Chapter 60

Chapter 60

Outside the 「Night of Downfall」 Barrier.

Having flown all the way to the ceiling of the Second Floor in a single bound, “he” looked down while pinning Bishop Jurgen against the ceiling.

[I sense a strange energy.]

That Puppet the Order’s people had brought.

He had thought it was strange from the beginning, and they had planted something grotesque in its heart.

[Is it a Fragment? I can feel the power of the Golden Rule.]

“He” muttered in a somewhat displeased tone.

His fierce gaze turned toward the Bishop as he stood upside down on the ceiling above the Barrier.

[You brought such an abomination to the Second Floor.]

“We needed a place with many people for test operation. It should not be such a bad situation for you either.”

The Bishop stared at “him” with a strange smile.

“Is that not so? Executor of Divine Punishment.”

[…….]

“He” fell silent.

Certainly, Lorentze did have aspects that looked upon White Cloud Castle with displeasure.

Maggots living by digging into the land of the Second Floor, not knowing their place, even dared to covet the floors below.

If they were all wiped out here, from the standpoint of Trinity, including Lorentze, it would be something to welcome with open arms.

[Heh…… It certainly might have been a good opportunity. If not for that insect.]

In any case, “he” was currently bound by a contract.

Elos Kashiria.

Because that old Archbishop had done something absurd, one of his descendants had ended up stranded here.

“How about it? If you simply let me go, I will guarantee that descendant’s life. I will send her up to the surface without touching her.”

[Hmm…….]

“I believe it is not a bad deal.”

“He” narrowed his eyes.

Looking down at Bishop Jurgen, he spoke.

[Certainly, as long as my descendant is safe, the lives of these insignificant creatures are none of my concern.]

“Then…….”

[However, there is something you are mistaken about.]

CRUUUNCH!

“He” began pressing down on the Bishop again with his energy.

When something began to take shape like a haze behind “his” back, cold sweat flowed down the Bishop’s cheek.

It was a Precept.

A Master borrowing the body of his descendant was about to use his power.

[Filth. Do you think you are in any position to propose a deal to me?]

“Urgh…….”

[Disgusting creature. Unfortunately, as one who safeguards the solemn laws of Ebla, I cannot commit the sin of killing.]

At those words, the Bishop laughed.

“Haha……. Is it because it is a sin, or because there are too many eyes watching? You cannot erase all of White Cloud Castle, after all.”

[…….]

“He” smiled.

[Yes. That is correct.]

“He” acknowledged it without hesitation.

The reason he accepted the unpleasant contract and did not kill the insects below was simply because, possessing a descendant’s body, he could not exert his full power.

If he had been able to blow away all of White Cloud Castle and leave no witnesses behind, he would have done so without hesitation.

Bishop Jurgen knew that was the true nature of that old monster.

[The reason I brought you here is simply because if I used my power below, the insects would be swept away as well. It is difficult to control my strength in my descendant’s body.]

“What are you…….”

[I keep the words I speak.]

RUMBLE……

“He” raised his energy.

[I will kill you a thousand times.]

And behind “him,” the Precepts drew their complete forms.

Scorching heat and sparks began to scatter, and the surrounding scenery warped.

“He” raised one hand and clenched his fist.

[Descent of the Great Precept.]

Fire devoured the world.

***

I gripped the trembling sword tightly.

I calmly assessed the situation.

‘A Fragment of the Golden Rule is embedded in that Puppet.’

The Downfall Order had clearly inserted a Fragment into the Puppet’s power source instead of a Mana Stone.

The absurd Skill effect from just now must also have been thanks to the power of the Fragment.

“I was wondering why they had only embedded two Skills…….”

If they had enough to give it Synthesis Skills, they should not have lacked Skills, so why had they only put in two?

The answer was that two were enough.

If that sort of thing was possible, there was no need to embed several Skills.

I did not know the exact function of the Fragment, but perhaps it was something that strengthened power or awakened new abilities.

