404 - 412

Chapter 404: The Fifth Seed (3)

'What the hell is going on?'

R-Eronia Nell clenched her teeth as she looked at the hesitating Dragon God Soldiers.

The Dragon God Soldiers had received the Flame's Blessing.

They should be wiping away every single bug before their eyes but they were hesitating, unable to take another step forward.

"You bastards! What are you doing?! Did you run over there to say hello? Kill him! Do you know how many cities are being destroyed while you wait?!"

R-Eronia Nell couldn't hold back anymore as she roared into the communications device.

The aliens and the members of Reyunion were continuously destroying countless cities all around.

At a tremendous speed.

Multiple cities' worth of damages was occurring by the second, so of course she was feeling annoyed at the Dragon God Soldiers' hesitation.

But despite R-Eronia Nell's enraged shouts, the Dragon God Soldiers continued to waver.

'Dammit… What is that thing?'

R-Eronia Nell clenched her fists as she looked at the alien covered in darkness on the screen.

.........….

"Haa… Haaa…hahahahaa!"

Barmamunt, who had borrowed Hansoo's body, laughed out loud.

How long had it been since he tasted fresh air?

He usually enjoyed ripping apart and devouring weaklings.

Rise up to the top, then stomp and trample all over those before him.

But what kind of world was the Abyss?

He was not omnipotent.

There were actually other powerful races such as the Dragons.

And there were some other special unknown creatures that even they felt danger from.

So despite being so powerful, he had to continuously strive to become stronger and stronger.

But what about this place?

He could run around without any restraints and just rip things apart.

'How lucky. Good. Good.'

Barmamunt checked the body he was controlling.

Because of the sheer amount of strength they had, most creatures could not withstand their power and blew apart.

But this body was different.

It had more than enough strength to sustain his own and had an infinite room for growth.

And he liked this person's goals as well.

'He's… going to be fighting a lot more.'

He hadn't called him out here to escape this danger.

There were countless enemies he had to fight and too many battles he had to go through.

This man was too perfect.

Although there was a limit to how much strength he could use due to the current strength of the host's body, but since the gate had already been opened, he could wreak havoc unto this world whenever he wanted.

Although there were countless beings that had never tasted their strength.

There weren't any beings that had tasted their strength once and didn't seek for more.

And since this man was a person who toiled in chaos, having gone through countless battles, that made this was even better.

'I guess… I should give him some good service. I'll show you something that's dimensions apart from that stupid brute spider.'

Barmamunt chuckled coldly at the bugs around him.

Sadly, there were thirteen of them.

And the final decision fell to the owner of this body.

This meant that if he wanted to taste this fresh atmosphere as often as possible, he needed to stand out the most among the thirteen and treat him the best.

He was going to prevent that strength-obsessed spider and the other eleven from even seeing the outside world a single time.

'I will turn this place… into something beautiful.'

Black smoke started to surround Barmamunt.

Then—

—kacha!—

—as Barmamunt started to swing his right arm, he felt a sense of suppression from inside him.

And he heard a small voice echo out from within.

Barmamunt's expression turned gruesome.

"You should know that I'll have to control this body to use the amount of strength you want."

The same power could be the difference between the heavens and earth depending on how efficiently one used it.

The amount of strength he was asking for was not possible with Hansoo's level.

Since this strength wasn't Hansoo's but rather his own.

He had taken over the body thinking that Hansoo was going to entrust his body with him but what was this?

Barmamunt felt the fresh air as he continued his attempts at persuading Hansoo.

"If you want to control such a large amount of power, then you'll have to pay a much higher price. Do you really want that?"

Hansoo chuckled from inside.

Barmamunt frowned at Hansoo's words.

This was one thing he didn't like about this host.

He wasn't easy.

'And another thing.'

He wasn't stupid either.

Barmamunt pouted as he said:

"Let's talk about it afterward."

Barmamunt smiled as he gathered energy to attack again.

This body was already in his hands.

If Hansoo tried his best then Barmamunt would be affected but if he really went berserk then the soul inside the body could only watch while being swept around in the currents.

And that meant that he could stay out here even longer.

"Just rest inside, I'll deal with everything and treat you well."

Barmamunt gathered hellfire into his hands.

And a cold voice echoed out from inside his mind.

—flinch—

"…What the hell?"

"You bastard…!"

But even before he could finish his words—

—whoooosh!—

—the terrifying dark aura that stormed around the body started to disappear.

"What a troublesome fellow."

A different voice came out from Hansoo's mouth.

—rumble—

<…You damned bastard. How do you know my true name?>

Hansoo thought to himself as he listened to Barmamunt's words.

'Because you told me in the past when you begged me to let you live as my slave.'

Hansoo thought back to the past when Barmamunt offered his true name while shivering in fear, and he walked forwards, slowly getting drunk from his newfound strength.

All these fellows were untrustworthy.

It wasn't good to use them for a prolonged period of time.

'I'll finish it up fast.'

Hansoo's speed quickened.

............…..

"Damn…"

R-Oroita Ron, a Dragon God Soldier who had confidently run over, slowly backed up.

A tremendous amount of strength was overflowing from inside his body but this strength did not get rid of the most primal fear borne from their instincts.

And R-Eronia Nell's enraged voice continued to pierce into R-Oroita Ron's ears.

'B****… You should come and check him out yourself.'

R-Oroita Ron clenched his teeth at R-Eronia Nell's words but he started to move forward.

It was annoying but her words were correct.

He had gained a new, unfathomable amount of strength but was still shivering in fear.

The strength he had received was because he had fought more valiantly than anyone else and so he would continue to do so in the future.

A soldier who refused to fight was useless and there were countless others who would gladly take his spot.

If he continued to act in this way, then even if he survived this battle, he would lose everything he had gained and fall straight down the social ladder.

The mark on his neck started to shine brightly.

—kakakakakaka!—

The metal alloys around them started to bend away while making breaking sounds.

His aura alone had caused this.

And as the metal alloys bent to the point of snapping apart—

—boooom!—

—R-Oroita Ron's body shot off an attack, accompanied by a huge sound.

A tiny sun that melted everything it passed rang through the darkness.

And he wasn't the only one who attacked.

—boooom!—

—boom!—

Multiple other Dragon God Soldiers who heard R-Eronia Nell's orders started to fire as well.

R-Oroita Ron smiled coldly as he looked at the multiple attacks that could melt away a couple cities in an instant.

'Good.'

This amount of firepower could rival even the fleets.

A single being should not be able to withstand this.

R-Oroita Ron looked at the wave of attacks as he activated the sun visor before his eyes, and he covered the area where the attacks were converging onto with his hands.

It would be bad if he were to end up blinded by the light that would soon follow.

But as the attacks arrived by Hansoo—

—whoooosh!—

—the darkness surrounding Hansoo stretched apart as it spread out a thin dark veil.

And as the light touched that veil—

—ssssss!—

—the wave of light was sucked into the darkness.

Like a black hole, absorbing everything away.

"Huh?….Wha…?"

Their attacks weren't supposed to end like this.

And as they flinched at this strange sight—

—whoooosh!—

—Hansoo, who hadn't received a single hint of damage, rushed towards R-Oroita Ron standing at the very front and swung his hammer.

"Damn… Ahhh!"

It was too late to dodge.

As Hansoo's hammer flew in, R-Oroita Ron used all the power from the Flame's Blessing and poured it onto the shield before his eyes.

Then—

—booooom!—

'I blocked it…'

—R-Oroita Ron was full of joy at the giant shockwave that occurred right in front of him.

Although the Dragon God Armor cracked and his arm felt like it was about to break, he had succeeded in defending.

And he wasn't alone.

'Bastard… I'll smash you apart.'

It was time for a counter attack.

As R-Oroita Ron aimed for Hansoo again—

—kacha!—

"…Huh?"

—R-Oroita Ron looked down at the strange sound that came from his arm.

"Ahhhh!"

R-Oroita Ron screamed out in pain as he saw that his arm had been ripped off from the elbow down.

Hansoo's hammer had done this.

Well, the dark shadow that was lingering around at the tip of Hansoo's hammer to be exact.

The shadow that had devoured the wave of light was showing its white teeth as it devoured R-Oroita Ron's arm.

"Ahhhh…..Ahhhh!"

While R-Oroita Ron screamed, a dissatisfied voice could be heard from inside.

'Well, that's not my problem.'

"Ahhh! Die!"

"Demon! He's a demon!"

—booom!—

There was no time to care about Barmamunt.

Since the other Dragon God Soldiers were charging towards him.

The hate-filled voice of Barmamunt, who was still shocked by the fact that Hansoo had dragged him down, could be heard from inside him.

The thirteen demons.

Barmamunt of Gluttony.

The great demon that devoured the world spat those words at Hansoo.

Chapter 405: The Price (1)

A person's mana and stamina were the two most important things in a battle.

So most skills used these two as the price to work.

But even if they were precious, sooner or later a person could recover what was used.

What's truly priceless are the things… that cannot be recovered once lost.

So the demons were tempted by such things the most, and they prepared a large amount of strength to gain them.

Great and attractive power.

In order to snare these so-called 'priceless' things, they wouldn't hesitate to entice all those wishing to borrow their strength.

.........…

—boooom!—

R-Eronia Nell dazedly looked at the man who was sweeping the entire surroundings while being covered in darkness.

'What the…?'

Screams continuously echoed out through the communications panel.

.

.

The darkness around the man devoured everything nearby.

Everything from the Flame's power to the Dragon God Armor that the soldiers were wearing.

