Chapter 454

Chapter 454
The Tyrant Dragon Tyronax. That brutal monster, whose terrible temper triggered violent gales across the lowlands whenever it pleased, stood as the ultimate manifestation of dread and devastation throughout this land. Its colossal frame rivaled the height of a towering peak, flanked by two immense wings, with jagged horns and spikes jutting from its skull and down its spine. The staggering physical might generated by its sheer mass allowed it to obliterate any target effortlessly, while its heightened perception, reflexes, and physical prowess operated on a sublime plane, completely contradicting its massive, heavy build. Its outer plating consisted of the most unyielding substance in existence, paired with an unfathomable reservoir of life force and defensive resilience. Furthermore, any injuries sustained while fighting it were utterly incurable by conventional means… It was entirely logical that a multitude of courageous warriors had historically marched out to eliminate the Tyrant Dragon to bring peace to the realm, only to meet their demise. Had its cognitive capacity been anything more than slightly superior to that of an intelligent animal, confronting it would have been an impossible endeavor from the outset. It was the apex predator occupying the absolute peak of the food chain, plain and simple. And at this precise moment, that very Tyrant Dragon Tyronax was…

Kuwoong-Kwarrung!

….crashing violently into a mountain ridge, its flesh riddled with lacerations, sparking an immense avalanche. The Tyrant Dragon forced its skull outward from the debris of shattered earth and bellowed with fury. A scream saturated with fury, agony, annoyance, defeat, and countless other sensations.

[You are enduring even this? As expected of your reputation—you are quite different from the previous specimens. You will serve as magnificent raw components. I initially assumed this venture was a failure, but this outcome is entirely satisfactory.]

However, Hans, staring down the creature, detected a hidden sensation buried deep beneath its actions. A distinct terror that its savage hostility failed to mask.

[Keuhuhut, remain motionless. I shall grant you an even greater release. Your brethren are already waiting further down this path, so you will not find yourself isolated.]

A radiant dark orb ascended from the palm he extended toward the heavens. An exact inversion of the authentic sun that cast illumination across the earth—an imitation sun radiating absolute shadow. As its essence rippled outward, every biological entity within its radius shriveled and contorted instantaneously. Immediately following this.

Kwaaaang-!

An immense column of dark fire erupted into the skies, paired with a violent tremor that convulsed the surrounding terrain. It possessed a destructive capacity capable of completely obliterating an entire mountain peak. The resulting shockwaves reached populated areas far in the distance, yet Hans, entirely absorbed by the resilient creature remaining before him, paid no heed to such secondary occurrences.

[You still retain a spark of vitality after experiencing that? Truly remarkable…]

He inclined his head in a deliberate nod, a spark igniting within his eyes. Pure excitement welled up inside him as he contemplated the magnificent creation he could fashion by converting this creature—the supreme entity of this specific realm—into a loyal undead servant.

[Krooo-!]
[Kyaaa-!]

Right then, a pair of gigantic draconic skulls materialized from the darkness beneath the struggling Tyrant Dragon, locking their jaws firmly onto its neck. The three massive entities immediately became entangled, tumbling across the landscape. The onslaught did not cease there.

[Subdue it while minimizing damage to the corpse.]
[Its life force is practically depleted. We can conclude this swiftly.]

In contrast to the draconic entities native to alternative realms, this creature was merely an unthinking beast, meaning he felt no moral hesitation in orchestrating its demise. Based on the data acquired through Olivia, it functioned as a volatile hazard that generated nothing but devastation wherever it went.

‘I have not secured much valuable bounty during this journey, so I might as well claim this prize. Harley is certainly due for a proper feast after such an extended period.’

A significant amount of time had elapsed since his departure from Diveor. Hans had journeyed across two additional realms before arriving at this fourth destination, Milleria—yet following his initial success, he had failed to locate any clues indicative of the Oath of Reverse Heaven. When contrasted with the prior realms that were actively teetering on the edge of total annihilation, his encounters here had been restricted to minor annoyopsies like this Tyrant Dragon.

‘Then again, reflecting upon it, this realm has not been placed under a dimensional seal yet. I directed my path here primarily because the evaluation of extracted memories highlighted a potential anomaly.’

