The path behind him had vanished.
Vashno stared at the empty space where it once was, his gaze lingering on the walls before he finally turned away. There was no choice but to move forward.
"Damn... Souta said I could handle the dangers here. The last ti he said that, a ssenger of Gluttony showed up," he grumbled. "I was lucky I managed to strike a deal with the Sword Saint."
Muttering to himself, he pressed on. After half an hour of walking, he stepped into a vast, open space.
Before him stood a massive tower, stretching tens of kiloters from the ground into the unseen heights above.
This shouldn't be possible... Unless... the space here was far larger than it appeared.
Vashno thought back to the barrier he had passed through earlier. That must have been the entrance to this distorted space.
"So, I'm finally here..." Vashno muttered, his eyes fixed on the towering structure before him.
"As always, it's ti to do my job-and get stronger."
Steeling himself, he approached the base of the tower, where a massive door awaited. Without hesitation, he stepped inside.
The challenge had begun.
He already knew what to expect-Souta had given him so details about this place. Now, it was up to him to see it through.
...
Champion's Den, Headquarters of Athen's Champion.
Office of a Division Commander
Division Commander Cicero sat at his desk, eyes fixed on the report in his hands.
"That brat... He actually slew a Seventh Shackle Realm expert?!" he muttered, disbelief flashing across his face.
The sheer potential was staggering.
With the body of a Fourth Stage monster, he had managed to kill a warrior at Hero-rank-an almost impossible feat. Even the weakest Seventh Shackle expert could effortlessly crush a peak Fourth Stage opponent. That was simply the gulf of power that existed between them. And yet, he had done it.
Cicero exhaled slowly, his grip tightening on the report. This changed everything.
Even if another Fourth Stage monster were given Souta's exact equipnt, they still wouldn't have been able to accomplish such a feat.
Cicero set the report down on his desk and gazed out the window.
"He's growing too fast... At this rate, the next ti I hear about him, he might have already slain an Eight Shackle Realm expert."
He exhaled and rose from his seat, his thoughts shifting to the ongoing war. The casualties had been severe-they had lost Grain Leaders and several Chief Captains on the battlefield. Even so of the God's Legion had lost their Hero-rank warriors.
"These troubled tis are forcing the young ones to improve drastically..."
And it wasn't just Souta. Others had begun to erge from distant lands, showcasing terrifying strength. The balance of power was shifting.
...
Everlight Realm
A stunning woman with striking red hair floated in the air, her eyes closed. Waves of intense flas radiated from her body, engulfing the vast space around her.
Ohm!!
A trendous surge of energy erupted from within her-then, in an instant, the flas vanished.
Silence followed.
After a brief mont, the woman slowly opened her eyes.
She was Red Mist-once known as Remuria.
"I've grown stronger once again," Red Mist muttered as she descended to the ground. Suddenly, a woman clad in black attire appeared beside her. She belonged to the Three-Eyed Tribe.
With a faint smile, the woman spoke. "You attained the Rank of Hero a month ago, and now you've passed the trial. The spirit within you is currently dormant-sothing it received has put it into slumber. There's no need for you to stay here any longer. I will send you out."
"Wait! At least tell your na!" Red Mist reached out, but before she could grasp anything.
Her surroundings shifted in an instant.
She now stood in an unknown place.
She had been sent away without a shred of resistance-a clear sign that the woman from the Three-Eyed Tribe was far stronger than her.
Red Mist scanned her surroundings, her gaze landing on a massive volcano, its peak spewing thick, dark smoke into the sky.
"Where am I?"
The thought echoed in her mind as she turned left and right, searching for any sign of a town or city nearby.
"I need to figure out my current location first. After that, I'll head to the Immortal Land," she murmured.
Her eyes narrowed in determination.
"The Heavenly Court's history dates back to the very start of this cycle. I need to see it for
myself."
For the longest ti, she had been adrift, her motivation lost after the destruction of Walpurgis Night. A part of her had accepted death.
But the things she had witnessed in the Everlight Realm had reignited sothing within her.
There was still truth to uncover.
And there was still Fiamma, the one who had remained by her side.
She had a purpose once more.
...
An Unknown Place
A man wrapped in bandages stood silently, gazing at a glowing green orb in his hand.
A voice echoed behind him.
"Grimm, it's ti for our next mission."
Without turning, Grimm narrowed his eyes before finally glancing over his shoulder.
"It's ti for that mission," he muttered.
He rose to his feet and walked toward the window, pushing it open. The clear sky stretched
endlessly before him.
Behind him, the woman spoke again.
"We can't afford to fail like last ti."
"Fail?" Grimm scoffed, keeping his gaze on the horizon. "It wasn't a failure, Layla. What happened at Walpurgis Night was... passable. We obtained valuable information about the
Forbidden."
