Chapter 239
Chapter 239
Chapter 239
Heaven's Fall (4)
The lich who introduced himself as Aubesl Carsian was definitely a magician of higher rank than Caslay Lichmond.
He managed to hold out for a full 10 minutes, even while being attacked by both Gray and Elvin.
-Aaah! Let me go! You damn bastards!
Still, it was only because they were going easy on him to avoid collateral damage. If they had seriously beaten him down, the fight would have been decided in 1 minute, not 10.
-Why are you trying to commit suicide like that! I believed that someone of your level would at least realize to some extent what the power of the heavenly realm is like!
"No, I'm trying to learn enough about it, so why are you so desperately trying to stop me?"
-As a senior, shouldn't I stop talented juniors from going to their deaths!
"......"
His personality itself doesn't seem bad, but his thinking... seems to be quite stuck in a 'mold.'
"Honestly, in that state, isn't it about time you just stepped aside?"
-......
At Gray's pointed remark, Aubesl's mouth naturally closed.
Although his Life Force Vessel hadn't been shattered, Aubesl had become a skeleton with only his head remaining, reduced to just chattering his teeth.
"No matter how many times you regenerate, the result will be the same. So just quietly step aside."
This guy named Aubesl Carsian was someone whose name I never heard in the original .
In other words, he must be someone who stayed stuck in this place until the end, even if not exactly a nobody that Rudian couldn't remember.
-If you truly wish to cross the Astral Gate and go to the heavenly realm...!
What, are you saying to step over your corpse?
-I will go with you...!
Huh?
Suddenly?
-You must know that the end of this world is approaching soon, given your level.
"That's right?"
-Even so, the fact that you're going to the heavenly realm means you're going to make futile struggles to somehow stop that end.
"...Can I hit him some more?"
At Gray's chilling tone, Rudian replied indifferently.
"You're going to hit him anyway without me saying anything."
True to those words, Gray was already putting Iron Claws on his fingers and approaching the skull.
-W-wait! Listen to the whole story before you act!
"Say it briefly."
-I can be of help! I can help you on your journey!
"...You?"
Disbelief immediately appeared on the faces of the entire party.
-What, what's with those expressions?
"I acknowledge that you have decent skills, but... at best you'd be at the level of tripping up one lower god, yet you say you can help?"
The heavenly realm is ultimately the gods' home ground.
Even a mongrel is strong in front of its own house - the strength of gods who aren't bound by causality constraints isn't something that can be dealt with by mere 9th class level.
-A-ahem! You know well. No, you know that well yet you're going to the heavenly realm?
"The story seems to be going in circles, can I get rid of him now?"
-W-w-wait! Return! When you return!
"......?"
-When you fail in your task and have to flee, or when you fall into a trap and your retreat is blocked, I can help you!
"Is that possible?"
Rudian and Gray expressed doubt.
For the party to fall into a trap would presuppose being trapped by divine authority or supreme sacred barriers at the very least... Can you break through that?
-Of course it would be difficult with my power alone. But....
CRACK! CRACKLE!
Suddenly, light began pouring from the eyes of Aubesl, who had only his head remaining.
And at the same time, tremendous magic power began gathering toward his head.
'What's he doing now?'
An operation where he doesn't think about restoring his body, but simply gathers magic in his head.
But Aubesl's skull, which had been white, suddenly began shining silver and transforming like steel!
'...Huh?'
I understand what that phenomenon is intellectually, but I can't accept it rationally.
"Is, is he crazy? Why is he doing such a thing!"
Gray must have noticed it too, as he glared at Aubesl with a dumbfounded look.
Eventually, Aubesl, now completely a silver head, approached Rudian and said:
-This dungeon is my domain, a place where 'Absolute Fixation' is deployed... If I also fix myself there and thoroughly concentrate my power... I might even be able to break through divine authority. Of course, only once....
"Are you insane?"
Rudian was shocked by what Aubesl had done.
He had just completely given up control of his physical body and turned himself into an 'artifact'!
-Haha, the end is approaching soon anyway, so I can't ascend to godhood by doing anything more here. In that case... it's better to stab those bastards at least once like this.
The lament of the great magician mixed with self-mockery and despair.
"Bro, it really... seems like it might be possible?"
Gray, who had been mulling over Aubesl's words, turned his gaze this way.
"Of course, it's insufficient to break through a supreme god's authority, but if we add just a little more power, it might somehow be possible."
"......"
If Gray says so, then it must be true, but....
'Something seems a bit suspicious though.'
No matter what, can someone sacrifice themselves like that upon first meeting?
It was something Rudian simply couldn't understand.
Then Gray quietly approached and whispered in Rudian's ear.
"It doesn't really matter, does it? Even if that bastard is thinking of backstabbing us, he doesn't know we have the Seven-Colored World."
"That's certainly true."
"And anyway, as long as Rebecca is here... whatever that bastard tries to do is impossible."
True to these words, that guy's essence is a 'lich' who handles magic.
No matter how 9th class he might be, a guy who's at best lower demon king level couldn't shake off Rebecca's dominance.
"And I'm also somewhat interested in that guy's magic system. Hehe...."
"......"
Rudian momentarily felt sympathy for Aubesl.
