Chapter 306

Chapter 306
## Chapter 306

Skirmish (1)

An isolated mountain range.

Riiip—

A fracturing noise split the silence.

A slender fissure manifested out of thin air.

It grew rapidly, accompanied by a ceaseless, grating static—.

Snap—!

With a final, violent tear, a gaping void ruptured the atmosphere.

A pair of pale hands emerged from that dark abyss, grabbing the ragged edges of the spatial wound and wrenching them outward to widen the passage.

“…At long last.”

When the breach widened sufficiently, a serene voice drifted from the other side.

It was a peculiar, androgynous tone, completely unidentifiable.

“This required far more time than anticipated.”

The speaker stepped unhurriedly from the dimensional tear.

The figure seemed to embody both a youth and an elder simultaneously, its precise shape blurred by the warping of space.

The Master of Heaven’s Turn Society, who had been fighting to liberate himself from the void, finally stood upon solid ground.

‘So, this is Auterica.’

Scanning his surroundings, he gave a slow nod of approval.

The data he had previously collected raced through his thoughts.

A typical fantasy realm where the magical framework operated on mana, a highly adaptable energy source.

Furthermore, the administrator of this world, the Main God, was no passive observer; it occasionally took direct action, manifesting miracles.

‘I generally favor a less intrusive environment… but greater dangers yield greater compensation.’

Simply reaching this place had already granted him a significant advantage.

It fell short of his original expectations, given that his collaborator was a deposed deity confined to the abyss… yet it remained a divine entity, the rightful god of this realm. Its influence had sufficed to neutralize the bulk of the constraints this world tried to place upon him.

Without that aid, he would likely still be languishing in that abyssal cell.

‘I am appreciative of the gifts bestowed upon me. I have also learned the methods to function optimally within this realm. Bargaining with a deity is distasteful, but it remains a necessary compromise.’

He would stop at nothing to realize his ultimate ambition.

He had already made innumerable concessions along the way. There was no reason to grow squeamish about his tactics at this stage.

“And now… Hm…”

He took a long stride forward, contemplating his immediate objectives, when his balance suddenly wavered.

Grimacing, he pressed a hand to his forehead, shutting his eyes tightly.

Hummmm—

-I shall ascend as the supreme…

Hummmm—

-Regardless of the repetitions… I will…

Bzzz—

-None but myself… this world…

A chaotic ringing vibrated within his ears, paired with a jarring internal tremor.

A surge of agony, violent enough to splinter his very consciousness, battered his mind, but he endured the onslaught in silence, anchoring himself to his objective and his resolve.

After what felt like a timeless interval,

The turbulent current receded, the tempest in his consciousness grew quiet, and he gradually reclaimed his self-control.

“Whew…”

Letting out a quiet breath, he lowered his hand from his brow and frowned at the moisture coating his palm.

It was a thoroughly repulsive sensation, familiar though it was.

‘…How much of myself did I surrender this time?’

He dispassionately surveyed his internal state.

His distinct personality and core identity were eroding as he accumulated more divine power, but he could not permit himself to break down just yet. A vast amount of work remained unfinished.

‘The loss remains within tolerable thresholds. There is no cause for alarm. I can absorb even more.’

This was simply the inevitable cost of taking on divine power.

It would be avaricious to expect to preserve a mortal psyche while pursuing genuine godhood.

‘It poses no real obstacle.’

He had committed his entire life to this singular path, and he would not falter now.

Steeling his determination, he—.

…prepared to take another step when he abruptly froze in place.

“…”

His focus shifted.

Though his perception of time had been compromised, he recognized that he had been incapacitated for a brief period.

Even so, it could not have been longer than an hour.

‘They mobilized with this much speed? Without any advanced intelligence?’

He detected numerous entities closing in, encircling his position.

Their malice was palpable. This was no chance encounter.

Yet one detail struck him as odd.

The nature of the energy radiating from them… it was…

“…What? How are you present here?”

Before he could fully rationalize the anomaly, a recognizable shape stepped forward from the advancing ranks, leading the charge.

[“Heh heh— I managed to locate you first.”]

“…Hahoe Mask. What business do you have here?”

Hahoe Mask.

The entity he had battled not long ago, the very threat whose potential return had forced him to remain on Earth for a period.

In contrast to their previous conflict where his mask was whole, he now wore only a remnant of the mask fastened to his face, exposing his skeletal visage entirely… yet the identity was unmistakable.

The Master of Heaven’s Turn Society’s face hardened slightly as he confronted this unexpected adversary in such an improbable setting.

[“Well now? Why don’t you try to deduce it.”]

“…I comprehend. You possess the means to cross dimensions as well? Have you been conducting operations between Earth and this realm?”

[“Heheheh— Is that your conclusion?”]

“I was unaware that any other entity possessed such capability. This is… unpredicted. I failed to foresee this entirely.”

[“Oh? Still retaining your hubris, I see. It is beneficial for you to finally grasp that the universe is vast. My compliments.”]

“Then… are these pests your subordinates within this realm?”

While the two exchanged guarded barbs, the undead forces traveling with Hans—the commanding officers of the Immortal Army—deployed with synchronized precision.

Death Knight Lord Karam took the lead with the elite Death Knights, establishing a defensive front.

Dread Phantom Pagos drifted through the air, flanked by his ghostly apparitions.

Arch-Lich Kellypa began drawing a massive runic circle in the rear, assisted by the high-ranking Liches.

Salma, a transcendent awakened being, stood alongside a multitude of Abyss Revenants.

Furthermore, Ghoul Lord Fiona, Doom Knight Drexler, General Spartoi Trev, Death Wizard Malcolm, and others took their positions—.

