《The Hero Within》 Chapter I - The God of War Hero Volume 1 Chapter 1 ¨C The God of War (A/N means Author¡¯s Notes, it is placed before terms that are technical in nature to give explanation.) I woke up in a dark room. Stalagmites hanging in the ceiling greeted my eyes. The smell in the air consisted of rocks, dirt and other substances present in a particular place. I was in a cave. I got up and firmly placed both of my hands to the ground. The cold sensation went up to my spine, waking me from the fatigue and shock enveloping my senses. I looked around and it seems like this place was quiet and dry. I tried to remember how I got here in the first place. I was a college student, sitting quietly at the back of the room. When the school bell rang, I immediately stood up and left the room; I felt my heart stop beating. My eyes widened to the thought of death. I fell to my knees and darkness shrouded my vision. Then here I am, in a cave wearing the same thing I wore, blue polo, khaki pants and black leather shoes. However, my bag was missing, my phone and I.D too. The only things I have right now are my handkerchief and wristwatch. I got up and cleaned myself from the dirt sticking to my clothes. My eyes adjusted to the darkness of the cave so I was able to see my surroundings. I decided to investigate the area. After a few minutes of walking, I encountered a cliff. Moving closer, it was just a ledge rather than a cliff. There was a hole in the ceiling and sunlight was coming in the cave. I peeked over it and saw a large beast sleeping below. It had four limbs composing of two front legs and two hind legs. It also has a tail covered in spikes; it has three horns that elongated upwards. The fur of the beast was close to the mix of silver and gray. The moment I finished inspecting it, it woke up. Its jet black eyes were already in my direction. It growled and fangs with the length of 4-5 meters came out on the side of its jaws. The beast was enormous, it had the size of a commercial airplane and it was actually a wolf. A very big wolf. The beast roared and the ground I was standing on collapsed. I fell to the bottom. However, it was not much of a long drop. The beast was only few meters away from me. I could see the intensity of its eyes staring at me, gauging my strength. Was I going to let myself die twice? Hell fucking no. I kept my resolve and clenched my fists. I could feel strength flowing from my body like some sort of adrenaline pumping to my veins. I poised into a stance like a boxer. With my fists held up in front of my face, I dashed forward. I kick the ground and it threw me like a bullet. My mind could not comprehend what just happened. I went past the beast. It was also surprised to my speed just as I was. I looked back and I was ahead of it few meters away. I can see a circular path ahead of me but I doubt I can just run away from this beast. In that time of thinking, it charged. Its claws swiped the air in front of me. My instincts kicked in and I do not know why I did it, but I punched it back. In just seconds, the beast lost one of its limbs. It growled in pain and staggered backwards. What the fuck just happened? I stared at my fists. Did I just do that? I looked back at the beast and it was regenerating the limb it lost. It roared so loud I feel that the cave would collapse. I tried to protect myself from the roar, both of my hands extended in front with my palms open, imagining some sort of shield will pop out. I did that thinking that it would save me. Nevertheless, it did. I saw a barrier formed with an golden like color. It was an enormous circular shield, like a Spartan¡¯s shield embedded with beautiful designs. After the roar, it disappeared. Now I am confused. What is going on? "How does a mere puny human like you posses offensive and defensive powers like that!¡± I looked around to find where that voice came from and I think it came from the beast. "Uhh, speak again...?¡± "You insolent fool, just because you defeated me, The King of Dark Wolves Alzeroth, would speak in a disrespecting manner!¡± I stood straight. With my eyes puzzled from the current events, I folded my arms and gathered myself. "Wait, how can you talk?¡± "Monsters ranking S and above can speak, foolish human." "And you are at what rank, exactly?" "Do you lack the common knowledge? I am one of the 12 Disasters, an SSS rank monster!" (A/N: SSS is the highest rank, SSS>SS>S>A>B>C>D>E>F>G) In addition, I just punched out one of its limbs and defended myself against its roar. Just what is going on? "You! What are you! How can you defend against my roar that can destroy a country in a matter of moments!?" I stared at it with blank expression. "Ah... I don''t really know. " "Can it be...? Are you a god of War?!" "god of War? What do you mean? " "You can¡¯t fool me. I may be a beast but I''m not stupid!" With that, he stepped backwards. A big magic circle formed in front of the beast''s mouth and he chanted, . Multiple bolts of black lightning came out from the circle and charged to me. It was big like a train if combined. I felt power surged through my body again and without knowing, I chanted the same magic. With my left hand extended forward, I shouted: !! A magic circle formed in front of my hand, it was bigger than a few inches from the beast. Black lightning came out and intercepted the previous magic. Sparks flew after the collision and the beast was left dumbfounded. "HOW COULD YOU CHANT THE ANCIENT LANGUAGE?!" (A/N: Ancient Language is the chant used by beings born 500 years ago.) "I just copied what you said.¡± The beast fell silent. "You are definitely a god of War. Please forgive me if I have offended you." It came closer and kneeled in front of me. "Hey hey, don''t do that... It is somewhat awkward. " "I request of you to spare my life. I dare not to attack you again and recognize your strength." "Oy, stop it. By the way, where am I? " "You are in the Cave of Astheria, it is located at the edge of the world. It is also my home." Wow. This is definitely not Earth and this is definitely the real deal, not a dream or whatsoever. "May I ask of your name? Again, I am Alzeruth. A triple S beast and the leader of Dark Wolves." "Ah, I am Aeris of Earth. I don¡¯t know my rank.¡± "Earth? I have never heard of such a place." "For starters, I wasn''t here few minutes ago. I was summoned or teleported forcefully, I think." "For you to be summoned here is impossible. Summoning requires the summoner to be in the place you were summoned. I sense no other life forms besides my dark wolves gathering outside. If someone was to infiltrate here, they would have to defeat an S rank Dark Wolf numbering about 500, which are all gathered outside." What? Then why am I here then? How am I here? "I don''t understand. If I''m not summoned, then why am I here? " "I''m afraid I do not understand either. The mere fact of you being teleported here is also impossible, requirements of teleportation requires the user to have visited the destination at least once. No living being has step foot in my cave, except my Dark Wolves.