Everything.

Any obstacles in its path were instantly devoured as the man continued on his path of destruction.

If one added up everything that he had devoured up until this point then it would've at least spanned the length of a tall building.

In terms of the energy he had eaten, the total amount could erase a couple of cities in an instant.

But the man's appearance hadn't changed a single bit.

R-Eronia Nell clenched her teeth at the man who was causing utter destruction to everything around him.

'Damn… My calculations were way off. At this rate, we'll be massacred.'

The Flame's Blessing could not be received by just anyone.

Dragon God Soldiers were those that had precise control over the M-Waves and therefore could command the Dragon God Armor. Only they could receive and control the Flame's Blessing.

And from what she could see, dumping a few more Dragon God Soldiers with the Flame's Blessing wouldn't change anything.

It was like chucking hay into a huge fire.

'…Ugh.'

R-Eronia Nell made a decision.

This was beyond her capabilities.

Reporting this to the family head would brand her as an incapable piece of trash that couldn't even complete a simple task, and it would lower her position within the family—but that wasn't important right now.

Well, failing to complete her task was an issue but if she let this become an even larger issue then it would spiral into an even bigger problem.

If she wasted time in this place and let that man charge straight into the capital then it would be the end for her.

R-Eronia Nell sighed and spoke to the Technorat nearby.

"Contact… the family head. An urgent matter has come up."

"… Understood."

The Technorat seemed to have similar thoughts as R-Eronia Nell and quickly opened up the communications panel.

—kiriririri!—

R-Eronia Nell stared at the battle scene and then added a few words.

"Record and send that too. So the head can understand the situation better."

'…The head will understand.'

She told the Technorat to add it for better understanding but it was more like an excuse on her part.

If the head saw this, it would be understandable.

How in the world would she be able to handle it?

'Yeah. This is better.'

Deciding that this matter was already out of her hands, it made her feel much lighter.

R-Eronia Nell looked at the monstrous being on the panel screen, her mind at ease.

The alien who was shredding apart the Dragon God Soldiers of the Neropa Union.

'Anyway… Why wasn't he using that power if he had it all along?'

R-Eronia Nell thought to herself.

The reason why she had underestimated him was because she'd been observing him for quite some time.

She had watched him ever since he caused that ruckus inside Reyunion's territory.

Wouldn't it be easier for him if he'd used that power in the Flameless Lands?

She had expected him to have a bit of hidden strength, but not this much.

'…Why?'

At that moment—

—kiriring—

—the communication link connected as a panel opened.

R-Eronia Nell then saw an expressionless face on the panel.

"…Yes. Family Head."

There was no expression, but R-Eronia Nell could clearly see the rage hidden within his eyes.

R-Eronia Nell gulped as she looked at the family head, K-Merrow Nell, before her eyes.

...........

—booooom!—

Kiriel pummeled a Dragon God Soldier down and loosened up her joints.

They were much easier to handle in comparison to the Nerpa they had fought in the past.

But there was another reason why she was so laid-back.

'There's nothing to do.'

—booooom!—

"Aaahhh!"

Kiriel felt worried because she kept hearing screams echoing from the distance.

There was no need for her to do anything.

Hansoo was sweeping through everything and everyone.

None of the enemies' attacks worked on him and every strike on his end ignored their defenses and devoured them.

An already strong opponent had basically gotten hold of a cheating software.

If someone like that was charging towards her then it would basically be a physical manifestation of a nightmare.

But this worried Kiriel.

'…A single skill can be that strong?'

Every single one of Hansoo's skills was overpowered—this was a fact.

But there was an unbroken rule between all the skills.

The higher the risk, the higher the gain.

The stronger the skill's power, the higher the price they had to pay.

If used correctly, the Nine Dragons Strike was an attack that pulverized all the bones within one's body, whereas the Pandemic Blade was a skill that basically devoured one's mana.

Hansoo could use those skills because of his disgustingly high-leveled physical ability and a never-ending supply of mana, but if somebody else, like herself, used those skills then it would easily half-kill them just by activating the skills.

The Demonic Dragon Reinforcement and the Immortal Soul's powers weren't as strong as Hansoo's two skills, so despite being on the same rank, the price one had to pay was lower as well.

This meant that to use the skill that Hansoo was using, he had to at least pay a price that was equal to or higher than the Nine Dragons Strike or the Pandemic Blade.

No, from what she could see, he had to pay a price that was several times higher than that.

But he wasn't paying anything.

It didn't seem like his body was being destroyed nor did it look like he was using a tremendous amount of mana.

So this made her even more worried.

If he wasn't paying with mana or stamina or anything else…

Then what did one have to pay to gain such a ridiculous amount of strength?

At that moment—

chiiijijik—

—a sound could be heard from the visors of the soldiers.

The sound was in some form of a military code so it was hard to understand, but she could guess to a degree.

The moment the soldiers heard that sound, their expressions brightened up and they acted instantly.

—sssssss!—

—zzzzztzt!—

Light blue particles appeared in the air and started to surround the bodies of the surviving Dragon God Soldiers.

Quantum Transmission.

—whooooosh!—

The particles surrounding the Dragon God Soldiers were so bright that they almost looked like shiny treasures.

'I understand, but…'

Kiriel thought.

If she had to fight against that monster, she would also have a similar expression if she managed to receive a path to survival.

As the Dragon God Soldiers disappeared, she approached Hansoo with a worried expression.

This didn't look simple at all.

"Haaaa…"

"… Are you okay?"

He had only used it because they were in a bad situation.

He did not want to use the Demon's Gate.

The demons were unpredictable.

They were strong and intelligent as well.

They never did a trade that was disadvantageous to them, and they always had to fulfill their desires.

The thing the demons wanted the most was his suffering.

It was now time to pay the price.

It would be nice if it was something like his lifespan, mana, or a part of his body, but…

If it was something that affected his mental state, it would be a huge problem.

Hansoo barely managed to speak to Kiriel.

"Get… away from me. As far as you can."

"Pardon?'

But before she could receive a reply.

—clank—

Hansoo fell to the ground unconscious.

.........

Barmamunt, who was sitting inside Hansoo's mind, smiled as he looked at Hansoo in front of him.

He had to know about his opponent if he wanted to steal the most precious thing he had.

Reading his memories was part of the contract, one of the most basic options.

And after doing so, Barmamunt had to accept the fact that Hansoo was very interesting.

'But things don't connect very well.'

According to his memories, he'd lived a very normal life.

He had lived a normal life until he was 20 years old, experiencing nothing that related to fighting.

But the moment he came over to this world, he showed a tremendous amount of potential that was beyond comprehension and charged forward.

And he didn't seem like he was fighting to become stronger or just to survive.

Well, he did fight for those things, but they weren't goals. Rather, they were a small procedure towards a bigger goal.

His goal was… to unite humankind.

But there was no source for his motivation.

Every human being had some form of motivation driving their actions but he did not.

And the sudden appearance of his insane skills could not be explained either.

Well, to be exact, there were a few parts that could explain it that were hidden here and there.

But Barmamunt could not read them.

'It means those Faeries did something…'

Barmamunt chuckled.

Well, he had all the clues he needed, he could figure it out now.

Maybe it was some random scum but he was a demon who controlled one of the thirteen demonic territories.

He had gathered countless amounts of information.

Of course, he knew an explanation to this as well.

An explanation for this guy's strange past.

This also told him why Hansoo knew his true name despite just being a bug.

Barmamunt looked at the expressionless Hansoo with a cold smile.

Reincarnator – Chapter 406: The Price (2)

Barmamunt looked amused.

Hansoo's motivation wasn't from any enjoyment of the present nor was it hope for the future.

It was his memories of his past life.

'A poor fellow stuck in the hands of the reaper.'

Barmamunt chuckled.

Despite having so much strength, he only ran forward to escape from the illusion of his past.

Maybe it was because he came from the future.

So it wasn't just some past memory, but rather a future that could drastically change depending on how he acted right now.

But that wasn't fun.

As his words ended—

—rumble—

—a wisp of a black flame appeared on the tip of Barmamunt's finger, radiating a grim aura.

Barmamunt took the strange cluster of energy that somehow resembled black flames—or perhaps a collection of small shadows—and placed it on Hansoo's forehead.

Instead of the playful voice that Barmamunt had been using up until now, a very serious and grim voice came out from his mouth.

But seeing the smirk on his face, he seemed confident that he wouldn't be denied.

While keeping his flaming finger on Hansoo's forehead, Barmamunt spoke.

Then—

—boooom!—

—the black flame on his finger went berserk as it swirled around Hansoo's head.

And Barmamunt shouted at Hansoo:

As his words ended—

—boooooooooom!—

—a bright light exploded out from the space between them, bathing them in light.

The judge was debating if Barmamunt's request had been excessive or not.

The moment the light surrounded them, the black flames stopped digging into Hansoo's head, lingering in place.

If Barmamunt's request wasn't excessive then it meant the judge had accepted his demand.

If the request had been unreasonable in relation to the strength loaned out, the request would then be slightly tweaked.

—rumble!—

Hansoo felt the black flames surrounding his head as well as the light that bathed them and thought:

'Memories… Why is everyone so interested in my memories?'

As Hansoo thought of Eres and Keldian who'd sent him into the past after altering his memories—

—whooosh!—

—the light started to disperse.

The judgment had been made.

—rummblee!—

The moment the light disappeared, the black flames started digging deeper into Hansoo's head.

............…..

"…Hansoo?"