Their dark, malevolent auras, intensified by their alignment with ‘death’, billowed outward, swiftly corrupting the immediate environment.

[“Raaaa—!”]

[“Shreeee—!”]

Soaring above the battlefield, their hunting gazes locked onto the terrain below, were the Bone Dragons, Entracio and Heratos.

Though he had mobilized merely a few hundred of the elite vanguards from the Immortal Army, their collective strength, bolstered by Hans’s deathly miasma, was immense.

‘…I recognized a familiar resonance while trapped in the void. So, Hahoe Mask commands that identical strength.’

The Master of Heaven’s Turn Society scowled, identifying the recognizable energy rolling off the undead ranks.

He had paid little heed to it during his captivity, writing it off as merely another variant of abyssal force…

“You continue to surprise me, Hahoe Mask. To think you were lurking here, in this realm, after fleeing Earth. And now you stand in my path… Does this imply you believe you possess the capacity to destroy me now?”

His derisive query triggered a violent eruption of energy, a crushing pressure that slammed down upon the environment.

Rumble—

A manifestation perfectly matching his status.

That pressure alone caused the undead commanders to waver, their collective cohesion trembling as they instinctively fell back a step.

[“Heh heh— You indulge in too much banter. You shall learn the reality momentarily.”]

Hans, who had been silently analyzing the field, released his own restraint, projecting a blend of dark sorcery and abyssal death that flooded the area.

It collided directly with the Master’s aura, creating a turbulent vortex of conflicting powers before infusing the forms of the undead commanders, awakening their latent capacities.

‘The compatibility between abyssal death and the undead is absolute. I cannot certain how effective these commanders will prove, but any extra leverage is useful.’

Hans centered his focus, bracing for the engagement amid the soaring pressure.

Having fought the Master previously, he understood the extent of his capabilities.

He lacked the certainty that he could emerge victorious in a solitary duel, even at his current level.

‘However, the parameters are altered in this space.’

He had been unable to unleash the full extent of the abyss’s power back on Earth due to the constraints of the world boundary… but here in Auterica, those boundaries did not apply.

Not only could the premier commanders of the Immortal Army benefit, but the Abyss Revenants, forged from the remains of Earthling awakened individuals, also enjoyed this heightened empowerment.

Conversely, the Master’s divine attributes, acquired from a foreign deity, would fail to operate at peak efficiency within Auterica.

Such an issue might have been negligible on Earth where he relied on his intrinsic power… but here, in a domain governed by its own deity, channeling the influence of an outside god presented a severe disadvantage.

‘This ground… belongs to me.’

Snap—

A sharp clicking sound originated from his skeletal fingers, though it was instantly drowned out by the ambient din of howling winds and sparking energy.

‘…You presume you can wrench this domain from my grasp?’

Hans’s gaze ignited with an ominous blue radiance, a freezing aura spilling from his frame as he confronted the trespasser who dared encroach upon his lands.

He no longer concerned himself with the Home Theater or the progression of the scenario.

His sole desire was to shatter his adversary, to unchain his complete might.

‘It is irrelevant if I fail to destroy him in this exact spot. I cannot permit him to wander unhindered; there is no predicting what chaos he might unleash.’

He held back the impulse to invoke 「Avatar Assembly」.

It was vital to maintain his alternate avatars and their respective organizations as security against unforeseen developments.

His current task was simply to delay the enemy until preparations were finalized.

‘My constant vigilance has yielded results.’

The explanation for how he had managed to intercept the Master so swiftly was uncomplicated.

The descent had occurred within the Northern Mountains, a region under the jurisdiction of the Zepia Republic.

This territory not only allowed for rapid data procurement, but it also functioned as a maximum-surveillance sector, perpetually patrolled by hundreds of his undead watchers.

Banshee Queen Olivia, who managed his intelligence operations, had been laboring without pause—a simple task, given she required no rest.

“…Very well, it is best I eliminate you before proceeding.”

At that moment, the Master of Heaven’s Turn Society, who had been deliberately evaluating the opposing forces, spoke with chilling intent.

Swish—

A radiant, twilight-hued illumination burst from his form, consuming the vicinity.

Though its absolute strength was diminished, it remained vastly superior to Heinrich’s holy capabilities.

The ambient deathly fog began to dissolve, shredded by the brilliant light.

“It is actually far more efficient to settle our affairs here. Now, show me the extent of your growth.”

[“Hahaha! Splendid! Let us begin!”]

Consequently, within that isolated and barren peak,

Boom—!

The second conflict between an extraterrestrial angel and the native Demon King commenced.

—

“Briki.”

“Ah— Heinz, it has been quite some time… Huh?”

Briki, turning around with her customary detached expression upon hearing the familiar greeting, suddenly went rigid.

Gulp—

A quiet swallow.

Yet her paralysis lasted only a fleeting second.

Quickly reclaiming her poise, she carefully directed her eyes downward and spoke once more.

“Um… H-High Lord? You appear to have returned from… somewhere. Did you… consume something remarkable? Your countenance is… radiating.”

“Prepare the forces for engagement.”

However, Heinz, possessing no leisure for small talk, dismissed her observations with a sharp directive.

He transmitted a telepathic instruction to the True Blood executives, the premier military personnel.

“Understood, High Lord!”

“Furthermore.”

His voice cut through Briki’s automatic acknowledgment.

“Prior to that.”

A bead of crimson fluid, flashing with the brilliance of a gemstone, formed at the tip of Heinz the Second’s finger—a manifestation of a Divine Blood’s 「Refined Blood Essence」.

Gulp—

Her focus locked entirely onto the intoxicating draft, another quiet swallow escaping her throat.