¡± That is strange. I need to investigate further. I wish I can know myself more; gauge out my status like a game would be convenient. I could pop out a status window or some sort. Then after saying those words, a status window appeared. (A/N: A status window is where the characteristics of an object or being is displayed.) ---- Name: Aeris Profession: None Origin: Earth Title: God of War Age: 19 Race: Human Level: 995 Rank: SSS+ Stats: HP: 101, 331 (+1,000) Mana: 105,614 Strength: 2,850 Agility: 2,550 Intelligence: 2,639 Luck: 1,995 Stamina: 2,174 Wisdom: 2,120 Equipment: None Defense: 0 (+2,500) Unique Skills: Aegis Heaven¡¯s Barrier (Ascendant/MAX): Barrier used by the gods, offering resistance to all elements and maximum damage reduction. The damage absorbed by the shield can be bounced back by using . By learning this skill, base health points increased by 1,000 and defense increased by 2,500. (A/N: Ascendant is the highest rank a skill can be developed. For a normal person, it takes at least 5 years to develop a skill next to its level. A normal person takes at least 100 years to develop it to Ascendant level, depending on the skill.) Aegis Reversal Wave (Ascendant/Max): The Aegis absorbs the damage and releases it externally by a golden wave. The damage is added by the skill itself. The damage absorbed by the shield (+plus) a maximum of 20,000 damage is added. Analyze (MAX): Used to analyze items or a person. Full item function can be seen such as restrictions and drawbacks. A person¡¯s status window can be viewed by using analyze (A monster is also considered a person). Emperor¡¯s Perception (MAX): Hearing and Sight are improved at max level, allowing the user¡¯s sight to adjust no matter the environment and hear the lowest of sound. Dreadnought Aura (Ascendant/MAX): It is the force of will or aura that is released by the user¡¯s body, attacking both physical and mental state of mind. It is a phenomenon like the gravity, unseen by the naked eye. It can deal up to 80,000 maximum damage (not inclusive of target¡¯s defense and resistance) and range is extended up to 1 km around the user. Skill Steal (Ascendant/MAX): Any skills done within the vision of the user can be copied. The copied skill, if casted at a low level, can be copied and casted back again at a higher level. Hero¡¯s Body (MAX): The user has a hero¡¯s body, resisting all kinds of abnormalities such as paralysis, poison, confusion and etc. It also allows the user to feel less hunger and fatigue. Language perception among other races is also learned instantly, allowing communication to all allowed. Profession Skills: None After examining my status window, I learned that I have no profession. It is what they call a job, like a warrior or archer. I am also at level 995! This is outrageous. I didn¡¯t do anything special at all and yet here I am, feeling very special. Now that I know all things about myself, I wish to learn about the creature in front of me. ¡°Alzeruth, allow me to analyze you.¡± ¡°As you may.¡± ¡°!!¡± --- Name: Alzeruth Origin: Cave of Astheria Profession: N/A Age: 891 Title: One of the 12 Disasters, King of the Dark Wolves Level: 855 Rank: SSS Race: Dark Wolf Alzeruth¡¯s rank is below mine and he said that all of the Calamities were at SSS rank. If this is one of the 12 Calamities¡¯ stats then I am considered as the Calamity of all Calamities. What is going on? Why am I too overpowered? Why was I summoned here all of a sudden with these kind of stats? ¡°You have seen the reflection of me, Hero. I was foolish not to look at yours at the instance where I first saw you. Being in this cave dulls my battle senses, hmm.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t flatter me too much. Are all monsters capable of using Analyze?¡± ¡°Only selected ones above S rank.¡± I see. He is above S rank so that¡¯s why he was able to see my status also. ¡°What can you see in my status?¡± ¡°The basic information only. Health, mana, name, race, age, origin and everything else.¡± So Alzeruth can¡¯t see my Unique and Profession skills. We conversed for a while, I gathered information about this world, about the inhabitants, about other races and the places. I also learned that having 10 levels above you is a great difference already. Moreover, one difference in rank is outrageously big. That is why Alzeruth cowered before me when he discovered that there was a 100+ level gap. ¡°With this, I am looking forward to travel. I give you thanks, Alzeruth.¡± ¡°It is my honor. I hope you will be well on your journey. I shall accompany you outside so that none of my wolves will trouble you.¡± Both of us left the cave together. Green plains greeted me as soon as I left the cave. The vast forest behind the plains shrouded up to the horizon. Wolves immediately sensed the immense difference in level as soon as they saw me. They instinctively step backed as I walked in the middle of them. Seeing that I walk beside equally with their King, I can feel their eyes look at me with respect. All of them resemble Alzeruth but they only have one horn and they are only as big as a regular taxi. ¡°Up ahead is the Forest of Ulza, it is the home of mantis and killer bees with rank of SS- to SS+. However, they would not engage after sensing your strength.¡± If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.(A/N: SS- to SS+ means the level ranges from 401 to 700) ¡°I hope so; I don¡¯t want to cause any trouble.¡± ¡°Until we meet again, my friend.¡± I ventured to the forest further. Few seconds after I enter the tree line, all I could see was these big trees with massive trunks and branches. After a few days of venturing alone, I heard someone scream. Judging from the voice, it seems to be a girl. An adventurer perhaps? The scream came from the northeast. I sprinted towards the direction and arrived in just a matter of seconds. A giant Mantis with the size of a bus and claws like scythe with the length of two meters each. It cornered a female knight wearing full plate armor holding a great sword. There are also four bodies lying down drenched in blood before the Mantis. Looking at the situation, I could infer that they were adventurers and only one remained in their party. I used the on the Mantis. It seems to be at level 505, it is also at SS rank. I wish to learn more about the adventurers but I have to save the female knight first. [3rd Person¡¯s POV] The female knight was trembling while struggling to hold her stance. Seeing that her comrades were dead and she was next, fear shrouded her senses causing her to fail to detect Aerius behind the Mantis. However, that doesn¡¯t mean that the Mantis also failed to do so. Instinctively, the Mantis jumped away from Aerius. Its antennae vibrated on its head, sending signals to other fellow Mantis around the area. Moments after, 3 Giant Mantis jumped in the site. All of them were above level 1,000 and Aerius knew of that. The female knight loss her consciousness with death certain upon her by the arrival of the other Mantises. She thought that there is no way she will live through this. However, she was wrong. Aerius walked towards the female knight and carried her in his arms. The four Mantis surrounded him, aware of the great difference in strength. One of the Mantis felt greedy and thought that Aerius was not paying attention to his surroundings, charged towards him while swiping its claws in front. In this moment, Aerius chanted a single skill that would wipe out all of them. ¡°Stupid insects, .