Chapter 421: Transition (2)
Reincarnator – Chapter 422: Transition (2)
"What do you think our strength is based on?"
"Isn't it that man?"
Adelaia nodded. Pompeion hadn't really been their enemy in the past. He had merely been one of many members of the tribe up top.
If the three clans hadn't been fighting each other, the north would've long been conquered by them.
But one day, an empire rose up from beneath Pompeion at terrifying speed. Strange starships and all sorts of strange soldiers appeared at a constant rate, as the entire north was taken over by them. Their mistake was looking down upon this force that had grown at an exponential rate.
By the time they woke up from their mistake, the entire north had been united underneath him, and the three clans had to ally with each other to go against the newly risen Pompeion Empire.
But had been too late. They weren't able to fight Pompeion's ships, even with their elite ships, since their numerical advantage started turning slowly. On top of that, there was an even bigger issue:
"You wouldn't know how terrified we were when we saw that monstrous strength," Adelaia thought of the Pompeion of the past and mumbled.
What had sent the three clan heads into despair hadn't been the ships, but the strength of one person: Pompeion, an existence that treated Dragon God Soldiers like trash and ruled the battlefield.
Unlike the ships or the Dragon God Soldiers, who they could track, they couldn't track Pompeion. Once he appeared, entire fleets were destroyed and cities were blown away.
The Neropa Union had been pushed to the brink of destruction because of Pompeion, but then, a mysterious man covered in blood came down from the north.
"Is he…"
"Yes, he is the one in the capital."
Usually, they would scoff at such an offer and ignore things like it, but the three clan heads had been looking for any chance to grab onto something.
They had been on the brink of destruction after all.
Even after throwing away their pride and uniting, they were being beaten down to death by the Pompeion Empire, and the clan heads knew what would happen if they headed out to the battlefield themselves. It was common sense that their heads would become the target.
Even if they managed to keep their lives, their fate would end up worse than if they were killed off, so they listened to the man and understood how Pompeion, the random leader of a small power from the north, was able to raise such a powerful force in such a short about of time.
And they laughed.
The one who had helped Pompeion was now helping them instead.
The three and the man made an alliance. The three offered to provide sanctuary from Pompeian, as well as research materials. Whilst the man offered them the technology.
As a result, they each found countermeasures for each other.
'What could he do?'
"Come with us. Victory is within our grasp."
The one who was behind Pompeion's power was now behind them. Pompeion would continue to fall, and they would rise.
It was just a matter of looking at the current situation.
They had both used Relics, but one side's barrier was fine, while the other side's weapon had broken in battle.
"Mmm…"
As Mihee was lost in thought…
Toooong!
… A giant shockwave rushed past their bodies, a tremendous amount of energy.
Adelaia and Mihee both looked toward the capital out of instinct. The shockwave had come from there.
'What… What is this?'
Mihee frowned.
They were standing by the barrier at the outermost area of the Neropa Union, while the capital was at the center of the Neropa Union.
The shockwave had traveled half of the entire continent to reach them, and it still had the strength to continue on. It was way more than enough to destroy everything outside the barrier.
"… You told me he wouldn't dare do anything?"
"…"
Adelaia Ron was at a loss as well. What was he doing? If she died, he would also die. That had been the contract.
'Insane bastard! Does nothing matter to him?'
That man was terrifyingly strong, even when he had arrived there and despite being covered in blood from head to toe.
He had shared a part of his strength under a contract. He had split up his soul in three, and handed a piece to each of the clan heads, establishing a contract that neither side could betray.
If the three of them died, then that guy would also lose his soul and become an empty shell.
If the man had been in a better situation then, he might've changed parts of the contract to be more in his favor, but he had truly been desperate. Therefore, the contract favored the three clans, but the man still accepted it.
But, what was he doing now?
Adelaia Ron felt the soul inside her and extended her hand toward Mihee while clenching her teeth.
"Come."
"Huh?"
"We need to go to the capital, right? What? Are you planning to continue fighting here?"
"… Damn."
Her words were right.
Mihee held Adelaia Ron's hand, and they disappeared with a bright flash.
....
As the shockwave rang throughout the continent…
Boooom!
… Hansoo swung his hammer, but the man standing in the center of the area didn't even flinch.
No plans to stop it or dodge it, and the reason behind that was soon revealed.
Kakakakakang!
Huge noise reverberated from the energy barrier that was surrounding the Relic. The energy from the Relic was pushing Hansoo's hand back.
'Oh?'
Paaajijijik!
The dark red energy and the Relic's energy collided and created sparks. That's when the man realized why Hansoo had been so confident: Hansoo was strong. However, sadly for Hansoo, the tremendous energy within the Relic was protecting its user.
The man chuckled at him.
"Don't try anything stupid. No one can stop the purification that is about to happen."
He had failed with Pompeion, but he had succeeded here. The greedy clan heads had taken his soul fragments and thought that they had won, but that had been their limit. The thought that he wanted to remain alive had been wrong to begin with. It didn't matter if he died.
The seeds had been planted already. If he succeeded in purifying this place, turning it into a fertile land, the seeds that he had planted would soon sprout. Then, his race would get a second chance, but not from scratch: with the Flame beneath the ground, and the Nelkipa in the sky as their base.
And to do that, everyone here needed to die.
'It's all coming to an end…'
The man looked around at the energy protecting him and then turned to Hansoo.
"Well, this might be good for you."
If Hansoo still had had the resolve to save his entire race, then this would've been very bad since this land would become his own and the humans who would come up afterward wouldn't be able to do anything.
'Well, no.'
There was a reason why he had rushed the plan. The man thought of the modified bodies of humans and looked at Hansoo.
In any case, Hansoo would have originally been in a bad position, but now, he just needed to leave everyone behind and climb up. What happened to the others didn't matter.
Though the energy from the Flame was going berserk, Hansoo had more than enough skill to reach the elevator, or he could simply use the female human's teleportation ability, a very simple solution.
Though he had been disappointed by Hansoo's change, this was good for Hansoo overall.
'Lucky for him. To change like that right at this moment.'
"Get out of here! There's no more space for you in this land."
Ooooooong!
The energy that was coming out from the Relic was becoming more chaotic by the moment, as if it was trying to release all the energy it had been saving up until that point.
The mana circuits on the ground were supporting the Relic as well.
"You… You set this up for this and not the barrier?!"
That amount of strength couldn't come from the Relic alone, but the man didn't reply. There was no reason to.
Hansoo whispered something to Kiriel.
'What is he doing?'
The man couldn't hear what they were talking about due to the loud crashing of the energy waves, but suddenly…
Paaajijik!
… Kiriel, John Stone and Hansoo disappeared into white clouds, and the man looked with disappointment at the space where they had stood.
'… He really left, huh. I had other expectations.'
He had expected Hansoo to risk his life to pierce the barrier. If Hansoo really did put everything on the line, he might've gotten through. But as Hansoo ran away, disappointment and emptiness filled him.
'So, you were just like the others.'
Those who didn't risk their lives would fail sooner or later. As he was about to smile at the thought of the three clan heads…
Whoooosh!
… White clouds appeared before his eyes…
'Huh..?'
… and Hansoo appeared from the clouds again, with something in his hand.
"You…"
While the man was at a loss for words, Hansoo chuckled and said, "Here. You seem to like this… take another."
Put!
Hansoo dropped the thing that was shining bright red in the man's hands and then disappeared into the clouds again, with a cold smirk on his face.
'What the…! No! The Relic!'
But before he could even react…
Kuaaaaaa!
Booooooom!
… A tremendous Haetara that was multiple times larger than the ones before ripped the surroundings apart as it charged into the space where the man and the Relic were.
Chapter 422: Transition (3)
An Reincarnator – Chapter 423: Transition (3)
Whooooosh!
Adelaia was at a loss when she saw the scene after arriving at the capital by photon transmission.
'The hell is this?!'
Kuooooo!
The entire surface of the capital had been ripped apart. The bright mana circuits underneath it were visible, and the Relic in the center was releasing a storm of energy.
Those three things were enough to shock anyone who saw the current capital, but there was something that took the spotlight from them: the beast.
The beast that had destroyed the majority of the Neropa Union and had fallen asleep with the Relic was now going berserk in the center of the capital, as it destroyed what was remaining of it.
Kuooooooong!
Though seven had combined with each other to form it, it hadn't become seven times larger. Quite the opposite actually. It was smaller than one of them in the past.
But, Adelaia didn't judge that beast by how it looked because the aura it was releasing was dimensions stronger than before.
Booooooom!
Kuooooo!
For some reason, the beast was extremely enraged as it continued to dig its mouth into the ground while roaring.
Crunch!
Smash!
It broke things easily, like it wanted. Despite continuously smashing its head into the ground, it suddenly raised it up high into the sky. And then…
Kiiiiiiiiiiiiing!
… A tremendous amount of energy, which resembled a planet's core, the red orb, started to condense in its mouth.
'F***!'
As Adelaia quickly covered hers and Mihee's bodies under a barrier…
Boooooooom!
… A beam of light extended out from the Haetara's mouth and toward the center of the capital.
Chiiiiiik!
The beam melted through everything and created a giant ravine.
'… This will become a great tourist attraction if the capital manages to survive.'
Mihee looked at the red orb within that hole. The beam that had extended from the Haetara's mouth had pierced through the entire continent, but the thing that had shocked her the most was that something had managed to withstand that attack.
Rumble!
Through the metallic mist and the melted walls that the red beam had created, a brightly condensed ball of energy held its ground.
'The Relic…'
Adelaia clenched her teeth.
Not one, but two.
The object was tiny in comparison to the giant Haetara, but its aura easily suppressed the Haetara's. Adelaia's amplified vision saw the Relic located inside the energy ball, and the man holding yet another Relic.
'What… How did he get two?'
The clan heads had thought that more than a single Relic being in once place would be too dangerous, so they had done everything they could to prevent such a situation.
One was dangerous enough. Two? They couldn't even imagine what would happen, even more so if they were in someone else's hands.
Why would they have left the Reunion Union members alone otherwise? If they had asked Mihee and Samuel then, they could've easily retrieved the Relic. But, they had left it in the Flameless Lands because they didn't know what would happen if they did gather two.
However, the situation that they had worried about the most had actually happened.
'Who…?'
As Adelaia clenched her teeth…
"Woah! He really is much more powerful with two."
"What the!?"
… She freaked out at the sudden voice behind her.
How could she not have sensed him approach?
Adelaia turned around and frowned.
"Kang Hansoo. You…"
Hansoo shrugged.
"Woah?! You know my name too! Were you my friend too?"
"… I don't think this is the time for bad jokes."
Adelaia was annoyed at Hansoo's attitude toward the current situation, but she couldn't say anything. She realized it the moment she saw him.
'No way… How did he get this strong in such a short amount of time?'
The energy that was radiating from Hansoo's body resembled a huge waterfall. Torrential. The power she had was strong, but Hansoo's was in a whole new dimension. Adelaia glanced between Mihee and Hansoo as she clenched her teeth.
'Damn. They're both four stars, but why is there such a huge difference?'
Adelaia's mind was at a loss since new variables continued to appear one after another, but there was someone who had a bright expression next to her.
"… Hansoo."
Mihee was about to cry. They had finally met.
Hansoo frowned as he looked at Mihee approaching him with that expression. He didn't remember who she was, but something was indeed poking at the inside of his brain.
'… It seems we were quite close.'
But, Hansoo shook his head. That wasn't important right now. They could talk about their past later, over some tea or something.
With a cold expression, Hansoo looked around.
"I bought some time with the Relic, so we need to plan the next step."
"Damn! You gave that to him!?"
Adelaia gritted her teeth. She had wondered why the man had been holding two Relics, but it seemed like Hansoo had given him one.
Hansoo chuckled.
"Things are only this damaged because I gave him the second Relic."
Though the man had two Relics, his strength hadn't doubled. No, his actual speed had decreased thanks to the Haetara wreaking havoc beneath them.
Kuoooooo!
The Haetara, enraged by having its food taken away, continued to wreck the city apart. The second protective layer that took months, and all of the ships combines strength, to destroy was being ripped apart like paper underneath its feet and breath.
And thanks to that, the energy that surrounded the Relic was decreasing as well.
Though he had two relics, thanks to all the mana circuits having been destroyed, there wasn't much change in his overall strength. Even more so because the energy he had collected was now being used against the Haetara.
But, Hansoo was disappointed.
'Tsk! I thought he would become weaker.'
Though the man's plans had been postponed, his defenses had increased.
Though the Haetara was using all its strength to attack the man, sooner or later, it would tire out since it had no way to recover the energy it was using. The large amount of energy that was being released wouldn't last long, but the man would use the two Relics efficiently to continue with his plans.
So, Hansoo had only bought them a bit of time. He had to make a plan before the time he had was over, a plan to deal with that turtle hiding behind the two-Relic barrier.
'Not easy. But, why am I even bothering with this?' Hansoo thought to himself.
The man's words had been right. Hansoo just needed to go up.
Though the three Relics would be tremendously powerful here, they wouldn't be much help up top since the link behind their power, the power of the Flame, would be broken.
'They would be at the level of his hammer or this armor, but…'
… That wasn't enough for him to risk his life.
Hansoo suddenly nodded.
'Yeah. If things go south, then I'll just run away.'
Though he didn't know what he was like before he had lost his memories, he had no plans to try that hard this time around. He could just go up if things went bad.
But until then, he would try his best. He disliked that man's attitude too much to just leave.
'I wanna see his expression when he fails.'
Kiriel whispered something into Hansoo's ear while he was lost in thought: who Mihee was and that Adelaia wasn't a friend, but a clan head.
'I thought she was a friend because I had no memory of her, but it seems I've never met her.'
Well, that wasn't bad. The ones that needed to do the most work were the ones that were in the most rush after all, and it was better to have more people.
After finishing his thoughts, Hansoo said to Adelaia Ron, "What are you doing? Call your friends."
"Friends?"
"Yeah, the other two."
Adelaia made an annoyed expression upon realizing about whom Hansoo was talking. Friends? Who was friends with them? But, that annoyance didn't last long.
Booooooom!
Kuoooo!
Adelaia clenched her teeth at the sound of the beast and the man defending himself, and she moved her hands to her communication device. She didn't know what was going on exactly, but one thing was clear: She wouldn't be able to do anything alone.
That man was planning to blow the entire planet apart, and they had to stop him.
Chiiijijik.
"Good job. I'll have to do a few things then as well."
"… Where are you going?"
Hansoo chuckled.
"Since you're calling backup, I need to call some as well, right?"
As he mentioned before, it was better to have more useful people.
...
"… Did we fail?"
Pompeion was at a loss as he looked at the vast energy storm that expanded in the distance. He had tried that hard, but ultimately, he had failed at stopping that man's plans.
Once that mass of energy blew up, Angkara would be over.
'Damn…'
Pompeion thought of the day when he had first met him.
It had been such a sweet offer that he, someone who had been suffering after being born the leader of a small power, could not resist. But, if he had known things would turn out this badly, he would've never accepted that offer.
As Pompeion fell into despair…
Chiiijiiik.
'…?'
… Pompeion's communications panel opened, and a voice was heard.
"… I never expected to see you in such a situation. What do you want?"
Hansoo laughed.
"… What?"
What was Hansoo talking about?
But, as Pomepion frowned…
Boooooom!
… A huge noise came through the communications panel.
Chiiiijiiiik!
The giant barrier that split the entire continent in two started to fall apart.
'… I didn't know he was this reckless.'
Pompeion was at a loss as he stared at Hansoo, who had just destroyed one of the steel towers that maintained the barrier.
Chapter 423: Transition (4)
An Reincarnator – Chapter 424: Transition (4)
"Why did you call for me?" Pompeion asked
Hansoo replied,
Pompeion frowned.
'Is he planning something?'
Pompeion couldn't quite grasp the current situation. Why was that guy calling him? But, Hansoo shook his head.
"…?"
At that moment…
Booooom!
… The energy storm that was rushing out from the distance strengthened further. It was as if it was trying to tell the entire world of its existence.
"Ugh…"
"Haa. Haa…"
The people nearby who were assisting the Emperor all started to groan and gasp because of the energy storm. As if the world were ending, the sky darkened, and the air itself trembled. The flow of energy was so powerful that even the earth twisted while strange noises rang out from various places.
This only worsened the feeling of calamity inside people's hearts.
Kakakakakak!
Pompeion looked at the ground trembling and realized that he needed to stop calculating things. The entire planet was taking a step closer toward annihilation with every second, led by the monster he had raised and let go in the past.
'Yeah. I… I need to finish it.'
He needed to conclude the issue he had started, at least for the ones that had been following him loyally up until that point. Pompeion graped the Relic tightly and said to the Technorats behind him, "Prepare the quantum transmission. The target location is… The capital of the Neropa Union, Neoreim."
The location the energy storm was brewing from was the place he had to go to.
The Technorats clenched their teeth and said, "Emperor. That place is enemy territory. Why are you trying to walk into the most dangerous location on this planet?"
"We still need you, my Emperor."
"This is not the fault of the Emperor. Why are you trying to shoulder the burden?"
Pompeion chuckled at the words from the Technorats.
'You guys wouldn't know.'
They all said it was not his duty, but that was only because those guys didn't know about the things that had happened between him and the man he had awoken, the contract they had made.
Thanks to that, he had been able to become Emperor and make his vast empire powerful. However, the contract had been faulty from the beginning. It had allowed him to gain everything, but in the end, also lose everything.
'And… My friend is over there too. I need to head on over.'
Pompeion thought of Sangjin as he said, "I won't listen to your questions. Prepare it!"
The Technorats clenched their teeth at Pompeion's resolute expression and started the quantum transmission.
...….
Ruuummble!
"I really don't know what the hell is going on with the world—sigh—for us to join forces like this."
K-Merrow Nell looked at the people around him as he mumbled.
Having the other two clan heads there made sense. They were in an alliance. Even Mihee and Samuel, who had betrayed them, could be counted on since they had been allies once in the past. Even Sangjin, who was sitting down in silence.
Though he was under Pompeion and had quite a lot of problems for them, they still had plans to recruit him if the chance arose. But the other two, he would've never thought Pompeion, whom they'd been fighting for so long, as well as Hansoo, who'd been shaking the earth beneath them, would gather in one place to talk about an alliance.
Hansoo chuckled and said, "There's no eternal ally or enemy. We need to deal with that fire first."
Hansoo looked down.
Kuuuuuooo!
The Haetara was going berserk, and the man was watching them from the sphere he had made to protect himself from the Haetara.
If the Haetara's attacks had stopped and he hadn't had to maintain the defensive barrier around himself, then the man would've long tried to destroy them. His eyes were filled with fury. They were eyes that wanted to shred them apart.
'How amusing. Are we supposed to just die from that?'
Hansoo scoffed.
For him to look at them with such hatred when he was the one who was trying to destroy the entire planet in the first place… Well, whatever happened, the man had been the one to declare war on the planet, so they didn't have anything holding them back anymore.
They needed to use everything they had to destroy him.
Hansoo looked around and said, "Let's deal with that thing under us first, and then you can get to your quarrelling. Otherwise, we're all going to die at this rate."
Kuuuuoooong!
The Haetara seemed to be slowly getting weaker as well. Once the Haetara was dealt with, the man would continue his original plan. They needed to finish things before that, so the other clan heads nodded.
"Good. I agree about dealing with him but… What do you want to do?"
The man, who now had two relics, was releasing a disgusting amount of energy. That had been one of the reasons that had made their alliance easier to achieve. His aura alone made them feel like they would die.
K-Merrow Nell was thinking about, instead of trying to kill that man and risking his life, just running away into space on a ship.
The energy that was being released from the man was that terrifying. Nobody wanted to get near a bomb, even if they all knew that they needed to defuse it, since anybody might get killed in the process.
