Chapter 157
Chapter 157
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 157
Chapter Title: The Stolen Lightning
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* * *
"You're fighting alone again."
Soma gazed up at the distant sky.
A dice-shaped structure stretching 40 km was visible, with the heavens and earth warping grotesquely around it.
It was a battle that could shatter heaven and earth.
Even Soma's Vajra Indestructibility made him think twice about entering.
But she didn't seem to share that view.
"Miss Yeonsi, that place is as dangerous as any hell realm."
"I know."
"You're still going?"
"No one else can go there but me. Besides..."
Yeonsi lifted her head with determination.
"Oppa is fighting up there."
Flutter—
Ha Yeonsi's pristine white single wing unfurled.
[Angel's Wing Manifestation applied. High-Speed Flight (S+) activated.]
Her body shot toward the site of the fierce battle.
Blasting thunderbolts, pillars of fire, and the aftershocks of countless skills and weapons made it impossible for her to fly straight.
Soon, her angel avatar appeared, fluffy like a ball of cotton.
- Dangerous. Not yet.
"What do you mean not yet? I'm going. No matter what!"
Ha Yeonsi fixed the angel with a resolute gaze.
"Help me."
- ……
The hesitant fluffball glowed faintly.
[Avatar 'Angel ???(?)' will assist in all processes per Ha Yeonsi's will.]
[Angel Incarnation (SSS) borrows the angel's authority.
- Uriel takes interest.
- Unique defense skill 'Uriel's Cliff' generated.]
A transparent, rock-like barrier formed around the flying Ha Yeonsi.
It was sturdy enough that even Cluesti's blind thunderbolts only made it shake briefly.
"Good. Thank you!"
- Be careful.
She entered the apocalyptic interior of the die and beheld an astonishing sight.
A beautifully unfurled silver fortress.
A red-haired archangel screaming with veins bulging in her neck, endless barrages and salvos firing nonstop.
Asura King and Cluesti reenacting a mythic clash.
And Ju Gonghyeok advancing into the fray.
Seeing his back, she shouted.
"Oppa—! I'm coming to help you now!"
The die's interior was filled with flames, thinning the very air.
Somehow her voice reached him, and Ju Gonghyeok glanced back.
He hurled something toward her.
Thud!
Piercing her barrier, a child landed in her arms.
It was Imir, the frost giant who had entered with Ju Gonghyeok.
"He says take me and get out."
Imir relayed the message with innocent eyes.
Ha Yeonsi shouted again.
"Oppa, but!"
"Don't interfere. This is my fight."
A small shadow formed by her ear, conveying his voice.
"Ha Yeonsi, don't get cocky just because you're a bit stronger now. If you're there, neither I nor Azazel can fight all out."
"……"
"I'll win no matter what. You doubt me?"
A man who could accomplish anything.
That was Ju Gonghyeok in Ha Yeonsi's mind.
His confidence in victory left no room for doubt.
"……Got it. I believe in you, Oppa."
She vanished from the die.
Ju Gonghyeok said to Azazel.
"Azazel, the interloper's gone."
"Got it, human!"
Kreeeeaaak!
Cluesti's scythe slashed, tearing the Asura King's body like paper.
[Asura King (SS) third ability 'Law of Immortality' activated!]
The Asura King, an embodiment of yin-yang elements and part of the great universe, pathetically regenerated using its own power.
Azazel lost her temper at it blundering in front and getting shredded again.
"Hey! Asura whatever! Just get lost already! You're in the way; I can't aim!"
= Grr, you angel bitch! Where'd you learn to talk like that! You haven't landed a proper hit anyway!
Azazel's face hardened at the Asura King's retort.
"Fine. You pathetic god. Get beat or don't."
"Azazel! You know it! There's only one way to damage that thing!"
"Yeah!"
[Fortress 'Egridori' scaled down to 15 km!]
[Fortress components converted to holy power!]
[Additional holy power focused on photon batteries!]
Light orbs formed on the photon batteries.
The plan between Azazel and Ju Gonghyeok was simple.
Cluesti's stats and traits were too overwhelming; curses didn't work, and attacks missed.