¡± Crimson red aura surrounded Aerius. An invisible shockwave pulsated around him with the speed faster than light. The four Mantis never knew what hit them and fell to the ground. Instant kill. [Aerius¡¯ POV] These insects thought that they could stand against me. Fools. They were already aware of the difference in strength and yet they attacked. A monster is a monster after all. I saw their tracks before they arrived in this site. I followed it and found their camp. A magic circle was drawn in the middle of the camp to keep the monsters away. There were five tents in the camp but only one adventurer came back alive. I went inside one of the tent and placed her gently to the beddings. The broadsword was a hindrance and seeing it was almost destroyed, I left it at that place. ¡°¡± --- Name: Shyvanna Auron Profession: Holy Knight Origin: Dawrinius Kingdom Title: None Age: 25 Rank: C Level: 48 Only C rank? What were they thinking engaging combat in this forest that is filled with SS rank beasts? There was no doubt that the Mantis annihilated their party. (A/N: C rank means level 41-50) I noticed something while analyzing Shyvanna. I could not fit well in this world if I wear these kinds of clothes, they would only view me as an outsider. Therefore, I decided to change. I searched through the tents of the other adventurers to find clothes that would fit me. I found a shirt and pants. However, no matter where I looked I found no underwear. Do the people in this world lack the etiquette to wear under wears? I can only find small knit cloth pants, which I presume to be the ¡°underwear¡± beneath the metal greaves. Night fell upon this world and I was feeling hungry. I borrowed a [Common] Iron sword from one of the tents and decided to hunt. Using my godly eyesight, I search for food such as edible plants and fruits. However, all I can see where killer bees and giant Mantis. After all, if there were deers in these places they would be instantly devoured by high-ranking beasts. I had a wild idea in mind and I would be curious to try and eat a giant Mantis¡¯ meat, if ever there are. I blended in the shadows and tried my best to reduce my footstep and avoid stepping on twigs and leaves. I went behind a Mantis that strayed from the group. A level 658 beast was no more or less capable of killing adventurers mercilessly. ¡°!!¡± A skill that is unseen to the eyes, like gravity keeping your feet to the ground. I forgot to reduce the range and other Mantis and killer bees fell to the ground instantly. This skill is too overpowered. Using my sword, I hacked the body parts of the Mantis and killer bees in search of something edible by using Analyze. No matter how hard I search, there were no edible parts of these useless beasts. I ventured further to the forest. Using my , I searched for other beasts. I also grabbed the opportunity to test my skills and gauge my strength properly. I found another Mantis at lvl 695. This was almost the limit of its rank. I walked towards it and unsheathed my sword. ¡°Krrrrrrr----¡° The Giant Mantis noticed my presence and swung its scythe-like claws in the air as a sign of warning. I dashed forward and leaped towards it. I striked the beast overhead and swung the sword downwards. The Mantis was surprised by the speed I possess, the time it noticed my presence was too late. The sword easily pierced through the Mantis¡¯ skin and the body was sliced in half. The ground cracked and a fissure was created about a few meters long. I searched along the body again and still did not find anything at all. I went back to the camp empty-handed. Feeling depressed and hungry at the same time, I checked the female knight¡¯s condition. As soon as I opened the sheets of the tent, a sword was in front of me. ¡°W-WHO ARE YOU AND WHY ARE Y-YOU HERE?!¡± Oh, wow. She is awake and now she¡¯s trying to kill me. Do the people in this world know not of gratitude? ¡°Calm down, I¡¯ll explain everything to you.¡± She¡¯s pissing me off. That¡¯s for sure. I held the sword¡¯s tip and gripped it firmly. Before her eyes, the sword crumbled. ¡°W-wha..¡± ¡°Calm the fuck down. Sit and I¡¯ll explain everything.¡± She reluctantly heeds my words but nonetheless, she obeyed me. She sat on the beddings while staring at me. ¡°What was the last thing that you remember?¡± ¡°A g-giant mantis was in front of me¡­ staring to the very depths of my soul and ready to devour me¡­¡± She covered her face with her palms and weeped horribly. She must have remembered the death of her comrades. Seeing that she was the only one left, the entire burden goes to her. ¡°H-how did you save me¡­?¡± ¡°I killed the Mantis, carried you in my arms and brought you here.¡± ¡°W-what? That Mantis was level 505! How could you kill it?!¡± She looked at me from top to bottom. I was only wearing plain clothes topped with brown leather vest and leather pants. A [Common] Iron sword was strapped to my back and there was nothing special in my gear of whatsoever. (A/N: An item to be in Common rarity is the lowest; beginners or adventurers at level 1 usually use it) Using her comment as a basis, I could infer that she is unable to use the skill Analyze. She is weak. I pity her soul. ¡°I killed it using .¡± ¡°U-unique Skill¡­? Only people at rank S and above are given the blessing of goddess to be bestowed of Unique Skills!¡± There is a goddess? I must speak to one immediately. My mood instantly changed. I can ask that goddess on why was I here, on what purpose and on what reason. This has become my main goal. Thanks to Shyvanna, I learned about the existence of a goddess. ¡°Where can I speak to this so called goddess?¡± She looked at me like some sort of idiot. ¡°You seriously don¡¯t know where?¡± I just stared at her as a response. ¡°You can go to a nearby temple located in major cities to pray for her. The nearest one is the Darwinius Kingdom.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± I excused myself and left the tent. ¡°W-WAIT!¡± I looked back and she was hurriedly chasing me like her tail stuck between the legs. ¡°W-where do you think you¡¯re g-going?!¡± ¡°To Darwinius Kingdom, what else.¡± ¡°Take me with y-you¡­¡± She said that in a low voice. ¡°Why would I take you with me? You¡¯ll become only a nuisance to my travel.¡± I said that with a cold voice. Surely, I will be sprinting at high speed, leaping over cliffs and mountains. With her current level, I doubt she can even face a Mantis with her wits intact. I might be harsh upon my words but this is the truth no matter how you deny it. ¡°A novice like you needs guidance in this forest!¡± ¡°Guidance? So you claim to know this forest very well?¡± ¡°O-of course!¡± She said that with a stuttering voice. How confident of her. I wish I could facepalm myself right now but it would be impractical. I may die from my strength and that would be very stupid to hear. ¡°If you were to know this forest very well, how can you forget that Mantis and Killer Bees of SS rank reside here?¡± ¡°I-¡­¡± ¡°And your rank is only C! Your comrades were also at that rank and the highest was B. No doubt your party was wiped clean.¡± She stared at me with curiosity. I thought she was going to be angry and flustered but her reaction was quite the opposite. ¡°How did you know about our ranks?