KIIIIING─!

“……!”

I barely dodged the beam that was fired once more.

When the diagonal ray of light cut through a building, the large tile-roofed house was sliced cleanly apart and collapsed.

Before I could even steady my broken posture, the Puppet charged in.

I quickly raised my sword to block.

I did not have the leisure to activate Parrying, so I was kicked and sent rolling across the ground.

[Are you all right?]

“For now.”

Even though I had blocked it, my wrist throbbed.

It was not only that the effect of 「Lābes」 had been altered. The level of 「Divine Strike Fist」 had also risen tremendously.

Its arm strength and Leg Strength had been amplified, and its speed had become much faster as well.

‘No doubt about it. It is the power of the Fragment.’

It was clearly surpassing the Output and functions of the Skills I knew.

That was absolutely the power of the Fragment.

CLACK, CLACK-

On top of that, Ishara had been reacting for a while now.

She already possessed one Fragment, and had currently exhausted most of its power.

‘Is she trying to absorb another Fragment and recover her power?’

The Apostle I met at the Temple had also said that he would strengthen the sword each time I brought a new Fragment.

Perhaps if I used the Puppet’s Fragment, I might be able to replenish the power Ishara had consumed.

“If I win, that is……!”

KWAGANG! KAAANG!

Sword and fist collided.

The Disintegration Light of 「Lābes」 was now being fired like a blade following the Puppet’s hand and foot movements, and when that created an opening, the fists and kicks of 「Divine Strike Fist」 flew in like wedges.

KWAAANG!!

Parrying erupted with a violet light and knocked away the fist.

The Puppet seemed to lose its posture for a moment, then used that backlash in reverse to send out a kick.

KAAANG! KWAGWANG!

I struck away the attacks aimed at my head, chest, and stomach in succession.

Spinning my sword once in a circle, I gripped it firmly and activated the stacked 「Counterattack」.

A strike into which I had poured Mana of Pristine Power.

The light of Mysticism, three times stronger than usual, slammed down on the Puppet.

KAAAAANG!

“Insane…….”

The Puppet received it with its hand.

It had fired the Disintegration Light over the sword strike and nullified the attack with the repulsive force.

Clicking my tongue, I withdrew my sword and took a half-step back to avoid the descending kick.

The foot wrapped in Disintegration Light pierced through the ground and sank in up to the ankle.

“Then you cannot move……!?”

I tried to cut off its leg while it was fixed to the ground, but before I could, the foot broke through the ground and sprayed dirt in front of my eyes.

The moment I reflexively raised my sword to block, a bright yellow beam grazed my sword and pierced my shoulder.

“Kugh……!”

A burning pain flared.

Fortunately, because the hitbox was small, it ended with a penetrating wound, but now that I was injured, it was obvious that I would be pushed back.

[……It is absurdly calm. Can the applications of a Skill truly be that varied?]

“Because it is a Puppet. That thing has no emotions.”

A Puppet’s way of thinking was closer to that of a computer.

It could not use petty tricks, but the quick judgment it displayed with the abilities it possessed was far superior to a human’s.

‘If a Sixth Floor monster had come as it was, I would have died long ago.’

My arms tingled and my legs were numb.

The longer the exchange continued, the more wounds I accumulated, and the more my Health dropped.

A moment ago, it felt like we had been evenly matched, but now I was clearly being pushed back.

“Kugh!”

A blow that caught me off guard struck my side hard.

After being slammed into the wreckage of a nearby building, I threw myself to the floor and rolled before I even had time to suppress the numbing pain.

By a hair’s breadth, the beam sliced cleanly through the spot where I had been.

‘The difference in level has widened too much. My swordsmanship is not working.’

[Chapter One – Fate] of Secret Art: Ethrana was certainly excellent swordsmanship.

At the same level, it overwhelmed the opponent, and even if there was some difference in base specs, it could usually take the upper hand.

The fact that such performance came from only the most basic swordsmanship was remarkable, but right now, that alone was not enough.