Kiriel asked, lifting up Hansoo, who was lying unconscious on the ground.

He wanted to run away, but how could he?

'…Ugh.'

Kiriel sighed at her incompetence, unable to do anything for Hansoo.

If she had received a clear explanation, then she could've worked things out on her own, but Hansoo's words were mostly fragmented.

At that moment, a thought appeared in her mind.

'…Should I read him?'

She had never read Hansoo's memories until now.

But if she did, she might be able to find a hint about the current situation.

As Kiriel looked at Hansoo and pondered—

"Phew…"

—Hansoo, who had been leaning on Kiriel, woke up and breathed out roughly.

'He's awake!'

Kiriel sighed in relief after seeing Hansoo regaining consciousness and starting to move his body.

She had been worried that he would stay like this forever.

But she could only stay calm for a short moment.

Because she remembered Hansoo's words before he fell unconscious.

To get as far away from him as possible.

If going berserk was Hansoo's price for using that skill, then she would be the one in danger.

As Kiriel watched Hansoo and prepared to use Cloudy Movement—

—Hansoo stood up and spoke with a sigh.

"Haa… Thank you, Kiriel. But next time, just run away as far as you can first."

'I can't guarantee that the next time will end this luckily as well.'

Kiriel flinched at Hansoo's words but then sighed in relief and dropped her guard.

It didn't seem like he'd gone berserk or was being controlled by someone else.

Kiriel then asked Hansoo worriedly:

"…What happened?"

Hansoo replied as he looked back at Kiriel's anxious expression.

"He asked for my memories as the price."

"…For using that skill?"

Hansoo nodded and Kiriel spoke out.

"Well, that's not too bad. I can tell you about the memories that you lost."

Of course, those memories were very important.

But it was much better than losing his life or something as valuable as that.

Kiriel actually thought that he'd have to pay half his lifespan or one of his limbs as the price.

Memories weren't as bad.

'And since he remembers me… It seems that he hasn't lost everything.'

She didn't know how much of his memories had been used as payment but she knew everything about Hansoo.

It wouldn't be a stretch to say she knew every single thing that Hansoo did since he came to the Otherverse.

This was the correct attitude of a die-hard fan.

She could easily explain the lost memories and remind him of the more important tasks.

But Hansoo shook his head.

This wasn't an issue that Kiriel could solve.

If the memories Barmamunt wanted were the memories of this life, then Kiriel could indeed help him out.

But they weren't the only memories he had.

The memories he could not say out loud; those to prevent the hastening of the Otherverse fully merging with the Abyss, the memories of the past and the future.

'…How aggressive.'

Hansoo smiled bitterly.

He didn't blame Barmamunt.

Since he was a demon after all.

The demons enjoyed watching humans stray off course.

They enjoyed watching humans who used to remain steadfast suddenly falter and reach an unfavorable end.

They would continue to lure them further and further away from their original goals so they could never come close to attaining them again.

Barmamunt had only one reason to take away Hansoo's memories.

He'd hoped that Hansoo would deviate from his current path after losing the memories that had pushed him forward.

But it was more like he'd taken away the heavy load on his shoulders.

Allowing him to live the way he wanted, to be selfish and use his strength the way he wanted.

The life that every human wanted.

'Of course, he isn't that kind.'

If he really lost all his memories and lived the way Barmamunt wanted him to…

If he lost the memories of his friends and failed to unify the human race, using his powers for the wrong things…

Barmamunt would then return Hansoo's memories and laugh at him.

Making him remember what he'd once valued.

'But… I cannot allow that. Damned bastard.'

The payment wasn't a one-time thing.

His memories of the future were too high a price for Hansoo when he'd only borrowed Barmamunt's strength once.

And Barmamunt seemed to know this and hadn't asked for too much.

At least, he remembered everything for now.

The memories of the past, the plan, and his comrades.

But it would slowly fade away.

Everything in his head.

Before he lost his memories of the past.

In order to deal with the load his friends placed on his shoulders.

'I'll complain to them once we meet up above…'

Hansoo thought of Eres and stood up chuckling.

He didn't have the time to worry, he needed to move.

"I didn't lose much. Let's continue."

Hansoo stood up and moved towards Neoreim in the distance.

Thinking about an existence different to Barmamunt.

'The Fairy… Does it want me to move faster?'

This hadn't happened just because he used the Demon's Gate.

The problem laid in its roots.

The Fairy had given him this skill after all.

The Fairy probably saw a bit of the future as it handed him this skill.

The Fairy knew what he'd valued the most.

And how the demons wanted it.

But all of this didn't matter.

Since he just needed to use it once it came into his hands.

Kiriel asked with a worried expression as she watched Hansoo starting to walk.

"…Are you really okay?"

Looking at his memories, it seemed like he'd paid quite a high price.

But Hansoo chuckled at her words.

"I'm fine."

"…?"

"I paid the price in full right away."

So whether he used that strength or not, his memories would slowly fade away.

He had chosen to use this power as much as he wanted without limitations.

Since he'd paid for it, the more he used, the better, right?

"Let's go."

'Before… I forget what I need to do.'

And behind Hansoo's feet—

—whoooosh!—

—thirteen shadows appeared and lingered.

Reincarnator – Chapter 407: Wall (1)

Hansoo looked towards Neoreim and fell into thought.

'They're probably still preparing for me.'

They had just checked out his strength and tried to overwhelm him.

And if those blessed soldiers were their trump card, they wouldn't have backed off.

Especially since the Relic inside Neoreim was far more valuable than the Dragon God Soldiers.

They would've thrown away every single Dragon God Soldier at hand if it could buy them one more second.

By retrieving the Dragon God Soldiers, it meant that the soldiers weren't part of their plans to stop Hansoo.

A plan to stop him without wasting the Dragon God Soldiers.

Since they'd done this after seeing his strength, he could narrow it down to three possibilities.

One, the Neropa's Union's proud fleets currently fighting in the frontlines.

Two, their Relic.

But they couldn't use these two however they wanted.

Since their true enemy wasn't him after all but rather the Emperor, Pompeion.

The moment they diverted one of these two things onto him, it would tilt the balance between them and the Pompeion Empire.

Which meant that there was only one possibility left.

'It seems… that I'll be seeing everyone else again.'

Hansoo thought as he looked towards the giant city in the distance.

.........…..

A giant valley that spread from east to west that stretched over 7,300 kilometers.

The size of the valley was so deep and wide that in the past, many tribes thought that this valley had been created by the heavy slash of a god.

A valley made by a god to separate the rich southern lands from the poor northern lands.

"Well, it's not really that dramatic and all, but still."

—rumble—

K-Merrow Nell mumbled from inside his personal ship . He had been looking at the valley and at the light that shone out from its depths.

Although he didn't believe in God and all, he still liked to come here from time to time and enjoy the view.

This was the only place on this planet where a person could witness the deeply hidden Flame in detail.

That giant sphere that was still visible despite being thousands of kilometers below the surface.

An agglomeration of a vastly advanced technology that even they, who were already quite advanced, wouldn't even dare to approach.

The existence of that Flame was the very reason why he loved this place.

This Great Valley was one of the few locations that could fuel his greed.

A location that told him that despite reaching such heights, there were still areas he had yet to conquer.

'Two in fact.'

K-Merrow Nell looked towards the far distance.

Two things he hadn't conquered.

One was the Flame under the planet.

The second was the land of that Pompeion bastard.

K-Merrow Nell gritted his teeth.

'In such an important moment… Why did such a nuisance have to appear out of nowhere?'

K-Merrow Nell frowned at R-Eronia Nell's report which told him that he had to deal with this himself.

But there was nothing he could do.

He didn't have the leisure to care about a fly like that.

'Pompeion…'

He was strong but so was his opponent.

Against an opponent like this, he didn't have the room for leisure.

He needed to work fast and efficiently while using every card he had.

Always be prepared for the worst.

And he had done so up until now.

Although he might look like a tyrant who'd devoured over half of this continent.

Although he owned so much to the point of not knowing what to do with anything.

He didn't have a single second to rest.

While maintaining a good relationship with the other two families, he had to push back Pompeion's forces.

This meant that despite having a fly buzzing around back home, he couldn't do anything about it.

Since the blade in his hand wasn't meant for the fly but for something else.

'Damn these annoying aliens…'

But he had to trust in these aliens now.

K-Merrow Nell frowned as he looked behind him.

Towards the couple who were sitting down in the interior of the ship.

"You said you could handle him, right?"

'Family matters should be dealt from within the family.'

K-Merrow Nell looked at the couple.

In fact, the Dragon God Soldiers he had created were based on these two people.

Monstrous beings that could rip apart fleets by themselves.

Even amongst the aliens, these two were part of the elite few.

'Did they say they were 4-Stars?'

The woman nodded.

"We'll deal with it. Since your goal is important to us too."

"…I'll trust you. Please finish it quickly. But if you can't even handle this… I may need to rethink our alliance."

K-Merrow Nell spoke these words as he irritably walked off.

He then added a few more words as he headed towards the terrace outside the ship.

"I'll tell you when the Quantum Transmission is ready. Just enjoy the view from the terrace until then, this isn't something that just anybody gets to see."

And with those words, K-Merrow Nell left the room.

The couple, who had been left by themselves in the room, watched the videos they received for a while.

The scene of one man massacring the Dragon God Soldiers while being covered in darkness.

The man spoke.

"Only one of us should go, the other should stay and focus on finishing up the plan."

"…Yes, you're right."

The woman agreed to his words.

They couldn't both go.