¡± ¡°I used of course.¡± ¡° is a unique skill only granted by the goddess or passed on by a person who also has it. can also be imprinted on a scroll that can be used by anyone with no restriction, but mere scroll costs 10 gold. Just who are you to posses 2 unique skills¡­?¡± ¡°I am none. Farewell, then.¡± I was ready to jump but then I felt the ground shake. Usually, these occur when earthquakes happen or a group of Giant Mantis is approaching. I pray that it is the first one. I turned around and I knew I was very wrong. 8 Giant Mantis was headed towards us. I used and all of them were above level 650. ¡°Shyvanna, stand behind me.¡± Without any complaints, she willingly did so. She raised her sword trembling in fear. I also unsheathed my weapon, which is coated in Mantis blood. Eight Giant Mantis destroyed the barrier infront of them easily. I could feel that they were angry at me because I killed too much of their kin. Three of them inhaled loudly that I could hear air going inside their body. A magic circle appeared in front of their jaws and huge a massive whirlwind stroked towards us. ¡°Oh no, it is the skill . It is ranked at least at S with its destructive power.¡± I heard Shyvanna murmur about things like that. I just took note of it mentally. Though, Alzeruth¡¯s roar was much more dangerous than this gust of wind. My left hand was holding a sword so I extended my right hand while chanting the skill. ¡°Come before me, !!¡± An enormous golden Spartan-like shield embedded with beautiful design appeared before me. I could feel the wind colliding with my shield, vibrating in front of my palm. This sensation of magic flowed through my veins. The other five mantises tried to break my shield using their scythe-like claws but it failed no matter how hard they tried to slice and pierce the shield. Shyvanna stared in amazement behind me on the size of the shield and how it defended us against the Mantis. ¡°Unbelievable¡­ three Unique skills¡­¡± The Mantis is at SS+ rank which means its max health points should be around 50,000 or so. The damage that should be around at 10,000. ¡°Know your place, bugs! !!¡± It is my first time on using this skill and I have to be honest, I am quite amazed. Golden light burst out of the shield and disintegrated the three Mantises. The other five lost either limbs or struggling to keep its balance. Either way, I dealt massive damage to them. ¡°Now to finish them off.¡± I kicked the ground to gain momentum and immediately arrived where the other five mantises where. I used my speed to slice of their heads while using the [Common] Iron Sword. All five of them were decapitated in less than five seconds. I returned where Shyvanna was and discarded my sword. It was already worn out. Cracks were webbing throughout the blade. It was going to be destroyed if I use it to slash one more time. Shyvanna fell to her knees while observing me. I could not blame her; an overpowered human comes out of nowhere to save her to kill one mantis and now to kill eight more. It was as if SS rank beasts were just toys to begin with. ¡°Just¡­ who are you¡­?¡± ¡°Well, according to my status window. I am a God of War.¡± And Shyvanna¡¯s jaw dropped and her eyes widened in shock. Chapter II - The Darwinius Kingdom Hero Volume 1 Chapter 2 ¨C The Darwinius Kingdom The title God of War is given only to a human, which has godlike strength. There are three Ultimate titles according to Shyvanna, one is purposely known for its strength and speed. Second is the , known for its magic and almost unlimited mana. Last is the , it is known to bestow the Ultimate skill, . (A/N: Ultimate skill is the upgrade of a Unique skill. An Ultimate skill is very unique which means that only one may possess of it every once in a lifetime.) : The user is granted to summon creatures in different races with no soul, allowing full control of the summoned unit. The will of the summoner is the will of the summoned unit. Depending on the mana of the user, the summmoner may cast up to 10,000 units depending on the strength. The stronger the unit, the less it can be summoned. Also according to Shyvana, an elf possessed the title 1000 years ago. The elf tried to destroy a calamity, Sandstorm Abyss Worm Gal`Gazur in the Desert of Abyss. Gal`Gazur was also a SSS beast with a level of 890. After devouring the elf, it leveled up to 895. Thanks to that stupid elf, that worm is now harder to defeat. ¡°So if Gal`Gazur devoured the elf who has the title , won¡¯t it pass to him?¡± ¡°No, it is not possible. That title can only be gained through the blessing of the goddess. It is not transferable in any way.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± However, if the occurrence of a person having an Ultimate title gaps with 1000 years then it is not possible that I would live through to see another person having or . The last person who also has went evil. It was 2,150 years ago. That person invaded a major kingdom, which is one of twenty in counting. It was an Orc. It said that this Orc was the chief of its village. Making it prosper and possessing refined leadership, the goddess decided to bestow him the Ultimate skill. He used this title to help others for 100 years, but a year passed and the Demon Lord Kaibaruth, one of the twelve calamities, corrupted him. He destroyed the Human Empire of Aesthylon first, then the Dwarven Kingdom of Fahirdun and lastly, the Elf Village of Starfall. All of the races stood together and managed to defeat the Ultimate titleholder within one year of battle. There were many deaths upon this incident and it was recorded in the history to have the greatest death toll ever since the creation of the world. Now I¡¯m the only one left possessing the title. Another 1000 years and another user will obtain another ultimate title. I hope that I will live through those years. That is, if the logic of this world will allow. ¡°The information you gave me was really helpful. For that, I¡¯ll allow you to accompany me to your home town.¡± ¡°T-thank you!¡± Shyvanna packed her things up and we left the camp first thing in the morning. I travelled only with the clothes that I currently wore. I look so pity that I might cry of copper. As we ventured out of the forest, I used . I noticed that there were no more Mantis or Killer Bees around the area and if there were, they would stay in the edge of my range. I think that they are now aware of my strength. I also believe that not all S rank monsters possess the skill, only those who has high enough of intelligence. These Mantis and Killer bees are mindless monsters that just hunt and kill adventurers in their territory without even gauging their target¡¯s strength. We arrived in the Darwinius Kingdom early. I carried Shyvanna in my arms and jumped through the forest and mountains. She wasn¡¯t that heavy though and in this way, we can travel faster. We reached the front gate of the Kingdom, people were lining up to enter it. When it was our turn, Shyvanna showed her adventurer¡¯s card. ¡°How about that one, is he your companion?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. He is my apprentice. I brought him with me; he is from Al-Veirus village not far from here.