The only reason they were still there was due to their fear of losing everything. Otherwise, they would've run away long ago from the immense sense of danger and fear that roared within them.
But, what could they do?
The energy was close to infinite. It wasn't that the Relics themselves were powerful. They were powerful because they could use the energy of the planet however they wanted.
If the total amount of energy had just been large, they could've attacked it continuously and depleted it eventually, but those things had the entire planet behind their back as the source of their energy.
The power emanating was only that strong because the Relics had reached a limit on how much energy they could use at once, and he was sure that the speed at which the Relics regenerated their barriers was much faster than anything that tried to destroy them, like how they were continuously recovering their energy despite the Haetara's attacks.
At that moment, Hansoo spoke up, "It's super simple."
"…?"
"Just shove that thing into the ground."
"That?!"
"Yeah, all the way down to the Red Jade."
Everyone's gazes turned to the giant red sun deep below, through the hole that had pierced the continent, created from the giant beast's attack, the core of Angkara. The giant sun was the source of the bright and powerful barrier surrounding the man.
"Hmm…"
"That… We can do that…"
Everyone nodded.
It was hard to destroy the barrier, but pushing everything down to that location wasn't hard, and if they could do that, even that bright blue sphere would melt away under the heat of the core.
The amount of energy between them was incomparable. Of course, there was still an issue.
"Alright, let's say that's the plan. Are we all going to combine our forces to push it down?"
The people's expressions turned strange. Though they had gathered that day for a similar purpose, they had all been enemies once. Anything could happen once they started attacking it. Even if they didn't betray each other, would that man stand still when being shoved into the ground?
He would retaliate, and they would get injured in the process.
Hansoo smirked as he said, "I'll push it down, so I just need you all to attack from afar."
They didn't all need to latch onto the man. As long as the others could weaken the man's energy, Hansoo could push him down himself.
The clan heads made strange expressions.
'… What is this bastard planning?'
There was a saying:
And in their eyes, Hansoo really had nothing to lose. After all, he could just leave whenever he wanted if things went south. He was different from them, who had been born here and would be buried there. Hansoo had nothing tying him down to that place.
Yet, he was going to take the most dangerous role?
If they really went according to that plan, then they could focus on attacking without taking on any of the dangers, but Hansoo would have to withstand all of their attacks as well. Once he started to push the man down, he wouldn't be able to dodge anything either.
Chuckling, Hansoo said, "Stop thinking about random things. Are you going to do it or not? If not, tell me, and I'll just leave."
The clan head's expressions turned sour. They didn't know what Hansoo was planning, but there was nothing to lose with that plan.
No. If Hansoo left, then things would take a turn for the worse.
'Damn…'
The three clan heads looked at each other and nodded.
...…
Rumble!
Kuooooo!
As the Haetara got more and more tired, Mihee approached Hansoo and said, "Hansoo…"
She seemed like she wanted to say something, but Hansoo drew a line.
"Let's speak after the whole thing. I don't remember anything about you." Hansoo looked at the silent Mihee and added, "I don't have you in my memory. This means you and I are basically strangers. Even if you are endangered, I don't plan to risk my life for you."
"…"
Seeing her still silent, he concluded, "So, do the same for me."
"Oh…"
He hated being indebted, especially in that damned world. His memories were a bit altered, but he thought that feeling was the same.
'Time to start.'
Booooom!
Hansoo threw Mjolnir toward the bright sphere below, and behind him, the clan heads and Pompeion started to launch their attacks, their attempts to push the bright ball into the center of the planet.
Booooooom!
Neoreim, the capital that had barely held on under various attacks in the past, finally started to melt down as a whole.
Chapter 424: Transition (5)
Reincarnator – Chapter 425: Transition (5)
The man looked at Hansoo diving toward him and frowned. He had thought that Hansoo, after having his soul twisted, wouldn't join in on the battle.
But, for Hansoo to go out of his way to push him this far…
'Damned bastard.'
Rumble!
As the man scowled at Hansoo's meter-like descent…
Booooom!
… the dark red sphere around Hansoo and the bright sphere of the man collided in a huge explosion.
The moment the two spheres collided, the two relics in the man's hands went berserk in order to repel the thing that had intruded in their space. Though they had weakened a bit from fighting the beast, they were still powerful.
The man now had two Relics, and one was enough to cover half of the entire continent.
Though the ground beneath him had shattered, the explosion was enough to burn everything around them to a crisp. However, the dark red sphere maintained its structure as it pushed him into the ground.
The man frowned at this scene.
'Pompeion… Even you are here, huh?!"
The Relic that was with Pompeion shone in Hansoo's hand.
Like the Relics the man had, Hansoo's Relic also pulled energy from the core and supplied it the barrier around him.
Kuuuuoooo!
The Haetara watched the scene of the three Relics colliding and cried out. However, it realized the harsh reality and collapsed. It had used too much energy in its attempt to obtain delicious food, so it didn't have any strength left.
Booooom!
The Haetara's body smashed against the ground loudly.
Though the Haetara's appearance was quite amusing, nobody laughed at it. They knew that the Haetara had done its best, and though the Haetara had become strong by devouring a vast amount of energy from the Relic in the past, it was now very feeble, to the point that it could barely hold on to its body.
Even just breathing used energy. Maybe if it had been in the Abyss, but there was nothing there that could maintain its fully-grown body other than the Relics in the man's and Hansoo's hands.
So, the Haetara had gambled everything for survival, and next to its corpse, Hansoo and the man were doing the same thing.
Boooom!
As their collisions got rougher and more vicious, the Relics released more and more energy. The result of the collision fell in the man's favor. Even if the man had been weakened by the battle against the Haetara, the two relics were still releasing more energy than the one in Hansoo's hand.
Kacha!
Kakaka!
The man's body slowly came to a standstill in midair. No, it was now even pushing Hansoo back. The difference in energy was just too great.
But, Hansoo simply looked up and mumbled, 'Now.'
Then…
Boooooooooom!
… Thousands of beams of light started to descend from above.
...…
Rumble!
The Miprosky Grade Cannons that could easily wipe out entire cities continuously fired down.
"Make sure the coordinates are perfect! Focus the beams as much as you can!
"Do not touch the red sphere! Focus on the bright one!
"Do not fire together since the attacks may hit each other and neutralize themselves! Fire one at a time but continuously!"
R-Oconnel Ron, the captain of the ship, stood in the center of the ship and mumbled, "… I never thought we would fight alongside Pompeion."
"We never expected such a thing to exist in the first place."
Oconnel Ron looked down as he heard his vice captain's words.
Though the scene of the nearly-hundred ships from both the Pompeion Empire and the Neropa Union coming together to shoot thousands of attacks toward one location was indeed amazing, and though even the technocrats were stealing glances as they worked, R-Oconnel Ron's gaze was locked onto one thing below them, the bright sphere that was withstanding those thousands of strikes.
The ships' attacks, the attacks of the clan heads that were as powerful as all of the attacks of the ships combined, as well as the Pompeion's attack, which was as strong as the three clan heads combined, even the humans' attacks, despite all that, the sphere was only being pushed down.
'If that energy had been targeted at us…'
If that man could withstand the energy that could melt the entire continent, his strength was stronger than that. For that reason, they had to kill him no matter what.
R-Oconnel Ron clenched his teeth and shouted, "Hurry! Raise the firepower! Focus all the energy we have, including the one for the shields, and fire at it!"
And soon…
Rumble!
… even thicker beams started to head to ground.
...…
Kakakakaka.
As the attacks from above fell, the situation turned. Though the Relics were doing their best to withstand everything and were maintaining their barrier, the man was quickly being pushed down.
Just like a waterfall, his body was quickly descending into the ground. Though it was starting slow, the acceleration would only continue to increase his speed. Sooner or later, he would smash against the core.
The man frowned as he held the Relics in his hands.
Then…
Kiiiiiing!
… the tremendous amount of energy started to split.
The long Relic's energy headed toward the barrier covering him, and the crystal Relic's energy headed for the ships that were attacking him.
Then…
Boooooooom!
A beam of light that was as bright as the ones descending from above started to shoot upward, but only started. If Hansoo hadn't been there, it would've been able to ascend.
Booooom!
Hansoo's Mjolnir smashed against the beam of light and dispersed it, withstanding the backlash with his body and armor while he continued to push the man down. And the powers of the Relics has been split, the man started to descend at an even quicker rate.
Booom!
"I suggest you switch back to defending if you wish to live as long as possible," Hansoo declared after destroying another attack, but the man merely shook his head.
"I salute you for being able to gather those scrubs in such a short amount of time."
The man was serious. It hadn't even been an hour since the whole thing had started, but Hansoo had gathered an impressive force very quickly.
However, that was his limit.
'Let's see what happens then.'
A jar that was made with many pieces was bound to leak, even more so if there were issues. The man smirked as he silently gathered the strength of the Relic.
Whooooosh!
Suddenly, the man's body started to fall at an even faster speed.
...….
'Good! He's falling!'
Rumble!
K-Merrow Nell, who had been attacking the bright sphere continuously, smiled. The man was being pushed. Sooner or later, he would smash against the core.
'But man, that guy really is a monster,' K-Merrow Nell thought to himself as he heard the giant explosions of the shockwaves that rang out from below.
Boooboobooom!
Booom!
Those hadn't been made by their attacks. They had been made purely by the collisions between the man and Hansoo.
Hansoo was blocking all of the man's attacks aimed toward them and the ships. If Hansoo weren't doing that, then at least half of the ships would've been destroyed.
Hansoo was defending them with this armor and his hammer. He destroyed the attacks that rose with his hammer and withstood the backlash with his amor.
K-Merrow Nell frowned.
'… What are we going to do afterward?'
As victory came within their grasp, he started to worry about the next step. He was fine with Sangjin, Mihee and Samuel since they could deal with them with their own strength. As long as they used all of the strength they had, they could deal with them.
However, Hansoo was different. He wasn't confident that he would be able to deal with him. Hansoo would become an enemy even more powerful than Pompeion.
'… He said he would just go up afterward, but will he?'
K-Merrow Nell wasn't sure and K-Merrow Nell really hated that.
