Chapter 324: Winged Heavenly Being Subjugation (12)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 324: Winged Heavenly Being Subjugation (12)
Countless magic circles filled the sky, forming a massive, intricate array. From their centers, chains of providence surged forth, lashing out toward Isaac.
The providence of the Nether attempted to bind him, but it couldn't even draw near. The chains froze mid-air and shattered like glass, and even the magic circles themselves dissolved into nothingness.
[This is not permitted…!]
The Nether King extended his right arm, attempting to forcibly nullify Isaac’s magic, but his efforts were in vain.
Domination only worked on those who could be dominated.
Isaac had already ascended to a transcendental status, possessing a power that allowed him to ignore even the Nether King’s absolute domain of control.
The Nether King lowered his arm and clicked his tongue in frustration.
[Even after sacrificing my most precious subordinate, I could not stop a mere transgressor from ascending to godhood. I have failed, and for that, I deserve no mercy. I shall take responsibility and end you here.]
“Fine. Bring it on,” Isaac responded coldly.
A fight was inevitable. To escape the Nether, Isaac had to subdue the Nether King and prevent any further interference.
Kuuuu!!
Every manifestation of [Heaven’s Hand] seized the Nether King’s refined rage, hurtling toward Isaac with lethal speed. Simultaneously, the [Wall of Order] rushed forward, threatening to sweep away everything in its path.
Isaac calmly extended his hand.
Whooosh!!
Crash!!!
An immeasurable torrent of mana erupted, manifesting as a localized storm of absolute zero.
The [Wall of Order] and [Heaven’s Hand] froze in an instant. Then, with startling ease, they shattered into a million glittering shards.
The Nether King’s eyes widened in shock.
With the power of [Ice Moon], there was nothing Isaac could not freeze.
Before the Nether King could even register the movement, Isaac was standing directly in front of him. He had frozen time itself to close the gap.
Taking a sharp breath, Isaac launched a punch infused with the brilliance of starlight and the frigidity of his ice mana directly into the Nether King’s abdomen.
[Aah…!]
In that moment, the Nether King felt a profound, primal terror—the kind only a creature on the precipice of death could experience.
Isaac’s physical strength was already exceptional. Now, with the power of [Ice Moon] manipulating time, the kinetic force of his strike was amplified a thousandfold. Combined with starlight magic to control the physical laws of the impact, the punch carried the weight of a collapsing star.
Boom!!!!
A cataclysmic shockwave echoed through the void, followed by a fierce, howling gale.
[Ugh!!]
The Nether King was sent hurtling through the center of the Nether. His body smashed through a distant iceberg and continued to tumble across the frozen wastes for a long, agonizing time.
[Ku, ugh…!]
When he finally came to a halt, the Nether King was bleeding profusely. His consciousness flickered on the edge of darkness.
But he had to stand.
No matter the cost, he had to uphold the laws, the order, and the balance of the Nether. That was the sole reason for his existence.
Just as Stella had been granted a new mission by the Creator, the Nether King had received his mandate from the Supreme God of the Nether.
Trembling, the Nether King clutched his ruined abdomen and forced himself to his feet.
[…!]
When he looked up, Isaac was already there, looming over him. The effect of [Ice Moon] had masked his approach until the very last second.
Isaac leveled his right hand at the Nether King, his palm glowing with condensed ice mana. A 5-star spell, [Frost Explosion], began to manifest, surrounded by a cluster of shimmering white stars.
It was over.
Regardless of what the Nether King tried now, both of them knew the battle had reached its conclusion.
Suddenly, a burning question forced its way past the Nether King’s lips.
[Human… how did you accomplish such a feat? How could a mortal grasp even a fragment of omnipotence…!]
A man who had relied on his connections, overcome the gatekeeper’s trials, earned the acknowledgment of the Icy Lake’s ruler, surpassed even Ozma, and finally seized a piece of godhood for himself.
How had a human done this? And why?
For Isaac, the answer didn't require deep reflection.
“It’s just…”
Isaac thought back to his previous life—the grueling days spent preparing for the bar exam. He remembered the crushing regret of his mother passing away before she could see him enter law school.
He thought of every trial he had endured since arriving in this world. He recalled the desperate struggles to protect those he loved, the countless encounters, the painful farewells, and the footprints he had left behind while moving forward without rest.
“There was something I had to do, so I kept doing it. This is just how things turned out. I suppose I was just lucky.”
It was a simple reason, devoid of complexity. He had surpassed the impossible because unexpected luck had found him.
And luck tended to find those who never gave up.
The Nether King blinked slowly, absorbing the words.
[I see… This is my defeat.]