They didn't have the leisure to do so.

'The Great Plan…This is it.'

The plan which they and the Neropa Union had prepared for.

Their goal was right before their noses and at least one of them needed to stay here for that.

The man shrugged his shoulders.

'One is more than enough.'

"It's better if I go, right? Stay here."

Although they both knew Hansoo…

But unlike him, the woman had a deeper relationship with Hansoo.

It would be better for him to go.

But the woman shook her head.

"No, I will go."

"…Will you be okay?"

The woman, Mihee, nodded.

"Of course. I'll deal with it quickly."

Mihee looked sadly at the screen.

'Hansoo… Why did you come so late…?'

Too many things had changed.

Too many things had been trampled on.

There were too many things on her shoulders now.

To go back to the days of the Tutorial.

The days of her, Sangjin, and Hansoo exploring the new world together.

The man felt worried as he looked at her.

'Becoming all emotional at such an important stage… Ugh…'

The man spoke out while looking at her face.

"No, I'll go."

"Wha—"

"Stay."

'We might… not be able to finish this with just words.'

The man looked at the berserk Hansoo with cold eyes.

.........

—rumble!—

Dozens of Transcendents had rejoined Hansoo as he ran.

This included John Stone and the countless others who had spread out to divert the attention of the Dragon God Soldiers.

But it had been quite a while since they had last met up.

There wasn't much point for a diversion since Hansoo's position had been exposed already.

And they may get killed off by the Dragon God Soldiers while being away from Hansoo.

—tatatatak!—

John Stone, who had been running while healing his body, looked confused.

"…Why aren't they doing anything?"

Hansoo replied:

"They realized that they needed a single, powerful strike.'

"F***…"

As John Stone frowned—

—booom!—

—boom!—

—giant metal spikes abruptly shot up from the ground and into the sky, right in front of him and Hansoo.

—boom!—

Thousands of metal spikes rose into the air like a giant metal wave.

Each spike seemed to contain a vicious aura.

"Dammit! Dodge it!"

It was a skill that could easily shred apart 3-Star Transcendents.

Everyone stopped running.

It looked like the enemy didn't seem to have any enmity with them since they'd stopped attacking them.

But John Stone flinched.

'This skill….'

Then—

"I apologize for being a bit blunt, but I'm feeling a bit impatient, you see."

—a man walked out from between the spikes.

Seeing the man, John Stone spat out one word:

"…Samuel."

"Ah… You're here as well."

John Stone gulped.

He knew Samuel had departed the Flameless Lands, but for him to have joined the Neropa Union so quickly…

Samuel made an awkward expression as he looked at the familiar faces among the Transcendents.

He had never expected to see his old underlings in a place like this.

"You must've had a greeaaat time after leaving us all alone there, right? You've been sticking by their side?"

"That…"

Samuel was about to reply to John Stone's angry words, but in the end he closed his mouth and turned his head away.

He hadn't come here for this.

In order to achieve his goals, he had thrown away John Stone and left.

He had no time to waste right now.

Especially talking about the old times.

"Kang Hansoo. This is far as you go. Please stop."

Hansoo frowned.

This person had come out of nowhere and had started saying a bunch of nonsense.

"Please stop going after the Relic. That's… something very dear to us."

Hansoo made an amused expression.

"It seems that I've lost my memories already, I don't remember us being this friendly."

"…?"

'Memory?'

Samuel paused at hearing Hansoo's strange words, but then spoke with a heavy expression.

"I don't know what you're saying, but… you may not know me."

Hansoo had always looked forwards.

And he had chased after him from behind.

But not anymore.

While Hansoo was being lazy, he'd run past him and had taken the lead.

And their plans were about to succeed.

Samuel breathed in deeply and looked at Hansoo.

"We're going to use the Relic and create a land for ourselves in the 6th Zone."

They were so close.

Their plan of finishing the they were creating with the Neropa Union at the Great Valley.

And if they succeeded.

They wouldn't need to fight anymore.

They would be able to escape the cycle of fighting and live a peaceful life.

John Stone roared at Samuel's words.

"You bastard! You're basically saying you refuse to climb up! You're throwing us away!"

Samuel's expression turned sad at hearing his shouts.

Chapter 408: Wall (2)

In the interior space of the boulder mountain in the Great Ravine.

The Technorat, R-Kanoil Pael, gulped as she looked at the countless machines continuously being created from inside the bunker hidden deep within the ground.

'…Where did they find such a blueprint?'

As a Technorat, she had climbed all the way up to R-Level.

She had, of course, proven her abilities, and she had familiarized herself with every important project within the Family.

After all, she was now in charge of directing the current top-priority project, the .

But, there were two matters that even she couldn't understand.

The infinite growth of the aliens' strength.

And the technology handed down from the family's main branch that far surpassed her imagination.

Both these things existed before her eyes.

—rumble!—

An alien in the distance lifted up a giant spire.

With just her hands.

A giant hunk of metal that was 700 meters long with a 100-meter radius was being lifted up by a small being not even 2 meters in height.

It was hard to believe, but it was the truth.

'And… it's a woman.'

The woman lifted the spire and then covered her body with a thin barrier to prevent breaking the nearby structures. She then touched the communications device by her ear.

—chiijijik—

Words entered R-Kanoil Pael's ears.

R-Kanoil Pael, who had been in a daze watching the woman singlehandedly lifting up that giant metal chunk, woke up from those words and replied:

<…Yes. That way. Take it to the coordinates N123131, H01689.>

The woman gave a short response and quickly flew off into the giant valley below.

'To go in there…'

Due to the powerful force field, the giant valley was a place where the Flame's power could not be used.

The only ones who could move around with those giant hunks of metal were the aliens.

It would've taken decades for their people to move those giant metal spires.

Since they would have had to disassemble it first, then move it piece by piece before reassembling it again.

'Simply not burning up in the heat is a relief on its own.'

R-Kanoil Pael shook her head at the powerful flames that seeped out from the depths of the valley and then moved to her next destination.

Towards the seventeen remaining metal spires that the woman had just departed from.

And as she drew closer and closer, she saw the metal spires becoming larger and larger.

Each one was comparable in size with their ships.

'So she lifted this thing, huh…?'

R-Kanoil Pael tried pushing the metal spire in disbelief and then woke up at her futile effort.

The woman was one thing but these metal spires were strange too.

A mysterious metal tower that had descended from above and were made up of many parts whose nature were unknown to them.

Even the core parts built in Neoreim and then sent here had implemented an extremely high level of technology.

Although the spires had been reassembled here under her own jurisdiction, she still couldn't fully grasp what they were.

She only knew one thing.

That they would be activated by the Relic that was hidden deep within the Neoreim.

Although the Relic was still being held in the capital due to security reasons, once these remaining seventeen spires were all placed in the valley then they would transport it here.

'I wish we could finish this up quickly.'

Overseeing a project in which the technology and its progress couldn't be fully grasped wasn't a good feeling.

R-Kanoil Pael thought as she looked towards the capital in the distance.

............…

"You're going to stay here?"

Samuel shook his head at Hansoo's question.

"No need to go up."

It wasn't like a better life was waiting for them even if they did go up.

No, it was the complete opposite.

There was no guarantee that they'd meet anything positive above but they were certain to encounter even stronger opponents.

Why should they continue upwards?

There was only one reason why the others were going up.

So that they didn't lose out to the others.

But this was all based off the greed of wanting to climb higher.

If one let go of this feeling, the fear of being left behind would naturally disappear as well.

'I just figured it out too late.'

Samuel shook his head as he thought of this.

It wasn't that he'd been too late to realize this reality.

But rather, he'd realized the fact that his abilities weren't good enough to climb faster than the others.

'John Stone, I'm sorry. I promised that we'd climb up together, but…'

But Samuel shook his head.

It was too late.

The plan was almost complete.

There was no point in taking risks at this point.

Samuel's expression froze as he spoke to Hansoo.

"The Relic is important to us. We cannot hand it over to you."

Hansoo pondered as he looked at Samuel before him.

'My words won't get to him.'

It wasn't a bad choice.

It wasn't a greedy choice.

But this was only viable if the Abyss didn't exist.

There was barely six months left until that happened and then this 'Utopia' that Samuel was building would turn into hell.

'Even if I explain about the Abyss… He wouldn't believe me.'

Hansoo shook his head as he looked at Samuel's guarded expression.

Explanations and excuses were basically the same thing.

The same content could be an explanation in the hands of the strong and an excuse in the hands of the weaker party.

'And right now, he is stronger.'

Hansoo continued to think.

He wanted to advance to the 4th Star before he took action.

Since he would be able to suppress most things with sheer strength at that point.

But he didn't have the time to do so.

'Well, I'll ask a bit more.'

Hansoo spoke.

"So, what will you do?"

Samuel pondered whether to answer or not.

But in the end, he decided to.

'I… must take him with me anyways.'

Samuel looked at Hansoo.

At first he wanted to make Hansoo back off because he was worried.

Because in his memories, Hansoo still remained as a threat.

Although he tried hard to ignore it, the images from the past still remained in his head.

And even after two years, those images were still as clear as day.

So he had asked Hansoo to back off.

Because if Hansoo really pulled out his hidden cards, it could cause an uproar.

But from what he could see, Hansoo was trying to back off as well.

'It's clear that he has no room to back off, but… he is?'

If Hansoo had the strength to go through him then there was no reason for him to back off.

But it was clear that Hansoo did not.

But if Hansoo backed off here?

He was a 3-Star.

But what about after that?