Drawing the interest of Gray, who could be called the God of Magic, was evidence that his magic system was quite advanced, but....
'Before long, all his resources will be completely stripped.'
Even if it's only once, being able to break through barriers was worth something equivalent to a mythic-grade artifact.
Well, since he wants to come along, I'll take him with us, but... it's questionable whether he'll survive to the end in the heavenly realm.
***
"Ah, so that's what happened."
Though he was curious about why a lich harboring evil magic existed in the heavenly realm, Siniel nodded in understanding after hearing Rudian's explanation.
"Beings from the lower realm challenging the heavenly realm happens about once every few hundred years, so it's not that strange."
"Do you know this guy?"
Aubesl, who had become an ego-type artifact, was entrusted to Rebecca.
"No?"
TREMBLE!
I can feel the guy shaking with anger at Siniel's blunt denial.
But what can be done? He's probably repeating 'I'm screwed' to himself right now.
Rebecca's existence with the Red World was indeed cheat-level.
Anyway, once the story about Aubesl ended, what remained was the important plan - the story about Heaven's Fall.
"Currently, each of the archangels is gathering troops ready to mobilize at any time for the 'plan.'"
"There's no way the gods wouldn't notice the large-scale movement of angels, right?"
As if Rudian's point was valid, Siniel nodded.
"The Pantheon is surprisingly a transcendent place where the powers of all kinds of divine beings are concentrated, so detecting external movements is difficult even for gods."
Siniel suddenly let out a cold sneer.
"As long as they don't come out of the Pantheon."
"Hmm...."
It seemed too sloppy, but honestly, gods coming out of the Pantheon was truly rare.
It's like the mindset of 'outside the blanket is dangerous'...
In paradise where all comfortable environments are fully prepared, there's no one who would want to go out on their own unless it's for some significant matter.
"Still, we have prepared some justification and excuses. Under the pretext of joint heavenly realm training, the absolutely neutral Scribe Metatron has participated, so there should be almost no suspicion."
"...Certainly."
Metatron is special.
Since Genesis, he has never taken any side even once, so if he stepped forward, there would be almost no gods suspicious of this situation.
"Lord Metatron decided to join this matter on the condition of releasing the three goddesses of fate from confinement."
Though they were different races, they were no different from direct descendants of the Creator God, so the three goddesses and Metatron could be called siblings.
"Furthermore, Archangel Michael has requested that when the plan begins, he will handle the 'irregulars' that will exist in the Creator God's temple, and if battles break out with multiple beings of the Seven Great God level, he will take on one of them."
"What can we obtain in return?"
"Anything. He said he's prepared to give anything as long as it's not related to the angels' safety."
"......!"
It seemed Michael harbored more venom than expected.
No matter what, to say he'd give anything....
'There's absolutely no way that would happen.'
Even if the gods are driven out, that's not the end.
If the numerous divine powers that composed the heavenly realm's ecosystem disappear, the ecosystem of the angels, who are creations, will also become extremely unstable.
Even preparing for that time, saying he'd give everything was absolutely a proposal that shouldn't be made.
'He might be planning to... dispose of us after use.'
If it were the honest Uriel, I wouldn't know, but Michael, who must take responsibility for all angels, and Gabriel, who backstabbed us without any hesitation, are definitely people to be wary of.
"And... though it's not quite on the level of the Seven-Colored World, the heavenly realm's treasury is full of mythic-grade weapons used by ancient gods. Managing those is under Archangel Uriel's jurisdiction, so how about stopping there first?"
"No, it's fine."
"......!"
Siniel's eyes widened at Rudian's unexpected refusal.
"We'll obtain the equipment we'll use directly from now on. That should be fine, right?"
"...That doesn't particularly matter, but... not the heavenly realm's treasury, so where on earth...."
Grin!
"We'll handle that ourselves. Just please make us a pass or something so that angels or divine beasts can't harm us wherever we go."
Though Siniel was puzzled by Rudian's words, a request was still a request.
Siniel handed Rudian a divine item that Michael had prepared in advance.
This pass, which allowed entry to all areas of the heavenly realm except the Pantheon, had value that could truly be called priceless.
'Heh, hehehe....'
Rudian smiled sinisterly without Siniel noticing.
'Anyway, the equipment in the heavenly realm's treasury are all trap cards.'
The angels don't know, but all the mythic-grade equipment that high-level gods and above had equipped in the past had massive seals or restrictions placed on them to prevent theft.
Moreover, the ones that seemed somewhat useful were all 'bound items' that only the owner could use.
'Well, they gladly opened the treasury knowing that....'
In the original, Abel's party also celebrated thinking they had robbed the heavenly realm's treasury, only to get caught by all kinds of trap cards and actually suffer in reverse, right?
But that wasn't something that applied to Rudian and his companions.
"A delightful farming time has arrived"
"...What?"
"Oh, it's nothing."
The first priority upon arriving in the heavenly realm.
That was to sweep up all the mythic-grade weapons of the protagonist party that appear frequently in Chapter 4!
'What? Surely these people are benefactors who came to help us....'
Looking at Rudian, who seemed happy as he waved his hand like that... Siniel felt a strange sense of unease.
'Why does he look like a thief planning to steal everything?'