Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Sea God's Fury
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6th Hierarchy, Heavenly Islands Zone.
The islands were in utter chaos from a sudden frenzy of sea calamities.
"What the hell is going on?!"
"They're climbing onto the island! Stop them!"
People on islands everywhere were struggling desperately to fend off the calamities.
And it was no wonder—these calamities were far stronger than ordinary ones.
Each one was on the level of an island lord.
With hordes of them swarming, some islands were even collapsing.
"Whoa, looks like something big went down."
A few had already sensed the anomaly in the Tower.
"N-No way! We can't hold them back!"
That was when someone screamed at the sight of the calamities pouring in.
A figure lightly leaped onto the horde from above.
His jet-black hair whipping in the wind, he stomped down on one calamity's head.
Then he casually raised his hand.
Boom!
In that instant, the charging calamities all froze in place.
Suddenly, they began floating upward into the sky.
"Kieek!"
"Gaaah!"
Their screams echoed out as one.
And just like that, the horde was flung skyward and vanished.
Those who witnessed it turned to the man.
Five black stars etched into his cheek.
The moment they saw them, gratitude poured forth.
"Ah, Kabala Kain! Thank you!"
"Yeah, no problem. Just run for it."
Kabala waved off the thanks with a hand.
Banpellyon and Isia were among the Three Great Families.
When all the families were declining and falling into ruin,
Kain was the only one that preserved its name and prestige.
One of the Five Great Families: Kain.
Kabala, a direct descendant, clasped his hands behind his head.
"Heard Banpellyon making waves lately."
Gazing at the pitch-black sky in the distance, he let out a chuckle.
"Grandpa'd be thrilled if he knew."
As a kid, he'd often heard about Banpellyon from his grandfather.
The old lion who slept all day now.
But if the day came when someone tugged his whiskers, the world would change.
He could picture his grandfather's excited face whenever he told that tale.
Of course, Grandpa was the one snoozing these days.
"Oh, but the Tower's about to get messy first."
Kabala glanced up at it with a hint of regret.
'Once the 6th Hierarchy's cleared, those guys'll start climbing.'
Quite some time ago.
The group that now dominated the underworld after compromising with the Five Great Families.
Their deal with the Five Great Families? No one climbs the Tower.
But someone broke that pact.
And the Five Great Families couldn't stop him.
'More like, he cleared it too fast for them to even try.'
Not their concern, anyway.
He grinned, privy to the pact known only to the family heads.
The deal was effectively void now.
Sure enough, they'd start climbing again.
The monsters of the upper generations—Memento Mori.
They'd come to kill the climber.
"Havel, was it?"
Kabala leaped lightly into the sky.
Staring at the spreading storm clouds on the horizon, he mused.
"Wonder how that'll go."
Memento Mori.
A new climber bearing the Banpellyon name: Havel.
He was dying to see what happened when they clashed.
"Can't miss the show."
Kabala smirked.
Looks like he'd have to climb the Tower for a front-row seat.
Beneath the pitch-black clouds.
A colossal presence loomed over the milky-white sea.
Three heads—one shark, one whale, one octopus. The Sea God.
A calamity awakened by the key to mutation.
Kwaaang!
The Sea God thrust its spear into the depths.
The storm erupting from it rippled straight into the sea.
And soon, the ocean began to change.
Kwagagagak!
Vortices erupted from the sea, surging in all directions.
Twisters piercing the black clouds from the milky sea.
It looked for all the world like the ocean's apocalypse.
Above that churning sea.
Havel felt a vortex rising beneath his feet.
He immediately lifted his leg and slammed it down into the water.
Thud!
The impact reverberated deep into the sea.
The destructive force shattered the vortex outright.
"Graaaah!"
One of the Sea God's heads bellowed at the sight.
"No idea what you're saying."
Havel was digging in his ear when a massive shadow appeared below.
He leaped lightly aside—just as the Sea God's spear shot up through his spot.
The spear, massive enough to cleave clouds, was demoralizing just to behold.
Beneath it, as it pierced the heavens, the Sea God's arm muscles ballooned grotesquely.
Then, with those swollen muscles, it swung the spear down again.
As if the sky itself were collapsing—an overwhelming spectacle.
Meanwhile, Havel landed leisurely on the undulating sea.
