Chapter 290

Chapter 290
## Chapter 290

Same Time, Different Place (1)

Auterica, the primary domain where the majority of his duplicates operated.

Ganghwange, the recently uncovered realm.

And Earth, his central stronghold, where his true, original self remained.

Dividing his consciousness across multiple physical vessels within various worlds had provided him with an abundance of realizations.

Yet, out of all those distinct lessons, a single concept stood out above the rest.

…Time.

‘It makes total sense. My attention has been fixed on Earth recently… ’

A tenfold disparity in how hours slipped away.

That was an incredibly massive divergence.

A mere three days passing on Earth was the equivalent of nearly a month fading away back in Auterica.

Consequently, while it felt as though only a brief moment had gone by from the perspective of Earth, the actual scope of his experiences across the other domains told an entirely different story.

—

Auterica, Roselia Temple, situated deep within the center of the sanctified territory.

“Welcome back, Saint. Your return is much swifter than we anticipated.”

“Ah, Lady Lyrin. You are dedicating yourself diligently, as always.”

Heinrich, having just crossed the threshold into the sanctuary, shifted his gaze toward the blue-haired woman who had offered her greetings.

She belonged to the Radiant Guardian Paladin Order, a highly elite contingent charged with safeguarding the Roselia Temple—the very same military order he had once been a part of.

She closed the distance between them, her stride perfectly measured and deliberate, before rendering a respectful bow.

“The Saintess has been requesting your presence. It appears she possesses an issue she wishes to deliberate with you.”

“I understand. My thanks for informing me, Lady Lyrin.”

“It is merely my obligation, Saint. With that, I shall take my leave.”

“Yes, please do.”

She offered another courteous bow, turning on her heel to depart.

She had served as his instructor back when he first entered the sanctuary’s ranks, and the two of them had maintained a reasonably close bond ever since.

He didn’t possess many intimate companions, given how rapidly he had climbed through the hierarchy of the organization.

‘She happened to be the person who originally revealed the location of the Immortal King’s relic concealed inside the sanctuary.’

Granted, providing that data fell within her standard obligations as a sentry, but it had proven to be an incredibly crucial piece of intelligence, heavily shaping his subsequent choices.

Heinrich offered a quiet laugh, continuing his stroll through the grand corridors of the structure.

‘Liesta was looking for me? It is likely regarding Earth once more. Considering how frequently I have been transitioning between worlds, she must have deduced something by now.’

He hadn’t exactly been traveling to Earth completely behind the Church’s back.

Even with the current reprieve from the assaults of the behemoths, he couldn’t simply vanish without providing an explanation. He was, after all, the Saint—the ultimate representation of the Church’s martial power.

‘Therefore, I simply informed them of the reality.’

That he would occasionally be making brief excursions to an alternate realm.

‘Naturally, I presented the journey as a sacred task.’

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a deception. Furthermore, because they were all deeply devoted zealots, even crossing the boundaries of dimensions was viewed as a minor miracle, an act of divine favor.

Additionally, the Saintess—whose curiosity regarding alternate worlds had been piqued after Hesperon and Isea disclosed their native Earth origins—was already deeply invested in her own investigations on the matter.

‘I ought to converse with Isea relatively soon.’

She was nearing the time of her departure back to Earth.

It would most likely occur immediately following the conclusive clash with the Immortal King.

He needed to alert her ahead of time. There was a chance she might feel deceived if the reality dawned on her only after her arrival.

‘And a rift like that would utterly ruin our potential alliance on Earth.’

She had sacrificed the entirety of her accumulated Karma for the sole purpose of returning, fueled entirely by a deep yearning for her household.

He could serve as an incredibly useful asset for her, acting as a bridge between realities.

‘She is on the verge of achieving transcendence. Securing more formidable partners is always a wise strategy.’

She possessed the ability to pass words along to his kin back in Korea, while also sustaining an indirect line of communication with Riley after her departure. The arrangement would yield advantages for her as well.

Even so, a single complication continued to weigh on his mind.

‘I must absolutely ensure that Hans’s true identity remains concealed.’

A Demon King within one domain, and a shadowed savior within another?

To prevent an incredibly clumsy confrontation between those two personas, he had to confine Hans’s operations strictly to regions outside of domestic borders.

