Awakening

That light differed in trajectory from the Magus Arts Arisha knew.

It was too pure to be mana, and was energy itself that didn’t dominate space, let alone laws.

‘What is that?’

The whitish light surrounding Pernok’s entire body gradually became clear. However, it didn’t transform into any shape and merely intertwined lightly like threads.

Nature type, enhancement type, unique type.

It didn’t correspond to anywhere in the principle bestowal and concentration enhancement methods composing Magus Arts, and merely circulated endlessly while surrounding only Pernok.

The power too unfamiliar to even gauge finally connected sword and flesh.

Full Body Weaponization.

The First’s second awakening meant scattering the artifact’s energy throughout the entire body.

At this time, the scattered energy absorbed all surrounding and opponent’s impacts like Circulation Link.

Therefore, this form that seemed like small threads tangling together possessed the same ‘hardness’ as the artifact.

Before all the world’s waves, mana, and power transmitted to the body, it absorbed into the energy and amplified it again to transmit to the artifact.

The artifact once again multiplied the power several times through Circulation Link and spewed it out, so this was an offense-defense integrated form that armored the entire body.

As the area absorbing power widened, he merely needed flesh that could withstand large amounts of impact.

Pernok possessed Mana Reinforcement and physical enhancement magic.

Additionally, when activating the amplified power in the artifact, he could temporarily etherealize to flow away impacts entering inside.

Since he could absorb opponents’ attacks as desired and spew them as energy.

It was no different from being given both the shield called etherealization and the sword called Full Body Weaponization together.

‘When The First’s second awakening occurred, the Knight King turned a castle to ashes.’

Pernok had no intention of doing the same thing as the Knight King.

This would soon become his castle.

In a situation where he must consider wars with great powers, he didn’t want to waste time toppling those high, magnificent castle walls.

Therefore, Pernok moved his lips while aiming his sword at the tower.

Try it.

Pound away as much as you like.

At the confident provocation, Phillena came to her senses with a start.

“This… useless thing!”

Even the darkness sealed by the founding king couldn’t swallow Pernok.

There was no Magus like Owen here.

Only defensive weapons and royal palace guards.

Stopping Pernok and soldiers who began riding momentum was close to impossible.

But the sorrow and hatred of losing her child made her struggle desperately.

“Fire! Kill Pernok!”

Phillena was already not at a level to make normal judgments.

The palace guard commander also knew that fact well.

But he feared more than anything Pernok’s reputation for rushing here while killing all the kingdom’s key figures including royals.

In a war where negotiation and compromise didn’t exist, shouldn’t those cornered in a dead end at least try resisting?

As death loomed before their eyes, adjutants too desperately repositioned cannons.

‘The only possibility is inflicting fatal wounds on Prince Pernok who stepped forward alone.’

Even that seemed impossible, but there were no other options.

‘Previous guard commanders also set with the king. Did my greed to serve until the next generation go too far.’

While embracing despair, the guard commander shouted.

“Fire!”

Hundreds of mana cannons concentrated on Pernok.

If he used etherealization, he could very simply flow past the attacks.

But the amount of spiritual power consumed in etherealization far exceeded expectations.

There was no need to consume much spiritual power on etherealization, nor did he intend to use it.

Pernok entered Full Body Weaponization.

Crack crack crack bang!

The mana cannons’ fierce flashes struck the artifact.

Though the artifact wasn’t scratched, the impact transmitted to the flesh.

Full Body Weaponization’s only weakness was that the user felt the pain of impact directly.

The moment he overcame that one weakness, the artifact that absorbed all the opponent’s power spat out countless brilliance.

Rummmble!

After amplifying the mana absorbed throughout the entire body, it transmitted to the sword.

The sword again activated Circulation Link to re-amplify the absorbed power and circulate it through the entire body.

As weapon and energy circulated with each other to endlessly resonate and amplify, a resonance like ringing a bell vibrated the entire area.

BANG!

With only the circulating power, the surrounding terrain began collapsing.

That something absurd was occurring.

When everyone watching Pernok felt eeriness, the power gathered in the sword became brilliant flash and swept across the air.

Maximum Impact.

It was such a vast wave that it created the illusion that the entire world was covered in pure white.