Hansoo would sooner or later become a 4th Star and at that point he would lose.

'…Annoying. I've had a two year head start and yet there's still only this small amount of difference between us.'

A killing intent appeared inside Samuel's mind for a moment, but he soon shook his head.

He just needed to take Hansoo.

It was clear that Hansoo could use teleportation as well so it would be bad if he was enraged.

He needed to catch Hansoo before he ran away.

Samuel carefully rotated mana around his body and spoke to distract Hansoo.

"We're going to create a giant barrier. A barrier to surround the entire Neropa Union."

"With the power of the Relic?"

And as Samuel nodded, John Stone shouted in rage.

"What the hell do you mean… Why?!"

Samuel cut him off.

"Because we need time."

The Neropa Union couldn't use their strength properly.

To be specific, they had gained a weapon that could turn the tides but hadn't had enough time to use it properly.

So they would create a barrier.

Something that would buy them time.

A barrier that the ships and even another Relic could not overcome.

"Wh— Damn. How are we gaining a territory here then?"

John Stone asked in confusion.

Even if the Neropa Union won like this, what did it matter?

A used hunting dog would be shot down.

They'd be lucky not to get chased by them after all this.

Samuel muttered coldly.

"We will deal with that on our own. Kang Hansoo… You will now have to come with me."

—kakakakaka!—

A metal wave rose up from below and exerted pressure on Hansoo.

It was simple skill but a skill's prowess was determined by the user after all.

'Does it even seal teleportation?'

Hansoo sensed the skill suppressing him.

It looked simple but it was actually three skills that were combined in a unique manner, enabling the user to seal off most skills.

—kakakaka!—

He tested whether he could break through it but soon shook his head at his futile effort.

"I remember you saying you'd let me go if I backed off?"

Samuel scoffed at Hansoo's words.

"Please understand, you're too dangerous for us to let you go just like that. At least a few questions have been answered, right?"

Hansoo nodded.

"Right, it wasn't a bad conversation… I guess I'll have to meet the person backing you for more details."

"Huh?"

Hansoo chuckled.

"Not you. I need to talk to the one who planned all of this."

Do it properly if you're going to.

Just by listening to Samuel's story, it was clear that Samuel was no more than a puppet.

—kakaka!—

The thirteen devils.

Aroella of Delusion.

Hansoo tightly grasped the Relic that was hidden within the veil.

—booooom!—

Energy exploded out from the Relic and broke through the suppression around him.

"What the hell! I thought you couldn't use it!?"

"Well, that depends on the situation."

Hansoo grasped onto the crystal and raised his senses to the limits.

And he locked onto something that was easily a thousand miles away.

'I don't know who's drawing up what, but… if I step all over your plans then you'll pop out naturally.'

Whatever it was hiding, as long as one shook the container hard enough it was bound to pop out.

—roaaarrr!—

A tremendous roar shook the atmosphere.

Hansoo smiled as he heard the distant roar of the Haetara that had started to run towards a new source of food.

Reincarnator – Chapter 409: Wall (3)

Kuoooooo.

The roars of several beasts coming from seven different directions shook the heavens and earth.

Shaking everything in its path including the cities, the ships, and even the people within them.

As this roar passed through the bodies of these people, they all felt their hearts clenching with fear.

R-Kailat Ron, a captain of a ship, was at a loss as he listened to the distant cries.

The emotion behind these roars wasn't from bloodthirst, nor were they from hate.

Gluttony.

Nothing more.

The roars of hunger.

But this was more than enough to make the people shake in fear.

Fear of what these greedy monsters would bring to them.

'Damn…'

But after a short consideration, R-Kailat Ron decided to solve this fear with the same method he'd always used for such incidents.

Destroying the origin of this fear.

To him, who had constantly lived side by side with the hazards of war, the constant repetition of finding peace and walking back into danger had only this solution.

Although he might fall into the cycle of fear again in the future, this method always brought him immediate relief.

R-Kailat Ron made his decision and sent out orders to his ship.

"Set the current situation as a Grade-1 threat. I hereby use my title as the ship captain to unseal the Miprosky-level weapon. Prepare for battle!"

The Technorats in the room were at a loss.

If they used that weapon then the monster would no longer be the real issue.

The cities below them would be left with a bare semblance of their former structures, and the citizens would all be swept away.

The Miprosky-level weapons were designed for battles in outer space, to be used against entire planets.

One of the Technorats bravely spoke out.

"Captain. Even though we want to use it… The Miprosky-level weapons need authorization from the clans."

Miprosky-level weapons were of a caliber powerful enough to render all defenses useless and cause a fatal level of destruction to their targets.

Which meant that if they decided to use this on the monsters below, even the slightest mistake could cause catastrophic levels of destruction.

This was why even the captains couldn't use it near the capital or any important structures.

It was a weapon that couldn't be easily utilized even if one wanted to.

R-Kailat Ron responded with annoyance.

"…I received their permission already. I'll unseal it now, so prepare for it."

"…"

From this, the Technorats finally realized what was going on.

The three clans had already classified this as a top-level threat.

It was the captain who'd refrained from using it due to his own fears.

R-Kailat Ron shouted:

"Hurry and prepare! This is the only chance we have before they start retaliating!"

Those gluttons were solely focusing on devouring energy and weren't retaliating against them.

It was the perfect chance for them to deal a fatal blow.

The Technorats clenched their teeth and quickly started tapping on the screen before them.

"2nd, 3rd and 4th engines have been released up to the 5th level."

"Central quantum control field activated, full controls activated."

—kiiiiiiiiing!—

Beneath the floor of their ship they were standing in, a terrifying vibration could be felt.

Like a creature squeezing out every last bit of its strength, a scream of desperation.

A soundless bright-white laser beam covered the screen.

The ship had muted all outside noise to prevent the people's eardrums from being shredded apart.

And beyond the filtered bright-white screen.

They witnessed the destruction of the remaining pieces of the city below.

And through the screen, they could hear the sounds resonating from within it.

'…Damn.'

One by one, the people in the ship closed their eyes as they listened to these screams.

The countless screams of despair ringing out from dozens of kilometers in the distance.

Those who were close to the city had all melted and disintegrated before they could even cry out. If not for this, then the resulting wails would have been filled with hundreds of times more anguish and despair.

But R-Kailat Ron ignored their expressions and the distant cries and continued to shout out orders.

"Carry out the first stage of cooling, and then prepare to fire again!"

They needed to continuously attack and deal damage before it started retaliating.

As R-Kailat Ron glared at the brightly lit screen, he realized that something was wrong.

The brightness that should've long started to subside, was continuously maintaining its brilliance.

No, it was becoming even brighter.

"What th—"

—booooooom!—

The bright-white light ascending from the ground filled up R-Kailat Ron's vision.

..............

—guoooooooong!—

"What the hell! It's never attacked like that before!"

The ray of destruction that descended from above.

And the seven rays of light that ascended from below in retaliation.

Although both sides had received a blow, the results were extremely different.

—kakakakakang!—

As everyone fell into despair at seeing the destruction of the ships, each costing as much as multiple years worth of income from the cities—

—Hansoo mumbled softly.

"They had to save their energy up until now, but not anymore."

Evolution and survival.

Maintenance and growth.

What came first depended on the situation but they were both equally important, this was true.

And the most important thing to these monsters was energy.

Although they continuously devoured everything above the ground and had come up to feast, it wasn't like the amount of energy they ate was enough for them.

So they had to save and save.

To not waste energy in case of situations like this, and to focus on devouring even a little bit more fuel.

So the Haetara did not waste energy easily and didn't act according to their emotions, choosing to think logically instead.

To ignore everything else and focus on eating.

But not anymore.

They'd found a source of energy that was more than enough for the seven of them to devour.

Their bodies remembered it.

The existence of the Relic that had raised them up to this point and could continue to raise them.

There was no point in leaving these annoying flies alone when they no longer needed to focus on eating so much.

"What in the world…"

Actually, the areas where the beams were descending to were now approaching their location at a terrifying rate.

Samuel was at a loss at seeing countless ships being destroyed by the beams of light.

Hansoo chuckled coldly

"Let's see… Who will take it first?"

"Huh…?"

Then—

—swooosh!—

—Hansoo and Kiriel, who had just approached him from behind, were surrounded in white smoke as they disappeared.

"Damn!"

—kakakaka!—

Samuel hurriedly used his skills again but it was too late.

"DAMMMITTT!"

Samuel roared with rage after finding out Hansoo had disappeared.

.........

"Let's hurry."

Hansoo returned to the city of Neoreim, looking at its walls as he tightly grasped his hammer.

'There'll be a lot of people chasing me now.'

Kiriel sighed.

"Sure… There really seems to be a lot of obstacles this time though.'

Then—

—boom! boom! boom!—

—countless artillery strikes were heading their way.

This was the inner part of Neoreim.

The city's defense system had automatically detected their presence and was now launching an attack against them.

Of course, this wasn't even close to enough to damage them.

Since it was barely enough to stop the Dragon God Soldiers.

But this attack's purpose wasn't to cause damage.

'It's coming.'

As Hansoo slammed his foot onto the floor, smoke seeped out endlessly from the ground around him and rose up into the air.

—booooom!—

Much more powerful attacks started to slam down onto the shadow that had covered them.

"Bastards… We won't let you take another step forward!"

The Dragon God Soldiers had heard the activation of the city's automatic defense system and were now charging towards Hansoo and Kiriel with bright symbols on their necks.

They had much more confident attitude now compared to before when they had been stricken with fear.