¡± The guard inspected me for a moment and nodded at the others. They let us through. I need to get one of those cards that Shyvanna has. It is quite convenient and I would definitely need it in my travels. Next, we stopped by at an inn to grab something to eat. She shouldered all the expenses. ¡°What are you going to do after this?¡± Shyvanna stopped eating and entered a state of thinking. ¡°I would go back to the guild and report about the incident¡­¡± The death of her comrades was a heavy loss for her personally. I learned that they were a party since they were at rank E. They helped each other buy equipment and complete requests together. (A/N: Rank E is level 21-30, the lowest rank is G, which starts at level 10. It is the minimum requirement of the guild to become an adventurer.) After breakfast, we headed to the shrine. She offered some donation to the ones who maintain the shrine and went inside. The interior of the place was large; it was like a modern Catholic church. The ceiling was very high and the walls had unique designs. In the front was the statue of a goddess, it was like a Greek sculpture done by a very skilled artist. As per usual, I kneeled in front of the statue. Honestly, I don¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Ummm¡­ what¡¯s up? How are you? Could you like, descend or show yourself or something?¡± I waited and looked around for a few seconds but there was no response. Do I need to do something cool or show off my skills? Then a sudden thought popped to my head. Well, no guts no glory I guess. Shyvanna was waiting at the doorway. I approached her and borrowed her sword. ¡°What? Why would you need a sword?¡± ¡°Just trust me. Let me borrow it for a few seconds.¡± She handed it over with a confused face. I would be too if I were in her shoes. I stood in front of the statue, and raised my sword. The priests were alarmed and they headed towards me as if I was some sort of lunatic that needed to be held back. I shouted with courage and sincerely announced so loud that even the people outside would hear it. ¡°I AM AERIUS, LEVEL 995 WITH THE RANK OF SSS+. I AM THE , I COMMAND THEE GODDESS TO SHOW YOURSELF!¡± With all my strength, I burrowed the sword to the floor. I expected that there would be a large crater underneath me, or the people blown away by the shockwave. However, something more amazing happened. The statue of the goddess cracked from the feet, climbing to the head. The statue exploded but no fragment was blown away. Incredible white light enveloped the statue and I could see that there was a figure covered by that light. Without , I would be blinded by now. I activated it just by the nick of time. I was able to see through the light. It was some sort of angel, with a slender figure. Her face was heart shaped and her hair was dyed in gold. Its length down to her waist and she was wearing cloth that covered her body in a very elegant way. ¡°You, Aerius, bearer of the ultimate title stand before me.¡± I placed my left hand in my chest and bowed to the goddess. ¡°You, Aerius, have been summoned to this world, none other than me.¡± ¡°Why has thou summoned me, goddess?¡± ¡°Twelve calamities have bore its fangs upon this world and I seek people who shall destroy it. For few thousand years, the original six calamities became twelve. I shant not wait for it thee become thousandths.¡± I listened to her in silent. ¡°Six bearers of the ultimate title has greatly failed to do their duties. Now, I seek the help of the other world. I grant you strength above all, with flow of magic endless like the ocean. However, you are young and maturity is the best way to train a warrior. You are to learn the ways of this world and grow on your own.¡± The light became more intense. ¡°Grow maturely, recruit subordinates and train them to become the greatest that they can be. Only then, you shall defeat the calamities. Your journey has begun, I bestow you the profession above all, .¡± The light pulsated so intense that even I was blinded upon it temporarily. The statue was back to normal. There were no priests attempting to stop me, no bystanders mocking me. I was back to the time where I was kneeling in front of the statue, seconds before I decided to announce myself. ¡°¡± --- Name: Aerius Profession: Dragon Knight Origin: Earth Title: God of War Age: 19 Race: Human Level: 995 Rank:SSS+ Stats: HP: 101, 331 (+1,000) Mana: 105,614 Strength: 2,850 Agility: 2,550 Intelligence: 2,639 Luck: 1,995 Stamina: 2,174 Wisdom: 2,120 Equipment: None Defense: 0 (+2500) Unique Skills: Aegis Heaven¡¯s Barrier (Ascendant/MAX): Barrier used by the gods, offering resistance to all elements and maximum damage reduction. The damage absorbed by the shield is returned using . By learning this skill, base health points increased by 1,000 and defense increased by 2,500. Aegis Reversal Wave (Ascendant/Max)(Chain Skill +1): The Aegis absorbs the damage and releases it externally by a golden wave. The damage is added by the skill itself. The damage absorbed by the shield (+plus) a maximum of 20,000 damage is added. Analyze (MAX): Used to analyze items or a person. Full item function can be seen such as restrictions and drawbacks. A person¡¯s status window can be viewed by using analyze (A monster is also considered a person). Emperor¡¯s Perception (MAX): Hearing and Sight are improved at max level, allowing the user¡¯s sight to adjust no matter the environment and hear the lowest of sound. Dreadnought Aura (Ascendant/MAX): It is the force of will or aura that is released by the user¡¯s body, attacking both physical and mental state of mind. It is a phenomenon like the gravity, unseen by the naked eye. It can deal up to 80,000 maximum damage (not inclusive of target¡¯s defense and resistance) and range is extended up to 1 km around the user.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Skill Steal (Ascendant/MAX): Any skills done within the vision of the user can be copied. The copied skill, if casted at a low level, can be copied and casted back again at a higher level. Hero¡¯s Body (MAX): The user has a hero¡¯s body, resisting all kinds of abnormalities such as paralysis, poison, confusion and etc. It also allows the user to feel less hunger and fatigue. Language perception among other races is also learned instantly, allowing communication to all allowed. Profession Skills: Storm Dragon¡¯s Breath (Ascendant/MAX): Conjures the storm dragon¡¯s breath, releasing multiple thunderbolts with high voltage that pierces through high defensive barriers. It has a maximum damage of 15,000 (+/-) that ignores target¡¯s resistance and armor. Storm Dragon¡¯s Roar (Ascendant/MAX): A roar that is filled with lightning composite that paralyzes the targets. The skill has a wide range, ranging up to 20 meters horizontally and diagonally. It has a maximum damage of 8,000, high chance of incurring effect. Storm Overcharge (Ascendant/MAX): The user¡¯s fists are charged with enormous amount of lightning coated with magic. Once a target is hit, the overcharged power is released. It has a maximum damage of 50,000 (+/-), ignores half of the target¡¯s resistance and 75% of the armor. Lightning Steps (Ascendant/MAX): The user¡¯s speed is greatly increased up to 200%, both movement and attack speed. The physical dimension is ignored and travels in the realm of sound and light. I pondered upon my new skills. Yup, I was overpowered before and now I¡¯m a hundred times more op. These skills are too amazing, I¡¯m afraid I might incur civilian casualties if I couldn¡¯t control the range of my skillls. To test my skill, I need to battle someone or something that can withstand the damage. Who else? One of the twelve calamities of course. Alzeruth. I left Shyvanna without any explanation. I felt like a volcano, ready to erupt anytime. I jumped towards the forest once again and headed directly to the Cave of Astheria. I landed into the green plains. The wolves backed off and I just continued to take myself inside. ¡°Hey Alzeruth, how has it been?