Chapter 245: High-Ranking Deity (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 245: High-Ranking Deity (2)
[Would you like to open the 'Holy Spear Archive' of the divinities?]
A single line of text.
When he first saw the third privilege reserved for the first person to conquer the tower, Jinhyuk had to try his absolute best to calm his racing heart.
And for good reason.
While the privileges revealed so far were already incredibly broken, this one was on an entirely different level.
"Yes."
Jinhyuk nodded.
[The third privilege has been revealed.]
[Unique Sacred Chant - Degraded Version.]
[- You can replicate a degraded version of a Unique Sacred Chant possessed by higher beings. However, this can only be activated while sharing mana with a higher being. (The duration of the copied degraded version varies depending on proficiency, and a Unique Sacred Chant used once cannot be used again through the third privilege.)]
The 'Sword of Condemnation' that Goguma had shown when his true self manifested.
The 'Holy Spear Archive' felt like a lower-tier version of 'Universal Sharing', but its activation conditions were actually much simpler.
He didn't need to maintain a deep bond; simply sharing mana was enough.
'It's a shame it's a one-time use, but it's the perfect ability for instant utility.'
Jinhyuk immediately gathered all of his mana.
Rumble!
His already dark claws began to dye an even deeper shade of black.
[The 'Unique Sacred Chant' of Veliel of the Rotting Heart is replicated.]
A bizarrely shaped spear revealed itself between his claws.
A nightmare of absolute judgment that no sturdy armor or thick shield could ever block.
The Black Spear, 'Kishan'.
This was the Unique Sacred Chant possessed by Veliel.
* * *
The air shifted abruptly.
The divinities were the first to notice the anomaly.
[That ability is...?!]
Shiva's voice echoed in a low rumble.
There was no way they wouldn't recognize it.
How could they possibly forget?
Just a thousand years ago, during the great war of the divinities, it was the ability wielded by the Demon King Veliel.
The Black Spear 'Kishan', known as the most vicious among all demonic spears.
Although the power felt was not even a tenth of what it had been back then, the mere fact that such an ability was being replicated by a player's hands was a massive shock in itself.
[You... what on earth are you...?]
Even Veliel could not hide his bewilderment.
A gaze that transcended mere curiosity and bordered on fear fell upon the back of Jinhyuk's neck.
However, he didn't have the time to entertain the reactions of those two.
Crack! Creak!
Cracks were already forming along the blade of Kishan.
It was collapsing.
Even the degraded version contained far too much immense mana.
'I only have one shot.'
Jinhyuk gripped the spear tightly, almost hard enough to break it.
At this rate, maintaining Kishan for even thirty seconds would be difficult.
In that instant,
Sizzle...
The illusion of the air compressing washed over them.
His shoulders pulled back fully, and his mana compressed.
The suffocating silence was by no means an illusion.
Above the black energy gathered to its absolute limit at the tip of the spear, barriers inscribed with ancient runes began to manifest.
They were runes meaning 'Acceleration', 'Maintenance', and 'Penetration'.
"...Ugh!"
Nirasha hastily reconstructed the golden barrier she had created earlier using her Mandala.
And in the very next fraction of a second,
Boom!
Jinhyuk hurled the half-broken 'Kishan'.
It possessed a weightlessness that felt entirely devoid of mass.
Yet, what was more astonishing than its speed was the spear's innate ability.
[A Mandala won't be enough! You must dodge!]
Shiva roared, but the spear had already breached the outer wall of the Mandala and penetrated deep inside.
"H-How?!"
Nirasha frantically pushed her mana to its absolute limit.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
One layer, two layers, and then three.
The spells, layered with complex formulas and divine power, were completely shattered.
The final barrier the spear reached was the core, which boasted the greatest durability among all the Mandalas.
This is dangerous.
Realizing this, Nirasha unleashed her unique ability.
[Thousand-Year Guard 'Supreme Mandala' blooms!]
Twelve petals reminiscent of a lotus flower spread out in full bloom.
As if resisting the darkness spreading from the tip of the spear, the fully bloomed Supreme Mandala radiated a golden brilliance.
