Chapter 424
Chapter 424
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 424
Chapter Title: Masquerade (2)
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Transcendent.
It was the word for those who had broken through the limits that defined their very existence, forged by endlessly piling up karma.
Whether it was the ultimate body honed through training, enlightenment achieved via mental discipline, infinite mana, or peerless technique—it didn't matter.
What truly counted was escaping the mold, shedding old constraints to forge one's own definition and pioneer a new path.
That was why the power they wielded transcended ordinary abilities, bordering on true authority. To those who couldn't cross that wall, they reigned as absolute beings.
And so, they were called Transcendents.
Those who stood at the pinnacle of the world, having proven their qualification to ascend toward divinity.
"Kuh! Malpi! Hurry over here too...!"
"Hoo, An. You holding up okay?"
"...Not at all, but if I sit down here, I'll die, so no choice. Can't just give up everything like this, right?"
"Good attitude. Looks like you're still in one piece."
"Malpi... An...!"
But as with all things in the world...
Even among those who had reached such exalted heights, differences in strength were inevitable.
Just as when clashing definitions collided head-on, only the stronger survived.
Surpassing the wall didn't make all Transcendents equal.
"Jose! You okay? Can you hold out another 30 seconds or so?"
"...Don't underestimate me. I've still got a full minute to spare."
"Got it? Make it a minute then."
"Still, it'd be great if you could wrap this up quick. I can hold, but feels like my limbs are gonna start flying off one by one."
Strictly speaking, the moment they crossed the threshold of transcendence, it was like standing at the starting line of an unlimited race where all restrictions vanished.
There were already veterans racing ahead, heavily modded rivals bristling with armaments, and the generous anti-tank minefields they'd sown along the way.
"Hoo."
Still, An—confident she'd escaped the race's early stages—drew a deep breath.
She exhaled slowly, twisting the flow of chakra surging within her.
'No time to worry about the Oracle right now. Minimize damage and buy time first. Until Malpi breaks the spatial seal and secures an escape route.'
At first, fury had boiled over at the news of their leader's defeat, but a bit of time had restored some calm.
Revenge required survival, after all.
Clinging desperately to all-or-nothing resolve in this hopelessly disadvantaged spot was far less rational than escaping somehow and biding for opportunity.
'At least this is Malpi's domain. Escape's blocked, but the other defenses are intact—we won't crumble easily.'
With such a vast power gap between them, just warping space, triggering traps, and disrupting direct confrontations provided massive aid.
One silver lining amid the misfortune: their ally Ken was holding off the Bancheon Society's strongest asset, the Executioner.
He was purely stalling, so the outlook wasn't great, but...
Squeee—!
Kwaaaang!
Ken, struck by a whip-like tail wreathed in flames, scattered black energy from his body as he crashed into the rear wall.
[Impressive. Quite sturdy. A bit disappointing, but decent enough for killing time.]
"Grrrgh!"
Ken staggered out from the rubble, shaking his head.
Unprecedented power bubbled endlessly from within, yet the demon called the Executioner still overwhelmed him effortlessly.
Without forcibly boosting synchronization with the newly injected energy via "Thought Transference," he wouldn't have lasted this long.
'If I could just wield this power fully, I might've had a shot at tangling with him!'
The foe showed interest now, letting him hold on by a thread—but that wouldn't last.
The moment that interest waned would be when doom's door swung open.
'Damn this employer! No idea what he's up to, but hurry the hell up...!'
An glanced at Ken and the Executioner, refocusing her mind.
Neither side seemed on the verge of collapse, but urgency gripped them both equally.
"An! Still not... Kuh!"
"Mm."
Malpi shifted space for advantageous positioning, while fighters like Jose stepped up in unavoidable binds to buy time. Yet against overwhelming might, it was all mismatch.
As executives who rushed to help fell one by one, the sole hope piercing this spiraling crisis lay in her ability.
Wuuuuung—!
The energy whirling fiercely in An's body resonated with the world.
Chakra: the ability to intervene in concepts and phenomena via one's inner microcosm.
Her microcosm bloomed wide, pure intent forcing the surroundings to obey.
The chakra An unleashed was 'Fate.'
Merging with her unique skill "Probability Manipulation," it manifested the power that had let her evade the Oracle's gaze—and ultimately transcend the wall.
—Fate Manipulation.
One Bancheon Society member, irked by the stubbornly resisting Burning Torch executives, scowled.
"Hm? This is..."
He glanced at his hand with narrowed eyes, then slowly scanned the surroundings again.
He wasn't the only one acting oddly.
Attacks that should land missed.
Counterstrikes dismissed as futile suddenly turned threatening.
Already annoying terrain shifts grew trickier; breaking through the interference to reach the enemy became more tedious.
"Tch, this'll take a bit."
Nagajara, who'd entrusted cleanup to his comrades while anxiously watching the Executioner lest he kill Ken, clicked his tongue upon grasping the change.
But that was it.
He flicked his ear dismissively and turned back to the Executioner.
Impressive to affect multiple Transcendents like this indirectly—but such feats had clear limits.
At best, annoy and stall, like now.
"No need for me to step in."
