[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Lucky]
Chapter 169
A massive shadow loomed over the floating city.
Waves of heat and mana shimmered from the shadow, striking the ground below.
The city, which had been tilting and falling, suddenly halted.
The blood red shadow's eyes glowed with a piercing red light.
The sacred aura of the buildings began to shift.
Their once radiant and divine appearance darkened into somber, oppressive tones.
Even the heavenly structures themselves morphed, abandoning their former grace and sanctity.
Now, they took on a shape that evoked sheer terror.
Kane slumped to the ground with a heavy thud.
"Thank goodness," he exhaled deeply, relief evident in his voice.
This place originally brimmed with ‘divine energy’, it was now equally saturated with a more sinister energy: blood mana.
Each breath Kane took seemed to carry the tangible presence of blood mana.
This energy was one Kane and Blata were most familiar with.
Blata had transformed to his main form and consumed overwhelming blood mana in the floating city.
And by absorbing the power of the First Star, Blata had nearly regained his former strength.
Thanks to this, Kane could now fully utilize Blata’s powers.
That dark blood-red shadow was Blata.
“I had heard that monsters of ferocious species could create domains, and it seems I was right to assume Blata could as well.”
Monsters of the Ferocious species could establish domains using their own power.
Domain creation was essentially the act of unleashing their energy to transform an area into their territory.
Much like humans waged wars to claim land, monsters declared dominion through a similar ritual.
Blata had declared the floating city as part of his domain.
This method proved highly effective.
Isaac's eyes flew open as he exclaimed,
"We ain’t falling anymore"
“But we don’t know when it might start falling again. We should escape immediately,” Mikhail advised.
Isaac, glancing around, searched for Blata.
“Where is Sir Blata?”
“Wasn’t he with us just a moment ago?”
Moments ago, they had been screaming together, forging a strange camaraderie amidst the chaos.
Yet now, Blata was nowhere to be found.
“If we lose Sir Blata, Kane will be devastated,” Isaac muttered, his expression conflicted.
For a brief moment, Isaac wrestled with a decision.
Should they escape immediately?
Or should they search for Sir Blata and escape together?
The decision didn’t take long.
“We need to find Sir Blata and bring him back. You, help Kane move.”
Mikhail nodded, understanding the urgency.
The two men headed out.
Isaac called out desperately,
“Blata! Where are you?”
“Where are you, Sir Blata? We must escape before the floating city falls!”
Despite his calls, Blata did not respond.
Meanwhile, Mikhail supported Kane, helping him stay upright.
“Why is His Highness acting like that?”
“It’s because Sir Blata has vanished.”
“Am I the only one who can see Blata in that form?” Kane gestured ahead with a nod.
Mikhail followed Kane’s gaze but showed no sign of recognition.
“So, it seems only I can see Blata’s domain manifestation. Is that why no one can locate monsters of this caliber?”
Even an 8th-class individual can’t detect their domain.
This must explain why ferocious class monsters were able to survive, unchecked, across the continent.
It wasn’t even part of the original game’s lore.
“I’ll summon Chrysalis,” Mikhail suggested.
“There’s no need. We’re not escaping,” Kane replied.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Blata is stabilizing the floating city to prevent it from falling. There’s no need to panic.”
“Is that true?”
Mikhail turned his head from side to side, scanning the area.
Blata was nowhere to be seen.
At that moment, Kane spoke to Blata.
“Move down to the forest beside the imperial city.”
[That’s a piece of cake.]
The floating city, now steady, began shifting sideways.
“Desdemona,” Kane called out.
Blata shrank back to his smaller form with a pout.
He nipped at Kane with his tiny mouth but was quickly rebuffed.
“Don’t even think about siphoning my mana.”
“Ah, you caught me,” Blata giggled and ran away.
* * *
Arriving at Rehinar with Chrysalis's help, Kane wasted no time heading straight to his room.
“I'm tired. Don’t let anyone in,” he instructed the maids before closing the door behind him.
Kane immediately prepared a bath, seeking a moment of solitude. As he soaked, his heartbeat quickened—not from exhaustion, but from anticipation—as he reviewed the glowing hologram before him.
[Main Story – Visit the Stairway of the Gods]
Grade: UR
Description: You have vanquished one who defied the gods. While there are still those who believe humanity can ascend to divinity, the fall of their leader has shattered even their faintest hopes. The gods, relieved of a persistent nuisance, regard you favorably. If you ascend the Stairway of the Gods, you will obtain what you desire.
Reward upon success: ???
Penalty upon failure: Death
“A quest I’ve never seen before... and it’s the final one,” Kane murmured.
Not even in his previous life as Ray had he encountered such a quest. Back then, the existence of the Meyer Family had consumed nearly a decade of his time in vain struggle.
And now?
It had taken just over a year.
The results were thanks to the experience he had amassed during those grueling years as Ray. It had been an arduous and prolonged journey, but the end was finally in sight.
“Would this quest have also appeared for Ray, had things been different?”
With that thought, Kane activated his magical communication link with Ray Hatzfeld.
“Did it appear for you?”
- It did.
“So, we were meant to combine forces all along... too bad I realized it so late.”
- Trusting you to handle it was the right choice. Are you heading for the Stairway of the Gods right away?
“Give me a bit more time.”
- You're surprisingly sentimental.
“I’ll contact you again. Just wait. If you rush in and something goes wrong, it’ll be a mess.”
- Hey—
Click.
Kane cut the connection before Ray could finish.
The scenario required collaboration to overcome, but the fact remained: this outcome was entirely his doing.
Ray Hatzfeld had never acted overtly hostile toward him, only refraining from interference. Perhaps Ray had even provided unseen aid. But in the end, Kane alone had toppled the Meyer Family.
"Still, the fact that the same quest appeared for both of us... it must mean something."
The next quest’s details were a complete mystery.
Two heads were better than one, especially if it required collaboration to succeed.
Kane felt a mix of excitement and fear.
If he completed this quest, he could return to reality.
But failure meant death.
A death from which he would never wake up.
Hadn’t he already tasted death once as Ray?
It was an experience he never wanted to repeat.
That filthy, hollow despair...
The crushing weight of helplessness was far more grueling than he ever imagined.
Especially the helplessness tied to death—he couldn’t endure that again.
“I need to wrap things up before I leave.”
During his time here, Kane experienced emotions he had never felt as Ray.
The bonds he formed were as precious as completing the storyline itself.
He had pushed himself to ensure the safety of those who mattered to him.
“Goodbyes are never easy.”
This place was both his reality and a virtual world.
Over the course of a year, he had forged countless connections with the game's characters.
The thought of leaving, knowing he might never see them again, weighed heavily on his heart.
"If I must leave, I want to go with no regrets. Until then, I'll cherish every moment."
Kane finished his bath and lay down on his bed.
His body relaxed, and sleep quickly overtook him.
As his eyelids grew heavy, he drifted into slumber without realizing it.
The next morning.
Knock, knock, knock!
A maid gently knocked on his door.
"Your Highness, are you awake?"
"Hmm... what's going on?"
"There's a guest outside. They say you invited them. It seems like you should come out."
"I invited someone? But Isaac is probably swamped with a mountain of things to do."
Kane rose from his bed and made his way outside.
The moment he saw the visitor, he tilted his head in confusion.
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Lucky]