Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The ultimate Fist of Dominance pierced through the air.

The ground around was completely overturned, and a beam of light shot through the sky.

It was the essence of the Black Celestial Demon Emperor Technique, reaching its climax.

It was as if a meteor shower had collided with the earth.

The dust rising from the ground obscured the air.

But then…

“Hmm.”

A heavy groan escaped from the lips of the Dark Emperor.

Everything was supposed to be perfect…

Throb!

Why then was there pain in the fist that had just attacked?

‘Could it be broken…?’

He had shattered the numerous tendrilled branches, but the moment his fist touched the main body, everything went wrong.

…It was incredibly hard.

Even eternal steel could not compare.

No matter how much internal power he poured into it, he did not think he could break through the outer shell—not even the slightest bit.

“Human. Not too bad for a bunch of insects.”

Shub-Niggurath lightly moved his body.

And then.

Boom!

With a massive roar, the Dark Emperor disappeared from the spot.

Crash! Boom! Bang! Boom!

The Dark Emperor’s body, flung across the city like a twig, shattered buildings in its wake.

It was impossible to gauge how far he had been flung.

“Gngh!”

Witnessing the terrifying blow, Theresa quickly invoked ‘Stars’ Call.’

Countless constellations started to fall to the ground once again.

“A woman who manipulates divine power this time? Trivial. Far too trivial.”

Shub-Niggurath looked up above his head.

Hehehehe!

Maniacal laughter sounded as purple magic circles emerged from the branches.

And in that moment…

“This can’t… be possible.”

Shock trembled through Theresa’s pupils.

They vanished.

The meteors just ceased to be, evaporated from the sky as if they had never existed.

“With such trivial amounts of divine power… You thought to purify me?”

[Shub-Niggurath has activated ‘Ancient Language’!]

A brilliance far different from Theresa’s divine power formed.

“This… This is what you call divine power…”

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

“Ah…”

A short sigh leaked from Theresa.

Despair was inevitable.

Everything she had built up until now had been denied.

At the same time.

A colossal pillar of light struck where Theresa stood.

If she took it head on…

She would not survive.

[Theresa activates ‘Corruption’!]

Theresa burned all the remaining magical power she had.

Her snow-white armor stained black.

The holy aura became sultry and corrupted.

“You fool! What were you thinking, calling such a power against this kind of opponent!”

Corrupted Theresa shouted at the incoming light, screaming in despair.

There had been many reckless invocations by her original personality, but she had never faced such a preposterous situation before.

“I’m, I’m sorry.”

“Forget it! What more can I expect from an idiot who can’t even speak up to the man she loves!”

A strange scene unfolded as the same person yelled and apologized in two different voices.

Thankfully, by using Corruption, all her stats had skyrocketed.

Maybe now she might be able to survive this.

The swords in Theresa’s hands, filled with a sanguine aura, were grasped with both hands.

“Here I go!”

And she slashed horizontally at the oncoming light.

***

The clash of two massive forces.

Ssssshh!

The opposition of their powers reshaped the urban landscape even through the briefest of contacts.

“Hah… Hah… Hah…”

Theresa gazed down at her armor, now ragged like a torn cloth.

She had managed to evade the attack, but continuing the fight was impossible.

All magic power inside her had been depleted.

An overwhelmingly superior power that shattered all conventional wisdom.

This is the divine might found on the 50th floor.

‘As expected, ordinary means are futile.’

Jinhyuk gritted his teeth.

He hadn’t expected his teacher and Theresa to fall so helplessly.

He thought they would have lasted at least a minute, but…

If it came to this, even the unique stellar lance that Ellis was preparing might prove ineffective.

While Jinhyuk considered countless possibilities…

“My Lord! Danger is upon us!”

Yeoul’s urgent cry pierced his eardrums.

Shub-Niggurath was already heading towards Jinhyuk, hunting for new prey.

As the immense body moved, buildings began to crumble under its weight.

Yeoul activated her Shadow Extreme Murder and stood in front of Jinhyuk, spreading a barrier of swords.

Whoosh!

The swords danced wildly in the air, deflecting the concrete debris plummeting toward Jinhyuk.

“What are you dazing for? If we just stand here, we’ll all die! If you need time to stall, just say something. I’ll do what I can.”

Cheon Yuseong also drew his sword beside Jinhyuk.

Normally, even though he complained coldly, in times like this, he was a reliable swordsman indeed.

Jinhyuk glanced at Ellis.

She was concentrating with her eyes tightly shut.

The distinct pattern of the Ataraxia shining on the red javelin.

It wouldn’t be long before it was ready to unleash its formidable power.

“Digging deeper only quickens the pace. How can you… avoid it all?”

“You saying that to me?”

“I’m worried, not doubting you.”

“Don’t do anything stupid and get yourself killed. I haven’t been training this whole time just to be defeated by something like that.”

Cheon Yuseong spat out coldly.

“Right, right. With our noble Sword Saint here, what is there to fear?”

Jinhyuk forced a smile.

