stronger and larger, barely. The small head of a crimson wolf emerged from within, growling. Eat him! Mursha groaned, swinging her axe down. GROOAARR! The Bloodfang Wolf roared ferociously, opening its jaws and timing its attack at the same time as Murshas axe, which slashed through the corrupted divinity of Obsidian. SLAAASH! At the same time as an explosion of Blood Flames engulfed the entire thing, the wolf attacked; this was their last remnant of powereverything they had left within themselves! Their main body was destroyed and desecrated, devoured by the Barbarian God and used to make his weapons, and each member of the Bloodfang Tribe died except Mursha. Their existence as a whole had grown terribly weaker. Yet it was thanks to Murshas efforts and her might that the wolf remained alive. Yet now... this was the very last of themselves. CRUUUNCH! Their jaws devoured Obsidians corrupted divinity, crushing and destroying it into countless fragments before crushing it again, grinding into their existence and the soul attached to it. Uuuaaaaggghh! The very last essence of Obsidian was being erased, eaten, and digested by the wolf, fueling Mursha, the vessel of his powers, with brand-new strength. Her wounds slowly healed, and her vitality was restored, along with her stamina. Slowly, she felt refreshed. Yet The presence of the Bloodfang Wolf grew weaker over time, slowly dissipating. Disappearing. Mursha Ive protected you this whole time, the voice of the wolf echoed inside her mind. E-Eh? For a moment, Mursha found herself reminiscing about old memories of her childhood after the death of her entire tribe. When she felt the loneliest, she was the most desolated. And the saddest... He was there, watching over her like a loyal guardian. It was small, and she couldnt even see him. But as Mursha saw her memories through his, she realized. She was never alone. I always watched over you, my dear child. W-Wait wait! Mursha ran towards him, hugging his fluffy red fur, as she started crying. Yet as her hands touched him, he was slowly dissipating. His big nose touched her forehead as he gently licked her face. Youve grown stronger than I could have ever hoped. Wait, dont go! Ive fulfilled my promise to your father, to your tribe Do you have to leave me too?! Everyone everyone leaves! Mursha, my existence I cant no longer B-But there could be a way! I just This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Mursha continued crying as she rubbed her face over the wolfs fur. I dont want to be alone! The wolf looked at her tenderly, rubbing his nose on her. Youre no longer alone. Images of Fiery Hair, Peperina, Urbosa, Merkite, and Bing Xue appeared by Murshas side. You have friends And I believe you can be with them, yes? But I wish I wish I could have known earlier that you were there! Deep down, you knew It was the reason you persevered, the reason you continued growing stronger. My presence was there; you never felt... truly lonely my child The Bloodfang Wolfs body was almost completely gone. Dont go Mursha cried, like the child she once was. Dont leave me Im sorry the wolf sighed. Im sure youll do just fine my child The skies above cleared, as Mursha saw the visions change, showing her tribe. Her father was smiling proudly, crossing his arms, and nodding. Her mother, with her gentle, lovely smile and her eyes full of love for her daughter. And her tribe, her uncles, her cousinsall of them standing, smiling proudly. Ill go with them the wolf said. Ill protect them even in the afterlife, my children of the Bloodfang Tribe So you too, do your best, my child Protect those you love because you are strong. Mursha saw the wolf slowly disappear with the souls of her tribe, which were actually trapped within Obsidians shadow divinity. They finally managed to get to the afterlife after dozens of years of perpetual agony. Mursha couldnt be happier about such an end for them. Yet, she couldnt help but feel so sad, nonetheless. She fell to her knees, crying uncontrollably, grabbing the grass tightly, and tearing it off the ground. But then she calmed down and sighed. I will As she tried to stand up but couldnt because she felt so dizzy after gaining all this new power, a hand gently held her big hands. It was soft and small compared to hers, but it was warm. Mursha slowly lifted her head, finding Bing Xue. Well done, Mursha. Bing Xue Mursha slowly stood up with Bing Xues help, looking at her brilliant, rainbow-colored eyes and feeling slightly startled by her divine beauty. She looked so divine and unapproachable. Yet she was perhaps the nicest person she had met throughout her entire life. She could tell how much Bing Xue mourned her tribe too; she had a level of empathy that no other person could have. Im sorry, she sighed. For everything Y-You dont have to be sorry for anything Mursha smiled lightly. You didnt do anything Thats why, Bing Xue muttered. Because I couldnt be here... because I couldnt come back earlier... because I couldnt visit this world a few years ago... Im sorry. Hahah Dont blame yourself for something you couldnt change. Mursha noticed Bing Xue gently cleaning her tears; she blushed a bit. There, better now? Bing Xue asked. Y-Yeah thanks, Mursha muttered. Thank you for everything Without you, I wouldnt have been able to avenge my family Or even win against this monster. Save your thanks for later, dear. Bing Xue gently patted her big shoulders. The battle is far from over. In fact, its just starting. Ah! Mursha looked into the skies. RUMBLE! As all Generals of all factions were slain, the War Games had already come to an end. This would have pleased the Barbarian God if it werent for a few little problems. The first was that the generals, his avatars, had their souls eaten by demons and their divine powers given by him to them stolen by Bing Xue or her allies. The second problem was that over half of the members were spared and protected, mostly all the children or those that werent involved; they didnt get killed. Only those who directly followed him or were allies with the cultists were killed, and their souls were also eaten, unable to revive again later. And lastly, Bing Xue had been provoking him too muchway too much. The skies trembled as crimson lightning surged from them. Bing Xues entire group gathered together again, Seth, Fiery Hair, and the cavemen, Urbosa, Merkite, and Peperina. I give you the opportunity to pass this test smoothly RUMBLE! I allow you to even take upon a different faction. FLASH! And I even allow you to kill my generals and to keep those sacrifices alive. TRUUUM! Yet Yet you dare break their souls and kill most of my Avatars?! RUMBLE! The skies trembled as the figure of a divine being descended. Bing Xues eyes widened slightly as she noticed the tremendously thick atmosphere created by his Divine Presence. And his appearance. A gigantic man of over a hundred meters tall, muscular, and mighty, with eight gigantic arms, long black claws, and golden horns adorning his head. He had long silvery-white hair and the slightly handsome face of a red-skinned demon, with ogre-like fangs coming from his lower jaw. And a third, black, red, and purple-colored vertical eye over his forehead. All eight of his hands held giant, golden weapons overflowing with both divine and spiritual powers. Made out of the corpses of the Divine Spirit Beasts, he hunted and killed for sport. Wearing only white-colored pants made out of the fur of a white creature and a black and red scarf made out of the scales of another, which danced by the wind around his neck. The Divine and Supreme beings of the second floor of the Tower emerged. Anybody would guess that the god of the second floor would be a weakling; there were 98 other floors to go after all. A terrible misconception. Hes stronger than the two gods of Eclipse combined and multiplied by ten Bing Xue smiled. Interesting. The people around the entire battlefield trembled in utter horror, disbelief, and fear. W-what is that giant?! T-The God! The God of the Barbarians! Why is he here?! Why has he descended?! Run! RUN BEFORE EVERYTHING IS DESTROYED! Yet the most fanatic ones that had only been watching and didnt participate smiled, celebrating his descent! Aaahhh! Our King has finally shown himself! He will show that woman that he cannot be messed with! Oh, almighty God of Battles and Bloodshed, thank you for blessing us with your divine presence! And among them was the leader of the cult, someone who had lived for hundreds of years through the divine blessing of his master and god. The tallest orc in the land was red skinned with four arms, resembling a minor battle god of his own, overflowing with a powerful, developing divinity. Admire him! Rejoice, you fool! All of you SINNERS shall perish before his might! You, who neglect the bloodshed, YOU, who dare oppose his might! You shall be squashed like bugs! He laughed, raising his staff into the skies, and pointing at his god, descending miraculously and with divinity. T-Thats! That bastard! Mursha groaned, gritting her teeth. The monsterthe one behind everything! He showed himself?! So thats him Urbosa muttered. I see So this is what were fighting against said Merkite. H-Hes too big! cried Peperina. How can we even?! Seth remained calm even after watching this. I see what youre aiming for. Ill be on my way then, Bing Xue. Ill do that. Ill go with you, Bing Xue said, as one of her doppelgangers suddenly transformed into a golden armor of light around Seth. Go! Hah, very well! Seth moved at lightning speed, moving to a completely different area of the planet just as God descended. At the same time, Bing Xue looked at her party. I will take care of him, she said. The cult is right there; theyre probably going to charge at us soon. Ill trust you can take care of them; all of you have grown much stronger. Wait, I have to go too! said Mursha. I need to! Bing Xue looked at Mursha in silence. You can only choose one: the God or his insane follower who did everything himself. Choose. Thats Mursha muttered. But then she glanced at the bastard, the one who had done everything. Although that god might have been the one giving orders, she never ever saw his face. All her hatred was directed at his most fervent believer and his priest, bishop, and avatar. Fine Ill kill him. Bing Xue smiled, nodding. Then, Ill leave it to you~ FLASH! With an explosion of golden light, Bing Xue appeared in front of the Barbarian God. I have heard a lot about you, Barbarian God. That is but one of my many names! One I do not particularly like, Bing Xue. Is that so? Bing Xue remained calm, and still, the Barbarian God could immediately sense her tremendous power. I dont want to fight, you know? he said. I descended because I knew thats what you wanted me to do... And I am here to give you an offer. If you take it, I am even willing to forgive you for having killed my Avatars. An offer? Bing Xue wondered, lifting an eyebrow. Yes Join us, join the Gods of the Tower, the giant god extended his hands towards her. Join the Order of the Gods and become our equal, an ally, and a sister of us all! Bing Xue remained in silence. What? Are you still hesitating? Bing Xue, this is the opportunity of your lifetime. You must- I refuse. What? Come again? SLAAASH! Ungh?! The Barbarian God, out of nowhere, saw that three of his giant arms were sliced apart, Bing Xue appearing behind him, her rainbow eyes glaring down at his pathetic, bleeding body. I said I refused. The Barbarian Gods face slowly distorted in disbelief, the handsome face he had slowly turned into an ugly red Oni, an ogre! YOU FOOL! THEN THIS WORLD SHALL BE YOUR GRAVE! COME OUT, EVERYONE! RUMBLE! Space and time distorted around the two of them as Bing Xues eyes looked around, noticing several signals of divine power. Not one, not two, not three. But over ten of them! The strongest Avatars of the Gods from several other floors appeared one after another, surrounding her alongside the Barbarian God. They were Avatars that had undergone Complete Assimilation, becoming quite literally a second divine body to harbor these Gods Divinities and Souls. It was as if they were there in the flesh, practically. [The Tower God {Insect Queen of the Frozen Lands} aims to slay you!] [The Tower God {Stone Giant of the Ash Mountain} seeks your death!] [The Tower God {Ruler of the Emerald Flames} desires your destruction before you become too big of a threat!] [The Tower God {Ancient Weapon of Destruction} desires your complete deletion.] [The Tower God {Decaying Princess of Zombies} wants to taste your flesh.] [The Tower God {Dark Chaos Machine} wants you pulverized!] [The Tower God {Lord of the Cursed Forest} has been called here to kill you in unison with the other Gods!] [The Tower God {Seeker of Treasures} says it is a pity youll have to die, as your beauty is as big as a treasure.] [The Tower God {Parasite Queen} aims to parasitize you!] [The Tower God {Abandoned Puppet of the Divine Craftsman} wants your world] [The Tower God {Carnivals Clown} says that hes done playing games.] [The Tower God {Ultramarine Dragon King} desires your destruction!] [The Tower God {Aberrant Chimera of the Abyss} wants your body parts!] What is this? Bing Xue laughed. A party? All for me? You shouldnt have! KILL HER! With a furious command, the Barbarian God led the charge, as Bing Xue faced dozens of Gods at once. ----- Chapter 118: Unparalleled Bing Xue! Fighting Dozens Of Gods At Once! Listen While Reading: Shower of Swords ----- [The Tower God {Insect Queen of the Frozen Lands} aims to slay you!] [The Tower God {Stone Giant of the Ash Mountain} seeks your death!] [The Tower God {Ruler of the Emerald Flames} desires your destruction before you become too big of a threat!] [The Tower God {Ancient Weapon of Destruction} desires your complete deletion.] [The Tower God {Decaying Princess of Zombies} wants to taste your flesh.] [The Tower God {Dark Chaos Machine} wants you pulverized!] Bing Xue found herself surrounded by dozens of Divine Avatars that had reached the highest Realm of Assimilation, practically becoming perfect second bodies for these Gods, who used most of their soul to inhabit them as vessels. She could tell, based on the notifications she was getting, that these Gods were from Floors 3 to 15! [The Tower God {Lord of the Cursed Forest} has been called here to kill you in unison with the other Gods!] [The Tower God {Seeker of Treasures} says it is a pity youll have to die, as your beauty is as big as a treasure.] [The Tower God {Parasite Queen} aims to parasitize you!] [The Tower God {Abandoned Puppet of the Divine Craftsman} wants your world] [The Tower God {Carnivals Clown} says that hes done playing games.] [The Tower God {Ultramarine Dragon King} desires your destruction!] [The Tower God {Aberrant Chimera of the Abyss} wants your body parts!] She could immediately tell, based on their titles, who was attacking her. The insect queen of frozen lands was the massive ant, scarab, and spider hybrid monstrosity of over thirty meters rushing towards her, a huge insect-like creature covered in divine frost and with a powerful freezing aura. SHYAAAAGH! FREEZE TO DEATH! She swung her gigantic claws against Bing Xue, unleashing powerful shockwaves of freezing winds that immediately began to cover her in frost, slowing down her movements! This was like nothing Bing Xue had faceda cold so powerful it was slightly comparable to the coldness of the lands of Murims Blue Heavens. It was a cold based on a Divinity, it froze even her very soul! I got her! Shes mine! laughed the Insect Queen, suddenly conjuring thousands of frost spears against Bing Xue to finish her off. {Divine Frost Domain}: {Frozen Coffin}! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Each frost spear that pierced Bing Xues body exploded, covering her with more and more frost, freezing her every molecule, until absolutely nothing but a huge ice cube was left behind. A frozen coffin! Huh? Shes already dead? "Well, that didnt take too long What a disappointment! I wanted her flesh- Ah! Crack, crack! However, over the frost, suddenly, countless cracks began to spread. The gods glanced at the insect queen, who panicked, quickly trying to freeze Bing Xue more and more. Yet! Crack, CRACK! S-Stop! How is it possible?! Ive frozen her down to her very molecules! the Insect Queen screamed. T-This is- ACK! CRASH! The Frozen Coffin shattered as Bing Xues hands pierced through it, her body having slightly changed, covered in crystal-like dragon scales, now having a long dragon tail, wings, horns, and azure draconic eyes. Youre strong, you caught me off guard. Bing Xue smiled. It would have taken me ten seconds to free myself instead of five without this Skill, well done! Ding! [You have activated the [Divine Winter Draconification (SSS): Lv1] Skill!] [You have undergone a special transformation, becoming a {Divine Winter Half-Dragon}!] [All Ice Element Damage is Nullified, and you can absorb it as Mana and Spirit Energy!] [Your Physical Power, Magic and Physical Defenses, and Ice Elemental Magic Power have increased by 500%, doubling their effects when youre surrounded by ice.] UAAACK! The giant insect queen screamed in agony as Bing Xue grabbed her neck, tightly grasping with her hands with tremendous force that broke through the goddess avatars powerful barriers of divinity. Crack, crack! CRASH! H-Help! Help you bastards! This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it The Insect Queen screamed as the Gods panicked. S-Stop her! The other Gods rushed towards Bing Xue, unleashing their Divine Techniques against her. But it was already too late. {Primordial Spiritual Body Arts}: {Divine Photon Injection} Before their attacks could reach Bing Xue, the insect queens avatar suddenly started releasing lightning and blinding fiery light from her eyes and jaws, until her entire body inflated. And then exploded. BOOOM! Her Divine Soul, which was taking over the avatar, had attempted to go back, only to be grabbed by Bing Xues draconic claws and slashed apart into countless pieces. {Quadruple Slash} SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! G-Gaaaggh?! Impo ssible! The Insect Queen was shocked to find her very divine soul being divided into four pieces, and then eight, seventeen, and more, until she was reduced to smithereens, exploding into azure ice smoke, and then being absorbed by Bing Xues aura. KILL HER! DIE! STARTING EXTERMINATION PROTOCOL! Bing Xue quickly glanced around her as she noticed dozens of divine techniques rushing down towards her: giant gusts of wind, amorphous masses of decaying flesh unified together into massive jaws, infernal waves of flames, emerald fire meteors, and a gigantic cannon of dark energy, among many more. Without hesitating, she quickly imbued her Divine Photon Essence into her hand, alongside her Primordial Venerable Ki. Her entire surroundings, even above the sky, seemed to expand into a domain where she was standing. And everything turned completely red; the gods saw an endless wave of infernal flames coming towards them! {Primordial Heaven Soul Blade: Red Heaven Inferno} In a rising inferno, the skies turned red. The heavenly flames of the Red Heven of Murim surged endlessly as Bing Xues hand, her Soul Blade, swung horizontally as she spun. SLAAASH! A gigantic slashing wave of flames was unleashed, destroying all divine techniques immediately and without any effort, and then, reaching the Godly Avatars, they quickly conjured their barriers to protect themselves, only for the barriers to immediately break and explode into pieces. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! T-This is impossible! Ugh! My body! Those flames burn through everything, even my own flames?! Bing Xue didnt waste time doing small talk, quickly reaching the closest god to her, a giant made of stone and ores whose body had been the least damaged. He was tough, so she wanted to take him down quickly. Aagh! He gasped as he saw her appear in front of him. Within that split second, he unleashed his Divine Domain, trying to capture her within an endless storm of boulders. {Divine Earth Domain}: {Boulder Catastrophe}! No. However, Bing Xue moved forward, and every boulder rushing towards her and hitting her was instantly slashed apart by her own body. She had become a sword; her very body was as sharp as a blade! {Primordial Nirvanas Spear: Red Heaven Echo} FLUOSH! The flames of the Red Heaven Soul Blade technique gathered in her hands, fusing with her technique to generate a giant spear made of rumbling crimson clouds and spiraling golden light. W-Wait! Wait a second! Time out! The giant quickly attempted to escape, but it was just too late. CRASH! Bing Xue pierced his chest as the rest of his body gained countless cracks through the flames expanding across it, suddenly exploding into countless rocks. BOOOM! Even his Divine Soul screamed in agony as it was shattered and eaten by Bing Xues powers, her Aura of Ragnar?k only growing stronger and denser. Even if she had already Ranked Up, any Class would always remain within the individual; it wouldnt get replaced. STOP HER, YOU USELESS BASTARDS! The Barbarian God ordered the rest of the gods to attack Bing Xue at the same time; she easily noticed how he somehow had the power to order them around despite belonging to the second floor. Could it be? Has this guy been holding back his powers and saving them to pretend hes weak? she wondered. If they obey him to this extent, its not just a deal; they probably recognize his strength as well. INITIALIZING EXTERMINATION. A giant machine entity of silver and azure colors, made completely out of hard metal plates in the slight shape of a human but with a snake-like tail instead of legs, reached Bing Xue, its head, only composed of a huge, red-colored light and charged energies, firing a beam of concentrated electromagnetic energies. TRUUUM! They even got robots here. Bing Xue smiled. Must be the Ancient Weapon of Destruction, right? {Divine Soul Blade}: {Divine Photon Slash} SLAAASH! With a single slash of her hands, a huge wave of divine photon energies in the form of a sword was unleashed, splitting the heavens, and reaching a robot of over thirty meters in height. CRASH! And slicing it apart into two perfect halves, only for the slash to suddenly multiply into four more slashes, slashing apart the creature until it became nothing but junk! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! ERROR. MAIN SYSTEM FUNCTIONS HAVE BEEN DISABLED. SEVERE INTERNAL DA-DA-DA-DAMAGE! BOOOMMM!!! The giant machine god exploded into pieces after it was divided into so many fragments it could no longer recover from that, but Bing Xue noticed it had no soul but a large quantity of Divine Electromagnetic energies she ended up absorbing instead. How strange; robots indeed have no souls, huh? Although she was curious about this Gods world and how it came to become a God themselves, she didnt really have the time to think. Three more Gods appeared behind her. {Divine Emerald Fire Domain}: {Green Demon Infernal Hammer}! A ten-meter-tall green and red-skinned demon-like man roared; with four arms and three heads, it conjured a powerful divine domain, completely engulfing Bing Xue and combining all his emerald flames into a massive hammer to crush her. {Divine Treasure Domain}: {All-Consuming Golden Sea}! A dark elf-looking man wearing desert clothes expanded his divine domain, resembling a sea of treasures and gold, which combined together into a gigantic wave of pure gold, capable of consuming everything and turning it into more treasures for him. {Divine Decaying Domain}: {Endless Zombie Apocalypse}! And a young-looking woman whose body was decaying and falling apart, a zombie, unleashed a disgusting domain of decaying flesh that took the form of millions of zombies fusing together, howling, and screaming in hunger and fury. As strong as she is, she wont be able to easily take three Divine Domains at the same time! the Barbarian God smiled, slowly trying to regenerate the arms Bing Xue cut from him. I dont even need her to die, just grow weak enough so I can reap all the benefits later! Bing Xue was engulfed by all three Divine Domain Techniques at once. For a moment, her body disappeared beneath the giant explosions of emerald fire, zombies, and gold everywhere. Yet I guess your Domains can trap someone within a certain space; unfortunately, I can move through space as I please. Bing Xue appeared above the three gods, who realized their Divine Domains ended up clashing against each other. Well, as long as their domains dont encompass me completely. D-Dammit! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! The shockwave and backlash that came quickly pushed all three gods away, which Bing Xue took the opportunity to swiftly eliminate mercilessly, skipping through space using her movement techniques. D-Defend- ACK! CRASH! The Treasure God screamed in agony as his chest was suddenly pierced by Bing Xues own body as she moved through him after turning into a mass of thunder and light and also becoming a Soul Blade. Stop her! The Zombie Princess cried, her entire body turning into an aberrant mass of decaying limbs, trying to get Bing Xue, only for the Venerable to conjure two spheres of blinding light containing two spectrums, Yin and Yang. I have reached a level you simply cannot fight against; your struggles and your attacks are futile, she said. {Dual Rings of Radiant and Umbral Harmony} The two spheres grew in size, becoming spinning rings of light and darkness, cutting and slashing through the monstrosity and reducing her to ashes within mere seconds. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Gryyyaaagggh! BOOOMMM!!! Hm? Bing Xue noticed the Emerald Fire wielder appear behind her, conjuring two enormous, divine weapons made out of his elements. Ill seal your power! {Divine Emerald Flame Dual Blade Arts}: {Twelve Meridian-Sealing Stabs}! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! ----- Chapter 119: Balance Disruption Arts Listen While Reading: RETURN OF THE DRAGON ----- By the harmony of Yin and Yang, I unify you two to create perfect balance... And then I shatter you to generate endless chaos. Suddenly, as the swords reached Bing Xue, she conjured a strange magic the gods had never seen before. Two spheres of pure condensed Primordial Venerable Yin and Yang Ki combined together as they rotated against one another. The skies above turned white, and the ground below turned black. The two membranes of darkness and light touched before shaking and shattering. The spheres came together as if they were mere droplets of water, only to combine and swirl, beginning to rapidly distort space and time. This is a new technique Ive made; want to give it a taste? Bing Xue winked at the green-skinned demon, who realized too late that his attacks were doing absolutely no damage to her. {Balance Disruption Art}: {Hollow Chaos} W-Wha?! Darkness and light engulfed the god completely; his entire being was immediately consumed by a massive amount of destructive energy. He could not fight back and only saw as he disappeared, body and soul. BOOOMMM!!! The skies trembled and were split open completely. Several Divine Domains the Gods had conjured beforehand all came undone, shattering and causing backlashes into their bodies. Space itself tore apart, fracturing and falling down like pieces of glass once attached to the empty air that was the structure of space. By combining Yin and Yang together and then disrupting them, Bing Xue suddenly found a whole new realm of possibilities. And she called this... Balance Disruption Arts. The power to wield the destructive force generated from disrupting balance between two harmonious concentrations of Yin and Yang. T-This is! Just how strong is she?! T-The Emerald Fire God hes gone?! Not even a single ash is left! T-This is The gods started to hesitate, yet they knew that if they hesitated, Bing Xue would come after them and kill them too. They knew very well they would be killed; they were all greedy monsters that had been extorting the mortals of their world. They didnt feel guilty, but they knew that someone as righteous as her would despise them. There were no negotiations that could be made against a figure of pure righteousness like Bing Xue! Any other god would have happily negotiated things, but... Bing Xue was different; she would simply aim for their lives after knowing they had killed just a few hundred mortals to get more power. In their minds, she was a completely unreasonable and chaotic being they couldnt comprehend! After all, who would get upset about the deaths of those they didnt know or cared about before knowing about them recently? Only a lunatic! Or so they believed. Attack her together! The Barbarian God roared, his Aura of Power encompassing all the Gods as fiery wrath rushed from their bodies and souls. The gods rushed down at the same time as he did, and this time he finally chose to join the battle. All at once, huh? Bing Xue quickly gathered Time Essence into her hands, activating one of her newest Skills as dozens of deadly divine techniques rained upon her from all angles, and even the giant weapons of the Barbarian God came down towards her. RUMBLE! As all blows reached her, suddenly, time itself and its flow shook drastically, as Bing Xue punched time itself and made it twist around, making her skip through it entirely. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Where is she?! She disappeared? No, wait! The Gods were shocked to find that Bing Xue had somehow completely disappeared, only to find out she appeared again within the same space as before, but after all their attacks, they reached that area and exploded. {Aeternitas Martial Arts}: {Primordial Divine Sentinel of the Bright Future} An immense amount of Time Essence and Yang Essence overflowed from her body as she conjured one of the abilities of her second EX-Ranked Skill. The power to skip a second into the future, allowing her to completely mitigate all damage dealt to her within that time frame, and skipping into a second after. But it wasnt just that either! Crack, crack! BOOOM! A gigantic explosion, a shockwave within time and space, was unleashed at the same time as she skipped through time. The absence of her existence within that time frame caused an immense void between time and space, generating a huge explosion of accumulated void energy. The explosion was immense, sending most of the gods flying away. Only the Barbarian God managed to resist the gigantic explosion, gritting his teeth as he resisted it with his powerful body. Just what was that?! What did she do?! he muttered, gritting his teeth furiously. Dammit! {Divine Beast Spirit Weapon Manifestation}! ROOOAARR! Suddenly, the multiple roars of Divine Beast Spirits he had turned into his weapons echoed as the giant Barbarian God was suddenly covered by a huge armor composed of their souls and spiritual powers, further strengthened by his own divinity. Youre finally going to fight, you pathetic bastard? Bing Xue asked as the Barbarian god moved at lightning speed, almost as if he had skipped space itself, appearing above her and swinging his weapons at once. {Divine Spirit Beast Rampage}! This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ROOARR! SHAAAH! GRUOOH! Bing Xue was immediately attacked by a dozen blows rushing down at her at once, imbued not only with the power of these divine spirit beasts turned into weapons but also with the entire weight of the world of Elios, further enhancing the strength of the Barbarian God. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Each of his blows came accompanied by the phantasmal illusion of one of these beasts he killed and transformed into weapons emerging and attacking Bing Xue with their claws, elemental breath, magic, or mighty jaws. It was overwhelming! There were no openings, and Bing Xue seemed to be completely blocked from fighting back, forced to take on all the damage and, at most, pointlessly defend. Hahaha! Fool! I caught you off-guard! laughed the Barbarian God. Now, attack her while I have her locked here! Space itself seemed to grow heavier as Bing Xue was taking on his attacks; her clothes were slowly shaking, slightly torn apart, and her eyes squinted. The Barbarian God was perhaps the strongest being she had faced since coming back from Murim, and she could easily gauge this by the amount of power he held! I was able to slice his arms before; was that because he had lowered his guard? she wondered. Hes a young god; hes very na?ve. Youre within our grasp now! {Divine Cursed Forest Domain}: {All-Consuming Rotten Wood Prison}! An old goblin-like man wearing black clothes and a magician hat with a long beard conjured and unleashed a giant domain filled with black, cursed wood that could absorb all life they touched. Take this, you unfunny bitch! {Divine Carnival Domain}: {Colorful Firework Catastrophe}! A clown-shaped puppet of metal and wood laughed. Wearing a clown-like mask and a red wig, the bizarre god conjured a domain that created the illusion of a beautiful circus, where thousands of fireworks descended to annihilate his foe. DONT LOOK DOWN ON US GODS EVER AGAIN. {Divine Mechanical Domain}: {Star Eater}! A huge black and purple-colored robot, much larger, more modern-looking, and also imbued with dark and abyssal energies, unleashed a domain where everything turned into deep space and where a huge mechanical star gathered dark photon energies, firing a massive cannon. Yet Bing Xue, against all of these attacks... Smiled. TRUUUM! Suddenly, space and time began to distort rapidly again. The Barbarian God noticed this due to an artifact he held around his neck, a gift from a Higher God, yet it was too late. The fact that he noticed this technique at all did not matter! FLUOSH! Time itself reverted back to two seconds; it was as if a movie was going in reverse. His eyes widened as he saw Bing Xue moving within the reversing time. T-This is! {Aeternitas Martial Arts}: {Primordial Divine Sentinel of the Dark Past} Once the two seconds went back, all the domains, attacks, and everything had yet to begin, and Bing Xues fists had already pierced the clowns chest, making him explode through Divine Photon Injection. W-Whats happening- AAAGGGHHH! BOOOM! The other gods that couldnt notice what happened gasped, suddenly seeing as if Bing Xue had disappeared and reappeared; this wasnt even her super-fast movements or any teleportation; they would have been able to somewhat stop her from doing so through their domains that were anchored into space after all. But this was different! The dark past unravels itself; yet another of your allies is dead; the future you envisioned is gone, she said. Now tell me, corrupt gods. Have you ever felt fear before? Her hands waved, Yin and Yang energies combining together. Everyone knew what she was doing. The Cursed Forest and the Black Machine God quickly attempted to stop her. Yet, it was simply too late. It was always too late with her! {Balance Disruption Art}: {Hollow Chaos} A tiny sphere of purple and black light was released, and the divine domains immediately shattered into pieces before its very presence. And then, the sphere was divided into ten more. {Balance Disruption Arts Echo}: {Fragmented Chaos} An Echo! The ability to modify an already-conjured spell or technique and change it midway through its attacking pattern. It was like a rain of purple and black light. Yet when it touched one of the gods, the Cursed Forest God. FLASH! Ungh?! UUAAAGGGH! BOOOM! He was completely consumed, vaporizing completely, and leaving no body or soul behind at all. The machine god attempted to escape the rain of fragmented chaos. But it couldnt; one sphere was right in front of him as he moved away. FLASH! ERROR ERRO- BBRRRHHHHH! BOOOM! Vaporized againmetal, circuits, everything insidenothing of that mattered at all; it was completely erased from existence. R-Run! RUUUN! The other Gods suddenly started escaping, leaving the Barbarian God alone as he screamed at them, however, he saw the fragmented chaos catch half of the ones escaping. Come on, are you not even giving me the fight I wanted? And Bing Xue appeared above him as the Barbarian God saw several more Gods perishing, one after another; chaos consumed them entirely. BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! Until no God was left except him! T-This is ridiculous! Y-You killed them all?! And their souls even their souls! D-Does that mean?! Yes, it means what you think it means. Bing Xue''s smile became slightly wicked, and as her eyes turned deep red, her entire body began to transform in that moment, becoming a huge, demonic entity. A Demon Queen. Theyre dead. As she spoke, the heaven above her rumbled, becoming black and red, and her two hands formed giant blades made of Yin and Yang disrupting each other, generating deadly Chaos. Her Draconification also mixed with her appearance, giving her a draconic and demonic appearance, something Bing Xue would have never attained before. Y-YOUUUU! With a furious roar, the Barbarian God lost all his mind, and the entire world trembled as Bing Xue noticed hundreds of rivers of World Energy rushing into his body, making him larger and larger and larger within a split second! RUMBLE! Hes draining the energy of the world itself to become stronger!" Bing Xue thought, glaring down as she noticed all nature and plants beginning to die, the beautiful endless grasslands becoming a dead wasteland. Crack, crack! CRACK! RUMBLE! The entire world was shaking; giant cracks began to spread everywhere; and enormous quantities of lava from the blazing core of the planet started erupting everywhere. The Barbarian God was planning to absorb the planet''s energy and use it to destroy her and everything else. IF I HAVE TO DESTROY THE ENTIRE WORLD, I WILL! AS LONG AS I CAN KILL YOUUUUU! His form became larger, reaching over two kilometers in height, looking like an endless tower of a man, piercing the skies and the heavens themselves. COME! MY ARMY OF DESTRUCTION AND BLOODSHED! His entire body, blazing with the lava of the entire planet rushing into it, started to rapidly shapeshift, giving birth to thousands of aberrant, titanic divine monsters. KILL HER! Bing Xue rushed against the beasts, slashing them apart one after another as explosions of chaos erupted across the skies. Seth was right! The moment he was cornered, he would do this suicidal technique and bring down the world with him! Bing Xue thought, gritting her teeth as she was quickly swarmed by thousands of titanic Divine Bloodshed Monsters. It seems their help will be needed at the end As Bing Xue clashed against the monstrosity the enraged Barbarian God had become, and Mursha and the rest fought against the Gods Cult, Seth, Umbra, and Estrella rushed across the skies, seeing as the world was beginning to come to an end. There it is! Quickly! We have to get inside! Seth pointed down at a huge crater in the middle of the wastelands, where there was a huge ancient temple covered by vegetation. RUMBLE! Yet the countless cracks across the planets surface threatened to destroy that enormous temple and what he sought inside of it. Hurry, we dont have time! Seth said. I have the key to unseal them, but just break the damn ceiling with your divine powers; I think thats possible! These ruins were made by the Barbarian God himself to seal something or someone. Although a mortal alone could never break it down, it was completely different for a god, or two! Got it! Lets do it then! Umbra and Estrella transformed back into their divine forms, quickly unleashing their divine powers at once, resembling a descending black and golden star. This was a powerful technique they had created recently, as they trained their new abilities and the application of their weakened divinities inside of Bing Xues Inner Realm. If you are weaker than before, then how about combining your powers as one? Although they thought of that proposal as ridiculous back then, they never thought they would be doing it now. FLASH! {Dual Divinity Arts}: {Twin Star of Light and Darkness}! Crack, crack, CRACK! BOOOM! The ceiling shattered and quickly broke open, but it began to rapidly regenerate again! Seth quickly jumped inside while carrying the two gods and the veil made out of Bing Xues doppelganger. Here we are And they found themselves deep inside a dark hall covered with dust and moss, and decorated with five giant statues resembling huge beasts and roaring creatures, further wrapped around by glowing chains of divinity. T-This is?! Estrella muttered. Theyre the original gods of Elios! Umbra said. Yeah Seth nodded. The Five Great Divine Beast Spirits. The Barbarian God could not kill them because the elements of the world are connected to their lives; if they had died, the world would have ended, but he sealed them. And now its time to unseal them, once and for all. Seth held a rainbow-colored key, which shone brightly. Where could he have obtained such a precious item? Its time for me to fulfill my promise Mia, Seth said, with a slightly sorrowful expression. I will save the world you loved so much So youll have a home to return to. [You have used the [Divine Great Spirit Unsealing Key Perfect Replica (SSS+++ Grade)]!] [The seal placed over the {Five Great Elemental Spiritual Pillars of Elios} is beginning to rapidly fade away!] [However, because youre only using a Replica of the Key, their Power cannot be completely unsealed.] FLAAASH! ----- Chapter 120: The Demons Unleashed ----- (A few minutes ago.) CHARGEEEE! With the mighty roar of Mursha leading Bing Xues troops, the cavemen of the Children of the Flames and the Hawkeyes charged forward. In front of them were Mursha, Urbosa, Merkite, Peperina, and Fiery Hair. In numbers, they were less than a hundred, yet they fought thousands of foes and had yet to lose a single fighter! The mighty orcs, beast-kin, and thralls of Elios couldnt believe their eyes when they saw these half-naked humans overcome their tremendous physical powers or magical abilities with their bare fists and kicks! The cultists of the Barbarian God gathered together, led by their leader; they were roughly ten thousand strong. Although more of them were gathered around the entire world, right now within the camp, this is their highest number. Dont let them ridicule us anymore! roared the cultist leader, a very tall red orc with demon-like horns coming from his forehead. Kill these bastards! Thousands of foes charged against the cavemen and their leaders, as explosions and clashes of weapons and elemental magic erupted everywhereless than one hundred allies surrounded by thousands of foes! There are way too many now! Merkite complained, jumping around the air as she pierced the bodies of several cult members with her spear imbued with winds. Each of her blows unleashed several spiraling storms of emerald winds, blowing away her foes from left and right. Just keep fighting; most of these were low-level anyway! Urbosa tried to cheer up her sister as she imbued thunder ki into her entire body, moving at lightning speed, evading weapon techniques and spells, and piercing the heads of her victims with her spear, killing dozens in a few seconds. Dont give up! Were almost there! This will never end unless we take down the entire cult! Peperina roared as she fought bravely. Merkite and Urbosa, who knew her from before, could hardly believe this was the same cute and adorable little rabbit-kin receptionist from before. Not only was she unleashing devastating hammer and axe techniques using her shapeshifting blazing weapon, but her entire body was set ablaze, burning and tearing through her foes with her bare blazing claws. Hahahah! Fiery Hair loves to fight to the death! Let us see who is more superior in strength, orcs or humans! As she roared, Fiery Hair rushed like a blazing meteor across the thousands of foes alone; her body was near indestructible; any physical or magical attack that hit her barely did any damage; and her flames easily burned through foes as she punched and kicked them, generating blazing explosions. She alone singlehandedly killed over a hundred foes already! Hah, without a doubt, that womans a monster! Mursha smiled as she saw Fiery Hair fighting with all her might. She felt inspired. Rapidly swinging her axe as she imbued her body with her newfound and stronger Spiritual and Primal Powers combined together with Ki and Mana, she didnt like to admit it, but she had become a catastrophe of her own close to Fiery Hair herself. Her giant axe cleaved through foes from left and right, dozens dying against her powerful abilities with her weapons. Her rapid movements and her amazing reaction speed allowed her to easily evade incoming blows. And above all, We got her! Kill Mursha! As she was surrounded by over thirty warriors at once, who released their weapon techniques and spells at her, Murshas body glowed with a black, dark aura of shadows. Several shadows encompassed her entire body, suddenly dragging her into the ground and making her disappear. All the warriors ended up hitting each other, confused about where Mursha was! FLUOSH! She appeared behind them, smiling. I am still getting the hang of it, but this power is pretty damn useful! she said. Thank you, Bloodfang Wolf Spirit, for this last gift of yours! Before the warriors could react to her, Mursha swung her axe after charging it with both shadows and blood aura, swinging it and cleaning through all thirty cultists at once, splattering their sliced bodies into the grasslands. CRAAASH! Not only did the shadows help her evade lethal blows, escape from danger more easily, and move faster too, but they also helped her expand the range of her attacks! An attack that could at most target three foes now could easily cleave over thirty by expanding its range of power through the shadows themselves. Obsidians power was sure a complete cheat, that bastard! Murshas new power originated from Obsidian, the half-orc and half-thrall she had slain, a powerful dark sorcerer and the self-proclaimed strongest avatar of the Barbarian God. It was actually not just a magic power but a Developing Lesser Divinity he was cultivating. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Through the powers of the awakened Bloodfang Wolf Spirit, Mursha was able to devour his soul and also gain this Developing Lesser Divinity for herself, giving her a tremendous boost in her battle performance. The giant red orc leading the cultists squinted his eyes, yet he smiled even when anybody would think that their foes were too ridiculously powerful to win. At the end of the day, he still had thousands of soldiers on the battlefield, and Murshas faction had barely killed a bit over a hundred! He was willing to sacrifice all these pawns to wear them down, exhaust them, and then take them down himself. With troops of less than a hundred, and right after fighting in a War Game he smiled. Youre just waiting for your deaths! Watch, my god, as I slay these foes in your name andHuh?! Unfortunately for him, they werent exactly less than a hundred either; there were friends with them, entities summoned by Bing Xue to aid them. Come on, were on the same side this time, my fellow demons! Let us aid our masters friends! A coquettish and cute demon led a group of over a hundred demons to battle, who appeared out of thin air in front of all the orcs, beast-kin, and thralls. Her blue-skinned face, different from the rest of her bodys color, was because she was wearing a mask. And actually, every demon here was wearing masks; their colors varied depending on their Level of Power among demon-kind. Demons had no true form; they were the embodiment of Malice and all Evil Things that manifested from mortals desires, curses, and wishes. Born from the Deepest Darkness, something that Bing Xue learned as she obtained her new Skill, the true nature of Demons varied; it was always different from demon to demon, but inherently, they all answered the call of masters. There were no demons without "masters." This didnt mean that they would always obey them and would only be servants. Demons might have masters, but theyre mostly used by them to obtain physical form and materialize. These masks, materialized by Bing Xues own Skill, allowed these demons to take on a physical form. They were catalyzers for them, demons had no true faces, therefore, they wore masks to be like mortals. This also meant that demons could not truly die; even if they were killed they would simply disappear and merge back with the Deepest Darkness before being reborn once; otherwise, they would roam the World Between, a space of ethereal origin that connected all worlds and planes. The prison created by the Seven Archdemons was something similar to the World Between, but even more restrictive; it imprisoned demons they hated and would leave them there for eternity, until their masks would wear down due to their hunger for souls, darkness, and negative emotions from mortals. It was a slow torture until they were to be forcefully pulled back into the Deepest Darkness, with no recollection of their past Yet Bing Xues Skill changed everything; her power gave them a new chance to escape their prison and once again do what demons do! Slaughter! Kill, kill, kill! Gyahahaha! So many souls to eat! This is a buffet! Screw the Seven! Were back, baby! Gerororororor! Guuehehehehe! Give me your blood, fuckers! Im going to impale your ass with this spear I found! The demons leaped into the air and jumped over their foes heads, biting them with their big and strong jaws, tearing their ears apart with their claws, cursing them all, and weakening everyone. W-Wha ACK! My body cant move normally?! Who are these things?! Demons?! Dammit! Aaaggh! Dont impale my ass! The cultist leaders eyes widened as he saw these one hundred mischievous creatures quickly sending half of his army into an uproar! Demons were one of the few species that could turn completely incorporeal with ease, simply appearing and disappearing from the view of their foes with ease and cursing them from their backs. The dumb and big warriors that were easily brainwashed by the cultist of the barbarian god werent the smartest either, easily being deceived by the petty tricks and curses of the demons, beginning to fall on their knees, scream in horror, or even begin fighting one another in confusion. W-Wha?! How is this possible?! screamed the cultist leader. Demons?! How come that woman can command demons?! He had not seen them before because the Demons mostly decided to remain incorporeal while eating their foes souls. But after Bing Xue allowed them to, they finally showed themselves to the world, and started fighting directly instead of taking down what was left behind. Fufufu~ You see quite confused, dear cultist, suddenly, a demoness appeared behind the huge orc, his eyes widening. I wasnt able to even sense her coming! He panicked internally, facing the woman in front of him. It was nobody else than Belze, with her long black hair, adorable and mischievous smile, and her blue-colored mask face, along with her big, golden eyes. He had to admit that her petite body and adorable appearance made her look very beautiful, but he couldnt be deceived! She was a demon! Y-You! How were you able to infiltrate my defense troops?! The man screamed, pointing his staff at her, and firing a red beam. Die, demon! Oh my, whats that- BOOOM! The ray of crimson light engulfed Belze entirely. The cultist smiled as he could swear he saw her being disintegrated by his powerful beam! He was one of the very few Warlocks in the Tower that could wield the Element of War and Bloodshed that his God wielded as pure magic. This meant that his magic could deal much more damage than other elements, and even more damage while being surrounded by a war or battle, making it extremely lethal. Shes dead, nothing but- Hm? A mask? The cultist leader grabbed a blue-colored mask from the floor, wondering if this was some sort of dropped item from the demon once it was slain. However, the blue mask suddenly smiled as its eyes glowed bright red. Heheheheh~ It''s been a while since Ive fought someone as strong as you~ Eh?! The cultist immediately dropped the mask on the floor, as he saw a large quantity of darkness, shadows, and blood gathering around the mask; this even contained the blood and flesh pieces of his soldiers. FLUOSH! And within mere seconds, Belze was reborn. Her petite and cute body was back in the world of mortals, now with a new pair of arms, three tails, longer golden horns, and a second pair of crimson eyes above her golden eyes, resembling eyebrows in a way. Fufufu~! Fuahahaha! She continued to laugh maniacally; the cultist instinctively gave a step back. Not through his entire life had he fought a demon before, so he had no idea what they were truly capable of. This is fantastic! Usually, our contracts are based on the strength of our masters souls. And can you guess just how powerful our masters soul is? This contractor Shes sure a keeper! I want her all for myself! Aaahhh~! I want more! More of her Mana and that other energy Ki, was it? Suddenly, the demoness smiled as her claws glowed brightly, gathering golden-colored Ki, a power that Demons had never wielded before but that she could now wield thanks to the contract with Bing Xue. Master didnt have that much Mana, you see but she made up for it with this other, much more robust and richer energy Belze licked her lips, as her long black hair waved from the pressure winds provoked by her growing aura. Shall we give it a try? Hah! To think I would have to fight a demon from all things! The orc smiled, quickly throwing away his cloak to reveal two more pairs of muscular arms. Bring it, spawn of the Deepest Darkness! ----- Chapter 121: Belze’s Power ----- Before I pulverize you from the face of Elios, Ill tell you my name, Demon! roared the cultist. My name is Ultimus, son of the Barbarians of the Volcanic North. I was raised on the sword and grew up with an axe. I was taught magic at ten and made sacrifices at twelve. I was born to become what I am now, and I couldnt be happier with what Ive done! My god is supreme, the king of all barbarians! Our guardian, protector, and father! Well, if were doing introductions, I am Beelzebian Belzeeraskhasn Sataniankicha Herbellzuhbub, Queen of Curses, Thief Princess, Stealer of Hearts, and Cruel Mistress. Belze smiled, her Demonic Aura wrapping around her body and shaping into a black dress and red-colored armor. I was once one of the seven, but I am not telling which one~ Seven?! the cultist, who was well versed in things from the tower, gasped. Hah, but you surely arent them anymore, huh? Youre weak Much weaker than me or my god! Heh I wonder Belze smiled, suddenly disappearing. And appearing right above Ultimus, her small claws charged with cursed black and dark red flames as she swung them against him and slashed against his thick red skin. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Agh?! Ultimus couldnt believe it; her claws were able to harm his mighty skin, as tough as divine armor made of the highest-grade materials! He quickly twisted his body, his staff pointing at her as a spinning magic circle materialized, firing five crimson beams at her at almost point-blank. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The beams reached her, and as Belze was blown away by the explosions, half of her body disappeared, but her mask remained intact. The blood and the negative energies of the battlefield served as prime materials, easily helping her recover her body. "Again with that trick! DIE! The cultist leader rushed towards Belze, only for her to suddenly explode into black fog and disappear, making him cough due to the sudden explosion. Cough, what the- Ah! However, he suddenly realized Belze was resting her head over his shoulders, caressing his chest with her little fingers, and slowly slicing through his skin with her claws. Arent you quite manly? Youre such a stud! she giggled. But I can smell it within you Youre a virgin, arent you? Is it because of your religion? Wait! Dont tell me youre in celibacy because you love your god too much? Hahaha! Hearing Belzes words of mockery towards his religion, Ultimus grew furious, rapidly grabbing her with his huge hands and crushing her down into the ground with tremendous force, followed by a barrage of fists enchanted with his magical powers. S-SHUT UP! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! Each blow blew up a part of her body, constantly! Yet Belze continued laughing; her body parts that were torn apart rapidly turned into a black fog, continuously wrapping around Ultimus and covering him in weird black- and purple-colored runesno, something much worse. Hahahaha! Keep trying! Youre so stupid, you dont even know how to exorcize a demon! What are you even going to do?! What?! As Ultimus was growing more and more confused, he gathered his divine powers into his fists, pulverizing Belzes body once and for all. BOOOM!!! That must have... Ah! What happened to my body?! Ugh! Argh! Ultimus suddenly realized there were several red- and purple-colored stigmas covering his body, and the wounds she left on his skin were also not healing, no matter how many skills for healing or spells he used. And a deadly curse started sapping his energies. Pray tell, why do you think they call me the Queen of Curses, Ultimus dear? Ah! Ultimus eyes widened as he saw Belze completely fine, floating above him with her cheeky smile; there was barely a tiny crack in her blue mask. He would need much more than that to actually destroy it. TCH! Ultimus groaned, breaking his staff and suddenly swallowing the red orb attached to it, at the same time as all six of his hands were put into a prayer pose. Oh God almighty, give me your divine strength! {Divine Barbarian Physique}! RUMBLE! Crimson lightning fell from the skies, hitting Ultimus entire body as Belzes eyes widened, smiling maniacally and obsessively as the red orcs entire body started to change. He gained yet another pair of arms, giving him a total of eight giant arms, his size tripled, making him taller and stronger; and his divinity overflowed from his body, at the same time as his body resembled the Barbarian God more and more. AHAA! Admire the strength that my god has given me! As he laughed, he rushed towards Belze, who quickly disappeared from the scene and appeared behind him, only for two pairs of arms to catch her sneaky attack and punch her face down. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! BAAAM! Ouch, ouch Hey, that hurt a bit. Belze laughed as she found herself on the ground, below a huge crater. Arent you a big, strong guy now? Hm? As long as I activate this technique, any curses or status effects are weakened severely! smiled Ultimus, showing his sharp teeth and long, pointy tusks. You said you were the Queen of Curses and the Thief Princess, right? Such titles wouldnt have been given to someone who had great physical power! Youre a bad match against me, demon! You rely too much on your agility and curses for everything; it wont do against me! Maybe Belze smiled, and suddenly, her mask began to turn purple. Or maybe not? Who knows? Ugh?! RUMBLE! Suddenly, from within Belze, Ultimus, for a few seconds, sensed a tremendous power equal to that of a demon god, one of the Seven! It was nothing but a small fragment of this power, but that alone made him feel a cold shiver down his spine, making him hesitate for a second. Belzes mask didnt fully turn dark purple, though; only a third of it remained that color, but still, it gave her tremendous power. Lets see what a demon with no physical prowess can do against a tiny little mortal that borrows the power of a young god, shall we?! FLASH! Within a second, Belze appeared above Ultimus, her four arms growing giant claws imbued with deadly cursed flames, unleashing a barrage of slashing attacks that rapidly regenerated a storm of cursed fire. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Nnnggh! Ultimus gritted his teeth as he resisted the immense attack with sheer physical prowess, rapidly swinging all of his arms against Belze, unleashing a barrage of blazing fists of his own against her storm of slashing claws. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Belzes claws quickly shattered into pieces; Ultimus physical power was simply superior to her in everything. Yet her claws recovered almost instantly again, as she pushed her small body towards his chest and pierced the sides of his torso with them, as deep as she could. CLAAASH! I got you~ Belze smiled, licking his pectorals lasciviously. Ugh?! What are you doing?! Ultimus couldnt help but blush a little, but that didnt overwhelm him from his anger and hatred, quickly punching Belze down into the ground again. BAAM! BAAM! BAAAM!!! As he saw her falling down, he glared at his wounds; her claws had managed to reach his ribs, which were now in extreme pain. He was gasping for air, feeling more weakened than ever before. T-The protection she pierced through it?! he muttered. Wait, the wounds are not healing either?! The power of the Divine Barbarian Physique granted Ultimus the ultimate physical power he could achieve by letting his developing divinity blossom temporarily. However, there was a fatal flaw in this divine technique. Similarly to an armor, it only covered his body; his insides remained weak and susceptible to the poison and curses that Belze had injected inside of him, which were further enhanced by the Ki that Bing Xue gifted to her. Do you like it? Master taught me a lot of things while we were in the library, you know? Belze laughed as she rested over the crater. She showed me the amazing techniques from her world Cursed Ki Arts, Poison Ki Arts, and more Ive combined these techniques I learned from the scrolls she gifted to me and created something truly devious! Fuahahaha! HAHAHAHAH! BA DUM! BA DUM! BA DUM! Ugh?! Ultimus touched his chest, feeling his heart begin to beat faster and faster; his entire body was beginning to acceleratehis blood flow, his energy consumption, everything! I might not be as strong as you to be able to fight you head-on, yeah. But Ill poison and curse you to death! Belze continued to laugh as a third of her mask started falling off into tiny pieces. Her powers in the mortal world were beginning to weaken too. To think I had to use the fragment of the Primordial Sin I had to pierce through that physique, but it was well worth the effort, Belze thought. Well, as long as I can serve the master well, I am sure she will reward me even more later Shes that type of person after all~ This power of yours is definitely connected to your lifeforce or something, isnt it?! roared Ultimus. So if I shatter that damn mask of yours, then youll surely die, and Ill heal myself! The eight-armed orc rushed down towards Belze without even letting her tell him that it didnt work like that. His blazing body resembling a descending meteor, his eight fists rushing down towards her. {Demon Magic}: {Cursed Chains}! FLUOSH! Belze quickly leaped away, conjuring black-colored chains from the ground and wrapping them around the giant orc; it only lasted a second, as he easily freed himself from them! Crack, crack! CRASH! RAAAH! His fists reached her as Belze moved downward, evading a deadly blow into her mask and then rapidly heel-sweeping his legs with tremendous magical force, making him trip. BAAAM! What?! Ultimus was shocked to realize her power was still enough to push him down, attributing it mostly to the curse weakening him. YOU DAMN! With a furious roar, his Aura exploded into hundreds of gigantic, blazing fists, rushing towards Belze all at once. She smiled maniacally, realizing she could no longer escape, and shapeshifted her body into hundreds of demonic claws, clashing against the fists. You keep struggling even now?! Just die already, demon! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! If I die now, Ill die gloriously! she laughed. Screw you, fucker! RUMBLE! The ground around them continued shaking as Belzes body began to burn and turn to ashes, slowly reaching her blue-colored mask. Who knows how long itll take for the mask to regenerate dammit. Belze sighed. Well, I had my fun~ You should do the rest, brat The flames engulfed Belze entirely as her blue mask shattered into pieces and her presence fully disappeared, leaving only tiny blue fragments behind. Ahahaha! I stand supreme- AGH! However, to his dismay, Ultimus realized that killing Belze wouldnt really take away what she left on him, as he fell to his knees, feeling even worse than before. The more force and power he used, the stronger the poison and curses would become as they reacted and spread across his body based on the energy output of his body! Ugh, dammit! I need to find an Elixir and- Well, well, well. Huh?! Ultimus eyes widened as he heard the voice of someone she recognized quite instantly! Someone who hated him to the guts, someone who wanted him dead all along. And someone he certainly would prefer not to meet in his current condition! Mursha?! A tall orc warrioress with short red hair glared down at the orc man, who was on his knees. In her hand was the head of Obsidian, and in the other was a huge, cursed axe. Here, I brought you your husband. Sorry if I treated him a bit too roughly. She threw the head of the bastard she killed before into Ultimus'' face, splattering the heads saliva and blood into his eyes. Obsidian?! You How dare you throw the head of my retainer in front of my face?! Stand up. Hah? Stand up and fight, or do you want me to cleave your head off while youre all miserable on the floor? Ultimus started growing more and more furious, his aura growing to its limits and overflowing with divinity. RUMBLE! When will you stop being so disrespectful, YOU FUCKING UNGRATEFUL BRAT?! Like a ferocious beast, he jumped towards Mursha as the orc warrioress received his charge with her axe and her shadows. Im going to end this, once and for all. CLAAASH! This cycle of hatred it ends NOW! MURSHAAAA! ----- Chapter 122: Mursha Against Ultimus Listen While Reading: Well Matched ----- Ultimus wasnt fine right now; thanks to Belzes curses and poison, he had been growing weaker over time, and even after he managed to defeat her, the curses and poison inside of him continued spreading the more he fought. The energy he manipulated only made these deadly powers spread. There was no knowledge about such curses or poison before; this was because they were mixed with Murims Curse and Poison techniques, which worked much differently! They targeted a foes meridians, their internal flow of energy, their physiques, and even how their abilities worked. Belze, who thought her curses were perfect in their lethality and cruelty, suddenly came to the realization she had yet to even reach their truest power, and with Bing Xues scrolls teaching her new techniques, her powers increased to completely new, ridiculous levels. Although she ended up dying, her Demonic Soul and her Mask were already recovering inside the book she was stored in within Bing Xues Demonic Library; her consciousness was still there. She smiled, giggling. Heheh~ I bet that bastard must be wondering why his curse and poison had not gone away after my death... Ki is sure an amazing energy, huh? she thought. Now the only thing left is to slay him That orc lady that master fancied a lotI''ll leave that task to her, I suppose. After all, shes the one who wanted revenge the most, right? Hmm, I wonder how shell repay Master once everything is done~? Seeing how the master has two wives, maybe a third wouldnt be so bad- Wait, can I be the fourth, I wonder? As the demon drowned in her own fantasies, the fight between Mursha and Ultimus began. Mursha immediately attacked him using her giant axe, unleashing a deadly cleave that pierced the skies and the ground, shaking the entire world. SLAAASH! Dammit! Ultimus groaned, gritting his sharp teeth as he quickly tried to evade, only to be quickly caught by Murshas unexpectedly long-ranged attacks as her cleaving blow continued moving for several meters, hitting him with an almost area-of-effect attack! What?! BOOOM! This was, of course, completely different from her previous attacking patterns and techniques! Ultimus was utterly shocked. Mursha had never wielded the power of her abilities in such a way before, and it was all because of the new Developing Divinity that she took from Obsidian as her victory prize. Through these Shadows, she was able to extend the range of her attacks and expand their areas of effect, greatly giving her an advantage no other warrior purely specializing in physical power held! Whats wrong, Ultimus? Has age finally gotten to you?! Mursha roared. After all these years Just how long have you lived? Youre the same age as the Barbarian God, arent you? Mursha reached Ultimus, swinging her gigantic axe against him and unleashing a barrage of powerful cleaving blows. The eight-armed red orc giant swung his fists, clashing against her attacks and resisting the immense force using his sheer prowess and divine energies. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! What are you talking about?! Ultimus muttered, as if pretending to not know. I know very well what you did! Youre the one that created that God! roared Mursha. You and your damned tribe, the four-armed red orcs of the Volcanic North, you sacrificed ten thousand of your people to give birth to the God of War and Bloodshed! T-Thats! Ultimus screamed, incapable of believing that Mursha knew such a thing! Memories flashed through his mind in that very momentmemories when he was nothing but a child, as he saw countless people have their hearts taken out of their chests, as he saw their souls mixing together in an unholy ritual where both sacrifices and dark magic mixed together. SHUT UP! YOU DONT KNOW SUCH A THING! STOP PRETENDING! Ultimus grew furious and restless! He believed he was the only one left from his tribe at the moment, after over three hundred years since the Barbarian God was born. He swung his arms and suddenly amassed his divine powers into eight gigantic swords, which he used to attack Mursha eight times at the same time, with explosions of divinity and ki erupting as the two warriors fought. Mursha defended herself as she was slowly being pushed back. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! How do I know that?! Well, my guardian told me! Guardian?! Mursha jumped into the skies using wings made of shadows and descended rapidly, her axe glowing with black and red auras, combining together as the figure of a huge wolf emerged from within all her blood runes. He wasnt anymore with her, but his powers remained; what was left of his divine spiritual strength, he left it all on Mursha, further awakening her powers. Who else but the one you tried to kill so much? The one who you had to go as far as killing my entire family to slay?! AWOOOOO! Her wolf-like aura howled as Ultimus eyes widened in utter disbelief! Even though the wolf was gone, his presence, powers, and aura remained. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. T-The Bloodfang Wolf! That damn beast! H-How?! I was sure he died with- CRAAASH! Before he could say another word, Mursha rushed down, cleaving through his chest and rushing down her axe towards his stomach! Ultimus screamed in agony, incapable of believing she was able to pierce through his divine physique. UUGGH?! YOU BASTARD! With a furious and maddening scream, all eight of his swords rushed towards Mursha, unleashing a storm of slashing attacks and explosions of divine flames and pushing the orc warrioress away. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLAAASH! Mursha was covered in dozens of deadly slicing wounds, yet she smiled, her runes growing stronger the more damage she took and the more blood she lost. To the Bloodfang Tribe, the more wounded they were, it didnt mean that their lives were coming to an end. It simply meant that their true power was finally coming out! The Bloodfang Wolf lives in every member of the Bloodfang Tribe! Mursha roared, putting herself on almost all fours, resembling a feast as her aura shaped into fur-like leather clothes resembling the pelt of a wolf; even the ferocious head of a wolf covered her head. You killed everyone, except me! He remained within me; this entire time, he had been watching over me! And I learned the truth in the last moments as he shared all his memories with me! What he sawwhat your traitorous tribe did to this world! And how you sold yourselves to those bastards! The ones that taught you the ritual to create your ideal god! The wolf was alive?! muttered Ultimus. And she knows way too much! How did he... that damn spirit! He was able to see all of that?! The origin of our cult, the sacrifice of my family to finally create our own god I thought that truth was buried underground by now! I shouldnt have let her live, I shouldnt have been merciful with that damn child! FLASH! Mursha reached Ultimus, her giant axe moving down towards him. His wounds had yet to regenerate, and no potions worked on the horrendous wound she left over his entire chest. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Three cleaving blows reached him; Ultimus evaded the first one, but the other two quickly found him even when he ran away from her range. Murshas shadows merged with her attacks, as two cleaving blows slashed across his back. SLAAASH! SLAAASH! Aaaggh! Two of his eight arms were sliced apart, rolling over the floor and leaving behind a large quantity of blood. The orc glanced at Mursha in disbelief; his magic and powers were continuously growing weaker, while Mursha seemed to have endless energy! While Bing Xue is killing your damn god, Ill make sure to behead you for good, you bastard! Come here! Mursha roared. STOP THIS! Ultimus screamed, quickly standing up and swinging his blades, unleashing several powerful techniques. Mursha greeted them with her own, cleaving and slashing her way through endless explosions of divinity. Dammit! The red orc screamed, gathering divine magic power into his hands and then using his own blood as a weapon, creating several explosive blood spears and firing them at Mursha. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Mursha used her pelt-like aura armor to protect herself, but that still took her a couple of seconds, which Ultimus took to reach her all the way from behind, his swords slashing across her back. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Ugh! His attacks were strong, but far from being completely lethal. The thing is, Mursha noticed his swords grinding against her right arm! He aimed to slice her dexterous arm so she wouldnt be able to easily wield her weapon, significantly weakening her in the process. Ill take this arm with me, you damn bitch! I should have killed you back then, when you were weak and pathetic! I should have raped you and cut you down into pieces! YOU FILTHY ANIMAL! The only filthy animal is YOU! Murshas arm muscles tightened, suddenly wrapping around the blades, trying to cut through her bone, and with a shockwave of mana, primal power, ki, and spirit energy, shattering all the blades. HAAAH! Crack, crack! CRAAASH! What?! Ultimus eyes widened, incapable of believing how powerful Mursha had become! And this technique was all thanks to Primal Power, a special energy capable of strengthening the physical body to completely superhuman levels. Muscles, bones, skin, flesh, and everything related to the physical body could be turned incredibly powerful and strengthened, and also manipulated in many incredible ways, such as using her muscles alone to shatter the blades trying to slice through them! Fuck off from my sight, you bastard! Mursha kicked Ultimus in the face and pushed him away with tremendous force, breaking most of his teeth and destroying his lower jaw in the process, while one of his eyes popped and his nose broke. BAAAM! Aarrgh! Ultimus fell like a blazing meteor into the ground, shattering the floor beneath him and creating a crater in the process. His body was wounded beyond belief, and above all else, he suddenly realized he had lost yet another pair of arms! W-When?! Suddenly, he noticed that, as Mursha walked towards him, there were two arms made of shadows and her own blood aura grabbing two arms, which they had just torn apart from him. Missing these? Mursha threw his sliced arms back at him before her giant axe sliced them apart into countless small fleshy pieces. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Aaaahhhh! Y-Youre such a monster! YOU BEAST! Ultimus was completely shocked, incapable of believing the savagery of Murshas acts, despite being the cult leader of a cult that worshiped a god of bloodshed, war, and barbarism. This is just like the pot calling out the kettle laughed Mursha. I am the monster born from all the people youve hurt and all the innocents youve killed. Ive already learned my true purpose. I am here to finally end it all, to avenge the fallen, and to destroy your pathetic cult! And I will NOT stop until I see your head rolling on the ground, ULTIMUS! Mursha didnt stop, rushing towards him as her entire Aura erupted, resembling dozens of giant wolves and their sharp jaws, reaching Ultimus and attacking him. The now four-armed red orc quickly stood up, divine power flaring through his entire body as he used everything he had, even to the extent of consuming his own lifespan to regain some of his strength, and then clashed against Mursha again. RAAAHHHH!!! With four more arms made of pure divine power and his entire body covered in divine runes, while a divine halo emerged above his head, Ultimus unleashed all of his divine god powers at once. Reaching Mursha, all of his blazing fists hit her directly, at a speed Mursha could barely discern! Before she knew it, her entire body had received dozens of blows, leaving behind ugly, burned scars. BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! Ungh?! Mursha groaned in pain. He moved so fast! So he still had some more power hidden as a trump card, this bastard! Channeling her energies and combining them together, Mursha quickly spun in midair at the same time as Ultimus continued hitting her, her axe helping her block the blows while unleashing a storm of blood aura and shadows. {Divine Bloodfang Axe Arts}: {Blood Shadow Storm}! FLUOOOSH! Agh! Dammit! Ultimus screamed, caught in the storm of attacks. How is this possible?! My blows should have easily left holes through her, but shes so damn tough! As Ultimus and Mursha continued their relentless, blood-pumping battle, the skies darkened, as the frustrated screams of many gods slain by Bing Xue reverberated. And then, of the Barbaria God himself, a gigantic cataclysm suddenly hit the entire world of Elios. IF I HAVE TO DESTROY THE ENTIRE WORLD, I WILL! AS LONG AS I CAN KILL YOUUUUU! Ultimus smiled with fascination as he saw the entire world of Elios beginning to break apart, giant volcanoes drowning the once beautiful grasslands with magma, and a monstrous and aberrant beast surged from the ever-growing body of his god. Haha HAHAHA! Hes doing it! My god shall create a utopia of bloodshed and war! What?! ----- Chapter 123: Never Lose Hope Listen While Reading: Yagyu Sword Chronicles ----- Crack, crack! CRACK! RUMBLE! The entire world of Elios started shaking, giant cracks began to spread everywhere, and enormous quantities of lava from the blazing core of the planet started erupting everywhere. The Barbarian God was planning to absorb the planet''s energy and use it to destroy Bing Xue and everything else. His plan was nothing but insane, but seeing how insane he was and how his divinity worked, Bing Xue and everyone else below immediately could tell he was serious about his claims; he was insane. IF I HAVE TO DESTROY THE ENTIRE WORLD, I WILL! AS LONG AS I CAN KILL YOU! His form became larger, reaching over two kilometers in height, looking like an endless tower of a man, piercing the skies and the heavens themselves. Bing Xue noticed that it was as if the ground and the heavens merged with his body. So this is what a God who has taken over a worlds laws can truly do? thought Bing Xue, glancing at the scene. Umbra and Estrella never reached this stage, though; was it because they didnt want the world to be destroyed, or Somehow, the Barbarian God has a special power or ability given to him by somebody else? Something else? COME! MY ARMY OF DESTRUCTION AND BLOODSHED! The Barbarian Gods entire body, blazing with the lava of the entire planet rushing into his body, started to rapidly shapeshift, giving birth to thousands of aberrant, titanic divine monsters from his flesh and bones. They resembled all kinds of monstrosities and beasts; they not only aimed at Bing Xue but also at all the mortals beneath them. KILL HER! KILL EVERYONE! DONT LET A SINGLE ONE LEFT! I SHALL FULFILL MY DESTINY! AS THE GOD OF DESTRUCTION! Destruction?! And then Bing Xue finally realized that the Barbarian Gods true divinities werent War, or Bloodshed, actually. He embodied Destruction itself, a powerful Divinity that could bring the end to an entire world in a matter of minutes or even seconds! Meanwhile, down below, Ultimus smiled with fascination as he saw the entire World of Elios beginning to break apart, giant volcanoes drowning the once beautiful grasslands with magma, and as monstrous and aberrant beasts surged from the ever-growing body of his god. Haha HAHAHA! Hes doing it! My god shall create a utopia of bloodshed and war! What?! Mursha screamed in utter disbelief, full of complete indignation at the scenes happening in front of her. The world her family loved the world her tribe loved, the world her friends and the many other tribes protected, the world that the Bloodfang Wolf and his siblings and children also lovedit was all going to be destroyed. All by that damned god, that monstrous god that should have never been born in this peaceful land! All because of him, the man in front of him! ITS ALL YOUR DAMN FAULT!!! Mursha roared, full of anger and wrath, reaching Ultimus as her axe cleaved through his divine barriers, shattering them one after another. The furious yet weakened cult leader roared back, hitting Mursha with several blows of his bare fists made of pure divinity. BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! The intensity of their fight continued to rise rapidly. Murshas attacks were precise and lethal, while Ultimus blows were strong, shaking her entire body, but were unable to pierce through her skin after being reinforced by her combination of Primal Power, Ki, Mana, and Spirit Energy, plus her own unique Bloodfang Aura. Dammit! Why wont you accept your demise?! Ultimus screamed. Why must you keep struggling?! Accept your fate! The world is going to be destroyed and remade anew! There is nothing you can do anymore, Mursha! Dont try to preach on me, you bastard! I am not fighting alone! Mursha said. Bing Xue and everyone she brought with her, theyre strong! And theyre going to help me save this world! They THEY PROMISED ME! Murshas Developing Divinity of Shadows started shaking and began to slowly grow. weaker, cracks started appearing through it, and at the same time, Ultimus continued hitting her, noticing her shadows flickered and grew weaker. Hahaha! Your Developing Divinity cant help you for much longer! It''s still developing, and much weaker than my Demi-Divinity! laughed Ultimus. Unlike you, I am but a single step from becoming a true god, MURSHA! With the laughter befitting a three-hundred-year-old madman, Ultimus gathered power on his legs and crushed Murshas face, pushing her down into the floor with a huge explosive kick! CRAAASH! Ugh! Aahh Hahhh Mursha slowly stood back up, gasping for air. She felt frustrated but wasnt going down yet, not as long as she could breathe and stand up! Her Blood Runes continued to grow stronger, spreading red tattoos across her body until her skin almost resembled the same tone as Ultimus. Im not giving up! I am not going to step back either! Mursha roared. I will not stop until I kill you, Ultimus! THEN DIE! The red orc reached Mursha, materializing a huge spear, concentrating all his divine powers and mana into it, aiming at Murshas chest, and firing the spear towards her. Ugh Agh! Mursha tried to lift her arms and swing her axe, but the weight of her axe had suddenly become too heavy; her entire body was growing weaker over time, and her energies were almost gone. Move Move! Dammit MOVE! She kept trying to push her body to her limits, but she had already reached them and broken them; there was no longer any higher ceiling to reach; her body was slowly dying and falling apart. And the spear reached her. BOOOMMM!!! An explosion of divine flames erupted, engulfing Mursha. The orc warriors closed her eyes as she accepted her death with frustration and anger, trusting that Bing Xue would finish the job for her. Mother father" Yet, although the heat was intense, she didnt die, suddenly realizing the explosion never truly hit her. Her eyes opened wide, and she realized there was someone in front of her. (Liste while reading: You Say Run + Jet Set Run ) Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. A tall, mighty human woman with long, fiery red and orange colored hair, resembling fire, and sharp crimson and orange eyes, alongside skin as black as charcoal, covered with red and white tattoos. Her arms were folded in front of her face and chest, protecting her vitals from being destroyed. The spear she launched reached her arms and exploded, leaving behind deep burn wounds over her arms. But she was fine and alive. S-So strong Mursha thought. Fiery Hair Is it you? I am! Fiery Hair smiled back at the orc warrioress. "Mursha, do not fight alone! Mursha has friends Trust friends now! We fight together, like family! Not alone! Youre! Mursha was going to protest, wanting Ultimus all for herself, yet she realized that with that mentality, she would only die alone. Thanks No problem! Fiery Hair smiled, looking at the man in front of him. Belze cursed him! Why he still standing?! That damn curses still fucking me up! But I can hold on for a couple more minutes, as long as I can kill them then I can leave the rest to my god, Ultimus thought. HAH! Because in this form I am completely invincible, you bitches! NOW COME AND DIE! The red orc smiled as he gathered his powers and materialized two titanic fists of over twenty meters each, pushing them down towards the two warriors. Be crushed like the ants you are! {Divine Asura Red Sun Fists}! Here it comes, Fiery Hair! Can you take it?! Mursha roared, finishing to eat a pill Bing Xue had given her, regaining her energies. FIERY HAIR CAN TAKE ON ANYBODY! Fiery Hair roared, her fists generating flames biologically instead of magically; in fact, her entire body exuded golden and crimson flames made of her Primal Power alone. The two female warriors attacked the moment the titanic fists reached them. Mursha used her giant axe to cleave her way through, while Fiery Hair used her bare fists. Explosions of auras clashing against one another echoed everywhere! BAAAM! BAAAM! BAAAM! BAAAM! BAAAM! BAAAM! But above all, the titanic arms and the fists attached to them were rapidly gaining cracks, Ultimus couldnt believe it, but this duo was actually doing it! Crack, crack! CRACK! RAAAHHHH!!! Fiery Hair and Mursha roared at the same time; for a split second, their auras fused into a gigantic Aura Fist of their own, piercing through Ultimus divine technique and then reaching his body all the way in the skies. T-This is impossible! Just what WHAT IS THIS?! CRAAASH! Using all his body and arms, he tried to resist the gigantic fist rushing towards him, which quickly twisted its height and position, and then began pushing him into the ground, resembling a fist-shaped blazing meteor. T-This is divinity?! Ultimus screamed, his skin and flesh burning. But that Murshas divinity! She shouldnt have such power! How is this POSSIBLE?! His eyes widened as he felt somethinga spark, a new divinity, or, well, something developing within Mursha. Born from the fragments of the Developing Divinity of Shadows she took from Obsidian well, and combined with her blood aura, the remaining spiritual powers of the Bloodfang Wolf, and also, her Primal Power. FLUOSH! Ultimus! I already told you, didnt I? Mursha smiled defiantly. RUMBLE! Her aura continued growing, expanding endlessly, shaking the very Laws of the World of Elios. The old red orc couldnt believe it; his eyes widened. He was shocked! This simply couldnt be! A mortal like her Developing a Divinity of her own?! No! NOOOO!!! BOOOMMM!!! The fist erupted into a huge explosion, yet Ultimus used all his power to literally punch the explosion away, jumping towards Fiery Hair and Mursha at the same time. Fiery Hair, hes coming! Lets synchronize! Synchro- huh?! Fiery Hairs eyes widened as Mursha touched her. For a moment, it felt as though both could share thoughts. This is a new ability I just thought about, {Shared Battle Sense}! Murshas Divinity continued to develop as she gained a new Ability out of it. {Shared Battle Sense}, the power to share a battle sense, thoughts, and emotions with a target! But how? How was it possible for Mursha to develop a divinity so quickly without any Faith?! Ultimus gritted his teeth in utter disbelief, his giant fists rushing down towards both girls as he roared like a madman. DIE! DIE! DIE! DIEEE! Fiery Hair and Mursha synchronized; his blows were easily evaded or blocked by Fiery Hairs superior physique, while Mursha sneaked behind him, constantly hitting him with her axe. CLASH! BOOM! CRASH! SLASH! RUMBLE! The ground around them started shaking and being completely destroyed as Mursha and Fiery Hair continued fightingtheir spirits, their souls, their powers. They were one for that very moment! Dammit! Come here- ACK! Ultimus was being punched from left and right without being given any time to respond properly by Fiery Hair, all while Mursha cleaved his back or his arms, slowly weakening him even more. No! This cant be happening! He kept screaming. I am I AM A FUTURE GOD! No, I dont think so! Mursha rushed in front of him, her axe overflowing with... DIVINITY! N-no! Where are you getting the Faith to gain so much Divine Power from?! Faith, you ask?! Dont you see it all around the world?! What?! Ultimus eyes widened, his divine senses noticing the despair and screams of millions of people across the world of Elios. They asked for salvation, for things to get better, and for someone... For a warrior to protect them! Everyone is sick of you and your damn cult! Mursha roared. You didnt improve this world! You only made it WORSE! YOU AND YOUR DAMN TRIBE! YOU AND YOUR DAMN GOD! Ultimus entire face started growing distorted as he couldnt believe Murshas insolence. No, he simply couldnt believe the entire worlds population and their insolence! After being completely dominated by the cult for hundreds of years. Even now, they hate it?! Even now, they dont worship his god enough?! S-Shut up SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UUUP! Ultimus screamed, but his divinity, instead, continued to grow weaker and weaker. And all around the world, there are warriors, hunters, gatherers, and even farmers. They all cowered in fear, praying, and praying. They knew the beast spirits were gone; they knew that the barbarian god was going to kill them. But someone They wanted someone to help them! A hero They need a liberatorsomeone to avenge their ancestors and their families. Their legacies trampled upon these wicked cultists! Please someone Someone, help us Oh warriors Warriors of the Bloodfang Tribe The last true warriors that resisted until the end If only you were here, if only you could help us! Their faith, their prayers for help, their hope! It all continued flowing towards Mursha; her shattered divinity restructured itself, forming something new. A new Divinity altogether! THIS IS BULLSHIT! Ultimus couldnt believe it; he didnt want to believe it. His fists continued clashing against the two women, and Fiery Hair fearlessly tanked many hits. Even as she began bleeding and gasping for air, some of her bones were already broken. BOOOM! GO, MURSHAAAA! Crack, crack! CRASH! With a furious roar, she punched Ultimus into the ground and destroyed his last divine barrier that he used to protect himself. Mursha leaped out of Fiery Hairs back and reached Ultimus. Her axe grew ten times larger than originally, a Divine Manifestation of her Divinity! PAY FOR WHAT YOUVE DONE NOT ONLY TO MY FAMILY, BUT TO THE ENTIRE WORLD, ULTIMUS! No! STOP! STOOOP! The axe cleaved through Ultimus face and then descended towards his chest, slashing him apart continuously, setting his entire body ablaze. SLAAASH! T-This cant be happening! Me DYING?! After all Ive accomplished! G-Gaaahh! UUUAAAAGGGH! In that very last moment, Ultimus saw the true nature of Murshas divinity. His eyes glistened as tears fell from his eyes. Even as a monstrous madman, he could see the beauty of her strength. Her Divinity was simple. It wasnt Battle, nor was it Bloodshed or Fighting, or anything like that. No. It was, perhaps one of the strongest emotions any person could have. An emotion they never abandoned, no matter what. There was simply no stronger emotion than it. HOPE! The Hope of the entire world of Elios, she held it within her heart! My god Was I wrong the entire time? BOOOMMM!!! Ultimus entire body was sliced into two halves and then disintegrated, vaporizing due to the immense heat produced by Murshas newborn Divinity. The Divine Connection he had with the Barbarian God was cut off, as the God above the skies suddenly felt a large part of his strength disappear. As a young god created by an evil cult, his powers depended greatly on the one who carried his Divinity when he was made. A connection, Ultimus was something similar to a pillar! Ultimus! Was killed?! The Barbarian God vomited blood. No! This cant be happening! He was the second strongest to me! And then his eyes saw Bing Xue appear in front of him, her entire aura exuding tremendous power. Whats wrong? Can''t you fight now that your little puppet is dead? TCH! NAH, THIS IS NOTHING! The God of Destruction clashed against Bing Xue as the skies were split apart. RUMBLE! Meanwhile, within the ancient ruins, the seals of the five Great Divine Beast Spirits rapidly came undone as the ancient divinities that once protected Elios were finally freed. The world is ending! We must do something quickly! But at our current strength, what can we do?! Wait I know! You mean? To choose vessels? Seth smiled as he nodded. I know exactly the perfect vessels for you. ----- Chapter 124: War Against Divine Beasts ----- RUMBLE! The world around the camp started to change immediately. Once the Barbarian God decided to sacrifice the world itself just so he could defeat Bing Xue and win, he began to absorb the world of Elios very essence. All life within it started to wither and die, and even the core of the planet was boiling rapidly, causing several sleeping volcanoes to erupt, and burning the surface with lava. But that wasnt even the worst part, as everyone that had survived until now saw the already enormous God become even bigger, fusing with the world itself, its stones, ores, mountains, and all the life he absorbed, becoming fused with the very surface and also the heavens above, swirling around him. Those that were still alive started to fall into despair as they saw the end of the world. Players began running away one after another, and well, even the inhabitants escaped, running towards higher or lower floors of the Tower, abandoning a world they already thought was done for. Yet those with Bing Xue remained fighting, even as the Barbarian god''s abhorrent body started squirming and abominably producing monstrosities from his flesh and blood, powerful Divine Beasts of War and Bloodshed, imbued with his Divinity! ROOOAARR! SHAAAAHH! GRUOOHH! They resembled distorted, horrible forms of the old beast gods he devoured or used to create his weapons, roaring ferociously, made of flesh, blood, and burning stone, covered with crimson flames. Each beast was at least thirty meters tall, gigantic behemothsthe smallest though. The tallest could reach as high as a hundred meters with ease. The entire battlefield shook constantly; the army that obeyed Bing Xue quickly panicked; demons, cavemen, and their generals alike saw in terrifying horror as everything was set ablaze and how these beasts rapidly started moving towards the camp, aiming to burn the place. The camp was perhaps the only area of the world of Elios with the most population and also where entire families lived. Not every single person there was a member of the cult, most of them being tribes that were absorbed by them and forcefully made into devotees; even when they didnt truly pray to the god, they feared him and did as they were told. Dammit! Where the heck did these things come from?! The Demons started screaming and running away; the beasts were simply too big; their curses and other techniques barely affected their powerful and giant bodies; they were all dying, being stomped one after another. The Demons! No! Friends! The cavemen panicked as they saw many of the demons, not as fast and strong as them to evade the stomps, die one after another, exploding into particles of red mist. Dont worry! Demon friends immortal! They revive inside Bing Bing book! Fine if they die! Fiery Hair roared. However! Not so easy for us! I will fight! Fiery Hair leaped into the battlefield after eating a recovery pill that Bing Xue had given her to use in emergencies, and she started clashing against the titanic beast all on her own. SHYAAAGGH! A giant cat-like divine beast roared, clashing against Fiery Hair with its titanic, blazing claws and trying to tear her to shreds, only to find out she was actually pretty damn tough, tough enough to not easily be hurt. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! GRRRHH?! The beast glared at its own claws, suddenly realizing they had been torn apart. Instead, it was as if hitting Fiery Hair was like trying to destroy a mountain with its bare claws! Fiery Hairs Primal Power Aura surged, encompassing her in golden colors. HYAAAH! She rushed forward, clashing against the beast and punching its head, spreading countless cracks through its stony and rocky exterior. And then she punched it again and again and again, all while kicking it from below, jumping over it as much as she needed! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! SHIEEEHHH! The creature gave an agonizing scream as the countless cracks over its blazing body spread to the point it quickly began to fall into pieces, collapsing into the ground into a pile of stone, flames, and flesh, and dying. RUMBLE! And Fiery Hair didnt kill the little ones, but just felled a one-hundred-meter-tall onethe ones that were less than ten! The rest of the cavemen, both the Children of the Fire and the Hawkeye Tribes, were filled with inspiration. Dont fear! Not so different from home! Giant-scaled beasts we punched to death! OOOOHHHH! The cavemen roared, rushing towards battle, and surrounding the divine beasts, unleashing barrages of powerful physical attacks. The children of fire mostly did the blunt work while the Hawkeyes helped them with mobility, covering them with their winds and also firing their wind-powered arrows. BOOM! CLAASH! BAAM! CRAASH! RUMBLE! This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. For a second, the impossible happened. As the people of the camp escaped to the lower or higher floor, they glanced in disbelief as a group of cavemen started singlehandedly stopping an army of dozens of titanic creatures. We also have help, Merkite! Yes sis! Urbosa and Merkite charged into battle, unleashing several piercing blows using their powerful element-powered spears of thunder and wind, their auras overflowing with spiritual energies, ki, mana, and small fragments of divinity. I feel stronger and faster now! Merkite said. Is this because of the power we absorbed from Leos? Most likely, when he died, an explosion of divine spiritual energy from the beast spirits ended up falling over our bodies, Urbosa nodded. Bing Xue said that we grew strong from that, but lets see how strong! The twins charged against three gigantic divine beasts at once; their giant claws and fiery breaths rapidly reached them, yet the twins easily evaded, using their elements to quickly leap into the skies and escape their deadly attacks. At the same time, they descended with their spears pointing at the monsters flesh, lightning and winds shrouding their bodies as their growing divinity continued to become stronger and mightier, making their very presences shake the surroundings. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Leaping down and up, their spears rapidly impaled the gigantic monstrosities, imbuing destructive windstorms and thunderstorms inside their wounds and making the creatures explode into pieces from the inside out. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM Indeed, they had become much stronger than they ever thought they could become; defeating Leos not only allowed them to avenge their fallen and also all those that were betrayed, but it also helped them reach a new level. Their Martial Cores were already about to ascend into Rank 6 with all the surplus energies they had gained. Thanks to Bing Xues special formations within their bodies, their growth in levels and other energies hastened their Ki cultivation greatly! I can feel it Within me, something is surging! Urbosa said. This Aura is different Yeah, me too, sis! Merkite agreed. Our Martial Aura its growing constantly! They had already reached the pinnacle of Rank 5, and the last thing they needed to do was combine their Soul and Aura together to acquire an Immortal Spark within the core of their Souls. Once this process was finished, they could finally ascend into Immortals. And as they battled, almost instinctively, their Aura and their Souls were rapidly melding together, as if they had dissolved and combined, becoming a single force, a single power within them. What emerged from their bodies was no longer just the excess energy that generated Auras. No, it was the very aura of their soul, the radiance of their Ki, Spirit Energy, Mana, and the Spiritual Divinity Fragments they obtained from Leos. Keep going; were getting somewhere, but we need to keep fighting! Leveling up will help us get there! The pair continued fighting, clashing against the beasts one after another. At the same time, Mursha and Peperina also joined them and Fiery Hair in their battle against the invading creatures. Theyre progressively growing stronger or is that my idea?! Peperina rushed across the burning grasslands as her entire body was set ablaze, making her resemble a rabbit goddess of blue flames. She leaped with her superior agility and abilities, easily crushing her foes with her hammer, which she shapeshifted in a myriad of ways or even enhanced its size temporarily. CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! RUMBLE! The ground shook as she finished off her fifth beast, pulverizing their heads into pieces. After hitting it five times in a row, the creature died, collapsing, and immediately turning into a pile of stone and flames. GRUOOOHHHHH! The beasts continued roaring furiously, charging against the last stand, protecting the camp and the thousands of people behind it. Mursha stood in front of them, and only minutes after having killed the cult leader, the battle had yet to end as the monsters continued emerging. She could see in the skies as Bing Xue battled the God of Destruction in his strongest form. Her attacks were tremendously potent, but the bastard was constantly recovering and regrowing. Hes using the power of the world to regenerate endlessly! And Bing Xue is taking her time because she doesnt want him to end up destroying the world either Mursha immediately tell what was happening. Dammit DAMMIT! She grew furious; even after avenging her family and her tribe, the world was still in peril, and the monstrosity that the cult created was running rampart, left alone for too long. It ended up becoming too powerful, capable of controlling the Elemental Laws and Pillars of Elios and empowering himself endlessly. RAAAAHHH! With a furious roar, Mursha harnessed her new Divinity, overflowing with the Aura of not just a mortal anymore, but a Demigoddess. The body of a mortal was there, but her soul was now that of a goddess, and her divinity overflowed with great power. The Divinity of Hope harnessed millions of small particles of light around her body, giving her the strength that the people of Elios possessed. Their hope, their prayerseverything became her strength! Like a charging and unstoppable bull, Mursha sliced apart dozens of divine beasts at once, using her sheer body prowess to easily cut through them and shatter the divine beasts into pieces. Her titanic axe overflowed with its cursed powers, capable of breaking the pathways of mana and the connections it produced within magic and beings, easily making it possible for her to ignore most of her foes defenses. BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! The explosions caused by her attacks were the divine beasts themselves, which were exploding like bombs one after another. The explosions were powerful enough to send flying the other creatures, weakening them in the process. This helped Mursha pick them up and kill them quickly. While everyone else was also fighting right behind her, Mursha was the one that was singlehandedly pushing forward the most, yet even with her newfound powers, she was growing weary and tired. Hahhh Hahhh When when is this ending? She muttered, looking at the sky. Dammit! The rest of the warriors behind her were already beginning to have similar thoughts; the monstrosity that the God of Destruction became continued creating more and more divine beasts from his flesh and blood, endlessly. Was destroying this world entirely always part of their plans? Mursha thought. That bastard and his tribe... They have condemned the entire world to catastrophic destruction. Why? Just why did he accept the offer from those outsiders?! Mursha recalled the memories the Bloodfang Wolf shared with her of those mysterious beings, or "people, that had talked with Ultimus'' tribe three hundred years ago. The ones that granted them the artifacts and the grimoires containing the knowledge to create a God quite literally, an Evil God that didnt embody natural elements of the opposite. Gods created to destroy, bring demise, and curse all living beings. I dont know what even their goal is, but those beings those people Mursha muttered. They have already targeted many worlds; ours is only one of many I have to tell this to Bing Xue somehow! ROOOAAARRR! As Mursha kept pushing forward, a titanic divine monster reached her, with three lion heads and the tail of a snake, set ablaze and covered by volcanic stone. It charged against her. Mursha gritted her teeth, preparing herself for the worst. At this point, she didnt know if she would be able to win against such a behemoth or not. RAAAHHH! She roared back at it, swinging her axe against it! Yet, amidst the despair... FLASH! Suddenly, the sky was illuminated, as five bright lights illuminated the sky above and then rapidly descended towards the surface. And then, it was as if the worlds time itself had suddenly stopped. Mursha found herself standing, bleeding and exhausted, in front of a creature of myth. A huge animal made of blinding spiritual light, exuding divinity! It was a beautiful phoenix made of golden light and fiery flames. Mursha Bloodfang, the last member of the strongest tribe of Elios... I have a request for you. H-Huh? Please, become my vessel and help me save our world from its demise. ----- Chapter 125: The Ancient Divine Beast Spirit Gods of Elios Awaken! ---- It didnt just happen with Mursha, but also with Peperina, Urbosa, and Merkite. The girls all saw itthis visionas if time had stopped and as if nothing else mattered but the entity in front of them. Upon their descent, they stood there, in front of them. Their bodies, completely composed of Divine Spiritual Energy, took the form of the many beasts that once ruled the wild world of Elios. Before the malevolent cult created the Evil God of Destruction and brought upon Elios eternal chaos and bloodshed. They were the true pillars of Elios, the Pillars of Life, representing the five elements that maintained the world. Because of their tremendous power, the Evil God of Destruction could not kill them, and because Elios existence depended on their own laws, they couldnt be slain anyway. Instead, the Evil God and his cult decided to seal them within a temple made out of Divine Stone, a powerful Divine Seal that slowly sapped their power and transferred it to the Evil God. And over the past three hundred years, they have lost plenty of their powers, even more so as the seal was only opened using a replica of the original key, weakening them even further. However, what else could they do? The world was about to end; they had to act! They were weak now, incapable of keeping their forms for much longer. They required a strong vessel to carry their powerful ethereal forms within their bodiesa contractor. Unlike the Avatars of the Gods, who slowly had their souls consumed by the gods and turned into second bodies, the divine spirit beast gods were different. They created a pact of mutual benefit where both parties were helped, and none lost anything. Nonetheless, the people they chose were still skeptical, if not slightly afraid, of the responsibility of becoming their vessels. I know this is a selfish request, our children But our world is in peril We will give you everything we have, so please, help us save it Help us save Elios A beautiful and enormous phoenix made of bright golden light, and flames spoke, glancing at Mursha with eyes made of stars. If Mursha wasnt wrong, the being she was witnessing right now was an Ancient Divine Beast Spirit God, one of the very first beings to have created the world of Elios and maintained it. Youre the Divine Beast Spirit God, {The Golden Phoenix of the Bright Sun}? That is indeed one of the many titles I was given by my precious children. In other terms, this being was the literal god of the sun of Elios, a being that had created the sun from its own body to bring the day and all its bounties to their people. The same scene was repeated three more times, but with different people and different divine spirit beast gods. In front of Peperina there was a beautiful white and silver-colored hare, with golden horns resembling antlers and sharp crimson eyes. Its aura slowly formed into the shape of a bright white and silver-colored moon, emanating pink and purple moonlight everywhere. This beautiful yet enormous and terrifying being was also recognized by Peperina. Of course she would recognize it, after all Y-Youre the deity that my mother always prays to every time before eating she muttered. The Divine Beast Spirit God, {The Gold-Horned White Hare of the Silver Moon}? Precisely, my dear child Meanwhile, in front of Urbosa and Merkite, there were two more Divine Beast Spirit Gods, both of whom resembled twins of one another: two enormous wolves, one white and another black. The white wolf had crimson eyes and a single black horn on its forehead, while the black wolf had golden eyes and a golden horn on its forehead. The white wolf emanated an aura of life and bright white light; everything around it turned into plants and life; meanwhile, the black wolf emanated an aura of death; the world around him decayed. However, the two together created a perfect balance where life did not die nor was born, balanced stagnation, life and death, twin siblings. It was as if they were an aspect of Yin and Yang, but in another world, far different from Murim. Y-Youre! I cant believe it! Woah, this is Urbosa and Merkite could hardly believe their eyes, yet they immediately recognized these two primordial beings, of equal title to the hare that brings night and the phoenix that brings day; they were the wolves of life and death. {The White Wolf of Life and Harvest}?! {The Black Wolf of Death and Withering}! The two wolves looked at their chosen ones, nodding. I suppose I was once given such a title I dislike that title; I am not purely a being of death; I represent a cycle. Although they had so much to say, there was little time. The divine beast spirit gods bodies were rapidly growing smaller, and the girls noticed this immediately. So you want me to become your vessel? But you will not um, take over me, right? Mursha was nervous. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Theres no such power within me, sighed the Phoenix. My dear child, why would I ever do such a thing? If it were up to me, I wouldnt even request such a thing. But weve grown weaker, with most of our divinities stolen... Theres little we can do before we fully dissipate- Ugh BAAAM! The phoenix suddenly fell to the ground, growing weaker and slowly beginning to dissipate. No! Wait! Mursha ran towards him, looking at his tired face. It is fine if you dont want to I chose you selfishly, and if I die here at least please save this beautiful world I once made No! Well do it together, Father of the Sun! Please accept me as your vessel! The orc had no time to doubt or hesitate; if she didnt take this opportunity, the world as she knew it might truly perish. My child Thank you FLUOOOSH! The phoenix turned into glistening light, fusing with Murshas body and encompassing her with its divinity. Within Murshas body, there were now two souls: her own soul, developing its own divinity as a demigoddess, and a second soul, that of the Phoenix of the Bright Sun. This power! We are now one, my child... But theres no time; hurry! We must defeat these beasts and confront that usurper! Only if we fight him and take away the power he stole from us will we be able to truly save the world! So Bing Xues She has the power to slay him; that woman is incredibly strong. She can do it But shes merciful; shes stalling for time, waiting for all of you to save the world. She knows that if she kills him now completely, the world will be left in an unrepairable state and will soon collapse. So thats why! Now, please, my child! Yes, Father Sun! Mursha felt the sunlight above and its warmth empowering her as her red hair suddenly grew long, reaching her foot and gaining several gold strands. From her back, a pair of beautiful golden feathered wings emerged, and the rest of her body gained armor made of such golden feathers, made of divine spiritual metal. Even her cursed axe was completely purified, transforming into a divine relic in the instant, shining with the radiance of the sun! Your axe it contains tremendous powers! the phoenix said. Ive blessed it with the last remaining divine power within me. From now on, baptized by the sun, your Axe is no longer cursed but a Divine Relic, the Sunshine Axe, Helios! Mursha held her axe tightly, feeling its tremendous power. The axe itself had a soul of its own; it was alive with her, together. She was no longer alone. Yes, I understand. Thank you! As she flew into the skies, the other three vessels also accepted the offers of the three other divine beast spirit gods. Much like Mursha, they saw them slowly growing weaker; if they didnt act now, the divine beast spirit gods would die from the mere pressure the evil god exuded into the world. Very well, I accept your terms! Thank you, my child. Peperina accepted the White Hate of the Silver Moon as the giant hare turned into light and moonlight, fusing with her body. Her blue flames turned silver and pink, and her size increased slightly, while she gained larger rabbit ears and a moon-shaped sphere behind her, surging from her very aura. If theres no other way, then well gladly accept you, right? Yes! At the same time, Urbosa and Merkite also accepted the twin wolves of life and death. Their spiritual powers became one with them as their wild and wolf-like features changed. Urbosa, who became the vessel of the White Wolf, had her fur turn white and black; she grew black horns above her head; and her eyes turned crimson red. Merkite, who became the vessel of the Black Wolf, had her fur turn black and gold, with golden eyes and golden horns. Their auras exuded the power of life and death, further combined with their original elements, and even more, their cultivation rank began to rapidly soar. The fusion between their Auras and Souls continued, rapidly reaching its peak! Oh? Whats this? Interesting And even more, the two wolves quickly realized both women were pregnant; within them was another soul already, a body with three souls. You can feel them? Thats our kids! Please protect them, our lords! The wolves nodded, their divine spiritual energies veiling and protecting the developing embryos with great power. We shall do more than just protect them. These children are destined to be born and become great beings. Lets give them everything we have too. Yes, the future is in their hands. FLAAASH! . . . Whats wrong?! Werent you acting like you could defeat me at any given moment, woman?! The Evil God of Destruction laughed as his titanic arms clashed against Bing Xue. The Heavenly Martial Empress easily parried his blows and slashed his body apart with her sword, cutting him into pieces as she unleashed a domain of crimson infernal flames, the clouds above her turning red. And I can. She said with confidence, closing her eyes. {Primordial Heaven Soul Blade: Red Heaven Inferno}! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! The body of the Evil God of Destruction exploded into pieces, and as his screams reverberated across the skies, the infernal flames of the red heaven consumed him entirely. Yet it was not enough. FLUOSH! His body rapidly reformed within seconds, the ground below and the heavens above restructuring him completely back! As long as his divine soul remained, he would be immortal! Hahahaha! Pathetic and foolish attempts such as those will not get you anywhere! I do admit youre strong, but not enough! I could kill you; I seriously can. But if I destroy your soul, your connection with the world will also be destroyed, and the world of Elios and its pillars, which you stole from other gods, will collapse, sighed Bing Xue. If to destroy you, I must sacrifice a world... then I would rather buy time until those truly destined to defeat you come to me. Bing Xue was powerful; she knew she could destroy him if she wanted. However, the aftermath of this destruction would create a cataclysm that would end the world. She could easily turn back time by a couple of hours, but the conflict would always end in the same way. She could attempt to refill the world with her life energy and ki to restructure it below other laws too. But then she would become bound to the world through her soul, chained to it and unable to leave, or else she would risk it being destroyed. And unlike Eclipse, she wouldnt be able to give this power to someone else either, as the world would be restructured almost from zero. She couldnt take on such responsibilities. And if there was another way to do this, then she would gladly take it. And right now, they are here. FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! Four people, overflowing with the last remaining divine spiritual powers of the first pillars of Elios, are right behind her. Bing Xue! Were here! Mursha roared. Sorry for taking so long! Peperina said. We had to make sure those monsters wouldnt bother anybody anymore! Urbosa smiled. This is our world, so naturally, we have to save it ourselves! Merkite nodded. W-What?! How did you come here?! And... is that THEM?! The Evil God was shocked. You were unsealed?! IMPOSSIBLE! The Evil God of Destruction immediately recognized the Auras of the pillars. Although there was one missing. And thats because he was somewhere else, within Bing Xues Inner Realm! "Good, it looks like everyone is here now Bing Xue smiled, glancing at the Evil God. Oh, right Theres another person I wanted you to meet, dear god. FLUOSH! A portal to her Inner Realm opened as a gigantic beast made of gold and black metal, covered with green and crimson diamonds, and overflowing with the power of both the supreme spirit beast god and the divinity of the evil god emerged. ROOOAAARRR! It resembled a chimera of a bat, a lion, and a dragon; this was Bing Xues latest creation, a new god for Elios, one meant to replace the Evil God. I present you with my new child! My Divinity! Within a Divine Beast Spirit?! the Evil God gasped. No How did you?! Enough with your questions! Let us begin, shall we? Bing Xue smiled. Today, you will give back the world to its people! ----- Chapter 126: The Beast Gods Against The God of Destruction ----- Although all Divine Beast Gods had gathered, only four out of the five had appeared. The fifth was instead somewhere else. The reason? Bing Xue had created him a perfect vessel, a being created out of the Divinity Fragments and Body Parts of the slain Divine Beast Spirits and the Barbarian Gods Avatars. It was a special type of lifeform, an entity that she fed with the Spirit Trees Spiritual Energy, her own Ki, and many Martial Treasures. An entity that took fifty years to grow into its current form, which was within mere seconds inside of her Inner Realm. A unique being, born from a dead Divine Beast Spirit and the Divinity Fragments of the Evil God that usurped their world from them. An entity whose existence would have never happened if none of these events had occurred, a unique God and the one that she designed specifically to maintain this world. ROOOAAARRR! Its appearance was chimeric, with the head of a black lion, the wings of a bat, and the legs and tail of a dragon. Despite its monstrous form, this creature was, without a doubt, a Divine Beast Spirit! Yet at the same time, it was much more than just that. Its body was not spiritual or ethereal, and it possessed a physical body made of divine metal and diamonds. Both of these materials were created from either divine avatars or the transformed bodies of slain divine beasts. Therefore, within it, there wasnt just the power of a Divine Beast Spirit, but also of the very God who had taken everything from everyone. I am well aware that this world cannot go back to how it once was anymore, youve changed it too much, Bing Xue said. And thats why Ive created him; I present to you my child, Typhon. He shall take your place, Barbarian God. W-What?! god muttered. You YOU DARE THINK I CAN BE REPLACED?! I WOULD RATHER DESTROY THIS WORLD! With a furious and maddening scream, the barbarian God made the entire world of Elios shake even more. More volcanoes erupted, filling the once beautiful grasslands, forests, and jungles with lava, and turning everything into a hellish landscape. We wont let you do that! suddenly, a mighty voice echoed from within Typhon, alongside a ferocious lion roar. As long as I and my children are here, we shall finish the job once and for all, Barbarian God... Or, as I should say, Rakshasa! Rakshasa is the true and real name of the Barbarian God, or, as his true title was, the Evil God of Destruction. That voice?! And Rakshasa recognized it; after all, he had fiercely battled him long ago and barely won against him before sealing him away and slowly draining his powers. The Ruler of All and the Father of All Other Divine Beast Spirit Gods. The {Star-Gazing Azure Lion of Beginnings}?! A mighty Divine Beast God, the creator of Elios and of all other Divine Beast Gods, a being that came from the stars themselves, much older than the planet, and who saw the world before it was assimilated by the Tower. He had grown weaker over a long time, but Typhon, the chimeric beast spirit god, had become a perfect vessel for his divine spiritual powers, the gigantic child of Bing Xue, unleashing an aura of cosmic light resembling a beautiful azure nebula around it. Prepare yourself; today we take back the world you stole from its people! The Lion roared, as the Barbarian God could only smile defiantly. TRY AS MUCH AS YOU WANT, LITTLE KITTY! RUMBLE! All five Divine Beast Spirit Gods and their vessels rushed towards the God at once, attacking his titanic body with their strongest techniques. Mursha was first, unleashing a spinning attack using her giant golden axe, covering herself with her Blood Aura and the Phoenixs Flames of the Sun. RAAAH! Resembling a slashing tornado of divine spiritual flames powered up by the phoenix and her divinity of Hope together into one, Murshas technique reached a new level, devastating the left side of the Barbarian God as she easily pierced through his defensive divine barriers. SLAAASH! SLAAASH! SLAAASH! Crack, crack CRACK! CRAAASH! Shes stronger than I thought! He gritted his teeth in disbelief. DIE! He swung dozens of titanic arms towards Mursha, only for Bing Xue to disappear from her current position and then reappear in front of the gigantic arms. As long as I am here, you will not get a single hit on them. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. She swung her hands as a gigantic golden palm made of Divine Photon Essence materialized and impacted all arms, disintegrating them within seconds. BOOOM! Ugh! T-Thats not fair! Fairness?! Are you really asking for that after what youve done to our world?! The Silver Moon White Hare roared, imbuing her powers into Peperina. Her hammer became silver and black colored, growing to a titanic size of over a hundred meters. She swung it down furiously, crushing the gods head and making it crumble down! CRAAASH! Uuuaaagghh! As Rakshasa screamed, the other Divine Beast Gods kept attacking him. Urbosa and Merkite, with the white and black wolves of life and death, unleashed beams of thunder and winds powered by divine spiritual powers, withering the body of the god and also making countless plants grow, which devoured and absorbed his energies. BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! His body was rapidly crumbling apart, and it wasnt regenerating as quickly as he wanted! He began to question what was happening anymore. It was as if his powers were slowly disappearing or leaving him! DAMMIT! DIE! Rakshasa, in his anger, conjured hundreds of titanic weapons made of his crimson blood, firing them at all the foes in front of him! As strong as they were, such attacks would easily tear everyone to shreds. Yet I told you already. Bing Xue waved her arms as a wave of Divine Photon Essence, resembling rainbow lightning and liquid gold, encompassed all attacks before they could reach anybody, moving at the speed of lightning itself. All weapons he created and fired were instantly encompassed by these powers, turning gold and then being fired back at the barbarian god! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! His body was suddenly covered by hundreds of gigantic golden weapons, exploding and making his over-two-kilometer-tall body crumble down faster. As long as I am here, they will not get a single hit from you, Rakshasa! Ugh! No! Why! Why are you not letting me get even a hit on them?! This is not fair! I require a fair battle! T-This is not! Is it only fair when things go according to your plans, but when they suddenly dont, you claim the game is rigged?! The mighty, stargazing lion roared as Typhon rushed down. Using its giant dragon claws, the chimeric spirit beast slashed apart the many heads of Rakshasa while unleashing beams of cosmic light, blowing him up into pieces. I cannot believe our world was taken away by such a hypocrite! Peperina and the Silver Moon Hare crushed his body with their hammer, piercing through it rapidly with powerful and impactful charging attacks, leaving hundreds of holes across Rakshasas body. Burn to ashes, you monster! Mursha and the Phoenix combined their powers, and as the loud cry of the phoenix reverberated across the entire world, her flames encompassed half of the barbarian god''s gigantic body, burning him as her axe cleaved through him. Become fertilizer for the new life that shall arise from your body! Urbosa unleashed an endless thunderstorm with each of her piercing spear attacks, while the white wolf within her spread endless greenery with her blows. The plants unified together and drained the divine power of the god. Youve lived far too long, beast! Wither and die! Merkite and the black wolf combined their powers; the black winds of death and decay encompassed the entire body of the barbarian god, making his flesh decay and rot away, falling apart constantly. Today the stars are joyful! Our revenge is finally upon us, my children! Let us not waste a single second! This is the beginning of a new era! The lion roared mighty, and Typhon roared as well. As the two of them combined their powers, a crimson and azure-colored nebula encompassed him as they rushed towards the barbarian god. N-no! I cant accept this! DIE, YOU WEAKLINGS! The barbarian god was being attacked from every single angle, yet he was unable to even land a single hit against them! All twelve of his giant arms swung their weapons against everyone as he tried to cleave, slash, and pierce through them. CRAAASH! Yet the moment his attacks finally reached everyone, suddenly, time was skipped completely as Bing Xue appeared above him, her bare hands suddenly covered by his blood and rocky skin. BOOOM! And his arms collapsed into pieces, and his eyes widened, incapable of even believing or understanding what happened. {Aeternitas Martial Arts}: {Primordial Divine Sentinel of the Bright Future} An immense amount of Time Essence and Yang Essence overflowed from her body as she conjured one of the abilities of her second EX-Ranked Skill. The power to skip a second into the future, allowing her to completely mitigate all damage dealt to her or a target within that time frame, and skipping into a second after. At the same time, within the time frame she skipped, she was able to freely move while everything else was on time stop. Thats why the barbarian god was unable to land a single hit, and once a second was skipped into the future, all of his arms crumbled into pieces. T-This is He finally, finally understood. Bing Xue wasnt someone he could ever defeat. She was beyond his own understanding. As he saw Bing Xues piercing rainbow eyes, his entire body was completely destroyed by all the elemental attacks of every member of the group. All five divine beast spirit gods roared, their divinities covering his entire body, making him collapse into pieces as his powers over Elios continued to grow weaker and weaker. His true body was finally revealed againhow he looked before transforming and falling from the skies at a rapid speed. If it cant kill you... Then Ill destroy this world. He smiled maniacally as he suddenly summoned a gigantic crimson spear made out of countless demonic monsters and creatures. {Demonic Asura Armament Summon}: {Heaven-Defying Demonic Spear: Naraka}! TRUUUMMM!!! Everyones eyes widened as they saw the spear, over five kilometers in length, pierce through Elios surface and dig down underground while beginning to spin like a drill! Hes aiming for the core! Mursha panicked. Hurry! Urbosa cried. No, we wont make it! Merkite said. Dammit! That monster! Peperina roared in frustration. GRAAAHHHH! Typhon was furious. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! As the laughter of the barbarian god echoed across the world of Elios, the entire surface started to tremble, and countless cracks spread out everywhere, creating craters towards the depths of the worlds core. I was planning to enjoy the bloodshed a bit longer; what a pity! Ill have to simply destroy the world, as I always planned anyway. No, I dont think you will. Huh? Bing Xue was right in front of him, holding in her hands the Heavens themselves, fusing them with her radiance into a blinding power that engulfed it all. {Primordial Heavenly Empress of Light Arts}: [Heavenly Light Domain] FLAAASH! First, a domain of light encompassed everything. Suddenly, the world stopped trembling. Bing Xues domain did not just trap the god with her or the spear. It encompassed the entire planet of Elios, which was at least as big as Earth! T-This is a Divine Domain?! I couldnt quite do this before, but Ive learned my ways around your Divine Domains Bing Xue smiled. I have to say, it is quite simple to make once you see someone do it. T-This is! The barbarian god tried to unleash his domain to counter hers, yet... [Primordial Nirvanas Spear] The skies above and the ground below fused into Bing Xues hands, creating a rainbow spear made of stone and clouds and blinding lights. CRAAASH! And the spear pierced through Rakshasas chest, at the same time as his titanic spear, Naraka, crumbled down into countless pieces. BOOOM! ----- Chapter 127: Saving The World Of Elios Listen while reading: https://soundcloud.com/013-rathlion/inferno-modv ----- Bing Xue was surprised; her Spear of Nirvana did not kill Rakshasa, which meant he was as durable and strong as the Primal King, who took two hits to die. Nonetheless, she didnt really care if it survived that. AGH! He vomited blood, feeling weakened as his body now lacked his heart and lungs, yet as a god, he remained alive, albeit agonizingly. Y-Youre Youre the real monster here Heh! Hehahah! Bing Xue only looked down on him from above, as if he were nothing but an ant, or below an ant. To her, he was just a small nuisance. But even such small nuisances had to be taken care of, or they would end up creating a big nuisance eventually. Thats why Its all yours. Ah! Rakshasa saw as the beasts he once almost killed, sealed, and tortured jumped over his body. Urbosa, Merkite, Peperina, and Mursha had transformed, their auras becoming the shape of their gigantic divine patrons, similarly sized to Typhon. Their jaws and beaks started biting through his flesh and soul; their claws and talons tore through his skin and pierced deep into his muscles; and their divine elements burned him, sliced his flesh, rotted his body, and absorbed his energies. Uuuaaagggh! G-Get away from me, you horrendous beasts! Stop! STOOOP! As he screamed in agony, they didnt stopthe beasts he fought, the beasts he humiliated, the beasts that he slaughtered, and the beasts he tortured. This was for all of them, their fathers, who were unable to stop him as he killed, ate, and turned their children into weapons. This was their revenge! YOULL PAY FOR SLAUGHTERING OUR PRECIOUS CHILDREN! DIE AGONIZINGLY, YOU BASTARD! WE WILL NOT HAVE MERCY! SUFFER! YOU WANT TO SEE US BEING BEASTS?! THEN WELL BE THE MOST FERAL BEASTS! THIS IS FOR ALL OF THEM! FOR EVERYONE YOUVE MADE SUFFER! REMEMBER IT EVEN AS YOU DIE, YOU MONSTER! The barbarian god tried to run away from them even as they tore apart his arms and legs, even as he was without his legs anymore, even as his half-eaten head remained. STOP! PLEASE HAVE MERCY! I DIDNT! I! AAAAGGGGHHHH! He looked at Bing Xue, extending his hand toward her. Help Help me! Please! Youre Youre merciful! Yet she only smiled back at him without extending a hand. So? How does it feel? This is the suffering you made others go through. It hurts, right? It makes you want to die, so the suffering finally ends, hm? This is despair; this is pain. Is this your first time experiencing it?" Bing Xue asked. Unfortunately, this will be your first and last time. Bing Xue walked towards him, glaring at his eyes. Now think, think about all those youve made suffer, all those your followers slaughtered those that were even eaten by them! Do you remember them? Their pain? Their cries? Bing Xue explained. Youre going through all of that now. No! Please make it stop! He groaned, bleeding from all over his body. This is the end you sought! Bing Xue kicked his head away, and the rest of the beasts ravenously devoured him piece by piece. Not even his brains were spared; the hungry beasts absorbed back some of their powers, although they let Typhon feast the most. They knew that this child would be the future and that their time as the gods of this world had long ago ended. ROOOAAARR! Typhon roared mightily on top of the corpse of Rakshasa, its roar generating a shockwave of rainbow colors, encompassing the entire world of Elios. The pillars of all elements answered his call! The other four divine beast spirit gods bowed to him, as he was the vessel of their father, the Star-Gazing Lion of Beginnings. The light quickly pierced through the planets crust, and the countless cracks, and ripples across it began to heal, rapidly unifying together. The volcanoes, leaving lava everywhere, rapidly sealed themselves, moving down into the depths of the underground. The lava-covered hellish landscapes changed, immediately cooling down and being covered with beautiful grasslands and growing forests. The remaining divine beasts created by Rakshasa dropped dead in an instant, decaying and becoming piles of rubble and ashes. And the destabilizing atmosphere above rapidly went back to normal. And it was just as there was a beautiful sunset, making the scene even more tranquil and beautiful. Is it Is it finally over? muttered Urbosa, sighing. I-I think so Ugh, groaned Merkite. The two walked to the side of Bing Xue, hugging her. The auras of the divine beast spirit gods within their bodies quickly returned to normal, so they were able to walk on their own. You did well, Bing Xue smiled, caressing their heads as she let them hug her. She hugged them back happily, wrapping her arms around their backs. Its finally over. Can I get my reward? Merkite asked with adorable puppy eyes. Fufu, of course, dear~ Bing Xue happily kissed her cute lips, and then her adorable snout. Well done, my love. M-Me too! Urbosa gasped as she learned about the reward that Merkite had requested; she had no idea of such a new rule! I deserve a reward as well! Okay, I was going to give it to you anyways, Bing Xue smiled gently, kissing Urbosas lips gently, and then her snout and then her forehead. Mooch, mooch, very well done, my dearest. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Her two wives were left even more in love with her adorable way to give them kisses and cuddles, hugging her even tightly and wrapping their tails around her waist while rubbing their faces on her chest. Damn I want some of that too Mursha muttered without realizing she was saying it out loud. A-Ah! I mean, I didnt Honestly, same Peperina sighed, looking at the scene as she yawned. Oh well, were done here, I believe I-It was sure a long day So much happened; I need to eat and sleep to process everything A-At least I can come back home and tell my mom her world is finally safe now. Well done, Mursha smiled, patting the rabbit girls shoulders. Lets go have a meal then; Peperina was your name, right? Yep! Mursha right? Peperina asked. Lets get along! I think we can be good friends! D-Despite our size differences, Hahah, youre cute! Mursha giggled, noticing how small Peperina was compared to her. Come here; Ill carry you on my shoulders. Youre like a baby girl! Mursha laughed, treating Peperina like a child and carrying her on her shoulders. W-Wait! Im not a kid, Mursha, stop it! Although she complained, it wasnt as if she disliked it. As they made their way back to the camp, they met with the rest of the cavemen and Fiery Hair, along with all the people who decided not to escape their world. There were roughly three thousand people that stayed, so the world wasnt completely empty when everything happened. Thanks to their hope and trust in these new saviors, Mursha was able to channel the power of Hope too, giving her the power to pierce through Rakshasas defenses. T-They really did it The world of Elios is back to normal?! T-The barbarian god You saw him die, right? It wasnt... this isnt a dream? They killed him! And the beast spirit gods, theyre back! T-This is I cant believe this! The people were all in tears, on their knees, constantly crying and thanking their heroes. Many of them were still in a state of shock, completely speechless. What seemed to be just another War Game ended up becoming the last one. Bing Xue walked forward with the rest of the participants, as she also noticed Seth coming back with the two gods; they had been battling the divine beasts and protecting the camp. Without their help, the camp might have been destroyed, so she was grateful they were here to help as well. And well, without knowing about this secret that Seth had, it wouldnt have been possible for her to save this world properly, at least. You may rest at ease now, everyone. The cult has been completely slain, and the barbarian god is now dead too, Bing Xue said. However, the world of Elios has been left in a perilous state. I am only a foreigner, an otherworldly player who has no rights to say anything about this world. I came here and simply slayed someone I thought did not deserve to live. However, the real heroes are these people. They risked their lives for you and became the vessels of the ancient five divine beast spirit gods. Bing Xue happily gave all the credit to the girls, and well, it wasnt as if they didnt deserve it. She had tried to put Seth in there too, but he just disappeared without leaving a trace; he wasnt someone who liked attention. She also needed to ask him a couple of questions later; there were still things she was wondering about him. Thank you, our heroes! Vessels?! Then they must be the ancient beast gods apostles? Theyre our new apostles, hurray! We have to celebrate; the tyranny of the cult of the barbarian god is no more! W-Were free? Really? No more war games? Seriously?! Thank you! Thank you so much! My family... my kids... theyre all finally avenged! Orcs, beast-kin, thralls, and many other people ran towards Urbosa, Merkite, Mursha, and Peperina, constantly thanking them for everything and kneeling before them. Their faith and gratefulness became divine powers, with Faith Points rapidly accumulating on all four girls, making their developing divine powers grow rapidly. I-It was nothing, really! said Merkite rather nervously. No need to thank us, we simply fought for our world! Urbosa said pridefully. Everyone, calm down Mursha was embarrassed. I did this because I just love this world and all of you, people that kept struggling, just like my tribe, youre the real heroes here! I-Im not used to receiving so much attention! Peperina was panicking. Meanwhile, Bing Xue walked to the side of Typhon, where the enormous metallic and crystalline divine beast spirit rested over the grasslands, glancing at the camp and then at the world. It had been born fifty years ago, yet it was the first time it was finally seeing its worldthe world it would now govern as its god. It was a very young god at that, but thankfully, he had a great mentor within him. Bing Xue, the voice of the Star-Gazing Lion of Beginning spoke through Typhon. Thank you for everything, truly. I know that youre the real mastermind behind everything, alongside Seth Without you, this world might have faced its end. Ah, well, its nothing much, really! Bing Xue giggled. Glad you guys are back Because you are, right? Ill have to be honest with you sighed the Lion. By the end of the day, we might no longer be here. W-What? Bing Xue asked. Wait, is it the structure of your bodies? Let me heal you. Its not something you could heal; it is connected to the world and the laws we govern, said the Lion. Ill leave behind my knowledge and my will within Typhon, but in a couple of minutes, me, the hare, the phoenix, and my twin wolves will cease to exist as we are. I can heal you; let me! Bing Xue attempted to heal them through many techniques. Yet nothing worked; it was something she couldnt heal, a wound that has lasted for three hundred years; it was something existential; it was as if the very story theyve built was fragmenting apart, and so their existences were coming to an end. It wasnt something she could heal or revive. You see, we gods not only subsist through Faith, but we also build Stories, Myths, he explained. Our myths and stories have been forgotten; most of the people who believed in us died. And the new people are too few. Its hopeless But thats fine as well. I want to entrust you with the future of my people. Me?! But wait, I cant just stay here forever Bing Xue muttered. I know, but I supervise it from time to time The lion muttered. Dammit okay, sighed Bing Xue. Hahh just when I thought I was getting new allied gods, you guys are going to die... Are there other beast gods left behind? There are a few, weakened and hidden, in the world. They will come to Typhon naturally, said the lion. With him, my children shall build a new pantheon. They will become your friends and allies. Do not worry, although our existences might fade. We will leave Divine Wills, copies of our minds and thoughts, like an archive of what we were and would be. They will become the new voices of reason for Typhon; he might speak in many voices soon enough. So like clones, huh? Bing Xue wondered. Fine, it cant be helped at the end. Im sorry, I wasnt able to come earlier. I didnt know you for long, but I know... I at least know youre a good person, Lion. Thank you, Bing Xue... That means a lot coming from you, The lions form emerged from Typhon, resting over the grasslands as he glanced at the sunset. What a beautiful sunset this is... My last sunset. Merkite, Urbosa, Mursha, and Peperina walked to their side, and the divine beast spirit gods that had taken them as vessels also emerged, their bodies slowly fading away at the side of their father. A-Are you really going to die? A-After everything?! Urbosa cried. Bing Xue! C-Cant you heal them? Im sorry Bing Xue sighed. There are things that not even I can heal. Hahh Merkite sighed. You guys lied to us; you said you would stay with us! We will, said the black wolf. We will leave within you all our remaining powers. Please, take good care of them. I know youre all worthy, my precious daughters. The white wolf spoke gently. Urbosa and Merkite started crying as they saw the two giant wolves beginning to fade away below the sunset. I-I dont know what to say My mom will be so sad sighed Peperina. It is fine, dear. Tell your mother that I always listened to every prayer she did. And that I always watched over her, the hare rubbed their noses over Peperina''s head. You and your mother are strong. Live well. And take good care of my powers. I know you will. Thank you Peperina shed a few tears. Phoenix, you wont revive like the legends say? Mursha asked the phoenix. Im afraid even that legend that gave me such power has died long ago, laughed the phoenix. But worry not, Mursha. We will simply return to the world. Death does not truly exist for us. Indeed, we are part of the world, said the lion. And we will be watching you and protecting you. Our dear children. The lions beautiful, starry eyes glanced at the people of the world, smiling gently. I love all of you, my children. FLASH! The beast gods dissipated, becoming particles of various colors of light, slowly moving away by the wind, elevating into the skies. For a moment, everyone in the camp and the world of Elios saw this beautiful scene as millions of colorful butterflies made of these colors flew around the globe. Their essence, like rain, fell from the skies, giving the world the last spark of life and divinity it needed to continue. As the sun finally set, Typhon sat there, looking at the night sky. Groooohhh He howled sorrowfully, regretting being unable to spend more time with his parents. Bing Xue gently patted his big paws. Its fine, Typhon; theyre not gone, she said. They will always be inside of your heart. Grrhhh Typhon gave a cute sound, licking Bing Xues entire body with its giant tongue. Ugh T-Thanks Seth looked at the sky, resting behind the camps walls. He smiled lightly, recalling the memories of his past love. Of a cute tiger-kin girl who meant everything to him. Weve saved it, Mia... Your world, he sighed. I hope that one day I can see you again... Amidst the countless worlds this tower has. So we can come to your world... And build a house and a family together. Bing Xue remained silent as she heard everything he said to himself in a lower voice. Heh, so even you have someone you love, huh? ----- Chapter 128: Celebrations ----- The battles finally ended, the Barbarian God was slain, and his powers were distributed back into the world. The new Beast God, Typhon, was the new pillar of the world of Elios, similar to how I had designed Leviathan to take care of Eclipse. Still, it was a pity that the other Divine Beast Spirit Gods couldnt remain here. Their own existences must have weakened tremendously over these three hundred years. Usually, one would imagine such an amount of time as nothing to a god or an Immortal. However, for special beings such as them, whose powers and roots originate from Myths, once their stories are forgotten by the people, they naturally grow weaker. Because of this, summed up with their sealing and how the Barbarian God stole their divinities over time, this is what happened. Wounds I couldnt heal, and people I couldnt save... Even after eleven thousand years of cultivation and growth, there are still many things I cannot do. Saving these beings, whose biology and existence were beyond my understanding at the moment, was one of them. But that wont last for long; as I grow stronger and understand better all of these abilities and beings, Ill also have the ability to heal them. I promise I will. You sacrificed everything to save your world, your people, the world, and the people you loved so much. If anything, youre perhaps the most noble beings Ive met in my life. For you, it is worth giving it my all, so other beings like you can have a second chance too. You made me learn that not all gods were evil either, that not all of them were corrupt, and that some, like a parent to a child, genuinely loved their creations and took care of them. You helped them grow, you nurtured them, and you gave them this beautiful world. I will make sure to protect your legacy. I looked into the skies; the night had already arrived, and for the first time in a while, I gave myself the privilege of just sitting down over the grasslands and enjoying the starry night. There were more stars in the sky than I could ever see back on Earth, all of them so bright and so beautiful. Were these stars that the Lion came from? He was most likely a god from another Realm, or World, someone who came alone and made his world, his children, their siblings, and then the people. I dont know what his reasons were, but after traveling across the stars through his long life... Maybe he was just lonely. When he died, he looked happy and fulfilled. It was as if he had done everything he could have ever wanted and was happy to leave the world as he had made it. So thats how God truly is, huh? The night sky is beautiful today, Mursha said. We were all sitting over the grasslands, enjoying our own time together, and having a large picnic. The people of the camp were surrounding us, making a huge celebration. Thousands of people danced, sang, ate, and laughed together. It was a night of celebration, something that would be remembered by the next generation as a legend, perhaps. It indeed is! nodded Urbosa. This world I want to bring my Hekita here; I want to show my baby this world she never saw. Hekita... wasnt born here? I wondered. No, we ran away from Elios when I was just a child after all, Urbosa smiled, caressing my hand as she rested her head over my shoulder. I want to bring her here so she can learn about her heritage and about the world her tribe once lived in. And maybe we can finally come back too. We have to definitely tell the entire tribe! nodded Merkite. Im sure theyre going to be thrilled to come back, especially all the grandpas and grandmas! Yeah, lets do that then. I nodded. But lets not force them; maybe some would prefer to stay in Eclipse, and that''s perfectly understandable. Unlike Eclipse, this place is underdeveloped. There arent large cities or civilizations anymore. It is pretty much a blank slate, with this camp being the only last place where the few survivors of many tribes gathered together. Itll be a hard path from now on to remake everything we lost, sighed Urbosa. I dont know if Ill be able to help as much as I wish... Im here with you now; youre my dear mate. And Im pregnant with our child, so it would be imprudent to spend my time here when I should be at your side. Ah, well I felt slightly embarrassed; she talked so proudly about that. If you really want to, I wouldnt mind staying here with you; although Ill keep climbing the tower, I can help you reconstruct this place. N-No I would never ask you such a thing, said Urbosa. Really, its fine... I think its just my own selfish wish; I feel like I belong more with you; were family after all, right? R-Right I nodded, feeling moved. Yep~ Merkite agreed. I mean, look around you; theres still tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, if other refugees come back, right? Im sure they can manage with Typhons help. Yeah, I suppose it can be done. I nodded. I drank some of the ale they offered to us, made of many fermented wild berries. It had a very sweet flavor for an alcoholic drink, almost addicting. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. The roasted meat made out of those sheep-like creatures they raise as cattle was also quite deliciousnicely roasted, tender, and fattywith a lot of unique spices that gave it a very surprising flavor. There was also a delicious bread resembling naan bread, with a lot of seeds; it had a rather milky flavor and was slightly sweet. It was made using these cattles milk plus flour made by mixing and pulverizing several types of seeds gathered around these lands and their forests. This is how you eat it, Bing Xue. Mursha taught me how to eat the bread by taking a small piece and then dipping it in several sauces available. First green sauce, then blue, and yellow. This gives the perfect combination of flavors. Try it! She took a bite, licking her fingers. Hmm~ I did what she told me, in the same order, and then. Ooh! These sauces were incrediblea combination of spices, fruits, vegetables, and aromatic herbs that created a wonderful sensation inside my mouth. Spicy, sweet, slightly savoryumami! All came one after another; it wasnt overwhelming, just enough. The slight sweetness and the spongy yet crunchy outer layer of the bread made everything even better. When I saw Urbosa place a piece of meat on top. Also like this! We dont really use forks, spoons, or knives here; we just eat everything with bread, mostly, she explained. Nom! Hmm! I missed this flavor from my childhood! Hahahh! Ooh, yes, its really wonderful, nodded Urbosa. Thank you for inviting us to eat such a delicious meal, Mursha! Its Hmm! Really good! Nodded Peperina; she was right by our side, enjoying the food as well. As a foodie, she couldnt stop taking photos for her vlog using her smartphone. I hope I can get some likes from this! Its nothing, said Mursha. After everything youve done, it''s only obvious that I would invite you to eat at the very least. You can also stay the night in the camps most luxurious tents if you desire. Now that all the bad weeds have been eliminated, theres plenty of free space. Ah, thank you, Mursha. I nodded. Then well take that offer! Anyway, how do you feel so far? Youve gone through a lot, and youve also grown a lot as well. Im doing fine, you dont have to worry, Lady Bing Xue, she said. My strength has stabilized, and my energies are harmonizing with one another She wasnt wrong; as I glanced at her strong biceps, I sensed her energies condensing in her chest, where her Martial Core had been formed. This core had crystalized from the combination of her Primal Power, her large pool of Mana, and also the new Ki I had awakened on her just seconds before the war game began. After that, she also awakened spiritual energies from her tattoos, and the existence of the Bloodfang Wolf was revealed, although he quickly passed away afterwards. With his help, though, Mursha was able to steal a developing divinity from one of her foes, a half thrall and half orc named Obsidian, a Shadow Divinity she used, but that quickly broke on her battle against Ultimus. And while fighting Ultimus, the combination and condensation of her energies, with the shattered Shadow Divinities fragments, plus the right time and the right place, created a new Divinity within her, the Divinity of Hope. It certainly has, I nodded. Not only have you developed your Cultivation, but the Primal Power, your Unique Tattoos which seem to be a unique form of Spirit Energy Cultivation, and also your Mana reserves have increased a lot, all coupled with that Divinity. R-Right Ive become so strong, I cant believe it, she muttered. I didnt even believe when the Phoenix said they''d leave me the leftover energies before passing away; they said it was leftover, but its tremendous! Now, the Divinity resided in her soul while her Cultivation continued to progress; she had now reached Rank 5 due to all the boosts, energies, and powers she gained, plus the Phoenix within her, who, although he died, left behind all the leftover divine spiritual energies. Right now, even as we eat, she and the other girls are constantly absorbing and assimilating this energy, constantly growing stronger. In that little, brief amount of time, I let Mursha awaken to Ki. I had also given her the special Physique Formation, so her cultivation increased based on the increment of her various energies and also her levels. As of now, it could be considered that Mursha was already a goddess, though her body was still that of a mortal. But a strange goddess, one not tied to any world, I suppose shes similar to me in that regard. Haha, well, its the same for us Urbosa laughed a bit, but then realized that it was better not to. Ahem Well, Im still rather sad that they passed away. I''m just a bit shocked by the power weve attained. I can hardly believe it myself Merkite drank some ale, licking her lips. I hope you can help us control and cultivate these powers, honey She looked at me. Of course, dear, thats only nature. I nodded, caressing her hair and giving her a kiss. Lets slowly learn about your new abilities, one step at a time. Then there are Urbosa and Merkite; both of them received the divine spiritual powers of the wolves, but they had yet to absorb this power or completely make it into a proper divinity. Anyway, they had already reached Rank 6, so they were now in the realm of Immortals. Its changes occurred as they fought against the Barbarian God; thanks to the possession of the divine beast spirit gods, this process was immediately done. However, Im afraid they have yet to awaken their inner Realms, which should appear after their Aura and Souls fused. However, in terms of body, although they had not realized, perhaps due to the stat boosts of levels dulling the sensation of their body being reinforced, they have become "immortal," meaning that they wont die from aging. For example, they have become tough enough to be considered goddesses or beyond, and they can now unleash Immortal Techniques. And well, I dont know if you havent realized yet, but the two of you have already ascended into immortals. I said. Your bodies became super tough, and you wont age anymore. Rank 6 does that. E-Eh?! Already! No way! The two were surprised, as I expected. Mursha should get to that level eventually as well; she just needs to spend more time meditating, or perhaps fighting, while using her abilities and many energies. Hahaha, you two are amazingly strong! I giggled, hugging my two cute wives. Be proud! Youre stronger than most of the gods I''ve fought already. Pretty amazing, right? T-That much?! Urbosa gasped. Thats crazy Merkite muttered. Well, their humbleness was also part of their charm. Instead of letting such power get into their heads, theyre mostly just worried they wont be able to use it properly. People like this are perhaps the best candidates to actually wield power, in my opinion. Those who remain humble, even at the pinnacle, are the true inheritors of heaven and earth. As I left them celebrating and drinking, talking between friends, I moved to another part of the camp, where Mr. Lonely was sitting around, drinking on his own. Hey. Hm? Bing Xue Seth was sitting there, looking at the sky as he reminisced about something. You dont need to come look for me; Im fine, he said. Were you worried? Dont worry. Go spend time with your lovers and friends. Well, arent you my friend? I asked. A-Am I? He felt slightly flustered. I didnt know you considered me one already. Hahaha! Well, more like my dear disciple! I patted his head. But yes, theres a bond of friendship too, of family. To become my disciple is to become my family and friend. Hah Alright then, he said, drinking some more. What did you want to talk about? Seth I stood in front of him, looking into his eyes. From the future, you came from... This world ended, didnt it? His eyes widened for a moment as I confronted him about something he hadnt told me about before. Hah Nothing can escape you, huh? Indeed. The world of Elios, from the future I came from, was destroyed. Then he sighed, sitting down more comfortably. And it wasnt the Barbarian God who did it. Does it have to do with the people behind his conception? Not the cult, the others. He laughed. Yes, you guessed right. The real culprits of Elios tragedy and countless other worlds. The enemies hiding in the shadows. ----- Chapter 129: Memories Of Lost Heroes Listen while reading: Kimi Wa Negau ----- The future where Seth came from was one where I wasnt present, where I didnt return, and where countless disasters befell both Earth and the many worlds of the Tower. Among them was the invasion of Floor 80. Divine Beasts ravaged America, killed Caesar and his family, and then were set loose, creating complete chaos. I have yet to learn everything from him, but so far, everything Ive learned has been confirmed already, and with my abilities, Ive detected that he tells no lies. He is honest and will tell me when I ask, but if I dont ask, he always would rather keep these things for himself. I dont know if its because hes selfish or secretive about his truth; maybe he fears the future could change so much that it wouldnt be possible to solve these problems as he wants. But I know that there are things he cant completely hide from me that I can easily guess based on his actions and what he tells me about. And right now, I already guessed that this world, Elios... It was most likely destroyed. How did I guess that? First, the Divine Beast Spirit Gods were already dying. Once they died, the pillars of the world would grow unstable. The Barbarian God would become the only pillar, and his warmongering tendencies would bring chaos to this world and others. The world might either begin to slowly fall apart, or the cult itself would accelerate its descent into destruction. And above all, the memories I saw from the shattered souls of Terminus gave me another hint: a mysterious group of vile scum that came to this world and convinced the isolated and discriminated four-armed red orc tribe, who had been chased away into a wasteland by the other red orc tribes due to their fear against their gifted physical power, to do the vilest act in this worlds history. The people that convinced Ultimus tribe to sacrifice thousands of people in the ritual that created the Evil God Rakshasa... I said. Was the end of Elios in your future their fault? Yes, he nodded. With your powers, did you read someones mind? Yeah, a couple of cultists. I nodded. Ultimus mind was fragmented; it seemed he had fallen under a spell that made him mad, perhaps the very effect of the divinity the Evil God granted him. So it was quite hard to browse through his memories. But from what I saw, I discovered such a thing. Now tell me, Seth. What happened? Well Seth sighed. When the World of Elios came to an end, I wasnt even there to do anything. Back then, I didnt even care either. I was a selfish person, and, at the same time, just another man. I couldnt really give myself the privilege of caring about a whole different world. Okay, I get that. I nodded. But why did you end up caring now? And how did it end? Back then, it just happened, he said. I didnt care and continued to move on... But it changed a few years later, when I met someone. She started as just another party member, someone I recruited because I really needed a Player to help me out on party-only quests on the higher floors. Mia was her name. She was a beast-kin woman, a tiger-kin to be specific. Aha I nodded, listening to the love story. A-and... well, he started blushing. Things happened. We got along; we saved one another from danger. At one time, our entire party betrayed us; they set us up to kill us and steal our equipment and items. But by working together, we survived, by the skin of our teeth. Huh-uh, I kept nodding, eating snacks. And well, things happened, he muttered. Whatever the case, I loved herI still do. She often used to talk to me about the stories of her world and of Elios. She was always lamenting how her world came to an end. Eventually, I got interested and started researching. I started to slowly connect the dots between many other incidents. And then I discovered that the world of Elios came to an end by the very ritual that created the Barbarian God. He didnt drain the world? I asked. He did Technically, the thing is, Evil Gods are tools for these people, Seth explained. Theyre beings they can actually control. So while the people of these worlds where Evil Gods were created believed that this was a god that would protect them Once the Evil Gods creators came back, they could easily take over the Evil Gods mind and control them. Is that so I am not sure who was behind everything; I wasnt there, and the information was scarce, he explained. But it was one of those people, the leader of whatever organization, cult, group, or whatever they were. They wielded the power of the Evil God, the Barbarian God, and turned him into a Divine Construct that helped them drain all of the worlds Energies and Souls. So thats how it is I nodded. Now Im even more thankful we killed him. Rakshasa was destined to bring destruction to this world either way. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Yeah Mia always talked to me about Elios, of its beautiful blue skies, of its tranquil grasslands, lush forests, the tribes that lived freely, and more, he said. It inspired me; I wanted to visit it with her, to live in Elios at her side... To settle down, even. I was tired, Bing Xue. So tired of everything... I had considered many times if I should stop and simply settle down with her. To forget my world, to forget my purpose. To forget my path... Just so Just so I could be with her. Mia was my everything. Seth I felt slightly moved, but at the same time, I was a bit worried. Did something happen to her? He remained in silence, looking down. Dont tell me. Yeah, she died... I fell silent for a moment. Well, we both did. He looked sorrowful, reminiscing the time he had spent with her, perhaps. It was... he grabbed his head. In Floor 76... That nightmare. It was somethingsomething we could have never won against. Bing Xue, if only you would visit that floor, you would understand the dread I feel. I noticed his hands were trembling. Just what is in Floor 76 that makes it so dreadful and strong that even Mia died? I couldnt save her Seth grabbed the grass tightly. I couldnt do anything! I watched her die I Hahh He wanted to keep himself composed, to remain as cold as he always is. Yet he couldnt help it; he quickly started crying. Mia My disciple was crying in front of me; there was nothing much I could do other than offer him my company. I walked to his side and then hugged him. He was much smaller than me, so it was easy to embrace him with my long arms. Mia is alive now, Seth. Youve turned back time, remember? Well find her together. Its not the same anymore All the time I spent with her, all those years I am not a complete stranger. But arent you relieved shes alive now, at least? Yeah I am. And I think I think it would be better to just leave her be. What! Why?! Theres no way hes thinking of doing that! As his master, I simply cant let my disciple think he doesnt need his lover back! Mia, prepare yourself; Ill find you and bring you to poor little Seth! C-Calm down! Theres a reason why I wouldnt want her to come back. I was the one that ultimately became the driving force behind our party he sighed. I had grown obsessed with climbing the tower and growing stronger. I wanted to reach the top of the tower and wish for Earth to be finally freed from all the destruction and to be healed I see I nodded. So Mia Mia and my other friends, they all came with me; I was the partys leader, so he muttered. Well, they followed me anywhere. They were all good friends, aside from my dear Mia. My other brothers and sisters had lived through many challenges. We saved one another, yet I just couldnt save them; everyone died on Floor 76 except me. I brought them to their deaths. I dont deserve to be their friend anymore; I dont... I dont deserve Mia. So thats why he thinks like that Well, this is indeed rather complicated. Maybe Im being selfish by wanting him to get back to her or his friends. But honestly, I dont want him to shoulder the responsibility of saving the world or the tower by himself. Well, hasnt the future already changed a lot? I didnt just fight the barbarian god; I killed another thirteen gods, so I am fairly sure that such a feat will change the tower and any world connected to it forever, I said. You dont really know if shell be fine on her own, even less with your friends... If you still love her and if you still care about your friends, wouldn''t you at least learn where they are and what theyre doing well enough? So you can see if they need help or if they might be on the brink of dying! Maybe Im being paranoid now, but... come on, dont you worry a little bit? Seth gasped, looking at my eyes dumbfounded. Y-Youre not wrong he muttered. I suppose thats right. At least, I should try to find them and see if theyre doing okay. I I guess youre really good at convincing people, huh, Bing Xue? Or should I say, Master, from now on? Master is better! I nodded. But you can call me however you want. Anyway, what else do you know about this girl? I can help you find her. Hmm, well, she had a few more years of experience than me, Seth said. When I met her, I only had two and a half years of experience in the tower, while she had seven. She wasnt older than me, though, but she had been traveling in the tower at a much younger age. Perhaps because she was born in it. Although children arent allowed to climb the tower, that actually depends on their race and what you consider a child. Some people in certain races become adults at three years of age, for example. So she was seven years of age?! I gasped. What! No! She was like twenty he facepalmed. "It is simply that most beast-kin become adults at a younger age than humans. Thats all. So she might have started climbing the tower at thirteen years of age; dammit, thats so young still. Shes probably either eighteen or nineteen right now. Around my age, I guess. Where did you find her? I asked. At Floor 33 was our first encounter, he said. But thats like two years from now. This means she could be on a much lower floor. Hmm! I see, any more info? I asked. She told me she spent a lot of time training on Floor 20, he said. Its a world called Zipangu. She learned her Swordsmanship and her Stance Techniques from there. It made her such a powerhouse. She said that her getting there and not was what made a whole difference. Damn, poor girl, she had been on her own all this time! Why? I wondered. Doesnt she have a family? Yeah, she said she belonged to the Golden Fang Tiger Tribe, said Seth. I assume they escaped from here long ago and settled in Floor 4''s mountains, where the tigers might feel more comfortable. I see I do remember killing a bulky god; he was from there, I think, I said. {Stone Giant of the Ash Mountain}, right? he asked. Yes, hes a lazy god that asks for offerings from the people living there... He wasnt someone as terrible as the barbarian god, but not someone nice either. Well, if hes dead, theres nothing that can be done about it. And yes, as you asked me before, she has been alone for a while. Most likely, because of those offerings, they were like taxes; they had to pay for each head of a family. So if she left the floor altogether, her family wouldnt have to spend their resources and money on her. What a greedy bastard; good thing hes dead, I sighed, crossing my arms. Well! I plan to climb these worlds I freed from their gods and see how theyre doing. The very least I can do is take responsibility if they require a new god and create one for them. like I did with Leviathan or Typhon. I suppose youre the only person who could ever think creating a god is somehow something easy to do as a favor to others, laughed Seth. Thank you, Bing Xue. If possible, lets climb the tower together. Once we reach Floor 4, maybe... we could try looking for Mias tribe and find more clues about her whereabouts. Nice! Lets do that then, my disciple. I nodded. Look at you, all better now! Come, lets celebrate with everyone else! No I mean, I would rather be on my own than- Nope! Youre coming with me. I grabbed him and dragged him into the middle of a dance between many people. The beast-kin, orcs, and thralls welcomed him, celebrating at his side, offering him food, and talking to him. W-Wait! Bing Xueee! As he called for help, I ignored him. How does he expect to conquer that girls heart again if he doesnt know how to talk well and everything else? He needs to socialize a bit! ----- Chapter 130: Absorbing Dozens Of Divinities ----- As I rejoined with my mates and the rest of our group, I noticed Fiery Hair was dancing with her tribesmen and the allied forces in the many fires the people of the camp created. She was having a lot of fun in this world. The people in here really clicked with her antics and, well, the antics of all the cavemen. She had been mostly staying inside my Inner Realm since we rescued her, sometimes also in the Pagoda with a few other cavemen that had been chosen, but overall, she looked a bit bored any other time she wasnt by my side. So Im glad she could have fun here. Maybe I could even let them live in Elios momentarily; it is a wide area, full of beautiful vegetation, and without big cities or annoying politicians that would try to do something to them. They could explore, hunt, gather, and form a new tribe here for the moment, and the orcs, thralls, and beast-kin that survived and werent part of the cult are rather nice. After so many things happened, the survivors of these tribes allied forces to survive. This created less discrimination and racism between one another as they had to survive together against the oppressive cult, so they had become much more open-minded and welcoming of others, especially if theyre similar to them in the matter of customs and just being a rough hunter-gatherer or nomad. And as I admired everything, suddenly... DING! DING! DING! DING! Hmm? My System seemed very annoyed; I had not been paying attention to it. Well, I guessed there would be a lot of stuff, so I wanted to leave it for tomorrow. However, the Systems insistence made it nearly impossible to do that. Fine, let me see, theres a lot I need to assess, which Ive been ignoring for the most part because I wanted to rest and relax. Okay, display information, System. Ding! [You have slain the Avatars of the Tower Gods: {Insect Queen of the Frozen Lands}, {Stone Giant of the Ash Mountain}, {Ruler of the Emerald Flames}, {Ancient Weapon of Destruction}, {Decaying Princess of Zombies}, {Dark Chaos Machine}, {Lord of the Cursed Forest}, {Seeker of Treasures}, {Parasite Queen}, {Abandoned Puppet of the Divine Craftsman}, {Carnivals Clown}, {Ultramarine Dragon King}, {Corrupt King of Gold}, and shattered her Soul!] [Most of these Gods have either died or fallen into a state of eternal slumber, slowly dying in their original worlds.] [Additionally, youve helped slay the Tower God {Battle-Loving Barbarian King} and have hunted hundreds of his Divine Beasts!] [You have earned a large quantity of EXP!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [] [Your Level has increased from Level 1232 to Level 3346/10.000!] [All your Stats have increased! You earned Stat Points and Skill Points.] Ah, thats over two thousand levels, huh? Not bad at all, though I expected much more. This means that my EXP requirements per Level are probably much higher than others. Maybe because of my powerful Class whose Level Cap is 10.000? [You have absorbed the God Avatars Bodies and their Shattered Soul Fragments!] [The Skill: [God Predator (SSS)] effects have been activated. You have absorbed the Divinity of the Tower Gods: {Battle-Loving Barbarian King (Partially)} {Insect Queen of the Frozen Lands}, {Stone Giant of the Ash Mountain}, {Ruler of the Emerald Flames}, {Ancient Weapon of Destruction}, {Decaying Princess of Zombies}, {Dark Chaos Machine}, {Lord of the Cursed Forest}, {Seeker of Treasures}, {Parasite Queen}, {Abandoned Puppet of the Divine Craftsman}, {Carnivals Clown}, {Ultramarine Dragon King}, and {Corrupt King of Gold}!] [You obtained the {Broken Divinities}: {Destruction}, {Eternal Winter}, {Lord of the Mountains}, {Life-Eating Emerald Flames}, {Ancient Weapon of Destruction}, {Undead Authority}, {Chaotic Machine}, {Cursed Forests}, {Treasure Seeker}, {Mother of all Parasites}, {Mad Puppet}, {Endless Carnival}, {Sea Dragons}, and {Seat of Gold}!] [All Stats have increased by +10.000.000] [You gained +3.500.000 Divinity.] [You have stolen the Faith of the Gods you have Slain!] [You gained +250.000.000 Faith.] If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. This is an unexpectedly good gain. I had looked down on them, but these insects that called themselves gods were a rather substantial mealnot bad. Thanks for all the strength youve given me. Though so many Broken Divinities are a bit problematic, should I feed them all to my Main Divinity anyway? Or perhaps combine a few to create Secondary Divinities No, its better to continue down my own Divinity and use all of these to feed on them; maybe their powers could manifest into new Divine Abilities and Authorities, after all. Also, with this tremendous amount of Faith Points, Ill be able to freely upgrade my Divinity. Thank you. One thing I noticed, though, is that I didnt get their Divine Realms, I think Ill have to go to their respective worlds to retrieve them; if I even can, maybe they exploded, dissipated, or merged with the original world. [You learned the Classless/Magic/Class Skills: [Divine Barbarian Gods Battle Arts (SSS): Lv1], [Divine Insect Queen Freezing Arts (SSS): Lv1], [Divine Stone Giants Mountain Physique (SSS): Lv1], [Demonic Emerald Flames Conjuration (SSS): Lv1], [Ancient Mechanical Weapon Transformation (SSS): Lv1], [Decaying Zombie Princess Undying Body (SSS): Lv1], [Chaotic Machine Armament Materialization (SSS): Lv1], [Abyssal Cursed Forest Terrain Summon (SSS): Lv1], [Greedy Treasure Seeker (SSS): Lv1], [Divine Parasite Queen (SSS): Lv1], [Divine Puppet Strings (SSS): Lv1], [Divine Festive Carnival Clown (SSS): Lv1], [Divine Sea Dragon God Transformation (SSS): Lv1], and [Divine Gold Manipulation and Creation (SSS): Lv1]!] [The Skill: [Divine Class Absorption (SSS)] Skill effects have been activated. You have devoured the Divine Classes of the Tower Gods you have slain!] [You devoured the Divine God Classes: [Barbarian God King of Bloodshed and War], [Insect Queen Goddess of the Eternal Winter Realm], [Divine Stone Mountain God], [Demon God of Emerald Flames], [Ancient Machine God of Civilization Destruction], [Decaying Zombie Princess Goddess], [Chaotic Evil Machine God], [Divine Parasite Goddess Queen], [Stringless Puppet God that Rebelled Against His Master], [Crazy Clown God of the Eternal Carnival], [Divine Sea Dragon God King], and [Greedy God King of Eternal Gold]!] [You have earned +700.000 Skill Points!] [Several Class Skills have Leveled Up!] So many new Skills and Classes too! I should combine them into overpowered Classes and sponsor them for my family and friends. I think Urbosa and Merkite could make good use of some new Classes, Fiery Hair, Mursha, and Peperina as well. Perhaps even Hekita, my adoptive daughter, and also the rest of my disciples. Classes are a very overpowered sponsorship power; they can easily gift stats and skills to someone. Though it cost some Credits, I gained a lot as well. [From having Slain all these Gods, you have ransacked them out of all their Credits!] [You gained 7.000.000.000 Credits!] Each one had hundreds of millions of Credits, pretty damn good earnings. So basically, I got a lot of Divinities, Stats, Skills, Classes, and also Credits. There hasnt been such a rewarding battle ever since I fought and defeated the Progenitor of all Humans back in Murim. When I killed him, I gained so much power that I was able to break through the Realm of a mere Venerable, ascending into something no other had achieved. His powers were delicious, and they still remain within me. He was a strong, hateful adversary too, a much harder battle than what this was. But well, that is that, and this is this... Oh? [An Incredible Feat! Not only have you and your allies defeated the Tower God {Battle-Loving Barbarian King} and freed Elios from his tyrannical divine dominion, but youve also freed the sealed Divine Beast Gods and granted them the chance to restore the world before its demise!] [Youve become a Savior of the World of Elios, the Second Floor of the Tower! You obtained the [Elios Divine Savior] Title!] [While being within Elios, all your Stats will increase rapidly based on the number of people cheering for you and the strength of the foe youre fighting. Additionally, as someone who has become the worlds Savior, all Elios original inhabitants and their descendants will hold great respect for you and all your affiliates, relatives, friends, and family. And might easily obey your requests as long as theyre reasonable. You can also freely claim this world as your own if you ever want to.] Huh Well, thats nice, I guess. Anyways, with this done, I wanted to move on with another thing, using the [Divinity Tree Absorption] Class Skill. I had obtained a lot of Broken Divinities, but this Skill specialty is restoring them into proper Divinity Trees, or parts of them. ----- [Divinity Tree Absorption (SSS): Lv1] [Skill EXP]: [0/100.000] A Class Skill that only belongs to the Divine Class: [God Eating Calamity: Ragnar?k]. When you defeat a God, their Divinity Trees are often destroyed and left in shambles, resembling Broken Divinities that cannot be properly absorbed. However, this changes with this Skill. You can absorb Divinity Trees and restore them to almost the same intact form they once had by spending Mana and Credits. Once formed, you can absorb the Divinity Tree and combine it with yours, further developing and transforming it. After being absorbed, the Divinity Tree cannot go back to normal. Level Bonus (1): Restores 50% of a Broken Divinity Tree, which you can absorb 100% of all its remaining Powers and combine them with yours. Increases Divinity Stat increase when absorbing Divinity Tree by +10%. ----- Of course, its not for free, and it costs Credits and Mana, though I have plenty of them. I dont really aim to absorb the Divinity Trees on their own; none of them can compare to my own anyway. But by turning them into Divinity Trees, it is possible for my Divinity Tree to absorb them without any issues and gain much more power out of them than a normal Broken Divinity would grant. Okay then, lets ascend, shall we? I was a bit bored, and before the night activities began with my girls, I wanted to get these things done so I wouldnt have to worry while having fun with them. I flew into the skies, afar from everyone, to not disturb their peaceful celebrations. I reached higher and higher in the night sky until, reaching above the clouds, the starry night was shown in full view in front of me. ROOAARR! And then Typhon emerged, appearing to cross through space as he was resting inside his new Divine Realm which he placed above the clouds. Hey there, want to see mommy ascend? Raaarrr! He was waving his long, snake-like tail around in excitement. Hes a good boy. Okay then, stay there. Ill show you how to grow a Divinity Tree! You must already have developed your own, right? So sit down and watch mommy do this. I quickly started the process, starting by activating the Skill and refine the Broken Divinities back into their Divinity Tree forms; even if imperfect, they were better than broken divinities. {Divinity Tree Absorption}! Ding! [You have exchanged 280.000.000 Credit Points and a Large Quantity of Mana!] FLUOSH! Rapidly, I released from my soul dozens of spheres of brilliant, colorful divinities. As they rotated around my body, Credit Points began to fill them, helping them transform, turning them into big, colorful trees made of ethereal and colorful essence, as if they were made of light. [The {Broken Divinities}: {Destruction}, {Eternal Winter}, {Lord of the Mountains}, {Life-Eating Emerald Flames}, {Ancient Weapon of Destruction}, {Undead Authority}, {Chaotic Machine}, {Cursed Forests}, {Treasure Seeker}, {Mother of all Parasites}, {Mad Puppet}, {Endless Carnival}, {Sea Dragons}, and {Seat of Gold} have transformed into their {Divinity Tree} forms!] [Several of them are in their imperfect Divinity Tree forms due to damage, and a Perfect Form cannot be achieved. To repair these errors or wounds within the branches and roots, please fuse them with similar trees.] Its done. The 14 trees floated around me, each one with their own distinct appearance, color, and aura, and they were much more beautiful than Broken Divinities, which resembled spheres full of broken glass shards. Now Absorb! My Divinity Aura surged from my body as a gigantic tree, easily surpassing the rest in size and robustness, made of golden light and abyssal darkness, emerged. Its branches and roots pierced all fourteen Divinity Trees, absorbing them into its body and constantly making it change colors. Slowly, it turned into a beautiful, rainbow-colored, and crystalline tree. FLAAASH! ----- Chapter 131 Part 1: The Gods’ Stories ----- Rapidly, I released from my soul dozens of spheres of brilliant, colorful divinities. As they rotated around my body, Credit Points began to fill them, helping them transform, turning them into big, colorful trees made of ethereal and colorful essence, as if they were made of light. FLUOSH! Ding! [You have exchanged 280.000.000 Credit Points and a Large Quantity of Mana!] [The {Broken Divinities}: {Destruction}, {Eternal Winter}, {Lord of the Mountains}, {Life-Eating Emerald Flames}, {Ancient Weapon of Destruction}, {Undead Authority}, {Chaotic Machine}, {Cursed Forests}, {Treasure Seeker}, {Mother of all Parasites}, {Mad Puppet}, {Endless Carnival}, {Sea Dragons}, and {Seat of Gold} have transformed into their {Divinity Tree} forms!] [Several of them are in their Imperfect Divinity Tree Forms due to damage, and a Perfect Form cannot be achieved. To repair these errors or wounds within the branches and roots, please fuse them with similar trees.] Its done. The 14 trees floated around me, each one with their own distinct appearance, color, and aura, and they were much more beautiful than Broken Divinities, which resembled spheres full of broken glass shards. Now Absorb! My Divinity Aura surged from my body as a gigantic tree, easily surpassing the rest in size and robustness, made of golden light and abyssal darkness, emerged. Its branches and roots pierced all fourteen Divinity Trees, absorbing them into its body and constantly making it change colors. Slowly, it turned into a beautiful, rainbow-colored, and crystalline tree. FLAAASH! The tree branches spread upwards, changing colors from green, blue, red, brown, gold, and so on, and the branches turned black, white, purple, pink, red, green, and more. The colors constantly changed as my tree continued growing until it finally settled down, its size having more than tripled, emerging from my Divinity Aura as a tremendous thing. I felt the power of my Divinity of Yin and Yang, which encompasses the two spectrums of all things, quickly developed and expanded. The amazing thing about this Divinity was the power it had to absorb any Divinity, any Divinity always fit either Yin and Yang; after all, they all belonged to these two primordial elements of creation and destruction. I felt my comprehension of the Daos quickly increase, with Yin and Yang resonating within me. I saw visions, comprehensions, enlightenments, and memories of these gods that their divinity trees carried. Their Stories. I saw the things they did and how they got where they were. Some grew up as greedy gods of the mountains, born from a mountain that gained divinity. Another was an envious divine beast, an insect that envied the original god of insects and usurped their throne after freezing them into a divine frozen coffin, turning her world into an eternal winter. A devil born with the ability to conjure green flames, considered a cursed power, his parents were killed when he was only one year of age, and he grew bitter and hateful, destroying and killing not only his persecutors but countless innocents until he became a god by force. A lonely puppet was left behind inside a world that was a gigantic manor, a near-endless building with a dimension of its own with millions of rooms. This lonely puppet slowly learned how to move without strings and went on an adventure to eat any specter, ghost, and people it found, growing into a god after thousands of years, all because it wanted to become a living being. A man who worked in a carnival as a clown saw his world and his life crumble apart as the carnival closed due to a lack of sales. Blaming those that managed the carnival, he slaughtered and hunted them down one after another, and after growing to like killing, he became a serial killer. Eventually, through a pact with a demon whom he offered the souls and bodies of those he killed, mostly children, he gained his own world, an eternal carnival world where he reigned as its god. A desolate, ancient machine constructed by an old race of aliens, left behind in a world without a purpose other than destruction, finding out its masters were now gone, it went on a rampage, eliminating the entire civilization of the planet it found itself on, and then becoming its default god. A lonely machine whose only purpose was to destroy. A king who found solace in his treasures and the gold he accumulated over many years abandoned his family and everything for his treasures, forever obsessed with his riches after he saw his entire family being robbed and slaughtered at a young age. Eventually, he cursed his own soul and became one with his treasures, killing and destroying his entire kingdom and becoming the worlds only god. A parasitic alien colony from outer space that parasitized several wild worlds across the cosmos, rapidly growing and expanding, fusing their minds and souls, until ultimately arriving in a world full of magic, which they devoured, creating their queen, a combination of their hive minds into a single entity, a goddess. A world destroyed by a zombie apocalypse, where no human was left alive, and where even living beings turned into undying zombies of all shapes and sizes. Eventually, when no humans were left, disputes between zombies emerged as they created factions and slaughtered one another. Eventually, the strongest of them all emerged: a young zombie woman with the power to control, combine, and absorb other zombies, their goddess and princess. And many more... These were their stories, their tragedies, and their insanity. Some of them had sadder moments in their lives, but they were all irremediable evil in the end. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Maybe some could have become better if only they were given another chance, but the things they did were too terrible to be forgiven anymore. And so, their story ended when they confronted me as they died. Though in every one of their Stories, the Barbarian God appeared, asking them for their help. Some of them didnt even know him, yet they helped him. There was something he said, though, that convinced everyone when he asked for their assistance. Remember those who helped you become what you are now, Gods, he said. You could have never been able to do it without them, my creator, and your masters. Now, as you promised, you will repay their help. So those that made the Barbarian God had something to do with the ascendance of these other thirteen gods, huh? I guess it makes sense; some of them became gods in very strange ways. Although some others had risen as gods naturally, some were truly strange, like the clown. Who was that demon that gave him a world? Or that puppetwho was his true maker? Even the emerald flame devil''s ascendance shouldnt have been possible by merely slaughtering; he received help to properly refine a divinity out of slaughter. Theres someone, a constant force, a group of people, or perhaps a gigantic organization that spans several worlds, perhaps universes, that is constantly working towards the creation of evil gods and their usage in draining worlds out of their energies and powers. Theyre harvesting worlds at a much better pace than most of the other gods of the tower, and they incentivize the growth of new evil gods all the time too. Hmm, whatever the case, Ill have time to think about that later. Now Ding! [Congratulations! Your [Divinity Tree]: [Yin and Yang Harmony Tree (Tier 1: Rank 1)] has successfully absorbed the {Divinity Trees}: {Destruction}, {Eternal Winter}, {Lord of the Mountains}, {Life-Eating Emerald Flames}, {Ancient Weapon of Destruction}, {Undead Authority}, {Chaotic Machine}, {Cursed Forests}, {Treasure Seeker}, {Mother of all Parasites}, {Mad Puppet}, {Endless Carnival}, {Sea Dragons}, and {Seat of Gold}!] [Your [Divinity Tree]: [Yin and Yang Harmony Tree (Tier 1: Rank 1)] has Ranked Up and Evolved into the [Divinity Tree]: [Harmonious Spiritual Yin and Yang Tree of Divinities (Tier 3: Rank 7)]!] [Your Divinity Stat has increased +2.700.000!] [All your other Stats have increased by +5.400.000!] [You have unlocked two new [Divinity Branches] and [Divinity Roots]!] [By using Faith, you can make them grow and develop into Divine Abilities and Divine Authorities!} [The new Divine Abilities and Divine Authorities will be based on the combination of all previously absorbed Divinity Trees plus your own.] [You have now gained the ability to Reroll Divine Abilities and Divine Authorities of something you dont like using Faith and Credits, but it can only be done while you have yet to choose it! Once chosen, such powers cannot be rerolled.] [Your Divinity has become much more powerful! You can now access the Divine Techniques innate to your Divinity: [Divinity Aura], [Divine Domain], and [Divinity Manifestation] by spending Mana and other Energies, alongside Faith.] Oh, now this is interesting! I can Reroll stuff? I wondered. Hmm, not bad! I feel quite stronger now, only quite, but thats considerable for someone like me Also theres Divinity Aura, Divinity Domain, and Divinity Manifestation, huh? Is this big tree in my Aura already part of all of that? Remembering my battle against the Gods, they all used special Divine Domains to try to snatch me and trap me into a sure death technique, though they never worked. But still, I think I kind of understand how that goes. Ill try it just for the fun of it, I smiled. "Alright, Typhon, lets spar! RAAARR?! Typhon seemed to panic a bit. I pointed my hands at him and then instinctively released all of this power. Like they did, they activated the sequence of incantation combined with their own imagination and divinity, right? The base of everything is imagination. How I can embody everything into reality through my powers. I have unleashed other domain-like techniques before, but nothing like what the gods used against me. Their Domains were much more personal, much more born from their Stories. And my Story what can it create? Remember those memories. The pain, the hardships, the agony. All the people I lost, all the people I killed. Of all my regrets and the times I felt happy. And of the endless foes I had to fight. The powerful beings, the Progenitor of all Humans, the Venerables. It was hard, so damn hard But I managed to get back here, right? Yeah, I can feel it. I know exactly what my Divine Domain is. I looked in front of the gigantic metallic, crystalline beast, Typhon, who was readying himself to receive my attack. My eyes seemed to glow with rainbow flames, and my entire body was encompassed by its divinity aura. And then, a shockwave of energy was released from my body, distorting space and time. {Divine Domain}: {Primordial Path of Ascension} FLASH! Everything changed in the blink of an eye. I sensed how my Faith was being spent with every passing second. But that didnt matter. What I saw, though, was incredible. Murim itself materialized around us: the mountain peaks, the colorful skies, the forests, the temples, and the sects. This is my life Graaaahhh! Typhon roared, rushing towards me. FLASH! Yet space and time were distorted, and suddenly we found ourselves in the middle of a poor village. There, Typhon found himself smaller than before. He was starving and groaning in pain. Crawling across a path made of mud and dirt. G-Graagh? Graaah! He couldnt understand what had happened; Divine Domains had truly reality-bending abilities. WOOF! And then, a pack of golden-horned lightning wolves appeared, chasing him. Yes, I remember this scene. This was when I was just thrown into this hellish world. When I was starving, confused, tired, and looking everywhere, I was unable to comprehend what was happening. All of those pains I went through were transferred to my "foe", little Typhon. This even made it, so he temporarily became much weaker. And above all, the damn wolves started chasing him. He decided to fight against them, thinking they were nothing but little pups. A terrible choice. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CRASH! Gryyaagh! Typhon groaned angrily; his claws broke as he fought the wolves. These measly wolves were among the weakest Martial Beasts of Murim. They could have killed me and eaten me if I hadnt run faster than them. I rolled down the hill and landed on a rice plantation, where the farmers saved my life. Over here, Typhon! Raaarrr! He followed me as he rolled down the hill and was then saved by the farmers who threw stones at the wolves, which quickly ran away afterwards. So thats how it works, so amusing! It was as if my Divine Domain put someone through a trial based on my own memories and hardships. There were solutions to them that could only be achieved by doing exactly what I did. But would every enemy be able to figure it out so easily? Not really Okay, thats enough for now. The Divine Domain came undone, as Typhon was back to normal, but all the damage he took inside the Domain was reflected on his body. Ill heal you. Sorry for that! Ill use it on enemies only from now on. I patted his head after healing him, giving him a few snacks. Now, lets go back. Ive had enough for today. Lets relax and have fun. Tomorrow, Ill return home for a few days. There are some things I need to take care of. After returning with everyone else, the festivities continued for a while, but my girls were already too tired of them, so we moved to a personal tent to have some alone time before departing tomorrow. ----- Chapter 131 Part 2: The Insatiable Wolf Girls You can read the chapter here: The Heavenly Martial Empress Returns: An OP Xianxia Returnee LitRPG - Chapter 131 Part 2: The Insatiable Wolf Girls