‘Korea has achieved peace for the time being. There is zero obligation for Hans to show his face there. Provided they never encounter each other face-to-face… ’

He could easily brush aside any captured images or recordings as mere flukes, nothing more than a blunder regarding lookalikes.

Their temperaments shared absolutely nothing in common, the dark vestments were by no means unique, and the Hahoe mask stood as a recognizable piece of traditional Korean culture.

‘Besides, ever since Isea discovered my Korean heritage, I have been utilizing a fractured mask while operating in Auterica.’

Even so, he lacked the certainty that he could successfully sustain this deception if they ever crossed paths directly.

It wouldn’t exactly trigger a catastrophe if his hidden life came to light—the primary crisis of this world was effectively entering its final stages—but minimizing unnecessary complications was always the superior path.

‘I am scheduled to journey back to Earth in just a few days, meaning I must wrap up my remaining obligations here… Right, I need to pay a visit to Liesta.’

The resting period required for the 「Interdimensional Transfer Formation Summon」 amounted to precisely twelve hours by Earth’s standards.

Balancing the demands of both realities was entirely manageable, given that he only remained on Earth for a handful of hours during each visit.

Granted, activating the transport array with such high frequency might end up restricting the freedom of movement for his alternate duplicates…

‘But there are no pressing crises demanding my attention at this exact moment.’

The solitary major event remaining on the horizon in Auterica was the concluding phase of his carefully orchestrated grand performance.

They were currently resting in the quiet space before the tempest arrived.

—

A secluded crafting studio located in Tarak.

“Oh! At long last!”

Following the mishap that occurred with his initial experimental model, Howard had vacated Zaonic’s crafting space to settle into his own, freshly constructed workshop.

Zaonic had insisted that he was welcome to remain, but with the substantial financial reinforcement of Hubert’s Trading Company at his back, there was no longer any requirement to burden his peer.

Furthermore, their locations were practically adjacent, meaning the move wouldn’t disrupt their day-to-day connection in the slightest.

“The work is finally complete!”

Still, possessing his very own hidden sanctuary felt… incredibly thrilling.

He had been laboring without rest ever since settling into the new space, propelled by a sudden rush of creative vision. After multiple weeks of unyielding concentration, he had finally secured an incredible advancement.

“The left arm component of the Multipurpose Combat Power Suit Mk.2!”

It amounted to nothing more than a solitary arm, and yet…

He hoisted the creation high into the air, studying his work with eyes that shone with absolute pride.

A mechanical limb, practically pulsing with raw kinetic force.

This was no ordinary substitute limb.

The structural elements, the applied mechanics, even the internal current of vitality… every single aspect was utterly magnificent.

‘True expertise is vital, but deep pockets are a creator’s greatest asset!’

A top-tier enchanted core.

An item ranked immediately below a genuine Dragon Heart, making it an extraordinarily scarce and priceless artifact.

Even the grand royal castle only deployed top-tier enchanted cores to sustain their defensive barriers, preserving actual Dragon Hearts exclusively for absolute catastrophes.

‘I sacrificed one of those during my previous endeavor to liberate Diana from the clutches of the Revolutionary… ’

He had expended such an invaluable treasure as a single-use power source for the framework of the suit. That immense output was the sole reason Hubert, despite his restricted capabilities, had successfully broken free from the colossus.

Now, that exact tier of destructive potential was packed entirely inside this solitary limb.

‘Achieving this would have been an utter impossibility without utilizing the Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron obtained from Ganghwange alongside the Adamantium retrieved from the underworld.’

Both varieties of metal were legendary for their unparalleled toughness and resistance to raw force.

Fusing them into a unified blend was a monumental challenge, but Howard, utilizing the combined powers of 「Song of Fire and Metal」, 「Metallurgy」, and 「Technological Revolution」, had ultimately triumphed.

The resulting composite metal, reflecting an absolute synthesis of their individual traits, comprised the complex pathways inside the limb, ensuring it could endure the massive currents flowing from the enchanted core.

A mechanized suit of armor, fusing the mythical smithing traditions of underground craftsmen with raw elements from the Murim and underworld realms, all while embedding concepts of highly advanced futuristic science!

“Mwahahaha! This is practically identical to binding a compact starship right to my own shoulder! I can barely contain my excitement to witness its capabilities once the entire framework is fully joined!”

He spun around the room in sheer delight, brandishing the mechanical arm toward the ceiling, before freezing instantly in his tracks.

