Opening Battle

Thud-thud-thud!

The third wave surges from the mountain.

“Kraaaak!”

Demon beasts so vicious they were gruesome to see rushed at the sole living being.

The moment Pernok’s body was engulfed by the jet-black wave—

Boom!

Magic he’d conserved surged up like a pillar.

Brilliant flames stretched their force to the sky, catching the ankles of demon beasts heading to the ground.

‘At most ten magic spells remaining.’

After creating Named, Pernok hadn’t killed human mages.

There were no threats assailing him, and he’d only hunted demon beasts in the mountain range.

Thus, his limited vessel was merely filled with mana and Mana Reinforcement improved to a degree.

The magic he possessed now were remnants of mages he’d killed years ago.

‘I must conserve magic to face the master.’

Pernok burst Over Impact at the front.

Though the power made his wrist ache, it merely punched a hole momentarily.

Demon beasts surged in anew as if asking when he’d vacated that spot.

It felt like facing a great ocean where thrown stones would simply sink.

‘As expected, exhausted guild members couldn’t even set foot at the mountain’s entrance.’

Demonic energy sleeping below the mountain begins surging in earnest.

Though this entrance was wrapped in terrible demonic energy, it matched 5000 meters altitude’s density.

Each 100 meters advanced, density and pressure rose several-fold, crushing Pernok.

Reaching 2000 meters altitude, even level 6 mages would face an environment where squandering magic was difficult.

The point Pernok wanted was there.

‘I must block seven places total.’

When power presumed to be the master’s demonic energy dug into the mountain range from outside, unique phenomena occurred at seven points.

Artificial twisting of demonic energy that Pernok witnessed because he possessed Observation Eye.

‘If I just block those, the summit becomes peaceful and this rain stops.’

The mountain range’s demonic energy begins rapidly rising, affected by the seven points.

In the blink of an eye, demonic energy density rose at least twice.

It gradually transforms into a danger zone where humans can’t even breathe.

‘Feels like competing with nature.’

From demon beasts’ offensive surging dizzyingly, desperate situations from his past life suddenly overlap.

[G-General! Heaven is angered!]

His own memories, none other.

In unforgettable regrets of the past—

A hellish week-long death struggle.

[Fire! Fire is falling like rain!]

Why did he recall that day when subordinates died gruesome deaths at this moment?

Is this the meaning of one’s life flashing before death?

‘Are these mere small fry dangers comparable to my past?’

Perhaps because his weak flesh trembled before infinitely surging demon beasts.

Longed-for nostalgia and unforgettable battlefields shook Pernok’s head, crossing memory and reality.

‘No, it’s shabby. Laughable, trivial!’

Bursting the second Over Impact, Pernok broke through fiercely.

Kekek.

Laughter seemingly mocking Pernok echoes from everywhere.

Whatever demon beast it is, whether a high-grade type from the ground, he can’t measure.

He doesn’t want to ponder either.

There’s insufficient room or time to grasp that.

Bang!

Destroying the first point, pain like his arm would break was felt.

Even though he wore artifact transformed to gloves, it couldn’t absorb all shock.

It was like pounding a lump of iron, and destroying the point rather made pooled demonic energy bombard and engulf Pernok.

Boom!

Crushing the crown of a demon beast that spotted an opportunity, Pernok withdrew backward.

The first point was completely destroyed.

Demonic energy’s flow circulating from the other six points accelerated further.

‘A structure where destroying one burdens several others.’

A method of interlinking with other demonic energy to overheat.

If this method were introduced to Lionic’s core on the floating castle, momentary output might increase, but ultimately the core couldn’t withstand overload and would break.

But this is the mountain range.

Nature transformed demonic energy’s flow into a more dynamic form.

Just like now.

Rumble!

Where Pernok stood began collapsing.

Astonishingly, the mountain range abandons where demonic energy broke and hardens remaining regions even more firmly.

‘6000 meters altitude grade.’

The six points where demonic energy concentrated transform to terrible density above 6000 meters altitude.

‘The more I destroy points, the more density will swell beyond imagination.’

Destroying one burdens another.

Ultimately the final point would erupt pressure that even Mana Reinforcement couldn’t withstand.

[Fire rides wind surging like pillars! S-soldiers are…]

But so what?

If he withdraws before such obvious schemes, would this current situation improve at all?

[Break through.]

Destroy it.

[Fire and wind can’t melt our swords and shields.]

For what did he train this flesh?

How long would he fear physical collapse and just circle below limits?

[Salvation lies there!]

His past self would never withdraw.

Even if he grasped a single sword and made an escape route from death ground, he wouldn’t flee alone at victory’s crossroads.

‘Was I fearing this flesh would break?’

Concern that he might never revive again.

Desperate lingering unconsciously settled tempts Pernok to quit around here.

He used the third Over Impact.

Though he absorbs mana and spiritual power while killing demon beasts, his body’s trembling deepens inevitably.

Pernok ignored his body’s overload and burst Over Impact consecutively.

Though capillaries burst above his gloves, he didn’t care.

‘There’s no compromise on battlefields.’

While building forces, he’d forgotten very simple logic.

