Chapter 158
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 158
Chapter Title: Akashic Record
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Bael arrived on the surface and immediately scanned his surroundings.
[So this is where the signal came from?]
The place he had arrived at was the secret cavern, the most hidden spot in the Sacred Empire.
It was the altar where oracles were given.
Kalen, who had been cowering on the floor under Ryu Min's pressure, suddenly lifted his head and brightened up.
[Ba-Battle Angel!]
Bael frowned as he watched Kalen rush over and plaster himself against his wing.
[You're the one who sent the distress signal?]
[Y-Yes!]
Smack!
Bael shoved Kalen away with his wing.
[Don't stick so close. It's disgusting. Getting caught by a pathetic human and forcing me to go through all this trouble.]
[S-Sorry.]
Kalen had no choice but to lower his head.
The Heavenly Realm was a strictly hierarchical society divided by ranks.
For a 9th-rank angel to call on a 6th-rank for help was already a huge loss of face.
It was like a private calling on a sergeant in the human world.
[Tsk tsk. Getting beaten by a mere human—what a pathetic sight.]
[I-I'm ashamed...]
[It's fine.]
[Huh?]
Bael grinned.
[Thanks to you, I get to toy with a human. I was bored out of my mind anyway.]
Bael's gaze shifted to the center of the cavern.
There stood a human, holding a scythe and standing tall.
[That the human?]
[Y-Yes! That's him. Please just rip his limbs off!]
[You think that'll be enough? I should pull out his guts while he's still alive and wrap them around his neck, keheheh.]
Bael let out a creepy chuckle, already excited.
Imagining the human's screams of agony, the blood and entrails spilling out like juice—it lifted his mood.
The drowsiness had long since vanished.
'I'll slice off his limbs nice and slow, have some fun with him.'
An inferior human was no match for a battle angel.
Not even a player who inherited the system's power could change that.
'It's around round 10 now, so maybe level 40?'
A level 40 charging at him?
Bael snorted derisively.
'Level 99 might be different, but anything below isn't worth my time.'
He had a menacing aura, but didn't look that strong.
Shing-
Bael folded his wings and drew the sword from his waist.
Soon, golden holy power emanated from the blade.
It was the battle angel's technique, [Holy Aura], capable of slicing through steel like tofu.
[Hey, human. Life getting boring?]
“......”
[Touching an angel when you don't know your place. Should I take that as you begging to die right now?]
Instead of answering, Ryu Min pulled four potions from his inventory.
They were the intermediate Strength, Agility, Intelligence, and Luck potions he'd gotten from Victor this time.
With the activation word 'Use,' the potion contents flowed into Ryu Min's mouth.
No taste or change could be felt, but the messages told the story.
[Strength increased by 8 for 24 hours.]
[Agility increased by 8 for 24 hours.]
[Intelligence increased by 8 for 24 hours.]
[Luck increased by 8 for 24 hours.]
All his stats had gone up.
Snap-
It felt like the thread of reason snapped somewhere.
Bael was trembling with rage, his cheeks twitching.
[How dare you chug potions right in front of me...]
Ryu Min's casual attitude must have gotten under his skin.
A sigh escaped Ryu Min's lips.
[Sighing now, too?]
Far from it.
Ryu Min tapped his own head.
“Angels always have this damn problem with their thick skulls.”
[What?]
“How do they even educate you up in Heaven that every single one of you looks down on humans like this? What, brainwashing classes?”
“......”
Bael, dumbfounded, raised his sword as if there was no point in talking anymore.
He planned to slice off the human's limbs one by one with his signature quicksword.
'Then I'll rip open his belly and pull out his organs, show them to him right in front of his eyes.'
No mercy death.
He'd dismantle the limbs as painfully as possible, play with him slowly to the tune of his screams before finishing him off.
[Human. Even in death, you'll regret meeting me...]
Bael froze mid-swing.
In that instant, the human's body turned semi-transparent, black energy flowing out to envelop him entirely.
He looked surrounded by black smoke.
His face was completely obscured.
'What the hell is that?'
It was Reaper Transformation, but Bael, who knew little about players, was just puzzled.
'The vibe's off.'
Feeling an instinctive sense of danger, Bael shot forward like a spring.
In situations like this, striking first was key.
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
His aura-infused quicksword wove through the darkness like beams of light.
But there was no feedback at the blade's tip.
Bael's eyes widened a moment later.
'He dodged them all?'
In just over two seconds, six thrusts aimed at the upper body—all evaded.
'Coincidence. Has to be. Just luck.'
He needed to test again to be sure.
Bael's blade tip left golden afterimages as it moved.
Whoosh-whoosh! Whoosh-whoosh!
'H-He dodged them again?'
He prided himself on speed that rivaled 5th-rank angels, so why?
Why wouldn't it land on this black-clad human?
“You really have no idea, do you?”
[What?]
“Simple.”
Ryu Min's scythe flashed diagonally.
“I'm just faster than you.”