Of course.

Since winning and buying time were two different things.

An angry voice could be heard from within their visors.

—booom!—

A radiant aura exploded from outside Neoreim at the same time they heard the rage-filled voice through the visors.

"…It seems he really is pissed."

Hansoo nodded as he spoke.

"Let's hurry."

—booom!—

Beneath the translucent barrier, Hansoo's arm made crackling noises as it swelled up.

The dark energy from the Demon Gate located inside his heart was seeping into his muscles at a whole new level than before.

The first power he had used.

And probably the most fitting power in this situation.

The Primal Being.

Beast, Akamael's power.

—boooooom!—

The Mjolnir slammed onto the ground with a huge crash.

"Ugh."

"Huuueek!"

The Dragon God Soldiers grabbed their ears and tried their best to maintain their balance on the ground.

From a single strike, the countless layers of Neoreim cracked apart.

The city floor, which could even withstand Miprosky-level weapons in case of emergencies, cracked apart in an instant.

And Hansoo looked at the underground level beneath the 5-meter-thick layer floor and the now brighter Relic on his left hand and nodded.

'This seems to be the right spot.'

As the floor cracked apart, the Relic had started glowing with even more brilliance.

"Let's go."

"What about them?"

Kiriel looked at the Dragon God Soldiers and asked Hansoo.

"These things will defend us."

—kadddddk—

Hansoo bit his finger and spread numerous drops of blood around him.

And then—

—kiiiriririk—

—a change started to occur from within the drops of blood.

Something that was hiding within the blood began to grow.

They were as small as dust particles when they spread through the air.

But by the time they landed on the ground, the beings were even larger than most of the Dragon God Soldiers.

Thousands of blood-red scorpions.

"What in the world…"

But even before the Dragon God Soldiers could respond—

—rumble!—

—the scorpions stayed faithful to their purpose as they started to madly rush towards the Dragon God Soldiers.

"What the hell is this?!"

"Kill it!"

—booooom!—

And the violent clashes happened soon after.

Hansoo listened to the sounds of their battle and then spoke to Kiriel.

"Let's go down."

"Ah… Yes."

Soon—

—whoooosh!—

—their bodies quickly descended beneath Neoreim and into the underground level.

............….

—rumble—

In the space where a long, stick-like relic was shining in place.

A man who was looking at the relic from the side frowned as he gazed upwards.

'There really is no one doing their job properly.'

The man mumbled, feeling the vibrations from the city above.

Chapter 410: Metamorphosis (1)

A man looked up from the underground space and sighed.

'There's so much to do but… nobody is helping. Everyone is trying to get in my way.'

At first, he'd been held back by the man called Pompeion.

He'd managed to dodge away from Pompeion and was about to cover the area he arrived at with the interdimensional barrier, but an unforeseen situation had occurred.

Since he had failed to acquire the Nelkipa, he had to succeed here no matter what.

'I guess I'll have to call those people.'

He wasn't just going to call those weaklings outside, they had only received the outer shells.

Well, he couldn't really communicate with them anyway, and neither did he want to.

The ones he wanted to call on were different.

The beings who not only received a new outer shell but had also used their inner souls to complete the ceremony.

As he decided to call those three—

—whooooosh—

—the red device in his hand started to rumble vigorously.

Then three flames appeared inside his head.

These flames weren't simple at all—they were control fragments of the soul he had planted inside the beings of this world.

And as if they had noticed he had called them, one of the flames moved about and sent him a message.

<…What's wrong? I told you not to use this if you didn't have to, I told you this feels uncomfortable.>

A rough man's voice.

It seemed like he wasn't the only one who felt disturbed by this since the other two flames also showed similar emotions through the soul.

The man holding the red device used his soul to relay a message to the two men and the lone woman.

The three flames trembled.

All three felt shocked.

And soon—

—their souls started to vibrate again as they began to speak.

<…It looks like these aliens are either missing their left or right brains. They could've just worked together to deal with him.>

The man holding the device made an annoyed expression as he spoke.

The three flames trembled fiercely again.

<…That really is disturbing. You need all three of us to deal with one man?>

The man smirked and chuckled.

There was no reason for a lion to be scared of three dogs who were much weaker than itself, especially when the dogs were also scheming to strike each other in the back.

A lion would only be wary of another lion.

This was why he couldn't reveal himself.

At least, not yet.

—rumble!—

The man sent the message, listening to the deafening noise grow increasingly louder with every passing second.

.........…..

The Blood Immortal.

Hansoo used Mary Valentine's power to hold back the Dragon God Soldiers and continued to descend.

And as the two of them descended, Kiriel could see countless bright circuits covering the underground space below Neoreim.

'…What are these for?'

The well-organized circuits had tremendous amounts of energy flowing through them.

Meanwhile, Hansoo checked the direction of their objective with the Relic in his hand.

—ooooong—

It was so accurate that it responded with every step it drew closer.

Like it wanted to show Hansoo exactly how to get there.

'This way.'

And as he was about to head towards the direction of the other Relic.

"Ahhhhh! Kang Hansoo!"

Kuoooo!

Someone shouted from outside, their voice accompanied by the tremendously loud sound of animals chasing after the Relic.

And Kiriel chuckled at this.

"It seems like those things are really in a hurry."

The sounds were growing louder by the second, telling them that Samuel and the Haetara were rushing towards their location.

Their frenzied behavior only meant that he was heading closer and closer to the goal.

The less composure their opponents had, the higher the advantage they would gain.

'But… not bad.'

Kiriel saw one of the red scorpions being thrown down from above, its body beaten until it was left half-destroyed.

Although it was good that they were in a rush, but such urgency was actually making them use everything they had as well.

Since Hansoo was heading in the right direction, it was causing their enemies to literally go on a rampage.

They were basically sacrificing their bodies just to create a small opening at this point.

Although the red scorpions had followed Hansoo's orders and blocked their path, the rate of their destruction was increasing due to the Dragon God Soldiers going berserk.

"Ahhh! Stop right there!"

—kacha!—

The Dragon God Soldiers who had succeeded in passing through the scorpions aimed their weapons against Hansoo and attacked.

There was no need to kill or even damage him in the slightest.

They just needed to hold him down and the others would come to help out.

But the reality was cruel.

—whooosh!—

Hansoo covered himself in a dark translucent barrier once again and then placed his finger into his mouth.

'Wait.. No… NO!'

—snip—

As Hansoo bit his finger—

—pshhhh!—

—an even larger spray of blood filled the air.

"DAMMMITT!!!"

Leaving the Dragon God Soldiers screaming in rage before an even greater number of scorpions, Hansoo and Kiriel quickly headed deeper inside.

Kiriel looked back with pity in her eyes.

"Although they're our enemies… I really feel bad for them."

Hansoo shook his head.

"Don't."

"Pardon?"

Hansoo responded without a change in expression.

"Their outcomes have already been decided."

"…?"

Kiriel looked confused by Hansoo's response and stole another glance behind her.

......

"Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!"

R-Palcon Ron was inwardly grieved as he looked at the couple disappearing into the distance.

'Please… Somebody, help us…'

There was no hope.

An even larger number of scorpions were now heading their way while the two aliens were rushing down at a tremendous speed.

The aliens that were meant to act as reinforcements were on their way over, but there was still plenty of time before they would arrive.

They'd be massacred before those aliens would even get here.

Kuoooo!

'Damn…'

Listening to the loud cries of the mountainous beasts, he felt like his future had been fully prophesized.

One, he would be ripped apart by the red scorpions.

Two, be stomped to death by the mountains.

Or three, killed off by the head of the family for not having accomplished their mission.

There were no such things as miracles.

'Why am I struggling here…'

As R-Palcon Ron gave up and dropped his weapon, a bloody scorpion's tail rushed towards him.

But at that moment—

—a miracle really did happen.

"Who said you could die however you wanted? You can't die here."

"Huh?…Uh? Family Head? How are you here?"

R-Palcon Ron saw a woman appear before his eyes and crush the scorpion. Baffled, he saw that it was K-Adelaia Ron.

'…Is this a dream?'

He couldn't believe his eyes.

Whether he was bewildered that the family head had crushed the scorpion without using the Dragon God Armor or a weapon, despite being rumored to have no offensive capabilities…

Or how she was here at this moment, when she should've been at the frontlines.

But one of his questions was soon answered.

Two male voices could be heard from behind K-Adelaia Ron.

"Damn… It really does take a toll on your health if you try to do a long-distance Quantum Transmission with just your bare body."

"Shut up and clean this place up first. Do you know how valuable these Dragon God Soldiers are?"

"I know, don't order me around, you bastard."

—booom!—

A blinding light appeared before R-Palcon Ron's eyes.

A light so blinding that despite being protected behind the visors, his eyes felt like they were burning up.

But he kept his eyes open.

And was utterly bewildered.

'Holy…'

—booooooom!—

The red scorpions that they were having such a hard time against were instantly swept away by the attacks of the three family heads.

Of course, the scorpions weren't the only ones that were destroyed.

The powerful layers that could even withstand a Miprosky-level weapon were melting away as well.

'I never realized that they were this strong…'

R-Palcon Ron felt a tremendous amount of pride.

That mountainous amount of strength.

And their god-like attitudes.

This was it.

This was the image that suited the people who led these giant clans.

But at the same time, he was at a loss.

They were worth almost nothing to them after this but the family heads had still come to save them.

'Head… I promise my utmost loyalty to you until the end.'

R-Palcon Ron felt that something was weird.