¡± The King of the Dark Wolves stood up and kneeled before me. ¡°Not very long, my friend. How can I help you?¡± ¡°In some ways, can you cover yourself in some sort of barrier?¡± ¡°Yes, I always do so.¡± He does? But I was still able to punch his limbs and destroy it in one hit. His defensive capabilities are not enough, I think. ¡°Watch out, Alzeruth. I¡¯ll test my skills so cover yourself in many barriers as you can.¡± ¡°Wait¡ª¡° I simultaneously casted and . Alzeruth was few kilometers away from me but in just a matter of one second, I appeared in front of him. I punched his face with all my strength and a great explosion happened. It was like a nuclear explosion at point blank. The damage was so massive that the cave was wiped out. All I can see in front of me was the other side of the mountain, which was the continuation of the Forest of Ulza. There was no Alzeruth to be found. I left the cave and found myself with hostile 500 single S Dark wolves, with their levels averaging 300. All of them charged towards me, I had no choice but to defeat them all at once. So this time, I tried to use my other skill. ¡°!!¡± A huge blast of lightning, like a tornado infront of me whirled around the plain. In the end, the plain was left with nothing. The grass was burnt and the ground was fried before me. I can confirm it. I wiped out one of the twelve calamities. The Dark Wolves are no more. I went back to the Darwinius Kingdom and found Shyvanna walking in circles infront of the shrine. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Y-YOU! Did you just eliminate Alzeruth, the King of Dark Wolves?!¡± ¡°Uh, yes I did. So?¡± ¡°SO?! One of the twelve calamities ate the Great Elf Archmage! After months of battle, he was finally able to penetrate the low ranks and face the Sandstorm Worm.¡± ¡°Maybe he was just too weak, in the first place.¡± ¡°Weak? His rank was SSS-, with the level of 798.¡± Still, there¡¯s a difference of almost a 100. ¡°He was equipped with Godlike weapons and armor. And yet, he became fodder to the Sandstorm Worm.¡± Shyvanna looked at me again from top to bottom. ¡°Oy, that¡¯s quite depressing. I know that I¡¯m only wearing rags but it¡¯s about the strength and skills, you see?¡± Then in a few moments, a thousand Supreme Holy knights surrounded us with levels averaging of 200. One Supreme holy knight walked towards me, I used to him and it seems he is almost at the limit of rank S+, at level 394. --- Name: Braun Halvenworn III Profession: Supreme Holy Knight Origin: Darwinius Kingdom Title: Captain of the Knights Age: 44 Race: Human Level: 394 Rank: S+ --- ¡°King Alsworn, ruler of this Kingdom, seeks your presence before his throne.¡± Then a thought popped to my head, should I annihilate this Kingdom also? Nah, just joking. I went along them peacefully. They brought a royal carriage that is being pulled by 2 horses. The carriage was embodied with elegant colored steel and the Kingdom¡¯s flag on the roof. After about 15 minutes, we arrived at the main castle. The throne room was vast, the ceiling was high and the windowpanes were made out of gold. The throne itself was big in nature, jewels were embedded upon it and the seat was also made out of gold. King Alsworn sat on the throne with two Supreme Holy Knights beside him wearing full plate Obsidian armor. (A/N: Obsidian is a metal where its durability and hardness surpasses a diamond and it has a jet-black color in nature. Obsidian is ranked second to the highest as the strongest metal in the world.) We kneeled before the King upon our arrival. ¡°Rise and tell me your name.¡± The King had a deep hoarse voice, which certainly fits as a man who is the highest in command. ¡°Thy name is Aerius, a Dragon Knight with a level of 995 and a rank of SSS+¡± I could hear the nobles and knights talking to each other about my profession. It seems that it is one of a lifetime grant too. ¡°Your majesty, my name is Shyvanna Auron, a Holy Knight with a level of 48 and a rank of C.¡± The King looked at us both and nods in approval. ¡°Aerius, my arch mages have reported that you singlehandedly defeat Alzeruth, one of the twelve calamities, earlier in his own cave. Is that correct?¡± ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡± ¡°You defeated him while having that pitiful equipment of yours?¡± ¡°Yes, your majesty. However, my equipment is merely a decoration in that battle. I merely used my Profession skills.¡± ¡°Ah, the skills of a Dragon Knight. Thy profession of yours is the first to be seen after so many years in this world¡¯s existence.¡± It is? I have ridiculous stats and I have a ridiculous profession. This somehow smells fishy. ¡°Well, we will cut to the chase. I wish to grant you equipment befitting of your level and give aid to your growth as the .¡± ¡°I thank of you, your majesty.¡± King Alsworn stood up from his throne and walked towards us. ¡°Both of you shall eliminate the calamities and grant this world the peace it deserve¡ª¡° Multiple loud explosions, like mini nuclear bombs being dropped off, erupted not far from here. Then suddenly, a knight came running inside the throne room, panting and covered in blood. ¡°SIRE! The Calamities, they have attacked! Four calamities have suddenly appeared out of nowhere.¡± My eyes widened to the sudden report. ¡°OUTRAGEOUS! ASSEMBLE THE ARMY IMMEDIATELY!¡± Just right after the King ordered Braun his command; a fireball flew towards the throne room like a wrecking ball. I sensed the fireball coming in and I quickly casted my spell. ¡°!!¡± The King and his other subordinates were safe. However, the Knights and other nobles that were in the sides of the throne room were obliterated. From the hole that the fireball made, I could see Gal`Gazur devouring the kingdom. I could also see a Giant wearing a full plated silver armor; it was like a walking Eifel tower that is carrying a massive mace. There was also a dragon flying overhead the town, breathing hellfire flames upon the citizens. Its scales were crimson red and it had four wings that almost covered the skies. As if those three were not enough, a Lich with the height of at least 10 feet bombarded the town with black magic. I immediately identified it as the source of the mini nuclear bombs as it was constantly releasing Abyss cores to the defending army. (A/N: A Lich is a skeleton that can cast powerful black magic. An Abyss Core is a spherical energy with the shape of a large boulder that explodes upon contact and curses the land it affects with.) ¡°Aerius, wear this Kingdom¡¯s treasures and battle these calamities. My army shall be behind you along with your battle. They will regret stepping on these holy lands!