He needed to be the one in power. That was what he deserved as he stood at the apex of power. But, for him to be wary of a someone as he acted…
Greed started to form within K-Merrow Nell's mind. He didn't need the Relics. He just wanted both of those men dead.
'… Not bad.'
K-Merrow Nell smiled. He didn't just think of it. He acted.
Rumble!
K-Merrow Nell's attacks became weaker and weaker.
...…..
Boooom!
'Huh?'
Three beams of light had started to weaken, and it was clear to whom they belonged.
The man looked upward. Once he started to hide his strength, the other party seemed to have thought that they would win and weakened their attacks.
They wanted both him and Hansoo to die, so the man laughed at Hansoo.
"Really? Is this what you had in mind?"
He would win now. He just needed to use the energy he had gathered slowly to kill Hansoo and wipe everyone above off. Even if Hansoo said something then, the clan heads wouldn't listen. They had long been controlled by their greed for power.
Hansoo chuckled.
"If you expected it, why wouldn't I have?"
"…?"
"And if you only use the ones you can trust, how could you ever win?"
It would've been amazing if the competent ones had been trustworthy, but according to his standards, not even 1 percent of the people he had ever met, or at least remembered right now, filled that criterion.
There were too few competent ones and even fewer trustworthy ones out of those.
So, since most of the people in his past life had been like that, he had learned how to make the useless ones useful and the untrustworthy ones usable.
'Pompeion… He is the special one.'
Boooom!
"You should focus on me."
Hansoo thought of the discussion he had had with Pompeion as he smashed the man down with his hammer again.
...…..
'You filthy scum never learn.'
Pompeion's eyes shone after he saw what the three clan heads were up to.
Chapter 425: Transition (6)
Reincarnator – Chapter 426: Transition (6)
Rumble!
K-Merrow Nell smiled coldly as he looked at the bright sphere descending beneath him.
'Die, both of you.'
However they died, it would be fine. The most important thing was for those two variables to disappear. If that happened, he wouldn't even need the Relic since they could just use their remaining forces to deal with Pompeion and Pompeion's remaining ships.
'I want to deal with the other clan heads as well, but… Oh, well.'
K-Merrow Nel smacked his lips. It was bad to swallow too much in one mouthful. First, he needed to deal with the two most dangerous beings below. And if he could deal with Pompeion as well, that would be better.
If the other clan heads died in the process, that would be the best outcome.
As K-Merrow Nel and the other clan heads slowly controlled their strength…
[It seems the power is decreasing. Are you guys planning something?]
… Pompeion's cold voice rang out.
However, the clan heads didn't even flinch.
[I don't know what you are talking about, but stop annoying me. It's already hard enough!] Ukatan Pael shouted out in rage.
Another voice was heard in the call, [I don't know about you, but we've been fighting that dumb beast for the past few days and have used a lot of power! Though, you might've not know anything since you were just playing around in the dark.]
Adelaia Ron's sharp voice shot toward Pompeion.
It was a good excuse.
'Good. Good.'
K-Merrow Nell spoke into the voice comm as he listened to the other two clan heads, "Don't get so agitated! You too, Pompeion. We aren't as strong as you… And we are already doing our best!"
K-Merrow Nell was pretending to have used all of his strength and was replying with a fatigued voice. Of course, he was still lowering the overall output.
'And what if you do find out?!'
Pompeion couldn't do anything even if he knew since he needed the clan heads' strength to push the man down.
However, Pompeion's actions were even more shocking than theirs.
[Is that right? Oh, well. I understand.] Pompeion said into the voice comm…
Kiiiiiiiiiiiiing!
… And stopped attacking.
[Wh-What are you doing, you crazy bastard?!]
[Have you lost your mind?!]
Pompeion scoffed at the shocked voices of the clan heads and continued to send out orders, [All ships stop your attacks. From this point on, save your energy in case the Neropa Union attacks.]
Though the sudden order was strange, every single ship under Pompeion's leadership stopped attacking.
Ssssss.
Ooooong.
Half of the attacks that had been rushing into the hole had stopped.
"You crazy bastard! Are yo…"
Pompeion's actions were more than enough to snap K-Merrow Nell, but even before K-Merrow Nell could finish his words…
Booooooom!
… A vicious aura rose up from below like an ascending dragon.
'Damn!'
As K-Merrow Nell dodged backwards…
Whoooosh!
… A giant beam of light flew past K-Merrow Nell's personal barrier and shredded it apart.
Though K-Merrow Nell was able to dodge it just barely, the ships above him weren't.
[!!!!]
[!!!!!!!!!]
Though there were basic level shields defending the ships, they were all useless. The beam had had more than enough power to shred K-Merrow Nell's shield just by zooming by it.
Booooom!
Three ships above K-Merrow Nell couldn't do anything under the attack and blew up simultaneously.
[Bastard! He's attacking us now because you stopped attacking!]
[Order them to attack again!]
The clan heads were at a loss.
One of the ships that had blown up was Pompeion's, so to them, Pompeion had basically gone insane.
'Goddammit!'
Boooom!
The clan heads raged at the beam that had attacked them as they poured every last bit of the strength they had left into their attack. They did it because they really felt like they would die if they didn't. Logically, they wouldn't have done that.
However, shocked by Pompeion's sudden ceasefire and because of the destruction from the beam attack, they had all lost it.
'Damn!'
At that rate, one of two things would happen: either they and Pompeion would die by the hands of the man below, or Pompeion would kill them since they were using all of their energy.
The plan they had been preparing before was being used against them.
'Bastard! Let's see who wins!'
If the end result was his death anyway, he had nothing to fear.
K-Merrow Nell recovered his sanity and tried to stop attacking, but Pompeion had beat him to it again.
[Start firing again! All ships except the eleventh and the thirteenth ships, use all your energy!]
Boooooom!
As Pompeion sent out his orders, the attacks from above resumed, and at the same time, a tremendous amount of energy exploded from Pompeion's body and headed below.
Boooooom!
The attacks from below ceased once the situation was returned to its original state, and K-Merrow Nell realized that he wouldn't be able to stop his attacks anymore.
'That bastard! They're exactly the same as us.'
Pompeion's ships and attacks were copying their own exactly.
[Don't try anything foolish.]
Pompeion's actions and words had been more than enough to warn the clan heads, but not everyone acted logically once they were filled with fear and anger.
[Crazy bastard! Do you think you're the only one who can do that?] Ukatan Pael's rage filled voice rang throughout the voice comm.
The most important thing wasn't the best result for everyone.
It was control.
In a balanced situation like that, anyone with a slight upper hand could kill the other party in an instant, and to gain that, Ukatan Pael could do the crazy thing Pompeion had just done whenever he wanted because he might get killed by Pompeion at any moment if he lost the upper hand.
And if he was the one who was going to die anyway, it would be better if everyone died.
Ukatan Pael stopped attacking completely and started to prepare an attack on Pompeion. He couldn't stand the fact that Pompeion's actions had decided their fates.
'Th-That dumbass!'
K-Merrow Nell freaked out. He was also angry, but at that rate, they would all die. If they fought each other in that situation, their attacks would end, and that would soon lead to them being killed by the alien's attack.
"Ukatan Pael! Wake up…"
But K-Merrow Nell was beaten to the punch once again.
[Let me offer you something you cannot deny.]
'…?'
Ukatan Pael stopped Pompeion's sudden words.
...….
Boooooom!
'It's a failure'
The man looked at the ever powerful attacks descending from above and closed his eyes. He had expected them to kill each other in internal strife, but it seemed like they had united in some way.
The attacks had gotten even stronger as he, who had been half focused in his defenses, was being shoved down toward the Red Jade.
'Hah…To have our final ray of hope destroyed by our own technology.'
But, the man decided to accept this fate. He had tried his best after all. He had woken up alone and fought two races all by himself.
Wasn't that good enough?
'I was tired… This is good.'
Honestly, the man shouldn't be making such a relieved expression. No, he would've been filled with despair up until a few days prior since his failure meant the end of his race. But, it was OK now.
Even if he failed, it wouldn't end completely. The seeds he had thrown still remained on the ground, and even if those seeds failed to sprout, their savior was still left.
'I don't know where you are or what you're doing, but please take care of our race from now on.'
The man thought of the human bodies and closed his eyes.
Kakaka!
Crack!
The powerful barrier was cracking apart slowly because of the attacks from above and the head of the Red Jade. Holding on for that long had been a feat on its own.
And, above his head…
Boom! Boom! Boom!
… Hansoo's attacks continuously smashed against the barrier as if Hansoo were trying to reduce the man into nothingness.
At that moment…
Psst!
… The man's closed eyes opened up. He had thought of something he had to do.
'Let me help you.'
The man looked at Hansoo with anger. That boy had pushed him this far, so shouldn't he let Hansoo die a hero at least?
As the man thought up to this point…
Boooom!
… He focused onto the Relics in his hands, and the barrier surrounding him disappeared.
Ssssss!
All the energy of the Relics were converted into an attack, and it swept away the dark red sphere around Hansoo.
Though the attacks from above and the heat from below seeped into his body and melted him away, he kept smiling. He had seen his own attack successfully destroy the red sphere.
Hansoo would soon melt like him.
But then…
Craaack!
… With his one remaining eye, the man could see something, something that appeared behind Hansoo's body out of thin air.
'Dammi….'
With that as his last thought…
Sssss…
… The man's body melted away.
Chapter 426: Transition (7)
Reincarnator – Chapter 427: Transition (7)
Rumble!
"… I've always known, but you really are insane, Pompeion," K-Ukatan Pael mumbled as he looked at Pompeion before him.
He had thought that he himself was crazy, but the man standing before him was truly something else. If he weren't, then he wouldn't have allowed his enemies the possible control of his heart.
Thump! Thump!
Through the hole on Pompeion's chest that his hand had gone into, he could feel the heart thumping. He hadn't beaten Pompeion. He had simply grasped his heart.
That was the agreement Pompeion and the three clan heads had reached.
