The Key to the Severed World
The pitch-black clouds that filled the horizon.
From between the currents that completely blocked every path into France, the cries of monsters leaked out.
I stood with my arms crossed, observing the border line.
“Hero of the Spice Islands. We are grateful that you would step forward even in matters concerning another country.”
A white-haired old man spoke from behind me.
Marcelo Calvani.
The eyes of the EPU (European Players Union) chairman were clouded with anxiety.
“What’s there to thank? In the face of a crisis for all humanity, what meaning do borders have?”
“Ohhh, what a truly admirable character you possess.”
“How are the entry plans proceeding?”
“As you can see, Hero, every attempt has ended in failure.”
Players retreating from the black clouds as if fleeing for their lives.
They had gathered rankers from Italy, Germany, Spain, and other nations to attempt entry into France, but achieved nothing.
“What about modern firearms?”
“They can’t even scratch the clouds.”
Just as I expected.
World Severance was a high-level formation one step above the Void Realm Extradimensional Temple.
A dimensional refraction barrier so clear it was visible to the naked eye.
“We will begin our own preparations to enter soon.”
“May fortune be with the Yeokcheon Guild.”
Chairman Marcelo quickly moved on to another matter.
It seemed he had only come to offer a greeting.
Well, with France in that state, the player association chairman must be incredibly busy.
You truly are too much.
“What is?”
Did you not predict that this would happen?
“That’s right.”
Did you not consider the lives of those trapped inside?
“Don’t worry. The people are safe.”
In this era, no one knew more about the Klyphoth than I did.
Even Rene Davis, who had received their baptism, couldn’t match my knowledge.
“To maintain a formation of that scale requires an enormous amount of energy.”
A massive barrier created through the collaboration between Harab Serapel and the Gaagsheblah faction.
By installing formation circles across French territory, they drew in the concepts of the otherworld.
It was naturally far more difficult than the Void Realm Extradimensional Temple I had seen in the Sahara, and the range was vastly larger.
Don’t tell me… are they sustaining the barrier with the life force of mortals?
“Yes, which is why they can’t just—”
How can that possibly be connected to the word ‘safe’?!
“I have to keep them alive so I can drain their power over time.”
The people remaining within French territory were essentially batteries maintaining the formation.
They had to be kept alive so their negative emotions and life force could be slowly, steadily siphoned away.
Those trapped within the barrier would simply feel more exhausted than usual.
It wouldn’t cause new illnesses or anything of the sort.
Hmm… I was concerned that you might have sacrificed those people for your own goals.
“Do I seem like that kind of person?”
Heh, it seems I misjudged you. I apologize.
Nyx bowed her head obediently.
Really now.
Sometimes she was so full of benevolence that I forgot she was a conceptual deity even the god-king class constellations held in awe.
“All preparations are complete.”
At Analyst Thomas’s words, I turned around.
The Yeokcheon Guild.
And the Golden Circle team led by Ellen.
The comrades we had prepared to crush Rene Davis’s ambitions stood fully ready, awaiting my command.
“Ah, Guild Master. We received one proposal.”
“A proposal?”
“Yes. Russia’s ranker, Sergey, has expressed his desire to join us.”
“But Russia isn’t even an EU member state.”
The current situation was rather delicate.
Dispatching players to another country could easily lead to diplomatic issues.
The Buru Island Gate Break incident, known in my previous life as the ‘Tragedy of the Spice Islands.’
Only because Indonesia had officially requested assistance were we able to resolve that Gate Break.
France’s situation was the same.
The problem was that Russia, not being an EU member, had no right to intervene.
“He requested to participate in a personal capacity.”
“Meaning he’ll take all responsibility if any problems arise.”
Sergey.
In my previous life, he was a comrade who stood shoulder to shoulder with me—one of the six Monarchs at the pinnacle of humanity.
He wasn’t exactly overflowing with charity, so I couldn’t figure out why he would insist on joining.
“Haha, if my country tries to punish me for it, then so be it!”
A booming voice rang out loudly.
The man himself had appeared.
Sergey walked straight toward me.
“What’s your reason?”
“It’s because of you, Yu Jinho. I hate owing debts.”
“Did we have any debt between us?”
“Dreamland. Thanks to your help, I was able to save many people.”
One of the Ten Great Demonic Realms. It was a region in Tunguska where the otherworld and reality had merged.
After the first Great Erosion.
There were essences to be harvested from the monsters in Dreamland, so I had entered it once.
The information I obtained back then had been a great help to the Russian players.
So Sergey still had that same sense of loyalty even now.
“Mr. Yu, shall we begin the entry?”
“Yeah, let’s do it.”
I pulled a rugged cell phone from my pocket.
A device provided by the Black Network.
It had no functions other than making calls, but it possessed authority to access any base station or satellite.
“It’s me.”
I have been waiting.
“Let’s begin.”
I stood before the pitch-black clouds.
Demonic Power
All stats have been converted into Divine Power.
Divine Power.
It was the power that constellations—beings who had carved their names upon the stars—could wield.
Although I had devoured many essences, increasing Divine Power itself had always been difficult.
Still.
Since a Divine Power ‘stat’ existed, I could at least pull off tricks like this.
