Chapter 333: Star, Heavenly Spirits (3)

Chapter 333: Star, Heavenly Spirits (3)

[The middle volume of ‘Prelati’s Spellbook’ has opened!]

Rustle―!

Chang-Sun heard the sound of pages turning in his head. That was the signal that indicated he was about to practice Mephistopheles’ teachings about the Four Steps of Abyss, which was the next volume after the Secret Darkness Technique.

At the same time, the <Darkness> rising around Chang-Sun thickened, and the ominous wails of the ghosts who had been killed by Chang-Sun and ‘Divine Twilight’ blended with his tornado.

Kiyaaaaah!

Kekekeke―!

[The first chapter ‘Turbas Effĭcere’ has been applied, starting Anomalization!]

‘Turbas Effĭcere’ meant one had no eyes, nose, or mouth, and entered an unnatural state. Meanwhile, going through Anomalization meant that one surpassed their current limits completely and became someone entirely new. An unfathomable mystery—a being that could not be understood by the laws or the principles of Eros, the faction of order, was about to manifest.

Swish―!

Pzzzzz!

Chang-Sun’s white lightning energy intertwined with his <Darkness>, which had been circling along with the tornado, and manifested the upper body of a Giant behind him in black and white. The image of the fiend made from two contrasting aspects roared at Lu Junyi, who was coming at him.

Grrrrrr...!

At that moment, the tornado was destroyed, sending a shockwave outward in every direction. Emerging from the clouds of dust, Lu Junyi tried to pierce Chang-Sun with his sharp goat horns, his hooves clattering against the ground.

Chang-Sun immediately slammed the end of the [Twilight Flag] into the ground. The flag’s six fluttering strands struck Lu Junyi, resembling the red cloth used to work up a bull in a bullfight.

Thud!

However, unlike in a bullfight, Lu Junyi was blocked by the flag rather than charging past it. Like several sturdy ropes, the six cloth strands wrapped tightly around Lu Junyi.

『Arrrgghhh!』

A horrible sound echoed. It was as if either the cloth strands would be torn apart, or Lu Junyi would be crushed. Veins bulged visibly on Chang-Sun’s forearms. A battle of strength thus began, with Chang-Sun as the defender and Lu Junyi as the attacker trying to break through.

『Eeeekk! Let me go! Let me gooooo!』

The situation made no sense to Lu Junyi. He was aware that Chang-Sun was powerful, but he definitely had to be more powerful in terms of physical strength. The ‘Divine Twilight’ Lu Junyi knew was an expert in combat, not a person with great physical strength.

However, Lu Junyi did not know that Chang-Sun was a Giant, not a human. In fact, he was the Giant King of a <Society> named <Muspelheim>. No matter how confident Lu Junyi was in terms of physical strength, he would be helpless against a Giant, as they were famed for their exceptional martial prowess. On top of that, Chang-Sun was on his way to becoming an Outer Celestial with the mysterious addition to his divine power. Naturally, Chang-Sun had the advantage in this battle of strength.

[The Skill ‘Stomp’ has been activated!]

Thud!

Chang-Sun slammed the ground with his foot. With greater stability in his center of mass, he could stand up straighter and exert more power. Just then...!

[You have accumulated deep understanding and achieved great mastery in the Skill ‘Stomp’.]

...

[The Skill ‘Stomp’ has reached its maximum level.]

[Creating a new Skill based on your achievements.]

[Congratulations! The Authority ‘Mountain-Crushing Supremacy’ has been created.]

[Mountain-Crushing Supremacy]

An Authority that was created by the pioneering efforts of the Celestial ‘New Tian Shi Yuan’. It grants an endless amount of power and enables one to exude an overwhelmingly intimidating aura upon activation.

“Mountain-pulling strength and sky-covering aura.”

· Skill level: 1

· Type: Authority. Passive.

· Effect: Physical Strength Enhancement. Explosive Power Amplification. Mind Overpowering.

Craccckk!

『W-What...?!』

Lu Junyi was gradually pushed backward, creating furrows across the ground as he was pressed downward. Up until that moment, their battle of strength had been neck-and-neck, but the tide had completely turned in Chang-Sun’s favor.

『What in the world have you done?! How are you using G-Grain Star’s Authority?』

Lu Junyi cried out in alarm, using Richardus’ other name out of sheer surprise. The system message meant Chang-Sun was using Richardus’ Authority! [Mountain-Crushing Supremacy] and [Sea Change] were the reasons why Richardus had been able to become one of the Three Enclosures. As those two Authorities were assessed to be close to Signatures, Lu Junyi’s shock was indescribable.

『Stop him first!』

[The Celestial ‘Double-Headed Serpent’ has activated the Authority ‘Lethal Toxin Flood’!]