There was for them to lose. Pompeion had to use all of his might if he didn't want to die, and since he wouldn't attack them from behind, the three clean heads could now focus on the fight below, and that was what happened.
Booooom!
Kakakaka!
An even more intense torrent of flames rained down from the heavens. All ships were on the verge of overloading as they attacked. The same could be said for Ukatan Pael, the other clan heads, and Pompeion as well.
Boooooooooom!
A terrifying amount of flames exploded from Pompeion. More specifically, from the Flame's fragment that had been given by the man. The explosion was strong enough to easily suppress the three clan heads.
'This bastard! He really was holding back!'
Cold sweat ran down K-Merrow Nell's back. They were attempting to do what they needed before a man that strong? If things went bad and Pompeion decided to attack them, they would easily be killed.
K-Merrow Nell, who had a grim expression, suddenly smiled.
'No, this is good.'
Though the blade was dangerous when sharp, it was good that the sharp blade was now in their hands. They had Pompeion's heart, so now, that was good.
'We finish the guy below us like this, and control Pompeion to deal with Hansoo.'
The guy called Hansoo was already withstanding an absurd amount of energy while doing his best. There was no way that his body would be fine. Hansoo would be a mess once he came back up.
The reason why they were so afraid of Hansoo was because he could attack them while they tried to fend off Hansoo after the battle, which was even more easily achieved by having a companion who could teleport.
However, as long as Pompeion was under their control, the story was simpler. They just needed to use their remaining strength to kill him. Even if Hansoo ran, that would be fine. As long as Hansoo remained on the planet, they would find him.
'Even if he goes up, that is fine as well.'
K-Merrow Nell smiled. The situation was a bit funny. The three of them were simultaneously holding hands inside Pompeion's chest because they were scared of losing out to the other two.
If only one of them had Pompeion's heart and used it to attack the other two, things would turn bad. However, as long as they were like that, it was fine.
'The one who gets scared first is the one who loses.'
K-Merrow Nell laughed.
The one that got scared, or the one who backed off first would lose. Look at what had happened to Pompeion. He had taken a step back, and now he was like that.
'I'd rather die than have this happen to me.'
At that moment…
Rumble!
… A different kind of sound rang out from below. It was different from the previous energy collision they had heard. It was much more sinister.
And, as K-Merrow Nell and the other two clan heads heard and felt the shockwaves, they knew this was all over.
It was the sound of the man being shoved deep into the ground.
If the man had had a hidden card, he wouldn't have held it up to that point, so that had been the sound of the final struggle.
Boooooooom!
[What the?! Hansoo!]
[What the hell is going on!?]
The terrified voices of the humans could be heard over the communications device. That was how powerful the shockwave was. It was enough to turn everything below to dust, and that made K-Merrow Nell feel even better.
'The heavens are helping us.'
If Hansoo was swept up by that explosion, they wouldn't have to deal with him at all. He would die at that point. However, it would be better if things were done properly.
Thump! Thump!
K-Merrow Nell felt Pompeion's beating heart and spoke with a smile, "Let's see. It seems things are finished below, so… ready yourself, Pompeion."
K-Merrow Nell put some pressure on the heart, a fragile organ that could be blown apart with just a bit of pressure. Their strength came from their souls, which allowed them to control the Flame, so their bodies were naturally weaker.
"Finish them for us… with your own hands."
Pompeion smiled coldly and looked at the three before him.
'Yeah, I need to finish things.'
It had to end now.
To gather the seeds that he and the man below had scattered…
'Sigh! This is actually a bit scary.'
… Pompeion felt his heartbeat as he prepared himself, mumbling.
The heart started to thump faster, and the three thought of that as an indication of fear and smiled. However, Pompeion simply smiled back.
'Well… at least, there are three to go with me.'
They were going to die anyway, so it was better if they knew why.
Pompeion smiled at K-Merrow Nell, who had the largest smile of the three.
"You guys might not know, but I met that alien man a bit earlier than you."
"… Don't speak nonsense! Do your job!"
Puchi!
K-Merrow Nell got a bad feeling from Pompeion's words and stabbed the heart with his thumbnail, but Pompeion didn't even flinch. He only continued to speak.
"He gave me half of his soul as a symbol of trust. Maybe that was what he had thought would make us trust him. It was the same for you as well, right?"
The three clan heads stopped and nodded. It had been exactly as he had said. Right now, half of the man's soul was within Pompeion's body, and the other half was spread out between them. And that was why they had made a contract with the man: because they had thought they could have killed him whenever.
However, Pompeion chuckled and said as he saw the clan heads nodding, "But isn't that too weird? His soul is the symbol of his strength, and he parted with it that easily?"
The three clan heads frowned. It was weird indeed. There were much better ways to make contracts. The contracts he had made had placed the worst conditions on himself. The man had had nothing to gain.
Pompeion smiled as he continued, "Maybe you wouldn't know since you only have a sixth of it each, but I have a bit of his memories as well due to receiving half."
And among them, was the method of reproduction of their race, Parasitic Soul: They detached a part of their soul and embed it in another race's soul. It didn't matter what race or how large of a part it was. Even a tiny piece of it would be fine.
As long as they accepted the soul, the success condition was met. The opponent's race would gain the ability to use power and technology at a terrifying level. That way, they would use the soul over and over again, drunk in their newfound strength. And if they did that, the soul that was responsible for all that strength would grow and grow.
No matter how tiny, it would grow. And once the soul grew big enough to form the original owner of the soul…
"… Then, the embedded soul pushes the original owner of the body out and takes control."
And once the original soul changed, that race would not be the same. Their personalities and goals also changed.
A parasitic race that reproduced through seeds within souls…
"… That is their true form. The fake Nerpa were born like this as well"
"What the…"
They realized why the man had made such a disadvantageous contract. He hadn't chosen death. He had chosen the reproduction of his race.
"You know why you and I must die now, right?"
It was only a matter of time.
Sooner or later, as long as the seeds remained, a second or third version of the man would appear.
"Let's… Go!"
Boooooom!
A tremendous amount of energy started to run amok around Pompeion. The soul inside him had started to overload, and the three clan heads freaked out.
"You crazy bastard! I… I don't want to die!"
"Ahhhhh!"
Kacha!
Pompeion coughed out blood. He felt his heart get crushed under the angered expression of Ukatan Pael's face. He saw K-Merrow Nell and Adelaia Ron curse out and run off, but it didn't matter.
As he used every bit of the strength he had to make himself a bomb, none of the struggle, even from those attempting to protect their bodies, would matter. The power of the bomb was strong enough to burn way the three rats that crawled into their trap…
… And the seeds within them.
'Sangjin, my friend, stay well and… I am sorry.' There was nothing he regretted as his plans unfolded, except one thing. 'Well, no can do for both of us.'
With a bitter smile…
Booooooooooom!
… A terrifying explosion burst out from Pomepion and swallowed the surroundings.
...…
'Dumbasses! I told you to not come!'
A few people could be seen as they jumped out from the cloud: Sangjin and Mihee, Kiriel and Samuel.
Whooooosh!
The remnants of the Flame rushed toward them.
"Eeeeek!"
Kiriel clenched her teeth at the tremendous amount of energy that swept through her. She had come over to save him, but it was more than she had expected.
'He was withstanding all of this?'
At that rate, she would melt before she could use her skill again.
But at that moment…
Whoooosh!
… The Flame's power around them settled down.
'What the…?'
While Kiriel was shocked, Sangjin, his face contorted in a struggle, said, "I can't hold on for long! Hurry… Move!"
"You!? How are you doing this?"
Sangjin mumbled with a bitter expression, "I.. have it as well."
Inside Sangjin's body…
Kiiing!
… The final seed on Angkara struggled.
Chapter 427: Chapter 424: Transition (4)
Translator: Ares
Editor Group: Liber Reverie, UnderClass Hero
"Why did you call me here for?"
Hansoo, who watched the steel tower that maintained the barrier collapsed, spoke nonchalantly.
"There's a guy causing some problems here, so I need your help to get rid of him. Hurry over with the Relic."
At Hansoo's words, Pompeion frowned.
'What is he planning?'
Pompeion couldn't quite grasp the current situation. What was the reason for the guy to call for him? But, Hansoo shook his head.
"…?"
Before he finished his words.
Boooooooooom!
Beyond, the storm of energy colliding against the continent increased in intensity, as if it was letting the people across the continent know of its existence.
"Ugh…"
"Ha. Ha."
The other residents supporting the Emperor gasped and groaned because of the energy storm. The sky darkened as the air trembled as if the world was reaching Armageddon.
The flow of energy was so strong that the earth twisted and trembled while strange noises rang out from various places. This caused the people to be overcome with anxiety over the calamity that was to come.
Dududududuk!
Pompeion, after witnessing the trembling ground below, realized that this was not the time for him to take calculative measures in his actions. The entire world was being driven to destruction with every passing second, due to the monster that he had raised and let go of in the past.
At this rate, the planet was slowly walking toward annihilation.
'Yes, I… I need to finish this.'
He must finish everything he has done for the sake of those who have followed him loyally until this point. Pompeion grasped the Relic tightly and spoke to the Technocrats behind him, "Prepare the quantum transmission. The destination is… The capital of the Neropa Union, Neoreim."
The source of the energy storm was resonating from that location, a place where he needed to go.
The Technocrats clenched their teeth and spoke, "Emperor. That place is in enemy territory. Why are you trying to go to the most dangerous location on this planet?"
"We still need you, Emperor."
"It is not the Emperor's fault, so why are you trying to shoulder the burden all by yourself?"
Pompeion chuckled at the words from the Technocrats and his subjects.
'You guys wouldn't know.'
They might say that it wasn't his fault, but that was because they were unaware of the things that had happened between him and the man he had awakened, the contract that they had formed.
That was precisely why he had become the Emperor and why his empire had become so powerful.
From the start, the contract was a mistake.
It allowed him to have everything, but in the end, it was also the contract that would make him lose everything as well.
'Ah… My friend is over there, too, so I need to head over.'
Pompeion thought of Sangjin as he said, "I won't take any questions. Hurry and prepare."
