“Huuuh.”
A low, resonating breath.
Lanhardt exhaled calmly like a predator hidden in the bushes, eyeing its prey.
His golden eyes, glowing even in the dark, gazed upon the downtown of Norseweden.
A faint golden light flowed through his muscles, writhing as if alive—one of the changes brought about from consuming the Ancient Dragon.
“So, this is it.”
The other transformation he underwent as the power of the Ancient Dragon gradually settled into his body was his vision.
“It’s terrifyingly majestic and beautiful.”
Lanhardt could now see souls.
He could see the millions of souls hovering over Norseweden, resembling a storm of calamity.
He felt foolish for even declaring that he would consu such power.
But even so, Lanhardt did not give up.
While so people would give up after looking up at a towering peak, others would be driven by the challenge.
Lanhardt undoubtedly belonged to the latter.
“Khhh.”
As he exhaled with uncontrollable excitent and fighting spirit, the trees in his vicinity began to lt due to his breath.
Even Lanhardt had not anticipated that he would be able to absorb the Ancient Dragon’s power so seamlessly.
[Greedy intruder.]
At that mont, a deep voice echoed from behind, and Lanhardt turned swiftly, spear in hand.
Standing there was a majestic white tiger with a massive fra.
It was the master of the mountain, the Mountain Lord.
“You’re still alive? I thought you had perished after you were swept away by that being.”
Ignoring Lanhardt’s provocative remark, the Mountain Lord’s heavy gaze remained unshaken.
[They have not co to bring harm to anyone.]
Though the Mountain Lord still had questions about that being, they weren’t his to resolve.
He could only entrust it to the man who, despite being a foreigner, had co and taken the lead on this continent.
“So then, why are you here? Have you co to avenge your fellow guardian deity I devoured?”
Lanhardt growled, ready to pounce on the Mountain Lord, but the Mountain Lord had no intention of fighting him.
[The loss of a guardian deity from a distant land has no bearing on . I ca only to give you a warning.]
“...Warn ?”
Lanhardt asked what he ant.
Slowly shifting his gaze to the storm of souls raging over Norseweden downtown, the Mountain Lord replied.
[That is not a power you must covet. Do not mistake foolishness for courage.]
“Hah.”
[I will overlook your intrusion on this mountain this ti. Leave at once.]
At those words, Lanhardt ground his teeth and gripped his spear tightly. For a guardian deity, his logic seed to be riddled with holes.
“You say it’s a power that should not to be coveted, but Deus Verdi is fine, is that it?”
[...]
“Spare your nonsense. Power like that will inevitably belong to soone. This continent isn’t naive enough to let such strength roam freely.”
Unless this continent itself disappeared entirely, who would leave such imnse power unattended?
“No one can truly claim the right to that power, nor assert ownership over it. But if soone must take it—”
Thud.
Lanhardt pounded his chest with his fist and declared resolutely.
“I, Lanhardt, will seize it by force.”
[...How foolish.]
“Let’s see if you can still say that after I devour it.”
If the Mountain Lord had no intention of fighting him, Lanhardt had no business with him either. And besides, he wouldn’t be able to face Deus in peak condition if he fought the Mountain Lord now.
In a sense, it was a tactical retreat.
“...?”
However, as he was about to summon his Blood Horse to descend to the downtown, Lanhardt noticed sothing amiss.
It was not like the Blood Horses, who should have erged from his shadow, had disobeyed his command.
They had disappeared entirely.
What’s going on?
And it wasn’t as if the Blood Horses had suffered great harm or were suppressed by the Mountain Lord’s overwhelming presence.
They had simply vanished.
“...”
Though slightly disconcerted, Lanhardt began to move.
After all, even if he had no Blood Horses, he could still descend the mountain on his own feet.
As Lanhardt turned and began his descent, the Mountain Lord also turned away in the opposite direction.
[Is this the fate of one who was once human but now a monster drunk on power?]
It was not a pleasant sight.
***“Grrrrhhhp!”
As Findenai’s body was lifted and thrown through the air, she rolled on the ground in a pitifully crumpled state.
“Ptoo! Ptooey! Ugh! Sothing weird got in my mouth!”
Looking like she’d accidentally swallowed trash, the annoyed Findenai locked her gaze on Deus once again.
Since he first showed up, he hadn’t moved an inch and simply stared at as if rooted in place.
Even when martial artists like Findenai and Darius charged at him, they were unable to get close and were instead flung away repeatedly, which was starting to look sowhat amusing at this point.
Bang!
Darius was sent flying once more and ended up with his head stuck in a nearby trash can, flailing helplessly and asking to be pulled out—almost pitifully so.
“What the hell does he want?”
Deia, using her hand to shield her face against the gust of souls, approached .
None of our attacks had landed on him so far.
However, it was important to note that he didn’t use his imnse power to consciously block our attacks.
It was more accurate to say we couldn’t even break through the aura of his presence.
To put it taphorically, he was a wall.
A wall that just stood still, doing nothing, yet we couldn’t shatter it.
“...”
From the very start, his gaze remained fixed steadfastly on .
Even the souls are following him.
Who in the world had taken possession of Deus Verdi’s body and made all these souls so devoted to him?
After all, among the souls, there were those who knew .
Emily, the young girl who loved flowers.