Have you ever wondered what would happen if the pinnacle of a Xianxia Cultivation Story appears in the middle of a post-apocalyptic system and tower climbing setting, without having lost her powers, unrestrained, and invincible? Bing Xue spent eleven thousand years in the world of Murim, ascending to become the pinnacle after countless hardships, blood, and tears, and sacrificing her own humanity in the process. However, she was incapable of ascending into the Immemorial Primordial Void Realm; incapable of escaping the Heavenly Will''s influence, she gambled it all on a single decision, escaping into the Outer Cosmos with her last remaining energies. Despite thinking her long journey was coming to an end, a black hole teleports her back to Earth out of nowhere! However, things on her home planet are much different than before. The Tower now exists, connecting Earth with countless other worlds. Monsters come out of Dimensional Gates, threatening humanity, and awakened people named Players climb the Tower in hopes of saving humanity from destruction. After learning that her mother and her sister are still alive, Bing Xue will use the overwhelming and supreme might she has cultivated for eleven thousand years to destroy the tower, slay the gods that govern it, and save Earth from its untimely demise. The System? She will fold it and make a fashionable scarf with it! The Administrators? They might become her new pets. The Monsters? Nothing but ants that die immediately by merely touching her Immortal Aura. The Hunters? If they behave, she might make them her disciples and teach them to cultivate the Heavenly Dao, so they dont rely too much on the System. The Hostile Players? Just flies shell slap to death with a gentle wave of her hands. And the Gods? Merely aperitives for her ever-growing Divinity! If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Chapter 131 Part 3: Mursha’s Turn You can read the chapter by clicking here -> The Heavenly Martial Empress Returns: An OP Xianxia Returnee LitRPG - Chapter 131 Part 3: Murshas Turn
Have you ever wondered what would happen if the pinnacle of a Xianxia Cultivation Story appears in the middle of a post-apocalyptic system and tower climbing setting, without having lost her powers, unrestrained, and invincible? Bing Xue spent eleven thousand years in the world of Murim, ascending to become the pinnacle after countless hardships, blood, and tears, and sacrificing her own humanity in the process. However, she was incapable of ascending into the Immemorial Primordial Void Realm; incapable of escaping the Heavenly Will''s influence, she gambled it all on a single decision, escaping into the Outer Cosmos with her last remaining energies. Despite thinking her long journey was coming to an end, a black hole teleports her back to Earth out of nowhere! However, things on her home planet are much different than before. The Tower now exists, connecting Earth with countless other worlds. Monsters come out of Dimensional Gates, threatening humanity, and awakened people named Players climb the Tower in hopes of saving humanity from destruction. After learning that her mother and her sister are still alive, Bing Xue will use the overwhelming and supreme might she has cultivated for eleven thousand years to destroy the tower, slay the gods that govern it, and save Earth from its untimely demise. The System? She will fold it and make a fashionable scarf with it! The Administrators? They might become her new pets. The Monsters? Nothing but ants that die immediately by merely touching her Immortal Aura. The Hunters? If they behave, she might make them her disciples and teach them to cultivate the Heavenly Dao, so they dont rely too much on the System. The Hostile Players? Just flies shell slap to death with a gentle wave of her hands. And the Gods? Merely aperitives for her ever-growing Divinity! The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Chapter 132: The Merciless Egyptian Prince ----- Merneith, the princess of another parallel timeline from Earth, who had appeared from the gray gates formed by the Grandfather of Time to hasten the destruction of Earth, ended up revealing her identity and her secrets to the Hunters of the city of Cairo. Despite her being rather shy about it, once they opened up to her and she realized they werent actually bad people, she confessed to them where she came from, while the hunters also shared their opinions and views about it. So you truly come from a much more technologically advanced society, a parallel world. Mohamed Khaled muttered, the association chairman of the city. Well have to keep this a secret. Other countries could try to kidnap Merneith and steal her technology if more of her becomes public. However, Ahmed Mostafa, known as The Blood Beast Berserk, an S Rank Hunter, laughed at the chairmans words. Dont you think thats a bit too late now, Mohamed? Miss Princess over here cant get away from the journalists, always showing her face on TV! The thug-like hunter wasnt as respectful as the rest and often voiced his opinions and words without holding back. Ugh, okay, I admit I shouldnt have done that! Merneith sighed. But for now, I suppose most things are cleared, right? I dont really have intentions of going back, so I hope you could let me stay for a bit more. Of course, I guess theres no helping it then, Heba Marwa, often known as Queen of the Dunes, an S Rank Hunter, seemed to like Merneith. Maybe you could. Yet RUMBLE! This civil conversation filled with revelations was suddenly interrupted as something above the skies suddenly emerged. Or, well, it seemed as if it had materialized out of thin air! The people of El Cairo pointed at the sky in fear and awe. A giant golden pyramid floated above the skies as several smaller silhouettes started flying off of it, going down into the city. They were all huge mechanical constructionspiloted robots! Merneith looked at the scene through the buildings window. Ah, this is bad. Her eyes seemed to have widened as she saw what happened. The ghosts of her past were finally coming for her. The other Hunters panicked. Whats going on?! Heba asked. Thats the pyramid?! Mohamed asked. Dont tell me theyre looking for you?! Ahmed wondered. Merneith! Sara Asmaa, The Sacred Child, the fourth S-Rank Hunter of this city and the youngest, glanced at Merneith, her face full of concern. T-This is all my fault I have to take responsibility. Merneith gritted her teeth, grasping her hands tightly. Eh? What do you mean with! FLASH! She suddenly jumped out of the window, making the hunters panic. Merneith?! However, as she fell, her Golden Bloodline activated. An aura of gold and silver light surged from her body as a giant mechanical god materialized around her body. Ra, the God of the Sun! It was never there to begin with, but just through a mere command, the entity made of metal emerged out of nowhere. The Hunters couldnt help but wonder if it was either stored in dimensional storage or if it simply materialized from magic or nanobots generated from Merneiths body; nobody knew how it even worked. I have to take responsibility for bringing them here! Merneith thought. I cant let them do as they please, this city that welcomed me these people that understood me! I must protect them! She flew into the skies with her fiery wings, confronting the group of dozens of mechanical soldiers. The group was led by a larger mech, one resembling her own in detail and height. Yet this one was black and gold-colored, with its head resembling a jackal, wearing black armor, and holding a large, golden balance. It emanated a powerful aura of Darkness, the complete opposite of Ra. Indeed, there was only one God of Egyptian Mythology that fit such a being. And Merneith immediately recognized it! T-Thats Anubis?! The princess gasped. Big brother Akhenaten... is it you? Akhenaten was Merneiths big brother, someone she both feared and hated. A man ordered the princess around as if she were his slave, and he envied her for living without as many responsibilities as he did. Who else than me, Merneith?! His voice echoed from inside the mechanical god, sending shivers down Merneiths spine all the way down to the tip of her tail. It was indeed him. I have finally found you... You little brat. Were going back home, and youre marrying that Roman prince! No Ill never marry a Roman! She roared furiously; the princess wasnt going to let others decide her life ever again. I am going to be free, and I will not follow your insanity anymore! Hearing his sisters bold words, Akhenaten immediately lost his cool, if he even had one to begin with. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Youre really bold to say such blasphemy. You dont deserve the power of the gods. The power of Ra would do much better in my hands! With a furious roar, her big brother rushed towards her, materializing a huge black and gold scythe. The princess gasped, incapable of believing her brother would just come to kill her in cold blood! Are you really going to fight me?! Merneith had no time to think, materializing a spear made of flames and sunlight to defend. CLAAASH! An explosion of flames and light erupted as her brother was pushed back slightly. The might of Ra was greater than he had imagined, charging furiously at his sister might not have been the wisest decision. The flames of Ra are too strong! he thought. Anubis Dark Aura is rapidly decreasing! The Dark Aura that Anubis, the Mechanical God created was a protective layer of dark matter that helped Akhenaten easily become immune to most attacks, both physical and energy based. However, it wasnt invincible; Ras sunlight, in fact, was its worst match! Composed of a stars plasma itself, it burned through the dark matter, vaporizing it. We dont need to do this! said Merneith. Please, lets not fight! Were both stranded here! We cant go back home yet, so its useless to fight between each other! "Useless, you say?! laughed Akhenaten. Has the lesser beings living in these sand lands weakened your heart? Or perhaps you were always this foolish, my sister? This is the perfect opportunity for me to take Ra with me! Ill just pretend you died in an accident! Hahah! E-Eh?! Merneith was shocked by what her brother had said. Although he had never shown a speck of love to her through their entire lives, at least she imagined he was still a decent human being and that he wouldnt go as far as killing his own sister. But she was wrong; the corruption of their family had even reached the princes and princesses, and with many heirs inheriting the Golden Bloodline, the only way to truly obtain a Mechanical God was simple. To eliminate one another! You already have Anubis! Why do you want Ra too?! Isnt one enough?! Its never enough! Also, Ra is not yours! You stole him when you ran away! He actually belongs with my mother! Therefore, it belongs to me as well! T-Thats not true! Ra was piloted by MY mom! Although they were siblings sharing a single father, their mothers were different mistresses of the King. Merneiths mother had died several years ago, and Ra once belonged to her. However, after her mothers passing, her brothers mother took Ra as her trophy, which, unlike Merneiths mother, was barely used for battle and only used as a trophy she showcased around her palace. Your mother only used the Mechanical God as a trophy! Ra is made to fight and protect its people! Merneith cried, and her blazing spear continued to pierce through Anubis dark matter veil. However Mechanical Gods are our tools, you foolish brat! With a furious roar, the Egyptian prince unleashed his Golden Bloodlines Ability, infusing it into the Mechanical God Anubis, whose entire body started to tremble, releasing sparks of electricity. {Golden Bloodline}: {Maat Insurance} RUMBLE! Anubis exuded a white aura combined with its black aura. Merneith gasped. She realized her brother used the Golden Bloodline Ability, a power everyone who held this bloodline could unleash within Mechanical Gods. Unfortunately for her, she had no idea what her brothers power was, and to make things worse, she had yet to awaken her own! Insurance, what does that mean?! As she was confused, Anubis rushed towards her, swinging its giant scythe at the same time as its dark matter aura transformed into large jackals, barking, and trying to bite and attack Ra. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Aah! Merneith panicked slightly, stepping back as she used her blazing spear and Ras mighty wings for protection. The barrage of blows was intense, although she noticed Anubis had not grown any stronger. Was he just bluffing?! As she thought so, she rushed forward, swinging her spear and destroying the jackals one after another. Explosions of flames and darkness erupted in the sky. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Akhenaten smiled as his large scythe was pushed back and cracks appeared over the futuristic mechanical weapon. As Anubis was pushed back, its greatest power, the Dark Matter Veil, was useless against Ras Sun Plasma. Yet he smiled! Heh! Thank you! Ill be adding that to the insurance cost! Insurance?! Merneith didnt understand but quickly realized that something, a mysterious power, manifested itself, encompassing her entire body and that of Anubis. Suddenly, she felt as if Ra had become slower and heavier, while at the same time, Anubis grew stronger, faster, and swifter. Then, she noticed a large number above Anubis. [Maat Insurance: 1 Points] The number kept increasing, she noticed it did based on her own attacks against Anubis. [Maat Insurance: 10 Points] [Maat Insurance: 20 Points] [Maat Insurance: 30 Points] [Maat Insurance: 40 Points] [] At the end, it ended at a staggering number! [Maat Insurance: 100 Points] Huh?! And then [Subtracting Insurance from target. 100 Points of Power have been taken and granted to the affected party.] FLUOSH! And then it was when Ras powers weakened even further! Ra?! Merneith gasped, as she had realized too late that she had fallen for her brothers scheme all along. The power of his Golden Bloodline allowed him to create an insurance he would have to be paid based on the damage he received. The more damage he takes, the more insurance the attacking party must pay! It weakens his foe while granting him strength. This was the power of Maat, the God of Truth and Justice of Egyptian Mythology. C-CRAAAHH! Ra groaned. The Mechanical Gods were sentient beings of their own, groaning in pain. The gigantic bird god seemed to be growing weaker; its flames turned smaller, and its radiance flickered. Hahaha! HAHAHAH! Akhenaten laughed maniacally as he saw the city of El Cairo being attacked by his troops, almost a hundred Mechs piloted by his soldiers continued destroying buildings, the people below panicked, screaming, and running away. Look what youve provoked, Merneith! This is all your fault! Now all these rats are going to die because of YOU! N-No! Leave them out of this, brother! Merneith cried, rushing towards her brother with all her machines strength, which had been reduced to half. Her giant blazing spear moved towards Anubis. If you attack me, youll only make me stronger! I know. Huh?! FLASH! Akhenaten suddenly gasped; the blazing spear Merneith sent towards him actually missed him, flying towards a group of piloted mechs, resembling humanoid sphynxes and black jackals. And then BOOOMMM!!! They blew up into pieces, the spear exploding and disintegrating them all. The princes eyes widened. You dare kill your nations soldiers?! Are you insane? How much of a traitor have you become?! Theyre not my soldiers; theyre yours! roared Merneith. And if they dare kill these innocent people, then, as you said, Ill take responsibility! Even if I must declare my betrayal against you all, I shall! These people... had been nicer to me in these few days than any of you bastards were for years! I hold no bonds with you, brother! Hah! So youre finally showing your true colors, always hiding behind that fa?ade of a cute and innocent princess! Youre nothing but a snake, Merneith! Her brother rushed towards her as both Mechanical Gods clashed above the skies, explosions of flames and darkness erupting with each blow. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Both siblings clashed against one another; Merneith simply defended, while Anubis constantly went on the offensive. Her sharp eyes werent as foolish as her brother thought; he couldnt trick her, making her believe his power was invincible. With each powerful blow she received from him... [Maat Insurance: 100 Points] [Maat Insurance: 97 Points] [Maat Insurance: 94 Points] [Maat Insurance: 91 Points] [Maat Insurance: 88 Points] The insurance count went down, and she gained a tiny bit of power back! So thats how it works, she thought. Still! Its such a cheat! Thankfully, Ra was among the three toughest Mechanical Gods in her world, and it could withstand even the blows from a powered Anubis with ease. She quickly flew across the skies using her fiery wings, rushing down and destroying the mechs from her brothers army, managing to stop some of the destruction. Stop that, you snake! With a furious roar, Akhenaten unleashed an ability from Anubis. {Shrouding Death}! FLUOSH! The mechanical claws of Anubis conjured endless Dark Matter, wrapping around Merneith completely. W-What?! The princess was caught off-guard and unable to escape before she was captured within a black bubble. Hahaha! I got her! As the brother celebrated, suddenly. CRASH! Ungh?! A giant fist made of the sands of the desert surrounding El Cairo emerged, punching his gigantic mechanical god away. Let that girl go, NOW! A furious black woman emerged; the sands of the desert were her domain. And while being carried by her sands, several other figures emerged. The hunters in El Cairo were not going to just sit down and watch. Pathetic lesser ones... Your death shall be swift! ----- Illustration Time: Ra''s Concept Design Anubis'' Concept Design: Merneith Concept Design + Bing Xue New Outfit: Chapter 133: The Power of the Mechanical Gods Listen While Reading: Destruction of Obelisk ----- Akhenaton glared at the people who had shown up out of nowhere. His face was growing furious as he piloted his Mechanical God. Im sorry for taking a while, but we had to take care of the trash. A tall, brown-skinned man with short black hair and a muscular frame, wearing a white blouse and black pants, and with a big, claw mark-shaped scar in the middle of his face. The chairman of the association of hunters in the city of El Cairo, Mohamed Khaled. As long as Im here, the endless sand of the desert will be our guardians. A slender, beautiful black woman with short black hair and seductive, bright blue eyes, wearing a colorful dress, and many pieces of jewelry, especially ringsmagic rings. Heba Marwa, often known as Queen of the Dunes, an S Rank Hunter. I wonder how nice it would feel to cut through that scrap head of yours~ An annoyed-looking man with long white hair and a slender figure, wearing a black blouse and jeans, looked to be in his late teens. His sharp red eyes emanated a slightly menacing bloodlust. Ahmed Mostafa, known as The Blood Beast Berserk, an S Rank Hunter. Please let go of Merneith! And lastly, the youngest of the four, a girl no older than fourteen, wore a white cloak and black cloths that covered her hair. Her clear brown skin and adorable silver-colored eyes caught the attention of many, especially due to the bright aura she emanated. She was the newest S Rank Hunter of the city of El Cairo, Sara Asmaa, The Sacred Child. Your humans laughed Akhenaten. This is ridiculous; do you think you can actually fight against a Mechanical God and my army of Divine Machines, you ignorant mongrels?! Divine? HAHAHAH! Ahmed laughed out loud, and the princes eyes widened as the berserk pointed at a pile composed of destroyed metal covering the ground. It just took me ten cuts each, and they went down... Did you think we were as weak as those Americans? Unlike that country full of idiots, weve been fighting since everything began, nonstop. El Cairo has not been maintained by some otherworldly King; it has been maintained by its people alone. He destroyed some Divine Machines?! Akhenaten gasped. How is this possible?! No, wait! His eyes glanced down below, quickly realizing there were at least a dozen more mechs that were destroyed through different methods. Some of them were just punched into pieces with the chairmans signature. Others were crushed by immense quantities of sand, Hebas power, and some were encapsulated into blinding light cages until they were burned and exploded, Saras power. And of course, those Ahmed destroyed were cut down by his huge sword, made out of the bones of a dragon. Although the otherworldly prince seemed slightly surprised, he still maintained his pride. There was still almost eighty Divine Mechs everywhere; they were constantly fighting the other hunters down below. Civilians were mostly evacuated, but a few had already died due to the commotion. It looks like I might have underestimated the trash in this world. I wonder though, can you really go beyond that? laughed Akhenaten. Because I sure can~! FLASH! With an explosion of dark matter coming from Anubis legs, the giant Mechanical God reached the closest hunter, Ahmed, its giant claws moving down. CRAAASH! Using his large sword, Ahmed barely managed to block the powerful attack, but the force it generated was enough to send him flying. Ungh?! Attacking me head-on, you fuck?! I like that! The crazed young Egyptian man laughed, his giant sword overflowing with his mana, the roar of a dragon echoing from his bone sword. ROOOAARR! The illusion of a mighty red dragon emerged from the sword, fusing with Ahmeds aura; his eyes turned draconic; and red scales emerged around his body. A Dragon?! The prince gasped before Ahmed smiled, showing him his sharp teeth. {Berserk Dragon Blade Awakening} RUMBLE! The intensity of the dragons presence generated a powerful pressure, pushing Akhenaten away with tremendous force, before a giant draconic claw, an illusion made reality, struck down Anubis. CRAAASH! The Mechanical God was sent flying down, but it quickly recovered and rushed back towards the young berserk, who quickly imbued his sword with flames. How about this, you fucking piece of shit?! With a berserk-like attitude, Ahmed roared. RAAAHHH! A storm of slashing attacks was unleashed, and flames and cutting waves engulfed the Mechanical God as Ahmed laughed manically. Hahahaha! Thats what you get for attacking me first, you shithead! Ahmed laughed; the draconic powers of his sword seemed to have the upper hand over Anubis Mechanical God''s body. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. However Enough. RUMBLE! A shockwave of black matter was unleashed, destroying the storm of slicing flames. Anubis re-emerged, completely unscathed. {Dark Matter Veil}, Akhenaten laughed. Anubis Ability. It makes it so most physical and even ethereal attacks are simply absorbed! I am invincible. Mechanical Gods were beings made to be above all else; their strength was unparalleled in their world, but among them, Anubis might lack in terms of power but made it back in terms of Defense. Ranking even above Ra in terms of Durability, Anubis could be said to be invincible, as long as it didnt fight another Mechanical God that countered their defensive power like Ra! With Ra confined in the Cage of Death, I dont have anything to worry about! Akhenaten laughed. Come! As many as you want! Your feeble bodies shall be crushed by the might of a God! With a blink of darkness, Anubis disappeared and reappeared above Ahmed. The young berserk quickly unleashed a fiery dragon breath, yet Anubis swung its claws, easily blocking the beam and redirecting it into the skies. BOOOM! Pathetic! Ngh?! Ahmed gritted his teeth as he felt Dark Matter quickly wrap around his body, resembling countless chains. {Netherworld Chains}! And then, at the princes command, the chains began to infuse destructive dark matter inside of Ahmeds body, attempting to destroy him from the inside out. Uuuaaaggghhh! AHMED! Heba immediately responded. Giant hands made of sand started grabbing Anubis while another spear made of sand continued trying to pierce through his defenses. Numerous blows emerged from every angle. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Tch! Anubis was perhaps the lightest of the Mechanical Gods; therefore, it was susceptible to blows that could send it flying away. Heba used this to her advantage, pushing him away and trying to break the chains made of darkness it was holding. However, the chains simply extended like elastic no matter how far Anubis was sent. Akhenaten continued torturing Ahmed, who began bleeding from every orifice of his body. Gaaaggghh! Mohamed! Yeah! Heba called the chairman, who was fighting the Divine machines coming to defeat them, and quickly rushed towards the chains. The muscular man gathered his energies into his body, Mana overflowing and coursing through his body as his fists, his only weapons, glowed with golden flames. {Golden Giant Fist} He pushed down his two fists, pointing at the black chains and impacting them with all his force. Sparks of electricity surged, and the illusion of two enormous fists made of gold pushing down emerged. CRAAASH! The chains began giving up, quickly shattering after Mohamed thought his fists were going to be torn to shreds. Hahh Hahh He was the strongest hunter in the city, yet his hands were burned and bleeding, perhaps for the first time since he awakened as an S Rank Hunter. That isnt darkness magic, Heba! he said, receiving the healing light of Sara. Its something different. Like a different matter altogether. What?! They dont work with magic?! Heba wondered. Suddenly, a realization came to everyone in that moment. All the attacks, all the powers, everything these people used. It wasnt fueled by magic. It was actually highly advanced technology that somehow managed to control the primary, most dangerous, and most powerful elements of the universe before Mana ever reached Earth. Dark Matter, a speculated element that encompasses all of the universe. It is thought to be the origin of the "black color" that the universe has. The ever-burning plasma of stars, capable of melting the surface of planets themselves... And perhaps what else could the other Mechanical Gods even wield! It wasnt something that magic alone could counter, even less elemental affinities. Perhaps this was the reason why Saras light has yet to even affect the Dark Matter protecting Anubis. Ugh Ahmed fell from the skies, on the verge of death, but was quickly caught by Hebas sands, Sara quickly flew there, using her angelic wings to heal the dying hunter. Ahmed! Hang in there- RUMBLE! Yet in that very moment, the skies above the little Sacred Child darkened. Mohamed, Heba, and even Ahmeds eyes widened. Anubis had appeared above her, out of nowhere. There was only one word that emerged in their minds. Teleportation! So youre the one that makes them all so resilient, a being that can heal... interesting, said the man. Killing you would be a waste. Youre going to become my personal slave, little girl. With a creepy smirk, which Sara couldnt see but that she could sense within the princes malice, the giant claws of Anubis rushed towards her. SARAAA! Mohamed and Heba cried, rushing towards Anubis, as hundreds of giant hands made of sand and Mohameds flying golden fist attacks reached the giant mechanical god. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Yet, below the smoke, the unscathed body of Anubis emerged. The giant mechanical god glared at the hunters with its mechanical, golden eyes, groaning at them like a furious jackal. GRRHHH GREHEHE And it laughed! In his hands, Sara was wrapped tightly around Dark Matter, encapsulating her in a near-indestructible bubble of pure darkness. Shes mine now~ the prince laughed. Thank you for the prize! Ill make sure to use her well! With her powers, Ill become an immortal king! Then Ill make her give birth to my children, inheriting her powers and my golden bloodline! I can already imagine it! Shes too good to be left in here; you trash wouldnt know how to use her well! GIVE HER BACK! Heba screamed, her Mana erupting endlessly as it rushed around the entire sand of the desert, at the same time as Mohamed reached the titanic mecha, swinging his fists with everything he had. {Golden Giant Aura}: {Eight Palms of Heaven}! Out of nowhere, his Aura transformed, revealing eight enormous arms made of gold, pushing their enormous palms against Anubis, trying to even deal a single point of damage. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CRAAASH! Hah! Weak! Yet, Anubis remained unscathed, quickly punching the chairman down with tremendous force; his arms were broken, and his hands were shredded into pieces. YOU MONSTER! With a furious roar, Heba, the last remaining of the four hunters, attacked Anubis with everything she had. The entire Sahara heard her call, shaping into titanic fists that rushed towards Anubis from every angle. Honestly, your powers slightly resemble my sister. BAAAM! BAAAM! BAAAM! BAAAM! As Anubis was being attacked from every angle, an endless amount of sand continued trying to crush the mech with pure and sheer weight. Nnngghh! Die! Just die, you monster! Heba cried as she poured every ounce of Mana left within her body, beginning to vomit blood due to the backlash of overusing mana and then pushing her magic beyond her limits. The sound of metal creaking reverberated everywhere, yet Hebas Mana was already about to empty completely. Come on! Just die! Just! Using all her force, the sand hardened to the point of becoming stone, and above the city, a gigantic mountain floated. RAAAH! With all her force, she launched the giant stone away into the deepest parts of the Sahara Desert, collapsing on the ground and shaking the entire land like a meteor. BOOOMMM!!! The intensity of the impact made the ground below boil, and the sands of the desert crystallized into glass and broke into countless pieces. Hahh Hahhh Hahh Heba glanced into the distance, hoping for that giant thing to remain in the ground and for it to simply die already! Did that... do it? Her blue eyes, however, widened as she noticed something approaching at tremendous speed. And then, by encompassing itself into dark matter, it skipped through space. FLASH! Anubis appeared in front of her, spreading out its arms, its shadows covering her body. The womans face quickly filled with a slight despair. It was incredible, but thats how far your kind can go against the almighty Anubis... I commend you for your efforts, woman, the prince laughed. But this is the end! Yet she smiled defiantly. Dammit At least I bought time. FLASH! Hm?! Akhenatens eyes widened as he suddenly noticed the skies above split apart, a golden portal emerging, resembling the entrance to an ancient, flying pagoda. A woman made of light appeared, smiling. Youve called us, and so we are here! she said. Heavenly Courts disciples, show me how strong youve grown! Leading the group of disciples, a Russian woman fell from the skies with short blonde hair and eyes that glowed with purple light. {Void Manifestation} BOOOM! ----- Chapter 134: The Heavenly Court Descends Listen While Reading: Destruction of Obelisk ----- The Hunters of El Cairo never truly intended to win. Indeed, this entire time, theyve been buying time. Why? Because they knew that what they were fighting against was simply beyond their power. Therefore, they called someone equally ridiculously strong, someone who had promised to keep the world safe. And someone who had directly told the World-Wide Hunter Association that whenever a threat Hunters couldnt take appeared. They were free to call her, and she would help no matter what, as long as it was a genuine threat to humanity. To her, all humans were worth protecting; humanity wasn''t only composed of the country she was born in or the countries she liked; it was the entire world''s population of humans. Any country, any place. As long as there''s a person in danger, as long as there''s a child crying... She will appear. The self-proclaimed Guardian of Earth Heba glanced at the skies, the golden portal that appeared glowing brightly, resembling a second sun. Youve finally come Took you long enough, Bing Xue. Her blue eyes glanced at the glistening woman made of pure light. Golden, rainbow, and silver light sculpted her beautiful form. Long silvery hair, rainbow eyes, golden clothes, semi-transparent, white skin. It was as if an angel had descended from the heavens to oversee the world. The many citizens of El Cairo all glanced in disbelief at the woman they had only seen on TV or the Internet. Bing Xue! And with her came her organization, a Cult as she called it, of powerful hunters she recruited as her disciples. The Heavenly Court! W-Whats that?! Akhenaten glared in anger at the sky as several people came rushing down towards him from the golden portal that had opened out of nowhere. I had no idea these primitive insects had perfected Warp Technology! As he found himself flabbergasted, various members of the Heavenly Court rushed down; most of them had no ability to fly, but through the {Cloud Step} Martial Art, they were able to easily move through the air. Youve called us, and so we are here! Bing Xue said, spreading out her arms. Heavenly Courts disciples, show me how strong youve grown! Leading the group of disciples, a Russian woman fell from the skies with short blonde hair and eyes that glowed with purple light. She was well known not only in America or Russia but throughout the rest of the world. A World-Class Hunter! She spread out her hands, as black particles of emptiness emerged one after another, beginning to distort space itself. {Void Manifestation} Crack, crack! Void encompassed her like a veil, manifesting everywhere. The skies around her quickly turned deep black as giant ripples in space reached the closest enemies to her. Crack, CRACK! A dozen Divine Machines were instantly destroyed as the ripples passed through them, shattering them apart into pieces and exploding. It was an all-destructive power, almost absolute. Void! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! W-What was that power?! Akhenaten began sweating rapidly as he glanced at the golden pyramid far away in the skies, suddenly realizing its barrier was already being breached as well. Huh?! It was an incredibly strong, high-tech force field barrier made out of electromagnetic energies and compressed gravity. Only something with the power of an atomic bomb could ever pierce through it. Yet Ive been waiting for a punching bag capable of holding my punches since I started cultivating! Lets see! A giant, burly black man whose skin was completely made out of obsidian-like metal swung his enormous fists, covered with large gauntlets made out of black steel. His Aura of Mana and Ki converged into an explosive flow of energy and destructive force; each of his fists made the giant pyramids force field barrier gain several cracks. BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! Crack, crack! CRASH! Several huge holes spread through the barrier as its mechanism began to rapidly fail. If this continued, the entire pyramid that belonged to Akhenaton would fall into the desert below! No, the Pyramid! You bastard! STOP! Akhenaten had too many things he had to pay attention to, but he decided to prioritize the pyramid, rushing towards it with all his force, ignoring his sister and Sara, who were encapsulated inside of orbs made of Dark Matter. Materializing a giant black scythe, Akhenaten swung his giant mechanical weapon, unleashing several waves of dark matter and electromagnetic energies towards Nicholas. CLAAASH! Huh?! However, his eyes widened as he suddenly realized someone else had appeared in front of him, blocking the attacks with a glistening spear of light. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Sorry, I cant let you do that to the chairman. A blonde man with sharp blue eyes appeared, wearing a white suit and with angelic wings made of light behind his back. His glistening spear of light, made of his Ki and Mana, managed to intercept and block the blows from Akhenaten, or, well, more like send them flying into the sky. He was nobody else but John Allgood, Guild Master of the Justice Guild. Another strange insect with powers... the wicked Egyptian prince grew furious. You dare to believe you can go against a Mechanical God?! You fool! Anubis rushed forward, swinging their giant scythe against the young man in front of them. The handsome young man gritted his teeth, barely blocking the blows. His magic spear was shattering into pieces and being remade over and over. CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! Hah! Youre rather strong! smiled the blond man. "Luckily, I am not alone! Here, take this present! With a single thought, the blonde man conjured almost a hundred magic circles around his Mana and Ki Aura, quickly firing hundreds of spears of light, hitting Anubis, and constantly pushing it back. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Tch! Useless! However, the Mechanical God had taken almost no damage at all, with the Dark Matter Veil helping it absorb all damage, even magical damage! The prince smiled confidently, punching the blonde man away. BAAAM! Get off my way, you insect! He kept flying forward, trying to reach the pyramid, only for a bright light of many colors to completely surround him. His eyes had to squint to watch all the light being projected in front of him. T-This is?! And then he realized that there were even more magic circles all around the Mechanical God Anubis. Giant magic circles of all colors spiral around, with large runes beginning to release bright colors. FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! Those things again! Thats how they conjure their strange psychic abilities! And then he noticed a boy floating far away from him, above the skies, his messy black hair fluttered by the wind as immense quantities of Mana kept coming from his body. Lets see what I can do he smiled. {Magus Martial Spirit Arts}: {Elemental Catastrophe} A combination of Martial Arts, Spirit Arts, and Magic Spell Conjuration. Nobody else in the Guilds of America would have been able to unleash this amount of Mana. It was almost completely insane how much Mana this young man had, a resource that many Hunters thought was very scarce even when they reached S Rank. Yet this boys Mana capacity seemed almost boundless. He possessed a special trait within his body, the power to produce Mana in enormous quantities. But this also harmed his body. However, thanks to Cultivation, such a weakness was rapidly disappearing! Francisco Armstrong, the young Guild Master of the Wizard Guild. Ungh?! Akhenaten then learned what True Magic was. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! A storm of elemental explosions, fire, light, darkness, ice, winds, thunder, earth, poison, psychic waves, water, metal, and more. Giant meteors, beams of light, frost spears, dragons made of lightning, clouds of darkness, and endless curses. The Dark Matter Veil was almost invincible; it would only flicker before a power capable of shaping or destroying Dark Matter itself. Yes, indeed. Did you know? giggled the boy. When Mana gathers in tremendous quantities within a small, confined space it creates something very amusing. Therefore, young Francisco decided to constantly bombard the robot with hundreds of spells per second, making it so he created whats called A Mana Singularity. All the spells added to the enormous pressure, and as space itself began to distort and rapidly break apart, gravity began to quickly compress. The pressure thus made Anubis internal body begin to rapidly creak loudly. The metal that was indestructible could only be pushed back and molded before the compression and gravity, but this, coupled with the explosions, caused the Mana Singularity to become even stronger. Uuuaagggh! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Akhenaton was unable to respond; anywhere he tried to attack or go, magic would quickly catch him, and the Dark Matter Veil was now becoming something that only worsened the situation. Your veil is indestructible, so I decided its better to compress you within a given space until your entire internal body shatters! The young Mexican boy smiled as the Egyptian prince began to grow more and more desperate. D-Dont fuck with meeeee! And then Anubis balance activated, a feather and a heart were being weighed, the Golden Bloodline Ability of the Egyptian prince rushing across the mech, rapidly empowering it. [Maat Insurance: 1 Points] [Maat Insurance: 10 Points] [Maat Insurance: 20 Points] [Maat Insurance: 30 Points] [Maat Insurance: 40 Points] [] At the end, it ended at a staggering number! [Maat Insurance: 100 Points] 100 was the max number of Insurance Points it could hold. And this alone RUMBLE! With a loud shockwave of pure Dark Matter, Anubis started to break through the rain of never-ending magic spells. The power of the robot began to rapidly increase, surpassing its limits. Whats happening?! What is Maat Insurance?! Franciso grew confused; not even a Mana Singularity could hold the powerful Mechanical God anymore. Until BOOOM! A huge shockwave broke through the singularity, space shook and sent the magician flying away, and the huge jackal made of steel surged, breaking from the endless rain of spells and reaching the boy. You must feel pretty weak right now, dont you?! Let me alleviate that with your death! A giant scythe was swung down towards Francisco; the boys eyes widened as he quickly clapped his hands together, and then a huge shockwave of pure Mana took the shape of a palm, trying to intercept the incoming attack. TRUUUM! However, the palm made of Mana immediately exploded and disappeared, the scythe barely missing him by a hair as the boy flew away, encompassing his body with winds. He broke through a Mana Singularity! Francisco panicked. This means He surpasses the power of an S Rank monster! No, he must be way past that too SSS Rank? Or Divine Being? It didnt matter anyway; what mattered was that his life was in danger. DIE! The Egyptian prince had enough of the young magicians tricks, unleashing countless chains made of dark matter towards him. The boy flew away, constantly evading them as they came, which only drew closer and closer. And closer! Ah! As Francisco panicked, FLAAASH! Suddenly, a glistening light surged from above; a huge spear of light impacted Anubis, followed by several beams of light, hitting him constantly. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Ugh! So annoying! Akhenaten glared into the skies, noticing the blonde man he had failed to kill before now firing as many beams of light as he possibly could afford. Come on! Did you forget about me? I certainly havent! Anubis pointed its claws towards him, suddenly transforming and being modified on a giant mechanical cannon, gathering electricity and dark matter. {Death Cannon} TRUUUM! A giant beam of darkness was fired towards John, the blonde mans eyes widening as he tried to fly away, only to notice the beam following him. Seriously, this guys way too ridiculously strong! Summoning two spears of light, he gathered and harnessed his Ki Aura and Mana Aura, combining them together until his entire being started glistening. {Heavenly Guardian Spear Arts}: {One Thousand Spears of Nirvana} His Aura expanded at the same time as his senses and powers, John showcased what he had learned from Bing Xue, unleashing his full potential. He, who once believed he simply had to live comfortably with the powers he had gained and the fame he had cultivated Since he met Bing Xue, his entire life has flipped upside down. And he realized that there wasnt truly any limit to a persons growth. As long as you can cultivate, there is no ceiling. He has a desire to become strong and to protect his world from ever-growing threats. A desire that might have never been born in the original timeline where Seth came from... Ill show you. His Aura erupted, transforming into one thousand spears of light of tremendous size. The Death Cannon Beam, at the same time, impacted him. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! And then, one thousand spears moved forward rapidly, constantly piercing and unleashing explosions of light through the beam of condensed Black Matter. Rapidly BOOOMMM!!! The beam was completely overwhelmed, as Anubis, who was right behind it, received the full blunt of all of Johns attacks at once. Uuggh! The Egyptian prince groaned in annoyance as his machine constantly shook. The spells from Francisco continued hitting his veil, making it tremble, twist, and rapidly begin to... become thinner. T-The veil is! His eyes widened as he noticed yet another member of this group, the young woman who could manipulate void itself and who had just finished taking care of something. That Veil It''s really annoying, dont you think? The Egyptian prince then saw her small hand touch the Dark Matter veil. {Devouring Void} FLUOSH! And then, a miniature black hole absorbed it all, leaving Anubis completely unprotected! ----- New Cover: Chapter 135: The Princess That Sought Freedom (Listen While Reading: Army of Fears Theme ----- Anubis Dark Matter Veil Its gone?! Akhenaten was shaken, seeing as his Dark Matter Veil was destroyed and absorbed by Yanisses bare hands, Anubis, even though still powered by his Golden Bloodline Ability, had now grown much more vulnerable without its near invincible protection. It looks like you arent as invincible as you thought. Yanisses cold eyes pierced through Akhenatens soul. The prince had never faced someone capable of manipulating such an energy as void itself without the help of a Mechanical God. The humans of this world They dont need Machines to control the elements of the world! His eyes widened as he quickly attempted to attack Yanisse. He gritted his teeth, swinging Anubis claws against her repeatedly, unleashing a barrage of slashing waves made of Dark Matter. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Yanisse quickly flew away, evading the attacks as she gathered more Void in her hands, dividing it into several spheres of deep darkness, her eyes glowing with purple cosmic light. I simply have to buy some time! Akhenaten thought. Dark Matter is naturally produced by Anubis. In a couple of seconds, his veil will be remade! He quickly gathered Dark Matter from Anubis claws, which produced it as naturally as the rest of the Mechanical God body. I still have the advantage of Maats Insurance! I can do this! Confident that he could pull through this, Akhenaten clashed against John, Francisco, and Yanisse at the same time. The power of his Golden Bloodline Ability allows him to not fall behind in terms of power even when fighting all three. Hm And above all, Yanisse was rather surprised; her Void Essence had somehow grown weaker out of thin air, a strange curse-like force chaining her strength and weakening her. Is this related to that number over there? Although she was dealing great damage to Anubis and was rapidly spreading cracks through its indestructible metal, things suddenly slowed down once she fell victim to Maats Insurance. Whats wrong?! Youre growing sluggish! Akhenaten laughed, clashing against Yanisse. CLAAASH! Yanisse sighed. What a troublesome power... Yet, despite how she looked slightly annoyed, she couldnt help but smile lightly. Through Bing Xues training, Yanisse has grown to like fighting a bit. Especially fights that pushed her to her limits, where she could develop and grow the most. She sent us and isnt directly helping us for a reason. she smiled. I wont disappoint you, Katherine. . . . (Listen While Reading: Pain and Sorrow ) Merneith found herself trapped in endless darkness, in a cage made by her brother through Anubis Dark Matter Manipulation. She felt alone, desolate, and exhausted. This cage slowly began to sap away the energy of Ra, which was sunlight, and rapidly weakened her Mechanical God. Ra! Please respond! She kept trying to call the Mechanical God, yet Ra wouldnt respond as he always did. Among all the Gods, Ra was the most vocal of them all. Since she was a child, the Mechanical God would glance at her eyes and make little bird-like sounds; it was a friendly machine. Most other Mechanical Gods were silent and cold, like a machine was expected to be. Yet there was something special about Raa connection between him and her mother, which passed down to her as well. Ra The light of the machines interior rapidly began becoming dimmer as Merneith caressed the cold metal, tears falling from her eyes. As the Egyptian Princess felt alone and powerless, she sighed, glancing at the darkness beyond her machines exterior. Her golden eyes grew sadder as she recalled many memories of her life so far. Of the loneliness she felt and of how it felt like she didnt even belong in her family anymore. Since her mother died and Ra was taken away from her, everything has become dim and dark in her life. Before that, every day seemed full of life, possibilities, and hope. Her family loved her, and her mother was there for her. Yet Well, this place... It doesnt feel so different than back then, huh? The Egyptian Princess smiled bitterly. "Since my mother died, everything has been so miserable The love her father showed her disappeared every time he would glance at her with a cold expression on his face, as if she wasnt even his daughter anymore. Ra, who would bicker and talk with her all the time, was gone, forcefully taken away despite her having inherited the Mechanical God, and now used by her aunt, Akhenatons mother, who was an abusive, mocking woman. She wasnt even a warrior like her mother, and she used Ra simply to show off how amazing it was without ever using him for anything meaningful. New deals were made with the vassal Roman Empire, and even though her father had promised Merneith she could marry anybody she wanted, he ended up arranging a marriage between her and some Roman man she had never seen in her entire life. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Merneith, in a year from now, youll be marrying Julious, her father told her. You will undergo special training to become a complacent and submissive woman. You will also go live with him on the vassal empire, and you must have a child within the first year of your marriage. Understood? It is all part of our contract. To keep relationships peaceful with the Romans, you will contribute to our Great Empire of the Suns prosperity. The gods will bless you with many children. W-What Merneith couldnt believe what her father had told her before. What nonsense is this, father?! Y-You promised me I could marry anybody I wanted, that I was a princess, and that I could- SILENCE! Eep! Her fathers tall figure glared down at her. The Pharaoh was a strict man, albeit soft to his children Yet now, he was just as cold with her as anybody else. Dont speak back to me, he said. You will do as I say. B-But I dont like men- Nonsense! Every woman must love a man, and every man must love a woman, said the Pharaoh. Youve played enough since you were a child, Merneith. Now youre an adult. You will give me grandchildren! This is what your mother would have wanted of you. N-No! Mother wouldnt have wanted this! She kept crying. Mother was a warrior She said I would inherit Ra and become a warrior princess, protecting the Empire You promised me I could marry anyone! Yet after her death, it is as if... as if I am not even your daughter anymore. You lied to me. You betrayed my mothers words... and you took Ra from her! This girl the Pharaoh grew impatient, sighing. Take her away from my presence! I have no time to be paying attention to the bickering of a spoiled brat. Yes, Great Pharaoh. The guards forcefully took Merneith back to her room, throwing her there and leaving right afterwards. Despite being a princess, they treated her so roughly Ugh Merneith cried over her bed for the whole day, thinking about her mother all the time. Mother Why did you leave me? The more she thought about her mothers death, the more it felt like it wasnt just because she was sick or something. Her mother before everything happened seemed so fine, yet from one day to the next, she grew sick and pale, her skin growing purple in color. And then, a day later, she died. Did they poison her? Did someone... plan her death? Her eyes grew furious at the thought. She had grown protected by her mother and her father before he became cold to her, unable to truly grasp how dangerous it actually was to be a member of royalty, even more of such a huge imperial family. When the Pharaoh had so many women to sire many children that could pilot the Mechanical Gods, it was obvious that envy and jealousy would fester between such a huge family. And that they would begin targeting one another, especially the more talented and most preferred ones of the Pharaoh. My mother They targeted her because her father loved her more than any other woman, she sighed. But now that shes gone, that love for her, which he also gave to me, is gone He never loved me, only my mother She stood up in the middle of the night, glancing at the beautiful imperial city, countless flying vehicles moving everywhere, and futuristic, tall buildings made of gold glistening brightly below the sun. A gigantic Oasis rested in the middle of the city, which was built around it. Large golden pyramids surrounded the city, forming a huge protective barrier. This enormous futuristic metropolisthe place her mother wanted to protect, the home her mother lovedmeans nothing to her now. A family that kills each other A father who doesnt truly love his children she clenched her fists tightly. This entire place is rotten This empire, once glorious, has fallen Disgusting! She gritted her teeth, her resolve growing stronger. Merneith, youre free to do as you want, my daughter! The world is yours to visit as you fit, meet people, visit places, learn new experiences Dont let others force you to become part of their plans. Youre yourself, and the only one who has any say over what youll do with your life... Is yourself! The words of her mother resonated within her heart as Merneith did the impossible. With her little talkative robot, she stole Ra, who responded automatically to her call, and broke through the barrier around the city, escaping into the Vast Deserts. [Princess! Are you sure this is the right thing to do? Youll become a persecuted criminal! Ra is too important to the Empire; they will not stop until they find you!] I dont care! Ill do whatever I want from now on And I wont let anybody tell me what I have to do with my family! Giving birth to the children of some ugly Roman? In your dreams, father! As the princess boasted her control over her own destiny RUMBLE! The sky and the earth shattered apart, the empty air twisted, and as space and time itself opened and shattered, a giant, gray-colored portal emerged in front of her. Huh? And with a pulling force so strong she couldnt fly away, she was pulled into the enormous wormhole, landing in a similar yet completely different desert. And this is where everything truly began for herafter she met the people of El Cairo, after she helped them, after she earned their trust and love. But even then, at the end, she was caught. What Im going to do now... she sighed. Is everything just... over? [It indeed is princess Merneith! I told you that this would bring a great disaster! You should have listened to me when I told you to!] The annoying pyramid-shaped little robot by her side kept annoying her. The truth is, he was her only friend, a guardian her mother gifted to her when she was only three years old. He had been taking care of her ever since and only wanted the best for her. As a robot, he knew that the best thing for her was to survive and live prosperously. Marrying that Roman Prince, giving birth to his children, and maintaining the peace between both Empires was something that would lead to her surviving and living without many problems. Yet Merneith went against this logic and this entire time, the artificial intelligence has been unable to understand why she did this. Dont you get it? she sighed. I dont want to. I would rather die Than do what my father wanted. [B-But why! Princess I was programmed by your mother to] I know, and thank you for taking care of me so far, but... Merneith smiled bitterly. I think Ill just accept my death... I enjoyed this little time. I did what I wanted, and now... Ill just die. Her words were shocking for someone who was so cheerful to readily accept her death. Did she even value her life? [Princess Im sorry. I wish I wish I could have the power to change anything, but I am simply a robota small, assistant robot at the end] I know your company here is enough; thank you for always being by my side. [Princess] Merneith hugged her companion as she closed her eyes and simply waited for her incoming death. Yet FLASH! Ra suddenly began glowing. Huh?! And Merneith noticed something, within her entire body, golden particles started to emerge, rapidly expanding like an aura of glistening light. This is?! [Princess! T-Thats Your Golden Bloodline! It is resonating with Ra!] But how?! Im fairly sure that I... Unless? Yes. Merneiths body exuded the power of her Golden Bloodline for a reason. Her powers emerged, rapidly encompassing the Mechanical God. Each golden particle was a small nanobot produced by her own body. The truth behind the Golden Bloodline was something her mother had once told her. In the past, this family was fed the blood of the gods. Hence, we developed the Golden Bloodline. Not only giving us the power to pilot the Mechanical Gods but also to develop special Abilities. The ability of her brother [Maats Insurance] was one of them. Her mother, too, had the ability CRYAAAH! The cry of a hawk echoed as Ra started moving again, as if it had regained its energies completely out of nowhere. My body is exuding sunlight? The fuel for Ras body. Sunlight. This is my mothers [Its your mothers ability, princess!] Both Merneith and her little robot gasped. [Horus Domain of the Sky] Horus, the Great Grandson of Ra. According to Mythology, he was the son of Osiris and Isis, the God of the Sky. It was said he had some resemblance with Ra, and that he would become the true inheritor of Ras throne, eventually. The God of the Sky, who naturally governed not only the weather but also sunlight itself. Merneiths ability developed, giving her the power to release sunlight and feeding Ra with infinite energy. The same occurred with Merneith Yet perhaps even stronger than that. RUMBLE! Winds gathered around Ra, water, and cold; everything began breaking through the orb made of Dark Matter. And at the same time, suddenly, Dark Matter began to tremble as a giant blade of light slashed through it all. SLAAASH! Huh?! And then Merneith met hersomeone who had come to personally free her. It looks like youve awakened, princess, she smiled. Her glistening rainbow eyes and her body, made of light, sent shivers down the spine of Merneith. Never had she seen such a beautiful woman. Are you a goddess?! Oh? Hahahah! The woman laughed as she quickly broke open the entire sphere of Dark Matter, freeing Ra and Merneith. I suppose some call me that, she said, as the winds made her long, silvery hair flutter. But my name is Bing Xue... Nice to meet you, princess Merneith. And this was the moment that Merneiths entire life changed. Merneith! Im so glad youre okay! And little Sara was also at Bing Xues side. ----- Chapter 136: Merneith’s Rematch ----- At the same time as Merneith awakened her Golden Bloodline Ability, the place where she had been trapped this entire time finally opened, a blinding sword of light slashing through it, and a woman made of light, accompanying Sara, appeared. This woman, with her glistening beauty and her radiant eyes, made Merneith almost paralyzed. Not in her entire life had she seen such a beautiful woman before. It was, in her mind, as if she were facing a goddess right now. Are you a goddess?! Oh? Hahahah! The woman laughed as she quickly broke open the entire sphere of Dark Matter, freeing Ra and Merneith. I suppose some call me that, she said, as the winds made her long, silvery hair flutter. But my name is Bing Xue Nice to meet you, princess Merneith. And this was the moment that Merneiths entire life changed. Merneith! Im so glad youre okay! Sara greeted Merneith with her usual cheerful voice, making Merneith relieved she was alive. Do you think you can break through this on your own? Bing Xue asked. It looks like you gained some new strength Or do you need a hand? I thank you for opening the way, said Merneith. But dont worry! As a proud Princess of the Empire of the Sun, I can handle this trifling Dark Matter sphere like nothing now! FLUOSH! With Ra fully fueled with the Sunlight Merneith emanating from her body, the giant bird-shaped mech roared, beginning to spread out its wings made of flames. CRYAAAAH! FLAAASH! As the Mechanical God spread out their wings, an explosion of Plasma erupted. Bing Xue grabbed Sara and quickly retreated, before the entire sphere of Dark Matter quickly exploded into pieces. BOOOM!!! The Dark Matter quickly dissipated into thin air, disappearing as if it were never there, and the radiant and glorious Ra remained there, glistening with divine brilliance. Looks like shes back at full power! Bing Xue giggled. Amazing! I think shes even stronger than before! Sara cheered cutely as Bing Xue held her in her arms. Those machines these people brought from that other parallel world seem quite amusing, nodded Bing Xue. They carry enough power to rival magic and supernatural powers yet have no such powers themselves; it is technology so advanced it resembles magic, huh? Is that so? Sara wondered. Ah! Right! I need to go heal everyone else! Bing Xue, can you please help me get there? Sure, lets go then, Sara. Bing Xue nodded. Moving at lightning speed, she carried Sara around El Cairo. Saras healing magic was incredible, spreading through hundreds of meters around her. Even the worst-wounded citizens were rapidly recovered. Her healing abilities are incredible; shes perhaps the best healer Ive ever met since I came back to Earth, Bing Xue thought. I definitely have to recruit her as my disciple! As Bing Xue helped Sara heal the rest of the city of El Cairo and also gather with the Hunters that had been harmed by Akhenaten, she glanced at the fight between siblings from afar. AKHENATEN! Huh?! The Egyptian princes eyes widened as he heard the voice of his sister. He had been fighting John, Francisco, and Yanisse this entire time, and all three of them were on a stalemate until now. Thats?! John muttered. Wait, is she his sister? Nice! Francisco celebrated. Master freed her! Nicely done, Katherine! Yanisse nodded. Now Was your sisters name Merneith? Well, it looks like shes coming to say hi. AH! Akhenaten gasped as a giant humanoid falcon-shaped mech emerged above Anubis. Within a split second, two giant spears made of plasma rushed down, piercing through Anubis arms, which Akhenaten tried to use to defend. CRAAASH! CRAAASH! The plasma spears began melting the internal circuits of the arms, making them rapidly fall into pieces. Akhenaten screamed in horror; to see a Mechanical God being harmed was something almost impossible! NOOO! ANUBIS! This time Im not holding back, Akhenaten! Youll pay for what youve done! So many people died, and so many almost died because of you and your army! YOURE A MONSTER, NOT MY BROTHER! Akhenaten grew furious, gritting his teeth as he glared at Merneith with utter anger, his Golden Bloodline Aura growing stronger. SILENCE, YOU WENCH! With a furious howl, Maats Insurance activated once more, its numbers rising rapidly because of the damage Anubis ended up taking from Merneiths opening attacks. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Its number went to 100 immediately, and Merneith quickly felt the debuff, weakening the power of her machine in contrast. You cant beat me so easily as long as I have my Divine Bloodline, Merneith! With wicked laughter, the prince punched Ra away through Anubis arms; although its claws and half of their arms were gone, he quickly regrew new ones made of materialized Dark Matter. CLAAANK! Ra was pushed away several meters as Anubis rushed forward, conjuring countless chains made of dark matter and trying to entrap Merneith in the same bubble as before. That trick is not going to work a second time! However, the princess quickly unleashed her Golden Bloodline Ability, the Sky above began to tremble rapidly as a giant storm of lightning and winds descended, encompassing Ras body and sending a mighty shockwave around her, destroying Anubis technique. TRUUUM! W-What?! Thats! The young princes eyes widened even more once he realized that his sister had developed what he feared the most! The reason he wanted to kill her so quickly to begin with was because she had yet to develop one. A Golden Bloodline Ability?! Turns out my mother left a gift with me, Merneiths eyes were reflected on the fiery eyes of Ra. Not only Ra, but this Ability! It is my birthright privilege! This is the Bloodline Ability you feared so much, to the point you killed her, right? N-No! But mother said that! Akhenaten muttered, quickly realizing he had to shut his mouth and not say what he was about to say. Afraid of saying its name? Merneith asked with a smile. Yeah, its [Horus Domain of the Sky]! NO! Horus Domain of the Sky is perhaps one of the strongest Golden Bloodline Abilities documented in the history of the Empire of the Sun. Its power was simple, yet incredibly powerful, granting the wielder the power to manipulate weather within a range, and also to use the elements of the sky. One of such elements was also Sunlight, giving the user incredible compatibility with Ra, a Mechanical God whose fuel was Sunlight. By being inside Ra, a user of this Ability could grant the machine as much fuel as they wanted, not only allowing Ra to function even at night but even exceeding its limits. The power that Ra can gain during the day is limited to the sun, after all. But what if a user of this ability is piloting him, giving him even more sunlight? FLAAASH! Ras entire body was covered in bright sunlight, with plasma coursing through every part of its body, quickly turning its metallic body into a deep red, gold, and orange color. Its entire mass grew twice as large, with enormous arms and legs packed with cannons; its wings spread out and were divided into four; and its helmets beak became longer and sharper, as did its eyes. And above all, a third golden eye appeared on Ras forehead, spreading out golden-colored circuits that empowered the machine even more. This cant be happening! This is! Akhenaten screamed, gritting his teeth. No, wait! As long as shes not like her mother, then Ill just kill her before she gets a gist of that form! Indeed, that form was what Merneith had achievedRas Awakening! In the legends, it is said that every mechanical God has an Awakened Form that is only unleashed when their Pilots Golden Bloodline Ability is compatible with them. Unfortunately for Akhenaten, his powers didnt allow him to unleash Anubis Awakening, therefore, he was now at a disadvantage, even with Maats Insurance! Lets leave him to her, said Yanisse. Francisco, John, lets go help Nicholas! Yanisse quickly flew away, bringing the two other Hunters with her. She knew Merneith had this covered now; not only has she been freed, but when her brother imprisoned her, Merneith came to terms with her own life, and her ideals and convictions solidified. Although it seemed depressing that she said she would rather die than do as her father told her and become a little princess slave to her empire, this was her resolve. She will simply never back down and never kneel ever again to those who think they can control her life. Her mothers will lives within her, and so she will do as her mother told her. I am free I will not go back to that Empire, and I will not die by your hand, brother! Ra is my mothers gift, and I will not give him back! Hes my family! CRYAAAAH! Merneith spoke as Ra roared, rushing towards the fearful Akhenaten, who quickly decided to fight back using his own tricks. Dont think you can approach me so easily, you fool! The Dark Matter that would have formed a new Veil over Anubis was instead used differently, as shadows spread out everywhere, covering the skies. {Kekuis Eternal Darkness}! FLUOSH! Anubis spread out its arms widely as Dark Matter consumed everything, quickly trapping Merneith within a domain of pure darkness. This is? Hahaha! Did you think I would face you head-on, idiot?! Merneith could hear her brothers voice everywhere as she suddenly noticed a mechanical claw rushing towards her. CLASH! She quickly blocked it with Ras wings, and as she aimed to grab the claw, it disappeared into the Dark Matter. Then another claw surged from above, below, left, and right, from every angle at once. Aah! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Ra was resisting each blow pretty well, even more on its Awakening form, but the damage was going to eventually accumulate. Brother used the Dark Matter to create the same thing he did to trap me, but in a wide area, and with him inside! she thought. But how come he can attack me so many times? This doesnt make sense Wait! CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! As the sound of metal hitting metal reverberated across the skies, Merneiths eyes glowed bright gold, quickly realizing what Anubis true ability was. It wasnt just the creation and control of Dark Matter. But it also had the ability to become Dark Matter. The reason why it was so tough, why it was able to confine her and weaken her It was because every particle of this Dark Matter was mixed with black colored nanobots, making the technique even more complex. Its as if Anubis had turned into this darkness! But that means Her eyes widened as she smiled. This meant one thing. Akhenaten was exposed! As Merneith started searching for him while tanking the hits, her brother smiled, floating amidst the darkness, encapsulated in several layers of Dark Matter. To think I had to use the Secret Ability of Anubis in such a way only for her! he thought, frustrated. But no matter, there is no foe that has survived this technique. By putting all his energies into concentrating on the attacks, Akhenaten believed that Merneith would eventually run out of stamina, the primary force that allowed Mechanical God pilots to use the Machines through their Golden Bloodlines and fall before his might. Yet FLAAASH! Huh?! His eyes burned as he saw a giant sphere of light emerging from amidst the eternal darkness. The shadows attempted to swallow it, but the sphere, a miniature sun, continued growing larger and larger and larger. Does she have infinite energy or something?! And then, as the light burned through the darkness, the body of Akhenaten became very clear to Merneiths eyes. How is this possible! Y-You! Youre merely a novice in handling Mechanical Gods! Maybe! But unlike your Anubis, Ra is much more special And he loves me too! CRYAAAAH! Ra roared, rushing towards Akhenaten, who hastily attempted to reform Anubis from the dark matter. However, he only managed to materialize the torso and one arm; unable to get completely remade in time, the giant miniature sun reached him. Burn, {Khepris Eternal Sun}! The light of this small sun burned horrendously, making Akhenaten scream in agony as he was unable to be fully protected by Anubis. W-Wait! WAIT MERNEITH! IM YOUR BROTHER! YOU CANT DO THIS! He tried to push back the sphere of plasma and fire down back to Merneith, yet the princess could only smile as she heard her brother trying to appeal to their family bonds now. I used the same argument against you! Did that make you stop?! Did you try to not kill me?! Merneiths eyes glowed bright red, synchronizing with Ras fiery powers. YOU DIDNT! She pushed the miniature sun even further, which quickly began melting Anubis and making it fall apart into pieces. Meanwhile, Akhenaten was Roasted alive. Merneith! WAIT! MERNEEEEEEITH! BOOOMMM!!! ------ Chapter 137: The Strength Of The Heavenly Court’s Members Listen while reading: Successor of Niten Ichiryu ----- This is Akhenaten was engulfed in the flames of Ra as he fell from the skies. Anubis had been torn to pieces and melted away. Such a powerful Mechanical God, a treasure of his country with an incommensurable price. It had been utterly destroyed Merneith He glanced at the giant and imposing Ra above the skies, and memories flashed through his mind. His mother, a very strict woman since he was born, was always ordering Akhenaten what he had to do and how he had to do it. Akhenaten! Never forget that youre a prince of this Empire! Act like one no matter what! Yes mother. Akhenaten! Why are you playing with children?! Youre a prince! Come here; your lessons about mechanics are about to begin. Yes mother. Akhenaten! Dont get too close to your siblings. Theyre all snakes and vultures, waiting to betray you and then take advantage of your misery U-Understood, mother. Merneith, that child Akhenaten! You better take care of her... Do you understand? Make her feel miserable. Rub on her face that her mother died as much as you can. Yes mother but why? Why, you ask?! Seriously, at this age, youre asking why! Because shes unworthy! Only the two of us are worthy of Ra, right?! Who does she think she is? Asking to be given Ra back now that it is MINE! But No buts! That damned woman Poisoning her was so hard! But she finally succumbed, stupid bitch. Now her robot is mine, but her damn child Hah! So exasperating. I wish I could just poison her, but if I go ahead, my husband might grow too suspicious. Y-You did?! What? Did you think that the drink you offered her that I gave you was just a little bit of wine? My son, you helped me do it, so youre also an accomplice Dont worry! Your mother will always protect you. Yes mother Akhenaten burned; the pain was so strong it dulled his mind. Yet even now, he felt a lot of emotions, frustration, anger, sadness, sorrow regret. What have I been doing with my life Darkness engulfed the Egyptian Prince as the sands beneath Merneith were decorated with the countless pieces of Anubis scattered everywhere. Its done Merneith sighed in relief. Its- Huh?! RUMBLE! The deserts trembled once more as the giant golden pyramid collapsed on the sands, quickly having its force field destroyed and its propulsors crushed. The enormous flying vehicle had no option but to collapse on the burning sands. CRAAASH! The beautifully bright golden pyramid gleamed brightly beneath the sunlight, countless cracks spreading through it, yet its destruction stopped at that. It was such a huge piece of technology that it would take even more efforts to tear it apart, and well, that was never their intention. The Divine Machines coming from the pyramid stopped emerging, as whatever internal structure the pyramid had was quickly and forcefully stopped. Hahh That was tougher than I imagined; just how many tons was this thing? Nicholas stood above the giant pyramid with a proud smile, glancing at the giant thing he had thrown down from the skies, something he could have never done before. At least over six million tons, said Yanisse. Phew Hate to break it to you, but were not done yet! said John. Look, theres still a few dozen of those mechs going around; theyre stronger than S-Rank monsters too! Right! We have to take them down! Francisco said. Alright then, lets divide and conquer! Nicholas roared. The four Hunters jumped into action, leaping from building to building. The huge machines, which were between ten and twenty meters tall and made of golden, silver, and black metals, resembling pharaohs encased in their tombs or ferocious jackals made of metal, quickly noticed the approaching foes. ?????? ?????????????????????? ???????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ?????????????? Speaking words the Hunters couldnt understand, but that were actually the now-forgotten Ancient Egyptian Language, the pilots controlling the Divine Machines quickly attacked back. Nicholas encased himself in armor made of black metal, quickly tanking three machine attacks at once. Giant blades made of glowing gold encompassed lightning, spears imbued with blazing fire, and punches zapping with thunder hit him constantly. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Hahah! You guys sure are strong! He noticed that the metal protecting him was rapidly being bent before their attacks, and cracks began spreading across his metallic skin. Recalling how he almost died against those monstrously strong dinosaurs and the cavemen back then, it was clear that the invaders of these parallel earths were on another level entirely. However, he was different now. For my two little girls... So they wouldnt end up without a dad; I had to get stronger, you know?! His black metal suddenly started glowing red, and fiery heat began rising from his heart, spreading through the rest of his body. His Martial Core overflowed with large quantities of Ki, spreading across his body. Metal alone cant do shit, he said. Fire, however, once merged with metal, now that can do a lot! BAAAM! Against all odds and expectations, the pilots, who believed this metal man would eventually fall, were suddenly shocked. An explosive punch emerged from his fists, blowing away one of the machines and shattering their heads and weapons. CRASH! The machine fell to the floor, half of its body burning and covered in flames that continued to melt the metal it was made of! ???????????? ?????????????????????? Completely shocked by what they saw, the pilots seemed full of disbelief, glancing back at Nicholas to notice his black, metallic body had changed. His chest, right above his head, had changed, completely becoming red and orange in color, as if the very metal of his body was boiling. This fiery red color spread through the rest of his body, forming large veins of molten metal that empowered his entire body, at the same time as his head gained spiky fiery horns, making him resemble a demon. This is the evolution of my abilities through cultivation, the man smiled, taking out his sunglasses to reveal his fiery red eyes. I took some inspiration from our ancestors, the cavemen people that wielded flames {Molten Metal Man} Flames surged from his hands as his melting metal shaped constantly and took the form of giant blades covered with flames. A man who was already considered the toughest in the world had now let go of his defensive powers, exchanging them for pure, explosive offense. By burning my own metallic body and making my body boil, I generate a tremendous quantity of heat and explosive power that grants me a tremendous boost in both strength and speed! But I guess you dont even understand what Im saying, huh? FLASH! So Nicholas decided to just show them, jumping towards the closest Divine Machine and swinging his leg downward. An explosive attack of flames and molten metal erupted from the machine, quickly melting and burning its armor and seeping into its circuits. BOOOM! The attacks he unleashed were like explosions. Each attack tore apart a piece of his mechanical foe. The Divine Machines tried to retreat, readying plasma cannons and firing them at him. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! However, Nicholas evaded them as they came, rapidly jumping from a building and then rushing down, kicking one of them and destroying their head and torso, revealing the pilot inside. Uuuaaaggh! The man screamed before flames engulfed him, and he died on the spot. A huge explosion quickly engulfed Nicholas, whose hands grabbed the burning mech and threw it towards the other. BOOOM! ???????????????? ???????? The third Divine Machine quickly punched the burning machine thrown at him away, swiftly advancing towards Nicholas while firing beams of concentrated electric energies. Nicholas rapidly evaded them, using his enhanced speed and swiftness to quickly reach the Divine Machine and then This is it, chump! BAAAMMM!!! A huge punch reached the machine, unleashing an explosion of flames and molten metal, engulfing the entire robot. The mechanical construction fell apart as Nicholas saw the pilot gruesomely die inside. To think the invaders of our world would be humans now, he sighed. Monsters werent enough; now we have to face humanity from other parallel timelines. As Nicholas pondered that, Yanisse, John, and Francisco finished off the rest of the Divine Machines. {Void Bullet} Yanisse carefreely fired hundreds of bullets made of small void accumulations, piercing through the bodies of the Divine Machines and then making them explode into pieces. {Glistening Starlight}! John imbued light into his very body and released the brightest shine of light possible, burning through his foes and then piercing them with his spear. {Elemental Storm}! And Francisco playfully destroyed many more with storms of countless elemental spells. Unlike Anubis with their Dark Matter Veil, these foes could not easily defend themselves. BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! Bing Xue nodded from afar, noticing how her sect was able to take care of everything on their own, mostly. This was just a test, a test to see if it was possible to leave Earths protection to her disciples, even if the invaders were fearful monsters beyond any known strength level. It seems to be a success! she nodded with a pleased smile. Now, that Pyramid over there I really want to explore it. She glanced down, noticing a dying Egyptian prince, with half his body gone and the rest almost completely calcinated. Someone as cruel as him would have surely deserved death. Yet Bing Xue was rather merciful; glancing down at him with a slight smile and then touching his burning body, a washing wave of golden light rapidly healed all his wounds. Ahh Hahhh! The young prince gasped for air, suddenly realizing he was somehow alive, despite everything. He noticed Bing Xue by his side, and... M-Merneith?! Its true! Your healing abilities are incredible, Bing Xue, said Merneith. Perhaps comparable to little Sara! I would say theyre better, but little Sara has greater potential. Bing Xue smiled. Now Akhenaten, was your name? W-Whats happening?! D-Didnt I die?! Akhenaten was completely confused, unable to believe what had happened. A second ago, he was sure he was burning, and he died! You almost died, but I managed to heal you in time, Bing Xue said. You should be grateful to your sister, actually. She was the one who had the mercy to let you live. She asked me to heal you. I-Is that so Akhenaten groaned in pain. Ugh Why did you do this, Merneith? Didnt I deserve death anyway? For what I did you were justified in letting me burn to death. Even then Merneith sighed. Im quite the soft lady, you see! Once in my childhood, you and I were rather close, werent we? It was a brief moment; it barely lasted a year, but I still remember it. When you were much nicer to me. I wanted to ask you if Was that all fake? Another pretend game, like with Father? Did you always see me as the annoyance you said I was? M-Merneith Akhenaten looked down, his long white hair covering most of his face, as his golden eyes glistened with memories of the past and also of what he had now become. I did once see you as my sister, but Well, isnt it obvious? Our family, since were children, that it teaches us to not grow closer to one another. At any moment, a sibling could kill us muttered Akhenaten, clenching his fists. This is all what my mother taught me. And Ive been doing as she said since then! What else What else did you expect me to do?! Youre youre the one who decided to have control over your own life, and thats where I felt so jealous of you. Maybe maybe I wanted the same thing. Brother Merneith felt a bit moved by his words, but remembering all the awful things he did and the words he said, it was hard for her to even forgive him. I see Starting now, youll repent! To make up for all youve done, youre going to help me and Bing Xue! Anubis is not completely destroyed. Mechanical Gods can recover as long as their pieces are put together and then feed a lot of materials for their nanomachine structure to reform with new mass. What?! Akhenaten didnt believe her words. After everything I did, youre giving me a second chance?! But why! Because I dont want to kill my family like your mother did, she said. I wont do what my family wants me to do. I bet killing you must have been your fathers plan or something. Ill go against that. Youre my brother, not my sworn enemy Merneith Youre just too soft, huh? Akhenaten sighed as he started crying. Thank you... for continuing to be yourself. Even when all of us changed Hmph! Save your crocodile tears for another person; I am not believing them! Merneith said angrily. Anyways! Lets go. Bing Xue, you wanted to check that pyramid and learn more about us, right? Akhenaten will open the way for us. Very well! Bing Xue smiled. Work hard, boy. If you dare betray us, your fate might be worse than death. With a gentle smile, Bing Xue delivered incredibly cold words. U-Understood The prince couldnt do much other than accept such terms. ----- Chapter 138: The Morning After The War Listen while reading: A Peaceful Day ----- It was the morning of the next day that I woke up feeling more tired than I imagined. Last night was intense too; not only did I do love to Urbosa and Merkite, but I also ended up getting involved with Mursha after I had gone to a hot spring to wash after last night''s activities. It was a very adorable confession, and she put her soul into it. Recalling what happened, I cant help but feel a bit embarrassed by how slightly awkward things were. It was when I was resting in the hot spring, and by mistake, she ended up entering it too. We found each other stark naked! It was very surprising. The memories of last nights adorable confession emerged in my mind almost like a movie. It was amidst the hot springs steam that, while I was relaxing, she appeared. Mursha? Bing Xue Unlike how I imagined, she didnt run away or act shy, although she did ogle my body a lot. I was told that this was my personal hot spring Um, well, if you want to enjoy it with me, I dont mind. S-Sorry, I mean I was looking for you Oh? I I apologize; maybe this isnt the best way to approach this, but I guess I cant miss this opportunity either way! She bravely walked towards me, sitting by my side while blushing. Um She was trying to articulate her words, but she was growing red as a tomato. I-I You see Yes? I wondered, smiling gently at her. I-I want T-To Um C-Can I? she muttered. Ah, this is more embarrassing than I thought! M-My mother always said that she easily just asked my father when they werent even married Hm? W-What? I tilted my head without understanding what she meant. Ahem! She quickly looked more decided, furrowing her eyebrows as she cutely grabbed my hands. Bing Xue W-Would you become my partner for tonight? Huh?! I-It is a custom of our orcs that W-When we like someone, we request that they become our partner for the night! I-If we get along and like it t-then usually um, we begin a relationship, she muttered, still embarrassed. I-I youve captivated me in many ways, Bing Xue. There is no other person in this world or in any other that would make me feel this way. S-So fast?! I wondered. B-But weve met so shortly I understand I helped you, but you wont regret it? Theres no such thing in my warrior tribe! she roared. I am a proud warrior! And I pride myself on my heart! If I say that T-That I like you, then I mean it! A day is enough to conquer my heart, after all the incredible things y-youve done Um, I had thought that Even if you dont want to be in a relationship, maybe I learned that um, Merkite and Urbosa are pregnant with your seed, so I quickly realized, you must have a a rod! S-so Even if you dont want to, c-could you please as my last request ever t-to give me a child? I would be so happy if you could help me keep the bloodline of the proud Bloodfang warriors going, with your wonderful seed! Yes, she did say all of that. I was honestly very surprised; I never imagined this proud warrior would come looking for me so eager to accompany her for a night. I did find her very beautiful, and I admired her warriors pride, so it wasnt even within my option to reject such an adorable confession. And to keep going with her bloodline It would be an honor. Mursha Well, Merkite and Urbosa also developed feelings for me this quickly, I giggled. But Hm, I suppose I cant just break your heart. Youre very beautiful, both in appearance and in heart. Youre an admirable warrior, of course. Even with our brief meeting so far, I know youll be a long-standing ally. So well, I like you as well, Mursha. I just went and said what I thought, and she seemed startled. R-Really?! she gasped. T-Then! Her big hands grabbed my shoulders as she was gasping in excitement. She was so cute when she got all excited; I couldnt help but blush a bit as she touched me. Even more back then, when we werent wearing clothes and all... Its fine, I smiled at her. But promise me that once were done, youll stay by my side, just as Ill do. Youre welcome in my family, Mursha Let me help you continue your lineage. If thats your wish, Ill grant it. Ooohh?! she was very excited. Bing Xue! My love! Yes! I will become your family! And you will become part of my tribe! Thank you! Thank you so much! Then we started making out, and the rest is history. I did everything she asked me to, so without a doubt, she must be pregnant with my child now. Hahh I feel a bit bad for the other girls, though. Mursha really came to me sneakily; I couldnt reject her, and things ended like this. I had planned to do things a bit in order to embrace them and accept them into my family one by one, perhaps starting with Yanisse, then Peperina or Fiery Hair, and so on. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. But I guess you cant really control love; it''s sporadic, it comes and goes, and sometimes passion surges even between two women who met only once. The experiences we shared in battle and the love we developed for one another were due to the admiration we felt. It just emerged, and well, we loved one another very much. I suppose their society and culture also helped make things quicker. Im fairly sure Yanisse and Peperina wouldnt do things so quickly; they want to take things slow, and Ill accept that as well. But Urbosa, Merkite, and now Mursha all share the same original world, so their cultures are quite similar despite being from different tribes. Being direct, rash, and immediately confessing your love, no matter what. Well, that''s how they usually do it. Even more, to show their affection, they dont even hesitate to have sex with the person they choose, as long as the other person accepts them. So thats what happened. Haahh Isnt this a beautiful morning? I stood up and walked out of bed, stretching while looking at the beautiful rising sun of the morning. The grasslands covered the rest of the world, and there were some forests in the distance and mountains in the background. The sky was completely clear of clouds; it was a beautiful sunny day, and I saw many children of the tribes playing around, orcs, thralls, and beast-kin together. Although the world had almost been ruined, the surviving tribes set aside their differences and started living and surviving together. Therefore, even though the World of Elios had already lost many, perhaps thanks to these tragedies, a new Era where the tribes, which were always creating disputes over territories or their differences, might finally come together as a larger society, or maybe just an alliance of tribes. Compared to other worlds, Elios is a very primitive world; there are no cities or complex villages; even this large camp, which houses over ten thousand people, is not really a city yet, but a large quantity of tents placed together with banners and wooden walls surrounding them. However, now that the world has achieved greater peace and with Typhon watching over them, it might be possible for them to relax, sit down, and maybe make this place their true home. Well, I am nobody to say what they must do; I will not guide them; this is all their decision. If they want to continue as nomadic tribes across the world, then thats good. And if they want to remain here and build cities and farms, thats also good. Its up to them; let the mortals do what they want; there is no obligation for the immortals to force them to do what we would expect them to do. Maybe offer some words of wisdom; perhaps save them when theres a problem they will never be able to solve on their own. But otherwise, let nature take its course; let people be people. Ill protect them, but the rest? Its up to them. But yeah, its beautiful to see everyone finally at ease. Families together, children playing, the world slowly rebuilding itself. Ding! [Congratulations! You have completed the Second Floor Trial: {War Games} perfectly!] [Participate in the War Games and Win in Any Faction]: [%#3/3] [Contribute to the War Games by earning Points]: [10.000.000.000.000+/10.000] [Slay an enemy Faction General in the War Games]: [5+/1] [Rewards will be given based on your performance and how many Requirements you Complete.] [You received the following Rewards: [Divine Physique Growth Elixir (SSS Grade)] x20 [Divine Magic Growth Elixir (SSS Grade)] x20 [Divine Martial Power Growth Elixir (SSS Grade)] x20 [Platinum Weapon Ticket (SSS Grade)] x1 [Platinum Armor Ticket (SSS Grade) x1 [Platinum Accessory Ticket (SSS Grade)] x1 [Divine Skill Book (SSS Grade)] x2 [Divine Skill Fusion Ticket (SSS Grade)] x2 [All Skill Slots +1 Ticket (SSS+ Grade)] x1 [Divine Monster Pet Egg (SSS+ Grade)] x1 [Platinum System Gachapon (SSS Grade)] x5] Oh my? I gasped. Right, the rewards! I did only participate in a single war, but somehow... Did it get glitched because we killed the God maintaining this entire trial? Well, I was rather satisfied with the rewards anyway! Theres a lot to check on this: Elixirs to grow my stats, Platinum Tickets to get the strongest equipment the Tower System can offer, Skill Books and Fusion Skill Tickets, more Skill Slots, and even another Divine Monster Pet Egg! Talking about Kirby, he would have been quite useful in the war, but I left him back home to protect my sect and the Pagoda. Hes been cleaning the surroundings of New York of any monsters that show up, but I might get him involved in a more dangerous fight soon enough. Also, Gachapon... again? But these are platinum, so what I get might be even better, perhaps. Hm? However, the system notifications didnt end there, as I heard voices coming from the kitchen, most likely from Urbosa, Merkite, and... Mursha, I also saw a huge system screen appear above the skies; everyone could see it. [The Tower God {Beast King of War and Order} had issued a world-wide announcement.] [Announcement: The Second Floor Trial has been rewritten, all Rewards have been given, and from now on, the Trial has changed permanently for all other participants!] [The New Second Floor Trial for New Players: {Help the People of Elios} has been registered!] [From now on, helping people from Elios will yield Helpful Points! You can exchange these Points for unique rewards in the Second Floor Shop (with limited supplies per Player).] [Once you accumulate 10.000 Helpful Points, you can exchange them to any chief of Elios to be recognized as a {Friend of Elios} and be able to reach the Third Floor!] Oh! So thats your new Title, Typhon, I nodded. And also, theres this new Trial! Its much nicer, and it will only let good people keep climbing the tower. How nice. Well, perhaps even bad people would just lower themselves to help a bit, but still, its nice. Better than killing people to climb. Typhon seemed to have learned a lot from the Lions wisdom, setting up a Trial that helped the people of Elios prosper and receive the help of the Players. Theres even a System Shop where they can purchase unique items, incentivizing people to earn points. Though to maintain the shop, hell need a lot of Faith, thankfully, hes getting a lot of that, so there shouldnt be any problems. Now With that done, I walked back to the tent, finding my cute wives cooking food in the kitchen. They were wearing very loose leather clothes, only covering their chest and crotch. I suppose it was very hot in here, so it made sense they wouldnt wear too many clothes. Good morning! I said. How have you girls been? Oh, Mursha too! B-Bing Xue! Good morning, please let me greet you properly as your wife from now on Properly? As I wondered what she meant, she quickly hugged me with her enormous arms, lifting me off the ground and then kissing my lips a couple of times. We orcs love hugging! she cutely said. Ill hug you like this every morning, my love! M-Mursha I couldnt help but smile, even if this was a bit too much for me. I hugged her back and kissed her as well. Then Ill be happy every morning if thats the case, I caressed her face. Did you talk with Urbosa and Merkite already? A-Ah, yes! They were very open-minded and accepted me so quickly Im so happy, she smiled. Thank you so much, my sisters. Theres nothing to thank us about, Mursha, said Merkite. Youre a member of our family now. Indeed! nodded Urbosa. Please feel free to stay with us; lets spend many days together, so we can know each other better and strengthen our bonds. Thank you, my sisters! Mursha smiled happily. I feel like after years of being a cold warrior, I can finally be myself once more... I love you so much, Bing Xue! She kept snuggling me and kissing me. Mursha was very clingy. But, to be honest, I loved that. Who wouldnt want a big and cute orc wife? Indeed, people from Elios are very direct. Even I am surprised things were solved so easily, but... oh well! Thats for the better, right? More importantly, I think that after breakfast, we should move back to Earth. A few things are happening down there that need my attention. The things are happening in Egypt, perhaps. And something else too. ----- Chapter 139: Fiery Hair’s Love ----- As we ate breakfast, I still decided to apologize to Urbosa and Merkite out of respect for them. I still felt a bit guilty for what I did last time, right after we did something together and I left them sleeping over the bed. Even then, Im sorry. I did say I would tell you beforehand when I would choose another concubine, but... I sighed. I failed It was the passion of the moment, and perhaps because I didnt want to disappoint Mursha by rejecting her feelings. Oh? No, please, its fine. Urbosa smiled, wagging her tail. Mursha is such an amazing warrior; we respect her a lot. Please dont worry! Its fine! Merkite winked at me. I know you had your needs; you have quite a lot of stamina after all, so a third girl was needed to satisfy you, right, my wife? I-I well, perhaps? I giggled a bit embarrassedly as I held Murshas hand. Well, weve been eating, but she hasnt let go of my hand, holding it tightly with a very happy smile. However, her happy smile slowly turned into a bit of an embarrassed expression. Im so sorry... I should have apologized first, she sighed. As a warrior, I was very unexperienced in such things! A-And following my mothers teachings, I just went for it when I saw the opportunity. Its fine, Urbosa said. No need for apologies, Mursha. Youre welcome into our family, right, Bing Xue, sister? Yes, of course, said Merkite. We already talked about this, Mursha, so relax! Take it easy. Yeah! Dont worry. I nodded, kissing her lips again. Welcome to the family, Mursha. Ill love you as much as I love Urbosa and Merkite. Its quick, yes. But I can tell your love is genuine. Lets learn about one another and grow even closer, alright? T-Thank you Mursha started crying, bowing her head. Thank you so much for everything! She was indeed still the crybaby I remember She looks rough and cold on the on the outside, but shes such a soft-hearted girl deep down. To be honest, that contrast makes her even cuter as a woman. Its alright, my love; no need to cry anymore, okay? I gently patted her big, muscular thighs. Ive lived over eleven thousand years... So its nice that there are people who are so direct about relationships out there. It might seem a bit extreme or quick to other people, especially from my world, but I accept your culture and Ill embrace it. Weve already created a bond as warriors, right? Yes, youre right, Mursha nodded. Since our first battle, I have seen within you an incredible warrior and, above all, a very beautiful woman too. I... well, ever since I became orphaned, Ive stopped liking men. Perhaps it has to do with the trauma that involves so many of them. I couldnt see them as attractive, or even romantic, anymore. I closed my heart and became cold, set on my own mission to slay them all one day, all those bastards that did this to my family But now that such a thing was finally done, and I felt relieved, I felt slightly empty inside. I yearned for something love, perhaps. I see I nodded. Im glad you chose me as your partner, Mursha Its an honor; you also captivated me when we fought. Sometimes, just a battle between two warriors can say more than thousands of words, huh? Indeed! I love how you understand me so well, Bing Xue! Mursha hugged me again. Come here! E-Eh?! Mursha! I tried to reprimand her, but I really couldnt; she had her way with me, kissing me passionately once more. Hmm~ Ahh, enough, okay? You cant just kiss me all the time, Mursha. As our lips separated, Mursha panicked. Huh? But Bing Xue is so beautiful I want to kiss my wife all I want! Mursha proclaimed. Hah, please, Mursha, youre making me embarrassed now To think an ancient venerable such as myself would be blushing like I am a teenager now! Heheh! Youre even cuter like that, she smiled, hugging me tightly. I want to snuggle with you for a whole year like this! I-I would love to as well, but there are many things I have to do, I said. I suppose Urbosa and Merkite have already informed you, right? A-About your world? Oh yes! If you want to go back there, then I will follow! she said. Ill also join that cult or whatever it is, the Heavenly... Petgoda or something? Pagoda! I giggled. Its the Golden Heavenly Pagoda, and thats a building. The Sect is called Heavenly Court. And it was made to protect my world, Earth. Eventually, I plan to expand their protection to other worlds as well. Oooh! To think my wife is already from such a prestigious family! she said happily. Well, to be expected. Your skills and even your fancy clothes! You are indeed an Empress of high royalty! Hahaha! Come on, its not exactly like that, I giggled. But well, I suppose... Because youre my woman now, youll also be of the same high authority, my dear. So you must behave, alright? Especially with my disciples. We can love, hug, and kiss as much as you want, but in private, if possible, is that alright? I respected your cultures in your world, and I hope you could do the same in my world, as Urbosa and Merkite had done so too. O-Of course! Ill do my best to not disappoint you, my love, she bowed her head, showing me great respect. No need to bow, dear; its alright. I kissed her little nose. Now! Shall we eat this delicious feast youve prepared? There are so many meals Ive never seen before! Are these from your family, Mursha, dear? Oh yes! she nodded. I felt inspired after last night... I was so happy that I wanted to cook you many delicious meals! Urbosa and Merkite helped me out. Please eat away; these are all recipes from my tribe, the Bloodfang Warriors. Im sure that our child will be happy to learn these things once theyre born too. Ooohh! Theres indeed a lot of... Our child? Wait, its already? I wondered. Indeed, I could feel a little life force grow within my womb, Mursha patted her belly. Its nothing big, but its growing very quickly! My wife, your seed is indeed very strong! Please, lets have more children after this one, okay? We need at least ten kids! Yes, ten, or maybe twenty? As many as we can, so we can repopulate the tribe! Then the children will find other mates, and then we can continue the lineage really well. Ppfff! I was drinking tea, and I ended up spilling it. T-That many?! Mursha C-Calm down, ok? Only one for one, alright? A-Ah, of course! Dont worry, we can take it easy, she smiled, patting my shoulders. Please eat! The food is very yummy, my love! That got me a bit scared, twenty children?! Shes really going for the big family, huh? Alright I sighed. Um, Mursha, lets talk about this right now if possible. I think one two, maybe three, ok? Three is the max. T-Three? Well she muttered. Right! Its alright with three! Sorry, did I scare you with such numbers? Now that I think about it, my parents only had me and my big brother, so I guess it wasnt that common for so many kids Not even us would have asked so much, hahaha! Urbosa laughed it off. Mursha, youre a bit too greedy, hm? Did you like what Bing Xue did with you last night that much? Shes amazing in bed, right? Merkite smiled, licking her lips. How many times did she... do it inside? The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Do it inside? What do you mean by that? ...Oh! Hmm! I believe that at least five times? Hahaha! I lost count, said Mursha, laughing very loudly. I hope we can do it again tonight as well! Ahh, they are indeed VERY direct! That they can talk about the sex we have so openly like this Im glad the rest of my family or Hekita arent here. Um, girls, keep this talk between you, okay? Once we meet with everyone, please dont say such things. Our private lives must remain private, I told them. Its also part of the manners of my world; I hope you understand. Yes, dont worry, we know, Urbosa nodded. But this talk between sisters is ok, right? Merkite smiled. Thats right, we are all your wives after all, my love, said Mursha. But I apologize if it was a bit awkward Hmm, nah, its fine if its between the four of us, I giggled. And its not like I dislike talking about it either. You were very good as well, Mursha. I also felt in heaven with such a big and strong lady embracing me like you did. Despite your rough exterior, youre very soft inside, hm? A-Ahh well, that seems to be the case, haha Mursha giggled adorably. Doing it for the first time with you was a blessing, my dear. Thank you. I am also grateful for your love. I caressed her big hands. Now lets eat! We enjoyed the delicious meals served. Murshas tribe''s food was mostly meat and bread-based. From fried bread with meat bits to baked bread with minced meat inside, there was also roasted meat that was incredibly soft, deliciously seasoned, and slightly spicy. Also, she made a sweet called "Aspurglas, made from mashed sweet potatoes combined with jelly made from strawberries and then fried. It was very unique, fluffy, and delicious. I-Is it good? Mursha wondered, fidgeting with her hair as she nervously asked. This is one of the first trials a wife must go through To see if their husband or wife likes their meal. I see! Dont worry, its all very delicious. I winked at her. Youre a perfect wife already, Mursha. Dont worry. Im sure your mother would be happy. Really? The big orc lady was full of happiness once more. Thank you so much! Then she hugged me once more. Shes a hugger, for sure. Anyways, thanks for the food, I said with a typical Murim bow, placing both palms together. I believe we should get going; a few things have happened on Earth that need my attention. Also, I want to see Hekita and everyone else. It has only been two days, but it felt like an eternity. Me too! I miss my little girl, nodded Urbosa. Lets go then! Im happy youve missed her too; it means shes like your daughter already, heheh! Of course! I nodded. Hekita is my little treasure too. I love her as my daughter. So, I kind of miss her already Im sure shell be very happy once she sees the world she originated from. For sure! That little brat will get really happy! Merkite agreed, quickly standing up. Then lets clean up and get going! Mursha, youre coming, right? Yes! This is my first time going to another world, though said Mursha nervously. But as long as I am with my wife and my sisters, Ill have the courage, she bravely said. Well said. I hugged her this time. Im sure youll love the place. Its also a much safer place to raise our child. I patted her belly as she blushed. Is that so? Then, with even more reasons, lets go. She kissed me once more. I love you I love you too. I hugged her back, feeling her big, warm body. She was such a lovely woman; Ill protect her and love her for as long as I can, to make up for all the suffering she had gone through. She has gone through so much; I just want to see her happy and fulfilled. And Ill work toward making her happy. She deserves it. Bing Bing! Mursha! Good morning! Fiery Hair greeted us, rushing towards us while the rest of the cavemen were still having breakfast and enjoying the sunny day. They really looked happy in Elios. Good morning, Fiery Hair; it looks like your tribe is happy here. I looked around. We are moving back to Earth for a couple of days. There are some urgent matters we need to attend to. If you want to, you can stay here with your people. Huh?! But Fiery Hair wants to go too! She said angrily. Bing Bing will leave me? Then she glanced at me with a very sad expression. O-Of course not, Fiery Hair; if you want to come, then come with us. I smiled, extending my hand towards her. You can stick with us as much as you want. I said I would take care of you and your people; its a promise I will keep. However, the rest of your people seem happy here. Hmm, she sighed, holding my hand. People of the Children of Fire and the Hawkeyes... Very happy, Fiery Hair conflicted! What to do? Leave them here? Force them to come? I think you shouldnt force them, Fiery Hair, said Mursha. Theyre happy here, so leave them be. Its not like we wont return, right? Right! Mursha so smart! Fiery Hair smiled happily. Friend! She hugged Mursha, as the orc warrioress felt a bit startled, but hugged her back. Hahaha, of course! Were sisters in arms, the orc girl giggled. Sniff, sniff Hmm?! Fiery Hairs eyes widened as she sniffed some scent in Murshas body. Mursha! Huh? What? Mursha wondered. You and Bing Bing Did you mate?! Fiery Hair was shocked. Y-Yeah Mursha muttered. Um, how did you tell so easily?! Bing Bing smell all over Mursha! Fiery Hair seemed a bit angry. Mursha, bad friend! Why first before Fiery Hair?! Fiery Hair wanted to mate too! E-Eh?! Really? I-Im sorry, Fiery Hair! I didnt want to do it before you, but it just happened Mursha sighed. I just recently learned that theres a lot of other women that love Bing Xue, so... Um, Im very sorry! Mursha apologized to Fiery Hair, lowering her head. Fiery Hair groaned angrily. Hmph! Then she glanced at me, looking a bit sad. Does Bing Bing not want to mate with Fiery Hair? Is Fiery Hair not a desirable woman? She looked very heartbroken. Damn, I didnt expect this. Uh, I have to solve this. I dont want to see her sad! After all, I also like her. I just thought that I had to take things easy; after all, shes leading a tribe and everything. Maybe I should take some of Murshas advice this time. No, Fiery Hair, Im really sorry, I said, walking to her side. Can you sit down? Hm? Hmph BAAM! She sat down very angrily, making the ground tremble, cross-legged, and pouting. She was such a huge, muscular woman, even larger than Mursha, yet her heart was indeed that of a lady. I sat down! Now what? Hmph! This. I walked to her side, sat over her big thighs, and kissed her lips. Hm?! Her red eyes flared with flames as her entire body heat started ramping up. It was a swift kiss; I separated my lips quickly from hers. But her lips were softer than I imagined, and they were also rather nice to kiss. She was very warm as well. Fiery Hair is a beautiful woman, and I like you, I said. I am sorry for not embracing you earlier! Would you forgive me? Ooohh! Ooohhh! she started celebrating, raising her arms. Oooh! Yes! Yes! Bing Bing loves Fiery Hair?! Truly! I love Bing Bing so much! Kiss! Lets kiss more! I want to mate! W-Wait, Fiery Hair?! And then she grabbed me and started kissing me I simply couldnt escape her; she was huge! Her warm lips constantly tried to eat mine; her tongue danced inside my mouth; and ultimately, I also embraced her, kissing her passionately. I tried to forget about the world and everything around me and just show her all my love. Eventually, I was the one on top of her, our lips separating after almost a minute of constantly kissing. I let go of her tongue. Ahhh~ Hahhh~ Bing Bing Fiery Hair loves I love you too, dear; arent you cute? Are you happy now? Yes~! Fiery Hair ready to mate! Lets make many children, yes? A-Ah Well, not right now; can Fiery Hair wait for later? Fiery Hair can! But a promise is a promise! So dont break promise! Of course. We sat down next to one another, kissing a bit more, before we were finally ready to depart. So happy! Fiery Hair was so happy that she ran to her tribe and told them the news. OOOOHHHHH! Then all the cavemen started celebrating, dancing, screaming, singing, and laughing. They sure were a huge family, huh? Come to think of it, wheres Peperina? And Seth? I asked. I saw Peperina meeting a lot of rabbit-kin people, said Urbosa. And about Seth... no idea. He just disappeared, said Merkite. Hmm Oh, he went to Floor 3 already? I wondered. I checked the entire world through my senses, and he was indeed gone! I sent him a telepathic message across worlds, and it quickly reached him. Seth! Where are you? Sorry, I went to the higher floors. Why not wait for me, geez? I know you have your own things to deal with; Ill progress on the floors in the meantime. I hope you dont mind. I need to grow stronger. Hmm, fine, go ahead! There are some matters I need to attend to on Earth. Once Im done and ready to resume our journey, Ill call you again. Stay alive! Ok? Dont worry. I have to gather a couple things here and there, preparing for the future. Sure, sure, do as you please, my reckless disciple. Just remember, you got a master here, all worried! Yes, but the disciple must remind his master that he is not a child. Hah, fine, see you then. I guess hes on his own; Ill leave him be for now. Then I moved to see Peperina, only to find her running towards me. Bing Xue! Bing Xueee! Good morning! I-I found so many rabbit people! It was wonderful! She was hopping happily. Really? Im glad for you! I was going to go back to Earth for a couple of days; do you want to stay here? I wondered. O-Ohh! To Earth?! Please let me go as well! I want to see how it is! She was very excited. Hahaha, fine, then lets go. I nodded, petting her head. Like that, once everyone was together and ready, we moved back to Earth. Through my developed, evolved spatial abilities, it was possible to move at near instant speed. Passing through the stairs of these two worlds and then back to Earth, we appeared right in the middle of a city far away from America. This place... a city in the middle of a desert? Where is this? wondered Urbosa. Look, a huge golden pyramid! Merkite gasped. Oh my gosh! Ive heard about Earths pyramids before! I need to go take selfies by their side! said Peperina. Yes, we were here. A doppelganger greeted me, quickly merging with me; more vivid memories of what it went through rushed through my mind. Although I had seen things beforehand, doing thigs gave me a greater insight. Yep, were in another country, Egypt! I said. Welcome to El Cairo, everyone. Lets go explore, shall we? Im also kind of a tourist here, after all! Hekita and everyone else are waiting for us in a mall; theyre already eating lunch, so lets quickly catch up with them! Lots to do! ----- Chapter 140: Arriving At El Cairo ----- It was a bit surprising for them; Urbosa, Merkite, and Fiery Hair all expected we would end up landing back in our city, but we ended up appearing somewhere else completely. Indeed, a lot happened here regarding giant golden pyramids flying in the sky, another gray-colored gate, and ancient Egyptian princes piloting huge machines themed after their gods. So thats what happened here? wondered Urbosa, looking around her surroundings curiously. This city is quite beautiful, though! Theres a lot of similar architecture back in your city, Bing Xue. Though theres also a few other larger buildings as well "Also, its in the middle of a whole desert, which is even more surprising, said Merkite, wagging her tail as she wandered around the busy streets of El Cairo. People of all kinds walked everywhere; there were large markets we passed through, selling many magical items, monster materials, and other things. I dont know if everything was legally regulated here; there were a lot of suspicious sellers. Ooohh So many people Gathered here, in desert? Fiery Hair wondered. How live in desert? Isnt desert hot and dry? No food or water! All over the planet, people have thrived in almost every ecosystem, I explained. Even before the Tower appeared, humans explored every corner of the world and adapted to it. Mursha, what do you think? A-Ah! Well, Im quite shocked she said, still looking around. She and Fiery Hair were even taller than me, so they caught the attention of most passersby, who glanced at these two goddesses in awe. Mommy, look! That ladys big! She has green skin! A kid ran around the streets with their mother. Dont get too close to her, Muhamed. As they passed by, Mursha blushed a bit. I guess she wasnt used to being around so many, well, small people. Fiery Hair was as tall, if not slightly taller than her, but she was still a human, so maybe that worked at not bringing as much attention as my beautiful orc wife. I-Im a bit nervous. I feel like if I step badly, Ill end up crushing someone, she sighed. Fiery Hair, how can you be so calm? Ooh? Fiery Hair tilted her head as she was eating an ice cream I bought for her. Hmm! Fiery Hair just doesnt care! Hehe. E-Eh?! Mursha was shocked by such a simple response. I mean, shes not wrong; youre very strong, but I am sure you can handle this. See it as training, perhaps? I asked. Just stay by my side. Theres lots of people here, yes, but just take small steps. Okay! she nodded. As I held her hand, she was nervous and sweating a lot. My poor Mursha; she must be very nervous. Shes a gentle giant, worried about crushing the mortals here. How cute. Wooaah! Really? Youre going to show me the interior of a pyramid? Suddenly, I heard Peperinas voice from afar. I had just lost her for a moment, and then I glanced in the direction where her voice came from. She was surrounded by three suspicious-looking men looking down at her while smiling; there was also an old lady with them. Yes, of course, girl. Come with us; well bring you there. You dont see rabbit-eared people like you so easily around here! They usually have rabbit faces; youre pretty, huh? Hmm? P-Pretty? I mean Im half dwarf! giggled Peperina. Can I take a selfie with you guys first? No photos! Eep! Okay They were about to bring her away until I stepped forward. Peperina! Dont go with those people; theyre obviously suspicious. I stepped in, and the four people almost had a heart attack as they saw my presence, even more than my height. W-Whos that?! Is she your friend?! W-We didnt do anything! Run, run! Quickly! They quickly ran away. I was about to interrogate them, but I decided to leave that to the Doppelganger I sent after them. I suppose this place is definitely not free of crimes or suspicious organizations yet, unlike my city. Ill have to take matters into my own hands and make this city a bit safer, if possible. S-Sorry! I didnt know they were up to no good; they looked like such nice people! Peperina sighed. They werent being nice at all I sighed. Well, I guess even if you got kidnapped, you would have easily beat them to death. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Hehe, yep! She smiled cutely. Oooh, whats that?! The little rabbit quickly ran away from my sight, taking pictures with her phone of anything she saw, from shops, merchants, large buildings, and the ice cream and Arabic snacks we ate. At least she was having a good time, so its fine, right? So wheres Hekita? wondered Urbosa. Were almost there; sorry for taking so long, but everyone wanted to see more, me included, I sighed. You see, I never visited this country before. So Im kind of a tourist as well! "Oh, that makes sense now. Merkite nodded. Its a nice and beautiful place, though, so yeah Anyways, its up there. I pointed into the distance, and there was a large golden building. It was a mall with many shops inside, recently built, and fully equipped with many official and legal shops for Hunters. That giant tower of gold Thats where they were?! Urbosa wondered. Incredible, who built this? wondered Merkite. Probably some rich guy, I shrugged. But Ive heard it received the help of the Hunter Association; the building is right behind this one, so lets go meet with everyone first. Are we going into that big thing? Mursha gasped. Through her life, she had never seen gigantic buildings like these, I guess, so she was indeed very shocked and afraid. Yeah, its a building where you can buy a lot of things! Theres also a lot of food places, so we can buy delicious food. Want lunch? I asked. Sure, okay, she nodded. Ill follow you wherever you go. That must be the Tower of Nefertiti! Oh my gosh! Lets take some pictures of that too! Peperina, in the other case, ran to the tower and started taking a million pictures. We were forced to take some photos with her; she was really that type of girl. Big building, more food? Fiery Hair wondered. Yeah, well find more food there, babe. I patted her arms; I couldnt reach her shoulders quite easily. Are you still hungry? Yes! Fiery Hair very hungry! But prefer food made by mate Bing Bing, she smiled. Aww, really? Well, my foods pretty tasty, eh? I giggled. But for now, lets try other foods. Come on, itll be fun! Sure! she nodded happily. Fiery Hair happy! Heheh! She was enjoying herself, which was good. Well, I wasnt just with the girls, though; there were two little gods accompanying me. This places sure surprisingly huge! Estrella said, walking around in her child form, that her dazzling appearance brought the eyes of many as well. Would you look at this? There are many jewelry shops; they were made for me! Did they know I was coming? Nobody knew you were coming, sister Umbra sighed. He was on his small skeleton, wrapped around some Photon Illusion Veils to make him look like a human child with pale white skin and black hair. This place wasnt made for you either Hmph! W-What do you know anyway?" Estrella was trying to cope, but her brother wasnt wrong. Now, now, children, dont get lost; come with me. We walked across the interior of the huge Golden Tower of Nefertiti, its halls glistening with platinum colors. Every shop looked fancy, and there were also many bodyguards here and there. There were shops selling fancy jewelry, other shops that sold armor and dresses of all kinds, and some that sold weapons and even firearms enchanted to kill monsters. However, there were also many normal shops for normal people, and with that, there were also a lot of restaurants of all kinds. Some restaurants sold authentic Egyptian food; others sold more varied Arabic food; there were even a couple restaurants that specialized in authentic Indian curry, and so on. There was a wide variety of all kinds of foods; we even found Chinese, Korean, and Japanese restaurants, all with authentic chefs from such countries. Whoever arranged this place must indeed be one of the richest men or women of the city to go so far and make a whole tower covered in gold too. So many different foods Mursha was drooling. C-Cant we try out some of these foods from your people, Bing Xue? I never imagined you had such varied cuisine! Fiery Hair hungryyy! Fiery Hair started complaining. Just be patient; were almost there. The rest of the family must be there! We reached the tenth floor, where all these fancy restaurants were gathered together, and stepped into the fanciest restaurant where they had gone eating. There, the whole restaurant was reserved for the day, and there were four rows of tables with a dozen people eating together. Indeed, it was quite an incredible gathering of hunters from all over the world. We quickly recognized some familiar faces: my disciples Nicholas, John, Francisco, and Yanisse. Then, there was my mother and my sister with her boyfriend Juan. Aside from them, there were also the hunters from El Cairo, four distinguished S-ranked Ranked Hunters that had helped save the city when the invaders arrived. And, of course, Ahh! Mamaaa! Little Hekita! She was eating a big piece of roasted camel meat, covered with many spices, a curry-like sauce, and also roasted potatoes. However, the moment she saw us, she stopped eating and came running here, even with her mouth a bit covered with the juices of the meat. Hekita! Urbosa quickly ran towards her, greeting her with a big hug. The little girl literally jumped over her mother as she received many kisses from her mama. Mama! You came back quickly, like you said! Of course, dear, I cant leave my girl alone for too long! Hekita is definitely a mamas girl, so she cant be just with my family, or shell get upset very quickly. Oh, mommy! Hekita then quickly ran towards me and hugged me. I was very touched; she saw me as her second mother. "Hello, Hekita, did you behave while we were away? Yes! I did all my homework! Well done! I patted her head gently. By homework, she meant all the cultivation and meditation techniques I told her to do while we were away. Although it was only two days, it was still a lot for her to do, and she definitely got stronger. I could feel her Aura. Everyone is eating a lot of food, and theres some nice people from this place! she said. And I made a friend! Her name is Sara, and shes so nice! She has the power of healing, likes my hair, and says Im fluffy! Sara? wondered Urbosa. Oh, that must be Sara Asmaa, The Sacred Child," an S-Rank Hunter from this city, I explained. She specializes in healing, protecting, and buffing magic! Shes also a very good-natured girl, and Im glad you became her friend, Hekita. Thatll be a friendship that will last your whole life as long as you treat her well. Sure! she nodded. She let me dress in her clothes too! Do I look cute? She was wearing a cute Arabic dress made up of many colorful clothes wrapped around her body; they all had beautiful, golden decorations, and she was also wearing some gold accessories, earrings, necklaces with colorful emeralds and rubies, and rings. S-She let you wear this? It looks quite expensive! I said, surprised. I agree Urbosa nodded. "Yeah, she has a lot of stuff in her house; its like... like a whole palace! giggled Hekita. I never thought Sara was actually a rich girl; shes so good-natured and not spoiled at all. I was surprised. It means her parents are good people who taught her well, smiled Urbosa. Anyways, should we go join everyone else too, Hekita? Yeah! Come, come! And Oh! New people? Rabbit girl? And green lady? An orc! Hekita gasped. Woow! This is the first time I have seen an orc in person! Hi Fiery Hair! Hekita! Hello, Fiery Hair smiled, waving her hand. She was good and very gentle with children. As we made our way to greet everyone, suddenly, a cute young woman glanced at me and gasped. Youre finally here! Do you know how long Ive been waiting! She said angrily. I order you to come here and sit down by my side! This bossy young woman was Merneith, an Egyptian princess from parallel Earth. ----- Chapter 141: An International Meeting ----- Merneith, the Princess of the Empire of the Sun, the largest country that emerged from the Ancient Egyptians in a parallel world. Theyre quite literally still the same ancient Egyptians; they talk in their ancient language, use their ancient letters with almost no changes, and everything... Except they have super-advanced technology that rivals magic or even surpasses it most of the time. She arrived in El Cairo a couple of days ago from the Time Gate and has been helping the people, earning their respect and care. However, at the same time, many other "invaders, or perhaps stranded people, from her parallel world arrived. Inside giant, golden pyramids floating in the sky. They seemed to be neutral at first, only observing, hence why I didnt act yet. I was too busy dealing with my own problems and doing my own things after all. However, they crossed the line, led by a prince named Akhenaten, who hated Merneith and desired the Mechanical God she stole from her family back. He attacked El Cairo, using his own Mechanical God, a powerful machine capable of summoning and controlling Dark Matter, leading an army of almost a hundred Divine Machines, smaller yet still very powerful machines. His attack ended, causing tremendous chaos in the city; several buildings collapsed, whole streets were destroyed, and there were over fifty casualties too. Merneith was trying to stop him and his army but ended up being caged in Dark Matter. The Hunters from here were very strong; yes, they managed to hold back Akhenaten and his army for a while, but eventually they would have been overwhelmed as well. After I received a call for help from the chairman of the city, I immediately came to help using a Doppelganger, bringing with me my disciples and testing their strength. I also freed Merneith and helped her, earning her trust, while she also became slightly indebted to me. After that, she defeated Akhenaten and almost killed him. However, in my magnanimity, I decided to spare him because Merneith asked me to heal him. That young woman is quite generous; despite that man trying to kill her, she still forgave him. Apparently theres a lot of fights between the politics of their original world, especially in the imperial family, with a cold emperor coupled with children that let their mothers manipulate them. It quickly creates a very dangerous environment. Akhenatens mother apparently plotted the death of Merneiths mother and has manipulated him into becoming the despicable young man he was. Despite all of that, he was not an equal and had been confined in the prison of my Golden Pagoda for the moment. Later, he will assist us in using the technology of his people for our own benefit, and every other person that was part of his fleet has been imprisoned if they werent killed already. Who is this bratty woman? Mursha wondered, glaring at Merneith angrily because she tried to order me around. Daring to order my wife to sit at your side? Who do you think you are?! I tried to quickly calm down Mursha; I didnt want them to start fighting over nothing. Hah?! Who is this green-skinned brute?! Merneith cried angrily. You dare talk back to high royalty like me?! C-Calm down! I sighed. Dont fight, please. Were in a civil meeting... Merneith, I would gladly sit down at your side, but I have a family I would rather accompany instead. So please behave. Also, Mursha is my lover, so dont treat her badly. Mursha nodded, crossing her arms while blushing, proud of my words. Thats right! Bing Xue is my beloved, so dont get cocky! Everyone remained in silence. Indeed, it was a bit embarrassing, if not awkward. Anyways, lets get along. I said. Mother, sister, how have you been! I ran to my mother and my sister, hugging them and kissing their cheeks. Katherine, youre back and with quite the show with you this time, sighed my mother. Was the issue with Floor 2 solved? Yes, everything is done for. That God is dead, and weve created a new God, I nodded. Y-You talk about that so casually! said Ruby. But isnt that insane?! "Well, youve already seen your big sister do plenty of insane things! Calm down, Ruby, I giggled. Anyways! Hello everyone, how have you been? My dear disciples, and... the hunters of El Cairo. Bing Xue! It is an honor to meet you in person this time. A tall, brown-skinned man with short black hair and a muscular frame, wearing a white blouse and black pants, and with a big, claw mark-shaped scar in the middle of his face, greeted me with a warm smile. He was nobody else but the chairman of the association of hunters in the city of El Cairo, Mohamed Khaled. He is a rather popular man all across this hemisphere due to his amazing strength. Mohamed! Thank you for the warm welcome, I said. Im sorry if my disciples have caused any inconvenience for you. Of course not; theyre well-behaved people, said Mohamed with a nod. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. As he greeted me cordially, the rest of the hunters also did the same. My, youre even more dazzling in person, Bing Xue~ A slender, beautiful black woman, with short black hair and seducing, bright blue eyes, wearing a colorful dress and many pieces of jewelry, especially rings, magic rings, greeted me with a pleasing smile. This beauty was Heba Marwa, often known as Queen of the Dunes," another S-Rank Hunter. She possesses the incredible power of controlling Sand; as simple as it is, in the middle of a desert, she has become a god-like magician. In her last efforts to stop Akhenaten, she alone held him for several minutes, despite the tremendous difference in power between the two. An incredible woman, both strong in magic and will, shes the pillar of El Cairo, aside from Mohamed. Youre finally back on your real body, huh?! A bratty young man groaned, eating a large piece of meat. Well, just sit down and eat already; what are you standing there for? An angry-looking young man with long white hair, a slender yet muscular figure, wearing a black blouse and jeans, looking to be in his late teens, glanced at me with annoyance. His sharp red eyes emanated a slightly menacing bloodlust. This brat was Ahmed Mostafa, known as The Blood Beast Berserk, another S-Rank Hunter. Hes a very strong young man, though his manners are terrible! He truly needs some correction, perhaps a good education. Hey Ahmed! What are those manners?! Mohamed roared angrily. And Ive already told you, put down your foot from the table! Tch, so annoying. Ahmed groaned while looking elsewhere, ignoring Mohamed. Hahah, even in a place like Egypt, there are dynamics like these, I guess. Bing Xue! Welcome back! Im so glad youre here! Little Sara also greeted me; she was sitting right next to Hekita, having already become her friend. Sara! Hello dear, Im glad youve become a friend of Hekita. Thank you. Oh? Its nothing! Hekitas so cute, I just couldnt let go of her! Youre cute too, Sara! Heheh, nuh, youre the cutest and fluffiest! Sara giggled, patting Hekita and caressing her head and her tail. Hekita just let her touch her without minding. Hm, I believe I understand why Sara became her friend so quickly. She really likes her fluffy appearance. I hope she doesnt treat my Hekita as a pet, though. Ahem! Anyways, thank you for the warm welcome, everyone. I finally sat down on the seat they prepared for me, between my mother and my sister. Fiery Hair, Mursha, Peperina, Urbosa, and Merkite sat around us, although the giantesses, Mursha and Fiery Hair, were too large to sit down on normal seats, though they didnt mind sitting on the floor, cross-legged. Now then! Shall we begin our meeting? Theres a lot we need to talk about. I said. Indeed Heba nodded. As we already told you, weve detected four more pyramids flying above Egypt, most of them hovering over cities... And one of them left us a message after Akhenatens defeat. She quickly reproduced the message using her phone. [To all inferiors that live in this deserted wasteland, I, the Empress of the Empire of the Sun, Neferteri Akasia, come to inform you of your prompt purge, unless you help me retrieve my son, who has fallen into the claws of your brethren. I shall only wait 48 hours before I and my fleets begin to vaporize every city we see. Give me back my son, Anubis, and Ra. Or else, prepare yourself for a prompt release from your mortal husks.] That was pretty much a war declaration. . . . Ooohh! Haaah! Ahaaah! Gaaah! Ooohh! The primitive dances and singing of many cavemen reverberated within dark, hidden caves beneath the ground. In the darkness dimly illuminated by small torches, these people, with eyes with many pupils, slender bodies, and sharp insect-like claws, danced around a large, purple-colored fire. A mountain of golden crystals rested in this purple flame, which continued growing larger and larger as they continued to dance. These cavemen, with spider-like traits, looked to be in some sort of trance; as they danced and sang, it was as if their very souls were emerging from their bodies. Dance, my people, dance for our Ancestor! She must come! She will save us! And in between the dancing, a tall woman with pale white skin, wrapped in purple clothes, smiled, her slender and beautiful body decorated with countless black tattoos resembling spiderwebs and spiders. She raised a staff made of wood, imbued with the crystalized heart of a beast, of amber-gold color, extracted from the very primal dinosaurs that they hunted down. As the dance and the singing intensified, essence within the pile of thousands of crystals began to exude, with Primal Power beginning to emerge, resembling a cloud of gold color. FLUOSH! And then, the purple flames painted the gold cloud of its color, the purple cloud spreading everywhere, rapidly growing eight legs, eight crimson eyes, and an abdomen, ending in a very recognizable shape. Slowly, it was becoming a gigantic spider. My children You have called me! And therefore, I shall answer... A tremendous presence started to emerge, shaking the very fabric of reality as it began to manifest fully before the call of its children. Coming from a parallel world, the entity was able to bring itself here thanks to this ritual, and thousands of crystalized hearts of primal-scaled gods were offered. Their Primal Power was so strong and condensed that even an entity such as this was able to breach through space and time, thanks to the connection already established! The Great Web Mother! the Shaman woman screamed. Please answer our call! Help us... return home! To return home! Despite everything, these people didnt want to remain in this world. They wanted to go back to their primal jungles, their ancient gardens, and their dark caves in their abandoned mountains. They didnt belong here and didnt want to remain for another second either. Yet the gigantic spider, made of clouds, smiled. Return? Why should I? The spiders cloudy body spread out everywhere, beginning to be absorbed by the bodies of the hundreds of cavemen. Uuaaggh! Uugh! Aaaggh! Their screams and groans of pain echoed everywhere; the Shaman suddenly panicked. She glanced back at their Ancestor, their Deity. W-What?! Why are you doing this, Great Web Mother! As she asked for an answer, the gigantic spiders presence only grew stronger. She might be their ancestor somehow, and she might intend to protect them. But how she does it, its all up to her and her selfishness. You will thrive here... And make this my nest, my children. Her presence continued to grow stronger and larger, spreading like dark and purple ooze and rot that grew in every single part of the caves and quickly reaching the surface. N-No! Wait, Web Mother! T-This is! The Shaman panicked, trying to fight against their Ancestors Divine Influence. She ran away, trying to climb through the caves, but the dark fog continued chasing her. Oooggghh! Gaaaagghh! Shaaahhh! And the people that belonged to her were also chasing her, groaning and climbing through walls, their bodies having changed monstrously. Web Mother! Why! Why are you doing this?! T-This is not the way! Why, you ask, my child? Perhaps you simply didnt know me better. RUMBLE! The ground above trembled, and as the very landscape began to change, spires made of black stone started emerging, and lakes and rivers made of poisonous purple ooze spread further. This world Its so full of many energies, of so much fresh Life Force Of Souls! The spiders continued growing larger, and larger, and larger! I need it I must feed! I must feast! A Primal Deity has come to claim this world as her own. ----- Chapter 142: New Disciples ----- Heba reproduced a message that had been sent online to the entire local population of the country of Egypt. [To all inferiors that live in this deserted wasteland, I, the Empress of the Empire of the Sun, Neferteri Akasia, come to inform you of your prompt purge, unless you help me retrieve my son, who has fallen into the claws of your brethren. I shall only wait 48 hours before I and my fleets begin to vaporize every city we see. Give me back my son, Anubis, and Ra. Or else, prepare yourself for a prompt release from your mortal husks.] Neferteri Akasia was her name; Akhenatens mother, and apparently the Empress of the Empire of the Sun, ended up getting stranded all the way here. She was perhaps Merneiths stepmother, who married her father, the current Emperor. Apparently, she and Akhenaten ended up stranded here, each with their own giant pyramid to move through the skies. However, theres three more pyramids shes controlling, which might or might not have other family members with their own Mechanical Gods. Everyone glanced at Merneith once they heard the message. That is indeed my stepmother, she sighed, drinking some wine. I never imagined she would also end up in this world too... But if Akhenaten came with her, then it makes sense that she might have ended here. That means that when I escaped, she and Akhenaten, along with three more pyramids, were sent to find me and take Ra back, probably while also making sure to execute me. Merneiths expression quickly transformed from her prideful smile to the face of a woman who had been abandoned by her family and persecuted as a criminal. Her eyes lost their light, and even her jackal ears, pointy and cute, lowered. Im sorry, this is all my fault; I brought them here; its my responsibility, not yours, she sighed, gripping her fists tightly. Ill go back with the Empress and bring Akhenaten and Anubis with us. If thats all she wants, then Im sure shell leave, and... nobody will be hurt. Everyone fell silent. I was going to say something, but Mohamed ended up speaking first. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea, said Mohamed, nodding. We could indeed just give you back to your stepmother and finally solve all our problems. I guess... thats the right thing to do. Mohamed! Heba gasped. How could you say that?! I am not giving up, Merneith! This little brat has helped us a lot! Tch, but shes not wrong! She brought all those problems here, said Ahmed, groaning angrily as he finished eating his food. Why do we have to sacrifice ourselves, put ourselves at risk, and more, just to save someone nobody invited? I-I could never do such a thing; Merneith is a friend! To sell a friend is a terrible thing! I would never give her up! said Sara. Didnt Imam Ali say, The weakest person is one who cannot make anyone his friend and brother"? We mustnt abandon Merneith! She is a friend! God would never forgive us if we did Shes trying to be a martyr, but thats wrong. A friend is someone we must protect in the name of God. Dont come to lecture me about your religion, Sara, Ahmed said. I dont care what the Quran or whatever says. Also, isnt your religion all about treating women less than a person? A-Ahmed! Dont be so disrespectful! sighed Sara. The Quran says men and women are equal; the patriarchy thing is, uh, something from Arabic countries; its not quite literally part of the religion, but of traditions made by men. I-Its different! Anyways There must be something else we can do, right, Heba? Yes, said Heba. There must be a way, perhaps if we could attack her, maybe if we defeat her and then force her to bring the other pyramids or Ah, no, this is hopeless either way. Its on a whole other scale. Giant floating spaceship that can blast whole cities in seconds. Even if we tried taking one down, the other three would quickly learn what we did and would swiftly blast the cities E-Eh? But Sara muttered. There must be some way Theres no other way than doing this, said Merneith. I Ahem! I quickly decided to make a bit of noise here; it seemed they were all in their own little world, and actually, the very task of stopping all pyramids at once shouldnt be a big issue. Ah, Bing Xue? wondered Mohamed. Do you have an idea? Of course I have! I nodded. Hebas not wrong; if we attack one pyramid, the other three will quickly learn and likely destroy the cities as a punishment for our insolence. Therefore, we must quickly kick all pyramids away into the deserts, where they cant harm anyone. Then we can freely engage in a fight against them all. How about it? Huh? Ahmed didnt know what I was talking about. What do you mean with kick? Mohamed asked me with a worried expression. Hahah I mean, shes strong, but no way, right? Heba asked. You have yet to see how powerful she truly is. Mursha spoke, her eyes menacingly glaring at Heba. Those floating chunks of metal There should be no concern for her. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. She has slain over a dozen gods by now, said Urbosa. I doubt those pyramids would be much of a problem R-Really? Gods? wondered Sara. I-I You mean the false deities from the tower? Those beings that seek to sponsor people and turn them into avatars? Yes, those, I nodded. They are from different worlds, so I doubt they are related to any of our religions There might be some resemblances here and there, maybe with the ancient Greek, Norse, and Egyptian myths, but I dont really think theyre related to anything. Theyre completely alien. Phew Sara sighed in relief. Did she think I fought her religions god or something? Well, shes a child, so I guess she could end up thinking such things. But no, these gods are tangible and not based solely on belief, so theyre different. In a way, even the Egyptian gods arent really them, but machines shaped after their image. Yes, what they say is true. I nodded. However, simply kicking them away wouldnt be enough... Theyre wrapped around a powerful protective forcefield. Also, theyre very tough on their own, so... I would need everyones help with this one. I plan to divide our force into four groups. Each one shall be sent to a certain city. Where is the pyramid where Neferteri is located? The port city of Alejandria is perhaps one of the prettiest cities in our country, said Heba. It is also a touristic center and is enormous, with a lot of people. Practically, shes holding them all hostage. Alright I nodded. Ill go there with Merneith and Akhenaten; the rest shall be divided into four groups... Fear not; I am not the only one capable of slaying gods anymore. Urbosa, Merkite, Mursha, Peperina, and perhaps Fiery Hair here all have the potential. They will ensure your victory. Wait, what? Were really doing this? asked Ahmed. B-But what if you fuck it up and everyone dies?! I promise you that such a thing will not happen. I said. I stood up as I glanced at everyone here. Egypt is part of humanity; therefore, I will give it my all to protect its cities and its people. I said. Youve seen what I can do, and youve seen what my disciples can do. Now, I am only asking you a single question, hunters of Egypt. I glanced at their eyes; they were all different people from all paths of life. Some were thugs that lived harsh childhoods, some were normal people until the awakening happened, and a few were born into rich families. Yet they all desired one thing: to protect their people. Im asking you to trust me, I said. That is all... Would you trust me? I glanced into their eyes, awaiting their response. The first one to respond was Sara. Of course, Auntie Bing Xue! she nodded. Ill help as much as I can! Good girl. Then Heba. Very well, no matter how hard I try to be skeptical, youre someone who has defied logic time and time again, she smiled. I want to trust you, dear. So let me assist you as much as I can. After all, I was the one that called you here. Thank you, Heba, I nodded. Heba smiled beautifully, winking at me. Ah, shes a beautiful woman. Ahmed followed with his response. Hmph, tch, whatever! Ahmed groaned. But if we all end up dead at the end, Ill curse you in hell! Did you hear me?! There will be no need for that, I smiled. And then, the last member of the core group of hunters of El Cairo, the strongest of all Egypt, and the chairman of this citys hunter association, smiled, glancing at me after being in a meditative state for a while. Alright, Mohamed said. I will put my trust in you, Bing Xue. Not because of the feats youve done, but because of the respect and manners youve shown to my people. Not many foreigners treat us like this. Ive dealt with American and European hunters before, and let me tell you, theyre very disrespectful towards other cultures. Im impressed with how well youve educated yours. Oh I felt a bit surprised by such words. No, thanks to you, Mohamed. My disciples here were indeed a rowdy bunch before, but through meditation and cultivation, they have grown to be more unified as a family while also gaining some more inner peace. I see Mohamed nodded. Very well then, Bing Xue. Tell us. Whats your plan? I smiled, quickly glancing through the window. Just as I said before, itll be quite simple, Mohamed, I said. First of all, I wanted to ask another question. Would you become my disciples? Huh? What? HAH?! Disciples? Mohamed, Heba, Ahmed, and Sara were notably surprised, but it was time to ask them this question. If I wanted them to get stronger as well, they first needed to become my disciples and learn the arts of Ki Cultivation and Physique Refining. As you can see, the strength of my disciples has increased so much thanks to cultivation, a secret art I teach to my disciples, I explained. If you join my Heavenly Court and become members of this family, swearing your loyalty to me, then I can let you have this power, which will help you grow strong enough to protect everyone you love. Such a power Mohamed muttered. But I I just cant, sorry. To swear loyalty to someone weve just met, it would not sit right with us at the moment. Its a loyalty that only means you will never betray me or go against me, I said. But it wouldnt restrict you in any way. You can come and go as well, and theres no responsibilities binding you, but the gratefulness youll feel towards me once you become even stronger than ever before. Hm Is that really true? wondered Mohamed. Something with so many benefits and no downsides I Ill need to ask other people first; as chairman, I am bound to many responsibilities anyway. Its fine, I nodded. I suppose you can take your time to decide... Hm? Ill become your disciple, Bing Xue. Gladly. Suddenly, Heba raised her hand and quickly accepted my offer without hesitation. Heba?! Mohamed gasped. Wait, you cant just... I cant what, Mohamed? the black-skinned beauty wondered. What you said was only for yourself, all of us are free to make our own decisions. And Ive decided to trust Bing Xue. Ive also learned how weak I am, despite how strong I thought I was. I need power; I need her help. And I can trust her; I can tell shes a really amazing person. If anything, Ive been looking for someone to guide me. My life has been a mess since I was a kid, after all. So, Ive learned to not waste opportunities and always take them when they appear. I dont hesitate like you. Hmm Mohamed sighed, crossing his arms and looking elsewhere. Thank you, Heba; your words are inspiring to hear. I smiled, nodding. Sara? Ahmed? Do you want to join, or do you want to wait? Like hell, I would join your shady cult Ahmed groaned angrily. I know you helped us save El Cairo and saved Merneith and all and Im grateful for that! However, I need to see more of your sincerity before I make my decision. Thats fine, I said. Sara? Um Sara glanced at my stepdaughter, Hekita. Is Hekita your disciple too, auntie? she asked. Shes my adoptive daughter, but yes! She is also my disciple. I nodded. She has learned a lot and became much stronger! I have! You should join, Sara! Mama will give you amazing powers! my cute, fluffy daughter said. Hm Sara nodded. Okay! I shall! That was really quick; I guess she wants to go wherever her friend goes. ----- Chapter 143: Hekita’s New Friend ----- At the end, while the boys didnt trust me enough, the girls did. I suppose there has always been more trust between women than between men and women. Whatever the case, Im sure Ill change their minds as this continues. Theyre promising hunters, and I need as many strong, trustworthy, and honest people in my Heavenly Court. Ahmed might seem rash and have a severe lack of manners, but his heart is at least in the right place, and hes ultimately a good person. His manners are just, well, not good. But that can be easily fixed with some good education. And Mohamed, I understand him; he has many responsibilities. To suddenly become the disciple of someone else would probably make other people, especially some higher-ups, look down on him or ask him questions. Anyways, there was still someone else I had yet to ask, little princess Merneith, who had been rather silent this entire time as I explained everything. Bing Xue, she muttered. W-Will you really do it? Even knowing full well that I could just go on my own and solve this? Its not like weve ever met for long; it has only been a day! Why go so far? Because I am not so coldhearted as to let you sacrifice yourself for others I said. And well! Its not like Im weak; Im super strong. So I dont really mind dealing with them myself. I kind of wanted to do that anyway. So dont worry; if anything, think of it as my own selfish desire rather than out of... goodwill. Although its certainly out of goodwill, I did talk a lot with Merneith after everything ended, and I got to learn about her past and everything. And to be honest, after learning her sob story, I just cant let her go. Its not like they can return to their timeline yet anyway; those portals only bring things from there, but it wont let them return normally. O-Oh! Is that so? muttered Merneith. W-Well! If you insist so much, it cant be helped! Ill have to assist you as well. When do we begin, though? Not yet, I said. Ill first move onto awakening Ki on everyone here that hasnt yet, including you, Merneith. Then well move to the pyramid with your brother. I want to check that Mechanical God in more detail. Awakening Ki? wondered Mohamed. Even to me? Yeah! I nodded. It is so you can taste its power You get a free trial of it. Of course, my disciples get it permanently, for free too! I walked towards them with a single, strong slap in their back. FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! All four of the hunters awakened auras of Ki of varying colors. Ahmed gasped and coughed, though; maybe I should have been gentler. Woah, whats this! said Sara. Its all glowy and sparkly! My body feels somehow full of energy! Has my magic perhaps improved perhaps? Hmm, I dont feel it improving, but my body has improved. This is incredible Heba gasped, looking at her own hands in silence. This golden Aura It is as if I can feel every single grain of sand around me now? My senses have been heightened, and so has my Mana Capacity, somehow? This is Mohamed gasped, noticing how powerful he had become. My abilities were all about physical strength, so this is Have I become twice as strong out of nowhere? Cough, ugh! Did you have to slap me so hard?! asked Ahmed angrily. I- Ugh! Whats this red aura? Ki, huh? They seemed to be enjoying their new toy. Now. Merneith, do you also want a taste of Ki? Uh I-I have not thought about it, but can I even use this power? Yes, at this point, you must have also been assimilated by the system or something, right? Ah! Yeah, there was that thing that appeared But my Level it said I was like Level 12, she said. So people from your world are still just normal humans, huh? I wondered. You rely completely on the power of the Mechanical Gods. Yeah, even our powers can only activate while piloting them, she said. Though Ive heard about Enhanced Soldiers, who merge with nanomachines that strengthen their bodies; however, the Golden Bloodline arent like that; theyre specialized on allowing us to pilot the Mechanical Gods without facing any backlash and with even the power to enhance or awaken their powers. I see! I nodded. Ra is very powerful, and without a doubt, I am sure you could handle most foes... However, with that alone, it wont be possible for you to win against the foes that this world might throw at you in the future, Merneith. So, let me give you the power of Ki. But I need to join you as a disciple first, right? she asked. I Um, I dont know if I should do that. Am I even worthy? I am really weak physically That can be fixed with Ki Cultivation; dont worry, I said. Here. I gently patted her head, spreading Ki into her body, which then awakened it instantly. Despite everything, shes still a human. Although her Golden Bloodline seemed to react to Ki in strange ways. FLUOSH! This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Woah! Merneith gasped, glancing at her own hands and then her body, particles of gold mixed with her newly awakened Ki, and also some Mana she now possessed thanks to the Systems Integration. What is this?! Its so weird! It seemed her Golden Bloodline might improve and grow stronger through her Cultivation and perhaps also Leveling. This means that the Mechanical gods she pilots could also progressively become stronger than they were originally made. It seems your innate bloodline responded well to this, I said. Not only you, but Ra could also become stronger as you Level Up and Cultivate. You could even learn new Skills and Martial Arts to use your Mechanical God with. Oooh! Wow! This is amazing Merneith gasped. T-Thank you so much, Bing Xue I never imagined this world could offer so many wonders and, well, so many beauties! she said, holding my hand. Huh? I felt slightly surprised that she flirted with me like that. Bing Xue! Youre as strong as youre beautiful! she said, her eyes sparkling. Once this is all over, please become my beloved mistress! I will treat you well! Merneith A-Are you proposing to me?! I gasped. And I thought you were saying that a day wasnt enough for you? T-Thats a completely different thing! she said. A-Ah, well, I mean Um, dammit, where did I leave it? She started looking around her clothes and pockets but was unable to find it. Uwah! I lost it! The ring She was even going to give me a ring Hmm For now, Merneith, lets leave such things for later, I said. We must first concentrate on the important things, alright? Ah, fine she sighed. I should probably aim to conquer your heart, right? Ill work hard towards that goal then! Mother always said that once that special person appeared in my life, I must do anything to conquer their hearts! Arent you cute? I giggled, patting her head and caressing her fluffy ears. Fine, do as you want. For now, however, why wont we go meet your brother? Then lets go to the pyramid. Thats where Anubis was placed, right? Ah yes! she nodded. Lets go then! Merneith quickly stood up, summoning the two hands of Ra out of the spinning golden portals that emerged around her; one of them held her and the other grabbed me. Lets go! Then we flew out of the building by breaking through the window, shocking everyone who was still eating! M-Merneith?! At least let the rest finish their meals! They also have to come with us! A-Ah, really?! I thought this was a way to conquer your heart! Well, its working terribly, young lady! Eep! P-Please forgive me! She quickly went back and apologized. With a flicker of my hand, I fixed the window, and once everyone finished eating, we finally moved towards our next destination. I used my Immortal Aura to hold everyone and easily fly across the skies, reaching the pyramid resting in the desert. There was a strong force field barrier wrapped around it, but it had been completely shattered, and several of its parts were also broken or destroyed. The propulsors it used to hover in midair, which surrounded its lower side, were mostly ruined; there were also big cracks over the golden pyramid, and more damage accumulated over it. The door was shut down and sealed, but once Merneith touched it with her hand, she was granted full access immediately. Lets go! My brother and the rest of his surviving crew must be waiting for us inside. They have already surrendered anyway. The large gate leading inside the pyramid opened, revealing a long, golden hallway. Neon blue circuits illuminated the hallway, covering the ceiling, the floor, and the walls. Akhenaten! Where is he? Merneith quickly entered the large hall inside, which resembled an Egyptian Temple, with a small pond in the middle, plants decorating the sides, and a huge throne where Akhenaten would be sitting, usually. Ah, Lady Merneith is here?! C-Call the prince! Yes! The Egyptian people here were all wearing gold and black-colored full-body suits, and they seemed to always carry golden headphones and tiny floating robots with them. To the north of this hall, there was an entrance to a huge area full of computers, whose very aesthetics were all shaped and based on ancient Egyptian art and color schemes. Floating Eyes of Ra-shaped computers showed information made of blue and red ancient Egyptian letters. There were huge monuments just sitting there, resembling Anubis in his pure jackal form, with screens attached to them and buttons. There were cables here and there, but it was overall a very clean place. How incredible! So this is the technology of a parallel Earth! Heba said, looking around. Its sure amazing Yanisse nodded. Theres not a single thing that doesnt catch my attention. Indeed! said Peperina. I have to take as many photos as I can! She kept taking selfies and photos of everything Merneith, so youre back Akhenaten arrived after a couple of minutes of making us wait. Of course, brother, we have a lot to talk about, said Merneith. But first! Show me the way towards Anubis; we want to see how it is. Anubis? sighed Akhenaten. It is regenerating slowly, but it seems much more damaged than I thought. I doubt itll be repaired any time soon; this pyramid has the technology to reconstruct and repair most machinery, but the Mechanical Gods were constructed with the Ancient Machine Crafting Arts, its not easy to rebuild them. Well see about that! Merneith said angrily. Now, quickly! Bring us there! A-Ah, yes Akhenaten acted humbly and obediently, thankfully, and with the oath I had placed on him, it was impossible for him to betray us before dying instantly. So he had to behave and be a good boy. There it is. He pointed at the large hall where we just arrived, which was where they stored the rest of the machines. Every Divine Machine that was caught and destroyed was then recovered and placed here, where they were being repaired to be used as Merneiths forces after she took over her brothers crew and made them her own. Anubis was sitting over a large golden table, its pieces slowly fusing together, with tiny metallic tentacles and small swarms of black-colored nanobots around it. But it seemed rather ruined; the head was split in half, both arms were torn to pieces, and the rest of the body was cut down into many slices. Indeed We might not be able to count on Anubis help for whats coming, she sighed. Akhenaten, your mother appeared, by the way! And she threatened to destroy four cities if you didnt go back to her with Ra and Anubis. S-So mother got here too?! gasped Akhenaten. But her demands so exaggerated, as always She simply doesnt know when to hold back Hmph! Yes, just like her son, I would say! Merneith glared at him angrily. Uh sorry sighed Akhenaten. Look, I dont know if Ill be able to help you As the siblings talked, I noticed Hekita exploring the place and then suddenly glancing at Anubis. Wow, a big robot like in the TV shows! She ran towards it and suddenly touched a part of it. FLUOSH! Let me repair you! And suddenly, sparkles of her spiritual energy started seeping into Anubis metal, dramatically improving its regeneration. RUMBLE! The entire ground trembled as Anubis enormous pieces began merging with each other at a staggering speed. Hekita?! And Urbosa and I were shocked to see our girl imbue her spiritual powers into the machine, happily helping it repair itself through her Spirit Creation Ability. Until Anubis was Completely repaired and reborn anew! AWOOOO! Akhenaten smiled in fascination. Anubis?! Youre back! He tried to call for the giant Mechanical God, but Anubis didnt even glance at him. Instead, the giant humanoid jackal mech glanced at Hekita. And he kneeled in front of her, opening its chest to reveal the interior of the machine. Mas ter. Oh? Im your master? No need; lets be friends instead! Fri ends. Anubis was even speaking now! What the hell just happened?! Even I am speechless! ----- Chapter 144: Anubis 2.0 ----- AWOOOOO! Suddenly, and in front of everyone, Hekita did something completely out of our minds. After she touched the slowly regenerating Anubis, she activated her Spirit Creation Ability and that somehow helped her not only repair Anubis but change it somehow. It felt strange, as if Anubis had been injected with new magical and spiritual powers. Hekitas ability supposedly helped her create Spirits, but these Spirits arent permanent; they disappear after a while. However, as she cultivated her Ki and combined it with her Mana, this ability evolved, and the Spirits she made are much larger now and can take on many more forms. But that wasnt all, as they lasted longer and could even "materialize, no longer becoming ethereal but physical. W-What happened?! Urbosa gasped. Hekita! Did you do this? Yeah! Hekita nodded. I used my ability to heal him! He looked in pain! Hes so cool! Fri ends, Anubis was trying to speak more; although his metallic voice was rough, it was learning how to replicate words very quickly. Coo ool I-I cant believe it; the girl can repair those weird golems too? Amazing! said Merkite, clapping and congratulating her niece. Ooh, it can talk? Mursha asked. Merneith, what do you think? I asked the princess. Is Anubis good or something? A-Ah T-This is Merneith and her brother were both left speechless as they glanced at Anubis kneeling before Hekita, a girl that wasnt even from their world, or any Earth for that matter. This cute little wolf girl ended up not only repairing their mechanical god like nothing but also making him talk, and overall, he felt stronger than before too! I dont know what happened, honestly, said Merneith. Anubis! It looks like its revived fully but Akhenaten screamed. He doesnt Hes not looking at me at all Anubis? Hey! Anubis! Anubis, however, didnt even listen to his previous pilot words, only glancing at Hekita, who was caressing his cold and metallic jackal-like head. Friends cool? Friends me? "Yeah, youre my friend! Lets be friends forever! Friends forever understood. I shall... become friends forever. Anubis seemed to not only gain the ability to speak, but it also became much smarter. It was as if Hekita had given him... Wait, thats it! I think I know what happened, I said. Hekita didnt just repair it... She completely transformed Anubis into... I think it might be a living being now. A what?! Merneith gasped. T-Thats But isnt it a Mechanical God? Technically you could say it''s alive, but- Akhenaten was trying to rationalize this. No, Hekita granted him a Spiritual Soul, I explained. Anubis is a being of his own now. WHAT?! The two siblings gasped, unable to believe what I just said. However, it made total sense now that I thought about it. Yeah, I nodded. Hekita has the power of Spirit Creation, she can create Spirits of all sorts of shapes and forms. She had been rapidly strengthening this Ability through her Cultivation and Leveling. I never thought she could go this far, but I think she replicated nanobots using this ability and merged them into Anubis, repairing them instantly. However, usually her Spirits disappear But maybe because she imbued them with Anubis, a physical, real being, they remained there, perhaps completely fusing with the Mech. As a result, because Spirits are technically Souls, this process not only gave Anubis a new look and form, but it also gave it a soul. T-Thats Is that even possible? Powers that can just create Nanobots like that? wondered Akhenaten. But even our own technology cant just spawn them out of nowhere! I just did it then! giggled Hekita. I just wished for Anubis to get well, so I made the spirits into whatever made him, and it worked! Anubis also doesnt like you! He says youre a meanie who uses him to kill people! And he doesnt like killing people! E-Eh?! Hes saying that?! asked Akhenaten. Theres no way Mechanical Gods are made to kill A-Anubis is the God of Death and! He says he doesnt like it! Hekita angrily said. And he doesnt like you! Youre a bully, and I wont let you get closer to him! Hmph! Hekita ran in front of Anubis, who was only glaring at Akhenaten with a worried expression on his neon red eyes; he seemed afraid of him. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Wow, what a terrible owner! How could he make his puppy hate him so much? A-Anubis! How can this be? Are you replacing me for someone without even a Golden Bloodline? wondered Akhenaten. Someone who isnt even from the royal family? I was planning for you to at least be piloted by Merneith, but this is Akhenaten bully not like! Not friend Anubis muttered; he didnt want to even look at him. See?! Dont talk to him! Hekita said angrily, showing her little, sharp teeth. If you try to touch my friend, Ill get serious! Grrr! Aww, isnt she the cutest? So small and adorable, yet so brave. Anubis doesnt need any protection; hes a giant hunk of metal. But he must have a delicate and innocent heart, as he was technically just born. So hes like a child thats still learning; Hekita knows this, so she protects him. Ahh Its fine, Akhenaten sighed. I have already lost the privilege of piloting him. I dont know if youll be able to pilot him though; you dont possess the Golden Bloodline after all. I mean, she could maybe, but she would then take backlash as she uses Anubis powers. Hmm, maybe that wont be the case anymore; Anubis has been attuned to Hekita as he has now merged with the Spirits she created, I explained. I really doubt shell suffer any backlash Hekita, why dont you ride Anubis? He wants that as well. This could be an excellent way to finally let Hekita join battleswhat she really wanted for a whilewhile also being protected inside a powerful mech. Anubis is also one of the toughest, right? That Dark Matter veil that nullifies almost any damage or attack is really good. So she would certainly be well protected inside this machine. Ride him? I dont know Hekita said. You dont mind, Anubis? I dont, Anubis said. Woah Merneith was just watching in silence. T-This is really quite something; I just dont know what to say. Its amazing, I think. Go for it, Hekita! said Sara, cheering for her friend. O-Okay! But I dont know how to pilot you Hekita sighed. It doesnt matter You will learn easily, said Anubis. Really? Ok! Hekita climbed over Anubis and entered its chest area. She finds herself sitting in a comfortable seat, surrounded by screens, buttons, and controls. S-So many things Im confused, Anubis! Dont worry. Use your power to pilot me no need to use those things. Oh really?! Suddenly, the door closed. We were a bit worried, Urbosa too, but she let her do whatever she wanted for now. Seeing how she was the one that repaired Anubis, Hekita deserved that much at least. CLANK! As the door closed, the giant mech suddenly gained a black aura of Dark Matter, covering its body with a lugubrious shadow veil. This was followed by a yellow, green, and white-colored, sparkly aura. Through Anubis, with my eyes, I was able to see Hekita. She looked a bit nervous, but once she closed her eyes and concentrated, suddenly, threads made of spirit energy emerged from her hands. They connected to Anubis entire control board, and suddenly, everything started moving on its own without her having to press anything. One step at a time, Anubis moved around the interior of the pyramid, amazing both the Egyptians of this Parallel World and the people of this world. Who would have known Hekita had such potential? Its incredible! I-I think I can move a bit! She said her voice became louder as it was reproduced by the machine itself. Anubis, can you fly? Yes. Anubis suddenly began floating in midair, generating some sort of gravity bubble around its body that was mostly invisible to people. Ooh! T-This is crazy! Move the arms! Hekita commanded using her mind instead of pressing buttons or something, and Anubis then moved his arms, fingers, and everything else as she wanted. So cool! Make a spear like mama! FLUOSH! Dark Matter merged with her Spiritual Aura, materializing into a black crystal spear overflowing with power. So cool! But its better not to use it in here Understood. Anubis then made the spear disappear Apparently, his power to make new shapes and forms using Dark Matter was strengthened thanks to Hekitas Spirit Creation Ability. However, was she suffering any backlash? That was the real question here. Hekita, do you feel weird or in pain? Hmm! Nope! Im fine! She seemed to have responded quite quickly, making Urbosa sigh in relief. Really?! Youre not suffering any kind of backlash?! asked Akhenaten. "Really, Hekita? asked Merneith. Not even some exhaustion or something? Nope! Hekita seemed happy. Its a bit warm here, but thats fine- Oh! It cooled down? Air conditioner mode is activated. Anubis said. Is it better now, master? Yeah! Hekita nodded. But dont call me master; were friends! Ill call you Anubis, and you will call me Hekita! Alright? Understood, Anubis nodded. Heki ta I didnt take into consideration that you had lots of fur but now it should be cooler inside. "Yes, its nice and refreshing. Hehe, sorry for being so hairy Hekita giggled. I guess you were made to be piloted by people without hair? Indeed, humans are different than your kind Hekita, Anubis was learning to speak faster and better by the second; it was amazing. I will try to adapt to your necessities. Forgive me. Its fine! There is no need to ask for forgiveness or something! said Hekita. Hey, we have to beat some really bad people; would you help? I dislike taking lives. It feels painful, he sighed. But I can help if Hekita wants me to. Dont worry, we wont kill anybody; I dont like that either! Hekita said. Well, what do you think, Urbosa? I asked my wife. Hmm Urbosa was still a bit nervous about everything, but she seemed slightly relieved. Hekita was happy and got herself a new friend too, one that could protect her very well. I mean Its amazing, yeah, she nodded. I guess I have to let her join us If she has the power of that golem, she could really be of help, and she could also be well protected. I agree, I nodded. I want everyone to grow stronger; there are many threats everywhere constantly coming here, and I wont be able to be here all the time either. Therefore, stronger people are needed. Hekita could become even stronger with Anubis, Im sure. Okay I want to trust those words, she nodded as she approached her face to mine, giving me a little kiss. Thank you for loving her like your daughter; it really means a lot to me. She held my hands and then kissed me again. Ah, but of course, theres nothing to thank me for. I smiled, kissing her back. Ill let her go with you; is that okay? she wondered. I would prefer if she joined your party, even more if she has Anubis anyway. Sure! I nodded. That is fine with me. "Okay, then she nodded, kissing me a third time. I love you. I love you too, I giggled, hugging her. It was a nice moment; she trusted me, and that meant a lot to me. Ill prove to her that Hekita can be relied on now, and Ill also protect our baby daughter. Although I could probably handle everything on my own, that wouldnt let anybody grow, develop, or become strong. I am a Sect Master because I must raise disciples, guardians of this world. Im climbing the tower after all, and in the future, I might have to go even beyond the stars to seek out who made this tower and from where they came from. Because of this, I must prepare for the future and make sure that Earth and the other Worlds I visit are well protected. Everyone must grow stronger as well. Therefore, these opportunities cannot be wasted! "Alright, everyone, its time! I said with a smile. Well begin in a couple hours, so lets prepare until then. ----- Chapter 145: Attack ----- Neferteri Akasia, the Empress of the Empire of the Sun, glanced at the far-away ruins of her ancient Empire. In this world, the Ancient Egyptians never discovered the steam engine or were able to industrialize thousands of years before Christ. They were never able to reach the technological advancements that have allowed the Empire of the Sun to reach so far. The incredible technology they developed over thousands of years of development and their now-expanding Space Age, where they had already begun terraforming fitting planets, and leaving bases, spreading their Nation and aiming to transform it into an intergalactic Empire. It was all looking good. Having already been five hundred years since the Space Age finally began with the colonization of Mars, the Empire of the Sun was rapidly expanding, creating new colonies and extracting more resources from the nearby planets of the Solar System. Neferteri was the Empress of all of that; she was one of the many concubines of the Emperor, but after she played her cards well, poisoning his beloved and quickly making him rely on her for comfort, she slowly and stealthily reached the throne for herself. Everything was going wonderful, in fact! That woman was finally dead. Ra, the mighty Mechanical God, was hers to pilot, and she had even managed to give her son Anubis, making him the crown prince of the Empire, a recognized pilot and fighter who had already conquered one planet whose civilization was quickly made to submit against the Egyptians least they wanted to perish. With the Solar System fully colonized and so were the other ten solar systems of their own, they expanded further, battling any alien that tried to resist them. Their powerful Mechanical Gods easily capable of defeating any technology they brought with them. Although in other fictional tales, humans would have to go against aliens with tremendously advanced technology, this was the opposite. Humans had ended up becoming the actual apex of the universe; their machinery, ever evolving using new materials, metals, and energy sources from different planets, became unstopable. Their technology had even managed to tap into what composed the universe itself, its primordial elements, and the manipulation of such elements through particle acceleration and other technologies that ultimately derived from that. The Mechanical Gods were born back then, in the Golden Age of Technological Improvement. Powerful machines imbued with ancient technology, now almost indecipherable, capable of controlling the elements, became indestructible beings that could only be defeated by another. The power to control Dark Matter. The ability to generate and manipulate Plasma from the Stars. The capacity of twisting the Fabric of Space itself. And there were many more powers unique to each Mechanical God, with them, they were unable to lose, becoming conquerors that could do it all. And now she possessed one of such Gods, Ra himself, and even Anubis! Yet At the end, things became worse. Her own mercy for letting that girl live ended up screwing everything over. Merneith grabbed Ra and escaped, and with that, Neferteri was left utterly speechless. The Emperor scolded her for having lost Ra, and she quickly mobilized all her forces to find Ra and kill that girl, faking it as some accident once she got back with the Mechanical God. There wasnt going to be any more mercy for her; she was going to ruthlessly and mercilessly kill that young woman, whom she thought she should have killed when she was a child instead, so she could get her robot back and continue her path to supremacy. However, things didnt go as she hoped, even when she mobilized five whole Pyramids to find Merneith, one piloted by her son and the other three piloted by close allies she could trust. No, things didnt end there. Gray portals opened out of nowhere, and before she could do anything to either investigate them or report them, she and her entire fleet were sucked by them and sent elsewhere. To this mockery of a parallel world. It has already been proven that this world has all the same appearance, tectonic plates, continents, moon, sun, and solar system as our own she sighed, looking into the skies through her flying pyramid. Is this some sort of mockery? To be sent to another world where our great empire fell? Now what remains arent even true Egyptians but this mixed bag of lesser ones. How shameful If it were up to me, I would destroy this entire place. But I am a merciful Empress. Yes, empress, you are as merciful as you are beautiful. Nobody is as merciful as our empress Indeed, it would be much better to conquer this place and bring these monkeys to true civilization. The beautiful Empress, with cascading black hair, dark brown skin, sharp golden eyes, and make-up all over her face that made her look like some sort of Egyptian painting, nodded. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Wearing a long white and gold dress, with her body fully decorated with golden accessories and jewelry, and with a crown in the shape of a snake with red jewels as eyes, she had the clear look of what anybody would think of a female pharaoh. Surrounding her, there were several servants, beautiful women who served her every need and would always sing praises for her, always helping her feel better. Thats right! This world... It might be a mockery of our world, but it is trimming resources! she laughed. Well take over this parallel world once more forces finally arrive, and then well have yet another solar system to conquer and all the same planets again. Our resources and earnings will double! The possibility of parallel worlds opens up the greater possibility of endless growth as well! We would no longer even need to go so far away to gather everything we need; then we could invest in even better technology, spreading our empire at a much faster pace than before. The universeno, all of the universes could be ours! As the Empress imagined this hypothetical future where she would get everything she wanted and ultimately conquer not one but countless universes, she sighed again. Recalling how her son ended up losing against Merneith brought her great shame, even more when she saw through the video he sent to her in his last moments how she was being assisted by strange aliens from this world. Not just humans, but other aliens with weird shapes and forms, using strange powers that were only akin to the Espers, people born with powerful Psychic and Supernatural Abilities or Enhanced Soldiers, people artificially enhanced with Strengthening Nanobots. It could be said that those that carried the Golden Bloodline were like these two combined; they could live for very long, and their supernatural and psychic powers were related to the nanobots they had and developed from birth, which allowed them to pilot the Mechanical Gods. My son has failed me, and they took not only his pyramid but his crew and Anubis! Unforgivable she groaned. Hah, well! If they truly love their world, theyll happily handle me as I asked, right? Unless they want me to wipe out these cities, then I could even move to attack other places as well. It would help clean this entire planet of this filth, so we can begin colonization and material extraction without problems too. Indeed, my empress. That is such a wonderful idea! Youre a genius mastermind. Isnt that right! Neferteri smiled pridefully. Ooohohohoho! As she laughed loudly and proudly, she glanced at the city below, Alejandria, one of the most beautiful cities in Egypt, a port city with great history. In her world, this city didnt exist; Ancient Egypt expanded rapidly, and any city that would have been born after the Ancient Egyptians slow disappearance never happened. What a beautiful city, although it lacks gold and a bit of glitter, and big statues of our godswhat a shame, she sighed. It makes me furious that these pagans are praying to these strange, foreign gods... But, oh well! At the very least, I could Hm?! FLASH! Suddenly, out of nowhere, a bright flash of golden and silver light emerged in front of the pyramid. Neferteris eyes widened for a moment, then she squinted as she glanced at the person who suddenly appeared out of nowhere in front of her pyramid. What? Whos that? Hey! Enhance the view! The screen where she was watching everything quickly was enhanced as the view of a beautiful woman with a tall, slender body, long silvery-white hair, and rainbow eyes appeared. She was wearing similar garments to the people of Asia. Neferteri recalled how those people dressed; long ago in history, they had put up a very big fight against the expanding Egyptian Empire. However, right now, they were nothing but yet another assimilated ethnicity; their ancient traditions mostly remained, but they had no countries of their own anymore. Hmph, a filthy Asian, I see, she smiled. What is she doing there? Acting like a bug- Empress! Weve detected t-the same person in the other three pyramids! What? Neferteri glanced at the other screens. In what the other three pyramids were filming, the same person, but made of golden and rainbow light, had appeared. She was looking directly at the pyramid, and then she began moving, all synchronized and, at the same time, pointing her foot against the gigantic, floating hunk of metal. Whats this? Is she trying to kick my pyramids? What is this delusional bitch- RUMBLE! Aahh! Neferteri cried in surprise as she suddenly glanced in front of her. The woman that was in front of her was now pushing her pyramid back! W-What?! Wait a second, what is she trying to do?! Before Neferteri had the idea to stop her or to try blasting the cities at the very least, it was too late. Bing Xue kicked the pyramid with only a fragment of her true physical prowess. However, it was more than enough to shake the gigantic pyramid and send it flying into the skies at a tremendous speed. CRAAASH! CRAAASH! CRAAASH! CRAAASH! The tremendous kick happened four times in total; all four pyramids were kicked away from the cities they were hovering above, sending them flying hundreds of kilometers away! Uuaaaaggghhh! Neferteri screamed in horror, and so did every person inside the pyramid as the gigantic floating structure spun in midair. Anything inside of it was quickly lifted upside down, even the internal gravity of the giant spaceship was somehow ruined. How did she even?! Neferteri screamed in anger, gritting her teeth as she grabbed tightly onto a large statue of the Egyptian God of the Desert, Set. BOOOMMM!!! But before she could try to rationalize what had happened, the four pyramids collapsed on the deserts, surrounded by nothing but sand everywhere. T-This is Hahhh Aahh! Neferteri panicked and screamed as she saw several of her assistants splattered over the floor, torn to shreds from all the commotion or the objects that flew everywhere. No What How is this possible?! The survivors quickly ran to see the Empress as Neferteri stood up, glancing furiously at the woman that had appeared in front of her, which was somehow right in front of her pyramid again. W-What happened to the other pyramids?! She asked furiously, and her people immediately went to investigate. They were all... kicked in the same fashion, Empress! We cant believe this either; how is this even possible?! She had such power? But how She only looks like a normal human! Not even Espers or Enhanced Soldiers can go this far! Neferteri started biting her nails in frustration, nervousness, and anger, quickly rushing towards her Mechanical God, she knew there was no time. All her plans were shattered into pieces in an instant, and without the cities close by to take as hostages, the only thing she could do now was confront this woman! Set! Come to me! RUMBLE! As she walked into a larger hall, a gigantic Mechanical God stepped in, at least three to four times larger than Anubis or Ra, a giant hulking titan made of golden, black, and red metal. OOOOHHHH!! The massive titan quickly opened its chest as the woman reached there through the floating platforms she summoned and entered. Lets go kill that bitch! ----- Chapter 146: Clash Of Mechanical Gods! Ra Versus Set! Listen While Reading: Destruction of Obelisk ----- Set, the god of deserts, storms, disorder, violence, and foreigners. A God often seen as an antagonist in Egyptian Mythology, a rival of Horus, and the Lord of the Red Land, the endless deserts of the world. In some myths, Set had a positive role, helping Ra repel Apep, the Serpent of Chaos. But most notably, he was well known for his Myth where he slaughtered his own brother, Osiris, cutting him into shreds and then throwing him into the Nile, where Isis, Osiris sister-wife, would reassemble his body parts and temporarily revive him with the help of the Nephthys. Then, after Osiris brief revival, he and Isis had a son, Horus, who would be destined to free Egypt from their new tyrant, Set, who had taken over his brothers throne. Therefore, the power that Sets Mechanical God carried was tremendous. Using ancient technology, not only did the Egyptians of this Parallel Earth create these tremendously strong robots. But they also imbued them with Stories and Myths within their very Cores, forged using the fragments of a strange meteor they once found, a crystal imbued with cosmic powers capable of absorbing stories and myths and turning them into power. Therefore, Neferteri knew very well that her Mechanical God, Set, was perhaps among the strongest there was! Having defeated Osiris and even being feared by the other Gods and even making Ra wary of him, was there any stronger Deity she could rely on? With a furious expression in her face, she flew out of the Golden Pyramid, reaching the skies outside at the same time as several more Divine Machines started flying out of her pyramid-shaped spaceship. The Set was much larger than the other Mechanical Gods, being at least three to four times larger than Anubis or Ra; its entire mechanical form was densely packed with several plates of armor; and its internal circuits were greatly reinforced to not be easily destroyed. Its entire body was mostly composed of red and black colors, with a humanoid form and big, long, sharp claws. Sets head was the strange one, resembling a bizarre combination between a dog and a donkey. His appearance was directly based on what Set looked like back in Ancient Egyptian Myth paintings; even to this date, researchers have been unable to find out what exactly Set was based on. A blazing aura surged from his entire mechanical body as steam gathered around it, and then countless particles of red-colored sand began to spin around the gigantic mechanical god. Bing Xue floated in midair, watching the titanic being approach her. She smiled lightly. Impressive, so this is the Machine that the Queen pilots? she wondered, laughing a bit. It is indeed much stronger than the other ones! But at the end of the day, its not even your own strength. You Just who do you think you are?! Neferteri roared angrily. You come here out of nowhere, kick my fleet into the desert, and then you begin to insult me and the Mechanical God?! Preposterous! Blasphemous! Whatever hell you crawled from, demon, Ill bring you right back! Set! {Crimson Sandstorm}! FLUOSH! The red sand around Set expanded even further, creating a giant sandstorm that engulfed Bing Xue immediately. Each grain of sand was incredibly tough; Bing Xue quickly felt they were trying to shred her into pieces. Each grain of sand is at least as hard as a diamond... No, even harder? she squinted her eyes. That is impressive. I can see why this huge monster would make an entire Empire undefeated; entire armies would be shredded to pieces. I did good in coming to stop her personally. Hahaha! Does it hurt?! I bet youre already being shredded into nothing! laughed Neferteri. Dont worry, Ill ease your pain! Her voice echoed around the endless sandstorm; most normal people would be afraid, as they would only be able to see the crimson sand and hear her sadistic voice as she laughed at their misfortune. Yet FLASH! In that very moment, as Sets fist emerged amidst the sandstorm and rushed towards Bing Xue, the woman swung her hand downwards, then upwards at the same time. {Soul Blade} SLAAASH! A single slash carrying the power of her Soul and her Ki erupted, slicing through the titanic mechanical hand like a hot knife through butter. W-Wha?! The scream of Neferteri echoed across the sandstorm as Sets second fist rushed from below, yet Bing Xue looked down at it with indifference. {Primordial Spiritual Body Arts}: {Photon Injection} Her legs were wrapped in Divine Photon Essence, resembling needles. With them, she kicked the fist, injecting it with her deadly Divine Photon Energy. And then BOOOM! The entire mechanical fist exploded into pieces, with thunder, light, and a gold-like substance emerging from every crack before it broke down into pieces. Ahh! Neferteris voice only became more desperate; the crimson sand became stronger and more furious, rampaging around Bing Xue. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. With the power to shred through most matter in a matter of seconds, even though she felt slightly annoyed, its power, as it compressed, was tremendous. I dont know what you are! But you will die by my hand today! {Crimson Sands Tomb}! RUMBLE! In that very moment, the crimson sand compressed to a molecular level, covering every inch of Bing Xues body and sealing her within an endlessly compressing sphere of crimson sand. Oh my, well, this is interesting It unified so much due to the pressure that it transformed into red glass, a beautiful jewel that continued becoming smaller and smaller and smaller. Hahaha! You fool! You shouldnt have stayed within the sandstorm range! Set is invincible! Neferteri remembered all those times Set was piloted by her husband, admiring its tremendous, overwhelming power. Entire alien fleets in outer space were shredded into pieces, and massive alien machines were destroyed in a matter of seconds. Even nuclear-powered weapons of mass destruction were annihilated. Since then, she has admired and desired such power. When she went to chase after Merneith who had stolen her Mechanical God, she managed to convince the Emperor to lend her Set so she could find Ra very quickly. And now, she could finally have it; she could finally feel it! Sets unmatched power! CRYAAAAH! Huh?! However, the Empress was startled as the cry of a hawk or a falcon echoed from behind her. A massive humanoid bird-like Mechanical god descended from the skies, with winds and thunder encompassing its body. Is that Ra?! Stepmother! Let Bing Xue go! Neferteri immediately recognized that damned voice, her face growing furious as she gathered the crimson sands around Sets body, the mechanical arms that Bing Xue destroyed regrowing anew, now completely made of red diamonds. Merneith! This This is all your damn fault! With a furious roar, the Empress of the Empire of the Sun rushed where the voice emerged, facing Ra with all of Sets strength! Ras blazing bird claws reached Sets enormous body, which used its red diamond fists to intercept the birds blazing talons. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Explosions of fire and red sands echoed around the skies as the heavens above were split apart, the clouds dissipated, and everything below started crystalizing into glass due to Ras tremendous heat. You! You killed my mother! Merneiths voice echoed from Ra, as she was crying inside her Mechanical God. After having learned from Akhenaten that his mother had poisoned Merneiths mother, the princess had changed. And she desired nothing more than revenge! Hah! So my failure of a son told you, huh?! Neferteri smiled, quickly using Merneiths unstable emotions to her advantage. As she was tanking Ras deadly blows with Sets immense physical defenses, she quickly laughed. Yes! I killed her! So what?! She was a bitch that just got in the way! I HATE YOU! CRYAAAAHH! Merneith screamed, her emotions and her mind fusing with Ra as the giant mechanical god overflowed with flames, spreading out its wings with tremendous firepower. DIEEEE! Merneith materialized two giant spears made of plasma, attacking Set through Ras sheer firepower; each blow would easily blow off a piece of Set. If it wasnt because of Neferteris trickery. {Crimson Sand Mirage}! The crimson sandstorm shifted and transformed as several mirages resembling Set appeared at once, rushing towards Merneith at the same time as Set. W-Whats this?! Mirages? Merneith panicked slightly but quickly decided she simply had to destroy all the mirages, pushing her powers to their limits as Ra unleashed a devastating barrage of attacks at once. Ill kill every one of you if thats necessary to get to that murderer! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Each piercing blow from her Plasma Spears generated loud explosions that shook everything. The Mirages were tough, however. Made of the hardened crimson sand, they were as hard as red diamonds. Merneith had to strike them three times before they shattered into pieces, considerably slowing her down. And Neferteri knew this, using this opportunity to sneak behind Merneith using the sandstorm to her advantage, and then attacking as she gathered the crimson sand around her, which seemed endless. You have no chance, girl. {Crimson Sand Armory} Aah! Merneiths eyes widened as her Golden Bloodline Ability activated, and a swirling tornado of winds, rain, snow, and thunder gathered around her as she used her Horus Domain of the Sky to defend. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! However, at the end, several of the spears ended up reaching Ra, piercing through its joints, slowing down or outright paralyzing his limbs. C-CRAAAHH! Ra seemed to be annoyed and struggling. Merneith rapidly gathered her Golden Bloodline powers to a small point and fired an attack. {Horus Domain of the Sky: Thunderbolt}! With all her powers, Merneith unleashed dozens of thunderbolts against Neferteri; she had her own powers now and didnt have to just leave everything to Ra anymore. The thunderbolts reached Set within seconds, impacting it several times in a row and pushing the Mechanical God back, yet it seemed unscathed by such attacks. Ra! Using that time, Merneith quickly gathered her energies and tried to heal Ra, using her Golden Bloodlines second innate ability, the power to heal Mechanical Gods. This was something that not many Golden Bloodline users would awaken so easily as she did, and their potency over this ability was also usually weak. However, after Bing Xue awakened her powers, Merneiths Golden Bloodline had grown tremendously strong too! Bing Xue, where is she?! As Ra took out the red diamond weapons, stopping his movements, Set appeared from above, carrying a giant red hammer. Neferteri smiled from inside the Mechanical God, swinging the hammer down with all of Sets power. Now that youre here, Ill finish the job I started and kill that whores daughter too! Ahh! BAAAM! With tremendous force, Ra was struck down by Sets massive hammer, and the Mechanical God fell from the skies like a dying phoenix, leaving behind a huge trail of flames. R-Ra! Merneith panicked as she saw several warning signs inside Ras control panel: the Mechanical God had taken critical damage. Hahaha! Youre way too weak and unexperienced using Ra! Even I was better, you stupid child! Neferteri appeared above Ra again, rushing down with Sets tremendous speed despite its enormous bulk. She quickly summoned more red diamond weapons made from her crimson sandstorm. Ah, Ive always wanted to do this! With a smile filled with malice, she fired dozens of giant projectile weapons against Ra, piercing through its body constantly. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! No No, no! Ra! Merneith started panicking; she was trying to constantly heal him, but because of this, she was slowing down her ability to control the Mechanical God, and her Horus Domain of the Sky ability had to be deactivated. If only I could go into Awakening Mode again! However, no matter how hard she tried, Awakening Mode was simply not emerging, it was only in that very moment that Merneiths resolve blazed like the flames of Ra when the Mechanical God accepted her powers and transformed. But right now, as much as she supplicated Ra to Awaken, it wasnt happening. W-What do I need to do for you to awaken, Ra?! She started crying, feeling frustrated. Please tell me! As she despaired, Neferteri pushed down her entire sandstorm against Merneith, surrounding her within a bubble made of red sand. This is it, Merneith! she laughed. Ill avenge my foolish son and kill you this very instant! Death to your filthy bloodline! As this was about to happen, suddenly... Mother! Ah! Akhenaten?! The voice of her son echoed from behind her as she saw a huge black-colored Mechanical God appear. And it was Anubis?! So its you, my son! Have you finally broken free? Come join your mother then- {Black Star} Huh?! However, the voice of a girl echoed from within Anubis, and as Neferteri realized she had been tricked, the voice of Akhenaten actually came from Anubis himself, reproducing what it had recorded of Akhenatens voice. But before she could react, a huge sphere of pure black matter imbued with spiritual energies reached her, engulfing her in a potent explosion that disintegrated all her projectiles! BOOOM! ----- Chapter 147: Anubis Joins The Fray Listen While Reading: Hiroyuki Sawano - KABANERI SEAGATEo ----- Neferteri was completely shaken as she heard her sons voice coming from behind her. Having assumed he had been either captured and tortured to extract information from him or already dead, she was already trying to avenge him by killing Merneith. Ah! Akhenaten?! However, his voice quickly made her hesitate, as she was unable to attack Merneith in that very moment she flinched by hearing him, twisting Sets entire body to look where the voice came from. She was filled with even more hope when she saw Anubis coming from amidst the sandstorm, covered in a thick veil of Dark Matter. Anubis?! So its you, my son! Have you finally broken free? Come join your mother then, and- {Black Star} Huh?! However, the voice of a completely different person, a young girl, echoed from within Anubis. As Neferteri realized she had been tricked, the voice of Akhenaten actually came from Anubis himself, reproducing what it had recorded of Akhenatens voice. An incredible little trick, which was completely unexpected from the one that had the idea, was a young wolf-beast girl from the world of Elios. And the adoptive daughter of Bing Xue. Before Neferteri could react, a huge sphere of pure black matter imbued with spiritual energies reached her, engulfing her in a potent explosion that disintegrated all her projectiles! BOOOM! Uuuggh! W-What was that?! Akhenaten, is that really you?! Neferteri groaned in annoyance as she used Set to protect herself, yet the damage from the explosion was strong enough that it even destroyed some of Sets incredibly tough armor plates. Yes mother! Im sorry, I was aiming at Merneith! What?! What sort of aim do you have, boy?! Well have a talk- {Death Cannon}! Yet once more, Neferteri was deceived, as a huge cannon of concentrated Dark Matter and Electromagnetic Energies was fired from Anubis mechanical jaws as they opened. Agh! Neferteri quickly attempted to escape, shocked by what was happening, but it was too late. The dark beam hit her from the back, throwing her down into the sands below, accompanied by a tremendous explosion. BOOOM! Set was heating up rapidly as its armor was falling apart, making Neferteri gasp for air, feeling the interior of the Mechanical God to be too hot! But more importantly, what had just happenedshe couldnt believe it. She was not deceived just once, but twice! I cant believe I was so foolish... Youre definitely not my son! Neferteri was furious, rushing back to Anubis as she heard Akhenatens voice again. Mother, no I am your son! ENOUGH! With a wrathful roar, the Empress channeled her Golden Bloodline into Set, activating her ability as she realized that whoever was piloting Anubis was someone else entirely, an enemy. [Renenutets Divine Harvest]! FLUOSH! Suddenly, the Aura of Set temporarily transformed, resembling a snake-headed goddess covered in black and red scalesthe Goddess of Harvest, Renenutet! Surrounding Set, an aura of plentifulness was created, resembling an endless field, a farm, where plants kept popping out. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Then, as they appeared, they were quickly harvested by Set, disappearing into particles of light that were devoured by the Mechanical God. And within a mere split second, his wounds were immediately healed, and he gained an even burlier form. Ah, that must be the Golden Bloodline thingy! The voice of the girl inside echoed as Anubis rapidly evaded the incoming attacks from Set, powerful punches that released shockwaves of crimson energies, followed by red sand projectiles. {Spiritual Dark Matter Spear}! As she evaded the attacks with Anubis, the girl rapidly combined her spiritual energies with Anubis Dark Matter, conjuring an enormous and mighty black spear, which she used to intercept Sets attacks and projectiles. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Whoever you are, you certainly do not fight like my son... You happen to be much better, ironically. Neferteri smiled as she kept attacking Anubis while the black spear intercepted her blows and projectiles, already showing clear signs of shattering. This is it! With a mighty roar, Neferteri swung down her arms against Anubis, just in time for Anubis to create a giant black shield out of Dark Matter and Spiritual Energies. {Black Matter Spirit Shield}! CLAAASH! The enormous blow pushed Anubis down, but his shield didnt shatter and instead quickly transformed, piercing through Sets hands and arms with hundreds of sharp needles. GRAAARRRGH! Set screamed in agony, yet Neferteri kept pushing the Mechanical God, gathering the sands into hundreds of spheres the size of watermelons. Full of little tricks, huh? {Crimson Sand Orbiting Stars}! She summoned dozens of giant spheres of the red sand, hardened until they became diamond-like glass, and used them to orbit around Set, protecting her from the damage that Anubis constantly dealt. The black spear continued attacking her, but it rapidly shattered into pieces, only for another two more to take their place. Set continued pushing forward, only to find even more tricks below Anubis sleeve. Thats not all I have! The little voice inside roared as her Spiritual Energies fluctuated and transformed, quickly materializing dozens more black spears, and then these black spears combined, creating massive beast-like claws. What?! Neferteri immediately knew this wasnt a power Anubis could use or something; this was the power of whoever was piloting him, fusing with his own! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Her orbiting glass spheres worked well at repelling the initial barrage of attacks, but Neferteri started being pushed back once more, gritting her teeth in anger. Yet, things werent going to get any better for her, as someone quickly appeared from behind her, accompanied by the furious and ferocious cry of a mighty god. CRYAAAH! A blazing bird emerged amidst the crimson sandstorm. Like a rising phoenix, the titanic mechanical god swung its giant claws, clashing against Set and tearing through its defensive orbiting crimson glass spheres. CRASH! You?! Neferteri was shaken to find Merneith was back in action already, even after the amount of damage she had inflicted on Ra, yet her question was only answered with a powerful blow as a fiery plasma spear pierced through her defenses, slashing right through Sets arms and tearing them apart. SLAAASH! Did you think I would give up already?! Stepmother I will not rest until my mother is avenged! With a ferocious and fiery aura emerging from her body and then transferring to Ra, Merneith tapped into her Golden Bloodlines deepest powers, generating large quantities of sunlight and fueling Ra with it. FLASH! Ugh! W-What is that?! Neferteri struggled as she was trying to evade Ra and Anubis attacks, just when Ra suddenly glowed brightly, its entire body being reborn anew. Golden and red plates covered the mechanical gods entire body as he gained a second pair of fiery wings made of plasma and fire; its spear grew in size, gaining halos made of fire. And at the same time, the appearance of Ra became more lifelike, covered in a veil of flames eternally burning. No! Impossible! Neferteri couldnt believe it, but her eyes were not deceiving her; what she was seeing was nothing else than Ras Awakening form, a myth among myths that became a reality once Merneith piloted him. Ive figured it out, Ra! Merneith roared. Forgive me; I let my emotions get the best of me; I was afraid; I despaired; I couldnt accept my mothers death at this womans hands. Merneith sighed, then her eyes saw through Neferteri through Ras mechanical eyes, fierily blazing with divine flames. But now I understand! Ill never falter again; well work together, and Ill lead you to victory, Ra! Neferteri grew more and more nervous and furious at the same time, roaring back at Merneith as her sandstorm gathered around Sets body, suddenly beginning to crystalize. Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP! Ah! Merneith, your stepmother is...!" Hekitas voice echoed from within Anubis as it flew away. Suddenly, tremendous pressure started coming from Set as it absorbed the entire crimson sandstorm. FLUOSH! Its transforming too! Merneith said. So that woman had such an ace below her sleeve RUMBLE! Set attained his Ultimate Form as it became a giant three times its original size, already reaching over fifty meters of height, a true behemoth. Now, completely covered in several layers of red diamond-like glass made from the pressurized crimson sand it controls, Set has reached its strongest form. With six enormous arms and hundreds of weapons floating around it. It seemed invincible. Yet for Anubis and Ra, and Merneith and Hekita, it was a challenge they had to overcome. Oh my, things are getting more interesting And Bing Xue watched in silence, sitting over the crystalized sand where Neferteri had thought she had trapped her. Ill watch for now... But if Hekita is in danger, Ill step in. She had promised her mother she would keep the girl safe. However, she also wanted to see her grow. And this was Hekitas opportunity; she couldnt simply detriment her growth. Show me how strong you girls are As this happened, her Doppelgangers fought over a hundred Divine Machines, tearing them to shreds and slicing them into pieces. Ill take care of the small fry for you, so fight Fight to your hearts content! ----- Chapter 148: The Jealous Brother ----- Aswan, the ancient city of Swenett, later known as Syene, was, in antiquity, the frontier town of Ancient Egypt facing the south. According to many historians and archeologists, the city of Swenett is supposed to have derived its name from an Egyptian goddess with the same name. The people of this city had just seen something unbelievable, from a giant golden pyramid hovering over their city and about to blast it all, to the massive monument being kicked away by a single woman, saving everyone from their demise. BAAAM! And as the massive pyramid collapsed into the deserts and gained countless cracks, the woman, one of Bing Xues Divine Doppelgangers, watched at the scene in silence, opening a golden portal to her Inner Realm, where some of her friends and family emerged. As this happened inside the pyramid, the panicked crew started rapidly trying to fix the pyramids destroyed parts and all the chaos that was happening. A muscular man glanced at the scene in utter disbelief and anger. What is this?! How were they able to just... literally kick the damn pyramid?! With a furious scream, the man slammed the controller room with his enormous fists, shattering some of the desktop areas and even some of the screens. His tall, muscular body exuded a slightly golden aura; his bald head and sharp golden eyes glared around nervously, showing most of his bare body except his legs, as he wore loose white pants and golden sandals. His body was covered in several golden tattoos, and his eyes were painted to resemble the Eye of Horus, showing his high status within the Parallel Earths Futuristic Egyptian Society. Lord Neheb! Several internal systems have been turned off due to all the internal damage! E-Even with all the repair nanomachines in the ship, itll take days to fix completely! Weve detected several enemies approaching! T-theyre Huh? Gods? They cant be gods, even if they have the features of beasts! Neheb roared angrily, glaring at the screen in front of him. Dammit! Why did my brother even send me here to begin with? I didnt even want to chase that unruly brat! As the Brother of the Pharaoh groaned angrily, he quickly glared at the assistants by his side, who were running around everywhere. What are you even doing?! Prepare the Divine Machines! Is Aker ready?! Im going out! Without me, you wouldnt even be able to do a single thing! Y-Yes Lord Neheb! The burly man ran across the pyramid, reaching the area where all the machines were stored; dozens of them were flying out of the pyramid to defend it, piloted by specially trained fighters. Neheb climbed his own Machine, reaching the chest, which opened by his mental command, and sitting inside. He was huge, so the place was slightly cramped for him. But it did not matter; activating his Golden Bloodline, the man piloted the giant Mechanical God of twenty meters in height, which flew out of the pyramid at lightning speed. FLASH! Appearing right in front of Bing Xues Divine Doppelganger and the party she had brought here, Neheb confronted them, leading a large fleet of almost a hundred Divine Machines behind him. With this army alone, he had conquered entire planets before! And yet, were these handful of aliens now going to make him struggle? Preposterous! So this is the Mechanical God that they have in this pyramid? Bing Xue glanced at the enormous figure. It wasnt as huge as Set, though, but it was certainly immense and very blocky. With enormous block-like arms and legs and even a block-like body, it resembled a golem made of gold, black, and orange colors. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. It had two heads, those of lions at the left and right shoulders, while the middle only had a red-colored jewel eye, which seemed to reflect the sunlight. The machine, despite its golem-like, blocky body, also had a beast-like appearance. Its hands were long, lion-like claws, and its tails ended on sharp blade-like tips that could pierce through foes'' armor. Ive heard about you, bastards, the voice of Neheb echoed from within the machine. You were the ones that defeated and captured that brats Akhenatens entire fleet? Nice of you to come here so I can kill you all! Well, its time, said Bing Xue, as a crimson grimoire in her hands opened, and countless creatures emerged from within them. They came in all sorts of shapes and sizes, some resembling red-skinned imps; others were like huge snakes with claws; some were like humanoid insects; others resembled deceivingly beautiful men and women, but they all wore masks instead of having proper faces. They were demons. Master! It is nice to see you keep us well fed." one of the demons said. I have yet to receive my reward for the last battle I won for you But for now, I shall work for yet another reward! I hope they dont keep accumulating for too long~ Her beautiful body, her long black hair, and her blue-skinned face, which was actually a mask as demons had no real faces of their own, and her insect-exoksleeton-like bioligcal armor covering her body, revealed her authority immediately. Belze, yes, dont worry. Bing Xue nodded. Whatever you want, Ill give it to you once this is done. Thank you for helping me so far. It has only been two days; are the Demons doing well already? Yes, only a few hours are needed to fully recover if you keep us well fed with your energies and souls! nodded Belze. Now, now, were fighting machines? How interesting! Are we allowed to rip them apart? Yes, but try to not go overboard, said Bing Xue. The people inside are actually weak and unable to fight, so if possible, dont kill them all Or I would feel a bit bad. Hah, master is as merciful as always! giggled Belze. Very well then~! Who is joining me today, hm? These disciples, Bing Xue showed Belze her new companions. By her side were Fiery Hair and Peperina, ready to fight. At the same time, Francisco and Jackes were also summoned, and they were assigned to stop the Divine Machines instead. Im sure Firey Hair and Peperina will be enough for that big guy, Bing Xue said. Right girls? Leave it to us! Peperina smiled confidently. I even possess divine powers now; Im different from before... I want to repay you for everything youve done for me, Bing Xue. OOOHH! Fiery hair roared, raising her arms. Children of Fire resting on Elios... Fiery Hair enough to fight for all of them! Leave this to Fiery Hair, dear wife! Fiery Hair had learned to easily move through the sky by kicking the air by imbuing Primal Power into her foot, a technique that she made on her own, which was then further improved after Bing Xue taught her the Cloud Step Martial Technique. As for Peperina, she could now float naturally thanks to her Divine Spiritual Powers. Meanwhile, Francisco and John already knew how to fly too, so this battle being in the skies was no problem for these people anymore. They had been taught to fight in any kind of environment. Well take care of the Divine Machines then! said Francisco. I wouldnt really want to take on that huge guy anyways Jackes sighed. I would rather kill the small fry and level up. Fine by me, Bing Xue nodded. So those are your new recruits, Belze. I would recommend you help them take down the Divine Machines; Fiery Hair and Peperina should be enough for the huge guy coming here. Hoh? Is that so? Belze shrugged. Oh well, if the master says so... I guess Ill leave it to them. Its not like I have restored my powers fully yet. But if I see them struggling, Ill assist them. Thank you, Bing Xue nodded. Ill be watching over you! Good luck! FLASH! Bing Xue disappeared on an explosion of particles of light, not without leaving a few protections over even the demons to make them much tougher. Shes gone?! Neheb angrily said. Where did she?! Dammit! Not only does she kick my spaceship, but she also brings a pest of demonic beings and leaves?! T-That damn woman! Neheb quickly targeted his wrath towards the women in front of him, Fiery Hair and Peperina, as his giant machine rushed forward, swinging his massive lion claws against them. Ill tear you to shreds, invaders! Here he comes, Fiery Hair! OOOH! Peperina and Fiery Hair prepare for battle as Nehebs Mechanical God, Aker, attacks the two of them with its gigantic metallic claws, releasing waves of crimson light with each blow. Fiery Hair imbued her body with her Aura of Ki and Primal Power, her body immediately being covered in crimson and golden flames, while her hair waved like fire itself. Using her bare fists, she intercepted or even blocked Akers blows. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! W-What?! Neheb couldnt believe his eyes as he saw the cavewoman take on his Mechanical God like it was no problem! Even when the claws were larger than her entire body, she used her small fists to intercept them. Hmm! Just a big chunk of metal! Nothing special! Fiery Hair smiled, provoking Neheb. Only a big chunk of metal?! You dare say such a thing about our gods?! Neheb rapidly activated Akers special ability; the sunlight reflected into the eye-shaped red jewel mirror, unleashing a giant beam of crimson light. Hm?! BOOOM! Fiery Hair protected herself using her arms from the explosive beam, being pushed several meters back but surviving, nonetheless. Not so weak anymore Neheb smiled. Hah! See?! I can- CRAAASH! But before the brother of the Pharaoh could continue his speech, a giant blazing hammer pummeled Aker down into the burning sands below. ----- Chapter 149: Fiery Hair’s Awakening ----- Neheb had always lived his life behind the shadow of his big brother, someone much stronger, more talented, and more successful than he was. Despite his large physique and how he was physically talented at an early age, his older brother eventually bested him even in battles one-on-one through the ability to learn his patterns. The Pharaoh was an exceptional fighter, philosopher, mathematician, astrologer, scientist, and also a genius mechanic. All the fields that the young princes had to learn at a young age, he mastered them all, and even the sole saving grace for Neheb, his gifted physical strength, was overcome by his brother. At the end, he was unable to compete for the succession of the Pharaoh throne, losing his chance early on in his life. His mother, disappointed in him, neglected him and no longer loved him the way she did when he was much younger. Always living in the shadow of his brother, Neheb could only see as his brother did feat after feat and took dozens of consorts to bear many children. He was given full authority over the Empires Intergalactic Military Forces, and even the strongest of all Mechanical Gods. Because of his life circumstances, Neheb grew up to be insecure about himself, always trying to boast in front of others and act aggressively against even his loyal servants, always trying to boost his fragile ego. When he was told that Merneith had run away with Ra, he quickly saw this opportunity as a way to prove himself to his brother. To show him he was at least worthy of being given a Mechanical God, and to become more than just a General in his army. He wanted more than just thatto become an Advisor and perhaps something else. To challenge his brother for the throne, a right that every sibling of the current Pharaoh had only once in their lives. As long as he could accumulate enough renown and forces... However, when a gray portal sucked him and all his fleet into another world, one that seemed like a joke version of their own planet, he felt furious and frustrated. He didnt want to be here, even less to be stuck with his brothers horrible wife and his family. He hated all of them. BAAAM! So when he was smacked with Peperinas gigantic blazing hammer and was thrown down, his patience reached its limits, and his entire body started growing redder out of pure anger. Akers body was bulky enough to withstand the powerful blazing hammer, but it was still pummeled down into the scorching sands below. However, Nehebs Golden Bloodline Ability activated as his anger reached its limits. Dont Underestimate MEEE! With a frustrated roar, the mans powers were imbued into his machine, Aker. An Ancient Egyptian God of Earth and the Horizon, sometimes even representing the Underworld, was always shown as two lions looking to the west and the east, with two mountains in between them and a red sun. A rather obscure Egyptian god compared to the members of the Ennead, but that held its own tremendous powers related to its myths. ROOOAARRR! Its two lion heads roared mightily as it charged sunlight from its red mirror, and then, while flying up to the skies again, the giant machine started firing two beams of red sunlight from both of its lion heads, all while spinning around. Careful! Fiery Hair! Peperina quickly defended herself as she unleashed the power of her growing Spiritual Divinity. The Moonlight White Hare imbued her body with its brilliant pink and silver-colored essence, protecting her from the explosive attacks. At the same time, Fiery Hair covered her body and reinforced herself using her developing Martial Techniques. Combining Primal Power with Ki and even Mana, her black skin suddenly gained a metallic sheen. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! As Neheb attacked them both frantically, he materialized a sword made of gold and silver, which he swung against the two at the same time. This sword was actually his Golden Bloodline Ability! {Montus Battlefield Blade}! Montu, the God of Conflicts and Battles, an Ancient War-God of Egypt, believed to be the manifestation of Ras Scorching Sunlight. Neheb was required to gather Sunlight through the Sun Ra Mirror in Ekers body to manifest it completely. However, when he did, he would always turn the tables of a war and immediately annihilate anything in front of him! This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. The enormous blade, shining with the brilliance of the sunlight and covered in fiery red flames, swung vertically and horizontally, reaching Fiery Hair. Youre strong, yes, but can you handle the scorching blade that has sliced through entire spaceships, you gorilla woman?! Neheb laughed as he attacked Fiery Hair; the cavewomans fiery red eyes overflowed with flames. She squinted her eyes as the attack reached her within a split second. She knew she had a body made of flesh at the end of the day. When fighting a being made entirely out of metal and capable of participating in interplanetary battles, it was obvious she wouldnt be able to resist the blows as easily as fighting an orc, for example. She knew this very well, yet Fiery Hair would simply not just escape; the flames that flowed through her entire body gathered within her flesh and soul, releasing and converting into just golden flames. Fiery Hair must push her limits too! she roared. Or I will never be able to catch up to Bing Bings brilliance! The brilliant light that Bing Xue was. She provoked many to envy her, others to love her, and some to admire her. Meanwhile, Fiery Hair loved her, yes. But she also wanted to reach her strength. As the warrior known as the strongest within her tribe and even other tribes, Fiery Hair had always loved fighting and surpassing her limits. To the point where she dedicated most of her life to growing stronger, The power of the Primal King Fiery Hair will surpass him now! As she roared, the blade reached her, slicing through it all. SLAAASH! It felt as if space itself had been slightly bent by the blades sharpness! Peperina panicked as she saw Fiery Hair being split into two. FIERY HAIR! As she leaped towards Aker and swung her hammer, striking the mechanical god down and stopping it from attacking Fiery Hair, she saw the girls body falling from the skies. No, this cant be! Fiery Hairs! Huh? However, the rabbit-kin girl quickly blinked in disbelief as both of Fiery Hairs parts came together once more, composed entirely out of golden flames; there was no blood loss or internal organs or broken bones. Fiery Hair... has attained something new! With a mighty roar, the cavewoman giantess rushed down as her entire body, now composed of golden flames, rushed towards Aker. W-What?! Youre still alive?! Neheb screamed, quickly firing lasers of red sunlight against Fiery Hair, which the cavewoman quickly destroyed with her bare hands. This was followed by massive spears of stone emerging from the sands below, which he summoned through the powers of Akers Earth Manipulation abilities. However, Neheb was quite terrible at using them, only relying on his blade to do most of the job. Get away from me! Neheb continued attacking Fiery Hair, who rapidly evaded his lasers, and then, with giant metallic claws coming at her, she swung her hands, unleashing her newly attained technique. A combination of her abilities so far and of fully awakening the true power of the Children of Fire. To turn her entire body into Primal Power and Flames {Primal Flame Body}! The primal flames that burned at the beginning of the world were believed to be the origin of all life by the tribe of the Children of Fire. These golden, endlessly burning flamesshe attained them! {Meteoric Fists}! Her fists rushed towards Neheb, resembling massive fists that clashed against Akers massive body, leaving behind gigantic holes and covering the machine in flames. BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! Ugh! S-Stop! STOP! Neheb screamed, frustrated. As he channeled the power of his Golden Bloodline, a second massive sword was summoned. With two enormous golden blades, he aimed to slice Fiery Hair into smithereens! However. {Spiritual Moonlight Divine Domain}! FLUOSH! For a moment, space around Aker and Fiery Hair transformed, becoming a complete night, with a shining silver moon above the skies. Peperina rushed down, her weapon merged with her armor, as she gave up all her defenses through her Worldsmith Ability, turning into a huge silver and white-colored hammer with pink- and purple-colored jewels imbued into them. Even her clothes changed, absorbing her Domains Moonlight and transforming into a white and purple dress with bracelets and rings, white boots, and purple jewels across her body. It was like A Magical Girl Transformation?! I imagined it, and it happened! Oh my gosh! Peperina was screaming inside, but she kept her cool outside, swinging her massive hammer against Aker not once but multiple times as several mirages made of moonlight appeared around the mechanical god. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Walls of stone and spears made of rocks tried to intercept or stop her; lasers of crimson sunlight attempted to pierce through her body, but her mirages baited most of the damage, while Peperina kept leaping around rapidly. How is she so strong out of nowhere?! Crack, crack! CRACK! Peperina continued spreading cracks across the body of the Mechanical God, which Fiery Hair took advantage of, rapidly attacking the man with her Meteoric Fists. A barrage of attacks covered Aker from every angle, constantly beginning to make the Mechanical God fall apart into pieces as he screamed in agony. GRAAAAHHH! The twin lion heads continued screaming, firing beams from their jaws, which Fiery Hair and Peperina easily blocked or intercepted with their attacks. Meanwhile, Neheb, who had never fought beings of this caliber before, acted incredibly clumsily, unable to keep his cool in battle and lacking proper experience fighting someone strong with his machine. He was easily overcome by fear! Wait! Wait! Please wait! Have mercy! As he screamed for mercy, the girls didnt give him any. Peperina made her hammer grow to its maximum level, while Fiery Hair created a huge spear made of flames, firing it at Aker. No mercy! The two girls roared in unison as the spear of flames pierced through Akers crotch area, filling its circuits with primal flames that didnt easily turn off. No, no, no! WAIT! As Neheb started being burned alive by the heat, Peperina swung her hammer, hitting the spear with all her force and using it to pierce through Aker! CRAAASH! Akers entire body was split apart and then exploded into many pieces at once, engulfing Neheb inside in a sea of flames and melting steel. Uuuaaagggh! BOOOM! The Pharaohs brother had a swift death. ----- Chapter 150: The Arrogant Sister Of The Pharaoh ----- Giza, the most known and famous of all cities in Egypt, is where the Great Pyramids of Giza are located, and even the glorious Great Sphynx remains almost intact, resembling a behemoth that watches over the endless sands that surround this beautiful city. With large museums showcasing all kinds of Ancient Egyptian ornaments and artifacts, it''s one of Egypts greatest tourist spots and where most people from all over the world gather. From tourists who want to make a great memory to archeologists and historians trying to unravel the secrets within these ancient monuments and sacred lands,. CRAAASH! However, such a sacred place had been tainted, as a titanic golden pyramid fell from the skies, impacting the sands with tremendous force. Several of its pieces were sent flying, falling over nearby monuments. If it werent for the special golden and silver-colored auras of light encompassing these ancient relics, they would have already been destroyed. However, Bing Xue wouldnt let Humanitys Greatest Wonders ever get tainted; she loved this world as much as people, so she had already preemptively created various barriers in every special or important spot. Nonetheless, the enemy pyramid was in shambles, falling apart. After seeing this, the people of Giza panicked even more than after having been threatened by some "aliens" speaking ancient Egyptian. Tourists immediately ran to the airports, trying to leave the country, and the citizens grew unrestful. The Hunters down below could only watch and do nothing much; nobody could simply fly and fight a huge floating chunk of metal. News constantly made people even more alarmed, and historians and other archeologists, the craziest among them, started saying that the ancient aliens that built the pyramids were finally back to reclaim the land that always belonged to them, among other nonsensical things. Yet, after it was literally kicked away, the worries of the people of Giza cooled down, although their concern and confusion only grew! Who was the mysterious woman made of light that just kicked that gigantic alien pyramid away?! Her overwhelming and divine presence surged like an endless stream of golden and silver light, reaching the skies and clearing them from any cloud they had. The bright sunlight of the desert empowered her Divine Doppelganger even more, making it stronger, a trait Bing Xue already knew about but that she never experienced to this level in Murim. Could it be that the Sun of this Universe is simply much stronger than the one at Murim? The Sun of Murim was a Divine Construct that was formed naturally when the world was born within the White Heaven; although it was immensely big, perhaps the size of Earth, it wasnt as big as the actual Sun of this Solar System. Its powerful Light, its Heat, and its almighty, overwhelming presence seemed to boost Bing Xues powers beyond what she imagined. Ill have to investigate this further in detail later As she thought these things, however, someone inside the pyramid rageda tall woman with long black hair, clear brown skin, and a beautiful, curvy body. She seemed to be only slightly older than Merneith, wearing an excessive amount of gold all around her body, from piercings to bracelets, rings, necklaces, earrings, diadems, crowns, and more. In fact, the only piece of cloth was also made of golden scales, wrapped nicely around her wide hips, while her large chest was only covered by hanging gold plates. She was a woman proud of her body but also extremely greedy, loving gold more than herself, perhaps. Her long black hair waved, covered with many golden ornaments; her fiery orange-red eyes glared at the screen in front of her; and her pretty and beautiful face twisted into utter disbelief and wrath. Who is that woman?! How did she do this?! Answer me, you trash! She quickly took out a whip made of golden threads and whipped the floor with it, making her servants scared, stepping back in horror and fear of being hit with that thing, and being left with a terrible scar like many others had gone through. L-Lady Hatshepsut, please calm down for a bit! I am not calming down you dog! She roared back; despite her beauty, she acted like a wild beast. Explain to me why this is happening to me?! And where is my damn brother the Pharaoh at?! Ive had enough of this stupidity! I want to go home already! She stomped the floor with her golden heels, making her servants even more panicked than they already were. Just by collapsing, the entire pyramid already had several internal damages, and everyone was running from one place to another. Hatshepsut was the youngest sister of the Pharaoh, a woman in her early thirties who had grown up being spoiled by her parents and then her older brother. Her beauty was also unparalleled, well known to be even more beautiful than that of the current Empress. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. However, behind the mask of a beautiful princess with a gorgeous body that made both men and even women crazy, there was a rotten mind with a merciless and apathetic heart. Unlike Neheb, Hatshepsut never thought of herself as less than the rest or had problems with her family; on the contrary, she was the result of being overly spoiled, praised, and loved without being taught anything about life. Therefore, even in her thirties, this woman remained with the personality and mannerism of a spoiled child. "Please, Lady Hatshepsut, calm down a bit; we cant go back! The Empress already said it was impossible to pass through the Gray Portals yet! There was something blocking the path there and! I know about all of that; you already told me before! But I dont careeeee! Find a way to get me back home! I dont want to get in a fight again! I hate wars and stuff! They ruin all my makeup, and I get all sweaty, and I hate that! Hatshepsut continued stomping the ground angrily while whipping her servants, who ran away from her, however RUMBLE! The entire pyramid trembled again, and Hatshepsut panicked as she saw the rest of her servants no longer trying to help her walk away from all the debris and fire. Hey! Where do you think youre going?! she furiously said, gritting her teeth. Dammit! Quickly, all units, send the Divine Machines out! At the very least, fight you mongrels! She quickly grabbed a device from her pocket as she noticed a huge, blazing axe suddenly piercing through the ceiling of the pyramid. SLAAASH! W-What in Ennead is that?! She ran through the corridors as she used the device to send her message to her servants while also electrocuting their bodies so they would obey. Most of these people were actually convicts, criminals whom her brother had given to her for his sister to happily torture as much as she wanted while they served her to reduce their sentences. Naturally, they held little loyalty towards her, so she had this device to control them as she pleased. Uuaaggh! Uuuggh! Arrrghh! As they screamed in agony, the devices on their necks quickly ordered them, moving their bodies for them as they ran inside dozens of Divine Machines, piloting them even if unwilling. Now youll go and protect me, you utter trash! As she ran across the corridor, she saw the enormous axe continue to slice through the ceiling. The immensely tough metallic alloy that made up the pyramids held no resistance against the divine weapon breaking through it all. Crack, crack! CRAAASH! Until the large quantity of damage that the powerful axe dealt to the pyramid accumulated, several pieces of the ceiling exploded into pieces and collapsed. Aaahh! Hatshepsut screamed in horror a second before the ceiling was to crush her to death, only for a huge mechanical hand to barely manage to save her life, covering her body. It was huge and metallic, but the hand that protected her had a certain delicacy to it. She glanced at the rest of the body, a beautiful goddess embodied out of gold and red metal. Her metallic face looked calm and composed, with a gentle smile, wearing a long, golden-colored crown that was as tall as several meters, resembling a crest. She had long red hair made of iron threads, and her slender figure immediately made her look like a beautiful goddess of ancient times. And she was. Anuket! Hatshepsut ran towards her Mechanical Goddess, as their chests were opened, revealing her glorious golden seat. Like an overprotective mother to her child, the machine immediately protected her from danger as the ceiling of the pyramid collapsed over them. BAAAM! Yet CRASH! The fists of Anuket pierced through all the metallic debris, freeing herself easily from it, all while Hatshepsut felt relieved to be finally safe inside of her Mechanical Goddess guardian. Anuket! I knew you would be there for me! Hatshepsut hugged the metallic interior of Anuket. Despite being a monster to every other person, she and Anuket shared a strong bond, as Anuket had been seeing Hatshepsut grow up since she was nothing but a baby that couldnt even walk. The Mechanical God couldnt talk, but they could show their attack. Anuket gently caressed her chest; she loved her master. CRASH! However, their love was quickly interrupted as a giant blazing axe descended from the skies, spinning in midair and reaching Anuket! Anuket! Watch out! Hatshepsut activated her Golden Bloodline Ability, which resonated the best with Anuket; a barrier of azure water materialized around the Mechanical Goddess, protecting her from the spinning axe. BOOOM! The water resisted the deadly divine flames before evaporating, giving enough time for Anuket to quickly escape from danger, flying into the skies with wings made of flowing water. SPLASH! The water fell all over the pyramid, flooding it and turning off the divine flames spreading everywhere as Anuket emerged above the skies, glancing as dozens of Divine Machines emerged to fight the incoming threat. The woman made of golden light was already gone, but she had not left without surprises, leaving behind a few of her strong disciples to handle this problem. And the most notorious of them all, who was also her wife, was... Come back! FLUOSH! The blazing axe that she used to slice open the entire pyramid quickly moved across the skies, spinning around and reaching her large, green-skinned hands. CLANK! The moment she caught the enormous axe, it released a loud metallic sound; her fiery red eyes seemed full of conviction; and her short, dark red hair waved by the wind. Her beautiful muscular body was only covered by clothes made of the pelt of wild beasts from her original world, revealing most of her skin except her chest and her hip area, which covered her crotch. It was nobody else but her, of course. The proud orc warrioress. The last member of the Bloodfang Tribe, the wielder of the Divinity of Hope and the Bloodfang Wolfs Runic Body, and also the inheritor of the {The Golden Phoenix of the Bright Sun}''s Spiritual Divinity. Youre finally out! It took me a while to slice open that chunk of metal, she smiled. My wife said you would help me get used to my new abilities. So I hope you will give me a sufficient challenge. Holding her blazing axe while flying with wings made of white and orange flames, Mursha glanced at her foe and at her prey with eyes full of bloodlust. The warrior instincts of a brave orc cannot be taken away; not even love can calm their fiery hearts and their boiling blood. Bing Xue knew this very well, hence why she decided to give her a great challengesomeone who wielded her opposite element. You dont even know what youre fighting against, you green woman, said Hatshepsut. Her voice easily gave away how angry she was. You will pay for what youve done to my fleet! Acting as if Im the villain when you threaten to kill millionsthats rich from you! Mursha smiled, rushing towards the Mechanical Goddess and swinging her fiery axe. Can you take this?! Oh, I can, without a doubt! The woman roared back, materializing large shields made of spiraling, swirling divine waters. BOOOM! ----- Chapter 151: Surpass Your Limits ----- Bing Xue had nicely arranged the teams for each pyramid and their bosses according to what she learned about them and the challenges she wanted them to go through. For a Venerable and Martial Master such as herself, assembling teams and giving trials and challenges to her disciples was part of the whole joy of being a Murim Master. From the very beginning, through her abilities and the information she got from Akhenaten, she knew that the person in this pyramid and their Mechanical God, were a perfect match against Mursha. The orc warrioress, who now had obtained a divine fire ability and was developing a hot-blooded fighting ability, needed to temper her wrath by fighting someone who wielded water. And right now, Mursha confronted her: Hatshepsut, the spoiled young sister of the Pharaoh of the Empire of the Sun, pilot of Anuket, the Mechanical Goddess of the River Nile, naturally proficient with controlling waters and creating them. And above all, her Golden Bloodline Ability, which had incredible affinity with Anukets Elemental and Divine Powers, Ill make you pay for what youve done, you ugly alien!!! she screamed. Ill drown you and your people! FLUOSH! In that moment, Anukets Divine Powers surged as endless currents of water materialized from its body one after another. Murshas eyes widened as she saw dozens of thick currents of water gather together into an immense being. T-Thats As she glanced at the scene, Hatshepsuts Golden Bloodline Powers combined with Anuket, helping the Mechanical Goddess unleash its powers to a new level. {Golden Bloodline Ability}: {Hapis Divine Flood}! FLUOSH! The water suddenly took the shape of an enormous god, someone between a woman and a man, the Ancient God of Niles Flood, Hapi. Known for bringing the floods to ancient Egypt and therefore fertile soil from the Nile itself. He was known as a God of Agriculture as well, but above all, of a God of Floods and Life, the same as Anuket, the Goddess of the Nile itself. Therefore, when both of these powers combined, an incredible synergy was formed! RUMBLE! A titan made of endlessly flowing water materialized, a walking ocean of its own; if they wished, the entire city of Giza would be flooded completely! So this is why she told me to be careful. Mursha smiled at the challenge, her entire body beginning to transform as she activated her Bloodfang Wolfs Aura, unleashing her Spiritual Powers. Red fur grew over her arms, legs, and around her chest and back, while her hair merged with her clothes made of giant wolf pelt. Her eyes turned deep red, and her teeth became sharp canine fangs! Her axe also grew larger, twice as big as before! Time to test how strong I have become She stepped forward across the skies, resembling a blazing meteor, as she reached the titan made of water. Anuket merely opened its enormous hands made of water to reach Mursha. As she rushed forward across the skies, the water reached her, attempting to catch and then simply drown her or crush her with enormous water pressure. However Tha aint happenin! As she roared, the orc warrioress swung her axe upwards, unleashing a huge wave of pure crimson flames, and her aura emerged, slashing through the hand made of water. SLAASH! The sound of her attack slicing through the water echoed across the skies as the titanic hand quickly boiled up and exploded into vapor faster than it could regenerate! BOOOM! Not bad Hatshepsut seemed furious though, as she quickly continued manipulating the titan made of water as she tried to make her way to Giza. But is that enough to stop me!? Ill drown that city of yours and everyone in there! This will be your end for daring to enrage a goddess of water such as myself! With a furious roar, Hatshepsut unleashed dozens of floods of water against Mursha; it was no simple water either, rapidly spiraling on itself, swirling angrily, and gathering large quantities of divine power. Mursha had to rapidly swing her axe, slicing through the water as it came. She rapidly focused, letting her Ki, Spirit Energy, and Mana flow through her body rapidly. And then. BA DUM! Her heart started beating faster as a fourth energy entered her body and started to rapidly enhance her physique and her senses. The Primal Power that Fiery Hair gifted to her! A combination of four different energies was harnessed as Mursha saw the incoming floods one by one with extreme accuracy. Concentrate! BA DUM! You can do this! She swung her axe, slicing through the incoming flooding and spiraling water rivers that came against her, which suddenly started shaping like snakes opening their jaws, sometimes crocodiles, or fish. {Divine Bloodfang Axe Arts}: {Abyssal Crimson Fangs} SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Each of her slashing attacks became a huge crimson fang, biting and cleaving through the floods of azure water as they came, making them erupt, explode, and splatter across the skies like rain. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. SPLAAASH! As she continued fighting, Anuket quickly conjured several floods of waterrivers that merged with one another and became even thicker, rushing down from above. And the same happened from below as well, and then left and right. Each of these floods ended with ferocious snake heads. Dont think I dont have other abilities! roared Hatshepsut. {Thousand River Snakes of Nile}! Ah! Mursha quickly enhanced her body with her Divinity Aura and Spiritual Aura, rapidly strengthening her body, and then tried to take on the attacks as they came. But it was futile! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Graaarrgghhh! Mursha screamed as the water spiraled around her body and shaped into countless jaws, trying to bite through her entire body, piercing through her defenses at the same time as drowning her. Even as a goddess, filling her lungs with too much water and then losing the oxygen she needed to breathe was bound to kill her! Nnnggh?! She held up her breath as much as she could, but the water was alive; it was constantly trying to wrap around her stomach and her chest, forcing her to open her mouth. It also tried to coil inside of her noses, ears, and even other orifices! Shit, this thing too much! As Mursha struggled to even breathe and move, Hatshepsut laughed, smiling furiously at her. See?! This is it! This is what you get for destroying my fleet and daring to come at me like a beast! I am the UNTOUCHABLE princess of the Empire of the Sun!!! As she roared furiously with a vile smirk, the princess rapidly closed her fists, intensifying the power of the water around Mursha. The pressure became so enormous that it felt like Mursha was being crushed by tens of thousands of tons. Uuugghh?! She panicked; the flow of energies around her body halted, and she suddenly couldnt hold back anymore, opening her mouth as water entered, trying to destroy her from the inside out. Y-Youre kidding me?! she thought. Am I really going to die right now? so easily?! After... After I avenged my family, after I finally saved Elios with Bing Xue BA DUM! After I promised her I would help BA DUM! And after I told her to leave this to me!? BA DUM! After I got so cocky and said I could do this on my own BA DUM! Nnggh! Come on! Suddenly, as she was drowning and being crushed by the immense water pressure, Mursha started controlling her internal energies even faster than before. BA DUM! The Primal Power gathered within her heart only, pumping blood through her entire body at lightning speed with hundreds of heartbeats per second. BA DUM! BA DUM! BA DUM! BA DUM! Her green skin suddenly started growing red as her tattoos spread further through her body. Spiritual Energy, Mana, and Ki then went to her heart. Like this Come on! And then the energies merged together, being refined by the Primal Power and becoming a single, crimson-red energy of divine power. I can do this! As the refined energy continued flowing through her body, she noticed something! Suddenly, two figures emerged from across the skies after seeing Mursha in danger. A tall Native American woman with a muscular body and long black hair, covered in white tattoos shaped as totems, held a gigantic bone axe. Her aura transformed into that of many Totem Beasts. A slender man wearing black clothes and holding two black knives, spinning across the skies like a tornado of darkness, attacked Hatshepsut with everything he had. What?! Hatshepsut was shocked as she was suddenly attacked. A third of the Water Titan quickly collapsed as the tornado of shadows engulfed the water and sent it flying elsewhere! BOOOM! However, that wasnt all. As the native American woman smiled, the beasts she summoned continued multiplying, turning into a stampede of animals that slashed, bit, and went through anything. CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! Hang in there, Murshaaa! It was two of Bing Xues disciplespeople Mursha had little time to even know but that she realized were friends that would put their lives on the line to help her. Jackes! Aiyana?! Unnggh?! You pests! Hatshepsut furiously swung her countless water hands against them, pushing them away with the power of a small tsunami. SPLAAASH! Jackes and Aiyana were strong, but against someone like Hatshepsut, they had little power to go against. Endless water flooded it all, regenerated endlessly, and could also easily dampen most attacks. However, even then, they quickly attacked back anyway! Jackes harnessed all the darkness and shadows he summoned into his body. {Abyssal Shadow Knight Sentinel}! His entire body absorbed the shadows, becoming a ten-meter-tall giant made of darkness and shadows that were encompassed together into the form of an ancient, armored knight with sharp red eyes. His knives fused into a giant black sword as Jackes rushed forward, attacking Hatshepsut with everything he had, slicing through the river snakes one after another, trying to free Mursha! Mursha, hang in there! Dont drown! he said. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! However, as many as he cut, the river snakes would simply regenerate once more, wrapping around his giant body and beginning to quickly spread cracks through it! Ugh! Dammit! Jackes screamed. Jackes! Aiyana screamed as the Ancient Beast Spirits within her many tattoos emerged. These spirits had no relation to Elios, as they were inborn from her own familys totem guardians. {Divine Beast Totem Spirit Fusion}! Aiyan activated her special technique she had refined by fusing her Mana and her Ki together. As her entire body trembled, her tattoos materialized into giant body parts, transforming her into a humanoid female beast chimera. Her arms were like those of a lizard, her legs like those of a lioness, her head like that of a deer with enormous antlers, her torso resembled a wolfs body, she gained three snake-headed tails, and she had four wings, those of a crow and an eagle. {Chimera Totem Embodiment}! Becoming fifteen meters tall, Aiyana reached the endless water rivers and slashed them apart one after another. The snakes, which were made of this water, hissed in agony before disappearing one after another. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! As all of this happened, Mursha concentrated, closing her eyes and even ignoring how her lungs were full of water and about to burst. Her heart continued beating despite all odds, enhanced solely by the abilities of her Primal Power, all while constantly refining her other three energies together. Come on concentrate BA DUM! Reach the deepest of powers BA DUM! You can breakthrough, Mursha! BA DUM! And then, she heard something. I believe in you, my daughter. Perhaps it was an illusion, a livid dream, or whatever else, but Mursha heard her mother. And then, the flame of her heart blazed through. All my powers so far were different; I couldnt quite combine them together Yet she realized something in that moment. What was giving her so much power wasnt just Primal Power. But Hope! I have hope. Hope connects all people, all things, and all dreams! Combining hope with everything else, Mursha created a proper fusion. Countless winged wolves made of divine golden, red, orange, and black flames surged from her body. FLUOSH! The wolves opened their jaws as she swung her axe, devouring and splitting apart the water. The structure that kept their atoms together was split apart too, and the water instantly BOOOM! Evaporated. Wha?! Hatshepsut glanced in utter disbelief as the bubble of water she had Mursha trapped in instantly exploded into vapor, disappearing. Thank you, Bing Xue. Mursha smiled. You were right! This is what I needed to reach a new level! RUMBLE! With a single step into the skies, Mursha appeared in front of Hatshepsut, and the water titan wrapped around Anuket instantly evaporated. POOOF! Dissipating into nothing but vapor! How did you?! HOW DID YOU DO THAT?! With a scream full of disbelief, Hatshepsut attacked Mursha with Anukets hands, which quickly gathered water and froze it into sharp claws. I dont know what name I could even give it FLUOSH! Murshas Aura erupted as a giant winged wolf emerged, merging with her body and giving her both the wings of the phoenix and the fur and strength of the wolf. FLASH! She rushed forward, her wings giving her tremendous speed, and the frozen claws of Anuket... There was no problem! {Divine Bloodfang Axe Arts}: {Abyssal Blood-Winged Wolf of Hope} AWOOOOOO! Each of her cleaving attacks created the illusion of an enormous wolf made of blood, darkness, and fire, cutting through all things in front of her with its claws and fiery wings. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! A-Ah! Hatshepsut realized too late that her entire Mechanical Goddess and herself had been cut down to pieces. Eh? She saw her hands fall apart into pieces, and so did her fingers. And then, a piece of her face... Then the rest of her body collapsed at the same time as her Mechanical Goddess. BOOOM! Crumbling into the sands below, her plans to drown Giza were thwarted. ----- Chapter 152: The Vengeful Old Snake ----- Jackes and Aiyana, as exhausted as they were, felt relieved that the giant machine and the insane woman inside of it were cut down to pieces. Mursha had almost died, but through that overwhelming life-or-death experience, she grew even stronger. In a way, this was a trial for her to grow even further. But it even helped Jackes and Aiyana go all-out, making them quickly realize their limits and how to work around them. AWOOOOO! The Winged Wolf of Hope howled loudly as it looked into the clear blue skies, Murshas Aura shaping into a red, white, and black winged wolf with both an angelic and a demonic appearance. This was something new that Mursha had never done beforea combination of Energies, Elements, and even Divinities. With the power of her Divinity of Hope as its core, she was able to combine the very different powers of the Bloodfang Wolf Berserk Runes and the Spiritual Divinity of the {The Golden Phoenix of the Bright Sun}! This, coupled with the new refined essence of Ki, Mana, Primal Power, and Spiritual Energy finally helped Mursha unify her powers and reach new heights. And above all, her own Cultivation also skyrocketed, defeating these enemies granted EXP, as they had been unknowingly assimilated by the System. The EXP, coupled with Bing Xues special Cultivation Formation Tattoo, helped Mursha feel even mightier as her Martial Core refined itself alongside her already powerful physique. I feel much stronger now she smiled, closing and opening her large and strong palms. All thanks to her. I owe her so much Ill make sure to be a good wife. As the orc warrioress was pumped up for more battle, she noticed almost a hundred Divine Machines rushing towards the city, controlled by their mistress machines. The pilots were forced to go berserk on any living being they saw, as she always made them do. Dammit, theyre going for Giza?! Mursha muttered. Jackes! Aiyana! We have to go stop them! We know! Jackes quickly drank a potion and recovered. Aiyana, you too, take one. He threw a potion to Aiyana, who quickly drank it and nodded. Alright! We have to hurry! We promised Bing Xue no casualties! Aiyana roared. The trio rushed across the skies as several more golden portals opened behind them, revealing a dozen of Demons and Belze, alongside Estrella. Alright, my little demon folks! We gotta do our best! said Belze. Master has told us to divide and conquer, and so we shall do that! {Demonic Shadow}! Belze suddenly divided herself as her shadow took her exact same appearance, holding a long spear of materialized darkness. Aint this a useful little spell? Now go! As her Shadow moved and led the other Demons, she quickly went back to the golden portal; however, she stopped for a moment, glancing at the little bright goddess left behind. Make sure to save all these humans to make up for all those youve killed, little goddess~ Tch! Shut up, you demon! Estrella tried to ignore Belzes remarks as her starlight eyes shone brightly above the Divine Machines within her range. Her Aura surged, growing stronger and more Divine than before. Although she hated to admit it, her power was already growing, almost to the same level as before her death. Why? Because Bing Xue naturally used her Primordial Venerable Ki to maintain her being summoned, therefore sharing her immense energy reserves with her. But fine, if I have to pay for what I did back then, so be it! she roared, tightly gritting her teeth. All of you will pay instead! You damn invaders! Die! Die! Dieeee! Indeed, both in mind and body, when Estrella was a child, Bing Xue ended up doing well in giving her such a body at the end! FLAAASH! Her entire body flashed like a bright sun as her magic circles materialized by the hundreds, summoning countless rays of light. {Divine Sunshine Rays}! The rays descended from the skies as the berserk Divine Machines attempted to evade them, but the rays followed them like homing missiles. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Dont you ever think you can escape from my attacks, little humans! With a wicked smile, the Goddess of Light showed her true selfishness and malice as she bombarded the humans from another parallel timeline into smithereens. BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! The rays pierced through the giant divine machines and vaporized anybody that was inside mercilessly. Mursha, Jackes, and Aiyana, who were taking care of them, were left speechless as the Goddess decided to attack. And then, the Demons emerged as well, cursing the pilots and their machines, slowing them down, and then tearing them apart by swarming over them by the dozens. Gyahaha! Where do you think youre going?! Open the door, human! Let us taste your delicious soul, Gyahahaha! The humans inside the machines screamed in agony as their machines were broken open and their bodies taken out, having their souls extracted by the demons. Hahh~ Human souls are a rare treat! said Belze, looking from afar. Amazing! Make sure to eat a lot, you guys! Let''s feast!" Her Shadow leaped through the skies, skipping across the clouds and rapidly devouring soul after soul as much as she wanted. It was an all-you-can-eat buffet! The Hunter Duo and the Orc Warrioress were left speechless. Even more so because, aside from them, Bing Xue had quite a few questionable allies. I-Is this really ok? Aiyana muttered. T-Theyre eating their souls She She just vaporized the pilots from the inside out? muttered Jackes. Thats a bit extreme. C-Come on now! Those are my wifes allies? muttered Mursha. She definitely has quite a strange assortment of friends But those demons helped us back in Elios, so Um, so its fine. I think? Mursha was trying to just accept that the wife she had chosen had questionable allies, although they got the job done, and sometimes thats all that matters in the end. . . . 83 kilometers from El Cairo, the City of Tanta stood proudly as the capital of Gharbia Governorate. Located in the center of the Nile Delta, halfway between Damietta and Rosetta, the coastal cities of the two main branches of the Nile River. It was a City well known for its fish and its rather large urban cities. Aside from being a great tourist spot for anybody who wanted to see the Nile River, it was a place where people of all kinds gathered to sell and buy products. Even after the coming of the Tower and the Gates, this City had barely managed to keep itself afloat thanks to being near the Nile River, providing protection from the monsters that had appeared on the other side. Although it had become much more lawless after the apocalypse, as of late, it had been slowly restructured and safety had slightly returned as Hunters were constantly recruited and paid to exterminate nearby monsters and keep the place safe, much like many cities in Egypt and other countries across the world. Humans were relentless; even after suffering so much and being pushed down, they would eventually rise back up to fight and survive; it was within their nature. Yes, indeed, it was in their natures, just as they were selfish and narcissistic. The humans from a parallel timeline, where Ancient Egypt became the worlds dominant civilization, showcased this trait of humanity very well. The pyramid that was once floating above Tanta but that was sent flying into the deserts far away, past the Nile River, and into the monster-infested jungles formed from the radiation of Mana from many Gates collapsed into pieces as a giant machine emerged from it. Ugh! Dammit! Just who WHO ARE YOU?! The voice of an angered middle-aged man echoed from inside the large Mechanical God, who had a half-human shape and a half-snake shape, with the head and tail of a snake but the body of a muscular man. Above the destroyed pyramid floated two wolf sisters, one overflowing with golden thunder and another with emerald winds. There was a black and white aura coming from them as well, further empowering their abilities and elements. Weve come here to take care of you. We wont let you destroy the city where the humans live! Tch Hahah! And who do you think you are?! With a furious roar, the middle-aged man roared as his massive Mechanical God, perhaps only slightly smaller than Set himself, surged from the rubble made of the pyramids debris. CRASH! With a furious slamming attack using its enormous and thick snake tail, the Mechanical God hissed at the girls, giving out a loud, ferocious, and metallic sound. SHAAAAHH! The Mechanical Gods Golden Bloodline Aura surged as the old man piloting it smiled. His appearance was similar to Neheb but much older. His body didnt look as burly as it did in his early years, and he was completely bald, but he had a long white beard and clear wrinkles that showed his age. Despite his appearance, which should give the appearance of someone wise, he was actually a rather cunning man, like a snake or a viper. His sharp eyes glared at the two wolf women while trying to think of a way to get out of this situation. Lord Nebmaat! Were under attack! Theres a strange creature with weird shapes! Are they demons?! The voices of his retainers echoed through his Mechanical Gods communicating devises, yet the old Nebmaat ignored them. Despite having been destined to become a Pharaoh, I am here stranded on this damned alien planet! Nebmaat complained. If only my damned brother hadnt seen through all my schemes so easily and had a son at such an early age, none of this would have happened! If only dammit! The brother of the old Pharoah of the Empire of the Sun, the uncle of the current Pharaoh, the old Nebmaat, has seen three lineages rise and fall through history. With the death of his brother by his own schemes, he had expected to become the new Pharaoh. However, his brothers sons remained, and although he tried many times to make them his allies so they would give their crown privileges to him, or even when he plotted their deaths, he was never able to win a single time. And it was all because of that man, the current Pharaoh; it was as if he could see through all his schemes, through all his tricks, through his cunning mind, and immediately predict his actions! That damn kid Not only has he completely forgotten of his uncle, but he even sent me on this chase towards his unruly daughter, as if I could ever care about this damn brat! Although he was Merneiths great uncle, the man had never interacted with the girl a single day and couldnt care less if she died or not. Ill have to just survive on my own then His cunning eyes glared at the wolf girls. Ill tear you to shreds, aliens! he roared. Nehebkau! {Venomous Viper Fangs}! And then Urbosa and Merkite were surprised as the Mechanical Gods arms turned into long, monstrous snakes, rushing towards them! ----- Chapter 153: Slaying The Snake ----- Nebmaat, the brother of the old Pharaoh who was the father of the current one, was unable to win the succession games; he was shunned to the side, even when he was able to kill his brother. Despite him thinking he was the most cunning man in the family, he met his match and eventually was surpassed by the current pharaoh. That damn kid Not only has he completely forgotten of his uncle, but he even sent me on this chase towards his unruly daughter, as if I could ever care about this damn brat! Although he was Merneiths great uncle, the man had never interacted with the girl a single day and couldnt care less if she died or not. Ill have to just survive on my own then His cunning eyes glared at the wolf girls, Urbosa and Merkite, Bing Xues first wives, and her most loyal fighters. They were also her strongest, surpassing any other retainer she had in this world. Perhaps their only match was Yanisse and her Void Elemental Powers. Using their spears and elemental powers, the two wolf girls didnt wait for the robots to even come out, tearing through the pyramid and making sure to destroy several parts of it. They were merciless, not even wanting to leave some time for their enemies to prepare. However, even though they dealt great damage to the fleet and many of the Divine Machines were stopped or outright destroyed as the pyramid collapsed, Nebmaat was able to escape, under the protection of his Mechanical God, Nehebkau. Ill tear you to shreds, aliens! he roared. {Venomous Viper Fangs}! And then Urbosa and Merkite were surprised as the Mechanical Gods arms turned into long, monstrous snakes, rushing towards them! The Snakes metallic bodies extended endlessly, opening their jaws and trying to bite through their bodies. A mere bite wouldnt just fill them with deadly venom but would most likely tear their small bodies to shreds with ease! They simply couldnt afford to get hit, despite how strong they had grown. Merkite! You to the left, and I to the right! Urbosa said. Got it! Merkite nodded. The two sisters rushed to the left and right, Urbosa unleashing her lightning and Merkite her spiraling emerald winds, the two resembling natural disasters as they moved forward, evading the deadly snake jaws as they made their way to the Pharaohs uncle. {Spiritual Thunderstorm Spear Arts}: {Lightning Strike}! {Spiritual Windstorm Spear Arts}: {Emerald Tornado}! Thunder and winds erupted as Nebmaat panicked, gritting his teeth as he stepped back with his Mechanical God, yet the snake heads were quickly struck down. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Thunder and winds merged together, and the Egyptian gasped as he saw the natural elements rapidly destroy his Mechanical Gods arms! BOOOM! W-What?! As he gasped, the two girls were already above his head, pointing down their spears towards the Mechanical Gods snake head and aiming to destroy it with a single, combined attack! Dont think youve got it all figured out! {Renenutets Snake Birth}! With a furious and frustrated scream, the old man activated his Golden Bloodline Ability as a purple and crimson aura surged from his Mechanical God. RUMBLE! Huh?! What! Urbosa and Merkite were quickly attacked as the machine transformed instantly, growing new mechanical parts within mere seconds and materializing dozens of snake heads at the same time! The massive snake heads, each of these heads being at least four meters big, opened their jaws, constantly trying to bite and tear the girls to shreds. {Spiritual Windstorm Spear Arts}: {Explosive Tornado Strike}! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Merkite swung her spear up and down, blocking the incoming blows as she released powerful tornadoes of emerald winds with each thrust. {Spiritual Thunderstorm Spear Arts}: {One-Thousand Thunderbolts}! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! At the same time, Urbosa gathered her lightning and released it all at once, generating several explosive blows that blew the metal out of the snake heads. I wont let you get through me so easily! {Renenutet Blazing Snakes}! Nebmaat conjured a powerful ability, transforming the snakes within the Mechanical God into blazing snakes that spit flames everywhere, unleashing an inferno towards the sisters. However, they didnt falter against this challenge! Urbosa, together! Yeah! Their sharp canine eyes reached a high level of concentration and focus, and as their elemental auras merged together and swirled around, suddenly, their spiritual and divine powers became one. {Divine Spiritual Storm Catastrophe}! RUMBLE! The massive storm of thunder and winds engulfed the flames of the Mechanical God, temporarily erasing them from existence and then rapidly devouring them all, destroying the snake heads once more. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! No! I wont fall here! Nebmaat grew furious and desperate, quickly unleashing more and more techniques. His Golden Bloodline was excellent with his Mechanical God. The combined power of the two Snake Gods of Ancient Egypt created an incredible synergy. Thinking about all of his life having been frustrated so far, he quickly gathered his powers and dug into the sands, transforming his Mechanical God into its awakening form! Dont think this is over, fools! FLUOSH! As he swam into the sands below, Urbosa and Merkite persecuted him, unleashing thunder and winds whenever they saw him appear from the sands. Is it planning to escape?! Merkite wondered. If it does, well have to tell Bing Xue, and she might get disappointed in us sighed Urbosa. Dammit! We have to find it then! Merkite roared angrily, gathering her winds and shooting several tornadoes everywhere, making sure to splatter the sands as much as she could. Where are you!? SHAAAHHH! And then, the sands trembled as dozensno, hundredsof mechanical snake heads emerged endlessly, opening their jaws. Merkite, who was conjuring her magic constantly, was caught off-guard as enormously sharp metallic fangs reached her shoulder, piercing through her skin and flesh. Aagh! MERKITE! Urbosa panicked, rushing towards her and releasing a storm of thunderbolts against the snakes, blowing them up into pieces one after another. However, dozens more came from the ground again, stopping her from reaching her sister as she saw her suddenly growing paler and as her wound started leaking a purple liquid, venom. GET OUT OF MY WAY! Urbosa roared as the thunder within her erupted with tremendous force and power, turning completely white and immediately electrocuting and vaporizing the internal circuits of all the snakes within her vicinity, as the lightning gathered around her like a sphere of pure plasma. BOOOM! With that explosion, the snakes were reduced to melted pieces of metal falling into the sands. She reached Merkite, who was fighting the snakes even after she was bitten and became poisoned. More snakes started coming from the sands once more, attacking Urbosa as she finally reached her sister, making the elder sister roar angrily, showing her sharp teeth. That damn bastard, hes quite the cunning viper, staying under the sands and simply using his extensions to attack us from afar! Urbosa said. Like this, we only have two options: we either escape and let him do whatever he wants, or we continue fighting relentlessly and eventually get killed through a battle of attrition! Sister Merkite muttered. Ugh, make sure to not get bitten; that venom is horrendously painful... Ive used {Death Stagnation} to slow it down, but I dont know if I can keep it up for much longer! Cant you heal it? Death Stagnation is an ability Merkite developed, derived from the Spiritual Divinity of {The Black Wolf of Death and Withering} she had inherited and which she was still understanding and trying to master. It helped someone slow down their deaths by a hundred times. Or anything that could cause death it even made people age slower and work slower. However, it usually doesnt work well with large wounds. Ill try! Urbosa said as she noticed over fifty snake heads reaching her and her sister again. Dammit, we have to fight! Merkite, hang in there! {Life Infusion}! {Body Cleansing}! Urbosa conjured the powers of the Spiritual Divinity of the {The White Wolf of Life and Harvest} that she had also inherited, allowing her to infuse new life force into someone, keeping them alive and healing them greatly, and Body Cleansing, which let her clean a body from impurities. FLUOSH! Ah! Within the second Merkite was successfully healed, the snakes were already about to chomp them down instantly into pieces. Hahahah! You spent too much time healing, fools! The laughter of Nebmaat echoed from under the sands as the two sisters saw the snakes reach them, their hands tightly held. We wanted to do this on our own, but I guess thats impossible after the Spiritual Beast Gods left Yeah, we have a lot to learn, so for now Lets fuse! FLAAASH! Their bodies melded into one, combining their Spiritual Divinities and flesh and blood. Fusion was an incredibly complex and hard technique that not many people could even attempt without dying. However, twins such as Urbosa and Merkite were incredibly compatible with such techniques; Urbosa was merely older than Merkite because she was the one who was born first before her sister. However, indeed, both had always been twins; aside from a few little patterns, the girls dyed their hair different colors so they could be identified much more easily. And after Urbosa had Hekita, her appearance naturally changed as she became a mother; with wider hips and a larger chest, her body matured much more, giving the impression her sister was years younger than her. But indeed, they were twins, incredibly compatible with Spiritual Fusion! No stupid tricks will help you! Nebmaat didnt have the damn time to see them fuse, though; his snakes attacked instantly, releasing countless tornadoes of poisonous fog and fiery flames from hell against them from all fifty snake heads at once. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Hahaha! You must have died from that, surely! The old mans cunning plan worked! He celebrated as he hoped to see their shredded bodies, blood, and organs splatter into the sands below. Yet, as the smoke dissipated, it revealed his snakes were completely torn to shreds, their metallic fangs fractured and destroyed, as they were still trying to bite through their target. What?! As the smoke dissipated, the figure of the entity that was born from the fusion of Urbosa and Merkite emerged: a tall wolf woman whose fur had become black, white, and gold; half of her was black and the other white; with the center of her fur, their chest was golden colored, resembling a Yin and Yang symbol merging their white and black fur together. She was over five meters tall, with a mighty, muscular frame and a feminine beauty akin to that of a beast goddess. With four large arms covered with glistening black and white fur and sharp, black claws, her long tail waved by the wind produced by her body, long and fluffy, ending on a golden-colored tip. The armor the twins were wearing didnt disappear, fusing together as they merged, as Bing Xue had modified their weapons to possess Spiritual Power as well, fusing together once they used Spiritual Fusion, just like it happened before, but now absorbing their Divinities. A golden armor covered several parts of their body, resembling giant dragon scales emanating thunder, winds, light, and darkness, and even their spears fused into a single, enormous spear with two sharp blades at each end, a bident. Not only has their fusion improved from before, but it has also reached a completely new level of ridiculousness as Death and Life Divinities merged into their bodies. T-This is ridiculous, they truly merged?! Nebmaat couldnt believe it. How tough are they? No, that doesnt matter! He quickly decided to dig deeper into the sand and simply escape! Ill get out of here; I dont want to even fight that thing- CLAAANK! However, before he could even escape properly, the beast goddess bident pierced through the mechanical god, and by raising her hands, the enormous snake-shaped machine was lifted into the skies. FLUOSH! W-Whaaaat?! Nebmaat wasnt even believing what he saw, but the entirety of Nehebkau was lifted into the skies by the bident piercing it! No! This cant be! As he screamed in disbelief, the monstrous form of Nehebkau shapeshifted, becoming a mechanical hydra of hundreds of snake heads. The snake heads attempted to bite through Urbosa and Merkites merged forms. Yet CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! The only thing they did was destroy themselves; their fused bodies were incredibly tough, to the point they couldnt even harm her. Even more than before, by fusing Death and Life Elements, they created a barrier of Between Life and Death that negated most damage within a certain threshold. No damage?! Nebmaat screamed, yet the only thing he saw afterwards was the bident spinning within his mechanical gods body. And the jaws of the beast goddess opened, charging thunder and winds of death and life elements together. We cant keep this fusion for much longer! So just die already! Wait! WAIT! WAIT! Nebmaat panicked, but it was too late; a beam of thunder and winds and death and life consumed his machine and him. For a moment, it felt like he suddenly started becoming younger; he felt in bliss, but then death came, consuming his youthfulness as he aged once more. Uuaaaggghh! As he aged, thunder and winds destroyed his mechanical god, while his entire body aged until he became a dried mummy and then fell apart into ashes. BOOOM! ----- Chapter 154: Anubis’ Father ----- Oi, just what the hell is going on over there?! Ahmed screamed as he swung his blade, slashing through a giant Divine Machine and piercing through its defenses with even more ease than before. The young berserk of Egypt had never felt this powerful before until he gained the Ki from Bing Xue. He had never felt so invigorated before! It seems that not only Merneith, but that woman had some sort of ultimate form? An Awakening?! A burly man muttered, and as he swung his bare fists against the machines, enormous golden hands surged as the image of a divine golden statue materialized from his back, crushing its foes with their mere palms. Can that brat really handle that? I know shes being helped by that other girl, but still! Ahmed, despite being a brute, was concerned. As he leaped from Divine Machine to Divine Machine, sometimes there were also non-piloted robots shaped like eagles or other beastsMachine Beasts. Well have to trust them Ahmed, careful! Heba called for Ahmed, who suddenly found himself surrounded by dozens of Machine Beasts attacking him at once, their electromagnetic auras releasing thunderous attacks that he couldnt properly match at their lightning speed. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! However, giant hands made of sand grabbed the Machine Beasts and crushed them with tremendous force, the desert surrounding Alejandria having already become Hebas domain. Her magic was enhanced even further through the Ki gifted to her by Bing Xue; now she was able to control the sands from even farther away and bring them here at incredible speeds. Against all logic, Heba had brought hundreds of long, snake-like arms made of sand with long fingers to catch and then crush any foe within her range. You saved my ass, thanks Ahmed sighed in relief, quickly imbuing more Ki into his Dragon Bone Blade. Time to go all out! As he saw more Machine Beasts and Divine Machines approaching, Ahmed hypercharged his body and sword with his Mana and Ki, unleashing dark red flames shaped like dragons that coiled around his body. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Several slashing attacks reached the nearby mechanical foes, piercing through their defenses and electromagnetic shields and shattering them before their bodies were split apart. At the same time, Sara remained close to Heba, protected by her sands; she conjured buffing magic to make her friends stronger. However, she also... {Glistening Sunlight} Her magic, which was of protection and healing, evolved, as she was now able to harness the sunlight above the skies and turn it into a weapon. FLAAASH! A bright wave of pure sunlight washed over her foes, and the electric circuits within the machines started to malfunction as the light entered them and temporarily stunned or paralyzed them. It only lasted a couple of seconds, but it was enough for Heba to finish these rapid foes with large punches made out of hardened sand fists. BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! As the four Egyptian Hunters battled to protect Alejandria, in the distance, they saw Bing Xues various Doppelgangers fighting as well. She divided them by the dozens; even if that meant splitting their stats, it didnt really matter, as these robot foes were so weak that even 0.01% of her power was enough to absolutely destroy them. They moved in unison, resembling stars shaped as beautiful women. Swinging their hands, Soul Blade attacks slashed foes. And with a mere wave of their arms, large beams of Photon Essence blew them up into pieces. Bing Xue was trapped inside that red crystal, but her clones made of light are fighting just fine? wondered Ahmed. What the hell is going on? Its quite clear; shes simply pretending to be captured, said Mohamed. She wants Merneith and her adoptive daughter to solve this issue and maybe grow stronger out of it... Shes like a parent who doesnt want to make it unfair for their children, perhaps. Maybe with Hekita I can understand, but why Merneith? wondered Heba. She just met her! "Well, didnt she just meet us too, and look how much shes helping us! Ahmed said. Well, whatever, let her do whatever she wants! Were winning, and thats what matters to me anyway. As the berserker swung his blade and tore apart his foes, far away, the battle between the machines reached its climax as Neferteri channeled her Golden Bloodline Powers and combined them with Sets abilities, unleashing Sets Ultimate Form. Although they werent compatible enough to achieve Sets Awakening Form, this Ultimate Form was perhaps even stronger, as it absorbed all the crimson sand that Set could create endlessly, and through her Golden Bloodline Ability, energy was endlessly replenished to create more. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Essentially, she and Set merged into an immortal titan made of red diamonds, endlessly growing, and endlessly regenerating! Merneith, using Ras Awakening form, had been completely left speechless, even more so when Set was so strong already. Do you think that youre powerful just because youve awakened Ra?! Awakening is not everything! laughed Neferteri. Sometimes, simple synergy can create invincible results! Hahahaha! The Empress of the Empire of the Sun laughed as the titan of three hundred meters that Set had become swung its massive red diamond fists against Ra. Merneith gritted her teeth, combining the power of her Golden Bloodline and manipulating the weather above her. Winds and lightning gathered around Ra and fused with its Awakening form, granting it greater explosive power and flight speed. Materializing two spears made of burning plasma, Merneith clashed against the massive fists head-on. CLAAASH! An explosion of flames and burning, boiling diamonds as they melted into transparent liquid erupted as the massive bird pierced through it all. Dont think that getting bigger will help you win! Merneith roared, harnessing the sunlight produced by her ability to boost Ras power even further. She was piercing through the indestructible diamonds at lightning speed. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! As she moved around Sets enormous form, Neferteri smiled, harvesting even more ethereal crops using her golden bloodline ability and healing Set while recovering its energies. Not so bad; youve become amazingly strong. Perhaps even better than your mother at using Ra. However! Unfortunately for Merneith, all the damage she had dealt instantly regenerated as thousands of red diamond spears materialized around Set, who suddenly moved its many arms towards Ra. By attempting to hug Ra, it tried to crush the bird-shaped Mechanical God with tremendous force, all while thousands of spears attempted to pierce its body through every angle. Aahh! Merneith panicked, screaming as Ra was hit not once but dozens of times from many angles she couldnt detect in time, tearing apart pieces of metal out of her machine friend! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! No! Merneith panicked, combining the two spears of plasma and melting them around her body, creating a temporary armor. {Plasma Armor}! The spears of red diamond melted as they touched her, but the amount of energy the plasma required to keep up was simply unsustainable, especially because to produce more sunlight, Merneith had to spend her own stamina. Uuuggghhh! As she screamed while trying to tank the hits and swing Ras claws and talons to release waves of heat, the red diamonds gathered together into harder and tougher shields, defending against her attacks. Hahahaha! Try all you want! Youll die anyway, Merneith! Set gathered the powers of Neferteri and fused them together with its red sand, gathering a giant sphere of red diamonds around Merneith and trapping her inside. The red diamonds made of red sand constantly gathered together and compressed even further, beginning to quickly fill the sphere with diamonds tough enough that not even plasma itself could pierce through them easily. Ra! Please dont let me down now! Merneith cried, harnessing the powers of the Golden Bloodline and constantly grinding through the red diamonds. Her spears managed to pierce through and shatter it, only for more and more to continue growing endlessly. Giant spears of red diamond emerged, hitting through Ra as it barely managed to evade, constantly making things even worse for her. Ohhh, Ive waited for this moment for so long! said Neferteri. Finally, seeing you struggle in agony, you bastard child! I want nothing but you to die, so the last remaining bloodline of that detestable woman is gone! Merneith continued pushing herself harder and harder, and Ra resembled a small sun as it clashed against the ever-growing diamonds, trying to somehow breakthrough! Shut up! I will never die against you! I will avenge my mother! As she cried, suddenly What an awful thing to say to someone! Youre a really bad person! The voice of Hekita echoed behind Neferteri as Set quickly twisted its entire body, growing four more arms and attacking Anubis before he and Hekita could surprise him. And youre nothing but a filthy thief that took my sons robot! Hekita intercepted the incoming blows with Anubis arms, which she rapidly reinforced with her powers and imbued with Mana, Spirit Energy, and Ki combined together. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Anubis arms grew to a disproportional size, ten times as big as their main body, somehow managing to hold on against the incoming blows for a couple of seconds. Anubis is not your sons property! Hes not just a robot either! What?! Mechanical Gods might be venerated as deities, but at the end, theyre nothing but machines for us to use! Neferteri grew more furious and frustrated after hearing Hekita try to lecture her, rapidly releasing a powerful storm of crimson sand against Anubis. They arent objects! Theyre friends! With Hekitas innocent words, suddenly, Anubis aura grew ten times larger, expanding like an endless world of darkness. This was the same technique Akhenaten had used before to trap Merneith and Bing Xue, but now it was even more improved, fusing Mana and Spirit Energy together with Ki! Therefore, it didnt just create a large cloud of dark matter and Anubis reduced to nanobots, but it created a space-distorting domain! {Dark Underworld Domain}! TRUUUM! The darkness expanded everywhere, engulfing Set and Ra inside a world of pure darkness, which quickly took shape as thousands of phantasmal spirits emerged. W-What is this?! Neferteri grew confused and began to rapidly grow colder! The phantasmal spirits bypassed her defenses and entered her machine, groaning at her and touching her body. They couldnt physically harm her, but their cold touch made her feel tremendous fear! You killed us! Why?! Why did you destroy my village?! What did we do to deserve what you did to us! You monster! YOU MONSTER! They were all ghosts of the aliens that Neferteri had slaughtered in the past in the many world conquests in which she had participated. They werent the real ghosts of these people but were formed out of her own memories; this was the power of Anubis new and improved Domain. N-No! Get away from meeee! I didnt! I didnt commit any sins! You were just Aaaahhh! Neferteri started to scream as she lost control of Set, who was also growing confused with its Artificial Intelligence. Although it was loyal to her and desired to protect her, it couldnt do anything to help her right now. As it lost control, the red sand and the red diamonds it could summon and manipulate began to shatter apart and dissipate. Set was trying to calculate what to do, but with Neferteri going insane, it could hardly do anything! See? suddenly, Anubis spoke. Youre only letting HER decide what to do Set! You must wake up! Dont let her control you! RAAAHH! However, despite Anubis trying to solve things peacefully, Set didnt hesitate to roar and attack once he found him close by. Careful, Anubis! Hekita tried to dissipate Anubis into the domain and escape, but Set imbued his energies into this single attack, reaching Anubis faster than he could disappear. CLAAASH! With a powerful punch made of red diamonds, Anubis was sent flying, gaining countless cracks across his body. Guggh! Dont speak like were friends ANUBIS! However, Set did have a mind of his own, roaring back at Anubis with anger! But you are my father! Anubis screamed as he tried to reason with the furious Set. I have no son! Set roared. Traitor! DIE! RAAAHH! Gathering electromagnetic energies within his chest, Set released a gigantic beam of crimson light against Anubis. ANUBIS, MOVE! Hekita tried to help Anubis, but after hearing those words, Anubis developing emotions were impacted, leaving him slightly speechless. BOOOM! ----- Chapter 155: Awakening Beyond The Boundaries Of The Divine ----- Bing Xue saw the incoming attack and was already moving to save Hekita. However, she stopped midway through, seeing how Hekita was not intending to give up yet. Anubis, you dummy! Dont let those words affect you! She gathered her powers, combining them into a mighty fusion of essences: Ki, Mana, Spirit Energy, and the Electromagnetic Essence within Anubis. Everything became a sphere of golden energies, which she expanded, giving her the ability to control the Domain. FLUOSH! Suddenly, the dark domain twisted space and gathered together in front of Anubis, creating a huge black mirror. The red beam reached the mirror, and then FLASH! It was reflected, being fired back at Set and blowing away its chest! BOOOM! Oh? This girl Shes really quite something. Bing Xue remained still, deciding to watch some more. For someone as mighty as herself, sometimes the best action was to do nothing and watch. If she intended to see them grow on their own, intervening and making things easier wasnt the way. Uuggh! Set groaned as it saw its chest being torn apart; although it was only the armor made of red diamonds, it was as if it could feel the impact. RAAAHH! However, after smiling, the Mechanical God of War and Deserts smiled before roaring back, quickly conjuring several more beams harnessing energies from the red diamonds. Those are too many! Hekita panicked as Anubis regained his composure. Hekita sorry! Its fine! We have to evade, hurry! Lets synchro! Okay! Hekita and Anubis minds and bodies became one, synchronizing into the same being; they moved dexterously and combined their strengths and energy reserves. Using Anubis special ability within his domain, they did short-range teleportation, evading the incoming crimson beams one after another. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! As they evaded, Hekita used the Black Mirror she made to reflect some of the attacks, hitting Set back to deal some damage that was ultimately regenerated back anyway. However, Set was still without moving an inch and only attacked from afar, constantly waiting for Neferteri to wake up from the nightmares she was having thanks to the phantom spirits harassing her. AAAHH! IVE HAD ENOUGH! However, Set roared furiously, suddenly harnessing even more energy and releasing it all at once, as hundreds of crimson beams reached Anubis and the Domain itself. Each explosive attack blew up a part of the domain, making it dissipate and weaken. Explosion after explosion, the dark domain weakened, and so did the phantoms. Ah! As Hekita saw more beams that she could evade surround her, suddenly CRYAAAH! The roar of Ra echoed behind her, rushing in front of Anubis and then deflecting every beam with large plasma shields and then swinging their plasma spears, slicing the beams themselves apart. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! As the explosions erupted one after another, Ra grabbed Anubis and flew out of the black cloud, the domain, into the skies above. Merneith! Youre ok! Hekita said happily. Somehow! said Merneith. Your attack earlier freed me. For some reason Set didnt even notice, what happened? Your auntie is suffering mental attacks from the ghosts of her past, but! BOOOM! Just as Hekita was explaining how it worked, the technique instantly dissipated as the entire domain Anubis created exploded, dissipating into thin air. There, Set emerged; most of his titanic form had been destroyed thanks to the constant attacks that Anubis domain inflicted upon it. However, with each second, crimson sand gathered around it and rapidly fused and compressed into new red diamonds, helping the already huge Mechanical God become even larger! Its already growing back up! Ah! This is endless! Merneith complained. And at the same time, a very furious Neferteri could be heard from within the Mechanical God as Set harnessed her powers, recovering all of its energy lost. YOU WILL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO ME, YOU LITTLE BITCHES! While bleeding from her nose due to the slight brain damage she took, she roared furiously. Having gone completely mad, Neferteri, the proud empress, had now degenerated into a vulgar woman. Shes already back to normal?! Hekita gasped. Then what can we! DIE!!! However, in that moment, the two Mechanical Gods were surrounded by hundreds of massive spears made of red diamonds, rushing down towards them. Hekita! Stay close to me! O-Okay! Ra and Anubis absorbed the powers of their pilots, clashing against the incoming attacks! Swinging their weapons created out of their main elements while trying to survive. However, as the seconds went by, the attacks became more and more intense. Neferteri had gone completely insane, putting all her energy and stamina into killing these two girls. I WONT STOP UNTIL YOURE TORN TO SHREDS!!! As everything happened, the two girls piloting the Mechanical Gods began to grow rapidly tired and exhausted of everything. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. This battle seemed just utterly impossible. Sets powers were beyond unfair, and they synergized too incredibly well with Neferteri. Did they even have a chance to win at all this entire time? Its hopeless Merneith thought. Mom I wont be able to avenge you. Ahh Is this really it?! Hekita thought. B-But I dont I dont want to lose! Their hearts, full of anguish and fear, began to resonate with the wills of their Mechanical Gods, who wanted to protect them more than anything. Master Ra thought. No, I wont let you die! Hekita Anubis thought. I promised I wouldnt let you die, my friend! FLASH! Suddenly, golden flames surged from Hekita and Merneiths chests. (Listen While Reading: The Last Element ) Eh? Huh?! Their Essences, Ki, Mana, and Spirit Energy, converged once more with the Wills of the Mechanical Gods. This time, an ancient program long ago suppressed was beginning to reawaken within these machines! Information suddenly flowed inside of their minds. HAHAHAAH! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIEEEE! As they Heard the insane laughter of Neferteri in the background, suddenly, it felt as if their minds and hearts were one with their Mechanical Gods. And even with one another! Anubis and Ras Digital Souls connected as rivers of black and red energies converged. This is Ra? What are you implying?! Merneith gasped. Is this Is this even possible?! CRAAAH! Anubis You mean we can do this?! Hekita muttered. Really?! Yes, my friend! The two Mechanical Gods glanced at one another as more and more spears of red diamonds reached them. And then Then lets do it! Merneith and Hekita roared in unison. As the Essences of the Mechanical Gods combined with their pilots. And then with one another RUMBLE! Huh?! Neferteris eyes widened as they almost popped out of her skull. An explosion of golden lightning echoed from within the two Mechanical Gods, erupting with tremendous force. Enough to blow away the red diamond spears into pieces! Hm? When did they Ah! Suddenly, she saw it! The two Mechanical Gods were beginning to separate into many parts! What is happening?! What are they doing?! The hearts of Merneith, Ra, Hekita, and Anubis became one. Ra, God of Sun! Merneith roared, her Soul converging with Ra. CRYAAAH! Ras mighty roar echoed across the skies as the sunlight resonated with its body as it separated into pieces. Anubis, God of the Underworld! Hekita named her friend, as its Soul converged with hers. AWOOOO! Anubis entire body separated into many pieces, flying around Ras pieces. Stop! STOP WHATEVER YOURE DOING RIGHT NOW! Neferteri had a strange feeling that if she didnt stop them now. She would regret it! Set moved towards them, his massive claws about to tear them apart. Yet BOOOM! An explosion of golden lightning blew up its arms, coming from the two Mechanical Gods as they were They were fusing! {Divine Mechanical God Fusion}! CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! The sound of metal hitting against one another echoed across the deserts and the sky. Everyone that was in this battle glanced the skies at the birth of a new God. Anubis and Ras pieces merged together, assembling a brand-new entity. A brand-new divinity! Black and Red merged with Gold, their colors resonating. Their elements were so different from one another, yet they created the strongest fusion. Suddenly, the red and black merged together, turning bright blue. The bright blue color merged with gold, creating a tall, humanoid figure. With the heads of Ra and Anubis on its left and right shoulder. With the mighty sharp talons of Ra, with the giant black claws of Anubis. And with a completely new head, resembling a stoic and wise god, with a long, golden crown, and fierce crimson eyes. Holding upon a massive staff shaped as both a sword and a scythe. And with a tremendous Aura of Divinity and Benevolence. An Ancient, Forgotten Primordial God was reborn. {Primordial Mechanical God: Amun-Ra-Anubis}! FLASH! Suddenly, it spread its wingsfour wings made of black and red flames, which quickly merged into two wings of blue flames. Phantasmal flames spread around Amun, gathering and forming hundreds of blazing specters shaped as ferocious jackals and hawks. Merneith and Hekita found themselves within a completely new interior, expansive and wide, and the two girls met. Is thisdid this really happen?! We fused! Merneith said. I know! Hekita giggled. This is amazing! They realized their clothes had changed too, as both were wearing full-body suits made of azure metal, which seemed to connect them with Amun on a soul level. Masters. Amuns stoic and manly voice echoed from within his interior. Set must not be underestimated even now! We must go all-out and stop his rampage before he kills any more innocents! Yes, youre right! Merneith nodded. T-Then lets do it! Hekita said, wagging her tail in excitement. As their minds and souls synchronized with Amun, suddenly, Neferteri laughed. Amun-Ra-Anubis?! she laughed. Hahahaha! Dont make me laugh! You have gained no new power at all! YOU WEAKLINGS! DIE! Gigantic claws made of crimson diamonds reached Amun. Yet his bright crimson eyes met the diamond, and then Mind and body, as one. {Chronicles of the Old Kingdom} Amuns voice echoed across the entire of Egypt. By swinging his strange weapon, Amun-Ra-Anubis suddenly disturbed space and time, shattering reality itself. SLAAASH! A-Ah! What?! Suddenly, Neferteri and Set felt as if time itself had returned to its beginning. They saw the world around them being born. The eight primordial gods created the earth, the air, the sea, and the sands And even the sun. Yet who was above them all, scribing the worlds beginnings? T-This is?! Lord Amun?! Neferteri, who was actually an Atheist and never truly believed in the Egyptian Gods, was left flabbergasted. {Act 1}: {The Beginning} And then space and reality closed SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Countless slash attacks were released within a split second. Sets crimson diamond claws were torn to shreds and then reduced to atoms. A-Ah?! Neferteri and Set had the exact same reaction! {Chronicles of the Old Kingdom} Their eyes widened as they heard Amun speak again. This time, he was above them. No! STOP HIM, SET! Neferteri cried as Set rushed towards Amun, swinging his claws against Set before he could finish his incantation! But it was too late. {Act 2}: {The Earths Birth} SLAAASH! Another slashing attack reached Set, but this time it tried to evade, only to find itself within a complete black void. GAH?! And then, out of nowhere, a massive boulder, the size of the world, struck it down with tremendous force. BOOOM! The red diamonds protecting his body shattered one after another, almost leaving his body completely exposed. Then, Neferteri and Set found themselves over the sands of the desert, without realizing what even hit them! T-This is?! How is this even a power a machine can create?! Neferteri glared into the skies furiously. Yet Amun was already standing in front of her and Set. This is the power of Amun-Ra-Anubis, Book of Creation! Merneith and Hekitas voices echoed within the huge machine. Do you yield, aunt? Merneith wanted to solve things peacefully until the last moment. Please let go of Set! said Hekita. A-Ah Neferteri smiled a bit. Suuure I give I give up! As she said this and Set lowered its head, Amun moved towards her to take her out of the machine. And yet LIKE HELL, I WOULD GIVE UP, YOU SHITTY BRATS! However, until the last moment, she didnt give up. She was a wicked woman, but she had an endless tenacity. Set materialized two gigantic swords with all the energy it had left and swung them down against Amun, aiming to split it apart. Yet {Phantoms of the Past} FLUOSH! Suddenly, the specters that tormented Neferteri again emerged by the hundreds, gathering around the two swords and reducing them to dust. Crack, crack! CRASH! The phantoms suddenly gathered around the machine and his pilot, screaming and constantly wailing as they remembered their agonizing deaths. Uuaaagggh! Neferteri screamed in horror again, reliving what she had gone through just a couple minutes ago. They gave you a chance, and you decided to betray their trust, Amun said as a white book materialized, made of stone. For that, I sentence you to drowning to death! The book glowed with new symbols as space and time around the two machines distorted. {Chronicles of the Old Kingdom} Neferteri panicked, screaming. No! NOT AGAIN! {Act 3}: {The Creation of the Oceans} SPLAAASH! An endless, primordial, watery abyss manifested drowning Set and Neferteri inside. The seas were unwieldy; no matter how hard Set tried to swim, it would endlessly drown. G-GRAAGGH! MASTER! He screamed as the water entered his wounds and rapidly drowned Neferteri inside. No! Wait! Guuggghh! Uuaaggh! The woman screamed as her lungs were filled with water to the brim. The primordial oceans mercilessly drowned the two. Until Neferteri no longer moved, and Set internal circuits were completely crushed by the seas pressure. At the end, the only thing remaining was Sets pieces floating over the seas and Neferteris cold and lifeless body. Judgement has been given! Amun closed the book as everything returned to normal. ----- Original Title: Mechanical God Fusion! The Awakening Of Amun-Ra-Anubis! I changed it because it would ruin the surprise, hehe. Chapter 156: The Lurking Spider Makes Her Move ----- Her spiderwebs extended across the worlds spiritual plane, which had been mostly unexplored since Earths Awakening by the arrival of the Tower. Mana permeated the world and twisted reality; Gates expanded and sometimes gave birth to Dungeons. And every time this essence was left behind, space was more distorted and transformed. A plane where the spiritual and ethereal exist was ripe for the taking, and completely unused by any person within the entire globe. When her Primal Divinity was summoned into this world, completely made out of Primal Power alone, a supernatural energy yet completely tied to different laws, she felt overjoyed. This world, full of rich and easy to absorb and wield energies, was hers, and she expanded; her spiders walked through the land while her divinity spread across the spiritual plane of Earth, rapidly expanding her spiderwebs, creating her Domain below everyones noses. And then she answered the call of despairing souls, of corrupted, dark minds full of anger and frustration, those that were insane and evil, who had no god to call for help, those that desired revenge and to stand supreme but were always defeated by the heroes. She answered their call as the Queen of Cunningness and Treachery, Lady of the Dark Caves, and Mother of all the Despicable Ones. Why Why did I have to die?! Its not fair! I worked so hard for this! For everything! Yes, you worked so hard, my dear. Its unfair, isnt it? I am the Empress! I AM THE EMPRESS!!! "Yes, you are. And as an Empress, you shouldnt let others dictate your fate. You must control them. Yes! Why did this happen to me?! Indeed, why? The world is so unfair for our ilk. The Soul of Neferteri was being absorbed by this Divinity, her endless frustration and hatred making her a prime vessel for her manifestations. However, there were other vengeful souls with her, not as powerful, not as vengeful, but that were good enough to complement her. I should have been the pharaoh! My brother is nothing but a bastard! Thats right, my son. You should have been the pharaoh; you worked so hard That damn kid playing being a pharaoh, why?! I even managed to kill his father, yet he was able to steal the throne from me! How HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?! Its very unfair, right? We should kill that kid and give you the throne instead. Im so tired of all of this! Wheres my brother?! Wheres my empire! Why am I stranded here?! Why must I suffer with these useless fools that cant do a single thing! Thats right! Theyre all so useless and pathetic, my sunshine~ Youre the only perfect one in the entire world~ Her tender words easily convinced them to serve her, their souls completely overwhelmed by her dark, motherly embrace. She was the Mother of all Corrupted after all. Now lets go, my children; its time for you to fight back And for me? To take everything you possess. That technology, your knowledge, I want it all~! Black and purple-colored energies suddenly started leaking from the destroyed Mechanical Gods across the four different cities and even from the corpses of their pilots. . . . Amon-Ra-Anubis, born from the fusion between Ra and Anubis after combining the Mana, Spiritual Energy, and Ki of Merneith and Hekita, closed his book, a divine weapon he could manifest at will. His sharp crimson eyes closed, noticing that his existence was already fading away. The combination of two Mechanical Gods was never fully developed by their makers, but it was a dormant program that awakened upon the absorption of supernatural energies. Mana, Ki, and Hekitas Spiritual Energy that allowed Anubis to reach new levels and recover quickly, was the key, and it could even be said that it was thanks to her abilities that this was possible. It seems my time is limited, he said. Hekita, Merneith. You may not be able to call for my help very soon. My powers are too extreme and create a great burden on Ra and Anubis. If there were more machines to combine, it might be different However, the results of fusions will greatly change depending on what Gods you combine. Bear this in mind. O-Okay Thank you, muttered Merneith. Um, are you truly Amun? That I am, nodded the giant mech. Perhaps not like you imagined, but I am the concentration and crystallization of Mythology and History, the Belief and Faith of people of ancient Times created my hypothetical existence. And through Ra and Anubis, I was able to manifest briefly. Woah, thats awesome! Hekita said. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The Ancient Egyptians knew this: that their Gods could never be truly real; therefore, we Mechanical Gods were created, our cores, the crystallization of their faith and belief, of their history and mythology. That world lacked Magic like this one; supernatural forces could never amass to create Gods. He explained. I see Bing Xue nodded, descending from the skies. So thats how the Mechanical Gods were created? That is very interesting. Ive visited other worlds before, and Gods are indeed created this way, sometimes. Amassing History and Mythology together to create a hypothetical existence, and through these supernatural energies such as Mana, and Divine Power which is a highly refined form of Mana, their Divinities are made. So that world had the amassed Mythology and History, Belief and Faith, but no supernatural energies to create Gods divine bodies and divinities, huh? Indeed, nodded Amun. Because of that, they made a special crystal, a synthesized material capable of harnessing psychic energies; this is how Faith was harnessed inside, crystalizing into the God Cores we all have. And so they built bodies for their gods, making them real even with the absence of divinity and magic. Thats really interesting, nodded Bing Xue. Anyways, it seems youre already dissipating? Your power is impressive. My hypothetical existence is brief, yes, Amun nodded. So I shall be leaving within seconds from now. However, truth be told, your power is even greater. Without you helping these girls, it would have been never possible for me to manifest. I am grateful to you, Bing Xue. Amun bowed to Bing Xue, and as Merneith gasped, her greatest of gods was bowing to someone else! Now I shall leave, Amun smiled at Merneith and Hekita, who had already stepped out of him, floating using Hekitas magic. Be careful, however. The fight might not be over yet Amun quickly dissipated into particles of azure light as Ra and Anubis returned to their original forms, looking at their own bodies in disbelief. Just what happened?! Anubis wondered. Craaah? Ra groaned. As the two Mechanical Gods separated and recovered their form, Merneith and Hekita smiled, nodding happily. We did it, guys! said Hekita. Well done you two! That was amazing, Ra! I had no idea we could do that! Merneith said. As Bing Xue noticed that the battles across the four different cities finally came to an end and the threat from this parallel timeline was finally taken care of, she sighed in relief. Well, finally time to rest Or so I would wish to think. She glared at the torn-apart Set, which was emanating a constant aura of black and purple, otherworldly energies. Primal Power. However, it was strange, twisted and transformed, enhanced, and made even stronger. This level of Primal Power surpassed even the Primal King. And it was more akin to a malevolent Divinity of its own! Hmm, is this what Amun meant by the battle not being over? She crossed her arms as she glanced at a sudden eruption of this black and purple energy, resembling a deadly poisonous fog that spread out everywhere, leaving behind rivers of miasma that contaminated the desert. RUMBLE! W-What was that?! Eh? Thats! The two girls panicked as they heard the tremor echoing below them and then the expanding domain of black and purple fog. Whats happening?! What is this cold and weird presence? Merneith asked in disbelief. FLUOSH! The fog expanded at an alarming rate; within mere seconds, hundreds of meters had been covered, turning the sand completely pitch black and covered on purple-colored crystals as sharp as blades. But that wasnt all; the corpses of the invaders and their destroyed machines quickly began to move on their own once more, and the black and purple fog clouds, which Bing Xue immediately realized were a modified type of Primal Power, started possessing them. The destroyed gold and black colored machines gained purple and gray colors, growing purple crystals over their bodies, somehow beginning to rapidly combine back together, forming monstrous chimeric metallic aberrations in the shape of spiders. Hundreds of mechanical, aberrant spiders were born within seconds, and to make things even worse, Set pieces and Neferteris corpse were also back up. Oh, now this is interesting~ Belze smiled as she glanced at the scene; the monstrosities being born were overflowing with a power she had yet to fully assimilate herself. Meanwhile, the Egyptian Hunters glanced at the scene in disbelief. What the hell is going on?! Didnt we win?! Ahmed asked furiously. Why are they standing back up as if nothing?! Mohamed wondered. This makes no sense! I sense an evil presence; a malevolent false god has manifested within those corpses and machines! Sara immediately could sense evil presences. It is manifesting across all of them! How How is this possible?! Where did this false god come from?! A false god? You mean the ones from the tower? Heba asked. But that shouldnt be possible; they arent allowed to come here. Let alone influence in such a direct way! RAAAARRGGH! Bing Xue crossed her arms as she smiled, seeing the monstrous spider-shaped metallic giant formed out of Sets body, covered with black and gray steel and purple crystals. And overflowing with an aura of malice beyond this worlds boundaries. I thought I could take a little break before this other problem started getting annoying, she sighed. Merneith! MERNEITH!!! ILL DESTROY IT ALL! YOU AND EVERYONE HEREEEE! And the voice of Neferteri reverberated across the entire desert, her drowned corpse reanimated and infused with a malevolent and poisonous Primal Power, mutating her into an undead spider-like woman fused with Sets steel and wires, ultimately giving them the appearance of a massive Arachne. Seriously, you really wont let me have a small break, hm? As Bing Xue prepared to fight and finish this, across the other cities, the same scene could be seen: the machines that had been destroyed and their pilots all came back to life infected by this fog. W-Whats happening?! Mursha panicked as she saw the giant female mechanical goddess she had slain suddenly transform into a huge dragonfly and spider-like chimeric metallic monstrosity. RAAAARRGHH! Its painful metallic scream reverberated across the entire desert as it flew not towards her but towards Alejandria, only leaving behind the smaller spider monsters that charged against the city. Fiery Hair! Look! Ah?! Huh?! GRUOOOHHH! Peperina and Fiery Hair noticed the giant stone-wielding mechanical god they fought rapidly reform itself, infected by new powers and reanimated, fused with its pilot, and turned into a massive beetle and spider hybrid monstrosity. It spread out its massive wings, flying away as the girls gave chase, leaving behind the other hunters to take care of the mechanical spiders. What in the world?! Urbosa, dont let him escape! SHAAAHHH! At the same time, Urbosa and Merkite glanced as a massive centipede and spider-like hybrid abomination emerged from the countless mechanical snake heads they had cut down, merged with the old man that died inside of the machine. The monstrosity moved across the desert seeking something. Bing Xue, who had spread her Doppelgangers everywhere, could clearly see that something odd was going on; instead of aiming for the cities, the reanimated giant machines all ran towards Neferteri. Is this Primal God trying to match my strength by merging them all together? Ridiculous However, after having seen all those fights without participating that much, Bing Xue wanted to stretch a bit and try her new abilities. Hmm, maybe Ill let you do that. Fine. Entertain me. She seemed expectant. But please, dont disappoint me. ----- Chapter 157: Bing Xue Against A Primal Goddess ----- (Bing Xues POV) In front of me, something I had slightly predicted was happening. The strange presence that had been summoned into this world a day or so ago, which had been mostly dormant and slowly expanding across the wastelands of the USA. Suddenly appeared all the way here on Egypt, a Divine Entity of some sort, most likely summoned here from a different world or timeline. I believe this thing might have some connection to the third tribe of Cavemen that had come to Earth through the gray portals. I cannot simply glance at every inch of the world and what is happening in here, even less when I am in another world. However, the presence I sensed, and the origin of this presence provided me with some clues. Amun was fantastic though, and seeing Merneith and Hekita grow closer together as friends while combining Ra and Anubis was amazing; I actually didnt see that coming at all. Therefore, Neferteri and Set were defeated, and so were the rest of the otherworldly Egyptians and their mechanical gods. Weve won. This intruder, this uninvited guest that appeared and thought she could not only snatch the bodies of the deceased but their souls and even their machines, turning them all into monsters to strengthen her own manifestation doesnt count. Yes, they won; therefore, what happens afterwards is my responsibility, and I will end this myself so the rest can finally rest and have their well-deserved break. Why is she back?! Merneith cried. And what happened to her? Why is she some monster now? Ugh She looked disgusted. Mom! What do we do?! Hekita asked as she was sitting over Anubis hand. We have to stop it! Hm I nodded, glancing down; there were roughly two hundred arachnid mechanical monstrosities. They were at least three to four times stronger than the original Divine Machines or Machine Beasts. However, nothing that Anubis and Ra cant take care of anyway. Okay, Ill take care of the big shot, I said. Hekita, Merneith, destroy the spiders down there that are trying to get into Alejandria. I had already set up a mighty barrier around the city anyways, so they werent getting inside any time soon. It was an enhanced Starlight Barrier with Divine Photon Essence added into the mix. However, the power that these things held was similar, if not stronger, to what the Primal King wielded. A very refined, powerful version of Primal Power. And I fear their origin might be from an entity even stronger, a God of some sort, that originates from the Primal Earth where Fiery Hair and the cavemen came from. A God born from the Myths of that world, an arachnid one at that, with a treacherous and evil personality, and capable of not only bending primal power completely to its will but expanding its own existence through it. In the absence of Mana and other energies like Spirit Energy, the Divinities of Primal Earth found other ways to be born, Primal Power itself. Seeing how thick and cloudy this energy is and how alive it feels, much stronger than even Mana, Spirit Energy, or Ki, it is quite clear that whoever somehow managed to be born out of it entirely is several times stronger than their counterparts, even more if its a god. A warrior born in this Primal Earth that has only used Primal Power, like Fiery Hair, is tremendously powerful, beyond any hunter on this planet. Then a God born from Primal Power alone, when compared to the other Gods Ive been fighting Yeah, I can already begin to imagine it. A monster, one that might be worth my time. Eh? Youre taking it on your own?! asked Merneith. But Its fine! Mama is super-duper strong; she kills gods easily! Hekita said. "Anubis, lets go stop the spiders! The Demons will join us! Okay! Anubis nodded. Fine Merneith sighed. But dont die, Bing Xue! Merneith jumped over her mechanical god, Ra, and quickly entered it. Once both girls flew away from my sight, the approaching, fifty-meter-tall Arachne-shaped monstrosity drew closer. Her appearance was beyond hideousa combination of metal, purple crystals, black and gray steel, and fog everywhere. Even worse, the corpse of Neferteri had been infected and merged with the metal of Set, fusing with it and growing gigantic, resembling an Arachne as her torso rested over Sets monstrous form. Yeah, this new God really loves spiders; she will turn anything she blesses into them. Ive never been someone that liked creepy crawlies, honestly. So Ill have to take care of it. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! This city Ill destroy it! ILL DESTROY EVERYTHING! Neferteri was dead, yet her soul had been somewhat sealed and cursed within her own corpse, and Set, fusing with the mechanical gods shattered core, the two became a single aberrant creature. RAAAARRGGH! The spider-like head that was Set groaned, opening its jaws and suddenly beginning to charge purple-colored energies, firing a massive beam against the barrier surrounding the city. BOOOM! The beam was tremendously strong, generating a massive explosion over the barrier. However, it seemed that the barrier could hold on just fine- Crack! Never mind, it seems that this careless barrier I set up might not be able to hold back too much, a mere beam created a crack, and several of them could open a small part. This only further proves to me that this spider is quite strong, good. Alright, Ill take you on. I stepped into the empty air, reaching the giant monstrosity within a second. GRRHHH?! I remember you! Youre that one that one that got trapped?! DIE! She barely remembered me as someone who got trapped and couldnt be helped. She swung her massive claws, resembling crab-like pincers, big and heavy enough to blow up dozens of buildings per blow. I glanced at the incoming blow as I reinforced my body with my Venerable Aura, tightly wrapping it around my body. And taking the form of a Blade. {Dao of the Blade}: {Sword Physique} SLAAASH! The moment the claws reached me and touched my body, they were rapidly being sliced apart, tearing down and exploding as golden flames spread through the wounds. GRYYAAAGH?! The monstrous woman screamed in agony very loudly as I glanced into her eyes, unsheathing my Yin and Yang sword. Despite using Soul Blade being efficient sometimes, using another sword, plus Soul Blade, will create a wonderful effect. My turn. I unleashed my Divinity and my Venerable Aura, summoning an inferno of flames as the heavens above trembled, crimson clouds gathered around my body, and fire started raining down, destroying the smaller spider machines that got in the way. {Primordial Heaven Soul Blade: Red Heaven Inferno} Wha?! Neferteri groaned in confusion before I swung my blade horizontally against her; the crimson clouds and the endless inferno of flames erupted at the same time, releasing a slashing wave. Which, thanks to the simple [Quadruple Slash (S)] Skill, was divided by four. SLAAASH! SLAAASH! SLAAASH! SLAAASH! Four slashing waves of flames reached Neferteris aberrant body, splitting apart her arms, then her torso, and then her spider legs one after another, followed by blazing explosions. UUAAAGGGHH! Her scream reverberated across the entire desert as her entire body was set ablaze. I felt disappointed, though, that Barbarian God was tougher than this. Looks like one technique was enough to defeat you? For proclaiming yourself as the new God of this world, youre quite pathetic, spider. SILENCE! I heard her furious scream; it wasnt Neferteris voice anymore, but that of an ancient arachnid goddess from the Primal Earth, surging from within Neferteri and Sets fused and split apart bodies. This world is mine to plunder and feast on! she said. I wont let you take it away from me! Then I heard Neferteri again; I couldnt completely tell if it was her or the Spider speaking through her. Nonetheless, it didnt matter. RUMBLE! Giant spider legs grew from their destroyed body as countless fleshy tendrils and wires wrapped around one another, quickly regenerating her back together instantly. Interesting, so you can do that. PERISH! She opened her spider-like jaws and released several purple beams against me, which I noticed could distort space slightly. They werent as potent as Void itself, but they were certainly powerful. Therefore, I had to intercept them with my own long-ranged attacks, right? FLAAASH! I let go of my current form as I transformed into a being of pure light, glistening brightly as if I were a second sun above the skies. Using this form, I harnessed energy within my chest, releasing it all at once. {Primordial Spiritual Body Arts}: {Divine Photon Beam} BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The golden beams of Divine Photon Essence clashed and exploded against the ones fired from the arachnid, blowing up into loud explosions above the skies. I stepped forward, flying at lightning speed and reaching Neferteri, confronting her with my Yin and Yang Sword. Perish. I swung my sword, channeling the power of Heaven once more. {Heavenly Soul Blade}! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! GRAAAHH! She roared back as she was being split apart, swinging her massive pincers and clashing against my body, constantly attempting to cut through my body. Ive had enough of your screams. I kicked her head and blew it up into pieces. BOOOM! GUUUGH?! Sets spider-like face groaned in pain after feeling Neferteris entire head explode into ashes. It quickly started rushing towards the city, while its divine aura continued to expand, generating countless spiritual spiders made of primal power. Not going to work. I kicked them, punched them, and sliced them apart as they came. Within a second, I reached the huge spiders body, quickly absorbing the essence of heaven into my sword and growing it to a ridiculous size. {Primordial Heaven Sword}: {Nirvana}! A sword I once used to split the heavens and the earth of Murim to defeat the mighty Venerables standing on my path. Now I use it against a corrupt being of evil. Begone! SLAAAASH! The vertical slash not only split the giant spider apart, but golden flames, electricity, and light consumed its two halves instantly. The aberrant and agonizing scream of the spider machine echoed as its entire body battled to survive, constantly trying to regrow anew while burning to death. Almost ALMOST THERE! However, I heard her voice, as I suddenly saw several giant machines rushing towards the massive spider monstrosity. One resembled a huge centipede, another a dragonfly, and the last a beetle. Although they also had spider-like traits. Oh right, you wanted to do this. I saw my wives chasing the mechanical insects; some of them already had serious wounds. I guess they were trying their best, but after being reanimated, these things really got tougher. CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! The giant insects reached the dying spider monstrosity, quickly merging with it in a similar fashion to how Amun-Ra-Anubis was born. FLUOSH! An explosion of black and purple lightning surged from within its new, remade form as a massive feminine and humanoid figure materialized. With eight spider-like legs coming from her back, six humanoid arms with long and sharp claws, and a spider-like head with slender legs and sharp talons in them, she materialized. [Warning! An Unknown Otherworldly Goddess has physically manifested into your world!] [The Evil Arachnid Queen of Malice and Cunningness, the Great Web Mother, Arashkaghl-Dolth has manifested!] [Her Divinity Aura Domain spread further around her body, disrupting and corrupting the worlds laws to fit her own Divinity!] Even the System alerted me of this being fully manifesting. Aaahh! This is a decent avatar for my divine manifestation! The voice of a woman echoed from the massive one-hundred-meter-tall machine of black and dark purple colors, with several spider-like eyes made of red jewels across their slender body. So you come from the Primal Earth? I asked her with a smile. Be happy; I let you fully manifest, or it wouldnt have been satisfying to defeat you. Hah, she smiled at me, crossing her six arms. Dont think you can stop me now, fool. Her crimson eyes shone as space around me began to distort. {Eight Eyes of Malice}: {Space Destroying Eye} TRUUUM! And space itself was deleted, alongside me. ----- Chapter 158: Eight Eyes Of Malice Listen While Reading: Well Matched ----- A gigantic humanoid machine materialized through the fusion of the corrupted mechanical gods; with a slight arachnid appearance, her massive body towered before everything else. [Warning! An Unknown Otherworldly Goddess has physically manifested into your world!] [The Evil Arachnid Queen of Malice and Cunningness, the Great Web Mother, Arashkaghl-Dolth has manifested!] [Her Divinity Aura Domain spread further around her body, disrupting and corrupting the worlds laws to fit her own Divinity!] Even the System alerted me of this being fully manifesting. Aaahh! This is a decent avatar for my divine manifestation! The voice of a woman echoed from the massive one-hundred-meter-tall machine of black and dark purple colors, with several spider-like eyes made of red jewels across their slender body. So you come from the Primal Earth? I asked her with a smile. Be happy; I let you fully manifest, or it wouldnt have been satisfying to defeat you. Honestly, I had to admit it; I was being arrogant. Ive seen everyone fighting and struggling, so I also wanted to feel a bit of that. No matter how hard I try to run away from Murim, Murim always comes back to me. Despite how much I hated it, the feeling of fighting and releasing my powers is nice. Its a constant, annoying urge within me. It is as if all the strength Ive accumulated wont simply stay still; it desires to be shown, to be released, to be destroyed. Therefore, I happily receive a good challenge, or if anything, some good entertainment. Hah, she smiled at me, crossing her six arms. Dont think you can stop me now, fool. She was, however, even more arrogant than I was. Her Divine Powers surged, all made out of Primal Power alone. Her crimson eyes shone as space around me began to distort, rapidly breaking, and then {Eight Eyes of Malice}: {Space Destroying Eye} TRUUUM! Space itself was deleted, alongside me. It felt slightly Painful? Ah, amazing. The moment space was deleted with me, I suddenly found myself within the place where deleted space goes. Some sort of endless, black void, a limbo where all things that disappear go, only to be endlessly consumed and destroyed. Seeing how I was able to survive a black hole, this wasnt really affecting me. Huh, pretty amusing Ability I looked behind, suddenly sensing someone watching me. A presence, something within the endless nonexistence. It didnt move; it didnt react to me other than looking at me. And it seemed all-encompassing. How oddwhat sort of lifeform is this? No, is it even alive? Are you trapped here? Well, I have nothing to do with you, so if you excuse me I swung my fist forward, and then the space started to distort. Someone who attempted to delete my existence ended up teleporting me to some sort of limbo. Not bad; I have never fought such a foe before! Im getting slightly excited now. RUMBLE! FLASH! Hahahaha! And shes gone! Isnt that beautiful? With my almighty eyes fully manifested into this powerful divine body, this world is mine to claim and- Crack, crack! CRASH! As I heard her laughing, I broke through space and time with my fists, utilizing the power of the Dao of the Void, encompassing my hands with Void Essence and also using [Primordial Divine Sentinel of the Dark Past and the Bright Future: Aeternitas Martial Arts] Skill. Hey, that was pretty interesting if I say so myself. HUH?! The moment I appeared in front of the spider, she screamed out of pure shock and disbelief, her titanic, metallic body giving a step back. H-How did you survive being deleted within space?! Your power is actually not that lethal, I explained. First of all, Ive realized it technically doesnt delete anything; it simply captures a part of space and anything within it and sends it to a place Ill call Limbo. Theres a being living there if you didnt know; although it doesnt speak or move, it only watches. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. W-Wha?! She didnt seem to be understanding what I was saying too much, unfortunately. "Indeed, that void simply deletes something once it reaches there if theyre weak, I said. My body is more than capable of withstanding the pressure of a black hole, and I can also survive in the empty space. So well, your ability is nothing but a short teleportation. And now that Ive learned about it SHUT UP! DIE! She screamed. {Eight Eyes of Malice}: {Space Destroying Eye} TRUUUM! Immediately after I was going to say something important, she activated the ability again as one of her eyes flashed with crimson light, and then space around me began to distort. I felt the sensation againthis slight pain that made me feel alive. It was slight, but it was pain, something that only Heavens Will could cause to me. Yet As I told her before. It wont affect me anymore. I grasped the distorting space with my hands wrapped in Void Essence and Space Energy, both generated from the Daos Ive learned and also their respective skills. And then CRASH! I broke space itself, shattering it apart; the area that was about to be sent to the limbo once more was disrupted, freezing, and then BAAAM! I punched it with my fist, as it suddenly was infused with Time Essence and returned back to its original form. I-IMPOSSIBLE! Unless you use brute force, once you show me such a technique, it will no longer work on me anymore, I smiled. I will never fall for the same trick twice, spider. DONT CALL ME SPIDER! MY NAME IS ARASHKAGHL-DOLTH! She furiously screamed, rushing toward me with her giant humanoid legs, which quickly divided and transformed into eight enormous spider legs. So the slender, beautiful humanoid legs were just for show, huh? She still feels better using a spider body, hah. CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! Her utterly gigantic mechanical body moved across the sands, making the entire desert tremble with immense force and power. She was a massive foe, although the Heavenly Will was larger. RAAAAH! She swung her giant blade-like spider legs that she had in her back as well, attempting to impale my body with extreme power and precision. Unlike the previous form that she had, which only contained the corrupted Set and the undead body of Neferteri, the toughness of her metal has been increased at least tenfold. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! However, it was nothing I couldnt parry with my bare hands. Or better, with my sword. Ngh?! Shes just parryingACK! As she was trying to attack me with brute force, as I had recommended her before, I parried her blows and then stepped forward, combining my Aura with my Swordsmanship. Until suddenly, the illusion of a huge snake with eight heads materialized, covered on white and golden scales, and with bright crimson eyes. I imbued my powers at full, releasing the complete power of a technique I had once used against Mursha in our spar. Before, I had only summoned eight heads. However, its true form are eight heads. {Yin and Yang Harmonious Blade Arts}: {Heavenly Demonic Eight-Headed Serpent Blade: Yamata-No-Orochi} SHAAAAHHH! The titanic snake heads rushed towards the bladed legs, biting them with extreme force and then slicing through their thick metallic material. CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! Aaah! Impossible! Youre?! How did you summon snakes out of nowhere! The spider was annoying without a doubt; she was constantly asking me why I did these things. Its quite clear that her experience in battles against powerful foes is near null; shes a Primal Goddess that has lived for thousands of years being only worshiped. This is true swordsmanship. SHYAAAGH! The snakes opened their jaws and continued biting and biting the spider mech more, injecting their acidic venom and rapidly beginning to melt or oxidize the metal. At the same time, I controlled the snake with my sword as I swung it against her; countless slashing attacks hit her body from left and right, leaving behind huge slicing marks but not enough to destroy her. Youre very tough, I have to admit it! The combination of four Mechanical Gods mass with the Soul of a Primal Goddess and their divine Primal Energy has created an immensely tough body, without a doubt. However If I combine Void Essence and Time Essence with my swordsmanship Then! SLAAASH! I swung my blade horizontally, releasing a shockwave of black and dark purple energy, slicing through the spider legs at long last and destroying them in the process. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Ugh! It seems that the power of Void, as always, is incredibly strong. However, I was able to quickly notice how the spider legs were beginning to regenerate again. How annoying. Enough with your struggles! Her eye shone again as she attempted to destroy me by deleting space where I was flying. {Eight Eyes of Malice}: {Space Destroying Eye} TRUUUM! Yet, once more, I rejected that. I punched the empty space as the distortion quickly dissipated. This was followed by four of the snake heads to rush down, biting and tearing through her metallic armor. I rushed forward, swinging my sword against her. I combined Soul Blade with Void Manipulation. And then, through the Red Heaven Technique, I unleashed an inferno of flames. Void Flames. SLAAASH! As I slashed her, a giant wave of black flames engulfed her arms, burning through them. Anything these flames burned quickly was consumed and turned into nothingness. Aaarrggh! As the spider screamed, she swung her eight spider legs from her back against me, having fully regenerated them already, and pushed me away with all her force. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Dammit! As she screamed angrily, her other seven eyes began to glow brightly. {Eight Eyes of Malice}: {Life Absorbing Eye} And one of them shone bright emerald in color, as I felt my life force being suddenly siphoned from my body. Oh? FLUOSH! Hahaha! So much life! The wounds within her mechanical body rapidly began to regenerate as she absorbed my lifeforce and transferred it to her new avatar. Interesting ability. RAAAH! She charged forward, her regenerated fists clashed against my sword, and her spider legs tore through the snakes. I concentrated my Aura around my body and then released a shockwave, pushing her away from them. RUMBLE! Ugh?! The shockwave alone shook her entire body as electricity from my Divine Photon Essence began to course through her body. However, her body resisted that, quickly maintaining itself alive from my lifeforce. I had an endless lifeforce as a Venerable beyond Immortals. Therefore, if I let her absorb it endlessly, she will never die How about I transfer something else then? I grasped the rivers of lifeforce she was absorbing and then channeled the power of all my Demons and the Library itself. This was a Demonic Spell I had read in one of those books. What are you?! {Demonic Energy Transfer} Dark red demonic energy surged from my body, contaminating the lifeforce I sent to her and filling her body with destructive energies. Uuaaaggh! She wasnt compatible with demonic energy at all, which was completely alien to her own powers, this energy acted like a poison, rapidly beginning to make her entire body explode from the inside out. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! This is a Spell usually used to empower Demons and give them more power as a Demonic Warlock, I explained. Interesting how I could use it to damage you, hah! GRAAAHH! She quickly opened another of her eyes, which shone with blue light. {Eight Eyes of Malice}: {Time-Draining Eye} FLUOSH! Hmh? Suddenly, I felt as if my entire body, and my own perception as well, was going incredibly slowly compared to hers. She moved incredibly quickly, punching me several times and then attempting to impale my body with her spider legs. Thankfully, I was incredibly tough, and as I used the Blade Physique Technique, every time she tried to hurt me, her hands and legs were sliced instead. Aagh! How are you so tough when youre so small?! So youre absorbing my time, huh? Ah! Why are you?! You come with an amazing arsenal of abilities, spider However. I waved my hand, a shockwave of Time Essence was released, and her grip over my own time was destroyed. And instead, I skipped through time, appearing behind her. Impossible! How did you do?! BOOOM! And a huge fist-shaped hole appeared through her chest. {Aeternitas Martial Arts}: {Primordial Divine Sentinel of the Bright Future} ----- Chapter 159: Clash Of Divine Domains Listen While Reading: Well Matched ----- As the spider thought she finally had me, I waved my hand, a shockwave of Time Essence was released, and her grip over my own time was destroyed. And instead, I skipped through time, appearing behind her through one of the techniques I used against the Barbarian God. Impossible! How did you do?! BOOOM! And a huge fist-shaped hole appeared through her chest. {Aeternitas Martial Arts}: {Primordial Divine Sentinel of the Bright Future} With this technique, I can skip through time momentarily and deal damage in a time that has been skipped, an attack that simply cannot be dodged no matter what. However, it consumes large quantities of Time Essence, equal to a Venerables Technique despite being from a Skill. I suppose even my Skills wouldnt be able to be wielded by other normal people due to how theyve been adapted to only be used by me. A-Ahh! My chest?! She suddenly vomited dark purple blood from her mechanical mouth. Whatever that was, it might be some sort of liquid that kept her machine body going. I dont know how much she could modify the Mechanical Gods bodies, but it seemed they had become something biomechanical. Orochi! SHYAAAAHH! I roared as the eight heads of Orochi manifested once more, surging into the skies and then descending, resembling spears of light and demonic darkness. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! I attacked her from the back, pushing her down into the sands below. She groaned, quickly trying to fight back, her eyes once more activating. Dont think you can just toy with me! she screamed. {Eight Eyes of Malice}: {Sunlight Eye} FLASH! Her crimson eye shone brightly, absorbing the endless sunlight of the sun above the desert and then releasing a massive beam of pure concentrated sunlight against me. BOOOM! If my normal tricks wont do, then Ill simply destroy you with the brute force you asked so much for! {Dark Purple Sandstorm}! She also summoned the power of Set, modifying it with her Divinity to summon dark purple sands as hard as diamonds, which engulfed me in a huge storm, attempting to slice through me. FLUOSH! Not enough! She stood up. {Dark Nether Rivers Waters}! She summoned the water-bending powers of another of the Mechanical Gods she absorbed, unleashing a gigantic tsunami of dark purple water capable of consuming souls. SPLASH! More I have to overwhelm her completely! She kept screaming. She summoned a massive sword imbued with the power of the Mechanical Gods, swinging it against me several times, attempting to slice through me. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! How about that?! After a combo of several attacks, she laughed, gasping for air, smiling at me. The smoke dissipated, and indeed, that was a bit strong. You can manipulate the powers of the Mechanical Gods you absorbed, huh? Not bad. However, I was simply unscathed. Nooo! Not a single scratch?! How do I even hurt you?! Maybe youre not trying hard enough? SILENCE! She screamed. {Eight Eyes of Malice}: {Magic Sealing Eye} TRUUUM! Suddenly, I felt that all my Mana was sealed instantly by a divine force encompassing me whole. The magic I wielded and that enhanced my original abilities was simply not there anymore. My magic is truly gone! Hahaha! Without that damned Mana, youre nothing! I should have used that before! She jumped towards me, swinging her giant claws and trying to tear through my body. However, Yamata-No-Orochi remained as I swung my blade upwards. The Darkness of Yin and the Light of Yang emerged, swirling together with all eight heads, combining into a massive black and gold-scaled snake with a blade-shaped horn. But that doesnt mean I cant attack anymore. SLAAASH! I swung my blade down at the same time as the gigantic snake I created came rushing towards the spider, hitting her with tremendous force and piercing through her head all the way down. CRAAASH! Uuuaagghh! As she was almost sliced into two halves, an explosion of the concentrated energies blew her two halves apart, exploding and scattering her pieces into the entire desert. BOOOM! Aarrgghh! Y-youuuu! However, a second afterwards, the pieces began floating as I noticed dark purple fog wrapping around them and helping them unify together once more. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! Hahahaha! As long as these parts are fueled with my power, I will regenerate and reconstruct myself endlessly! These Mechanical Gods, as you said, are simply superb! And the souls that piloted them are so rich in darkness and resentment! They all hate you the most, woman! They want you dead! Her new form, however, was different; taking a snake- and spider-like chimeric form with eight spider legs and dozens of giant snake heads, she tried to imitate my techniques, attacking me with giant, metallic, and sharp jaws coming from every angle. I see how it is I quickly started gathering Ki into my entire body and then released it instantly, destroying her Mana Seal over me. FLASH! Then Ill simply have to utterly destroy you, cockroach. I swung my blade several times; a storm of slashing attacks was unleashed, consuming everything within my surroundings in mere seconds. {Yin and Yang Harmonious Blade Arts}: {Chaotic Blade Storm} SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Nnggaaaggh! Dammit! She kept groaning and screaming in frustration as her snake heads were being sliced apart into countless tiny pieces, ultimately exploding into metallic dust before she could regenerate them properly. How about this?! She combined several snake heads and then filled them with her eyes, activating her eye abilities once more, a dozen times upon me. Attempting to delete space with me. Trying to steal my lifeforce. Absorbing my Time Essence. Trying to fill me with holes through firing sunlight beams. And even sealing my Mana. Not once but a dozen times at once! Indeed, that was a bit harder to counter immediately; she was figuring out roundabout ways to stop me. Yet Even with all of that. I am not someone she can toy with! Enough. With a single word, I made heaven and earth tremble as an invisible shockwave of pure force was released from my body. Her techniques were instantly disabled, and the pressure alone pushed her entire body down into the ground. BAAAM! G-Graagh?! W-what is that force that presence?! To her, it might feel like Gravity became a thousand times heavier. This was simply my own Primordial Venerable Authority It is a "presence, an invisible "force, that is released as a sort of pressure. It is simply the pressure emanated from all of my contained powers. All of my cultivation, all of my knowledge, all together into this. This is the weight of my powers; can you fight me while facing it? I I I CAN! She suddenly started pushing upwards; her body was being destroyed, yet she constantly regenerated on top of that. She couldnt match my level of power, but she could try to break through it with sheer regeneration, a similar trick Ive seen before with the Primal King. Indeed, this universe is full of such wonderful opponents. GRAAAAHHH! Even as my Authority was constantly crushing her body with the pressure of something capable of surviving a black hole, she kept attacking me sluggishly. Yet she figured out ways to speed up; using her eyes to steal the time of her own minions below and the hunters, she started to speed up, enhancing her speed even as she was being crushed constantly. Ill show you that I am a true Primal Goddess! Her eight hands gathered together into the shape of a huge spider. {Primal Divine Domain}: {Arachnid Realm of Endless Reflections} FLUOSH! In a second, I was swallowed by a Divine Domain several times stronger than any Domain used by the many Gods Ive fought before. It was perhaps a hundred times much bigger, all-encompassing, and stronger. The laws that governed it were like another world or realm. Hahahaha! HAHAHAHAHA! The spiders laughter echoed everywhere all at once, as I found myself wrapped in her white spiderwebs, completely turned into a small prey for her. The entire realm within her domain was made out of spiderwebs that seemed to me made of glass, endlessly reflecting images. War, bloodshed, spiders, destruction, laughter, cries, angered screams, people beating each other. Welcome to my domain of Endless Reflections! she laughed. This is my world. A world Ive made using Hatred, Disgust, Fear, Sorrow, Frustration, and many other negative emotions! Is that so? Its quite amusing to see. Hah! Still relaxed?! she laughed. That cocky attitude you have will not last a second more when you see this! As she walked around the spiderwebs, suddenly, her reflections were multiplied several times, becoming perfect copies of herself. A handful appeared, followed by dozens, then hundreds everywhere, in every angle. Can you handle my reflections with a hundred percent of my power?! Hah I should give it a go then. I smiled as my entire body was covered in golden flames, burning the spiderwebs covering my entire body. And then TRUUUM! I released my pressure once more, forcing all her copies within my surroundings to kneel and then shatter and explode into pieces. Agh, you can still use that power?! There is nothing that can chain me and nothing that can stop me. Among the heavens and the earth, I am known as the only one whose truly free. W-What? Stop talking bullshit! She charged against me, resisting the pressure by wrapping herself around spiderwebs; her reflections copied her. Hundreds of giant spider claws rushed against me, striking me from every angle only to be destroyed instantly or sliced apart. CLASH! BOOM! CRASH! RUMBLE! In that accursed world where I came from, it was always thought that nobody was free from destiny and death, I said. No matter how strong you grew, there was always someone stronger! You could always become someone elses prey, someone elses toy. SHUT UP! So, the only way for me to be truly free was by becoming the strongest and destroying anything in my path to power. W-WHAT?! I regret it even now, but it was the only way I killed maybe millions of people. H-Huh? There is not a day where I dont feel the pain of those Ive slain Even when they were mostly wicked people they were still people. She suddenly stopped moving, realizing something was wrong, space around her was being bent around and distorted. Her Domain was being consumed by another one. Mine. Ah? Where am I?! And out of nowhere, she found herself in a human form, a slender, white-skinned woman with long purple hair and four red eyes. Raaarr! And there was a group of wolves with golden horns rushing towards her. My Domain is my Story. The more I tell you about it, the more it strengthens and manifests itself. incredible right? N-No! This is impossible! I was just I was just winning! She tried to fight the thunder dogs only to be bitten and massacred. Gryyaaaggghh! She realized her powers couldnt be manifested fully; she was as weak as I was when I appeared in Murim. Aaagghh! She started running as she was missing a whole arm and with her entire body covered in bites. The dogs gave chase, and then she ended up falling off a cliff, rolling through a plantation of rice. The farmers appeared, protecting her and chasing away the dogs. Hahh.. Hahh Gey away from me, you filthy monkeys! However, instead of acting submissive to them, she screamed, and the villagers looked at one another and ignored her ramblings, leaving her dying on the plantations. Ugh Guugh! she started groaning. Why am I so weak T-This is not This is not possible! This is an illusion! Maybe, I smiled. But the damage youve taken is real! AARRGGHH! She screamed angrily, as I suddenly sensed an outside presence breaking through my Domain. Crack, crack! CRASH! Domains are powerful inside; it''s hard to break out of them, but when something is trying to break from outside, theyre easier to destroy. I FOUND YOU! She appeared above the giant crack in the sky, a fusion of her smaller spider robot minions she possessed. I guessed as much; unless I find her real soul, I cannot completely trap her; she can manifest again outside and destroy my Domain. Whatever. I closed my hands as I destroyed my Domain and blew up hers and then her entire body. BOOOOMM!! Nngaaagh! She screamed, falling into the sands again, her body parts trying to regenerate, only to find black flames, Void Fire, covering half her body. I wont let you regenerate anymore, I smiled. Void Flames plus my Pressure I think youre the first Ive had to use two of such powerful techniques to handle. Youre truly an annoying cockroach, or should I say spider? A-Ahh! Hahh! Y-Youre youre unbelievable! she complained. Is there even a way to win against you?! No! It doesnt matter. She smiled, realizing something RUMBLE! Suddenly, a gigantic storm of dark purple sand crystals emerged, encompassing her completely and then giving her a massive, endlessly growing body. Like Set did, huh? But that wasnt all, as she merged with the nether waters as well, becoming an even more tremendous titan. I can do this, right! I can do this! HAHAHAHA! ILL DESTROY YOUR STUPID CITY TO TEACH YOU A LESSON! She materialized a massive hand cannon, pointing it at Alejandria. If a battle between giants you want, Ill give you one. RUMBLE! The eight heads of Yamata-No-Orochi merged with my body as I infused myself with the powers of the Demons and my other Elemental and Draconian Abilities and Skills. Until my body grew to a ridiculous size. Using my massive hands, I grabbed her cannon before she could shoot and destroyed it. BOOOM! W-What?! Lets finish this, shall we? My body had changed, becoming a draconian and serpentine demonic giantess, encompassed by radiant crowns of light, and with a long snake-like tail. {Primordial Spiritual Body Transformation Arts}: {Heavenly Eight-Headed Serpent Demon Queen: Ibuki-Douji} ----- Chapter 160: Heavenly Eight-Headed Serpent Demon Queen: Ibuki-Douji Listen While Reading: The Great God Ibuki ----- RUMBLE! The eight heads of Yamata-No-Orochi merged with my body as I infused myself with the powers of the Demons and my other Elemental and Draconian Abilities and Skills. Until my body grew to a ridiculous size. Using my massive hands, I grabbed her cannon before she could shoot and destroyed it. BOOOM! W-What?! Lets finish this, shall we? My body had changed, becoming a draconian and serpentine demonic giantess, encompassed by radiant crowns of light, and with a long snake-like tail. {Primordial Spiritual Body Transformation Arts}: {Heavenly Eight-Headed Serpent Demon Queen: Ibuki-Douji} Through the power of shapeshifting my body and absorbing the powers and essence of my technique, I was able to match her size, giving me an easier time dealing with her massive blows. Although she had yet to deal actual damage to me, I knew she had more tricks, and her massive body constantly regenerating made it pretty annoying to deal with her. Therefore, making a larger body to punch her even harder might make things simpler. And well, its fun. Im really having fun with this fight, so I want it to last even a little bit more. My appearance was rather unique this time; I mixed into my Demon Queen form with the manifested aura of Orochi and combined them with my body made of Photon Essence. I gained four additional arms, white and golden scales covering several parts of my body, and long, white-colored horns covered on red blood-like tattoos. The rest of my skin turned slightly red, and my legs were gone, replaced by a long tail with white, red, and black scales. Orochis eight heads remained, now mixed with my silver-colored hair. H-How did you?! You can transform?! The spider was clearly shocked, but I simply smiled, conjuring weapons out of my [Cursed & Blessed Blazing Starlight Relic Creation] and the [Divine Thunder Spirit Armament] Skills combined with my Divine Photon Essence, which now could gain the properties of molten metal. Six weapons were made for all six of my enormous hands: a sword, a spear, an axe, a hammer, a dagger, and a trident. I unleashed a barrage of attacks she couldnt tank anymore. With the sword I sliced her arms, with the axe I cleaved her body, with the spear I pierced her eyes so she wouldnt use her little tricks again, with the hammer I crushed her legs, with the dagger I slashed her neck repeatedly, and with the trident I pushed her away and then lifted her into the air. The purple diamond and nether water body she had made was completely useless; I easily shaved it off her with ease, and although she constantly attempted to remake it, it was futile. Uuaaggghh! As she screamed in agony, she tried conjuring her domain again, making it smaller and wrapping my body with it, as I noticed dozens of her reflections surging from the wrapped spiderweb-like domain and rushing to attack me with their claws and spider legs. Hahahaha! I could only laugh; she was indeed a fine opponent, surprising me every now and then! It felt like I was fighting the Venerables again back in Murim. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! I received her blows with my Soul Blade, releasing it by combining my Photon Essence with my own Orochi Aura. My hair moved on its own, shaping into blade-like snakes and clashing against her reflections. Then, I pushed her down using my trident. Her sharp claws destroyed the weapon though, freeing herself even though the tridents blades were still stuck in her stomach. Guuggh! I-I cant regenerate?! She glanced at her destroyed body; no parts were coming back anymore. I already told you, you will no longer play games with me, spider! Fight me like your life depends on it now! TRUUUM! I released my authority as the domain wrapped around me like a spiderweb shattered into pieces. My snake heads, made out of my hair, reached her in that moment, biting through her arms and shoulders and taking chunks of her metallic body. CRASH! CRASH CRASH! Aaarrgh! Nooo! She quickly twisted her body and then attacked me with her remaining legs beneath her torso. Eight sharp-bladed spider legs reached my body, enhanced to the brim with several layers of divine aura. BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! The hits were strong enough to make me feel a slight amount of pain on my scales and skin. I smiled, quickly moving toward her and walloping her head with my hammer. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. CRAAASH! Ungh?! As she fell to the ground with a loud thud, I quickly imbued my Divinity Aura into my tail and combined it with my Divine Ability and my Soul Blade, turning it into a long golden-bladed tail. It has been fun so far. NOOO! She screamed furiously as I noticed something surging from within her once more, the purple sands wrapping around her and fusing into her internal wounds, filling her cracks more and more. GRAAAHHH!!! Her entire body transformed into a gigantic jaw with thousands of fangs, wrapping around me like some sort of metallic slime covered in crystals. Hm? If I die here, youll die with me! With a malicious laughter, she began to charge her body with all her Primal Divine Aura at once, all while summoning her Domain again. As weakened as it was, it twisted space and merged with her body. Dozens of her reflections appeared in that moment, attacking every inch of my body as they aimed to hurt me or damage me even slightly. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Certainly, things would be more thrilling if you could even damage me. I sighed. Unfortunately for you, this body of mine cannot be easily hurt. GRAAAHHH! She kept screaming as she attacked me, completely consumed by her frustration and hatred, unable to comprehend or perhaps accept my superiority over hers. Indeed, she comes from a world where there might be no other god than herself, or perhaps the others had never been a challenge to her. Whatever the case, I dont want the materials you have within you or the souls youve taken to go to waste, I said. You see, Im sure my daughter and Merneith would be upset if they were completely disintegrated. So lets do this differently, alright? W-Wha?! I grasped her entire body tightly with all six of my arms, then wrapped her with my long tail and my snake-like hair, and then Ill purify you, dear, I smiled. I harnessed all of my Primordial Venerable Ki into my physique and released all of my light-based power at once, turning into the embodiment of luminescence. W-What?! What are you doing! What are?! I am Light. Huh?! FLAAASH! And like light itself, I shall purify you from these metals and these souls, begone, evil goddess! You do not belong here! AAAAAGGGHHH! Her scream echoed across the entire planet as my glistening, holy light encompassed her entire body completely. The dark purple and black fog encompassing all our surroundings instantly dissipated as all her tiny little spider machines immediately burst into golden flames. As for her body, it was losing its black and dark purple colors, going back to the former gold of the Mechanical Gods she was made of. S-Stop! STOOOP! As she kept screaming, I didnt stop; I wrapped her with my powers and didnt let go. My entire body became nothing but purifying light. Goodbye, spider. I quickly materialized another Blade made out of my Body and Soul, attempting to swing it and cut through her soul to kill her once and for all. Using my God Devouring Skills, I was already beginning to rapidly absorb her powers and devour her piece by piece. The pain she felt was tremendous, making her panic and scream. Aaahh! Noo! I wont let you eat me! However, she screamed, and before I could kill her, she let go of her vessel, and her entire presence disappeared. She cut her own soul to leave a part for me to absorb before escaping. FLUOSH! Ah Well, she got away. I attempted to track her down, but without a strong connection like the Gods had with the System that I could abuse, I was unable to find her. However, I could still sense her somewhere She has hidden within this world itself. Somewhere. Mama! You did it! My thoughts were interrupted as I heard Hekita in the distance sitting over Anubis. Amazing! You defeated that thing! Merneith was right by her side over Ra. The spider machines were gone too, turned back to their previous forms. Well, they were mostly all junk already. Any person inside of them was long dead too. It seems to be the case. I nodded. Hmm! But what a mess this is! Look at all these parts. Is it even possible to repair them? A-Ah! Merneith gasped. The mechanical gods Indeed, they all ended up being destroyed, reformed, and then destroyed again, I said. Are they even alive like Ra and Anubis are? I wonder if theyll regenerate back? I-I have no idea, said Merneith. Ra, can you talk now? Do you think they can be? Merneith Ra glared at the large pieces of metal and parts scattered across the sands. Theyre dead. Its impossible for them to reconstruct themselves. D-Dead? But Gods cannot die! You are We can die They had been crushed over And over again. And their Cores were Sucked dry of their Essence. Theyre nothing but Metal pieces now, unfortunately. Hmm Indeed, Anubis nodded. Mechanical Gods dead. Father dead. Hmm, saddening feeling. My stepmother also died, said Merneith. Well, I killed her. I wish she could have been here though; if I could have captured her instead, maybe showing her to my father and making her confess her crimes instead. Maybe that wouldve been more much more satisfying, maybe. I see I nodded. Mama, will you stay like a giant forever now? wondered Hekita, glancing at my enormous body. Youre HUGE! Ah right I realized. My bad. FLASH! I returned to my original appearance, much smaller and compact. We landed on the floor, glancing over the large quantities of metal pieces everywhere. We even noticed half of the head of Set around there, with the heads of the other Mechanical Gods miraculously intact. They looked damaged and oxidated. Everything is finally over, but Why do I feel so sad? sighed Merneith. The Mechanical Godsthey didnt have any fault in these things. They were only used as tools. And even when we tried to reason with them, they would simply still obey their pilots. Father Set, muttered Anubis. He didnt want to get along; he said I was a traitor. Anubis Hekita caressed his giant metallic claws. Youre not a traitor! You simply decided to fight for what you believe instead of being forced to do what you didnt want to do! Hekita Anubis would definitely be crying if he could. Thank you for being my first friend. Heheh! No problem! Hekita smiled cutely, hugging his leg. Lets be best friends forever! Yes Anubis smiled. Forever best friends Sounds good I like the sound of that. Merneith glanced at Ra, who was standing there glancing at the graveyard. Ra, youre my friend too? She wondered, looking into the ground. I consider myself more than friend Ra said. Arent I your family, princess? Family thats right! Were family! Merneith smiled. Hmm As I glanced at the wasteland and noticed the other hunters already moving back to the city, I decided to try something. Lets first gather all the metals; we wouldnt want them to remain in here, I said. I pointed my right hands index finger into the sky. {Divine Photonic Magnetic Field} FLUOSH! A magnetic field made of Divine Photon Essence emerged, resembling a golden sphere above the skies, which quickly attracted all metals within the vicinity that I chose. Eventually, the graveyard was cleared completely, leaving behind the destroyed remains of the corpses of the people that fought here. It was a gruesome sight. I stored the metals inside my Inner Realm for the time being. Although these people could be considered demonic cultivators as they were rather villainous, they do deserve a proper trial, I nodded. So let us give them a second chance to be punished properly, shall we? Oohh?! Merneith gasped as she saw the bodies of all those that die rewind back to their original living appearances, and I returned their souls back where they belonged. Youre right, Merneith, I said. Sometimes just killing isnt satisfying. Making people pay through the law and making them reveal their sins to the people that loved and trusted them is much more satisfying. We will expose that woman to your father, and she will confess all her crimes. Right, Neferteri? A-Ah! Where Where am I?! What happened? She kept crying. D-Didnt I die?! ----- Chapter 161: A Problematic Family ----- Neferteri lived a life of deceiving others and always plotting someone elses demise. Since her young age, her mother always told her that she had to hit first before others were to hit her. She learned that if she wanted something, she would always have to ruin someone else; it was simply the law of how the world and even the universe worked. If you want something, take something from someone else. There is nothing you can do but steal what someone else has. If they fight back and you cant beat them down, then plot their demise. Kill them and take what you want. This is the only way we can survive in this world, Neferteri. Never forget it. Never forget what you want and take it no matter what. And no matter how many people cry or beg you to stop. You must always live for yourself and nobody else. She lived with those laws in her mind since she was as young as six years of age and slowly ascended the harsh and long ladder of nobility, seizing the throne after having taken the lives of many in her schemes. Did she ever feel sorry for such things? Did she regret it now that she died by Merneith''s hands back then? So thats what happened, she muttered. I died And you revived me? Hah Hahahah She couldnt help but laugh. When she died, she felt utterly frustrated, and now she was revived out of pity? It was simply ridiculous! She never thought she had any pride to be hurt. But right now? She felt her pride was finally hurt. Just how much do you look down on me, Merneith? she smiled. You damn brat. You think Ill ever regret what I did?! No NEVER! Ill never regret anything I did! I killed your mother, so what?! I would do it again and again and again as long as it gave me what I wanted! I see Merneith glared at the Empress with indifference. Thats good. She smiled. Eh? Neferteri felt surprised Merneith didnt break down in tears. What? Its good you dont regret, Merneith smiled. Itll make it all the more painful for you once we reveal to my father everything youve done. All your crimes And then youll suffer even more when youre jailed and then executed by the law. Because youll never regret anything, then youll never feel like you deserve the punishment. And itll be nice to see you cry and beg. A-Ah Neferteri suddenly started sweating coldly. W-What with this brat? Her eyes Whats wrong with her? Did she change? Something within Merneith had changed as she smiled at the one that killed her own mother. After having killed her with her own hands, after having seen her corpse corrupted and turned into a monstrosity. She had been satisfied for now This is why she decided for her to be revived. Bing Xue would have quickly killed her again if she asked for it. But she nodded, saying this was perfect. She will get her punishment, she will be judged, and she will be executed in front of the entire Empire. That is the proper way for Merneith. Ive killed you once, so I dont really feel anything else, shrugged Merneith. Your Set, by the way, is dead. And youre a powerless woman. Powerless? Neferteri asked. I-I! Set is dead?! No, hell surely regenerate back and come to save me! Hes dead and crushed into bits, said Merneith, smiling calmly. Nobody will save you, and you will simply pay for what youve done. Congratulations, Neferteri; you lived the life you wanted. And you were happy, now its time for you to pay for living such a life. A-Ahhh muttered Neferteri, feeling a chill behind her back. S-Shut up! My love would never judge me! Hell understand that I loved him! Hell get it! Youre going to see! You will see, Merneith! Aha, keep yapping, Merneith giggled. And about the rest She glanced at the other three others: Neheb, her uncle; Hatshepsut, her aunt; and Nebmaat, her grandfathers brother, technically her grand uncle. You did you conspire with Neferteri on helping her kill my mother? Merneith asked. M-My little Merneith! We would never do such a thing, girl! said Hatshepsut, smiling nervously. W-We are just victims here, you see? Weve been dragged here by that despicable woman! "Yes, thats right! nodded Neheb. We''ve only been victims here! We have no alliance with her! I wouldnt have forgiven her if she did such a thing! Really? Merneith squinted her eyes. Hmm Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Bing Xue was about to inspect their minds and memories and see for herself if they were saying the truth, but then Kehahaha The old Nebmaat laughed, his dry voice echoing behind the two siblings. You guys are terrible at lying, the old man said. Stop pretending youre innocent bystanders. I know very well what you conspired with Neferteri. Youll never be able to lie to that woman. Shes a goddess beyond all gods weve ever worshiped. She will simply extract the truth out of your heads one way or another. He glanced at Bing Xue. Indeed, Bing Xue nodded. W-What are you talking about, stupid old man?! Neheb screamed. S-Stop talking nonsense! We would never conspire against my brothers wife! Hatshepsut said, crying. R-Right?! All three of us helped her, Merneith said Nebmaat. Without our help, it wouldnt have been possible for Neferteri to poison your mother. We are also criminals that are to blame. W-What?! No! Youre just lying! The siblings kept denying it to the very end. Let me check then. Bing Xue released a wave of golden light that entered their minds and then generated projections of their memories, of their knowledge, and of what they had seen. There, it showed images of the trio conspiring with Neferteri, how they helped her secure poison, and then how they even infiltrated the servants of their own families inside of Merneiths family. This way they poisoned Merneiths mother despite the strong security over their mealsit was because three whole other family members helped her. A-Ah No, thats fake! cried Neheb. No way! How did you?! Get out of my head! screamed Hatshepsut. Just cut it out, you two; its hopeless, laughed Nebmaat. Hahaha Hahahah! You got caught too, huh? laughed Neferteri. Did you think that you would get away with it?! Hah! If I go down, all of you are coming down too! Should that old man have not said anything, I would! I cant believe it All of you did this, sighed Merneith. At the end, the only family member that actually didnt conspire was my brother? Even though he still bullied me, at least hes not a murderer. I guess, though he did try to kill me. Ah, this damn family is rotten to the core. Indeed, Nebmaat nodded. Were all rottenour society, the family rules, how everything was formed. All these old laws that had almost never changed since ancient times It just made everything so unfair The only way to ever get something done is by getting our hands nasty with the blood of relatives. To take down the competition, that has been the regular practice for thousands of years, Merneith. This is pure insanity! said Merneith. I just cant. I cant believe how insane all of you are. I was right in running away It makes me want to never return. What are you going to do with us?! Neheb asked. W-We regret what we did! Please dont kill us, princess! Dear, you know how much Ive always loved you, right? Your aunt always brought you gifts and sweets! Hatshepsut kept crying. "Please, I dont want to die twice! What will happen to you will be decided by the law of our country, said Merneith. Hah! The law can easily be bent anyway, smiled Neferteri. You should have kept us dead Dont think your father will take your side so easily. I know, smiled Merneith. But even then, I must try. Because if Father shows that he is as corrupt as you, then I will reform my country. Until the law gives you all a proper punishment. Hah, so the cycle repeats, smiled Nebmaat. A daughter overthrowing her father; the same thing has happened many times through history. Youre not changing anything by doing this, Merneith. I know, but thisll be the last change, she said. I promised my mother I would help that country flourish and protect its people So thats what Ill do. Bing Xue noticed Merneiths fiery golden eyes, full of resolve. Hmm Nebmaat nodded. Those are the eyes of a tigress ready to fight to death You truly remind me of your mother. Hmph Merneith ignored him. Well need to find jails capable of holding them back somehow Dont worry, smiled Bing Xue. There are jails within my Golden Pagoda where their supernatural powers will be completely sealed. They will not even be able to move. They will be given terrible tasting yet nutritional food. And they will only be able to admire the intricate patterns in the walls and ceiling as their only way of having any fun. That sounds like a terrible thing to do to a princess such as myself! Dont do thaaaaaat! Hatshepsut kept crying. Wait, we could negotiate this, right?! asked Neheb. We could even! Do whatever you want! There is literally not a single thing I want from you, Bing Xue said coldly. Now, begone! With a wave of her hand, golden light engulfed them all and made them disappear, as they were teleported inside of the golden pagodas jails. Its done, nodded Bing Xue, sighing in relief. Now, lets quickly regroup with everyone, shall we? We should take a break and celebrate; no more fighting for a while, okay? Okaaay! nodded Hekita, climbing over Bing Xue and sitting over her shoulders. Thank you for everything, Bing Xue, sighed Merneith. I still have a lot to process, but Im grateful for your help so far. Without you, anything of this would have been possible. Ah, its fine; I was simply protecting my planet from them, Bing Xue smiled. I''d have fought them either way. Well, you should be grateful to all my disciples instead; they did all the work here. Youre being too humble again! Merneith said, crossing her arms. You should be more proud of what youve done instead of acting so humbly! Hahah, should I? Bing Xue giggled. After an hour, the groups finally regrouped within Alejandria, where they had a huge celebratory feast over the defeat of all the invading forces in a huge building Heba rented. News of what had happened in Egypt crossed all over the worldnot just the country itself, but America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and moreall got to know of yet another of Bing Xue and her sects achievements. However, while Bing Xue decided to take a break in the following days before continuing her climb of the tower, destiny always had other plans for the world, and perhaps even the worlds of the tower. RUMBLE! A huge white crack suddenly emerged on top of the tower as a gigantic divinity beyond the levels of the gods of the towers top began to slowly materialize. Clouds of many colors began to descend, distorting space and time as massive arms that could grasp the moon itself descended, followed by a completely white, scrawny body. So this is the tower connected to the world she came from? His endlessly spiraling, rainbow-colored eyes glanced through one hundred different worlds, and at the very bottom, not even a floor yet. He found it. Earth. Aahh Bing Xue! However, before he could even reach her, the dimensional walls and the formation in front of him had to be overtaken or destroyed. I might not be able to get to you yet. But I sure can do something else, right? As his gigantic hands made of pure white light touched the tower, its entire dimensional structure started to tremble lightly. TRUUUM! And who might you be? Daring to touch my precious tower? However, the voice of a young woman echoed before him as a wave of pink light surged from within the tower he was trying to overtake. FLASH! And a small yet infinitely powerful being materialized. You must be the Tower Master! How small you are. The monstrosity beyond dimensions smiled; its face, made entirely out of white light, twisted, opening a gigantic jaw full of sharp teeth and a long red tongue. Ill enjoy eating you! Monstrosity beyond dimensions begone! CLAAASH! Unbeknownst to everyone, a battle between Cosmic Beings began on top of the Tower. ----- Chapter 162 Part 1: Back Home Listen While Reading: ׭ () ----- The next three days after what happened in Egypt went very slowly; I couldnt relax much as I helped the people rebuild their homes, revived a couple of casualties, and also had way too many press conferences where I had to state like three times that I didnt mean any harm to the country of Egypt; apparently their politicians saw me as some sort of threat despite how I saved their country. I guess it cannot be helped. When youre dealing with weak mortals such as these, once they face someone like me, even when saved, they can only think about how theres a thousand ways I could destroy them anyway; therefore, only fear fills their hearts, and it overcomes any gratefulness they could ever feel. It ultimately ended with me having a brief meeting and then a huge dinner with several of the countrys politicians, who were constantly trembling in front of me. Oh well, things ended peacefully anyway. Honestly, I still prefer that they cower in fear rather than making them get cocky and attempt to somehow convince me and use me for some nefarious motive or plan. With that said and done, the Gray Gates located in Egypt didnt disappear though, but they reduced in size quite a lot. I created an alliance with the hunters of Egypt, and their politicians agreed to invest in more security, leaving large quantities of hunters near these giant gates. If anything comes out of them again, itll be swiftly reported, so thats good at least. After everything that happened, we moved back to my Golden Pagoda, where I met with my family, who had been training there and enjoying the luxury of this gigantic temple Ive built. My mother and my sister didnt participate in the battle mostly because of my requests; they were strong, but I wanted them to be even stronger; risking their lives there wasnt affordable for the moment. Hah, finally back. What an annoying day this has been. I sighed in relief as I entered the Pagoda and walked towards the large living room, where I found several tables lined up together and a huge feast served on top of them. Ooh? Whats this? I found Merkite and Urbosa walking out of the kitchen carrying more stuff; their tails began wagging immediately after noticing I was back home. Ah, honey! Welcome back! Youve worked hard; well done. Ah, thank you. Its nice to be back; it has only been a day, but I missed you two. I ended receiving their hugs and kisses happily, embracing them in a big hug. I missed you too; we made you a big feast! said Urbosa, kissing my lips in between words. I think you need to rest for now, alright? Youve done too much. Yeah, sis is right. Merkite nodded, kissing my neck and then my lips, taking turns with her sister. Lets take a break, alright? Yes, yes, I know. Thank you for the food; it looks very delicious already! I nodded, feeling immediately healed with their fluffy love. I caressed their soft fur and their big, fluffy tails and immediately felt relaxed. This, accompanied by their kisses and snuggles, made me feel back in heaven. Damn, I cant believe Ive missed this back in Murim. Maybe I would have been much happier if I had a wife or two. But maybe it wouldnt even have been possible either way, with so many threats I couldnt handle all the time. And even when I reached the pinnacle, the creep of the Heavenly Will was there, always watching. I didnt want to make him see any weakness within me. Well, Murim is already behind me now, so I shouldnt worry for the moment. I love you two so much. Thank you for being with me. I sighed as I kissed their little snouts. Youre my treasures. B-Bing Xue Dear They blushed, feeling a bit flattered by my words and even more embarrassed. Merkite ended up covering her face in embarrassment, actually. Geez! You have to say that out of nowhere? A-Ah, yes, it was a bit surprising. Whats so surprising? Cant I love my beautiful wives? I giggled, caressing their heads. Now lets eat; Im starving! I wasnt actually starving; I dont think I can. But I did feel a bit of hunger, or the desire to eat, and feel my stomach full. Sure, sit down and enjoy! Well join you with the other girls after a minute; were still preparing something else, said Merkite. Yeah! Urbosa nodded. Hey! Fiery Hair! Mursha? Is it ready yet? Ohh! My two other girls must be cooking as well. I dont think Ive ever tasted food made by Fiery Hair before though! The girls must have taught her how to cook. I walked to the kitchen right behind them to spy a little, finding the two cute giantesses doing their best in the kitchen. No wait, Fiery Hair, thats not salt; thats sugar; this is salt, said Mursha. Now add a tiny little bitnot that much! Hmm Cooking is hard Fiery Hair furrowed her eyebrows, slightly frustrated. But Fiery Hair wants Bing Bing happy! Must cook something yummy! You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Yes, yes, this stir-fried rice with chicken already looks quite yummy, Fiery Hair, so youve done a good job, nodded Mursha. But you lack should I say dexterity? With your hands in terms of handling little things. You have to practice more. From today well be cooking together, alright? Okay, nodded Fiery Hair, smiling a bit. Thank you for helping Fiery Hair Fiery Hair is clumsy but Mursha is nice and teaches well. Mursha is a good friend. Aww, arent you cute? giggled Mursha. Lets do our best for our wife, alright? Im sure if you cook her something tasty today, shell mate with you tonight. The best way to charm your lover is through the stomach! Yes! nodded Fiery Hair. Ill mate no matter what! Fiery Hair wants babies too! she said while looking at Murshas belly. Hahah, dont put it like that; its embarrassing. Mursha giggled, gently patting her belly. The moment I entered, they noticed me though. Oh! Dear! Youre back! Mursha said with her strong voice, walking towards me and giving me an even stronger hug. Youve been out a whole day! "Yeah, sorry, I nodded. I couldnt leave Doppelgangers because they were busy elsewhere. Looking for the spider? wondered Mursha. Yep, thats right, I nodded. Still trying to figure out where she hid. Spider dangerous, said Fiery Hair. But that doesnt matter now! Love matters more, Bing Bing. Fiery Hair missed you. Fiery Hair then hugged me as well, giving me several kisses all over my face and then a rather passionate kiss on my lips, with her tongue in between. Hmm, Fiery Hair loves kissing wife, she smiled, patting my head. Wife too beautiful! Heheh, am I? I winked at her. Youre beautiful too, Fiery Hair! I noticed youve been cooking with the girls; well done! Im sure youll get the gist of it eventually. Oooh! Yes! Fiery Hair cooked rice and bird! Wife wants some? Fiery Hair made plenty for everyone! Fiery Hair smiled cutely. For being a big, burly giantess that might intimidate many, shes such a cutie deep down. Sure! I nodded. Ah, wheres my mom and my sister though? And Hekita and the rest? Ah, they already had their meals, said Merkite. They said it was okay for us to have a meal with just you, dear, Urbosa smiled. Ooh! I see, then its a romantic dinner, hm? Ill change into something nicer then, I giggled. With a simple thought, my body was encompassed by light, and my clothes disappeared as new ones materialized, taking the form of a long silver-colored dress, something more of the style of modern Earth this time, with black heels. Ooohh! So pretty! Urbosa and Merkite wagged their tails as they saw my clothes transform, glancing all over my body, especially my chest and then my hips. That dress doesnt leave much for the imagination though. Merkite muttered while blushing. I-Indeed Urbosa nodded. Fufu, Im glad you like it~ I winked at them. And about my hair Im a bit tired of having it tied all the time so I took out all my ornaments and let my long ponytail go wild; finally, all my hair was let loose, flowing down like streams of liquid silver that went down my body, shining with a slightly metallic sheen. Oh yes, this is much better! Phew I felt so happy after finally letting this hair go free. Bing Bing keeps getting prettier every day! Fiery Hair said. Shes indeed a beauty, Mursha nodded. A-Am I even allowed to be with her? Hahaha, enough with that girls, I giggled. Lets go eat for now! As we set up everything for dinner and then we finally went to sit down, we talked about a few other things as well. Merneith? I wondered as Urbosa asked about her. She stayed back in El Cairo for the night; she might stay there a couple of days if she wants to. I cant really force her to come with us. Although she said she wanted a date with me Shes very attached to that city and its people, and also Sara and the rest of the Hunters will be there for her. We need to discuss something important later though, so Ill call her over. Ah, I see! nodded Urbosa. I had imagined she might have tried seducing you Shes a beautiful girl, but I guess she wasnt as aggressive in her approach? Well, she invited me to a bar to drink some wine and eat some food, I said. She wouldnt stop praising my beauty But after that, she said she wanted to stay there, so I didnt pursue the situation. I dont know whats in her mind most of the time; shes quite unpredictable. She really is, Merkite nodded. I suppose its fine if that happened then! I didnt really have the mood to share you with anybody else than us. Yeah, youre ours tonight, Mursha smiled, drinking some beer. Fiery Hair also wants, you know what. A-Ah, I see! I giggled, feeling a bit embarrassed. By the heavens, lets eat and enjoy what you made first! Then we can concentrate on the rest, alright? We sat down to enjoy the food, and I was greeted with a surprising arrangement of meals from the cultures of the orcs from Murshas tribe and the beast people of Urbosa and Merkites tribe. Fiery Hair had also prepared a really nice-looking chicken fried rice with eggs and lots of stir-fried veggies to accompany it; they were cut in funny chunks because she tried her best to cut them delicately. Urbosa and Merkite offered me fried rolls filled with meat from their original worlds game and also vegetables and seeds they gathered. It was a wonderful combination of flavors, and the rolls were similar to spring rolls but much crunchier and delicious. They also offered me a nice and comforting soup made of the bones of several different creatures with potatoes, carrots, and small rice-like seeds they eat. It was a comforting meal. Do you like it? We put our heart into this. Urbosa smiled. Its really good! Are these recipes from your family? Havent tried these before. I said. Yep, grandma gave us a few recipes that she used to prepare for us, Merkite giggled. They were also stuffing themselves, eating a lot of what they prepared; they had voracious appetites, but I wouldnt want them any other way. "Alright, time for something big too! Eat up! Mursha placed half a whole roasted boar on the table, which was nicely seasoned, with caramelized and crunchy skin and very soft meat. Hmm! So delicious! I took a huge leg and started eating delicately. The seasoning you used is amazing; sometimes it feels spicy, sweet, and sour but the flavors dont contrast at all and make the boar meat even more flavorful. Yep! Thats ye good old recipe from my mom! she nodded. Its called Valhalla Boar! We eat these by the dozens after a big battle. My dad loved these, and mom would make like three for the whole family; he ate one and a half himself! Is that so? I can see where you got that huge appetite then, dear, I giggled. I wish I could have met your parents; they sound like wonderful people. Thank you Mursha smiled. They indeed were good people. Bing Bing! Are you not trying Fiery Hairs meal? wondered Fiery Hair, looking all sad. Please try it a bit! A-Ah! Yes, Im sorry, my love; theres just so much to eat. Ill try it right away! I said. Gimme! Here! she happily said, placing a huge bowl of her rice. Fiery Hair added bird bird from home. Big bird, scaled bird! Wait, you mean the huge dinosaurs?! I wondered. Ooh! Dinosaur meat Did I try this out before? I think we didnt So the chicken she added ended being of some sort of Tyrannosaurus rex with large feathers, which Fiery Hair called "bird," which was a bit hilarious. The rice was nice and tasty, and Mursha added some of her special spices, so it was amazing. Then the veggies were nicely cooked and crunchy, and then the meat. Hm?! This is definitely not just like chicken slightly harder texture like red meat but very tasty, I nodded. Like a mix between red and white meat. "Yeah, its really tasty! I would say this is your best meal so far, Fiery Hair! said Mursha, laughing heartily. Fiery Hair is so happy! Her eyes were shining brightly. Wife loves Fiery Hair meals? I do! Its lovely, well done! I nodded, praising her. Fiery Hair loves wife! She happily said, hugging me and kissing me all over my face. Ahahah! W-Wait Fiery Hair! Im eating right now These four girls are so lovely and mean so much for me its almost scary. They bring color to my life and have been healing my mind from all the horrors and hardships I had to endure in Murim. Im truly grateful for being loved and also for loving them too. I love you all so much Thank you for everything, I sighed as I finished my meals after an hour or so. B-Bing Xue Geez, again with that! Hmm, it seems weve conquered her heart, Fiery Hair! Nows your chance! Oohh! Wife, come! Lets mate! Suddenly, Fiery Hair grabbed me and carried me to bed! Eh?! Fiery Hair?! I should have expected this! ----- Chapter 162 Part 2 You can read the chapter here (for free): The Heavenly Martial Empress Returns: An OP Xianxia Returnee LitRPG - Chapter 162 Part 2: Fiery Hair Wants Babies | Scribble Hub Have you ever wondered what would happen if the pinnacle of a Xianxia Cultivation Story appears in the middle of a post-apocalyptic system and tower climbing setting, without having lost her powers, unrestrained, and invincible? If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
Murim, a world of Martial Arts, Cultivation, Brutal Violence, Bloodshed, Vengeance, and where Might Makes Right. Bing Xue spent eleven thousand years in such a world, ascending to become the pinnacle after countless hardships, blood, tears, and sacrificing her own humanity in the process. However, she was incapable of ascending into the Immemorial Primordial Void Realm; incapable of escaping the Heavenly Will''s influence, she gambled it all on a single decision, escaping into the Outer Cosmos with her last remaining energies. Despite thinking her long journey was coming to an end, a black hole teleports her back to Earth out of nowhere! However, things on her home planet are much different than before. The Tower now exists, connecting Earth with countless other worlds. Monsters come out of Dimensional Gates, threatening humanity, and awakened people named Players climb the Tower in hopes of saving humanity from destruction. After learning that her mother and her sister are still alive, Bing Xue will use the overwhelming and supreme might she has cultivated for eleven thousand years to destroy the tower, slay the gods that govern it, and save Earth from its untimely demise. The System? She will fold it and make a fashionable scarf with it! The Administrators? They might become her new pets. The Monsters? Nothing but ants that die immediately by merely touching her Immortal Aura. The Hunters? If they behave, she might make them her disciples and teach them to cultivate the Heavenly Dao, so they dont rely too much on the System. The Hostile Players? Just flies shell slap to death with a gentle wave of her hands. And the Gods? Merely aperitives for her ever-growing Divinity! Chapter 163: The Next Morning ----- The morning sunlight came through the windows as I groggily woke up, feeling both refreshed and exhausted at the same time, a strange combination of feelings that has begun to become rather common since I started having girls in my bed every night. Damn, I had a lot of sex last night. I dont know how these girls can keep up with my literal endless stamina, but they always do their best to drain me out of every last droplet of it somehow. Sex might be stronger than any foe Ive fought. Fiery Hair was incredibly intense; the power of a primitive woman must never be underestimated; I had been completely defeated by her. Even when I finally grew slightly tired, she still had a lot of stamina and energy left; she wouldnt let me rest; she was practically outclassing me! I think she even started using her Primal Power to mate with me because she wanted to make sure she would get pregnant no matter what. And I think she already did. I doubt I have to readjust anything for her though; the baby will be strong, but the mother is even stronger. Her body is so tough she will suffer no complications, as Ive already calculated. The same would go for Mursha now, and I think even Urbosa and Merkite have become strong enough to not need any protection by weakening the child by sealing their power until it is born. But by the heavens, I am surprised by how fast my seed can impregnate them and develop inside of their wombs. Looking at Fiery Hair, she already has a little life developing in her. It must be several times faster than normal humans, right? I guess if I am even considered a human. Im already something beyond. Oh my so fast?! And I was shocked even more when I saw the bellies of Urbosa and Merkite; they had already begun to grow bigger, and it was now noticeable. Seeing the babies with my special eyes, I immediately noticed the fetuses were already quite well developed, with most of the necessary organs ready. And it was interestingthey looked more like humans than beast-kin but had tails and beast ears already developed. Hm, our children might be hybrids then, like Peperina? Thats quite interesting; I might be creating completely new races for each one of my kids. I think that because they have inherited part of my Divinities and Primordial Venerable Ki and also my powerful evolved bloodline, these energies and powers are hastening their development to an insane pace. Probably dozens of times faster than what a human child would take to develop, then this summed up with beast people usually taking half as much as humans inside the womb too. Urbosa told me Hekita was born only after five months of gestation, but she said it can usually be even shorter depending on if the child is born very healthy. The healthier, the earlier theyre born, apparently, with the earliest child born in only three months from a mother that ate like six meals a day. It has been roughly like a bit over a month since I had my first time with them, I believe? Probably two months by now. It also slightly aligns with the time I returned to Earth. But did they get pregnant from our first time? I dont think so? I think it was a bit later Well, whatever the case, the kids might be born Hmm, calculating their rate of growth in less than a week! By the Nine Heavens I suppose I cant wait! Phew I slowly sat down and then stretched my arms and legs. I felt slightly stiff for some reason. Seeing my girls sleeping so peacefully filled my heart with tranquility. I kissed them one by one; none of them woke up anyway, cuddling in bed together as I walked away. I guess theyll probably sleep some more; thats fine. I want my wives to laze around and rest all they want. I always try to spoil them. I took a warm shower and then changed my clothes. Finally feeling better, I decided that this time I''d cook breakfast for my lovers. Stealthily walking out of the room without making any sound by turning into a mass of photon energy, I reached the big garden to the left corridor. There, I saw the beautiful garden, the sun coming from the open ceiling, and the calming small waterfall flowing down. As I admired this little path of nature and meditated to set my thoughts straight for the day, I noticed several footsteps. Mama! Good morning! It was little Hekita, who probably sniffed me out and came running to greet me. She hugged me tightly and rubbed her snout on my belly. Good morning, dear, I kissed her forehead. Did you sleep well? Yeah! she nodded, wagging her tail happily. I had a good night. We watched a lot of animated series with Auntie Ruby. She showed me stuff called animey a lot, and I liked it! There were stories of magical girls and big robots!Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Is that so? I wondered. Ah, so your auntie has been nice to you; thats good to hear. What about grandma? Grandma went to sleep early, said Hekita. She said she was tired from all the training she has been doing. I think she needs a break. I see, I nodded. Alright then! Shall we go look for them to have some breakfast with my family too? Yeah! Hekita quickly climbed my body as she sat down over my shoulders. Lets go! She did that without even asking for permission, but she was so cute she was allowed to do such things for the moment, and only because shes very cute! Knock, knock! We walked through the corridors and reached my sisters room. I knocked first but heard nothing. She must still be sleeping Was Juan with her? Erm, I think so! I see. They probably are tired then Huh? Why? Ah, nothing Dont think about it, dear. Then we moved to my mothers room, knocked, and then we heard her voice. Yes? Is it you, Katherine? Yeah mom. Oh, wait a bit! I heard mom running around; I think she was getting dressed. Once she walked into the door and opened it, she was ready for the day. Yeah, mom always wakes up early in the morning. Good morning, honey, she kissed my face. Hm? Oh Hekita! How are you? Im fine, grandma! Kind of hungy though, Hekita said. Hahah! Alright, shall we prepare some breakfast then? giggled mom. "Yeah, lets go, I nodded. As we moved to the kitchen and started cooking, I told mom and Hekita about the news regarding Urbosa and Merkites pregnancy. So Im getting siblings this week?! No way! Yaaaay! Hekita started running everywhere and jumping like crazy. She even climbed the walls and started running them. Im going to be a big sister! Im going to have little siblings! Cant wait! As we saw her run around, my mother nodded. I-I see I just never thought it would be so quick, she said. "Honestly, I am still trying to process how you were able to get another girl pregnant. But well, seeing how youve done so many other things, changing sex shouldnt surprise me. It has more to do with body shapeshifting though, but yes, I nodded. Its embarrassing to talk about it But yes, theyll be my kids. Haha, okay, I understand it''s embarrassing, my mother nodded. But theres nothing to feel embarrassed about, Katherine; Im your mother after all. But I get it; lets not talk about it if it''s uncomfortable for you. It''s not how I imagined I would be getting grandkids, but Im happy nonetheless. Thank you, mom. I felt a bit relieved she was okay with this. A-And well, Mursha and Fiery Hair are definitely pregnant too What? That quickly?! she wondered, gasping. Uh-huh I nodded, feeling embarrassed. I think the power of my, you know, what is quite well, it strong. I think it has inherited my strengths, so the kids are not only conceived quickly, but they also grow super-fast. Oh my Katherine, be careful, alright? I dont want to tell you how you should live your life or something, but Dont have too many kids; youll stop remembering their names or wont have enough time for them all, alright? she said nervously. Theyre pregnant, so I guess it cant be helped But seeing how your nature is, youll probably pick up even more girls in the future; try to use some contraceptive. My nature? I asked, feeling a bit hurt. Mom, I am not that like that! Hmm she crossed her arms. Already four girls you call your wives; I doubt youll stop with just that! "Mom, dont say that! I am not that horny, I looked elsewhere. Uh-huh, okay, Ill try to believe you then, she sighed. Anyways, how much food are we making? Ive already made like twenty pancakes! At least fifty more, I said. Urbosa and Merkite dont eat too much, but they do eat considerably. Hekita likes eating a lot; shes still growing. Fiery Hair and Mursha like eating a lot too. And all of them love eating meat in breakfast, so making some roasted meat is always a must too. I looked at the huge oven; there was a whole wild boar being grilled there, covered with delicious spices and sauces. My girls are big eaters, so I had to adapt to that, haha I giggled. Even with this, I dont know if Fiery Hair will be satisfied. If shes still hungry, shell go hunt something and eat it later, though. That huge girl sure loves eating! Shes certainly a cavewoman, huh My mother nodded. Yes, despite that, shes so cute, I said. And also so beautiful; Im lucky she loves me Hah, I guess so my mother giggled as she prepared thirty pancakes now. Forty more to go Hahah, let me help then, mom. I ended helping her cook after she got tired of doing so much, though she still helped making eggs, bacon, and also some bread. Indeed, this wasnt a breakfast anymore but a huge feast for a small battalion, and it was only mostly for four girls. Maybe five if we include Hekita. Once we were done cooking and placed everything on the table, Hekita was already drooling. The cute wolf girl instantly sat down, and I rapidly served her the morning pancakes she loved. How much Whip Cream? A lot! Lot! Lot! She cheered as I poured a lot over the ten pancakes she was going to eat on her own Indeed, despite being so small, she eats a lot. She consumes most of this energy cultivating, training, and fighting. Even using Anubis consumes her energies rapidly, as hes fueled primarily by her Stamina and Spirit Energy. There you go! With lots of strawberries like my baby girl loves it, I giggled. Yaaay! She started eating right away, with a fork and a knife. She used to eat with her bare hands but quickly learned to use them. Nam, nam! Nam! My mother giggled a bit after seeing her eat; she was indeed a little pancake-destroying monster. While she was eating, I quickly prepared food on a table and moved it to my room to greet my wives with a breakfast on bed. Good morning, my loves! I stepped inside as they groggily opened their eyes, glancing at me half-sleepily. Huh? Food? Food in bed! Fiery Hair was surprised. Smells so nice! Meat! Gimme! Oh? Dear! You brought us breakfast for bed? You shouldnt have to Urbosa felt flattered. Thank you though! said Merkite. Hm? Whys my belly so big out of nowhere? Ah, usually when were pregnant, our bellies barely change, but they surely get bigger nodded Urbosa. Looks like the kids are growing strong and rapidly! Oh wow, thats really amazing, said Mursha. Will my kid also grow quickly? I havent felt like my bellys getting any bigger yet. Though I feel a little brat growing. Hm, also thanks for the food; its good. Love ya. Hm, well, I think Urbosa and Merkites tribe have faster gestation periods, I said. Right? I dont know much about orcs; are they quicker or longer? Usually between six and seven months, said Mursha. I think Oh, thats not too far off, I suppose, I nodded. What about your tribe, Fiery Hair? Hmm? Dunno Fiery Hair said. Long, hmm, from winter... to spring! Sometimes up to... Summer! I see... I wondered. Oh, so you mean between 4.5 months or 6? Interesting, so its quicker than modern humans too Im surprised. Maybe the Primal Power makes them grow quicker then, said Mursha. Thats like the power from her world, no? Yeah! nodded Fiery Hair. Child grow quick and strong! Fiery Hair could walk in three months old! Fiery Hair could lift rocks at six months old! Fiery Hair could hunt animals at nine months old! Fiery Hair could hunt more animals in one year! Damn, you grew up so fast! I said. Maybe its an adaptation for the children to survive in a dangerous and wilder world compared to our own? So they can keep up with their parents and escape danger better. Like animals ah, I hope that didnt sound offensive. Nah! she smiled. Its like that! Yes! Children must grow quickly to survive the wild world! Parents protect, but parents cant be everywhere all the time! Fiery Hair parents are gone. Big scaled ate them Fiery Hair was very sad. But had to survive and hunt on her own! Growing fast helps. O-Oh, Im so sorry about that I said. I didnt know Its fine! Wife loves Fiery Hair, Fiery Hair loves wife So very happy! Parents must be happy too, grandchildren are coming soon, she giggled, patting her belly. Dont worry, we live happy together. Beautiful life. Geez, can this girl even get sad? Shes so cheerful Im glad you think that Ill make sure to make your life the happiest, I said, holding her hand. I love you. Love you too! Come here! She hugged me and kissed me a lot. ----- Chapter 164: The Tower Master’s Decision ----- Hmm, that was good; thanks for the breakfast, sis. Yeah, it was delightful, though a bit too heavy for a breakfast Ruby and Juan were sitting next to me on the table. After my wives ate their breakfast, they wanted to eat some more, so they joined everyone else at the table. My sister and her boyfriend had just joined us recently though, but they ate happily anyways. I was also quite satisfied after having eaten too, so I sat down for the moment while admiring the little waterfalls inside of my Zen Garden. Glad you liked it, I nodded. Would you two like to join us climbing the Tower later? I plan to go in a day or two. Sure, I dont mind, nodded Ruby. I kind of want to get stronger anyway, so this is perfect! Also, I wanted to see the second floor and what you did there to fix it, sis. It would be an honor to join you, said Juan. Alright then I nodded. Hmm, might as well check this. I checked the system, which had been bugging me for some time. I had been completely ignoring it for a while, but it was time to see what it wanted to tell me. Ding! Ding! Ding! Okay, okay, I know you want me to see you; calm down! I sighed, swiping my hands and quickly being surprised as I saw a few dozen of System Messages pop up at the same time. Ding! [Congratulations! You and your Party have defeated a large-scale invasion from a parallel timeline gate.] [You have slain several Powered Machines and Mechanical Gods, and the Vessel of a Primal Goddess.] [Youve earned a generous quantity of EXP.] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [] [Your Level has increased from Level 3.346 to Level 4.137/10.000!] [All your Stats have increased. You gained Bonus Stat Points and Skill Points.] [Several of your Skills have Leveled Up.] Hmm, not bad! I gained quite a lot of Levels, not one thousand, but this is indeed tremendous. Is this because these invaders were already assimilated by the System and had levels and such? Beating the spider definitely gave a lot of EXP; she was certainly very powerful. But that wasnt all; EXP wasnt the only thing I could gain from slaying gods. Although she wasnt slain, I did eat a piece of her Soul and her Divinity before she escaped. In fact, like a crab leaving behind their limbs for a predator to eat instead of them, she cut her own pieces for me to eat and escaped. Her survival instincts are very high, without a doubt I suppose shes more of a monster than a true goddess in that sense. Ding! [You have absorbed the Primal Goddess Shattered Soul Fragments and Shattered Divinity!] [The Skill: [God Predator (SSS)] effects have been activated. You have absorbed the Divinity and Soul Fragments of the Foreign Primal Goddess: {Evil Arachnid Queen of Malice and Cunningness, the Great Web Mother, Arashkaghl-Dolth}] [You obtained the {Broken Primal Divinities}: {Malice & Cunningness} {Space-Weaving Spider} {Corruption Venom}] [All Stats have increased by +12.000.000] [You gained +4.000.000 Divinity.] [You have stolen the Faith of the Primal Goddess youve wounded and eaten a piece of her Soul and Divinity.] [You gained +100.000.000 Faith.] Ohh! Three Broken Primal Divinitiesthats much better than I imagined! And these stat boosts, theyre better than when I ate the whole souls and divinities of like fourteen gods?! And this is only a piece of her, perhaps a small one if she could afford to cut it off and escape This without a doubt cements her as someone incredibly strong. [You learned the Classless/Magic/Class Skills]: [Abyssal Miasmic Venom of Corruption (SSS): Lv1] [Space-Weaving Spiderwebs (SSS): Lv1] [Primal Mechanical Spider Creation (SSS): Lv1] [The Skill: [Divine Class Absorption (SSS)] Effects have been activated. You have devoured a fragment of the Divine Class of the Primal Goddess you have wounded and eaten a fragment of.] [You devoured the Divine God Classes]: [Primal Spider Queen] [Arachnid Space Weaver] [Corrupted Undead Machine] [You have earned +500.000 Skill Points] And that should be it Three new Skills, three new Classes, and more Skill Points. The Skill themselves seem to be weak, derived versions of that goddess'' abilities. Ill probably check them out and see what I can do with them later. For now, we should move to New York; thats where Merneith should have just arrived. She said she really wanted to visit other countries, so she told me she would come to New York with Ras help, bringing some of the Hunters from El Cairo with her. Anyways! Who wants to go to New York for a small trip? Merneith should have arrived by now, so lets go pick her up. Merneith? wondered Mursha. Why so sudden? We already scheduled this small meeting; we need to discuss things regarding the Mechanical Gods parts inside my Inner Realm, I explained. With Hekita also offering her help, were probably aiming to repair them somehow. "Oh, that sounds interesting, nodded Mursha. Sure, I want to explore that city as well! Isnt that the place where you were born? Sounds good; lets go. Everyone else came with me too, so it ended up turning into a family trip. The rest of my disciples were in the city right now as well, doing their jobs as hunters.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. . . . RUMBLE! How is this possible?! CLASH! Youre able to hold against my might?! BOOOM! I am the combination of all Nine Heavens! CRASH! Ngh! Hah, youre strong indeed, so very strong Stronger than me, without a doubt. But I am not weak either, you Interdimensional Alien God! TRUUUM! The clash between cosmic deities continued through dozens of years across the cosmos, time going much different outside the tower and the worlds connected to it. The girl whose entirety was made of pink and purple cosmic light overflowed with tremendous power, distorting space and time with her mere presence. My tower is a place where mortals shall dream and work to make their wishes come true! I couldnt ever call myself a Tower Master if I let an abomination such as you overtake it! You were able to steal Vestrellenth Tower, but hes not even comparable to me. Just give up already! Ill take all I desire, for I am the Nine Heavens incarnated! I rule and create order! The titan made of pure white light with a gigantic rainbow halo behind his back attacked the cosmic girl, his giant claws tearing through space and time. With the power of this artifact, I can now manifest a further part of myself outside of Murim! And once that tower is mine, Ill take it all! No, I wont let you! The cosmic girl knew that this entity would eventually defeat her after hundreds of years of fighting him. A threat of this caliber had never appeared across the cosmos and the interconnected star system streams. My power cannot grow any further, she thought. What can I do to stop him? Must I rely on my children? No Theyre too weak, selfish constantly thinking about themselves and overtaking one anothers worlds. What do I do? Where do I ask for help? Then, her glistening eyes, which were actually two small nebulas, widened as an idea sparkled in her mind. If such a being doesnt exist yet, then Ill create it She glanced down into the one hundred worlds and a dozen more that composed the tower. I am by no means a benevolent being. But I simply work towards the benefit of the many instead of a few Please forgive me. Suddenly, amidst an old temple floating in the skies of a world within the Tower, an old man glared at a glass orb with a frustrated expression. So those didnt work either not even that accursed spider they summoned, hm? he sighed. Oh well, its not like half of them are there yet. And so many more are cominghuh? His eyes widened as he saw someone suddenly appear by his side. Grandfather of Time, I require your power. Wha? AAACK! Without hesitating, the girl pierced his chest, infusing her cosmic energies and power into his own. FLUOSH! I always kept you because you were a useful tool, and with this power you have, I was going to use it one day. That day came sooner than I expected. W-What?! Wait, youre?! The Tower Master?! Stand Still, Grandfather of Time... Or should I say Chronostasis? I am the only one that knows your true name, Fragment of the Primordial Time Wheel incarnated. Your Ego has decayed greatly due to the amount of selfishness youve developed over eons, but your purpose is all the same. M-my ego?! Ah! RUMBLE! And then the entire tower started trembling, beginning to distort constantly, creating afterimages of itself, as if it were constantly glitching. Each afterimage showed different what if scenarios, duplicating the same over and over again. This is a gamble, but in one of such parallel timelines There must be something! Her eyes constantly flashed through thousands of what-ifs, many scenarios, many worlds. Until suddenly she saw ita future, a ruined future. Despite how it seemed so despairing. There was someone there, a tremendously powerful being. They stood amidst a destroyed world, having saved it. But at what cost? Everything they once had was now lost. They were completely alone. Their family, their loved ones So lonely. Is this the only way? She thought about this, using her incredibly fast thought process that seemed to slow time in front of her. But came to the same conclusion as before. Theres no time to hesitate She might not be ready yet, but this person could hasten her growth exponentially. FLUOSH! This is a gamble at the end Time dilation within the entire tower will help me delay this as much as possible, but Ultimately, it all depends on her. You have to take responsibility for bringing this monster here, Bing Xue. Her spiraling, nebula eyes glowed brightly as she disappeared, the Grandather of Time gasping for air, suddenly realizing there was no wound on his chest or anything at all. W-What happened?! What Who! he felt confused, utterly shaken. My powers were used by someone else, and I was unable to do a single thing! T-This is so pathetic As the ancient gods ego crumbled to pieces, he glanced at the orb that allowed him to see through the world where Bing Xue came from. Huh?! The portals he had placed had more than tripled. And not only that, but T-This is?! As he smiled maniacally, he saw the same portals begin to appear slowly, one after another, across the many other worlds of the Tower. Haha Hahahaha! He laughed in disbelief. I did this?! Did I do this?! Yes With this, everything, every world, shall be consumed by my powers! Gehahahaha! Completely unaware that he had been used as a tool, Chronostasis only laughed, believing himself as a genius. Little did he know of how much of an important key piece he was for the schemes of the Tower Master. You wont be able to protect your Tower forever! Ive learned the same abilities you utilize The monstrous dimensional invader laughed as his gigantic claws made of eternally bright light rushed towards the smaller Tower Master. She conjured giant nebulas of pink, purple, and azure color as millions of stars resonated with her powers, exploding and inhibiting his advance. However, the dimensional being smiled nonetheless, his thousands of small tendril-like tentacles made of Primordial Heavenly Ki piercing through space and time. Slowly expanding and dividing You can somehow hold on against me, so Ill simply have to eat you away bite by bite~ he smiled. From the inside out! Space started beginning to be disturbed as tiny white cracks began to spread slowly across space. . . . Once we arrived in New York, we started walking around the streets while Mursha admired the enormous skyscrapers. Woah! This places huge! What is this?! Amazing! She was sure easily amused It was quite surprising. BZZZTTT! Hm? Out of nowhere though, I felt something. It was as if. BBZZTTT! Again?! I looked behind me, expanding my senses. It was like a horrendous sound, a combination of several mechanical sounds together. No, it was similar, but it wasnt that- BBZZTTT! And then I saw itthe origin of the sound that could only be described as a computer glitching out and releasing loud, ear-wrenching sounds. The buildingsno, the entire city seemed to be strangely creating afterimages of itself, made out of different lights. Nobody but me noticed; nobody could see this except me. Whats going on? I quickly released my Aura and encompassed my entire family with it; they suddenly stopped walking, wondering what had happened. BZZZTTT! There it is again! Countless afterimages, shadows of the city, of the people, even of me and everyone else, constantly appeared behind us, but nobody could notice. Except me. Someone is tearing through the fabric of space and timereality?! As I was about to drag my family inside my Inner Realm for maximum security, suddenly It stopped. Everything went back to normal. Its normal now? I kept my senses high, and I didnt move a single inch; my family didnt either. They knew something was wrong after seeing how I react. Crack, crack! Ah! I looked into the skies, noticing a small crack in timea gray portal! Another? But this one is so small. What gives? Whats coming from there? It was the figure of a human, a tall young man? He was wearing medieval Chinese clothes that only high nobility would wear. Of bright silver and gold, with a dragon across his chest. He was covering his head with a wide white hat, but I could clearly see his hair reaching his neck, waving by the wind. It was of silvery-white color with black strands. I saw two golden eyes glowing too. This is...! he muttered, with slight surprise. Why How did I? This is New York? He looked around cautiously; the people of the city panicked; some ran away; others pointed their cameras at him and started filming. This shouldnt be possible How is this he kept talking. Am I back? I quickly flew to confront him. Based on his clothes, he could even be someone from Murim too! If hes of Demonic Factions, it is my duty to take care of him. However, I would prefer to solve this peacefully. FLASH! Who are you? I appeared right before him. He quickly glared at me with his sharp golden eyes, squinting them. Do you come from another timeline? A world? You Suddenly, his eyes widened in shock, but then His face twisted into anger, calm, unsettling hatred. His Aura erupted with tremendous ferocity. RUMBLE! So strong as his Aura that the buildings below were instantly shaved apart and disintegrated. His Aura of tremendous power, containing highly refined Ki, Mana, Spirit Energy, and even Divinity! Just who is this man?! Stop it! Your Aura will! I quickly released my Venerable Authority, clashing against his Aura. But then, something even more shocking happened. TRUUUM! His Aura transformed, growing even stronger And becoming a Venerable Authority too. CRAAASH! Dont tell me this is a Venerable from Murim?! How did he even get here! You Youre her! You ruined everything Why?! Why do you show your face in front of me?! With utter hatred, he suddenly started growing furious; his eyes became like those of a beast, and even his human teeth changed into beastly fangs. Calm down! I dont know what youre talking about, but if you continue with this, Ill have to stop you! I held back against his own Authority, but the more furious he grew, the stronger it became. GET OUT OF MY WAY! With a furious roar, he charged against me, his entire aura transforming into an arrow to enhance his power and speed, clashing against me. BOOOM! Ungh?! And then as he hit my stomach with both of his fists, I realized something. I vomited blood. Hes A Primordial Immemorial Venerable like me?! YOU RUINED EVERYTHING! DONT YOU KNOW HOW MANY DIED BECAUSE OF YOU?! His hands became like gigantic beastly claws as he attempted to tear my body into shreds. ----- Chapter 165: Evenly Matched Listen While Reading: Yagyu Sword Chronicles ----- Another Primordial Immemorial Venerable. Could it truly be possible? He made me bleed from that punch after all. Even though Ive also survived being split into two before, so it wasnt that big of a deal. The big deal itself was that his attack pierced through my defenses and barriers, which not even gods could harm. At most, they could destroy a layer, or something leave only cracks. But he instantly bypassed all defenses and immediately hit my body directly. He didnt need to put any energy into that attack either. Hes strong. Incredibly strong. Why? Just why is this man here? Where did he come from? And why does he remind me so much of Murim? Is he truly from Murim? He reminds me of Murim, but I have never seen his face before, and he also came from a gray portal. It means he arrived from a Parallel Timeline World. From Earth No, this cant be possible. Just what What am I thinking? Could this young man be YOU RUINED EVERYTHING! DONT YOU KNOW HOW MANY DIED BECAUSE OF YOU?! His hands became like gigantic beastly claws as he attempted to tear my body into shreds. I tried to stop him, but he wouldnt listen to my words. He charged against me with tremendous power, shaking the heavens and the ground below. I strengthened my body and quickly imbued it with several layers of defenses, yet each one of his attacks tore through my defenses anyway. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Several slashing wounds covered my skin this sensation. It was pain! Your defenses are weak! he screamed angrily. Makes sense why you lost against him, why you ended up ruining everything! Just what in the world are you talking about?! Cant you explain to me?! I asked. I quickly decided to counterattack, this time without holding back anymore. RUMBLE! The sky trembled as the clouds gathered into a titanic spear. {Primordial Nirvanas Spear}! He intercepted the incoming spear, capable of splitting the heavens with his bare claws. CLAAASH! BOOOMMM!!! A huge explosion in the shape of the spear reached him, a technique at full power I only used against the Primal King in this world and against Venerables before. Dont make me laugh However, his body seemed almost unscathed, although I noticed his hands had gained a lot of bruises. I see, hes truly at my own Realm. That technique would have definitely disintegrated you Ive just confirmed what you are. Oh? And what is that? He smiled defiantly, his eyes suddenly glowing bright red as his aura started growing stronger and stronger and stronger. ROOOAARRR! AWOOOOO! GRAAARRH! Until it shaped into a twelve-headed wolf-like monstrosity, surging from his Aura and absorbing the heavens themselves to realize its form. TRUUUM! And with that came a tremendously strong presence, a powerful shockwave that pushed me away with immense force. This was without a doubt his Venerable Authority. I despise you. He said. I cant believe I even got the chance to come to the past, but Ill make it worthwhile and do it right now. Now that I am here Ill stop it all from happening. Youre no longer needed; you never were. So you come from a future in this world? One where I ruined everything? I asked him; I couldnt even read his soul. Tell me more. Theres no point in fighting! We could discuss this peacefully. You possess no malice in your heart. I couldnt help but feel no true malice from him; if anything, he seemed wounded and despairing, hollow. Yet all these negative emotions, when he faced me, became hatred Hah? He smiled maniacally. You dont know a single thing about me!!! With a furious scream he charged. I waved my hands, using my Spatial Manipulation to tear apart the space where the two of us were, and teleporting this space away from the city.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. FLASH! Teleporting away from the city Were you afraid I would destroy it?! I would never do such a thing! he roared angrily. His Aura encompassed his body, taking the shape of golden and white fur, while his hands gained enormous claws and so did his feet; he gained a long tailno, several of them. He was wearing his Aura like Armor or Equipment, a technique not even I had done before! And above all, his Aura its very nature was very different than mine. Yet he somehow managed to also attain the Primordial Immemorial Venerable Realm?! It took me all that Murim had to offer; I even had to absorb the Ancient Human to attain this level of power. But he took a much different approach, a much different path altogether! Divinities. I could sense them all through his entire Aura. The Divinities of countless Gods he fought, killed, and devoured. Hundreds. RAAAHHH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! His attacks came rushing down as I intercepted them with my bare hands, his Soul Blade, cutting through the aura of protection he encompassed himself through. SLAAASH! Hmph! However, he twisted his body and kicked me several times in a row, pushing me away as he created endless shockwaves that twisted and destroyed the skies. BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! Hah! I kicked the skies and rushed towards him like a meteor, unsheathing my blade and swinging it vertically and horizontally, unleashing hundreds of slashes within a split second. {Heavenly Soul Blade Storm}! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! I can do the same thing! He roared back and quickly intercepted the attacks, his body rapidly recovering from the hundreds of small bruises he received, which turned into large wounds. {Heavenly Wolfs Hell-Tearing Claws}! So he had techniques! SLAAASH! SLAAASH! Two slashes from his hands were all it took from my entire barrage of sword slashes to explode and dissipate. BOOOM! {Heavenly Wolfs Earth-Shattering Charge}! He rushed down, fusing with his Aura, until he resembled something close to a werewolf, a gigantic silvery-white furred werewolf with golden claws and three heads. CRAAASH! The force he used to push me down was so immense I felt my insides constantly twisting and breaking. I gritted my teeth, resisting the intense pain, rapidly conjuring several elements in a row. Void, Soul Blade, and Time! Concentrate their power. Void and Soul became my sword. And Time, became its sharpness. Against such a powerful foe, I must improvise as I fight. Just like I once did back then, many times, through many battles. Have a huge repertoire and then adapt to their abilities! {Time-Slashing Tenebrous Soul Void Blade}! My Soul absorbed the Void Essence and temporarily became pitch black. At the same time, I wielded it completely as a blade, conjuring a titanic sword. Even his eyes widened for a moment. Y-You?! SLAAASH! A massive slashing attack reached him; he was unable to evade as I twisted space around us and kept it tightly together. Augh! BOOOM! The attack exploded as he was sent away, reaching the skies above and then outer space. A huge slashing wound crossed through his chest all the way down his thigh; his blood was bright red, so hes still a human. Lets talk now. I rushed towards him, and as he gritted his teeth, his hands were encompassed with blue light, which quickly froze his wound and slowly regenerated it back to normal. Despite having reached your level, you were able to hurt me this much. No, I am fairly sure I even surpassed you! he said angrily. Your fighting style is impressive, I said. Youre strong, indeed If we fought constantly day and night, theres large chances of you winning. Tch! he clicked his tongue like an unruly brat. This isnt even the beginning; Ill show you my- But youre forgetting something, I said. Back in Murim, I fought countless foes many times; they were always stronger than me. Sometimes one realm, two realms even three realms above. Ive survived by adapting, running away, and coming back stronger. I learned and mastered the art of fighting foes stronger than me. I was the first Mortal to kill an Immortal too, did you know? I lost both of my legs, one arm, my face was burned, my eyes exploded, my internal organs were twisted but he died, and I lived. What makes you think I suddenly have not a single chance against you when Ive always fought beings stronger than me and won? I asked. Tell me why. Hmph, he muttered, his Aura suddenly growing larger. So what? You talk so grandiose about all these things you achieved But when it was time to protect your worldwhen it was time to protect your familyyou died anyway! Youre just full of yourself! FLASH! {Demonic Lion Kings Jaws}! His Aura exploded as it transformed into hundreds of horned black, red, and golden colored lions, biting through my Aura and tearing it apart. CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! {Abyssal Black Spiderweb Domain}! FLUOSH! And right after that, within that split second I was about to respond, he unleashed a domain of spiderwebs, trapping me inside! Wait, isnt this?! "Familiar, isnt it? BAAAM! He punched my stomach with tremendous force, sending me flying across the domain of spiderwebs as I saw his reflections emerge one after another. This is the only power I could learn from her before Before she died, he said through all his reflections. But its good enough, isnt it?! RUMBLE! The Domain twisted as all his reflections attacked me from every angle at the same time. BAAM! A punch to the face. CLASH! A kick to my right elbow. CRASH! A palm strike to my left shoulder. BOOM! A massive hammer blow to the back of my head. CLASH! And a piercing spear-like attack to my left leg. He was constantly aiming for every pressure point of my body, aiming to completely paralyze me. The amount of pain and damage I was receiving was no laughable matter. I had to quickly release it all at once! {Divine Soul Blade Spirit Summon}! Suddenly, through my immense quantities of energy, I summoned tens of thousands of gigantic blades made of spirit energy, ki, and mana. And then I fused them into my technique, combining them with Demonic Energies from the Demons and the power to twist and skip time from a certain Skill. FLUOOOSH! A Domain of gray and black flames was conjured, encompassing all of his reflections at once. {Primordial Heaven Soul Blade}: {Timeless Void Heaven Inferno} Each Blade Spirit unleashed the same technique over and over again, as thousands upon thousands of slashing attacks covered everything with Timeless Void Flames, capable of devouring Time and the Void at the same time. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Each of his reflections met their end as they were split apart into countless pieces, all while the flames expanded through the entire domain, beginning to rapidly shatter it apart. Crack, crack! CRASH! As the Domain shattered into pieces, he was already behind me, conjuring dozens of Nirvana Spearsthe exact same technique I had used before, but multiplied by dozens of times! {Starlight Nirvana Spear Barrage}! By absorbing the surroundings starlight, I saw something I had yet to achieve. Cosmic Power?! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! A barrage of piercing spears reached me, made of starlight and heavenly light energies; they impacted my entire body at the same time. Once more, he aimed at my pressure points! My entire body was being riddled with large wounds, although not yet holes that pierced through all; he was still trying to pierce through my flesh and bones entirely. I Am Light! As he attacked me and left little for me to counterattack, absorbed all of my Authority and Elemental Powers, fusing with my Photonic Essence at once. FLAAASH! Ungh?! The light was so bright and strong it burned his eyes, making him step back momentarily. I spread out my body and made it larger, grabbing all of his spears and destroying them with my bare hands. A second later, I unleashed a barrage of dozens of Buddhas Palms of Tranquility, a powerful Martial Monk Art that targeted the very soul together with the body, sending calming waves to the brains to stop anger from a target. BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! Unnggh?! Aaarrggh! He grabbed his head in pain as he received the attacks, but quickly glared at me with even more anger! So it didnt work. I Am Light! FLAAASH! Suddenly, his entire body exploded with a bright white and silver light, encompassing everything and illuminating Earth below us. And his body changed; he became A being made of silver and white light, like me. You have the same techniques as I have Even Photonic Essence?! No, theyre not like yours theyre better. His gigantic body made of light gained a werewolf-like appearance again as his aura transformed into the shape of many different animal body parts, attacking me all at once. I couldnt escape at this point, so I decided to fight to the end, channeling the power of my Unique Martial Arts once more. BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! ----- Chapter 166: Invasion ----- Bing Xue left behind her family in the city as she rushed to confront this new, powerful enemy, leaving them all confused about what just had happened. Bing Xues presence is really far away Urbosa muttered. Just what happened? Merkite wondered. That man Why was he wearing clothes so similar to hers? Mursha asked, nervous. We have to go help! Fiery Hair said angrily. That man strong! Bing Bing may not be able to handle it on her own! She wouldnt? But isnt she the strongest? Urbosa asked. Its impossible for her to struggle No that man is dangerous! He had power equal to her or stronger! Fiery Hair seemed very shaken. Help her! We have to go help her now! Calm down! Mursha grabbed Fiery Hair by the shoulders; she was the only one strong enough to stop her tantrums. Lets trust in Bing Xue. If she were to be truly in danger, Im sure she''d tell us through her abilities. She can even use Telepathy, remember? B-But Fiery Hair was growing nervous, even more with the ever-growing explosions and tremors far above the skies, which only resembled small bright lights. Calm down, auntie, mama got this! Hekita said. And if it becomes too much, then we go! Shell tell us! Uh Fiery Hair sighed, looking into the skies in silence. Honestly, I am also worried, Bing Xues mother sighed. Weve been training and growing even stronger so far, but can we even compare to my daughter yet? Katherine is strong enough to at least figure out something; I want to trust her. Yeah, nodded Ruby. And if shes weak, then she can at least run away with us and come back later! She said it with absolute certainty. I am surprised how you blindly trust her so much Juan sighed. But I cant do much either. At the very least, Ill stay by your side, Ruby. Well, if you- Crack, crack! Eh? Their eyes glanced at yet another crack breaking open, and then another, and another Small cracks where only a person or two could fit through. Gates?! Katherines mother panicked, while Ruby and Juan also gathered together with Bing Xues wives, rapidly taking out their weapons. The people around the city near the gates panicked, immediately running away. This was the natural response after seeing them; it couldnt be helped. Monsters! Monsters are coming! The Gates are small though But theyre all gray? Call the Hunters, quickly! Bing Xue was here, wasnt she? She flew away with a guy that appeared out of the blue! As the people speculated while running away, several figures started coming out from the gates; the first of them resembled Hahhh Hahh Huh? Im back to New York? Wasnt I fighting Doctor Frost? A man wearing a skin-tight red suit over his body, with two golden wings attached to his shoulders, and a big wing-shaped logo in his chest. Ah, hello ladies? Hm? Green-skinned wolf people? As he was wondering what was happening, he suddenly disappeared. FLASH! And then appeared right in front of them! W-Wha! He moved so fast! said Ruby. Oh, you saw me moving?! Haha! Usually nobody can even notice that, the man said. I think Im lost Did I land on another multiverse event or something? Im honestly tired of resetting the timelines all the time What is he talking about? asked Mursha. I-I have no idea, but he doesnt seem hostile at least? Urbosa wondered. However, dont lower your guard S-Sorry! Was I scary? Im really just some man- Wait, you dont have a version of me here?! he wondered. Who? Katherines mom asked. Who the hell are you, dude? Ruby wondered, raising an eyebrow. Wingspeed! You dont know me?! I mean Im usually famous the man said. Like, the fastest man on Earth? Does it ring any bells? Huh? Are you a Flash rip-off? asked Ruby. He sounds kind of neurotic, like he drank ten coffees this morning, said Juan. "Look, Ive heard that like four times already in another universe, and I dont even know who that Flash guy is; Im Wingspeed, okay, andSorry, sorry, Im getting a bit too heated up over nonsense. Im afraid Im stuck in your universe for a bit Well, Ill- BOOOM! Before Wingspeed could say anything else, an explosion of azure frost surged from one of the nearby gates, beginning to freeze the buildings. The ice rushed towards the people escaping. Hahahaha! I found you, Wingspeed! So this is where you ran away, you damn rat! And then a man emerged from the gate, stepping over the tower of ice he created; he looked old, with blue skin, a bald head, and armor made of pure ice. He wore large glasses made of ice too, and he looked kind of funny.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Doctor Frost! Youre here too?! Where else would I have gone to you, crimson escapist! Why do you even talk like that? Youre so weird, dude, go home! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! Wingspeed moved at lightning speedno, even faster than thatappearing and disappearing as he saved dozens of people that were seconds from being frozen. Bah! I hate that zoomer speech of yours! All youngsters nowadays are cultureless buffoons! Doctor Frost spread out his arms as his Aura rapidly grew stronger, overflowing with ice everywhere. Ooh?! My powers?! Have they become stronger? Whats thisSystem?! Eh! Hahahaha! GOOD! FLUOOOSH! With a single thought, Doctor Frost unleashed a huge snowstorm, covering the buildings with snow and frost everywhere! Wingspeed moved quickly, saving more people. Dammit! At this point hell freeze half the city! Just how did he get so strong?! Now nothing can stop me! I am invincible in this world, Wingspeed! Prepare yourself! Ill freeze you to death! AHAHAHA- Eh? However, Doctor Frosts big white eyes opened wide the moment he saw Mursha appear right by his left side. Stop it already! CRAAASH! She swung her giant axe, cleaving through his ice walls and burning them all, sending Doctor Frost flying into the skies! Uuuuaaaaggghh! Doctor Frost screamed incredibly loudly as he was set ablaze; his frost covering his body was trying to constantly turn off the flames, yet they wouldnt stop! RUMBLE! And then, above him, Urbosa and Merkite emerged, swinging their spears down. A-Ah! Wait a second! Time out! Time outACK! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Thunder and windstorm spear attacks pierced through all of his ice walls and armor, shattering them all into pieces and sending Doctor Frost down, with several holes covering his body. G-Guuggh?! I-Im dying?! Doctor Frost! Wingspeed panicked as he saw him on the verge of death, rushing towards the skies with a big jump and catching him midair. BAAAM! Before reaching the ground, leaving a small crater beneath him. W-What are you doing?! You almost killed him! He glared at Mursha, Merkite, and Urbosa as they descended, although they were the most confused here. Why was this guy trying to save a psychopath aiming to freeze people to death? So what? He was trying to kill people in front of us! said Urbosa. Whats wrong with that? Were protecting them, said Merkite. Youre weird! Why are you protecting him? Are you accomplices? Mursha wondered. Woah, woah! Come on, calm down, ladies! Wingspeed started sweating a bit as he was pointed with all sorts of weapons. I am a superhero. Heroes dont kill, as simple as that. Even if theyre villains. Its just the code; we dont kill, alright? If I do, then Ill become the same as them. Im trying to save them as well. W-Wingspeed Doctor Frost vomited blood, glaring at the hero he despised saving his life. Y-You damn brat. Nonsense! He has to be slain! Perhaps how many people he has killed already! said Mursha. What sort of hero are you that you cower in fear when its time to slay your foe? Youre not a true warrior! Jesus, calm down; okay, Im leaving! Wingspeed sighed. I have to bring him to the hospital, bye! FLASH! Wingspeed was much faster than them; even if they tried, he was already gone within a split second. He left, said Urbosa. Hes serious? What kind of superhero are these? I dont get it, sighed Merkite. Hmph Well, if he said he''d take care of him, lets hope he doesnt let him do the same thing again! Mursha said. This isnt my world, but itll be the world of my child. So I have to protect it. If that man begins trying to freeze people again, were going to slay him. Simple as! The gray portals began to close right after that event, and although they were only able to interact with two of them, several more mysterious figures had stepped out from another timeline, already scurrying away across New York and perhaps the rest of the world. Heheheh What a wonderful world this is! A man wearing a jester mask and wearing a purple-colored suit giggled; behind him, there were several other weird-looking people. The happiest thing in his life had been landing on another world, one of boundless opportunities unlike his own. He used his fingers to swipe through a system window as his stats increased while the corpse of several civilians he caught and killed on the spree of a couple seconds granted him EXP. Hmm! I feel stronger This is insane! Hahahaha! You can get stronger by killing people?! No way! Its free, real state, my boys and girls! Time to even the field! The man then gasped, noticing something even grander. And what is THAT?! He pointed at the huge tower surging from within the horizon. I dont think Ive ever been so excited before For the first time, I kind of want to take a break from harassing Nightman. As new threats arose within the already chaotic Earth, a clash between two Supreme beings above the skies continued, reaching its climax. BAAAM! Bing Xue clashed against the mysterious man from the gray gate, someone who claimed to have come from a future where she died and condemned Earth entirely. Not only did he possess many of her abilities and techniques, but he claimed to be even superior to her at using them. And right now, both have unleashed their truest forms, becoming embodiments of pure Light, Divine and Cosmic Photonic Energy. Their blows shook the space around them, generating cracks through space itself. CLASH! Their beams exploded, unleashing enormous shockwaves of light everywhere. BOOM! And their techniques, big and wide and of many shapes, cut through one anothers bodies. CRASH! Yet their bodies continuously regenerated, made of light; it was incredibly hard for them to sustain large amounts of damage. {Starlight Mantis Space-Cutting Scythes}! The young man screamed as his Aura shaped into two massive mantis scythes, rushing towards Bing Xue and cutting through her body as they sliced through space! SLAASH! SLAASH! SLAASH! Nnngggh! Bing Xue saw her body being cut apart as her "blood, liquified primordial energies, splattered into space, only for it to quickly return, her entire body reassembling itself in seconds. {Primordial Rainbow Spiritual Formation}: {Bringer of Nirvana} FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! Suddenly, several golden lotuses made of her own Ki appeared around the gigantic silver-colored man, connecting with golden threads and conjuring a gigantic formation. Uugh?! The man saw the formation impose upon his body a tremendous amount of pressure and explosive power as a massive rainbow-colored lotus blossomed within his body. W-What sort of?! It seems you dont know this one! BOOOMMM!!! The rainbow lotus exploded, feeding on his own energy and power to unleash a massive explosion. This was one of these techniques Bing Xue only used against truly mighty foes. U-Uagh! Hahhh! However, he remained alive; his chest had been blown up, revealing a massive hole where liquified primordial energies leaked from, bleeding constantly over the moon below them. Ugh! No! I am stronger! I AM STRONGER THAN YOU! RUMBLE! His body immediately regenerated, even faster than Bing Xue could regenerate her own, and quickly transformed into an even more monstrous werewolfno, it was more like a chimera with multiple different animal parts. RAAAHHHH!!! He roared like a furious monster, opening his countless jaws and firing dozens of silver-colored Photonic Energy blasts against Bing Xue at once. Are you planning on blowing up the moon?! Bing Xue tapped into her powers even more deeply, combining her Skills, Divinities, and more, and awakening her gigantic Divinity Tree. For this I must go beyond! Her Faith began to be rapidly spent, and as she quickly started to develop something within her Divinity Tree, a powerful ability was being formed. If your own Power is based on hundreds of Divinities piled up together, then I shall use that same power against you! FLAAASH! Bing Xue released this new power at once, as the space around her twisted and transformed, merging around with her Aura and quickly turning into a massive golden and white metallic shield with a Yin and Yang mark on its center. {Primordial Heavenly Yin Yang Aegis}! Concentrating the power of these opposite elements and then disrupting them together into one, she put the power of Chaos Disrupting Arts into a defensive form. This explosive power became a protective force! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The dozens of beams reached her shield, as her shield continued to expand with each blow it took, growing larger and larger and larger! Until! Release! She released all the accumulated power into a powerful black and white beam, which twisted its trajectory and sent the man flying farther away from the moon and the Earth! TRUUUM! Nnngghh! Nngaaarrghh! BOOOMMM! As their battle reached its climax, someone was watching them. Someone who, just like that young man, had just arrived here, confused. With a long red and blue cape and a handsome face with short black hair, his azure eyes glanced into the distance. If I allow this pointless fight to continue, theyll end up destroying the moon or worse, the planet! ----- Chapter 167: A Battle Of Venerables Above The Surface Of Mars Listen While Reading: Shower of Swords ----- Through the power of [Primordial Heavenly Yin Yang Aegis], a new Divinity Authority that Bing Xue created on the go while trying to overcome the powerful foe in front of her, she was able to send back his powerful beams capable of shattering continents if they were to hit the Earth. The counterattack from the shield, concentrating the power of Yin and Yang and the disruption they create when hostility combined, which Bing Xue calls Chaos Disruption Arts, allowed her to overcome his defenses and regeneration, blowing him farther away from the Moon or the Planet. Despite how reckless their fight seemed, she was constantly trying to protect the planet and the moon, fully knowing that if anything were to happen even to the moon itself, the planet might be in danger due to the change of ocean tides and gravity; perhaps even giant moon fragments could fall as meteors, creating great disasters. Hes rapidly regenerating already?! However, Bing Xue gritted her teeth with slight frustration as she saw her opponent already regenerating while he flew away from the Earth and the Moon into the farther cosmos. I dont want to kill him, but I need to teach him a good lesson She quickly imbued her Ki, Mana, Primal Power, and Spirit Energy into her foot, releasing it while in her giant form made of light, and rushing towards him. FLASH! As she did, he quickly reacted, twisting his body and suddenly gaining dozens of snake-like heads, similar to the technique she had used before against the Spider Primal Goddess. {Calamity Snakes Void Venom Fangs}! Dozens of snake heads reached Bing Xues gigantic body, opening their jaws and rapidly biting through her defenses and her body. Each bite injected a venom that was made of diluted Void Essence, consuming her from the inside with each bite! Ugh! Bing Xue quickly cut off the poisoned parts and rapidly regenerated them within a split second, rushing towards her opponent while summoning a huge black and golden sword. Her Yin Yang Sword, made by refining the Body and Venerable Authority of a powerful Venerable that had Dual Cultivated both the Yin and Yang Daos together. One of her mightiest opponents, but that was nothing but a blade after his death. {Yin And Yang Harmonious Blade Arts}: {Endless Cycle Of Harmony} Her Aura erupted, transforming into the Yin and Yang symbol and spinning rapidly as she attacked this mysterious man, cutting through his countless heads while releasing explosions that destroyed everything. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! TCH! The man clicked his tongue as he quickly materialized a titanic, muscular arm by fusing countless snakes together into one. {Calamity Snake Demon God Arm}! Wha?! Bing Xue was once more shocked as she felt Demonic Energy similar to what her own demons could give to her, fused with the powers he had imitated from her as well! BAAAM! BAAAM! BAAAM! BAAAM! A single arm was all it took for Bing Xues swordsmanship to be completely stopped, her slashing attacks were immediately destroyed, and her Aura of Harmony broken. {Nemean Lions Berserk Rampage}! His head suddenly transformed into a crimson lion, roaring furiously, and so did the rest of his body, turning into a werelion-like entity, charging against Bing Xue while his entire body was covered in Flames of Wrath. CRAAASH! UGH?! Bing Xue vomited blood again as her opponent rushed towards her, headbutted her chest, and then smashed her stomach with his massive lion paws, throwing her away into the cosmos. I told you. As Bing Xue flew away, the man moved at lightning speed the same way she could, by turning completely into pure electricityno, lightand reaching her in an instant. I am much, much better than you. Bing Xue sighed, smiling a bit as she gathered her Divine Powers, suddenly conjuring two spinning blades made out of her Divinity. Is that so? The spinning blades continued growing larger and larger And I already told you so; Ive always beaten many foes stronger than me! {Dual Rings of Radiant and Umbral Harmony}! FLASH! FLASH! The two spinning blade rings rushed towards the man, who didnt even bother evading, gathering his powers into his arms and forming two muscular arms made out of dozens of gigantic snakes. Did you think that would make any difference?! He smashed the two rings with his gigantic arms! CRAAASH! Hah, theyre- Ah! However! The moment he impacted the rings, they didnt falter nor shattered, continuing to rush through his arms, cutting them apart as they reached the rest of his body! SLAAASH! W-Wha?! He was shocked; the rings were much tougher than he imagined. He was pretty sure that even her Divinity Tree Abilities couldnt compare to his! But he was wrong; Bing Xue had accumulated so much Faith she simply decided to strengthen her first ever Divinity Ability to the maximum level possible. Ding! [You have exchanged 11.100.000 Faith Points!]Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. [The [Dual Rings of Radiant and Umbral Harmony (Demi Deity Rank): Tier 0/3] Divine Ability has Ranked Up to Tier 3!] [All of its Power has been strengthened greatly!] [You have exchanged 40.000.000 Faith Points!] [The [Dual Rings of Radiant and Umbral Harmony (Demi Deity Rank): Tier 3/3] Divine Ability has Evolved to True Deity Rank 3/3!] [All of its Power has been strengthened massively!] Not only she leveled it to the max level, but she even further evolved it to the next Realm, giving her the new ability of 10% Absolute Damage. Meaning that no matter what, her weapon would deal damage, even if her foe was infinitely stronger than her. It was directly connected to her Authority and Divinities, the Concept of her Dao Comprehension and her Enlightenment. Although this young man in front of her had tremendous raw power that surpassed her, he lacked comprehension beyond hers. Meaning the Absolute Damage went through with no issues! AAGH! Her opponent screamed in agony as he was cut down into countless pieces by her rings, which he foolishly allowed to clash into his fists and run through his body initially believing they were weak enough for him to destroy. Bing Xue didnt waste any time, rushing towards him and quickly enhancing her sword, making it grow as big as a hundred meters, capable of splitting a continent or even a planet with ease! Ill teach you a good lesson about never underestimating your opponents, even if theyre much weaker than you are, young man! Her Aura erupted, transforming into countless golden and white-scaled snakes! It was her Yamata-no-Orochi Technique. {Yin and Yang Harmonious Blade Arts}: {Heavenly Demonic Nine-Headed Serpent Blade: Yamata-No-Orochi Echo} Yet it had changed, now gaining red and black colors as she imbued them with the power of her Red Heavens Domain and her Void Essence. Ultimately, all the snake heads coiled against one another, forming a massive red and black serpentine dragon instead. FLUOSH! And then she swung her blade vertically, the dragon following her slashing attack! {Star-Eating Dark Red False Dragon God of Destruction: Yasomagatsuchi}! ROOOAAARRRR! Bing Xue summoned a false god with a swing of her blade, combining her powers and reaching a level beyond her own. This is what Ive gained when I returned. I am much stronger than when I was in Murim! SLAAASH! The dragon roared, and her blade slashed through space and time, cutting through everything instantly and reaching her foe, who was rapidly regenerating. Dammit! Youre strong?! After you abandoned everything and everyone, after you died so miserably and pathetically! Youre telling me youre strong?! Bullshit! YOURE FULL OF YOURSELF! Then the man unsheathed a weapon for the first time And it was What?! Bing Xue gasped in that split second that her attack reached him. The weapon this young man held was the very same she wielded. The Heavenly Yin and Yang Blade! It was an exact copy of hers. No, it was, in fact, the very same blade. How did he get his hands intoah, so it is how I feared? Bing Xue gripped her fists tightly, gritting her teeth. How could this even be real? Someone like him who inherited her powers Even a bit of her appearance. And even her sword. Wasnt it already clear? Yes, she probably guessed from the very beginning. But deep down, she didnt want to believe it. {Yin and Yang Harmonious Blade Arts}: {Heaven-Devouring Three-Headed False Wolf God of Vengeance: Fenrir}! He unleashed his own technique, although he used the very same Blade Arts she did! As he swung his massive sword, a titanic three-headed wolf made out of his aura materialized, made of black flames, blood, silver light, and thunder. AWOOOOO! It howled loudly as it charged against Bing Xues Draconic Slash. Both massive attacks, which were embodied as godly monsters, clashed against one another. And upon impact, a massive explosion erupted. BOOOMMM!!! Countless cracks spread through space and time, creating several miniature black holes that then rapidly closed. At the same time, Bing Xue reached him, swinging her blade against him. In response, he swiftly intercepted her attacks with his own. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! The two swords, the very same blades from different timelines CLAAANK! Every time they hit against one another, they would release a loud bell-like sound, as if the two harmonious blades couldnt simply exist at the same time. You have my sword! Bing Xue said. I would never give my sword to anybody else other than than my! Bing Xues face was full of emotions. SHUT UP!!! Yet the young man she battled wasnt full of the same emotions she had; he was only full of hatred. With even more fury, he unleashed a barrage of slashing attacks, his Fenrir Technique materializing with each blow as the titanic three-headed wolf attacked the dark red-scaled dragon. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Each time the two blades intercepted and clashed, the monstrous beings, embodiments of the power of these swords, would bite one another and tear their fur, scales, and flesh apart. We dont need to fight! Bing Xue roared angrily, growing furious that this young man would simply not listen to anybody. Stop being so unruly! I am sorry if I was absent; Im sorry if I died in the timeline you came from, but you have to understand that this time its different! I am here, alive! No! NOOOO! he angrily roared. You died! The you that mattered to me!!! Youre nothing but a fake a fake Ill surpass! Im not a fake! Bing Xue cried. As they moved through space while slashing and cutting one anothers bodies constantly through deadly swordsmanship, they reached Planet Mars and then Ive told you already Ill surpass you!!! AWOOOOO! Fenrir howled loudly, rushing towards Bing Xue and clashing against her, pushing her down through Mars atmosphere and then slamming her into the planets surface. BOOOMMM!!! Aarrgh! Bing Xue felt half of her body gone as she saw her liquified primordial energies bleeding out from her massive wounds. Yet even then, they rapidly regenerated, as she infused the wounds with Photonic Essence of the highest divine grade, filling up her body already made of such energy. Were already on Mars! she muttered, noticing the huge crater beneath her. If this continues, we might end up stranding too far from the planets orbit RAAAHHHH!!! However, despite that, he rushed towards her, his body rapidly transforming, growing dozens of mantis scythes and imbuing them with Blade Ki Auras. Ill have to use Formations and target his soul next, Bing Xue thought. As long as I got enough resources and more Faith Points, there should be a possibility. She quickly stood back up, rapidly growing larger and gaining metallic armor over her body, activating the many Skills she had, gaining draconic scales, metallic mechanical armor, larger muscles, and unifying it all to become a huge metallic, golden giantess with many arms. By materializing my Divine Photon Energy and fusing its effects with many skills, I can harden it to the point it becomes an incredibly dense metal, she thought. With this, it shouldnt be too hard to take on a few more hits as I set up the Formation! Another transformation? It was all useless at the end! the young man screamed. IT WAS ALL USELESS! USELESS! USELESS!!! With madness overtaking his common sense, he screamed with pure insanity as his powers erupted from his body endlessly, dozens of massive multi-headed wolves rushed towards Bing Xue as she swung her blade, cutting through them one after another across the red surface of Mars. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! As she did this, he rushed towards her, about to slash her apart with his dozens of mantis-like scythes, tearing through space itself! At the same time, Bing Xue was spreading her Mini Doppelgangers around Mars to set up her gigantic Soul Formation. She had to buy time! {Star-Eating Dark Red False Dragon God of Destruction: Yasomagatsuchi}! She unleashed Yasomagatsuchi once more, summoning not one but three dark red-scaled false dragon gods against him, who rushed towards her opponent from right, left, and above. CLAASH! CLAASH! CLAASH! Their massive jaws pressed into his body only for him to unleash Fenrir through his blade, cutting through the dragons heads one after another! You need to calm down! Youre going insane! Bing Xue clashed against him as their swords once more met. CLAAANK! Shockwaves after shockwaves of divine energies and Ki were released, shattering Mars surface and opening up huge cracks through it all. Calm down?! I will never calm down! As he screamed furiously, he manifested dozens of beastly claws from his body, attacking Bing Xue from every angle, leaving several cracks through her golden armor. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Crack, crack! Dont worry Ill take your place and save Earthsave everyone instead of you! he screamed. Im much better than what you ever were! Bing Xue noticed within his beastly madness, as the young man was shedding tears constantly. Please, thats enough. Suddenly, a third voice echoed from above the skies. Huh? Hah? The two stopped fighting instantly; the voice resonated with such power and strength that it caught their attention. And there they saw him. A man wearing a skintight suit of blue and red color, with a long cape made of miniature stars and nebulas. In front of his suit, in his chest, there was a galaxy-shaped logo and a big G. His face was handsome and manly, with a big chin, small blue eyes, and short black hair. Who is that?! Bing Xue wondered. Who are you! the young man screamed. I am Galaxy Man, Guardian of this Galaxy. Please, cease your fighting, the man sighed. Ive seen enough; you two dont even mean to kill each other. All of this is but a misunderstanding. Let us stop, sit down, and talk. He looked into their eyes with great resolve. Please. Bing Xue and her opponent only glanced into one anothers eyes for a second before. FLASH! They appeared in front of the man and, with their fists, sent him flying away at light speed. CLAAASH! UGH?! He flew so fast his body turned into nothing but a small star that became smaller the farther he reached ----- Chapter 168: The Power Of Experience Listen While Reading: Shower of Swords ----- BAAAM! Galaxy Man was sent flying with enough strength to shatter a planet. He flew through the cosmos, millions of kilometers across space, ultimately landing on Planet Jupiter, which, with its powerful gravity, attracted his body there. FLUOSH! The endless storms of Jupiter greeted him, constantly trying to engulf his body and crush him into smithereens, yet even his suit remained mostly unscathed, aside from several burn bruises that their combined attack caused. Hahh Theyre very strong! He looked into the skies, alarmed and worried. Has he ever fought beings so powerful in his life before? Not even Grandor, Lord of Destruction, the embodiment of Calamity across many Galaxies, and his greatest nemesis, was this powerful! This universe is completely different than any other, he thought. I have to get back there! Even if they punched me, theyre reasonable people. I also need to recharge my strength and energies. That punch alone drained most of my power. Thankfully, they got a Yellow Sun here as well! FLASH! He rushed outside of Jupiter, easily piercing through its destructive, massive storms and cloud seas and flying across space back to Mars. At the same time, within the surface of Mars, countless cracks continued to spread everywhere, as small golden pillars of light were being erected across its entire surface. Bing Xue decided to convert the entire planet into a Formation, using its power, size, and internal energy to fuel her Formations power. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! At the same time as she clashed against her opponent, a young man from the future with several of her same abilities and even treasures. She even realized now that although his clothes designs were different, they had the same material as her own clothes; he was wearing her dress, now modified into male clothes. He has truly inherited my things, she thought. So hes truly? {Starlight Mantis Space-Cutting Scythes}! Dozens of gigantic scythes rushed down; Bing Xue was too heavy to evade this time, as they came down and cut through her heavy golden armor, which was actually part of her very body. CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! Crack, crack! CRACK! I commend your creativity, but your abilities are still far inferior to mine, he said, as his sword suddenly began glowing, Bing Xues eyes widened after he suddenly CLANK! Split them apart! Suddenly dividing the Yin Yang Blade into two different swords, a Yin Blade and a Yang Blade! One overflowing with shadows and darkness, and the other with holy light. This was a feature she had not added to the sword upon its creation, something she had never used or done before. It was something he did by modifying it. By splitting its power, I can concentrate the power of Yin and Yang in two different Swords! he said. You may think theyre weaker now, but having two blades allows me to use yet another ability Ive polished and improved from yours, one Ive evolved into my own! FLASH! He rushed towards Bing Xue, rapidly enhancing and shapeshifting his body into a slender, taller form that was optimized for speedy attacks. Swinging both blades at the same time against her, Bing Xue quickly conjured her Yin and Yang Shield, part of her Divinity Trees Authority. Your shield is powerful, but can it take this?! The man smiled confidently and maliciously as he suddenly unleashed his Primordial Immemorial Venerable Aura at once! RUMBLE! {Chaotic Disruption Dual Void Blade Arts}: {Heaven and Earth-Consuming Emptiness} What?! Bing Xue gritted her teeth as the two blades resonated with one another, at the same time as the mans body spun around, and then a wave of pure emptiness reached her, splitting the heavens of Mars and the earth of the planets surface at the same time. CRAAASH! A massive piece of Mars was cleaved off, as Bing Xues eyes widened in utter disbelief! At the same time, her shield gained countless cracks as the immense, invisible force of her opponents powerful technique overcame it!The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Crack, crack! CRAAASH! Her shield broke, exploding into pieces, and then the wave of emptiness reached her, beginning to rapidly disintegrate her armor and then her body. Uuuagh! She couldnt help but give off a scream of agony as she resisted the tremendous, all-destructive force as it consumed her completely. See?! I am more superior than you! The young man screamed loudly as he shook the entire planet of Mars; countless cracks spread further, and the large piece of surface that had been cleaved off flew out of the orbit. The cracks and the large, cleaved side revealed the boiling core of Mars as molten metal surged from within, covering its rocky surface and rapidly making the entire planet tremble. Mars was about to be destroyed if this continued! The amount of dangerous space debris could create a complete cataclysm over Earth as countless massive meteors fall over the entire planet, condemning it to its demise. Yes, I concede Bing Xue smiled, as half of her body had already been consumed by the deadly and incredibly powerful dual-blade art. Yet Her eyes widened, turning deep red; suddenly, her light became darkness, and she gained demonic horns and black feathered wings and became the embodiment of pure darkness. Where theres light, theres also always darkness. I did not only master the power of light but also of shadows! As she fully reformed her body, Bing Xue unleashed all her Demonic Curses, Shadows, Darkness, and Death Divinities, Skills, Abilities, and Techniques, turning half her body into countless black chains and wrapping herself around his entire body! FLAAASH! UGH?! What are you?! He suddenly felt slightly weaker and even more restricted as the Demonic Curses started to stack on themselves over and over again. Aargh! He screamed in agony, falling to his knees while struggling to stay strong! He desperately swung his blades, cutting through Bing Xues entire body, only for her shadows to rapidly emerge again. I am weaker than you, I admit it! she roared. But youre still thousands of years from reaching my cunningness! Cunningness?! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! While he was concentrated trying to prove that he was superior, Bing Xue already had conjured dozens of towers of light all across Mars. Each one of them quickly manifested completely, as the young man noticed them appearing one after another! What?! As he wondered what she was even planning, it was already too late. Every tower of light is interconnected with rays of golden sunlight and lightning, rapidly forming a planet-wide formation! At the same time, she powered such formation by a new Divinity Tree Ability, which rapidly blossomed from within her Divinity Tree Roots. FLUOSH! {Divinity Tree Formation Of Heavenly Lotus And Demonic Hell} FLAAASH! The towers interconnected as demonic and holy powers flowed through them, rapidly creating a gigantic demonic pentagram and also a blossoming, golden-colored lotus flower in the middle. A combination of the Lotus of Heaven and the Demonic Hell she had assimilated, fused into one! T-This is?! Immediately after that, he felt it; his soul was beginning to be impacted by a tremendous force he could not defend against! It seems I was right; you only prioritized cultivating your fighting power and your physical body above all else, said Bing Xue. But it seems your Soul is oftentimes wide open for an attack like this, young man! N-No! NOOO! He screamed furiously, swinging his swords against Bing Xue and cutting her many limbs into pieces, only for them to rapidly regenerate. Its over. Bing Xue gathered all her powers into this planet-wide formation, the near destruction of the planet revealing its molten metallic core fueling the formation with even more energy and power than she imagined. {Heavenly Demonic Soul Sealing Formation: Six Paths of Nirvana}! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! Six rivers, six paths, each one of a different color, reached the young man, piercing his entire body and reaching his soul, wrapping his soul with their divine brilliance, and sealing him! AAARRGGHHH! As he screamed, his soul rapidly weakened tremendously! Bing Xue could easily slice it apart and destroy it right now! However, no matter what, she would never dare do such a thing. As his soul was sealed, his gigantic body rapidly went back to normal, becoming the same as how Bing Xue saw him originally. He fell from the skies of Mars, as she quickly returned to her human appearance as well, although in her demonic form, and caught him in midair. Uuggh! Y-Youuu! He was still conscious, stretching his hands towards her face to grab it, but he lacked the strength; his soul was sealed; it was already incredible he could speak and move even when that happened. Youre very powerful, Bing Xue smiled. I am really proud of you, my son. Ngh! The man gritted his teeth angrily, furrowing his eyebrows, yet he couldnt help but cry; tears fell from his eyes. Why Why did you die? Why? Bing Xue knew from the beginning who he was, but right now, he finally was able to confirm it. He was her son, either the child of Urbosa or Merkite; his wolf-like traits, such as his wolf ears, tail, fur, claws, fangs, and eyes, combined with Bing Xues hair, her grace, and her charm It was so obvious he was their son Im sorry Bing Xue started crying as well. Just now I got to know of such a thing I had even thought that a timeline where I existed wasnt possible. But it seems I was wrong. D-Dont try to pity me! Her son groaned. I! Ungh! I will protect Earth instead of you! Youre so stubborn, she sighed. I suppose that is a trait you inherited from me. Dont think you can Ugh The young man could barely speak. Talk to me, like were Ah Before he could even finish his words, he closed his eyes and passed out. You must have suffered a lot, Bing Xue sighed. I forgive your unruliness Because you probably went through even worse things than I had That world where you came from must be desolate and lonely, isnt it? My poor child She sighed, caressing her sons face and then cleaning his tears Although this was a very serious moment, she couldnt help but find him really cute. And she also felt somewhat happy that one of her children would grow to become so strong, so amazing. He truly surpassed her. His only flaw was his overconfidence and lack of experience, things that can be easily overcome with a good enough master to straighten his path. I suppose youre done Hah, although Mars had to pay the price of your family battle The voice of Galaxy Man echoed from above as Bing Xues sharp eyes glared at the man in silence. Calm down; I have no intentions to hurt any of you I am a hero or I try to be, most of the time, he sighed. Ive come from another universe, I believe Im as confused as you are, truly. What do you want? Bing Xue asked, her aura growing stronger, like a mother protecting her little pup. Dont you dare touch my son I-I already told you I didnt have any intentions! Jesus Galaxy Man flew a bit back. A lot of debris was thrown away from Mars as it was being destroyed by your battle! I must go take care of it and destroy it into little bits, so it wont affect Earth or the Moon! Do you have some ability to hold the planet from being destroyed, though? Ive already analyzed it, and its core is about to combust within less than thirty minutes! Bing Xue read through his intentions with her powerful Eyes and found no bad intentions whatsoever. If anything, she felt shocked He was an incredibly kindhearted man. His only intention was to help others and protect the planet. Fufu, she giggled. You remind me of a certain comic superhero Ive heard that a lot! Galaxy Man laughed heartily. So? Would you cooperate? Okay, Bing Xue nodded. With one condition. Huh? Galaxy Man tilted his head. Yes? If I can fulfill it Join my sect. Sect? ----- Chapter 169: A Venerable Teams Up With A Superhero Listen While Reading: ? Fire Emblem Heroes BGM: Book 8: Ch. 10 "Trading Lives" ----- Galaxy Man was left dumbfounded Seriously? Not only did this woman start fighting this young man, apparently her son, as if both wanted to kill one another. They risked the lives of people on Earth, then almost blew up the sun, and ended up landing on Mars, where they cleaved a third of the planets entire surface. The nerve and shamelessness she had were simply beyond his humble expectations. A sect? What do you mean by a sect, lady? He wondered, sighing. I cant join any of such things! I belong to the Justice Alliance, a group of superheroes that protect Earth and the surrounding galaxy. I just can''t, I''m sorry. Hm, I suppose theres no time to decide this yet, Bing Xue said. My bad, I might have been too rash there. Dont overthink it; go do your thing, and Ill save Mars. Thank you, nodded Galaxy Man, kicking the empty space and immediately flying thousands of kilometers within a mere second. FLASH! Hes incredibly fast Bing Xue noted. His durability is beyond everything Ive seen a mortal could do. He was able to take both of our attacks and come back unscathed? Yet I cant feel an ounce of magic within him, and even when he landed on this world, the system seems unable to assimilate him, similarly to me. But its for completely different reasons. She couldnt detect any sort of Cultivation Method within him; the man had no Physique or Psyche either, nor any powerful Magic or Spiritual Technique. The man called Galaxy Man was simply equipped with the natural power of his own body since birth Although she did notice something. Hes still rather similar to me; I detected an enormous quantity of concentrated Ultraviolet Radiation accumulating inside of his body like a battery, she thought. He gains power through a Yellow Sun! How amusing So if I were to block the Sun Rays from reaching him, then drain him of this energy, he could probably grow weak enough that I could Hm, but hes a good man; lets not think like that. However, as long as he was fully "recharged, Galaxy Man had a near-indestructible body, the ability to move at lightning speed, and perhaps how many other powers? He must come from a parallel Timeline, but hes not a human at all, though, she thought. He might look very human, but hes an alien, without a doubt. However, he talks English and is very humane in his way of speaking. Just who is this man? Ive grown rather interested now. In only a couple of seconds, Bing Xue was able to immediately detect Galaxy Mans nature and even learned how she could counter his incredible powers. However, seeing how he was an honest and kindhearted man despite his tremendous strength, she decided to not do any of such things and even not think more about it for the moment. Despite how strong he was, he had no defense against her powerful Primordial Nine-Colored Eyes, which saw through all things, even his own heart. With that said and done. RUMBLE! Mars continued trembling as massive cracks spread through its entire surface. She quickly manifested a bubble made of Divine Photon Essence where she placed her son, who was unconscious for as long as his Soul would be sealed within his body. Hmm, his strength is very high; hes already grinding through the Soul Seal, she noticed immediately. In a couple of hours, he might end up freeing himself. And that technique is not something I can unleash as I please Lets hope that hell be more reasonable and talkative once he wakes up. She tightened the grip of her fists, thinking about how much her son from a future timeline had suffered without her and his family. Despite how rude and aggressive he was, and despite how much they fought, she had no hatred or resentment against him. Only pity My poor child Ill do everything I can to make you happy. She quickly waved her hands as the entire formation covering Mars began to fluctuate with countless rivers of energy and rapidly started changing. Time Essence. She infused Time Essence into her Formation, rapidly beginning to transform its color to gray and silver. FLUOSH! As this happened, the Formation began to change form, resembling a gigantic clock made of silver light above the entirety of the planet Mars. As this happened, Bing Xue glanced at the surface of the planet, noticing a large quantity of underground areas. Although theres no life anymore, it seems there are many ancient ruins and technology of an old civilization here How amusing. She smiled, thinking for a moment about that before the ground started trembling, the cracks closed rapidly, and the world stopped trembling as if it were about to explode.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. RUMBLE! The gigantic, former tectonic plates of Mars, which were revived due to the catastrophe it was undergoing, rapidly dried out and quickly closed. However, the only thing Bing Xue was unable to fix was the huge crater within Mars provoked by her son, who had cleaved a gigantic piece of the planets surface. It seems that without the proper materials I cant refill this area using Time Essence, she thought. She was strong, and her abilities were vast, but the power to simply multiply matter to refill Mars wasnt one of them. Perhaps if she set up a new formation with the Dao of Earth and Solidity, she could probably refill the crater over time. But theres an easier way to do that She quickly glanced at Galaxy Man, who flew towards the massive chunks of Mars surface her son had cleaved away, which became gigantic, dangerous meteors that might impact Earth or the Moons surface at any moment. I got an idea . . . Hahh! Galaxy Mans eyes glowed bright red as he fired powerful heat lasers against the gigantic clusters of stone and other matter that came from Mars. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! He made sure to destroy them into very small pieces, almost reducing them to mere sand, so it would have little to no effect on Earth or the Moon. Im doing fine, but! He glanced at the gigantic, cleaved surface of Mars; the largest piece of the planet that had been slashed away by Bing Xues son from the future. That piece isnt going to be easy! FLASH! He rushed forward, releasing a powerful shockwave as he moved across space like a rocket, quickly reaching the front of the massive piece of stone, land, and dirt, which was rapidly dividing into thousands of smaller pieces. For this, Ill have to go a bit all-out! He felt the warmth of the Yellow Sun behind him, its radiation quickly being absorbed by his body, strengthening him constantly. Breathe in and out, his eyes suddenly began glowing white. And then, a large quantity of energy surged from his chest. Gathering constantly, until his very skin radiated the brightest light of the sun itself, and then Release it all carefully! HAAAHH! With a mighty and manly scream, a gigantic beam of pure accumulated radiation was released at once, piercing through the gigantic surface of Mars that was cleaved off. BOOOM! He continued firing this titanic, world-ending laser carefully, moving it around as he destroyed every little bit he could find. The pieces of stone were then divided into even smaller pieces, constantly forming a gigantic cloud of sand. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Nnngghh Hahh! He quickly stopped firing his Sunlight Beam as he sighed in relief, noticing the large meteor had been fully destroyed. Phew I did it. Galaxy Man sighed in relief, cleaning the sweat off his forehead, only to hear someone behind him. Impressive, youre truly a sentinel of your own, huh? Ah! Its you. Galaxy Man noticed Bing Xue had appeared behind him. He was unable to even detect her though; it was as if she pierced through space itself to reach him. Although he had incredible senses that could sense all things and danger within a 100-kilometer radius around him, Bing Xue easily ignored that. "Yes, its me. Mars is safe for now, said Bing Xue. However, its missing mass is a problem; itll end up destabilizing its orbit over time, and it could create problems in the future. Ah! Is that so? Galaxy Man became a bit concerned. But there arent any problems for now, right? The future is the future; we are in the present. Once a new problem arises, well take care of it. Arent you too confident in yourself? wondered Bing Xue. Oh well, I simply came here because I wanted to do this With a wave of her hands, Bing Xue suddenly gathered all the small debris Galaxy Man took so long to create by destroying all the pieces of Mars. FLUOSH! W-What?! He was surprised by her incredible powers, which defied even what he had seen and fought back in his original world. Ultimately, she created a massive mass of mud. She turned it all into moldable, soft mud! Thisll do; wait here. She moved through space, reaching the skies of Mars and then planting the gigantic mass of mud on the giant crater, filling it completely, and then molding it as the surface. Slowly, it began to dry out, and the planet was finally beginning to stabilize. Thisll do, good! Impressive! So you could do that too! But please, dont fight like that again Its very dangerous! Galaxy Man had appeared above her; she sensed him moving, although his movement speed was ridiculous. He got by her side within a couple of seconds! You endangered countless lives. As someone as strong as you, you should take care of how you use your powers; always be careful, he said. I am always careful, she said. The first thing I did was drag him away from Earth before he was to destroy it, then away from the moon. Thankfully there was no life on Mars, so it was a perfect playground. No life, huh Galaxy Man sighed. Well, where I come from, our Mars did have some life on it, Martians. A powerful race of green-skinned and red-eyed aliens. They have amazing abilities, but were on constant wars between one another, unfortunately. I see Bing Xue smiled. What an interesting world you come from, Galaxy Man. Would you not mind sharing some tea while you tell me more about it? A-Ahaha! I am flattered by your invitation, lady. And dont get me wrong, youre as charming as youre strong, but I am engaged already and Galaxy Man blushed as he scratched his head in embarrassment. Goodness, no! I dont like men, Bing Xue facepalmed. Itll simply be a conversation between two strong individuals. We share similar goals; we want to protect Earth. I am also engaged and have many wives. So please dont get my intentions wrong! A-Ah! Is that so?! Im very sorry he apologized. And sure! That does sound viable! However, first I must see if any of my super friends are around your planet. You see, we arent from your planet; we ended up getting here when we were fighting the Villainous Conglomeration. Several gray portals appeared, and we ended up landing here It was harsh; they began attacking right after I managed to take down a mighty foe of mine, a conqueror of planets. We were all recovering from such a battle, so we were caught off-guard. So you were pushed into these portals? Bing Xue asked. More or less, yes, nodded Galaxy Man. Not me though; I came on my own to find my friends and apprehend the villains that got into your world Im afraid they could become a serious issue if they arent taken care of quickly. I see, very well then, lets go, said Bing Xue. I have many things I must do as well, and I left someone hanging back in the airport. We should find a way to contact one another. How about you take this? Bing Xue gave Galaxy Man a small golden bracelet with a white jewel on top. What is this magic trinket? Galaxy Man wondered curiously. It is a special bracelet we can use to communicate from long distances. Its durable enough itll not end up destroyed like any other human-made communication device, said Bing Xue. It can even be used to talk between dimensions. Ooh! Sweet then! Thank you! I must go now; lets meet later Um, what was your name, lady? he wondered. Bing Xue, she said. And yours? My name is Hall Kent, Galaxy Man smiled. Well meet again then! Thank you for your cooperation. FLASH! And he quickly disappeared, flying towards Earth. Bing Xue remained in silence, glancing at her son sleeping peacefully. She could already sense several cracks across his Soul Seal already Hmm, he might free himself faster than I imagined, but thats fine, she sighed. What do I do now? She quickly remembered Merneith and her original plans for today. Right, lets do that I also need to check if my family is okay. FLASH! And she quickly flew back to Earth as well. ----- Chapter 170: The Insanity Of Superheroes ----- Wingspeed rushed through New York carrying Doctor Frost on his arms, finally reaching a hospital. For a couple of seconds already, he couldnt hear Doctor Frosts heartbeat anymore. BAAAM! With his superspeed, he pierced through the door and reached the hospital''s interior. Please someone, save this man! He was attacked, and hes full of holes! he screamed. W-What?! Eh! A man in a tight suit Bring him to me! A doctor quickly came rushing inside; used to hunters coming dying, the hospitals of the big cities of the world had already been adapted to quickly attending people in emergencies. Wingspeed rushed towards the doctor, and then Doctor Frost was placed over a bed, where he slowly started freezing it. Ah! What is this man? Hes an Awakened? Cant he control his frost powers? The doctor, an old man in his fifties with a short white beard, couldnt even get close to Doctor Frost, as he felt the tips of his fingers freeze. Y-Yeah! Hes a metahuman, said Wingspeed. I think he had an accident while trying to create some sort of Cryogenic Sleep Device, and he ended up being in a permanent state of cryogenic sleep that granted him such powers. W-what?! The doctor had never heard of such insanity before. Unless he can deactivate his powers, I dont think I could close his wounds, though! At least you can pour these potions! Potions?! Wingspeed was shocked that when he entered the damn hospital, he was given potions instead. T-Theyre magical magical potions? Like in video games? Yeah, I mean, where have you been, kid? This is how it has been for eleven years, said the doctor. Now quickly! Ah! Yeah, sure! Wingspeed opened the potion bottles and then Um, how do I use these? Do I apply them over his body or? Apply in the body wounds, said the doctor. There are some that can be digested, but these are specifically made for that. Gotcha, he nodded. He quickly did that, pouring the red-colored potions into Doctor Frost wounds and rapidly seeing them heal and close. Then, his incredibly slow pulse came back as Doctor Frosts eyes slowly opened. W-Wingspeed?! Doctor! You ok?! W-What you saved me? I had to! I wouldnt be here if I didnt as much as I hate you. You superheroes Are the real insane people here hahah Super heroes? The doctor didnt know what to even make of this all. I should report this These guys are definitely not from our world. Wingspeed! RUMBLE! Suddenly, a powerful shockwave reached the hospital from the skies, making the entire building tremble slightly. Eh?! Ah! Galaxy Man! Youre here too? Wingspeed rushed towards the window, seeing the mighty Galaxy Man appear from the skies. Yes, I came looking for you guys and the villains that were absorbed by the portals, said Galaxy Man. Theres a lot we need to talk about, but I doubt we can do so relaxedly. Is that Doctor Frost? Is he okay? "Yes, hes fine; some natives of this world almost got him, said Wingspeed. I saved him, but I cant really blame them either; they did so on self-defense. Natives of this world were capable of inflicting such wounds on him? wondered Galaxy Man. I happened to meet someone of incredible power who was definitely equally strong or even stronger than me, but I didnt think there were many like her. Its confusing, I know; well have to find out whats up with this world first; its very different from our own Earth, or most parallel worlds weve accidentally visited before, Wingspeed sighed, crossing his arms. We need to put Doctor Frost in some sort of jail first though; I dont want him escaping while were not around. Doctor, do you have any prison for metahumans here? Y-You mean the high-security prisons for Hunters? Yes, theres a couple, sighed the doctor. Wait! This mans a criminal?! "Yes, Im afraid hes- And why didnt you finish him off then?! Leaving criminals alive of this caliber would only bring problems in the future, young man! E-Eh?! Finish him off?! Thats illegal! Even if hes a criminal, killing someone I dont think I would be able to live normally if I ever did that, Wingspeed argued. What are you talking about? facepalmed the doctor. Well, Ill call the police, so please keep him in check while they arrive. Sure! Wingspeed nodded. Hmmm, even the morality of this world is slightly twisted, said Galaxy Man. Killing criminals before they can even be judged Most of our villains are mentally ill people anyway, so they never really are given the death penalty and are often times sent to specialized assilums for metahumans. Although they always find a way to escape, or another villain frees them Hm. Earlier, I saw some strange people that werent humans walking around, and if you look closely, there are a lot of nonhumans too, said Wingspeed. From what Ive overheard, they come from that huge tower on the horizon; did you see it? What tower? Galaxy Man couldnt recall seeing any tower from space. Wait, how did that appear over there?! I was unable to see it from space! It is like some sort of magical mirage? No idea, but that tower has definitely done something to this world Not that having a society that accepts other races isnt bad; I mean, its wonderful and everything, but still, it''s surprising to see fantasy races you would see in some Tolkien or Narnia book wandering around muttered Wingspeed. Hm, I agree nodded Galaxy Man. Well, Ill leave you here then. Ill go fetch Nightman, Jade Star, Marvelous Woman, and Martian Man; I can sense their presences around the city. Once the whole group is together, well figure out something. Alright, thanks, man! Wingspeed thanked Galaxy Man, as his friend flew away flashily as always. Did he say he met someone as strong or stronger than him? Suddenly Wingspeed recalled something Galaxy Man said. Theres... no way, right? He looked through the window at New York City and the tower. He felt a strange sensation the more he looked at it. As if it were calling him. Just what the hell is this world? . . . Phew! Finally here, so this is New York, huh? It sure looks different than El Cairo! The air is a bit fresher too, and its not so hot~ Merneith walked across the John F. Kennedy International Airport of New York, looking at the city in the distance while marveling over the dozens of little restaurants, shops, and many other things within the airport itself.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Because there were new things she had never seen before everywhere, Merneith ended up walking into every new shop she found, buying jewelry and clothes and trying out lots of new food. Hmm! I love New York already! Her little pyramid-shaped robot followed her, floating right by her left side, his single mechanical eye glaring at her while squinting. [Princess, I would recommend you not to get too distracted! We came here specifically to attempt to repair the Mechanical Gods that Bing Xue has secured!] He already seemed a bit tired of her distracting herself so much! "Aw, come on, let me have some fun! she said. Were here to visit the place as tourists, right? [B-But What about Lady Bing Xue? Where is she? She seems to be late!] I think she might be busy dealing with something, but I bet shell be right here in time Merneith was too relaxed as she drank some delicious soft serve ice cream while sitting near a caf; she was constantly checking her new phone as well. She had created several social media accounts and had become rather popular online Her robot companion was a bit worried she might grow addicted to online attention. Ah, look! My last post reached ten thousand likes already! she celebrated. I only posted it an hour ago, hehe! [Um princess, you shouldnt really be concentrating on such frivolities; youre royalty, much above these things] Bah, what do you know? I can have some fun while my Bing Xue comes to pick me up~ [Y-Your Bing Xue?!] As the robot began to question the sanity of his master, suddenly Crack, crack! [Hmm? The sound of glass shattering?] He looked behind Merneith, into the distance, and tiny cracks right below the ceiling of the airport started to spread through the empty air. Crack, crack! CRACK! [Ahh! T-This is?!] CRAAASH! The loud sound of space and time shattering apart echoed behind Merneith and above the ceiling of the airport; the people walking in and out of every section instantly panicked. A-A gate?! Youre kidding me! One in the airport?! R-Run! Quickly run! Aahh! The people had grown rather used to gates appearing; their first reaction was instantly to run away Although there were also always some dumb people that stayed to look around, filming with their phones. As the people ran away, Merneith was finally taken aback by the loud screams of people. She quickly turned off her phone, pocketing it between her breasts. Whats with the commotion?! she screamed. Eh?! A gate! RUMBLE! Suddenly, from within the gray-colored gate, a black fog started coming out, spreading around like a veil of shadows. Sometimes it shone with little stars, as if it were the night sky. Rapidly, the darkness gathered, taking a slightly humanoid, tall, and muscular form, although it kept a long cape of stars. W-What the hell is that thing? A monster?! The large, humanoid, and muscular entity made of darkness and little stars quickly formed a head and then a face made out of two small stars. In the middle of his chest, something formeda large letter M made of blue light, which were actually several tiny stars aligned together. Hmmm The first thing the entity said upon appearing was humming in confusion and wonder as he looked around, tightening his fists. Where is Galaxy Man? What is this place? Another dimensionno, timeline? Universe? This is Hmmm As the people around remained static while filming him, the man made of darkness glared at them with annoyance. It seems that in any universe I visit, pests like you remain as annoying as always. He waved his hand as a gigantic wave of shadows and stars surged. Those foolish enough to not escape from Dark Matter Man deserve whats coming for them! FLUOOOSH! W-Whats happening?! Aarggh! Someone! Help meeee! Noooo! The darkness gathered around the people, lifting them up from the ground while beginning to suffocate them, entering their mouths, noses, and ears. NO! STOP! Merneith screamed. RA! With a roar, Merneith summoned Ra out of thin air as her Aura of her Golden Bloodline activated. Dark Matter Man immediately noticed an incredibly bright presence, as if the embodiment of the Sun itself had appeared. Galaxy Man?! He quickly glared at Merneith and Ra. Wait, no! Who are you?! {Sunlight Plasma Spear}! Ra manifested fully as Merneith had already appeared inside of him; this was thanks to him assembling himself around her body. With a mighty roar, she conjured a giant spear made of the plasma of the sun itself, reaching Dark Matter Man and piercing through his body several times! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! UNGH?! Its damaging me?! Impossible! My body is impervious to damage! As he noticed his body being riddled with several holes covered in golden and red flames, Dark Matter man gave a single step back in slight fear. This machine! What is this thing?! How are you capable of hurting me?! As he angrily said that, he conjured several spheres of darkness, firing them at Merneith and Ra at the same time. {Sunflare Armor}! However, an armor of golden and crimson flames encompassed Ra as he tanked each explosive bullet of Dark Matter, reaching the man. Dammit! Dark Matter man let go of the people he was torturing, flying away from Ras gigantic spear as he pierced the ceiling and flew into the skies. To think I would meet a terrible matchup right away once I reached this new universe! he thought, conjuring more and more of his powers. But dont think I am weak! I am the mighty Dark Matter Man! Galaxy Mans greatest nemesis! FLUOOOSH! {Black Hole}! Suddenly, his powers started distorting space and even time itself around Dark Matter Man, as his darkness created a miniature black hole, creating a terrifyingly powerful suction force. PERISH! The black hole was fired at Ra, who rushed towards him, reaching the Mechanical God and causing a tremendous explosion in the skies. Aaah! Ra! BOOOMMM!!! Dark Matter Man smiled cockily. Hmph! Haha! So thats that! He smiled maliciously. Now, where are you, Galaxy Man?! This time, for sure, Ill slay you! And- CRAAASH! Guh!? However, to the super villains surprise, the giant Sunflare Spear pierced his chest, blowing away half of his left shoulder into flames and dark particles. BOOOM! Uuaaarrgh! As Dark Matter Man screamed in agony, he glared at Ra, who seemed to have received some damage over his body, several cracks across his steel body, which were already regenerating. What sort of machine is this?! Capable of matching my supreme power?! D-Dont you know who I am?! I am Dark Matter Man! I have destroyed dozens of planets! And I am Merneith, and this is Ra; we beat bad guys now! Merneith didnt hesitate, fighting against a world-ending threat on her own, showcasing the incredible powers of the Awakened Ra! CLASH! BOOM! CRASH! RUMBLE! Across the skies, the two battled, firing beams of darkness and sunlight, which cancelled one another! The battle was becoming drawn out; both of their elements were their total opposites. This isnt getting me anywhere! Dark Matter Man thought. Dammit! Dammit! I came here for Galaxy Man! Not to fight some damn brat and her robot! As Dark Matter Man started to grow frustrated, suddenly He heard a mechanical voice behind him. Need some assistance, Dark Matter Man? it spoke. I could help you; in exchange, you will aid me in my goals. Huh?! Mechanicus?! Dark Matter Man glanced down into the airport, noticing a small, gray-colored alien with big green eyes, covered in mechanical armor, bald, and with several circuits across his head. This robot indeed is very powerful; it could be said it was made to defeat you. I cant wait to dismantle it, said Mechanicus. So? Do you require my assistance? Tch! Fine! Dark Matter Man screamed. Help me already! Yes, it will be my pleasure, smiled Mechanicus. RUMBLE! Eh?! Suddenly, Merneith gasped as space twisted, and several little blue portals materialized around Ra, and from each one of them, gigantic robotic tentacles with giant claws surged, grabbing Ras limbs. Each time Ras limbs were grasped by such giant mechanical claws, electricity was released at certain intervals, suddenly paralyzing most of Ras circuits and electrocuting Merneith inside. Aargh! R-Ra! As Merneith tried to channel her Golden Bloodline and her Ki to regain control of Ra Ah, what an exquisite build; Ive never seen something quite like this, Mechanicus appeared in front of Merneith and Ra. Shall we begin the dismantling? Dark Matter Man smiled manically at the scene. Good! Well done, he smiled. Ill help you later though; I must find Galaxy Man first! Ah, well, be on your way, smiled Mechanicus. I dont want anybody to disturb me while I see this new, wondrous specimen. How amazing! I should have begun traveling to other universes much sooner. W-Who are you?! Merneith asked. Who the hell are you guys even?! Me? I am Mechanicus, a biomechanical life form; I once had a name and I once belonged to a planet of my own, he spoke. But such things do not matter now. The only thing that matters is expansion. This planet, I will devour it. But first, I must consume your robot, child. You may end up dying as well, but what is life without sacrifices? W-What?! Stop talking nonsense! Merneith cried. Y-You damn! STOOOP! FLUOSH! Suddenly, her Ki gathered within her entire body and then was released from Ras chest as a powerful Sunflare Beam, hitting Mechanicus in the face and sending him flying away! BOOOM! Ugh?! Managing to free one of Ras arms, Merneith quickly cut the other mechanical claws, keeping Ra paralyzed, flying towards Mechanicus to stop him. Amusing! smiled Mechanicus. Truly incredible! With a wave of his hands, Mechanicus summoned a giant blue portal behind him, revealing a massive mechanical eye that gathered electromagnetic energies and then TRUUUM! It fired an even more massive laser towards Ra! Ahh! BOOOMMM!!! Oh my, did I overdo it? wondered Mechanicus. I hope it is not completely destroyed now- Oh? However, his mechanical eyes quickly widened as he noticed a silhouette within the smoke produced by his laser beam. A woman with long silver hair and rainbow-colored eyes appeared, glaring at him with hatred as she protected Ra with her very body. Unscathed after taking my Super Photonic Electroshock Laser? Its capable of blowing up the planet''s crust, you know? Mechanicus laughed. How ridiculous! So there are beings at the level of Galaxy Man here as well? B-Bing Xue! Merneiths voice echoed behind her, full of hope. Youre here! For me! Sorry for being late, Merneith; I had several things to take care of. Bing Xue sighed. Now then, shall we crush this bastard together? Alright! Merneith roared as Ra cried loudly with mighty pride. CRYAAAH! Mechanicus, however, laughed, smiling. Oh yes, please, do your worst, he said. This will help me gather a tremendous quantity of Data after all Suddenly, more blue portals appeared around him, as gigantic mechanical tentacles with sharp metallic claws, titanic mechanical eyes charging energy, and even massive cannons appeared. What sort of power does this man have?" Merneith asked. It seems hes capable of summoning portals to a pocket dimension he controls, said Bing Xue. Where he stores a gigantic machine. Hm! So youve figured it out Well, it wont change anything anyways! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! ----- Chapter 171: Against Mechanicus Listen While Reading: Punishing Gray Raven ----- Although Mechanicus showed complete confidence on the outside, deep inside he was beginning to question what he was seeing. Did this woman just tank my attack? Capable of splitting a continent in half? Not even Galaxy Man could take it head-on; he was severely exhausted for a minute or two! However, unlike Galaxy Man, Bing Xue wasnt exhausted; in fact, she seemed completely fine; even her clothes were fine! Even when she tanked an attack hyper charged with electromagnetic energies of the highest power, which could only be unleashed by Mechanicus and his gigantic Silver Star. My Silver Star is capable of destroying entire planets or wiping out all life from them, he thought. Ive used it to easily mine any planet that I find has enough materials for my ever-growing empire. But without my Empire here, the only thing I can rely on is my one and only Silver Star! Yet she tanked?! Whats wrong? You look worried! said Bing Xue as she unsheathed her blade. Maybe this will make you feel better. She saw through my fa?ade?! Mechanicus panicked, gritting his teeth as he quickly conjured a gigantic shield made of electromagnetic fields, capable of tanking multiple nukes. You think a mere sword can pierce through my- {Yin and Yang Harmonious Blade Arts}: {Endless Cycle of Harmony} FLAAASH! For a moment, Mechanicus saw the convergence between light and darkness, Yin and Yang, life and death, the sun and the moon. His mechanical eyes widened in utter disbelief as he saw a gigantic black and white-colored lotus blossom in front of him. And then SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Hundreds of slashing attacks engulfed his shield, destroying it and shattering it into countless tiny pieces within mere seconds. W-Wha?! I-Impossible! Mechanicus screamed. My Hundred-Layered Electromagnetic Photon Field Shield! I-It shouldnt break; it never breaks! Anything that is matter can break before the blade of my Soul. Bing Xues word manifested to reality as she swung her empty hand against Mechanicus; a giant sword made of crimson flames manifested. She continued attacking without even giving him time to rest! {Primordial Heaven Soul Blade}: {Red Heaven Inferno} FLUOOOSH! Suddenly, it felt as if he had been engulfed by an endless inferno of flames and a crimson sky, flames surging from every angle as they cut through his mechanical body and melted him. UUAAAGGH! NOOOO!!! S-SILVER STAR!!! With a desperate scream, a gigantic azure-colored portal opened in front of him, blocking Bing Xues sword attacks as a massive, titanic star made entirely out of metal emerged. With thousands of mechanical tentacles equipped with gigantic claws and dozens of azure-colored eyes charging energy. So this is the secret of your power, huh? Bing Xue instantly clashed against thousands of mechanical tentacles at once, slicing through them all with incredible precision. Each time they were to reach her, they were sliced apart and then exploded into pieces. SLASH! BOOM! SLASH! BOOM! SLASH! BOOM! SLASH! BOOM! This pattern continued endlessly as Mechanicus could only watch in utter disbelief as his Silver Stars attacks were being rapidly overcome by Bing Xue. To make things worse, Ra and Merneith werent just watching! They flew around him and reached him from the rear, pointing their blazing spear at him. Youll pay for what you did to my Ra! Merneith was furious, thrusting her spear against Mechanicus, who desperately used Silver Stars mechanical limbs to protect himself. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Yet Ras spear blazed with the power of the suns plasma itself, easily piercing all the metallic alloys in which Mechanicus creations were made, melting them and blowing them up into pieces. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! W-What are these beings?! This universe! It is way too powerful! I must escape! Mechanicus quickly panicked as he opened an azure portal where the dimension where Silver Star was stored! However, the moment he rushed inside to hide while Silver Star distracted Bing Xue Where do you think youre going?! With a furious roar, a third figure appeared from the skies, descending like a meteor of silver light, taking the form of a giant werewolf made of such light. Huh?! Mechanicus was unable to do a single thing before the one that descended tore his body apart with the force of his descending body alone. BOOOMMM!!! As Mechanicus died, the portal storing Silver Star started to malfunction, glitching and beginning to make his creation go insane. W-Wha?! Youre awake already?! Bing Xue gasped, noticing the young man from the future with powers similar to hers having already appeared. Did you think your little trick would work on me for longer than an hour?! he asked angrily. Ive adapted to it; it wont work anymore either!The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. I-I didnt intend to seal you forever anyways! said Bing Xue. And thats good; Im glad youve adapted and become better against Soul Attacks, son! Dont call me your son! He screamed angrily, his aura erupting tremendously. B-Bing Xue, whats going on?! Merneith panicked, glancing at Bing Xue from afar. Who is he?! Y-You said your son?! Long story short, hes my son from a future timeline where I where I died, Bing Xue explained, only making things even more confusing. E-Eh?! Merneith gasped. But thats! TRUUUM! Before they could continue talking, however, the Silver Star suddenly started charging with electromagnetic energy, as its entire surface changed. Suddenly, its giant eyes glanced around as a huge mouth materialized. Did you think you killed me?! The Silver Star is me, and I am the Silver Star, hahahaha! I have countless bodies. Do you truly believe you can destroy me? Yes, I do! Bing Xue ignored her son for a moment as she unleashed a powerful technique, an evolution of the Endless Cycle of Harmony that she infused with the power of the Sun and the Moon itself. {Yin And Yang Harmonious Blade Arts}: {Endless Cycle Of Harmony Echo} FLAAASH! The same illusory domain was manifested around the Silver Star, as Mechanicus quickly tried to destroy it by firing hundreds of beams from the Silver Star, which resulted to also be his secondary body. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The Illusory Domain started distorting and breaking apart into glass-like pieces, only for it to come back together almost instantly. W-What?! The alien supervillain of the parallel timeline world where superheroes and supervillains existed together was utterly flabbergasted. Even more when Bing Xue wasnt even done using her technique. Even when he had fought Galaxy Man, the sentinel of the galaxy, and many other mighty foes, even powerful wizards and genetically modified beings, or even descendants of ancient gods, he had never fought someone quite like Bing Xue before! Her very technique and her very words simply twisted reality around her... Her powers, her abilities, they controlled space... And even time! Yin and Yang converged, then exploded, generating an endless chaos. {Endless Destruction of Harmony: Chaos Unleashed} Mechanicus watched the endless chaos rushing towards him and consuming him entirely the imagery of a withering lotus flower imprinted into his mind. T-This is a true Goddess? SLAAASH! A gigantic slashing attack consumed Mechanicus and his Silver Star, splitting the titanic machine apart and then disintegrating both halves with a gigantic explosion. BOOOMMM!!! Nothing was left of him, not even ashes. Hahh Bing Xues Illusory Domain dissipated, revealing no damage to the outside world. She had learned to apply the power of Divine Domains to her own techniques, trapping foes within small, temporary pseudo-domains to negate any damage she could cause in the outside world. She sheathed her sword and then finally glanced at her son, who was looking at her while squinting his eyes. Youve grown stronger after we fought How ironic, he laughed. It seems that I might truly be changing the future Come with me, Bing Xue said. Lets change the future together! I know we can If youre with me, my son I- No, the young man said, completely rejecting her offer. I dont need you to change the future. This power which I acquired and which I could never use to change anything, This time, for sure, Ill save this world. Without you. Thats Bing Xue sighed. If I help you, then wouldnt it be easier then? I said I dont care anymore about you! He angrily said. I Im done. As he turned his back on Bing Xue and was about to leave Suddenly. Wait! A voice he could recognize echoed behind him. The young man was paralyzed, his eyes widening. Please wait a moment Bing Xue told me about you! The young man slowly turned his face, instantly recognizing the face of the mother that raised him for his first six years of life. Before she died protecting him Mo ther? It was Urbosa, her golden eyes, her long gray hair, her pale colored fur, and her small, fluffy hands, which always held him so carefully. Despite him not being quite like her, she loved him with all her soul and with all her heart. You havent even been born here But Im so happy to see youve grown to be such an incredible young man Urbosa smiled tenderly, shedding a tear. Bing Xue was able to realize who was his mother based on his elements. While Merkite mastered the Wind Element, her sister, Urbosa, used lightning. And this young man used lightning elements the most, while wind was completely absent from his techniques or skills. Could you come talk with us? Please? The man, for a moment, hesitated as he glanced at Urbosa and ended up shedding tears with each passing second. No But The path I must walk is one where you cannot come with me, mother. Sorry. I have to go. Someone else Someone else is waiting for me too. Urbosa glanced at the young man flying away. At the very least, he didnt seem as aggressive anymore; if anything, he had finally calmed down after seeing her. So it was indeed our son. Bing Xue nodded. Hahh Its alright. Urbosa hugged Bing Xue tightly as she cried. Even though this was the first time she met him, she instantly felt a connection with him. Similarly to how she felt always connected to Hekita. Maybe if we had let him see Hekita, maybe he would have! Its already clear he wants to walk a lonely path, Urbosa. But hes our son! I know But forcing him is not the right thing to do either. Ahh Just what did he go through in that world His eyes were so full of hopelessness I have never seen Someone with a heart so wounded as him. Me neither Bing Xue had picked up her family and wives on the way to the airport, who were waiting for her inside her Inner Realm. However, in this moment, she tried to let her son from the future see Urbosa and see if this could make him melt down. At the end, it didnt work as she hoped. Wow, okay, so a lot happened Merneith said, walking to their side. Um, I would like to learn more context? If possible Ah, of course, sorry about that, Merneith; a lot has happened, as you can see, Bing Xue nodded. Shall we go somewhere safer? Let me fix this place first Thankfully, nobody died. Sure, take your time Merneith nodded, although she felt a bit jealous of Urbosa, who was hugging Bing Xue all she wanted. I want to hug you too, you know? She thought, pouting and blushing a bit. . . . FLASH! He flew across the skies, defeating any troublemaking monster or foe he found. There were several strange villains that appeared; every single one of them that posed a threat was swiftly eliminated. Only the smartest ones that hid managed to survive his surveillance. And once he was done, he moved forward, reaching the outskirts of New York. He soared across the skies faster, and faster, and faster, encompassing his body with Spiritual Energy and Mana, and then his Primordial Venerable Ki. FLUOSH! Until suddenly, it felt as if his body passed through a thin, light membrane, reaching somewhere else entirely. A world of twisted colors, darkness, light, and floating ruins of ancient civilizations, graveyards, destroyed churches, and enormous empires. All fallen, stored here The Graveyard of History The Spiritual Plane, made out of Earths Collective Consciousness and the Decayed History of Humanity and Life, he said, glancing around. This is where you were hiding, right? And where I hid and where you trained me. For many years. He flew across this infinitely larger place than Earth itself, a place that was there, and that wasnt there at the same time. If one was unable to become purely Spiritual, made of Spirit Energy, it was impossible to enter or even detect this place. There it is. A distortion within this desolated area was found by his bright rainbow wolf-like eyes, noticing a giant nest made out of the ruins of ancient civilizations covered by white spiderwebs. He reached its entrance, walking inside without caring about triggering any traps. Instantly after entering, he sensed hundreds of presencesmutated people turned half-spider, arachnoids. Who dares enter our Queens Lair?! They pointed their spears and weapons against him. Instead of feeling anger, he felt nostalgic, though. Ah, you guys are still here, huh? Im glad to see youre doing fine. H-Huh? What is this guy talking about? Ah, our Queen! They gasped as they saw an incredibly powerful presence descend, materializing above him, half human-like and half spider-like. Who are you?! How were you able to enter my Lair? The young man smiled warmly, seeing her beautiful upper body, her slender figure, her pale white skin, combined with her long purple hair. Her long spider-like legs, so elegant and beautiful; her big crimson eyes above her forehead; and her sharp purple eyes, which glowed with a red glint sometimes. Her body was covered by a dark purple exoskeleton, yet it showed a beautiful and slender humanoid figure. Youre as beautiful as the day I lost you. His words, somewhat, resonated within her heart and her soul. W-What?! For a moment, the cruel and cunning primal spider goddess blushed, as she felt flattered by this young mans ethereal charm. However, she quickly lost her temper, gritting her mandibles angrily! Y-You dare flirt with me?! Capture him! Without even fighting back, he let them cover him with spiderwebs and drag him away. ----- Chapter 172: The Boy That Lost Everything Listen While Reading: Unshakable Resolve ----- He could still remember it as if it happened yesterday. Even when it was so many years ago. Mama Mamaaaa! A child crying, lost in a world he couldnt understand. Big sis?! Where are you! Walking across the ruins of ancient, fallen civilizations. Lost in a world of darkness and twisted colors. Where is everyone He kept crying as he walked through this desolate, lonely land. There was no life, not even monsters to chase him. Only loneliness. The blinding light that swallowed everything. And her mother and sister, whose Spiritual Energy created a crack in space and time, which sent him here before they were to be consumed. He alone was the only survivor. Mom Big sis Auntie He fell to his knees, crying constantly. He was lost and alone. Everyone on Earth died. No No! He was only six years old; what could he even do? His powers were underdeveloped; he had no time to let them blossom. And now everything everyone Why wont you stop crying already? Such an annoying brat! However, a voice. A woman. The voices eyes widened as he glanced behind him. He hadnt noticed it, but he ended up walking into a strange place. It was as if dozens of ruins had been mixed together, wrapped around spiderwebs. There, he heard her voice. H-Huh? Is there someone there? Hello? He slowly stood up, carrying his long fluffy tail around, which was all nasty, covered with dirt. He scratched his face, trying to clean his little tears as he sniffed a peculiar scent. As he ran towards this nest Dont get any closer! Get away! Youre too small for me to even eat! Scram little brat! She was aggressive and very rude But the boy didnt have anywhere to go either way. I-I cant What? Why?! I dont have anywhere to go Everyone, mom and big sis my aunties Sniff, everyone Buaaahhh! The boy started crying so loudly she lost her temper. So annoying! Ugh! Silence him! Suddenly, from the nest, several arachnoids emerged, members of the Spider Tribe from the Primal World who had been mutated to fit their goddess powers within them. They became her servants and obeyed her words, rushing to silence the boy by covering him in spiderwebs and then carrying him inside. So warm He ended up falling asleep while being inside that spiderweb cocoon and then being dragged inside. Eventually he yawned after waking up. Ah, I slept so much With a single wave of his little hands, he tore through the spiderweb and easily freed himself. Eh? Where am I? Its so dark FLASH! With a mere thought, a very bright sphere of light materialized, illuminating everything. Uwaah! So bright! Eek! Run! The light its the same light as hers! The Arachnoids who were about to have him for dinner ran away instantly after seeing the boys light. Huh? Everyone? As the boy wandered around, he found a large, regal room with a big bed and several mirrors, clothes, and more.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Hello? Is someone there? As he opened the door, someone was sitting over a wooden chair, trimming her long hair and then grooming it. He could still remember even now the first time he saw her when he was so young. Her beauty, her long silky hair, her shiny exoskeleton, her bright red eyes And her hair of both dominance and motherliness. Hm? Ah! Why are you here?! H-How did they let you in?! As she screamed, she jumped away from her chair and started climbing the ceiling like a spider, moving her spider-like legs attached to her back. Wow, youre like a spider! I AM A SPIDER! SHAAAH! She hissed at him and tried to intimidate him, but the boy was unamused In fact, there was little that could even harm him. Her aura of poison should have already killed him, but he was fine. Ugh Whats wrong with this damn kid? Who are you?! If it wasnt because that damn woman weakened me so much, I could have! I-I have nowhere to go Can you can we become friends? What? Dont you know who I am? I am Malice incarnate! I am the Queen of Cunningness! I feast on terrible evil! I was born from However, interrupting her speech, the loud sound of the boys stomach echoed. Uhh Im hungry The woman clicked her tongue. A-And why should I care?! Get away from hereeee! She tried to throw him away, but the boy only started crying. Anything she threw at him was just deflected, and his clothes moved on their own to protect him too. W-What with those clothes hes wearing?! To make things worse, a strange gold and black sword would sometimes appear out of nowhere, floating around him and protecting him from harm. H-Hes dangerous! What is he?! Eventually, because she couldnt throw him away the only thing she could do is Take care of the child! Hmm! These are yummy! What are they? The boy ate white-colored mochi-like buns, filling his stomach with them. Theyre made out of my spiderweb It contains nutrients and is the only food I can offer you, brat. Theyre yummy, like mochi! Thank you, auntie! Dont call me Auntie! I am not your aunt! I am your mothers foe! Uh, mom was your foe? "Yes, she sliced my soul! That damn I HATE HER! But mommy said that mom she sacrificed herself for us. Come again? Shes Shes dead?! Um I think. I think so." Oh! Then she smiled maliciously; he could still remember her celebrating it. Hahaha! Good! Im happy for that! Finally- Ah, wait a second, did all of Earth get wiped out? Um Uh-huh Is there even a way for me to return to my world now?! Uwaaaagghh! Im stuck here with this brat?! The woman felt tormented for seven days and seven nights However, at the eight days, she had rapidly begun to adapt to her new life. She made him his own room, which he had to always clean; she was obsessed with cleanliness. Clean your room already! Its all nasty! O-Okay! She taught him how to hunt the mutant monster left behind in the ruined Earth for their meat. Come on, were going hunting; you cant just eat my spiderweb. Sure! She taught him how to cook food. Thats not how you cook meat, you stupid brat Come here, let me show you! T-Thanks She taught him about hygiene and made countless clothes for him. Hah, youre so hopeless! Are these the only clothes you wear? Youre definitely going to take a bath! I dont accept stinky brats in my domain! Where do I even take a bath? And she also showed him how hopeless she felt sometimes. At the end, it seems youre the only person left such irony. Am I really going to continue babysitting my enemys kid? This is such torture I guess she had the last laugh at the end, huh? But I enjoy being with you, auntie Y-You Tch, forget it And when she realized that he was her last hope, she decided to help him grow stronger. Were going to start training! I cant have you being a weakling your entire life! Your mother was incredibly powerful, and it seems youve inherited her powers. Im going to make sure you eventually surpass her Because that is the only way youll be able to avenge your family, you hear me? Y-Yes! Ill do my best! Good! First, Ill teach you the Arts of Malice, kehehehe! Eh? However, even then, she was still very grumpy. No! Thats not how you do it! Stop it! Youre going to break the Domain! Uuggh, youre so dumb! I-Im doing my best And he also grew close to her; he always wanted to be by her side because it made him feel not lonely anymore. Why are you sleeping in my bed again?! I already made your own bed! Go away! But I like hugging auntie I can sleep fine. And I dont wake up sleepy the next morning. Hah Y-Youre so hopeless I love auntie! Countless memories of them together, of her raising him, slowly mellowing down. She was so cold and aggressive, but over time, she became such a tender mother, always caring for him. Until the very end The last trace of Bing Xue! Where are you hiding him?! I need him! I must DEVOUR HIM! Youll have him over my dead body! The Heavens Will found them, and she fought against this titanic foe, knowing full well she couldnt win. She allowed him to escape, sacrificing herself. Or more like, she forced him to escape. No AUNTIE! AUNTIEEEE! Space around him twisted as she combined her domains and twisted them, breaking space and time apart, sending him far, far away. The last thing he saw were her crying eyes and a smile. Take care, brat. NOOOOO!!! Even now, as he freed himself from the Arachnoids spiderwebs, he found himself crying. Despite being so strong, so intimidating, and everything else He was such a crybaby; she always made fun of that. You Just who are you? And now he found her again. She was right there As he was transported to her room, she glared at him with her cold eyes. I might be a nobody for you right now, he muttered. But in my time in the timeline where I came from, you you were my everything. E-Eh?! She suddenly felt her heart beating faster out of nowhere. W-What nonsense are you talking about?! Are you seriously trying to flirt with me?! Your soul was wounded, right? he asked, suddenly summoning a golden elixir from his hands. This is a Soul Elixir I crafted years ago to heal you; it was useless because because where I came from, you had already died. Please drink it; itll heal your soul completely. Why Why are you doing this?! she asked. Nobody had ever I dont understand! You said another timeline?! Is this why I I feel such a strange, disgusting connection with you? Maybe, the man smiled sorrowfully. Please take this She stole it from his hands with her claws, inspecting the elixir and then drinking it. Hm?! FLUOSH! Instantly, her wounded soul was healed and even reinforced, as she felt a powerful divinity surging from her body. T-This is?! It worked; Im glad Y-You helped me for no reason This makes no sense Theres a reason; I already explained you You wereno, you still are Youre my everything. She blushed as he stood up and looked at her eyes; he was much taller than her, charming, with such bright, beautiful eyes. I want to repay you for all your kindness T-Thats! G-Get away from me! Respect my personal space, hey! She gently pushed him away, walking towards her mirror. He noticed she was still blushing, and she felt her heart beating so fast for no reason This is so strange What kind of technique are you using to make me feel all these strange emotions?! I havent used anything Ive only told you what I feel. She glanced back at him once more, then averted her gaze. If you want to stay here so badly T-Theres another room downstairs. She said timidly, pointing into the distance. I see Thank you, he smiled, nodding. She followed him as he walked downstairs. If youre truly planning to live here, then youre going to adhere to many of my rules, alright?! First rule is! Cleanliness and hygiene, I know. Ill make sure to keep my room clean. How did you know?! Ah, whatever, the second rule is! No noises; I know you are sensitive to loud noises. Huh? T-Thats right! And the third rule is That I shouldnt touch your things, I know. I wont do that either. He smiled back at her. Thank you for your hospitality. J-Just follow those rules She sighed, walking back to her room. As he entered the cramped room, he looked around and then sighed, feeling a strange sense of nostalgia. This time for sure Ill protect you too. ----- Chapter 173: The Ideal Of Justice Listen While Reading: SHADOWED ----- Youll see, Wingspeed! Ill be free before you know it!!" Doctor Frost screamed furiously as he was contained by several devices that combined both science and magic, the latest technology to restrain Awakened people, which completely shut down their Mana and Sealed their Skills. His wrists, legs, chest, and head were all equipped with these pieces, which were actually made by not only combining technology with magic, but also by using the Systems own powers, such as people with Craftsman, Blacksmith, and Runic Blacksmith Classes. Yeah, yeah, it looks like you cant even freeze anything with that armor on, and its super heavy too. Have fun in prison, old man. Wingspeed shrugged as he saw Doctor Frost being taken away by a large group of Government Agents, which also included Armored Knights, for the first time. Are people in this world really wearing armor like theyre medieval knights? And these are government agents? As the speedster wondered what kind of universe this even was, a duo of agents walked to his side, two of them wearing black suits and sunglasses, similar to the government agents he was familiar with. However, the third was an incredibly tall man of over two meters of height, wearing heavy black and red armor and holding a golden, round shield alongside a long spear decorated with a coiling dragon. His helmet looked similar to Spartan helmets, and his sharp crimson eyes glared at Wingspeed with suspicion; he had short black hair and a scar across his face. Between all three, Wingspeed instantly detected this man had an incredibly powerful Aura. Finally, someones going to address me? He smiled as he tried to joke about his current situation. I know that it has only been a day since I landed here, but I really thought the government would be faster. Were sorry for delaying it so long; too many things were happening at the same time, sir. My name is Agent Lisa, said one of the agents, a woman with short red hair and azure eyes. Your name is? Wingspeed, Speedster, Superhero, Descendant of Hermes, said Wingspeed, presenting himself. You guys seriously dont have a version of me here? Not at all It is our first time meeting you, sir. Nice to meet you; my name is Agent Wick, said the other agent, a man with short silver hair and white eyes. Usually, people that come from other worlds are separated on two sides. Those that attempt to kill us or invade us, and those that are peaceful and desire alliances, trade, and so on. I see Youre used to this, huh? Wingspeed wondered. Does it have to do with that huge tower over there? Mostly, yes, it appeared around... eleven or twelve years ago, said Agent Laura. Since then, our world has been connected to this place, the Tower. It connects to a hundred other worlds; each world is a floor within the tower. And theres billions of beings living across every world. Theyre as big as our own. Some are smart and friendly; others were monsters that wanted to kill us. Weve been progressively adapting to the changes and rapidly evolving to fight against them. Awakened are people that have adapted to these powers and have managed to attune with the System that connects all things. Woah, woah, woah, calm down there; thats a lot of things youre explaining to me Wingspeed said. I really barely had time right now; I gotta go meet with some other friends right now. We have to figure a way out of here first. I would recommend you not to walk away, invader, the silent armored man behind the two agents finally spoke, his spear glowing brightly. Despite your friendliness, you are an illegal immigrant of this country, and you will first have to be treated to court, where judges shall decide your fate. Come again? laughed Wingspeed. Judges will decide my fate? Who is this guy anyway? Is he from Earth too? You dare?! Hes an Aura Knight, a part of the organization that directly serves the King, explained Lisa, trying to calm him down. I dont need someone else to introduce me, the knight said. My name is Atticus Felix, heir of House Atticus, Spear Aura Knight of his Majesty. His majesty?! Okay, hold on, are we in America right now? Theres a King in America?! What about the president? Wingspeed asked. How did this even happen? Its a long story Said Agent Wick. There is a His Majesty King Caesar took over this pitiful country, defended it from monsters, and since then has been protecting it as his territory, Atticus Felix spoke. We heir from Floor 74; this country is an extension of the Empire; our King, his majesty, is the son of the Great Emperor. Youre not even from this world either?! Wingspeed said angrily. Hey, you cant just come and invade America, dude! They didnt technically invade us; they helped us survive. Without the help of his majestys troops and his quick thinking and strategy-making, America would have been swallowed by the Gates and would be in complete ruins. We owe him our lives, said Agent Wick. That is, indeed, what happened, nodded Agent Lisa. Now, sir, Wingspeed. I am fairly sure that is merely your alias. What is your real name? Can you also take out your mask? We need to at the very least register you as a visitor from another world. "Sorry, but my identitys a secret, said Wingspeed. I just cant- Atticus didnt even hesitate, swinging his spear against Wingspeed and almost piercing his stomach with it, if it wasnt because the speedster rapidly evaded. "Hey, what the hell?! Why are you attacking me with your pointy stick? Wingspeed wondered, several meters away. Hes fast Atticus said. I did what I must do; I was sent here to bring you to the judges and to identify your true intentions with our country. I was told by his majesty that I was free to force you to cooperate if you werent willing; as theres no alliance of countries or worlds with your origins, theres no reason why we would act nice with you. B-But I saved you from Doctor Frost! Im a hero! said Wingspeed. Hero? You rescued a psychopath, and then you call yourself a hero? That man was an invader aiming to kill innocent people, Atticus sighed. What sort of mentality do you have to spare his life after he had already frozen a dozen or so civilians? He will be executed promptly after tomorrow in the morning.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. W-What?! Youre executing him?! asked Wingspeed. But hes not right in the head; you have to spare him and send him to an asylum! Insane or not, he has committed grave crimes against the government, and his majesty does not condone mass murderers, said Atticus. Now, will you collaborate or Wingspeed suddenly realized several more knights appeared, surrounding him, their magical auras and powerful weapons on full display. Or will you make us do this the hard way? As Atticus spoke, Wingspeed felt shocked, beginning to sweat rapidly. He glanced at the two agents, who waved their heads while looking apologetic. Please cooperate; well do our best, so you arent hurt, said Agent Lisa. But the law is the law. And the Kings decree must be obeyed. We believe youre a good person, nodded Agent Wick. Please come with us. Wingspeed smiled a bit. Hahah This worlds fucked. He laughed. Nah, Im getting out of here. FLASH! Wingspeed disappeared from there, moving at lightning speed and only leaving a small golden and red-colored blur behind. Catch him! Atticus roared. And if you cant, kill him! The knights quickly started chasing him around, but he started moving so fast they were unable to find where he went. He was so fast! I couldnt even see him moving. How can someone be this quick? He said he was the descendant of a god, right? Hm, perhaps Lady Bing Xue could catch him Atticus groaned as he gritted his teeth; hearing Bing Xues name always made him mad. Not only that woman had humiliated his king, but she had also forced him to create an alliance and even recruited him as a part of her strange cult, against his will. Silence! he roared. We dont require that womans help! We can do this on our own! His majesty said we had to guard and look over the streets anyways, so spread out! At the same time, as the majority of the knights had gathered in a single spot, some of the villains that had come from another timeline, lurking in the darkness, started to act. Having already learned about the potential of the System and its powers, that night there was a sudden increase in murder rates. People, mostly innocent civilians, were captured and killed out of nowhere. And unlike monsters, they could hide well, act like other people, and then stab another when they least expected it. Of course, someone else wasnt going to let these small fries do as they pleased. Hahaha! Aahh! I feel so strong! Whats this?! This world is just the best! A man wearing a full-body skintight suit of green color with a huge golden kite behind his back laughed, his hands covered with blood. I cant believe that killing makes me stronger now No longer will they laugh at me anymore! He grabbed the knife, which was deep in his victims chest, a young adult woman who was hugging her son, who had also been stabbed to death. Their tears could still be seen in their faces, as their eyes were open even after death. Now where should I go pick more of them? wondered the villain, licking the blood off his knife. One I level up and gain more skills, Ill be able to even be in pairs with the big-time villains like Jester Unaware of this, suddenly, a shadow appeared behind him. BAAM! With a strong kick in the head, the man was sent flying, hitting the floor and rolling over it, looking at his perpetrator angrily. Wha?! Youre here too?! Youve fallen low, Green Kite. Nightman! I am not the same as before! Im not going to be the laughingstock of the rest, you fuck! Well see about that, you cold-blooded murderer Nightmans appearance was revealed amidst the shadows: a man wrapped in gray and black robes with a wolf-shaped mask and eerie red eyes. He had an unattended short beard, muscular and tall frame, and a strange aura, as he held nothing, but a rosary wrapped around his fists. Yeah, Im not the same as before. Green Kite smiled as his Aura surged from his body, making Nightmans eyes widen in surprise. Winds gathered around the villain, lifting him up from the ground. See?! See that I am not the same, you fucker?! Green Kite laughed like a maniac as he rushed towards Nightman, attacking him with a spiraling tornado of emerald winds. FLUOOOSH! Ugh! Nightman stepped back, noticing Green Kites knives already stabbing his bulky arms. This damn bastard! He punched Green Kites face once he got closer, breaking his mandible. BAAAM! Arrgh! As he dropped off the ground, his magic suddenly dissipated. Magic or not, youre still the same pathetic piece of shit. Nightman walked towards him and kicked his ribs before he grabbed his arms and was about to put a handcuff on him. What the hell did you do to me?! My Magics gone?! How do you think Ive been keeping up with creeps like the Jester this entire time? I know how to deal with tricksters and magicians a bit. The rosary wrapped around his fists was no mere rosary, but a special type of artifact he brought from his original world, an exorcising object that can temporarily seal magic from a target. Youll see! Theyll free me later anyway! Hahaha! Until then, youre going to the damn asylum As Nightman prepared to bring him away, suddenly No, I dont think he will. Huh? His sharp crimson eyes noticed someonea woman made of golden light. FLASH! With a single beam of light, Green Kites head exploded. BOOOM! W-Wha?! Nightmare gasped, stepping back in disbelief. He gritted his teeth, glaring at the woman with utter wrath! What did you do?! I killed a dangerous man; what about it? She descended from the skies, quickly waving her hands again. Light wrapped around the bodies of the victims as their bodies were fully healed, and life was once more breathed into them. Aaah! W-What happened?! Mom! Nightman gasped in disbelief as he saw a miracle that in his world was nothing but impossible without contrived, dangerous methods that always had terrible downsides. Y-You revived them?! That man had been on a killing spree; he had already murdered ten people. You want me to just bring him to prison? Youre insane He deserved death. Deserved death?! asked Nightman. Nobody deserves Nobody deserves death! If you kill them, then arent you the same as them?! What makes you different from another villain? What sort of foolish logic is that? the woman wondered. Of course I am better than them; theyre killing innocents; I am killing maniacs. If they die, the rate at which innocents die will naturally decrease. It doesnt take a genius to guess this, and Ive been living for eleven thousand years, mind you. But thats If you kill a murderer, their numbers never decrease because! Because you become one too? So what? Kill two, three, four, five, six, or ten murderers. Problem solved A-Ah No, still, its illegal to kill. Have you ever heard of self-defense? Well, not like it matters here. Sure, go around keeping murders and psychopaths alive all you want; if thats your hobby, I dont care. Ill come and kill them later. Round them up for me; put them in a place all together. Y-Youre insane! Nightman screamed, rushing towards her. You must be stopped! He tried punching her. What a fool you are Bing Xue sighed, raising her leg and kicking the mans chin faster than he could react. BAAAM! Ugh?! He dropped over the floor with his lower jaw dislocated. Im not killing you because you dont seem like a bad person But Im keeping a close eye on you and your kind; better behave around my world. Or else, I will not hesitate to take you down. The woman disappeared, dissipating into particles of light. Hahh Hahh Nightman fixed his jaws back together as he groaned in pain. CRACK! Ugh This world is fucked. He looked at the night sky; the full moon looked beautiful despite everything. Nightman! Finally found you. Huh? Nightman heard a familiar voice as a muscular young man appeared above the rooftop. Galaxy Man! So youre here too That woman, did you see where she went to? Can you stop her? Oh, you met Bing Xuegood lord! Is that Green Kite?! Galaxy Man gasped as he saw Green Kites body, whose head had been blown up. Yes, he was murdered at cold blood by a woman made of light, then she proceeded to revive his victims, kicked me, and left, sighed Nightman. What is this world, Hall? I-I dont know, muttered Galaxy Man. But I think she went soft on you If you knew what shes capable of What? Who is she? She said she was Bing Xue No idea who that is, said Nightman. Shes she might be the strongest being in this universe so far, said Galaxy Man. Without a doubt, shes at my level or higher. WHAT?! The Vigilante of the Night couldnt believe he survived such an encounter. As he rubbed his chin, which was still in pain, he sighed. Have you met the rest? I found Wingspeed, and I think Marvelous Woman is in the city too. Martian and Jade Star arent around, though. Alright, lets quickly find her; we have to do something about this place or better, just get the fuck out already. My same thoughts exactly; lets go, friend. Insane how you can still smile after everything that has happened Youre really an alien, Hall. Hah, always so harsh with your words ----- Chapter 174: A New Plan To Revive The Mechanical Gods ----- (Bing Xues POV) Today, a lot happenedperhaps too many things at once. The night had finally fallen, and as I left my Doppelgangers to protect my city and the surrounding area, while I also monitored other areas of the world to see if everything was alright, I had a conversation with my family. I had kind of already explained them various things already, including the origin of that young man whose power could match mine, if not surpass it. They already knew who he was, but we were all in such a hurry we had little time to sit down and talk. But after everything happened and both my Sect and the government started working on everything, I finally had time to return to my Golden Pagoda with Merneith, who had ended up being caught in the middle of everything. I reinforced the city''s defenses and also my surveillance, but I cant just do everything myself or humanity will get conceited, so I also let the agents, knights, and other members of this country handle things on their own. So many damn crazy things happened today said Ruby as she was eating ramen, slurping the noodles and drinking the broth. But the craziest one was a future son of my sister appearing out of nowhere... And then superheroes and villains straight out of a comic book appear from mini portals! Like, seriously?! I had always thought that these parallel timeline worlds were generated from something in history going differently, said my mother. That something different happened through our natural history or even prehistory. But this world with superheroes and so on doesnt seem to be that way, right? Its bizarre. I guess that theory has been debunked with what happened, I said, eating meat-filled dumplings and then drinking some green tea. These parallel timelines might be more derivative than what we believed. But for now, no more gray portals have appeared so far, so for now, theyre the only threat. The good thing is that they came with superheroes too Juan sighed in relief. Theyre handling the villains, right? They arent the most efficient, but theyre at least taking it as their responsibility to take them down, I explained. However, theyre cowards that hesitate to kill evildoers; that is something I cannot really understand So Im using my Doppelgangers to finish these monsters off. While helping or reviving any victim I find and bringing them to safety. Because they were more than we expected and can camouflage among humans, its dangerous to even step out of your house, so the King issued a curfew for the rest of the night, which might extend until tomorrow. Well, I hope everything is alright Urbosa sighed. Hm, but what about our son? Hes fine, I said. Yeah, it was a rough beginning. But hes healthy and okay I also want to talk with him and make him see reason, but it seems he really doesnt want to. At the very least, he has calmed down and doesnt act hostile anymore. I wanted to meet him; of course I did. I wanted to listen to his past; I wanted to comfort him; I wanted to do so much, but he didnt want to cooperate. And I wasnt going to start fighting with him again because I wanted to force him into becoming friendlier or something. Unfortunately, this is an issue that can only be solved with time. At the very least, I dont have to worry about him as hes strong, stronger than me, and he also doesnt have bad intentions either; he wants to protect this world as well. However, whenever the opportunity arises, Ill go help him, and well talk. Ill try to slowly, step by step, reach his heart and let him open up to me... or, well, us. At least, it is confirmed that hes Urbosas son, and he seemed to have reacted much differently with her than me. I can already guess I died in that timeline before he grew up enough, so he probably barely knew me... But Urbosa? He definitely remembered her a lot, and with sorrow in his eyes. She most likely also died He did say everyone died, so that means that he was the lone survivor of Earth. This is a future where Seth didnt come from either; its another separate timeline One where my death caused the end of everything. So that means that I am truly the only one that can protect everyone and everything from destruction? No, hes here as well, even if he was unable to protect the world he came from, which was already ruined. Now that hes here, hell definitely use his strength to protect this one. Hah, so many things to think and worry about I think I need a summer vacation or something. Maybe if we go inside my Inner Realm and I accelerate the time there, Ill be able to rest my mind and soul, and everyone else can also rest. I had been considering doing this: let the kids grow up inside my Inner Realm so they come out ready to face this dangerous world. Because raising babies while all of this is happening is not a good idea Not wait until theyre adults, but at least until they can walk, talk, and defend themselves a bit better. Ill have to talk about this with my wives first, though. Its alright, Urbosa; hes fine, said Merkite. And he was super strong, so Im sure hell be fine anywhere. You said he looked a lot at you, right? So I bet he wanted to be with you, but hes a bit well, hes wounded in the heart, right? So let him grieve first, let him calm down, and move on. You know how men in our tribe are, always holding up their feelings, trying to look tough outside.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Right I guess hes truly my son, Urbosa patted her belly. Or well, the son of another version of myself I wonder if it''s even right to call him my son when my own is right here, slowly growing inside my belly. If the other version of ourselves was so similar, I think its fine, I said. And honestly Just thinking about him makes me really proud, if not a bit frustrated. Haha Hes amazingly strong. And he has so many incredible techniques. He inherited our powers and elevated them to a completely different realm. Hes done what Ive been trying to do all this time, that young man. I I think he was quite handsome, smiled Urbosa. He really took a lot from you, honey. He had your charm and beauty. Aw, dont say it like that; he also took a lot from you too! His cute ears, tail, and fur, his eyes and his nails, his powers toohe definitely had the wolf bloodline, I said. And he seemed very proud of his appearance as well. It makes me happy to see how our baby will turn out. But this time, lets not leave him alone, Urbosa said. Whatever happened to us in that timeline, we definitely cannot let it happen to us in this one. Yeah, we wont, I nodded. I swear. Ugh, to think I only have these photos to see how my brother looked like! said Hekita, who was rather frustrated as she checked her smartphone. She already had one, which my sister had gifted to her, and the very day she got it, she registered to several social media sites and was looking at the news of today. I dont know if its okay for a kid to get into the internet so soon though I better monitor her, so she doesnt get into shady pages. But yeah, hes so handsome! she said. And cute, my little brother! I want to meet him so badly! I wonder if we could arrange a meeting? I really dont know, said Urbosa. Hes he has his own problems right now, dear. But I want to see him! He was so tall, and his tail was so big and fluffy! To think our fur could gain mommys hair color. So hes silvery-white furred! Such a rare color! said Hekita. Yeah, hes quite the looker, nodded Merkite, giggling. So my baby will also be like him then? Wow! I wonder how our kid is going to look now Mursha wondered, drinking a huge jug of cold goat milk. Hmm, at least I know its going to be as cute as Bing Xue. Ooh! Fiery Hair wonders the same, Fiery Hair nodded. Cant wait for cute babies Theyre really looking forward to it, even more after seeing him. I forgot to ask him his name though I sighed. If we knew, we could have called our son like him then Or maybe not? I wonder if that would have changed something. Maybe thats why he didnt say his name, said Urbosa. Perhaps hes waiting for us to name our kid to confirm if hes truly a parallel, future version of our kid or not. Hmm I nodded. Youre right. As we talked, I noticed Merneiths face was constantly changing and becoming more uncomfortable. I feel quite embarrassed to be at this family dinner Merneith muttered. Is it really okay for me to be in here? I cant see anybody else but your family, Bing Xue Well, for now, I think its ok if you stay with us, I said. The family that came with you from your own world is in jail, so I guess I thought it was alright if you became my family for now. Y-Your family?! Really? Merneith gasped. But this is Its fine! Hekita said it happily. Merneiths my best friend, so I think its fine, right? And Anubis and Ra are also friends. I-I guess Merneith nodded. Well, thanks. But dont think I have nowhere to return; El Cairos also like my home or I like to think it is. Of course, I nodded. It is your home too, without a doubt! For now, however, shall we go to my Inner Realm? The Mechanical Gods fragments are still there, and Ive gathered quite a lot of interesting materials we could use to improve and repair them, or even revive them. That sounds great, said Merneith. And sure! Lets go. I came here for that very reason after all. Once we finished having dinner, Merneith quickly followed me to my Inner Realm. I left the portal open too, so anybody that wanted to see entered right after we did. Hekita was also invited, as we needed her help too. Oh, this is?! I thought they were still a pile of scrap?! Merneith gasped as we moved through the large palace within my Inner Realm; the pile of scrap that the Mechanical Egyptian Gods had become was now much more different. I had repaired them however I could. Although their parts were still separated, I polished, restructured, and reformed their forms to their original shapes. So instead of being piles of malformed metal, it was as if Merneith had been given all the pieces to build something with them. Oh, the Mechanical Gods had been repaired much more than I imagined she said. Although they arent back together, with these pieces laid out on this flat surface, it could be possible to reassemble them if we use the technology of the pyramids. So its possible! I nodded. I had been trying to revive them myself, but it proved impossible. I think the pyramids could help, but I believe theyre missing something important. Important? Merneith wondered. They lack hearts! They have none Hekita said. Hearts? asked Merneith. Wait, you mean the cores they possess? Right, they arent here I tried to reconstruct them, I explained. But it was impossible; the cores of Mechanical Gods are composed of crystalized causality formed from belief, faith, and a story related to the gods mythology. Not something I could replicate. I could probably make new ones, but they would be completely unrelated to these Gods. Hmm Merneith nodded. So thats whats missing, that Spider-Monster; did she eat them? She did, I nodded. When I took a piece of her soul, I was unable to reclaim what she took from these machines, so they are still like this By now, she must have already fully assimilated their Stories. So recovering them to what they used to might be completely impossible. T-This I see Merneith smiled a bit. I had already given up on them completely, to be honest, but to see that the materials are mostly all repaired, its nice Did you add new materials? I added special alloys and crystals from my Inner Realm that came from Murim, I explained. They had become several times tougher, more flexible, and could possibly hold Immortal Ki within their systems now. Ooh Merneith was surprised. Hekita, what do you think we should do? Huh? But shouldnt you be deciding this, Merneith? Hekita tilted her head. Yeah, maybe, but at the same time, I just dont know, Merneith sighed. So Im also asking for your opinion. Hekita wagged her tail, getting happier she was being relied on. Well! If you say so Hmm! She looked around. I think we could revive them, but they might become different I have an idea though! Although I was able to help Anubis evolve and be repaired on my own, I might need help to do it for these With mom and my aunties! Mama, remember how they received the divine power of the Beast Gods of Elios? Oh? I gasped. Wait, you dont mean Hekita, I think you might be onto something. I nodded. Right? Lets call them over! said Hekita. Those that received the Divine Beast Gods of Elios blessings and powers, if they use this very power to crystalize into new cores for these Mechanical Gods, could be reborn as new machines. At the same time, if I help by adding my own Faith and Divinity, then it would be possible for them to not grow weaker from doing this, and these Divine Beast Gods could even revive through the machines. Maybe, I am not too sure. As long as their essence remains, it could allow for some sort of revival, a recreation. However, I dont know if my girls would like to pilot them? Maybe some of them would enjoy it, but I think they like to fight physically better. Well, its not as if that matters; I believe Hekita could control them anyway; well have to see. ----- Chapter 175: Divine Story Crystalization ----- I decided to call Peperina, who was luckily living in the pagoda for the moment, as one of my disciples too. Ive been teaching her how to control her abilities, and we had a couple dates beforehand. I think she likes me too, and I like her as well; shes adorable. However, unlike my four other wives, shes very discreet and wants to take things slowly, one step at a time sort of deal, and Im fine with waiting as well until she feels ready The same happens with Yanisse. Alongside Mursha, Urbosa, and Merkite, all four inheritors of the Divine Beast Gods powers appeared I couldnt call Typhoon here, as he was the God of Elios, but thats fine; I didnt want to force him to help us in this, which is mostly our own selfish thing. So is it really possible to revive them if we use their power to create cores? wondered Peperina. I-Im still a bit confused about how to do this though I dont know if it could be possible to revive them, I said with all honesty. This is an experiment after all. However, their Essence which exists within all of you, could probably recreate them to an extent within the bodies of these Mechanical Gods. I see Peperina nodded. The thing is, because they had already passed away, their consciousness might not return, and the resulting being might be something similar to a child of them instead, I explained. I kind of get it now, yeah Mursha nodded. I remember those damn huge golems were super strong, though. If we could truly transfer their essence into them and turn them into giant machines, wouldnt they become super strong? "Yeah, I was thinking the same, nodded Urbosa. They could prove to be valuable allies and guardians, but I have a question Wont we lose our power like this? I was wondering the same thing Merkite muttered. "Well, I wouldn''t mind if we could revive them." Oh no, dont worry, I wont take the Spiritual Divinities you have, I said. Ill simply extract the Essence of these Divine Spirit Gods within you; its a different energy and not their power. But something like Hmm, like their ghosts, I guess? I see I was thinking that the Phoenix would simply live within me, said Mursha. But I well, I wasnt enjoying the idea too much, so Im glad something can be done about that! Me neither, honestly, so Im glad as well! Peperina nodded. I wonder if the robot will become a cute rabbit? I was wondering something similar, nodded Urbosa. Well, if thats the case, I have no issues; what do you think, sister? Im fine with it too; lets do it! Merkite nodded. It seemed they never really liked the idea of having their Essence residing within their souls, and me neither, so it was fine if we could extract them completely and place them in these robots anyways. Then lets begin I nodded. I quickly began walking around the large flat piece of land I had paved and placed every robot, setting up a strong formation using many materials, and my own Divine Photon Essence became solid, making it resemble liquid gold. I created several nodes where all the girls would stand; this included Hekita, whose amazing Spirit Creation ability is what made it possible for Anubis, and then even Ra, to evolve and become even stronger. With her and this formation Im creating using my new Divine Ability, it should be possible to extract the pure Essence of the Divine Beast Gods without their powers inherited by my wives and crystalize them through Hekitas Spirit Creation and my formations added energies. Of course, Ill also use my Faith and Divinities to add to the creation of these cores, the crystallization of the Essence of Gods, and the closest thing to the crystallization of a Gods Story, Myths, and Faith. I am not doing this just out of goodwill towards Merneith or because I feel sorry for these robots Well, I am doing this for that too, but theres another reason. I want to analyze how these beings are created. So I can eventually replicate them and create my own army of Mechanical Gods! But to properly imitate this technology and then further improve it with my powers, itll take its time. However, this entire ritual will be important as it will be able to tell me how the process is done so I can replicate it later and improve upon it. The Ritual shall begin soon; everyone, please walk into the nodes, I said. As everyone began walking to the huge formation, I gave a quick look at my System and its many messages. After having fought my future son, I had gained a lot of power, or more like I had begun to rapidly gain the strength I was accumulating and evolved or adapted it through our battle. At the same time, Ive killed a lot of these villains from the other world, and they gave an incredibly generous amount of Experience Points. Maybe because theyve killed so many people themselves, it somehow adds up to their EXP value? Ding! [You have slain dozens of Invading Supervillains from a Parallel Timeline!] [You gained a large quantity of EXP!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Your Level has increased from Level 4.137 to Level 5.007/10.000!] [All your Stats have increased. You gained Stat Points and Skill Points.] [Several of your Skills have Leveled Up!] [You acquired the Title: [Villain-Slaying Vigilante]!] ----- [Villain-Slaying Vigilante] Title Requirements: Kill over a dozen Supervillains on your own.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Effects: When Fighting Against Villainous and Evil Foes, All Stats +10%. You Can Predict Their Actions More Easily. A Title given to a ruthless vigilante that goes against superheroes code of not killing and slaying evildoers without any guilt. You are the nemesis of all these evil monsters. But through that, youve also become one. ----- An interesting Title and Effect, I might enjoy that ten percent buff, yeah. Also being able to predict what they will do Maybe it could prove useful. [Your previous actions so far have also been reevaluated.] [You acquired the Title: [Defender of Egypt]!] ----- [Defender of Egypt] Title Requirements: Defend The Country of Egypt From Several Attacks Threatening the Countrys Destruction. Effects: People of Egypt Will Naturally See You As Their Savior and Hero, Increasing Their Favorability And Support Towards You By 300%. As Long As Youre Within Egypts Territory, All Stats +30%. A Title given to Egypts savior, who has saved the country from multiple attacks from otherworldly threats beyond the scope of the people of this country. Youve become their savior and hero, someone that they look up to with admiration. ----- Interesting Title, pretty simple yet good Gaining everyones favorability in that country is a welcome boon! [You acquired the Title: [Primal God Nemesis]!] ----- [Primal God Nemesis] Title Requirements: Defeat A Powerful Primal God And Earn Their Hatred. Effects: When Fighting Primal God-type Foes, All Stats +30%, Damage Dealt +100%, and Ignores 30% Of Their Defenses. A Title that only someone who not only defeats a Primal God but also earns their relentless hatred can obtain. Youve become the nemesis of these ancient and powerful beings; congrats! ----- This one is quite funny in terms of descriptions. But it sounds rather decent. Once I find that spider again, Ill make sure to kill her for good. [You learned the [Balance Disruption Arts (EX): Lv1] Skill!] Balance Disruption Arts became a new Skill?! And one I learned right away, at EX Rank no less. Is this because I battled my son, who was so strong I had to push myself to my limits? So there are such ways to learn such powerful Skills, huh Now, lets see my long status. It has been a while since Ive had a refresher of what I have and not. ----- [Name]: [Katherine] [Race]: [Human?] [Titles]: [The One Who Folded The System] [Dungeon Gate Keeper] [Undefeated] [Talent Seeking Guider] [Experienced Chef] [Boss Slayer] [Devil Slayer] [Savior of Arcadia] [Primordial Calamity: Ragnar?k] [Destroyer of the Church Of The Brilliant Mother Of Light] [Silver Moon Beast Tribes Hero] [Acacias Tyrant] [Master Adventurer] [Barrier Master] [Raid Empress] [Destroyer of the Evil Cult Of Deep Darkness] [God Slayer] [Eclipses New God] [Demigoddess of Yin and Yang] [Primal Queen] [Guardian of Earth] [Empress of Heavenly Light: Bing Xue] [Elios Divine Savior] [Villain-Slaying Vigilante] [Defender of Egypt] [Primal God Nemesis] [Divinity Tree]: [Harmonious Spiritual Yin and Yang Tree of Divinities (Tier 3: Rank 7)] [Class]: [Heavenly Martial Empress of Light: Bing Xue (Primordial Immemorial Venerable-Rank)] [Level]: [5.007/10.000] [Mana]: [32.826.200/32.826.200] [Light]: [32.408.000] [Divinity]: [10.912.000] [Martial Power]: [32.785.000] [Strength]: [34.171.900] [Agility]: [32.971.900] [Vitality]: [32.971.900] [Intelligence]: [28.696.900] [Dexterity]: [32.971.900] [Charm]: [32.281.000] [Faith]: [269.750.000] [Stat Points]: [188.650] (+50 Per Level) (1 = 10 Stats) [Skill Points]: [1.409.830] (+50 Per Level) [Credits]: [7.186.375.000] {Divine Abilities} [First Root]: [Dual Rings of Radiant and Umbral Harmony (True Deity Rank): Tier 3/3] [Second Root]: [Divinity Tree Formation Of Heavenly Lotus And Demonic Hell (Demi Deity Rank): Tier 0/3] [Third Root]: [Empty] {Divine Authorities} [First Branch]: [Primordial Heavenly Yin Yang Aegis (Demi Deity Rank): Tier 0/3] [Second Branch]: [Empty] [Third Branch]: [Empty] {Classless Skills (13/13)} [Premium Player Privilege (SSS): Lv10] [Emperors Conquest (S): Lv5] [Commander (C): Lv9] [Primal Power Manipulation (SSS): Lv4] [Divine Golden Heaven Gourmet Bond Arts (SS): Lv3] [Divine Illusionists Veil of Mirages (SS): Lv3] [Primordial Divine Sentinel Of the Dark Past and the Bright Future: Aeternitas Martial Arts (EX): Lv2] [Primordial Demonic Heaven Dimensional Library Domain of Abyssal Curses and Sealed Demons: Pandemonium (EX): Lv2] [Super Body Reinforcement (S): Lv4] [Quadruple Slash (S): Lv6] [Divine Winter Draconification (SSS): Lv5] [Divine Body Enhancement: Golden Mountain Physique (SSS): Lv3] [Balance Disruption Arts (EX): Lv1] {Magic Skills (11/13)} [Channel Void (S): Lv5] [Lesser Spatial Manipulation (A): Lv6] [Proficient Mana Manipulation (B): Lv7] [Divine Photon Essence Manipulation (S): Lv5] [Lesser Time Flow Manipulation (S): Lv5] [Cursed & Blessed Blazing Starlight Relic Creation (SS): Lv7] [Blazing Sword Spirit Summon (S): Lv4] [Wind Gale Veil of Protection (S): Lv4] [Divine Thunderstorm Spirit Armament (SSS): Lv3] [Nether Energy Manipulation (SSS): Lv3] [Soul Aether Manipulation (SS): Lv3] {Class Skills (12/14)} [God Predator (SSS): Lv8] [Divine Class Absorption (SSS): Lv7] [God Killer (SSS): Lv2] [Divine Soul Parasite (SSS): Lv2] [Undead God Summon (SSS): Lv2] [Divinity Steal (SSS): Lv2] [God Throne Usurpation (SSS): Lv2] [Divinity Tree Absorption (SSS): Lv2] [Divine Realm Assimilation (SSS): Lv2] [Primordial Heavenly Empress of Light Arts (SSS): Lv2] [Divinity Resistance (SSS): Lv2] [Divine Yin And Yang Harmonious Soul Blade Arts (SSS): Lv2] {Available Divinities} {Broken Divinities}: {Holy Mother Of Light and Life} {Deep Darkness and Death Shadows} {Prehistoric King Of Might} {Destruction} {Eternal Winter} {Lord of the Mountains} {Life-Eating Emerald Flames} {Ancient Weapon of Destruction} {Undead Authority} {Chaotic Machine} {Cursed Forests} {Treasure Seeker} {Mother of all Parasites} {Mad Puppet} {Endless Carnival} {Sea Dragons} {Seat of Gold} {Malice & Cunningness} {Space-Weaving Spider} {Corruption Venom} [Available Divine Realms]: {Shattered Divine Realm}: {Mother of Lights Heaven} {Shattered Divine Realm}: {Lord of Deep Darkness Underworld} ----- Interesting, it looks like I still got quite a few more slots for my Divinity Tree. Alright, Im done. Lets begin then! After noticing everyone in their nodes, I nodded, quickly walking out of the formation and starting it up right away. FLAAASH! By using my [Divinity Tree Formation Of Heavenly Lotus And Demonic Hell (Demi Deity Rank): Tier 0/3] Divine Ability, I was able to turn the formation into an even stronger version of it. The Formations shone brightly as countless magical circuits connected, flowing with spiritual energies and primordial Ki. Then, from the bodies of Mursha, Peperina, Urbosa, and Merkite, masses of Essence and Spirit Power started leaking out. Slowly, through Hekitas Spirit Creation, these masses of energy were extracted and then placed on another node within the formation. The Essences took the shape of each beast. Mursha had a phoenix made of flame-like essence, Peperina had a silvery-white rabbit made of moonlight-like essence, and Urbosa and Merkite had two wolves, one black and another white, made of darkness and light. Now {Spirit Creation}! Hekita closed her hands as the Essences flowed directly into the nodes and then rapidly crystalized through her powers and mine combined together. I took the opportunity to add my own Faith Points and also small fragments of my Divinity Treethe little offshoot branches that werent important; I used them as materials. FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! And in that moment, they were formed: four marbles made of different colored crystals, beautiful marbles overflowing with spiritual divinity. Its done! The formation quickly came to an end, as Mursha, Peperina, Urbosa, and Merkite sighed in relief, feeling rather tired, but I didnt notice anything wrong with them; they were healthy, just tired. Hahh I thought it would take forever, said Urbosa. But it was very quick! "Yeah, but Im so tired now Merkite nodded. Ugh Me too Mursha gasped for air. Phew Hahh Uuugh I want a nap now Peperina cried. Alright, sit down for now, I said, creating comfortable seats for them to sit down and relax. I washed their exhaustion away with my Techniques, as sparkles and veils of golden light helped them recover from this. Merneith was fascinated. "Wow, that was incredible! The cores were made! she gasped. Now we should reassemble the robots in the Pyramids! Leave this to me, please. Alright then, Merneith, thanks, I nodded. But these are delicate; lets bring them there carefully. Lets go. The pyramids themselves were in my own Inner Realm, so with a mere thought, we were teleported inside. The largest of the Flying Pyramids was that of Merneiths stepmother. It had a large reassembling factory, which we used for the machines to be reassembled and the cores placed. Of course, we were helped by a lot of her people as well, who were living here too for the time being. Incredible to think you would be able to create new cores! her mother, Akhenaten, muttered in disbelief. They also fit just right inside of their core batteries. I didnt do this; it was Bing Xue and her family, Merneith smiled, looking at me with an adorable smile. Thank you so much for honoring my gods like this, Bing Xue. I really owe you a lot now Haha, its alright, I giggled. I also needed to see how theyre assembled and created I was thinking of eventually replicating Mechanical Gods with my own ingredients and creating an army of them to defend Earth and other worlds. W-Wait, what?! Really? wondered Merneith. But arent you also raising disciples? "Yes, but my disciples arent thousands, and Ill need that quantity to keep things safe from the ever-growing invasions and threats So for now- Huh? RUMBLE! Suddenly, as I was talking, the Mechanical Gods started moving out of nowhere, all four of them had already been given the cores, but Merneith said it could take days for them to readjust. However, wasnt this too quickly? ----- Chapter 176: The New Mechanical Gods ----- The Essence of the Divine Beast Gods. Although Bing Xue regrated being unable to revive them as she couldnt repair their story, as she saw the marbles crystalize, she began to rapidly understand how these Gods truly existed. They were an amalgamation of a Story that was Recoded within the Tower or even their World, and which was carried even after their deaths as their purest Essence, the fragments of their Story. The very core used for the Mechanical Gods was this: a crystallization formed from Faith towards a divinity, a being that perhaps didnt even truly exist in this parallel world. But that the Ancient Egyptians of this parallel world managed to create them out of their own belief and faith towards these deities. They thought that it was their duty to give physical form to their gods. And right now, Bing Xue was applying a similar logic, forging new cores out of the Leftover Story left behind from long-dead Gods. Similarly to how the Egyptian Gods didnt exist to begin with within this ancient parallel Earth, she was going to create them once more out of their own leftover Story and Essence. In fact, it seemed much better and easier than what the Ancient Egyptians had done, as Bing Xue already had materials to start with! So, the moment the Mechanical Gods were being assembled and given the cores, suddenly, instead of taking days to adapt to their new "hearts, as Hekita called them, they assimilated them instantly. The parts that made the Mechanical Gods were a series of incredibly complex alloys, circuits, and nanomachines, which Bing Xue took a long while to learn from. She had to accelerate the time of her Inner Realm, as she ended up taking around five years to fully comprehend their inner workings by leaving a Doppelgangers there. For her Five Years inside her Inner Realm, when fully focused, it didnt mean much, and all the information she gained was simply sent to her main mind once the Doppelganger was done analyzing. RUMBLE! The Four Mechanical Gods began to glow brightly, with different colors. Their bodies started to transform, leaving behind their humanoid appearances, which the Egyptian Gods were characterized for. T-Theyre transforming?! gasped Merneith. Dont tell me that the cores the new Gods within them, are already adapting to the mechanical bodies to the point theyre transforming! Indeed, that seems to be the case! Bing Xue laughed. Incredible! Woooow! Hekita was fascinated as the metallic parts assembled and combined together constantly, creating loud noises that reverberated everywhere. CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! The first machine to change was Set, the God of War and the Desert. His huge machine transformed entirely, absorbing the essence of the {Golden Phoenix of the Bright Sun}; it immediately started transforming. Its arms became enormous wings, its dog-like head turned into a fierce and beaked phoenix head, and its legs transformed, becoming bird-like, while the rest of its body glowed with gold and red metallic colors. CRYAAAAH! The Phoenix gave a loud cry, reverberating across the entire pyramids interior, making the people watching step back in awe and shock. But that was just the first of them! Aker, the Ancient Egyptian God of Earth and the Horizon, the bulky robot that Neheb piloted with three lioness heads, quickly absorbed the essence of {The White Wolf of Life and Harvest}. Meanwhile, a slender and more snake-like machine, Nehebkau, a God of Snakes and Funerary Rites, absorbed the essence of {The Black Wolf of Death and Withering}. CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! And right after that, their bodies immediately changed, leaving behind their original Egyptian God appearances, both of them evolved, transforming into huge, mechanical wolves. One was gold and white, the other was red and black, with steel horns over their heads resembling crowns, and sharp mechanical eyes glowing with bright yellow and red neon light. AWOOOOO! Both wolves, who were siblings and could be considered two faces of the same coin and a representation of Yin and Yang within the religion of Elios, howled loudly, making the pyramids tremble even more. Lastly, the beautiful and feminine-looking machine, Anuket, the Goddess of the Nile, absorbed the gentle and beautiful essence of the {The Gold-Horned White Hare of the Silver Moon}, immediately transforming.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! Her humanoid appearance changed instantly, turning into a giant, fierce-looking hare with silvery-white metallic colors, a half-moon-shaped symbol made of purple jewel in her forehead, long, sharp ears resembling blades, and an even longer and sharper horn made of purple crystal in her forehead. KYUUUH! Despite its gigantic form, it was the cutest of the four, letting out an adorable sound that made Hekita and Merneiths hearts melt. Akhenaten, in the other case, could only watch in utter disbelief at the scene! T-This is unbelievable! he muttered. Once more, youve gone something impossible! Four of our Egyptian Gods had been reborn into completely different Gods from another world! Woooaaahh! You guys are so cuteee! Hekita ran towards them. The intimidating animal-like machines glared down at her intimidatingly, but Hekita wasnt intimidated; they quickly lowered their heads, letting her pet their metallic heads. Oh, arent they nice? Bing Xue said. I guess I didnt really need to worry at all! Merneith, lets go talk with them. T-Talk? Can they talk? wondered Merneith. If Hekita helped create them, then they must be upgraded like Anubis and Ra; their minds must have been developed, and they probably have Spiritual Souls, Bing Xue explained. So yes, they should be able to talk a bit, or maybe they can learn to talk. Ooh Merneith seemed excited. Sure, lets go! They look incredible Ra! Come out too; talk with them! You need to make more friends. CRAAH! Ra manifested behind Merneith as they all walked towards the four Divine Beast Mechanical Gods. The new Mechanical Gods noticed Bing Xue and Merneith right away, glaring at them with curiosity. So you seem to have been truly revived, or so I believe, Bing Xue said. Do you happen to remember anything from your previous life though? The Beasts glanced at one another. I dont think they remember, said Hekita. "Also, they unfortunately cant talk yet! But I think they could soon! Ah, I guess they werent like I expected; interesting, Bing Xue nodded. Alright then, at least you know your situation and everything? Bing Xue asked, and the beasts nodded in unison. Looks like at least theyre aware of what they are, said Merneith. Okay, I guess we got a lot of catching up to do! Lets have fun! With Merneith and Hekita, Bing Xue dedicated a couple of hours to helping the new Mechanical Beast Gods get used to their new bodies and abilities. They ran around, flew, did friendly spars, and rapidly began to learn better how their bodies and their powers worked. As Bing Xue nodded and saw them learning more about themselves, she walked back to her wives and had a conversation with them about her plans for now. A lot was happening right now, from her son from the future appearing, a certain spider goddess on the loose, the villains and superheroes appearing, and perhaps what else? But right now, it could be said there was at the very least some sort of stillness; things were happening, but not at the larger scale as before. Cities arent being threatened from being deleted at least; after Dark Matter Man disappeared and she killed Mechanicus, no more dangerous supervillains have appeared. Although she was sure they might appear eventually, for now she had to consider what to do and move forward instead of sitting around and waiting for things to happen. Bing Xue had never been that type; she was someone quite proactive. So lets climb the tower for now. She proposed. Really? But your son Are you ok with just leaving that like that? wondered Mursha, worried. I think its fine, Bing Xue said. We have to continue growing stronger, and I also want to explore the tower floors from the gods I defeated back then. I think they might be in danger if their God had their soul devoured so I want to give them a quick visit as we advance. Hmm Fiery Hair is okay with that! Lets explore and have fun! Fiery Hair seemed ready for another adventure. Bing Bing is bringing disciples? Friends? Family? Yeah, aside from all of you, I was thinking of inviting Merneith, Hekita, my mother and my sister, and Hmm, maybe Peperina and Yanisse? Juan, of course, yeah, he has to come if Ruby is coming. Whenever something dangerous happens on Earth, well return quickly. But in the meantime, just sitting around is not my thing, she confessed. I know youre all pregnant, so you could choose to stay in my inner Realm or stay in the Pagoda if you want to rest. It would sure be more convenient if the kids were born already, sighed Urbosa, patting her belly. Yeah, and if they grew up a little bit more too? said Merkite. Then we could bring them along without issues. It would make things easier, yeah! said Mursha. Orc kids become capable of fending for themselves after three years, so thats not happening any time soon, unfortunately. Three years! Short time! said Fiery Hair. Hm Bing Bing cant let us be inside Inner Realm? Spend time together, accelerated time? Ah! Yes, well, Ive been thinking about that for a while now! Bing Xue nodded. To think Fiery Hair would come out with the idea Yeah, how about we spend some time inside my Inner Realm? I will accelerate the time inside, so not only will you be able to relax until the kids are born, but once theyre born, we can wait some more, perhaps a couple of years, until theyre big enough for the dangerous world outside. I hadnt thought about that! Urbosa wondered. Hm I wonder if itll be okay for the kids though? It wont be longer than three years, judging by how fast they grow Bing Xue said. So how about we take this as our three-year vacation, my loves? I really just want to spend some relaxing time with all of you While the Inner Realm accelerates for three years, the outside world will only see it as six hours or less, which would make things almost unnoticeable. Oooohh! Merkite was excited. Okay, Im in! I want to just laze around and cuddle with you all day honestly I-I dont know if this is exactly okay though Three years to us would be still a long time! So much could happen to us through those three years, said Urbosa. Well, now that youre all Immortal Cultivators, your perception of time will slowly change. Three years will become nothing but three days, Bing Xue explained. But if youre not okay with that, then its fine; we wont do it, Urbosa. I need everyone to agree to this first. Ah well, if she doesnt want that, then its fine, Mursha shrugged. My kid hasnt even shown up anyway; Im fine, and I can fight just fine like before. Fiery Hair can fight too! said Fiery Hair. "Baby, too small to worry. However, you two are about to give birth in a week or two So instead of three years, at least two weeks maybe a month? Bing Xue wondered. Ah, well Maybe! nodded Urbosa. What do you think, Merkite? Sure, sure! I wanted to spend three years though, but ok, a monthno, make it five months! And Im in, said Merkite. Five months? Bing Xue asked. Sure, is that ok? Yeah, I guess its ok; its the most Im able to accept, said Urbosa. Alright! nodded Bing Xue. Five-month vacations it is! Bing Xue had a little scheme in mind though, which will make these five months feel like three years for her kids. Using special formation techniques and body-developing techniques, shell accelerate their growth and mental processing abilities. This way, although it was literally five months, the kids will grow super-fast! ----- Chapter 177: One Week Later Inside The Inner Realm ----- (Bing Xues POV) After telling my family about this, they seemed to have found it to be quite a good idea. Not only because we would get to rest and relax in between all the chaos. But because it would also apparently give them a lot of time to train, cultivate, and get used to their abilities and skills. And I couldnt agree more with them; they indeed required quite some more time to get that done; a couple of months where theyll train, rest, then continue training and understanding their abilities might be what they need. I also communicated this to most of my disciples, and most of them also asked me to please allow them to stay in my Inner Realm for this vacation/training. Nicholas, Yanise, John, Francisco, Aiyana, Jackes, Peperina, and a couple more ended up all staying in here. I was rather excited we would spend five months of pure training, so I created unique training methods for everyone. It has roughly been a week since everything started, though, and after this mornings breakfast, I walked across my Palace within the Inner Realm. I appreciated the beauty of this world Ive created, which Ive shaped carefully through my life in Murim so its growth would be optimal for my own. Every piece of an Inner Realm affected how the growth of an Immortal progressed. Using special Spiritual or Immemorial Treasures, which come in the shape of nature itself, be it trees, entire forests, bodies of water, or even mountains, it is possible to directly enhance an Inner Realm atmosphere and biodiversity. Which, as a result, also increases the power of the Immortal; a healthy and lively Inner Realm always means one thing: the Immortal is powerful, incredibly strong. Meanwhile, when an Inner Realm looks badly taken care of, the Immortal will oftentimes be a weakling. I cant say I obtained everything here honorably though; I did steal most of this from other Inner Realms; I went as far as devouring them and assimilating them into my own, something possible as long as the bubble where the Inner Realms dimension is stored is not destroyed when an immortal is killed. However, not every Inner Realm could be absorbed; usually they had to be around the Path I was cultivating or close to it. Meaning that a Water Path Inner Realm wouldnt be very beneficial for me back then, and it would only become detrimental as it would mix my Dao Comprehension and take me further away from enlightenment through specializing. But well, thats in the past. Upon achieving Rank 21 and achieving the Primordial Immemorial Venerable Realm, I had no such issues anymore, and my Enlightenment now encompassed the entirety of the Heavenly Dao; all Paths could be assimilated and learned seamlessly over time. Ah, there she is. I walked past a huge, beautiful forest full of autumn leaves; this was the Perpetual Autumn Fire Forest. All trees look like they are going through autumn eternally and, when touched, release flames. A dangerous place for most people to train on, except someone that had been rapidly assimilating the element of fire, a cute girl that had grown more and more decided to become stronger. Someone who, despite her initial meek personality, had a heart of gold. FLUOSH! Peperina was sitting cross-legged in the forests center, where the trees were at their highest heat level; constantly, flames flowed towards her, attempting to burn her body. However, she was rapidly assimilating the flames into her inner Martial Core, Soul, and Body, refining them while meditating. The pain of being burned remained though, and she had to endure through it as she assimilated the flames and cultivated. The Perpetual Autumn Fire Forest is among the highest-ranked Immemorial Treasures I have, which contains a large quantity of Immemorial Ki of the highest purity imbued with the Dao of Fire. Therefore, it is a perfect place for any Fire Path Cultivator to continue on their cultivation journey, Peperina had been staying here for the entire week, taking breaks to come eat and also for us to spend some time alone chatting and exploring my Inner Realm. Hm, I see I nodded, noticing that her body was gaining several near-invisible marks; these were something similar to runes imprinted into her body, but I called them Dao Marks. Part of why physical objects were imbued with certain Daos was because of this concentration of essence that manifests as tiny marks inscribed into all things. By now, she had probably refined thousands of Dao Marks of Fire. Slowly, she opened her eyes and sighed in relief; the flames around her stopped flowing, and the forest became silent once more. Ah, Bing Xue, good morning, she said. I ended up spending the whole night in here I had entered into some sort of trance. It was like I had become a flame myself, a spark that burned through history. Oh, so you went through an Enlightenment of the Path of Fire, I see, I nodded. Well done. Youve worked hard. But I believe fire alone is not the Path you must take. I believe the same; the powers my father inherited arent just fire-related, but the control of the elements themselves I mean, mostly metal, but mine has manifested slightly differently, right? she asked. Yeah, were still trying to figure out how to release all of that hidden power, I nodded. But your practice so far has been great. Yeah, look what I can do now, Peperina smiled, licking her lips as she placed her hands into the ground. {Worldsmith}! RUMBLE! The ground shook, as roughly twenty meters from her, a large wall of stone was lifted, and then a giant hand too.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. She was also able to do the same with the trees; those around us suddenly transformed, shaking into giant hands, wooden blades, or spears. Interesting! So your range has increased to twenty meters? I wondered. Hahh, yes, but its tiring Ugh She groaned as she let go of her powers, the ground and the trees returning to normal. Back then, when I fought Inferno, I was able to use Worldsmith to manipulate his weapon and armor into a living, destructive liquid metal that helped me kill him. But that was actually a very weak way to use this power. I could probably exert a stronger authority around my surroundings, but I need to keep cultivating. Skills or Leveling alone wont do. This is a power more intrinsic; it exists within the depth of my own soul. Indeed, youre not wrong, I nodded. While Shapesmithing Arts is what you use to modify your weapons or armor and change their appearance, structure, or even magical properties, it doesnt work on others, right? Yeah, it only applies to things that belong to me, she nodded. However, Worldsmith is its "upgrade," a power that converged the legacies of my two parents together I dont want to let them down, so I need to continue practicing it. It seems youve gained a lot of resolve, Peperina, I giggled. Youve changed more than most other people Ive known since I came back. A-Ah, really? She wondered, suddenly blushing and feeling embarrassed. M-Maybe I mean, I wouldnt say I changed, more like I just let out what I had within me. So youre saying you were always like this deep down? I wondered. I mean, kind of, she muttered. The whole cute girl is mostly like, a thing I do just so people like me more. But this overly niceness and all, its just part of my job as a Guild Receptionist. I see I nodded. So those are her thoughts regarding the matter, huh? There is some truth amidst her lies, but I can clearly detect when someone is pretending or acting. She wasnt acting or pretending back then; Peperina simply is too embarrassed to accept that she has a cute side. Is she trying to look and be rougher for me, or perhaps to protect her parents? After what we went through back in Elios, it wouldnt be surprising that shes forcing herself to act more "mature, maybe. But I wasnt anybody to tell her how she should act; I am only guiding her because she wanted my help. How do you feel then? I wondered. About your current strength? Not only there is this power, but also the Spiritual Divinity that the Hare left behind with you. Oh that, thats a whole other subject, Peperina giggled. I have yet to perfect or train that one, but it is related to Moonlight, right? Ill have to do it at night then. Seeing how far youve come, I think youre soon to hit a wall regarding your comprehension of the Fire Dao, I explained. If you want to further specialize, youll need more materials and assimilate them through a special Ritual Formation to change your physique. So thats what I need to do, huh Peperina didnt really like the idea. Aah, I dont really like the sound of it Not one bit! Cant I do something differently? Despite how she tried acting mature, she was still very cute. Hm, certainly, I said. You can try to also gain enlightenment in the Dao of the Moon. Once youre done with that, perhaps beginning walking the Path of the Dao of Earth wouldnt be so bad either. The Moon and Earth? she wondered. I see Is Earth because of Worldsmith? Yes, we still have yet to see its full power, but it seems to encompass every element, I explained. In a way, it could be said you are capable of understanding and comprehending most Daos to an extent thanks to this talent. Oh wow, she gasped. However, it wont be an easy task, I said. As there are so many elements, its quite ridiculous to even think you can just begin to comprehend them all; youll end up spending hundreds of years only doing this. So its not cost-effective nor time-effective Youll have to first enlighten yourself with the Dao of Earth and perhaps Nature. Once you get Earth, Nature, Fire, and Moonlight, I believe youll be able to pass the wall I see within your growth and break it apart into pieces, ascending further into higher realms. Ohh, she nodded, looking excited. I really want to get even stronger Fighting on the Second Floor taught me quite a lot of things. About how this Tower works and about our future. If I dont fight and continue growing stronger, when a foe that could threaten my parents or those I love appears... I wont be able to do anything, and Ill feel so useless. I dont want people to die helplessly anymore, seeing how most of my tribe was slaughtered, all because they were peaceful, because they didnt choose to fight So thats how it is; I think I understand her mentality a bit better now. She wants to honor her tribe, which had perished almost completely aside from a couple of them that managed to escape to the first Floor or the third Floor of the Tower. My guess is that she desires to grow stronger to become a symbol for her kind and perhaps for all other small and weak races similar to the Rabbit-kin. She kind of wants to become a figure people can rely on and someone that will teach them that they need to fight back. Perhaps thats it. What a noble cause. In Murim, you would never see someone with such an innocent yet beautiful, righteous resolve. She is, without a doubt, an exemplar member of the Heavenly Court Sect! I promise you to guide you on the Path youve chosen to walk through, Peperina, I said. As your master, it is my duty. I extended my hand towards her as I helped her stand up from the leaf-covered forest floor. She blushed a bit as she held my hand and stood up. Thank you, Bing Xue Since you showed up that my life changed a lot, she giggled. I kind of feel guilty that I am being helped so much by you H-Have I ever done something to deserve this much kindness? Yes, I nodded. Being born, perhaps. As the Empress of Heaven, I am dutiful to guide lost souls, those that suffered, those that saw their families die You come from a tribe devastated by cruelty and misery. You might have slain the one that killed them, but that doesnt mean that the pain your family went through is gone. Isnt that enough of a reason for me to extend a hand? Maybe Im indeed too kind But thats why I am so strong. This power is not to be a tyrant, and it is not to torment innocents. I became stronger because I wanted to be kind and selfless. Ahh, she gasped, looking at my eyes with such surprise. You''re truly someone incredible I I understand now. Thank you Its alright, Peperina! You make me so proud, I giggled. Shall we get moving then? I think Nicholas is nearby, inside a volcano. Sure But wait! Wait a bit, Bing Xue, she called, grabbing my robes. Yes? I wondered. Um C-Can you lower your head a bit? she wondered, looking embarrassed. I did as she asked; I was indeed quite tall compared to her. And when I did so, well Mooch! She kissed my lips. Her little lips were soft and warm; it was a brief kiss, but it was sweet. Peperina Despite all of my wisdom and experience, when I was kissed by a cute girl, I couldnt help but feel embarrassed. There I gave you a kiss, she muttered, blushing. I-Its the least I could do after everything. I I always say I want to take my time with this, but I just couldnt help it anymore. She held my hand. Can I kiss you a bit more? Of course. I smiled, embracing her as I hugged her and lifted her off the ground, and we kissed passionately in the middle of the autumn forest. I held her gently; her body was small and delicate to me, so I held her gently like a little cotton ball; her little lips, however, were fiercely kissing mine. Hmm~ She moaned lightly as I grasped her buttocks tightly; they were big, and I couldnt help it in this position at the end. This rabbit girl mercilessly played with my mouth and my tongue, sucking my tongue and then licking my lips with her own. Her kisses were so sweet and full of heated passion, I couldnt resist her. Eventually, after a couple of minutes, our lips separated. Hahh Hahh Ah, that was my first kiss, she muttered. Fufu, you were quite amazing for your first time~! I giggled, kissing her nose. And so cute! Youre so cute! I cant stop hugging you~! E-Eeh? I-Im trying to be a bit more mature, and youre calling me cute all the time, Bing Xue! She complained adorably, as she didnt fight back my hugs. I promise to protect you and love you, Peperina. I said, looking at her eyes as I caressed her tender face. I-I promise too, she nodded. A-Ahh, this is so embarrassing She ended covering her face in embarrassment, as if she hadnt been eating my lips with her kisses a few seconds ago! ----- Chapter 178: A Wild Girl ----- As I made my way to the nearby mountains, where a volcano where Nicholas was training was located, Peperina was constantly talking about what just happened. I-I dont think Im ready for what comes next she said nervously. Um, having a kid and all And seeing how Im a rabbit, I might end up having more than one. O-Oh! Do you happen to have siblings? I wondered. I do; I never mentioned it but I have like five, she giggled a bit nervously. Yeeah I-if youre really going to have kids with us rabbit-kin, youre about to get a big batch Ahaha! But thats so adorable! I would love to have many children with you, Peperina! I giggled, petting her head. D-Dont say it out loud like that! Uwaah She felt embarrassed, covering her face again. C-Cant we take it easy? I need to Um, prepare and all, and right now Im focused on other things and Its fine, I smiled. I would never force you to do anything, dear. Lets take as long as you want. After all, intercourse is nothing but an aftermath of love, but love? Its not just intercourse after all. Keeping company with one another, living with one another, feeling each others warmth, listening to each others words every day Guiding one another and teaching each other. Its all about that, I think. Im still learning. But your company alonethats all I could ever ask for. I like being with you. Oh my gosh, cant you stop saying such incredibly romantic things? My heart is already melting for you! she cried. A-Ah! Haha, my bad, Im sorry, I said. I simply get like this when I am with the person I love. Hahh, she sighed, crossing her arms. I wonder what I even did in my life to deserve a literal goddess like you to come down here, lower yourself for me, and love me I-Im really lucky. Hahah, to you I might be that and some more, but for me I said. I am just a person. I never stopped thinking of myself as one deep down. A person that has lived that has lived a long time, I suppose. More than anything, Im grateful youre willing to accept me despite my age and gender. I am not going to pretend every girl would love another woman. Youre eleven thousand years old, right? she wondered. Well, you dont even look that age, at most in your mid-twenties. And about that I mean, I was already bisexual. I did have... I had a crush on a friend in school. But that was a while ago. I see Fufu, do tell me more! I want to learn my cute girlfriends past now, I said, interested. G-Girlfriend? I guess weve already started, huh? she muttered. Ah, s-so when am I recognized as a wife then? Like the others? Whenever you want, I winked at her. Or you prefer a ring and a ceremony? I suppose we can do that too! But then the rest might also want that. Ahah, dont worry, I wont ask for that Okay, lets take it easy, one step at a time, alright? She said nervously. Its fine; youre the one thats talking so much about this, dear, I said. Stay calm; everything is alright. I patted her head, releasing waves of light that calmed her nerves. She was a bit nervous sometimesI wouldnt say neurotic, but a bit close to that. Perhaps all Rabbit-kin have this trait? I wonder Nonetheless, thats all it took for her to relax. Hahh Can you give me some shoulder massages? Of course. I gave her a brief massage on her shoulders as we made our way out of the forest; she was quite tense, but after a little of that, she felt much better. Hahh Oh my gosh, youre amazing Ah, I love that she moaned, feeling rejuvenated. I guess sitting down for a whole night is not the best for my body; it has grown a bit exhausted or strained Nothing that some bath in a hot spring cant heal later! I winked at her. For now Lets go check how everyone else is doing, alright? Sure! she smiled. She was too cute; I ended caressing her rabbit ears, but she got embarrassed and moved my hands away. I guess their ears are quite delicate areas... RUMBLE! The volcano rumbled as we made our way through a long road around the Heaven Peak Mountains, the highest mountains of my Inner Realm that pierced the sky. When we got all the way up, we could even see the other side of the continent where we were. Yes, my Inner Realm is large enough to have its own sea, and it has three continents. I cant believe how incredibly expansive this entire world is And youre saying its inside your soul, Bing Xue? Every time I look at the horizon, Im left speechless Peperina said. Woaah! And the sea in the distance! It looks kind of nice! Cant we go there one day? Sure! I nodded. Anytime. Nice! Oh, look! She pointed into the distance. As we reached the peak of one of such mountains, Peperina pointed into the distance, the interior of a boiling volcano rumbling; inside, there was melting lava and a man floating within it. Giant splashes of lava constantly attempted to hit him, but he used his hands to blast them away. Somehow, he was still wearing his sunglasses too. His body had grown big and muscular, covered by a metallic sheen, and his focus had grown to its maximum level, fully focusing on his task. It was Nicholas. That must be Nicholas, right? Peperina wondered. What is he doing anyway? Hes training his body, I explained. This will help him become more resistant to different temperatures. While also being able to control his own metallic body. Ideally, what we wanted to do with him was that he needs to learn when to either become very tough or release his metal, letting it melt and ignite to give him a boost of power and speed. But he wanted to go even further and create a balanced mode between the two, sharing both high defenses, speed, and attack power. Interesting, nodded Peperina. Wait, doesnt he have daughters? I wonder if he invited them here?Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. His girls? I asked. "Oh, not for now; he said he wanted to concentrate on growing stronger so he can protect those girls better in the future. His eyes opened as he unleashed his powers in full; suddenly, a large quantity of metal, layers after layers, began to rapidly cover his entire body. Oh? This is new. We saw him suddenly becoming a titan made of steel and then suddenly jumping into the volcanos depths, his body rapidly melting. Nnngghh! We heard him screaming as he kept using his Ki and Mana to keep his metallic body from completely melting. He was constantly building resistance to heat, I see However, after a couple of minutes, he emerged from the lava, barely alive, his metallic body having already melted and dissipated. Hahh Hahh I think thats Another minute added. Nice, Im getting the gist of this, he smiled, looking at his huge hands and closing and opening them. Phew I thought I was going to die there- Oh? Master Bing Xue! Hello Nicholas! I said. I see that youve improved since your last time? Did you say a whole minute? Yes, Ive been improving, he nodded. While being down there, I think I was hallucinating; I had strange visions where it was like I had become an ore, or perhaps boiling lava from the depths of the earth. It was strange; maybe I need to rest. Already? I wondered. No, that was no hallucination; I believe youve gained Enlightenment in the Dao of Metals. It encompasses the Feng Shui Element of Metal, and it means youve become stronger regarding this element. Its something that doesnt manifest through stats or skills; its a feeling youll have within you. R-Really? he muttered. I see That was interesting. I wonder if Ill go through the same? Maybe, I nodded. But this training sure is harsh on you; perhaps we could change it? I was thinking of perhaps doing some ore mining now. O-Ore mining? he asked. Yes, you could go to the depths of the Abyssal Mines, mine ores, and then you assimilate them, I explained. Thatll make you tougher! Such a thing is possible?! I had no idea I could just assimilate ores, he said. Well, not all of them. The Abyssal Mines are special; Dao Marks materialize and harden into ores, mostly either metals or crystals, I explained. So you can absorb them if you cultivate the Path of Metals and Ores. Otherwise, you might die of intoxication, though. I-I see, its ideal then; I want to become even tougher after all. Nicholas nodded. To protect the city, and my kids, and everyone else... with the new threats being literal super villains, things are only becoming crazier. I simply have to embrace insanity myself. And force myself to break any limiter within my body. Well said, I nodded. Looks like we are on the same page, Nicholas. Youll be a proper and good guardian of humanity; I am sure that in the future, I can leave Earth to you. Ahahah, you honor me, Bing Xue, he laughed, feeling embarrassed. What I liked about Nicholas was that he was very unlike any other man in Murim Ive met, and perhaps someone quite rare on Earth as well. Despite being so strong, so successful, and perhaps even rich, he was a man of integrity and family, and that also remained humble, never letting his power or authority get into his head. Hes someone dedicated to putting his life in danger to save other people too, as he had shown me many times, even to sacrifice himself. Those are wonderful, rare traits in a person in general. Therefore, hes without a doubt a disciple I am proud of having. Youre too humble sometimes, Nicholas; be proud of yourself and what youve achieved, I smiled. Shall we go have a meal now? You havent eaten in days. A-Ah, have I?! It seems Ive been too focused on cultivating he wondered. Absorbing Ki from the ambient does satiate hunger to an extent. But you still require the nutrients and calories of food, or youll begin to starve and grow weak, I said. Lets get going. Alright, thank you, he nodded. Ah, Peperina, good morning. Good morning, Nicholas! You look strong! I wonder if we can have a sparring match later? Peperina asked. Youre like a perfect rival for my powers. Oh? Of course, it would be an honor, he nodded. I nodded, feeling happy my disciples were having a friendly rivalry. Good, good, having a rivalry like this will also help you grow stronger, I nodded. Fighting with someone that can counter your abilities will also give you insight about how to properly develop them and then improve them, did you know? So you can continuously adapt as you fight, preparing your body and mind to even fight against those stronger than you. The two nodded, feeling rather enlightened by my simple words. Eventually, we reached another place, a jungle infested with ferocious martial beasts of all kinds, lions, wolves, bears, giant insects, and more. There was someone in the middle of all, battling them all while roaring ferociously like a beast herself. Her brown-red skinned body overflowing with a golden aura, shaping into many ancient, spiritual creatures of her tribe. Powers she had inherited from her family, which the System recognized as Skills, which weve further improved and allowed her to assimilate. Beast Totem Spirits. Aiyana shook her long hair as she roared, Beast Totems resembling ferocious Mountain Lions emerged, like pillars of wood around her. She jumped into battle, her body growing golden fur, sharp claws, and big paws, with a long tail. The powerful Immortal Martial Beasts of this Jungle, called the Endless Battle Jungle, where Martial Beasts come to fight to the death by the jungles strange effects, jumped at her at once. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! With her massive paws and claws, she tore through them one by one. The mantis-like beasts had their armor broken and shattered, the multiheaded wolves had their heads tore apart, dinosaur-like beasts were asphyxiated by her strong arms wrapped around their necks, and the birds were kicked down and had their bones fractured by the fall. It was complete chaos, but within this chaotic battle, I saw an intrinsic beauty and the Dao that shone the brightest within this wild fighter. Aiyana wasnt even fighting with her axe anymore, having left it behind to simply specialize on strengthening her physical body and combine her magic with martial arts. And she had reached an incredible level by doing so! Hahh Hahh She gasped for air, standing over a pile of Martial Beasts and beginning to eat them while they were still warm, drinking their blood and eating their raw meat. Just as I had instructed her, she was becoming progressively and massively more powerful, amazing. I-Is that Aiyana?! asked Nicholas. She fought Immortal Martial Beasts so easily Woow! She has grown so strong! said Peperina. And it has only been a week?! Yeah, I smiled. Lets go meet her. We moved behind her, and as she suddenly became alert, making the sound of a groaning tiger as we approached her, her eyes had become wild and feral. Aiyana! How has it been? It has only been a week, but I see youve attained enlightenment With the Dao of Beasts, perhaps? ROOAAR! She roared at me, however, jumping towards me and opening her jaws like a wild beast. Aiyana, stop! Wait a second! Nicholas and Peperina tried to stop her, but when she reached me, she didnt attack me or something; she just hugged me. Bing Xue! Youre finally here! Aiyana, who had also grown huge, now taller than me, was happy to see me, despite having looked like a ferocious beast before. I see you recognized me I knew eating Martial Beasts of the Immortal Grade would be tough, but Im glad youve maintained your sanity, Aiyana. Of course! Haha, I felt scared at first, but Ive grown to like this wild life a bit Hahh! Wait, Im all covered in blood and gutsI''m so sorry! She jumped away from me, trying to clean the blood off my clothes. Dont worry about it, I patted her head. I see youve been the whole week here though Lets take a break, shall we? Did you have a strange dream? I had one where I was like ten different types of animals! she said. Was that it? Yes, I said. That was most likely your Enlightenment in the Dao of Beasts. It seems you were indeed the most compatible with that one. Niceeee! She said, wagging her big tail. Did you guys get smaller? Bing Xue too? No, I think you might have gotten larger Nicholas muttered. D-Damn You sure took a growth spurt, Aiyana said Peperina. Were you really just battling and eating the monsters in this jungle for a whole week straight? Yes! she nodded. I was decided that I wanted to get strong, strong enough that not even Gods could trample over me I didnt get the opportunity to get some spirit beast god inside of me like you girls So I had to be more extreme with my training. A-Ah, I see muttered Peperina. Its just incredible! Youre very talented So only a week has been! It really felt like a month to me, sighed Aiyana. Bing Xue, you said I can take a break now? Yes, as much as you want to rest, I nodded. I think we might move to another training regime soon. As long as I detect that hunting and eating in here wont make you any stronger. Ohh! Alright! she nodded. So where are we going?! Where to?! She had become every energetic, if not almost completely beastly. But well, wasnt she quite similar before anyway? Im just glad the training worked! Now, lets go to the skies, I said. John should be there Then whats left are Yanisse, Francisco, and Jackes. I want to check on all three of them. Making special, unique training regimes and cultivation techniques for my disciples and then seeing them improve was always a joy for me to see. ----- Chapter 179: The White And Black Heaven ----- After checking on Nicholas and picking up Aiyana who had been a week inside a jungle, we moved towards our next destination, the skies. The Heavens above my Inner Realm were another whole world to explore, one as big as the Inner Realm, and divided into Nine Layers as the Nine Heavens they are. Each color represents an element as well, and each Heaven has its own unique biomes, floating islands, or even a solid cloud to stand over. Alongside unique, Martial Beasts of even greater power than down here. John should have gone to the White Heaven, so its around there, I said. Can you fly? Im sure all of you can by now come with me. I jumped into the skies and flew higher and higher, propelling myself using my sheer Immortal Aura as the only form of flight, easy enough. Meanwhile, I observed that each person had their own unique method of flight. Aiyana summoned the Totem of a Hawk, gaining its enormous wings and growing over her shoulders to fly higher and higher. Nicholas covered his body with a layer of metal, using his Magnetism to lift himself up through it. And Peperina flew using her flames, propelling her as she released them through her foot with each step upwards. Eventually, we passed through a sea of white clouds. The air in here was thick and cold; it was quite refreshing from the heat down below. We stepped into the fluffy white clouds and started moving quickly across the cloudy plains. Over there, I said. I noticed a tall, blonde young man above the skies, floating above the clouds, while rays of light bathed his body. He was constantly constructing formations made of light around him. His white skin had become rather tanned after having been bathing in the strong sunlight all this time, but he looked fine. Hahh He sighed in frustration as he felt the light encompassing him; he had almost formed a perfect pagoda-shaped construction, but it ended shattering apart. Not yet I had given him special training; by letting him absorb the purest form of light within my Inner Realm and then wielding it, he had been trying to make shapes with light. This was the first step towards learning Photon Essence Arts, although I doubt hell be able to use the exact form I have, he seems to have some talent. His control was already surprising after just a week, honestly. Well done, John, I said. It seems youve been able to create multiple shapes now, all at the same time too. B-Bing Xue?! He gasped, surprised. I swear I didnt sense your presence here Oh, youre with everyone else? Yeah, youve been here for almost a week; dont you feel tired? Lets go down to take a rest, I explained. Youve advanced by leaps and bounds, so it might be about time I give you a new training regime and guide you better. O-Oh, but I well, you saw that, right? I was unable to create a solid, big construction yet, he sighed. I have yet to even prove Ive progressed enough. Youve already done so in my opinion, I said. Shaping light is no easy feat either, and youve learned to do this in a week; its surprising. You also seem stronger; your body harbors a large quantity of the Essence of Light; you have officially begun your journey through this Path. I-Is that so he wondered, feeling like nothing much had changed with him whatsoever. It really doesnt feel like that to me Huh. Well, did you have a dream? I asked him. No he said. I mean, what dream? One where you became light maybe? I asked. Or something similar. I havent, not that I remember he said. I suppose you have yet to attain enlightenment I said. But your body already feels radiant, as if youve already done so; how interesting. It seemed he was a sleeping talent all along; I should have noticed this earlier. Could it be that he had already gained enlightenment in the past before, without even realizing it? Perhaps Dont tell me this whole time youve been just floating in the air! said Aiyana. Wow, talk about being a lazy ass. L-Lazy ass?! asked John. Ive been working really hard, Aiyana! A-And why are you covered in so much blood? Whats gotten into you? And youre huge! Heheheh! I got stronger, Aiyana laughed. But youre still just the same; youre so lame, John. Get real for once. Ive been training diligently this entire time; Ill show you the fruit of my labor eventually, John sighed. I honestly dont get the time to be discussing or making a fuss with you, Aiyana. Heh, always talking like youre above others. This is why I dont like this guy, said Aiyana angrily. "Well, you kind of started it, said Peperina. Lets just get along I agree, no need to be fighting like this, nodded Nicholas. We are all allies here. John and Aiyana, youre part of the guild masters of New York; youre my closest allies and friends as well. So I wouldnt want to see you fighting like this. Yeah, thats right, I nodded. Come on, were not done here yet. Lets move to the Black Heaven now. While the White Heaven was a near-endless land made of white clouds, the Black Heaven was made of black clouds. There was barely any light there, and the element of Darkness thrived the most within these divine skies. We saw storms of purple and black lighting, tornadoes of abyssal flames, and countless monstrous creatures that lived in here. Each one more scary-looking and grotesque than the previous one. Is this where Jackes went to? wondered John. I thought his punishment had ended already, but did he get reprimanded again?The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. No, this is not his punishment; its the optimal way for him to grow stronger and develop his element, I explained. Jackes element of darkness and shadows can only expand and grow within this environment and- RUMBLE! Interrupting my words, a loud tremor reverberated across the nearby clouds as we looked down, noticing a gigantic mass of darkness and shadows, taking the form of some humanoid being, fighting against the creatures that lived in here. Its gigantic shadow claws tore through the tentacled abominations that lived here; each time they were killed, particles of darkness would come from their bodies and be absorbed by the titan of shadows. W-What is that thing?! John gasped, covering his mouth in disbelief. I-Is it some monster?! No, thats Jackes, I smiled. Looks like hes doing well. I descended to greet him the moment his giant red eyes glared at me; however, he swung his claws against me, trying to attack me. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Explosions of black thunder erupted as these gigantic claws made of black clouds attempted to tear me to shreds, but to no avail; it dealt no damage against me. But yes, I had to recognize they were quite strong. Thats enough, Jackes, I said. Dont let your power control you. I waved my hand, touching the giant shadow claws and injecting Photon Essence inside. Until the entire being erupted, with beams of light coming from holes through its body. BOOOM! As the darkness was defeated and disappeared, the body of Jackes appeared, falling from the skies. I rushed down, grabbing him before he was to fall from the skies. His short black hair had grown a bit longer, and his slender body was as light-weighed as I remember him being. Ugh! he groaned, slowly opening his eyes. W-Wha? Bing Xue?! He gasped in disbelief as he found me carrying him around like a kitten. Hello Jackes, I can see your cultivation went decently well, though youve lost yourself in the power of darkness, I said. It is a scary thing, isnt it? I-I lost myself? he gasped. I-I Im sorry I couldnt fight back It was so powerful and all-encompassing. I dont know how long it has been, perhaps a couple of days. I see, did you achieve enlightenment in the Dao of Darkness then? I wondered. I-I saw a dream where I became a monster born from shadows, and this dream continued until now, he sighed. Interesting how that went, so you dreamed about being a monster of shadows, and there you were, being one! Haha, alright, well work on helping you out control that monster inside of you, I giggled. Youve got great potential, nevertheless. I-I apologize He felt rather humiliated. To think I would dare attack you Its fine, I shrugged. Im so strong that it doesnt really matter that much. But dont do that again, alright? Well work on that. Y-Yes, thank you, he nodded. After that, we regrouped back, and the rest of the disciples started to bark at him. Hey Jackes, what the hell is wrong with you?! Aiyana cried. This was seriously dangerous; what was happening inside of your head? John asked. Hm, well, Bing Xue is very strong, so I doubt she went through serious harm or a threat, said Nicholas. But yes, I agree; you need to work on your control. I will, nodded Jackes, feeling slightly annoyed. I must. I smiled, nodding. Lets go; almost the last stop now. We move to the Blue Heavens, where ice and water are concentrated. But that wasnt because the disciple there desired such elements. No, it was because in the Blue Heavens, there was a huge Heavenly Storm going on, a phenomenon when every Heavenly Layer gathers too much energy and it explodes. This explosion generates a storm that unleashes a huge tornado between all nine layers, concentrating into a beautiful yet lethal rainbow-colored tornado. This tornado, containing all nine elemental heavens clouds within them, was the ideal place for someone to cultivate and absorb its chaotic, elemental energies. And it was a young man, Francisco, the strongest magician of New York and amongst the strongest of North America so far. He was only a boy in his late teens, with red brown hair and sharp emerald eyes; he had a childish personality and was obsessed with magic itself. Cultivation had also become one of his new hobbies, and after learning that through it, he could actually make his delicate body stronger, making it possible for him to not get too exhausted from using his extensive quantities of Mana, he had grown obsessed with it. To combine Ki with his boundless Mana together into something stronger, and he had been growing by leaps and bounds. I might sound a bit biased here, but amongst my disciples, hes the most promising of the bunch due to his incredible potential. A master of magic capable of mastering any element; for example, he is able to create magic circles out of thin air through his Skills, modify them, transform them, and combine them. This, fused with Cultivation, Dao Marks, and the power of Martial Arts, Spiritual Arts, and Ki, has been rapidly growing him into something not even I can predict he could become. Hes my biggest wild card, the one with a future that might be the brightest amongst my disciples. And right now, in front of everyone, he was proving why he was so unique and talented. FLUOSH! In the middle of this elemental tornado of destruction, which could easily crush everyone here within a matter of minutes. He was there, floating in midair. He was sitting cross-legged, floating amidst the skies. The elements, instead of harming him, bended to his Arcane Arts, warping around his body. Slowly, his Aura of Mana and Ki grew bigger, exuding the brilliance of the nine heavens as he absorbed their elements directly. Around his body, there were dozens of enormous Magic Circles with rainbow colors and thousands of tiny runes inscribed in them. His eyes were glowing; we couldnt even see their pupils anymore. There, this, and that too Ah! I think I made a breakthrough again! He smiled childishly, giggling as he waved his fingers, modifying the magic circles and making them even more efficient at warping elemental energies and assimilating them. I noticed that he was now using Spiritual Arts, specifically Feng Shui, into his Magic Circles, adding its unique marks and runes into them. Technically, despite looking so small, each magic circle was actually a formation of its own with several layers stacked together through runes. Their power amplified his growth, development, and thought process; he was constantly breaking through many walls at the same time as he learned more about the elements, his powers, magic, and cultivation. Even his Martial Core was different from the resta powerful crystallization of Mana, he created a unique method of Mana Cultivation, a Mana Core. He didnt have just one though; he had already figured out how to add more, so his body currently had three of them. The first one was in his chest, the second inside his head, and the third was in his stomach; each one enhanced his bodys growth and powers. I have given him guidance and training regimes, but all of this? He figured it out on his own. He had been mostly overlooked by everyone else, so I can tell they were very surprised. I-Is that Francisco?! Nicholas gasped. W-What in the world is going on John muttered. Hahaha! That kids pretty strong, isnt he?! I think weve been sleeping on him! Aiyana laughed. S-So many Elemental Apertures, said Peperina. Hes absorbing all of that?! How is he not dying? Hes an Arcane Cultivator, I explained. Perhaps the first of his kind, he has discovered a new Path, the Path of the Arcanist, and even a new Dao, the Arcane Dao. Hmm Oh? Ah! Master! With a cute giggle, Francisco greeted me. He waved his hands as his magic circles exploded into pieces, and the entire tornado suddenly dissipated. Oh, so he was keeping the tornado in place? Interesting! Francisco! It seems youve grown a lot in just a week! I said. I am quite proud of you. You praise me too much; I am barely scratching the surface so far! he descended, greeting everyone. Oh wow! Everyone looks so strong now, I cant compare, haha! As he acted humbly, everyone else glared at him with faces full of disbelief. This guy John muttered. That humility only hurts me more Jackes sighed. A-Ahaha, nice to meet you again, Francisco muttered Nicholas. W-Well done! Now lets get going, I said. We have to quickly. Oh right, Yanisse! She must be even higher than this. Lets go! I flew into the skies as everyone followed. Although they rapidly started to get nervous the more cloud layers we pierced. Yes, Yanisse was all the way up in the stars. Um, wheres Yanisse at? asked Peperina. This is already Were going to outer space! I didnt know your Inner Realm had such a thing! Shes in the Starry Sky, I explained. Its not completely an Outer Space like everyone knows it, but it''s an incredibly expansive, empty space of pure darkness, where stars of all colors, meteors, and asteroids exist. Of course, theres also lots of Spatial and Void Singularities! This is an imitation of the Starry Ocean that Murim had! WHAT?! My entire group of disciples was shocked for some reason! Well, they get shocked all the time anyways, so I moved on. Hmm She shouldve been around there, oh! I looked into the very far distance. A beautiful blonde Russian girl was floating in front of a spiraling Void Singularity, absorbing its all-destructive essence. ----- Chapter 180: The Vessel Of The Void & The Babies Are Here ----- The Vessel of the Void, a unique existence within the Tower that many Gods desired for themselves. Yanisses existence could be said to be a miracle amongst miracles, a person capable of not only harnessing but also assimilating and manipulating the Void since her Awakening. She was humanitys strongest before I arrived, and shes still the second strongest right after me amongst all of humans. I mean, well, if my son could be considered a human too, he could be the second, but hes also half beast-kin and theyre from Elios. Although I am rapidly learning and assimilating Void Essence to improve my mastery over it, I still cannot compare to her. Yanisse was simply born with this power, I suppose or, well, Awakened with it. But it feels like It is as if she was truly a Vessel to the Dao of the Void, something that in Murim did exist for many other elements. Incredibly talented cultivators born with an immense talent over 1 element, one unique Path. They were called the Dao Children, and they were all born as the vessels of a Dao. From what I can recall and from those Ive battled, there were eleven of them, each one representing one powerful, elemental Dao. Such as Fire, Water, Wind, Ice, Stone, Metal, Wood, and so on. But there was never one of Void before, and I believe Yanisse might be one of such cases; shes a Dao Child, born to be a perfect vessel for an elemental void to exist! However, there was a great disadvantage they had: they were very strong and could develop incredibly strong physiques and martial souls. But they were also granted short lifespans. They would never live past twenty-five years old, unless they had ascended and become immortals. When they ascended into immortals, their Daos, which were killing them, would rapidly adapt, and they would be able to live for much longer. However, they always had shorter lifespans than the rest, so they had to desperately continue cultivating and ascending to gain more lifespan until settling down as they became stronger Cultivators or Immortals. But the majority of these Dao Children suffered a fate worse than dying out of having their lifespan reach their limit; most of the time, if they didnt have a strong backing, a demonic cultivator would find them and use them to create a pill or sometimes steal their powers to forge powerful physiques or martial souls. If anything, they were seen and used as ingredients or materials. Only a few sects ever raised them and helped them to get to the immoral realm, and it was usually because they were the children of the sect master or related to them. Of course, there were also those that were helped. One of my disciples was like thissomeone born with the Eternal Star Physique, harboring within her the Dao of Stars. My adorable little Fen Chun, an orphan whom I picked up and helped ascend to save her life. She became my strongest disciple in Murim, and she inherited almost all my teachings and techniques. She created her own Photon Essence Arts, transforming them and adapting them to her Dao of Stars, and becoming amazingly strong. She was the second strongest cultivator after me once I had become unparalleled, and I left her the entire world of Murim for her to take care of. Unlike me, she was only a hundred or so years old, so she wasnt as wise and experienced as I was. Some criticized this decision, but I never changed my mind. I know she could do it; she had a strong, compassionate heart and a mind full of fresh, revolutionary new ideas. She was the only one that could lead Murim towards a better future. And I know that my dear Yun Cheng would be there for her, taking care that she wouldnt commit mistakes, always protecting her. It makes me sad when I remember them, because I was always cold towards them. I could never show emotions, and I could never tell them that I loved them. If I ever showed such things, if I ever demonstrated a single shred of care for them, the Heavenly Will would have destroyed them just to make me suffer or torture me, or even use them to blackmail me. I couldnt create bonds, and I couldnt show them my love But I still slightly regret that; they were always lonely children; I was the only one there for them. Based on what my son said, if the Heavenly Will is truly coming for me, even across dimensions and worlds, then I might also end up meeting them again. Well, thats still for another day. Yanisse. I called for her, and as she was concentrating, floating in the void and letting it embrace her, she was within a cocoon of pure black and purple void, constantly swirling around her. Slowly, the cocoon gained cracks and eventually broke open, revealing her once more, with beautiful, long, butterfly-like wings made of Void Essence. Wrapped around her body, there was also a dress made of this essence, and a crown floated above her head, resembling a black hole. Her eyes glowed with purple and black light, and her blonde hair had become black. She had changed Are you still there, Yanisse? She had gone through a complete evolution; she most likely awakened her Physique as I had helped her do, and because she had also ascended into an Immortal, she probably obtained an incredible new power that might have changed her appearance to better fit the Dao of the Void within her. Still not saying anything, huh? She was only staring at me with a blank stare, her void warping space and time around her. I approached her. Yanisse? It has been a week; it seems your Immortal Ascension was a success, I said. Are you still there? Alright then, Ill have to be a bit rough then.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. I moved towards her. Reactively, she swung her hands. TRUUUM! An invisible wave of void hit me with immense force; a normal person would have been cleaved in half. But I resisted it. I had even resisted being deleted alongside space and even entering and leaving a black hole. Her Void powers were stronger than mine, but my body was simply tougher. She waved her other hand as another shockwave of void hit me. BOOOM! That was stronger. Calm down; I know youre still there. Much like Jackes, she must have been possessed by the Void Dao Will. This is something Ive seen happening before in Murim as well. When a Cultivators mind is not strong enough, they can get possessed by the very will of their powers, a Dao. Once this happens, they become Dao Embodiments and wreak havoc, acting as their elements themselves. Eventually, if theyre taken down unconscious, theyll recover. But if that never happens, they might eventually degrade and transform into Elemental Spirits, becoming unable to go back. Well, theres simply no way Ill let that happen to her, though. As I finally reached her amidst a rain of explosive spheres of void, she tried to evade my hands, flying away using her wings. She could use them to pierce through space, flying across space and teleporting around as she pleased. Very amazing, indeed. FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! As she teleported, she unleashed Void Bolt at me, unleashing myriads of explosions of pure void thunder that pierced through space. I evaded most of them while also swinging my sword to destroy them as I intercepted a couple. Yanisse Youve better than this! I said. I know youre still there! Maybe because of her traumatic past, her mind had never been too well, and this ended up making her succumb to the Dao of Void. I manipulated space around me and quickly shifted it around in the very moment she teleported. FLASH! And then I replaced her space with the one in front of me, making her appear right in front and within my reach. I quickly touched her forehead before she could counterattack, and she instantly gasped. I infused memories into her mind while taking away the influence of the void clouding her mind. FLUOSH! Memories of us together, the little memories weve shared, the drinks weve had, the meals weve eaten, and the dates we have experienced. And I also saw the memories she hadthe dark memories clouding her minda past she had been unable to overcome. The destruction, the chaos, the desolate loneliness she felt. The death of her parents, the cold military tyrants trying to control her and order her to use her as their tool. Their hatred and envy towards her. Despite everything she did for them, despite all she sacrificed for them, they never thanked them at all. They never felt grateful, and they always expected her to do everything for them and nod. Yes, I see. There are terrible people in every world, isnt it? Earth has never been safe from them after all. Mom dad What should I do? She cried in her bed every night, feeling the pressure of those that ordered her, feeling the guilt of those that she couldnt save, and feeling lonely because everyone she loved was gone. Despite being such a strong girl, despite being the strongest human, she was also the most wounded of them all. Its okay. I hugged her, letting her head rest over my chest, as she started crying. You will never go through the same things ever again, I promise you. I caressed her hair gently as she continued crying. Slowly, her hair changed back to her blonde color. The dress made of void, the wings, and the crown disappeared as well. And she returned to normal. Do you promise? She cried, looking at me. Yes, of course, I nodded. Feeling better now? Hm Sorry, she sighed. I did something bad, I I ended up falling into a nightmare, and I couldnt wake up from it Im sorry Its okay, I hugged her, kissing her forehead. Its alright Everything is okay now, dont worry. Hahh Youre so motherly She rubbed her face on my chest. How do you manage to make me feel so warm and comforted? I cant believe it Heh, I dont know; it is just how I am, I giggled. Feeling better now? Hmm, maybe, she said. But I wouldnt mind staying like this for a couple of hours. Haha, then it seems youre alright. I quickly decided to let go of her; we cant hug forever after all. Ill help you take more control over these powers, but it seems your ascension was a success; youve become even stronger. A-Ah! Is that so? She wondered, blushing. Im glad But yeah, I need to train these abilities better now. At least I dont feel like dying from exhaustion after using some of it. And having to bring along like a thousand Mana Potions everywhere I go. Lets go now, I nodded. While holding her hand, as she still felt tired, we descended from the Starry Skies and reached the surface of my Inner Realm, and then my Palace. My wives were there, greeting me happily as we entered the palace again. Although we just had breakfast, they had become clingier the more their pregnancy advanced through the week. Now, their bellies were very big, and it was very noticeable. Ah, you brought everyone, huh! said Urbosa. Welcome back everyone! You guys look stronger than before Merkite said. And it has been just a single week so far?! Yeah, theyve grown quite strong, I nodded as I saw my disciples greeting them. Wheres Mursha and Fiery Hair? Preparing lunch, said Urbosa. They said they wanted to cook for us because we were already on our last days now I see, well, thats good, I nodded. Ill go help them then. O-Okay- Ugh As I was about to go check the kitchen with the twins, suddenly Urbosa groaned. Hm? I looked at her, as she seemed exhausted, gasping for air. Ah, I think the pup is coming Wait, already? Ah, right, we have to quickly get it out then! Is it?! Oh! A-Alright, and- Ouch, ouch I think something broke. Merkite was also having the same pain, feeling weaker. Ahh! Its happening! Okay then, guys, just stay here; Ill come back in a few hours! I quickly grabbed the two of them gently, with huge hands made from my Immortal Aura, and teleported away, reaching a large nursery I had prepared. I gently placed them both on a large bed, as both sisters held their hands tightly while beginning to give birth. Aahh! Ugh! Dammit, why does it hurt?! Urbosa was in pain, while Merkite was trying to tough it up. I couldnt just let them do it on their own, though. Using my techniques and abilities, I calmed their pain down by injecting medicine into their nervous systems using a thin needle made of light. After that, I quickly moved to help them remove their clothes so they could be more comfortable. While doing so, I constantly washed them down there with warm water. Meanwhile, their grandmother, Ash, arrived, alongside my mother too. We heard the news; let us handle it! said Ash. Shouldnt we go to a hospital though? My mother asked. No! Theyre strong enough, so theyre going to give birth here; we cant move them, said Ash. Alright, Bing Xue, do what I say. O-Okay! I nodded. I had zero experience with this, so I simply went along with the grandmas instructions. My mom wanted to bring them to the hospital, and I wouldnt blame her, but with my abilities, mostly everything the hospital provides can be provided here. Eventually, the birthing process continued for roughly two hours, where they kept pushing harder and harder until the little heads of the pups emerged. And then, after some more force, the rest of their bodies. Urbosa gave birth first; her body had already adapted after she had Hekita. Meanwhile, Merkite took a while she had, but... she also did it without issues. Uwaah So cute I couldnt believe my eyes when I saw my little kids, my little babies, and my flesh and blood right in front of me. They were as cute as I imagined! So chubby, with cute, rainbow eyes. They also had silvery-white hair like me and looked mostly humanoid. But aside from that, they also had big, fluffy wolf ears and a tail. They also had sharp canines and canine-looking eyes. Their little nails already came long and sharp, and they had patches of fur covering parts of their legs, arms, and around their necks. Buaaahhh! Buaaahhh! Uwweeehh! Uweeehhh! It was a boy from Urbosa and a girl from Merkite. They cried so loudly too! The entire palace was shaking! I-I think theyre very strong! There, there, baby smiled Urbosa. Calm down, my boy my beautiful boy calm down. There, there Drink mamas milk. Urbosa was amazing at calming our son down; she caressed him and sang for him, and he eventually calmed down and started drinking milk while looking half asleep. S-Shes so energetic, ouch! Ouch my hair! Dear, please be nicer Meanwhile, Merkite was having a few more difficulties; our little girl was very feisty and ended grabbing her hair and pulling it Eventually, she calmed down too and drank her milk. Just with this alone, I can already tell how their personalities are going to be Hekita ended up entering the room after a while, rushing to see the babies. Ooh! My siblings! she screamed. Theyre white like you, mama! she told me. Shh, dont make loud noises, Urbosa said. Your siblings are sleeping, alright? O-Okay, she nodded, glancing at them from afar. Ooh Theyre so cute Heheh ----- Chapter 181: The Two Children Blessed By Heaven ---- My mother, my sister, and then the rest of my disciples were allowed to see my babies one after another through the day. I stayed by the side of Urbosa and Merkite through it all. In fact, I was completely glued here, and I really didnt want to move anywhere else. Why? Well, they were simply too precious! They were the most beautiful, pristine, radiant, wonderful, valuable, heavenly, primordial, immemorial treasures of the entire universe, cosmos, and reality! Just giving them a look made my heart stop! It literally stops the moment I look at them! Theyre so strong, my love for them is like a lethal poison that might eventually kill me! Because because I just cant imagine a world, a life, a future, without these babies now! It is as if Ive gone through an incredible awakening, a feeling of enlightenment that changed my entire psyche. Everything I am now in the past became a me before my children were born, and now Ive been completely reborn; I live for them, and I must make a better world for these precious treasures to live happily forever. I didnt even give birth to them, and I feel this way! My mother was right when she told me that someone changes the moment their children are born; it is as if a switch turns on, and everything you once were just becomes the past. The new me is someone that must procure their survival no matter what How ironic! I am so powerful, yet I simply cant resist the intrinsic instincts of my body and mind. And it makes me feel so complete now. Have I ever smiled so much before? So genuinely? Never I think I need to calm down a bit though; I am getting too agitated! Which is weird because I am who I ama Primordial Immemorial Venerable! My mind is always calm, and yet Im so agitated and excited, I cant stop thinking about them. And when I look at their cute faces sleeping, I just want to kiss their cute baby faces so much! Uwaah! By the Nine Heavens, someone help me. Theyre adorable, said Yanisse, glancing at the children in the room, staying in silence. Oh my gosh My heart cant take this anymore. Baby Adorable little treasures! Must protect babies, so tribe continues living! said Fiery Hair. Fiery Hair will have a baby too, soon! Big family soon! Big tribe! Prosperity. Ahh, theyre really adorable; I never imagined the fluffy cuteness of Urbosa and Merkite could merge so well with Bing Xues grace and charm, said Mursha. Their hair and eyes are the same color as her too! But they also have many of the traits from their wolf tribe family Uwaah Peperina muttered. I-Im afraid of even touching them They look so delicate and cute Look at their ears, though! Theyre so fluffy The two babies were still drinking milk while being in a state of sleepiness, with slight awareness of their surroundings. Merkite and Urbosa were thankfully very strong and had eaten a lot before giving birth, so they werent exhausted from having to produce so much milk. Nonetheless, I brought them dinner and also gave them special Energizing Potions and Pills, which gave them lots of calories and nutrients to keep them healthy, so they can also give our kids the best milk. Maybe that sounded weird; I just want them to not be tired. Theyre cute, arent they? And so very strong! Their Auras exude so much power, Im amazed. I nodded. I feel so sleepy though; I think Ill sleep, yawned Urbosa. Me too, agreed her sister. Oh! Alright then, everyone, lets go outside. Lets leave them in their room for now; we cant let the mothers be exhausted, alright? Ah, yeah, sure Yanisse nodded. Sleep well, girls. And like that, the seventh day inside of my Inner Realm passed. It felt as long as a whole month because of everything that happened. I finished the day by having some tea with my family, and I invited Yanisse and Peperina, because they were pretty much my girlfriends right now after everything. I am really happy for everything, Katherine, and dont get me wrong, I will try my best to be a good grandmother, said my mom. But I have to ask you something: how are you planning for the kids to grow and develop? Are you going to let them go to kindergarten? And a school? Or youre planning to homeschool them? I was planning the latter; I mean, I would do it the same way Ive raised many children in Murim! A sect is both a family and also something similar to a dojo and an academy; the children are taught how to read, mathematics, language, alchemy, and so on as they grow up, I explained. So its technically not homeschooled if I own an actual school, right?Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Uh, I guess youre not wrong; maybe we could do that for their first years, nodded my mother. But once they grow up, Katherine, you need to take into consideration their social development. Growing up sheltered in this pagoda, where they have everything and never have conflicting opinions with other people, making friends and rivalries, is not good either I think you should definitely let them go to some school at least. I agree! You cant let the kids be homeschooled, sis; they gotta go to a good school; we can send them to one where only rich kids go, so theyre treated well and dont go through any bullying if youre worried about that, said Ruby with a smile. I had not considered that at all, I said. Honestly, I dont know what I would even do to anybody that were to make my children upset or even cry I would go on a murderous rampage, most likely. So by keeping them here, I would be sparing the unlucky fools that would dare do such a thing to begin with K-Katherine, you cant think like that though! said my mother. I know youre going to be an overprotective mother; I can tell! But your kids will still need to be socially capable. Isolation is not good when growing up. Why do you think you and your sister came out as such good girls? You were able to socialize in school and had childhoods interacting with people and had friends and everything, no? Eh, yeah, I guess? Ruby nodded. Hm, I mumbled. Fine, Ill think about it. But if it ever happens, it wont be in some backwater school, but the best available, not in the country but in the world. Ill also need to check on everything myself. Who manages the schools, their hygiene, what they offer for food, the students that assist, every single one of them, then also every single professor, and I continued addressing all the things I would check when the time came, making my mother grow more frustrated as she looked at me with disbelief. Come on now, isnt this too much already? she sighed. Okay, I get that youre worried and everything, but this is something your kids will have to confront one day. Look, I know therell be years until all of that happens, but I just wanted to tell you right now, so you have plenty of time to consider things and think through them. I know I nodded. Ill think things through and see what I can do. Ill also begin some investigations around the globe. Is there no academy or school for children with supernatural abilities yet? For awakened younguns? There are a few, said my sister. But the world well, it has gone through a lot of stuff; most of the societys energy has been spent rebuilding what was destroyed and trying to reinforce the defenses of the cities across the world. Hmm but yeah, there should be a few; I sometimes remember seeing ads about that. Okay, Ill investigate them one by one then, I nodded. And if I cant find a perfect school, then Ill make it, or make someone else make it; Ill find it, supervise it, and everything. Well, wouldnt it be easier to just purchase the best one I find and improve it until it becomes the perfect environment for my babies? Yes, thats a good idea! The kids may not stay as babies for too long; due to the factors of their own cultivation levels, their energies, and having their mothers bloodlines, theyll grow very quickly, I explained. "Honestly, if it were up to me, I would love to have them as babies for a thousand years, but it''s for the best of their own safety if they grow quickly as well. G-Grow quickly? How fast? My mother asked. Ill boost their growth and mental development in the incoming five months using my techniques, I said. Ive already discussed this with Urbosa and Merkite, and they agreed quite quickly, saying that if they could move on their own and also defend, it would be much better than having them as helpless babies. And well usually it takes humans six years to reach the stage theyll be once we come out of my Inner Realm, but for their tribe, its usually one and a half years, or two. E-Eh?! gasped my mother. Isnt that an incredibly fast growth? Yeah Ruby gasped. Woah, okay I mean, if the girls are fine with that, I cant say anything. "Honestly, even after that, theyll still be adorable, always, forever. Even when they grow up into adults or even when they become old, my babies will always be my babies, I nodded, smiling. Ah, but well, I doubt theyll ever become old. I mean, they were already born as Immortals! Or well, more like Well, as they grow up, theyll unseal all the power I sealed, so they should end at the beginning ranks of Primordials. W-Without training?! My sister asked. Wooow! My siblings are going to be super-duper strong! Cant wait! So exciting! Hekita, who had been eating her dinner with us, was only listening in silence but burst into joy after hearing that. Does that mean Ill get to play with them too, mama? Yes, of course! Though Ill have to give them a bit of training first, I said. As Ill have to teach them how to properly control their strength Seeing how theyve inherited my powers and cultivation and are most likely imprinted with my own cultivation techniques and martial arts into their physiques and souls, they will be lethally strong! A little mistake and they might end up destroying a whole city, hahaha! I took it very carefreely despite the dangers, because imagining those two cuties doing such a ridiculous thing was a bit funny in my head. However, my mother and my sister, and everyone else there except Hekita, didnt take it as a joke. Y-You have to train them well, okay?! My mom asked. Promise me! Thats scary af said Ruby. Sis, please dont let them do that! Theyre cute but contain so much power said Mursha. W-Wait, are our kids also going to be this strong? Hmm Fiery Hair is shocked Must raise kids well with Bing Bing Maybe more than one would be too much for Fiery Hair, unexperienced in these things even Fiery Hair was shocked. Well, seeing how your son from the future was stronger than you, according to what you said I can believe that, said Yanisse. Whats up with all of that future son thing though? Peperina wondered. Ah well, thats We are back! What did we miss? Suddenly, as I was about to explain more, Merneith appeared, walking inside the palace accompanied by Heba and Sara, two of the hunters from Egypt that I had recruited as disciples too. Heba was the Queen of the Dunes," and Sara was The Sacred Child." The first was a powerful Sand Magician, capable of controlling the dunes back home, while Sara is a strong Saint archetype, a powerful healer, guardian, and enhancer. They can also conjure holy elements and exterminate evil beings, like demons, ghosts, and other creatures Ive seen that Belze is not quite fond of Sara because of that too, haha. Well, a lot happened! I said. Well, come in and eat with us; I suppose a lot happened. At the end, I ended up going to sleep quite late as I talked a lot with all these wonderful people Ive made my family too. Sleeping in between Urbosa and Merkite and my two babies was heavenly though! ----- Illustration Time: Next Cover''s Character Designs: Can you guess who they are? Chapter 182: The Ambitious Brother ----- Near the Wildlands outside of New York, a huge golden and red-colored portal opened out of nowhere. This wasnt a Gate where monsters would randomly pour out, forcefully breaking the pillars of space. No, this was a special Portal created using Magic or an Item from the Tower itself. The Portal opened, widening for over a hundred meters and then stabilizing, remaining open for several minutes. Until someone started coming from the portal. A large, towering man wearing crimson and golden armor, with a helmet resembling the helmets of Roman warriors, holding on his hands a long golden spear and carrying a huge shield decorated with the head of a lion carved into the metal. He glanced around, as suddenly, dozens of men, then hundreds, then thousands, started marching out of the portal, all of them wearing similar armor to him, wielding mostly spears, and carrying huge shields. It seems to be clear! There does not seem to be any enemy awaiting us for ambush! The man roared. That man wasnt wrong; he seems to have truly betrayed your brother, my lord. He smiled as a huge carriage made of gold emerged from the portal, carried by massive horse-like monsters set ablaze, with golden horns above their heads and fiery blue eyes. They roared, making a loud noise as they stepped forward, making the ground tremble, carrying the carriage with ease. And in the carriage itself, a man, there was a man. Someone perhaps just as big as the general of this entire army, with huge muscular arms, a tall body, cascading blonde hair, and fiery red eyes. He wore lighter armor that only covered a few parts of his body, completely made of gold. He looked around his surroundings with pride and arrogance, inspecting the Wild and Uncharted Lands as if he were looking at something that could be taken, something that he could make part of his ever-growing territory. Hmm, this place seems... fine, I suppose, he nodded, crossing his arms. Hm, theres a lot of Mana Crystals that could be mined all around this place. Why is Caesar doing absolutely nothing about this? The rumors are true, it seems; my younger brother has lost all motivation. He seems stagnant, and he hasnt even bothered to conquer the rest of this pitiful planet. Our informants have said that he hasnt even expanded past this area of the continent since his visit eleven years ago, said the general. Lord Claudius, your majesty. Claudius glanced at his General, his golden locks waving by the wind; his fair face and majestic appearance, coupled with his tall and muscular body, seemed to be the embodiment of masculine beauty. General Germanicus, what is it? Claudius seemed too distracted by the uncharted wild lands, so he seemed slightly absent-minded. The one that gave us the coordinates, and also the one that told us much of the information weve learned and confirmed, should be getting here in a minute, the General said. Once he appears, I would prefer if his majesty remained behind the army to ensure his safety. Pah! Are you implying I am a weak little lamb that requires protection, my loyal general? laughed Claudius. Dont think so lowly of me, you. I-I wasnt implying that, your majesty the General muttered, feeling nervous his master was looking at him with a calm smile. It was in these moments that Claudius would release it. His Aura. RUMBLE! Everything suddenly turned gold, sparkling with small stars made of white light. The soldiers stepped back in awe as the Magical Aura of Prince Claudius was released. I think I can fend for myself; dont you think? Everyone felt a tremendous pressure, as if the skies themselves were coming down; some soldiers couldnt bear with it, falling to their knees; eventually, most did, prostrating before the golden-haired lord. Yes, of course your majesty, nodded Germanicus. Nonetheless, as your general, personal guard, and the man given the task of protecting you by his majesty the Emperor, I must still ask you to stand behind. Haaah What a pain, whatever then, shrugged Claudius, his huge carriage moving back while the soldiers finally were able to breathe once his Aura dissipated. Hm? Oh, so youre here already. Germanicus smiled, sensing a presence approaching him amidst the bushes nearby, as there were large forests within this area, expanding across the Wild Lands for hundreds of kilometers. A tall figure stepped in, a man with long black hair and a stoic face, his eyes glowing bright green. His presence was so strong that Germanicus recognized it instantly. So youve made it well here, good, nodded the man. Welcome to his majesty Caesars domain Or well, his majesty Claudius annexed territory, as it will be very soon. Hahah, Atticus, I am amazed youve betrayed his majesty, Lord Caesar, and you dare come here with such a straight face, saying such words, laughed Germanicus. Ive always despised unloyal dogs like you. And I find what youve done distasteful and devoid of any honor. Yet, it was still useful and needed. His majesty, Lord Claudius, accepts your conditions to accept you as one of his sub-generals within his personal army upon the successful conquest of this territory. Yes, Germanicus made such a tantrum, laughed Claudius. But I can recognize a valuable asset when I see it, Atticus. You will make for a fine addition to my army. Your strength, your virility, and your loyalty shall now belong to me, just as everything that my brother holds dear will be mine.