The Technocrats clenched their teeth at Pompeion's determined expression and initiated the quantum transmission.
Ruuuuuuuumble.
"I really don't know how… things have come to be in this world for us to join forces like."
K-Merrow Nell looked at the people around him as he mumbled.
The other two clan heads being here made sense since they were part of the alliance. Even Mihee and Samuel could be counted on since they had once been allies in the past. Even Sangjin, who was sitting in silence at the back, would do as well.
Though he was under Pompeion who caused a lot of problems for them, they still had plans to recruit him if the opportunity appeared. But, he never imagined that Pompeion, who they had fought against for so long, as well as Hansoo who made the earth beneath them tremble, would gather here together and converse about an alliance.
Hansoo grinned and said, "There is no eternal ally or enemy. Let us first deal with the urgent matter first."
Then, Hansoo looked down.
Kuooooooooooooooong!
The Haetara was going berserk as they continued to bite down on the spheres that separated the beasts and the man inside.
If it weren't for the Haetara's attacks which caused him to focus on maintaining the defensive barrier around himself, the man would have long attempted to kill them. His eyes were full of hatred, biding his time to shred them apart.
'What an amusing guy. Did he expect that we would wait for our deaths?'
Hansoo chuckled.
He was the one that first announced he would first wipe out all organisms on the continent and make a home, and for him to glare at them with such hatred now… Well, whatever came next, since the man had been the one to declare war on the planet, they didn't have to hold back themselves.
They needed to use every resource to destroy him.
Hansoo scoured around and said, "Let's deal with the matter below us first, and then you can return to your quarrelling. Otherwise, we're all going to die at this rate."
Kuooooooooong!
The Haetara seemed to be getting weaker as well. Once the Haetara was dealt with, the man would resume his original plan. So, they needed to wrap things up beforehand so the other clan leaders nodded.
"Good. I agree about dealing with him, but… what do you suggest we do?"
The man, who now had two Relics, was releasing an insane amount of energy, which was one of the key reasons that allowed this alliance to be formed, or else all of them would be annihilated.
K-Merrow Nell was deep in agony but thought still.
Rather than taking the risk of destroying him, it might be better to take a ship and sail into space.
This was due to how terrifying the amount of energy was being emanated from the man below him.
Nobody wants to get near a bomb even if they know that it is necessary to defuse it since anyone could get killed in the process.
The only reason that this alliance was intact was due to the fear of losing everything. Otherwise, they would've run away long ago from the immense sense of danger and fear that arose within them.
But what could they actually do?
The main problem was the infinite regeneration of energy. It wasn't that the Relics themselves were powerful, but that they could use the energy however they wanted.
If the total amount of energy had just been a large supply, then they could've attacked and deplete the energy eventually, but those Relics had the entire planet as the source of energy.
This was a major threat since it used the energy of the Red Sun, located in Angkara, at its disposal.
"It's super simple," said Hansoo at that moment.
"…?"
"Just shove it into the ground."
"This!?"
"Yeah, all the way down to the Red Jade."
Everyone's gazes turned to the giant red sun deep below through the hole that had been made by the giant beast's attack, the core of Angkara. The giant sun was the source of energy for the powerful defensive barrier surrounding the man.
"Hmm…"
"If it's this… then we can definitely…"
Everyone nodded from Hansoo's suggestion.
Surely, it was difficult to break it down, but it was worth a shot.
And if they were to push it down that far, even the blue spheres that emitted all this enormous energy would melt down completely since the disparity in energy was eminent in the first place.
Of course, a problem still remained.
"Okay. Let's say we proceed with the clan. Then will we all work together and push it down?"
The people's expressions turned for the worse. Though they had all gathered here on this day for the same goal, they had all been enemies before. Anything could happen to them were they to focus their attention on the current task. Even if they didn't betray each other, would that man stand still when being shoved into the ground?
The man would retaliate, and they would get injured in the process.
Hansoo smirked as he remarked, "I'll push it down, so I just need you all to attack from afar."
The clan heads wore strange expressions.
'… What the hell is this bastard scheming?'
There is a maxim.
And in their perspectives, Hansoo really had nothing to lose.
If he were to withdraw and run away, that would be it.
He was different from those who were born here and would be buried here. Hansoo had nothing that tied him down to this place.
Nevertheless, he was going to embrace the most dangerous role?
If they really went according to that plan, then they could focus on attacking without tackling any of the dangers, but Hansoo would have to withstand all of their attacks as well. After all, once he started to push the man in the orb down, he wouldn't be able to dodge anything, either.
Chuckling, Hansoo said, "Stop overthinking. Are you going to do this or not? If not, tell me and I'll just leave."
The clan heads' expressions turned sour. They were unaware of what Hansoo was planning, but they had nothing to lose from his plan as well.
No. If Hansoo left, then things would take a turn for the worse.
'Damn…'
The three clan heads glanced at each other and nodded.
Chapter 428: Transition (5)
Translator: Ares
Editor Group: Liber Reverie, Underclass Hero
The man fiercely looked toward Hansoo who was descending toward him. He had thought that after Hansoo had his soul twisted, he wouldn't attempt to join the battle once more, but he was aggressively routing him.
'This despicable bastard.'
Rumble!
In that moment, he frowned as he saw the meteor-like descent of Hansoo.
Booooooom!
Accompanied by a large roar, the dark red sphere surrounding Hansoo's body collided against the bright sphere of the man.
Rumble!
The moment the two spheres collided, the two Relics in the hands of the man radiated energy and activated as if they were trying to eliminate the insolent object that had just intruded their space. Though weakened from fighting against the beasts prior, they were still powerful.
There were two Relics, in which one alone was more than enough to sweep over half of the entire continent.
If it wasn't for the strong rotating descent, the current energy was more than enough to eliminate a bug like him.
However, the insolent dark red sphere was able to maintain its momentum as it continued to pressure him into the ground.
The man frowned at this scene.
'Pompeion… you're holding me down even now.'
In Hansoo's hands, the Relic that was originally Pompeion's shone brightly.
Just like the Relics the man possessed, Hansoo's Relic also absorbed energy from the core to continually maintain the barrier around him.
"Kuooooooooong!
The Haetara collapsed on the ground, releasing a huge roar.
Seeing the Haetara collapsing in vain after trying to reach for its prey seemed foolish in a way, but neither Hansoo nor the man laughed at them since they knew that the Haetara did everything they could.
Having consumed the vast energy of the Relic, they were able to grow this powerful. However, they were now very feeble to the point that they could barely stand.
Breathing alone consumed a lot of energy. If it were the Abyss, there would be nothing that could maintain their fully-grown bodies other than the Relics that were grasped in Hansoo and the man's hands.
This was why the Haetara had gambled everything for survival on the crossroads of survival and death. Next to the corpses of the Haetara, Hansoo and the man were doing the same thing.
Booooooooom!
As the fight got more intense and vicious, the Relics released energy increasingly. The result of this clash fell into the man's favor. Even though the man had been weakened by the battle against the Haetara, two Relics would pour out more energy than Hansoo who possessed one.
Kacha!
Kakaka!
The man who was originally pushed slowly began to push himself out into a standstill. No, it was now pushing Hansoo back. The disparity in energy was just too great.
But, Hansoo simply looked up and mumbled, 'Now.'
Then…
Booooooooooooooooom!
Hundreds and thousands of light beams began to stream down from the top.
Rumble!
The Miprosky Grade Cannons that could easily destroy entire cities continuously fired down.
"Confirm that the coordinates are assigned perfectly. Focus and compress the beams as much as possible"
"Do not attack the red sphere! We must only make sure to attack the blue one!"
"Attack it on time so that it won't overlap with the attacks of others and accidentally neutralize theirs! Fire one at a time, but consistently!"
In the center of the ship, R-Oconnel Ron, the captain of the ship, mumbled, "I never imagined that we would fight alongside Pompeion."
"We never thought such an event would exist to begin with."
R-Oconnell Ron looked down after hearing his vice captain's words.
It was a spectacular sight to see nearly a hundred ships from both the Pompeion Empire and the Neropa Union unite to shoot thousands of attacks toward one location, and even though the Technocrats worked arduously on their tasks without a single break, R-Oconnel Ron's gaze was locked onto one thing below them, the bright sphere that was withstanding all of these strikes.
The ships' attacks, the coordinated actions of the clan heads that were as powerful as all of the ships manpower combined, Pompeion's attack which was as strong as the power of the three clan heads combined, as well as the human's attacks were only able to push the sphere down.
'If that energy… was targeted at us instead…'
For him to be able to withstand the energy that could melt a whole contient, it meant that the opponent possessed such absurd power.
He must be put to death by whatever means possible.
R-Oconnel Ron clenched his teeth and shouted, "Hurry! Raise the firepower! Put all the energy we have onto the shield and fire at it!"
Soon.
Rumble!
Hundreds of thicker rays of light beams began to descend more violently toward the ground.
Kakakakaka!
The situation began to reverse as the attacks from above fell. Though the Relics were doing their best to withstand everything and maintain the barrier, the man was quickly being pushed down along with the blue sphere.
Like a waterfall, his body was quickly being swept with the beams in descent to the ground. Though it was initially slow, the acceleration would only continue to increase the velocity. Sooner or later, he would be thrust upon the core.
If things progressed at this rate, it would be obvious what the end result would be.
The frowning man divided the two artifacts he had into each hand.
Simultaneously.
The Relics that endured the enormous attack divided into different directions. The longer Relic's energy headed toward the barrier covering him, while the energy of the crystal Relic began to head toward the ships that were assailing him.
At the same time.
Boooooooooooom!
A beam of light as bright as the ones descending from above burst upward.
No, it was trying to make it explode.
Hansoo swung his Mjolnir like a windmill in front to disperse the energy that was shooting upward. He was able to continue to push the man down despite the backlash of the beam of light with his body and armor. Even more so, he was able to force the man to descend at an even quicker rate.
Boooom!
"You should switch back to defending if you want to endure a bit longer."
Rumble!
The man shook his head at Hansoo's remark who had neutralized another one of his soaring attacks.