Because of the Fragment, the base spec gap between me and the Puppet had grown extreme.

If before using the Fragment, it had been around Late Stage 4-Star to Early Stage 5-Star, now it could be considered clearly above 5-Star.

‘My Star Rank is Mid-Stage 2-Star. Numerically, it is a difference of two or three stages, but the actual gap is far larger.’

Star Rank was not calculated by addition, but multiplication…… and at that, by squares.

Even a single rank created a considerable difference, and that gap grew exponentially the higher the rank went.

With my current strength at Mid-Stage 2-Star, I could match up to 4-Star.

If it was the very beginning of 5-Star, I could probably face it to some extent.

If I met Jakol or Admon again, I would be able to beat them without much effort.

But if it was a complete 5-Star, the story changed.

This was not a base spec gap that could be overcome with a single swordsmanship technique.

‘Honestly, even this is already absurd.’

Originally, defeating an opponent one rank higher than oneself was already a power that defied common sense.

That showed how outstanding the qualities I possessed were, and how powerful Ishara’s swordsmanship was.

If it had been an ordinary person, they would have struggled not only against 4-Star, but even against 3-Star.

“……This is not the time to complain.”

Instead of lamenting, I circulated even a little Mana.

Fortunately, I had the Natural Recovery gained from Blooming Divinity, and on top of that, the Mana of Pristine Power was invigorating me, so I could still endure.

I had to think.

I had to find a way while I could still fight.

‘My specs, excluding my Mana Quantity, are Mid-Stage 2-Star. My physical ability cannot keep up with my Mana Output.’

I had a lopsided set of specs, where only my Mana quantity and Output were strong.

The best way to fill that gap was to raise my specs through Mana Stone Absorption, but that was not a method I could use right now.

‘Aura…… will not work.’

If I used Aura, I could cut through the Disintegration Light and everything else and slice the Puppet apart entirely, but the risk was too great.

The current amount of time I could maintain Aura with my Unique Ability was roughly four seconds.

It had become much longer than before, but even so, it was still a short time.

On top of that, while using Aura, every other technique would be sealed.

‘If the Puppet decides to run away while my swordsmanship is sealed, I cannot catch up.’

After all, my physical ability was that of a mere 2-Star.

Just like that, I would exceed four seconds, collapse from exhaustion, and be killed instantly.

‘And right now, there are eyes watching.’

I glanced slightly above the Barrier.

The lord of Lorentze.

With a central figure of the Temple’s forces nearby, I had to avoid revealing Aura as much as possible.

A one-on-one fight and Aura were both rejected.

Then there was only one way to raise my combat power at once.

‘I will complete the second chapter of Secret Art: Ethrana right now.’

The Chant of the second chapter was swordsmanship strengthened through a Cultivation Method.

Conveniently, the Cultivation Method for that had already been developed.

‘I will use Myriad Currents Bond Cultivation!’

In order to operate the Cultivation Method in earnest, I had to go through a kind of optimization process to find the routes and number of Energy Channels according to the Chant of the Martial Art I would use.

The development of Myriad Currents Bond Cultivation had ended, but it had only just been completed.

In order to fuse it with Secret Art: Ethrana, I had to go through the process of assimilating it with the swordsmanship.

‘Can I do it?’

I had to analyze thousands, tens of thousands of Energy Channels in real time and find the answer.

And that too while facing an enemy whose base specs exceeded mine several times over.

Was such a thing possible when even swinging my sword just to survive was not enough?

‘No.’

I clenched my teeth.

‘This is not about whether I can do it. I have to do it.’

This was not the time for weak thoughts.

A little distance away, Persica and Jin Sohwi were fighting desperately.

If I fell here, the Puppet would most likely make them its next targets.

So I had to finish this.

Here, I would win!

“Let us go, Ishara.”

Wooooong─

The sword trembled.

At the same time, I activated my Unique Ability.

My realm began to surge.