“My Lord. I will ensure both gentlemen can go deep inside.”

Yeoul stood between the two men, her sword sheathed.

“Kieeeek!”

“Kekekeke!”

The laughing branches closed in little by little.

Just facing this relentless adversary instilled fear.

To be honest, even scratching this monster seemed impossible.

And now, they had to dive right into it, the pressure crushing them.

It goes without saying, they didn’t need to fight to win.

Survival was the top priority.

’30 minutes… and then the gate will close again.’

That was the maximum duration Shub-Niggurath could stay in this realm.

Of course, in 30 minutes he could turn the entire world to ashes.

“Yeoul.”

“Yes, Lord. I shall commence now.”

Yeoul reached out and grabbed the collars of Jinhyuk and Cheon Yuseong.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Multiple purple magic circles emerged from the branches, signaling the beginning of a carpet bombing.

Boom!

Boom!

The craters formed wherever they landed.

If even brushed by them… it would be the end.

But at the moment when the beam of light was about to engulf them all…

[Yeoul activates her exclusive skill ‘Shadow Extreme Murder’!]

Shadows connected to shadows.

Suddenly, the scenery changed.

They appeared amidst the branches.

Right within Shub-Niggurath’s embrace.

“My Lord! Now is the time!”

Yeoul used her body as a stepping stone.

Thump!

They launched themselves forward using Yeoul’s body, maximizing their acceleration.

Jinhyuk and Cheon Yuseong charged forward in a split second and swung their swords.

Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!

The Fourfold Sword expanded and scraped the sides of the branches.

“Kieeeek!”

Fluid splattered everywhere.

“You gnats!”

In an instant, Shub-Niggurath responded.

Dozens of branches came from the left, not following any pattern, perfectly blocking any escape or viable direction to move, closing in on them.

“Left side!”

“I know!”

Jinhyuk twisted away from the laser beams approaching from the right.

Cheon Yuseong also managed to deflect the flashes coming from the opposite direction.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The swords darted in every direction, and bullets from Krueger made wind holes in the connections of the branches.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The heart raced insanely fast.

Every sense in the body was sharpened to the point of burning. With that, Chuhyeongeom’s form refined even more.

One stroke.

Two strokes.

And then three.

The two swords felt each other’s breath and became unified into one attack.

[Battlefield selection.]

A familiar imagery appeared, one they had experienced numerous times.

The realm only the strongest players could reach.

This is…

A new world that has been transformed.

[The world of ‘Players’…]

Well, he believed it had changed.

Crack!

Snap!

Cracks spider-webbed through the imagery world that was appearing.

Pieces fell like broken glass.

“An amusing trick.”

Shub-Niggurath’s form could be seen.

This time, the very existence of the battlefield selection was denied.

Just like with Theresa, Shub-Niggurath activated the ability to materialize imagination.

“Not yet, not yet.”

Jinhyuk unhesitatingly used his second card.

Exclusive ability ‘Ancient Barrier’ and various runes disorderly sprang up.

The Zodiac.

It was the most powerful ability of a barrier master, having faced countless strong opponents.

Whooooom!

[The Zodiac ‘Aquarius’ has been unlocked!]

The stars above formed a constellation.

Aquarius, responsible for delusions and hallucinations, held the domain of sorcery affecting the senses.

But…

“Didn’t I tell you? No matter how much… You struggle… And resist… It’s useless.”

Even those stars lost their light.

The sky began to darken as if dyed in pitch black.

Battlefield selection.

Even the highest barrier, the Zodiac, was ineffective.

Before Shub-Niggurath, these abilities were nothing more than parlor tricks.

At that moment…

“It’s ready!”

Ellis shouted.

She had been gathering magic power and preparing her ultimate move.

The perfectly formed red javelin flew through the air, as if awaiting this moment.

Fwoooosh!

Eleven sonic booms ripped the clouds apart.

Everyone’s attention was on Jinhyuk and Cheon Yuseong, which allowed for a surprise attack.

“Keeeaaack!”

“Kraaack!”

The javelin tore through the branches and finally reached Shub-Niggurath’s main body.

But.

That was it.

[Shub-Niggurath invokes ‘Ancient Time’!]

A black windstorm raged, and all life touched by the smoke perished.

It was no exception for Ellis’s exclusive holy lance.

The javelin thinned and then vanished entirely.

“The game ends here, mortals.”

Everything was rendered into nothingness.

The burning city and the accumulating corpses.

There was no method to block it.

No means to resist.

“Gang… Jinhyuk.”

“My Lord!”

Cheon Yuseong and Yeoul’s voices faded.

“Ah…”

Even Ellis let out a sigh of despair and fear.

And so…

A world proclaimed its end.

***

“How boring.”

Shub-Niggurath muttered in a disinterested voice amidst the ruined landscape.

No more lives to take.

But then…

“…!?”

The face of the ancient deity, which had been without emotion…

For the first time, showed a change.

“…How is this possible?”

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!

Report chapter

Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter