Chapter 335
Chapter 335
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 335
Chapter Title: Bankruptcy (1)
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Kurrrung!
The moment Ialdagols's permission came down, Valhalla's earth shook once more.
A massive surge of energy boiled up from deep underground, rattling the surface.
The bodies of the 100,000 Crystal Ents began glowing blue in unison.
At Queen Sepirina's command, the Crystal Ents trembled as they shed their shells and began evolving.
'It's flowing in. All the memories, minds, souls...'
Queen Sepirina was the first to complete her transformation.
Her enormous body erupted with dazzling platinum light, shooting up into the sky.
Her former form was gone entirely. Transparent, crystalline armor now encased her body, unyielding as diamond, while vast wings of light unfurled from her back.
One flap of those wings warped the space around her, radiating overwhelming pressure.
Her eyes gleamed with cold intellect, locked precisely on the approaching foe—the new evil god.
The defining trait of the Crystal Ents was that the entire origin of their species was stored in the 'Mother Crystal.'
They grew stronger by endlessly accumulating power over time.
And now.
Sepirina had drawn forth the full might of the Mother Crystal.
Her wings beat once more.
Paaaaah—!
A colossal burst of light exploded outward with the motion.
As if in response, the 100,000 Crystal Ents that had finished shedding and evolving underground burst up from the surface.
Kuwa-kuwa-kuwa-kuwa!
The ground split open like an explosion, countless ants surging forth, gleaming like jewels as they scattered into the air.
The light emanating from each one began linking them together, forming a vast network.
These ants' bodies were made of pure crystal. Every time they interlocked, waves of energy echoed across all of Valhalla.
Kurrung!
Tens of thousands of ants moved as one, instantly forming a gigantic barrier.
Gleaming blue crystals wove together in geometric patterns, completely enveloping Valhalla.
It was a fortress of transparent blue crystal.
Sepirina's voice resonated directly into every mind through the crystal walls. It brimmed with confidence and overwhelming dignity.
"Valhalla is a sanctuary no one can invade."
The ants linked together, forming a grand curtain of light.
It exuded a majesty that mere beauty couldn't capture.
This was the true nature of the Crystal Ents.
The strongest race to rule the cosmos as followers of Ialdagols.
Though their universe had perished long ago, leaving no rivals like the Twelve Races.
In other words.
Didn't that prove the Crystal Ents' power was so superior that no such races could survive in their world?
Spirit stones themselves were treated as super-minerals, yet they were merely the Ents' discarded shells.
And even those shells held immense value and mana.
It was then.
Kuwaaaaang!
The evil god's presence could be felt approaching from distant space.
Every star in the Abyss trembled in fear, the starlight itself growing dim.
An overwhelming aura that seemed to devour worlds was closing in rapidly.
Sepirina stared straight ahead without flinching.
Darcan, head of the Sloth Clan, watched the spectacle with intrigued eyes.
When he'd first come for the spirit stones, he'd thought, 'Do I really have to do this myself?'
His clan loved research, after all.
They weren't without experience trading with demon merchants.
But negotiating with other races over the spirit stones had given him a headache.
Among them were the 'Giant Clan' and 'Twilight Clan'—the ones he despised most.
'Greedy bastards.'
Not that a dragon like him had much room to talk, but those two races' greed rivaled the dragons' own.
At least the Star Realm Clan and Kirin Clan pretended to lack it.
With the impending 'Racial War' fallout, they were openly competing now.
Spirit stones.
Needed for rebuilding the Dragon God Temple, but he also had to prevent other races from taking them.
Spirit stones were minerals compressing ultra-high-density mana.
With incredibly complex mana structures, no less.
Weapons made from them could deal fatal blows to dragons.
They twisted the mana emitted from a dragon's heart.
But.
'...Is that the source of the spirit stones?'
The source of the spirit stones had appeared.
'...Unbelievable power.'
Darcan's lips trembled.
The vast crystalline barrier formed by the united Crystal Ents.
It was more than a mere shield. Living beings woven into a perfect formation, each supporting the others in an infinite mana loop, unleashing endless power.
So that immense power they held now—was it the prototype of the spirit stones?
Fascinating.
It was far removed from simple magical systems.
This was something more primal.
But Darcan couldn't discern more than that.
'Is this why Sepiro ruled this land...?'
Valhalla.
Fertile, yes, but hardly worthy of a Dragon God's domain.
Darcan had visited several times, but only for 'Arcana' development.
Now he saw the true value lay in these ants.
Adora was the nominal lord, but the real master was Sepiro.
'For dragon protection?'
Spirit stones were especially deadly to dragons.