¡± The Supreme holy knights cheered and raised their sword in agreement. They moved with haste, and as did I. The King guided me to the chambers where the treasure was kept. It was a full plate made out of Heaven¡¯s Steel and the weapon was a long sword made out of the same steel also. I wore it quickly and I could feel its effect radiating unto me. (A/N: Heaven¡¯s Steel is ranked the strongest metal in this world. It can be mined in the floating Mountain of Seragun. Even though it is very durable, it also possesses incredibly flexibility. It can be used to create weapons and armors.) --- Equipment: Heaven¡¯s Blessing Full Plate (Godlike): [Defense +10,000],[Elemental Resistance +100%],[Chaos Resistance +75%],[Abnormalities Resistance +100%],[HP +5,000],[Physical Damage Reduction +50%],[Magic Damage Reduction +50%],[All Stats +500],[Durability: Not Breakable] Heaven¡¯s Wrath Long Sword (Godlike): [Base Damage 5,000-10,000] [Holy Damage +200%],[All Stats +500],[Speed +50%],[Durability: Not Breakable] --- With this, I shall bring peace to the world. Chapter III - The Invasion of the Calamities Hero Volume 1 Chapter 3 ¨C The Invasion of the Calamities As I jumped towards the battlefield, I could sense the disaster the calamities have done. With my working 24/7, I could hear and see the farthest distance and hear the lowest sound. I can see the wounded civilians, with the ir limbs unattached. Blood soaked the Kingdom¡¯s road and the houses burning to crisp. Despair can be seen everywhere. The Knights defending the citizens with all they could, but one could see that they were not even scratching the health of the Calamities. While I was in mid-air, I used on the four calamities and carefully planned my next moves. --- Name: Kelthazud Profession: Supreme Necromancer Origin: Great Evil Catacombs Title: Lord of Dark Magic Age: ?? Race: Lich Level: 898 Rank: SSS Name: Dragovus Profession: Dragon Knight Origin: Dragon¡¯s Nest Title: Ruler of the Skies Age: ?? Race: Dragon Level: 877 Rank: SSS Name: Vairdun Profession: ?? Origin: Frostbite Mountain Title: The Unstoppable Age: ?? Race: Mountain Giant Level: 889 Rank: SSS Name: Gal`Gazur Profession: ?? Origin: Desert of Abyss Title: The Devourer of All Age: ?? Race: Abyss Worm Level: 899 Rank: SSS --- Oh how I wish I could end this battle all at once by using , I fear that I may also kill the knights and other allies in the process. I re-evaluated my strategy again with utmost thoughts. Seeing that the dragon was the one dealing most damage by burning the Empire to ashes, I figured I should deal with it first. I hid behind one of the houses and waited for the dragon to swing by. It was circling around the Giant to provide cover while the Giant wreck havoc. The dragon was coming near me. I jumped with all my might and reached the skies. The Heaven¡¯s Steel shone brightly with the sun¡¯s light. With this, the dragon noticed my presence. I could sense that it accumulated mana in its throat to cast . But before it could form a magic circle; ¡°!!¡± Multiple thunderbolts jolted out of the magic circle. It hit the dragon directly seeing that the scales were smoking and one of its wings was no more. Sensing that the dragon was in critical situation, the Giant grabbed two or three houses and threw it at me. At the same time, around ten abyss cores were flung at my location. They are more coordinated than I thought. ¡°!!¡± The houses bounced off the barrier while the abyss cores exploded upon impact. I see no crack in my barrier and felt that it only absorbed the damage it took. ¡°!!¡± I directed the chain skill towards the Giant but it was more intelligent than I thought. It summoned a in front of it. The wall defended the Giant against the skill but it wasn¡¯t enough. The Giant lost an arm and was flung backwards a few kilometers. However, I failed to account Gal`Gazur which was underground. It showed itself underneath and casted . (A/N: is like a Dragon Knight¡¯s roar in nature.) I took full damage upon its skill. I failed to fully comprehend the situation and forgot Gal`Gazur. This was the result of my lack of awareness. Thanks to my equipment and Heroic stats, I only took 64,487 damage. Imagine if I was hit by a skill like that with only the clothes I wore initially. I would be mincemeat. I landed on the Castle¡¯s courtyard. Upon on impact, a large crater was formed below me. The full plate was still undamaged upon receiving direct hit of the skill, truly amazing indeed. I only have around 42,000 hp left with two calamities critically wounded and two calamities still at full health, this is bad. The Darwinius Kingdom¡¯ supreme holy knights are no use. Even though they are at S rank, they can¡¯t do shit to the calamities. I stood up and mustered my strength. I rushed to the battlefield again. The Lich was now inside the Kingdom and the Giant is almost near the Castle. Gal`Gazur is nowhere to be found even if I used . I leaped towards the Giant and slashed my sword overhead. The [Godlike] Heaven¡¯s Wrath Long Sword was brimming with power; I used my momentum to strike the Giant with full strength. The Giant was fully aware of my presence and blocked my attack with his mace. I continued striking the Giant with the sword and he kept blocking it. The sound of the two weapons clashing created small shockwaves around us. I backed off a few steps and casted a spell. ¡°!!¡± The Giant blocked the skill with his mace. He staggered after blocking the skill; I used this opportunity to follow up another skill. I dashed forward and used, ¡°!!!¡± Instead of my fists, the skill activated on the sword. I leaped forward and stabbed the Giant¡¯s belly. Smoke surrounded me as the aftermath of the skill was explosive in nature. After the smoke subsided, the Giant was torn to half with its hp depleted. I looked up and the Dragon casted a skill, . My instincts kicked in and I unconsciously casted a defensive barrier in response. ¡° but little did I know, another skill was hurdling towards me. The Lich casted amounting to six spears in total. (A/N: is a skill that forms the Abyss cores into spears, accumulating the explosive power to the tip which results to double the damage it can inflict.) If I lower my barrier to block the , would fry me from the skies. So therefore, I leaped sideways to evade both skills. However, this too was accounted by the calamities. Gal`Gazur rose from the ground and casted . This is it, I¡¯m dead. I¡¯m mincemeat. Then suddently, a white shield shaped like a Kite appeared beside me. It completely blocked the . I looked around and saw Braun Halvenworn III. ¡°Are you okay, Aerius?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Definitely not fine. My ass is being kicked right now. ¡°The army saw your valiant fight against the calamities. It is sad that we can¡¯t help you, we¡¯re too occupied fighting the small enemy units attacking the capital.¡± There were also skeleton knights, skeleton mages, bone wolves and other dark units that accompanied the calamities. ¡°That is fine. Thank you for your assistance. If your shield wasn¡¯t there, I would have died.¡± ¡°You are worth more than the whole army, please take care of yourself.