Decisive Battle

While coming here, he’d devoured hundreds, thousands of demon beasts.

While repeating consumption and absorption, his vessel became more solid and his newly transformed flesh moved naturally like breathing.

[Atmospheric Collapse S1]

Manipulates all environments wind touches.

Magus Arts stolen from Zeef approached new laws dominating space.

Though he’d merely spread wind, everything in this world seemed in his palm.

‘Is this the feeling of magic and magical path’s boundary?’

When new fullness tried building solid connections everywhere, savage demonic energy wedged into the domain.

“Don’t… look at me…”

Cargoras raised a black greatsword.

“Don’t look at me with those eyes!”

Perhaps stimulated by Pernok?

Cargoras threw off all leisure shown when fighting Zeef.

When the greatsword indiscriminately shot condensed demonic energy, Pernok gathered wind before his eyes.

Clang!

Sword energy broke through wind, stopping before Pernok’s eyes.

A vacuum barrier crushed the sword energy.

‘Despite possessing power to manipulate atmosphere, he died to an inadequate creature imitating others?’

When Pernok brushed his hand, atmosphere clung to Cargoras like a creature with will.

Having already experienced similar techniques once, Cargoras received mana with his body while simultaneously swinging his sword.

At the appearance not caring about wounds, Pernok grinned and responded with his greatsword.

“Good.”

While manipulating atmosphere, Pernok shot at Cargoras.

Unbearably intense awakening’s heat keeps surging.

Pernok poured various attacks he’d kept in his head.

Bang bang!

Clashing with Cargoras, the one pushed back was Pernok.

Though rain stopped, demonic energy inherent in Cargoras overwhelms thousands of demon beasts.

[Muscle Amplification Lv.3]

Concentrating mana throughout his body to raise strength.

He supplemented insufficient parts with magic.

[Acceleration Lv.2] [Enhancement Lv.3] [Nerve Transmission Lv.4] [Flash Lv.4]

His body that broke through limits smoothly accepted multiple magic.

Bang bang bang!

When multiple magic loaded on more evolved Mana Reinforcement imbued with Pernok’s vast mana, Pernok didn’t fall behind at all even to Cargoras’s fierce fighting style.

‘I see it.’

Observation Eye leaped to one stage higher.

Now seeing together the opponent’s interior and soul’s edge, he can grasp situations 0.5 seconds ahead.

Clang!

Before Cargoras struck upward from below, Pernok’s greatsword pressed down on that tip.

“Seite!”

Saint’s name—the hero who trapped Cargoras here.

Is he overlapping Seite and Pernok?

Rage at cursed heroes made Cargoras’s demonic energy run wild.

“Kyahaat!”

Cargoras’s left arm transforms.

A human arm not wearing jet-black luster.

A ring was worn on the index finger—definitely Zeef’s symbol.

Whoong!

One hand the greatsword—

The other hand wind—

The appearance of independently moving both hands seemed similar to Pernok’s multiple magic.

Extremely alien, but demonic energy that couldn’t be let down surged everywhere.

Clang clang clang clang!

Atmospheric mana and demonic energy collided.

Astonishingly, Cargoras began imitating even Zeef’s Magus Arts.

When Pernok deployed magic, Cargoras responded with identical magic.

It felt like fighting while looking in a mirror.

Instantaneous acceleration and power distribution all resembled Pernok.

‘Those he killed. Those he watched—he deploys everything identically.’

A monster endlessly absorbing and evolving.

Techniques grow more precise over time.

Going further, he combines and deploys magic Pernok used in his own way.

That pinnacle is greatsword techniques.

Refined swordsmanship overlaid with magic strikes Pernok like a storm.

‘That hero’s swordsmanship.’

Knight King’s memory is stimulated.

As if shouting never to fall behind in the sword, Pernok clashed his artifact.

Vibration travels up his wrist to his heart.

That moment, hazy light flowed from the artifact.

Pernok grinned.

Matching Pernok who exceeded limits, The First also accomplishes its true first evolution.

Whoooooong!

The First awakening from the grave had forcibly undergone first evolution procedures.

But having only met minimum requirements needed for Over Impact activation, it was inappropriate to call true evolution in the genuine sense.

Pernok had been so weak he staggered despite not properly using Over Impact’s performance.

But now having broken through limits, The First reveals its true form to the world matching its master’s evolution.

Swoosh-!

As if throwing off dull shells, shedding unnecessary metal, Cargoras withdrew backward at the chilling intensity.

“…?”

That overwhelming majesty emanating from the weapon itself was a power release Cargoras experienced for the first time in his life.

The greatsword trembles.

As if the hero’s memory pays respect to that radiance, it shouts at Cargoras to kneel.

“Kyaaak!”

The moment Cargoras struggled as if not to be swayed by memories—

Brilliant light bursting from The First begins absorbing demonic energy dwelling here.

First evolution’s symbol.

Circulation Link.

Until now, the artifact had only absorbed clashing energy converting to Over Impact.

But Circulation Link draws in all power mixed in the atmosphere.

Whether evil or sacred makes no difference.

It absorbs everything everywhere, refines into one energy and condenses.

And continuously circulates internally, amplifying power.

The King’s sword reigning over artifacts.

Only one rule that owners who accomplish The First’s evolution must keep.

‘Possess flesh capable of withstanding Over Impact’s evolution connected from Circulation Link.’

Knight King had burst Circulation Link’s Over Impact and wandered death’s edge.

When those unprepared wielded the sword, sovereign authority forcing appropriate responsibility dwelled.

But Pernok accomplished fitting flesh.

As if quenching unquenchable thirst, Pernok grasped the artifact with both hands and raised it before his chest.

Even mana forming Magus Arts and Cargoras’s demonic energy resisting it all sucked into the greatsword, flashing as one lightning.

The king of artifacts pursuing only one ultimate roars at the false sword.

Over Impact.

Lightning cut diagonally upward headed toward Cargoras without any sound.

When Cargoras desperately struck down his greatsword at lightning blanketing heaven and earth, condensed demonic energy waves curved like crescents flying.

Wooosh…!

However, lightning swallowed the crescent, eating black while erasing sound.

Light gently embracing the world wrapped around Cargoras.

…Aaaah!

Distant sound returned, and Cargoras suffered extreme pain as his entire body melted.

‘I can’t die. I’ll return to this land again…’

Cargoras erased Seite.

Discarding Zeef, he recalled the strongest imaginable.

As spiritual power flowed from the Hollow Eye wrapping around Cargoras—

It dyed jet-black the light Over Impact emitted, leaping to a new ideal.

“I will take root!”

It was Pernok’s appearance.

Wrapping demonic energy like Mana Reinforcement instead of mana, copying the identical artifact, he burst jet-black Over Impact.

BANG!

Light and light collided and vanished. And Cargoras smiled.

“Ah… aaah…!”

Even combining all previous ones, the ecstasy of memories Pernok brought seemed to breathe vitality into exhausted flesh.

He felt he wouldn’t lose to anyone.

If newly added memories every eye blink combined with the mountain range’s demonic energy, nothing in the world would be fearsome.

“Try imitating this too.”

Cargoras raised his head.

Pernok who’d floated in midair before he knew it was drawing strange power into one hand.

Spiritual power.

The moment one line of knowledge flashed through his head, Cargoras was taking the identical posture.

Spiritual Law – Divine Punishment.

Pure white lightning strikes earth from heaven as if god is angered.

Cargoras tried imitating this with demonic energy but failed.

Though he definitely knew spiritual power’s existence and Spiritual Law’s utilization method, manifesting identical power was impossible.

“Why…?”

BANG!

Divine Punishment devoured Cargoras’s entire body.

Spiritual power that broke through the threshold tried burning all roots Cargoras possessed.

This isn’t enough.

The moment he reached a crisis where his heart would break, Hollow Eye’s temptation echoed in his head.

Must take all of that one.

Cargoras can become anything.

He can match himself to all wavelengths in the world.

This species’ instinct latent in this blood and demonic energy exists for this very moment.

Hollow Eye’s spiritual power flowed out, entangling in Divine Punishment.

‘I will become.’

Soon two spiritual powers stickily melted into reality—

Cargoras burst into mad laughter at overflowing ecstasy.

Like you.

Finally he realized the Hollow Eye’s usage method.

This unfamiliar power’s identity and handling method—he definitely grasped through Pernok’s memory.

Spiritual Law, Netherworld, numerous absolute beings and transcendents.

Numerous knowledge awakened him.

What must be done to head higher?

The answer is out.

Continuing connected with Pernok like this, stealing his soul entirely, becoming eternally immortal.

The Hollow Eye’s mighty spiritual power finally tried coveting Pernok beyond Divine Punishment.

The moment spiritual power and spiritual power complexly entangled melting into one—

“I definitely warned you.”

A cool voice echoed in his head.

“Not to disappoint me.”

The world blanketed with endless sky.

“Yet you shatter my interest with such base methods.”

There is neither Netherworld nor lower world, but infinite spiritual power’s world.

[Does a vermin not even worth dust dare covet my soul?]

The endlessly spread pure white space was the magnitude of soul Pernok possessed.

Cargoras standing blankly there was an existence inferior even to a small point.

“…”

No voice was permitted.

Even small breathing wasn’t allowed here.

Because he felt infinitely distant in the hollow world, standing tall, as if less than a worm—

Unable to acknowledge himself becoming miserable, Cargoras lowered his hand below.

If everything manifesting this world is that soul’s spiritual power, there’s no reason the Hollow Eye can’t absorb it.

[Stop.]

Only 1 second.

Perhaps shorter time.

The moment he reached for spiritual power, Cargoras collapsed.

Though he’d only sucked part, the Hollow Eye couldn’t handle it.

Instinct stopped absorption as if his entire body would crumble. And he became powerless.

Despair arose at himself unable to do anything in this vast world.

[I don’t want to break that object.]

The voice is heard close. But he can’t even see that appearance.

This is the boundary called station or great work.

Cargoras couldn’t raise his head.

Only the scene of a shadow cast before his feet extending a finger was the last appearance permitted to him.

[Must eliminate only the wicked will dwelling within.]

The finger heads downward.

Very leisurely and slowly, the moment it dropped to the bottom—

Cargoras’s soul vanished.

* * *

When soul and soul contact, the one with higher station manifests and dominates the mental image.

In the Netherworld, this magnitude and great work judges who the true strong one is.

In a place even lords couldn’t endure ten minutes, there was nowhere for the likes of Cargoras to set foot.

Pernok slowly opened his eyes.

Cargoras was frozen in the posture of extending his hand.

When he plucked out only the Hollow Eye from the body whose soul disappeared, it vanished turning to dust.

Pernok grasped the Hollow Eye in his hand and flowed spiritual power.

No reaction shows.

The Hollow Eye’s wicked will that had tempted Cargoras contacted Pernok’s spiritual power and shattered mercilessly.

Though most spiritual power contained within also disappeared in the purification process, spiritual power and mana left were enough to fill Pernok’s vessel.

Synchronization Rate – 40%

That place where Zeef, Cargoras, Royal Guard, Royal Guard Knights all disappeared—

Pernok stood alone and burst into laughter filled with ecstasy.