“…Farewell.”
Isaac released the frost and starlight mana gathered in his hand.
Boom!!!
A frigid shockwave rippled outward, freezing the very mana of the Nether itself as jagged icebergs erupted in every direction.
The Nether King’s body shattered, but numerous [Heaven’s Hands] emerged from the golden ring behind him, gently enveloping the fragments. Having reached his limit, the King had shifted into a state of total hibernation to recover.
“…”
Since the Nether King was now incapacitated, Isaac saw no reason to finish him. Without its King, the order of the Nether would collapse entirely. It was better to leave him be.
Now, how do I get back?
Just as he prepared to depart, Isaac felt a dense surge of mana from his chest. He pulled the necklace out from under his shirt.
It was the pendant Dorothy had given him.
The pendant began to glow with a brilliant light, deploying a starlight barrier large enough to encompass him.
So she hid it in here.
The pendant acted as a battery, storing a small reserve of starlight mana. Whether the Dorothy of the first timeline had planned this or if she had acted on instinct despite her fading sanity, he didn't know.
The starlight barrier wrapped around Isaac and began to pull him toward a fixed point at a terrifying speed. The scenery around him blurred into a streak of light.
Soon, Isaac arrived before a rift in the sky. It was there, but it was far too narrow for a person to pass through.
Charararang!!
With a melodic chime, the starlight mana flared with blinding intensity. The rift began to groan and widen under the pressure. As the opening grew large enough for him to step through, Dorothy’s mana finally began to deplete.
With the mana gone, the temporary transcendence Isaac had wielded vanished.
Isaac stepped into the rift.
As he tumbled through the wormhole, the familiar scent of his own world filled his lungs.
Whoooosh!!
Isaac emerged from the rift and tumbled onto the floor of the Hegel Magic Tower’s secret laboratory. He lost his balance and rolled across the cold stone.
Behind him, the rift snapped shut and vanished. The sheer force required to open it had caused it to collapse instantly once the mana was spent.
“Haa…”
Silence filled the laboratory.
As Isaac pushed himself up, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the room. A small woman, Aria Lilias, knelt beside him and looked him over.
“Welcome back.”
“I’m back…”
Aria handed a water bottle to Isaac. He was drenched in blood, having pushed his body far beyond its limits.
“Thank you.”
The moment his transcendental power faded, a searing thirst had taken hold. Isaac gulped the water down greedily.
Aria began casting healing spells, her expression grim. “What on earth did you go through… to end up in this state?”
Isaac’s body was a map of gaping wounds—the price of temporarily hosting an excessive amount of starlight mana. It would be a long recovery.
But Isaac didn't have the luxury of time.
“I’ll explain later. First, how long was I gone?”
“Two weeks.”
Isaac’s heart sank. It was longer than he had hoped.
“And the situation?”
“The Heavenly Clock has been activated. A battle is currently raging at Black Stone.”
Fortunately, he wasn't too late. While the Spear of Longinus was being forged, the mana fluctuations would be detectable worldwide, but the process wasn't complete yet.
Isaac let out a long, heavy sigh of relief.
“Ah, Teacher, I have a favor to ask.”
Isaac stood up, offering a weary but gentle smile.
“Could you please find me some fresh clothes?”
*
Descending from the heavens on a pillar of light, a celestial being clad in silver armor gripped a holy spear.
Due to the activation of the Heavenly Clock, mana and Divine Power were in total disarray across the globe. Even the most powerful mages struggled to cast simple spells, yet this being radiated an overwhelming, pure Divine Power.
It was terrifying to imagine what its full strength would be without the Clock’s interference.
[So many obstacles.]
Vuel, the Winged Heavenly Being.
Boom!!!!
Everywhere Vuel moved, divine energy overflowed, obliterating the Allied Forces in his path.
“Ahhhh!!”
“Fall back! Fall back!”
The Allied Forces were already struggling against the rebel heavenly beings; with Vuel’s arrival, the battlefield turned into a slaughterhouse. The fact that he could unleash such power despite the distorted laws of the world left the soldiers paralyzed with fear.
“Intercept him! All units, fire!”
They couldn't give up. The Allied Forces attempted a desperate long-range barrage. However, the rebel heavenly beings surged forward, intercepting the attacks to ensure Vuel remained undisturbed.
Vuel reached the center of the Black Stone crater, where massive torrents of natural mana were swirling violently due to the Heavenly Clock.
[Come forth.]
Vuel raised an arm. Orange natural mana erupted from the depths of the crater, coalescing into the shape of a massive, jagged spear.
The Spear of Longinus—the weapon destined to strike down the Heavenly God—began to take its final form.