Chapter 266

Chapter 266
## Chapter 266

King of Madness (5)

At the absolute floor of the Auterica dimension.

The garbage dump of existence, where every discarded remnant pools and decays.

The void.

It was a domain that rejected the presence of any living creature, denying form or separate identity.

Unadulterated chaos held sway, a place where time, space, and even intangible laws and concepts tangled together, drifting without a shred of cohesion.

Yet, anomalies always persist.

Even within that terrifying expanse, a singular entity held fast to its consciousness, declaring its own existence.

Twitch—

Deep in the heart of the void, a submerged, buried presence wriggled.

Though partially merged with the surrounding entropy, its sudden motion and unyielding aura warped the currents of the void, sending violent tremors through the entire realm.

However, such turbulence was a frequent occurrence within the void, meaning it triggered no ripples in the mortal realm.

Just as it had always been.

After a brief period, the thrashing stopped.

It had reacted purely out of primal irritation, but it had endured for far too long to be permanently derailed by such minor setbacks.

Gurgle—

Halting all movement, it drifted downward once more, quietly sinking into the darkness.

Its meticulous strategy had shattered, and its reckless meddling had brought about heavy corruption… yet this was far from the conclusion.

Disappointment was an old friend.

As long as the river of time marched forward, fresh windows of opportunity would present themselves.

Its sole duty was to grab hold of those chances the moment they appeared.

Thus, it waited with infinite patience, resting deep in the void.

Anticipating the day that was bound to arrive.

—

The churning, blood-red storm that had blanketed the northwestern territory of Tarak gradually faded away.

To be precise, the current of madness woven into the fabric of the world remained, but its density and focus had diminished, dissolving from view.

‘This approach is safer, even if it requires more time to fully awaken the madness.’

Had it been otherwise, the beasts drawn by its pull would have terrorized the lands once more.

Even now, the state of affairs was far from perfect.

From the moment the Revolutionary transformed to the second of his downfall, barely ten minutes had slipped by.

Because he had neutralized the threat so rapidly, the majority of the beasts had retreated to their native territories… yet a few, propelled by lingering momentum, continued to rove without direction, their boundaries entirely shattered.

The fallout of this would inevitably land on the local populace.

‘…Still, it is a relief that the crisis was averted so quickly.’

Looking at the current state of the various territories, a minor disturbance of this scale could be managed before spiraling out of control.

He had given it his all.

“Ugh— I feel completely stuffed. Plus, my limbs are totally locked up!”

As the tempest dissolved into absolute stillness,

Harley, who had shrunk back down to his standard proportions, cracked his stiff joints while resting against the shattered remains of the behemoth.

His eyes were locked onto a system notification hovering before him.

《The target fulfills the requirements and advances. You have unlocked the unique trait “Seed of Madness”.》

The prize he had ripped away had firmly implanted itself within his being, validated as a functional skill by the system.

Yet, it remained an unformed nucleus, meaning its potency fell drastically short of the Immortal King’s standard.

It possessed the capacity to guide the world’s madness and act as a massive battery of raw power… but its utility ended there for now.

‘Even so, that is a spectacular haul. Plus, Harley’s level has surged forward.’

His “Ultimate Evolved Lifeform” trait was actively adjusting, restructuring his anatomy to handle this fresh reservoir of power.

A proper trial would be necessary down the road, but his peak scale in his titan state had undoubtedly expanded.

Furthermore, they had seen with their own eyes the terrifying heights Harley could reach when backed by an unending well of energy.

It functioned as a massive internal fuel reserve.

Once that seed fully matured, its properties could very well undergo another evolution.

‘…Though as anticipated, that specific “insight” he mentioned has vanished.’

That detail brought a hint of regret.

He had nurtured a hope of gaining a clearer understanding of the anomalous perceptions held by the Revolutionary and Diana…

‘It cannot be claimed through this method? Well, given its connection to the exiled divinity, it makes sense. A pity, certainly… but with the Revolutionary gone, it is a non-issue.’

He envisioned the divine interference Hans had encountered during their clash within the void and shook his head.

Liberating a deity chained within the depths of the void was no simple chore.

And he had utterly demolished that carefully orchestrated plot.

The chances of crossing paths with that specific deity again in his lifetime were virtually zero.

“Saint! Are you unharmed?”

“Yes, I am perfectly fine. My gratitude goes to the Saintess for her backing.”

“It has been some time, Harley. The chaos prevented a proper welcome. Are you doing well, considering you anchored the frontline?”

“Bazaam! I am always at peak performance! Truth be told, I merely dropped by to catch up with some pals, and then I stumbled right into that brute! Bazaam!”

While he savored the lingering triumph of their win, the rest of the group, recognizing the conclusion of the clash, began pooling into the area.

“Hmm~ You ordered me to pull back with the youths… only to keep all the entertainment for yourself, High Lord?”

“It appears everyone came through unscathed.”

“Naturally, they are all True Bloods. Besides, the ones displaying early symptoms snapped right out of it after a few solid strikes! Hehehe~”

That explained why a handful of them looked incredibly drained.

It was a blessing that no lives were lost.

In truth, the only reason they had found the behemoth troublesome was due to its colossal scale, sheer resilience, and rapid healing… five transcendent combatants, counting the three duplicates, the Saintess, and Briki, were never going to be defeated by that alone.

They had held the upper hand from the very start.

Rumble—

Clatter, clatter

It was not merely the band of heroes and the Hybrid vampires making their way over.

A massive contingent of individuals, mounted on steeds and riding in wagons, was journeying toward them from the sector of Talia.