Without even thinking of fleeing, everyone lost their senses and was enchanted by that brilliance.

WOOSH-!

While devouring magic and mana cannons desperately shot from the castle walls and swelling momentum further, Maximum Impact finally swallowed the enemy forces.

The enemy forces along with the castle walls melted away without leaving even ashes.

The one-sided offensive that even buried screams swept away thousands of forces in only an instant.

However, the transcendent power that wasn’t magic was eternally engraved in everyone’s minds.

Pernok too clicked his bitter tongue.

‘Merely 20 circulation cycles, yet even those castle walls couldn’t handle it.’

Full Body Weaponization’s constant circulation continued endlessly as long as the body supported it.

The Knight King divided seas and turned mountains to ash with fully 150 circulation cycles.

Pernok was capable of 50 circulation cycles.

If he used even etherealization, it reached 70 cycles.

Though he lowered the might to only half of half because he wanted to preserve the castle walls as much as possible, even those thick walls couldn’t handle this weak output.

“I ended up creating needless repair work.”

Spiritual power and mana overflowing from afar were sucked into his body.

Synchronization rate – 66%

The spiritual power that broke through the limit point endlessly rose.

The flesh didn’t know limits and boosted vitality, and the weapon that shattered its shell roared.

It stimulated Pernok’s yearning saying it wanted to become the king’s sword reigning over even more numerous ones.

“…”

Pernok walked silently through the middle of the battlefield hanging with silence.

Only then did enemies who came to their senses begin stepping backward while letting out screams and shrieks.

Pernok still continued Full Body Weaponization, and everyone was witnessing that clear form.

Because Pernok whom no method worked against seemed like a god living and breathing on the battlefield, they didn’t even dare harbor hearts to resist.

“…Fi-fight…”

The guard commander was the same.

Even if an S2 Magus clashed head-on, it was firepower hard to survive.

Pernok who passed that without any wounds and walked indifferently didn’t look human at all.

“…Tho-those who flee will have necks cut! Will be cut!”

Though he shouted threats, the chaos on the castle walls didn’t easily subside.

“You all want to die…!”

In the blink of an eye, Pernok disappeared from view.

The moment the flustered guard commander pressed close to the tower, he heard a heavy sound climbing the castle walls.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

While trampling wedges installed on the castle walls, Pernok surged up.

And the guard commander’s neck fell on the tower.

Thud!

The moment the heavy body that lost its master collapsed on the ground, everyone’s gazes concentrated on Pernok standing tall on the tower.

“If you withdraw forces, I’ll end you bastards at hard labor. And I’ll spare your families.”

At the cold command, those who were hesitating soon spread across the castle walls.

Urgent sounds burst everywhere and soldiers instantly began descending the castle walls.

Phillena couldn’t stop them.

No, she didn’t even think of stopping them.

Her gaze was fixed only on Pernok.

“When you open a path to life, people are quick to forget even their master. Though it’s hard labor worse than death, they still try surviving. While thinking there’ll be an opportunity to escape someday.”

Pernok descended from the railing.

“If they were true loyal retainers, they would have charged prepared for death instead, but you’re quite an unlucky person with people, Phillena.”

“You… you killed my son!”

He lightly kicked Phillena who rushed while shouting.

She who rolled on the ground coughed blood and raised her head.

“If you wanted to properly fight me, you should have upheld fundamentals from the start. Then I too, though it was a false throne selection, would have played along with the joke called competition. But what on earth do you bastards think the nation is?”

In the appearance of Phillena sitting down, Pernok saw overlapping the image of the kingdom he’d served.

“Incompetent bastards merely switched places while greedy, couldn’t even look after the people properly, and far from overcoming dangers before eyes, rather let in future troubles like Rakis at will…”

Pernok’s brow twitched.

“…Did you truly think that wretched form that even sold away the nation’s pride and self-respect was the king’s dignity? No, you bastards completely lost your minds. Though you could study abroad in foreign countries, you shouldn’t even have made the terrible notion of borrowing that place’s power to become king.”

“You will die! You’ll be torn apart by Rakis!”

“Thanks to you royals making choices inferior to vermin, Rakis gained justification to invade this nation. But bastards who touch me and this nation will all meet the same end. Like the death you’ll face.”