Rumble!
A clash of mana that defied imagination.
The entire tomb shook violently.
Unable to bear the sheer weight, Nirasha's legs slowly sank into the ground.
"Something like this... I can handle something like this...!"
Nirasha gritted her teeth.
She was the granddaughter of India's largest conglomerate family.
Using her immense financial power, she was the one who had monopolized information regarding the Tower of Trials.
On the day the Tower of Trials first appeared, she was the one who had hoarded the replicas infused with the mana leaking from the tower!
'There's no way anyone is stronger than me.'
She was certain she had won the favor of the divinities, securing both the optimal path and the ultimate power.
But...
'I'm... being pushed back.'
Crack! Shatter!
The lotus was breaking.
Although her opponent's spear was also visibly collapsing, the speed at which her Mandala was crumbling was far faster.
[The absolute judgment 'Breath of Decay' erodes the target.]
The lotus was stained with darkness.
The spear trying to pierce, and the shield trying to block.
The outcome of that battle was decided at this very moment.
Thud!
The half-broken spear pierced straight through Nirasha's abdomen.
With a sickening sound of tearing flesh, a spray of blood erupted.
"Cough..."
Nirasha's body bent forward in a sharp angle.
No...
Or so it seemed, until the figure of Nirasha pierced by the spear began to blur and fade away.
Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed.
"Impressive. So you've reached the level where you can synchronize the Vajra with the Supreme Mandala."
To think she could manifest a mental world through her Mandala.
She certainly lived up to her reputation as a player fully backed by the Indian faction.
Of course,
using an ability capable of distorting space to this extent was bound to take a heavy toll.
"Pant... pant... pant..."
A few meters away, Nirasha gasped heavily for air.
Her face, drenched in cold sweat, was contorted with rage and humiliation.
To think that the 'Supreme Mandala', which she believed to be the ultimate shield, couldn't even hold out for a few seconds.
Her expression showed she had never, even in her wildest dreams, imagined she would lose.
[He has surpassed the limits of humanity... Veliel, how on earth did you get your hands on such a monster?]
[I didn't think he'd be this much of a monster either... No, cough. Did you see that? This is the caliber of a player backed by the Demon World. He is someone I especially cherish.]
Even the divinities let out exclamations of disbelief.
It was absurd how Veliel was taking all the credit, but the priority right now was wrapping up the battle.
"You look like you're struggling. What do you say? Want to keep going?"
If she forced her mana while her entire body was overloaded, there was a high probability she would self-destruct.
A phenomenon commonly referred to as Qi Deviation in the martial arts world.
It wouldn't be a very pleasant sight to see her lose her mind and bleed from her seven orifices.
Nirasha knew this as well, which was why she didn't dare to attack any further.
"...It seems you've won this fight."
Nirasha clicked her tongue in resignation.
"A wise decision. I don't like wasting energy on a fight that's already decided either."
Her wasn't his primary target anyway, and taking on all the rankers of the Gandhara Guild by himself was too risky.
Though he was acting nonchalant, he had also pushed past his limits to use that power.
As the situation took an unexpected turn, Veinstern grew frantic.
"N-Nirasha! What do you mean you're stopping? We... we had a deal, didn't we? Are you planning to just give up on that?"
"I really wanted that item, but it's not more important than my life. Besides, there will always be another opportunity."
"How can this be... Wait. Just wait a moment!"
Veinstern desperately reached out, but Nirasha had already made up her mind.
"We lost today. To be honest, I didn't expect to be defeated so thoroughly. As for the Empire, I suppose we have no choice but to let things go your way."
Nirasha raised the white flag.
With that...
the battle in the tomb came to an end.
...
At least, for now.
* * *
The rebellion instigated by the nobles was suppressed in a single day.
The words of the First Reinhardt posed a profound question to the nobles who had only cared about their own self-interest. Most of them lost their will to fight, consumed by shame.
The major incident was resolved in the blink of an eye.
Reinhardt III pardoned most of the nobles, stating that he also bore some responsibility for the rebellion.
This was because he judged that, as the founder had said, prospering the Empire and protecting the safety of its people in the future was far more important than harboring anger and nursing wounds.