His eyes flickered as he cast a sideways glance at her.
"And that," he said, "was more than enough."
"Is that so?" Layla murmured.
Grimm nodded, his fingers tightening around the glowing green orb.
"The tragedy that befell Witch Le Fay... The information confirms that so of the Knights of the Round Table are still alive. Before losing his sanity, the Isolated Formation God made extensive preparations. According to the texts he left behind, there exist beings who know far
more about this matter than we do."
Layla's gaze sharpened. "Beings that know the truth...?"
"Exactly," Grimm replied. "The Ten Commandnts of God's Will."
A heavy silence followed before he continued.
"They are actively preventing anyone from uncovering this secret. Their reasons remain
unknown."
Layla frowned.
"So, prepare yourself," Grimm said. "This ti, we're leaving the God's Continent-our
destination is the Endless Sea."
Layla's breath hitched. "Endless Sea..."
Her mind drifted to a certain powerful being that resided there.
Grimm gave a knowing smirk. "Our next mission leads us to a ruin that dates back twenty
thousand years. We'll find more clues there... and seek an audience with the Monster Lord
Leviathan."
Beyond their mission, the world was growing ever more chaotic.
The Ruler of Gluttony moved unrestrained, far more powerful than his predecessor.
And with his rise, further calamity was inevitable.
...
Days passed, but the continent's situation showed no signs of improving.
In the Three Theaters, the World Wolf, alongside Skadi and other gods, clashed against the ancient Monster Lord Shub-Niggurath and her countless offspring. Everyone knew-sooner or later-those battlefields would beco Ruined Lands, forever scarred by divine conflict. The battle between God-rank beings raged relentlessly, warping the very fabric of energy and law. No mortal dared to step foot there. anwhile, in Fengdu Land, the Army of Gluttony was slowly being pushed back. The
Heavenly Court had reinforced the Fengdu Army, turning the tide in their favor. Yet, despite the improvent, the devastating clash between Gluttony and the Four Divine Beasts had left deep scars on the land, wounds that would take a long ti to heal.
Once again, Gluttony had erged-this ti in a Large Country-where he annihilated
every God-rank being before vanishing without a trace.
This brutal display of power forced the Large Countries into action. In response, they ford the Large Countries Coalition Force, an alliance of ten powerful nations. As tensions escalated, more factions joined their ranks, strengthening the coalition. Even smaller countries aligned themselves, though their influence within the group remained minimal. Beyond the Holy Lands, the suffering was imnse. Outlying territories bore the brunt of the devastation, while the demon factions remained eerily silent, rely watching as chaos unfolded across the continent.
Yet, despite the turmoil, new talents erged.
Omari Adel's na spread far and wide as he ascended to Hero-rank, making his presence known. anwhile, Shen Yao, a prodigy from the Heavenly Court, proved her strength in the battle for Fengdu Land. Amid the relentless conflict, she broke through to the Seventh Shackle Realm, solidifying her place among the continent's rising powers.
Even the Anti-Mage, once believed to be dead, had resurfaced in another part of the continent. anwhile, several experts who had survived the battle in Selnes Country erged
stronger than before, having honed their skills through hardship.
Ekatoe City
A training frenzy had overtaken the city. Determined to grow stronger, warriors pushed
themselves to the limit, working relentlessly to overco their weaknesses and refine their
abilities.
At the soldiers' training grounds, Franklin appeared, stepping up beside Eztein.
Eztein gave him a sidelong glance and asked, "Just ca out of the inner consciousness?"
Souta had granted them permission to train within Saya's inner consciousness, a rare
opportunity they weren't taking for granted.
"Yeah, I've already mastered the second stance of [Extre Nightmare Art]. My progress isn't
too bad," Franklin said with a smug grin.
Eztein's eye twitched. "Not too bad? Shut your mouth, old man! I haven't even mastered the first stance yet, and you're out here showing off?" Franklin chuckled, "Ehe, maybe I'm just better than you."
"Ugh..." Eztein turned away, glaring at the soldiers who were training nearby. Then, with a
smirk, he shot back, "At least my elents are already at the Integration Stage-unlike a
certain old man who's still stuck in the Force Stage." Franklin's grin widened. "Why don't we spar, then?" Eztein snapped his head back toward him. "Huh?! You serious?" He cracked his knuckles.
"Fine! Just because you hit SSS-rank, you think you can match ? I'll teach you a lesson, old
man!"
Above Ekatoe City...
A sudden explosion of light illuminated the sky as two figures clashed fiercely, sending
shockwaves rippling through the air. Their battle created a breathtaking yet dangerous spectacle, drawing the attention of nearly everyone in the city.
Down below, Torkez and the others watched the chaotic duel unfold, shaking their heads in
exasperation.
"Those two just love making a scene, don't they?" soone muttered.
No one disagreed.
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