Chapter 536

Did those two really have to provoke him?

Couldn’t they just turn a blind eye to this?

Although Seiichi had never personally seen Shumi or Elarosa fight, he instinctively felt that neither of them could defeat Rei.

"Yes. I probably would."

"Because I trust Lumironi."

Elarosa raised her greatsword and blocked Shumi from stepping forward before speaking to Rei.

"We only find Lumironi suspicious. We don’t necessarily believe she’s our enemy."

"And we... may not necessarily be enemies either."

Elarosa stopped the increasingly confrontational Shumi.

Even as a warrior, she had no desire to erupt into battle with Rei here.

"What exactly did Lumironi tell you?"

Rei answered calmly.

"She said... she wants to create a world without death or suffering."

"Hah?"

"A world without death or suffering? What are you even talking about?"

"What kind of paradise is that supposed to be, nya?"

Elarosa frowned.

"Honestly... it sounds absurd."

"Do you truly believe she can accomplish something like that?"

"And for something this difficult, there’s inevitably a price."

"Even if she really can do it... what exactly is the cost?"

Elarosa glanced at Shumi beside her.

"Her hometown, Mishirushu, was destroyed by monsters."

"You’ve also seen the devastation within the Moon Sea."

"You should be able to imagine what this world would become if the Nest completely descended upon it."

"Monsters everywhere. Intelligent races slaughtered and strewn across the land."

"Even if you’re personally strong enough to survive in such a world, do you really want to live in a world where all your own kind are gone, leaving behind nothing but disgusting monsters?"

"None of us want an era like that to arrive."

Elarosa lowered her greatsword and walked closer to Rei.

"The reason I wanted to become a warrior in the first place was because I wanted to become someone like my father."

"He was a warrior like a hero. No matter when it was, if someone needed help, he would always step forward."

Then Elarosa looked toward Shumi beside her.

"But one year ago, after the two of us fought through life-and-death battles to subjugate the Lord of the Nest and finally returned victorious..."

"we found our hometown reduced to ruins."

"My father..."

"Died during wave after wave of monster invasions..."

Elarosa clenched her teeth tightly.

"All of those monsters deserve to die."

"The reason I gave those materials to you was because my instincts told me you could accomplish more than I ever could."

"Perhaps the hope of ending all this lies with you."

"So tell me..."

"What price does Lumironi intend to pay for this so-called wish of hers?"

"Our goal is not to become enemies with Lumironi."

"Our goal is to end this damned Nest."

"To end the invasion of the Nest."

Rei looked into Elarosa’s eyes and could already see the violent waves surging within her Sea of Consciousness.

To become an Eighth-Tier Class Holder—a level second only to gods—her talent upon her class path was naturally beyond question.

But possessing such a level did not mean these high-ranking Class Holders were cold-hearted.

Rather...

Those capable of reaching such heights often possessed emotions far stronger than ordinary people.

And convictions far deeper as well.

Rei was slightly moved.

Indeed...

This world was filled with monsters everywhere. Countless people had been displaced from their homes. Even Eighth-Tier Class Holders could not necessarily protect the things they cherished most.

After remaining silent for a moment, Rei finally responded.

"My hometown was also destroyed by monsters."

"And it was the Nest of Mutation as well."

As Rei spoke, he glanced toward Minji Hwang nearby.

Strictly speaking, Minji Hwang could also be considered someone from Earth.

"As for revenge against the Nest..."

"I’ll settle that debt myself."

"But regarding Lumironi, all I can tell you is this."

"She intends to open the passage between the Underworld and the mortal world."

"And she intends to plant the Tree of Wisdom within the mortal realm."

"As for how she specifically plans to accomplish her wish..."

"I don’t know."

"I simply choose to trust her."

"Because once upon a time... she chose to trust me too."

Elarosa frowned slightly.

"Opening the path to the Underworld..."

She herself did not know much about death or the Underworld, nor did she understand what consequences would come from connecting the Underworld to the living world.

In truth, even Rei only knew that opening the Underworld would make undead beings far more active.

But that still fell within an acceptable range.

"So even if she really is helping the Nest of Mutation, you still trust her?"

"You just said your hometown was destroyed by the Nest of Mutation."

Rei’s tone carried slight helplessness.

"My hometown’s destruction had nothing to do with her."

Lumironi was not the culprit behind Earth’s destruction.

"And besides, Lumironi may not actually be cooperating with the monsters at all."

"Elarosa, I appreciate the materials you gave me. That’s why I’m willing to tell you these things."

"I won’t help you cause trouble for Lumironi."