Naturally, however, such mercy did not extend to everyone.
"Y-You bastards... Do you have any idea who I am?! Let go of me! Release me this instant! I am Duke Veinstern of the Empire! Argh!"
"P-Please, spare my life!"
"We only did what he ordered us to do! So please!"
"That's right! It was all the Duke... that wretched traitor's doing!"
"Y-You ungrateful wretches...!"
"Ungrateful wretches? You were the one who used your silver tongue to lead the plot to assassinate His Majesty the Emperor!"
Veinstern, the ringleader of the rebellion, and the high-ranking nobles squirmed like earthworms in their binds.
They desperately tried to save their own skins by shifting the blame onto one another.
But the executioner was not one to listen to such excuses.
A rough hand shoved a fat noble onto the execution block.
Clang!
"No..."
Thud... Slam!
"Nooooo...!"
As the guillotines fell one after another, the desperate pleas for mercy gradually faded into silence.
* * *
Once the wounds of the rebellion were somewhat healed, Reinhardt III hosted a grand party in the name of unity and consolation.
All expenses for the party were covered by the funds confiscated from the estate of Duke Veinstern.
The grand banquet hall was filled with hundreds of elegantly dressed nobles.
"Hahaha."
"Hohoho."
The sounds of laughter and chatter filled the venue.
Right then,
"Cough! Cough! Distinguished guests, I am truly honored to have the privilege of introducing the heroes who saved our Empire!"
Along with the sound of the old butler clearing his throat, the doors on the second floor swung wide open.
"Presenting Lady Alice von Ataraxia!"
"Lady Teresa de Lorencia!"
"And Lady Andrea!"
At the old butler's announcement, the three women began to descend the stairs into the banquet hall.
In that instant, everyone in the hall held their breath.
Their senses had long been dulled by countless banquets and social gatherings.
It was no easy feat to satisfy their high standards.
Furthermore, these heroes were merely temporary guests invited here. Weren't they just outsiders from beyond the tower or residents of the lower floors?
There was no way commoners like them could possess such elegance or grace.
Thus, while they acknowledged their combat prowess, the nobles were confident they held the upper hand when it came to high society.
However, such haughty pride was shattered to pieces at this very moment.
"Ah...!"
"Those outsiders from beyond the tower... look more noble than the daughters of our own high nobility."
"How can they be so beautiful...?"
Each wore a dress and accessories of a completely different concept.
Yet, their attire suited each of them so perfectly that it was more than enough to draw gasps of admiration from the onlookers.
As if three goddesses had descended to earth for an outing, the three of them made their debut into high society with utmost grace.
"Next, entering the hall are Lord Kang Jinhyuk and Lord Cheon Yu-seong!"
The subsequent entrance of Jinhyuk and Cheon Yu-seong created yet another spectacular sight.
"Whew. I hate stuffy events like this. But you seem surprisingly comfortable. Did you medical students throw parties like this often?"
"Maintain some dignity in a formal setting. You look decent enough as long as you keep your mouth shut."
"Is that a compliment?"
"It means you should live up to your looks."
Of course, Cheon Yu-seong's appearance was already flawless, so his attire only enhanced his natural charm.
But Jinhyuk, dressed up properly for once, was also drawing everyone's gaze.
"My goodness..."
"Oh my..."
"My, just looking at them is a feast for the eyes. Hoho."
The young noble ladies stole glances at the two of them.
His hair was neatly slicked back, and he wore a luxurious black formal suit.
The attire, which pursued harmony and balance, was nothing short of perfect.
It was only after several tens of minutes of basking in the spotlight that the two of them finally managed to catch their breath.
Amidst the bustling banquet hall,
"Here."
Jinhyuk handed over a wine glass from the table.
At the same time, he lowered his voice significantly.
In this kind of atmosphere, it should be safe to bring it up.
"Don't react. Just listen quietly. Even though I've set up a barrier, someone might still be eavesdropping."
What he was about to say was something that must absolutely never be known to the entity up above.
Especially considering that the entity in question was far more troublesome than Shiva or Veliel.