He could end it faster personally, but saw no point.
The outcome was set; this spatial seal wouldn't break with mere time.
Better to prepare for contingencies, he judged.
And that judgment wasn't wrong.
'What the hell is this?'
If not for one utterly unforeseen, profoundly special variable.
'What is it? Why is fate raging like this...?'
While aiding her comrades against Bancheon and boosting seal-break odds via chakra, a strange expression crossed An's face.
Some external shift prodded her relentlessly, as she groped through 'possibilities.'
Sensing via "Probability Manipulation" went haywire; an unknown fate tempted her, beckoning.
Your desire lies here.
The problem: she couldn't even guess its nature...
But her deliberation didn't drag on.
'Whatever it is, can't make things worse than now.'
Her ability had bought a brief respite, but it wasn't a true fix.
Whatever aftermath, she had to seize this variable now.
Wuuuuung—
Finally, she marshaled her remaining strength, unleashing 'Fate Manipulation' on instinct.
Praying this unknown would aid them.
The instant she grasped that fate-thread knocking from outside and yanked it inward.
Paaat—!
Dazzling radiance erupted close by.
A beautifully gleaming blade pierced through space.
"...Sword?"
No time for shock.
The blade, twitching briefly, slashed straight down, ripping a long rift in the air.
And from that gap.
"...Hm? What? Resistance just weakened? Made it through easier than expected. Kinda weak to outside intrusions, huh?"
A stranger's voice drifted in.
Clang—clack—!
Heavy metal clashes followed.
'That’s...!'
An's eyes widened, watching.
This being had sliced through the sealed space, intruding abruptly.
His arrival brightened the area several degrees.
Not mere illusion.
For he blatantly radiated a halo!
Simultaneously, she realized.
The variable to overturn this crisis—
"Eh, doesn't matter. I'm in anyway."
—No, a miracle had descended.
Just one unforeseeable detail...
"Kuhahaha! Who's bullying our newbie?!"
"Ah... Air's so stuffy, head's spinning. Shouldn't have come? Gonna puke—better finish quick and bail..."
"Hoo, been a while since I could gorge."
Their numbers were a bit much.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 'Let's see, situation...'
Heinrich, clad flawlessly in pristine white armor, slowly surveyed the area.
Naturally, the battle had ground into a lull.
'Makes sense.'
After such a flashy entrance, what else?
This zone was thoroughly sealed against entry—yet he'd strained even with "Space Slash" via the holy sword, though it healed instantly now.
For a motley crew in eccentric garb to barge in unannounced drew all eyes inevitably.
"...What are you? How did you get in?"
Then, Nagajara—the ever-leisurely one—spoke lowly, face stiff.
Long spear drawn, battle-ready, no trace of prior nonchalance remained, even scoured.
His snake-like yellow eyes swept the intruders swiftly.
"Saint of the Otherworld, Phantom, and..."
The white knight in gleaming armor and helm, halo ablaze.
The Phantom in neat black suit and stark white half-mask.
His gaze, past those two he recognized, hit the rest.
'So the Saint's with them too. But those two...'
One: hulking brute, half-naked, beast helm atop.
Other: baggy clothes, gloves, bike helmet—no skin exposed.
His branch chief database, fed vast intel, spun furiously.
'That helmet's look matches the one from Seoul terror—did relief work then vanished. The other...'
He'd memorized suspect profiles prepping traps, but nothing fit.
In truth, it had a hefty track record—but Dr.'s incomplete memory transfer omitted it.
Whatever; the near-nude giant, stretching post-arrival, stepped forward roaring proudly.
"Kahahahat! Wondering who I am? Behold: Masquerade's Number One, 'Lion Mask'!"
"Ah... Whatever, call me what you want..."
The helmeted man's limp, unenthused follow-up.
Nagajara's brow twitched at the utter lack of tension.
Wasn't that blatant disregard?
[Hmmm—now this is intriguing.]
As he bristled to retort, a voice interjected.
The demon who'd flung Ken aside post-upheaval, silently observing.
The Executioner had approached unnoticed.
[Honestly, I hoped for something on the way here... but this exceeds expectations. Who'd think this many heavyweights would drop in at once?]
Grinning to bare jagged teeth, he eyed the intruders like unexpected gifts.
The weighty presence prickling their skins wasn't mere summed auras.
Each rivaled or surpassed the Bancheon Lord in potency—Transcendents none could scorn, even him.
[Fuhuhu!]
His battle-hardened body writhed fiercely.
No fear of multiple powerhouses for him.
Just overflowing thrill for blood-and-gore brawl!
[Perfect! Simply perfect! Life-or-death struggle! Mortal combat—that's the ultimate pursuit for any living thing! Was getting bored, but worth the trip!]
"Pahat! A kindred spirit! Here, a welcome gift to start things off right!"
[Hm? A gift?]
"Yeah, my fave. Tastes killer."
Harley grinned at the puzzled foe, striding closer.
Once near enough.
"Kahahahat! Eat it all, no leftovers!"
He didn't hesitate—
Kwaaaang—!
"For our newbie's share too!"
—and gifted a massive haymaker.