It was that strange expression on K-Adelaia Ron's face.

'…Is she feeling bad for me?'

Why was she feeling bad for him?

"Ron! This isn't the time for that! Don't try to act kind by yourself! We need to use everything we have to guard against those things!"

"Damn… I didn't know their numbers had dropped by this much."

K-Merrow Nell's sharp words.

K-Ukatan Pael's strange words.

"…Head? What do you mean?"

As R-Palcon Ron was lost in confusion—

—K-Adelaia Ron spoke out with an apologetic tone.

"I'm sorry."

—kacha!—

"Kaaaaa!…What?!"

Shocked, R-Palcon Ron looked at his heart which had shrunk to almost nothing in an instant.

And it wasn't just him.

— kachaha!—

— chakak!—

"Kuhukk!"

"Kuaah!"

Gasps and screams of pain could be heard from all around.

Then—

— rumble!—

—the powerful energy of the Flame being squeezed out from their hearts started to flow towards one direction.

Towards K-Adelaia Ron.

And every time she devoured the energy of another soldier, she would shine brighter and brighter.

And amidst his now fading conscious, R-Palcon Ron realized the truth.

Why they had been created.

Why the family heads had treated them so well.

'We were just lunchboxes… Damn.'

R-Palcon Ron closed his eyes, glaring at K-Adelaia Ron with hate.

.............

— rumble—

"Uaaaahh…"

As Kiriel looked up at the melting ceiling, Hansoo touched the shining Relic..

'It's time.'

Chapter 411: Metamorphosis (2)

Roaaarr!

Howling, the giant beasts charged forward.

The beasts were in such a frenzy that they charged ahead in a straight line, crushing everything in their path.

Towards Neoreim, the center of the Neropa Union's territory.

How energetic.

K-Merrow Nell chuckled coldly as he looked at these beasts.

He had come to block an alien from trespassing deeper inside but since K-Ukatan Pael had already gone in, it should be fine.

Soon the other aliens would catch up and go in as well.

These giant creatures were the real issue.

If these things demolished the entire Neoreim, there'd be no point to their efforts even if they got rid of a few flies.

Since everything they had underground would come to a halt.

This meant that until they finished their project using the Relic…

Until they killed that annoying fly and took the other Relic in his hand…

He had to buy some time.

Enough for Adelaia Ron in the sky.

Let's see… Let's see how tough you guys really are.

K-Merrow Nell raised his right hand.

—kiiiiiing!—

As K-Merrow Nell lifted his hand, the symbols around his entire body, not just his neck, started to shine.

—booooom!—

A bright light that could instantly burn one's eyes to a crisp exploded before his body.

Not from a ship or a weaponized satellite but from the small body of a single being.

The explosive light caused all the surrounding metal alloys to melt away like ice cream under a hot summer sun.

And that ray of light, which had turned the city into a sea of lava with a single shot, struck the giant mountain-sized beast in the distance.

— booooooom!—

The resulting explosion emitted countless times more energy than the energy that melted the city just now.

The capital, which had started turning dark with the setting sun, was once again covered in light.

A small being had flipped night and day upside down.

And then—

Kuooooooo!

—the Haetara's pained bellow rang out.

He could tell that the beasts had taken on a lot of damage since he had succeeded in making them cry out. Earlier, they had maintained their silence despite the attacks from the Miprosky-level weapons. However…

"Tsk…"

K-Merrow Nell's expression wasn't optimistic.

I couldn't pierce through it.

Despite the powerful attack, he'd barely managed to melt the surface of the beast's skin.

And the damage was already being regenerated at a speed visible to the eye.

Seven.

He had to buy time against these seven beasts.

His efforts were almost futile.

He'd imagined that a single wave of his hand would leave their legs broken, their muscles and skin shredded apart.

Only then would his strength have meaning and he could effectively buy them time with ease.

But it looked like these monsters weren't simple either.

He had managed to stop one momentarily and divert its attention but that was it.

He was unable to stop it in its tracks or cause it to run away.

Annoying, I can't understand how these things came into being.

K-Merrow Nell thought to himself as he continued to look at the beasts opening their mouths at his direction.

Up until this point, they had used their science and technology to build up their civilization and conquer others.

Seeking to understand everything, so they could control it.

This was their pride as citizens of Angkara.

But look at this.

From the sudden appearance of the mysterious aliens, to the being who had given them strength, and now even these mountainous beasts.

But before he could finish his thoughts—

— booom!—

—the beast's mouth exploded with a powerful energy ray heading towards him and the city of Neoreim.

It was easy to see that the ray was stronger than his own attack had been.

A proof of how much energy it had devoured.

How dare you?!

That beam could easily erase half of Neoreim if it was left alone.

He couldn't let that happen.

K-Merrow Nell raised his hands to block the ray.

Then—

—booooom!—

—he unleashed an energy ray even larger than the last, aiming for the beast's attack.

In order to protect the city and to disperse the attack before it hit them.

—rumble!—

The outer areas of the city started melting just from the radiation of these attacks.

The metal residential areas melted away like a snowy field under intense heat.

But even the melted sea of lava was soon thrown into the air and then disintegrated by the explosion that followed right after.

Unveiling the giant object located below the metallic sea of lava.

Another layer of a metal alloy.

Despite the intense amount of energy that had melted everything above it, this metal alloy had maintained its shape perfectly.

Although it was starting to heat up as well, it seemed to be countless times more powerful and durable than the outer layers since it could withstand the attacks.

It covered a large area around the center of Neoreim.

An area that was dozens of times larger than the capital itself was encased in this strange metal alloy.

Of course.

The outer layer only existed to deceive Pompeion.

But the thing below it was much more important than the capital of Neoreim.

This was why they had to conceal it so well.

But despite all their efforts, this second layer also seemed like it wouldn't hold out for long.

—chiiiik—

The energy from K-Merrow Nell's and the beast's attacks was continuously burning through the layer and burrowing deeper within.

The heat created from their attacks was constantly searing through the alloy plates.

And above this—

—boooooom!—

—boom!—

—giant monsters stomped through the debris and were heading closer to the city.

K-Merrow Nell frowned and spread his hand out behind him.

At the same time—

—kacha!—

—kakaka!—

"Kuaaaaah!"

"Ughh…"

—the barely-breathing Dragon God Soldiers felt their hearts explode and they screamed.

K-Merrow Nell took in all the energy flying into his body as he exchanged glances with K-Ukatan Pael in the distance, a single thought in his mind.

Hurry, Pael. There isn't much time left…

If this continued, he wasn't confident that he could hold the Haetara back.

In the worst-case scenario, they might have to give up on all their plans so far and use the Relics on those monsters instead.

—booom!—

—boom!—

K-Merrow Nell looked at the seven monsters approaching him and he raised his hands to them once again.

—booom!—

Another blinding explosion of light lit up the outskirts of Neoreim once more.

...........

—boooooom!—

A tremendous amount of heat descended from above and covered the underground area.

"Ahhh!"

"What the hell? What's going on?"

"Dammit! What's the union doing?!"

The countless people who'd been living in the underground area started to run around in a panic as they screamed.

The backbone of the Union, the B-Levels, the well-treated A-Levels as well as the top-quality N-Levels.

The flames of catastrophe descending from above were heedless of whoever burned in its path.

The area was filled with the smell of smoke and burning corpses.

And in the middle of it all, Hansoo and Kiriel were still running downwards.

Chaos.

A single word came to mind when Hansoo looked at the Relic in his hands.

The heat wasn't just from the collision outside.

It was also from the one shouting far behind him.

"You damn rat! If you don't come out then I'll melt everything!"

—rumble!—

Family head, K-Ukatan Pael, who was ignoring all the citizens just to find him.

Hansoo spoke quietly to Kiriel.

.

Kiriel nodded.

God… What happened?

Kiriel sighed.

Every time they grew a bit stronger, even stronger enemies appeared.

How were they supposed to beat enemies that could burn the world and destroy cities?

This is so unfair.

She had felt it in the 4th and 5th Zones but there truly were too many powerhouses in this world.

Hansoo chuckled at Kiriel.

"Don't be so anxious. It's only been two years since you became strong after all."

"That's true, but… Ugh."

Kiriel nodded.

Those words were indeed true.

These people had spent thousands of years building up their civilization and technology.

On the other hand, they had gained the strength to smash apart their giant starships within the span of two years.

If the two parties were compared side by side, then they themselves were a much more unfair existence.

And Hansoo is even worse.

Kiriel thought to herself.

It's only been a few months since he woke up but he was already much stronger than her.

If he had a bit more time, he could've easily destroyed everyone here.

…Wait, can't we just do that?

"…Can't we just run away and come back after we become stronger?"

One month.

Kiriel was confident.

One month was more than enough for Hansoo to become a 4-Star Transcendent.

Although every part of the world was closely monitored by these people but they had the teleportation skill.

Plus these people would eventually start a war with each other, so they wouldn't have time to worry about her and Hansoo.

If they ran away with her skill and came back stronger in a month, they could easily smash apart the heads of those guys above.

Her current power was the only thing inferior after all—her mastery over her skills was already quite proficient.

And they could run away right now since they hadn't located her and Hansoo's position yet.

But Hansoo shook his head.

I…I don't know how many memories I'll lose if I do that.

And the defenses around the Relic would become much tighter as well.

They needed to finish it here and now.

I don't want to use my last resort, but…

He might have to.

Since he wasn't the one that would end up miserable.

Ugh, someone like me truly deserves to go to heaven.