Judging by the current state of affairs, it appeared he had failed to find what he was looking for once more. Exalted entities frequently possessed voids in their recollections when their mental safeguards were broken, meaning such an outcome was hardly unprecedented. Naturally, this turn of events was not entirely negative. It would have proven far more problematic if every single realm he visited contained traps orchestrated by the Reverse Heaven Lord. Discovering that the antagonist’s reach was not entirely omnipresent constituted a valuable realization in its own right.

‘Even so, it is rather frustrating to continuously come up empty-handed after devoting so much effort to intelligence gathering.’

It had seemed a logical course of action to focus on realms where operations were actively unfolding rather than those already completely devastated, under the assumption that more evidence would remain. To fulfill his objectives, however, it might be necessary to transition to a realm offering superior probabilities next.

‘Thinking on it, there is an appropriately timed sealed realm remaining. Judging by the consolidated memories, the probability of external manipulation in that location is exceptionally high…’

While Hans remained deeply absorbed in these reflections.

Wooong-

A faint pulse resonated from within his garments. He cast a brief look toward his minions, who were currently butchering the carcass of the Tyrant Dragon and gathering valuables, before retrieving the vibrating object.

Wooong-

Once exposed to the open air, the item throbbed with even greater fervor.

[Good grief, you still refuse to accept your reality, don’t you?]

He brought the charm up to his vacant orbital cavity, shaking his head while letting out a quiet breath. Staring intently into the bizarre ocular organ attached to the links of the chain with his glowing vision.

Pajijijik-

Dark static discharge erupted from his fingertips. Without a moment’s pause, he thrust the energy against the twitching eyeball, searing its surface. The organ convulsed erratically, desperately attempting to break free from his fingers, yet such struggles were entirely pointless, as anticipated.

‘Remarkable. Even though its primary consciousness was utterly obliterated, it maintains its defiance to the absolute limit. This must be the lingering willpower of its authentic form.’

Such resilience was fitting for an entity magnificent enough to bear the title of a Great Demon. Its desperate grasp on existence during its final moments had undoubtedly preserved this fragment.

‘I have reaped significant advantages from its demise as well. Deprived of that entity, constructing an implement of this caliber would have been out of the question.’

Hans expressed his approval with a nod, closing his hand around the now-submissive charm. Was it not precisely because of this unique asset that he possessed the capability to grant McCarthy the attributes of the ‘Infinite Great Demon’?

He operated as a necromancer and occupied the pinnacle of dark sorcery. Provided he possessed the necessary components and environment, summoning entities, forging demonic pacts, and manufacturing enchanted instruments to yield ‘demon-infused artifacts’ represented a manageable task.

‘Granted, had the variables and fortune not aligned perfectly, replicating an item that retains this degree of original dominion would have been an impossibility.’

In any event, the Infinite Great Demon existed as a near-deity. Diveor was devoid of genuine deities—likely a consequence of the Main God’s malevolent disposition—and its demonic entities, each presiding over a specific ‘concept,’ occupied positions akin to gods. Overcoming the challenges of locking such an entity’s undiluted dominion inside an object was immense, barring a severely degraded iteration.

‘Had I not secured the demon’s physical form—flung into a vegetative state by a direct Death Sentence without suffering absolute destruction—the concept of utilizing it would never have crossed my mind.’

Even following the grueling procedures required to finalize its creation, the staggering tax it levied on the creator prevented the manufacturing of duplicates. Even an individual of Hans’s caliber could manage only this singular piece.

‘Furthermore, constructing an additional one is impossible without the necessary raw elements.’

Nevertheless, the expertise gathered during this endeavor would streamline future attempts.

‘Should that scenario manifest…’

While Hans continued to analyze the charm.

[My liege… the task has been entirely completed…]

[Mm.]

He impassively monitored the vicinity upon hearing the statement from nearby.

The terrain had transitioned into something unrecognizable.

The pervasive devastation was a secondary matter; an immense hollow now existed where a towering mountain had previously stood—nothing more needed to be uttered.

‘…Given sufficient duration and precipitation, that depression could transform into a body of water. The landscape was becoming suffocating with peaks everywhere—a sweeping, unobstructed lake will be ideal.’

Naturally, Hans remained entirely indifferent.

He shamelessly justified the outcome, disregarding the reality of severe ecological devastation.

‘Very well, it is time to depart. Utilizing the Tyrant Dragon as our concluding objective, I have accumulated a vast quantity of viable components.’

Regardless of how destructive he might be, he could not justify completely wiping out species as an interloper in this world. Having acquired an amount sufficient to satisfy his needs, remaining any longer constituted an inefficient use of time.