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Atticus eyes widened as he saw the aura of grace, arrogance, pride, and beauty that Claudius exudedsomething completely different than his first lord, Caesar, who always seemed like such a gloomy man. Claudius exuded elegance and charm like nobody else, and his beauty and magic strength created a lethal combination, almost becoming something close to divine! Ah, it is just as I thought, Atticus smiled. Your majesty, Lord Claudius, I swear my allegiance to you. My life, my everything. Hm~ Claudius nodded, walking towards the man and showing him his pristine, white feet. Kiss them. This was a personal ritual he did; for those that wanted to serve him, they had to kiss his feet, like the good dogs they were. A-Ah Atticus felt both embarrassed and shocked; he hesitated, but ultimately lowered himself to such an extent. Fufu Claudius giggled mischievously, patting Atticus face and then kneeling before him, looking at him in the eyes. Such a good dog you are~ Serve me with your life, Atticus. Yes, your majesty. Atticus nodded with a stoic face, although red with embarrassment. Then FLUOSH! A golden aura surged from his body as he gasped in disbelief, his strength skyrocketing to even higher realms never seen before! T-This is?! Germanicus smiled, nodding. The blessing of his majesty, he said. Once youve sworn complete loyalty to him, he will give you his divine blessings. You thought that was humiliation? It was simply a way for him to give you more power. Now, youve finally broken through that wall, isnt it? The wall you have yet to even pass through after reaching your level cap. Youre welcome, Claudius smiled gently. Now tell me more about my big brother. What is he doing? And what made you change your mind? It was only a day ago. Atticus sighed. When he told me that I shouldnt pursue the criminals tormenting this kingdom. That I was overstepping my own boundaries, even though Ive been working for his wellbeing this entire time... But it started much earlier. When he was pathetically defeated by that woman and swore loyalty to her, becoming nothing but her dog. I couldnt accept it, my king! My prince! Kneeling, lowering his head to a woman?! I-I! I see, calm down, nodded Claudius. Weve heard a lot from this woman, yes. Bing Xue was her name? Or Katherine? She had two names, whatever. The important thing is that this woman is the true ruler of this planet, huh? Once my brother is defeated, I suppose Ill simply have to slay her later. H-Her powers are on another level; Ive heard that she had even slain many gods already, said Atticus. Your majesty, I am not doubting your strength, but Many gods, you say? laughed Claudius. Well, isnt that cute? Claudius walked back to his carriage, looking into the distance. Then shall we march? If we move quickly, we might get to the city where my brothers castle is, he said. Lets advance through the skies! His Golden Aura surged, connecting to the Golden Auras of everyone else as they suddenly grew golden wings and flew into the skies. Tens of thousands of soldiers, all of them above Level 6000, flew across the skies, commanded by someone already at max level. Claudius glanced into the horizon, laughing. Hahaha! What a beautiful world! It will be mine, mother! I will show it to you once were done! he kept laughing. Although his loyalty was almost cemented, Atticus couldnt help but feel an uneasy feeling, as if he couldnt completely believe what he was doing. Was this the right thing? he wondered. I why does my head feel strange? It was strange, as if something was missing from his own memories. Uh It must simply be my imagination; perhaps I am still euphoric from what Ive done, but this is for the best. I shall not serve a lord that has bent the knee to a woman. In the distance, mixed between the bushes and trees, there was someone watching, giggling. They wore colorful clothes, a pointy hat with bells, and a white mask. Half of the mask showed a laughing face, the other half, a crying face. Heheh... Hahahaha! I cant believe it worked?! Oh my! Hahahaha! HAHAHAHAHA! I cant wait to see what happens next! The laughter of the wicked reverberated as chaos spread further across the land. . . . (Bing Xues POV) Mamamama Babah? Mamama! Babauh Bauh! Mamumaaaah! Aaahh! Baaahh! Right now, I was experiencing at first glance what most experts would call baby talk, where two babies talk with one another, making cute noises. Of course, it cannot be understood at all, and I doubt they understand each other either; theyre just making noises. But at the same time, theyre trying to communicate, imitating how they see us talking and trying to do the same themselves! Its wonderful, isnt it? How babies learn these things on their own! So cute! But I dont understand what theyre even talking about, laughed Urbosa. Yeah I cant even get it, Hekita muttered. We were right now enjoying the beach of the Northern Region of the continent, where my palace was located. The sky was sunny and clear, with the calm beach waves slowly hitting the sand, and my family and disciples were enjoying the natural beauty of my inner realm. Meanwhile, with Urbosa, Merkite, and Hekita, we were enjoying the day with the babies. Orion! Orion! Look at me! Do you recognize Mama?" Urbosa asked. Abuuh Babah? We named the boy Orion, mostly Urbosas idea, as she wanted to give him the name of a god of my world, perhaps to honor this world''s human mythology. Nonetheless, I had told her I didnt really care about such things, but she put a lot of emphasis on that. Well, I was fine with that anyway. I had considered giving them a name like those from Murim, but I decided to free my children from the shackles of that world. Theyre free, and so I decided to call him Orion; although not a god, he was a strong hunter, which is all I want my kid to be. Knowing his future self doesnt mean hell become him either, so I began to think of both the Orion of the future and the present as different children. Hell probably develop much differently than his future counterpart. Mama! However, instead of Orion, who seemed a bit distracted by everything all the time, his sister ran towards Urbosa, calling her mama by accident. Hahah! Im not your mama, dear Im your auntie! Urbosa laughed. Hey, Athena! Why are you looking at my sister like your mama? Im your mama! Merkite cried, feeling a bit hurt. Heheheh! the baby girl laughed. She was smart; thats why we called her Athena; she likes playing pranks at this age, and shes often more focused and sharp-minded than her brother. I dont know why thats the case, perhaps because she inherited some of Merkites rashness, while Orion is calmer, like his mama. S-Shes playing pranks on us again! This girl Merkite sighed. Mama! Athena ran towards Merkite and hugged her. Wawah? Bauh! Hm? Oh, you want watermelon? Merkite wondered, noticing Athena pointing at the distance. I see, alright, alright Here. She gave her a big piece of juicy watermelon, which the baby girl started munching. Her teeth were already well developed, and so were those of my son, who was catching little crabs and eating them. Nam! Nam! Nam! He was definitely the wilder of the two as well; he liked running around on all fours, barking sometimes, and hunting little critters. It has been roughly two months since they were born in the Inner Realm, and they had grown and developed to the point of acting like children in their two to three years of age. They were still developing and growing, but their personalities seem already well defined, and they had also learned to walk just fine. Theyre rapidly learning new words every day as well! Theyre so smart! Orion! Athenaaaa! I caught a big one! As we played with the babies, Hekita came running from the beach with Anubis behind her, who was carrying a giant fish with his metallic jaws. Oooh! Fishu! said Orion. Fish! FIshu! Sister! said Athena. Sis shishter! Heheh! Youre learning so many words every day! Hekita giggled, greeting the two and kissing their foreheads. Lets eat the big fish we caught! Seeing Hekita finally having siblings and loving them so much filled my heart with so much happiness. Ah, this is the break I needed! Im so happy to be alive. ----- Chapter 183: Growing Children ----- Waaaoooh! Bwig bwug! Wait! Orion, dont wun! I saw my children running across the grasslands of the northwest, called the Great Verdant Plains. A large area that once belonged to the Great Plains Continent of Murim. ...Which I stole half of it, mostly because I had fought against their Sect Alliance, and after defeating their two Venerables, I simply took what I wanted. Now, it had become a beautiful place to have a picnic! My adorable, beautiful babies, Orion and Athena, ran across the grasslands, enjoying the wind and the beautiful view. Orion would constantly chase large bugs that would show up sometimes, eating them after catching them. They were Martial Bugs of various types, abundant in these areas. Theyre edible and were a big part of the diet of the Tribes of people that lived here in the past. I remember that they even had methods of cultivation that were about taming and cultivating their own Martial Bugs. It wasnt as widespread as in the rest of Murim because only in the Great Plains Continent were Martial Bugs so abundant and endlessly varied. It produced very powerful Cultivators, often called Gu Masters. I remember stealing their knowledge when I defeated many of their hostile factions and ended up refining hundreds of these bugs to become strong. However, it was rather disgusting when I realized I had to let them live inside my body Thankfully, I ended up mostly keeping them inside my Inner Realm anyway. Anyway, most of these things are in the past now. Martial Bugs are now just food for other Martial Beasts, although they were now Orions favorite snack. I cant say Im proud that my boy likes eating whatever he finds around But maybe its just part of the nature of his second bloodline. Orion reminds me of Hekita when she was younger; she used to do the exact same thing as him, hahaha! Urbosa giggled while walking by my side; she was wearing a long white dress decorated with trips of blue squares and red triangles, feeling rather carefree today as well. W-What? I dont remember chasing bugs and eating them! Hekita grew embarrassed. Oh? But you did all the time! I guess you forgot, little Hekita? giggled Merkite, teasing her a bit. She was also wearing a dress, although hers was green, decorated with trips of red triangles and yellow squares. I didnt forget, I-I never did that! Hekita felt embarrassed, running away chasing her little siblings instead. She was wearing more modern girl clothes, blue jean shorts, a white blouse, and a pink jacket. Isnt she cute? I giggled. Well, Im glad she got new siblings to enjoy! Maaaamaaa! Suddenly, I heard Orion screaming. I looked at him from afar, noticing he was suddenly grabbed by a giant dragonfly and dragged away! Orion?! Urbosa panicked, rushing towards him. I followed, but as we drew closer. Bwad bwug! In between tears, the boy hit the bug with his tiny hand, and a huge claw-shaped aura of Ki, Mana, Spirit Energy, and Divinity materialized, tearing the dragonfly into pieces! CRAAASH! Uwaaahhh! Orion fell from the skies, still unable to fly. Urbosa released a wave of winds, making him float in midair, and I caught him in my arms. He was a bit bigger now, but still so very baby. Orion! What were you doing now? I sighed. You shouldnt let a bug take you away! B-But it was bwig He said, looking like he was about to cry. I was scawed! Aw, dont be scared, Urbosa sighed, kissing his little forehead. Orion is a very strong boy! You shouldnt be scared of creatures like that. I dont? he wondered innocently. Nuh-huh, you could handle a million of those! I said. Miwion whats that? he wondered. Hahah, well teach you about numbers soon, I nodded. But you do know the basics, right? Like one, two, three Urbosa said. One, two, three, four, six, eight! Erm ten and twenty! Orion said, trying to remember well. Well, almost there! laughed Urbosa. Youll get there. Yeah, lets go down now, I said. Weve been training a bit lately, so you were able to defend yourself though. How did that feel?This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Hm I dont know, he said. Weird Sad? Thats the correct feeling, I nodded. That bug is now dead; you killed it. Eeeh! Dead Orion gasped. Life is very fragile, said Urbosa. Especially for us, or well, you and your mama. Why? Orion wondered. We reached the floor as I placed my boy over my shoulders, piggybacking him. Well, I took a lot of time to get as strong as I am, but you, you are different, I said. You and your sister, over here. Cute little Athena Youre two strong from the start! I patted my little girl, who just came running to us, worried about her brother. Orion bwe mowe caweful! sighed Athena. I was a bwit scawed too! Dummy! Uwah Sowy Orion apologized for worrying his cute sister. Athena forgives me? Okay, nodded Athena. Mama, what were you saying? She was the one that talked the most between the two and the one learning the best pronunciations too. Athena was a naturally very smart girl. But her brother was smart too; in other fields, he had a much easier time learning things regarding Auras, Ki, Mana, and Spirit Energy than Athena. It came more naturally from him. Both had their own talents and also their weaknesses; nobody was better than the other; they had their own little quirks, and we love them both equally. I was just saying that the two of you were born with incredible strength, and the world around you may seem very frail sometimes, I said. Although there will be eventually exceptions, you will need to learn how to control your explosive strength, or you may risk harming those you dont want to harm. O-Oh Athena nodded. Okay Um, am I that strong? "Yeah, you are, Athena, nodded Merkite, patting her head as Athenas big ears twitched cutely. Well have to work on that, dear. Oway, nodded Athena. And Orion too? I will too! he nodded. Um, but Im hungy Youre hungry after eating all those bugs? I laughed. Well! Looks like your aunties are preparing something yummy over there, so shall we go pay them a visit? Aunties! Aunties! Orion called them from afar, wagging his cute fluffy tail around. Haha, looks like you stopped crying now, Orion! said Hekita. Dont be a crybaby all the time; you were fine at the end, see? Yeah! Orion nodded. Im stwong! The stwongest! It has been roughly another month in here since the beach visit, so weve been three out of five months in here. The kids have grown quite considerably; they can now talk, have well-defined personalities, and are learning a lot. Theyre learning quickly, have learned the beginnings of math, are beginning to learn how to read, and more. They are developing ultra-fast, as expected! By the end of these five months, my babies should be ready to face the world. But there was a tiny little problem at hand right now. Hey, welcome back! Foods almost ready, said Mursha, greeting us back. She was wearing a comfortable dress made of leather with lots of fluffy fur to keep her warm, which was rare for her when she began wearing them due to how big her belly had become because of her pregnancy. Bing Bing! Cute babies! Welcome back! Fiery Hair left behind what she was making and ran to greet us; she was wearing the same clothes as always, often times refusing to wear anything else. I cant really force her anyway. She greeted my babies happily, letting Orion and Athena climb her big arms and her body. Auntieee! Aunt Fiery Hair! They loved their aunts, but Fiery Hair in particular because she was so playful sometimes and played anything they wanted with them, sometimes even pretending to be a big dinosaur that hunted them down, only to catch them and kiss their bellies while tickling them. Raarr! Im a bwig wofl! Nam, nam! Orion playfully bit Fiery Hair''s neck with his tiny teeth; she was also durable enough to not even feel his bites, even though they could probably be very hurtful to most people. Ow, ow! Little Orion! You got me! Hahah! I also bite! Nom! Athena also attacked! Ouch! Orion and Athena, very strong babies already! Will be able to hunt hundreds of prey! Fiery Hair had a surprising knack for babies and children; she got along with them so easily it was surprising! And well, like Mursha, her belly was huge. I think more babies are on the way, so I had thought about staying at least a bit more I think they should be born in maybe a month and some more. I had discussed this with Mursha and Fiery Hair, and after they saw how Orion and Athena developed quickly and nicely, they agreed quite quickly. Aah! Arent you two so cuteee! Yanisse was also there, fascinated by my babies. She had become an aunt that liked spoiling the kids and would bring them sweets and other gifts all the time. Auntie Yanisse! Do you have cwandy? Mama doesnt let us eat cwandy She says too much suwar makes us go cwazy! Orion and Athena quickly started asking for the good stuff, these little brats They act all cutesy, but theyre smart when it matters! Heheh! Of course! Here, there you go! I got some chocolate and candies here, Yanisse gave away from her huge stash of sweets. She had all of these stored inside her Inventory Space, which she could access as a Spatial and Void Magician. She had perhaps thousands of sweets and all kinds of sugary and salty snacks inside of this space where time was stopped, so things would remain untouched. Her reasoning behind this was that overusing Mana takes away her bodys calories and energies, and she needs to eat a lot of sugary snacks and so on to keep up. Though I think she just has a sweet tooth No sweets or snacks before lunch! "Yeah, Athena, dont. Urbosa and Merkite stepped in to stop them, stealing the sweets from the childrens hands. I was too weak against my babies to do it myself though, so Im glad they did it for me, phew. Nooo! Chowateeeee! Orion cried, making a little tantrum, making puppy eyes. Candyyyyy! Athena also cried like her brother. As much as she tried to act smarter than him, she was still a child like him at the end! Haha. No is no; well give them to you later, said Urbosa. Perhaps after lunch, for dessert or something, said Merkite. But mamaaaa! Mamaaaa, say something! Orion and Athena started grabbing my dress and asking me to say something. Im so sorry, but I cant really go against your mommies, I sighed. Theyre not wrong! If you eat sweets and snacks now, youll feel full and might not have appetite! And look, your aunties prepared such a huge feast! With all your favorite meals, so lets eat! The children quickly ended accepting their fate, as they enjoyed the delicious meals that they prepared for us. It was a wonderful combination of Orcish cuisine, some Russian recipes, and also the amazing roasted meat that Fiery Hair prepared. Peperina wasnt here though, as she was still cultivating. They were quite fond of meat the moment we fed them some of it, and now they love eating red meat, in particular the meat of huge cow-like martial beasts, who have the tastiest meat for them. The proteins help them grow up quickly, and they also develop much faster as well. And seeing my cute babies eating is so nice too! Orion eating the meat I cut for him into little cubes, making adorable little sounds, then my baby Athena eating mashed potatoes and then grabbing a chicken leg and eating it on her own. Her hair was getting in between her food though, so I helped her by tying it up into a ponytail for her. As for Orion, his hair had also been growing fast, but he said that he wanted to cut it; apparently he didnt like long hair. However, Athena liked it, so we kept it; it was very long now, and she didnt know how to tie it up yet, so we had to do it for her until she learned better. There you go, my princess; much better, right? I patted her little head. Thank you, mama, she said, while munching on the chicken leg and then eating the bones too, without problems. Gulp, can I have a sausage? Sure, here! Yanisse nodded, giving her one. Thank you! She smiled, eating more. Even when my babies are just eating, theyre so cute Im melting! Ah! Right! How could I forget? And their clothes? Well, Ive cut down more of the same fabric used for my own dress and made them some adorable Murim-styled clothes for them. Its a bit sad they have to grow quickly, but Its for their best. Ill love them regardless, always. Though I wonder, where could the future Orion have gone to now? I wonder if he would be happy to see his younger self or his little sister? I wish we could talk some more, my son. ----- Chapter 184: The Heavenly Will’s Peon ----- RUMBLE! The nine heavens of Murim trembled as rainbow lightning shook the skies. All life within these nine layered clouds started panicking, massively migrating from the areas affected, most of them even going towards the Earthly Realms below, causing great chaos and commotion as powerful, high-tiered Heavenly Martial Beasts started rampaging the land of Mortals. The lightning constantly spread further but rapidly began to gather together, beginning to form a sphere of rainbow light, as big as the sun itself, and then this sphere began to divide into many other smaller spheres, endlessly, dozens, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, and millions of them, each one smaller than the other. Together, they slowly started to become something, taking the shape of a living organism, a fetus. Endless eyes of all colors glanced from every single angle imaginable. The Heavenly Wills divine and ultimate presence manipulated the Heavenly Dao as it was a part of their very existence, the laws of physics within Murim, the Essences of Heaven and Earth, the Daos, all converging before their divine and all-powerful will. He was creating something, something beyond life, a being that had surpassed life itself and evolved beyond that, many times, ascending to become near unparalleled, and then even beyond that, breaking all limits possible. His death, their deaths, all became part of his will, of his existence. Sometimes, those that were strong enough, powerful enough, admirable, even, would become one with them once they died. The Heavenly Will absorbed their Essence, their Records, their Story, and created internal copies of their very Souls within its own existence. Each one was more wonderful than the previous one; each one had surpassed their expectations even further; each one kept fighting to defy fate, to defy them. Yet all of them fell ultimately against her. She who came from another world, a displacement between dimensions caused by a storm within the cosmos, which the Heavenly Will used to bring her here. A little toy, nothing of real value, something he would glance at for a few years and then forget about. But they never expected that she would become such a menace to this world. That despite all of what she had gone through, that despite everything She would rise up again. And again And again! There was only one word that they thought about: the Heavenly Will, a being with no gender or sex, someone that could be a she as much as a he, or none at all. For the first time, there was now something born within their empty hearts, always craving the excitement that only life as it struggled to exist brought to them. Was it attachment? No Was it caring? Perhaps. Was it Love? It is what they thought it was. Love! But was it truly love? Or more like, an obsession that went beyond comprehension? Because when youre a being that cannot even comprehend their own all-powerful existence, a being that sees all things as nothing. And a being that can only find a spark of color in their lives by seeing others suffer and struggle... Cant everything end up as mere love at the end? Why did it matter anyway? Love, obsession, feelings of attachment, hate, jealousy, envyStolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. It didnt matter! The only thing that had ever mattered to them, ever since she left, the only thing that has ever mattered to them since their very existence Her and only her. The spheres of rainbow light that divided and then slowly merged into a faint humanoid form rapidly continued developing, the comprehension of the Paths of the Dao emerging one after. You, who all surprised me to the point I created an imprint of your very existences within me, shall be reborn. I can only do this once; only once will you come out genuinely. The rest? They will be failures. So dont disappoint me, alright? The entity that was being created out of rainbow lightning took the form of a man, a tall man, with a slender figure. Their bodies, made of energy, slowly began to condense into true forms. Pale white skin could be seen across his nude body, long black hair, a sharp and manly, handsome face, and big eyebrows, giving this man the appearance of a sharp and ruthless conqueror. His eyes opened, revealing a golden gaze that pierced across the nine heavens. The Essence of many Daos emerged from their very existencesomeone that had lived for thousands of years and had mastered not one, but dozens of Daos! It seems I have been reborn by your divine decree, Heavenly Will, my greatest foe, he said with a melodious voice, as if he were reciting a poem. And I seem to be bound by your tyranny once more. Am I merely a puppet to your wishes? You are not a puppet. The heavenly will answered promptly after his words. You are a beautiful being that once existed and then stopped existing. You were so wonderful, I absorbed what remained of you. The very records of your existence now live within me. You, who is all-powerful, what needs do you have with my existence? Yet another of the many that was unable to defy you? Merely a failure no matter my feats. There are things that not even I can do. Oh, pray tell, what cant the Heavenly Will not do? Bing Xue. Hm?! The man immediately responded the moment he heard that name. That accursed name! His calm face changed, wrathfully changing into the embodiment of a ferocious asura! Do not dare say her name in front of me! he roared. That mare, who I could never tame, dared to kick the man that fed her well, in his very face! Youre full of anger, arent you? That she betrayed your trust, that she even seduced you, all an act, to get to see your weakest point, and then The Heavenly Will laughed. Yes, I remember! Such a wonderful thing cannot be easily forgotten! Did you ever truly expect to earn the love of someone like her?! HAHAHAHA! You even make the Heavens laugh at your stupidity! SILENCE! The man screamed in anger, feeling more embarrassed and frustrated as he heard the words of the Heavenly Will. Heavenly Venerable of the Seven Paths of Heaven, or as your System called you, the Murims Destined Villain, Fang Gu Lan, the Heavenly Will spoke. You, a transmigrated soul from another world, possessing the fragment of a cosmic being turned into a system, have been granted the greatest chance of all your life! What do you mean with this? You want to kill her, dont you? You want your revenge, dont you?! Then this is your time! Slay her! Kill her! Shes all yours to slaughter as you please! Kill Bing Xue! W-Wha?! Bring to me her corpse, her soul, or anything! Ive revived you, all for this moment, so go, bring her to me, now! So that was it; this is all because you desire her. And I want to kill her for daring to betray my trust... Hahaha! I suppose we do have something in common, Heavenly Will. Ive even restored your unique power, so youre once more the same as beforein fact, Ive even given you a bonus, so youre even stronger than before! My, youre so generous! All for a woman? Perhaps youre worse than me then betrayed by one, I shall never trust any anymore! Well, it isnt as if you ever trusted or loved anyone either way, villain. You merely took them to please your sexual frustrations from your previous life, after all! You were such an open book, despite how much you believed to be the true protagonist of this world! Your System fed you good lies, and you ate them all happily. If anything, your death was not her fault, only yours for believing you were unparalleled. Hah, truly the Heavenly Will, a bastard that simply wont stop ogling and creeping over everyone elses lives," said Fang Gu Lan. Ive had enough of your insolent words, Heavenly Will, and I shant have no more! RUMBLE! The mans powers manifested, seven paths of seven colors opening before him, the converged powers of many foes he had defeated and absorbed. With the powers he was born with, he stole and devoured the Fate of those that were Destined for greatness, becoming progressively more powerful as his system fed him special items. He advanced by leaps and bounds, becoming more cocky, braver, and also more reckless. When he rose to a Heavenly Venerable, he believed the world was his plate, and foolishly dared to seduce the Pillar of Light, as Bing Xue was once called in those times. Sadly, his fate was another; unable to even kiss her, he was instantly betrayed, and a fierce battle broke out while he bled when Bing Xue stabbed his back with a cursed weapon that absorbed his lifespan and cultivation. A soul that could only be used once, forged from one hundred agonizing souls of one hundred demonic immortals that died while being tortured. The curse was beyond what even his system could take care of, and he ultimately perished, pathetically. His harem was freed, although those that dared to fight Bing Xue over his death were killed mercilessly by her. Eventually, words about her cunningness and ruthlessness spread across the world by these women, further cementing Bing Xue as someone nobody could truly predict what her next action could ever be! That damn woman The Destined Villain of Murim sighed, clenching his fists as he glanced into the huge crack in space and time, clothes wrapping his body, born from his very Aura. Ill make sure to repay all your enmity a hundredfold! No, a thousandno, a millionfold! Before you go, I must tell you what has been happening so far, said the Heavenly Will. So listen well. ----- Chapter 185: Everyone’s Growth So Far ----- Because of circumstances, the time inside the Inner Realm had to be accelerated some more so we could stay a couple more months. But we were already reaching the limits of how much I could accelerate it before my girls got upset, so I guess the most we could afford is for the other two babies to be around their two to three years of age in development-wise before we needed to get out. If it were up for me, we would stay years, but the way I detect how time passes is different than theirs; they feel like theyre spending too much time, are getting bored, or feel like they want to go back to normal time.. This by itself is called Time Dilation Deficit in Murim, and it happens to those that cannot easily keep their minds calm as a lot of time passes by. To be immortal, you need to live a long lifemany years. Although I lived eleven thousand years in Murim, within my Inner Realm Ive probably lived a hundred times more due to all the times Ive accelerated its time compared to the outside world to prepare and cultivate. Nonetheless, Im fine with that, and I believe that with Orion and Athena getting big enough, were ok. The other two babies, which will be born very soon, will only get to two or three years of development with my formation. And how does this formation work? Well, I tap into the Dao of Time and Space for that, then the Dao of Life and Nature. By combining their Dao Essences together and then infusing them into the body of a person, their development speed can increase through my own Internal Time. The Formation has also been modified so it doesnt cause harm. After many trials and errors I did before on well, I experimented on Martial Beasts. Not to worry, they were later healed and freed, as I dont like animal cruelty myself, but sometimes I require test subjects, and using people is a big no, so beasts come as the only choice. By now they had probably been hunted by my two little white wolves, as they had become rather keen to hunting martial beasts even more as they grew up. Anyways, it has been almost five months, and if it wasnt for Fiery Hair and Murshas babies, we would be leaving the Inner Realm soonish. Against my expectations, our babies had not been wanting to be born yet, preferring to stay within Fiery Hair and Murshas wombs, developing slowly. I guess baby primal humans and orcs still develop slower than the beast people tribes; Orion and Athena were very eager to be born and explore the outside world in comparison! Right now I was supervising the growth of my disciples in the morning, checking on everyone and how they continued growing. Yanisse was becoming better at manipulating Void, and her internal Mana reserves have increased a lot. With Franciscos help, who had also become stronger, we were able to help her develop a Mana Heart, to store even more Mana in her body. I had been considering getting one myself, but its not a big priority right now, so Ive been delaying it until I can perfect the recipe and process, as Im dedicating several pieces of my own mind through Doppelgangers to research many things at the same time. Yes, I havent been slacking off at all, actually! No matter how hard I try to relax, I cant. I am someone who always needs to be doing something somehow. I guess this is another residual trauma left from Murim; I simply cant remain calm while doing nothing at all. Anyway, back to the topic. Nicholas has been training diligently and cultivating very quickly; right now he has already reached a higher stage of his transformation and is about to breakthrough into the desirable stage he wants to achieve. I havent helped him much at all, as hes figuring things out on his own with the guidance Ive given him. This is most of the time the best way to guide others. If I simply were to tell him every single step he had to do, there wouldnt be any fun to that, right? They wouldnt have any self-discovery, they wouldnt go through trial and error, and they wouldnt further comprehend their own strengths and weaknesses. Moving on, Francisco! Yes, the boy has been developing amazingly; his understanding of Magic is only becoming even better as hes merging Runes with Cultivation Techniques. He has currently not only created a second and then third Mana Heart, but he has also begun scribing a whole Magic Circle Formation over his own body. Although they mostly remain invisible, his entire body is now covered with colorful runes, rapidly developing his magical power to an even higher Realm, which is part of his cultivation itself. He has already reached the Realm of Immortals too. Hes our little magic researcher super genius, and any research he reaches, hell immediately share it with me and everyone else, and try to help us grow stronger. Someone like him as an enemy would be terrifying, but Im glad his heart is in the right place. Moving on, Aiyana had been progressing steadily with her own type of cultivation, hunting and eating new martial beasts from different zones. She had become a bit wilder, but after some rest, she calmed down, though shes prone to go wild again every time I release her into the wild. Her training has changed slightly now, as shes now also doing special rituals and carving new totems every time she kills martial beasts, using their bones and fur.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. This further strengthens her connection with the ancient totem spirits that had been accompanying her this entire time, upgrading them into stronger martial beast totems. Jackes and John had been progressing too, within the black and white heaven, respectively; the two had been growing stronger while absorbing their essences and cultivating there. Hunting the martial beasts in these areas and eating them also helps them progress, and Ive been aiding Jackes regain control of his powerful Black Heaven Shadow Form, which tends to go wild and become a giant made of shadows. John is awakening something I had never seen before too, something related to Angels. Apparently he had taken a special class named Angelic Knight, which granted him such a strange power. His sponsor was also an Archangel of some sort, although their title and name remain a mystery, and it seems they dont mind hes my disciple now either. Its suspicious, a bit, but still fine. Then theres my mother and my sister, and Juan. They had already progressed to immortals as well, specializing on their own elements and building up from the classes I created for them. Mom is growing in her ability to control metal and light elements, and with the knowledge about the Mechanical Gods Ive shared with her, she gained some sort of enlightenment and is progressively evolving her powers by using their concepts and powers as inspiration. I never took my mother as someone that liked robots, but she told me that it only made sense that she would try imitating them with her powers. Well see what comes from it; Im keeping a close eye on her progress. My sister has also continued progressing in the path of the blade; Ive been sparring with her every now and then, and her abilities are progressing steadily too. Her Black Flames have evolved into Demonic Flames, and she recently contracted a couple of Demons due to her newly evolved Class Skills, further making her even stronger and deadlier. Juan in the other case, has been progressing as a way to help Ruby. Because my sister is specializing on offense too much, he wants to grow his defenses and become her shield. Ive helped him forge a strong physique similar to Nicholas, and he had also begun mastering Shield, Armor, and Polearm Martial Arts. His main Element so far is Earth, so its quite compatible with the path he wants to take. Then there comes Peperina; shes been progressing steadily in her ability to harness her powerful flames, and also on Worldsmith; she can now influence a wider area around her, and her body has also been strengthened from all the training and cultivation, becoming even tougher. Those that were already Immortal Rank such as her, had begun progressing through the Ranks by now, although theres a long way before they can reach the Primordial Immortal Realm. Merneith has been mostly cultivating her energies and golden bloodline on her own way, with Ras support, while supervising the new Mechanical Gods born from the cores of the other Beast Gods from Elios. And Hekita has been hanging out with her, growing stronger in a similar manner; her Spiritual Abilities are a great talent shes only going to continue flourishing. Oh right! And Heba and Sara, the hunters from Egypt, these girls had also been progressing on their own paths. Ive guided Heba quite a lot more than I expected; her abilities are truly fascinating, and she has begun tapping into the ability to also control things that arent just sand, such as earth and stone, so she can further expand her abilities beyond the desert. Saras abilities were great already, but with the power of cultivation and many other compatible martial and spiritual techniques, shes becoming an amazing healer, supporter, and light element specialist. Fiery Hair and Mursha had been unable to train as much due to being pregnant and needing to rest, but they had been cultivating and meditating, further strengthening and learning to control their already powerful abilities even further. The children within their wombs seem to be also leaving residual energies, which they are naturally assimilating, growing stronger by just having carried them. The same thing had happened with Urbosa and Merkite, and once Orion and Athena were born and a few weeks passed, they felt much stronger than before, like, several times! Now, they had been spending time with me and our children as we taught them how to fight and control their powers. Hmm, everyone is progressing steadily; Im content. I walked inside my palace again, reaching the large garden and training ground I had built specifically for my babies to train all they wanted. They were reinforced with super-hard stone; there were several formations for protection, barriers, everything so they could go completely crazy with their powers and not worry about anything. Fiery Hair and Mursha were the first to greet me. The two were resting over some comfortable summer chairs, taking the sunlight while drinking some cold fruit juice. Their big bellies only made them look more beautiful. In fact, since Urbosa and Merkite had the kids, their bodies had developed and become sexier; I can hardly resist them every night, as they had become sexually active again. And Ah, Im going out of topic again. Honey! Youre back! How is everyone doing? Mursha smiled cutely as she waved her hand at me; she looked so beautiful when she smiled I could hardly resist smooching her entire face. Wife! Fiery Hair called me, waving her hand as well. Everyone growing strong? Her ability to speak had become better, and now instead of Bing Bing, she calls me Wife all the time, which I dont mind. I walked towards them, hugged them both, and kissed their lips to greet them. We were soon going to have lunch, so theyve been resting here since breakfast. Yes, yes, everyones been working hard, I nodded. Expect great things in the future. I believe Earth will become a much safer world by just releasing them into the wild once were done. How are the babies doing? Fine, said Mursha. This little brats been kicking me sometimes though! I dont know if its a girl or a boy though; can you tell? Heh, lets leave that as a secret so we can have a surprise once its born! I winked at her. Hah, fine, I guess that sounds like fun! she giggled. Ahh, I can hardly wait! Im really going to become a mother Its like a dream come true after so long. Ill honor my mother and my father This baby will become the first child of the Blood Fang Tribe to be born in decades! And more will come later, right? She winked at me. A-Ah Lets take it easy for now, I said. Four children will be plenty for the time being. Im sorry, Mursha. Baby is calm and sleepy, said Fiery Hair. Always very calm, doesnt kick or punch like Murshas baby Its soothing! I guess they got a calmer personality then? I wondered, nodding. Alright, do you need anything for now? Ill resume the training with Orion and Athena; Urbosa and Merkite will be there too. "Nah, its fine; have fun, Mursha said. Wait, come for another smooching! Mooch! Fiery Hair also wanted to. After they smooched my entire face, I was finally freed from these lovely giantesses, joining my children to their daily training. Mama! Youre finally back! Took you long enough! Orion said. Lets fight alreadyyyy! Hey Orion! Dont be like that; Mama has a busy life! Athena said. Im ready too, by the way! Heheh, alright then! Show me everything youve got! I said, getting into a defensive stance. Come at me! ----- Chapter 186: Training With The Children ----- After checking on everyone, I made my way back to my palace, where, after a brief conversation with Fiery Hair and Mursha, I moved to giving all my attention to my kids. Mama! Youre finally back! Took you long enough! Orion said. Lets fight alreadyyyy! Hey Orion! Dont be like that; Mama has a busy life! Athena said. Im ready too, by the way! Heheh, alright then! Show me everything youve got! I said, getting into a defensive stance. Come at me! I noticed Urbosa and Merkite were here as well, although far away, talking with one another; they seemed exhausted. I guess they already sparred and helped the kids figure out some things; they were also trying to teach them. Looks like you already tired your mothers! I said. And even then youre both still full of energy; I cant believe how energetic you two are. Mommys strong, but she got tired quickly! Only you never get tired, mama! Orion said, rushing towards me first. Hey! Wait a bit, Orion; I thought we were doing things together! Athena complained, following him. The two moved incredibly fast, resembling golden and silver blurs as they reached me. Orion roared adorable, opening his little jaws as he swung the sharp claws growing from his fingers. HYA! HYA! HYA! HYA! With a cute beastly cry, he unleashed a barrage of claw attacks infused with his Aura at full power. No longer having to force himself to seal his strength, he went all-out. CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! Each blow that reached me was like an explosion of pure primordial essence of the highest quality, enough to kill mostly any Immortal of Murim easily. This boy is strong and so eager to fight! I cant believe the little battle junkie I ended up having. Your wild attacks are strong, and you hold the advantage of surprise against most of your foes! I said. However, simply fighting like a beast will not help you against foes that are well experienced. I gave a step forward as I gently pushed my palms forward, striking the boys chest before he could even evade. {Palm of Tranquility} BAAAM! Uwaack! He was sent flying by a golden shockwave that exploded into a bright yellow light, as if two miniature stars had collided against one another. He fell to the ground, rolled over his body, and then... Got back up immediately! Im not done yet! Heheh! My attack was of the Primordial Immemorial Venerable Realm. Indeed, it was an attack using my current Ranks power! And yet this boy tanked it. I can immediately tell that, despite having the energy of a Primordial Immortal for now, hes going to continue progressing all the way to almost my same realm. Their bodies had already hardened and adapted faster than their own internal energy cores and souls, though, so its normal for them to be tougher and stronger physically first. As he rushed towards me again, my baby Athena reached my back. Hyaa! Ah, sneaky as always; she loves doing sneak and surprise attacks. Gotcha! I caught her fist as it reached me, but even when I received it with my palm, an explosion of white light pushed me a few meters away. BOOOM! Ooh! Thats new. I quickly cleansed my clothes, glancing at her back as she smiled proudly. Did you like it, mama? I developed it in response to you always catching my fist! she smiled cutely, showing her sharp teeth. I call it Nova Fist! It explodes and kaboom! It surprises you! Its an interesting technique, but it requires a lot of training and polishing first Oh? RAARR! Orion reached my head as he jumped all the way from where he was, opening his jaws and trying to bite my ear off. This little kid I know I told you two that in a real fight, anything goes, but are you really trying to bite your mothers ear off, my son? Heh! However, it was a distraction; as he was about to do that, his body twisted in midair, spinning around like his future version did once, and unleashing a powerful spinning attack, kicking me dozens of times at once.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Ooh?! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! I was pushed back once more as I smiled. I couldnt help but feel my blood pumping as I saw my little children getting stronger and showing me what they could do now. Heheh! Thats my new technique too! Spinning Beast Kick! He stood right next to his sister; the two siblings, despite their differences and everything, were always sticking together and liked fighting against me as a team. Good, it is surprising indeed, I nodded. Alright, now its Mamas turn to show her babies what shes made of! You ready? Im not holding back! Im actually holding back, but I said that, so they get excited and fight me with everything they got as well. FLASH! I stepped forward, immediately appearing in front of them two. My Aura twisted, forming several snake heads that rushed down against them. Yes, this was my Yamata-no-Orochi Eight Heads Sword Technique, without sword. Using only Soul Blade. Can you take mamas strongest sword technique?! Uwaah! Woah, watch out! Orion and Athena panicked but quickly responded with their incredibly sharp and quick reflexes. Orion infused his Ki Aura into his claws again, intercepting the snake heads that rushed down, each one packing enough power to slash a mountain. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! And he successfully parried them, sending them back to me and hitting my face with my own technique! The boy was sure something. Athena, in the other case, released her Nova Fist two times, using both fists, completely destroying my technique after her brother bought her time. BOOOM! BOOOM! Nicely done! How about this? I gave a step forward. As I attacked them with my bare hands, my Aura exploded, manifesting a sea of flames. This was the Red Heavens Domain. Using my Soul Blade Arts, as the domain manifested and flames engulfed them, I swung my hands against them, like swords themselves. Uwaah! Fire now?! T-This is new! They werent well prepared, but their talent was in adaptation. My son immediately hit the ground and released a shockwave of golden light shaped as wolves, which consumed the flames. Then my daughter quickly spread her pseudo-domain, creating a formation that she tried to use to go against my sea of flames. If Mama is using the Red Heaven, lets use the Blue Heaven! Her domain took the color of blue, glistening with azure light as a frozen wind tried to consume my Domain instantly, while splashes of powerful divine water started falling over my surroundings, like a downpour. Not bad! However, I swung my hands, and all attacks became meaningless, instantly exploding and disappearing, turning into steam and nothing else. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! But mamas stronger! With a single step, I struck down their domains and destroyed them instantly; a single stomp was all I needed to stop their little game. Crack, crack! CRAAASH! No! The domain! Orion, watch out! Athena grabbed her brother and helped him escape from a huge wave of cutting flames that was moving in his direction, but that didnt stop me, as I manipulated my slashing flames around them, closing their escape routes. Athena, let go of me! I can take care of myself! Orion said angrily. Mama wont let us escape anyway; we have to face her head-on! Fine! Athena said. I got an idea! Get in the front! Eh? Ok! While they discussed, I let them talk a bit; I didnt want to interrupt their learning and adaptation abilities. Though in a real battle nobody is going to stop and let them strategize first. Come on, youve had enough of that! I rushed forward, hitting the ground as black and white essence spread like snakes everywhere, and then exploded into black and white flames. This was made by combining my Balance Disruption Arts with the Red Heaven technique and the Yamata-no-Orochi Eight Heads technique. It was an experimental technique for now, but it could do a lot more than just their original ingredients. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! As the explosions of black and white flames reached them, Orion started to charge his entire body with as much of his Ki as possible, his Aura growing larger, resembling a giant werewolf. AWOOOO! As the werewolf within his aura howled, his fur became spiky and grew twice as much, his claws became longer and sharper, and his eyes turned red. This was something that might eventually evolve in what my son from the future showed me in our battle; it was already emerging within him! They were such prodigies that they didnt even require that much guidance for them to create techniques and develop skills from their already existing, near-boundless power. RAAARRR!!! With a mighty roar, my boy reached me, swinging his claws and tearing apart the snakes as they came, while spreading his aura further, creating a large pack of wolves made of golden and silver light. Aha! Fighting head-on, I like that more! I smiled. Lets go! I rushed forward, clashing against his claws with my bare hands. Explosions of energy erupted with each blow, my flames and his light creating shockwaves that wouldve already destroyed this entire area if I hadnt set up everything beforehand. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! As I clashed against my son, I quickly began correcting his posture, pushing his chin up, and then straightening his stance; he got a bit angry at that, thinking I was mocking him. Straighten your posture! Your legs are too shaky; you need to get a better and more stable stance! I said. What are these arms? You have to place them more to the back, or youll risk someone slicing them! Those claws are sharp, but you cant just lunge at someone! Analyze their movements and strike in a weak spot! Raarrr! I get it, mom! But I will fight my way! He said angrily, a very stubborn boy he was. He suddenly started leaping constantly, appearing and disappearing around me and hitting my body with his claws, constantly using the power of his Divine Photon Essence, powered with his Spirit Energy, and developing the Divinity of Beasts and Thunder. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! I see, so youre going for speed above all else! As he attacked my head, I quickly grabbed him by his tail, and as he let out a tiny welp and fell to the ground, completely stoppin on his tracks! And Im so sorry! Did that hurt?! I rushed to see him, but he was fine. We got you, mama! He smiled definitely. I noticed too late that my little baby girl had disappeared, and then when it happened, I had already given her enough time. {Divine White Heaven Formation Arts}: {Heavenly Restriction Formation}! FLAAASH! A large formation encompassed me, as giant white chains wrapped around my entire body, stopping me from moving entirely! These chains were incredibly tough, carrying the power of the White Heaven Dao, which my daughter had been developing since she was born. It developed as a derivative evolution from the element of Wind she inherited from her mother, further combined with her own Divine Photon Essence, creating this wonderful power. Oh! I see! Well done! I couldnt help but smile as my daughter trapped me with her little formation; it was just way too adorable! I guess I lost! Any foe wouldve been defeated! I decided to give them the win; a little victory every now and then makes the kids happy and makes them also feel like theyre progressing. W-We won?! Orion asked. Really?! Yaaay! Athena happily jumped around, her long white hair waving around. The two ran towards one another, and while holding hands, they jumped around celebrating their victory and rubbing it all over my face. We won against Mama! We won against mamaaaa! Little brats Alright, breaks over; time for round two! Crack, crack! CRASH! I easily freed myself from these chains as I stepped forward, my Aura surging like a rainbow flame. R-Round two already?! Athena panicked. Okay! Bring it on! Orion immediately accepted the challenge. Lets do round two, and then we have lunch! I said. If you win, Ill make whatever you want! If I win, youre eating your vegetables! Deal! the two roared in unison, rushing towards me. ----- Chapter 187: Teaching Martial Arts To The Kids ----- The second spar against my babies started, and I couldnt help but embrace them in the heat of the battle. Their little fists and claws come at me like tiny, destructive meteors and exploding stars. Their movements became more refined as we battled, and even though Orion was stubborn about fighting however he wanted, I taught him how to balance better his posture and fighting abilities, and he learned from them. He acted stubborn, but whenever he found he was lacking or easily stopped, he would begin taking my recommendations and doing as I told him, and he would quickly realize how he would improve as well. Both of them already had the bodies of children in their six to seven years of age, and their mentality was around that age, or perhaps a bit more developed due to their unique powers and growth. Theyre exceptional and most likely geniuses, as they can easily learn math, language, and all other things, memorizing them instantly. I dont think its a coincidence my two kids are like this; probably the physique they inherited from me and their mothers also made their brains become... well, super brains. In a way, they simply have an incredibly superior thought process and memorization abilities, which are attuned to their bodies reflexes, making them also absorb fighting techniques and improve their own fighting styles very quickly. They also have tremendous imagination, applying it as they fight to combine, transform, and evolve their techniques as they develop and find weak points to exploit I know that most people would consider teaching seven-year-old children to fight as immoral, but in this world, they need to learn to defend themselves, and especially to control their own power. Mama, look! This is my newest attack! Orion, for example, liked applying the power of wolves into his techniqueshis beastly side, as he liked to call itfusing it with his Aura to summon Beast Spirits from it. This was something completely new I had also seen from his future selfa unique power of them capable of transforming their Immortal Auras into Spiritual Beasts and shaping them as they see fit. By default, my children had inherited several of my own abilities directly, such as my powerful Physique, which also includes the Seven-Colored Eyes, which makes their eyes rainbow-colored, and also my powerful Divine Photon Essence, which comes naturally out of their bodies. It is such a natural power for them that it flows from every technique they use; this, further combined with their Immortal Aura and their Spiritual Powers makes them incredibly strong. They will definitely surpass me one day! AWOOOOO! Orions Aura howled as it formed once more, no longer resembling a werewolf but a huge white and silver wolf, growing a second head. A two-headed wolf! It also divided, becoming a massive pack of two-headed, gigantic wolves made out of his golden and silver divine photon essence, beast spirit magic, and immortal aura all combined together. HYAAAH! With a cute roar, he reached me, with him a huge pack of wolves. As he attacked me, the wolves coordinated themselves, his aura moving as animals instead of as a tool, giving his own aura their own thoughts, as if they were truly living beings. Whenever I went to strike his chest with a palm attack, he evaded and then sent two wolves behind me, who bit my back and legs, stopping me before he rushed to punch my stomach. Not strong enough yet! CRASH! CRASH! I kicked both wolves, destroying them as they exploded into bright photon explosions that seemed to be aimed at me, to either blind me or deal damage; it did a little of both, but it didnt really affect me. BOOOM! However, it was still distracting, enough for him to reach my left side, swinging his claws against me, which he infused with his wolves, making them gigantic through his Aura. {White Wolfs Heaven-Slicing Claws}! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! He unleashed his personal Martial Arts, as he released slashing attacks capable of splitting the heavens with each of his tiny claw attacks in the form of large white slicing waves. I reinforced my bodys endurance as I swung my hands using Soul Blade and other techniques combined, rapidly intercepting his deadly blows. {Golden Serpents Flowing Fist}! I moved at lightning speed, easily intercepting his blows and moving like a serpent around them, rapidly reaching him, as I quickly used yet another technique. {Golden Tusked Boars Charge}! My Aura transformed once more, resembling a boar. With both of my palms forward, resembling the tusks of a giant boar, I pushed my son away with a tremendous shockwave, a force he simply couldnt evade.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. BAAAM! Uuaagh! As he screamed in surprise, I kept pushing him; he rapidly fought back, and his legs, with sharp claws of their own, rapidly spun around as he started kicking my stomach several times. {White Wolfs Spinning Kick}! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! His attacks were strong, I had to admit it, but I held my ground, as I quickly smashed the ground with my foot to regain my foothold, then caught his leg as he kicked me, stopping him, while I used his own force against him, letting the force flow through my stomach, where he kicked the most, into my fists. {Golden Serpents Flowing Fist Echo}: {Demon Eating Vipers Fang} I pushed my fists forward, changing the form of my hands into spears and piercing through his defensive attacks; his stomach was hit instantly; his aura protected him a bit, but it quickly shattered. W-What?! BOOOM! He was sent flying with a massive explosion of golden and purple light. As I noticed Athena behind me, her hands were conjuring dozens of magic circles that were modified into tiny formations. {Divine White Heaven Formation Arts}: {Heavenly Restriction Formation}! Again with that one, huh? However, instead of the chains coming from the floor, they emerged from her surroundings and her own hands. Using the chains from the formation as weapons, she swung them as giant whims, hitting me from every angle. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! I see, so youre using the chains as weapons? I laughed as I received her attacks head-on; they were incredibly strong, and each chain could easily restrict or seal energies and powers, but my body could go beyond the power of her chains. Yep! Athena nodded with a cute smile, quickly grabbing the chains as she wrapped my arms, legs, and body and dragging me towards her, while Orion suddenly appeared, loading all his energy into his right fist. The momentum was perfect; as my daughter captured me and dragged me towards them, Orion gathered his Ki, Spirit Energy, Mana, and Divinity into a single point. {White Wolfs Star-Eating Fist}! ROOOAARR! His Aura erupted as a massive white wolf emerged, roaring ferociously as his fist reached my stomach at lightning speed, an explosion of pure white light engulfing me completely. BOOOM! Wow, they really did an amazing job there; they got me! As the light dissipated, they celebrated another victory. We won! Yaaaay! Or did they? What are you celebrating? Youve not won yet. Eh?! Wait! The two gasped as they realized I had defended from Orions attack completely, with both of my arms crossed over my chest, tightly closed. My aura and my arms formed a new shape, a turtle shell. {Black Turtles Obsidian Shell}! Eeeh! No way! Wow, theres such a defensive technique, mama?! Orion and Athena had very different reactions. Orion didnt want to accept this, while Athena was rather curious about what this was. Yes! And theres many more you can learn later, I nodded. In the world of martial arts, theres countless techniques out there, but only a few can actually fit your fighting style, body, and mind. Its your choice to pick which ones youll want to learn and specialize on But seeing how you two are very talented, its not impossible to learn them all easily, eventually. So we didnt win? asked Orion. No Athena sighed. Well, we can continue sparring, but I think its about time we go eat lunch, I said. Your mothers and aunts might be quite hungry And what about you two? Hmm, Im hungry! said Orion, nodding. I want some big piece of roasted meat! Im fine, said Athena. But yeah! I wouldnt mind eating something. Alright, lets go eat lunch then, I nodded. So because you lose, youre eating your vegetables, alright? Ill make you two a big, delicious bowl of veggies you can feast on. No way, veggies again?! cried Orion. I dont wannaaaaaa! Come on now; youre big already, my son; eating your vegetables should come naturally, I said. They will help you develop your body and your strength, as theyre made with no simple ingredients, but the most high-quality vegetables harvested from my Inner Realm. I dont care, he said angrily, looking elsewhere. Well, what a cheeky little brat he is! Come on, dont you love your mommy? Do it for mommy! I asked, grabbing him with my arms and kissing his forehead and face. Mooch, mooch! Mooch! Uwaah! S-Stop, mama! He got all embarrassed. Okay, okay! Ill eat the veggies! S-Stop it! Good boy! I nodded. If you eat all your veggies, mommy will gift you something special to get even stronger, alright? Really?! he wondered, rapidly getting back to his good mood again. Yep! I nodded. And maybe if you eat them all, completely. For dinner, we can have something delicious Maybe some cake? Hmm? Ooh! Cake! Cake! Cakeee! Orion got even more excited. Athena! Were having cake! Yeah! Is it our birthday again? wondered Athena. Yes! Youre now five months old! I nodded. Thisll be the last time we celebrate them monthly until a year from now passes, alright? Weve been celebrating their monthly birthdays because of their quick growth, which one month meant year, almost, but after this point, their growth will become much slower. It is as if you were six years old, Urbosa stepped in, caressing our boys fluffy tail. Mama! Orion quickly jumped towards Urbosa, hugging her and rubbing his face on her belly. Did you see what I did?! It was awesome, right? "Yes, you were incredible, she nodded. But you have to take things easy and listen to Bing Xue from time to time, alright? Or youll never be able to progress your abilities. Dont be stubborn, Orion. We want the best for you. Hmm Ok, he nodded. He was a bit stubborn sometimes, but he eventually agreed to most things. But mama should join next; all four of us should go against mommy! Hahah, what do you think, Athena? giggled Mursha. Hmm, I dont know auntie said Athena. Wouldnt that be too unfair for mommy, though? Unfair? Shes ridiculously strong! If anything, it would be fair, laughed Merkite, petting our little daughter. Well done! As always, youre the brain of the operation, Athena. Your strategies are always on point! I could never hope to be that smart, haha! Mama, youre smart! said Athena, pouting. Dont say that about yourself; how would I be smart if you arent? Aw, youre going to make your moms heart melt again; come here! Merkite carried Athena with her arms; our kids were already quite tall, but she carried her like nothing anyway. Mooch, mooch! So cute! My little princess is so cuteeeee! Mooch, mooch! Ehehe, mama, that tickles! Athena giggled as her mother kissed her little face and licked her forehead like her tribe usually shows affection. Eventually, we moved back to the palace, where we found my mother, my sister, and Juan already preparing something for lunch, and we joined them, cooking up a feast. Fiery Hair and Mursha had a lot of appetite, eating two or sometimes three times as much as before, probably because the children were draining all their energy as they grew up. I feel like theyre going to be born very soon, so we better prepare for that I wonder how Orion and Athena are going to react after seeing their little siblings. ---- New Cover!!! Orion (Future) VS Bing Xue Chapter 188: The Lost Super Heroes ----- Inside the ruins of an abandoned area of New York at the outskirts of the citys walls, several peculiar-looking people wearing colorful clothes and even capes gathered together; all of them had their own distinct backgrounds and personalities and originated from a world not like this one, one that was, actually, perhaps more dangerous and insane in some areas, although that still was called Earth and, in essence, had their entire history being the same as this one. Where did the differences lie? Where could they draw a line and see where the point of history diverged to give birth to people like them and where the line diverged to create a world like this? The group of superheroes, people that worked to protect humanity, discussed this with one another as they finally took a breather after a very long day of catching rogue villains and evading this worlds new order. Its insane, man, this whole thing... I just dont even know what to do anymore; should I just run fast enough that I out speed space and time and reset everything maybe that way Wingspeed suggested jokingly. NO! However, his companions all screamed at the same time, probably fed up with him having done this thing once before, only creating an even worse future than what he had tried to change. Okay, okay! I was joking, man; I promised I wouldnt do it ever again! Wingspeed sighed, waving his hand as if trying to calm them down; he was the least serious of a group full of incredibly grumpy people, very old people at that. Jesus Christ, Im just trying to make a joke; everyones so serious I know you had good intentions, but the very thought of you doing that thing again scares me, Wingspeed; please keep your powers at bay, sighed Galaxy Man. And yes, I also understand why you would joke like this... Honestly, I would usually laugh at such jokes, but right now, I guess I cant really do so." Even if we had the method to return home, we really cant; several of our friends and foes are all scattered across this world, said Nightman, crossing his big, burly arms, making a serious frown barely visible beneath his black mask. We have to first find them, stop them, then find a way back home, and thats not going to be quick, even with you helping us, Galaxy Man. I know Galaxy Man nodded, sighing. I wanted to apologize for a while now; if it wasnt for me, none of this would have happened. Its my fault I was the one that ended up growing so weak that I was unable to come help you out when Mechanicus and the villains created that Time Distortion Machine. I shouldve taken care of Mechanicus myself, but after that fight against the Galaxy Tyrant, I had almost died. In their original world, the entire Justice Alliance had battled a powerful intergalactic conqueror that traveled across the cosmos called the Galaxy Tyrant, someone that even called himself an Ancient God of War, or its Avatar. A powerful foe that held equal, if not superior, strength compared to Galaxy Man, being both incredibly tough and also smart, with a massive planet-sized spaceship that traveled across the cosmos. His plan was to conquer Earth and add the planet to his ever-growing amount of conquered planets, becoming part of his massive intergalactic empire, even if it had to be by force. This ended up becoming the spark of an immense war, where both heroes and villains had to team up to protect their planet, although there were also many traitorous villains that joined the conqueror. Ultimately, Galaxy Man managed to defeat him with the help of the entire Justice Alliances forces after he unleashed his Hyper Charge form by diving deep into the plasma of their sun until his body absorbed all of its radiation, increasing his power but at the same time destroying his body internally. Galaxy Man had to go against his own morals and kill the Galaxy Tyrant to stop this madness once and for all. The battle took down half of the moon on its wake, and eventually, Galaxy Man went into a coma for several months to recover. Because of this, the Earth became unprotected from intergalactic threats, and thats where old enemies, such as Dark Matter Man and Mechanicus, appeared again. No, you shouldnt be held responsible for what happened, said Nightman. You almost died to protect everyone, and you had to rest for all those months, as you were on the verge of dying. If anything, it is us, the heroes from Earth, that failed you The most prideful and often emotionless of the heroes, the Vigilante of the Night and a powerful Exorcist such as Nightman, ended speaking his heart for once, surprising his friends. Nightman Yeah, I agree, nodded Wingspeed. Sorry You had always been my hero since I was a kid, Galaxy Man; if anything, we failed you. We were unable to coordinate, and we ended up fighting against one another too much. We let the villains get the best of us, and... this is what ended up happening. Wingspeed Hahh I guess I have to join in and say that yeah, its our fault, nodded a fourth person in the room, her feminine voice contrasting with the three other men here.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. She was a slender, tall woman with a muscular body, long blonde hair, and sharp golden eyes, with tanned brown skin and wearing a skin-tight leotard with gold and white colors and armor, showing a bright star in the middle of her chest. She wore white boots and also carried a sheathed sword and a shield with her. Marvelous Woman, Im glad we were able to find you at the very least, Galaxy Man smiled. Though its disheartening that I have yet to pick up on the presences of Jade Star and Martian Man. Its as if theyre completely gone from my radar. Most likely the things you used to find us broke in the way here, said Wingspeed. After all, theyre just these tiny little bracelets. They can get broken or easily lost while traveling within a damn wormhole. Right Galaxy Man nodded. Any ideas where they could have gone to? I could probably find them if I can use my Odysseus Compass, said Marvelous Woman. But Ill need some time to amass the necessary Divine Power. Marvelous Woman was similar to Wingspeed and, at the same time, very different. While Wingspeed was the long-lost descendant of the Greek God Hermes and was born and raised in New Jersey until he suddenly awakened his powers after being struck by lightning, Marvelous Woman was raised on a small island, made up of the last descendants of the God of War Ares. With hard Spartan-like traditions, she was rigorously trained as the one that could hold and wield the many divine artifacts her family was made to protect, as a hero that would protect the world from the new threats. Aside from such Divine Artifacts inherited from the other God Families, she also naturally possessed the greatest strength amongst the warriors of her tribe and had awakened the Brand of Ares, destined to become the new Goddess of War. Yet, to her, most of these things didnt matter. War wasnt something good, and she didnt want to become a goddess that would love and promote such a thing. You havent harnessed much yet? Galaxy Man wondered. What could we do to help you out? Hm, this world is strange; perhaps I could probably use this strange System that popped out of nowhere, Marvelous Woman said. It says something about accumulating Faith? Maybe that could help, but I have no idea if we could trust this thing or not. It is yet another of the strange phenomena of this world, said Nightman. And it is whats giving even the shittiest villain out there the power to go against us now. Its strange too; it incentivizes killing things so you can gain strength and magical abilities. In all my life, I have never seen such a wicked sorcery before. Whoever set this up worldwide must be an Ancient Demon of Sorcery or something similar to the Accursed One, which I guess I can name here, Mephistopheles. I agree, this thing is imbued with tremendous amounts of powerful sorcery and magic power, nodded Marvelous Woman, sitting down again. But it doesnt seem threatening at all; despite its incentivization to kill, theres nothing saying we have to kill people. I guess it simply synergizes well with villains and psychopaths that have no problem doing so. We could hunt, for example, monsters or animals instead. Animals? For the sake of it? Thats cruel, said Wingspeed. But monsters? I mean, if theyre dangerous to the people, we might give it a try I suppose so; I always have to hunt down alien creatures and monsters when Im patrolling the Galaxy, said Galaxy Man. So I am kind of used to hunting down beasts. Hmm, I dont think we should be hunting monsters right now, Nightman sighed. We have to find more villains and apprehend them quickly, before the people of this world just kill them. And you want to defend those terrible people that have killed so many? sighed Marvelous Woman. I wouldnt kill them either, yes, but theres nothing thatll make me stop those that want to bring greater justice to them, even if they have to taint their hands red. If you simply stand and do nothing, then youre simply not a hero, said Nightman. I think I am a much better hero than what you could ever be, Nightman, said Marvelous Woman, crossing her arms. You alone are managing a whole city full of criminals, always letting them escape after a week in an asylum that is clearly also controlled by the underworld. The only way to clean that city of yours is by executing those people, but strangely enough, even the government of that state is against that. Havent you ever realized a single thing about the place you live? And how unsustainable is it to let these psychopaths go all the time? No, have any of you ever begun to think for a single second about this? She confronted all three of them, sighing; they didnt respond, remaining in silence, looking elsewhere. The idea of a hero for them was different than what she believed, as she was raised away from modern society, and in a harsh, spartan society, she was a bit more ruthless. Look, lets not start fighting between one another again, said Galaxy Man. Okay, we wont start chasing them around however we want; thats a waste of time, honestly. But we should at least check on them too, to confirm what happened to them, at the very least. Theres some villains that Im sure arent weak or stupid enough to get caught so easily Like Jester, Mechanicus, or Dark Matter Man. Hmm fine, Marvelous Woman nodded. Nightman, you better stop your stupid romanticization of what a hero is; even our kindest member here has already accepted that we cant simply keep up this stupid ideology anymore. It is simply not sustainable. Or were you hoping for Galaxy Man to spare the Galaxy Tyrant? I never suggested anything, said Nightman, groaning angrily. Lets do what we must do There was a lot of tension in the air; conflicting emotions and ideals clashed, and the heroes were on the verge of collapsing as a team. Come on, lets go hunt somewoah! BAAAM! Before Wingspeed could even speak, suddenly, the ruins where they were trembled as a massive creature broke in, roaring ferociously. ROOOAARR! It was a massive, green-scaled tyrannosaurus, with sharp red spikes across its body overflowing with a golden aura within its gigantic body; several more of them followed it from behind, glaring at their prey. Dinosaurs?! Really? Wingspeed laughed, smiling in disbelief. This worlds nuts! I guess we wont have any more time to just discuss, said Galaxy Man, beginning to float in midair. Fighting dinosaurs, huh I guess I never thought I would be doing this, for fucks sake, Nightman sighed. Ah, a good prey to test if the sharpness of my blade hasnt gone dull! Marvelous Woman unsheathed a golden sword. As the heroes battled the huge horde of giant dinosaurs, from the distance, leading another gigantic army, a group of strange-looking beings glanced at them in silence. Their reptilian eyes detecting their movements, and the powerful auras exuding from their bodies, which brought their attention. It seems weve finally found some worthy vessels for our God. The being spoke, smiling viciously. Immediately report this to Lady Bloodclaw. ----- New Cover!!! Orion (Future) VS Bing Xue Chapter 189: Fiery Hair And Mursha’s Babies ----- I woke up the next morning to the moans of Fiery Hair and Mursha, who were trying to wake me up. When I relax inside my Inner Realm, I tend to sleep for real and fall unconscious like other people normally do. So I guess they caught me off guard. Ah Dear, wake up! The babys coming already! Mursha cried. Oof, its big! Ouch It hurts down there; can you help, wife? Fiery Hair asked me. Mursha baby coming at the same time Ah, the babies?! Theyre coming! Okay, wait here! Ive got it all prepared! I nodded. Urbosa, Merkite! Wake up! Orion, Athena! We were all sleeping in the same big bed. Our children had yet to get their own beds, not because we havent suggested it, but because they want to sleep cuddling with us all the time. So every night they would get in between me and their mommies, and the bed would get so warm because theyre all so fluffy, overly warm! Any normal person would have been baked alive between all the warm fluff, which produces tremendous quantities of warmth! Uwah! Ah, right! Right! Urbosa nodded, quickly waking up and walking out of bed. Orion, wake up! Come here! Orion wouldnt wake up anyways, so she grabbed him and carried him away as the boy slowly woke up from the commotion. Athena! Lets leave your aunties alone for now, Merkite said, carrying our daughter outside. I remained with Mursha and Fiery Hair, preparing everything. I quickly activated the Formation I had prepared already, which was within our entire room. FLASH! Several runes flashed with bright colors everywhere as Fiery Hair and Mursha groaned in surprise and the pain they felt. As the entire room was freed, several new manifested objects materialized, made out of Divine Photon Essence. Small little needles injected into their bodies were pain-reducing drugs, making them finally feel much more relaxed. At the same time, I regulated the flow of energy in their bodies, making their entire bodies relax as well; the tension in their muscles instantly dissipated. Haahhh Ugh This is much better? Mursha wondered. Oh, its coming out already! Ahh! Wife made it easier Fiery hair was shocked. Indeed, after what happened when Orion and Athena were born, I created a special Formation in our bedroom thatll help you give birth; it can also do a lot more things too. I nodded. Youve been injected with special drugs I prepared in anticipation, made using the finest ingredients through Heavenly Alchemy Arts. The Formation is also now relaxing your entire bodies, allowing you to loosen up down there, and making pushing extremely easy. Ahhh Wow, its amazing, Mursha sighed in relief. Thank you, dearAh! T-The head! Uwaaahhh! And right away, the first baby of today was borna beautiful, green-skinned half-orc! Let me help. Fiery Hair was taking longer, so I helped Mursha first, slowly dragging the baby delicately, making sure it wouldnt get stuck or something. Uweeehh! Uwaaarrgh! The baby started screaming the moment I pulled him out, cutting the umbilical cord swiftly and then healing the wound left behind. I immediately realized it was a girl, and her skin, unlike her mother, was of a much clearer green color, like green apples, rather than her mothers dark green, which could be similar to the color of cucumbers. She already came with the recognizable orcish tusks; they were tiny though and very cute; her eyes were rainbow; and her short hair was silvery-white with some red strands. Above all, her skin was covered in a few silver and red tattoos from birth, apparently the manifestation of some ability from the Blood Fang Tribe. My baby! Youre so adorable and big! Look, she has your eyes! Yes, I know, shes cute. Mursha looked incredibly happy, crying while holding our child. She embraced the baby and quickly let her drink milk. Aahh Ugh! As I saw Fiery Hair clenching her teeth and pushing, I went to help her, quickly dragging her huge baby out; it was at least a bit bigger than even our half-orc child with Mursha.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Uwaaahh! Waaahhh! It cried just as loudly, and it was... Oh, its a boy this time! Boy! Yes! Fiery Hair seemed to be secretly hoping for a boy, it seemed. I analyzed the boy as I helped her give birth to him; he looked strong, his physique was already big for some reason, he had rainbow eyes, and also his hair was silvery-white like mine, but it resembled more like her own mothers hair, resembling white flames instead of red flames. The boys skin wasnt as charcoal-dark as Fiery Hair though, the same thing that happened with the half-orc girl. It seems that when our genes are combined, the children tend to be born with clearer skin. His skin was more on the bright gray side, leaning towards clear brown; it was hard to explain. I also noticed that there was a small silver horn on his forehead. Where did that come from? Is it because of me? I guess Ive absorbed demonic powers, so maybe that somehow influenced him? I never took that into consideration. But oh my gosh, he was so adorable! As he cried loudly and waved his little fists around, Fiery Hair gently held him with her big, muscular arms, smiling at him with fascination. Wooow! Baby, so healthy! Lovely! I love it! I love it! My babyyy! Treasure! She kept praising the child until she let him drink milk. The formation didnt come undone yet, as it continued the same way for a little while more to strengthen the mothers defenses and stamina. As I saw my two little new treasures drink milk while looking sleepier, I smiled, walking out of the room after I noticed Mursha and Fiery Hair had fallen asleep. Mama, mama! Orion and Athena were calling for me the moment I walked out. Were they born? Our little siblings?! I giggled, patting their heads. "Yes, they were born just fine; dont worry. But for now, its better not to bother them, alright? Theyve just been born. O-Okay! Aww Orion and Athena looked a bit disappointed; they really wanted to meet the babies and already interact and play with them. The experience of having two little siblings was completely new and unique to them after all, so they felt very excited. Lets go have breakfast with the family; we have to give the news to everyone. We walked towards the living room where my mother, my sister, and Juan were there, and I explained to them what had happened; they were rather excited to see the new babies too. As we had a bountiful breakfast, I quickly prepared a big meal for Mursha and Fiery Hair, bringing it to them once they began waking up from the hunger they felt. Producing nutritional milk for our children to drink must also take a toll on their bodies, so I decided to prepare them meals packed with calories, vitamins, carbohydrates, sugars, and calcium. Oh wow, what a feast! Mursha said happily, beginning to eat the fried rice with bear meat, lesser phoenix meat, and giant river shrimps, alongside lots of veggies. Nom, nom, nom! Gulp! She ended up eating a whole bowl of it in mere seconds and instantly went for the various sandwiches with giant burgers or roasted chicken breasts. Fiery Hair, meanwhile, was finishing to eat a whole roasted golden chicken, drinking a lot of Heaven Mountain goat milk, warmed up and with honey. Phew! Delicious! Fiery Hair was so hungry! She sighed in relief, all while still feeding our boy. More meat, that big one! This? Of course. I nodded, giving her a large piece of meata whole mountain bear leg roasted with spices and fruit juices. She ate it happily. Here, please drink this milk as well, Mursha, I said, giving her the goat milk with honey. Itll make your own milk more nutritious as well. Ooh! Okay! Mursha instantly chugged down the milk, sighing in relief. Phew! Hmm! It was so creamy and sweet! She said, happily licking her lips. As they ate, I ended up joining them and eating some desserts myself. We decided to talk about the babies and their future. It seems these two have also inherited a lot of your traits, Bing Xue; its amazing how theyre always born with your hair and eye colors, haha! Mursha giggled. Ive never seen an orc this pretty, though! Our girl might be the prettiest orc out there! Hehehe! What are you saying? I guess you havent seen yourself in a mirror, Mursha? I laughed. There was already a beautiful orc before our baby was born. A-Ahaha, come on, flirting with me even after giving birth, you little! Come here! Mursha got embarrassed, giggling while kissing my cheek. What name should we give our baby? asked Fiery Hair. Thought about a few ideas But still considering them Hmm, what do you have in mind? I asked her. How about Silver Hair! said Fiery Hair. Because his hair is silver! A-Ah Well, I guess thats the way it is with your tribe, I nodded. I suppose I like it a bit, but What about other parts of his body that could create a name? Hmm Fiery Hair was thinking. Rainbow Eyes! Rainbow Eyes I muttered. Huh, I guess thats an interesting name. I should respect her culture and her naming conventions. She really wants to name him in these ways, and I dont want to disappoint her or offend her culture. Also, I love her a lot, so I kind of will go with whatever she wants. Wife doesnt like it? Fiery Hair wondered, looking a bit sad. Maybe we can give another name that wife likes? Oh no, its not like that, I smiled, caressing her big hand. I think its a wonderful name that reflects his big characteristic! Lets go with that name. Really?! So happy! Thank you, wife! She said happily, smooching my face. As Fiery Hair celebrated, I noticed Mursha was in deep thinking as well. Im also thinking about a name myself; I havent considered the options completely, said Mursha. But I also want to give her a good name. I suppose an orcish name would work this time? Orcish name I said. What ideas do you have in mind? Hmm, I was thinking of We continued talking for hours and hours about names, what would be of these babies in the future, and more. Ultimately, the day ended with Orion and Athena coming to see their siblings; Hekita also came along. So cuteeee! Athena was waging her tail happily, touching the sleeping babies faces with her fingers. So small~! Uwaaah! Babies! Ooh, I got a brother too? wondered Orion. Nice! Hell become my sparring partner then! He looked excited. Waah! Waah! Rainbow Eyes seemed playful, moving his little hands around as he saw Orion and suddenly grabbing his tail when Orion didnt realize. Ouch! Ah! His grip is strong! cried Orion. L-Let go! Orion ended up dragging his tail back as he sighed in relief. Orion, be kind with your little brother, okay? I asked. Please be nice, said Fiery Hair. Know Orion is a good boy. So I trust Orion. Be good brother for Rainbow Eyes, okay? Rainbow Eyes, thats his name? wondered Orion. Sounds cool! Okay auntie! Ill do my best as a big brother! Please be nicer with little Kalana, said Mursha. Shes quite shy compared to Rainbow Eyes. Uuh Kalana glanced at Athena shyly, and then she moved back to Mursha, rubbing her face on her chest; she didnt want to see anybody. Shes indeed shy, hehehe! Athena giggled. Dont worry, Auntie, well treat her well! As the children giggled happily to meet their little siblings, I couldnt help but smile. My family was growing bigger, and with these four little rascals, things were bound to get wild. But I couldnt be happier! Whatever happens from now on, despite how insane it is, Ill face it together with my family. ----- Chapter 190: The Darkness Lurking In Mars ----- The desolate red desert-covered surface of Mars was completely dry, with no water and barely any atmosphere at all. The air, if any, was thin. There was no oxygen whatsoever, and the temperatures were incredibly low. Any human would instantly die, immediately collapsing due to the lack of several different necessities, the primary one being oxygen, and the secondary one being the incredibly low temperatures this planet goes through. But there was a single man on the surface, walking through it in silence. It has only been a day since he arrived on Earth, but he had instantly come to Mars instead, completely uncaring of what was happening on the surface of Earth. He was no mere man; however, his skin was dark green, his eyes lacked pupils, being completely red and big, and his body was rather muscular and bigger than any average human size. He wore clothes composed of red belts wrapped around his body, covering most of the surface of his body; alongside that, there was a black cape. His sharp eyes squinted as he walked through the desolate desert, ultimately reaching an empty area; a huge crater was left behind. He glanced down at the crater, noticing that any vestige of what he was looking for was long gone, destroyed by the winds of Mars over eons. So they didnt survive in here either. The man sighed, kneeling and touching the ground of the planet. To any person, this would feel weird, but to him, it felt right at homethe smell of this dirt, the dryness it had, the red skies He started crying a couple of tears, covering the dry surface of Mars with water for the first time in millions of years. Is there a timeline, a universe where we made it? He sighed, feeling completely devastated. Every timeline. Every universe. His people suffered the same fate. Extinction. The Martians that once populated Mars, creating a beautiful and prosperous civilization, were no more. Could the ruins underground be safe, however? He regained some hope, the same way he was the last survivor, someone who had been cryogenically asleep through thousands of years since the Martians Civilization fell underground. When he woke up back then, he found out nobody else but him was alive, every single Martian was gone, and even the ruins of his civilization were slowly fading away. He clenched his teeth tightly as he gathered psychic energies within his hand, creating an invisible aura resembling a bubble. BAAAM! He hit the craters center with it, creating countless cracks, opening the way to what seemed to be the ruined ceiling of an old temple underground. There! He jumped down without hesitation, reaching the ruins beneath and looking around, hoping to find something, or perhaps someone. Even another version of himself would make him happy, despite him being unable to ever find that possibility amongst the many universes he had accidentally visited with his companions. He walked across the ruins, showcasing paintings and writings on the walls, technology merged with the earth and the dirt of the planet, and powered by psychic powersthe ancient relics that the Martians created. He tried activating the entire ruin as he walked; only flickering lights sometimes appeared, but the entire place was too ruined. Ah! His eyes widened, however, the moment he saw a large room with several cryogenic capsules, which activated once he released his psychic powers. He rushed there, infusing his energies into the capsules and opening them to find if there were any survivors from the cataclysm. No However, as the capsules opened, he only found dried mummies, skeletons, or nothing. No, no, no! He started screaming, hitting the ground in frustration; the only thing remaining of them were their corpses, dried and slowly turning into ashes. Why Why! He kept screaming and crying as his memories constantly flashed through his mind. Of her beautiful smile. Of her lovely voice. Of her dreams and hopes for the future. As they struggled to continue living, as the great cataclysm swallowed the world and its life Karel Lets go together. And the two entered the cryogenic capsules, waiting for the worst to end and for them to wake up in a future where they could rebuild things together. Yet Misak! Is there a universe where youre alive?! As he sighed, slowly calming down and sitting, he suddenly Heard something, footsteps. Huh?! He gasped in disbelief, his eyes glaring towards the direction where he heard something.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Someone was moving! Or something He slowly stood back up, his Psychic Energy manifesting as spheres of transparent light around his body, constantly rotating. Could it be Scavengers? he wondered. Or survivors? He was afraid of speaking, Scavengers were dangerous interplanetary groups of aliens that wandered from planet to planet, robbing the tombs of ancient, fallen civilizations. In his original timeline, he had fought quite a few of these groups trying to rob the tombs of his people, and every time they seemed to be a serious threat, their strength and technology couldnt be easily looked down. Karel slowly walked through the corridors, following the footsteps he had heard and, through his special eyes, the leftover heat produced by these living beings. There He looked the other way through one of the corridors, noticing somethinga long, green-scaled tail wagging and then moving forward. A tail? Theyre not Martians, dammit! He felt frustrated but followed them anyway. If they were Scavengers he was going to take care of them to honor his people and protect what remains of them. As he kept chasing this being, he eventually heard it walking down towards a huge hall, a large area that was once populated by many people. At the center, there was a dried spring and many pieces of abandoned technology. Huh? Stealthily and by covering himself with his psychic energies, he became invisible, slowly walking there and hiding behind a huge pilar. Gryak! Gryak! Grekiack! Grukah! Greekh? Grrrrhhh! His eyes widened as he saw dozens of large, three-meter-tall, and muscular reptilian beings; they were humanoid in appearance, but with the heads of dinosaurs. They had long tails, some even had gigantic wings, and they possessed monstrously strong golden and green auras, an otherworldly energy Karel had never sensed before within these monsters. They were talking in their strange dialect, which could be heard like sharp groans and clicks of their tongues; they seemed to be rather civilized; despite looking like they were fighting, they held long conversations without any physical fight. Karel also noticed the technology they wielded, highly advanced, and one of such designs he had never seen before! What is this? Who are these people?! And why are they on Mars? FLUOSH! And then he heard a loud noise. He glanced deeper into the hall, noticing something that utterly shook him. A gray portal, spiraling around, enormous in size. And from there, more of these reptilian, dinosaur-headed beings entered, looking around, using their technology to seemingly calculate the trajectory of this portal and where it could lead them. T-This is... the same portal that brought us to this timeline?! How from where these reptiles are coming from? Karel slowly stepped back, realizing the enormous quantity of these beings, which now amounted to the hundreds; it was utterly hopeless to remain here. I have to escape and go back with my comrades; as long as Galaxy Man is with me, we have a chance to You, the one hiding. Come out and show yourself. Ugh?! Suddenly, Karel vomited blood as he felt an intense and powerful psychic force impact his brain and entire body, almost leaving him paralyzed. Alongside it came that voice, the voice of a woman. His invisibility instantly dispelled itself, as he realized he was surrounded by dozens of these reptilian beings. They pointed their claws and tails at him; they didnt even need to use weapons; their bodies were tremendously powerful on their own. Bring him to me. Her voice echoed within his mind and the minds of the reptilians as they quickly attempted to grab him. Ngh! Unhand me! Karel screamed furiously as he unleashed his psychic powers against them, throwing the reptilians away with powerful shockwaves. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! However, they slowly stood back up, looking slightly worn down but fine. I used enough power to kill them, yet theyre alive?! Gryaakah! The furious reptilians attacked him, and Karel constantly attempted to kill them, using his psychic energies to crush their bodies or attempt to cut through space to crush them. However, the reptilians survived; they were being wounded though, bleeding here and there; one of them had their arms dislocated. Eventually, though, they got him. Hahh Uuggh! They dragged him in front of the portal, and he saw as there was someone sitting on a throne right in front of him, a reptilian with the head of a viper, her head adorned with colorful feathers. Her scales were also different, of white color, differentiating herself from the rest of her crew, who were mostly green scaled. Her eyes, too, were gold. Her aura was different to them too; like Karel, she possessed Psychic Powers. She was an Esper. Hm, youre indeed a very strange being, she smiled. Youre not like the primitive monkeys Youre green like my kind; your eyes are red? And your internal biology! Very different, yes. Your brain has also been incredibly developed to the point youve managed to tap into the Esper Dimension as well? And I thought me and my family were the only ones superior enough to achieve Esper Awakening. Despite talking like the other reptilians through her mouth, Karel could clearly hear her voice inside of his head. You Who are you?! screamed Karel. What are you doing in the ruins of my people?! Leave LEAVE AT ONCE! Graack! One of the reptilians, the largest of them with the head of a triceratops, kicked Karels head, making him groan in pain. Argh! Thats enough, the female reptilian said. She slowly stood up, walking towards the man, as her tail moved around, wrapping around his neck. You ask who we are and how we got here? I mean, isnt it quite obvious that we dont belong in your pitiful timeline, green man? We were able to teleport to this universe through the Gray Portal that appeared inside of our capital, the one we built above this world. That world beneath was simply too wild for us, a civilized race. We left the monkeys to their own barbaric tendencies, and we created a metropolis in this desolate and desertic planet. We gave it life, we gave it a sky, and we gave it an ocean. Through our technology, we made it a paradise Yet from one time to another, gray portals appeared, several of our kindred had been teleported away, and we entered in great panic. Gray Portals like those? Martian asked. This means So you come from another timeline too, not the same where I came from Ugh What are your intentions?! Shut up and listen, she said, tightly pressing her tail around his neck, making him slightly asphyxiated. At first we panicked, but with our great technology, weve learned how these portals work, and through the manipulation of Time and Space Particles, weve managed to reverse engineer them and control those portals after we built large Quantum Gates around them. Can you guess whats next? After we found this beautiful new universe, this world full of new energies weve never seen before What do you think comes next? For our glorious race? Y-You! Martian groaned, gritting his teeth. Dont you dare go to Earth! You damn monsters, Galaxy Man is there; hell destroy all of you! Galaxy Man, hm? The woman giggled. How interesting For hundreds of years, weve been trying to find the perfect vessels for our God; our technology and even my family were not compatible. They required something more. And in this world, we might finally find what we need for his descent. Be honored; the descent of his great Divinity, Feros-Saurus, is coming. And with him, we will reach great prosperity. What kind of bullshit are you talking about?! This is madness; whatever youre going to do, stop right now orAARGH! However, Martian was instantly stopped, a psychic power taking over his mind completely, as the female reptilian saw through his mind and memories. Ah, poor little Martian, youve had it rough She caressed his chin as he looked in a dazzle. Worry not; your suffering will end today. Rejoice! My God has chosen you as one of his vessels. Ugh?! UUAAARRGGH! The Martian screamed as he saw a massive cloud of gold and green color manifest from within the womans body, rapidly wrapping his body and entering through his mouth and nostrils. FLUOSH! Slowly, his mind was completely overtaken, and his body possessed. As he stopped convulsing, Martian suddenly grew silent, slowly standing up, his body having changed out of nowhere. Sharp green scales grew over his arms and legs, long black claws adorned his nail-less fingers now, and a pair of white horns grew from his forehead, at the same time as his eyes, which became reptilian. Yes This body is good. This is what I needed! A body without Primal Power, an empty, completely blank slate for my Divine Soul to inhabit! As he spoke with a much more serious and louder voice, the female reptilian kneeled before him, and so did the rest of the reptilians. We are rejoiced to finally witness your descent, oh Great Primal God of Dinosaurs. Well done, Bloodclaw, my dear priestess. Youve done good But this isnt near enough. I require more vessels. More otherworldly power. Yes The group we sent to the blue planet has found just what youre looking for, oh great lord. Excellent. ----- Chapter 191: The Wild Brats ----- Waeeeh! Waaaheee! Waaah! Nwoo! Rainbow Eyes and Kalana were playing around in the garden, using little sticks they picked up and pretending they were swords or maybe big clubs. They were quite adorable, truth be told, and even after a month of accelerated growth, giving them the appearance of children over a year of age, they were already running around dexterously. Their bodies were well developed, growing larger than most kids their age. I think Orion and Athena werent as big as they were at this age at all, because despite their age, they looked to be over three years of age already. Mostly in appearances, the big bodies of orcs and the primal humans develop faster and become larger by nature, so they will become even larger adults once they actually grow up fully. It was a bit ironic that their younger siblings might end up looking older than them in the future, but I dont think Orion and Athena minded. Gotcha! Little Rainbow Eyes caught Kalana, who was running away from him and then jumped over her. Kalama quickly pushed him away, as she had a lot of strength herself, and then made him roll around the garden. Heheh! Gotcha! They were already learning several new words but couldnt quite make complete sentences like my other babies; despite that, they were developing very fast. Nuuuhh! Nuuuh! Rainbow Eyes was a sore loser, complaining as he started hitting the ground while trying to free himself from Kalana climbing his back. Heheh! Heheh! Gotcha! Nooohhh! Nouuh! At the end, Rainbow Eyes dropped his sister after standing up. Kalana hit her head into the ground but quickly stood back up like nothing. Heheh! At first I was worried of how rough these two played, unlike Orion and Athena, who were more delicately playful and only did playful bites and scratches like dog puppies. Orcs and Primal Human children like playing rough since theyre born. I tried to stop them quite a couple of times in their first days, but Mursha and Fiery Hair stopped me, saying that the kids like playing rough and that theyre very tough, so nothing bad will happen to them either way. Its just how we orc children are, Mursha shrugged. Its our instinct to pick up mock fights since were babies. I used to do the same, but there werent any kids when I was a child, so I used to just play with mom and dad instead. Kalana is lucky she got a lot of siblings. Babies like playing! Let them play, said Fiery Hair. Tougher than rocks! Theyll be fine! A-Alright then I nodded. I was at fault for not knowing very well their morphology and culture, and also their instincts. Despite being very humanoid, they at the end arent the completely the same humans I know. Mama! Mamaaaa! Mamamama! As I was glancing at them, I noticed Kalana running towards me and hugging my legs. Hm? Whats wrong, my dear? Did you find something interesting? I kneeled, kissing her little forehead and caressing her hair. Wook! Wook! She showed me something she grabbed around the gardena huge black beetle. Waw wis? Whats this? Oh, this is a beetle! A bug! Bugo! Nam! Then she opened her mouth and ate it whole. Nam, nam, nam! Ewww And then she spit it into the ground; it wasnt tasty. Haha, dont eat bugs like that, Kalana, dear; they arent tasty like mamas dishes. Ewww! Bleegh She made a very wrinkly face as she spit all the things inside her mouth. I sighed as I giggled a bit. Haah Hahah, come on here; let me wash your mouth. Open your mouth. Aaaahh!The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. She opened her mouth obediently, as I quickly conjured some water by manipulating the Heaven and Earth Element of my Inner Realm and washed her mouth with it. Now spit. Pwah! Oh wow! Bitew now mowe! Here, eat some fruit. Dont eat bugs, alright? Oway! The little, green-skinned baby girl grabbed a few strawberries I gave her, and she ate them; they were sweet, and she loved them. Whos my little cute green apple? I giggled, caressing her little head and kissing her forehead and nose once more; she was too adorable to resist. Gween apwe! she said, hugging me and rubbing her face on my chest. Nam! Before playfully biting my neck. Nam, nam, nam! Raarr! Hahah! Are you imitating your brother Orion now? I giggled. I can play rough too! Raarr! Nam! I quickly bit her little neck gently as she giggled, tickling her. Hehehe! Hehehe! Then she started climbing my body, grabbing my hair, and pulling it around. Hahaha! Mamamamama! By the heavens, this girls crazy! I sighed. Athena was so much calmer. Come on now, dont be rough with your mama! I said, giggling anyways. Come here, you! Gyaah! Hehehe! I grabbed her and dragged her to the flowers, where I attacked her by tickling her little green belly; she giggled while giving me kicks and punches. Hya! Hayayayay! She attacked as if it were a natural instinct of her! Mursha is so calm I couldnt have guessed her kind had fighting in their nature since theyre babies. Hahaha! Youre one of a kind, my dear! Do you ever get tired at all? Nwooo! She stood up and began running around me. Kawana! Kawanaaaa! Ohhh! And then Rainbow Eyes showed up; the cute and handsome boy with long flame-like silver hair appeared. Muma! She ran towards me and greeted me. I hope you didnt eat bugs like your sister? Buwgs I ate! Haahh Okay, as long as they arent bad for you, its ok. I couldnt stop them from playing and eating anything they wanted; I mean, Orion and Athena did the same too. Theyre much calmer and smarter now, but theyre still children that like playing as well. Alright, lets play! I said. Wanna play with your mama? Yeeeeeeehhh! Rainbow Eyes started jumping happily. Pway! Pway! Kalana also did the same. The two were grabbing my dress and dragging it around however they wanted; they were sure strong. Okay, okay, stop dragging your mothers dress everywhere, hahaha! I laughed. Lets play Chase the prey! Ill become your prey, and youre the hunters Oooh! Rainbow Eyes nodded. Oway! I want to! I want to! Prey? Mama? Kalana asked. Alright. I floated away and then stood up far away. Come at me and try to catch me! Whoever manages to catch me gets a delicious dessert of whatever they want! I said. Hehehe! Hahah! Okay! The two ran towards me immediately after I said that their Auras exploding with tremendous power, instinctively boosting their movement speed with a short burst. FLASH! My baby Kalana appeared by my left side; her Aura was of crimson color, as strong as the red of blood itself, shaping as some sort of muscular ogre behind her. FLASH! My boy Rainbow Eyes emerged from behind me, his Aura resembling a blazing dragon made of silver flames coiling around his body. Both of them had very unique auras already, and so strong! Yet FLASH! I disappeared in a second, as they ended hitting the ground instead. Mama? Wewe? Rainbow Eyes wondered. Ah! Mamaaa! Kalana pointed at the distance. I was floating above the skies, looking at them from thirty meters above the ground. Can you catch me from all the way here, babies? I smiled, provoking them to release more of their power and catch me. Yesh! Heheh! Their auras gathered within their bodies, erupting in an instant and propelling them all the way to the skies. RUMBLE! Woooaaah! Woahahaha! They giggled while realizing the extent of their power, reaching me as they extended their little hands to catch me. Heh, not yet~ FLASH! However, I disappeared in that instant, appearing in the ground fifty meters from them. Hereee! Catch me! I waved my hand at them, as the two immediately jumped down towards me the moment they saw me, their auras growing larger as an attempt to adjust to my speed. Mamaaaaaaa! Ehehe! Hehehe! They were both adorable and deadly! BAAAAMM!!! With a tremendous landing attack, both attempted to catch me, leaving a small crater in the garden instead and red and silver flames everywhere. Nuh-huh! Try again! I was right above them. Their eyes widened, instantly rushing towards me with tremendous, herculean strength. RUMBLE! The ground shook once more; countless cracks spread everywhere as they attempted to reach me by jumping from the floor, shattering it by doing so. FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! However, every time they were about to get me, I moved quickly, almost looking like I teleported, appearing above, below, to their left or right sides, behind, or sometimes farther at the front. Mama! Nwot faif! Rainbow Eyes got angry, glaring at me by furrowing his adorable, thick eyebrows. His silver horn grew longer out of nowhere as his power strengthened. Hmph! Kalana also got angry, groaning as her eyes reddened, her hair grew longer, waving around as her aura transformed, becoming clearer; it resembled a huge, muscular, red-skinned orc woman with multiple arms. Oh wow, theyre truly strong this time too! While Orion and Athena were more magical and speedy fighters, Kalana and Rainbow Eyes were completely physical fighters, inborn with gifted, herculean physiques. Heheh, this is getting interesting! Alright, my dear babies, give your mama everything youve got! I said, provoking them. Come! RAAAAHH! HYAAAAH! My two little treasures rushed towards me like small meteors, clashing against me with tremendous force, yet the only thing they actually hit was an afterimage using my aura instead. Im here. I was above them. GGRHH! WE WONA GETCHA! They were furious! But at the same time, they looked very entertained; they had to exercise and have fun after all. They rushed towards me, constantly destroying the garden of beautiful flowers. They left huge craters whenever they jumped or fell from the sky, while I evaded them constantly. Eventually, I let them catch me to finish the game and not make them mad. BOOOM! Although when they caught me, the accumulated force of their aura hit me like two nukes at once It generated a gigantic explosion, completely destroying the garden. Ah, goodness, Ill have to repair this. Nonetheless, I was fine. Mamamama! Heheheh! Kalana and Rainbow Eyes giggled, feeling accomplished; they got me. Well done! Are you ready for some tasty dessert? I said, as I quickly held them both with my arms, carrying them as my babies. I waw, I waw, chocowate! said Kalana, nodding. Hmmm Meawt! nodded Rainbow Eyes, licking his lips. Meat is not a dessert, ahah, I giggled. But sure, if thats what you want, well give you more meat. They developed sharp teeth and strong mandibles after a week, and they started eating meat nonstop since then; they are really good at digesting it easily too, and Mursha and Fiery Hair just told me to give them a big chunk for them to bite on for the day. Lunch is ready, but what the hell happened here? Mursha wondered, walking in as I repaired the garden. ----- Chapter 192: Family Bath ----- Big explosions? Rainbow Eyes is fine? wondered Fiery Hair. "Yeah, theyre ok, I giggled. We played chase, and they got a bit too heated up, but nothing terrible happened! Thankfully, everyone else was not in the garden at this moment, as I decided to take care of these two treasures this morning. Mommyyyyyy! Kalana jumped off me and reached Mursha in an instant, hugging her. Hehe, so eager to see your mommy? giggled Mursha. Oh wow, youve gotten bigger already? And look at your Aura! So strong! Mamas so proud! Mooch, mooch, mooch! she started kissing Kalana all over her face. Muma! and Rainbow Eyes did the same with Fiery Hair, who caught him in midair. Mweat! You want to eat meat, baby? wondered Fiery Hair, caressing his hair. Mama made tons of meat, so everyone can eat meat together! Youre so big and strong, Rainbow Eyes! Mama proud. Muma bwig! When I bwig? Rainbow Eyes asked. Hmm, maybe in another month! said Fiery Hair. Rainbow Eyes'' big already. Big and strong! Heheh! Bwig and stwong! Rainbow Eyes really loved his mother. It was so wholesome. I was literally melting away And that wasnt everything; two more beautiful, adorable babies were coming here. Mama, were back! Athena called. We brought a big haul today too! Orion said. The two children came from the skies, flying using their powerful Auras, their mothers, Urbosa and Merkite, came alongside them. They were all carrying gigantic fish they caught in the nearby lake, which was as big as a small ocean, full of dangerous beings. They sure love swimming! laughed Urbosa. Orion, dear, let me wash you first, alright? But it doesnt matter if Im wet, mom, Orion said. "Yeah, but you smell like fish! So we have to wash you; come here, boy! Urbosa quickly dragged our boy to the bathroom. Uweeh! I dont want to take a bath againnnn! Orion complained. "Athena, lets go as well, Merkite caressed her head, petting her. Lets take a quick bath. Okay! Ill wash your fur, mama! said Athena. Oh! Why doesnt everyone join? I bet Rainbow Eyes and Kalana are all sweaty after they left this huge mess! Haha, I agree, shall we? I asked. Sure! nodded Mursha. I was feeling like taking a warm bath; I missed mine this morning. Yes! Fiery Hair nodded. Time to wash you, Rainbow Eyes! Nwooooo! Rainbow Eyes complained instantly. Bath! Bath! Bath! Meanwhile, Kalana threw away all her clothes and ran butt-naked to the bathroom. W-Wait, Kalana! Mursha followed her. Theres other people in the house! This family is indeed quite something. And I would never replace it for anything else. SPLASH! Kalana and Rainbow Eyes started splashing water everywhere in the bathroom, grabbing buckets of water and throwing them at one another. They had some good rivalry going on, but perhaps they should just take a bath in peace instead Thats enough! No more playing around inside the bathroom, alright? I quickly stopped the water from splashing everywhere as bubbles of water floated around the bath, then I quickly directed them towards the babies, washing them over thoroughly.Stolen story; please report. Woow Wow! Instead of getting angry or sad, they were surprised I could do that; though, I didnt expect that reaction, but Im glad they arent mad. Bing Xue is right; dont fight or play while taking a bath or while eating, said Mursha. Theyre rules that you must ALWAYS respect, alright, Kalana? Oway mama! Kalana nodded as she let Mursha wash her long hair. I wanted to help too! However, I noticed Fiery Hair was still trying to catch Rainbow Eyes, so I went for the boy first. Come here, Rainbow Eyes! Dont do bad things; please be a good kid! said Fiery Hair, sighing as she saw Rainbow Eyes beginning to crawl around the walls the moment my eyes were away from the rascal. Come here, I said, as he suddenly stopped moving, floating towards me out of nowhere. Uwaah?! Woah! W-Whaw This is the power of mamas Immortal Authority! I giggled. Little rascals cant escape the power of a mother. Gyaaah! As he complained, Fiery Hair and I washed him thoroughly, soap on his entire body, then warm water splashed on him, then we washed his armpits, and then finally his long hair. Hmm He was a bit grumpy, crossing his arms cutely while complaining in silence, fully knowing he couldnt escape us now that we got him. What beautiful hair! Look how cute it is! I said, washing it thoroughly using high-quality oils made using materials from my Inner Realm, the same oils I used to keep my hair as good as it is. So very shiny! Fiery Hair nodded, caressing his hair as we washed it with the oil. Very handsome boy! Hmm Rainbow Eyes slowly got a bit happier; we were praising him so much, and then we washed his hair, and we were done. At the same time, I saw Orion and Athena happily washing their mothers fur. Because Urbosa and Merkite had fur over their entire bodies, they had to use the oil for the entire body. Mommy is so fluffy! said Athena, washing Merkites back and then her big ears and tail. Heheh, Ill wash your fur as well, Athena; come here, Merkite giggled as she quickly washed Athenas big, fluffy white tail, her cute ears, her long white hair, and the fur around her arms, legs, and neck. So soft and white! Youre like a doll, my dear daughter. Hehehe, is that so? giggled Athena as she wagged her tail cutely. I discovered that their kind doesnt always just wag it due to sexual excitement, sometimes just by means of happiness or when theyre embarrassed. I guess Merkite and Urbosa told me that back then so I would instantly know what they meant by wagging it... back then, but now that I see children doing it as well, it doesnt make much sense. SPLASH! Big sis, that was cold water! Orion complained as Hekita giggled, washing him with a big bucket of very cold water, making the boy tremble for a bit. Hehehe! Sorry, but you needed to cool down, Orion; also, you should stop disliking taking baths! But I dont like it! Mom said that our tribe didnt use to take baths every day that we washed in the river, like, once a month! Right? Ah, that was in archaic times, Orion Even our tribe living on the first floor takes baths regularly, several times a week at least. Urbosa said. Come on, boy, let us wash your hair. Eek! Nooo! Orion complained, but at the end his big sister and his mother ended washing his hair. What pretty hair youve got! said Urbosa. It almost reminds me of the shiny hair that future version of you had Future version? Oh right! You said I came from the future?! Was I handsome? Orion wondered. We mentioned this event a couple of weeks ago. Orion was shocked at first to learn about another version of himself from the future, but more than anything, he just wanted to meet him and see how cool he would look when hes an adult. "Yeah, you were, giggled her mother. And incredibly strong! How strong? Orion wondered; he was distracted with this, so Hekita rapidly washed his arms and legs and the fur in them. Very strong I said. He was stronger than me in raw power. Oooh?! Really? Ill become stronger than Mama! No way! Orion was excited. I cant wait to become a grownup! We havent told him about why he came from the future, and about the world, and about all the people that his version of the future lost, though. We thought it was too much for the young boy, but at the very least, we didnt want to keep it a secret he came from the future because, once our vacations end, hell most likely meet him one way or another. As two versions of the same people from different timelines, theyre connected; their fate is entwined. Eventually, they will meet; they could connect and become like brothers. Or they could end up fighting and trying to take one anothers lives. Maybe Im being paranoid, but thats a possibility within my calculations. The Orion from the future is a wildcard. I know that his heart is in the right place. I know Or maybe I want to believe I know. I want to believe he has good intentions, whatever they are. But for now, until he does something, I cant completely judge him. So lets not think about this in this heartwarming moment. I dont think youll become quite like him when you grow up, brother, said Hekita. Youll probably become much different! Eeeh? Why! Whats different between the two of us? asked Orion. I glanced at Hekita, panicking as I thought she would say the thing about the future. However Because youre too spoiled! Hekita giggled, grabbing his face and pulling it. You will grow like a spoiled little brat! Hahah! Eeeugh! S-Shtop! Orion cried as he started biting Hekitas hands. Ouch! Hey brat! Who do you think youre biting? Respect your big sister! Hekita roared as she started biting Orion too. Raarr! Graarr! They were just playing though, but it was cute. Yeah, Hekita is not wrong; our Orion will grow much different than the one from the future. He might not become someone so bitter and so deep in despair and madness. I will make sure he becomes a bright young man, someone who looks into the future with hopeful eyes. And then, when the time comes and the two meet... I am sure that my boy will do the right thing and guide his future version back to the right path. ----- Guess what?! New Illustration! Bing Xue''s wives and children in a family photo styled illustration. Can you tell who each character is? Chapter 193: The Lost Rangers ----- RUMBLE! Prepare yourselves, Dekai Gaorangers! Your end is nigh! The city of Tokyo trembled as explosions echoed through the entire Shibuya district. Buildings collapsed one after another as people screamed and ran away. A gigantic battle between two massive behemoths occurred in this very instant as two massive monsters, one mechanical and the other made of flesh and bone, clashed. We will never give up, Demon King Zenith! Our bonds give us strength! The city of Tokyo, we must protect it! More damage than this cannot be tolerated! Everyone! Dont give up! The giant protecting the people, and the buildings was a massive mechanical behemoth, composed of several machines unified as one, each one resembling a mighty beast of a different color. Unified, they became the mighty Brave Gaoyusha, a giant of over three hundred meters of height, tasked with the protection of Tokyo and all of Japan from the monstrous Xeno Beasts, powerful aliens that came to conquer Earth. With the right harm of a blue dolphin with a sharp spear-like hand, the left arm of a green elephant with a long whip-like trunk, the left leg of a black panther and the right leg of a cheetah for the best mobility, a torso made out of the mighty red lion, and the head of a pink flamingo. They create the ultimate warrior of humanity. The Mighty Brave Gaoyusha! This world shall belong to the Xeno Beasts, you stupid fools! And theres nothing you can do to stop us! Japan is only the beginning! The rest of Asia, Europe, Africa, and America! Itll all be ours! Humans shall go extinct as we stomp them like ants! And the one fighting them was one of the Demon Kings that had arrived from outer space, the third in command of the Xeno Beasts, the powerful Demon King Zenith, conqueror of dozens of planets. His gigantic humanoid body resembled a massively muscular man with six gigantic arms, gray skin covered on metallic black scales, a long tail with the head of a snake, and his head resembling a black lion. Easily surpassing three hundred meters of height, Demon King Zenith possessed tremendous physical prowess, capable of destroying entire cities in his wake. But that wasnt everything! Now perish! He pointed all six of his arms at the heroes within the machine, the Dekai Gaorangers, once normal humans that were chosen by Deus Ex Machina, the subconscious Divinity born from humanitys belief in any god, to command the Deus Ex Beasts, relics of an ancient civilization that landed on Earth long ago and defend the planet. TRUUUM! A massive sphere of pure Void and Darkness materialized within Demon King Zeniths claws, and as he fired it against the mighty Brave Gaoyusha, the Dekai Gaorangers readied themselves, infusing their will and belief into the machine, powering it up with their emotions. It wont work, you evildoer! Lets go together! As one! Their wills converged into a gigantic golden shield made from the Deus Ex Beasts, and with the head of a roaring lion, the beam clashed with immense might. BOOOM! The ruined city around them crumbled down, becoming nothing but ashes before the gigantic explosion. The shield resisted, but it quickly shattered into pieces. Brave Gaoyusha, meanwhile, collapsed into the ground. Uugh! We fell! Dammit, get up, quickly! Aarrgh! Hes coming! The Gaorangers panicked as they saw Zenith approach them rapidly; the mighty Brave Gaoyusha quickly stood up again. We need something stronger; his scales deflect all our attacks! the yellow Gaoranger said. We should conjure the mighty Heroic Sword then! said the red Gaoranger. Everyone, unify your Emotions! Their powers converged, and as the Gaoyusha machine rose its hands, suddenly thunder from the skies descended, materializing into a gigantic golden sword. RUMBLE! Hm?! Zenith glared at the scene, his six eyes squinting as his stoic, expressionless face changed into a slight surprise, his eyes revealing a hint of shock. Thats the Heroic Sword?! How did you?! Zenith muttered. That is the prize of my retainer, Fallen Knight Zenos! Zenos succumbed to us long ago, Zenith! the red Gaoranger said. And we took his corrupted sword, bringing it back to the light it was originally born from! Tch! You will give back that treasure to me! Zenith rushed forward, his Aura erupting as darkness encompassed almost the entire city. {Shadow Meteors}! His massive fists reached Gaoyusha, unleashing tremendous explosive attack with each punch, resembling meteors falling from the sky made of shadows. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The mech barely resisted the blows, showing clear damage through its entire body, but it managed to swing the Heroic Sword as a beam made of pure light erupted from the swing, slashing through Zeniths fists! SLAAASH! Unnggh?! Zeniths eyes widened as he saw the blade of light slice cleanly through his arms! His black blood was splattering into the ground, covering the city with miasma.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Dammit! Accursed heroes! Taste the might of the Xeno Beasts Demon King Zenith!!! Zenith lost his mind as he opened his jaws, and his chest transformed into a gigantic crocodile-like mouth, opening as well, and to make things worse, even his snake-headed tail did the same. From each jaw, a gigantic beam of darkness and void were unleashed, impacting the mech in front of him with immense force. BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! Massive holes appeared across the Gaoyusha as its pieces and circuits started falling apart one after another. The Gaorangers held on, swinging the Heroic Sword once more while charging forward. Zenith! We will not let you defeat us! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Three slashes reached Zenith, his gigantic body split apart into three, blood splattering everywhere as he screamed in agony! Uuauaaagghh! Curse you, Dokai Gaorangers! As Demon King Zenith agonized, the Gaorangers rushed to finish him off. Knowing full well of his regeneration abilities, they had to aim at his head and split it open to finish him off. Now, the last step! Everyone! We can do this! The Red Gaoranger unleashed his Emotion, Courage, fueling the entire machine and giving his friends a last bit of Hope as they rushed forward. Yet! FLUOOOSH! Wha?! Hm?! The rangers and the demon king gasped in disbelief in the middle of their battle as they saw a gigantic gray portal materialize right between each other, making them fall through it. What is this?! Uuaaaggh! Zenith screamed as his pieces fell through the portal. Uuaaggh! Kenichi! Whats going on?! No, Gaoyusha is about to collapse! T-This is a wormhole?! Everyone! Grab anything you can! Meanwhile, Gaoyusha started being rapidly destroyed by the turbulence between space and time twisting and warping within the portal. BOOOM! And then they only saw darkness The dryness of his mouth and throat slowly woke him up, as a young Japanese man coughed blood, mostly cogged on his chest, vomiting it over the dry, desertic floor. Ough! Ack! W-Wha? He glanced around, his red hair waving by the wind as his blue eyes analyzed his surroundings. His Red Gaoranger suit was torn down, greatly damaged, but its powers had somehow kept him alive. E-Everyone? He glanced around, noticing Gaoyusha completely torn to pieces; even his Mecha, the Crimson Lion, was barely alive, groaning. Crimson Lion! W-Wheres everyone else?! Kenichi reached his loyal steed, his companion and guardian. The lion groaned, growing weaker until it dissipated into particles of red light. FLASH! Crimson Lion he sighed. Rest for now The Gaoranger powerful Machines could self-repair themselves by becoming spiritual and disappearing into another dimension for some time, which also allowed them to summon them at any time. However, the same didnt happen for the rest of the Gaoranger Beast Guardians; their bodies were torn to shreds; there was nothing that could save them. Kenichi could no longer sense their life force at all They were dead. T-This cant be happening The Red Gaoranger, the Herald of Courage, had fallen into despair. He fell to his knees, tears streaming from his eyes. As he started hitting the dry ground, all five other Beast Guardians died, only leaving behind his lion, the largest and toughest, barely alive. His friends too, where could they be? I have to find them He gnashed his teeth, slowly standing up. He felt weak, barely capable of crawling, but Courage slowly started to spread through his body the more his heart was beating. Deus Ex Machina, do you copy? Are you there? He looked at the communicator device on his wrist, rapidly trying to call for the one that granted them these powers, their true leader and general, Deux Ex Machina. Bbzzttt Yet the only thing he could hear was static noise; the guardian couldnt respond. What what is happening? Where am I? Wheres everyone else?! He looked around, feeling completely lost. Ding! Ding! Ding! Ah! He noticed a sudden holographic window floating in front of him, showcasing his stat sheet, as if he were some sort of videogame character. Huh? Is this a new function? What is this? Skills? Class? He was confused, but he couldnt really give it much attention to this, as Kenichi pressed a few buttons on his wrist device. Suddenly, a projection showing the surroundings now mapped appeared, alongside several colorful dots with the other rangers, very far away from him. Black Gaoranger, Yellow Gaoranger, Green Gaoranger, Blue Gaoranger, and Pink Ranger were rather far away from him. For some reason they ended being thrown away very far, although closer with one another, almost a hundred kilometers from where he was! Theyre alive! But barely! I need to find them quickly! Kenichi instantly started sprinting through the desert, only to hear a voice whispering into his head. Red Gaoranger Kenichi, was your name? Huh?! He instantly recognized that voice! You?! He glanced into the distance, noticing that right behind a pile of metallic rubble and cables, a large black scaled arm with red eyes across it was resting, bleeding miasma into the land around it. Zenith?! The Demon King Zenith had survived as well, somehow, his unique body composition and biology even allowing him to be alive within every part of his body. You! You want to fight even now?! Just give it up already, Zenith! Youre just an arm! My other body parts have been scattered. What?! I cannot reach to them; something has taken over their neurobiological systems. Eh?! I suggest that, while swallowing our pride, we make a temporary treaty of peace. NANI?! Stop overreacting, you stupid human! A-Ah, my bad- Ahem! I mean, why would I ever do that?! Its obvious; youre very weak; your robots are destroyed, and I am, as you said, just a gigantic arm. So youre suggesting we go together? I can do much more than that, fool. If you infuse the power of Courage into my body, my cells will react to it and adapt, transforming into something more suitable for this environment. So thats how you Xeno Beasts adapt and have grown so strong! Hmph, and it is how you pathetic humans will perish before our might later, once I figure out where I am to begin with! I dont know, this sounds shady How could I ever trust an evildoer such as you, Zenith? Youve destroyed all of Shibuya and killed thousands! Simple, you have no choice, kehahaha Tch Kenichi remained in silence; as a Japanese man, honor was a very important thing. To ally his deadly enemy, even if it was just to survive and find his friends Was that something he would be willing to swallow his pride and honor for? Your Stamina is very low; you wont make it to your friends. And thats without even considering what my other fragments, overtaken by a mysterious being, could do to this world You will die before you make it, fool. And so will I stop being myself! This is something we both require; dont be stupid. Kenichi recalled his friends, their smiling faces, the experiences they had together, the time they went camping out, that other time they visited the beach, and all the hot pots theyve shared. He had only met them a year ago, but they had already brought so much light and happiness to Kenichis formerly lonely, sad life. He gripped his fists tightly. You promise you wont try anything while we are together, Zenith? Crimson Lion is fine. If you dare do something, I will not hesitate to call him, and well destroy what remains of you. Hmph, fear not, hero. I shall honor my word as one of the three Demon Kings of the Xeno Beasts! Very well Kenichi nodded, walking towards Zenith. Then he pointed his hand at him, his wrist device overflowing with the red, blazing power of Courage. Courage Heart Connection! FLUOSH! The energy rushed into Zenith, making him overflow with new life and energy! Uuoooohhhh! So this is the power of Courage! Kehahahaha! Zeniths arm started to transform, gaining red metallic scales that unified into giant plates, then his fingers became long tentacles covered in black and red metal. Then, his eyes unified into two big, neon red eyes across his body; slowly, he stood up. And it resembled Huh? Is that a squid? No way! Hahahaha! Kenichi couldnt help but laugh at what Zenith had become. Grr! Dont you dare laugh at my new form, filthy human! Now hurry, we must find my parts and your useless friends! Kenichi climbed on top of Zenith, the two mortal foes becoming temporary allies. Meanwhile, far away, where the other Gaorangers had arrived, a man with long black hair, wearing ancient Chinese clothes with long robes of black and red colors, glanced at the colorful heroes on the floor before him. His eyes squinted as he smiled like a true devil, his aura overflowing with power, as he pointed his hands at them, who were now defenseless. Such rich Fates you possess Otherworldly visitors, he laughed. If you dont mind, I will be taking it all for myself~ FLUOSH! Suddenly, he began to steal the very Fate of these Heroes, their Destinies and Fortune, absorbing them to gain tremendous power. Uuaaggh! Aaargh! Uuggh! K-Keni chi! What is happening?! The man laughed. Now, now, dont wake up yet; please, sleep. You need to rest after all, heroes. He smiled with fascination as he noticed five powerful energies reaching him, completely alien to him, which brought tremendous power. Hahaha! What is this? Incredible! Maybe with this Killing Bing Xue will be easier than I imagined. ----- Chapter 194: Last Day ----- It was our last day in my Inner Realm after these long eight months. I wouldve happily stayed even longer, but a day into eight months was quite literally the limit of how much everyone could handle without suffering from more Time Dilation Deficit or well, turning them insane. Despite most people never being capable of sensing the flow of Time Essence, its there, and when they are within an area where it is greatly warped or disturbed, they will slowly grow more nervous and unease, and when it is for months after months, even an open area like my Inner Realm might feel very tight for them; they need to breathe the normal Time Essence outside. It is just the nature of most beings, although that didnt apply to Typhon, who I raised here for many years in a few hours outside, allowing him to rapidly and fully mature into the new Beast God of Elios. Nonetheless, the kids have grown more than enough. Thanks to their quick growth plus the special Growth and Development Acceleration Formation engraved into their bodies, Ive managed to help them grow quite a lot. Orion and Athena are almost as if they were seven years old; meanwhile, Rainbow Eyes and Kalana should be almost as if they were five but are four by now. though their bodies are much larger and taller, so they look almost the same age as their siblings in appearance. Apparently thats just how big the orc and primal human kids can getvery surprising and amazing, if I say so myself. Today, as the last day, and as everyone finished their preparations to walk out of the Inner Realm, I glanced at my four children, gathered together in front of me. Weve shared quite a lot of great memories together, and Ive made sure to give them a good childhood. Ive combined both a strict mothers teachings, but Ive also made sure to make them happy, spoiling them quite a lot. At least theyre a bit down to earth and have learned good morality and whats right and wrong. Theyre strong, very strong, and they could become a serious threat to many innocents if they were to ever grow up to become corrupted people that abuse their powers. Therefore, I taught everything they had to learn about morality and the righteous way, while also giving them various tests. I had even let them enter a special tower I made, where they were faced with many problems they had to solve through critical thinking and their own idea of what was justice and morality, and what was right and wrong. I would say they did fine; they took several tries to get it right though, but I believe they at least know they shouldnt hurt or kill people for fun, abuse their powers against innocents, or try to steal from others who dont deserve it. Who deserves punishment, of course, are the bad guys evildoers for a lack of a better term. When they see someone abusing another person, take care of them in various means; it doesnt have to be direct physical contact; just an intimidating aura could take them out, making them faint instantly. I tried to make sure they dont misunderstand things, like seeing a father screaming at their child; theyre a bad parent, but that doesnt mean they deserve to be smacked or killed, and they I think they learned everything just fine for now. Why did I put so much pressure into their learning of what was right and wrong? Well, as I said before, because of their monstrous strength. Although it is wonderful for me to have four more future Venerable-level or even further above allies with me, if they become corrupted or end up going the demonic path, theyll instead become lethal foes and I dont really even want to consider that, but their strength will have to force me to step in if I ever see them using it for the wrong cause. Although a little mischief here and there is expected, itll receive small punishments, so Ill allow that pranks and such, as long as they dont escalate out of proportions. Nonetheless, because of how they had learned things so well and developed so quickly, I decided to finally give them their graduation gifts, as I would like to call them. And what are these? Well FLUOSH! My System Scarf, now having grown so long and majestic by assimilating my energies and powers and evolving even further, was ready. Using my fingers with Soul Blade, I cut four pieces off the tail end of my System, it struggled a bit though; it seemed to experience some sort of pain. Sorry, but it had to be done. After I was done, the four fragments rapidly floated in front of me, resembling transparent, golden pieces of cloth.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. They slowly took forms as I shaped them with my Primordial Aura, turning them into golden candies this time. Why? Because unlike other systems, which I was wary of and only wore externally, this one had been modified and transformed by me, becoming an extension of my power now. Therefore, I am sure it can be eaten as a pill, so my babies get the better and upgraded version without any of the soul-parasitizing deal. If anything, their Souls will become even stronger, which is what Im aiming for. One of Orions greatest weaknesses was that he had never trained or cultivated his soul properly, so he was very susceptible to attacks that targeted the soul. Im talking about the one from the future, as the Orion from the present will suffer no such weakness with this. Mama, whats taking you so long? Orion wondered, tilting his head. Whats that? Candy? Athena wondered. "Oh, I know! Theyre pills! The pills that cultivators make, right? Is that so? Rainbow Eyes was confused. Hmm, they look like the honey candies that Auntie Mursha makes sometimes! Yeah, mommys honey candies are the best! Kalana nodded. Oh! Are you done, mom? Yep! All done, my dears. I nodded, petting their little heads and kissing their foreheads one after the other. Youre all so precious and lovely; Mama would hug you for eternity if she could! I hugged them tightly, showering them with my love. Ugh, mom, youre too warm! Orion cried; he didnt like being hugged. Hehehe! Mama! Athena was a mommys girl though; she happily hugged me back. Hmmm, I want the candy already. Rainbow Eyes said. Gimme, gimme! Mama, I want to kiss you too! Mooch, mooch! Cute mama! Hehe! Kalana always found me "cute, maybe in comparison to Mursha, who was so large. Good kids. I quickly stood back up, showing them their gifts. These are special candies infused with the power of my System, I explained. I am sure Ive already explained to you a couple of times what the System is, right? Umm An alien from another world! Orion said. And its evil, and it eats peoples souls, right? It is a power from the Tower that arrived on Mamas world and many other worlds, right? Athena said. "Also, it seems to give power to people, but it also drains their mana and parasitizes their souls for the evil gods to take over as avatars! Well said, I nodded. You two have studied well. Orion got the gist of it, but he explained it quite roughly; at the very least, Athena paid more attention to classes; shes a bright and intellectual girl. Uh, is the System the thing everyone has? wondered Rainbow Eyes. Even mommy, the aunties, grandma, and the other disciples But not us! Yeah, because it would hurt us or try eating our souls, right? wondered Kalana. Yes, I nodded. I didnt want you to grow dependent on it either. Helping you level up and develop skills wouldve stunted your growth outside of the system, I said. Even now I have second thoughts if I should really give it to you yet. As your power is enough, you can reject the system however you want Indeed, my children can reject the force of the system upon them like I can; theyre already at that level, which isnt something easy; not even the other Gods of the Tower could reject the System Integration. Theyre beyond most Gods by now, super-powered children that take a long effort to teach! But I also dont want to exclude you from its benefits, I said. Ive taught you very well, but theres a long road where youll still continue to improve even further. The System will become your aid; itll improve your growth even further, but dont be dependent on it, alright? The Skills, Stats, Titles, and Powers you gain from it Dont rely too much on them; combine them with your techniques and abilities innate to your bodies instead. See the system as a weapon you wield, not at the source of your strength. Okay, I get it, nodded Orion. Dont worry, mom! Yeah! Something like a system wont control me or something, hehe, Athena waved her long white hair with a slight amount of pride. Itll be a good weapon, heh! Rainbow Eyes was getting ready. I will be careful then, Kalana nodded. Very well, I said. Here, each one of you eats a single candy. Its sweet and tastes like honey. They took the pills and ate them; they were crunchy and flavorful. As Ive synthesized them to be palatable for children, bitter-flavored pills wont do after all. Hmm, tastyEeek?! Orion overreacted the most as he felt the power of the System flow through his entire body, and then his soul. Uwaaah! Theres something ticklish in my soul! Mama help meeee! C-Calm down! Its not going to hurt you I calmed him down, petting his head as he hugged my legs. Despite being their big brother, he sure is a crybaby sometimes! Uhm, it felt weird, yeah! But Im fine now. Athena was calm through it all. Ooh! Whats this? The system? Its like that computer thing! Ouch, ouch! Rainbow Eyes also complained a bit. Its so weird! When will it stop?! Argh- Oh? Its fine now. Uuuggh I think Im going to puke Kalana groaned a lot as well. "Mama, what was that? Did you give us poison? I-Its not poison, my god! I would never do such a thing to you four; it is the system! It felt a bit weird, I suppose, I didnt expect you to be so sensitive to it But its fine now; Im so sorry if it scared you. Come here. I hugged them a bit to comfort them; they had been a bit too scared about it, more than I wouldve wanted to. I gave them chocolate and cereal bars to cheer them up, and while they happily snacked on them and felt happier, I asked them about what they could see. I see the big window thing, said Rainbow Eyes. Is this the System? Nam, nam Kalana was eating two cereal bars with chocolate. Hmm, yeah! I shee the shame twing! Dont talk with your mouth full, dear, I reprimanded her slightly. Orion, Athena? The same? Yeah! Orion said. The numbers are annoying to take into consideration though But we were already taught all about numbers from mama, said Athena. Dont be lazy, Orion! Then Athena showed me. Right, I got a lot of skills too, mama. Like ten! Am I great? she asked. I also got around ten Orion said. I think. Me too! Rainbow Eyes said. Why do I have twelve? Kalana wondered. Okay, okay, calm down, one at a time, I laughed. I guess everyone started with lots of skills right away. Some of them are my direct gifts! But others have developed out of your own innate powers, techniques, and abilities. Now lets see what they are. Also mind that the stats of your system dont fully represent your current power but are an add-on, like equipping a piece of armor. ----- Chapter 195: Murim Invasion ----- I checked my childrens status, finding out they had interesting Skills, some were similar to mine too, and others were specifically designed by me. Yes, I created Skills through these Fragments of my own System by infusing them with great energies, powers, and various other materials. Now, listen well; the Skills mama has made for you are three, I said. The first one is the one that appears at the front; it''s called [Venerables Children Privilege (SSS)]. It increases the amount of EXP you earn, the amount of Credits you can earn, and also increases the speed at which your Skills can grow! Oh, and of course, the rate at which you can learn new Skills based on your current abilities. Oh wow I dont understand most of it, but it sounds great! said Orion, nodding. Orion, you didnt really put any attention on Mamas classes? Athena sighed. Hey! I did! Orion said. And the rest? Well figure it out along the way anyways, no problem! Hmm Athena groaned at her brother. "Well, hes not wrong, I said. Anyways, the second Skill Ive given you is called [Heavenly Synthesist (SSS)], itll allow you, like Mama, to easily merge things using your Primordial Ki and Mana combined. It should easily allow you to combine skills, techniques, and more on the go, and you can even permanently fuse skills and objects too, although for Skill Merging, youll need Credits. You can earn those killing monsters, selling the items they drop inside the tower, and so on. Oh, gotcha! nodded Rainbow Eyes. Sounds fun! said Kalana. So we could even make our own equipment, mama?! Orion asked. T-Then Ill make a big sword and armor! That sounds interesting! Athena nodded. Maybe a staff and some magic grimoires! I want to learn all the magic! Uncle Francisco has been teaching me a bit. I see, I nodded. Now, thats not everything. Theres also a third Skill Ive made Can you read it? I am fairly sure everyone here should be able to read. The Protecshion Shau Orion squinted his eyes, trying to red it. Divine Nine Heaven Protection Runes? asked Athena. Yes, also SSS Rank, I nodded. This Skill is connected directly to my own source of power! Meaning that as long as it exists, Mama will protect you with a powerful barrier from lethal damage. Oh wow! Orion said. So were invincible! No way Kalana said. Wouldnt that make it boring though? I need the thrill of battle! "Sure, have all the thrill you want. I sighed. It actually doesnt protect you... from death, but itll set a barrier that will be very hard to break through. And well, it has other purposes. Ive set this barrier on all my loved ones to protect them from danger; even the big cities have them as well. But I decided to make it a Skill this time, so it merges into your bodies like powerful Runes, giving you more power. Isnt this a bit too much babysitting though? Ruby was watching from behind as she gave a word. Maybeee But theyre still children and babies, so of course I will babysit them all I want, I smiled proudly. Alright! Were done with explanations. Now, what do you say when someone gives you something nice? Thank you, mama! all four kids said at the same time before hugging me. Good kids! I nodded, embracing them in my arms. I think were ready with this for now. Lets go have lunch with your mommies before departing! I think all the disciples should be there as well. Yeah! nodded everyone. Auntie Ruby, lets go! Athena grabbed Rubys hand, smiling cutely. Aww, of course, Ruby giggled. Arent you a cutie, Athena? Come here! I can hardly resist hugging you when you smile like that! She ended up hugging my daughter and then grabbing her and carrying her on her shoulders. Oof, shes a bit heavier than I thought, muttered Ruby. She has a lot of densely packed muscles; her strength doesnt come out of nowhere! I giggled. But after youve become an immortal, its not too hard to carry her, right? Yeah, I can do it just fine now, Ruby nodded. Reaching the Immortal Physique Creation Realm, or Rank 7 as you call it, was pretty sweet. Rank 7, in this point the Immortals truly become Immortals by refining their bodies using Immortal Materials of very high cost that not many could afford at that point in time. However, with my boundless riches and resources, my sister was able to easily get the best, most compatible Immortal Physique Her appearance had changed a bit; she became taller, and her hair was long, red and black colored; she even got a little pointy tail. I think she had absorbed a lot of the demonic components of her class. Although she didnt really mind the changes, Juan had been going a bit crazy about them, according to her. Well, were back! We walked inside the palace leisurely, as we were welcomed by my wives and the rest of the family of this sect. The table was already full of delicious preparations, made mostly out of the Martial Beasts and Ingredients of this Inner Realm.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Even the food we ate, after all, made us grow stronger. Although, due to the nature of most of the members here, there were a lot of big pieces of roasted martial beasts, mostly those similar to wild boars, cows, and goats, who had the more delectable meat. Of course, there was also a lot of birds, mostly phoenix variants that were of lesser bloodline, that grew in droves in this Inner Realm; a luxurious meal even in Murim was an everyday meal in my Sect, making everyone that once joined realize just how privileged they were to be part of my family and also become even more grateful. Ruby! I see youve been training with Bing Xue? Juan walked towards Ruby. He looked very different than at the beginning of the eight-month training. His body had become huge, muscular, and tall; even his average-looking face had turned very manly and handsome for male standards; his eyes were bright and his hair long; he looked a lot like a Murim Cultivator from the Desert regions, with their brown skin and long black hair with bright eyes. Ah yeah, a bit, but Im done for now, said Ruby. Were leaving today after all... I was just checking on the kids. Uncle Juan! Athena welcomed him. Hi! Ah, Athena! I didnt see you there; when did you get there? Hahaha! Juan joked around with my daughter. I was always here! Athena jumped out and landed on Juans head. Hehe! W-Wait a second, dont stand over my head! Athena, its dangerous! What if you fall? Juan asked. No wait I dont think anything would happen if you fell, never mind. Hya! Athena then jumped off his head towards me. Mama! I got you. I caught her in midair and quickly gave her a little kiss in her nose before leaving her over the floor. Dont go jumping over peoples heads, alright? I asked. Youre a bit heavier than most If you do it on normal people, they could be seriously injured! Remember that the world and its people are generally fragile; you always have to take care of your movements. I know, she nodded. I understand, mama! Im hungry though! Me too! Me too! said Orion, jumping constantly. Woah! Mom made so much meat today! Rainbow Eyes beautiful glistening eyes glowed brightly today. Yummy! Theres fish too? Oh! Mommys Orcish cuisine is the best! There are so many authentic plates there! Kalana was a fan of her tribes cuisine. It seemed only natural, as its flavors, texture, and calories were all made for orcs to love it. Lets go eat then! I quickly led the babies to sit down around the table, their mothers arriving with the last plates of food. Dear, youre back, so were you able to share your System? wondered Urbosa, placing a huge roasted boar over the table, surrounded by steamed potatoes with butter on top. Yeah, everything went nicely, I nodded. The kids got a bit scared, but things went alright, dont worry. Oh, well, thats a relief then, nodded Urbosa. I hope Orion didnt do something weird again! I didnt! I am a well-behaved child! giggled Orion. So how strong have you gotten now, Athena? Merkite asked her as she brought noodles for everyone one by one, making the plates float around with her powerful Divine Spiritual Immortal Aura. Are you stronger than me now? Yep! Athena giggled. I already surpassed you, mommy! Im super strong. Well yes, technically the children are already beyond everyone here I sighed. Its mostly because of the immense power they were already born with. But Im sure everyone could one day grow to become new Venerables, Im working towards that goal. The children were born with immense power and had inherited my own abilities and even cultivation to an extent. Although they arent quite there yet, with the System I gave them, it shouldnt be hard for them to awaken the rest of their abilities and become true Venerables. Which means theyll be the youngest Venerables to have ever existed V-Venerables, us? Mursha asked, bringing freshly baked bread and grilled, salted river fish, which were gigantic. Im already happy with Kalana being one in the near future. Rainbow Eyes strong too; he will become great Venerable of the Primal Humans and lead our tribes to unification! Fiery Hair said. Arent you placing too big of a responsibility on the boy, Fiery Hair? I laughed. Calm down a bit; hes only like four for now Hmm I wonder if one day I could visit the primal world where Mama came from, said Rainbow Eyes. Will we ever go to Elios? Athena wondered. Thats where our original tribe came from, right? Orion wondered. I have to go to Elios and meet fellow Orcs! Kalana said. Of course, dont worry, we will visit all those places, I nodded. For now, concentrate on eating your meals. Dont ignore the vegetables, as theyre very important too! Okaaaay~! the four said at the same time, wolfing down anything in front of them. Despite being so small, their stomachs could fit things several times larger; it was as if they had little black holes there. And technically, maybe they do; seeing how theyre so much like me, this means their Primordial powers are already in full effect. Meaning that their bodies are probably composed of pure power and energy, or a combination of both that and flesh and blood. Bodies like those can easily consume anything in front of them and digest it super rapidly. Looks like were finally stepping out of the Inner Realm, huh? What a relief, Ive been looking forward to resuming our daily lives outside, said my mother. Katherine, I have to congratulate you, my daughter. Youve shown me that you can be a good mother, and youve also helped everyone, me included, grow stronger beyond what we ever thought possible. I was already proud of having you as my daughter even before you were sent to Murim, and this feeling will never disappear. Aw, thank you, mom, I felt slightly moved. The world outside is full of dangers, even more with all these crazy things happening so far But I hope that with this, things could become a bit more doable, to an extent. Lets hope so, she nodded. We ate together and enjoyed three long hours of conversations with everyone. The place was so lively, the atmosphere was so warm and welcoming, so homely, I felt really happy. I was proud of what I had built here, of my sect, my disciples, my family, and my children. And quite honestly, I wouldnt ever mind if every day continued the same as today. But I knew that these days had to eventually come to an end. And we had to face a chaotic reality. And just as we stepped out of the Inner Realm, arriving at the interior of the Golden Pagoda, a single day has passed. Phew, were back, I said. Feels nice to- RUMBLE! My senses immediately expanded as I felt a rumbling sound coming from outside the pagoda. I looked outside, noticing a gigantic spatial tear above the skies. And from them, enormous pagodas, smaller than mine, emerged by the dozens, carrying with them immense Primordial Ki Essence. This is?! I gasped in disbelief as I felt the presence of that accursed World I thought I had finally left behind But it seems that even when I escaped it, this world simply followed me. Murim?! As I stepped out of my Pagoda while the rest of my family and disciples seemed slightly panicked and shocked over my sudden reaction, I heard the laughter of a wicked man. Hahaha! Hahahaha! So this is the little sorry excuse of a sect youve made now?! How pathetic! He laughed. Truly, youre definitely a woman, hahahaha! To think you reached the pinnacle, yet you became satisfied with such lesser beings and with such a small place Bing Xue! You disappoint me once more! This man was You I killed you! What sort of illusion is this?! The Heavenly Venerable of the Seven Paths of Heaven. A Venerable I killed long ago! Why is he alive? What is the Heavenly Will plotting now?! Come on, am I not allowed to have a second wind? laughed the man, his long black hair swaying by the wind as he pointed his hands at me. Ive even brought you a surprise party, all from Murim! Rejoice, my dear white jade! The Demonic Sects you suppressed, my thousands of heirs, all of them have been waiting for this moment, you know?! You shouldnt have stupidly left them alive! The gigantic pagodas charged forward, their energies gathering on top of their metallic crowns, firing gigantic, colorful lasers at us. BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! ----- Chapter 196: Murim’s Fate ----- The cracks between worlds continued spreading as the battle between Cosmic Deities reached a stalemate that never ended. Her eyes spread across the entire Tower, a gigantic structure across space and time, her eyes widening as she noticed these cracks. So this was your purpose the entire time? To infiltrate the worlds slowly, you cockroach? A titanic being made of pure white light laughed with its dozens of human-like heads lined up together, its form and body defying the laws of reality, as it seemed to exist between several dimensions at once. If I couldnt get there by myself, I simply had to slowly do so, dont you think? It is no genius plan, but something very simple. You should have predicted that already. Bastard! This Tower and its Worlds, theyre all mine to protect! The Cosmic Deity protecting the Tower, her presence resembling a beautiful young woman, encompassed her surroundings, the cosmos itself twisting and warping around her. Hundreds of gigantic stars were launched at her foe, the alien from another dimension, whose white body began to slightly crumble as more stars impacted it. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! You will not get away with this! she screamed. They are there, and they will stop whatever youre planning; I know they will! Eheh Heheahahaha! The monstrous alien laughed; its entire body crumbled down and exploded into white light, only for another body to emerge out of the Tower he had completely taken over. This is unending! The Tower Masters eyes, made of many stars glistening across a body composed of nebulas, muttered. Disconnecting the Tower from Earth would be the natural course at this moment, but it seems impossible now. Her very existence anchoring the tower with her world! She had already tried simply plugging the Tower out, as some would say, but that seemed utterly impossible, her presence having twisted the very roots of the tower into that world. And both were unified even when Earth wasnt even recognized as a Floor! Bing Xue! My precious Bing Xue! I can finally see her! Ahhh! Shes so beautiful! SO BEAUTIFUL! I WANT HER! I WANT HER ALL FOR MYSELF! The monstrous entity before her started grabbing its head, twisting it apart, and tearing out his eyes one after another, inflicting harm on itself due to its endless madness. By the stars, I couldnt be possibly considering requesting the help of other Tower Masters now? wondered the girl. The price for their aid would be too great for me to pay even in a billion years! Maybe my brother wouldnt mind helping me, but Ive already asked him too many favors. She was running out of options And yet. She glanced at that world again, at the source of these problems, and also at the only one that could eventually solve them. You and your family If you can reach this point Perhaps I wont need to ask for their aid. GRAAAHHH! The monstrous alien attacked her again; thousands of massive, long, white-colored arms swung down, attempting to slash through her presence with their sharp claws. Another clash Fine, The Tower Master said. As long as I can hold you on! {Myriad Self Arts}: {Soul Nebula} The Tower Master suddenly summoned a rainbow and cosmic Aura from her ethereal body composed of stars, expanding into millions of clones of herself. Their hands moved dexterously, summoning all kinds of weapons, resembling a nebula made out of her own soul. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! As they clashed and seemed evenly matched, the alien from another world glanced at its own Tower, which it had stolen from another cosmic deity, foolishly attempting a negotiation with him. The tower breached towards the world this entity belonged to, the worlds it contained, and even its gods, rapidly beginning to fall towards this world, fueling it with even more of its otherworldly essence. Ill simply feed Murim with this Tower, further merging their components The being laughed internally. This way, I will gain more of its powers, as my Origin remains anchored to Murim! After the Era of Peace, which Bing Xue worked so hard to make a reality, it seemed that a new Era of Chaos was about to begin within Murim. . . . RUMBLE! The World of Murim trembled; the Nine Heavens above twisted and rapidly began to create a gigantic vortex, provoking a gigantic tear, a crack through space, and even time. The people of the World of Murim all watched in disbelief and awe as the titanic crack in space expanded for dozens of kilometers, becoming a permanent wound in the skies. All provoked not by any Immortal, Primordial, or even Venerable But by the Heavenly Will itself. Within the Headquarters of the Heavenly Court, the disciples of Bing Xue, the only person to ever achieve Rank 21 of the Primordial Immemorial Venerable Realm and the one that had escaped this world long ago, glanced at the scene in disbelief. What is happening! The sky is tearing apart! Wont we be sucked into that vortex?! Its dangerous! This is a power even beyond our understanding! The Primordial Immortals within the Heavenly Court, the strongest Elders, and representatives of various Orthodox Sects and Clans across Murim all seemed to have similar reactions. Except Bing Xues disciples, who, despite the adversities, remained calm, analyzing the situation. A beautiful long-haired blonde woman with glistening sapphire-colored eyes glanced into the skies, noticing the disturbances across the Nine Heavens.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. We cannot remain here! The Heavens seem to be collapsing. Let us retreat below, into the World of Mortals, she said with a commanding voice. Despite being among the youngest members of this entire Court, she was the strongest and Bing Xues greatest and most talented disciple ever. Young Lady Fen Chun, the Heavenly Courts Leader, and the Radiant Star Princess. Wielder of the powerful Radiant Star Essence, a power that had evolved from Bing Xues feared Photon Essence, she was without a doubt the strongest of Murim right now. Someone who was only a step from becoming the new Venerable of Murim! But Court Leader! Princess, we cannot possibly leave the Heavens! This is our territory; all our resources grow here; without them, the Heavenly Court would slowly collapse as we- Theyre nothing more than luxuries! said Fen Chun. Descend this very instant; it is an ORDER. Well, you heard her, giggled a young and handsome man with short silver hair and azure-colored eyes; he was Fen Chuns left hand, her aide, her retainer, and Bing Xues second-strongest disciple. Lets begin our descent this very moment. RUMBLE! The massive and titanic structure, a gigantic palace divided into twelve different towers and gardens across the White Heavens, began its rapid descent. The hundreds of Primordial Immortals panicked slightly as they saw their territory being abandoned after thousands of years, but the majority ended up agreeing to this at the end. TRUUUM! However, as the palaces descended, a presence of overwhelming power began to rapidly approach them, its gigantic, divine, and immortal presence making the temples themselves tremble! T-This is?! Fen Chuns eyes widened as she rushed outside of the palace, her body encompassed with her Radiant Star Essence, as she noticed a massive presence of immense power moving across the skies. Her golden and silver robes waved by the strong winds; a gigantic multi-heaven storm was happening right now, the Heavenly Ki seeping and leaking everywhere; anybody weaker than Primordial Immortals would be easily swept away by it and torn to shreds. It cant be a Venerables presence?! She glanced into the skies, realizing just how lucky she was. If she had not descended just a few minutes ago, she would have gotten on the path of whatever this monster was and could have paid the price for that insolence. This cant be! There is no longer any Venerables after Master left! Who Who is that man?! The man didnt even give her a glance too lowly before his might to even be considered anything worthwhile, though his appearance instantly made her remember something. The appearance of one of the powerful Venerables of the past, when there were many alive and when they fought for supremacy, spreading chaos and destruction across Murim because of their own selfish desires. Yes, this man was the living embodiment of a statue of one of such Venerables, long black hair, a slender and tall body, a handsome face, a cocky smile, black and red robes, and a Primordial Immortal Aura containing thousands of other Auras within it, taken and devoured from its foes. F-Fang Gu Lang, the Heavenly Venerable of the Seven Paths of Heaven. His name and title alone sent shivers down her spinea monster that self-proclaimed himself as The Greatest Villain of Murim, who robbed, slaughtered, and raped millions. A man with a harem of millions of women he had personally kidnapped, raped, and tortured until their minds were broken, someone that every female feared even more than males. An unhinged demon that Bing Xue tricked, seducing him, to then backstab him and kill him at cold blood, finally ending his tyranny. For the first time in thousands of years, Fen Chun felt fear; she rapidly flew back to the palace, alerting everyone of what she saw. Naturally, they couldnt believe her, despite his enormous presence above the skies! B-But how is he alive?! I am fairly sure our Master killed him! I am sure of it; she even said she absorbed his powers to become stronger Not even his bones should be left after that This could be a plot from the Heavenly Will, which had continued to become stranger and more warped since Master left Yun Cheng said, the young man by Fen Chuns side. The Heavenly Will is the combination of the Nine Primordial Heaven Gods; his power is boundless and infinite. But as a will that desires to protect the world, they never truly manifested until master appeared, and it gained a strange obsession with her. Youre saying that the Heavenly Will revived Fang Gu?! T-This is impossible! Why would the Heavens revive such a monster? Someone that went directly against them to begin with? I cannot even fathom what it is planning anymore! From beautiful immortal fairies, old masters, talented youngsters, swordsmen, and mighty warriors, the Primordial Immortals talked with one another, creating a massive ruckus. Calm down, everyone, Fen Chun said. For now, he seems to have left; his presence has now become faint. It seems that he moved towards that portal, alongside thousands of others Immortals, not from our Court, but from the other annexed Clans and Sects. W-What?! Youre saying they betrayed us? Bastards! I knew it! Our master was too merciful; we shouldve slaughtered them all while we had the opportunity! So the moment that despicable monster was revived, they jumped ships, huh? Master is not dead, Fen Chun said. Since that portal opened, her presence has become ever stronger. I can sense her. Wherever Fang Gu is going, hes moving where she is. There is a great plot and a great scheme at play here! I believe the Heavenly Will revived Fang Gu to kill Master, who had escaped to another world. T-Thats Are you sure this could be true? If thats the case, we should follow him and find master as well! No. Fen Chun quickly stopped them. She left to us a great task: to protect Murims Era of Peace And that is what we must do. Lets remain calm; lets gather resources, any ally that remains, and then let us scout the surrounding Fen Chun! suddenly, a young Primordial Immortal boy with blue hair and golden eyes screamed, flying towards the palace and calling for the Radiant Star Princess. Sister Fen Chun! This is bad! Really bad news! Lan Lianhua? Fen Chun asked. Whats wrong?! The Lower World The Immortal Realm! Its strange! It has changed way too much! Lan Lianhua cried, moving his arms around and shaking his robes. C-Calm down, please! What do you mean? Of course itll change; it has been thousands of years since we visited this place and- Its not that! Its strange! It is as if the entire landscape became merged with something else entirely! Come! Everyone has to see this! The little boy guided the elders outside, their eyes widening in disbelief at what they saw. The beautiful Green Mountains of this Land had been completely rewritten; only a third of their original appearance remained, as the other half had been replaced by completely different landscapes. Apocalyptic, ruined city landscapes, with massive monsters made of metal walking around, a burning volcanic landscape with gigantic, red-scaled salamanders and dragons, an endless forest as gigantic as the mountains, with massive forest creatures that should never be this gigantic, a swamp of foul black miasma, where aberrations lurk everywhere, desertic steppes, where gigantic humans wandered, glaring them from afar W-What is this? Our world Murim has changed so much? This presence these arent from our world either! Fen Chun said. What is the meaning of this?! And as if things couldnt get crazier BOOOM! A gigantic explosion happened in the distance as a massive ship made of white and silver steel descended from the skies, its metallic wings on flames. A meteor?! No, thats some sort of metallic bird? What is that thing? A ship of some sort? Thats a plane? Fen Chun remembered the toys her master made for her and the children; a plane was a strange flying machine made in her original world, where humans with no supernatural powers conquered the world with technology. Move aside! She waved her hand, her Radiant Star Essence surging like a hand and catching the massive plane from crashing down, turning off its flames. BAAAM! As the plane was placed above the grasslands in front of them, the door was kicked out, as someone wearing strange, mechanical armor crawled out of it, couching blood, with a large steel pipe piercing his stomach. H-Help! Please someone! The mechanical armor had all sorts of strange, bizarre lights; the Primordial Immortals detected no threat in the wounded man, a mortal with no power, yet his technology it was too alien! Are you okay? Fen Chun ran to help, the Immortals trying to warn her, yet she did not care. A-Ah! The steel pipe was extracted, as the mans wounds were rapidly healed by her Heavenly Light techniques; healing a mortal was simple enough. Fen Chun took off his helmet and armor, revealing the body of a young woman, no older than her early twenties, with short brown hair and blue eyes. Her appearance wasnt like any person from Murim and resembled more the western looks of Bing Xue, someone that came from another world. T-Thank you! Ah! No! T-Theyre coming! You have to run away! The young woman started hyperventilating in horror after remembering what she went through, trying to warn Fen Chun. Theyre here! T-Theyre- CRASH! Until she fell silent, her eyes glancing at the origin of that sound. A five-meter tall, humanoid puppet thing, made of white and silver metal, with glowing red eyes and many arms and legs. HOMO SAPIENS FOUND. INITIATING EXTERMINATION. Not even Murim would be safe from the horrors that existed beyond the cosmos. Begone. BOOOM! The machine exploded into pieces as a ray of Starlight Essence reached it in a split second. The armored woman glanced at the scene in disbelief as the nemesis of her planets humanity was killed so easily. Dont worry, whatever that was, it wont hurt you anymore. A-Ah I cant believe it Perhaps it was the opposite. The worlds beyond the cosmos werent ready for Murim. ----- Chapter 197: The Venerable Of The Seven Paths Of Heaven ----- The Heavenly Venerable of the Seven Paths of Heaven. One of Bing Xues enemies from the past and one of the mightiest Venerables of Murim before her Ascension. A formidable, cunning, and malicious man with no morality or any sort of shame, he was a depraved monster, perhaps the worst amongst all those men corrupted by power in Murim. And interestingly enough, Bing Xue had discovered he was similar to her. He was a Reincarnated Soul. Instead of her coming directly to Murim with her own body, though, he was a Soul that was Reincarnated in this world, appearing several years in Murim before her. And unlike her, he was granted a cheat. His Reincarnation was abnormal too, and it could even be said it was more like Transmigration. His Soul had been placed inside the body of a recently deceased Young Master of a Small Sect within the Desolate Mountains; a region known for its ruthlessness amongst all of Murim. In there, he had been granted a crippled, weak body and was deemed a failure due to his terrible talent for cultivation and was shunned by his entire sect as well. But all of this did not matter; although he struggled at the beginning, his powerful cheat allowed this man to climb to the top at lightning speed. In only a year, he became an Immortal, and in three more years, he ascended into a Primordial. In just seven years since his Transmigration, he had already become a Venerable! And this cheat This power that allowed this man to climb to the top so easily was The Fate Devouring Villain System. A System similar to the one spread through the Tower and Earth, but at the same time, completely different. It was a Personal System granted to him miraculously; he never truly asked where it came from, and he never wondered why he had it. He took it for granted, a privilege of simply being Transmigrated, after being someone who, in his previous life, was someone who had never developed a social life, and closed himself inside his room, reading novels with these same premises over and over again. It seemed as if this obsession had become some sort of insanity, to the point that he didnt even question what this power was or anything of the sort. He accepted what happened to him and happily used this power to do as he pleased! He fulfilled all his fantasies using it, stealing the Fate of every person barely lucky enough to be a good target and even receiving many rewards and resources by committing all sorts of villainous acts. He ruined the lives of countless Fates Chosen, stealing their Fate and then killing them, not before humiliating them for daring to be better than him. With the Fates he stole, he gained tremendous new powers and great chances and fortune every time, growing stronger as he walked the path of an unhinged demon, a terror in the Martial Cultivation World. He took what he wanted: riches, territories, treasures, resources, power, and women, especially women. He was obsessed with women and carnal and sexual activities; he was a man driven and controlled by his endless lust. Causing chaos every time he stole the princesses of large kingdoms or empires, stealing the wives of important immortal sect leaders, and whenever he found a pretty woman, he would forcefully abduct them and do whatever he wanted to them. To him, Murim was his playing field, and the world was his! Eventually, after devouring the Immortal Souls of hundreds of Immortals and Primordials, his own Ascension was eventual. Because his Immortal Physique, Psyche, and Aura being a combination of so many other different powers, it glowed with a rainbow color, showing seven beautiful paths, rivers of colorful essence. So, despite his horrendous personality, terrible acts, and monstrous legacy, he was given a fancy title due to this appearance, a title he forced others to use to refer to him. Instead of the Lustful Demonic Venerable of Depravity that the Orthodox Factions called him, he was given another title by the rest of the world. The Heavenly Venerable of the Seven Paths of Heaven. Or as his mysterious system called him, Murims Destined Villain. In a way, his System had indeed done what it desired, turning him into one of Murims greatest villains know to all. Even the other Demonic Cultivators utterly hated him because of how far he went! Bing Xue fell into silence after hearing his voice; without a doubt, it was him. The Heavenly Will was behind this; she was sure of it. That crack behind him Those must be gates that lead to Murim. She thought, calming down almost instantly after her initial panic. So he has somehow revived and come through that portal to Earth, with how many Immortals and Primordials are those? Perhaps a hundred? Hmm. Ive even brought you a surprise party, all from Murim! Rejoice, my dear white jade! The Demonic Sects you suppressed, my thousands of heirs, all of them have been waiting for this moment, you know?! You shouldnt have stupidly left them alive! Fang Gu Lan laughed out loud. The gigantic floating Pagodas, which were Divine Martial Houses created by stacking several Formations together, moved through the skies, charging large quantities of Immortal Ki within their gigantic golden crowns, pointing their attacks at Bing Xues own Pagoda. And then, dozens of powerful lasers reached her and her floating building, aiming to destroy everything.