...Darcan shook his head, trying to dismiss the thought.
Being around Ataraxia must have rubbed off on him strangely.
In any case.
'...We have justification.'
Darcan glanced around.
While the other races' representatives gawked at the interstellar barrier.
'We'll protect Valhalla in exchange for exclusive dealings on half the spirit stones.'
Not all, just half.
That much exclusive right would be enough to rally dragons.
Dragons were highly interested in spirit stones too.
If there was surplus beyond rebuilding the temple, plenty would step up.
But.
His mouth wouldn't open.
The words to pledge defense against that evil god wouldn't come.
Because.
"...Looks like the demons have backed off."
"That evil god is after traces of 'gods.' Got nothing to do with demons."
"Probably... targeting that 'tree' over there."
Their guess was spot on.
The newborn evil god ignored the demons.
It sought out hidden gods, annihilating and absorbing them.
And it headed here for the exact traces of divinity.
The massive tree at Valhalla's center.
The moment the ants appeared, intense 'divine power' had emanated from it.
The problem remained the evil god.
No matter how mighty the defenders, no matter how primal their power.
"Primeval evil god..."
"No god of that nature can stop it."
Garm of the Giant Clan declared firmly.
"It'll stop once it's gorged itself full. It'll build its own universe and reign there without affecting the surroundings. That's the type it is."
A few existed in the Abyss too.
The 'Gray Abyss,' called the gray universe.
A place even demons and all races avoided.
Leave it be, and it stays confined to its universe.
"Iris, what do you see? The stars' future?"
"...Only darkness."
The Star Realm Clan could glimpse stars' futures.
The only race attuned to stars' breaths and ends.
From Valhalla, only utter darkness was visible.
And.
"It won't stop."
"What?"
"That's not an evil god. It's a chaos god that knows no satiety."
Garm's brow twitched.
Tension rippled even from his massive frame.
Star Realm prophecies rarely erred.
Especially from a high-ranking one like Iris—they were absolute.
"A chaos god? Knows no fullness—what does that mean?"
Darcan asked in a low voice.
His eyes had darkened gravely.
Gray Abyss-makers were destructive but built domains and stayed satisfied—a form of 'order' among evil gods.
But a chaos god...
Iris shook her head.
Deep anguish settled on her starlit face.
In that instant.
Kuuuuwuuung!
The chaos god's gray mist touched the ants' barrier.
The ground quaked, shockwaves pulsing wildly.
Yet it held.
"Guess we need to lend our strength."
Darcan sighed inwardly.
No other choice with everyone trapped here.
No escape routes.
All warps severed.
Better to fight than die caged.
"You all planning to just stand there?"
"......"
"......"
His question left them speechless.
The Twelve Races uniting was exceedingly rare.
Demons banded against outer gods.
They only united against 'demons.'
"I'll fight alone. Don't want to mix with you lot."
Garm of the Giant Clan added curtly.
He'd fight, but not unite powers.
"Better to stop an infinitely multiplying monster here."
The Twilight Clan joined in.
"......No choice."
"......"
The Kirin Clan and Star Realm Clan nodded.
Before the common foe, the primeval evil god, five of the Twelve Races had allied.
And.
"I am Adora, Creator of Death and true lord of this Valhalla. I sincerely thank you for your aid."
Adora appeared, posture rigidly formal.
Park Chan-woo was no divine beast.
Normally, he couldn't absorb the Abyss or inscrutable fragments directly.
He had to bypass it through the created Abyss in the rift.
But.
Blazing an unprecedented path, he achieved explosive growth.
Every choice unlocked hidden pieces, digesting inscrutable fragments without hesitation.
-What the hell is that guy?
-A divine beast?
-Divine beasts come in human form?
-Must've been too small to notice.
-Why's a human in the rift?
-......That's him. He's the 'Lord of Pride.'
-A mere creator in the Abyss with us?
The divine beasts chimed in one by one.
The latecomer, Park Chan-woo, had overtaken them. Now they realized.
But Park Chan-woo ignored their voices.
He simply faced the trials perfectly.
The result.
Yet he hit a dead end.
His zeal had led to exceeding Hidden Pieces repeatedly—now he lacked Coins.
Park Chan-woo paused.
It was a crossroads.
One more step, and he'd go bankrupt.
For a creator, bankruptcy was death.
But what if it was bankruptcy by his own hand?
Plus... stopping here meant no complete transcendence.
'Almost there.'
The trials' end was in sight.
He was moments from becoming the winner of this randomized created Abyss.
'I want completion.'
Park Chan-woo took one more step.
In that instant.