With this lineup, there was only one way to damage Cluesti.
An omnidirectional assault enveloping the entire die.
[Photon mana cannon charge at 76%, over limit output 16%!]
[Photon reaction accelerated!]
The photon batteries emitted hotter light than before.
Pillars of fire from twenty batteries whipped around like lashes, enveloping the die in a hurricane.
"Cluuuueeestiii! Eat this one more time!"
"Oh dear, that does sting a bit. But twice is your limit, right? What will you do next?"
"Dieeeee!"
The die filled with blinding radiance.
Light of destruction containing energy and heat to disintegrate anything.
The storm of light once again illuminated the entire 39st floor.
"Die! Die! Die! Dieeeee!"
"Hahaha, Lady Azazel. You lose all dignity once you get into a fight."
"I'll regain my dignity after smashing you!"
As soon as the barrage began, Ju Gonghyeok entered Azazel's fortress.
The Asura King hurriedly crammed itself into the fortress as the storm of light erupted.
Seeing the massive Asura King, Ju Gonghyeok spoke up.
"Asura King, I have a great way to beat Cluesti."
= What is it! Tell me now!
"First, we steal its thunder ability. How about it?"
= Then steal it!
Ju Gonghyeok pretended to ponder the Asura King's straightforward response.
"To do that, I need to borrow your power, Asura King."
= No!
Disgust bloomed in the Asura King's six eyes as it glared at the tiny human.
= I am Asura! Denier of all, eternal struggler! Darkness of the cosmos, shatterer of light and equilibrium! No one can bind me!
The Asura King leaped out of the fortress in one bound.
"Fine. Then..."
Splurt!
Lucifer's wings stabbed into the Asura King's back.
Ju Gonghyeok's decisive betrayal.
"If you won't give it, I'll take it! You three-headed freak!"
= Ack! Urk! Kreuk!
The Asura King's three heads screeched shrilly.
White angel wings sprouted amid the demonic wings.
[Sephirot stage 4 Netzach fully opened for 120 seconds.]
[All stats increased by 50!]
[Sephirot stage 4 Haniel's authority 'Love' activated!]
[Archangel Haniel's authority nullifies 『Asura King Pavajiti』's mental defenses!]
"GM! Vulcanus! Crush it!"
[Initiating forced authority expansion.]
= Intrusion commencing.
[Two Gods United.]
[Game Master(?) - Destruction Engine God Vulcanus (SS+).]
[Composite skill 「Digital Hacking」.]
= Grk, grrrk.
The Asura King's six pupils rolled back.
The Lucifer wings embedded in its back writhed unnaturally.
[Barrier algorithm analyzed, breached.]
= 8th mental barrier breached. Routes 0427, 5011, 9915. Deep consciousness rewritten.
[Ability authority acquired. Transfer to user Ju Gonghyeok complete.]
Kwaaaaaang!
The fortress walls crumbled, debris raining on Ju Gonghyeok's head.
Ignoring the metal chunk smacking his head, he extended his right arm.
Kagagak!
Cluesti's scythe sliced through his prosthetic arm.
"Hahahahaha! What are you doing playing alone over there! Ju Gonghyeok! Was that declaration to shorten me just empty bluster? Hahahaha!"
Cluesti had finally breached and shattered the fortress.
"Pavajiti, bite."
= Raaargh!
The hacked Asura King lunged at Ju Gonghyeok's command like a mad beast.
Cluesti burst into mad laughter and leaped.
"First Nephilim Legion! Charge!"
Above Cluesti, enraged Azazel and her Nephilim stood arrayed.
At Azazel's command, steel angels that had beheaded countless celestial knights surged toward Cluesti.
But they stood no chance against the Cluesti who had endlessly crushed these steel angels in the past.
Pzzzt!
Massive thunderbolts erupted, simply disassembling the Nephilim's limbs, which rained onto the fortress.
As they kept getting wrecked, Azazel grabbed Ju Gonghyeok's collar.
"Hey, you damn human! All you do is talk big—what are you doing! Do something quick!"
"Already did."
"What?"
Pzzzzzzzzzt!