[The Celestial ‘Nine-Patterned Dragon’ has activated the Authority ‘Icy Air’!]

[Poisonous fog spreads as the two Authorities interact!]

Xie Zhen, who was a two-headed serpent dozens of meters tall, raised his head high and unleashed a flood of toxin toward Chang-Sun. The toxin flood contained [Soul-Withering Toxin] and [Bone-Melting Acid], which meant even Celestials would be reluctant to come in contact with it.

When the toxin flood met Liu Tang’s fire, dozens of explosions occurred in a row, creating gusts of toxic, superheated wind. It was said that fire and toxin did not mix, but that was not quite true. There was a large variety of toxins in the world, and most of them created explosions upon coming in contact with fire, as they did now.

Liu Tang’s fire and Xie Zhen’s toxin were protected by their divine powers, making the explosions even more potent. They were certain that they were creating explosions powerful enough to impact even Chang-Sun as he came at them. On top of that, Shi Jin was flapping his wings in the sky, dropping a rain of hail... The demonic Celestials were turning the battlefield into hell, and it seemed as if there was no way for Chang-Sun to escape.

However, that was not enough to extinguish the tornado Chang-Sun had started. As he continued to charge toward the demonic Celestials, he flapped his right wing, creating a powerful gale that shattered all the hail falling in his direction.

Rumble, rumble, rumble―!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

『What...!』

Shi Jin’s eyes widened in surprise; he had not expected that his ice storm, which he had unleashed using all his power, would be destroyed so easily. He could only move to activate his other Authority.

Kiyaaaah―!

Shortly afterward, however, ghostly wails filled the air, and Shi Jin let out a muffled scream as a storm of gray ghost energy engulfed him. Meanwhile, Chang-Sun closed in on Xie Zhen and Liu Tang.

『Stop him!』

『N-Noooo! Keough...!』

Chang-Sun quickly moved his left wing this time, creating another gale as he struck his opponents with [Fiery Lightning Bolts] from the sky. Explosions? Superheated wind? Toxin? None of them worked against Chang-Sun. They were all shattered before they could reach him, dissipating in the air.

Smack―!

Chang-Sun swung his wing like a whip and smashed Xie Zhen as hard as he could. One of Xie Zhen’s two heads was crushed like a shattered watermelon, and half of his remaining head was also blown away, rolling across the ground. As Chang-Sun straightened his posture...

『Fuuucccckkkk!』

...a vulgar curse abruptly echoed, and countless thorns rose up from the ground behind Chang-Sun. They were Liu Tang’s panicked counterattack after witnessing how easily Xie Zhen and Shi Jin were killed. The thorns were masses of Eon Fire, which could even burn up souls; thus, they posed a threat to even Chang-Sun.

“Howl,” Chang-Sun said quietly.

Ziiinng―!

He showed no sign of nervousness as he turned in the opposite direction. He swung [Tiamat’s Snaggletooth], unleashing a surge of violent demonic energy. The combination of demonic energy, divine power, white lightning, and <Darkness> created a demonic lightning explosion.

[‘Tiamat’s Snaggletooth’ fires a ‘Dragon Breath’!]

Slash!

[Dragon Breath], which Chang-Sun had learned from Tiamat and Pabilsag’s special training, burned down not only the thorns of fire but also their source.

Rumble...!

After the ray of dark red light swept across the field, the fire that had been blazing across Chang-Sun’s divine ground was completely extinguished, leaving only black ashes and white smoke. In the midst of it all, Liu Tang stood in his real form.

Drip―!

Blood leaked out from Liu Tang’s mouth as he murmured.

『Ho... w... are you using... [Dragon Breath]...?』

[Dragon Breath] was akin to an Authority that only the transcendental beings known as Dragons could use. Many of the monster and demonic Celestials in <Purple Star Astrology> could not freely use [Dragon Breath] despite the fact that their bodies took the form of dragons, but Chang-Sun used it with ease.

“Do you like it? I made many preparations to be able to show it to you people,” Chang-Sun said with a laugh, watching Liu Tang’s trembling lips. Smiling crookedly, Chang-Sun continued, “So keep on squirming.”

Drip!

At that moment, a line of red blood appeared; the impact of the attack made of concentrated [Dragon Breath] finally showed up.

“I still have a lot to show you people,” Chang-Sun said.

It looked almost as if Liu Tang wanted to answer, but Chang-Sun already stomped the ground violently once again.

Boooom―!

Creating a powerful earthquake, Chang-Sun’s [Landslide] spread in every direction and erased every last trace of Liu Tang from the landscape. Using Richardus’ second Authority that originated from [Stomp], Chang-Sun also completely changed the terrain of his divine ground.

[The Authority ‘Sea Change’ has been activated!]