"I'll praise you for being able to gather all that trash in a short period of time."
The man was honest. It hadn't even been one hour since the whole outcome had started, but Hansoo had already gathered a force of that magnitude.
However, that was his limit.
'Let's see what happens then.'
The man began to descend at an ever-quicker pace.
'Good. He's falling!'
Rumble!
K-Merrow Nell smiled brightly upon seeing the blue sphere being relentlessly attacked.
He was being pushed back. It would be great if he was wedged all the day down into the core of the planet.
Booooboooooom!
Booom!
'But… that man is truly a monster,' K-Merrow Nell murmured as he witnessed the giant shockwaves ripple from below.
These ripples weren't sourced from their attacks, but made purely from the clash between Hansoo and the man.
Hansoo was currently blocking all of the man's attacks aimed toward them and the ships. If he did not do so, then it wouldn't be surprising to see half of their fleet be destroyed.
K-Merrow Nell frowned.
'… What do we do once this is over?'
With victory within their grasp, he began to worry about the next step.
Sangjin, Mihee, and Samuel—those three he was able to tolerate since they would be able to deal with them with their own strength if needed. As long as they prepared that the capital would be destroyed along the process, it was possible to struggle against them with their combined forces.
However, Hansoo was different. He wasn't confident that he would be able to deal with him since Hansoo would become an enemy even more powerful than Pompeion if he returned alive.
'… They had said that he would just go up quietly afterward, but will he truly?'
He could not confirm.
K-Merrow Nell really hated that fact.
He needed to be the one who was able to wield and give away power. That was his reward for standing at the apex of power. However, he was currently wary of someone as he acted…
Greed began to form within K-Merrow Nell. It would be great if both of those guys below would just die altogether.
He didn't need any of the artifacts as long as both of them were buried there.
No, it would be great if they both died while fighting against one another.
'… Not bad.'
Reaching a satisfactory result, K-Merrow Nell began to act instead of leaving it as an afterthought.
Ruuuuuumble!
The moment greed materialized within K-Merrow Nell, his attacks weakened little by little.
Booooom!
'Look at this'
The three rays of light began to fade.
It was without question who the owner of these three beams were.
The man looked up and laughed
The moment he began to conserve his strength, they thought that victory was within their grasp and began to reduce their strength consequently.
They desired that both him and Hansoo will die.
The man chuckled at Hansoo seeing this.
"What exactly were you trying to do with those kinds of guys?"
Now, it was his victory. All he needed to do was to use the energy he conserved to kill Hansoo and wipe everyone else afterward. Even if Hansoo were to remark then, the clan heads wouldn't bother listening since they were long ago manipulated by their own greed.
Hansoo chuckled from the man's words.
"If you had anticipated it, why wouldn't I have?"
"…?"
"And… how do you think we'd win if I were to only use the people that I rely and trust on?"
It would've been amazing if the competent ones were trustworthy to begin with, but in accordance to his standards, not even 1 percent of the people he had ever met or remembered currently would fill that criteria.
Only a few were competent, and even fewer were trustworthy out of those.
As a result, he had learned how to make use of the useless and untrustworthy ones.
'Pompeion… he truly is unique.'
<… So just focus on the fight below.>
Hansoo thought of the discussion he had made with Pompeion as he smashed the man down with Mjolnir once more.
'You guys… never learn.'
Pompeion's eyes flashed as he saw what the three clan heads were doing.
Chapter 429: Transition (6)
Translator: Ares
Editor Group: Liber Reverie
Ruuuumble!
Seeing the blue sphere continually being pushed downward, K-Merrow Nell coldly laughed.
'Both of you die.'
It was good if they died while fighting, or if both of them were both wedged down there as well.
What was important was for the variables before him to disappear. If that occurred, then he wouldn't need the Relics since they could just use their remaining forces to deal with Pompeion, likewise to his remaining ships with constant raids.
'I want to deal with the other two clan heads, but… Oh well.'
K-Merrow Nell smacked his lips .
For now, he needed to deal with the two men that were most threatening, and if he were able to deal with Pompeion afterward, he'd be more than satisfied.
In the process, if the other two heads died, it would be the best outcome.
However, they needed to temporarily uphold the alliance until then.
As K-Merrow Nell and the other clan heads slowly conserved their strength…
… Pompeion's cold voice rang out.
However, the clan heads didn't even flinch that they were caught.
No, rather the opposite.
[I'm not sure what you're talking about. Stop annoying me! It's already hard enough!] Ukatan Pael's voice reverberated through the voice communicator.
It was as if they were complaining why he was picking on them when they were doing so well.
Soon, another voice echoed through the voice com.
[I don't know about you, but we have already expended a lot of our energy to fight that dumb beast for the past few days. Though you were probably unaware since you were in the dark.]
Adelaia Ron's sharp voice roared toward Pompeion.
It was a good excuse.
'Good. Good.'
After hearing the other two clan heads reply through the voice com, K-Merrow Nell spoke, "Damn… don't get everyone so agitated… we're not as strong as you… we are doing our best!"
Booooooooom!
K-Merrow Nell, pretending to have expended all his strength, answered through the voice com in a fatigued voice. Of course, he was still slowly lowering his total output of energy.
No, it was better to say that he was acting hard instead.
'And what will you do even if you notice!?'
Pompeion would be unable to act since he needed the clan heads' strength to push the man down.
However, Pompeion's actions were even more shocking than theirs.
[Is that so? Oh well. I understand.] Pompeion said in the voice comm…
Then
Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!
'Pompeion stopped attacking immediately.
[You crazy bastard! W-What are you doing!]
[Are you out of your mind?]
Pompeion scoffed at the shocked voices of the clan heads and continued to send out commands.
[All ships stop your attacks. Be on standby and save your energy in case the Neropa Union attacks.]
Though this sudden order was absurd, the whole fleet under Pompeion's command stopped attacking.
Ooooooooooong.
Suddenly, half of the attacks that had rushed into the hole stopped.
"You crazy bastard! You're out…"
Pompeion's actions were more than enough to make K-Merrow Nell snap, but before he could finish his words…
Booooooooom!
… A vicious aura rose up from below like an ascending dragon.
From that enormous rush of momentum, K-Merrow Nell was taken aback as he dodged backward.
Booooooooom!
A giant beam of light scraped by K-Merrow Nell's body and shot upward. Though he was able to barely avoid the attack, the ships above him were not as lucky due to their immobility.
[!!!]
[!!!!]
The shield that protected the first line of defense were all useless as the beam had more than enough power to shred K-Merrow Nell's shield apart just from scraping by.
Boooooooooom!
In that moment, three ships above K-Merrow Nell blew up just like that.
[Bastard! He's attacking us now since you stopped!]
[Give the order immediately to start the attack!]
The clan heads shouted as they were at a loss.
Even one of the ships that were swept away was one of Pompeion's.
This was basically an action of a lunatic.
'This…damn!'
Booooooooom!
Terrified from the fierce pillars of light that shot upward, the clan heads began to pour all the strength that they had conserved and began to fire down below.
Otherwise, they were really going to lose everything from Pompeion's sudden ceasefire.
If they were rational, they would not do this since it was no different from them giving up first.
However, from Pompeion's sudden action as well as the threat of the soaring pillars of light beams from below, it was enough to force their hands.
'Damn! Not like this!'
At this rate, one of two things would happen.
It was either Pompeion and the others would die in the man's hands, or they would be surgically removed by Pompeion from their energy-exhausted states.
The plan that they had thoroughly schemed for themselves was being used against them.
'You bastard! Let's see who dies first!'
If the end result was their own death, then they had nothing to fear.
K-Merrow Nell recovered his sanity and tried to stop attacking, but Pompeion was one step ahead once again.
[Start firing! All ships except the eleventh and thirteenth fleet, use all of your force!]
Boooooooooom!
As Pompeion sent out his orders, the attacks from above resumed, and simultaneously, the tremendous amount of energy exploded from Pompeion's body and headed below.
Booooooooooom!
The situation returned to its original state once more, and K-Merrow Nell realized that he would be unable to halt his attacks anymore.
'That bastard… he's only attacking at the same output as us!'
The actions of Pompeion's and his ships were replicating their own.
[Don't try anything foolish.]
Pompeion's actions and words were enough to relay a warning to the three clan heads under the current circumstances, and while it didn't produce the optimal result, unfortunately, everyone was able to make rational judgments henceforth due to fear and anger.
[Crazy bastard! You think you're the only one capable of doing that?] Ukatan Pael's rage reverberated through the voice comm.
This was not the most optimal result, but that was not what was important.
The important aspect was control.
In such a strange situation, anyone who took the initiative to break this delicate balance could kill their opponents at any time like a fox.
It was the reason why Ukatan Pael could do something irrational just like Pompeion had just done since he would get killed by him at any moment if he lost the upper hand.
If he was the one who was going to die anyway, it would be better if everyone died.
Ukatan Pael stopped attacking completely and began to prepare an attack on Pompeion. He was unable to live with the fact that Pompeion's actions decided their fates.
'That…that crazy bastard!'
K-Merrow Nell freaked out. He was angry as well, but at this rate, they would all perish if they fought in this situation. Their attacks against the man would stop, which would soon lead to them all being killed by the alien's attack.
"Ukatan Pael! Come to your senses…"
K-Merrow Nell was beaten to the punch once more.
[Let me propose an offer that you cannot deny.]
'…?'
Ukatan Pael stopped at Pompeion's sudden words.
Booooooooooooom!
'A failure.'
The man looked at the ever-powerful attacks descending from above and closed his eyes. He had anticipated that they would kill each other in internal strife, but it seemed that something had allowed them to be unified.
The attacks became even stronger, causing him who was half focused on his defenses be shoved down toward the Red Jade.
'How laughable. The last ray of hope will be destroyed by our own technology.'
But, the man decided to accept his fate.
He had truly done everything in his power. After all, he had woken up alone and struggled against two races by himself.
'I was tired…so this is good.'
In fact, it shouldn't be possible for a man to have such a cheerful look in this kind of predicament.