"But aside from that, I’ll still continue hunting monsters, repelling invasions..."

"And even hunting the Lords of the Nest, if necessary."

Elarosa froze momentarily.

"Hunting the Lords of the Nest?"

"You..."

"How much do you know?"

The plan to hunt a Lord of the Nest was not common knowledge.

Originally, she had assumed Rei was merely a newcomer.

But unexpectedly, he knew far more than she had imagined.

"Not much."

"But I can try."

"If the plan is solid enough."

Rei simply had no intention of becoming enemies with Lumironi.

That did not mean he intended to become an ally of monsters.

The idea that Lumironi was colluding with monsters was merely speculation on their part anyway. There was still no evidence proving it.

More likely, everyone was simply using each other for their own purposes.

And Lumironi herself had never said he couldn’t kill monsters.

Naturally, Rei had no intention of showing mercy to them.

"As for you..."

Rei shifted his gaze toward Shumi.

"If you want to become my enemy..."

"Feel free to try."

Shumi’s tail instantly stood upright, but Elarosa immediately pressed a hand onto her shoulder.

"Regardless, our current objective is the same."

"We’re going to rescue Sesha and the others."

"Lead the way."

Elarosa looked toward Minji Hwang.

She clearly had no intention of letting the atmosphere escalate any further.

Minji Hwang spread his wings slightly.

"Looks like the three of you have reached an agreement again."

"Then let’s continue onward."

From the distance, Seiichi watched as the group gradually lowered their weapons once more.

He secretly let out a long sigh of relief.

So they didn’t fight after all...

What a shame...

Wait, no—

why am I disappointed?

Still, he had also lost a chance to uncover Rei’s true strength.

Seiichi felt that much of his fear toward Rei stemmed from the unknown.

If he could truly understand him...

perhaps he would not fear him so much.

Muttering repeatedly to himself inwardly, Seiichi followed the group forward as well.

...

[Divine Kingdom]

"Hahahaha! It really was worth you all traveling such a great distance just to celebrate my successful ascension to godhood!"

"Looks like I’m actually pretty popular!"

Izparut stood within his Divine Kingdom, surrounded by dazzling elemental colors.

And within the Divine Kingdom, in nine separate directions, stood mysterious shadowy figures clad in black robes with their faces concealed beneath hoods.

Each one was a being who wielded one of the Primordial Forbidden Magics.

One of those beings stood amidst space that seemed shattered into countless drifting fragments.

The creature merely raised a single hand, its withered fingers forming a sealed barrier that completely enveloped Izparut’s Divine Kingdom.

Its reflection existed outside the Divine Kingdom—

yet simultaneously appeared within it as well.

The lips beneath its hood moved slightly.

"Izparut."

"You have committed a taboo."

"You have blasphemed the Root."

"All of your achievements..."

"Were granted by the Root."

Izparut examined the opponent’s magic with obvious interest.

"The Third Forbidden Magic: Space."

The exact same magic was currently supporting Izparut’s Divine Kingdom.

Originally, Izparut’s Divine Kingdom should have been disintegrated by the opponent’s "Initiation Art: Ultimate Space."

Yet Izparut used identical magic to lock his own Divine Kingdom in place.

And was continuously restoring and strengthening it.

"You’re trying to dismantle my Divine Kingdom..."

"And exile me back into the mortal world?"

At the same time, Izparut could feel a binding oath forming.

He had denied the existence of the Root.

Therefore, the next time he descended into the mortal realm, he would be required to replace the Root itself with his own existence.

That was Izparut’s oath.

The restriction imposed upon him after becoming a god.

So that’s how it is...

Izparut finally understood why becoming the God of Magic caused these beings to seek his extermination.

These Primordial Taboo-Breakers themselves were entities separated from the "Root."

To deny the Root was to deny them.

And if he himself became the Root—

then their existence would likely be denied as well.

Heh.

No wonder they were so desperate to eliminate him.

Although this was Izparut’s first time meeting them, he instantly grasped the meaning of their existence.

"The Root..."

"I no longer need it."

"You’re too arrogant!"

BOOM!

A distant and hollow voice thundered like divine judgment.

Izparut turned his head and saw—

his future self.

He saw his future destiny.

In the near future, his Divine Kingdom would be shattered.

And replacing the Root...

was nothing more than fantasy and empty delusion.

His future destiny itself had been manipulated by mysterious magic.

The roaring current of fate began to move.

Countless possibilities were rewritten accordingly, all converging toward that ending.

"Fate."

BOOM!

Suddenly, violent elemental upheaval erupted outside the Divine Kingdom!

The entire Divine Kingdom began trembling violently.