He locked his gaze onto the device, slowly running a hand through his beard in deep contemplation.

“Hmm, this creation demands an appropriate title.”

He couldn’t simply go on labeling the project as the “Multipurpose Combat Power Suit”.

It required something far more… striking.

“Let’s see… how about ‘Iron Guy’? No, that sounds entirely too unoriginal. What about ‘Captain Auterica’… No, that doesn’t quite fit the vibe either.”

He wrestled with the challenge of selecting a title for a considerable duration before offering a heavy sigh, abandoning those trains of thought.

“‘Titan’! That carries a heavy, impactful ring, resembling a miniature colossus. Given that I am a dwarf, selecting the identity of a divine entity isn’t an awful concept…”

The moment the words escaped his lips, having finally chosen the designation,

Whoosh—

A sudden burst of bright fire surged outward from the central hearth, circling around his position.

As the embers faded back into the air, a series of glowing notifications manifested right before his vision.

《Titan fixes his gaze upon you.》

《The practitioner satisfies the necessary criteria and advances. The specialized capability “Song of Fire and Metal” refines into “Harmonizer of Fire and Metal”.》

This wasn’t his initial experience with such a phenomenon.

“Could this be… the forge’s divine approval?”

It represented a manifestation of a deity’s recognition, granted exclusively to a builder who brought forth a creation of monumental significance or unlocked an entirely new tier of craftsmanship.

‘In that case… he approves.’

It appeared that Titan, the supreme deity of the hearth, held his latest invention in high regard.

This unprecedented device, baptized in his honor, had never graced the history of this realm until this very moment.

—

Whoosh—

The tranquil melody of water breaking softly against the shoreline.

A magnificent coastal stretch, the crisp scent of brine giving the location an extra layer of allure.

“Ughhh!”

A low, strained sound vibrated from deep within a concealed cavern, tunneled directly into the rocky precipice that overlooked the crashing tides.

“If I just… turn this…”

A youthful voice, the syllables emerging somewhat unformed and halting.

A charming young toddler, appearing no older than six or seven years of age, blessed with locks of brilliant gold, shimmering golden irises, flawless skin, and round, soft cheeks.

Horus, the absolute last surviving offspring of the Gold Dragon lineage within Auterica.

He was balanced precariously atop a seat inside a mystical research room filled with bizarre apparatuses, fighting to master a complex puzzle resting on the workspace ahead of him…

“Success!”

…And then, letting loose a celebratory cheer, he thrust his arms straight into the air.

Right in that instant—

“My, what do we have here?”

“Eek?!”

He jumped slightly at the unexpected sound of a voice, spinning around to offer a sheepish grin.

Shri Hartgen, the ancient patriarch of the Gold Dragon flight, remained positioned behind his frame, his eyelids drooped halfway closed.

“Hee hee…”

“…That is… quite remarkable. From what source did you acquire such an item?”

The aged dragon shifted his attention entirely toward the device resting on the workspace.

His physical form might appear drained and withered, his spark of vitality slowly waning away, yet he maintained the ability to identify the highly irregular vibrations flowing from the object.

“This possesses… the distinct touch of dwarven smithing. And it is exceptionally… well-made. Was the foundation intended to receive magical imbuement?”

His exhausted eyes snapped wide open in sheer astonishment as he scrutinized the piece further.

“Hmm, this goes far beyond elementary understanding of magical imbuement. Executing a concept like this demands the profound comprehension of a true Archmage.”

It proved to be an incredibly startling revelation.

The dwarves, notoriously unyielding artisans, took immense satisfaction in forging gear that eclipsed standard magical implements through sheer manual craftsmanship alone.

They rarely chose to align their talents with spell-weavers, choosing instead to bring their works to fruition entirely on their own terms.

Yet, the foundational concepts required to draft this blueprint… reached the pinnacle of an Archmage’s wisdom?

‘Could this young child have applied the enchantment himself?… This is… truly astounding. The integration linking the dwarven smithing and the magical weaving is flawless. It mirrors the work of a single mind executing both disciplines.’

He cast a glance toward Horus, a newfound level of appreciation settling into his gaze, before locking his attention back onto the artifact.

A polished, aerodynamic form, put together from a shadowed, unrecognizable metal alloy, its contours possessing an elegant and fluid grace.

A segment of protective gear, its aesthetic completely detached from anything he had ever observed throughout his centuries of existence. A left arm armoring piece.