¡± After that small conversation, Braun went back to command his men. ¡° ¡± Power surged through my body. I felt like the most powerful entity in this world right now. I kicked the ground and flew through the battlefield. The Lich was completely taken off-guard by my speed. Our distance was 10 kilometers or so, but I appeared behind him mid-air after 3 or 4 seconds after. I swung my sword to the Lich¡¯s back. The sword penetrated through the Lich¡¯s defensive barrier, I could feel it slicing many layers. It finally connected to the Lich but his staff already blocked my sword. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.The Lich was flung few meters away. ¡°¡± Due to the Lich¡¯s state, he took full direct contact of the skill. The Lich wailed in pain. Gal`Gazur appeared behind me, few kilometers away and used the same skill. ¡°¡± ¡°Not this time, you fucking worm. ¡± As soon as the skill hit the barrier, I immediately used the chain skill. ¡°TAKE THIS! !!!¡± Gal`Gazur was smarter than I thought. After using the skill, he immediately burrowed underground to evade the chain skill. During that time, the Lich casted an offensive spell. ¡°¡± The staff transformed into a large scythe with a skull on the tip, it brims with deathly aura. Just by seeing it, my danger senses spiked up. ¡°I must not be hit by that scythe¡­¡± The Lich swung the scythe with incredible speed. I parried the scythe with my sword. However, I was pushed a few steps behind. And like the Lich¡¯s new skill was not enough, the Dragon regenerated the lost wing and is now flying towards us. It casted another spell in its arsenal. ¡°¡± I figured that it was similar to my skill because this calamity¡¯s profession was the same as mine. As to defend it, I used . The Lich also attacked from the other side. It swept the scythe sideways. In this case, on my left is the Dragon Calamity¡¯s and on my right is the Lich¡¯s . Such a perfect scenario, isn¡¯t it? The was blocked by the and the was parried by the [Godlike] Heaven¡¯s Wrath Long Sword. I seized this opportunity to execute the Lich with one last strike. ¡° ¡± With these two combination skills, I intend to deliver a fatal blow to end the Lich¡¯s existence. In split second, I appeared beside the Lich. I swung it horizontally to slice the Lich in half. I felt the lightning penetrate to the Lich¡¯s armor. The sword sliced through the calamity¡¯s body. The Lich wailed more in pain. It swung the as a counterattack but it was ineffective. The sword dispelled the skill and it was gone in a blink of an eye. The Lich was gone. Out of the four calamities that attacked the Kingdom, only two remained. Behind me, the Dragon Calamity transformed into a human-like figure. He became a draconian wearing crimson red armor and a sword that resembles a dragon¡¯s tail. (A/N: A Draconian is a being that is similar to humans. Retaining a dragon¡¯s head, the wings disappear and the dragon¡¯s tail becomes the weapon.) I gazed my sight upon the calamity in front of me. ¡°It is I, Dragovus the Fire Dragon Calamity, Ruler of the Skies, surrender and your death shall be quick.¡± His aura seemed to change. I used again to confirm my suspicions. --- Name: Dragovus Profession: Dragon Knight Origin: Dragon¡¯s Nest Title: Ruler of the Sky Age: ?? Race: Dragon Level: 915 Rank: SSS+ --- My eyes widened in disbelief. Just by transforming into a draconian form, his level changed and his rank increased! It also appears that Dragovus has his health at full again. With my current health at around 42,000, I may have difficulty in engaging him. ¡°Kneel before me, puny human. I may consider and make you my servant.¡± I raised my eyebrow. That¡¯s it, this guy is definitely going to die. ¡° ¡± Without any hesitation, I appeared behind him and swung my sword overhead, down to the ground. Surprisingly, Dragovus evaded it by tumbling forward. The sword hit the ground and a fissure about 10 meters long was made. Without stopping my assault, I continued to attack. I dashed forward and slashed Dragovus vertically from the leg up to his chest. He parried my attack by striking downwards. I used the momentum to flip my body and launched a kick towards his face. ¡°¡± I thought it will be a full direct hit, judging from the speed my kick was delivered, but it was not. Dragovus blocked my kick with his folded arm. The damage was lessened but he still obtained damage. He may have thought that it was just a simple kick but he didn¡¯t expect that it would release an enormous lightning bolt upon impact. Dragovus was blown about three miles away, his right left arm was gone, and he was bleeding profusely. His morale was unwavered, and continued to fight. Two overlapping magic circles formed in front of him. ¡° ¡± As per usual, I casted my defensive spell. ¡°¡± Dragovus continuously casted both of his skills. I can feel the barrier vibrating upon receiving damage. However, it will not falter. The dual-cast lasted for about 10 seconds. As soon it was done, I casted . The ground in front of me was scraped off by a large amount. A large crater was made on where Dragovus was. I thought he was disintegrated by my skill but thanks to my , I sensed his presence above me. I immediately casted another again. His dragon tail sword repelled upon impact to my barrier. Clearly, he did not expect that I would sense his attack. ¡° ¡± As Dragovus was in mid-air, I dispelled my barrier and quickly appeared above him. My sword enveloped in lightning, swung down to his body. I could see his flesh ripping apart as the lightning bolts tear his body completely. I landed safely on the ground. With my health remaining at around 42,000 and my mana almost depleted, I search for the remaining calamity, Gal`Gazur. I felt the ground shake and concluded immediately that it was none other than that worm. I leaped above and decided to kill it. Gal`Gazur popped out of the ground covered in whirling sands. ¡°!!¡± As the shield receive the full impact of Gal`Gazur, I quickly used my trump card. ¡°!!¡± Golden light exploded in front of Gal`Gazur. The skill directly hit the worm. I was flung away by a few meters due to the explosion. Gal`Gazur curled itself into a circle on the ground. I checked my status window. My mana was now depleted. I intend to chop off this stupid worm¡¯s head to ensure death. I walked towards it and a bewitching aura struck my skin. As the black magic circle formed beneath me, I fell to my knees in despair. The circle was so large; it might surpass the size of a baseball stadium. I looked above and saw the one responsible for the summoning of this circle. It was the Demon Lord Kaibaruth. ¡°¡± Chains surrounded me and restricted my whole body. ¡°It is a pity that you killed four of my allies. Now you shall reap what you sow¡± I could do nothing but glare at him. Due to the battle earlier, my strength was completely lost and my mana depleted. ¡°I was planning to use this to the goddess but nonetheless, you are a hindrance like her.¡± The black magic circle beneath me glowed with more intensity. ¡°Rejoice, oh great Hero. You shall now experience firsthand a forbidden spell used to kill a goddess itself.¡± ¡°!!!¡± Shadows forming thousands of tentacles dragged me down. I could feel my vision dimming. What a joy, I get to experience death two times. But before I was completely submerged, a golden bright light came down from the sky.