Heinrich tracked their approach, his eyelids twitching slightly as he rubbed his jaw line.

‘A master-level swordsman along with an elite order of knights… Sent by the Tulk sovereign? And… is that Cardinal Donovan representing the Picaol Temple? Accompanied by Holy Knights and Archbishops?!’

They represented reinforcement forces, reacting to the urgent dispatches detailing the crisis.

Not merely the premier forces of the sovereignty, but the heavy hitters of the Picaol Temple, which held sway over the western reaches of the Ion Continent.

Cardinal Donovan, whom he had crossed paths with during the test of the sacred blade, stood as the authority of the temple.

He was aware the man was a retired Holy Knight, yet he had not envisioned him traveling to such an isolated frontier in person.

‘Their presence would have been of immense worth had they arrived a bit earlier.’

Granted, with the crisis now fully managed, their arrival was somewhat belated… though that was entirely because he had deployed his duplicates without a moment’s delay, skewing the perception of time.

The clash had reached its end far quicker than anticipated, courtesy of Harley’s concluding strike.

‘Still, they will prove useful for what comes next.’

And in a strange twist, their arrival was timed impeccably.

Rumble—! Boom—!

The event had not yet concluded.

Neigh—!

Whine—! Snort!

“Whoa! Steady now! What is happening?!”

“Look out, over in that direction!”

“This cannot be…!”

The advancing troops, preparing to offer greetings, instantly yanked back on their tethers, expressions hardening.

Their mounts, spooked by an unseen force, began rearing wildly.

Every eye swung instantly toward the center of the unrest.

Rumble— Crackle—!

There was zero requirement to scan the horizon.

A jarring noise, mimicking breaking mirrors, paired with a striking manifestation, commanded their full focus.

A short distance from the spot where the titan had collapsed,

A fracture manifested in the empty air, splintering outward like a web.

Ink-black clouds rolled in, swallowing the heavens.

Then, accompanied by a earth-shattering crack, dark bolts of lightning tore into the terrain.

A biting gale howled across the plain, and ice, entirely unnatural for the current season, began blanketing the earth.

“Dismount! Form up into a defensive wall!”

“Holy Knights, take the vanguard!”

“We offer our prayers to the Prime Deity, bestow your protection upon your followers…”

The incoming battalions immediately transitioned to a combat stance, their internal auras flaring upward.

The veterans who had just brought down the titan likewise locked back into a state of sharp focus.

Right at the heart of this abrupt anomaly,

Crack—! Shatter—!

The spatial rift tore wider, bursting outward.

From the opening, a wave of pitch-black malice began to pour out, swallowing the surrounding terrain.

[Khehehe, a significant period has passed. Hero, Heinrich Saint Landguard.]

The genuine architect behind the ruin of this realm, an unmitigated terror completely eclipsing the fallen titan.

The nightmare of the land, the ultimate dread of mankind, the physical manifestation of mortality risen from the abyss.

“The Immortal King… Hannibal Strauss…!”

The Sovereign of Death had arrived.

Flanked by a titanic legion of the dead, their malicious presence turning the very atmosphere to ice.

—

The architect and spearhead of the Oath of Heaven’s Defiance, the Revolutionary.

He was the puppet master pulling the strings of civilization from the darkness, a blasphemer plotting to revive the malevolent deity sealed within the void, and the titan who had displayed terrifying capability against an array of elite masters.

Setting aside Hans, the Sovereign of Death, who was merely a performer executing a dark script, he represented the genuine ultimate adversary of this realm…

‘Well, it is always a positive note when events unfold without a hitch.’

…yet his demise was remarkably basic.

The titan, which had dropped hints of possessing a massive hidden card…

Had its skull completely demolished by Harley before it could even brandish its ultimate maneuver.

Following that, its Core of Madness was plundered, and it dissolved into nothingness.

Finished.

To be perfectly candid, as the individual actively penning this plotline, he felt let down by the titan’s abrupt exit.

If you are going to scatter breadcrumbs of foreshadowing, you need to deliver the payoff. If you are going to project an aura of grand mystery, you must show up with the goods!

It demonstrated a complete lack of professional integrity.

‘Antagonists these days have zero commitment to the craft.’

Naturally, he was merely amusing himself.

Yet despite that sudden downfall, the titan remained a highly critical component.

It served as the vessel for the madness, the spark that had thrown civilization into disarray, and a monstrosity that had unflinchingly traded blows with a multitude of transcendent figures, the hero included.

He could not simply allow its legacy to evaporate.

Consequently, he had engineered a follow-up.

[Ah— Truly, most magnificent. This represents a meticulously crafted offering.]

A concluding performance to wrap up the titan’s purpose.

“This is your doing, Sovereign of Death!”

[When one receives a boon, it is only proper to return the gesture. It remains a disappointment, however. I estimated it would suffice to wipe a sovereignty or two from the map.]

The role designated to the titan was that of the Sovereign of Death’s hidden ace.

The secondary boss.

[Hero, Champion of the Radiance. I have not forgotten. The exact instance you pierced my core with that wretched holy blade in the southern lands.]

“So this is a matter of vengeance?”

[Khehehe— Far from it. I am merely… enraptured. That my ultimate rival is capable of delivering such immense entertainment to me.]

The script for their confrontation marched onward.

[As an aside, Hero, are you aware? A full year has nearly elapsed since that specific day.]

“…What are you implying?”

[Oh, it is of no consequence. Merely…]

It marked the opening of the concluding movement for ‘Private Screening: The Overlord and the Champion’.

[I was growing weary of the delay.]

To elevate the depth of the tale.