Ju Gonghyeok's prosthetic arm, where Cluesti's scythe had struck, spewed brilliant blue thunderbolts.
[Special buff 'Cluesti's Incarnation' reconfiguration complete.]
[『Asura King Pavajiti』 third ability 'Eightfold Gourd' activated.]
[Special buff 'Cluesti's Incarnation' applied.]
[Special buff 'Cluesti's Incarnation' applied.]
[Special buff 'Cluesti's Incarnation' applied.]
[Special buff 'Cluesti's Incarnation' applied...]
The Asura King's third ability, Eightfold Gourd, stacked the same skill eight times.
Stacking the special coin buff 'Cluesti's Incarnation' implanted in Ju Gonghyeok eightfold visibly weakened the lightning of its origin, Cluesti.
"Took it. Your lightning."
"Excellent! Well done, human!"
Azazel charged at Cluesti the moment she finished speaking.
"Egridori! Deploy central crossfire!"
[15 km fortress Egridori, form change!]
[Fortress center: 4800 holy lances, 4800 holy flame altars concentrated!]
Nine thousand six hundred of Azazel's holy armaments encircled Cluesti.
"Wow."
"Eat thissss!"
A salvo of holy power erupted from the fortress center.
And Cluesti was...
Atop the charging Azazel's head.
"Lady Azazel, have you forgotten my authority?"
"Damn."
"There's a limit to charging in blindly."
"You rotten demon. Battle means not knowing what'll happen until it's over. Even if it's useless..."
Kwang!
Azazel's body bounced like a rubber ball, slamming into Ju Gonghyeok's side.
"...even knowing it's useless, if you lose momentum, there's no chance for reversal!"
Azazel rose and thrust her spear at Cluesti, who was tearing into the Asura King again.
Ju Gonghyeok stepped back and shouted to the grappling Azazel.
"Azazel, collapse to Great Battlefield."
"To what scale!"
"3 meters."
Kwaaaaaang!
Azazel got blasted by Cluesti's particle cannon again, crashing beside Ju Gonghyeok.
"Human, I got hit because of you. What nonsense is that? Shrink a 25-kilometer field to 3 meters?"
"Yeah."
"You, me, and Asura whatever crammed in there scrapping with Cluesti?"
Cluesti, Azazel, Asura King, and Ju Gonghyeok in ultra-close-quarters brawl within 3 meters would be quite the sight.
But Ju Gonghyeok shook his head.
"Only I'm going in."
"You damn human—no, Ju Gonghyeok. Don't misunderstand; forcing Cluesti into melee won't guarantee victory."
Azazel bared her teeth, pointing at Cluesti demolishing the fortress batteries.
"That thing's strong up close or at range. Even the real me couldn't promise a one-on-one win. Same for Lord Michael or Lord Metatron. No matter the disadvantage, it knows how to fight without losing. It endures somehow with divine speed."
Cluesti's authority 'Godspeed'.
An ability faster than any being in Babel.
Bluntly put, an authority enforcing the law 'always faster than you.'
Such a cheat ability wouldn't falter in close range.
Puk!
Bluntly, the Asura King's head exploded from Cluesti's roundhouse kick right then.
Splat! Splat! Splat!
The Asura King's mangled faces decorated the ground one after another.
Ju Gonghyeok slowly walked forward and picked up a flap of the Asura King's facial skin.
A yellow, bulging eyeball swiveled around.
Ju Gonghyeok opened his mouth...
Crunch crunch—
He chewed and swallowed the fallen facial skin.
[SS-rank avatar 『Asura King Pavajiti』 bound to Ju Gonghyeok.]
[Remaining avatar slots 7/8.]
Ju Gonghyeok devouring the Asura King.
Cluesti slowly descended before him.
The Four Heavenly Kings' Cluesti brushed dust from his tuxedo and removed his hat.
He bowed deeply to Ju Gonghyeok.
"Ju Gonghyeok, I truly wish to express my gratitude to you."
Amid the refined tuxedo and feigned courtesy bloomed a pure demon's smile.
"I never imagined you'd summon even the archangels and the Lord before your dimension's demise, entertaining me to this extent."