This Divine Kingdom was formed from magic itself, and the foundation of all magic was tied to the elements.

And at this very moment—

the elemental foundation was being shaken.

The Divine Kingdom itself began showing signs of collapse.

Elements...

Izparut raised his right hand.

Within the Divine Kingdom, the disintegrating elements instantly reconstructed themselves, restoring the Divine Kingdom to its original state!

At the same time, his left hand unleashed countless magic circles.

Layer upon layer of spatial magic arrays connected and fused together.

Magic began stacking!

Elements.

Space.

Fate.

Time...

A smile still hung at the corner of Izparut’s lips, but faint beads of sweat had already formed across his forehead.

These magics were not easy to deal with.

If he could drag them into the Divine Kingdom and fight one-on-one, Izparut was confident he could eliminate them.

But these beings clearly had no intention of entering the Divine Kingdom individually.

Their plan was simply to dismantle it from the outside.

To force him out.

Looks like I killed too quickly after all.

After the first one came searching for him and attempted to control his mind and put him to death—

he had immediately killed her.

Instead, that only caused the later arrivals to become cautious.

High above the sky, a blurry illusory figure spoke indifferently.

"Space."

"Elements."

"You still haven’t managed to dismantle his Divine Kingdom?"

"He’s using our magic..."

"He’s wielding the Primordial Magics through his own method."

"Without relying on the Root."

The blurry figure continued calmly.

"Fate warned Mind that this mission was dangerous."

"But no one expected Mind to be killed so quickly."

The black-robed man surrounded by distorted space was—

[Primordial Space].

He spoke coldly.

"She was too arrogant."

The multicolored elemental energy gathered into a robe that concealed another figure’s face.

Beneath it stood—

[Primordial Elements].

"He has regained control over the elements."

"He reconstructed them."

[Primordial Space] responded sharply.

"Reconstructed?"

"The laws governing the base elements have been altered."

"He’s already begun rewriting entirely new Root Laws..."

The tone of [Primordial Space] involuntarily rose.

"That quickly?"

"Fate. What about your side?"

The being with a half-circular disk floating behind its head gazed down upon the Divine Kingdom.

"In the short term, fate cannot forcibly command him anymore."

"He already saw the destiny I arranged for him..."

"And he learned my Primordial Fate Magic."

"Not only is he correcting the destiny I assigned him..."

"He’s even rewriting the fate of replacing the Root itself—from impossibility into inevitability."

"What about you, Time?"

Around [Primordial Time], streams of air moved at unstable speeds.

It looked as though velocity itself had changed—

but in reality, the instability came from fluctuating time flow around him.

"He..."

"Also deconstructed my Time Magic."

"He’s competing with me for control over time itself."

"What I cannot understand..."

"is why he can wield the Primordial Forbidden Magics so effortlessly."

"Is that so?"

Swish.

Every Primordial Taboo-Breaker simultaneously turned their gaze toward Izparut within the Divine Kingdom.

Because those words—

had come from him.

Izparut’s eyes burned brightly, as though capable of piercing directly through souls.

The Primordial Forbidden Magic of Mind!

The magic belonging to [Primordial Mind]—whom he had already killed—

had also been learned by him.

"The answer is actually very simple."

"Because these were never your Primordial Forbidden Magics to begin with."

"They are..."

"my own magic."

Although sweat dripped faintly from Izparut’s forehead, his expression remained wild and radiant with arrogance.

BOOM!

Yet the very next moment, the entire Divine Kingdom shook violently once more!

"There’s little time left for us to descend into the world."

"Why continue wasting effort entangling ourselves with him?"

"He’s only facing less than a tenth of our true power, yet he already believes himself invincible?"

THUD!

A massive seal descended from outside.

The seal did not target the Divine Kingdom directly—

instead, it sealed the regions outside the Divine Kingdom, places beyond Izparut’s reach.

A god’s power could not casually leave the Divine Kingdom.

That was one of the restrictions imposed after ascension.

"The Tenth Forbidden Magic — Seal."

A humanoid being with a cross engraved across its face spread both hands wide.

Crosses descended from every direction, engulfing the entire area!

They blotted out the sky and branded countless marks onto the Divine Kingdom itself.

THUD!

And in the next instant—

the imprint of Time engraved itself atop the seals, completely locking the Divine Kingdom in place.

Although they could not directly control Izparut’s personal time—

through the use of seals, they could alter the flow of time within the region occupied by the Divine Kingdom itself.

"Since you refuse to surrender..."

"Then remain sealed here."

"When we truly descend into this world..."

"Only a fleeting instant will have passed for you."