The native inhabitants of Setima, protected by Setima’s angel.
The mbers of the Royal Family who had been captured by Griffin Evil Ghost and were later freed by .
Those from the Clark Republic who found peace through .
The War God, Han So, with whom I had coincidentally ford a long bond only after death.
And even the half-burned woman who was grieving for her lost daughter.
They all helped back when I created the Land of Eternal Rest within Deus’ body.
Thanks to their presence, I was standing here today.
What in the world is going on? Did sothing happen to them?
My mind was in turmoil.
At that mont, I couldn’t help but worry that sothing might have happened to the souls who had assisted .
“Deus Verdiiii!”
A thunderous roar echoed from the entrance of the mountain range. For a mont, all our gazes shifted past Deus.
Yet the one whose na was called continued to look only at .
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Each step he took felt as though it was striking the ground.
It was the arrival of Lanhardt, the ravenous lion who once led the hunters.
“What’s the deal with that bastard?”
Lanhardt’s appearance had drastically changed from what I rembered and even Findenai seed taken aback.
His entire body radiated a subtle golden light, and a massive dragon’s tail had erged from above his hips, sweeping across the ground.
He had even grown in stature, and the force emanating from his body was far from human.
“The Ancient Dragon...”
That was right.
He had almost absorbed the Ancient Dragon completely. There was no trace of his forr vampiric form; he had ascended to the rank of a demigod.
A tragic miracle born from his insane obsession with power.
“I, Lanhardt, have arrived in this PLACEEEE!”
Lanhardt’s shout was akin to a lion’s roar. It rang in my ears and even pushed back the souls near him.
And yet, still.
Deus Verdi’s gaze remained fixed on .
“Why...?”
Why?
For what purpose?
I felt my thoughts freeze. I might have had a sharper insight in the past....
However, was it due to fatigue from the long journey? Or had I grown complacent?
I couldn’t be certain.
But I could at least sense that the being within Deus Verdi’s body was demanding so sort of answer from .
“Where are you looking?!”
Bzzzzz!
Enraged because he was ignored, Lanhardt hurled his spear at full force.
And for the first ti—
For the very first ti, sothing ca close to touching Deus Verdi’s body.
Previously, no matter how many tis Findenai, Darius, or the soldiers of Norseweden charged, they could not even approach him.
Yet Lanhardt’s spear managed to push aside the souls, grazing Deus’ cheek, and reached all the way to us.
If the souls hadn’t deflected its trajectory, it would have pierced and destroyed Deus’ head.
Boom!
Lanhardt’s spear even flew past us on the other side, smashing through several building walls before finally coming to a halt only after the spear had shattered under the strain.
A truly incredible force.
I didn’t know how he was able to absorb the Ancient Dragon, but the tragic miracle clearly favored Lanhardt.
“Countless souls! A truly great harvest spread across the continent!”
Lanhardt spread his arms wide, grinning radiantly.
Rejecting him, the souls tried to push him away, but his filthy golden hair rely whipped violently in the wind.
“What qualification does Deus Verdi possess that you follow him? And what do I lack that you refuse ?”
Lanhardt’s smile was brimming with confidence.
He was certain that everything was unfolding according to his will.
“Who on this land has the qualifications to command you? Who among us is capable enough of wielding this imnse power without faltering?”
“...What?”
“I, Lanhardt, will rend, violate, and devour you all, reigning as the tyrant of that imnse power!”
Lanhardt’s words struck my frozen mind like a hamr, shattering it to pieces.
It wasn’t because his words or resolve were shocking..
It was because ironically, I stumbled upon a hint within his statent.
He was right.
Did Deus Verdi truly have the qualifications to wield that power?
Could they be assured that, despite holding enormous power in his hands and containing hundreds of millions of souls within him, he would not use them for his own gain?
“Not all souls... trust .”
“What?”
Deia, standing beside , heard mutter under my breath and asked what I ant.
But I was already moving toward Deus.
A fierce wind blew.
The storm of souls pressed against from all directions, trying to push back.
But they didn’t really an it.
That was why, unlike Lanhardt, who stubbornly pushed forward forcefully, I was able to advance slowly but steadily.
“Not all souls know who I am.”
There were almost billions of souls.
It was inevitable that more souls would be suspicious of than believe in .
All I did was summon them, that was it.
Anyone could utter sweet words.
The reason why the souls who had helped and trusted were absent was...
“Because they must not appear.”
They couldn’t help because this was a test.
“I see.”
And before I knew it, I had already reached Deus Verdi.
Though he was still staring at , being this close made it feel like he was welcoming .
“Deus Verdi.”
He spoke to .
He continued to call by the na ‘Deus’ even though he was the one occupying Deus’ body.
“O outsider who has co to this land.”
It was no longer just him.
It was them.
Billions of souls, unified as one, now faced .
They were all asking.
“Do you have the qualification?”
“...”
“The qualification to contain us?”
The question, both commanding and tinged with faint sorrow, hung in the air.
Was there anyone on this land who could nod to such a question without hesitation?
“We only wish to know.”
These united souls had realized the overwhelming strength their combined power possessed.
And with that realization, they ca to fear how easily it could be misused.
These souls needed assurance.
“Are you truly fit to be the place of our eternal rest?”
Could they entrust themselves to soone like ?
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