Clang.
Bael dropped his sword and fell to his knees.
[Guh... Gahk...]
Golden blood poured endlessly from the long gash across his chest.
Thud-
One strike.
That was all it took to fell a 6th-rank angel.
Kalen's face drained of color at the unbelievable sight.
'A battle angel... taken down without doing a thing...'
As far as Kalen knew, battle angels could at least match level 99 players.
For one to go down so absurdly...
'Is that human... level 99 or something?'
Kalen immediately shook his head, correcting himself.
'No way. No player's ever hit max level this early in round 10...'
“Hey.”
[...Yes?]
Kalen unwittingly responded politely.
“Call more.”
[M-More?]
“Yeah. Hurry up if you don't wanna die. I'm itching for a fight here.”
[Ah... Yes.]
Kalen sent another distress signal as ordered.
This time with a message pleading for as many troops as possible.
'Please, just kill this damn human this time!'
He waited with desperate hope, and soon reinforcements arrived.
Five 6th-rank battle angels.
Kalen's face lit up like nothing had happened.
'Perfect! That many should be enough to crush this arrogant human ba—'
[Graaagh!]
[Guhhheok!]
[Kyaaak!]
Sudden screams made Kalen stiffen.
He hadn't even seen the scythe swing.
All he saw were angels collapsing helplessly, spraying golden blood.
“You kidding me? Call stronger ones. Now.”
Kalen gulped at Ryu Min's words.
This wasn't just any strong human.
* * *
Akashic Record.
The super-dimensional repository recording every event in the universe.
An angel pushed open the door to that vast library.
Rumble-
Normally, no one could enter freely, but he had the qualifications.
He was one of the seven great archangels, after all.
[Lord Remiel, you've arrived?]
[Rubahi.]
Rubahi was the thought entity managing and guarding the Akashic Record.
Like a librarian in a library.
Thud-
Only after the door closed did Remiel spread his wings and fly to the center.
The infinite library filled with records of the entire universe was a good place for Remiel to kill time.
[Come to peek at records from other worlds again today, Lord Remiel?]
[Yeah. Got any good stories to recommend?]
[There's a good one.]
No sooner had Rubahi spoken than a book floated over lightly.
[It's a tale sure to catch your interest.]
[Oh? Let's see, then.]
Remiel smiled and checked the book's title.
[Hm? A record about someone called Black Scythe...]
Whoever it was, if Rubahi said it was interesting, he flipped the page.
And soon enough, he knew who.
[Isn't this a human fighting in the survival game on Earth right now?]
[Correct.]
[What's so fun about some random human's story?]
[Read a bit more. I'm sure it'll pique your interest.]
Rubahi was never wrong, so Remiel flipped to the next page.
It wasn't long before his eyes widened in surprise.
[Impressive human. Only round 10 in, and already level 89? No players have even reached Master rank yet.]
[That's not all. Keep going.]
As Remiel read the records, he kept letting out exclamations.
[Maintained 1st place across all zones from round 1 to now. And what's this? Broke Akashic Record records twice?]
The book bore golden rune script: Time Attack 1 second, and Trial Tower 99th floor cleared.
[I've seen countless humans, but this is the first like him.]
[See? Told you it'd interest you.]
It certainly did.
But only a little.
It wasn't quite enough to fully hook Remiel.
[If that's the end, I'm a bit disappointed. He's intriguing, sure, but the story's dull.]
Remiel flapped to the next page.
The Black Scythe's actions and growth were detailed, but he skimmed past impatiently.
[Roughly speaking, insane growth rate—level 89 already. At this pace, prime candidate for granting a round 20 wish.]
[Your eyes say you're interested, despite your words?]
[As if. Win or lose the survival game, nothing comes my way. Why bother, Rubahi? You know my tastes—more into goblin-human girl mating than this.]
[I do. But won't you check the last page?]
[No need.]
[It'll definitely intrigue you.]
Urged repeatedly, Remiel flipped it with feigned reluctance.
[Hm?]
Then he frowned as if he'd seen something he shouldn't.
[What the hell? He killed 15 battle angels?]
[Yes. The only player to draw a blade on an angel.]
[Ha, some cocky human getting full of himself. Ridiculous.]
Then new text appeared on the page Remiel held.
[Just added one more angel.]
[He's fighting in real time right now?]
[Seems like it.]
His forces dying right now?
To a mere human?
He hadn't known, being inside the Akashic Record.
Connections to other worlds were severed here.
[Haha, what an entertaining human.]
More intrigued than angry.
Daring to kill angels.
Maybe more fun than expected—Remiel moved his wings.
Flap-
[You're going?]
[Have to. Can't just sit by as my subordinates get mowed down like consumables, can I, as a great archangel?]
Rumble-
Remiel exited.
A 1st-rank battle angel alone could handle it, yet one of the seven great archangels was going personally?
Unheard of under normal circumstances.
[See? Told you it'd intrigue you.]
Rubahi muttered in the now-empty library.