His failure would mean the extinction of his race. But, it was all okay now.
The seeds he sowed into the ground were still there, and even if those seeds failed to sprout, their savior remained.
'I don't know where you are or what you're doing, but please take care of our race from now forth.'
The man thought of the human bodies and closed his eyes.
Kakaka!
Crack!
The powerful barrier was slowly cracking due to the attacks from above, and the heat from the Red Jade from below was becoming intense. Holding on for such a long time was a feat itself.
Above his head…
Boooooom!
Hansoo's attacks continuously smashed against the blue sphere as if Hansoo was trying to reduce the man to nothingness.
At that moment, he was enlightened.
The man's closed eyes blinked.
He thought of one last thing he needed to do.
'I will help you.'
The man glared into Hansoo full of anger.
He had pushed himself to this stage. So, it was his duty to ensure that he died a hero on the battlefield.
While he was muttering to himself internally…
Booooooooom!
All the energy used for defense was converted into an attack, sweeping away the dark red sphere around Hansoo.
Though the attacks from above and the heat from below penetrated into his body, melting him away, he smiled. He had witnessed his own attack successfully destroying the red sphere.
Hansoo would soon melt following him.
But then…
Craaaack!
He was able to notice something cutting space appear behind Hansoo's body.
'Dammi…'
With that being his final thought…
Ssssss….
The man's body melted away.
Chapter 430: Chapter 427: Transition (7)
Translator: Ares
Editor Group: Liber Reverie, UnderClass Hero
Ruuuuuumble!
"… I've always wondered about this, but you're truly insane, Pompeion."
K-Ukatan Pael mumbled as he looked at Pompeion.
Although he was normal himself, the guy in front of him was truly something else. If he was truly normal, he wouldn't have given the control of his heart to his enemies.
Thump! Thump!
Through the hole in Pompeion's chest that his hand had gone into, he could feel the heart thumping clearly. It wasn't that he had defeated Pompeion and grasped his heart, but this was simply the agreement that Pompeion and the three clan heads had reached.
This was an agreement that gave them no disadvantages.
Pompeion's heart, whose life was naturally in their hands, would use all of his power so that it wouldn't burst, and since he couldn't scheme, they would be able to attack and focus on the fight below free of thought.
And the result.
Boooooooooooom!
Kakakakaka!
An even more intense torrent of flames rained down from the heavens. The remaining ships used all the energy they had without holding back and fired below.
Boooooooooooooom!
A terrifying amount of flames exploded from Pompeion. Specifically, it was from the Flame fragment that was inside Pompeion. The explosion was strong enough to easily overwhelm all three clan heads.
'This bastard… he really was holding back!'
Cold sweat ran down K-Merrow Nell's back. To scheme in front of a guy that possessed such power, it was certain that if they had lost control and attacked, it would be them that would have died in his hands.
K-merrow Nell, who wore a grim expression, suddenly smiled.
'No, no. This is great.'
If the blade was sharp, it would have been threatening, but now, the blade was in their hands. They held Pompeion's heart in their hands, so that was good.
'Once we destroy the man below at this rate… we'll manipulate Pompeion to deal with Hansoo.'
Hansoo was currently withstanding all of the attacks and blows of this enormous energy, so it was certain that his body would not leave this battle unscathed.
Then, it wouldn't be difficult to subdue him.
The reason why they were so afraid to begin with was that Hansoo might attack them after he recovered his condition while they were dealing with Pompeion after this fight. This was even easier to achieve with a comrade that could teleport.
However, as long as Pompeion was under their control, the story would be simpler. They just needed to use their remaining strength to kill him. It didn't matter if he run since he would be somewhere on this planet.
'Even if he ascends, that is fine as well.'
K-Merrow Nell smiled. The situation was quite amusing. The three of them were simultaneously holding Pompeion's heart in fear of losing out to the other two. If one of them had Pompeion's heart and used it to attack the other two, the situation would turn for the worse, but if it was like that, then everything would be fine.
'In the end… the one who is scared first is the one that loses.'
K-Merrow Nell laughed.
The one that become scared and retreated first would be the one to lose. Looking at the circumstances of Pompeion, he had retreated one step back, and now he was in this state.
'I'd rather die than have this happen to me.'
Then.
Ruuuumble!
An even more intense, eerie sound rang out from below. It was different from the sounds of the previous energy collision they had heard.
As K-Merrow Nell and the other two clan heads heard and felt the shockwaves, they knew this battle was over.
It was the sound of the man being shoved deep into the ground.
If the man had a hidden card, he wouldn't have held it up to this point, so it was the aftershocks of the final struggle.
Booooooooooom!
[Ah damn! Hansoo!!]
[What! What the hell is happening?!]
The terrified voices of the humans could be heard over the communications device. That was how powerful the shockwave was, which was enough to turn everything below to dust, making K-Merrow Nell feel better.
'The heavens are helping.'
If those two were swept away by that explosion, then they wouldn't have to deal with them since they would die on their own. But it wiykd be optimal if things were certain.
Thump! Thump!
K-Merrow Nell smiled as he felt the heartbeat of Pompeion, which was pleasantly beating at his fingertips.
"Well. Well. It seems things are finished below… so be prepared, Pompeion."
K-Merrow Nell gently applied some pressure on the heart, which was a fragile organ that could be blown apart from a bit of pressure. Their strength came from their souls, which gave them the authority to wield the Flame, so their bodies were naturally weaker.
"Finish them for us… with your hands."
Pompeion smiled coldly as he stared in their eyes.
'Yes, it is time to finish things.'
… In order to finish the preparation that he and the man had done sowing the seeds.
'Still… it is somewhat frightening to be in this kind of situation.'
Pompeion felt his heartbeat as he prepared himself, mumbling.
Due to this, the heart in the three clan heads' hands beat faster.
Misunderstanding this as fear, the three clan heads smiled. However, Pompeion simply smiled back.
'Well. At least… there's three guys that will go with me.'
They were going to die anyways, so it was better for them to know at least why.
Pompeion looked at K-Merrow Nell who was smiling the brightest.
"You guys may not know, but I had met that alien a bit earlier."
"… What nonsense are you saying? Do your job!"
Puchi!
K-Merrow Nell felt something was awry from Pompeion's words and stabbed the heart with his thumbnail, but Pompeion didn't even flinch. He only continued to speak.
"He gave half of his soul as a token of trust. Maybe that's the only way he thought that could earn my trust. It was the same for you as well, right?"
The three clan heads halted and nodded. It was exactly as he had said. Right now, half of the man's soul was within Pompeion's body, and the other half was split between the three of them. This was why they had made a contract with the man because they believed they could kill the man whenever.
However, Pompeion chuckled and remarked, "But isn't that strange? His soul is the symbol of strength, and yet he parted away from it so easily?"
At the words of Pompeion, the three clan heads frowned. It was strange. There were much better alternatives to make contracts, but this had placed the worst conditions on himself. The man had nothing to gain.
"You guys only have a sixth of the soul, but I have a bit of his memories as well due to receiving half."
Among them, it was the method of reproduction of his race, Parasitic Soul. It would detach part of their soul and embed it in another race's soul. It didn't matter what race or how large of the soul was a part. Even a tiny portion of the soul would be fine.
Once the person accepted his soul, the condition would be satisfied. The opponent's race would gain the ability to use power and technology at a terrifying level. As a result, they would continue to use it again and again, intoxicated by their newfound strength. It would continue to grow when used, whether it is a tenth or half of the soul.
If the spirit grew up enough to be able to reach its original state… If the soul was capable of forming the original owner of this soul…
"Then the embedded soul pushes the original owner of the body out and takes control."
Once the original soul changes, that race would not be the same as before, since both personalities and goals would change.
This was a complete parasitic species, grown from the seeds that were planted by that soul.
"That's what they are. That was how the fake Neropa grew up."
"This crazy…"
They finally understood why that man had formed such a disadvantageous contract. He hadn't chosen death, but rather the reproduction of his race.
It was only a matter of time before a second and third version of the man would appear.
"Let's… go."
Simultaneously.
Booooooooooooooom!
A great amount of energy surged within Pompeion's body, spiralling crazily. The soul inside him started to overload, causing the three clan heads to freak out.
Ukatan Pael and the other clan heads, who were witnessing this, screamed, "You crazy bastard! I… I don't want to die!"
"Ahhhhhhhhk! You bastard!"
Kacha!
Pompeion coughed out blood. He felt his heart get crushed under the angered expression of Ukatan Pael's face, and he saw K-Merrow Nell and Adelaia Ron curse and run off, but it didn't matter—he had used every bit of strength to make himself a bomb.
None of the struggle, even from those attempting to shield their bodies, would matter. This was because the bomb within him was more than sufficient to achieve his last objective. The explosiveness of this bomb was enough to burn away these three raccoons that unknowingly scurried in.
That included the seeds planted within them as well.
'Sangjin. My friend. Be well. I'm sorry…'
There was nothing he regretted as his plans progressed except for one event.
'Well. Nothing can be done for both of us.'
With one last bitter smile…
Booooooooooooooooom!
A massive explosion centered around Pompeion's body engulfed the surrounding area.
'You idiots! I told you… not to come!"
A few people could be seen dimly as they jumped out from the cloud: Sanjin, Mihee, Kiriel, and Samuel.
Sssssssssssssss!
The remnants of the Flame rushed toward them.
"Eeeeeeeeeeeek!"
Kiriel clenched her teeth seeing the enormous wave of energy heading toward her.
She had recklessly left in order to save him, but this was far more than what she had expected.
'He was enduring all of this?'
At this rate, she would melt before she could use her skill again.
At that moment…
Whoooooooosh!
… The Flame's power died down.
'What the…?'
While Kiriel was shocked from this scene.
Sangjin spoke hurriedly with a contorted face, "I can't hold on for long! Hurry… go away!"
"You… how are you doing this?"
Sangjin, who was blocking the flames, mumbled bitterly from those words.
"I have… it as well."
Inside Sangjin's body…
Kiiiiing!
The last seed of Angkara shook violently.