Consequently, the traveler from another realm faded away as imperceptibly as he had entered. He moved toward his pre-established next target—a realm that had been isolated for an age, much like Diveor.

‘Koshyas.’

Following the departure of the interloper.

The shockwaves radiating from the restricted territory only manifested to the wider world after a significant delay.

The terrifying reputation of the Tyrant Dragon ensured that no native dared venture near the conspicuous column of combustion and seismic activity.

The populace only discovered much later that an unprecedented body of water now occupied the coordinates where a mountain had stood unmoving for eras.

Simultaneously, a multitude of notorious draconic beasts, including the fearsome Tyrant Dragon, had vanished entirely from the world.

That occurrence transitioned into Milleria’s great myth and unsolved riddle, inherited across subsequent eras.

Forever associated with the designation of the ‘Dragon Lake’.

[…Huh?]

The exact instant he stepped through the dimensional threshold.

Hans’s primary sensation was utter confusion.

He briefly questioned whether he had deviated from his intended trajectory.

The reality was completely jarring.

The environment failed to correspond with his internal data regarding this destination.

The Koshyas dimension was recognized as a component of the ‘Civilization Realm.’

It possessed technical advancements comparable to Earth’s, though magitech had seamlessly integrated supreme engineering into everyday existence.

Yet the panorama extending before him was…

[…An already deceased realm.]

Labeling it as ‘rubble’ failed to capture the scope.

The terrain was saturated with shattered masonry, twisted metal fragments; immense fissures fractured the earth like fields split by extreme drought, extending into absolute darkness.

It was undeniably solid ground, yet it functioned essentially as an isolated landmass.

‘Even the subterranean magma is losing its warmth.’

He shook his head after inspecting the depths of the fissures using his ‘Eyes of the Abyss.’

Subsequently, he ascended to a superior altitude, surveying the entirety of the realm.

‘The water volumes are severely depleted. And everything has decayed.’

With the environment that sustained life rendered in such a state, no biological organisms could persist.

A lethal atmospheric composition had supplanted the minimal oxygen reserves, accompanied by unmitigated radiation and a planetary core growing cold.

Employing his specialized capabilities for identifying living essences, he cast his perception to the absolute limit—yet verified an absolute absence of life, stretching from macro-organisms to microscopic entities.

[An absolute absence of mana throughout this environment.]

Earth, a domain devoid of mystical properties, surfaced in his thoughts… though this was significantly more severe.

In contrast to a natural absence of energy, this realm had been completely drained of its vital essence, presenting itself as a severely withered husk to his perception.

Even within a collapsing world, there was a total absence of the ‘energy of death’—an astonishing reality.

Moving rapidly while scanning the topography below, Hans arrested his momentum mid-air.

Deliberately, he shifted his focus toward the heavens above.

‘This realm has already reached its definitive conclusion.’

A fractured, shattered firmament.

Past its boundaries existed no cosmic expanse.

Nothing but an absolute void consuming the entirety of the devastated realm.

‘There is no path to salvation for this world. Not that a single living entity remains to be saved regardless.’

It existed as a ‘ruined world’—nothing beyond that definition.

That specific descriptor would characterize Koshyas from this point forward.

Right then, a sudden realization dawned upon him.

The notification from the system that invariably greeted his arrival across realms had failed to manifest on this occasion.

‘The Main God, the custodian of realms, and the Akasha System that links every dimension have completely cast this location aside.’

He reassessed the world once more, cutting through the atmosphere.

The Reverse Heaven Lord was unquestionably the architect of this ruin.

To secure even a solitary hint aligning with his primary purpose, he was required to locate an anomaly. There was no guaranteeing when he might encounter another environment in this condition.

Then, at a particular juncture, his physical frame locked up as he broadcasted his perception across the expanse.

[This sensation is…]

Verifying the input once more—there was no error.

A microscopic trace of vitality.

And this specific signature belonged unambiguously to…

‘A human? A member of mankind has managed to survive within this purgatory? By what means?’

As an undead entity, the physical hardship mattered little to him—yet even operatives possessing system safeguards would perish rapidly in these surroundings.

Nevertheless, an individual remained alive amidst this cataclysm…

Hans accelerated forward with the velocity of a lightning bolt.

Directing himself toward the solitary survivor remaining within this devastated world.