Hansoo felt the Relic in his hand and spoke to Kiriel.

"We're here."

The Relic inside his hand was squirming and vibrating intensely.

It was right below them.

After checking the coordinates—

—Hansoo encased his leg with one of the thirteen shadows and slammed it down onto the ground.

—rumble—

The secondary layer of plates had somewhat maintained their shape against the family heads and the Haetara. But with Hansoo's attack, the metal alloy started to collapse.

Like a pit of sand.

Deep into the wide hole.

—oooooooong—

Bright circuits entered Hansoo's vision as something started to resonate with the Relic in his hand.

Chapter 412: Metamorphosis (3)

Reincarnator – Chapter 412: Metamorphosis (3)

Rumble~

Below.

There was an artifact in the middle of a circuit of blue lights running in all directions.

Something that wasn't a crystal, but an elongated rod.

'That's it.'

Kiriel saw the artifact and her expression brightened as she came down.

Even though she could still feel an intense heat behind her, she had now reached her destination.

Now she just had to take this and leave…

'It's a good thing I acquired this Cloudy Movement skill.'

Kiriel smiled as she looked at the elongated artifact between the circuits.

Having the ability to bend space and travel anywhere was really useful in many, many cases.

"Huff."

Thud.

Kiriel and Hansoo headed downwards.

Although the distance from the ceiling to the floor was 100 meters long, this was nothing for a Transcendent.

As they jumped down, the hole Hansoo made had started to close up and had fully regenerated itself by the time they both landed on the ground.

And as this hole closed up, both the heatwaves and the sounds coming from the outside had been repelled away completely, leaving Hansoo and Kiriel in silence.

It was like escaping into a soundproof room in the middle of a battle.

Kiriel looked satisfied as she listened to the hum of the artifact but still couldn't remain calm.

'Isn't that just a skill to punch a hole in the ground?'

If Hansoo had truly made a hole, then the ceiling couldn't have regenerated so easily, nor would there be a need to close it.

"What was that?"

After all, following after Hansoo's trail had started out from her own curiosity.

Hansoo chuckled as he replied:

"Deceiving the world."

One of the thirteen demons.

Kamateria of deception.

The ability to deceive all intelligent life forms including humans and even certain lifeless objects.

A power so great that even the other demons would try to avoid talking with Kamateria.

Since they could end up being killed before they realized it.

And Hansoo had only utilized a small part of Kamateria's abilities.

Hansoo glanced at the thirteen shadows behind him and chuckled.

'The skill itself is quite useful.'

On one hand, the fact that he could only use seven skills was a fatal flaw.

But this Demon's Gate skill allowed him to use the powers of thirteen demons—this alone gave him access to various types of skills.

Particularly since a single demon's power had various uses.

'Though I need to hurry even more because of this.'

Hansoo quickly started moving towards the artifact.

It was useful, yes, but it was not free.

The gears started turning in his head, ticking away at every moment.

In order to collect the payment that demon deserved.

He needed to deal with this matter and get out asap.

The massive field of circuits stretched out endlessly, with the giant artifact shining brightly in the center.

He really didn't have much time now.

But as he walked, he heard a voice behind him.

"Kang Hansoo, stop right there."

A voice filled with rage.

Hansoo stopped dead in his tracks and turned around at this voice.

"You've arrived much earlier than I expected."

"Please, we all know what you're after."

Samuel growled back in reply.

Hansoo was after the artifact—this was a simple truth.

So he just needed to get to the artifact first and wait for him.

Even though Ukatan Pael was causing a ruckus outside.

'Dumbass.'

This slip-up had happened because that Ukatan Pael didn't know about Hansoo.

The Hansoo he knew would never give up when his goal was so close before him.

Ukatan had overestimated himself by thinking that everyone would run away after seeing his powers—but that was only because he hadn't fought against Hansoo yet.

The five calamities of the Red Zone, the Gragos of the Orange Zone, the higher race of the Yellow Zone and those monstrous beings in the Green Zone—they had always been stronger than Hansoo.

Compared to Ukatan Pael, each of those entities had a larger gap in strength against that of Hansoo.

In the end, the one standing tall was still Kang Hansoo.

Would such a person run away from a mere family head?

And of course, his estimations had been correct.

'Well, I didn't think the artifact would be in a place like this…'

Oooooong.

Samuel mumbled as he looked at the vast bright space before him.

He didn't even know that such a place existed below Neoreim.

At this moment, he recalled what Hansoo said to him earlier.

That he was just a puppet.

'…No, that cannot be.'

An alliance couldn't share all their secrets with each other after all.

Samuel decided to maintain the enemy's secret and shook off these miscellaneous thoughts. He glared at Hansoo.

"Please give up. There's a limit to how much a person can tolerate."

'If I kill him, Mihee would probably go crazy.'

Rage had filled his mind when he fought Hansoo before, but he was becoming calmer and calmer with each moment.

After Sangjin had left, the only remaining ally he had was Mihee.

He knew about Mihee's feelings towards Hansoo—he didn't want to drive a wedge between himself and her.

Kiriel clenched her teeth as she looked at Samuel.

'…That bastard looks pretty calm.'

But Kiriel had to accept that Samuel had the ability to remain calm.

At this exact moment, he was currently radiating an aura so powerful it prevented her from using her Cloudy Movement.

If Samuel really went all-out, she and Hansoo would probably be buried here today.

Even if they used the artifact…

'…We might be able to hold on, but then those monsters would end up swarming in here as well.'

The reason why the family heads had managed to buy time against the Haetara was because those monsters didn't know the exact location of the artifact.

But if someone used the artifact in battle?

The resulting surge of energy would easily attract the Haetara into running past the family heads, even at the risk of their own lives.

And nobody would be able to stop this.

Hansoo knew this too.

Kiriel looked at Hansoo who was holding onto a crystal in his left hand.

Boooom!

Boom!

The deafening sounds coming from above were getting louder and louder.

Meaning that the clash between the monsters and the family heads was growing fiercer by the second.

With a heavy expression, Hansoo began to speak.

"It's hard to say how kind I am now, but… I was really cruel in the past, you see."

"…? Are you talking about your real life before this whole thing began?"

Samuel looked confused from Hansoo's words.

Nothing he had done could be deemed evil.

Although Hansoo had to deal with everything that crossed his path, clearing such obstructions could not be deemed as 'cruel'.

His actions had been very normal.

Silently marching forwards.

From what he knew of Hansoo up until this point, the man's actions had always been unfalteringly steadfast.

Which meant that the 'before' Hansoo was talking about had to be referring to the 'real life'.

'…Was he some kind of criminal?'

The things Hansoo had done in the past were considered normal only because they were in the otherverse—he would definitely be deemed a criminal if he had done the same thing in the real life.

Nothing more, nothing less.

But he had acted more cruelly in the real world?

As Samuel frowned, Hansoo continued to speak.

"I really did try my best, but… not everything in the world can be achieved with hard work it seems."

Hansoo felt that he had tried enough at this point.

There was a lot to do, a lot of weight on his shoulders, but he still had things holding onto his leg.

In order to persuade people, he needed to reveal what he knew. Unfortunately, that wasn't an option and so countless misunderstandings were created.

'I wish I was good at communicating at least.'

Reminiscing about the past, Hansoo chuckled as he looked at Samuel.

"I'm just going to do things the way I want to."

Then—

Rumble!

—the tremendous amount of energy hidden inside the artifact in Hansoo's hand started pouring out.

It was enough energy to blow this entire place apart.

And Samuel shouted out in shock.

"You crazy bastard… What the hell are you doing?!"

He wasn't shocked by the energy itself.

He himself could expel a similar amount of energy and block it as well.

The issue wasn't that.

'Dammit!'

Before he could respond in time—

Boooom!

—the giant second layer ripped apart.

Roaaaaaarr!

A gargantuangiant beast's head descended from above.

Crack!

Crunch!

He could see the shocked expressions of the family heads above the monster.

And the giant bodiesy of the Haetara that ignored them all as theywas ignoring them as they cleared the way through the second layer.

'Oh my…'

Seven giant heads blocked everything from above as they descended.

It was like a bizarre eclipse.

As Samuel stared, dumbstruck, at this scene—

—Hansoo, the perpetrator behind all of this, chuckled.

'Let's have a go, shall we?'

He had tried to deal with the issue as quickly as possible.

He had focused his attention on solving the issue instead of powering himself up and had tried to recover the artifacts with the minimal amount of casualties.

But if they were going this far…

If they were going to use everything they had to block his path…

He wouldn't hold back as well.

As he came to a decision—

Gulp.

—Hansoo swallowed the crystal in his hand.

Boooom!

A giant storm of energy raged inside his body.

And at the same time—

Rooooarr!

—a giant mouth swooped in and swallowed the entire area where Hansoo had been standing.

Hansoo chuckled.

He could guess how his physique would change by the time he came out.

But that was only his body.

His mind would be different.

The effects wouldn't last long, but he couldn't guarantee how much of his memories he would lose.

He didn't want to do this, so he tried to hold back from using this power, but… this outcome wasn't so bad either.

At least he wouldn't lose that much in return.

He wasn't that petty after all.

'…We'll see how it goes after I come out.'

Metamorphosis.

Escape from the bindings of his current self and be born anew.

The moment he came out of this, Samuel would no longer be able to look down on him again.

With those thoughts, Hansoo slowly closed his eyes.

....

"What the—"

Kachak!

Kadadak!

The family heads were stunned as they looked at the various Haetara that were fusing with each other and becoming a giant mountain.