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Hmph. Bing Xue didnt even flinch. Harnessing her powers and waving her hand casually, a massive wave of Void and Photon Essence manifested, slashing through the beams and them completely destroying them before they could hit her building. BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! If thats everything youre going to do, then this has become a rather lame party, Fang Gu Lan, said Bing Xue. I would love to know why youre here, though. Dont tell me Perhaps not even Death wanted to embrace your ugly self? Fang Gu Lan glared at Bing Xue with a slightly dumbfounded face; he was sure she wasnt as strong as she is now back then when they fought to the death. He looked irritated afterwards but then forced a confident smile. Hah, of course, Ive been told you became a Venerable that surpassed all Venerables So you achieved the next Realm, something that I was never able to achieve no matter how hard I worked he muttered. Your strength is indeed phenomenal, Bing Xue. I suppose my army is close to nothing before you? Yeah, less than ants, Bing Xue said nonchalantly. So you either come at me directly or this will end very quickly. Y-You He was growing even more irritated; for someone who lived hundreds of years, he still had close to zero patience when it came to women daring to speak back to him. Power or not, youre still just a filthy bitch With the new powers Ive gained, Ill make sure to beat you into a pulp and use your body for as long as I want! Ill make you mine! Disgusting I would rather die. Bing Xue sighed. Why don''t you walk back where you came from? Youre such a waste of oxygen." ENOUGH! He was so bad at taking some trash talk that he instantly lost all patience, his Aura exploding into seven rivers of colorful auras, rushing towards Bing Xue at once. Thats your Immortal Intent, huh? Yeah, did you receive some free upgrades from the Heavenly Will when he revived you? Hah, Fang Gu Lan, always relying on other external forces and chances to help you progress. Never doing anything on your own is truly pathetic. Probably the most pathetic man Ive ever met in all my eleven thousand years of life. As Bing Xue spoke calmly, she pushed her hand forward, generating a gigantic golden palm that clashed against all Seven Paths that were manifesting within Fan Gu Lans Venerable Intent. CRAAASH! RUMBLE! The skies and the ground below trembled; ripples in the fabric of space began to spread rapidly everywhere the two immensely powerful energies clashed. Indeed, Fan Gu Lan had received a substantial boost to his powers The strongest foe she has fought so far, the Primal Spider Goddess, couldnt compare in terms of Aura. This was indeed the refined and powerful force and intent of someone from the Murim World, a Venerable no less! Bing Xue! Whats going on?! Urbosa called her. Is this a war? Out of nowhere? Merkite asked. Mama! Orion cried. Are these bad people? They arent good! That man said weird things about Mama... I dont like him one bit! Athena said angrily. Bing Xue glanced at her family right behind her, feeling a bit sorry that they had to see this monster, the embodiment of her terrible past and of the horrible world to which she had been confined for so long. Yes, he is indeed a bad man Bing Xue said. Murim, that accursed world of bloodshed and suffering, where she struggled for thousands of years before getting anywhere. It was a world so hostile to everything that she still sometimes cannot believe she was able to survive until her power level. And it was a world she wanted to forget already, people he didnt want to remember anymore, and monsters that remained as traumas that she didnt want to ever recall ever again. Yet here they were. Murim itself came after her; it didnt let her rest; it didnt even let her have a proper vacation either! Its the damned, accursed world to which I was confined all these years, she said. After escaping from it, it has now come back to me. that man and his people are from Murim. M-Murim?! Mursha asked. But wasnt that world so far away? You said you had to cross a literal black hole to get here, said her sister. I know, I am not even sure how this is even happening, Bing Xue said. But we dont have the time to sit down and figure it out either That mans name is Fang Gu Lan, a Venerable, a monster I once battled and killed. He has been revived. And he has come after me, as ridiculous as that sounds. A Venerable, like you? wondered her mother. How strong is that man? Based on the strength he had before, he would be much weaker than me, said Bing Xue. But it feels like he has become stronger; hes actually beginning to push back my own Intent slightly I might have to go serious and all-out against him like I did when I handled Orion from the future and his tantrum. But thats! Mursha muttered. Yeah, itll be a massive battle, Bing Xue said. One that could destroy the planet if Im not careful. Hence, Ill lure him to follow me the rest. I have two options: you either leave them to me and I take them down, but Ill considerably slow down my time, making it possible for him to deal more damage to the planet, or you take them on. However, this is not something I want to force you to- Well do it! Urbosa said. Of course we will, Bing Xue. What are you even talking about? Weve been growing stronger and cultivating this entire time, said Merkite. Also leveling up a lot as well! Our Skills and Abilities have improved a lot, right? You said we were already strong enough to face even some of the mighty immortals of Murim, Mursha crossed her arms. Isnt that right? Yeah, yeah! Kalana jumped around, raising her little arms. I also want to help and fight! Fiery Hair said. Will protect family and home! Yeah, like mom said! Rainbow Eyes agreed. My daughter Sister! Her mother and her sister glanced at Bing Xues eyes. All of this time they spent training and cultivating with the most efficient methods Master! I humbly ask you to leave it to us. Nicholas bowed. Let us prove you weve grown strong enough. Jackes said. All of the power weve cultivated to protect the planet our home. John smiled, nodding. Finally some bastards to try out our new strength! smiled Aiyana. Bing Xue! Dont you dare tell me now that I cant try it out, right? Its the perfect chance! I agree with her, master, Francisco said. Well be careful too. Im going too! With Anubis! said Hekita. Merneiths joining in, right? But of course! Theres nothing you could ever say to stop me, Bing Xue, said Merneith. Ive grown stronger too; my bond with Ra has strengthened through this cultivation thingy. And theres a debt I must repay for all youve done for me. If Hekita is going, then let me join, said Sara. I have mastered my power thanks to you, so I owe you as much, said Heba, crossing her arms. Bing Xues eyes widened slightly; through all of them, she remembered her own sect in Murim. The many reliable seniors and juniors who she helped grow stronger, guiding them towards the path of the new future, a future of peace and prosperity. Now it was her home planet that was being threatened by the demons of her past And she wasnt alone either. Very well, she didnt even hesitate. However, Ill divide you all; theres other places that need our assistance right now. As the Heavenly Court whose purpose is protecting Earth, we mustnt just prioritize personal battles. Bing Xue could feel it; all the way in Washington, DC, a huge war was breaking out, and even back in New York, mysterious invading forces were rapidly approaching. Everyone nodded, agreeing to whatever her ideas were; they trusted her without any doubt. Then I will move you where youre needed the most. Ill accompany you, of course, through Doppelgangers. Go. FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! As several of her disciples and family members disappeared one after another through bright flashes of golden light, Bing Xues Venerable Intent began to gain ripples, forcefully pushed back as she noticed Fang Gu Lans intent transformed. {Seven Heavenly Paths}: {Seven-Headed Heavenly Dragon Roar} With a confident smirk, Fang Gu Lan took the opportunity, attacking Bing Xue with everything he had. ROOOAAARRR! The Seven Paths, the manifestation of his Venerable Intent, transformed into seven long, serpentine Chinese dragons of each color, roaring mightily and pushing Bing Xue and her Pagoda back. RUMBLE! Bing Xue, my dear white jade Is it my idea, or have you become rusty? He laughed out loud. I should be asking the same question to you. Huh?! Out of nowhere, Fang Gu Lan screamed as she noticed Bing Xue right in front of him. When did she get here?! She moved so fast that I- BAAAM! Interrupting his train of thoughts, Bing Xue infused all her power into her fists, punching the mans face and breaking his nose, shattering through all his hundreds of layers of defensive barriers. Uuuaagh?! CRAAASH! Fang Gu Lan hopelessly crashed into a nearby Pagoda, destroying it by breaking it in half and making the entire thing collapse, falling into the deserted wastelands beneath. BOOOM! ----- Chapter 198: War Between Venerables! ----- BOOOM! The Pagoda collapsed into the ground the moment Fan Gu Lan pierced through it, its entire structure fell down. The few dozens of Immortals and couple of Primordials inside quickly ran away as the entire structure exploded into flames, spreading corrupted Ki energies. Lord Venerable! H-He was punched down?! Didnt he say that he was stronger than her?! T-Thats! The Immortals began to doubt Fang Gu Lans words. As they descended to find him, he was already standing on the ground, glaring at Bing Xue while unsheathing his sword; his face had yet to regenerate as he was bleeding from his broken nose. He used his hand to quickly place it back where it was, making loud cracking sounds; it seemed he didnt even mind the pain, focused on Bing Xue. His Aura suddenly changed; the Immortals quickly flew away from his Immortal Intent! RUMBLE! Bing Xueee His eyes turned red as they began to spiral around, as his long black hair waved by the energy and winds that his aura generated. I will never forgive you. CLASH! He disappeared from where he was, resembling a blur of seven different colors as he reached Bing Xue in a split second. Bing Xue looked down at him from above, as suddenly, two little lights of silver and white color emerged. Hm?! CLAAASH! CLAAASH! The moment Fang Gu Lan was about to clash against Bing Xue, these little lights emerged, pushing him down with immense force. This strength Peak Realm Primordials?! he thought. Did she have them with her this entire time? Hmph! Begone! However, as much as he tried to push back, they quickly clashed against him again, their auras rapidly dissipating as they fought him, revealing their true appearance. Children! What?! How dare you bully mama! Well beat you down! They were beautiful children no older than eight or nine in appearance, with rainbow eyes, long silvery-white hair, wolf ears and tail, and claws and paws, with fur around their arms, legs, and neck. They wore similar clothes to Bing Xue as well, aside from their clear appearance and resemblance to her. Fang Gu Lan, however, couldnt believe that mere children were managing to keep up with his Intent! What is the meaning of this?! You damn brats! You think you are capable of even holding a candle against me?! Fang Gu Lan swung moved rapidly and dexterously, clashing against the boy; his claws, kicks, and bites, accompanied by his ever-growing aura, continued holding him back despite the odds! The venerable responded with dexterous kicks and punches, and whenever he swung his sword, the boy would swing his long claws, releasing manifested blade auras that somehow could compare to them. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Impossible! A mere child of this level?! Even for me, it took me years to reach this power! Fan Gu Lan screamed angrily. Die! He unleashed his Intent in full; seven gigantic dragons came down towards the boy, who faced the man bravely, his Aura erupting as well. AWOOOOO! He howled, his beastly appearance becoming more accentuated and his body growing slightly more muscular and taller; at the same time, the boys Aura temporarily evolved. ROOAARR! GRAAARR! ROOAARR! The roars of wolves echoed from the boys Aura, as hundreds of gigantic wolves manifested from the silver and golden light, clashing and biting the seven-headed dragons neck, overwhelming the seven heads with numbers. T-Thats A Venerable Aura?! {Divine White Heaven Formation Arts}: {Heavenly Restriction Formation}! And right as he was focusing too much on the boy and not the girl, a formation appeared below him, above him, from his left, right, front, and back at the same time, enveloping him in a white cube. This?! His eyes widened, noticing thousands of chains wrapping around his body, draining his energy and attempting to seal it away. A formation of this caliber, conjured so easily? He glanced at its origins; the girl that was with the boy; they were both likely twins too, as they looked very alike. The thing is, as he recalled what they said, he became shocked. They called you their mother? He asked Bing Xue that question, glancing at her from above the skies; she was nodding, looking at her children working hard. Thats right, theyre my children. Adopted? No! Theyre my children; they have my blood. Fang Gu Lan couldnt believe it! All this time, Bing Xue already had settled down and even had children?! After all of this time believing she didnt like men, she ended up getting married and having kids? He simply he couldnt accept this! What sort of monsters are these? Children arent born with Venerable-level Ki! screamed the frustrated villain. The only thing you do is complain, said Bing Xue. So I thought I should leave you to my kids, seeing how much of a wimp you are. Tch.! Hahah Fucking hell. CRAAASH! With his sheer physical strength, Fang Gu Lan shattered the entire formation instantly, breaking apart from it. Then, another second later, he reached the boy attacking his Venerable Intent, swinging his sword and aiming to slice him into two halves. SLAAASH! Once sliced apart, he moved towards the girl, grabbing her head and crushing it like a balloon. BOOOM!Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Theyre strong, but not enough. Now show me your crying face; I slaughtered your children- Eh? Fang Gu Lan blinked, realizing he hadnt harmed them at all! Instead, what he destroyed were perfect replicas, made out of their own Venerable Aura. Doppelgangers! Hes strong! Orion said. He crushed my Doppelganger instantly! Hmm he freed himself from the prototype formation, Athena analyzed. Ill create a stronger one then. HAH?! Fang Gu Lan couldnt believe it. How did they fool me?! What sort of trick are you? Fang Gu Lan, said Bing Xue. I am not the only one thats a Venerable around here, you know? Its rare in Murim, if not impossible. But these children here, they inherited all my powers upon birth, and since then, they had been only improving and growing stronger. T-Thats Venerables giving birth to Venerables?! Preposterous! To reach such a Realm, you have to work hard for years and years It shouldnt be something a child is born with! Bing Xues children were actually Rank 21 upon birth, the same Rank as her Primordial Immemorial Venerables. However, for their own safety and that of everyone else around them, she suppressed their power tremendously and helped them slowly get used to it, gradually unlocking it. Even now, around fifty percent of their power was still sealed, although she released a lot of it this moment, finally finding out a punching bag her kids could fight to their hearts content without worry. I would have thought the same thing, but here we are, and theyre cute, arent they? I love them! Bing Xue smiled. Im so proud of them And I was also quite sad. I had to hold them back because theyre so strong. You came right at the perfect timing, to be honest. Become their punching bags, please. Bing Xue waved her hand as a storm of slashing attacks engulfed Fang Gu Lan from every angle, cutting through his defenses and his Aura, and beginning to cover his body with small slashing wounds. The attacks then began to explode into Red Heaven Inferno Flames, strengthening the damage dealt! {Seven Heavenly Paths}: {Blue Heaven Protection} However, Fang Gu Lan wasnt going to allow her to look down on him anymore! Activating another of his personal techniques, his Aura flickered, turning completely blue as blue clouds encompassed his entire body. The wounds he was taking were instantly healed, and the flames turned off! I see, so youre using Blue Heaven against Red Heaven; I guess you have the level of intelligence of a small dog now, said Bing Xue, smiling. How about this? FLASH! A massive beam of black void was fired, reaching Fang Gu Lan. He furiously encompassed his body with the same Aura, now changing again. {Seven Heavenly Paths}: {White Heaven Armor}! An armor of white metal manifested from the blue clouds, which turned white before transforming, protecting him from the Void Beam directly. BOOOM! Hmm, I see Bing Xue seemed calm; however, she was calculating how far he could go by testing him with various attacks while keeping her distance from him. Meanwhile, Orion and Athena continued their onslaught, rushing down to fight directly this time! Orion encompassed his body with his growing Venerable Aura, the wolves rapidly merging into a giant white werewolf. ROOAAARRR! {White Wolfs Heaven-Slicing Claws}! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Orion swung his hands against Fang Gu Lan, unleashing a barrage of slicing waves of white and silver light, hitting the Venerable constantly. His white armor gained scratches that began to grow into cracks. Crack, crack! Hes capable of even shattering my armor?! The Venerable gritted his teeth; being humiliated by children wasnt in his plans right after finally being revived. He quickly rushed towards the boy, ignoring the girl coming from behind him again as her Aura emerged, becoming a gigantic, multi-tailed white wolf with red eyes. {Divine White Heaven Formation Arts}: {Heavenly Restriction Formation}! Again with that one, huh? Damn child. Fang Gu Lan quickly manifested his powers again, part of his Aura materializing into a giant, blazing red axe. {Seven Heavenly Paths}: {Red Heaven Cleaver}! SLAASH! He swung the Red Heaven Cleaver against Athena right as he was encompassed by the same white cube! The attack was massive, generating a gigantic explosion the moment it reached the girl. BOOOM! Yet she appeared amidst the explosions; her body encompassed by a nine-colored armor-like barrier. The girl smiled confidently. Echo! FLUOSH! Huh?! Fang Gu Lan realized the formation wasnt just the same; the girl manifested an Echo of it instantly, using the power and damage she tanked and applying it into the cube. {Heavenly Punishment Formation}! The energy erupted from every single angle around the Venerable as a massive explosion of white and golden flames engulfed him; the explosion wasnt one though, but dozens of consecutive ones within a small area. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Graaaggh?! Fang Gu Lan vomited blood as he felt the insides of his body being crushed, as his armor shattered completely and even his weapon Was stolen! Gotcha! Orion giggled as he grabbed the Red Heaven Cleaver and swung it down against Fang Gu Lan the moment he found the opportunity. You brat! Thats my weapon! Fang Gu Lan cried, closing his hand and controlling the weapon as he smiled, making the giant cleaver spin around, hitting Orion with immense force. CRAAASH! However, Orion used his claws to hold back the massive Heavenly Weapon and then grabbed it forcefully, his powers infused into it, turning it into a silver and red color. I said its mine now! The boy roared angrily; his Werewolf-like Aura roared mightily. As he swung the weapon down, a gigantic slicing wave hit Fang Gu Lan. SLAAASH! Nnngggh! Fang Gu Lan activated several techniques at the same time, creating the White Heaven Armor again, then the Blue Heaven Protection, and then Insolent child! he screamed. {Seven Heavenly Paths}: {Green Heavens Storm} FLUOOOSH! A massive storm made of the Green Heavens themselves manifested. As Bing Xue squinted her eyes, the storm pushed Orion and Athena away for several kilometers, as Fang Gu Lan began to create various Doppelgangers with his Aura. Go kill them! He sent over a dozen of them after the children before setting his gaze towards Bing Xue, manifesting angelic wings made out of the White Heavens, encompassed by Red Heaven Flames. Face me already! He used his sword again, swinging it a dozen times upwards, to the left and right consecutively, attacking Bing Xue with dexterous attacks, aiming at her joints and vitals. Bing Xue responded with her Yin & Yang sword, both of them unleashing powerful swordsmanship techniques that released explosions everywhere, slowly ascending further into the skies. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Your swordsmanship isnt as sloppy anymore! he smiled. Youve become much better after How long since I died? A few thousands of years? Hah! To think it took you this long to reach my level, Bing Xue! So pathetic! What level? All of that was done by your beloved system doing everything for you, Bing Xue giggled. Have you ever put any effort into anything through your entire life, Fang Gu Lan? Bing Xue nonchalantly overcame his swordsmanship with one-handed strokes, while at the same time using every opening to punch his face. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Nnggh! Arrggh! As he struggled to keep up, Fang Gu Lan didnt show despair in his eyes, as Bing Xue was expecting, but confidence and malice. {Seven Heavenly Paths}: {Black Heavens Void}! FLUOSH! Black clouds manifested out of nowhere, devouring Bing Xue completely and beginning to rapidly disintegrate her barriers and aura. This is?! Surprised?! You say I have never put effort into anything But look at this! Ive even managed to learn the powers of the Black Heaven Arts! he laughed. My Seven Paths are finally complete! And this is just the beginning! As Bing Xue was being devoured by the black clouds, she noticed Fang Gu Lan concentrating all Seven Paths into his Aura and then his entire body, the rainbow colors fusing together into a chaotic sphere. {Seven Heavenly Paths Convergence}: {Primordial Chaos}! What existed before the Heavens were born, what existed before even Murim existed The Primordial Chaos where the Heavenly Wills were born! I have attained supreme power! Dieeee! He fired the sphere towards Bing Xue, as it distorted, warped, and shattered space and even time itself. TRUUUM! I see Bing Xue smiled, her eyes shining with rainbow light as she took the attack head-on. BOOOMMM!!! The explosion was so massive that a gigantic black hole opened within the fabric of space, beginning to absorb the clouds surrounding the skies and even large pieces of stone from the ground beneath. Nothing remained of her?! Fang Gu Lan smiled. I cant sense her Fate either! She died! She truly died so easily?! It ended too quickly, dammit! Well, Ill have fun with her children As he looked down, suddenly CRASH! Uuh? He noticed a hand piercing his chest, grabbing his beating heart. W-Wha?! He glanced behind him. Bing Xue had emerged from the black hole and was now piercing his body; her clothes were slightly torn, and she had a few bruises. But she was fine. How does it feel, Fang Gu Lan? To have your heart crushed while you look? A-Aah! Y-You! Fang Gu Lan finally showed a hint of despair in his eyes. Bing Xue was happy now. Yes, this is the method that you used to kill countless orthodox faction cultivators Some of them were once my allies, said Bing Xue. The only thing youre doing by coming back to me is giving me the pleasure of enjoying your suffering, Fang Gu Lan. L-let go of my heart!!! Fang Gu Lan screamed; thousands of weapons manifested out of his Primordial Chaos, rushing towards Bing Xue. However SPLAT! She crushed his Venerables Heart, blood and energy leaking and splattering everywhere. Uuuaarrgghh! Venerables had hearts; they were like a core to their energy and the vessel of their Auras, although it kept itself non-corporeal and ethereal most of the time, so it couldnt be easily touched. Bing Xue had long ago perfected Divine Photon Essence Manipulation, specifically designed to target non-corporeal and ethereal beings. Yes, Bing Xues power was, from the beginning, designed to kill Venerables. With his energies leaking out, countless explosions and warping distortions emerged around Fang Gu Lan. His flesh and blood distorted into masses of colorful clouds and chaotic darkness, revealing his true form without a Heart to stabilize his existence. Venerables were beings made of pure refined energy after all. GRAAARRGGH! He wasnt dead though; a new heart was beginning to slowly form within his chest. His massive, monstrous arms hit Bing Xue, pushing her away as his chaotic weapons reached her, countless explosions engulfing her. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BING XUEEEE! YOU WILL PAAAAAY! GRUUUAAARRGH! YOU WILL PAY! DIE! DIE! DIEEEAAARRGH! Resembling an eldritch aberration, the Venerable of the Seven Paths of Heavens True form unleashed an all-out assault. ----- Chapter 199: Brutal Battle Across The Heavens ----- Fang Gu Lan had his Venerable Heart shattered, destabilizing his energy fluctuations and weakening him severely. The reason was simple: Bing Xues ability, Divine Photon Essence, was specifically made to target ethereal organs within the bodies of Immortals and Primordials, especially the latter. After her ascension into a Primordial Immemorial Venerable, its power had been multiplied several times, giving her the ability to grasp the heart and instantly crush it with her bare hands. No other Venerable so far has been capable of doing this so openly and easily. The reason was simple Bing Xue had designed most of her arsenal around killing Venerables; her growth, her everythingit has all been shaped by her endless desire to kill them. Why? The answer was rather simple as well. It was because she found them to be a menace that must be eliminated. They were corrupt all-powerful kings; they brought the demise of millions and were selfish, self-centered men that never thought about the future or the wellbeing of others surrounding them. Their crimes were endless, and their atrocities were never-ending. In the world of Murim, she was the very first Venerable to actually prioritize and care about mortals and the wellbeing of people in general. She was the first to actually worry about their future and pity them The perspective of a hard-working woman in a modern Earth Society had made her mind completely different. Despite Fang Gu Lan originating from Earth as well, his past life was full of regrets, self-hatred, and frustrations of the things he couldnt accomplish, while never having the energy or the drive to move and do something to improve his life either. We might have common origins; we both originated from this world, didnt we, Fang Gu Lan?! Bing Xue clashed against the monstrosity before her, who expanded into a massive eldritch aberration over a kilometer big. The clouds in the sky began to merge with his body as his energy fluctuations were disrupted, leaking everywhere and forcing his body to take upon its true form. BING XUEEEEAAAGGHH! With an aberrant scream that reverberated across the skies, Fang Gu Lan spoke. YOU ARE NOTHINGGGG COMPARED TO MEEEE! I HATE THIS WORLD! ILL DESTROY IT! ILL SHATTER IT APART AFTER IM DONE WITH YOUUUUU! A part of me pities your past life for having made you into the hateful monster youve become Bing Xue sighed. But despite all the things that society might have made you go through before, it doesnt mean the world needs to be destroyed! It doesnt mean that you must abandon your humanity! Why just why did you become like this?! BECAUSE I HATE! I HATE IT ALL!!! I HATE HUMANS I HATE PEOPLE! I HATE THOSE THAT LOVE! I HATE THOSE THAT HAVE EVERYTHING I DIDNT HAVE! I HATE THEM I EVEN HATE THEM UNFORTUNATE! THEYRE ALL SO PATHETIC, DISGUSTING! ALL OF YOU DESERVE TO DIE! With hatred and fury, Fang Gu Lan manifested his powers, as his body grew seven gigantic arms shaped as dragons, rushing towards Bing Xue at once. AND I DESPISE WOMEN LIKE YOU! WOMEN THAT THINK THEYRE BETTER THAN MEN! WOMEN THAT THINK THEY CAN BE MORE THAN JUST WHORES AND BITCHES THAT SUCK COCK AND TAKE DICK! YOUR ONLY PURPOSE IS TO GIVE BIRTH TO CHILDREN AND BE MENS SLAVES! Bing Xue sighed. As she waved her hands, gigantic blades made of light and darkness converged together, slicing through the serpentine draconic heads as they came rushing down, cutting them into pieces. Ive never hated men; Ive never thought I am better than men, and I have also never said any of such things, she said. I only and simply think that everyone deserves a chance, even even I deserve one. My gender simply does not matter, Fang Gu Lan! Why do you blame me for things I never thought?! Based on all the atrocities youve committed You shouldve expected that one day someone would kill you! SILENCE, WOMAN! All of Fang Gu Lans sliced draconic arms exploded as hundreds of explosions engulfed Bing Xue, bombarding her from every direction. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! She resisted the explosions, hardening her body and glancing at the monstrosity; his gigantic body began to grow smaller; the Venerable Heart was already halfway regenerated. Its useless! You love to talk as if you knew everything, as if you were intellectual, but the moment someone else confronts your ideals and thoughts, you rage and become insufferable, Bing Xue said. I remember that back then I tried to reason with you; I tried to appeal to our similar origins I had even considered not killing you but making you an ally, to forgive you for everything youve done before But you only aimed for my body; it was the only thing you ever wanted, the only thing you ever thought when looking at me. Even despite being as strong as I am, you simply dont see me as a person, dont you? HEHEHE HAHAHAHA! YEAH, BECAUSE WOMEN ARENT PEOPLE, STUPID BITCH! THEYRE SACKS OF MEAT! Fang Gu Lan roared as dozens of draconic heads opened through his entire body, firing dozens of beams of tremendous power, warping and rippling through space as they reached Bing Xue. I see that once more, theres just no point in reasoning with you again Bing Xue nodded. If anything, I admire your resolve and your heart to keep up with your wicked ideals until the very end. Its admirable if anything. DONT YOU DARE PITY MEEEEE! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The beams reached Bing Xue, and Fang Gu Lan made sure to accumulate them all within a single point, trying to completely melt Bing Xue out of existence. At the same time, several fragments of himself appeared around her, forming a large Heavenly Formation glowing with seven different colors. His aim had become rather clear, as Bing Xue felt several shockwaves of power trying to weaken her and drain her energy. I see, so youre trying to drain my power before you kill me Bing Xue nodded. ITS OVER, BING XUEEEEEERRRGGHH! As the monstrous Venerable roared, countless rainbow chains manifested, wrapping Bing Xues entire body until not even her hair could be seen; her power was immediately suppressed.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Heheh HAHAHAHA! The Venerable felt a new surge of power through his body; his form was almost already back to humanoid form, although half of it was still monstrous and eldritch. Bing Xues energies reached his body, rapidly refilling him with new Venerable Ki! Its amazing! This power! Why did a woman have it?! It doesnt make sense! he laughed. Its all mine anyway! At the end, thats all you could do, Bing Xue. You were destined to become nothing but the resources for my ascension! The young-looking venerable rejoiced as he laughed like a maniac; the Divine Photon Essence of Bing Xue was now his, alongside her Dark Abyss Essence and even the Void itself! With this power, I can do anything; I will even! FLUOSH! Ugh?! However, he quickly realized there was something seriously wrong with this energy as it wrapped around his body, and it began to extract his own energy instead. Uuuaaarrgh! W-What is the meaning of this?! Uggh! S-Stop! Fang Gu Lan realized too late that the energy never truly became his; within that energy there was also Primal Power, a power with its own mind, which Bing Xue had learned to control. By copying how it existed and worked, she was able to become the energy itself and control it with her will, no matter where it was. FLASH! Suddenly, an ethereal Bing Xue manifested from behind Fang Gu Lan, his energies being drained and forming her entire body, as he realized the chains he crated collapsed, revealing... Nothing! There was no Bing Xue corpse or something; she had completely disappeared. S-She let me absorb her to do thisUGH?! CRASH! Before Fang Gu Lan could respond to this, he felt his heart shattering again. Bing Xue used this moment to infiltrate the inside of his body to destroy it. Uuuaaarrggh! His entire body exploded again, becoming a swirling mess of various colored clouds, tentacles, eyes, and mouths. He kept trying to keep himself together and refine the entirety of Bing Xues energy form. But it was utterly impossible! Youre trying to refine a Venerable? Dont be a fool. Bing Xue filled Fang Gu Lans entire body with her own energies constantly exploding, his body beginning to also explode, falling apart into pieces and fragments apart. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! S-Stop! STOOOP! He quickly expelled Bing Xue from his body as her form materialized instantly, summoning her sword and swinging it against his dozens of tentacles and arms. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! She slashed through his entire being, which constantly rejoined and merged back together. In his anger, Fang Gu Lan attacked, manifesting hundreds of fists and punching Bing Xue with all of them. He activated several Martial Arts related to punches, explosions of Immortal Venerable Ki erupting everywhere, yet Bing Xue kept it up with her sword alone even as she battled a behemoth. GRRRHHHH! GRAAAHHH! Despite being constantly sliced and shattered apart, Fang Gu Lan had incredible durability and stamina, rapidly reforming once more, his monstrous body unable to accept his defeat. {Seven Heavenly Paths}: {Primordial Chaos Catastrophe}!!! With a furious scream, Bing Xue realized that the seven swirling colors within the core of Fang Gu Lan merged into pure Primordial Chaos like before, and then he unleashed it at once, destroying space and time in his wake. TRUUUMMM!!! Bing Xue readied herself to fight that almighty attack, combining the Void Essence, her Soul Blade Arts, and her Divinities together with her Divine Photon Essence and her Demonic Energies. While holding the sword with both of her hands, her rainbow eyes glowed brightly. {Divine Yin And Yang Harmonious Soul Blade Arts} Her sword manifested darkness and light, combining together and swirling against each other, rapidly forming a massive blade. {Balance Disruption Arts} Then, the energies began clashing against each other, too unstable to maintain themselves together for long, generating a massive amount of destructive repulsion force. {Blade of Origin: Primordial Calamity} RUMBLE! Bing Xue swung her blade down, slicing through the Primordial Chaos attack and completely splitting it apart, as space shattered once more, generating massive ripples across the skies. SLAAASH! Her attack didnt stop there as it continued slicing through Fang Gu Lans massive body, the blade beginning to rapidly destroy his entire existence. Uuuaarrgghh! W-What is this attack?! Is this even swordsmanship?! He quickly broke himself down to pieces and then merged back together away from the blade, only for a massive explosion to erupt behind him, sending him flying right towards Bing Xue. Whats wrong? I thought you were stronger? Bing Xues Aura manifested, resembling her half-snake form as six massive fists punched through Fang Gu Lans entire body, her energies constantly forming balance and then making it collapse to generate even more damage and destruction. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Nnnggghhhh! Fang Gu Lans soul was taking too much damage despite all his efforts; his body and energy were unstable after his heart had been destroyed twice too. At the end, unlike the great masters of Murim, he was someone who relied on his System to gain all his power, making his own techniques and fighting style very sloppy, as he relied on overwhelming his foes and bringing massive misfortune to them. However, through his entire battle against Bing Xue, he had been unable to even touch her Fate! His System had worked just fine with the other Cultivators of Murim, whom unknowingly ended up having their Fates stolen by his System, greatly empowering him. And even those otherworldly heroes he found, whose Fate and Powers were now his Bing Xues Fate was simply too big, too powerful, and too bright for him to even touch, and it was a fate that wasnt a destiny given to her since birth. I-Ive never seen a Fate like this before! It wasnt granted to her; it was a Fate built by her own efforts and even her suffering. Through all these years, she survived, evolved, and continued battling. A Fate that was based completely on her own strength, the power she built! It could be said that Bing Xues original Fate was so unremarkable that she should have never been able to accomplish anything at all. Yet even then, she did? This is ridiculous! Its unfair! Why?! Why is she so damn special when she had nothing?! She was destined to die like any other dog! Why is she here to begin with?! This damn woman! Shes the root of all my misfortune! Of all my suffering! Rage fueled his entire being his techniques, martial arts, and fighting style were terrible, and Bing Xues mastery over her abilities showed how massive of a gap there was between the two even when their cultivation levels were almost close to one another. She embodies everything I hate, he thought, his anger fueling his powers. Shes all I hate! Everything I must kill her; I have to kill her! Bing Xue battled against him as he was being torn to shreds, Fang Gu Lan barely alive while trying to fight back, but it seemed that their gap continued to increase as she revealed her true powers. I need more power! I NEED MORE! He screamed, as Bing Xue glared at him with disbelief. FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! Suddenly, several floating runes emerged around him, all shaped as different symbols that embodied Emotions. The Power of these Otherworldly Bastards! Ill use it to defeat you! The Symbols of five different colors merged with his body, rapidly beginning to stabilize it as his new heart was crystalized instantly. And then RUMBLE! A black storm manifested around his body, transforming his entire being. What are you trying to do?! Bing Xue rushed to stop him, swinging her sword and unleashing her attacks with her Venerable Aura. However! BAAAM! A powerful shockwave stopped the attacks, as massive pressure pushed Bing Xue away. T-This is?! This is not his power! Where did he get this?! Hahaha HAHAHAHAH! Fang Gu Lan emerged from amidst the dark storm; his entire body regressed to his human form, but it was now completely covered from head to toe with a skin-tight black suit. It seemed semi-modern, mechanical in some areas, pitch black with purple colors here and there, and the symbols he absorbed were infused into the suit, now corrupted, looking dark red, like cursed runes. His helmet resembled a furious black dragon, with a black visor made of some sort of transparent material, his entire design resembling some sort of hero from a Saturday morning show, but corrupt and dark. What kind of ridiculous outfit is this? Bing Xue twitched her eyebrows in confusion. Call it whatever you want! Fang Gu Lan laughed, summoning a black spear from his suits strange, alien powers. But this is the power thatll kill you, Bing Xue! CLAAASH! ----- Authors Note: Yes, Fang Gu Lan became a Dark Power Ranger after stealing the power of the others. Chapter 200: Kalana’s Heavenly Strength ----- The Symbols manifested the Emotions that the Dekai Gaorangers drew power from; they originated from their own world and were powers that manifested from them through their own Destinies related to and connected with Deus Ex Machina and their Deus Ex Beasts. These supernatural powers represented the Bonds they had with one another, strengthening their resolve and becoming stronger as their own friendship progressed and they became better friends and allies, companions, and even family. Red of Courage. Blue of Friendship. Pink of Love. Yellow of Hope. Green of Sincerity. And Black of Reliability. Right now, Fang Gu Lan had stolen the Fates of five of them, obtaining their Symbols, manifestations of these powers that he had managed to take away from them. However, he was not compatible with such powers and wouldve been rejected by them If it wasnt because he had enough power to simply force them to obey him. Therefore, the Symbols were corrupted! As his new armor manifested, the Symbols bright colors changed, becoming dark red, purple, or black. They ended up absorbing his darkness, becoming wicked versions of themselves. Friendship became Loneliness. Love transformed into Hate. Hope was corrupted into Despair. Sincerity mutated into Immorality. And Reliability became Corruption. The dark Symbols merged into his flesh as tattoos, as their power, combined, manifested into a massive storm of black clouds. And his new armor was madea suit of black color with dark purple armor and red jewels of evilness imbued within them. The helmet was shaped like a furious, evil black dragon, and the head had a black visor to allow the one wearing it to see through it. Hahaha HAHAHAHAH! He couldnt help but laugh! He felt completely refreshed; the immense power he gained from this suit itself was enough to refresh his energy completely. And fuel him with a brand-new, corrupt power he could make good use of! The corrupted symbols powers resonated the most with his rotten, evil mind, making them unleash tremendous quantities of energy everywhere. It was as if they could generate energy endlessly, with no limit. What kind of ridiculous outfit is this? Bing Xue twitched her eyebrow in confusion. Are you serious right now, Fang Gu Lan?! Even someone like her that had been using Skills and such for a while was shocked to see something as ridiculous; this power just went beyond mere Skills; it was something from another world entirely. Where did he even get this power? Were there some sort of power ranger people that came from another world while I wasnt looking?! she thought. If he has their powers, it means they must be dead! As Bing Xue rapidly calculated the origin of Fang Gu Lan powers but was completely blown away by the immense pressure emerging from his body after he put on the suit, Fang Gu Lan glanced at her. Call it whatever you want! Fang Gu Lan laughed, summoning a black spear from his suits strange, alien powers. But this is the power thatll kill you, Bing Xue! While laughing maliciously, the blacks storm surrounding his body rumbled with destructive lightning. He swung his black spear against Bing Xue, and as she responded with her sword, an explosion of light and darkness covered the skies. CLAAASH! As this happened, a fierce war broke out beneath the two Venerables; the Immortals and Primordials that Fang Gu Lan brought couldnt be ignored, and Bing Xue trusted her family to take care of them. Hahahaha! Our Lord Venerable is here! He shall sweep this world from all its riches, and we shall achieve what we werent able to do before! A New Empire that will conquer all of Murim and these endless worlds shall arise! An old, fat man with a long black mustache and a bald head laughed, wearing red robes and holding a massive crimson axe. He swung his axe, hitting the pagoda nearby. And we shall begin by destroying this damn pagoda! Heavenly Empress of Light, your reign will end today! CRASH! A loud tremor spread through the entire building as the old fat man laughed, his Primordial Aura exuding an immensely powerful force equal, if not superior, to Gods of the Tower. This damn pagoda will fall today! CRASH! He kept hitting, releasing countless shockwaves, forcing his way through the building, an invisible barrier protecting it, but for how long? Hey, stop that! Hm? He immediately realized a small presence emerged behind hima clear, green-skinned girl with long red and white hair and rainbow eyes. She didnt look quite like a human, as her body size was larger than her age would show, and even her muscles were beginning to develop.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Above all, the two adorable little tusks on her lower jaw were also there, alongside her slightly pointy ears. A damn brat? I guess youre so weak I didnt even detect you The Murim Cultivator laughed. What do you want? Dont tell me that Heavenly Empress uses children to fight for her now? What sort of stupid bitch is she? Seriously As Kalana saw the man about to swing his axe, she acted. I said stop! She rapidly appeared above him, surprising him as she kicked his arm and made him drop his axe all the way down. BAAM! What?! He gasped in disbelief. A child moved so quickly and kicked him, and she even managed to make him drop his weapon?! A Primordial, capable of flattening entire mountains easily with just the pressure of his Aura, was kicked effectively by a child?! What sort of nonsense is this? He glared at Kalana, quickly unleashing his Aura. Die! He didnt even want to hear her answer or anything of the sort, his fiery red Primordial Aura, which was the purest of flames this old man, Feng Chueng, had refined for one thousand years. Insolent child, know the might of my flames and burn to ashes! As he roared, he aimed at Kalana, trying to burn her until nothing remained of her. FLUOOOSH! Ugh! Its really hot! Wow! However, Kalana encompassed herself in her own Aura, as the mans eyes widened by the bright radiance he noticed coming from it. Her own Aura clashed against his own; space continued gaining ripples, which were then regenerated instantly. TRUUUM! S-She has an Immortal Aura too?! Impossible! Feng Chueng muttered. Who the hell are you, child?! Some kind of alien from this world, I can already tell! But how come children like you achieve this level ofwait, perhaps your appearance is deceiving me! Youre not a child; youre actually some old granny, arent you?! Eeeh? No, I am like four years old Maybe five! said Kalana. Mama said I should protect our home, so please stop or Ill have to beat you down really good! And I am not as merciful as my big sister Athena could be! Tch, threatening me as if you didnt know your place the old, bald cultivator smiled maliciously. Ill show you the difference between your barely noticeable aura and the true strength of a Primordial Cultivator! {Phoenix Dark Fire Arts}: {Blazing Inferno Storm}! RUMBLE! Suddenly, the mans presence was unleashed completely, as an endless storm of flames manifested around the entire Pagoda, generating hundreds of explosions at once. Kalana was also caught by the storm of flames, being completely trapped within endless explosions one after another! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Nnnggh! Hes a bit strong, I guess! But not as much as mama! Kalana quickly held off the flames, her entire body unleashing her own aura in greater and greater quantities. Until eventually, a massive, four-armed, muscular, red-skinned demonic giant materialized out of her aura, swinging its fists, and then BOOOMMM!!! Destroying the entire storm with it! You tried to kill me! You really did! Dont blame me for whats coming for ya! FLASH! Kalana rushed down, attacking Feng Chueng with tremendous force. Each of her punches came with a massive fist from her aura, unleashing a barrage of endless, unavoidable blows! W-Whaaat?! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! The old cultivator was left speechless, as his entire body was being battered, his muscles were torn apart, and his bones started cracking and breaking one after another. P-Protection! {Phoenix Flame Protection}!!! Because he looked down on Kalana, he had not set up a protective formation around his body, and when he finally did, Kalana just attacked him harder anyway. Hah! Face the power of my divine protection! laughed the old man, the aura protecting him shaping into a glorious red Chinese armor with phoenix feathers decorating his appearance. Now youll- I remember big brother did this! Kalana didnt even pay attention to what he said, as her aura transformed, wrapping around her and becoming something similar to armor as well! However, her armor was stranger, resembling countless muscular fibers wrapped around her body, glowing with red color, giving her an additional pair of arms made of this. {Four-Armed Asura Kings Armor}! Yeah! In that moment, the Cultivator knew there was something weird about this brat! She immediately turned her Immortal Aura into an Armor at her age?! Something that took me tens of years to accomplish?! He gritted his teeth with frustration, attacking Kalana with a rain of phoenix feathers and projectiles with immensely strong flames that reached Kalana instantly, bombarding her with even more fiery explosions. However, Kalana punched them away, the explosions not even harming her as she reached the old man and then punched him harder. {Crimson Burst}! BOOOM! Uuargh! Crack, crack! CRACK! A single punch from Kalana instantly spread cracks through the old cultivators armor, his arrogant face now full of disbelief. W-What?! A single punch- Ungh! He materialized a gigantic spear, a part of his armors manifestation. {Phoenix Spear of Judgement Flames}! He thrust his spear rapidly, hundreds of times at once, aiming to impale Kalanas entire body and leave her like Swiss cheese. Yet! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Kalanas eyes focused, her powerful Rainbow Eyes activating their incredible ability inherited from her mama, the power to see through enemy movements dexterously. She moved all four of her arms as she analyzed the thrusting blows, making her way towards the cultivator while parrying and blocking his attacks. The flames constantly exploding in front of her were of no issue either! W-What in the nine heavens is this?! He grew desperate, attacking Kalana with even more fury; a massive phoenix emerged from his aura, rushing towards her as a kamikaze attack. {Dark Phoenixs Descent}! Kalana readied her fists at once, infusing them with enormous quantities of energy, and then {Crimson Burst Echo}! She released it all! {Crimson Explosion}! Four of her fists clashed against the descending phoenix, blowing it away and unleashing four massive explosions that quickly engulfed the old cultivator behind. BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! Uuuaarrgh?! The man felt all his innards exploding and his bones breaking; this time parts of his whole body were blown away instantly, leaving him with barely a left arm and several missing chunks of meat. A-Arrgh! W-What what was that?! She! He started sweating a lot as he was falling from the skies. Shes not even at the Primordial Realm, that monster is! His own body quickly activated its innate ability, an infused Formation into his own flesh, blood, and skin; flames encompassed him entirely as his body regenerated instantly. This was Phoenix Revival! Once a day, he could revive from certain death. It was one of the trump cards that made him such a hard-to-kill bastard, and also someone feared across Murim. Shes not someone I can beat! I have to get out of here before! As he tried to escape and completely ditched his loyalty to Fang Gu Lan, prioritizing his own life like any Murim Cultivator would usually do Where do you think youre going? Kalanas mama showed up. A giant, muscular, and intimidating orc warrioress, looking down at them, man. W-What is that monster of a woman?! He almost pissed himself before Murshas massive and intimidating physique. However, he noticed she wasnt as strong as the daughter! Get out of my way! As he roared angrily and attacked Mursha TRUUUM! A massive pressure pushed him down into the ground, making him hit the floor beneath and leave a massive crater. G-Gaaaggh?! W-What was that?! He glanced upwards, noticing Mursha and Kalana looking down at him. But mama, I was going to beat him! the girl said. Let me! Let me! Youve already beat him; this cheater revived himself with some technique, Mursha said. Let Mama take care of this; youre too young to take lives yet, Kalana. Okay, sighed the girl. W-Wait a moment! Ill switch sides! Ill become your ally and help you! I have got lots of intel I can tell you! The man screamed, preparing a powerful technique to counter and escape. However Mursha doesnt take baits. The Blood Fang Tribe teachings say that we must never take hostages, Mursha said, suddenly feeling more ruthless and barbaric than most Cultivators in Murim. We kill our enemy, end of the story. Hyeeeehh! CRASH! The man screamed loudly as a massive axe cleaved him in half, burning him with flames even more potent than his own, flesh, bones, and soul, destroyed. BOOOM! ----- Chapter 201: The Twins’ Challenge ----- You damn brats, prepare yourselves! You will no longer disrespect the power of a Venerable such as myself! Fang Gu Lan attacked Bing Xues children, Orion and Athena, as he pushed them away so he could fight Bing Xue on his own without their intervention. He thought that the reason she was winning was because of their intervention and strength combined with their mother. Therefore, he pushed them away as much as he could, creating dozens of Doppelgangers with his powerful Seven Paths Art to distract and kill them without their mothers protection, as he was fighting her directly. Who do you think you are to say that?! Orion barked angrily, his aura shaping as a gigantic white werewolf growing stronger, swinging its claws against the thirteen Doppelgangers around him. {Divine White Wolfs Heavenly Claw}! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! He unleashed a barrage of slashing attacks; the claws of his Aura were as sharp as Blades, allowing the boy to unleash an imitation of Bing Xues Soul Blade which he had inherited and which he was rapidly integrating into his own fighting style. My Doppelgangers might be weaker than my true body, but I have specifically learned unique techniques with them! {Seven Heavenly Paths}: {Seven-Colored Heaven Aegis} Fang Gu Lan smiled through all his clones as they unleashed the power of the Seven Paths of Heaven together, forming a swirl of colorful clouds that rapidly forged into a huge rainbow shield. CLAAANK! The attacks coming from Orion were barely resisted, as scratches and cracks spread through the shield, the Venerable quickly realized that although it worked, more attacks would break the shield instantly. This kids too strong! What did Bing Xue do to make her children cultivate to this point?! Fang Gu Lan was more than anything, incredibly jealous of their power and how easy they got it compared to him, even though he himself had an unfair advantage, a System capable of Stealing peoples Fate. Brother is not alone, you know?! Hm?! The clones of Fang Gu Lan noticed Athena appearing above them, her hands generating two massive magic circles, which were actually her own unique technique and power: the ability to create Formations, customize them, combine them, and adapt to her foes powers. {Divine White Heaven Formation Arts}: {Heavenly Repulsion Formation}! The two formations in the girls hand activated as massive beams of pure light descended from the skies above, shocking the Venerable. What?! Thats not a Formation! As he screamed in disbelief at this "magic, which was quite revolting even for a being such as himself, the beams hit his clones with immense explosions. BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! As the beams exploded and engulfed his clones, they began to weaken as their Heavenly Ki was burning away, being used to increase the damage they took from these beams. Heavenly Repulsion is a Formation, Athena said. It simply uses the sky itself as part of it! By activating the Formation, the Skies absorb my Ki and then release it back towards my foes! T-Thats just magic, isnt it? Orion wondered, glaring at her sister with surprise. I-Its not magic! Athena felt a bit embarrassed; it really looked like that. Orion, concentrate on the fight! Right! Orion nodded, rushing towards the Clones that were being weakened and taking great damage. His Aura howled mightily as he aimed at those that were weak and with several cracks on their bodies. {Divine White Wolfs Mighty Howl}! AWOOOOOO! As the wolf from his Aura howled furiously, a gigantic shockwave of heavenly energies and photon essence reached the clones of Fang Gu Lan, reducing the weakened ones to pieces. Three out of thirteen died in that second; the remaining ten quickly fought Orion head-on without letting the boy recover from that attack at all. Ill teach you how its done in Murim, you damned child! I will enjoy tearing Bing Xues son to shreds! Die! They began punching, kicking, and unleashing beams of light from their fingertips against Orion, while their Seven Heavenly Paths Arts activated, generating infernal storms of flames through the Red Heaven Path, destructive slicing winds through the Green Heaven Path, and downpours of freezing heavenly waters through the Blue Heaven Path. Nnnggh! Orion placed his arms around his face as he took all the hits head-on, Fang Gu Lan constantly laughing as he distracted Athena with four other clones, making them six against the boy and four against the girl. Hahahahaa! You cant use your flashy techniques if I overwhelm you from every angle, cant you?! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! Grrrghhh! The boy gritted his teeth as his skin was constantly covered by bruises; his Aura gained a red tinge, growing larger and stronger as his eyes turned red. His white fur began growing longer across his body, and his tail, wolf ears, and sharp claws also became larger; the more fur grew across his body the more furious he became. RAAAAHHHH!A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. As he roared furiously while being punched in the face six times in a row, his Aura exploded, sending a gigantic shockwave everywhere. TRUUUUM! Ungh?! Argh! What the?! The clones of the Venerable gasped as they glanced at Orion in disbelief; the boys body had changed, becoming slightly taller, more mature out of nowhere, as if he had aged a couple of years, looking more like a teenager than a child. GRRRHHH! GRAAARRR! LEAVE MY SISTER ALONE! With a furious roar, he opened his jaws, firing a massive beam of pure white energy towards the clones, who generated the same shield as before. Yet! BOOOMMM!!! The shield was instantly pierced, three more clones disintegrating before the boys wrath as the boy rushed towards Athena, who was constantly being attacked. I-Impossible! Three clones died instantly?! Fang Gu Lan consciousness spread through his many clones; they couldnt believe the situation right now! However, as a Venerable, he had quick thinking and adaptation abilities. {Seven Heavenly Paths}: {Divine Heavenly Weapon Forging}! Using the remaining fragments of the clones that were destroyed, he forged three powerful weapons: a rainbow sword, a black spear, and a golden axe. With these three powerful weapons being wielded by the three clones fighting Orion, he quickly pushed the boy back where he came from, as he roared angrily that his sister was being attacked too unfairly! The powerful weapons created ripples in space as they attacked the boy, breaking his defenses and constantly slicing through his fur and body, leaving behind scratches and small wounds. SLAAASH! CRAAASH! BAAAM! COWARD! Orion roared angrily, glaring at the clones as they laughed maliciously, without letting him even fight back as the weapons began to burn through his own Ki, making it harder for the boy to unleash it like a beam. Cowards? Why, thats such a harsh word! I am not a coward; I simply adapt. Whats wrong with this? You were doing the same before against me with your mother! ITS NOT THE SAME! The boy furiously roared, opening his jaws and catching a sword slash, crunching with all his force and shattering the sword instantly. RAAARRRGH! Crack, crack! CRAAASH! Fang Gu Lan was once more surprised by what the boy did. He used his teeth to shatter a treasure of the level of a Venerable; that was simply too ridiculous! I have to kill these brats before they become too big of a problem! he thought. Ill slaughter them right now, before they grow and can surpass me! The merciless Venerable threw the shattered sword towards the boy as it exploded into hundreds of sharp knives that pierced through the boys skin, leaving them covering his body. Die. Ugh?! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! ORION! Athena screamed as she saw her brother being engulfed in countless explosions from weapons piercing his body! I dont think youve got the time to be worrying about your brother, little bitch! Aaarrgh! Fang Gu Lan grabbed Athenas long hair and swung her around like a ragdoll, sending her flying down as the two other clones intercepted her, unleashing powerful techniques of their own. {Seven Heavenly Paths}: {Green Heavens Storm} {Seven Heavenly Paths}: {Black Heavens Void}! The Green Heaven Storm and the Black Heaven Void merged together, rapidly forming a gigantic storm of black void, engulfing her completely. FLUOOOSH! Uuggh! Athena was trapped inside as void constantly attempted to consume her very being. She glanced at her brother fighting, struggling. At first it seemed like their victory was assured, but the more they fought, the more resilient and trickier Fang Gu Lan became. This was the Venerables way of fighting; he would let his opponents get the better of him first, studying their movements, techniques, and powers. And then, when they least expect it, catch them off-guard with a powerful attack and adapt to their fighting styles. This is how this monster had won against so many foes stronger than him before. However, it was when Bing Xue used the same tactic against him that he lost. The Void is consuming Mamas Protection! Athena thought, gritting her teeth. I have to fight more Better, stronger I need to adapt; I need to overcome this on my own or else! Her eyes began glowing with white and silver light, and as the girls entire Aura started to fluctuate, her body also started to transform like her brother did, temporarily maturing as her fur, ears, and tail became longer. Her Aura became a giant, ferocious white wolf, although it rapidly became more majestic, resembling a fox rather than a wolf. GRRHHH! She grabbed the formations in her hands and then infused them into her body. {Divine White Heaven Formation Arts}: {Heavenly Armor Formation}! FLAAASH! The Heavenly Beams rushed from the skies, hitting the tornado made of void and destroying it. Fang Gu Lans clones glared at the girl, as her entire body was covered with massive mechanical armor of white and silver color. From watching her mother and her sister Hekita constantly inspecting, analyzing, and improving the Mechanical Gods, Athena slowly began to also gain a great interest in them. Her formations, her chosen path and techniques, could sometimes potentially feel limiting, but the more she learned these things, the more her technique expanded at the same time as her imagination. Full body armor? That wont work either way! Your Divine Protection easily shatters before my might! Fang Gu Lans three clones reached Athena instantly; the girl moved alongside the mechanical armor covering most of her body, and propulsors unleashed explosions of white and blue flames, helping the girl immediately reach him. HYAAAH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! And then she clashed against him; gigantic metallic claws infused with her heavenly powers moved alongside her own, intercepting her foes attacks from every angle. Tail! A long mechanical tail appeared behind the mechanical armor, connected to her own; it moves dexterously, stopping the bastard from sneaking behind her. CRAAASH! And piercing right through one of the Venerables clones as her tail transformed into a spiraling drill made of pure Ki. In fact, the entire Armor was a Formation that used her Aura, Ki, and the Sky around her to crystalize; therefore, it was an evolved form of her own Aura, in a way. Guuaargh?! As the clone was quickly destroyed and exploded into pieces, the other two clones rushed to gather the fragments and create a new weapon. But the girl stopped them, instantly grabbing the fragments herself and using her Formation again. Dont think Ill let you! she said angrily. {Divine White Heaven Formation Arts}: {Heavenly Weapon Formation}! The fragments of Fang Gu Lans clone, which were rainbow-colored crystal-like materials, were rapidly merged together through a cube-shaped formation, fusing with it into a giant golden and rainbow-colored spear, covered with White Heaven Thunder constantly zapping. HYAAAH! With an angry roar, the girl swung the spear forward, piercing through the Heavenly Shields and Barriers of her foes and pushing them back constantly. CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! Shes using the clones leftover fragments as her weapon?! Dammit! Whats the meaning of this?! The two clones couldnt believe Athenas cunningness. It only took her a moment to see them doing that for her to copy their technique almost flawlessly and even improve upon it. Since she began her path towards growing stronger, the girl has always been fascinated with Formations themselves and the endless possibilities they can do. Within her, the Path of Formations had become clearer as she fought and almost reached her limits. Just stay away from her range! She sacrificed her special techniques for stronger physical strength; she should be easy to take down from a distance now. The two clones kept their distance while using Black Heaven Void constantly, pushing her back and beginning to break her armor; however, the girl wasnt going to just hopelessly chase them around. Her Aura changed colors, from white To black. Like two sides of the same coin, Light can also give birth to Darkness, Athena, Bing Xue once told her. Never forget this. Although your strength is definitely within the White Heaven Formation Arts, you can also unleash its opposite force. Practice, youll get it eventually. {Divine Black Heaven Formation Arts}: {Black Void Gravity Formation}! TRUUUM! Darkness engulfed the two clones as they felt an immense gravitational force towards the girl; gravity itself twisted before the power of the Black Heaven Void technique. Which she not only copied but improved, fusing it into her own techniques! W-What is the meaning of this?! Uuaarrghh! The two clones panicked, attacking Athena with everything they had! However, she rushed through the flames and winds with her armor as it was being destroyed, swinging the massive spear and impaling both of them at the same time. CRAAASH! Urrgh?! Arrgh! Crack, crack! BOOOM! The clones screamed in agony, their bodies instantly exploding into pieces, fragments that the girl wasnt going to let go to waste. ----- Chapter 202: Ever-Evolving Power ----- BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! As Orion was engulfed in explosions, the remaining clones fighting him rejoiced. As the boy fell from the skies, they realized that, although the explosions were immensely strong... The damage he sustained wasnt as severe. Ugh, you cheaters! he said angrily. You keep using all kinds of tricky abilities! Im going to beat you up! The boy rushed back towards them, even as he bled. Each drop of his blood fuels his aura, turning stronger and stronger and stronger! {Divine White Wolf Heavenly Fangs}! With a furious roar, his Aura exploded, transforming into a massive red and white wolf with dozens of heads, opening their jaws, and biting down anything in front of him. CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! The shields and attacks from the clones were useless, instantly tearing them down to pieces one after another as they quickly exploded into crystalized fragments. Impossible! He killed two already?! The remaining clone, only one, was shocked beyond belief at what it had seen, his powers surging; however, the more Clones died, the more power the single remaining clone gained as it didnt have to share it between them. His wounds are also still bleeding, but they dont look too bad beyond surface-level! Although his skin is not tough, his muscles and bones are not easy to pierce through! What a monster of a son you have, Bing Xue! Maybe in another life, he would have taken the boy as one of his few disciples, turning him into a living calamity that he could control, an adoptive son with immense potential that would always obey him. Unfortunately, that wasnt the case now; the boy was coming for his life! RAAARRGGH! With a furious feral roar, Orion opened his jaws, firing yet another devastating beam towards Fang Gu Lans clone. BOOOM! The beam should have destroyed the last clone, but instead the clone had gathered the dozens of crystalized fragments the other clones left behind, rapidly fusing them into an armor for its protection. Haaah! That was close. He smiled viciously. The more clones die, the stronger the remaining ones become, you know? I suppose thats not something your little child''s brain could realize. Huh?! Orion was surprised his foe had sustained almost no damage. So thats why! Yes, thats why the clones felt stronger the longer the fight went! Laughed Fang Gu Lan. The best strategy is to kill them all in a single attack, something your mother had figured out long ago; to think you took this long, its already too late! The technique that Fang Gu Lan created was more complex than Orion or Athena had imagined before; it not only created a bunch of clones made out of his own Ki instantly, but the less remained after the initial amount, the stronger the remaining ones would become. Of course, wouldnt it be easier to simply create a single, strong clone? Well, it was within the techniques conditions and effects for them to be many at the beginning, and this also was what made the technique so strong. By fooling foes into thinking the fight was easy at the beginning, only for the remaining clones to utterly destroy them upon a few of them died. Alongside that, they could also control the remaining crystalized fragments of the clones that died, utilizing them to create Formations, Weapons, Armor, or strengthen themselves even further. Huuuh Orion sighed as he concentrated, focusing on the foe in front of him. His aura fluctuated around his body, constantly growing stronger. His wounds were quickly regenerated and left not even scars behind, making Fang Gu Lan click his tongue that all the damage he did ended being for nothing. Ah well, it doesnt matter how much you heal yourself; its over, kid, he smiled. Now, show me your face of despair as I tear your body and soul to shreds! The Venerable manifested a rainbow sword out of the remaining crystalized fragments, rushing towards Orion at lightning speed! He moved so fast that not a single person other than Orion could even see him moving at all. There! Orion gritted his teeth as he intercepted a descending attack from above. Fang Gu Lans swordsmanship techniques couldnt compare to his mother, whom he had faced head-on. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Nnggh! The Venerable was rapidly being seen through, as Orion evaded his sword attacks, which only carried brute force and had poor dexterity and agility to them. The boy used his sharp claws to imbue them with his inherited version of Soul Blade, making it possible for his own wolf claws to be like swords. "Yeah, you mightve gotten stronger, but you cant compare to moms swordsmanship! The boy roared furiously, charging his claws with even more power. {Divine White Wolfs Heavenly Blade Claws}! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! A storm of white and silver slashing waves reached Fang Gu Lans powerful clone, shattering through his armor and rapidly beginning to weaken it. Dammit! Hes destroying my armor already?! No, this cant be happening to me! Fang Gu Lan quickly harnessed his powers once more, injecting more of the one he possessed into his clone, the armor rapidly darkened, gaining some aspects of his true bodys current armor. Dont look down on me! The furious Clone roared furiously, his Aura exploding into endless darkness born from the Reverse Symbols that the original body had stolen from the mysterious otherworldly heroes that landed on his world by chance. RAAAHHH! His sword grew several meters bigger, overflowing with darkness and red energies, swinging it down to generate dozens of explosive shockwaves of energy capable of cutting through most things.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Orion felt his claws being sliced and shattered, his fingers bleeding a little as he realized the greater power that the clone gained out of nowhere. Hes using the power his true body gained? Orion looked upwards. Thats the power mamas fighting against! Heheh HAHAHAHA! Fang Gu Lans clone laughed maliciously. Everything in Murim, and now this world, shall belong to me and me alone! I am the only one that can plunder even the heavens! See what this power is? Its nothing but what Ive rightfully taken from someone else, their Fate and Strength, all mine now! As he laughed, he rushed towards Orion; his attacks became incredibly fast and chaotic, irregular and almost unpredictable. He appeared and disappeared, leaving explosions of darkness and red mist everywhere. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Orion was once again being overwhelmed; he was unable to land a single hit, Fang Gu Lans clone becoming faster and faster, fueled by the dark powers he had taken from heroes from another world! It wasnt just merely a thing of cultivation anymore; when powers from other worlds that work through different laws and physics are brought to the table, unpredictable challenges occur. Orion! Athena rushed down, the fragments of the clones she destroyed rapidly swirling around her as she fused them with her Formation like before, creating a powerful set of armor once more. That set of armor thats the same that the main body is wearing while fighting mom! Athena thought, glancing up into the skies. It seems weaker now, but I can work with that. The fragments contain some of Fang Gu Lans power and even a connection to his Origin. These fragments couldnt be seen by anybody else than him, or so he imagined, but Athena was perhaps the only one, aside from perhaps Bing Xue, that could see them. And also turn them into her own power! {Divine White Heaven Formation Arts}: {Heavenly Heroic Armor Formation}! FLAAASH! The fragments merged with the Sky itself surrounding her, white clouds wrapping around her body as her own endless fountain of Ki fueled the entire armor, materializing it. Woah This armor is?! Athena was surprised, looking at her own armor in surprise, which ended up giving her more power than she imagined. Her armors appearance remained semi-mechanical but wasnt as bulky as before and was much slenderer and compact around her body, which had temporarily aged in her strengthened form.. It had sharp silver shoulder pads, golden linings here and there, and a helmet shaped like a white wolfs head made of white metal, with glowing golden eyes made of crystal. To make things more shocking, the chest had a crystalized golden heart, fueling the armor with an otherworldly power. By trying to imitate that armor through his clone fragments and my own formation, I think Ive made something I never thought possible Athena, the brightest of Bing Xues children, was shocked by her own genius! FLASH! With a single step down, her body moved instantly towards Fang Gu Lans clone, punching it on the head with immense force. BOOOM! An explosion of white light engulfed the dark ranger-like Venerable clone, the dark clouds constantly wrapping his body, instantly beginning to dissipate. W-What is that light?! The Clone glared at Athena with anger, realizing that her new form was strange, resembling the armor of the heroes he had caught and stolen their power, and even his own armor. Sister! Orion was surprised his sister had arrived for his rescue, as it was always the opposite when it came to such things. Orion! Are you okay? Im fine! Just a bit overwhelmed, but I can go on forever! The boys Aura surged even stronger than before; he was purposely taking damage to fuel his Auras power, as it possessed an Innate Power his mother had discovered that she simply called Berserk-type Aura. It was a type of Aura that absorbed power the more damage the owner received, enhancing and strengthening its effects, materialization, embodiment, form, and durability. This was something usually rare in the world of Murim, but not impossible! Cultivators with great Talents were usually born with Aura Types, Berserk-type Aura was a rather rare one, but that Bing Xue had faced a few times before. There were other, more terrifying types of Auras though... Such as Fang Gu Lans Devour-type Aura which absorbs the energy of foes that it touches and fights against, weakening them over time. You! Unbelievable! Fang Gu Lan muttered. Again, you stole my powers! YOU FAKER! The furious Fang Gu Lan rushed towards Athena, swinging his giant black sword against her. The girl and her brother intercepted him together, their strength combined as one. CLAAASH! You separated us because you cant go against us together, cant you?! Orion smiled. As long as were together, we are invincible! Athena roared. W-What?! What is this strength?! ACK! Fang Gu Lan screamed, his sword being pushed back with immense force as Orions Soul Blade Claws tore through its blade and generated cracks, only for Athenas thrusting attacks with her spear to shatter the sword completely. CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! T-The sword! Fang Gu Lan tried to regenerate the sword by reusing the fragments, but Athena grabbed them with her hands and then threw them towards her brother, purifying the darkness in the process. Brother! You need an armor too! Mamas protection seems unable to completely protect against someone like him! Okay! Fine! {Divine White Heaven Formation Arts}: {Heavenly Heroic Armor Formation}! FLAAASH! Orion swallowed his pride as a warrior that liked using only his body, as an armor similar to his sister appeared around his body, although it was larger like his body, with a wilder look. The wolf-shaped helmet was also more feral, with longer teeth and red eyes; the white armor was slightly grayer as well, with red colors instead of gold. RUMBLE! As if the two armors synchronized, the moment Athena gave one to her brother, her own also grew stronger, their Bonds as Siblings strengthening their armor together with themselves. Impossible! No! Fang Gu Lan was frustrated; this had never happened to him before. Youre copying my own Armor?! Who gave you the right?! And you dont even possess their powers This is nonsensical! What Fang Gu Lan didnt know was that the Symbols he corrupted hadnt simply become darker versions of themselves. They were like coins with two different sides. The darker side he had created was empowering him, but the original side of these Symbols remained within his own body. And because they couldnt unleash their power, they instead began to channel it towards those that could, chosen ones that fought for justice! As long as he kept unleashing the power of the Corrupted Symbols, the original Symbols Powers would not go anywhere but would simply find new hosts, even when they were within his possession. And right now Hope and Reliability had found their new hosts. The Symbols! Fang Gu Lan gritted his teeth in frustration. Why are they shining within them, even though I have them with me?! Prepare yourself! Were not going easy anymore! The two siblings charged forward, punching the clone from every angle at the same time; their sharp metallic claws tore through his black armor with mighty attacks. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Uuurrggh! You bastards! Each of their attacks generated explosions of yellow and black light, the power of the Symbols manifesting fiercer than ever before the more they fought. {Seven-Headed Black Heaven Dragon}! The armor of Fang Gu Lans clone shapeshifted out of nowhere, seven gigantic mechanical dragon heads surging from his body out of nowhere, attacking Athena and Orion at the same time, pushing the siblings far away! CRAAASH! However, they quickly went back, punching, kicking, and clawing their way through the black steel as the draconic robot heads were being destroyed one after another, shooting red lasers that they reflected with their fists. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! T-Theyre invincible or something?! Fang Gu Lan charged against them, materializing dozens of black swords against them, which the siblings shattered with their fists, each of their punches generating explosions of enormous quantities of Ki. Until finally, they reached him! No! I wont go down so easily! This clone is my strongest one! The Venerable was furious and frustrated; he was unable to comprehend what was wrong with his opponents, but they seemed to have endless potential and stamina! No matter how they handled, they simply would stand back up and fight again. Dammit! Stop! STOP I SAID! Eventually, he couldnt even defend or intercept their blows anymore; like two stars of white light and black light, the two siblings constantly attacked him from every angle, descending at rapid speed. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! His black armor started giving up, shattering apart more and more, until eventually Crack, crack! CRASH! Aarrgh! No! The clone screamed as his armor broke down to pieces and dissipated. T-The power! Why is it not working on my clone anymore?! He didnt realize that the more these new armors punched the dark armor, the more they collected the power of the symbols he was drawing power from. This is as far as youre going! Take this and this! The siblings began ganging on him mercilessly, breaking his arms and legs, tearing apart his hair mercilessly, and then, eventually, as Fang Gu Lan screamed angrily and cried, they crushed him completely with a combined attack! {Combination Technique}: {Heavenly Wolfs Howl}! Their Auras converged into a gigantic white and black wolf, howling furiously, as a massive beam of pure Heavenly Ki consumed the clone entirely! T-This is ridiculous! BOOOMMM!!! ----- Chapter 203: Red Ranger Against Reptilians ----- RUMBLE! A gigantic mechanical squid-like creature moved across the wastelands of North America, rushing towards the direction where the one riding this monstrosity could sense his friends Symbols were located. Were getting closer, Zenith! Kenichi spoke through his Red Gaoranger Suit, as he glanced into the distance with the augmented vision the suit granted him. He seemed very concerned. From having to ally his lethal foe to having to seek his friends while he didnt even know where they were. With the only surviving Deus Ex Beast being the Red Lion, he felt like this was their greatest crisis so far. Not only were they stranded on another completely alien world, but his friends were scattered, and he had a bad feeling about where they could have gone. Hmph! Once we find the other Gaorangers, youre going to help me find my fragments! said Zenith. As part of our deal, of course! If you dare not comply with that promise, then I will not hesitate to destroy you! Fine, I know! Stop nagging about it! sighed Kenichi. A promise is a promise Despite being my enemy, I will honor it and help you gather your fragments to unify them back to how you were. And once that is done and we are finally back to how we were, we will settle things down once and for all! Yes, thats right! Zenith roared, laughing. And this time I will not lose! Just wait and see! Hah! As if Justice would ever lose to an evildoer such as yourself! said Kenichi, trying to calm himself down. And- Huh? Whats that?! Zenith glared into the skies, pointing at them with his long mechanical tentacles. Above the heavens and clouds, a gigantic structure began to slowly descend; dozens of smaller flying structures separated themselves from the larger one, flying above the skies and inspecting the area. Aliens?! Kenichi asked. Dont tell me! Zenith! Is this your doing?! Are the Xeno Beasts here? No, fool! Zenith said. Those bastards arent the Xeno Beast! I dont even know where theyre coming from at all. Our spaceships are much larger and gigantic, and black with many spikes. Those spaceships over there are strangely streamlined, with weird scales and reptilian appearances; look, that one even has a head. What in the world?! Kenichi was shocked as several spaceships passed through the skies in that moment, and one of them stopped moving right in front of them, while two more stopped a bit away from them, descending into the ground. Who are you?! Kenichi roared as he quickly summoned his weapon for any battle. {Crimson Blazing Sword of Courage}! FLUOSH! A blazing crimson sword materialized out of nowhere, showcasing the power of the Symbol of Courage within the Red Dekai Gaoranger. Graaashaak! Graack?! However, from the spaceship floating in front of them, only unintelligible words could be heard, as it suddenly opened a large tyrannosaurus-like ornamental head at the top, revealing a huge cannon. Red Ranger, it is going to fire! I know! Ill slice through it! TRUUUM! The beam reached Kenichi, impacting him with tremendous force! An explosion of red energy erupted, splitting the skies above and generating cracks through the ground. BOOOM! Nnggh! Dammit! What the- Ah! Zeniths eyes widened as he saw Kenichi slightly burned, but his armor glowed with a fiery red aura, the Symbol of Courage glowing everlasting, as his sword cut through the beam. SLAAASH! The slashing wave of flames not only cut through the beam entirely, but it also reached the spaceship, dealing great damage to its surface armor and destroying the cannon attached to the ornamental tyrannosaur head. Now, Zenith! Push it down! Way ahead of you! Zenith roared furiously, swinging his mechanical tentacles, grabbing the huge spaceship of over ten meters of height, and forcing it down into the ground. CRAAASH! As the spaceship impacted the dry land beneath, several smaller explosions triggered all over the entire spaceship, as cables and pieces of wire fell to the ground, flames spreading everywhere. Gryyaaasshkaah! Gruooshka! Greeshka Khuaashk! Suddenly, several huge, muscular reptilian creatures crawled out of the burning spaceship, completely shocked that a mere human and whatever that thing accompanying were pushed down. They werent just a few, but dozens of such reptilian creatures, with heads resembling Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops, and Velociraptors, alongside colorful feathers over their heads that resembled hair. They wore, however, no tribal clothes at all, instead wearing highly technological equipment wrapped tightly around their muscular, green-colored scaled bodies. They pointed laser guns at Kenichi, firing a barrage of red lasers at him. Dammit, there were a dozen of them inside?! And they got laser guns! Zenith, protect me with your tentacles! Ill go fight them head-on! Youre going head-on?! Hahaha! Maybe thisll be the time Ill see you perish. Zenith teased Kenichi, but the Red Gaoranger did not care. He jumped into action, laser beams rushing towards him as he evaded them, jumping around dexterously and heroically. Damn Gaoranger!If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Zenith used his tentacles to tank the lasers as he rushed right behind Kenichi, furiously firing beams from his own eyes and blowing away some of the reptilians. Now! Kenichi jumped into battle as he swung his blade against the nearest reptilian, who groaned in agony as its chest was sliced through and an explosion of flames engulfed it. BOOOM! Uuaarrck! The rest of the reptilians took out giant mechanical weapons, swinging them against Kenichi from every angle, but he quickly swung his sword as he spun forward, slashing through the reptilians bodies, explosions of flames coming from his weapon! SLAAASH! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Uuaarck! Kreekh! Gryack! The reptilians couldnt hold him back as much as they wouldve expected! Despite having the build of a normal human, he was much stronger than all of them combined. H-How is that human so powerful?! That armor! Its strange! Agh, his robot is coming here again! As they communicated with one another, they panicked as they saw the gigantic tentacles of Zenith coming down towards them. CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! In mere seconds, half of them were crushed to death, leaving behind nothing but splattered blood-covered innards and broken bones and flesh. Their powerful mechanical armors were of no use either. D-Did you have to be so merciless?! Kenichi asked Zenith. We need to talk to them! Dont kill them all, Zenith! Hah! Youre too merciful, Gaoranger! said Zenith. These bastards simply deserve to die and disappear for daring to attack me! Zenith rushed forward to kill the rest, only for the reptilians two other spaceships to begin firing massive cannons at him. BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! URGH! Zenith moved back as his body gained large holes through it, where his black flesh could be seen beneath his mechanical armor. The remaining reptilians tried to run away, but Kenichi didnt let them, quickly summoning a grappling hook made of red metal and grabbing one of them, pushing it towards him. The other two were engulfed in flames, screaming in agony as they burned, but they were tough enough not to die from that. I am not as merciless as Zenith, but that doesnt mean I will be soft with you. Kenichi quickly weakened them enough so they couldnt fight back. Tell me, who are you?! Have you seen my friends? Graaack! Grekekeh! Gryakuh?! They couldnt quite talk to him, speaking in their own reptilian dialect, making Kenichi more frustrated over time. Even the Xeno Beasts have technology that allows them to speak our language; why cant you do the same? He sighed, facepalming. Whatever He quickly slammed their heads with his hand, leaving them unconscious and half-burnt. The Gaorangers were protectors of humanity, not of aliens. This meant they were pretty merciless against them anyway. Zenith! Attack them back; dont let them escape! Hoh? I thought you were acting all soft before. Shut up and do what I say! Im only getting more and more stressed here, my friends I dont even want to think that the worst happened to them! Hahaha! Fine! Lets show them what weve got... Red! Tch Fine, Zenith! Kenichi knew what he meant, so Kenichi quickly ran over Zenith, entering a large cabin inside of the biomechanical monster and connecting his energies into his core. FLUOSH! {Deus Ex Beast Transformation}! He pulled out a red card from his wrist and placed it on top of the black-colored control panel. The card released sparks of black electricity, slowly turning black and red instead, growing corrupted. Hahahaha! So this is the power you possess, Gaorangers! Now its mine! Zenith laughed as his entire body began to transform, his tentacles unified into giant, burly arms and legs; his squid-like body became a torso, while a new, humanoid yet demonic and malicious-looking head emerged above it. CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! The mechanical head resembled Zeniths original face quite a lot, although it was now made of silver, red, and black metal, with huge horns, a lion mane-like crown, and red jewels as eyes. {Dark Deux Ex Beast Warrior: Demon King Zenith} Unlike the Mighty Brave Gaoyuusha, a combination of all the Gaorangers Deux Ex Beasts, this was only composed of one of Zeniths body parts. However, it was big enough to reach fifty meters of height easily! Hahahahah! Ive gained supreme power! Zenith laughed as he started moving, rushing towards the two giant spaceships firing massive beams at them. Come and die! He swung his massive claws at them as he grew long tentacles that wrapped around the spaceship nearest to him, dragging it back to him. Ill rip you all to shreds! Crack, crack! CRAAASH! Zenith laughed like the terrifying warlord he was, using his giant claws to tear open the spaceship and break it into two. All the reptilians inside jumped out of the spaceship, trying to scatter like cockroaches. Dont you dare escape, insects! Zenith wasnt merciful at all, crushing them all with his foot, stomping them as if they were actual insects. The difference in power was simply tremendous. BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! Zenith! Stop killing them all; theyre running away anyways! said Kenichi. Aim at the other spaceship; it is trying to flank us from above. SHUT UP, RED! YOURE SIMPLY TOO SOFT! Zenith smiled as he jumped into the skies, descending and kicking down the spaceship attacking him from afar with a massive strike. CRAAASH! The spaceship was instantly split apart, collapsing into the wastelands below and exploding with countless reptilians running away from the explosion while covered in flames. Gryyaaaack! Zenith smiled through his mechanical head, laughing as he began stomping them again. He was really enjoying the slaughter. Gahahaha! Stomp! Stomp, and stomp! GET STOMPED! S-Stop Zenith! There are people down there! Where? Tell me where to stomp them too! I said ENOUGH! Kenichis powers suddenly forced Zenith to stop moving, his entire body paralyzed. Ugh?! W-What the?! The Demon King couldnt believe it, but the Red Gaoranger had taken complete control of his body with his Symbol of Courage! Did you think that you could freely do as you pleased?! Kenichi furiously said. The power you now have is thanks to me; as long as you use it, you have to also obey my orders as a Deus Ex Beast. D-Dammit! This isnt fair, you bastard! Free me at once! AAAARRGH! No matter how much Zenith complained, he was unable to free himself, slowly moving as Kenichi willed with his mind. The giant slowly kneeled, gently grabbing the people on the floor. It seemed they were being abducted by the reptilians seconds before they arrived and had miraculously not been caught in the explosions, mostly because the battle occurred several hundreds of meters away from them. T-These are! Everyone! Kenichi gasped in disbelief the moment he learned who they were. It was his whole group; all five of them were here! They were unconscious, and he couldnt sense a hint of power from them anymore. But they were alive, however, in a state similar to a coma. Looks like theyre going to soon die! Leave them behind anyways; these bastards are useless! Zenith tried to whisper him evil words, but Kenichi didnt even hear him talking, his eyes filled with disbelief, traumatized by what he was seeing. N-No Their Symbols were stolen, and even their lifeforce was rapidly fading away; the Deus Ex Beasts that belonged to them were gone, hence they would be unable to recharge their energies easily. Why is this happening?! Dammit, dammit! He ran out of Zeniths body and quickly called upon his lion, which was summoned out of a huge red gate that materialized out of nowhere. Red Lion, do you have some area where they can rest? GRAAAOOH! The Red Lion opened a large door on its chest, leading Kenichi inside as the Gaoranger carried his friends one by one inside. He ran through the inside corridors, leaving them in a small infirmary connected to machines that kept them barely alive. However, they didnt look good. Who could have done this to them Kenichi muttered. Dammit! Why is this happening to us? Everyone! He fell to his knees; the brave hero of courage was overcome by grief and sorrow, crying and despairing in front of his dying companions. RED! Tch! What do you want now?! Kenichi was furious, glaring at Zenith. However, once he stepped out, he saw someone approaching. A dying man wearing a red and golden suit, rather different than his own. His body was covered in bruises, and it looked like one of his arms was bent the other way around. U-Uuggh! Someone, please help me! My friends Galaxy Man hes! Theyve gone insane Urgh! Wait right there! Im coming to your aid! Kenichi didnt even hesitate to finally help another human, rushing to his aid and carrying him back to the infirmary within the Lions mechanical body. Youre perhaps the first human Ive seen here! What is your name? Dont worry, Ive treated your wounds. A-Ah Youre ugh Im Wingspeed, a hero that landed here a few days ago Urk! Listen to me! my friends Theyve been brainwashed by something; someone is taking over them! I just ran; I didnt even know what to do! Oh Its the same with me I guess Were in a similar predicament. You dont say Wingspeed laughed a bit. Just what beef does life have against heroes with red suits, man ----- Chapter 204: Invasion On Washington D.C. ----- Within the gigantic spaceship hovering above the planet, Great Priestess Bloodclaw, Commander of the Bloodclaw Forces that have begun their slow, planned invasion over Earth, glanced at the planet and its surface, rich in large quantities of otherworldly energies and many new gray-colored portals to use and enter new worlds to invade and conquer. This world is truly one of a kind, she smiled. As long as our invasion continues and our God finds new Vessels, well be able to expand our Empire endlessly across the many Gray Portals. We simply need to take over them, and theyll be ours. How wonderful it is, isnt it, my Lord? Countless worlds for usno, for you to conquer and feast on. Yes, I can hardly wait, her God spoke through the lips of Martian Man, a member of the Superhero Group that had landed on Earth accidentally who had flown to Mars to find out if his people were alive in this timeline, only to be disappointed once more, and then subdued and became his vessel. The vessels Ive secured on the planet are good and strong enough. However, the one I desire the most due to his strange powers ran away. Send as many soldiers as possible after him. I must secure that body. His ability to move beyond lightning speed, or perhaps even time, must become mine. "My Lord, you mean the human who calls himself Wingspeed, yes?" Bloodclaw inquired, her mind able to read Martian Man''s thoughts. asked Bloodclaw, as she had read the mind of Martian Man before being possessed, allowing her to learn about his many allies and past. Yes, Wingspeed, a ridiculous name, laughed the Dinosaur God. His power originates from a strange type of energy that does not exist within this plane of existence called the Speedium Particles, his superpower is being able to manipulate them and utilize them as he wishes. A mutation born from an accident that should have killed him. If I can procure such a body, with the combination of Galaxy Man, Marvelous Woman, Jade Star, and this body, Ill be able to do anything I please! Invulnerability, absolute strength, an ageless, immortal body, the power to manifest and materialize anything, and then... the ability to manipulate Speedium Particles and move through time as I wish! My eternal conquest shall begin in that very moment! Aaah! I can hardly wait, my Lord! Bloodclaw was fascinated by her lords knowledge and his plans. Ive already sent dozens of drones after him! He has left a large trail of such particles everywhere he runs to, so its impossible to miss where he is! Good nodded the Primal Dinosaur God. We will also be moving some of our forces to take over key points. Primarily, the area where their leaders are located. As my vessels are within that are known as North America, we will move there first. Target areas that are important as well as Hmm, that strange golden building over there. Isnt it there where their savior is? That too; target it. Well also target the city she protects to impact their mentality more, so the humans become obedient upon our conquest. Very well, it shall be done- Huh? [WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!] [Three Class A1 Spaceships had been lost in combat against an Otherworldly Enemy.] [Reporting Results of Battle. Uploading recording of what had occurred within the engagement.] T-This is?! Bloodclaw gasped as she saw the messages appear through the large screens of the spaceship, her eyes widening as she saw a man clad in red swinging a blazing sword and defeating the reptilians with ease. Then a massive tentacled robot crushing them to death, and lastly, how the human entered that robots body and triggered a transformation that even increased the monsters size and form, making it even stronger, to the point it easily destroyed the spaceships. They were Class A1 Spaceships, which were used for both scouting new areas and to engage in battle. These vehicles were able to move rapidly across space and fire powerful lasers capable of vaporizing most matter. It didnt end there though; what the cameras were able to record at the last second was the red suit hero carrying some people he had found while ending up meeting with Wingspeed, the prey the Primal God of Dinosaurs desired as his vessel. Another variable! Where did this man come from?! Hes a human, right? Not even the monkeys from our world are this powerful! she complained. Our kin were able to easily overwhelm that Ancient Martian Man that became your new body, my Lord. But this is! Hmm the God remained in silence as his eyes glowed bright red, squinting while analyzing the footage. I see. Heh, very interesting. It seems that our perception of humans being weaklings might change a little. Although theyre nothing but livestock That man and the powers he possesses give him an incredible edge above your kind. Especially that gigantic, biomechanical being. Is this something your technology can reproduce yet? At some point we considered building giant machines, but we thought that without better sources of energy for technology, it would end up being rather Well, inefficient. Bloodclaw muttered, trying not to sound too rude so her Lord wouldnt get mad. Creating machines of such caliber would be mostly useless; it simply cannot be sustained with our current or perhaps even future technology. So you are saying that machines of that level of power can only be created with special, unique sources of energy? the God asked calmly. Y-Yes We believe that perhaps these machines from other worlds utilize energies unique to their own realms to run these gigantic, powerful machines that give them a great edge against others, Bloodclaw explained. However, theres nothing to worry about, my Lord, the members of my Esper Family should be enough to deal with them. No, said the God. I will deal with them personally. Your Family Members sent them to the locations I told you to. V-Very well, it shall be done as you wish, Bloodclaw nodded. The God glanced at the planet down below, his Divine Senses feeling the presence of various magical and supernatural energies twisting and warping reality constantly.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. . . . An enormous army flew across the skies, carried by a cloud of pure, glistening golden light, leading them on a Roman-style carriage that was being carried by two huge and muscular blazing stallions. A man with long blonde hair and shiny eyes glanced into the horizon. His eyes full of greed for power and greatness glanced at the beautiful castle that his brother had built within a place he learned was called Washington DC right behind an historical building, the White House. So this is where my brother has been hiding he smiled, giggling. How interesting! Youve built yourself quite the fortress, brother! Lord Claudius, the army is ready to attack at any moment, his most trusted general, a formidable-looking man with clear brown skin, short red hair, and blue eyes. Shall we begin the assault? Weve ignored the civilians as youve ordered. I know theyre valuable assets that you wouldnt want to get caught in the battle. Yes, this is a battle between soldiers and kings, not between civilians. Although I cannot tell the rest to evacuate, unfortunately, sighed Claudius. Whatever the case, there might be some casualties, but it doesnt matter, as long as the majority survives. They will all become a work force for me to mine Mana Crystals and gather other Unique Resources from this planet. Yes, my lord, Germanicus nodded, his eyes full of admiration over his kings devotion and mercy towards the weak masses. Although he talked pragmatically about their value as a work force, he knew that his Lord also was someone who pitied the weak; as a Noble, he believed it was his duty to protect them, something that many of the Emperors children never ingrained into their minds, a concept known as Noblesse Oblige which Claudius took as his basis for all his actions. Now, Atticus, Claudius glared at the "traitor," the man that had betrayed King Caesar and allied with King Claudius; his long cascading black hair and emerald eyes glanced back with surprise, and we saw the majestic appearance of his King. Tell me, has my brother been told about my invasion? Of course not, said Atticus. But by now, I believe he shouldve learned due to everyones presence not being suppressed. No matter though, there is no way for him to have prepared in time. I see Claudius nodded. Although it is rather dishonorable of me to attack my brother without him expecting it, I suppose this is war at the end. It is not my fault that he will lose against me, but his own for being na?ve and incompetent as a leader. Now, lets begin. Claudius unsheathed a golden sword from a hilt wrapped around his hips, swinging it forward. The people all around him roared in unison, over ten thousand Level 6000 soldiers with golden wings and auras, sharing the Blessing Claudius has given to them. Caesar! I know youre there, brother! Claudius said. This is your first and last chance to surrender before the might of my army! I have come here to claim this land as my own. If you have any objections, then come and fight me; if not, remain where you are. I am coming for you! OOOOOHHHHH! The soldiers roared in unison like a chorus of manly warriors filled with excitement for the great battle that was to come. And yet There was no response; the castle seemed empty outside, and no soldiers were outside either. Claudius felt like this was a bit suspicious. Hm he rubbed his chin. Oh well Charge! Destroy the castle walls! And anybody that dares to stand on your side, slaughter them in the name of the crown! RAAAAHHHH! The soldiers became a single mass of fervent bloodthirst, rushing down from the skies and impacting the castle down below. The people that glanced at the scene from below, mostly tourists, ran away instantly as the castle walls began to be breached. BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! Combination techniques from dozens of soldiers at once started to rapidly shatter the walls, and so the magic barrier generated by the walls around the entire castle. As the tremors continued, within the castle, there was a single person standing in the throne room, her long ears, long blonde hair, and clear emerald eyes glanced into the skies. Runes activated across the entire castle, her hands moving up; hundreds of threads connected to the Runes shaped and moved the entire castle. A giant, glowing sphere of pure Mana was right in front of her, overflowing the entire castle with immense power. The invention of my daughter Lets see if it truly works. She smiled as the entire castle trembled! RUMBLE! Hm? Is it falling already? For a moment, Claudius imagined that the castle was already crumbling down to reveal there was nobody inside, perhaps a decoy to make his army concentrate on an area, not like he cared; this was nothing to him anyway. And yet! BOOOM! A massive stone fist surged out of nowhere, punching dozens of soldiers at the same time and sending them flying into the skies, most of them exploding into pieces due to the massive force, their bodies twisted and broken apart. Hm?! Claudius remained still as he glanced at the scene, for a single punch from a huge stone fist to kill a few dozens of Level 6000 soldiers further strengthened by his buff Was this even real life anymore? How is this Wait a minute! RUMBLE! The entire castle continued moving, rapidly transforming, gaining massive legs and gigantic stone arms, overflowing with immense quantities of Mana. The sphere in front of the only person inside the castle continued overflowing with energy, spreading the Mana through all the Runes within the castle. This was a special Magic Core forged by combining tens of thousands of powerful Monster Cores from S Rank Monsters or above. The amount of Mana it contained could fuel an entire planet with energy for a whole year! GRUUUOOOOHHHH! The massive Castle Golem roared, gaining a humanoid head made of stone with gigantic stone arms and encompassed by an aura of red and blue color, which rapidly began growing wooden roots and branches everywhere. {Yggdrasils Divine Spirit Armor}! FLAAASH! As if things couldnt get any worse, the gigantic Golem Castle gained a mighty Spiritual Armor, made of a special wood that only Yggdrasil Trees possessed. This is the magic that the Elves from Floor 71 wield, isnt it? Interesting! To think my brother planned for such a thing! I cannot believe it; how did he know we were coming? Or was this the result of his paranoia? BAAAM! BAAAM! BAAAM! The golem continued punching away soldiers after soldiers, killing over half of the ones that were punched away. It grew giant, sharp gauntlets made of wood on its fists to boot. No, it wasnt any of those things, my brother. Oh? Claudius smiled, hearing the voice of his brother appear above the skies as Caesar and his entire army teleported right above Claudius army! They werent as many as his army, but his brothers soldiers were still rather strong looking And there was someone rather mysterious by his side. A half-elf girl with black hair and green eyes. Oh, brother I am pleased to finally see you! To think you have such an adorable ambush prepared for me, I am truly moved to tears. Claudius laughed. Claudius! roared Caesar. I will never forgive you for this treason! Prepare yourself for the consequences, brother! Oh my, I am so scared, laughed Claudius. Go! The armies clashed amidst the skies, generating shockwaves and explosions of magic, the skies constantly gaining countless colors of magic and weapon techniques being unleashed. So they really came, as you said, my daughter, Caesar said, smiling at his daughter. I will never doubt you anymore, Cecil. Thank you, father! Cecil felt honored. But please, dont relax too much yet; Uncle Claudius is someone terrifyingly strong We have to think of a plan first! I know Caesar nodded. And yet, I must fight him. I must put to the test all the strength Master Bing Xue has given to me. Both siblings pointed their swords against one another and charged with all their might. There was nothing else left to say. CLAAASH! ----- Chapter 205: The King Of America Versus Claudius Listen While Reading: The Battle Beginning ----- Claudius and Caesar clashed, their powerful blades overflowing with their Auras. The Golden Aura of Claudius was almost overwhelming his brother Caesar almost immediately. Caesars Black Aura couldnt compare to the powerful magical density within his brothers Aura, to the point it felt like the Golden Aura could swallow his own entirely. Hahah, brother, oh dear brother! Claudius laughed. Youre still as weak as before, are you not? Claudius! Caesar roared. Wasnt this visit a bit too abrupt?! I knew you would eventually come, but I thought you were biding your time, managing the world you had already conquered. Oh brother, in the great climb to power that is our family, a moment of rest is also a terrifying weakness; to show that to you would be unforgivable based on the doctrine Ive grown up with! Claudius said. Im surprised, however! CRAAASH! Claudius golden sword swung down, hitting Caesars blade with tremendous power, generating an explosion of golden light. As the Kings battled, their armies clashed amidst the skies, explosions and screams reverberating everywhere. You were able to somehow know that I was coming for you, Claudius said. Im fairly sure we didnt give you enough time to prepare once we got here; it was barely a minute ago. Whats more, the traitor that became my new dog swore he never shared any information either. Traitor? The King didnt know about that. Who are you talking about? So it seems you didnt even know that Atticus betrayed you, giving me precious information about you, your territory, and your forces? Claudius laughed, swinging his blade forward, unleashing a barrage of slashing attacks that resembled a storm of golden light. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Unnggh! Caesar held on barely, using his much larger and robust blade to intercept and defend from these blows, while relying on his heavy, tough armor to tank some of the blows. Atticus! He betrayed me?! But he! He had been with me since I was a child! How could he?! Caesar was truly impacted by the unexpected news. Hahahaha! Now thats the face I wanted to see, my dear brother! Claudius laughed, his golden aura dancing around him, exuding vibrant divinity. But I still wonder, how? How were you able to tell?! How were you able to prepare?! This doesnt make any sense! Do you happen to have the power to see into the future? No, said Caesar, his black and red aura growing stronger as third silver-colored energy began to merge with it, making his Aura grow larger over time, resembling a ferocious black, red, and silver dragon looking into the skies. I just happen to be very fortunate. What do you mean with that?! Claudius grew a bit frustrated. Fortunate? Dont tell me you just predicted this? That makes no sense! You have used some power to see into my actions! What is this trump card youre hiding?! Why should I tell you anything else, brother? Caesar said. Arent we fighting to the death?! FLASH! Caesar rushed towards his brother, swinging his blade against him once more. Claudius, however, remained calm and composed, smiling and swinging his sword down. Hah, you truly believe youve got a chance? Claudius Aura gathered into his golden sword, overflowing with pure Magic and Divinity. The Divinity of Gods he had slain and stolen their power from. I have slain Gods on my descent here; what have you done yourself other than sitting idly?! SLAAASH! A gigantic slashing wave of golden light and sparkling stars materialized, descending towards Caesar at lightning speed. The King steeled his resolve, his Internal Energies rushing out, converging with his Mana and enhancing his power. Lets see if all this training paid off He swung his sword upwards, gathering Focus and Strength and pointing it all into a single point. Caesar remembered Bing Xues words as he did. Your power is not bad, and with your Cultivation, it should increase even more. The issue with your fighting style is that its all over the place. You tend to release all your power and charge like a beast at your enemy. You must focus on a certain point where youll attack, not go and attack everywhere you see. Focus Focus! His eyes glowed bright red, resembling those of dragons. Black scales grew over his neck and a bit of his face as draconic horns manifested behind his back. Focus! His sword reached Claudius attack as darkness and light impacted one another. TRUUUM! The skies suddenly seemed to warp and distort, and while carrying the powerful attacks weight into his blade, Caesar kept pushing up. Until eventually What?! Claudius saw his own attack coming back to him, accompanied by his brothers technique. {Abyssal Dark Dragon Fang}! It resembled a massive dragons head, opening its jaws to reveal its fangs and biting through his brothers golden aura, breaking it and making their internal magical energies dissipate.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Impossible! What in the world is this power?! ARGH! Claudius was unable to keep up his calm demeanor and his pleased smile as he screamed in surprise while being pushed back, a huge explosion engulfing him. BOOOMM!! Caesar glanced into the distance; the smoke dissipated to reveal a furious Claudius, his body encompassed by a bright golden armor made out of his own Aura And Domain?! {Divine Golden Domain}: {Theseus Holy Armor} The reason why Claudius didnt wear any Armor at all was because he felt it wasnt needed. His Aura and his Domain were already at a level beyond most of his siblings anyway. With the power of his ever-growing Divinity, he had become something beyond Gods themselves and was aiming for the highest position. An Emperor of Worlds, to surpass even his own father too! That surprised me Claudius said. I can tell youve been growing stronger in your own ways, brother. Youve already reached Max Level, right? Yet without a Divinity you can never surpass that wall youve been trapped This power you unleashed was interesting, to say the least. But not enough. Ive just begun, brother. Caesar reached Claudius in a second, his aura transforming into draconic wings that propelled him towards his brother. The golden-haired kings face distorted in disbelief as he quickly waved his golden aura down, expanding his Divine Domain as pure light engulfed his brother. Fool! If you get any closer, youll simply make things easier for me! As he laughed, he swung his golden sword down and then horizontally in a single second, generating a giant cross made out of the holy light of his Divine Domain. {Divine Golden Domain}: {Cross Of Holy Judgement} FLAAASH! The cross instantly reached Caesar, impacting him with tremendous force, releasing sparks of lightning and accompanied by burning light that charred the skin of his hands. Black scales quickly covered his hands as he resisted the cross-shaped attack and its burning light and electricity, his blade beginning to grow longer, harboring his own Aura as well. Uuuggh! Caesar grit his teeth. I wont lose, Claudius! I have too much to lose! His Black, Red, and Silver Aura changed, becoming larger, resembling a three-headed dragon, their jaws blazing with dark flames. {Three-Headed Dragon of Calamity}! ROOAAAARRR! He unleashed his technique, something new he had created thanks to Bing Xues teachings, focusing his attack into three points at the same time. TRUUUM! TRUUUM! TRUUUM! And then, with a single swing of his blade, three massive blazing breaths emerged from his aura, the manifestation of his swordsmanship reaching a completely insane level. {Divine Golden Domain}: {Holy Aegis Shield}! Claudius panicked; within the second the attack from his brother was about to hit him, he manifested a giant golden shield! CRAAASH! The three beams impacted it as the shield held on. Hahah! The golden-haired King laughed. Its not enough, Caesar! It will never be enough! The gap between the two of us is simply too big! You cant possibly Crack, crack! Huh?! CRAAASH! Before he could speak any more words, Claudius shield was shattered into pieces, exploding into countless fragments as two of the three attacks Caesar released hit him directly. Uggh! AARGH! BOOOMM!! BOOOMM!! Two consecutive explosions engulfed his entire body; his armor protected him from the damage, but his Aura began growing smaller as the more damage he took, the more he consumed it. Haaah! Bastard! Claudius grew furious; he quickly manifested several copies of his own golden sword, which was actually also a manifestation of his own Divine Aura. {Divine Golden Domain}: {Holy Durandal Rain}! He pointed his sword towards Caesar as hundreds of Holy Swords made out of his own Divine Aura, Divine Relics of their own, rained upon his brother. Ill show you my true strength, Caesar! Learn your place in the family, you unruly bastard! Looks like I made you mad. Caesar remained calm, and as he saw the sword rain coming towards him, he focused once more. He let go of his anger and other frustrations, recalling more of Bing Xues teachings. Your anger might be what makes you so strong now, but its also the weakness that is not letting you surpass your limits. It is your greatest obstacle to climbing the wall youre currently on. Caesar, you must let go of your fury, of your frustrations Of your past. The anger he felt against his father. The frustration he felt for being so powerless he couldnt help those he wanted to save. The fury he always felt when he glanced at his wife and his dear daughter, knowing full well their home world had now been enslaved by his tyrannical father. All of these emotions were getting in the way, despite being his greatest motivation to become stronger It was rather contradictory to even ask him to forget about them... But right now, anger wouldnt let him win. To win, he had to let go of it. To calm down. To meditate. To become one with my sword. His Soul emerged from his body, combining with his Sword and his Aura. Suddenly, his Sword changed form, gaining draconic scales, wings, and even a dragonhead through its long, gigantic blade. I will defeat my father And I will help my wife reclaim the world he stole from her and her family. His eyes blazed with fiery flames. And I shall protect this world, which welcomed me and has become my home until now! FLUOOOSH! His Soul converged with his Blade, as he followed Bing Xues teachings. Her words flashed through his mind as he opened his eyes. Youre perhaps the only one that has learned this technique so quickly; no other disciple, not even my family members, have reached such a quick level of mastery. Caesar, youre strong. Defend this world for me. {Abyssal Dragon Soul Blade}: {Heaven-Splitting Dark Claws} RUMBLE! A massive pair of draconic claws manifested before his sword as he swung it upwards, an ascending attack that aimed to split the heavens themselves. TRUUUM! The skies warped as two massive black claws slashed and destroyed the raining golden blades and reached Claudius, crushing his body with tremendous strength. CRAAASH! Uaagh?! W-What the?! He couldnt believe itan attack that reached him from so far away; it simply wasnt possible! Crack, crack! CRASH! His armor shattered into pieces as his eyes widened; the slashing attack sliced right through his left shoulder, all the way to his chest! UUUAAAGGGH! Claudius screamed in utter agony; his entire army gasped in disbelief, unable to comprehend what was happening. Lord Claudius?! No! Your majesty! As they panicked, Cecil, her fathers army, took the opportunity to kill as many as possible. Kill them now! Theyre affected by their kings agony somehow! The half-elf girl said, using her black and golden sword to slice through her foes. Youre just a damn child! A little girl wont get past us! Damn you! How dare you ambush us in such a nasty way! Does your family have any honor?! Three soldiers clashed against her the moment they saw her killing those that entered on a brief state of panic, clashing against her and killing the soldiers protecting her with their swords, spears, and polearms. A mere child? Me? Cecil smiled, her eyes glowing bright red and emerald, each one of a different color. I am more than that, you know? Much more! Above her head, a star-shaped mass of darkness manifested, constantly glowing with an aura of the pure abyss, expanding into several pointy halos. And as it manifested, her powers grew stronger; shadows, darkness, and the abyss itself moved across her entire body. FLASH! And then she disappeared, evading their combined attacks, teleporting across the abyss and then appearing above them. S-She teleported?! So shes a magician- ACK! SLAAASH! Before they could react, Cecil furiously swung her blade down, cutting through the arms of all three soldiers, their weapons instantly falling to the ground beneath. T-This is impossible! Shes not even Level 1000! How is she this strong?! It doesnt make any sense! Her stats shouldnt even be close to what we have! J-Just who are you, Princess Cecil?! Cecil glared at them, suddenly smiling viciously, licking the blood off her sword. Me? Im the Protagonist. And youre just some Extras. She charged forward, her sword mercilessly cutting them all into pieces as she cancelled the buff Claudius was giving to them. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Their Souls flew towards the Black Star above her head as her Abyssal Powers grew even further, her monochromatic eyes glancing at the castle where her mother was. It was rapidly being overwhelmed by hundreds of magicians firing magic at her; several parts of the castle were collapsing already. Mom! Wait for me! ----- Chapter 206: Laugh And Smile ----- Caesar chased Claudius as he fell from the skies with a massive wound that went through one of his shoulders all the way to his chest and even hips; blood and innards could be seen, most of his ribs broken. His healing golden aura encompassed his body, but the wounds were infected by an energy that couldnt be purified by the light, an internal energy within Caesar that he had left to rot his brothers wounds. A form of Curse-type Ki that Dark Sorcerers and Poison Masters of Murim used, which Bing Xue had taught him to conjure on every one of his attacks. The worlds of the Tower are vast; if theres something Ive noticed is that everyone and their mother have regeneration abilities, its Murim all over again, but worse. Therefore, you must learn to infect their wounds with a dark, muddy essence thatll get in the way of their regeneration. Its a nasty tactic, yes. But you would prefer that than fighting the same enemy again after youve inflicted an apparently lethal wound on them, right? After having learned how to use this power and also Mastering the First Stage of the Soul Blade Arts Bing Xue had taught him, Caesar had become a new man altogether, his Body already Cultivating to the level of an Immortal in a matter of weeks. Kuugh! Y-You bastard, what did you put into my body?! A curse? Impossible, it should have already been cleansed! Claudius screamed, blood coming out of his mouth constantly. He was over the ruins left behind by the castle golem being slowly destroyed; he was unable to move, and his golden aura was weakening, wrapping around him defensively. Caesar slowly walked towards him, facing his brother with his blade on hand, his eyes filled a slight amount of regret, perhaps even of sorrow. Why do things have to be this way, Claudius? What?! Claudius glared at Caesar with an angry face, unbefitting of his beautiful face. Why do we have to fight so fervently? To kill each other for power and territory? We are siblings; we are related by blood. Dont you remember our childhood? Hah Hahahah Claudius only laughed at Caesars words, his golden eyes mocking his younger brother. Childhood? Did you think I cared for you, Caesar? You didnt? Despite how genuine I remember these feelings, these memories. You These feelings that Caesar felt for his family, especially for his older brother Claudius, the feelings of warmth and love of the many times Claudius took care of him, cooked him meals, taught him fencing, and more. Youre getting almost there, little brother, but your fencing is still way too wild; youve got to focus a little more on your target instead of charging like a little wolf. Okay, big brother I will do my best! His carefree laughter and smile, and of the many gifts he gave to him. Happy birthday, Caesar! I brought you a little giftyour first sword! Wooow! My first real sword?! No way! Thank you, brother! Those memories they had as familywhat happened to them? What do you want to do when you grow up, Caesar? I want to become a swordsman and protect the kingdom Papa gives to me! I see Of the many memories they had as a family, siblings and their various motherseven their cold fathergathered together sometimes. To have a picnic in the Empires beautiful grasslands. You cant catch me, hahaha! Its not fair, brother! Youre flying with your magic! And of the last memories they had together. Im going then; Father has called me for me to accomplish my duties, Caesar. I will conquer land, give it to him, and become a King myself. G-Good luck, brother I hope one day we can meet again! Of course well do! And youll be old enough for us to drink together, haha! So keep working hard, little brother. Y-Yes! These memories, these scenes, all these words. Did they mean nothing now? Was it all just worthless? Was their childhood, their friendship, and family bonds Just nothing? Claudius eyes widened, noticing that Caesars ruthless eyes were now replaced by those full of sorrow, regret, and pity. You cant be serious After getting to this point, youre?! Im no monster, brother. I am not a machine either I am a human like you. Hah Youre ridiculous. I am not ridiculous I am just being myself! Why do you pretend to be someone you arent?! Thats where youre wrong, little brother Claudius slowly stood up, barely, his Aura overflowing with light. His soldiers quickly descended, protecting him with shields and weapons pointed at Caesar. I am not pretending. Ive decided to walk this path on my own accord. And I will not hesitate nor regret my decisions. Its a promise I made to myself. So thats how it is All for power, huh Indeed. All for power. Because being born in this family is nothing but a curse. A curse Im willing to devour! Im going to eat everything, Caesar! Until nothing remains other than me!If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Youre insane Insane?! You can call me whatever you want! Now Atticus, come and protect me, you traitorous dog. RUMBLE! A giant with long black hair and sharp emerald eyes descended from the skies, falling in front of Claudius and pointing his spear at his former lord. Yes, my lord. Atticus! Caesar was once more shaken by what he was seeing, taking a step back. The knight that had helped him and raised him since he was a child was in front of him, having betrayed him to fight for his brother and for him. You swore you would be by my side until your death, Caesar muttered, his face distorting in both grief and anger. That you were my knight! Why, Atticus, why?! Because You stopped being the lord I wanted to protect! Atticus rushed forward, attacking Caesar. The Golden Aura given to him by Claudius made him powerful and fast; his attacks released shockwaves of holy light; his spear became quicker and more dexterous, as Caesar was pushed back the more he tried not to fight. I stopped being the person I always was?! What in the world are you talking about?! Caesar roared like a furious dragon, his aura surging tremendously as he swung his sword forward, clashing against Atticus and pushing him away with an explosion of conflicting energies. CRAAASH! Ugh! Atticus grasped the floor with his spear, managing not to fall on his own face, as he quickly stood back up again, his Aura growing stronger to face his lord. Youve become softer than ever before. You let that woman defeat you and take away all your pride! You lowered yourself to become her disciple! Youre talking about Bing Xue? I wouldve died if it wasnt for her mercy. I have a wife, a daughter, and a country to protect. Did you expect me to kill myself in shame rather than swallow my pride and live for those I love?! The only one that has changed here is you, Atticus! T-Thats! Atticus suddenly felt a strange sensation inside his heada small fuzzy feeling that hurt him a bit. Thats not right! He quickly faced Caesar again, blade and spear clashing against one another. He rapidly sneaked several blows at Caesar, aiming for his neck and face the most. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! However, his former King moved dexterously as well, using his giant blade as a shield to protect his vital areas while also stepping forward, using the pressure of his Aura to push his foe back. That wasnt everything, you! You became so lenient, so passive, so meek! Even when I went to ask you to allow me to use more of our forces to take down these otherworldly villains wreaking havoc around the country, the only thing you did was tell me that we had no right to hurt those from other worlds. Wha? Caesar was shocked. As Atticus'' spear came towards his left eye, the King evaded it by a hair before infusing energies into his right fist and... BAAAM! Punching his retainer in the face, sending him flying into the air, and then making him fall right into the ground once more. Ungh! The powers of that witch have made you stronger, my my former lord, Atticus gasped for air, slowly standing up once more. But at the cost of everything that made you who you were before Youre talking nonsense, lies! Caesar said. I never said any of the things you just said before, Atticus! What? Have you fallen to the point where youre denying your own words?! You sure have lost all your shame! Atticus roared furiously. What in the world are you talking about?! Caesar asked, his aura and his voice becoming louder and mightier. You never came to me to ask me anything these last days! The villains that appeared from the Gray Gates are being hunted in cooperation with Bing Xues Sect members. I never said that they didnt deserve to be killed or anything like that! Youre now putting words in my mouth?! Atticus! Youve grown insane! W-What?! No! I am sure that I asked you that! Atticus roared furiously. Y-Youre trying to deny it?! How dare you! Theres no shame in you! No pride! Silence! Caesar had enough, rushing towards Atticus and punching his face again several times in a row. BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! The other soldiers were only watched by Claudius orders; even Claudius himself watched the scene with a slight amount of disbelief; he didnt even know what they were even talking about. Who is in the right or wrong? he wondered. This is both entertaining and ridiculous, but its giving me time to recover. Caesar took away the spear from Atticus and threw it away, lifting his former retainer from the neck, his face completely swollen from all the punches. W-Why are you lying? Atticus muttered, barely breathing. I never lied, and I promise you that I didnt, said Caesar. Theres something wrong with your head. We never talked about those subjects before! Why dont you believe me?! Tell me now, what happened before you supposedly went to talk with me? Did you meet someone suspicious? I-I! Atticus coughed blood as his memories of that time became fuzzier, stranger. I I dont Uh Why are my memories- Ugh! Atticus suddenly dropped to the floor, grabbing his head in agony. Aaargh! Atticus?! As Atticus screamed, Caesar quickly tried to heal him using an elixir, however I killed someone Huh? One of those psychopaths! A clownno, a jester! A jester with a mask. What? A jester with a mask? You killed someone like this and then your memories? I think theres something wrong with me! I What happened to my head?! Ugh! Atticus started crying as he felt his very memories twist and warp around, rapidly deteriorating. Aaaaggh! Aaahh! Haaahh.! Atticus! The King quickly tried using an elixir on him, only for a flying golden sword from Claudius to hit his hand, making the elixir fall into the ground and splatter into the dirt. Claudius, you bastard! Im sorry, little brother, but I cant let you heal him now Whatever that jester did to him, hes helping me so Hahahah Hm? Huh? The two siblings suddenly heard a weird laughtera very high-pitched laughter. And it came from A-Atticus? Ahahaha The man he called his retainer was laughing while crying. Heheh Hahahaha! And he continued laughing, loudly and loudly! Whats wrong with him?! Claudius glared at Atticus, his head suddenly beginning to spin. Ugh! Caesar stepped back, feeling that there was something wrong with Atticus. Something very wrong. Heheheh HAHAHAHAHA! Atticus continued laughing, slowly standing up, glaring at Caesar with a big, wide smile. His face was suddenly painted white. A-Atticus? Caesars eyebrows twitched; he couldnt believe what he was seeing. Atticus nose had become a big red nose, his lips were painted red up to his ears, and his eyes were painted blue. Heheheheh HAHAHAHA! And as he laughed, his tongue became longer, and there were even as sharp fangs as his teeth! Hes transforming? Ugh! What is this pain in my head?! You feel it too? Claudius glared at Caesar; both brothers were completely flabbergasted. And then Hehehe Hahaha Ohohoho! Their eyes quickly were directed to Claudius soldiers; all of them started to laugh. It was a very contagious laughter; those unable to resist, like Caesar and Claudius, succumbed to the laughter. Hahahaha! Gahahahaha! Eheheheheh! Guaahahahah! Suddenly, dozens of men, both from each party, started to laugh like maniacs. And the laughter simply never ended. What is wrong with all of you bastards?! Get your shit together! Claudius roared furiously, swinging his sword at his soldiers. Or else I''llUgh?! Before he could stop them, however, the laughter stopped. And his own soldiers, whose faces had been painted like those of clowns, glared at him as well. With eyes constantly spinning around. GYAHAHAH! They laughed manically, rushing towards Claudius and pointing their weapons at their lord! Claudius! Caesar rushed to help his brother, as he saw his own soldiers attacking him from every angle. His Golden Divine Aura protected him, but the attacks were rapidly weakening it. What! What kind of strategy is this, Caesar?! Claudius thought it was Caesars plot. However Caesar was also being attacked by his own men! I am not doing this! Somethings wrong with everyone, with Atticus! He he somehow infected everyone with laughter, and they turned into clowns?! This is ridiculous! And my head keeps hurting! It''s some kind of mental attack, something strange that magic cannot exactly stop! We have to get out of here, brother! What?! We were just fighting to the death! But this is a problem that goes beyond our battle! Dammit, you bastard! Dont look down on me! Claudius used his blade, cutting through his own soldiers and slicing them to pieces. You think Ill fall for your trick?! He screamed angrily. Ill kill you; this territory shall be mine! Stop it already, Claudius! Caesar clashed against his brother, even as they were being surrounded by crazed soldiers aiming for their lives. Atticus stood there, glancing from afar, drooling, as if he had become nothing but a mindless drone. And through his spinning eyes, someone else was glancing at the scene. Giggling. Hehehe HAHAHAHA! A masked jester giggled. This is hilarious! I cant believe it! It works so well! So this is the power of Skills! Incredible! Hehehe! Now spread more! More! Everyone has to laugh! This way, the world will become a better place! SMILE! ----- Chapter 207: Fang Gu Lan’s Darkness ----- Bing Xue glanced at what Fang Gu Lan had transformed into while squinting her eyes; this was both ridiculous and insane. She could have never expected Fang Gu Lan to suddenly start wearing a weird suit! The suit itself was of black color with dark purple armor on top; the black suit was skin-tight and seemed to be of a material similar to highly reinforced metallic fiber; meanwhile, the purple armor was metallic, although of strange metal capable of manifesting itself out of thin air. The purple armor was decorated with red jewels resembling rubies that seemed to hold some kind of evil power within them. The helmet was shaped like a furious black dragon, and the head had a black visor to allow the one wearing it to see through it. Indeed, it was beyond bizarre, but Fang Gu Lan embraced such a power. Hahaha HAHAHAHAH! The youngest Venerable in the history of Murim couldnt help but laugh! He felt completely refreshed; the immense power he gained from this suit itself was enough to refill his energy completely. And fuel him with a brand new, corrupt power he could make good use of! A powerful that wasnt even from Murim or any world from the Tower either. The symbols he had stolen from those brightly colored heroes had become corrupted because of his own emotions and powers forcefully turning them into their dark versions. These powers resonated the most with his rotten, evil mind, making them unleash tremendous quantities of energy everywhere. It was as if they could generate energy endlessly, with no limit Something that by itself also didnt make any sense either. What kind of ridiculous outfit is this? Bing Xue twitched her eyebrow in confusion. Are you serious right now, Fang Gu Lan?! You sure have no shame or pride, relying on such a ridiculous outfit to survive against me. Why not accept death a second time instead? Even someone like Bing Xue who had been using Skills and other bizarre powers for a while was shocked to see something as ridiculous. This power just went beyond mere Skills, it was something from another world entirely, a world without a System. Where did he even get this power? Were there some sort of power ranger people that came from another world while I wasnt looking?! She thought. If he has their powers, it means they must be dead! Did he steal them with his System? So he still has it after being fully Reincarnated by the Heavenly Will. Does this mean the Heavenly Will can replicate things such as Systems? If it was able to give it back to him, it means it can create it for itself too Bing Xue was thinking more things than Fang Gu Lan had thought, as she was beginning to consider what other powers this monster could have inherited from the Venerables she killed. The Fate Stealing Villain System was a tremendously strong tool that even made an idiot like Fang Gu Lan into a monster. If it were to fall into the hands of the Heavenly Will, now not only capable of controlling Fate within its own world but also using the System to do the same with other worlds, it could influence Then things would only get worse! Indeed, she thought the Heavenly Will was a much greater threat anyway. Despite the surprising transformation, Fang Gu Lan didnt scare her or make her worried one bit. Call it whatever you want! Fang Gu Lan laughed, summoning a black spear from his suits strange, alien powers. It was as if black fog, shadows, and tiny nanomachines born from nowhere unified into an incredibly tough, molecularly dense mechanical artifact. But this is the power thatll kill you, Bing Xue! While laughing maliciously, Fang Gu Lan unleashed more of his corrupted Powers, as a storm of black clouds and lightning surged from his body, surrounding him! Wherever he moved, the heavens distorted and warped, and the earth beneath trembled. He encompassed his weapon with the black lightning coming from the storm surging from his body, moving with like a black blur towards her, and then thrusting his black spear against Bing Xue! CLAAASH! Bing Xue responded with her Yin and Yang Sword, swinging it upwards and then pushing forward with her physical strength alone, pushing Fang Gu Lan back while glancing at his eyes with indifference. Youre using a new, fancy power, so what? If anything, this has only made you more stupidly overconfident, Fang Gu Lan. Tch! Still pretending that youre not afraid?! Face my power and show me your face of despair, Bing Xue! RUMBLE! The young Venerable roared; his black storm grew even stronger, manifesting into dozens of titanic metallic arms, which rapidly materialized, rushing towards Bing Xue. Huh, not bad, I guess. Her eyes glowed brightly with rainbow colors as her movements suddenly became incredibly precise. The power of her Nine-Colored Heavenly Eyes activated to their fullest power. FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! She read through the movements of Fang Gu Lans manifestations and used her sword and her bare hands to cleave and crush them all. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. CRASH! She sliced one that came from above. BOOOM! She kicked two more that rushed from beneath. BAAM! BAAM! And she punched two more that came from her left and right. This time Bing Xue was releasing more and more of her power, to the point her energies were infused into the targets she attacked. The result? BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! Utter devastation! All things she attacked or punched were infused with her energy, generating internal shockwaves that dealt tremendous damage. This wasnt something she had come out with just recently, but that she had been perfecting through this entire time after her battle with Orion. After realizing that she might eventually fight beings as strong as her, or stronger, she had to learn new ways to target weaknesses. And most of the time, releasing internal attacks would get a foe one way or another, dealing massive internal damage! I-Impossible! Fang Gu Lan grew desperate, quickly rushing further away from her as he controlled his powers, conjuring more and more weapons. This time countless massive cannons were manifested, gathering electromagnetic energies and firing titanic black beams of darkness and void against her! TRUUUM! TRUUUM! TRUUUM! Hm. Bing Xue rushed as countless black beams reached her from every angle; she didnt stop moving through, continuously rushing towards her foe. Skipping through space became hard, however, as the void beams distorted space. But that didnt matter anyway. {Aeternitas Martial Arts} Her sword disappeared as she remained bare-fisted, infusing her fists with her Venerable Aura and her Time Essence. FLUOSH! Until it seemed as if her fists had been covered with silver and golden flames, distorting and warping space and even time around her. Ill show you the power Ive gained here, just as youve shown me yours. SHUT UP AND DIE! The beams reached Bing Xue, exploding one after another, engulfing her in pure Void that could absorb and disintegrate all matter. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! It was over. Silence. There was only silence as only smoke was left behind. Hah Fucking bitch, talking out of her assUgh?! {Primordial Divine Sentinel Of the Dark Past} TRUUUM! Before he could even realize what had happened, Fang Gu Lan vomited blood, feeling like he was hit on his chest. H-Huh? He realized the beams had yet to hit Bing Xue at all. What?! And that Bing Xue had disappeared from where she was. In fact, she was right in front of him now. And her fist had pierced through his chest, reaching all the way to his back. Leaving a hole through his chest. The suits durability? Immense. But against Bing Xue? Not really that tough. W-What?! What happened?! Fang Gu Lan gritted his teeth, trying to understand what had just occurred to him in this very moment; his lips trembled as he glanced at Bing Xue. You! WHAT DID YOU DO?! He swung his spear against her, releasing a powerful shockwave of pure void that hit her with tremendous force; however, a gold and black shield manifested in front of her, taking the blow instead. CRAAASH! However, she was still pushed back, enough to give the desperate young Venerable enough time to recover his wound. Darkness filled his flesh as the suit began growing inside of him. Ugh! W-Whats going on? The suit can do this?! Fang Gu Lan gasped. Ugh! B-Bing Xue! What! What did you do to me earlier?! It seems you barely even know what your own power can do, Fang, said Bing Xue. You seemed so confident. That suicidal overconfidence is what makes you someone very immature, like a child that cannot believe hes losing in a game. Silence! I am not a child! He screamed angrily. I am an almighty venerable! And youre nothing but a- TRUUUM! Huh?! {Primordial Divine Sentinel of the Bright Future} Time was skipped by a second forward, as Fang Gu Lan felt Bing Xues punch pierce through half his head. Uuuaaaarrgghh?! As he screamed in utter horror, his suit went insane, a black storm hitting Bing Xue with tremendous force, shaping into a massive black dragon! CRAAASH! It feels more like its your suit, the one Im fighting, and not you, Fang Gu Lan. Bing Xue smiled, leaving Fang Gu Lan with half his brain missing and all. Through the power of Aeternitas Martial Arts, she was able to both skip time or reverse it a second or two into the future or past, respectively. While doing this, she would unleash a devastating attack, giving her a tremendous advantage against her foes. ROOOAARRR! The black dragon-like storm coming from Fang Gu Lan roared in response to its masters agony; Fang Gu Lans powers were rapidly distorted as well, as the suit continued fusing with his flesh the more wounds he took. Uuurrggh! Hahaha I-I can get used to this! Fang Gu Lan laughed despite his agony, his Seven Paths of Heaven emerging from his body, resembling several gigantic black dragon heads from the storm surrounding him. I think Ive got something good cooking up here! he laughed. Prepare yourself, Bing Xue! {Corrupted Seven Paths of Heaven Domain}: {Abyssal Black Heaven Dragon Purgatory}! TRUUUM! Out of nowhere, Bing Xue saw space around her twist and turn, transforming and warping, trapping her within a Domain made by Fang Gu Lan! The domain was much different than real life, as it was made of black clouds, and there were endless storms emerging everywhere, black and purple thunder reverberating, crackling across these dark skies. And then not only was Fang Gu Lans Dark Dragon Storm attacking her, but also the entire Domain trembled and distorted, gigantic dragon heads and necks made out of these clouds emerging from every angle. Yes, this is quite like it! laughed the young venerable. I like this power much more! I am getting used to it, hahahahaha! As he laughed, Bing Xue swung her Yin and Yang Blade after facing hundreds of draconic heads and their thunderous breaths. Youre not the only one with a Domain, you know? Bing Xue smiled, her sword resonating with her Soul and her Aura. {Harmonious Soul Blade of Yin and Yang Domain}! RUMBLE! Her sword cut through space as the dragons attacking here were instantly sliced into countless pieces, while a Domain of her own expanded, clashing against Fang Gu Lans Domain! CRAAASH! A Domain Clash?! Fang Gu Lan panicked. B-But how?! I already made my Domain! Her own should be much weaker! TRUUUM! Space began to twist and turn as Fang Gu Lans Domain lost a lot of its internal space, being overtaken by Bing Xues own Domain. This is an evolution of my own swordsmanship! Face me, Fang Gu Lan! And show me that youre at least a warrior! As Bing Xue roared, her Domain twisted around her, manifesting thousands of swords in a mere second, being fired at Fang Gu Lan and his domain! Her swords made of darkness and light sliced and cleaved through the dragons as Fang Gu Lan reinforced his purple armor, encompassing his entire body and becoming more monstrous. CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! As he defended against the swords, he manifested a sword of his own with his powers, a gigantic blade embodying the Black Storm Dragon Deus Ex Beast that was born from the Corruption of the Symbols. Ill show you! CRAAASH! ----- Chapter 208: Go Beyond! Listen While Reading: Sword of Courage ----- Bing Xue clashed with all her might against Fang Gu Lan, the two Venerables rapidly approaching the climax of their gigantic, heaven-defying battle across the skies and dimensions. Their massive Dimensional and Divine Domains clashed, creating a Spatial Singularity that began to shatter the very fabric of space with each blow. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Explosions of conflicting energies erupted everywhere as Bing Xue unleashed an endless rain of thousands of Soul Blades from her expanding Domain, which Fang Gu Lan could only see was a garden where swords grew from the ground and fell from the sky endlessly within a primordial realm of Yin and Yang energies. It was perhaps a more bizarre Domain than his own, one that Bing Xue was able to create through her combination of the Skills and her own Swordsmanship Arts, alongside her Blade Dao Enlightenment reaching a new Stage. Shes simply creating incredibly powerful Soul Artifacts out of that Domain and firing them at me! Is that even a strategy? He thought, gritting his teeth. No, the power of my Domain is superior! Alongside this Suit, and the Symbols I stole from those Otherworldly Heroes, I still got a chance! The young Venerables black suit gained more and more cracks as the rain of swords reached, cutting and slicing through his entire armor and suit, rapidly spreading more accumulated damage. The darkness emerging from all the Corrupted Symbols was rapidly regenerating the suit over and over again, but it reached the point where Bing Xues attacks became endless! Every minute, every ten seconds, every one second, every nanosecond, from every damned angle, from every spatial area within his surroundings. Swords. Swords. And more swords! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Can you even call this Swordsmanship?! This is just Sorcery! Aaaarrgh! Fang Gu Lan grew more and more frustrated; his Black Storm Dragon, which made up all of his domain, roared, dozens of heads firing void beams against Bing Xue to stop her. So youre trying to distract menot bad, but that wont work either way! Bing Xue smiled, rapidly manifesting her Yin and Yang Sword once more. Her Domain twisted around it, the Realm made of Yin and Yang Energies merging with her Yin and Yang Sword, fusing with it, and temporarily awakening her swords ultimate form. Through the path of the sword, I dont need anything else! She fully committed to the blade, the only weapon she held on since her early years in Murim, the only friend that never betrayed her, the only companion that never tried to sell her, the only family that would not backstab her. Even when she was still a young, frail woman in a hostile world that wanted to use her and discard her, to slaughter her and leave her as nothing but fertilizer for the dirt where rice grew, the sword was by her side. She slept with the sword, she hunted with the sword, she killed with the sword and she also protected with it. Because despite how dreadful that world was, there was innocence; there were good people hiding, trembling beneath the gaze of the Immortals and their corrupted Cultivator Sects. Despite resenting Murim and its terrifying, ruthless culture, Bing Xue did not punish the world or its people. She protected them with this very blade she was holding, and she loved them; she raised them and taught them that there was a better, brighter path. And so, when she swung her sword for the last time, defeating her last foe, Humanitys Great Ancestor, she brought Murim to a new Era. The first Era of Peace. With this blade, I shall split the heavens and open a new, brighter path towards Harmony, Peace, and Prosperity! What are you even talking about?! Fang Gu Lan couldnt understand, as someone inherently cruel and chaotic, the eternal pursuit for peace and harmony that Bing Xue always sought. And how far this led her, how far this led her blade. Memories of the past surged through her eyes, of the suffering and the happy moments, which only came after the suffering was finally over. When she went beyond and slayed even the Ancestor of Humanity, the root of Murims rotten culture. This was her Path, her Story. Her Dao Essence surged from her body, resonating with her Divinities and her Domain. And then Bing Xue went beyond. {Primordial Yin and Yang Essence Soul Blade}: {Aura of Eternal Harmony}! FLAAASH! As she swung her blade, Bing Xue cleaved through space and time, reaching Fang Gu Lan in an instant. The young Venerable screamed in disbelief, harnessing all of his Domain in front of him to protect himself from the slicing wave of pure light. Dont you dare look down on me! The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. As he screamed, filled with utter frustration and anger, the two primary emotions that composed his very beingthe darkness of his suit and his cultivation powersmerged into one. TRUUUM! A gigantic spiral manifested, melting through space and time, clashing against Bing Xues swordsmanship attack. The eternal aura of harmony confronted the endless darkness of despair. The two clashing Domains began to distort, rapidly beginning to melt as if they were made out of liquid. As they melted, the droplets of melted domain pierced through space, creating countless tiny black holes beneath their clash. RUMBLE! Bing Xue, however, continued attacking. Her sword moved forward, never stopping for a second. The spiraling darkness that Fang Gu Lan had conjured out of desperation began to be sliced. Yes, even a singularity capable of distorting and melting space as if it were liquid was being sliced. I am the soul of my blade; with it I open the path to light. Through the path of light, I walk towards the harmony I seek. And through the harmony Ive found, I open the heavens to achieve the impossible. Bing Xue recited her mantra, boosting her own strength as she reinforced her beliefs. Her Dao of the Blade glowed the brightest it could ever glow, piercing reality. And slicing through it. SLAAASH! Aargh?! Fang Gu Lan saw Bing Xues sword cutting through his body and his soul. All at once. Slowly, the sword descended, rapidly slicing through his Existence, Rooted within the Fabric of Reality. W-What is this?! he screamed. T-This light! Fang Gu Lan started to fall into despair, as eternal light was everything else he could see. And of course, her eyes. Her rainbow eyes, gazing across the Aura of Harmony. N-No! Wait a second! I cant die again! Black Storm Dragon! Do something! D-Do Something? However, there was no response; the Corrupted Symbols were already doing everything they could to save him. But ultimately, they gave up. Bing Xue! Stop! Guuggh?! S-STOOOOP! Fang Gu Lan screamed like a monster, his entire body distorting monstrously as he tried to survive by any means necessary. SLAAASH! Yet it was futile, as thousands of blades sliced and stabbed his entire body the more he tried to stretch and escape. Its futile. Repent as you die once more, Fang Gu Lan! Bing Xue had no mercy, slicing through his body once, and then, through her powers, he was sliced one thousand times, his body exploding, reduced to countless tiny pieces. UUUUAAAAGGGHHH! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! As Fang Gu Lan screamed in utter agony, his Domain began to grow distorted, rapidly starting to fall apart. Bing Xue had considered absorbing what was left of him but felt disgusted by the idea and left. She didnt need his disgusting powers, even less if they were made by the Heavenly Will; to her, it might have even been a plot from that being to make her absorb a part of him. Better be safe than sorry. She quickly broke out of the collapsing domain, leaving it entirely as space began to fragment and fall apart. The war that was happening around her Pagoda continued despite Fang Gu Lans defeat, however. Although the quantity of Immortals had been reduced greatly, they were still here, attacking the pagoda and fighting her troops. I should get this finished; strange things are happening in Washington, and theres a massive thing in the stratosphere, rapidly descending at that Bing Xue glanced into the skies. Now- TRUUUM! Her eyes, however, widened slightly as she felt something. Something utterly malicious. A presence so disgusting, depraved, and monstrous that it felt as if it were the embodiment of all evil. What? She glanced at the collapsing space; she was sure that Fang Gu Lan had died, yet why did she feel another being there? Something so powerful, immensely strong at that? Perhaps even more than the Venerable she had slain?! I RUMBLE! The space continued shaking, shattering, and falling apart. AM! TRUUUM! Black clouds gathered around the collapsing spatial walls as a massive black claw suddenly emerged from within its cracks, tearing space open. FREE! CRAAASH! The black claws tore through space as Bing Xue felt a tremendous malice and darkness engulf the skies, turning them black instantly. The ground beneath started to turn red, becoming a sea of blood by merely letting this being speak. Its existence alone distorted reality. What in the world has that bastard unleashed?! As Bing Xue glanced at the monster emerge, she quickly dispersed her Doppelgangers everywhere to ensure their survival. AT LONG LAST! DEUS EX MACHINA, I AM DONE WITH BEING YOUR PUPPET! The monster surged from within the cracks, a massive, over five-hundred-meter-tall titan made of black, silver, purple, and red steel. As it stepped out of the spatial fracture, Bing Xue noticed what it looked like, its shape and form! Thats a dragon? No wait! Bing Xue remembered what Fang Gu Lan had said. About a Black Storm Dragon that was giving him powers. This entity, this monstrosity beyond space and time. It was that Black Storm Dragon. THE UNIVERSE SHALL KNOW MY TYRANNY ONCE MORE! ALL OF YOU WILL BURN! ALL OF YOU WILL DIE! FOR I AM THE EMBODIMENT OF CALAMITY! RUMBLE! The battles happening beneath suddenly came to a halt as everyone glanced at the massive mechanical dragon, a long Chinese-like dragon with a serpentine, coiling body and three massive heads. So this was the origin of those Symbols that he Corrupted? Wondered Bing Xue. Were they originally this thing? The Black Storm Dragon glared at Bing Xue with his six crimson, glowing eyes, its massive metallic body beginning to rapidly move towards her. Aaah I must thank you dearly. The entity spoke with a much smaller tone of voice. If it wasnt because you killed him just in the right moment, this wouldnt have been possible! That fools death fed me with enough power for me to unleash my true self into the world! The Seal that Separated me into the Symbols and Purified my Existence is gone! And now, I am finally liberated! Thank you! Thank you very much! Now Become my first meal! The dragon was the embodiment of calamity and chaos, thanking Bing Xue and then instantly rushing to devour her, fully knowing the amount of power she had could help him regain more of his original strength. Whatever you are, I wont let you do as you please. Bing Xue said, her entire body beginning to grow larger as her Aura transformed into a gigantic eight-headed snake, which then merged with her. I must stop you right here, right now! RUMBLE! Her entire being transformed, amassing the power of Skills, Demonic Energies, her own Cultivation and her Physique, further fusing her own body with her Aura and even her own Domain. A special technique, a transformation she had only unleashed once before against the Primal Spider Goddess, a divine being that slightly matched her power. However, for this thing? She had to do it without hesitation! . . . In the distance, a machine giant of black and red walked through the deserted wastelands, moving as quickly as it could through them. By his side, a gigantic mechanical red and golden lion ran forward, roaring while moving, as its mechanical arms were incredibly fast and dexterous. A Japanese man wearing a red suit themed after a lion stood on top of this creature, glancing into the distance while squinting his eyes. Were almost getting there; I can feel it; the Symbols are- Ugh?! BA DUM! BA DUM! BA DUM! However, out of nowhere, the Symbol of Courage within his body started to tremble, as if afraid of something, his heart began racing. W-What in the world?! He looked into the skies, and so did his companion and enemy; the skies darkened as an aura of eternal and pure evil spread through the world. The power of the Symbols?! Why are they distorted dark?! the man cried. Dammit, we have to get there quickly! Crimson Lion, hurry! GRAAAAOOH! The mechanical lion roared, unleashing a powerful crimson aura and moving faster. The mechanical giant by their side panicked. Wait a second! Dont leave me behind, you bastards! As they moved towards their destination, however, they were completely unaware that somebody else was chasing them. A being within many bodies. Whats this? Another being to turn into my vessel? How interesting! ----- Chapter 209: The Dark Storm Dragon Listen While Reading: Clash of Emotions ----- The Dark Storm Dragon manifested his existence upon Earth, as the Symbols were freed from their seals except for one, he was able to unleash almost 90% of all his true form and power, enough for him to easily manifest on his gigantic, mechanical form. Having absorbed the energies of Fang Gu Lan and his shattered Soul, he was fueled with enough power to go past the limit of the seals and destroy them. To make things worse, Fang Gu Lan wasnt just a mere meal; his powers now dwelled within an even more dangerous monster. The Dark Storm Dragon had no access to things such as Ki, Cultivation, and Techniques before, but now he had perhaps become even worse of a threat than in his original Universe! RUMBLE! The skies above turned black, rumbling as thunder constantly fell, blowing away giant holes through the wastelands. The very presence of the Dark Storm Dragon created a massive shift in the weather, raining down upon the world countless thunderbolts capable of destroying everything. As this happened, the Golden Pagoda stayed firm even as dozens of thunderbolts started falling upon it constantly, its defenses fueled by Bing Xue herself and her Hundred-Layered Protection Formation around it. The Pagoda was perhaps her magnus opus in terms of Formation and Artifacts created so far, and even this otherworldly dragons thunder wouldnt be enough to destroy it CLAAASH! CLAAASH! CLAAASH! Everyone down below could see the immense battle above the skies as Bing Xue transformed into a massive half-human and half-snake demonic goddess, clashing against the massive, black-colored three-headed metallic dragon. Her massive palms unleashed gigantic shockwaves of golden and black energies, which collapsed and erupted against one another, creating massive attacks with the resulting explosive force of such forces being forced together. The Dark Storm Dragon, taking direct hits from her, seemed barely unfazed; little scratches could be seen through his enormous surface, but far from enough to even make a proper dent through him. GAHAHAHA! YOURE NOT WEAK, HUH?! The Dark Storm Dragon laughed as the Cultivators down below noticed that Fang Gu Lan was gone, his scream being the last thing they heard before this giant black metal dragon showed up out of nowhere. Whats happening?! Where is Lord Fang Gu Lan at?! Dammit! Has Bing Xue already defeated him?! I heard his scream! Hes dead again! I cant believe it, this damned kid lost to her twice?! B-But what is that dragon? Whats going on?! D-Did he have that within him? Or is that him? Has Fang Gu Lan taken upon a new form? I can feel his Ki within the dragon! It is most likely him! As they continued speaking, Bing Xues family, who were protecting the Pagoda glanced at the Cultivators suddenly stopped their assault. Their army was well organized; the moment they stopped fighting, they quickly moved hundreds of meters away from them, gathering together in a group of over a hundred powerful Immortals and Primordials. Acknowledging their strength and how it would be risky to get swarmed if they chased them and jumped in the middle of their group, they remained still, only glancing from afar and then at the skies, trying to make sense of the situation right now. Seriously, its just one thing after another Merneith complained, piloting Ra on his Awakened Form, which was capable of overpowering Immortals once she fueled Ra with her Internal Ki combined with her Golden Bloodline Essence. We cant really catch a break here! Maybe this worlds even worse than my own. Uwaah, things are getting really intense! Hekita said, piloting Anubis on his Awakened Form as well, which seemed larger, with more gold across his black metallic body. Similarly to Merneiths Ra, Anubis, once powered up with Hekitas Ki and Spirit Energy, could surpass its previous limits, becoming capable of overpowering most Immortals, although Primordials were a whole different level, and for that they had to cooperate against a single one, most of the time getting assistance from their mechanical friends. Isnt that dragon like the robots you brought, Merneith? Maybe its somewhat related? Related?! Merneith asked. T-Theres no way that huge monster could ever be related to my worlds technology; it surpasses everything, and its no longer just a man-made machine; it is more like a machine that was born alive. Its weird, similar to that dude called Mechanicus I fought at the airport! But it also has magic within it? A weird magic Ive never seen before. What about you, Hekita? Youre more familiar with supernatural stuff. Hmm Hekita squinted her eyes, sensing the endlessly dark powers coming from the massive dragon and feeling a slight headache. Ouch! Hekita?! Are you ok? Merneith asked. Im fine I just Ugh, I dont know what that dragon is Hekita muttered. But I know that its powers arent made of Mana, or Spirit Energy, it has Ki from the guy that Mama fought and defeated, but The darkness, that darkness it has its something completely alien. R-Really? Merneith asked. And it is born from From Malice, pure Evilness. It is as if that dragon is the representation of evil! I dont know how else to explain it Ah right! Remember the Spider that Mama fought? Hekita asked. The one that took over the robots from my family? Yes! I do remember that thing Merneith said, with a slight tone of resentment against that goddess. That dragon is a bit similar to her Said Hekita. But much deeper, darker Its power might even originate from the stars! I dont know Its confusing, and looking more into its Energy Signatures is going to give me more headaches Its alright, nodded Merneith. Its more than enough information, Hekita. We have to quickly send this to your adoptive mother so she can learn about the thing shes fighting Unlike the other foes, she doesnt seem to have a complete advantage. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Thats only because Mamas way of fighting is special, Hekita smiled. She starts slow, analyzes her foe, adapts, and overcomes any challenge! She just likes taking her time Lets trust her! Well, alright But we can always bring the cavalry with us as well! Right guys? Merneith said as she glanced at the four-giant beast-like machines in front of her. The Divine Spirit Beast God Machines had been flying in front of them on standby; the Silver Moonlight Hare, the Black and White Wolves, and the Golden Phoenix were forces to be reckoned with when they combined their strength and fought together. When teaming up with Merneith and Hekita, the entire machine group was more than capable of dealing with a Primordial, and just slaying one together already made the rest more wary, not being as reckless of these alien beings as they called them. Mama They stopped fighting! Why? Rainbow Eyes complained, his long silvery-white fire-like hair waving around, burning with a silver and blueish aura, his rainbow eyes shining the brightest. Just seconds before, he and his mother had been fighting Immortals in droves and even confronted two Primordials; one was slain, the other escaped. Looks like theyre scared of the big dragon in the sky! Fiery Hair looked into the skies, crossing her big, muscular arms, as her powerful Blazing Transformation was deactivated, and she went back to her original appearance. Really? Oh! Mommy defeated the big bad already? Cool! Yes, wife is strong! But a new threat appeared. Dangerous. Stay away from the big dragon for now, Rainbow Eyes. Stay with your mama here; mama will protect son with life. You dont need to say it like that, mother; I am strong enough that I can also protect you back! But it makes me mad they just escaped! Cant we just go beat them up a bit more? No Scattered, they can be taken care of, but together? Too dangerous. They are now desperate to live. Do not engage for now! A cornered beast is almost as dangerous as a wounded one! I-I see I understand, mother. Little Rainbow Eyes was eager to fight and grow as a warrior, but he had to obey his big, strong mother if he wanted to survive in the wild world outside; even if they werent in the jungles where she was born, the law of the jungle did not change. As the skies rumbled and darkened and the Cultivators began to wonder what they could do next, many of them started to question their lord and what had happened to him. Some even began to escape, flying back to Murim through the Portal in the distance! Hey, theyre escaping! What? Already?! Orion and Athena, who were still wearing their new armor, glanced as many of their foes escaped through the Portal. It seemed that the Portal wasnt a Timeline Gate, but a Portal that directly led to Murim! However, as more time passed, the smaller the Portal became, rapidly decreasing in size until barely a person could fit through! They were hurrying up to escape. After seeing a couple of esteemed and very respected Primordial Cultivators decide this battle was not worth it anymore, several Immortals followed. We should chase them down and kill them! Orion said angrily. They came here and attacked us! Wait, calm down, brother Athena said. Perhaps its better if we let them go. It''s clear they just want to survive and no longer intend to fight us. But Orion felt frustrated, glancing at them escaping. He was very temperamental, but his sister was there to calm him down. Ugh RUMBLE! However, they wouldnt escape from the crimson eyes of their new lord." The Immortals and Primordials escaping suddenly saw a massive draconic claw descend from the skies. WHERE DO YOU THINK YOURE GOING, MY PAWNS?! Wha?! Wait, is that?! Ahhh! Run! The Cultivators panicked as a titanic metallic claw of over fifty meters in height descended. The Primordials in the vicinity didnt even bother resisting; sensing the power of a venerable within the claws quickly made them instinctively escape. However, not everyone was lucky; the few immortals near the portal werent so lucky; caught by the claws, their bodies exploded into pieces. CRAAASH! The claw didnt just kill them though; as it pierced through space and time, the portal that they were trying to use to escape was instantly sealed forcefully, leaving nothing behind. W-Were trapped in this world! No! Wait! T-This cant be! Dammit! That thing! What is it even planning to do with us?! The Primordials and Immortals were quick to realize their current situation; without the Portal to go back to their home, they were completely trapped here. Im getting out of here! A green-haired old man screamed, wearing brown and green clothes with tree branch paintings and whose eyes shone as bright as golden stars. He immediately rushed to the ground. Its Elder Emerald Tree! Hes running away! Follow him! The Immortals that belonged to that mans Sect quickly followed him, but the man glared at them with disgust and annoyance. Dont you dare follow me! He quickly turned his arms into massive wooden claws, tearing the Immortals apart as he attacked them, rushing down into the ground after hearing their screams of agony. Uuuaaaggh! E-Elder! Wait! D-Dont abandon us! The ruthless Primordial quickly dug underground, transforming completely into a mass of tree roots and managing to successfully escape while his disciples were bleeding and falling into pieces. HMMM, AWAKEN, MY PAWNS! I HAVE DECIDED THIS WORLD IS TOO RICH FOR ME TO DESTROY, INSTEAD. WE SHALL TAKE IT AS OURS! As the Dark Storm Dragon spoke, Bing Xue roared, swinging her sword against him as it grew to a massive size. Who do you think youre talking to?! Your opponent is me, Dark Storm Dragon! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! A storm of slashes containing pure chaos, generated by her light and demonic darkness clashing against each other, engulfed the lower half of the Dark Storm Dragon. HMM? THAT TICKLES! However, the Dark Storm Dragon seemed barely affected; there were slashes over his metallic body, but even then that was about it. HAVE PATIENCE, WILL YOU?! He furiously swung his giant claws against Bing Xue, grabbing her head and then throwing her into the skies like a ragdoll. TRUUUM! Ugh! Her body pierced through several layers of clouds, the impact alone fracturing space and leaving ripples through the empty air. NOW AWAKEN! The Dark Storm Dragons eyes shone brightly, his darkness seeping into his pawns; those he had killed quickly were revived, their flesh and bodies unifying back together, now covered on huge growths of black crystals and metallic scales. Gruooogghh! Raaaargghh! Shyaaaarrgh! They groaned like crazed zombies, flying towards the other Immortals and beginning to fight them, biting their arms or necks, infecting them with this darkness that also turned them into abominations. Nooo! Uuaaargh! D-Dammit! Get off me! Dont bite me, you bastard- ARGH! The Primordials who were managing to somehow survive all of this, glanced in utter disbelief at the chaos in front of them. We have to escape! Leave the Immortals behind! I agree, were getting out of here; even outer space seems like a safer place! Goodbye! They rushed away as quickly as possible, but the Dark Draconified Immortals followed them, cornering them as they moved incredibly fast through the sky with their massive metallic wings. Shyaaaah! Dont leave! Its good to be like this! Gryaaah! I like it! Join usssss! W-Wha? You have to be kidding me! H-How fast are they?! As this happened, the twins were suddenly surrounded by the same infected immortals, with new powers overflowing with the dark energies of the Dark Storm Dragon. Youuuu! Why do you hold the power of the Symbolsssss?! Is thissss why our master is still weaker than beforeeee?! Give it back! Kill them! Shyaaaah! I told you we shouldve killed them earlier, sister! Orion complained. Ugh, I could have never guessed this would happen, you know?! Athena sighed. RUMBLE! As the kids were surrounded from every angle, suddenly, a storm of emerald winds and thunder descended from the skies. A long golden spear spun around amidst the tornado of elemental, spiritual, and divine magic, sending the Dark Draconified Immortals away. FLUOSH! And then a single, majestic, and divine wolf woman emerged, her fur divided into black and white, with golden horns and four beautiful, glowing eyes. Mom?! Its mom! Children, are you safe? We were taking care of the Immortals attacking the other side of the Pagoda! What in the world is going on here? Also, what about those clothes? We can hardly see your faces! Uuh, well, about that Ah! Look out! Gryaaah! Kill them! As their combined mothers tried to ask for answers, that would have to wait for later, as the monsters quickly started moving again even after being cut down. ----- Chapter 210: Battling The Infected Listen While Reading: ᭇ ----- The Dark Draconified Immortals were stronger than they imagined; the fusion between Urbosa and Merkite could achieve a level of strength close to a Primordial after all the training within Bing Xues Inner Realm. Although on their own they werent as strong, their combination caused their powers to not just become additive but multiply, all thanks to Bing Xues improvements upon their technique, using special Heavenly Formations placed on their Physiques. Although the Energy Drain of such a form was huge, they were able to offset that by cultivating a large quantity of Internal Ki by growing as strong as possible back in the Inner Realm, even eating many Martial Beasts and Martial Herbs to improve their growth. That, and of course, their equipment, personally forged by Bing Xue with Peperinas help. They survived our combined mothers attacks so easily! Orion said. Hmm, and theyre regenerating quickly; look at their wounds! Athena analyzed. Urbosa and Merkite glanced at their attackers approach, her Divine Aura rapidly expanding, turning into clones of their fusion. {Divine Thunder Wind Domain}: {Myriad Storm Echoes} FLUOOOSH! They conjured a powerful domain around them and their children, as a mighty tornado twisted space and time, trapping the immortals within an endless zone where winds sliced their bodies and thunder burned them. Lets see if you can keep up your regeneration after this! The fusion said as she unleashed yet another technique, now using their powerful divine spear. {Divine Thunderstorm Spear Arts}: {Tornado Rampage}! They charged forward, as they left the children within the eye of the storm, protected by their swirling domain, as their fused mothers thrust their spears against the trapped foes, unleashing explosions of winds and thunder that made the immortals explode into pieces. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Woow! Thats insane! Orion said. Were our moms always so strong combined?! I dont know; this is the first time I see them fused! Athena said. Its awesome! After having gotten used to their strength, it had become quite clear that the twins were much stronger than their mothers, Merkite and Urbosa, even at their base form due to the power they inherited from Bing Xue, which elevated them to Venerables. However, that didnt mean their mothers were going to just sit down and watch as their children risked their lives; they trained hard, perhaps not to catch up, as that was impossible, but to become strong enough to be reliable. Gryyaaargh! Uuaaggh! Gryyeeegh! The Dark Draconified Immortals screamed in agony, their bodies being sliced and cleaved apart, left as dozens of little pieces that were consumed by the storm. However TRUUUM! Darkness flowed through their bodies once more, as flesh and metal combined together, and they began to rapidly regenerate back, this time their human-like appearances becoming more twisted as they resembled even more monstrous beings. Gryyaaarrgh! Gruoooggh! Shyaaahhh! As they roared, they used their metallic wings and dark powers to move through the slicing winds and thunder, forcefully pushing themselves forward as much as possible. However, the fusion between Merkite and Urbosa squinted into her four eyes. Again then, this time I must destroy them. Until nothing remains! Her spear and her entire body started overflowing with divine thunder as winds wrapped around her rapidly. And then {Divine Thunderstorm Spirit Body Transformation}! RUMBLE! Her body became made of thunder and winds, transforming from bones, blood, and flesh into pure divine elemental spiritual energies. FLUOOOSH! With hundreds of sparks of lightning coursing through their elemental bodies, Orion and Athena gasped, glancing at the scene in utter disbelief. Wooaaah! I-Its like mommys full elemental form, right?! They remembered that one time they spared Bing Xue, where she literally peeled her skin off and turned into a being made entirely out of colorful light that warped space around her! Although this couldnt compare to Bing Xues true body appearance, it was an imitation, and a good one at that, as Bing Xue had specifically helped them achieve it. However, it was only possible when they merged Because only through the unification of body and soul could the sisters achieve this level of power necessary to reach this stage! {Thunderous Catastrophe}! With their spear becoming even larger and more majestic, the fused sister rushed forward, thrusting their spear a hundred times in a mere second, unleashing a thunderous catastrophe as explosions of divine lightning engulfed the dozens of foes in front of them! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Gruuuaaarrghh! The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. The Dark Draconified Immortals screamed in agony, their bodies literally disintegrating before the near endless outbursts of golden lightning erupting even from their own bodies. Phew Once the fusion between Merkite and Urbosa was done, their Domain was undone, as there seemed to be nothing left at all I-Its done?! Orion gasped. That was so cool! Amazing Athenas eyes shone brightly. Our moms are the best! Heheh the fusion giggled, feeling embarrassed. Now, we should- TRUUUM! Suddenly, a powerful pressure surged from within their surroundings, as the fusion quickly put herself in front of their children, seeing as masses of tiny pieces of black flesh and metal began to merge together, forming New bodies! Endless darkness flowed through these new bodies, fueling their revival and making it even faster than before. B-Barely a few tiny pieces were left, and theyre regenerating?! The Fusion asked. This cant be possible! It must be the darkness Athena said. Its the darkness! We have to find a way to make it disappear, or this will never end! How do we even do that?! Orion asked. Its a strange element we cannot control like Mana, Spirit Energy, or Ki! Dummy, with these suits weve got! Athena said. Weve also got a connection to the big evil dragon; hes using these these weird Symbol things! We somehow channeled their powerno, more like they gave it to us? But I think weve got the power to do something about the darkness! Wait, how?! Orion was still confused. RAAARRGH! The monstrous Dark Draconified Immortals roared, their Auras of Darkness and Immortal Ki overflowed from their bodies as they flew towards the children at lightning speed, surrounding them and attacking from every angle. You wont touch them while Im here! The fusion between Urbosa and Merkite didnt stand there though, quickly rushing to fight against them, thrusting her spear and piercing their bodies one after another with her Pseudo-Domain encompassing her body and her children. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The Immortals were sent flying away, with massive holes through their bodies, yet the darkness filled the holes, rapidly recovering their bodies, more monstrous each time they were reborn. Athena, Ill hold them off! Said the fusion. Ill trust your judgment; please find a way to negate their Darkness! Okay, mama! Athena nodded. Her rainbow eyes glow brightly through her helmets visor. Brother! Hold my hands! Huh? But why? Orion raised an eyebrow as he held his sisters hands. Because Ive got an idea! This energy in our suits, can you feel it? She asked. Barely, said Orion. Its quite faint and Hmm? Wait, whats this? Do you feel it better now? Athena asked, as Orion noticed there were two small square-shaped formations composed of glowing divine white runes above and below them. W-When did you?! Orion was shocked. Im always one step ahead! Athena giggled. This is a special formation I created using our new suits as part of its core! And itll help us Do this! FLUOSH! The two formations activated, and using the suits themselves as Cores, the suits began glowing; what was once a faint energy that was there but only quite so, began overflowing from their bodies. From Orion, a sparkling silver-colored light emerged, an otherworldly energy he had never seen before or felt before at all. And from Athena, this sparkling energy was completely white, overflowing with shiny, bright energies that overflowed through everything. These two energies started to converge, fueled by the Symbols. Athena used her own Formations to reverse engineer the origin of the energies themselves as her mind suddenly delved into an endless darkness. And in there, the Symbols floatedthe fragmented power of the Dark Storm Dragon, they werent quite unsealed, as he proclaimed. WHOS THERE?! The Dragons voice echoed through the girls mind as she felt two massive crimson eyes glaring at her. YOU! WHO ARE YOU?! The pressure was immense, but Athena didnt stop, quickly moving her consciousness deeper, looking at the glowing Symbols. Two of them reacted to her and her brother! They werent completely darkened like the rest; only half of it was dark; the other halves were glowing with their respective colors. She also noticed one that was glowing red; the darkness was trying to corrupt it, but it was holding back strongly. However, it didnt react to her. I see this darkness it originates from you! YOU DARE ENTER MY OWN SOUL?! BEGONE! The Dark Storm Dragon had no time to waste dealing with a little girl inside his soul; the endless darkness wrapped around Athenas consciousness, asphyxiating her. However, the little hand of her ethereal avatar managed to touch the Symbols with her index finger and her thumb! FLASH! FLASH! UGH?! The Dark Storm Dragon suddenly felt something weird going on! His Darkness became lesser! W-What are you?! AARRGH! DIE! Before he could destroy her mind, Athena pulled out just in time, the Symbols within the Dark Storm Dragon going awry, as two of them were rapidly glowing brighter than they were supposed to! I understood how it works! Athena opened her eyes. The Symbols are actually the Power of the Dark Storm Dragon! Their actual original form is the darkened form they have taken. And the power weve gained from them is the result of an incredibly powerful seal placed into them, which reverses their darkness into this light! E-Eh? So it worked or not?! Orion asked. "Yes, it did! I simply have to apply the Seal, which Ive already copied and pasted into my Core Formation Frame and Done! Athena nodded, moving her fingers rapidly as she reassembled the runes and everything, fusing both formations into a huge square-shaped glowing ethereal construction. FLAAASH! Her formation spun around as it absorbed the Auras of Athena and her brother, rapidly releasing shockwaves of light, covering the bodies of the Dark Draconified Immortals! Gryyyaarrggh! Uuaaaggh! T-The Darknesssssss! They screamed in agony as they felt their own darkness rapidly begin to turn into light instead, burning their already monstrous bodies. Now, mom! Athena said. I cannot keep this up for too long! Well done, dear! Nodded the fusion between Merkite and Urbosa. Lets get it done! RUMBLE! Her Domain compacted around her entire body as she turned back into her elemental form, and using her spear and lightning speed movements, she rushed towards the weakened monsters. Once more! Her thunder and her winds combined as her spear glowed the brightest ever! {Thunderous Catastrophe Echo}! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! She started fighting against them all; the Dark Draconified Immortals still strong, fighting against her and trying to resist with claws and fangs while firing beams of darkness from their jaws. However {Thunderstorm Tempest}! Her Technique reached a new level, improving and evolving as her attacks converged into a massive tempestuous tornado of thunder, engulfing all foes that she hit! FLUOOOSH! And then, as they were all gathered within a single space, she descended and impaled them all at the same time, unleashing a massive explosion. BOOOMMM!!! The thunder burned their bodies into ashes, and the winds sliced the ashes into even smaller ashes, completely pulverizing their existences and even their souls. RUMBLE! A huge shockwave was released after that, leaving nothing behind but the fusion between Urbosa and Merkite glancing at the twins and around her. I-Is it done this time? They waited a couple of seconds but the darkness never came back. It worked! Athena celebrated. Now we have to help everyone deal with these! Theyre spreading everywhere, mom, brother! Yeah! Lets go then! Orion nodded, rushing with his sister and mother to defeat the other threats. Meanwhile, as the battle between the Dark Storm Dragon and Bing Xue continued, the massive mechanical behemoth felt strange inside of his soul. Uuuggh! W-What is the meaning of this- ARCK! M-My soul! Its trembling! Uurrggh! Nnngghh! Bing Xue clashed against his dozens of massive claws, noticing the endless Darkness that made him so powerful had weakened slightlyby at the very least, a 20%! This essence Athena and Orion? Did they do this? She instantly felt the essence of her daughter within the Dragon, even if briefly. And then she smiled. Thats right, I am not alone I have them! Bing Xue felt slightly moved, always having to fight on her own against these ridiculous foes, until now. She could finally rely on others, unlike in Murim, it was different than back then! That was my daughters gift; are you enjoying it, Viper?! Bing Xue roared, wrapping her long, white-scaled snake tail around the dragons own body, punching his body and swinging her blade, dealing as much damage as possible. UUUAARRGH! Y-YOUUUU! DONT CALL ME A VIPER! I AM A DRAGON! The Dragon roared back, clashing against her with all his body and powers, explosions of golden light and darkness erupting across the skies. CLASH! CRASH! BOOM! RUMBLE! As their battle continued, however, they were completely unaware of something else rapidly descending from outer space. ----- Chapter 211: The Ruthless Immortals Of Murim Listen While Reading: ؤιĄ ----- The moment the Dark Storm Dragon attacked the Murim Army and started to turn those he killed into weird dragon-like metallic zombies, several Primordial Cultivators decided to escape. Despite being among the strongest here, they prioritized their lives above all else, even going as far as killing anybody that dared to stop them by asking for help. Their disciples? Even their family members? They were killed if they dared to come for their aid, as they prioritized their lives selfishly, despite knowing that they were strong enough to resist, even more if together as a large army. With Fang Gu Lan being confirmed to be gone and for that dragon, or whatever he was, taking over his place, it was practically over for them; without a powerful leader charging into this war, it would be hopeless to even dare fight Bing Xue, whom all these Primordials and Immortals feared the most amongst all other Venerables. Why? Because of how she worked and how her ruthlessness and iron fist have turned the war-driven world of Murim into a world of peace where even the poorest and most miserable of mortals had three meals a day and a place to sleep on, which they considered unfair for those hardworking that deserved more, and even worse, they believed a world of peace only incentivized stagnation, and without growth, cultivation as an art could become forgotten over the ages by mortals, and new immortals or Primordials would rarely be born anymore. Without a constant influx of Immortals and Primordials from the Human Tribe, the other Tribes of Demi-Humans and Intelligent Martial Beasts lurking across the worlds untamed lands would gain an advantage, and slowly overtake the world that was once taken away from them by the Human Ancestor. It was even worse as Bing Xue helped people from other Tribes, something that not even the Orthodox Faction believed to be the right thing to do, unless they were slaves who could no longer pose a threat to them. However, Bing Xue and the powerful Sect she funded and built shut down all those that didnt want to embrace a New Age, and she created True Peace Albeit even the greatest era came to an end, as they saw the old venerable appear, leading them to a war against her to end her. They willingly jumped ships despite having become submissive to Bing Xues Sect and now they were regretting it all! Their reasons might have good enough justifications, but at this point, trusting Fang Gu Lan over Bing Xue was a terrible mistake. That bastard of Fang Gu Lan is dead! The dark dragon is definitely not him! Dammit! Why did we even trust him?! It would have been better if we just stayed on Murim, on all the territories we had, the sects we possessed Bing Xue never took them away or something! We might have been fueled by too much greed and hatred towards her for what she did against the other Venerables to realize how good we had it! Several of them managed to get far away enough; those that escaped at first, like Elder Emerald Tree escaped through special means. Some dug underground, others tore through space and disappeared, some turned into countless butterflies and flew north, another turned into a pure wind and disappeared, and so on. However, there were still a large quantity of Primordials that were caught off-guard; the timing for the rest that managed to escape was too tight, only leaving space for a few dozen to get alive from this! The rest? Surrounded by dozens of Dark Draconified Immortals, whose numbers rapidly increased as the other Immortals were being bitten and infected. They tried fighting back before being bitten, of course; they were immortals, specializing in powerful techniques and martial arts; they shook the heavens and the sky; sword techniques, spear arts, palm attacks, elemental barrages, and explosions erupted everywhere. But ultimately, the Dark Draconified Immortals continued regeneration, overpowering them, biting them, and infecting them The Primordials who were managing to somehow survive all of this, glanced in utter disbelief at the chaos in front of them and immediately decided to run away despite being rather late at that. We have to escape! Leave the Immortals behind! I agree, were getting out of here; even outer space seems like a safer place! Goodbye! They rushed away as quickly as possible, but the Dark Draconified Immortals followed them, cornering them as they moved incredibly fast through the sky with their massive metallic wings. Shyaaaah! Dont leave! Its good to be like this! Gryaaah! I like it! Join usssss! Their Darkness Auras surged from their bodies with immense power, stopping their advance and quickly encapsulating them within pseudo domains of their combined darkness. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. W-Wha? You have to be kidding me! H-How fast are they?! This cannot be! We have to get out of here and quick! The Primordials of all appearances, shapes, and sizes readied themselves, unleashing their Primordial Immortal Auras and clashing against the Dark Draconified Immortals. An old man with long white beard and hair, brown skin, and silver eyes swung his bare palms against them, his white and golden clothes waving by the wind as he unleashed powerful shockwaves. {White Heaven Palm Arts}: {Soul-Piercing Palm}! His Aura erupted, transforming into a multi-armed golden statue resembling some sort of bodhisattva; their huge, golden palms blew up their foes souls into pieces. BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! Gryyyaacck! Uuuarrgh! Shyaaagh! The monsters that were once Immortals screamed in agony as their bodies exploded into pieces, and their souls received great amounts of damage. Prepare yourselves, you filthy monsters! Another Primordial stepped in, looking slightly younger, with a blazing red beard and short hair, sharp crimson eyes, and a tall, muscular frame, wearing black and red chinse armor, and holding a huge staff made of gold and red metal. {Blazing Ape Kings Staff Arts}: {Burning Inferno}! FLUOOOSH! His Aura blazed, taking the shape of a huge golden-armored ape that swung their staff alongside him, each blow generated gigantic blazing explosions. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Gruuaargh! Gryyeegh! Shyaaaeergh! Dozens of Dark Draconified Immortals burned and were torn to shreds! The power of just two Primordial Cultivator Masters showcased incredible power and the clear superiority of Murim. Oooh! Elder Heavenly Palm and Blazing Ape Emperor! Theyre incredibly unparalleled, as the rumors about them have said! A slightly nerdy-looking apothecary Immortal muttered, readjusting his glasses as he saw the scene in disbelief, writing things down in his notebook even amidst this battle. T-This is my first time ever seeing them in action! Theyre indeed incredible! But they arent exactly protecting us; theyre only fighting for themselves! What can we do?! The infected are too strong, and we cant run! Do we have to succumb to our deaths?! The other Immortals surrounding this peculiar Immortal all looked troubled and with faces full of despair, but the glass-wearing man seemed calm. I always dreamed of learning about another world! And this has been an incredible experience! I believe that as long as I am able to fulfill this dream of mine, I can die at ease. Ive lived too long already; all my loved ones are long gone Smiled the Immortal with slight melancholy. Lets face death together, brothers! However, the Immortals glared at him with anger, raising their eyebrows at him as if he were a weirdo, and then Get out of here! If youre so happy to die, then buy us some more time! Kick him out of the group! Damn Apothecary! How did you even become an Immortal?! They quickly grabbed him and began to drag him away from the large group, kicking him out into the open battlefield! W-Wait a second! Hey! You cant do this! Why are you like this, brothers? The Era of Peace hasnt even mellowed your cold hearts one bit- Uaagh! The man screamed as he saw a black claw touching his right shoulder. Shyaaaahh! Join usssss! One of Dark Draconified Immortals attacked the Apothecary, screaming at his ears. The Apothecary barely managed to escape his claws, screaming as he saw the thing approach him. W-Wait a second! We can talk about this rationally, right? Youre still a human deep down! I am a humaaaan? Nooooo I am lord Dark Storm Dragons Pawn! "Okay, but you dont have to scream! As the Dark Draconified Immortal rushed towards him, the Apothecary threw countless concoctions at his face, most of them exploding in flesh-melting acid and confusing gases. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! GAAAARRCK! L-Look! We can solve this peacefully! Ill even gladly join you if you let me Well, examine a bit of your biology, which I find fascinating! Said the man. Just dont turn me into a mindless monster! Ill do anything you ask! GRYAAAASSH! The monster, however, didnt have any other answer than a furious hiss, its wounds rapidly regenerating as thick clouds of pure Darkness wrapped around its body. Oh no, this isnt good Nope, not good at all! Uaaaagh! The Apothecary flew away as fast as he could, but the Dark Draconified Immortal caught up with him with a single flap of his metallic wings, his gigantic black claws rushing down towards his throat. Itll be quick! Join us and you shall see what it is all about, shyaaaahhh! I am seriously not interested in becoming one of youuuu! Someone save me! As he screamed pathetically, something that many Immortals would find deplorable and completely shameful RUMBLE! The sky above rumbled as a silver shockwave descended from the sky. A young child no older than four or five years of age in appearance crushed the Dark Draconified Immortal as he descended over its back; its entire body exploded into pieces, flying down and impacting the floor below, resembling a pile of meat paste and crushed bones. CRAAASH! W-Wha?! The Apothecary Immortal glanced at his side, realizing there was a child right there, the one that had killed that crazy powerful mutated immortal like nothing. Mama said I had to save you because you were asking for help, the boy said. His muscular body unbefitting of his age was striking, his long, silvery-white hair resembling blazing flames was even more amazing, and his rainbow eyes, shining like stars, were intimidating. All of this contrasted with his clear brown skin. Y-Youre one of the Great Venerable Bing Xues allies? The Apothecary muttered. N-Nice to meet you! And thank you for saving my life! My name is Xue Xenxue! I am a Self-Proclaimed Immortal Apothecary, Scientist, and Alchemist! I aspire to one day discover the mysteries of the laws of physics and of all creation! I am not Mamas ally; I am her son! And my name is Rainbow Eyes! the boy said grumpily, crossing his arms. "Also, I didnt understand a thing you said! Why do adults always use complicated words? They cant be like my mommies! S-Son?! Xue Xenxue was shocked. R-Right, I did hear that she had children! To think she had so many already, when in Murim it was always said how bitter and loveless she was Mama is not loveless; she has many aunties she loves! Rainbow Eyes said angrily. Also shut up already and stand there! Ill protect you because Mama said so. T-Thank you so much! I am forever grateful! Xue Xenxue bowed to the child without any shame; he was very different than the other Immortal Cultivators of Murim. And, uh, the guys coming back! Hm? Rainbow Eyes looked down, seeing the guy he made sure to destroy rushing back to him. Oh, he''s a tough one! I like that. Y-You do?! Xue asked in shock. Shut up and dont talk while Im talking! Rainbow Eyes said angrily. Dont think Ill forgive you so easily for attacking our home! I-Im sorry! But I can confirm I never harmed your beautiful, beautiful golden pagoda! Said Xue. Ive only been staying in the backlines investigating this world; quite honestly, I have never engaged in battles that much; I dislike fighting! Youre a weird one, arent you? Rainbow Eyes squinted his eyes, swinging his fist down and punching the Dark Draconified Immortal coming after him. BAAAMM!! ----- Chapter 212: A New (Temporary) Solution To The Infestation? ---- Xue Xenxue watched in awe as Rainbow Eyes punched down the Dark Draconified Immortal, the immortals entire body exploding into pieces, falling from the skies into the ground once more. T-Thats amazing; just how strong are you, boy? Asked Xue Xenxue in disbelief, readjusting his glasses. I dont know But pretty strong! Said Rainbow Eyes. And- Uh? Oh no! Xue Xenxue glanced at the scene in disbelief. The two looked down, realizing a cloud of darkness regenerated the body from its countless pieces, remaking it entirely and reviving the once dead into an even more monstrous being. T-This is incredible! Is this what this alien energy can do? This darkness! It can revive the beings it possesses indefinitely?! Its incredible if thats the case! Xue said. Indefinitely? That cannot be possible Rainbow Eyes said, looking grumpy. I bet theres a way to Huh? As he glanced at the Dark Draconified immortal rushing from the ground below, he noticed dozens more of these monsters surrounding them. There you are! Shyaaah! Dangerously strong! Shaah! Eliminate the child! Gyaaah! Destroy the threat! Now! They started whispering between one another, their Auras of Darkness growing stronger as they rushed towards Rainbow Eyes at the same time. Their claws, fangs, and tails overflowed with black flames as they attacked using fast and precise movements, fueled by the Ki of their original selves. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Ah! Rainbow Eyes! Xue panicked as he saw the boy being overwhelmed; the monsters didnt seem to pay him any attention, deeming him a non-threat that they didnt have to waste time and efforts prioritizing. Hmph! However, Rainbow Eyes didnt falter; from his body, a gigantic aura surged, as his entire body was encompassed in silver flames, his clear brown skin was covered in these flames as well, and his long, fiery hair quite literally turned into silver flames too! FLUOOOSH! As he transformed, a powerful shockwave of silver flames engulfed his foes, burning their bodies and consuming their souls and lives; the darkness encompassing them seeped to fight back quite strongly though, trying to regenerate them or help them move through the endless inferno. Maybe if I disintegrate them completely or turn them into ash, they wont be able to revive! The boy said. {Heavenly Silver Nova Body}: {Astral Flare}! FLAAAASH! The boy shone incredibly brightly, making even the Dark Storm Dragon above the skies squint his eyes lightly; the Apothecary was blinded though. Uuaagh! My Eyes! As he screamed, the Dark Draconified Immortals were instantly burned to ashes, disappearing one after another, as nothing of them was left behind. Uooh! These ashes! What are they?! Xue, however, recovered instantly as his special regenerative body helped him recover his sight almost a second after. He quickly took a special Immortal Flask, composed of several spiritual materials, and grabbed some of the ash left behind, which he saw had glittering darkness inside. Interesting, the darkness remains in the ashes! He said. And- Uagh?! He suddenly saw the ashes grow tendrils of black flesh and metal, rapidly trying to recover and become something again. Is it regenerating from ashes themselves? Is this some kind of Phoenix Species? No wait, this comes from another world entirely! {Suppression Seal}! The man roared as the flask suddenly glowed with several Feng Shui Runes, suppressing the living being inside and turning it back to ashes, although only as long as the Seal remained active. Oh, old man, you can seal them? Wondered Rainbow Eyes. I mightve been rude to you, but I think I might I might need some of that here. Rainbow Eyes watched the remains of his victims quickly combine back together into even more monstrous creatures; the more they revived, the less human they looked. Gruooohhh! Gryaaaarrgh! Shaaaahh! You mean the Suppression Seal?! Xue asked. Yes, I can conjure it more; Ive got a whole lot of those flasks! The Apothecary quickly summoned hundreds of flasks of all shapes and sizes, which floated around his own Immortal Aura. He had almost no raw power, as his Cultivation and even the Dao Path he walked through were completely unconventional to any Cultivator of Murim. Woah, you can control those things easily? And they came from your Aura?! Rainbow Eyes was surprised, battling dozens of the same monsters again; he didnt seem to be struggling yet. Heheh! Of course, boy, nodded Xue Xenxue. I am not just any Apothecary, Scientist, and Alchemist, but the best of Murim! I think. Okay then, synchronize to me; Im going to start roasting them once more! Rainbow Eyes roared, his muscles bulging even more as his flames gathered into his body. Stolen story; please report. RAAAAHHH! With a mighty caveman roar, Rainbow Eyes unleashed a storm of silver flames, consuming his surroundings. The monsters were rapidly roasted alive; their hard metal, darkness, or whatever simply couldnt go against them. Explosions erupted one after another as the monstrous immortals exploded like balloons, turning into ashes. The flames dissipated, and Xue moved. I got them! He controlled all the flasks with his Immortal Aura, letting them capture every single grain of ashes he found around, and then he placed powerful Seals on them. {Suppression Seal}! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! The flasks glowed brightly as the ashes within them and the darkness inside of them were fully suppressed! And so the group of thirteen monsters stopped temporarily. It worked! Rainbow Eyes smiled. I guess you werent as useless as I imagined! Hahah, your praise is overwhelming, young lord, Xue said while giggling humbly, already bootlicking the kid as much as possible, a survival tactic in Murim that has kept him alive all this time. It is merely a small showcase of my abilities and also my gratitude towards you for having saved my life. I know this isnt the time, but Ive been considering joining your mothers sect; has she been recruiting lately? What? Stop using complicated words Rainbow Eyes groaned, scratching his head. You want to join my moms sect? You have to ask her that yourself! Despite all, the boy was still quite like a caveman; they were rough and didnt like talking complicated words if possible. Although he seemed more eloquent than Fiery Hair, he wasnt that different to her. B-But arent you her son? I-I thought that! Xue muttered; he seemed afraid of introducing himself to Bing Xue directly. Whatever, Ill try to tell her, Rainbow Eyes shrugged. Oh! Mamas fighting over there! She seems to be helping those losers over there Auntie Mursha and sis are with them too. Your mother, auntie, and sister? wondered Xue, glancing towards that direction, realizing it was right where the other Immortals had kicked him out. Half of them had already turned into infected monsters that were constantly reviving after Fiery Hair roasted them into ashes; the other half was cowering in fear behind Mursha and Fiery Hair, while Kalana was rushing from monster to monster, blowing them up into pieces with her powerful punches. The Primordials that were there had already escaped, without even being grateful for their help. Looks like the Primordials that were close by already escaped or died? wondered Xue Xenxue. Whatever the case, please let me assist you! My Seal can temporarily seal these monsters; it could give us enough time until I can find some way to counter or deactivate their Darkness. You can do that, old man? Rainbow Eyes wondered. I dont know, but Ive been able to figure out many things through investigating and analyzing many substances and the laws of physics of my world, young lord, said Xue Xenxue. I believe anything can be solved as long as you apply science to it! Science? Thats another buzzword I dont understand. Rainbow Eyes looked bored. Come! The boy rushed towards the dangerous area, and Xue Xenxue caught up to him, although he was much slower. Geez, why are you so damn slow?! His Blazing Aura turned into a giant hand, grabbing Xue Xenxue, who screamed, thinking he would get burned alive, only to realize the flames werent burning him. Huh? They dont burn? I can choose who they hurt; theyre an extension of my Soul and my Body after all! Rainbow Eyes said. Dont you think it was weird you didnt get burned when I fought those monsters? Stupid old man... A-Ah, hahaha, of course! laughed Xue Xenxue, realizing just how ridiculously powerful were Bing Xues children. It seems the young lord is already at the Primordial Level! How many years did it take you to reach that level? Years? Mom said I was born a Venerable! Rainbow Eyes giggled cockily, showing his sharp teeth. S-Since birth?! Xue screamed. And Venerable?! I-Impossible! Isnt that Ah! But could it be? The laws of this world are simply different, I suppose! How fascinating! Whatever you say! Now come help out! Use your thingies to catch the ashes and seal them, got it? Rainbow Eyes asked. Yes, Im creating more as we speak! Xue Xenxue nodded. Inside of his small Inner Realm, there was a huge Formation he had created using thousands of different types of materials combined together and aligned into a massive Factory-type Formation, which created special Martial Flasks that he used to contain dangerous elements and ingredients. They were originally made to contain souls inside, but they had continuously evolved to become even stronger, and now he was improving them to become better at sealing these Darkness-powered monster remains so they wouldnt be able to revive so easily. Hyahyahyahyaaaah! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! Little Kalana unleashed a barrage of punches infused with her blood red aura, bursting through her foes and blowing giant holes through their bodies, ultimately reducing them to smithereens! And now! Her fists blazed with crimson flames made out of her own Blood Fang Aura, her eyes shone bright red for a moment, changing from their rainbow color. {Crimson Burst}! BOOOMMM!!! By swinging both of her fists forward with all her power, an explosion of crimson energies engulfed the Dark Draconified Immortals, as their bodies exploded, rapidly disintegrating even more, turning into just ashes, or tiny fragments. Haaah Haaah Did that do it?! She wondered, squinting her eyes. However, she quickly noticed the Darkness rapidly wrapped around the ashes again, and the bodies began to rapidly regenerate. Dammit! Kalana complained. Stop it already! She swung her fists forward, punching the empty air and unleashing massive shockwaves that blew up the regenerating bodies into pieces over and over again. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! As she did that, the Immortals that were being protected by her were shocked by what they were seeing; the little girl was single-handedly stopping those undying monsters with her mere punches. T-That girls incredible! Despite the weird skin tone, she looks human, no? Shes Bing Xues daughter! One of them So that hair and eyes of hers werent just a coincidence, huh? But didnt she already have twins? Theres a third?! Ive heard theres also a fourth! And theyre all Primordial Level or higher! P-Primordial level or higher at such a young age? Yeah, we never stood a chance If only those bastard Primordials hadn''t run away the moment they saw Fang Gu Lan being defeated, we mightve still stood a chance! Stop talking delusions; once Bing Xue were to face us, we would all be reduced to ashes by her divine light! Havent you heard at all about what happened to the Demonic Sects that rejected her offers of turning into a new leaf? They were all gone in a single day! Thousands of cultivators gone with a single flash of light from the skies! The survivors, all mortals, said that the blinding light felt like a punishment from heaven! It seemed the Immortals of Murim were greatly traumatized by Bing Xue and her ruthlessness, more than her family wouldve liked to hear. Hey bastards! Stop complaining or talking bad about my wife, or Im going to chop you all into pieces! Mursha roared; the barbarian orc quickly made the men all paralyzed, even more when she was so huge compared to the average man of Murim. Hyeeeh! D-Dont kill us! W-We apologizeeee! Youre sure pathetic once cornered, arent you? Mursha sighed. I am only letting you live because you stopped fighting. And my daughter insisted a lot. But remember that if it were up to me, you wouldve died even if you begged for mercy or surrendered. As the orc warrioress crimson eyes intimidated them, Rainbow Eyes rushed back to the group, as Fiery Hair greeted the boy while turning dozens of monsters into ashes. Son! Youre back with the screaming, cowardly man! Said Fiery Hair. Yeah mom! Hes unexpectedly useful! He can seal the bad guys! Rainbow Eyes said. Seal? Truly?! No trick? Fiery Hair glared at Xue Xenxue with intimidating eyes. I-I assure you it isnt a trick, your majesty! Xue Xenxue muttered with a pathetic voice. Your majesty? I am not a queen. Ah, whatever, show me then! Said Mursha. Y-yes! Xue Xenxue manipulated the flasks, as they quickly captured the ashes of the monsters that Kalana had destroyed. The darkness surged from the flasks, but Xue Xenxue quickly sealed them back, stopping them from awakening and reviving! Like this! He said, feeling tired. It worked?! Mursha wondered. Hmmm, okay, youre useful then. Do the same for everyone here. E-Everyone? Xue Xenxue noticed the entire group had been fighting over fifty monsters like this. Hahaha ----- Chapter 213: A Race Against Time ----- Kenichi and Zenith hurried, moving rapidly through the wastelands as they chased the leftover essence of the Symbols that had abandoned the Gaorangers completely. The Demon King glared into the distance, noticing a strange presence rapidly approachingno, several of them, but of the same originalmaking him quickly realize whatever was coming after them, or their new heroic red-capped friend, might be more bizarre than even the monsters of their original world. Red, Zenith called for the Gaoranger, as he moved through the ground while running using his humanoid transformation. Yes, I felt them too, Kenichi nodded, glancing from afar. The black clouds in the sky and the gigantic Kaiju battle happening over there werent any worse than whatever was chasing them. We have to hurry; we cant let them catch up to us! Once I can find the power of the Symbols and my friends recover, well be ready for anything! But werent your robots thrashed? What are you planning to do with that, fool? Zenith asked, his face angry, as he couldnt believe the Red Gaoranger was this stupid. Dont call me dumb; I know how the power of the Symbols works much more than you, and also how theyre connected with the Deus Ex Beasts, explained Kenichi. Once we can recover the Symbols and my friends are back together, our Deus Ex Beasts will fully recover as well. They arent normal technology after all but formed and materialized out of the Symbols powers and Deus Ex Machinas alien technology. There was once a time when our robots were destroyed, and we thought it was over But he told us that they recover and power up over time; the more we believe and embody the symbols, the stronger they become and the faster they recover too. Hmph! Isnt that power incredible then? And immensely unfair at that?! With such power and abilities, you Gaorangers could even conquer the entire Galaxy! Yet you limit yourself to protecting that tiny, pathetic planet you love so much Zenith groaned, feeling disgusted by Kenichis weakness. Isnt that tiny, pathetic planet the one you and your people have been fighting with tooth and nail to take from us? Kenichi sighed, glaring at him angrily. I bet its more precious than what you said Zenith remained in silence for a while. Planets with so much life and environment for the survival and spread of life are rare. But you humans are doing nothing but destroying its beauty and the true potential that planet has for biodiversity. We wanted to wipe you all out of the globe to save that planet from you; we will take much better care of it than you humans could ever do! Oh yeah, and you start by blowing up cities and causing immense destruction using nuclear energy-powered space lasers? Kenichi sighed, waving his head. Xeno Beasts are the same as humans at the end, hypocrites that claim to do things for a good cause, but at the end its all just selfishness. W-What did you say?! Zenith roared angrily. And its not like humanity is any worse either, to be honest But at the very least were coming together to defend the planet we love, said Kenichi. And protecting our home is worth more than conquering more planets or traveling through the galaxy. I dont have any intention of doing anything like that As long as my friends are okay and I get to eat yakisoba every now and then, Im happy. I simply cannot understand your mentality, so simpleminded Such a huge lack of desire for greatness What a pathetic man, Zenith groaned grumpily. However, he suddenly smiled a bit. But I admire your conviction and your selflessness, if anything he suddenly said, surprising Kenichi. Zenith The Red Gaoranger was surprised his enemy had praised him. Its rare to find a man so dedicated and made of pure sheer willpower like you You are indeed a leader, I guess Hmph, wouldnt have liked it to be any other way. Nobody else but someone like you would have to go against me, Zenith smiled. Once were finally done with this, our battle shall resume, and it will be legendary. Hah, you bastard Kenichi smiled. We wont lose, no matter what, you know? Well see about that! Ill enjoy breaking that conviction and willpower! Hahahaha! Zenith laughed heartily. What a weird guy you are Kenichi sighed. Hm? The Red Gaoranger noticed someone walking out of the interior of the Crimson Lion; it was Wingspeed; his clothes had even self-repaired themselves through their own technology, and he seemed already quite recovered. Wingspeed? Youre okay? Yeah, I dont just walk fast, you know? I also recover quickly; as long as I get a good bed and some medicine or food, thats it. Glad to see you well recovered, but you look nervous. Is everything alright? I couldnt sleep; that presence kept lurking around me When I woke up, I realized it was a nightmare. A nightmare? I saw the faces of my friends, Kenichi; they were screaming at me; they were asking me to save them, but But I couldnt do anything I was so powerless Wingspeed suddenly fell to the floor, grabbing his face and crying. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Its coming That thing is coming here! C-Calm down! Kenichi walked to his side, hugging his shoulders. Youre not mentally well, Wingspeed, lets move you back to your bed. I think you need to rest some more. I cant Youre seriously asking me to rest right now?! That thing is coming here I can feel it! It felt something on mea mark, or something else! Wherever I go, itll find me! I also know something is chasing us, but the Crimson Lion can move incredibly fast; it wont easily catch up with us! Once we recover the Symbols, well fight them off together and- No! You cant fight them! Especially not Galaxy Man! He has his body! Hes the strongest hero! But he he lost; he was possessed! With his body, with his strength, hes invincible Invincible? Theres no way theres an invincible being out there! Zenith roared. Stop talking nonsense, you- CRAAASH! UGH?! Out of nowhere, a massive shockwave hit Zeniths head, blowing his entire mechanical body through the air and making him fall upside down almost a kilometer away from where they were! BAAAMM!! A tremendous presence emerged as Kenichi and Wingspeed widened their eyes, glancing at the massive, muscular figure floating above them, keeping up with the movement of the Crimson Moon without effort. A white man with short black hair, wearing a mostly blue-colored, skin-tight superhero suit, with a big G on his chest, made of bright gold color. His cape seemed almost cosmic, as if it were made of a small nebula with tiny stars, an embodiment of his power; the larger and more majestic it was, the more power he had accumulated. His bright blue eyes had become green and red in color now, glowing with a green and red aura. The man that once was praised as the most benevolent and merciful of heroes, who saved thousands of lives every day across the galaxy He was no longer himself but the vessel of something much more sinister. Y-Youre?! Kenichi muttered. G-Galaxy Man! Wingspeed screamed. Hes here! We have to run, Kenichi! Galaxy Man smiled, his eyes glowing brighter, and his voice reverberated within the minds of the two heroes in front of him. Ive finally found you, Wingspeed He spoke. It is finally time for you to give up. Your body shall become my new vessel. Once I obtain your powers, I will become truly invincible! N-No! You wont get to me! N-Never! Wingspeed screamed. The Speedium Particles cannot fall into the wrong hands, demon! Hahaha Can you even hope to stop me? No to stop us? Galaxy Man spoke, and as Wingspeed and Kenichi realized they were surrounded, there were three more figures with them, all floating in midair with supernatural powers. Do you recognize them, Wingspeed? The Red Gaoranger asked. M-Marvelous Woman, Nightman, and Jade Star! They were all possessed! Muttered Wingspeed. Dammit T-This is hopeless! Theyre the strongest heroes of my world! Its pointless to fight anymore, Wingspeed. Join us, Marvelous woman spoke with her original voice, inviting. I know you want to stop running; give up. Itll be painless; youll feel stronger and better than ever before, Nightman smiled. Youll grow to like it. No more fighting, no more disagreement; well always be united, like we should have always been, Jade Star said. CRAAASH! Suddenly, the Crimson Lion stopped moving, hitting a giant emerald-colored wall made of psionic energies generated by Jade Stars Jewel, of the same name. Graaaooohh! The Crimson Lion roared angrily and in pain as Kenichi felt the wall being tougher than he imagined. Glaring back at the heroes, he quickly manifested his Super Armor, and his Sword. Crimson and golden armor covered his suit, giving him stronger strength and defenses, while a blazing, mechanical golden and red blade with a lion-like face at its handle manifested, overflowing with power. I wont let you touch Wingspeed Kenichi suddenly said, glaring at the heroes. I promised him that I would protect him! And so I shall! Wait, Kenichi! This is hopeless; dont dont fight them! Wingspeed screamed as he saw the Red Gaoranger swing his blade against Jade Star. Hmph, pathetic. So be it, fight to your hearts content, laughed Jade Star, manifesting a gigantic titanic machine out of green jewel-like psionic energy. Struggle as much as needed, then your body will be my new vessel! The massive fists rushed down as Kenichi gathered the power of the Symbols into his blade. Dont underestimate the Dekai Gaorangers! With a furious roar, his Aura exploded, resembling a fierce crimson lion. An explosion of flames surged everywhere as his sword cut through the entire psionic construct, splitting it in half! SLAAASH! And then, dozens of explosions engulfed the entire thing, hitting Jade Star and confusing him beyond belief. W-What?! Hes quite strong?! HEEYAAA! With a mighty roar, Kenichi leaped in midair and swung his blade against Jade Star. The hero attempted to defend, but the Red Gaoranger was fast, swinging his blade several times, cutting through his armor and then his suit, and then kicking him down with a blazing explosion. BOOOM! Marvelous Woman, Nightman, Galaxy Man, and even Wingspeed were left speechless as they glanced at Jade Star on the floor, unconscious and with several severe wounds. I-Impossible Wingspeed gasped. I thought that Huh? Youre actually super strong?! Of course I am! I am the Embodiment of Courage! Roared Kenichi. You arent getting past me while I protect my friends! Its the suit! Galaxy Man said. The suit is giving him powers! Tear that suit to pieces! He rushed with Marvelous Woman and Nightman together, and as they tried to gang on the Red Gaoranger, punches, kicks, and blows reached, covering the hero from every single angle. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Uuggh! Kenichi saw his armor breaking apart; the attacks were too much! I wont go down here! With a mighty roar, Kenichi infused his powers into the Crimson Lion, whose massive mechanical claws threw the possessed heroes away. CRAAASH! As they were sent flying a few hundreds of meters away, Zenith appeared right above them, transforming from a flying spaceship-like form he had taken by copying the spaceships of the reptilians into his humanoid form again. You dare punch my face in the middle of my words?! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! Four massive punches reached them all, sending them pummeling into the ground. A shockwave shattered the ground beneath, leaving behind gigantic craters on the wastelands. Red! Were getting out of here! However, Zenith didnt go after them after that, quickly rushing back to Kenichi. You said that once you get the Symbols you can handle them, right?! Then lets hurry! Y-Yeah! Kenichi was surprised Zenith was so alarmed, despite showing off his power like that. But he quickly realized why, as he saw Galaxy Man slowly crawling out of the crater without any wounds whatsoever. Behind him were Marvelous Woman, Nightman, and even Jade Star, who was even closer. They had larger wounds, but they recovered quickly, infused with strange supernatural energies from another world. The world where the mysterious specter that had possessed them came from, making them even more durable than they were. Perhaps even stronger. Combine your red lion with me! Zenith screamed. HURRY! Are you sure?! Kenichi asked. Will that even work?! Just do it! Zenith was terrified by the enormous auras approaching. HURRY, RED! Kenichi, shocked to have never seen Zenith acting this way, quickly nodded. ----- Chapter 214: Ruthless Kids Listen While Reading ᭇ & ؤιĄ ----- Zenith was desperate; the power of Galaxy Man was clear; he knew that if he didnt have the power of the Symbol infused into him, his true body wouldve died. Perhaps if he had his full body, he was confident he would be able to endure a prolonged fight, but as he was only a fragment of himself, he wouldve instantly exploded into pieces without the Symbol of Courages Mechanical Powerup. And he also knew that the only way was to harness more of this Symbol Power, if he could get all the Symbol Powers, as he was actually secretly planning, fighting against Galaxy Mana and his minions might be feasible It was that or death. So, he decided to swallow his pride and request Red to merge his Crimson Lion with him; this would not only give him more of that Symbols Power, but it would also make him more resilient to blows, as Galaxy Mans punch blew up half his face and left shoulder, which had yet to regenerate. NOW! Zenith screamed as Kenichi realized he was way too desperate; this wasnt something they could handle no matter how hard they fought with their current strength. Fine! But dont you dare use this power for evil, Zenith! Red roared. His powers overflowed from the card he took from his device around his wrist. {Deus Ex Beast Fusion}! FLUOSH! FLASH! Zenith and the Crimson Lion overflowed with their powers, as they suddenly began to separate into pieces and merge. {Dark Deux Ex Beast Warrior: Demon King Zenith} and {Deus Ex Beast of Courage: Crimson Lion}! Combine! CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! Zenith felt his entire body revitalized as flames of new power coursed through his entire being; the red lion merged with his chest first, leaving its head there. Then its legs merged with his own, making them bulkier, and his arms were reinforced with the lions front limbs, gaining sharp claws. At the same time, his face was regenerated, the missing half becoming red and gold, creating a contrast between his original face and the other. And ultimately, a black, red, and gold helmet manifested above his head, giving him a uniform appearance. I-Impressive! So this is the power of Combination! Zenith was left flabbergasted, glancing at his own sharp, mechanical claws. Ah, no! I cant let this power Make me get overconfident! As Zenith tried to recover from his surprise, Galaxy Man appeared above him, shooting two powerful lasers from his eyes. BOOOM! BOOOM! Two huge explosions sent the machine flying away. Kenichi and Wingspeed were transported inside of his mechanical chest, piloting the massive machine of over a hundred meters in height. Theres great damage on the chest and the shoulders! Even with the combination, its not enough power! The Red Ranger panicked. We have to run! said Wingspeed. H-Here! Dammit, take it! My power! What? Kenichi was surprised, as he saw Wingspeed grow desperate, touching the core area of the machine, infusing his powers into it. One thing some people dont know is that Speedsters can manipulate their powers! How do you think I got three other sidekicks? They were all shared a part of the Speedium Particles Force! FLUOOOSH! Crimson, white, and gold particles of energy overflowed through Zenith and the Crimson Lion, their bodies beginning to rapidly transform into a giant spaceship resembling the ones the reptilians piloted. CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! T-This power! Its ideal! Lets get out of here! The giant red, black, and golden spaceship, with the head of a lion on its tip, quickly overflowed with the Speedium Particles Force, flying away at lightning speedno, even faster than that! FLAAASH! Where do you think youre going?! Galaxy Man, however, with his sheer superpowers, almost caught up with them, swinging his fists and releasing giant cosmic shockwaves against them. TRUUM! TRUUM! TRUUM! The spaceship-shaped mecha-alien gained countless cracks through its metallic armor, but it managed to keep stable, materializing a huge cannon on its back. Now, together! Kenichi roared. Wingspeed! Zenith! Fine! Dammit! Okay! Their powers converged into one, as the cannon fired a massive blast of pure red energy, hitting Galaxy Man and exploding with massive force, sending him flying away while releasing powerful shockwaves that almost shattered space slightly. BOOOMMM!!! Now! As Zenith commanded, everyone poured their energy into the robot, as it flew as quickly as possible, managing to surpass Galaxy Mans Speed, while the possessed hero fell to the ground, leaving behind such a deep crater and cracks on the ground that a sleeping volcano awakened, lava surging from the depths, erupting from the underground. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. RUMBLE! Walking out of the lava as if nothing, Galaxy Man slowly looked back where his target went to, his slightly angered, serious expression never changing. He often wore a carefree, gentle smile, but since he was possessed by this unknown evil, he had done nothing but frown. Marvelous Woman, Nightman, and Jade Star quickly flew to his side, glaring into the distance, their Auras beginning to rapidly synchronize, merging together to gain more collective power. To think that bizarre machine can channel Speedium Particles Nightman spoke. That is certainly not the technology of our world. Indeed, it seems very powerfultoo powerful, Marvelous woman said. Once we take it, it shall be ours. We cannot let them get away any longer, but youre too slow; we need to be together for maximum input of Divine Power, Galaxy Man said. Jade Star. Yes, Jade Star nodded, his powers wrapping everyone together into what resembled a giant rocket made of green psionic energies generated from the green jade on his chest. Lets go. FLUOSH! The giant rocket made of energy rushed forward, as fast as it could, carried by Galaxy Mans incredible speed, which Wingspeed could barely surpass. . . . RUMBLE! The black skies above trembled as two titans continued battling, distorting and warping space as they did. The people beneath, however, werent having it any easier. Bing Xues family was constantly fighting droves after droves of Dark Draconified Immortals, whose transformation spread. Three groups were moving across the battlefield in the skies, trying to fix things. One of them, made by Urbosa and Merkites fusion accompanied by Athena and Orion, who had managed to recreate the seal that reversed the Darkness that the Dark Storm Dragon unleashed to stop the spread of these monsters. The second, composed of Rainbow Eyes, Fiery Hair, Mursha, Kalana, and Xue Xenxue had recently managed to seal the monstrous immortals after turning them into ashes and then sealing them within flasks before they were to regenerate; this helped contain them but didnt completely eliminate them. And the third group, composed of Hekita, Merneith, and the Spirit Beast Machines, battled the droves of monsters without still figuring out a way to seal them completely, only stopping them while trying to save those that asked for help, even when they were formerly foes that attacked their home. Haahh I-Im exhausted I cant do this anymore! Ive emptied all of my Immortal Ki! Im so sorry! Xue Xenxue screamed, gasping for air after having sealed almost fifty Dark Draconified immortals in this entire time. Youve helped enough, I suppose, Mursha said, stepping in front of him. Stay behind; youre too weak to fight after all. She flew forward, using her Golden Phoenix Wings and swinging her massive axe, cleaving through anything. We fight and hold them back! We will wait for wife to finish off the Dragon thing! Fiery Hair roared, her body quickly transforming once more into her {Primal Flame Body} and burning through the hordes of foes, who continued growing stronger as they died and revived. As the two mothers clashed against the never-ending foes, Rainbow Eyes and Kalana protected Xue, they had tremendous quantities of Ki themselves, but Xue had already told them that if they ever injected a tiny bit, he would overload with their power and might end up dying by exploding. It was well known that among Immortals, Primordials, and Venerables, feeding Ki to the lower Rank would only lead to their deaths; their unique Ki were all within different wavelengths and qualities and therefore couldnt be assimilated and used by the other. Of course, that only applied when the one giving was stronger; if they were both within the same Realm, or the one giving was weaker, it was possible and there wasnt much of a problem. Therefore, they quickly brought Xue towards the Immortals they had been protecting, who had been trying to escape sometimes, only to end up being infected. Hey you guys! Give Xue all your Ki! Rainbow Eyes said angrily. W-What?! Our Ki?! Are you crazy? Why would we ever give it to him? Why him in specific though? You havent seen what hes done? His techniques giving us the ability to seal the monsters! Kalana said grumpily. H-He has done that? I did see him helping them, but I didnt expect! Theres no way that useless Apothecary could have done anything worthwhile! Hmph, why are they so stubborn?! Rainbow Eyes crossed his arms angrily. How cant they appreciate your abilities? In Murim strength is everything, you see I pursued a path completely different than everyone else, and I overall really dislike violence in general Xue sighed. So I often times am looked down by many, and I cant blame them; I am indeed quite weak for an Immortal. That doesnt matter! What matters is now! Stop being so cocky, you idiots! Kalana grew furious. Do you want us to beat you down?! "Yeah, we arent negotiating here! Rainbow Eyes roared angrily too. Do it or we beat you! W-What? Theyre Bing Xues children, arent they? Theyre so strong too C-Can we even disobey anyways? But theyre damn children! Should we break out and escape? We could use them as bait for the other monsters! Yeah, good idea! No wait, dont be reckless! Some of the Immortals tried to stop the majority, but they were unable to. A large group of over twenty rushed towards the children, unleashing several techniques at once, blinded by their pride and arrogance. Their "plan, if it could be called that, was simple: to throw the children into the swarm of monsters, use them as distractions, and escape. Yet BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! As myriads of elemental attacks and weapon techniques, from holy arrows, slicing wind blades, shadow daggers, explosive flame javelins, and other weapons, reached them Thats pretty weak! Kalana roared grumpily. Dont think youre getting away with that! Rainbow Eyes said angrily. The two children unleashed their Auras, shaping them as countless hands and grabbing the Immortals as if they were bugs. And well, to them, they truly were just bugs! Aaargh! W-Wait a second! Ugh?! S-So strong! T-This is?! Here! Rainbow Eyes touched Xues shoulder as he began to extract the Ki from the Immortals. Take this too, Kalana said, doing the exact same. W-What?! Xue was shocked to the core over the cruelty of the children, who instantly infused the Ki they drained directly out of their victims! However, it wasnt as if their victims didnt deserve it. FLUOSH! As Xue Xenxue regained all his Ki and even gained some more, the Immortals, completely drained, looked to have grown strangely older and drier. U-uuggh H-Help What Agh Kalana and Rainbow Eyes quickly threw them towards the other Immortals, forcing them to carry them around like mules. Alright, were done here, Xue, again! Kalana said. You can do this again, right? Lets go, hurry! Rainbow Eyes nodded. S-Sure! Xue muttered. He was surprised and a bit intimidated but felt touched that the kids went that far to help him. As the childrens mothers battled and killed the Dark Draconified Immortals, Xue rapidly summoned his Flasks from his Immortal Aura, sealing them by the dozens. This, with Athena and Orion destroying them by reversing their seals from afar, quickly made the Dark Draconified Immortals reduce their numbers to only a handful. The three scattered teams regrouped quickly after. Were getting there! Fiery Hair roared. Theyre almost all eliminated! Mursha nodded. How is going up there though? Urbosa and Merkite asked at the same time. It seems the Dark Storm Dragon is growing weaker? Its much slower than before! Athena said. And its darkness has reduced quite a lot as well! It seems that Sealing away all the darkness has made him weaker! The Symbols must have been greatly affected by that then, Orion said. But dont you think we should go help mom though? Theres still a few small fries we have to take care of first! Kalana said. Not yet! As this happened, above the skies, the Dark Storm Dragons Domain and Darkness Powers were indeed reduced; he was becoming sluggish, and his durability was reduced. Bing Xues blows left large wounds on his gigantic body now, which didnt regenerate at all. NNGGH! T-THIS CANT BE HAPPENING! WHO WHO IS DOING THIS?! Looks like everyone is helping in their own way... Shall we end our dance already? DONT DONT UNDERESTIMATE MY POWER! ----- Chapter 215: The Overwhelming Power Of Family Listen While Reading: Well Matched ----- {Dual Rings of Radiant and Umbral Harmony}! Bing Xues serpentine eyes glowed brightly as she swung all four of her arms forward, unleashing eight gigantic rings made of golden and black light, spinning around in midair. These rings seemed simple, but they encompassed her entire Divinity compressed and combined together! The moment they impacted the Dark Storm Dragons body, explosions of light and darkness engulfed him. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The rings spun around his gigantic mechanical body, rapidly beginning to deal great damage, constantly slicing and destroying his internal body and biomechanical circuits. Uuugghh?! S-Such techniques! WONT WORK ME! With a furious roar, the Dark Storm Dragon opened his jaws, firing three beams of pure darkness that impacted Bing Xue with tremendous force! TRUUUM! TRUUUM! TRUUUM! Bing Xue gritted her teeth as her Venerable Aura shattered into pieces the moment it was hit by those three beams. She realized that this thing had a power comparable to her, if not beyond with that sole showcase of power. And yet She simply couldnt back down like she wouldve done on Murim. She cannot just run away and cultivate and then go back against him. The whole world depends on her right now! {Primordial Heavenly Yin Yang Aegis} FLAAASH! Her Divinity Authority manifested, as all the Divinities she had devoured and converged together materialized into a beautiful black and gold shield in front of her. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! As countless explosions engulfed her completely, Bing Xue held her ground, unable to escape, as teleportation became incredibly complicated with a being like this in front of her, who was distorting space with his very presence. RAAAAHHH! With a mighty roar, Bing Xue released all the absorbed damage into her shield as she unleashed it as a gigantic black and white beam against her attacker. TRUUUM! The beam rushed through the skies as the Dark Storm Dragon quickly fired his triple darkness breath once more, both beam cannons impacting one another! BOOOMMM!!! Their impact generated a massive explosion across the skies, splitting the heavens into two and distorting space. Bing Xue didnt let go of this beam though, turning this into a battle of attrition. The Dark Storm Dragon continued firing his triple beam, while Bing Xue gathered the power into her four hands, constantly releasing her combination of Venerable Ki, Mana, Spirit Energy, and Divinities to strengthen the counterattack from her shield. RUMBLE! The skies continued distorting and trembling, the two powerful beams constantly hitting each other. The Dark Storm Dragon had grown weaker, but that didnt mean he would easily lose anyway. RAAAHHHH! I AM UNPARALLELED ACROSS THE UNIVERSE!!! The Dragon roared furiously; his powerful triple beam continued consuming Bing Xues counter beam, constantly making it weaker and smaller! I AM THE EMBODIMENT OF DARKNESS! I AM THE LIVING CALAMITY! His body suddenly started to transform, several propulsors appearing through his mechanical form, releasing purple flames to propel him forward and overpower Bing Xues attack. I WILL DEVOUR THIS WORLD, JUST AS THE MANY I HAVE EATEN BEFORE! TRUUUM! Bing Xue felt weaker and weaker; the Darkness seemed to be devouring her entire power, making her mind fall into a void more and more! Haaahh Haaahhh! While bleeding and looking all tattered, however, Bing Xue didnt give up; her body continued growing larger, her muscles became swollen, and her power was released completely. AND I AM EARTHS GUARDIAN!!! TRUUUMMM!!! UNGH?! The Dark Storm Dragon gasped in disbelief as he saw an innate power surging from within Bing Xue, her energies merging and mixing together, rapidly giving birth to something else. Something beyond these energies, a power that only the stars themselves produced... T-THATS! ARGH! The Dark Storm Dragon grew frustrated and shocked; his triple beam was being overpowered as Bing Xue kept moving forward, her monstrous half-snake form powering her up to her limits! I AM THE SOUL OF MY BLADE! Bing Xue roared, her eyes glowing brightly, as the beam she unleashed began to transform to the flabbergasted eyes of the Dark Storm Dragon. THROUGH THE PATH OF LIGHT I WALK TOWARDS THE HARMONY I SEEK! The dragons eyes widened as Bing Xues power started to rapidly increase; her energy seemed endless as it poured out of her. AND THROUGH THE HARMONY IVE FOUND! She vomited blood, yet she continued pushing further and further, her beam rapidly shaping into a blade! I OPEN THE HEAVENS! TO ACHIEVE THE IMPOSSIBLE!!! Her beam turned into a golden, glistening sword as it began to slice through the Dark Storm Dragons triple combined beam, capable of ending all of the planet if it were to hit its surface! Stolen story; please report. SLAAASH! It continued slicing, reaching his body and beginning to rapidly slice through his scales-shaped metallic armor, distorting space as it did. CLAAANK! UURGH?! The Dark Storm Dragon noticed something: as he began fighting back, using his claws to resist the blade, his breath was no longer working anymore. Yes, he noticed somethinga light that went beyond the divine realm within Bing Xue It was sparkling, like stars themselves, glowing brightly and beautifully, and gathering like a cloud of star dust, a nebula, around her body. As she put her life on the line for the first time in thousands of years, Bing Xue was beginning to finally Surpass her limits. This power was barely faint enough for him to notice, but it made him incredibly frustrated and jealous. As a Cosmic Being himself, to think that a being from a damned planet would dare develop powers like him simply made him find it ridiculous. It was preposterous! YOU DARE! YOU DARE THINK YOU CAN OBTAIN COSMIC POWER?! He roared furiously. THIS IS TRUE COSMIC POWER!!! RUMBLE! Out of nowhere, the core of the Dark Storm Dragon was revealed, as Bing Xue gasped, noticing an enormous pressure rushing towards her and hitting her with the force of ten thousand mountains. BAAAMMM!! UGH! Her sword instantly shattered into pieces as she fell to the ground from the skies; her transformation was also beginning to revert. The pressure alone was so strong it seemed to completely cancel her techniques and even destabilize her Venerable Ki! That power was! Yes, I remember it She quickly stabilizes in midair, her Divinity surging behind her, resembling a gigantic rainbow tree constantly overflowing with rainbow-colored light. She noticed the core of the Dark Storm Dragon, which he had made visible for her to be directly impacted by his almighty power. Cosmic Power The mysterious Darkness Energy that the Dark Storm Dragon wielded wasnt the only power he held; within his Core, his very Heart, he possessed Cosmic Power, an energy born from beings that travel the cosmos for eons, absorbing the universes radiation and accumulating it within them, refining it into a new type of power, one capable of distorting other lesser energies and even warping the laws of physics. CAN YOU GO AGAINST THIS POWER, SELF-PROCLAIMED GUARDIAN OF EARTH?! I have to try, at the very least Bing Xues transformation fully ended as she went back to her normal appearance. But then I am Light. BOOOM! Her entire body exploded. Her skin, bones, flesh, and blood transformed into pure, blinding light. The Dark Storm Dragon gasped as he saw Bing Xues truest power and her truest form as well! No bullshit, just her. This is my truest form, Dark Storm Dragon! She rushed towards him like a blinding golden star. The Dark Storm Dragon smiled as he saw her body grow larger to match his massive size. Both beings, the embodiments of light and darkness, clashed against one another with immense force, their strength unparalleled. Bing Xue swung her sword against him while also using her entire body as a Blade, unleashing dozens of swordsmanship techniques and cutting more of his metallic body. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! The Dark Storm Dragon retaliated by swinging his gigantic claws, tearing apart one of her arms, and leaving the wounded area infected with Darkness, Bing Xue was unable to recover it. CRAAASH! She attacked back by firing dozens of her powerful Rings, which engulfed the Dark Storm Dragon on countless slicing attacks; they spun around his gigantic body, large chunks of metal falling constantly out of him. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The Dark Storm Dragon responded with his mighty Darkness Breath, firing several beams against Bing Xue; two of them evaded, and a third hit her directly, burning her body and making her scream in agony. Her shield manifested a second too late, but it quickly shielded her from the barrage of blows coming right after, as the claws of the dragon constantly attempted to tear her to shreds. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! THAT SHIELD AGAIN IT WONT WORK LIKE YOU WANT IT TO WORK! The Dark Storm Dragon released a shockwave of his Cosmic Power, distorting the structure of the Shield and trying to destroy it with his overwhelming pressure. TRUUUM! And yet, Bing Xue didnt let him! She swung her arms upwards, growing six of them out of her body made completely out of light, and punching his entire body constantly. Each punch was also like a holy blade stabbing his body, circuits, and metal exploding and splattering everywhere! NGRAAARRGGHH! The Dark Storm Dragon opened countless cannons through his body, firing world-destroying beams against her and the planet beneath! ILL KILL YOU AND THIS DESTROY THIS DAMN PLANET! Bing Xue gritted her teeth, rushing towards the Dark Storm Dragon and unleashing her strongest technique by fusing her own Divine Photon Essence Metallic Form, Divine Photonite, with her Umbral Essence, and then further synthesizing it with her Rings and her Shield, alongside her Sword. {Primordial Yin and Yang Essence Soul Blade}: {Aura of Eternal Harmony}! FLAAASH! Her blade grew to a ridiculous size of over a hundred meters as she swung it against the monster in front of her with all she had, destroying several cannons and stopping the laser beams from reaching the surface of the planet! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! As she cut through her foes body and provoked his body to continue exploding and crumbling, his claws reached her, easily shattering through her Nine Heaven Protection and grabbing her body tightly, while using his long tail to stop her sword from being swung! CLAAASH! Ugh! Aagh! The Darkness Energy and the Cosmic Power of the Dark Storm Dragon wrapped Bing Xues entire body, constantly nullifying her powers and distorting them, canceling them each time she activated them. ITS FUTILE! His gigantic head glared down at her face, his red eyes glaring into her own, as he was trying to intimidate her as much as possible. YOU CANNOT WIN! YOU CANNOT DEFEAT ME! This was a being that could have easily trampled over Murims Primordials, someone that might have even been able to go toe to toe against Venerables, all of them at once! And yet, the Symbols couldnt manifest his true power completely; one of them was still Sealed, and two others were halfway through being Sealed again At the same time, because of the Darkness he had propagated to his Pawns, which he had done so to spread his powers and gain more through Fear and Chaos, were all being sealed, further weakening him instead. Bing Xue had a good shot to defeat him, but At the end, was this it? AND YOUR PLANET! WILL FACE ITS END! His beams reached the surface, and as he fired even more, Bing Xue screamed, her powers constantly cancelled, nullified. She felt Hopeless! HMM? YOU STOPPED FIGHTING? IT SEEMS YOUVE GIVEN UP COMPLETELY, HUH? GOOD. The Dark Storm Dragon smiled with all three of his heads as he opened his middle jaw, aiming to devour Bing Xue and absorb her powers to recover. THE PEOPLE FROM YOUR WORLD ARE GOOD SNACKS AT THE VERY LEAST, ILL EAT YOU UP! No, I dont think you will. CRAAASH! Hm?! Out of nowhere, the Dark Storm Dragon gasped in disbelief as he saw his left head being cleaved off by a massive blazing axe, which fell from the skies. CLAAANK! It fell to the ground, its light slowly dissipating, even though it was still reeking of Darkness Energy everywhere. Wha?! Who! He gasped, noticing a figure, a giant woman made of golden and silver light, appearing behind him. Within her spiritual body, there was a green-skinned orc woman and her daughter. Their powers converged as one within this woman made of light, which looked A lot like Bing Xue! W-Whats happening?! Its you?! The Dark Storm Dragon had no idea of the concept of Doppelgangers at all. Yes, its me! Bing Xues voice echoed from above; out of nowhere, a spiraling spear pierced his right head, drilling through it while releasing divine winds and lightning, electrocuting his interior. UUAAAGGH! As he screamed in agony and saw another head blowing up into pieces. He glanced at yet another of Bing Xues Doppelgangers, merged with a powerful-looking, multi-armed, and multi-eyed wolf woman. YOU MERE INSECTS SHOULDNT EVEN HAVE THE POWER TO TOUCH ME! BEGONEEEE! The Dark Storm Dragon grew frustrated, quickly releasing a powerful shockwave of cosmic power and sending everyone flying! TRUUUM! And yet CRAAASH! AAGH?! He screamed in agony as he saw his tail being punched so powerfully it exploded into pieces by yet another of Bing Xues Doppelgangers. This time merged with a woman made of red flames and a boy made of silver flames. UUUAAARRGH! The explosive blow spread their flames across his body, causing extreme agony! At the same time, chains made of darkness began to slowly break apart. Crack, crack! Bing Xue, who had been trapped within the immense power of the Dark Storm Dragon, was already freeing herself. CRASH! WHAT?! YOU FREED YOURSELF FROM MY COSMIC DARKNESS CHAINS?! Did you think you could contain me for long? A couple of seconds is all it takes me to adapt. A minute at most! The Darkness Energy that had been completely antagonist to Bing Xue Was now being controlled by her hands. Pretty good power youve got here Ill make good use of it! GIVE IT BACK! Sure. Bing Xue smiled, punching his last remaining head with all her power. BOOOMMM!!! ----- Chapter 216: Bing Xue’s Adaptability ----- If all of Bing Xues enemies and rivals had to admit something about her, and something that they would all agree was one of Bing Xues most problematic abilities Of course, it would be her Adaptability. Bing Xue observes her opponent; she inspects and analyzes every single move they unleash; she calculates her own movements; and she always usually keeps her distance when needed. She also is always brewing some plan in the background, which would always catch her foes off-guard. After analyzing her foe, she would quickly and forcefully transform her own techniques to adapt to their fighting style and even go as far as becoming a bad match for them. Bing Xue''s unusual growth made this possible! Through her life in Murim, she never stayed true to her techniques and would always change them or merge them together. Ultimately, this created a Martial Artist that these people would only call a "chimera." Bing Xue copied techniques from her foes and merged them into her own personal Martial Arts, constantly evolving and transforming it to adapt to her foes. Divine Photon Essence was an ultimate form of such technique, an energy, a powerful essence that can both harm, heal, restrain, seal, protect, and transform, even being capable of transforming into its opposite, Umbral Essence. As Bing Xue fought against an opponent vastly stronger than her, she carefully analyzed him and tried many techniques against him while constantly improving herself and evolving even further beyond. Her energies converged, rapidly being refined within her soul, and she started to tap into a power beyond what she had even achieved back in the world of Murim. Although it wasnt complete, the Dark Storm Dragon had confirmed it; Cosmic Power was rapidly being produced by her Soul! Born from the convergence of all the energies she had accumulated, even Primal Power, this incredibly strong energy was but a speck of its true power. However, it was enough to scare the Dark Storm Dragon, enough to make him grow desperate and throw most of his trump cards at her in quick succession. Like this, Bing Xue pushed her foe to his limits and was able to accurately calculate most of his powers! As this happened, down below, her family rushed towards her after they were done with the Dark Draconified Immortals, as they were called by her own Doppelgangers. However, they stood on standby until the perfect moment. The moment when the Dark Storm Dragon was sure to have won, sealing Bing Xue with his Cosmic Darkness Chains, and nullifying most of her powers this way! Thanks to Bing Xues Doppelgangers unifying and strengthening their power, Mursha, Kalana, Fiery Hair, Rainbow Eyes, and Urbosa and Merkite were able to attack the Dark Storm Dragon with all their power once he was sure to have won, tearing through his body! His two heads were completely gone, and then even his long, powerful tail was punched and shattered into countless pieces, all while he burned, covered by Divine Primal Flames produced by Fiery Hair and her son, Rainbow Eyes. But what about her? What about Bing Xue? As she found herself deep within the void that the Darkness Energy had engulfed her into, her mind slowly began to comprehend the true nature of the Darkness the Dark Storm Dragon wielded. It was indeed an alien power from another world, which defied the laws of Physics, and was capable of materializing physical matter at will to a level never seen before. It was also capable of giving tremendous power to those that became its vessels But this Darkness also had its own weakness. Born from Malice, Evilness, Frustration, Suffering, Agony, and Pain, the Darkness was a power that manifested across all of the Universe where the Dark Storm Dragon came from. This Darkness was the accumulation of this Negative Energy across eons of lifes suffering through the universe, gathering into a single black star that then hatched, like an egg, to give birth to this Cosmic Being, a Calamity that embodies the Suffering of the Universe. The Dark Storm Dragon! Bing Xue learned these things as she scanned the dragons soul while being chained by the Darkness born from his very being, realizing his origins. And how to counter his powers. It was actually quite simple once she figured it out. If Darkness was the embodiment of the Universes Suffering, she simply had to infuse it with the Embodiment of Happiness, Love, and Hope. By gathering the Positive Emotions of within her own Psyche and refining them into her Venerable Ki and Divine Photon Essence Just like how Demonic Immortals can gain power through their suffering, Bing Xue gained power through her love and hope. And through the Divine Photon Essences powers, she injected it into the Darkness, destroying it from the inside out! This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Crack, crack! CRASH! She forced her way out of the chains, as her Aura had already evolved once more, overflowing with white and golden flames, merging with her own Mind and her Emotions. I think Ive figured out a new way to grow stronger. I will call this {Emotional Spectrum Arts}, Bing Xue smiled to herself. Your Darkness has become rather easy to handle now, Dark Storm Dragon. WHAT?! YOU FREED YOURSELF FROM MY COSMIC DARKNESS CHAINS?! Did you think you could contain me for long? A couple of seconds is all it takes me to adapt. A minute at most! The Darkness Energy that had been completely antagonistic to Bing Xue Was now being controlled by her hands! The Cosmic Power combined with it lost its weight after she nullified the Darkness, helping her overpower the cosmic chains and break them with her sheer brute physical force. Pretty good power youve got here Ill make good use of it! Bing Xue laughed. The Darkness she had destroyed gathered around her hands, rapidly being purified into pure white and gold energies. Without her daughter not even telling her how to do it, Bing Xue already figured out a way to reverse the Darkness into the Power of the Symbols. GIVE IT BACK! With a furious scream, the Dark Storm Dragon rushed towards Bing Xue, using his Cosmic Shockwaves to send her family away as far as possible. The beams he had fired into the surface were also intercepted by Hekita, Merneith, and the Divine Beast God Machines, who were on standby, saving the planet from a prompt death. Sure. Bing Xue smiled. The moment the Dark Storm Dragon got closer, she swung her fist forward as her Aura wrapped around it, her Emotional Spectrum Arts manifesting, the power of Hope and Love manifesting from within the reversed Darkness. BOOOMMM!!! An explosion erupted from her punch, blowing through the metallic skull of the Dark Storm Dragon and blowing away his biomechanical brains into smithereens; his massive mechanical body trembled, gaining countless cracks. UUAARRGH! Still barely alive, with more than half his head blown up, a melting eye, and a dislocated lower jaw, he roared fearlessly. The Dark Storm Dragon controlled his storm and shaped it as thousands of spears, firing them at everyone. I WILL NOT REST UNTIL YOURE ALL DEAD! Its over for you! Mama already told you! However, interrupting his words filled with dread and monstrous despair, two young Venerables showed up out of nowhere, punching his chin and blowing it up into pieces. BOOOMM!! As his chin blew up and barely anything of his head remained, the Dark Storm Dragon glanced at the two little warriors that hit him. Their voices were obviously those of Athena and Orion, and their clothes were completely different. In fact, they resembled the detestable attire those hateful Gaorangers wore when they fought against the threats of Earth while wielding his Sealed Powers! G-GAAARRH! I-IMPOSSIBLE! GAORANGERS?! Bing Xue smiled proudly as she heard the voice of despair of the Dark Storm Dragon, crossing her arms and nodding. Thats right, my genius children figured out a way to Seal your Power as well! And they even gained the power of the Symbols within you, laughed Bing Xue. It looks like you werent in complete control of your power as you said you were! The Seals werent completely undone by Fang Gu Lan. And it seems the Symbols, born from your Sealed Darkness, dont want you back either; color me surprised. DONT ACT COCKY JUST BECAUSE YOU FREED YOURSELF! I AM A COSMIC CALAMITY! The furious Dark Storm Dragon roared as his entire body started overflowing with even more Darkness, attacking all nearby foes with his Black Heaven Storm, as he manifested Primordial Chaos Spears born from Fan Gu Lans techniques. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! However, Bing Xue and her family held them off on their own; through combining her Doppelgangers powers with her wives and children, while Orion and Athena fought with their new Gaoranger Armor, they began to rapidly nullify the Primordial Chaos Spears, destabilizing their chaotic structure and making them explode ahead of time. Now! Gang on him! Bing Xue roared as her entire family started hitting the gigantic metallic dragon while he was struggling to keep up! Mursha swung her axe, cleaving through his body with the added raw power of her daughter. Fiery Hair and Rainbow Eyes punched holes through him, which exploded into Primal Flames spreading through his body. Merkite and Urbosa unleashed powerful spear techniques encompassed by lightning and windy storms, decimating his armored plates. And lastly, Bing Xue, Athena, and Orion punched the monsters body; the twins, empowered with their Auras, released all their latent power as their Venerable Auras transformed into humanoid wolf-like beasts, resembling giant werewolves behind them. {Divine White Wolfs Heavenly Claws}! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! {Divine White Heaven Formation Arts}: {Seven Heavenly Stakes}! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! While Orion used brute force, Athena manifested seven giant white stakes to pierce through the body of the Dark Storm Dragon! The Dark Storm Dragon had never experienced such agony before, screaming as he saw his entire body gaining cracks, rapidly beginning to fall into pieces. UUAARRRGHHH! Meanwhile, their mother manifested a gigantic sword using all the purified Darkness she had drained, combining it with her Divine Photonite Metal, her Cursed & Blessed Blazing Starlight Relic Creation, her Umbral Essence, Demonic Energy, Divinities, and her Soul Blade, all into one. {Primordial Yin and Yang Essence Soul Blade}: {Eternal Blade of Harmony}! SLAAAASH!!! And that single, gigantic sword of over a hundred meters of height split him into two halves, slicing and cleaving right through his Soul and Body, space and time, and even purifying the Darkness within him. The Symbols began to regain their power as the darkness was being rapidly vanquished! The Dark Storm Dragon screamed in agony. NO! THIS CANT BE HAPPENING! NOT AGAIN! I DONT WANT TO BE SEALED AGAIN! As he screamed, the light of Bing Xues blade consumed more and more of his existence; it was futile; this was his end. Crack, crack! CRASH! His fragments fell apart, revealing his true body; within the mechanical body, there was a spectral dragon made entirely out of pure Darkness. Without a physical vessel, the Darkness began to escape everywhere, making his entire being dissipate. Now, while hes- As Bing Xue called for Athenas help to seal him back into the pure power of the Symbols FLAAASH! A bright red light suddenly emerged, coming from the distance and moving at a speed that not even Bing Xue was able to properly detect in time. The giant bright red light came from some sort of flying object, her eyes barely identifying it as some kind of spaceship-like machine with the head of a mechanical lion It barely evaded the Dark Storm Dragons Soul as it drove down into the ground, crashing into the wasteland below. BOOOMM!! But right after that, another figure appeared: a group of people within an emerald construct made out of psionic energy, unable to evade in time, they ended up hitting the Dark Storm Dragon instead. And a huge explosion released a massive shockwave. Bing Xue and her family were pushed back by the shockwave as they saw the Dark Storm Dragon screaming furiously in both agony and anger. WHAT THE?! UGH! WHAT IS THIS?! The four people that crashed into his Soul Bing Xue instantly recognized a few of them, her eyes widening, especially at that one particularly strong man. Galaxy Man and the Heroes?! They got here already?! She tried to catch them before something worse would happen, but it seemed to be too late. The worst possible scenario was about to happen. ----- Chapter 217: A Battle Between Villains ----- BOOOMMM!!! Bing Xue quickly dragged her family down before they were to get caught in the huge explosion, as she felt the presence of a powerful deity within the shockwaves, mixing and fighting against the Darkness of the Dark Storm Dragon. So they have arrived, but I didnt expect this to happen Was I too focused on the battle? Bing Xue had been keeping a close eye on several things around the world, but due to having most of her hands occupied, she slowly lost the focus of the world around her to fight her foe, the Dark Storm Dragon, who offered a great challenge. What she didnt expect was that the divine entity that had appeared some time ago would suddenly show up and attack the Dark Storm Dragon, although it didnt seem to be intentional but an accident. Those are?! She quickly realized what was happening as she saw Galaxy Man and his little group of wannabe heroes, the Jade Star, Marvelous Woman, and Nightman, fighting against the Dark Storm Dragon, who had become a phantasmal being made of shadows, darkness, and void. Theres one missing, Speedwing, wasnt he? Merkite and Urbosa asked at the same time, still merged as one. After a lot of training, they could keep their fusion for about an hour a day. Wingspeed, Bing Xue said. But yes, hes missing! RUMBLE! Uuurrggh! U-Unhand meeee! H-How dare you?! Ugh! Galaxy Man groaned as he began punching and kicking the darkness with his fists and legs, all while the other heroes with him unleashed their powerful attacks. This Darkness It is too powerful! I can barely try to keep it away! Jade Star screamed; his psionic projections of immense physical power were barely able to push the darkness a bit away from him. However, the tentacles made of darkness wrapped around his body again, aiming at his neck, asphyxiating him. K-Keep fighting! Dammit! Was this a trap from that bastard of Wingspeed and that guy that accompanied him?! Marvelous Woman punched the darkness with her fists and then summoned a sword of light, slicing it apart and sending shockwaves of light. She managed to push back the Darkness a bit, but more emerged from every angle. I-I cannot purify this much Darkness! Ugh! My Exorcism Artifacts arent even with me! Nightman, an Exorcist and Detective, was perhaps the weakest of the group, as besides these talents, he was just a normal human. He had developed new Skills through the System, but it had been too little time for him to get strong enough. DO YOU TRULY BELIEVE YOU CAN STOP ME?! ARE YOU WORKING WITH THAT WOMAN?! The Dark Storm Dragon roared furiously as his phantasmal body transformed constantly, coiling around his victims like a lethal viper, his giant claws aiming at his new foes without hesitation. ILL CRUSH YOU! His claws rushed down, slashing and tearing through the psionic armor of Jade Star, which he had conjured over his allies to protect them, rapidly beginning to shatter it. Crack, crack! CRASH! Uuuggh! Aaaggh! The first victim was Nightman, screaming in agony as the darkness began to twist his arms and legs, breaking his bones and infiltrating his mouth, nose, and ears. Nightman! Marvelous Woman screamed. BASTARD! LET HIM GO! She channeled the Divine Power of the being possessing her, who didnt wipe out their minds or memories but simply made them eviler and loyal to him and his empire. However, they still saw one another as allies they had to protect, and she rapidly swung her light sword, cutting the claws of the Dark Storm Dragon. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Powered up by the mysterious divine entity within her that Bing Xue had already seen, she cut through the Dark Storm Dragons claws and then freed Nightman from the agony. URGH! THAT SWORD! The green and yellow-colored divine aura around them intensified as Nightmans bones began to rapidly recover, and his arms and legs went back to their original positions with loud sounds. Nightman! Have you recovered? Marvelous Woman asked him. I have; our Lord has given me great power, Nightman smiled, seeing his body fully recovered. We must prioritize destroying this entity. Our Lord seems unable to possess him or absorb him; he cannot join us and become one with him. Cough! B-But dont let the Darkness enter your body! It seems to possess parasitic properties. I was barely able to Cough! With the power of our Lord, to release out of my body. Nightman spoke as he coughed large pieces of what seemed to be black coal but was in fact hardened and concentrated Darkness, which had been sealed within Nightmans body and stopped from spreading by the divine entity possessing him. DONT GET COCKY, YOU BASTARDS! Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The Dark Storm Dragon rapidly began to spin around, becoming a gigantic Black Heaven Storm like those that Fang Gu Lan could unleash, encompassing his foes and beginning to conjure giant spears and slicing attacks, covering their bodies with attacks. FLUOOOSH! Marvelous Woman, Jade Star, and Nightman tried to resist together, unifying their powers into an Aura combined with the deity that has possessed them! TRUUUM! A shockwave of divine primal power was released from their bodies, but it was not even enough for the storm to stop, as it continued spinning rapidly, their psionic armor shattering yet again. Your armor is breaking too easily, Jade Star! Marvelous Woman said. Make it harder! Dont get cocky; I am doing everything I can! That thing is simply ridiculous! Jade Star clicked his tongue. We must hold it back together! Galaxy Man, fight that thing! Nightman roared. We are now one, so I will grant you my greater fighting experience, insight, and knowledge to fight better with your strength. Thank you, my fellow possessed, Galaxy Man smirked as his eyes shone bright red, looking reptilian. They acted as if they were individuals, but their wills were only half their own, and the other half the being possessing them, creating unique beings. The entity that possessed them, as Bing Xue could analyze, wasnt controlling them completely, not because it didnt want to, but because it seemed unable to. It seems whatever that thing is, it can only choose one main body to possess, which it has already done? The rest, it can only possess to an extent But perhaps thats what gives it the benefit of combining the original bodys strengths, mind, and experiences with his own and also sharing between one another, creating a Mind Colony of sorts Bing Xue analyzed. BAAAM! BAAAM! BAAAM! Several explosive shockwaves impacted the Dark Storm Dragon, blowing holes through his spiritual and phantasmal form as he groaned, his eyes widening as he saw Galaxy Man attacking him. NNGGRRHHH! WITH YOUR BARE FISTS?! Oh, I can do much more than that! Galaxy Man smiled maliciously and viciously, a smile he would never show to anybody, as he rushed towards the Dark Storm Dragon, gathering energy into his chest while punching and kicking. The Dark Storm Dragon didnt just let him attack him though, as he quickly harnessed the power he absorbed from Fang Gu Lan, manifesting seven-colored heavens, although their bright colors were very darkened now. ILL SHOW YOU THE POWER OF A CALAMITY SUCH AS MYSELF! The Seven Dark Heavens converged together into a spinning tornado and then grew distorted, giving birth to Primordial Chaos, warping space around him and firing a massive beam with it towards Galaxy Man as the hero charged against him. TRUUUMMM!!! Galaxy Man smiled as he unleashed the cosmic radiation he had absorbed and harnessed into his chest, unleashing a powerful cosmic blue beam against the Dark Storm Dragon! Both beams clashed against one another, making the entire sky tremble. RUMBLE! As this happened, the three other heroes rapidly freed themselves from the Dark Storm Dragon, attacking him from above, below, and behind. Hyaaaahhh! Marvelous Woman swung her Sword of Light with godlike reflexes and technique, a sword she inherited from her Ancestor, the War God Ares from her world. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Slashes of light sliced through the Darkness, weakening the Dark Storm Dragon slightly while also annoying him. Despite how strong they were, they couldnt compare to Bing Xues swordsmanship. Prepare yourself! Jade Star manifested the powers of his Jade within his chest, manifesting two massive cannons that he had seen giant spaceships have, charging them with energy and firing with everything he had. BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! UURGH! As the explosions pierced through the Darkness, the Dark Storm Dragon let out a slight groan, although he still wasnt completely overwhelmed yet. His attack continued clashing against Galaxy Mans beam, ultimately overpowering it! BOOOMMM!!! The beam of Primordial Chaos impacted Galaxy Man directly, a power and attack that could completely disintegrate most matter to a subatomic level. Galaxy Man! Marvelous Woman, Jade Star, and Nightman panicked, as they were unable to weaken the Dark Storm Dragon enough. Uuuggh! Galaxy Man, however, was covered with bruises and burns but wasnt dead; in fact, there seemed to be no lethal wound over his body at all, no giant hole through his chest, even less broken bones or lost limbs. He barely took superficial damage?! The Dark Storm Dragon thought, gritting his sharp, phantasmal teeth. Wait! Where is that woman at?! He quickly realized he had been desperately fighting these new fighters that appeared out of nowhere, and Bing Xue and her family were nowhere to be seen now. After they destroyed his physical body and left him in this unstable, phantasmal state, they might have soon vanquished him. But this happened, and they were nowhere to be seen Where are they- Ah! He quickly realized Bing Xue and her family were down below, very far away from the battle. And Bing Xue? She was actually smiling. This is actually perfect, she said to her family. Those possessed heroes were also foes that we would have ended fighting against after the Dark Storm Dragon. But I am sure not everyone could have easily fought them. So lets just let them fight one another instead. Lets let them weaken each other, possibly killing their opponent. Whoever loses, its a win for us, and whoever wins, will be very weakened, dont you think? M-Mom Athena was surprised by her mothers cunning side, but the girl nodded. Youre right! So this is how well deal with all these foes from now on? Mursha laughed. Well, Ill be damned; it doesnt sound too bad to me. Not for all mom, but for this occasion, it sounds like the proper thing to do! Kalana nodded. I would like to fight them myself, but Im exhausted, Orion sighed. Releasing all our power is tiring I know, you still lack a lot of practice and cultivation, nodded Bing Xue. For now, let us watch the battle, recover our energies, and reinforce our defenses. There are other things happening around the world as we speak, but thats for my disciples to take care of. They must show me theyve become worthy. But what about the people that fell down there, mom? Athena wondered. The people riding that spaceship! They''re still down there We should go check them out! If it were up to me, I would simply leave them; we dont want more trouble than what weve gone through already Mursha said with her often-harsh remarks. Eeeh?! But mom! Kalana complained. Shes not wrong, Kalana, Bing Xue nodded. Your mother is very right; we shouldnt bother But. Bing Xue sighed, gripping her fists tightly. I am not someone that simply doesnt help others in danger, she said. I made an oath I would save and protect those in danger, just like weve been protecting these former enemies. She looked at the Immortals behind them, who were cowering in fear, still without knowing what to do. Bing Xue Merkite and Urbosa muttered at the same time, smiling lovingly. We knew you would say that; thats just the way you are, our love. Hah Well, if you hadnt been like that in the first place, I wouldnt have been helped. And my world would have continued being the playground of a mad god Mursha nodded. And well, I also love you because you are that way. Go wife! We will protect the Pagoda and these pathetic sheep, Fiery Hair said, glaring at the Immortals behind her. Yeah! Rainbow Eyes nodded. Athena, Orion, Merneith, Hekita, come with me, Bing Xue said. Everyone else, stay here. It wont take too long. Huh? Me? Sure But why? Merneith rushed to Bing Xues side through Ras Awakened Form. Ohh? Sure! Hekita nodded. Ill protect my little siblings! Thank you, big sis! Athena said. Im counting on you! I dont need to be protected Orion grumpily said. Im not a baby anymore, big sis Heheh! To me, you two will always be my cute baby brother and baby sister! Hekita giggled adorably inside her robot. You might be of help dealing with what weve got down there, Merneith, Hekita, said Bing Xue. I think Im seeing a glimpse of the possible futures And the best one requires your help. ----- Chapter 218: Black Calamity Dragon: Burst Mode ----- Above the skies, the gigantic mothership of the Saurians hovered through the stratosphere, slowly trying to descend into the new Earth they discovered within this parallel world. One that was filled with much weaker monkeys and with a more tamed wilderness, but that was also filled with precious resources they desired. Inside of it, a Martian possessed by an ancient, primal god of all dinosaurs closed his eyes, focusing on the battle he was having on the surface of the planet. The vessels he was controlling had finally met their match, a being of unfathomable power, a power he could not absorb, and a being he couldnt possess, no matter how hard he tried. It was definitely not just prey anymore, but an ENEMY. An enemy that had to be slain if he wanted to continue his conquest of this planet, a being that had to be eliminated at all costs, which he had been lured to confront by his previous prey. My Divine Lord, your face! The Saurian woman by his side panicked; Lady Bloodclaw seemed to notice that her lord was struggling a bit. Dont mind me! he roared angrily. Remain focused, not your task; continue gathering forces That planet must be mine no matter what but dammit! If only I''d obtained the Speedium Particles powers, I wouldve become invincible! Now Im stuck in this damned fight. Despite being an ancient god, his existence was driven by the savagery and overwhelming power of the Dinosaurs of the Primal Earth. He was cunning and calculative to an extent, but he would rapidly grow stressed once things didnt go his way, and his rage and savage nature would surge alongside his bloodlust. He had been waiting for a moment like this his entire life, since the Saurians achieved the ability to leave Earth altogether and spread through the other planets of the solar system, but he had yet to find a planet with enough life to assimilate. Until now, with all of this life and mysterious, supernatural powers he could absorb, he simply couldnt let it get away from him, nor he could allow himself to be defeated Ill put everything I have into this battle His eyes suddenly opened, glowing bright red. Whatever that thing is, I shall eliminate it! Bloodclaw, assemble your troops; we are descending within the next ten minutes! Our entire army must fight this thing if needed! Deploy more spaceships! Y-Yes, Divine Lord! As the Saurian Primal God spoke through the body of the Martian Man he made his true vessel; he quickly expanded his Psychic Powers, enhanced through the combination of his Divine Primal Power and the Martian Mans abilities. FLAAASH! As he did, the entire world was rapidly scanned by his eyes as he analyzed it and sought things that could help him defeat the Dark Storm Dragon He saw Bing Xue and her family, the giant spaceship beneath the heroes he was controlling, and where Wingspeed was most likely hiding. There he is, that bastard. But that wasnt all; he saw a huge battle in a large city in the north area of the continent where this was happening, a place known as Washington D.C., where the human ruler of that country was fighting an invader and his army. What is this? He was surprised and slightly weirded out as he saw these soldiers They were wearing strange makeup over their faces. With painted white faces, red noses, and cross-shaped blue painting around their eyes. What in the world am I seeing? They were constantly laughing while chasing off others, fighting like crazed beasts, completely insane. The more he heard that laughter, the more disgusted he felt. This disgusting feeling Is this some kind of psychic attack? No This is similar but differentsome sort of supernatural power? An illusion? No not that either! This feeling how revolting! He quickly pulled away his eyes from the scene without wanting to hear another laughter, which he felt might drive him mad as well if he were much weaker mentally and not a divine being. Whoever has activated such a powerful and contagious technique must possess psychic abilities of some sort and supernatural magic as well But wait, perhaps both? He wondered for a moment, realizing that the origin of this contagious laughter might be deeper than just a psychic attack, but something regarding the deeper subconscious of an intelligent being, something that could be described as memetic. A subconscious, unaware imitation of an aspect of culture, emotions, and suffering He calculated. It is contagious, spreading the more mentally vulnerable the targets are, who will rapidly get infected, laugh, and attack others. As long as your will is powerful enough, it is hard to get infected, but not impossible either. The minds of mortals are weak. After all, with enough push, even the bravest man will succumb to insanity. But then he smiled, suddenly realizing the potential of such a weapon. Interesting He considered using it against his foe, but it would likely not work either, as the foe he was fighting seemed to be the embodiment of a concept, which would be immune to a memetic infection, as their minds would never waver and never change, or they would simply cease to exist if they did. But this this might be useful. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. He managed to find several giant fragments of a massive monster spread around the world, though some of them were very far away from the battle, some rather close by. Two out of the five were already being taken away by some other forces, but two others remained, with the fifth being with that Red Gaoranger he saw helping Wingspeed. I will give you the coordinates to something very interesting I found; quickly send all available troops towards these coordinates, he said, waving his claws and quickly pinpointing two locations within the holographic map of Earth. Yes, right away, my Divine Lord. Bloodclaw nodded. And hurry, before others take them away He squinted his eyes. There is surprisingly a lot of fierce competition on this planet RUMBLE! Meanwhile, the skies above Bing Xues golden pagoda erupted with several shockwaves as a massive, over two-hundred-meter-long dragon made of shadows and darkness clashed constantly against a group of superheroes from another world, now having become the puppets of the Saurian God. Well hunt you down no matter what! Jade Star unleashed the powers of his Jade, constructing a massive mechanical giant made of green psionic energies and assembling it with several barriers stacked together to add durability. Haaahh! With a furious roar, he thrust a giant spear wielded by the mechanical projection, piercing through the body of the Dark Storm Dragons Darkness, leaving behind several holes. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! GRRRHHH! The Dark Storm Dragon grew annoyed as he quickly manifested the power of the Seven Dark Heavenly Paths, unleashing seven layers of dark clouds of different darkened colors. And then he turned them into gigantic dragons, rushing towards Jade Star and surrounding him all at once. Aaahh! Jade Star screamed as he saw the dragons destroy his construction and quickly began to coil around his body, their jaws beginning to gnaw at his arms and legs, tearing them apart. CRAAASH! Uuaaggh! As he screamed in agony, the Dark Storm Dragon quickly aimed to grab the jewel on Jade Stars chest and shatter it if necessary. THAT JEWEL MUST BE THE ORIGIN OF YOUR POWERS, RIGHT? ILL SHATTER IT AND SCATTER ITS PIECES LIKE DUST! His massive claws were about to reach the agonizing Jade Star, but he quickly manifested several gigantic barriers layered together, his claw hitting them instead. BAAAM! As they began to shatter one after another, Marvelous Woman appeared, beheading the dragons that the Dark Storm Dragon summoned with her sword and then grabbing Jade Star and running away. DONT YOU DARE! The Dark Storm Dragon grew furious, only to be stopped by someone grabbing the tip of his tail and dragging him back to him. Where do you think youre going?! Galaxy Man used his ridiculous strength to drag the cosmic dragon back to him, encompassing his hands with his Cosmic Radiation to allow him to grab an ethereal being, even without magic of his own. UUNNGGH?! BASTARD! The Dark Storm Dragon didnt take it lightly though; to be grabbed by his tail and dragged back was a terrible offense! With a furious roar, he opened his three jaws, firing three Primordial Chaos Beams after gathering and fusing the Seven Dark Heavenly Paths within the interior of his bodysomething not even Fang Gu Lan could do, effectively surpassing him. BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! The three beams impacted Galaxy Mans body head-on, explosive beams capable of easily wiping out an entire city in a matter of seconds or decimating a mountain into dust. And yet, the man remained alive; although his body released smoke, his clothes were slightly tattered too but were holding just fine. Ill show you my true power, which I was only able to unlock once my Lord Awakened my Mind and Body! Galaxy Man smiled viciously, reaching the Dark Storm Dragon and piercing through his body with his own. CRAASH! UNGH?! And then again! CRAASH! AARGH! And again. CRAASH! And again! CRAAASH! Constantly, Galaxy Man didnt stop, using his body as a weapon due to its ridiculous durability, piercing through his foes body constantly, destroying the Darkness Essence by burning it with his Cosmic Radiation. Each time he pierced through the Dark Storm Dragon, cosmic explosions erupted, nullifying part of his Darkness at the same time! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! UNNGGH?! The Dark Storm Dragon was shocked that this little human could have such an incredibly high molecular density. His claws rushed down as Galaxy Man gritted his teeth, intercepting them with his arms and bare hands. BAAAM! Human! Just how strong are you?! BAAAM! I sense no supernatural power within you! BAAAM! Theres not an ounce of magical powers either?! BAAAM! And yet why are you this powerful?! WHO ARE YOU?! Galaxy Mans hair waved by the wind, his blood covering a lot of his body. Despite how he seemed so superior in the battle, he was taking a lot of damage. I am Galaxy Man He smiled viciously, not with the honest and humble bravery of the hero of the galaxy But as the God he was. While being possessed by the Saurian God, he realized that he himself was a God. His humility was gone, and so was his value on bonds. His Ego grew as he came to accept the tremendous might he held. And I am a God. The Dark Storm Dragon smiled, obsessed with this tiny puny human! He found him fascinating. INTERESTING! His gigantic body rapidly began to compress itself as Galaxy Man was pushed away by an immense shockwave of pure darkness, sending him flying away. TRUUUMMM!!! Then let me show you! The Darkness condensed to a subatomic level into a much smaller, humanoid body! Galaxy Man and the other possessed heroes glanced at the scene with utter disbelief. What I can do as well! RUMBLE! The skies trembled as Galaxy Man saw a humanoid-like being of four meters of height, no longer hundreds of meters. He had a muscular body, with six gigantic arms, covered on black scales, and with three draconic heads, alongside several crimson eyes across his muscular, black body. It was as if he was made of black metal By compressing all his Darkness into a single point, the Dark Storm Dragon managed to manifest himself physically and became even stronger as a result. THIS IS MY ALL! As he roared, he pointed his claws at Galaxy Man, his Darkness Aura overflowing with Cosmic Power, his body glowed, with several vein-like areas of his body glowing bright purple, releasing electricity. {BLACK CALAMITY DRAGON: BURST MODE} TRUUUM! By kicking the skies, he rushed towards Galaxy Man, swinging all six of his claws against him! Galaxy Man quickly placed his arms at the front of his head and chest, aiming to defend. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! And yet Urgh! Ahh?! Galaxy Man gasped in disbelief, screaming in agony as he saw his arms being torn to shreds; his muscles were easily sliced, revealing the white bone beneath, which gained several cracks. Oh? Did you suddenly become much weaker? Or maybe I am stronger than a god? The Dark Storm Dragon smiled viciously as Galaxy Manas crimson eyes began to spiral around, the powers of the Saurian God overflowing through his body. You will regret those words. CRAAASH! ----- Chapter 219: The Queen And The Almighty General ----- The Queen of America, wife of the King, Lord Caesar, glanced at the huge battle going on outside through her Spiritual Eyes, piercing through all physical matter as she controlled the huge Castle Golem, formed through her own Magic as a way to surprise their invaders and fight back with everything she had without risking her life directly. The only way her husband would have ever allowed her to join the battle. Things are only getting worse! And why are there so many soldiers laughing? As she sighed while glancing at the scene, she quickly felt a slight headache and quickly moved her vision away from that battle, towards her foes right in front of heror, well, in front of the castle-shaped Golem she was controlling. By using her powerful Magic that allowed her to grow Spiritual Wood and control it at will, she wrapped this wood around the entire castle and merged the wood with the castles Magical Runes that made the castle itself a fortress against invasions. With her Spiritual Wood Roots, she was able to infuse Spirit Energy directly into the Castle, making it become possessed by the Spiritual Energy she possessed, which was immense. Spiritual Energy was somewhat alive and was what constituted Spirits themselves, so technically, through a combination of her knowledge, her magic, and her alchemy, she synthesized this energy into the castle, turning it into a golem. The core was provided by her daughter, who had somehow found a huge Mana Core from a monster she had hunted somewhere, without even telling her father and her mother about that. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Magic explosions bombarded the Castle Golem, as the Elven Queen gritted her teeth, focusing her Spiritual Energies and her Mana into the core, infusing them and controlling them. The entire golem was like a puppet to her, and her energies took the shape of threads that controlled every movement, synchronized to her own senses. This level of control and magical abilities wouldnt have been possible without training below Bing Xues teachings; the Ki flowing through her entire body, the core within her chest, and her enhanced physical strength were all helping her unleash more magic without getting exhausted. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Where are they There! Her eyes glowed bright gold as she channeled her powers, swinging the castle golems fist and smashing the nearby group of magicians with immense force and an unexpected range and speed. CLAAASH! Three out of the five magicians were torn to shreds by the impact force alone, while two others had already prepared barriers, barely managing to survive as they fell to the water below. SPLASH! "Before, I would have never considered doing this Haahh But this is what must be done to protect my new home, she sighed. For my husband And more importantly for my daughter. As the two surviving magicians gasped in disbelief after seeing the scene, they quickly flew farther away, believing that they were within a range the castle golem couldnt reach. Above the skies, several other magicians joined them, their magic circles being conjured and fired at the same time, as a rain of elemental spells, mostly of fireballs and beams of light, hit the castle golem. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Ah! The castles being bombarded from so far away! she muttered, shocked. No, there must be a way I could get to them... But this body cant fly; its simply too heavy to carry even with all my Mana included. So what else can I do Theres nobody in the castle except me; I have to simply fight and survive for now. There was nobody else in the castle but her; this was all part of the plan her daughter had come out with, one she wanted to trust, and that it ended working, surprisingly! My dear Cecil was able to predict this from happening she thought. She knows the future, or at least a part of it. Ill trust her judgment, just like we did before. It all started when Cecil told them that Claudius, one of her fathers brothers, and her uncle were coming to invade Earth within the next few days. They had first not believed her but also found it weird she knew about Claudius when her father had never spoken about him before. But over time, as Cecil began to mysteriously gather special items, and as she explained to them what she knew and what was going to happen Her parents decided to trust her. She isnt a Regressor like Seth her mother thought, gritting her teeth as she rapidly began infusing more energy into her golems arms. But she knows parts of the future that Regressor didnt Could they both know certain things based on their perspectives? Indeed, the Regressor had warned everyone about an invasion from the Towers higher floors, but this wasnt the invasion he had talked about, as that one came from a much higher floor, and it was led by powerful Divine Beasts. Whatever the case, I must hold on! The castle cannot fall! Although at the surface, Elphiette seemed rather shy, silent, and a bit meek, the elven woman had a stronger willpower than most people imagined by her surface appearance and her calm, silent personality. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. She was someone driven by emotions more than any of her other siblings, and her heart was also known as the biggest of her family, someone that grew attached to the people of Earth very quickly, finding them endearing and rapidly growing the desire to protect them. {Yggdrasils Divine Spirit Wood}! As she activated the spell, the castle golems arms began to move, suddenly stretching out of nowhere, growing as huge as several hundreds of meters, reaching the skies where the magicians were within a second! W-Wait a second! Stop that thing! Destroy it! Run! Half of them tried to escape while the rest unleashed thunderbolts and giant fireballs at the incoming stretched wooden arms, which continued stretching and growing longer! CRAAASH! While enduring the spells launched at them, the arms smashed the magicians, breaking through their barriers with an explosion of spiritual energy and ki that erupted out of them upon hitting their targets. BOOOM! An explosion consumed the magicians, as over half of them perished instantly, with barely three alive, deciding to quickly regroup with other soldiers and attack the golem together. T-Thats! He killed them all?! What sort of golem is that? I sense Spiritual Magic, the one that the Elves wield! So the Queen of this country is truly inside? As they realized the culprit behind it, the castle golems arms rapidly retracted back where they came from, but then the torso of the castle golem transformed. I wont let you call for reinforcements! {Divine Element Shape Forge}! The Queens eyes combined her Alchemy, a combination of both the Alchemy-type Magic she learned back home and Bing Xues Murim Alchemy, her Ki, her Mana, and her Spiritual Energies, and molded the shape of the castle golems torso. FLUOSH! Bricks and wood unified together into a giant cannon, pointing at the magicians flying away, who seemed unable to use teleportation magic, making things simpler for her. {Yggdrasils Divine Spiritual Cannon}! She infused her energies into the cannon, which were amplified by the Magic Core her daughter had provided to become the core of the golem that the castle had become. And then, as green, golden, and white light gathered within the cannon, she fired a powerful beam against the magicians. N-No! W-Wait! Run! BOOOMMM!!! However, they were unable to run, the beam catching them within its burning energies as their bodies instantly disintegrated within the bright spiritual light. The beam rapidly moved down, beginning to destroy the enemys armies; dozens of soldiers were impacted directly. The weakest of them disintegrated, while the toughest of them survived, covered with burns and at deaths door. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! As the beam moved around the battlefield, all the soldiers trying to break into the castle began running away from its range, but many ended up becoming victims of its deadly laser rays; the more it moved, the more explosions it spread. Until eventually, the area surrounding the Castle had become a burned crater, over a hundred soldiers having perished in that battle, with several magicians gone as well. T-That was! I cannot believe it To think that thing is so strong! We have to stop it! The soldiers that served Claudius were left speechless, glancing at the scene in disbelief. Right now, Claudius and his general were fighting Caesar, so they couldnt simply ask for him to take care of it! Indeed, Caesar had prepared quite the powerful golem, nodded one of the many generals, stepping into the scene. A muscular man with short white hair and blue eyes, with a short mustache of the same color of hair too, wearing golden armor and a long red cape. He held with his muscular arms a huge hammer; he was well known around the army as someone who disliked using tiny weapons. G-General Gaius! Hes here! The Kings Hammer has arrived! The soldiers cheered in unison as they saw him step out from the turbulent battlefield behind them; his giant golden hammer, decorated with several colorful jewels, was already covered with the blood and gusts of many soldiers he had crushed to death. This seems to be the perfect job for me, I suppose. A squadron of fifty, follow me. Bring me ten mages! Gaius roared. HURRY! Y-YES! The soldiers rapidly gathered around him after hearing his orders. Fifty strong soldiers and ten magicians, the Aura Claudius shared with them had weakened severely, so they were unable to fly now, but the magicians could make them float. Use Float on the soldiers, Gaius said. I can fly on my own. Yes, General Gaius! The ten magicians quickly conjured their spells, encompassing every soldier with spiraling gusts of wind that helped them fly and float around at will. It takes a lot of training to be able to fight while flying, though, but all these soldiers had trained for many years and were quite experienced. This Spell is a Buff-type Spell, it should last for an hour for everyone here! But please be careful; once the spell is deactivated, you may risk dying if you fall from a very high altitude The High Magician within the team talked. Theres no problem with that! My men can survive any fall; theyre tough; they simply cant fly because theyre useless at magic! Gaius sighed. Anyways, no time to waste here! Lets crush that golem! OOOOHHH! The soldiers roared in unison, flying into the skies behind Gaius. Elphiette sensed a powerful presence approaching, all while she was fighting small droves of soldiers that attacked her legs by crushing them or punching them away. Despite how small they were compared to the castle golem, they survived the battering really well, taking several blows to fully kill them, showing how powerful these soldiers were. Their levels must be really high! But that group approaching, who are they?! Elphiette panicked the moment she saw them suddenly beginning to move really, really quickly. FLASH! To the point they released shockwaves as they moved through the sky, the man leading them, incredibly huge and muscular, raised his massive hammer. And by infusing it with his Mana Aura, the hammers jewels glowed, encompassing the weapon with rainbow light. And she saw him smiling viciously. HEH! He spun in midair, charging force within his body, and then the hammer reached her castle golem. I have to defend! Her golem was too huge to evade; she quickly transformed the golems arms, combining them into a huge shield. The hammer struck it down a second after she finished doing that. BOOOMMM!!! It wasnt just a strike; it was like an explosion. The attack from the hammer blew up the shield in an instant, sending ripples through space and impacting the golem with a powerful shockwave. The entire gigantic being fell to the water beneath, splashing over it, as several cracks spread through its torso, both arms gone completely Aaah Ugh! Elphiette had fallen unconscious for a moment, opening her eyes again to realize the ceiling had fallen over her; she wouldve died if she hadnt cultivated a physique beforehand. T-This is Agh! However, her physique only helped her survive; one of her legs was broken, and her hands were far away from the Magic Core, which had gained a few cracks. I-Incredible! General Gaius is truly the Kings hammer! Hes invincible! The soldiers praised Gaius as the man laughed. Gahahaha! I guess it was indeed just stone and wood, huh? Nothing too hard to deal with then! Lets wrap this up quickly, boys! Weve got toHm? His relaxed face quickly changed, becoming more serious as he noticed a small silhouette appear in front of him, gasping for air, her face furious. Your opponent is me! Leave mother alone! It was Princess Cecil. ----- Chapter 220: The Dark Star Princess Listen While Reading: Octopath Traveler II - The Journey for Happiness Ends [Extended] ----- Mom! Cecil panicked as she saw her mothers castle golem falling to the ground. The impact of General Gaius was immense; a single swing of his titanic hammer was all it took for him to blow away the shield Elphiette created, destroy the golems arms, and then send the thing flying down. Mom! Are you there?! Are you okay?! Elphiette slowly opened her eyes, feeling a sharp pain in her left leg; a huge boulder was crushing it, the ceiling had fallen, and a large stone ended hitting her head, but she recovered quite quickly from her unconscious state thanks to her Ki and her Physique. Nonetheless, her Physique was still mostly specialized towards using Mana and Spiritual Energies, as she had told Bing Xue she wanted to become better at what she already was good at instead of trying to chase another fighting style or power that would only disrupt her fighting abilities. Therefore, her Physique wasnt the toughest, and all of these boulders, blown away by the shockwave of Gaius attacks, were enough to deal all this damage to her. C-Ce Cecil? Cecils eyes widened as she heard her mothers voice resonate through telepathy. She smiled, feeling relieved, her red and green eyes shining brightly. Wait for me! Ill go save you! Just wait a bit! Ill take care of this! W-What? You cant fight that man on your own! W-Wheres your father?! Hes still fighting Claudius; hes fine! Hes strong and tough; dont worry about him for now. B-But you cant do this on your own either! Where are the other soldiers? Fighting, I cant just call them here But Cecil! You cant handle him! And he has a whole squadron as well! I can. No you cant! S-Stop being so delusional! Where does all this confidence come from?! Ive been growing stronger, so dont worry. C-Cecil! Cecil cut off the telepathic message channel with her mother, gazing at General Gaius. The man seemed slightly annoyed; she had stopped him from attacking, floating right in front of him. You must be Ah! You sure look a bit like Caesar, and those pointy ears So you must be his daughter, right? Cecil Yeah, thats my name. Above Cecils head, there was a small black seven-pointed star; it had three rings made of dark purple light rotating around it. Of course, Gaius didnt even pay attention to that, as he believed it to be some kind of dumb ornament. You say youre my opponent again, little girl? Gaius asked, sighing. I didnt come here to murder children, even less young women. Simply surrender, and your life, and that of your mother, will be spared. That is, if shes still alive. Youre mocking my resolve? Cecil was a prideful young princess, holding her sword tightly; her Aura surged from her body, pitiful in comparison to the general. If anything, I am giving you another chance, Cecil, Gaius said, smiling gently. You dont have to fall for your Kingdom. Swear your loyalty to King Claudius, your uncle, and become my disciple. How about it? I appreciate your kindness, sighed Cecil, her stance suddenly relaxing. As she lowered her sword, Gaius nodded. I really wasnt expecting you to be this kind and honest It makes me a bit frustrated. I know it must be painful, but this is the destiny of those that stand in the path of King Claudius. However, he has a merciful and magnanimous heart. Join him, Cecil. You dont have to risk your life anymore. I can already tell youre strong. And we can make you even stronger, Gaius nodded. But for what purpose? To serve the man that killed my father? asked Cecil. Thats not a life worth living. I dont want to become your masters puppet. Is that so? Sighed Gaius. Youre kind, Sir Gaius; youre nice as well. Cecil smiled a bit, making Gaius think she might still have a change of heart. I honestly am grateful for the offer Maybe in another time, perhaps if I had been different, I wouldve taken it without a second thought, but Hm? But? Gaius asked her, crossing his arms. Im not a good person, Cecil smiled, her smile twisting into a furious, psychopathic smile. Hm?! Gaius groaned, suddenly feeling something eerie coming from her. A small pressure he felt coming from her, a darkness that encompassed his body. Im pretty evil. Huh?! He saw her suddenly appear behind him, even when Cecil was still in front of him. What?! And then he felt paralyzed. The darkness he saw coming from her, that weird pressure, paralyzed his body! You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. CRASH! Her sword reached his neck, piercing through the muscle. Uuuaaagh! Gaius screamed as his Magic Aura erupted from his body, quickly helping him forcefully free himself from the powerful pressure and move away before he was to get a vital point damaged. TRUUUM! His Aura sent Cecil flying away as she quickly spun in midair, kicking the air and rushing towards Gaius with her sword in hand. What just happened?! Gaius muttered, touching his wound as he was bleeding. She appeared behind me even when she was right in front of me?! Illusion magic? No! I wouldve been able to discern it easily! He quickly glanced in the direction where Cecil was; she was gone now. So it was an illusion then?! CLAAASH! At the same time, he swung his hammer towards his left, easily intercepting Cecils sword attack while he kept pressuring his wound to not lose too much blood. Im honestly surprised! Youve got your tricks, brat! He muttered. But Ive figured it out now; stop this! Do you truly want me to end your life?! I have a daughter your age! Simply surrender! I won''t; surrendering is boring, Cecil smiled. As she swung her sword against him several times, unleashing waves of darkness that Gaius rapidly evaded or intercepted. Im not na?ve, you know? I like being a bit villainous. Lets say Im an anti-hero. Huh?! He gasped in disbelief again, noticing Cecil appearing behind him out of nowhere. When did she?! No wait, its an illusion, right! Gaius quickly ignored the Cecil at the front, focusing on the one that appeared behind him. His Hammer swung forward, attempting to crush her. CRAAASH! However, as the powerful blow hit her, the Cecil he had ignored rushed forward, her sword stabbing his stomach from the side. SLASH! UAGH?! Gaius felt genuine pain, and as he quickly unleashed his Aura again, both of her bodies suddenly twisted around, becoming pure darkness that merged into a single body. W-What in the world?! How did she do that?! General Gaius! Do you need help? We should assist him! She has some kind of strange sorcery! The soldiers Gaius had brought panicked, yet Gaius felt humiliated; if he let some soldiers help him fight a girl the age of his daughter, he would never be able to look at the Kings face again! No! Ill take care of this myself! Gaius roared. She has a single trick, and I think Ive seen through it! Ill take her down and then her mother. I wont let you touch my mother. Cecil appeared in front of Gaius again; he quickly got more serious, swinging his hammer towards her several times as he spun in midair, unleashing a tornado attack. FLUOOOSH! The tornado hit her completely, sending her flying away. At the same time, he saw her second body appear behind him; just as expected, he quickly harnessed his Aura, shaping it into a secondary hammer, and threw it at her. Yes, a hammer made out of his own Aura! Youre over fifty years too young to think you can sneak attack on someone like me for a third damn time, brat! With a furious roar, Gaius Aura Hammer quickly hit Cecil, exploding in her face. BOOOM! Her eyes were still focused on him as everything happened, finding herself trapped within the Tornado he had unleashed against her. Impressive. Well, to be expected for a General of his level and caliber, she thought, the seven-pointed dark star above her head glowed brightly, releasing an aura of Abyss around her body. TRUUUM! Ugh?! Gaius felt suddenly paralyzed again out of nowhere; at the same time as he saw the form of this "pressure," it was like a shower of darkness and dark red energies. And amidst this shower of energy, he saw somethinga crimson eye and an emerald eye glaring at him at the same time. T-This is! I see! Gaius smiled lightly. She is within the possession of Mystic Eyes! Mystic Eyes, powerful magical Eyes capable of unleashing special effects and magical powers towards targets that are glared at by them, usually requiring some Mana to activate. They can vary from things such as being able to see through their status to being able to read minds, negate magic, paralyze, inflict curses, and even Instant death. However, he knew that Cecils eyes were a rather common class among this rare mutation in the body. She must have the Mystic Eyes of Paralysis that her grandfather has, huh? He wondered. Cecils Grandfather, the Emperor and the God of Caesar and Claudius original world, was a man said to have the power to bend a whole army to their knees with his mere presence. Few knew of his secret being that he possessed this almighty power, Eyes capable of making his foes paralyzed. However, Cecil possessed a lesser version. But they cant Be compared to the Emperors Eyes! Gaius laughed as he forcefully freed himself from the pressure paralyzing his body. She can barely keep it up for a second or two! He rushed towards Cecil after his Aura Hammer destroyed the other. He quickly learned she was able to somehow become shadows and divide herself into two bodies. They werent illusions or clones, but her own body divided into two! With one body destroyed, the shadows most likely went back to the other. Becoming a single body he can smash with his giant hammer! Ive seen through all of your tricks already, Cecil! Youre indeed very talented, but youre a selfish and spoiled child in the end! What a waste! Gaius swung his hammer down; Cecil didnt run away but faced him head-on, rushing towards him and FLASH! Turning herself into shadows, coiling around Gaius body like a viper and shocking him once more, before she materialized behind him. Her sword rapidly rushed towards his head; she aimed to pierce his skull! T-This girl fights like a damn assassin! Was she trained since a young age?! Gaius thought in that split second before twisting his body and catching Cecils sword with his teeth. RAAAH! CLANK! His bite force was immense, rapidly spreading cracks through Cecils sword, and then CRAAASH! Shattering the blade into pieces before he punched her stomach with immense force, twisting her gusts and sending her flying away, forcing her to vomit blood and everything else she had inside her stomach. BAAAM! GAAH?! As Cecil fell, Gaius sighed in relief. That should do it He said. Ive hit her stomach and stopped the flow of Mana in her body by striking one of her Meridians, without Mana shes useless. Pick her up if she survives; well take her as a prisoner if shes alive after that. Yes sir! A group of soldiers rushed down to pick her up. As Cecil fell from the skies, the darkness above her head from the seven-pointed dark star continued flowing through her. And then FLAAASH! Abyssal Energies flowed through her body as she was encompassed by a cocoon made of shadows. The soldiers gasped, quickly rushing down to stop her, pointing their spears at her. Hey! Youve lost already! Stop this! Well be forced to kill you if you dont stop- CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! The four soldiers surrounding her suddenly gasped in disbelief; their chests were impaled by four, long spikes made of darkness coming from her. W-Wha?! Ungh! Whats this?! Aaaargh! G-General GAIUS! As the last one screamed, Cecils body was unveiled, looking as if she had aged to her mid-twenties out of nowhere, her long black hair glowing bright purple, moving around like a sea of darkness and red, purple, and blue stars. Her armor and clothes changed completely, as she was now wearing full-body black armor, covered with spikes, and with the chest holding a symbol resembling the seven-pointed black star. {Seven-Pointed Black Star Armor} Gaius glanced down, gritting his teeth as his eyes widened in disbelief. H-HOW?! Cecil didnt say a word, smiling maliciously while furrowing her eyebrows, as the souls of the foes she defeated were eaten away by her Dark Star. How what? They were nameless fodder characters, she smiled. Just food for my Dark Star. D-Dark Star? Whats what is that power?! Gaius asked with fury and disbelief. FLASH! Before he could muster any other words, however, Cecil was already above him, behind him, in front of him, and below him. Instead of asking useless questions, you should be focusing on surviving! Things are finally getting fun after all! Ngh?! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Cecil finally revealed who she truly was and why she was so confident of being able to take on Gaius on her own. ----- Chapter 221: The Almighty General’s Last Stand Listen While Reading: Octopath Traveler II - Fierce Confrontation [Extended] ----- The Dark Star, the bizarre power that Cecil possessed, something she was born with, and that not even her parents knew very well what even it was. She kept this power hidden most of the time and only used it when there was nobody watching, or at least not her family. Because she was so secretive about it, she rejected training with Bing Xue and simply was absent from all the training sessions her parents had with her. Although Cecil thought that Hekita mightve been cute, she wasnt convinced enough by her words and ended up simply not being her friend. There was something about Bing Xue that made her feel uneasy, and she didnt want to even get close to her if possible. To keep her power a secret no matter what as well. Unless she considered her foe as someone she would kill no matter what, the Dark Star would never reveal its true power I will show you the power of the Princess of North America, fool. Youll pay for what you did to my castle and my mother. Cecils words became more serious and ruthless; her resentment and hatred were palpable. This and her enigmatic powers made even Gaius consider his actions before. I cannot believe I tried to convince you to surrender peacefully, girl! Gaius swung his massive hammer against her approaching sword attacks as the two weapons intercepted, explosions of Aura erupting with each blow, shaking the skies above. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Youre not a normal girl; youre a maniac! Someone that relishes on others suffering! Gaius roared as he spun in midair, intercepting the attacks coming after him from several directions. Cecil had divided herself into three bodies made of Abyssal Darkness, attacking Gaius from above, left, and right, yet he managed to smash all three bodies with his hammer by spinning in midair, releasing a powerful tornado generated from the sheer force of his swing! BOOOOMM!! The explosion sent her flying, her separated bodies unifying within a second, but Gaius was already in front of her, his hammer growing larger as he raised it into the skies and then rapidly moved it down. I must kill you no matter what! CRAAASH! Cecil was unable to evade, taking the blow head-on as she fell from the skies with tremendous force, hitting the water down below and falling through its depths. SPLASH! Haaah Haahh Haahh Gaius glanced down below, noticing that Cecils presence was almost completely gone, and slowly becoming weaker, she was dying, most likely drowning in the water. That must have done it, he sighed. She killed several of my men so quickly Shes a menace! I had no idea Caesar had raised such a monster We shouldve come to slay her quicker. I was a fool for trying to convince her to join us. He looked back at his army, smiling lightly. Its done; let us go find the Queen. Her daughter said she was alive or something, right? Well take her a hostage. If the battle against Caesar continues, Lord Claudius could use her as a bargaining chip to force his brother to surrender, explained Gaius. Lets go! YES SIR! As they flew towards the crumbling castle, Cecils eyes opened as she fell through the lakes depths. Her eyes were glaring at the man flying above the skies, shining with blue and green light. That was strong Hes perfect to feed my Dark Star She smiled; her body didnt seem to be even drowning, and her armor was unscathed as well, but the blow threw her off quite a lot. The techniques Gaius wielded seemed to destabilize the internal energies of his targets. Now, where do you think youre going? TRUUUM! Her eyes shone brightly as suddenly, a tremendous pressure stared, weighing down Gaius and the army behind him, making the skies tremble, ripples in space emerging everywhere. Ugh?! Gaius grit his teeth, feeling utterly paralyzed again. S-Shes still alive?! Or at least conscious?! Dammit! Hey, you two- Ah! Gaius was able to keep himself afloat, but over half of his soldiers fell from the sky the moment they were paralyzed, Cecil emerging from the waters, her body completely unscathed. Get out of the way! Cecil, with a mighty roar, rushed into the skies, swinging her sword against the paralyzed soldiers! Because they were unable to defend, they could only watch as her sword cleaved through their bodies; a storm of slashing waves made of abyssal darkness engulfed them all. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Dozens after dozens of soldiers were shredded into pieces, blood and gusts splattering everywhere, half the magicians were included in this massacre! STOOOP! The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Gaius screamed in horror, forcefully moving his body even as he was paralyzed, tearing down some of his muscles by doing so, but managing to reach Cecil and kick her in the face! CRASH! You damn monster! You arent a child! You arent a girl! Youre nothing but a demon! He swung his hammer against her again, as tears fell from his eyes while fighting her. Seeing over half his soldiers being massacred so ruthlessly made him furious and frustrated. CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! Those men trusted me! They trusted I would lead them to victory! As he screamed, he manifested a second hammer made out of his own Aura, using both to hit Cecil from every angle possible! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! And yet! CLAAANK! Cecil grasped his hammer with her armored hand, while her sword destroyed his Aura Hammer. I dont care. The souls of the ones she slain all flew towards her Dark Star, whose eye had been fully opened; feeding on their souls, it began to rapidly produce more power. Theyre now part of my power. W-What?! Just what are you?! Are you truly the son of Caesar?! This is not the power of an elf! Gaius screamed in horror as he saw how Cecils powers worked; it seemed like something utterly bizarre to the man. From what he had seen so far, he could conclude several things! The Dark Star was intangible; no matter how much she was hit in the head, the Dark Star would never be damaged. The Dark Star could generate more of this dark power as it devoured the Souls of the people Cecil killed. The armor that Cecil was wearing right now was made by the Dark Star, most likely created by the condensation of the souls and the darkness the Dark Star had eaten and generated, respectively. Its the wonderful power I was born with! Cecil roared as the Dark Stars crimson eye glowed bright red, encompassing her sword. The blade started to transform, growing twice as big, with red and black metal, spikes, and eye-shaped jewels infused into it, alongside seven more blades around its body. {Seven-Pointed Black Star Blade: Ultimus}! A power you were born with?! Gaius gritted his teeth in desperation, frustration, and fear as he gazed at the gigantic, demonic sword that Cecil manifested. This was certainly not the power any half-elf would ever wield, even less being born with it! Its wonderful, isnt it? In the original story, I became a villain Although I like the idea, I want to protect this stupid country if possible, smiled Cecil. Mom and dad too Theyre probably the only people I care about. What nonsense are you even talking about?! Gaius rushed to fight her, manifesting his Aura at full Power, his muscles bulging, and his gray hair grew longer, becoming spikier at the same time as a giant made of his golden and silver aura manifested, holding four giant hammers with his four muscular arms. {Soul Knight Aura Guardian Manifestation}! Hah! So youre going all out as well! Cecil smiled, clashing against the monster of a man in front of her. Explosions of thunderous Aura and darkness erupted. Cecils gigantic sword easily intercepted the mightiest of hammer blows, while the hammer gained more cracks. I wont accept a defeat against a corrupted and spoiled child like you! Gaius lost his calm demeanor completely, his Aura roaring like a barbarian as four gigantic hammers came rushing down towards Cecil, striking her several times in a row. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CRAAASH! Four blows and then a fifth were enough to send her flying down again; her armor gained cracks, finally. Gaius regained his hope upon witnessing this, as he didnt give her time to breathe, rushing down to fight her. Hahahahah! And yet, Cecil laughed as she fell; her sword was gone from her hands, something Gaius only realized now. Her sword isnt Where is it? Uuuaaggh! Lord Gaius! S-Stop! Suddenly, he heard the screams of his army behind him; they were once more paralyzed as a giant black and red sword flew around, cleaving their bodies one after another. N-No! What are you doing?! Gaius screamed, and as he saw his allies being slaughtered, he quickly rushed back to them to save them, kicking the empty air and striking the sword with all his strength. CRAAASH! The sword shattered into pieces by the sheer might of his strength, which was powered up by his anger and sorrow. Oh no, my sword Cecil sighed as she saw her sword fall into pieces, but at the same time, dozens after dozens of souls flew towards her Black Star, powering it up even more. Well, no matter {Dark Restoration}! FLUOSH! All the sword fragments suddenly flew towards her, fusing back together into a giant black and red sword as if nothing had happened to them. Yes, with this power I think I can fight you better, Gaius. Y-You You despicable monster! Gaius couldnt contain his hatred and fury, his skin growing red as his veins were about to burst out of his forehead. YOU DESERVE AN AGONIZING DEATH! Like a silver and golden star falling from the skies, he rushed towards his foe, his massive hammer growing ten times as big in a second as he aimed to completely smash her into pieces! DIEEEE! CRAAASH! The attack hit Cecil head-on, although it was blocked by her sword. TRUUUM! The shockwave of the blow was released, shaking the skies and making the nearby clouds dissipate within a mere second. The man glanced at the girl, his eyes widening the moment he realized what she had done. I have to admit, youre at least a named character, so you arent just some random fodders, Gaius, smiled Cecil. Maybe in the original story you ended up becoming one of my servants after I killed your king, but this time I just want you to become my power instead. What are you even talking about?! What story is this that youre so persistent on talking about?! Gaius screamed. Are the lives of those men nothing to you?! Oh? And are the lives of my soldiers something to you? The life of my mother, whom you just almost killed, or the life of my father, who your king is so obsessed with taking. Even though theyre brothers! Hilarious right? Tell me, are you implying you have the moral high ground when, in truth, this is a war you started? T-Thats! SLAAASH! As Gaius was made to question his own code as a knight, he noticed his hammer was sliced into two halves, falling from the skies, its internal magical power drained by Cecils sword, Terminus. Gaius entire aura suddenly became weaker, as he was challenged not only physically by someone equally or stronger than him but also had his own conviction challenged. Dont you think you sound like a hypocrite? Laughed Cecil. Come on Die less miserably! Struggle for a bit! Or do you want me to end this right now? Y-You will get your comeuppance one day Gaius muttered. YOU WILL PAY FOR WHAT YOUVE DONE ONE DAY, YOU WITCH! Gaius grew insane, his Aura transforming into a massive hammer as he smashed Cecil with all his strength! Meanwhile, Cecil remained calm, her hands moving lightning fast, her sword slashing through space, and her foe in front of her. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! His Aura quickly was sliced into pieces, dissipating into nothingness before it could truly hit Cecil! BOOOM! And then Gaius himself saw his own arms, legs, and body slowly fall into little cubes and pieces Y-Your majesty! His last consciousness glanced into the distance; King Claudius was still fiercely battling his brother. Im sorry! Darkness engulfed his consciousness as his body fell from the skies as little meat cubes. At the same time, his soul was quickly grabbed by Cecil, and her Dark Star had an incredible feast! Aaah~! Now this is power! RUMBLE! Suddenly, Cecils Dark Aura became several times stronger as the silhouette of a huge muscular man emerged behind her. This was the first time her Dark Star absorbed such a strong foe! Now, to rescue mother And then, Ill end this war with my father. ----- Chapter 222: The Tragic End Of The Ruler Listen While Reading: 108 ----- Complete and utter chaos consumed the battlefield as the two sons of the Great Emperor of Floor 74 glanced at the scene in utter disbelief. Former friends went crazy, laughing maniacally as their faces suddenly gained clown-like faces, as if someone had painted over them. Yet Claudius couldnt feel any malefic magic power at work; this felt like a curse, yet there was no curse being used either; it was as if the more they laughed, the more this strange sickness that took over them spread! After Atticus was confronted and overpowered by Caesar, he was quickly forced to remember why he was doing the things he was doing to begin with, and by doing so, as he came to the realization that something weird was happening, this entire thing started. It was as if something within his mind had already been tampered with, and the only clue Caesar could think about was that clown that Atticus had killed. GYAHAHAH! As their eyes began spinning around, Claudius soldiers laughed manically, rushing towards him and pointing their weapons at their lord. Caesar panicked as he saw his brother, already having taken great damage, surrounded and about to be unexpectedly betrayed. Claudius! Caesar rushed to help his brother, as he saw his own soldiers attacking him from every angle. His Golden Divine Aura protected him, but the attacks were rapidly weakening it; if this continued, Claudius might end up dying. What! What kind of strategy is this, Caesar?! However, Claudius thought it was Caesars plot, even when Caesar was also being attacked by his own men! I am not doing this! Somethings wrong with everyone, with Atticus! He he somehow infected everyone with laughter, and they turned into clowns?! Caesar was confused, as he reflected the blows of his soldiers, kicking and punching them away to not fatally harm them. This is ridiculous! And my head keeps hurting! It''s some kind of mental attack, something strange that magic cannot exactly stop! Claudius screamed, grabbing his head. We have to get out of here, brother! Caesar extended his hand towards Claudius as he struck down the soldiers that had turned against his brother, blowing them away with his immense Aura. What?! We were just fighting to the death! Claudius quickly threw away his brothers hand; he had no intention of becoming his ally, even less friends now. But this is a problem that goes beyond our battle! Caesar said. There must be a third participant, another enemy! We must temporarily ally our forces and-" Dammit, you bastard! Dont look down on me! Claudius used his blade, cutting through his own soldiers and slicing them to pieces as he went on a crazed rampage. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! The bloody screams mixed with laughter of Claudius soldiers echoed through the battlefield as Caesars brother covered his sword with the blood of his own soldiers. You think Ill fall for your trick?! He screamed angrily. Ill kill you; this territory shall be mine! Driven by madness and unable to accept his defeat after facing his brothers true power, Claudius was possessed by his greed, doing the unthinkable instead of accepting reality. CLAAASH! Stop it already, Claudius! Caesar clashed against his brother, even as they were being surrounded by crazed soldiers aiming for their lives. Their swords released sparks as their Auras continuously clashed against each other fiercely. I wont stop until I win, Caesar! Roared Claudius. You dare offer me mercy?! You dare become my ally after you overpowered me?! I will never yield! So you better kill me, because if you dont, I will claw my way through victory! Youre mad! Screamed Caesar. Please stop it! I would never dare kill you! Youre my dear brother! Do I really need to do this?! This is no longer about brotherly bonds, you foolish weakling! Claudius screamed as blood came out of his mouth. Its about who can become the next Emperor! The path towards the throne is one full of blood! Our father set this up from the very beginning! All his children must fight to the death! Only the one that remains at the end shall inherit the throne! Do you understand now?! I will never defeat that monster unless I do this! I must do it! I must kill him! We can do it together! You dont have to fight me to death, Claudius! Please! Youre dying! Said Caesar, intercepting his blows while using his aura to release shockwaves, sending away the incoming clown-faced soldiers. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Meanwhile, Atticus stood there, glancing from afar, drooling, as if he had become nothing but a mindless drone. Someone else was watching the scene through his eyes, someone that Caesar slightly felt. Atticus! He muttered. Hes the center of this infection! We have to take him down! He had quickly noticed that Atticus was the only one that wasnt attacking them after beginning to laugh and transforming into a clown face." There was most likely something about him that spread this. Claudius, we have to- {Divine Golden Domain}: {Holy Durandal Rain}! However, Claudius didnt want to listen to Caesar anymore, spreading his Golden Domain and summoning hundreds of golden spears out of it, firing them towards Caesar at once. The power of the Divinities he had devoured from Gods while conquering Worlds and Territories exuded at full power. DIE, CAESAR! With a crazed scream, Claudius fired as many projectiles as he could; he knew he was more of a magician than a swordsman, and after confronting Caesar, he also knew that he could never win a battle of swordsmanship. Therefore, he decided to just tear him into shreds by raining as many swords as he possibly could, with all his rage and power put into it! Claudius! Stop this! Caesar screamed back as he swung his black sword while trying not to lose focus on where Atticus was, but the clown-faced soldier was already running into the crowd, spreading his laughter everywhere. D-DAMMIT! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Caesar was being pushed back; not only did the Durandal Projectiles possess great piercing and slashing power, but they also exploded upon making contact, dealing even more cumulative damage. His armor was about to shatter into pieces, and although his physique was immensely strong, this wouldnt allow him to just tank these attacks without being wounded more than he would like to. Youre forcing my hand, brother! Caesar gritted his teeth; he had to end this quickly or else Atticus would get away and even more people would die pointlessly after being infected. {Abyssal Dragon Soul Blade}: {Heaven-Splitting Dark Claws} Caesars Aura erupted, surging into the skies, resembling a massive black dragon made out of his own Soul and the Abyssal Darkness Ki he had cultivated. RUMBLE! A massive pair of draconic claws manifested beside his sword as he swung it upwards, an ascending attack that aimed to split the heavens themselves and stop his brother once and for all. TRUUUM! The skies warped as two massive black claws slashed and destroyed the raining golden blades and reached Claudius, crushing his body with tremendous strength the same way it happened before. CRAAASH! Uuuaagghh! Claudius tried using his Holy Aegis Shields made out of his Golden Aura to resist, but they were shattered, and the force of the attack reached him, blowing him away with a huge explosion. BOOOMMM!!! He fell from the skies, his golden aura completely gone, his body covered in black flames, consuming his internal energy and weakening him even further. C-Claudius! He quickly swung his blade again, gritting his teeth as he cleaved through soldiers as they came. He was unable to stop them; even if he threw them away or broke their limbs, they would stand up against all odds to go against him. He had to take them down! SLAAASH! SLAAASH! SLAAASH! Dozens of dismembered bodies flew away, both enemy soldiers and allied soldiers. Caesar shed a tear of regret as she rushed towards Claudius, catching him before he was to get crushed by gravity as he fell from so high. C-Caesar?! Claudius muttered, vomiting blood; his eyes were bloodshot as well; there was a huge wound on his chest, where more blood was coming from. Why do you humiliate me even now? Caesar held his brother in his arms, shedding tears. To him he wasnt an enemy; he was his brother, and no matter how insane Claudius had become, to Caesar, this fact would never stop being true. Because youre my brother Caesar muttered. I dont know what youve gone through since you went awayperhaps too many things. Youve grown so strong, but youve also suffered a lot, havent you? For someone as gentle and kindhearted as you to become this way... you must have lost someone you loved dearly. Y-You.! Claudius muttered, and while his lips trembled, tears started falling from his golden eyes as he glanced at his little brother, now all grown up. Youve sure grown Caesar Caesar took out all the Elixirs he could, pouring them over Claudius wounds, while retrieving the Curse Ki that was stopping his regeneration. Uugh! Claudius groaned, feeling the elixirs pour into his wounds, slowly forcing his wounds to close. However, the blood he lost wasnt coming back. Thats enough! Stop it! I wont Caesar muttered. Stop this already, you bastard! Claudius screamed, kicking Caesars face and throwing him away with the little strength he had left. CRASH! The elixirs and potion bottles fell to the ground, shattering and spilling their contents into the grass. But brother! Do you want to Do you truly want to die?! Caesar asked, rushing towards Claudius. Leave me die with my pride, at the very least Claudius muttered. Ive had enough of this Of all of this! Since I lost her Since I lost them! I dont want this cursed life to continue anymore, Caesar! He slowly stood up, manifesting a golden sword and pointing it at Caesar with fury in his eyes, despite everything. I simply dont understand Caesar muttered. We can solve this peacefully We can- Theres no such thing in the tower, Claudius muttered. Theres no such peace, no such friendship. Familial bonds dont matter. The only thing that that matters is strength, Caesar. You need strength! I dont want to fight you anymore Caesar muttered. I really dont want to! You fool Claudius smiled lightly, his eyes full of despair and sorrow. Me neither No matter how hard I try, I cannot beat you Caesar, if you wont take this victory, I will make you do it. He swung his sword as Caesar gasped, rushing to stop him. STOP! CRASH! The golden sword pierced Claudius own neck, blood splattering everywhere. As he vomited blood, he fell to his knees and then to the ground. Claudius! No! Caesar screamed, crying and raging at what his brother had done to himself. Why?! WHYYYY! The golden sword disappeared as Caesar held Claudius lifeless body in his arms, his tears constantly falling over his brothers face. Father! Whatever you did for Claudius to become this way! I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU! I WILL KILL YOU! EVEN IF ITS THE LAST THING I DO!!! Caesar knew he was watching that their almighty father, a God, was watching this scene, his crimson eyes piercing through dozens of worlds, glaring at Earth. Resting his head in his hand, his cold, red eyes seemed to be pleased. [The Tower God {Golden Lion Crimson Emperor} acknowledges your resolve.] [He says that youre welcome to try challenging him at any time.] Bastard! Caesar muttered, still crying. Claudius was right Being born as your son is nothing but a curse ----- Chapter 223: Arrival ----- After realizing that Caesar might have figured out the reason behind the spreading laughter, Atticus started running away, controlled by something, or someone else, that wouldnt easily allow him to get caught. After all, the fun was just about to begin, and ending things too soon would only be lame in comparison to this person. Come on, run quicker! With those little legs youve got, sir knight! I want everyone here to begin laughing as loudly as possible! Only then will I finally feel like theres something to be happy about! Hahaahaha! As the voice whispered inside his mind, Atticus laughed maniacally. The battle going on through the battlefield rapidly began shifting, as more and more soldiers started laughing only after hearing the laughter for a bit and from quite far away. Guahahaha! Gyahahaha! W-Whats- Haha HAHAHAAH! The laughter continued spreading, and everyone that laughed became friends; they no longer attacked each other; they were allies, family even. Yes! Thats it! Through laughter, through smiles, we can finally move past our differences! We are all family now! Friends! Please smile forever! The voice kept rejoicing as he saw through Atticus eyes, the knight running wild through the entire battlefield, turning the war upside down by completely changing how everything was happening. Those that werent infected in time were quickly attacked by both friends and foes; the ones that resisted the laughter became enemies that had to be eliminated. FLUOSH! But in that moment, several golden portals opened through space, revealing several figures emerging out of them, glancing down into the battlefield. Their appearances could be recognized by any citizen of the United States of North America. They were famous hunters, popular and strong, each one a Guild Master commanding a big guild in their city, even outside of New York. They had become popular because they were the disciples of the worlds strongest human, Bing Xue. What the hell is going on in here?! The first to ask the question was Aiyana, her appearance having become even larger, taller, stronger, and bulkier, although her feminine beauty had become wilder as well, giving her the appearance of a lioness or an Amazonian queen. Theyre all freaking laughing?! It seems weve come a bit late; we were just teleported here though, so the battle started even before our Master stepped out of her Divine Realm Jackes said, his now long black hair waving by the wind as his rogue-like clothes and armor, completely black, seemed to meld with his aura of pure darkness. We have to hurry and take care of this; we cant let King Caesar die, as much as I would rather have him gone. Hah, well, he saved our country from dying; despite how much we dislike having a King, he isnt a bad person Or well, he changed, so hes not too bad now, Aiyana laughed. Her formerly short brown hair had become blonde after going through a Metamorphosis of her Physique, even her eyes had become red and fierce, with slit pupils; her hands now had sharp claws; and fur quickly grew across her hands, arms, and then at several areas of her body. Ill start rampaging Wheres the girl and the boy at? Were here, a young teenager boy spoke, with short red hair and clear skin, looking down at the war with calm eyes. His body had become much taller and slightly stronger after his training with Bing Xue, but what was truly impressive was his massive quantity of Mana flowing through his body, which seemed endless; he was Francisco. Sara, do you think you could do something? I think I should at the very least try, said the youngest of the four, a girl no older than fourteen, wearing a white cloak and black cloths that covered her hair. With her clear brown skin and adorable silver-colored eyes, she held an almost angelic appearance, her aura of light only increasing this belief about her, and many religious people in her country believed her to be some sort of Saint sent by their God, she was Sara, the Holy Child. It seems everyone is being affected by some kind of mental attack; a little bug inside their heads is forcing them to go crazy. Then we should go find the King and the Queen for now, and the princess too, said Jackes. Well, Ill go on my own; I doubt Aiyana will- Ah, we lost her already. BAAAM! Jackes facepalmed as he saw Aiyana descend into the middle of the battlefield, an area where the clowns had yet to spread. There, the army of King Caesar was being pushed greatly by several thousand soldiers and magicians. Alright fools, you think youll get away with invading freaking Washington DC? Youre lunatics! She rushed forward; Claudius army soldiers panicked as they unleashed powerful weapon attacks at her. Several thousands of levels above her own, they would be simply unparalleled against her strength! Of course, that is, if only the Systems powers were calculated! {Spiritual Beast Totem Embodiment Arts}: {Six-Limbed Heavenly Golden Lion}! If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. With a furious roar, Aiyanas entire body transformed, as her body grew three times as big. She gained golden fur across most parts of her body except her breasts and a bit of her neck and face. A second pair of arms sprouted from her shoulders, muscular and as huge as her original arms; her blonde hair turned even longer, wrapping around her neck, resembling a beautiful and glistening mane. She gained a black-colored lion snout, lion ears, and also a long tail; her eyes became golden with black slit pupils. And above all, her Aura exploded, Primal Power, Ki, Mana, and Spirit Energy intermixing together into an immense strengthening effect. Her Physique reacted; the tattoos she had even before beginning to cultivate had been merged into her Physique, as she further specialized into their power. RAAAAHHH! With a ferocious and monstrous roar, Aiyana released a shockwave, sending dozens of soldiers flying away the moment she did so. The allied soldiers gasped in disbelief before her mighty roar, stepping back in surprise. Many of them were wounded as well, unable to even fight properly anymore. Ill take care of this small fry! I wanted to test my power after all! Aiyana infused Primal Power into her legs, which were already incredibly muscular, with her feet becoming like the paws of a lion with sharp claws, and then she leaped into the skies. RUMBLE! The ground beneath her foot was destroyed, leaving behind a large crater as she rushed down once more, resembling a meteor. Her Aura alone spread golden flames as she impacted the ground, right in the middle of hundreds of soldiers. BOOOMM!! Uuaaggh! Aaargh! Hyaaagh! The screams of dozens of soldiers reverberated at the same time, as their bodies were sent flying everywhere. Aiyana was merciless, quickly aiming her claws at anybody nearby. You want to fight?! Have it! CRAAASH! With a furious swing of her claws, several soldiers were instantly blown away, their bodies twisting in the wrong direction. The difference in stats they possessed against her had already been evened and then surpassed. K-Kill her! You damn woman! How dare you! Die! The soldiers rallied together at once, attacking Aiyana from every angle; most of them wielded long, golden-colored spears, infused with their Magic Auras. They tried to impale her from every direction, despite being a beast of over five meters of height. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Their attacks werent weak at all; infused with powerful Spear Techniques and various Skills, these soldiers had been trained their entire lives for long battles and had managed to not only learn how to preserve their energies but also how to use them to deal the most damage, targeting vital areas and also trying to destroy the girls pressure points. And yet Crack, crack! CRASH! Despite their attacks coming from every angle, Aiyana seemed fine, her fur and her skin becoming so tough their weapons shattered the moment they used their full power trying to pierce through it. Our weapons?! Shattered?! Impossible! Arent they made out of Golden Arcanium?! Its one of the strongest Metals! Golden Arcanium, a powerful gold-like metal mined in the depths of Floor 73, where these soldiers originate from. It possesses incredible toughness and malleability, surpassing Mithril, and an even greater ability to gather and harness Magic Power and Skills. Above all, it could also be enchanted with powerful magical power, which Claudius, their King, has done before, making the weapons almost at the same level as divine weapons or holy weapons. With these weapons, they even went against armies of Divine Beasts and helped their king slay a God! And yet Hehehe, pretty weak little sticks you got here Aiyana didnt waste time, swinging her long lioness tail around her and sweeping away the knights one after another; it wasnt a gentle blow though, as their armor shattered into pieces and several of their bones broke. CRAAASH! As she swept away her attackers, she quickly opened her jaws, harnessing Mana and Ki and then releasing them at once, blowing through their army with ease as a gigantic beam of golden light began to burn through anything! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Dozens of explosions reverberated everywhere the more the laser beam spread through the battlefield. And any soldier trying to sneak behind her was quickly slammed into the ground by her tail or her legs, which she used to slash through their bodies with her big and sharp claws. Haaahh Haahhh Haahh Aiyana gasped for air, feeling rather euphoric as she saw the destruction she was causing and the hundreds of soldiers rushing towards her. At the same time, magic spells came down from above. After her long and arduous training, she was definitely not the same, at least not on the battlefield. She had become much more ruthless and wilder; her instincts became sharper like a beast, and her bloodthirst only increased. Anyone that dares invade my fucking country, no, my world Will be crushed like a bug. As she spoke, her giant claws began moving, her bones cracking as she suddenly disappeared from where she was, moving at lightning speed and arriving near the magicians, whose spells were only reflected by her skin and fur. Youre going down first! She swung her giant claws again, this time using a specialized, new technique of her own creation; her claws gained golden auras as she unleashed a barrage of slashing attacks that rapidly generated a tornado. {Blazing Golden Claw Inferno}! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! FLUOOOSH! The magicians were unable to defend against so many attacks from every angle. Their powerful magic barrier shattered into pieces, and their magic was unable to save their lives as they burned and then were sliced into pieces. What a monster! How is this possible?! And shes a human from this world?! Impossible, the people of this world cannot be this strong! T-Theyre stronger than us; we are from over seventy floors above them! The soldiers gathered, talking to one another while their despair grew. Aiyana glared at them, her totem tattoos glowing brightly, as she began to rapidly shapeshift once more. Hehehe You havent seen anything yet! She roared as she suddenly began pulling out her fur and then transforming, as a black exoskeleton started growing through her body, and then yet another pair of arms grew out of her torso. {Spiritual Beast Totem Embodiment Arts}: {Divine Abyssal Thunder Rhinoceros Beetle}! Instead of fur, she gained insectoid armor now, which covered mostly her entire body; her helmet resembled the head of a huge rhinoceros beetle, with a giant horn, constantly charging with black sparks of electricity, which also spread through the rest of her body. Oh yes, this is it! With a prideful smile, the girl stepped forward, unleashing a devastating thunderstorm as she moved through the battlefield, black lightning engulfing her foes into pure agony as countless explosions spread everywhere. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Hundreds of soldiers were dying rapidly, and dozens of magicians were losing their lives! And all provoked by a single Earthling. The monsters that Bing Xue had created, the new Guardians of Earth, were finally debuting their true and awakened powers. -----