When I reached my right hand forward, it sank in without resistance.
Let’s see.
How did that incantation go again?
I concentrated the Divine Power settled at my crown into my right hand.
Kwa-jijijik!
A powerful repulsive force surged violently, as if it would push my hand away at any moment.
“The key is working properly.”
Good.
Next…
“Madam.”
Understood.
Over a hundred magic circles installed near the French border.
At my signal, green beams of light shot into the sky.
The light flowing from the magic circles enveloped the black clouds.
Cycle of Ain (AIN)
All abilities interfering with space and dimensions are nullified.
“Huh?!”
“W-what is this?”
The nearby players jumped in surprise.
Anyone close to World Severance would have heard the system message.
But the real show was only just beginning.
The magic circles I had requested the Black Network to install throughout France were merely secondary elements.
To activate the Cycle of Ain, my role was crucial.
Are you alright? The output difference is enormous.
“It’s fine since we have the advantage in compatibility.”
I answered confidently.
The Klyphoth was originally a concept created by inverting the Sephirot Tree, which symbolized circulation.
How could a shadow withstand the power of the original?
“Those angel bastards. They’re actually helping me here.”
Hypocritical beings who valued only their own definition of justice.
Even so.
I moved my Divine Power while feeling gratitude toward the angel I had teamed up with on the 75th floor in my previous life.
Clang!
Thick green light pierced into the clouds and began dismantling the black energy.
The monsters guarding the boundary resisted, but wherever the green light brushed past, only silence remained.
After some time had passed.
The black clouds shattered into countless fragments and completely vanished.
World Severance has been partially dispelled.
The border line was steeped in silence.
“Hoo.”
I let out a deep breath.
The party crossed the border and entered French territory.
The air feels unpleasant.
“It’s already mixed together. Completely separating it again will take time.”
Although I had neutralized World Severance using the power of the Cycle of Ain, it wasn’t perfect.
The overwhelming difference in output.
Even though we had the advantage in compatibility as Nyx pointed out, completely nullifying the formation circles installed across all of France was impossible.
Mana Manipulation Efficiency -10%
Even minor debuffs appeared.
While riding in a military vehicle along the highway, a city situated on a detour road came into view.
Otherworldly monsters dominating the sky like a flock of crows.
“Kuhaha, I shall show you my power!”
Sergey stepped forward before the monsters that had turned the sky black.
He spread both arms wide and concentrated his mana.
Merely rearranging it caused fierce winds to rise.
He had used Demonic Power.
One of my trump cards—a powerful skill.
Originally, it had been Sergey’s signature technique and symbol.
In my previous life, he had taught me how to acquire it, so I had made good use of it.
Watching the original owner use Demonic Power felt strangely surreal.
“Take this!”
Sergey released the rearranged mana.
Ice Age
Snowflakes began to fall one by one.
Then, in an instant, they dyed the entire field of vision white.
The return of the Ice Age that had once frozen the ancient Earth.
The absolute-zero cold mixed within the snowflakes froze the monsters’ bodies solid.
Layers upon layers of cold-attribute mana stacked together, forming solid ice that crashed down upon their heads.
The hundreds of monsters couldn’t even scream before they were devoured by the ferocious blizzard.
A 5-star grand magic.
I hadn’t expected him to have already learned Ice Age.
Even the accompanying party members were left speechless, staring at Sergey.
“I’ve heard the rumors, but you really are something else.”
“Let’s spar later.”
Everyone except Ellen and Carla.
Was it because they used to be priest and disciple that they were so alike even in this?
“Kukuku, Ellen Taylor is more than welcome. But who’s the little one next to you?”
“She is Guild Master Yu Jinho’s disciple.”
“His disciple? You pass too. Once this is over, let’s have a match.”
Good grief.
Do all of you only have fighting on your minds?!
“Sergey. Don’t waste too much strength.”
“Wasn’t the goal to save the French people?”
“World Severance is still active.”
Although I had restored the world separated by the Klyphoth’s power to its original state.
The output of World Severance was far higher than that of the Cycle of Ain, and I, the caster, was not yet complete.
To draw out the full power of the Sephirot, one needed to be of the angel race.
“Angel?”
“Yeah, the ones with white wings on their backs.”
In my previous life, I had devoured angel-type beings from the Tower and could use the power of the Sephirot quite well.
But right now, I hadn’t devoured a single essence related to angels, so I couldn’t bring out the Cycle of Ain’s power to its maximum.
“Mr. Yu, does that mean those dark clouds could reappear?”
“If we take too long, yes.”
The center of the formation.
We had to reach Paris.
“Master, then we don’t have time to waste, do we?”
“That’s why I’m telling you this.”
After World Severance was activated, the Klyphoth’s forces would have been deployed to every city in France.
To properly manage the power plants known as humans and their negative emotions and life force.
“If they realize our objective, they’ll block our path.”
“So we should conserve our strength for those enemies?”
“Exactly. Understood, Sergey?”
“Ugh, can’t be helped then.”
From now on, it was a race against time.
The magic circles installed across the French border would suppress the reactivation of World Severance.
But according to my calculations, they wouldn’t last more than a week.
“Let’s go. To Paris.”
The party resumed their halted steps.