“A bastard like you mustn’t discuss this nation’s safety…!”

Pernok struck Phillena’s cheek.

An impact intense enough to shatter teeth in her mouth shook her mind.

Leaving behind the unconscious Phillena, Pernok broke the castle gate’s crossbar.

BOOM!

Taking the impact as signal, Pernok’s great army that came to their senses flooded into the capital.

“What on earth was that?”

Arisha, who arrived at the tower first, looked at Pernok with puzzled eyes.

Spiritual power and artifact.

Not knowing about the second awakening, she couldn’t understand Pernok’s change that reversed in one day.

Because it was majesty that couldn’t be expressed even with the word growth.

“Consider it my dagger to counter Chris.”

“Dagger…”

“Though I can’t kill Chris, it’s a method where I also won’t die.”

Not yet…

Pernok swallowed those words.

Even if Chris returned again, Pernok was confident he wouldn’t die. But with only an absolute shield, he couldn’t pierce Chris.

He must raise the synchronization rate further to birth even stronger weapons that would make even absolute beings submit.

Pernok was feeling that day wasn’t far.

Though Illumina now fell into his hands, there were still numerous prey not yet sorted out.

While thinking of methods to rapidly raise synchronization rate in a short time, Pernok looked at Arisha.

“If the current me and you join together, could we kill Chris?”

“The probability is still half and half. But it doesn’t seem impossible.”

“Then we too must prepare a new war.”

“Don’t tell me forces to resist this kingdom remain?”

“One person survives who eyes the throne, don’t they.”

Pernok chuckled while throwing the limp Phillena to soldiers who climbed up.

“Yuliana.”

“Tyr…”

“The moment news of Phillena’s execution is heard, Yuliana will point her sword at me.”

“Perhaps she might join hands with Rakis to oppose the Holy Kingdom.”

Though their own nation was invaded, the loss of losing Illumina couldn’t be lightly overlooked even on Tyr’s side.

If Chris extended his hand to Tyr, there was high possibility they’d gather strength together to strike Pernok.

The enemy’s enemy could become comrades.

Since transactions between nations changed from time to time, he must move assuming various possibilities.

After being attacked by Chris, Pernok calculated and executed even trivial things regarding sudden variables.

An alliance between Tyr and Rakis was also the worst situation that could be assumed.

But Pernok had the Holy Kingdom.

“If Yuliana tries joining hands with Chris, it would be good for the High Priest to immediately knock on Rakis’s border. If the Holy Kingdom blocks Rakis, it’s an all-out war between Tyr and me. Also, the fact that she joined hands with Rakis would become good justification to invade Tyr.”

“Using Princess Yuliana as a stepping stone to strike even Tyr…?”

“I already pulled several moves there.”

“What is it?”

“A method to completely isolate Yuliana in Tyr.”

Pernok’s smile turned cold.

“There’s no time now to play along with insane talk about sharing the throne.”

Marco approached beneath the shaded tree.

Rio sat leisurely sipping tea while opening a book.

“News came from the association. They say His Highness occupied the capital.”

Rio closed the book and turned his head to Marco.

“Then we too should slowly move.”

“Do we finally utilize the ‘bases’?”

“Surely, Princess Yuliana will search for those related to His Highness Pernok. We’re no exception. Since there’s no longer need to disguise as merchants, tell everyone to prepare firmly at the bases.”

“His Highness’s instructions might be cut off, can the merchant group leader manage alone?”

“His Highness Pernok always said one of a monarch’s virtues lies in calculating various situations and controlling movements. That’s why he made Plan B together.”

The reason Pernok handed over military provisions to Yuliana while placing Rio here was to restrain situations where she drew her sword.

“His Highness Pernok decided Plan B’s direction, and permitted me to handle detailed parts.”

Rio rose from his seat with a grin.

A group of cavalry was rushing toward this mansion.

Surely it was Yuliana’s forces trying to capture close associates to use in negotiations with Pernok.

“Well then, shall we go finish Yuliana.”

When Rio spoke peacefully and moved, Marco and Origin’s children followed behind.

The forces that burst in afterward thoroughly searched the mansion, but didn’t discover Rio anywhere.

As if they never existed from the start, Rio and everyone from the merchant group disappeared from Yuliana’s surveillance network.