Soaked in reality’s sweetness, his past bravery sickened.

What did he fear and hesitate?

‘There’s nowhere to withdraw.’

Having been reincarnated anticipating this level of threat, how could he retreat satisfied with adequacy?

‘Life and death are now dead ends.’

Pernok crossed demon beasts’ advance again.

Whenever his body screamed, he injected mana even deeper.

‘Now.’

[Advance!]

‘Only breakthrough remains.’

Pernok smashed the second point.

Surging demonic energy pounds flesh that reached its limit.

Though something nauseous surges from within, Pernok firmly pressed down mana and headed to the next point.

Demonic energy piled up layer by layer, density reaching 8000 meters altitude grade.

Though not a deep section, demon beasts containing high-grade demon beast-level demonic energy began spawning.

And high-grade demon beasts that had clashed with Pernok on the ground were already close on his heels.

The moment they gathered together, Pernok burst Spiritual Law.

BANG!

A single pure white lightning bolt burst the third point.

Not stopping there, it intervened deeply in the mountain range’s flow, sweeping even the fourth and fifth points.

“Kaaaaaaak!”

Frenzied sounds echoed everywhere.

The mountain range’s will blocks Pernok.

Declaring he could never stop surging demonic energy, it spreads density reaching 9000 meters altitude everywhere and summons all dangerous demon beasts.

One… three… ten… twenty…

Even counting feels overwhelming.

What good would thinking more about obstacles to break through?

Crack!

Pernok adjusted his shoulder bone and raised Mana Reinforcement to the maximum.

Mana and spiritual power of demon beasts killed and absorbed until here finally exceeded his flesh’s limit.

Crack!

Bone joints twist.

His head rings alarms.

His body trembles and warns to flee.

His past self who’d dominated the Netherworld as a transcendent and his current weak flesh contrast each other as his vision paints pitch-black.

A cool, chilling feeling.

How long since this suffocating feeling where the emotion called death rose to his throat?

Not avoiding familiar emotions as if coming home, he thrust his fist into darkness.

…Shreeeek! Bang!

It bursts.

Flesh and bone.

Everything composing him breaks, crushes, and newly harmonizes.

Crack!

Catching his severed arm, he reattached it to his shoulder and cast regeneration magic.

When it became painless, Pernok realized.

What’s needed now isn’t the Netherworld’s transcendent.

Not Spiritual Law he can’t even draw out, but his pure self.

His living form that traversed battlefields with flesh alone.

Bang-bang-bang-BANG!

That era’s him was never this slow.

Even unable to use arms, legs moved, and even with eyes closed, he always sensed enemies’ breath.

Move.

Abandon death, pain, hesitation—all thoughts, and entrust your body to instinct.

Tear.

Break, crush, devour.

‘Everything becomes my food, blood, flesh, bones, becoming the driving force traversing battlefields.’

When that time comes, he’ll finally cry out like that day.

“Aaaaaaaah!”

That form sharpened and hardened like a true blade.

Synchronization Rate – 30%

The moment the incomplete synchronization rate crossed the first threshold after countless death struggles, pure white radiance engulfed Pernok’s body.

Peeled skin and twisted bones recovered as waste piled in his body flowed out.

His flesh reconstructs following the optimized combat method he remembers from long ago.

Whoooong!

Mana and spiritual power circulate smoothly.

The vessel containing mana became even more vast than before.

Pernok absorbed mana and spiritual power from demon beast corpses.

Yet the vessel still isn’t filled, craving new mana and spiritual power.

Spiritual Law – Ideal Realization.

Reconstructs everything to the soul’s most intense remembered moment.

Each time it crosses a threshold, Ideal Realization evolves into forms closer to the ideal.

At the boundary of life and death, Pernok recalled his living form.

Ideal Realization vastly expanded Pernok’s vessel with flesh comparable to that.

“Haaa…”

Escaping breath exhales white breath on mountain slopes dyed with demonic energy.

All dregs inside his body disappeared without remainder, becoming astonishingly light.

Though he’d evaded demon beasts’ pouring offensive and destroyed the sixth point, his flesh doesn’t waver even slightly.

Bang-bang-boom!

Pernok rushed to the final point without even savoring the afterglow.

Whatever condensed demonic energy fell, Mana Reinforcement blocked it, and mana and spiritual power of demon beasts trampled and torn solidly filled his vessel.

Through countless fierce battles, his flesh doesn’t tremble even slightly—

Because it was becoming like that form in memories he’d clung to so desperately.

Boom!

Pernok smashed the final seventh point with Over Impact.

Instantly, backflowing demonic energy began calming—

Drip… patter… patter-patter…

Rain blanketing mountain and ground stopped.

The objective was achieved.

But his evolved flesh still hungers.

Craving new mana and spiritual power.

‘The castle will be settled.’

Emotions elevate.

Following this fulfilling feeling that anything seems possible, he turned his head.

The fourth wave of demon beasts rushing down like a landslide.

‘If it’s those, will my thirst be quenched even a little?’

Pernok’s eyes flashed as he threw his body into the demon beasts’ great ocean.