Then he leaped straight toward the descending spear.
Whoosh!
His hair whipped in the fierce wind.
Mid-leap, he drew both legs together.
Destructive power condensed in them.
For a split second, space itself warped from the gathered force.
His legs shot out toward the spear.
Thwack!
A sound no human leg could make boomed out.
The spear clashed with Havel's leg and bent backward.
One of the Sea God's heads panicked.
The deflected shaft was hurtling toward it.
As another arm reached desperately to block—
"Can't refuse a gift."
Havel flew in tandem with the rebounding spear.
By the time the Sea God registered him, it was too late.
Havel's fist smashed the shaft again.
Kwaaaang!
"Grk?!"
One head crushed against the spear, the Sea God toppled into the sea.
It kicked up house-sized waves, drenching everything in rain-like spray.
Havel landed atop the sea and peered below.
The fallen Sea God's presence had vanished.
"I don't swim, so underwater's not my thing."
Havel swallowed, then reluctantly released aura into his feet.
He sank straight into the depths.
From outside, it was milky white.
But inside? Pitch darkness.
'Great.'
Resigned, Havel raised his hand.
Dawn clung to it, illuminating the water.
As he searched for the Sea God with the light—
Whoosh!
Something barreled through the current.
The immense force swept Havel along, sending him tumbling endlessly.
No cover but water—he couldn't stop.
Havel swung his hand to halt himself forcibly.
Then he noticed the currents flowing unnaturally around him.
Like an invisible tension holding him back.
'Currents, huh.'
Onrushing currents tightened around him.
Blade-sharp, they'd shred him on contact.
Facing the onslaught.
Havel calmly raised his hand.
Krunch!
Something shattered from his fist.
He swung it immediately.
Kwaaaaaang!
The explosion disintegrated the currents instead.
In the chaos, Havel's eyes darted.
He'd spotted the Sea God at the current's edge.
Far off.
And he sensed what it was doing.
It was absorbing the sea into itself.
Each gulp amplified its killing intent.
The ocean's flow was turning lethal.
Left alone, something massive was coming.
'Perfect chance, then.'
Time to test Heavenly Mandate.
Havel drew his sword.
Dawn slowly welled from it.
A presence utterly different from before.
As it grew, pulses emanated from the Dawn.
'This could work.'
Havel's Dawn was light that devoured all.
But now, it could do something else.
The light on his blade surged violently.
In the depths, two colossal presences clashed.
The Sea God finished first.
Its heads, dozens of times more swollen, inhaled deeply.
As its chest reached its limit.
All three heads opened wide.
The abyssal sea split.
The storm of ocean from the Sea God swallowed everything.
Like three sea dragons.
It rushed at Havel.
Deep within the flying abyss.
The Dawn light in Havel's sword vanished in a flash.
And at its end, his blade swung down.
"Banpellyon Style Dawn Swordsmanship" "Dawn Remnants"
⟨ Dawn Severing Sword ⟩
Kwagagagagagak!
The oncoming sea dragon storm obliterated everything alongside the ocean.
The seafloor lay exposed—and empty.
The three dragons had torn it all apart.
The Sea God's three heads showed joy.
They'd finally crushed the enemy.
"Grarak!"
"Grik!"
"Gira..."
As they basked in triumph—
Crack!
One head shattered.
It crumbled to pieces, light leaking from the fissures.
The other two froze.
But that was just the start.
Slashes erupted across its body, light pouring out.
"Grarrrk!"
"Griririk!"
Too late for their screams.
The erupting light engulfed them.
And shattered the Sea God to bits.
The refilling sea swallowed the remains.
A man leaped from those waters.
He shook out his nearly silver, soaked hair.
Glancing at his tattered clothes, he grimaced.
"Gonna need a new set."
Havel had taken the Sea God's attack head-on.
But with Vajra, no blow could harm him.
Just a few scratches.
Instead, he'd let it hit while slicing only the Sea God.
Curious how far Heavenly Mandate could go.
"Got my answer."
Havel eyed the stairs descending as the storm clouds cleared.
The 6th Hierarchy had ended with the Sea God's death.
Now, the 7th Hierarchy.
Time to step into a wholly new realm.
And time for the Tower's new climber to shake the world.