Chapter 463

Chapter 463
An ancient estate situated on the borders of the Pantheon.

“Seriously, what is the meaning of this abrupt absurdity? Dropping in out of nowhere like this.”

Shaking his head, the priest Jason murmured his complaints.

“Regardless of how you try to say that, your current expression makes it entirely unconvincing.”

“Is that how it seems?”

Yet, his cold, unmoving countenance as he uttered those words only sent a chill down the spine.

Following Heinz’s detached observation, the corner of his stiff, mannequin-like face distorted in an unnatural grimace.

“If it were up to me, I would have maintained my ignorance until the very end. However, what choice do I have when you have somehow uncovered that particular name? Though I must admit, I have no clue where you stumbled upon it.”

“I verified your identity through documentation left behind by a benevolent individual. You are the person who assumed the administrative responsibilities of the Pantheon on behalf of the archivist, correct?”

“That individual was incredibly negligent. Basic prudence dictates that an operative on a clandestine operation should never leave any identifying marks, under any circumstances.”

The pair carried on their discussion in a serene manner, mimicking a casual chat.

Nonetheless, the increasingly violent currents of air whipping around them made it abundantly clear that the situation was anything but tranquil.

‘Joker.’

He had initially uncovered that specific moniker within the gathered resources of conflict, hidden away inside a certain doctor’s digital archives.

‘In all honesty, stumbling upon that information was a matter of pure fortune.’

Contrary to his self-assured assertions, the data regarding ‘Joker’ had not been particularly comprehensive.

His discovery of the designation had occurred by absolute chance.

Had the digital entity Habis not detected that specific word—which remained partially unlinked because of a single typographical error in the lettering—he likely would have remained completely oblivious.

‘Furthermore, his true nature was never explicitly detailed, forcing me to piece together clues from minimal indicators.’

It was no understatement to say that he had deployed every single asset available to himself and his organization.

As a consequence of that desperate gamble, he had come dangerously close to being discovered by the Pantheon.

The framework that finally materialized was so incredible that he felt compelled to confirm its validity over and over again.

‘Originating from the Tamaria dimension. A priest serving the Laessus Church—Jason.’

He found it difficult to comprehend that his target was an individual with whom he had already crossed paths on several occasions.

From the moment Jason had journeyed to Korea specifically to contact him, to their subsequent joint arrival at the Pantheon, he had failed to detect a single hint of deceit, which made the revelation hit with even greater force.

“…Did you intentionally seek me out? Traveling all the way from Korea?”

“Hmm? Ah, in a manner of speaking. It provided an excellent pretext to investigate Korea without provoking any distrust—it would have been foolish to let such a perfect scenario slip away, wouldn’t it?”

Moreover, if Heinz had been determined to make his way to the Pantheon regardless, he would have engineered a method to facilitate it.

It was far more advantageous to remain right alongside him from the very beginning to maintain constant monitoring.

Concluding his explanation, Jason let out a heavy sigh and rolled his head back.

“Still, I never anticipated that matters would escalate to this degree. I should have never placed my trust in that incompetent Walter. I put off disposing of him simply because I loathed throwing away the labor I had invested, and now look at this disaster.”

“It certainly appeared poorly thought out. Yet, that isn’t entirely your blunder, is it? If we investigate the root cause, everything stems from your own initial actions,”

“…Oh? You managed to deduce that much as well?”

This was a detail he had verified with Walter prior to making his way here.

It functioned as a form of mental imprint.

While not as overwhelming as absolute compliance or hypnotic control, it was a highly sophisticated psychological binding so faint that even a master-tier holy warrior like himself—along with the numerous clergy of the Pantheon—could scarcely perceive it.

‘And he went so far as to offer himself up as a decoy to manipulate his target’s cognitive tendencies. It makes sense why the situation felt so peculiar previously.’

The entire incident from its inception to its conclusion had been engineered by Jason.

Ultimately, however, he had failed to fulfill his objective.

“Well, it matters little. Jason… or rather, Joker. Let’s finish this. Surrender peacefully, and I will ensure you are handled leniently.”

“That is a difficult offer to accept. I still have numerous tasks left to accomplish. It would be highly problematic for me to be captured at this juncture.”

“…Understood.”

In any case, the reality remained that he had callously played with the lives of others to satisfy his own motives. There was no telling how many individuals had suffered a fate similar to Walter’s.

Heinz no longer detected any benefit in continuing a civil dialogue.

Vraaaang—!

The instant his voice faded, a pair of golden irises ignited with light, triggering a localized tempest around them.

A brilliant, platinum radiance, intense enough to saturate the entire vicinity, swirled within the raging currents.

‘I have squandered far too much time. It is imperative that I subdue him before he initiates any underhanded tactics.’

He had momentarily held back due to the man’s strangely compliant demeanor and straightforward responses, but his target was a malicious culprit who had manipulated and betrayed everyone up to this point.

The process of questioning could be delayed.

For the time being, his goal was to eliminate any unpredictable elements.

“…Tch, you possess a far shorter fuse than your appearance suggests.”

Clicking his tongue, Joker knit his brows in irritation.

The unexpected confrontation had caught him completely off guard; he had attempted to stretch out the conversation to gain time, but it appeared his window of opportunity had reached its absolute end.

Sliding his hand into his coat, his fingers clamped around an object.

However, with his combat instincts already fully engaged, Heinz did not pause for a second, regardless of how his opponent reacted.

‘Swift and definitive!’

Blinding platinum suns ignited around his clenched hands.

Striking the earth with immense force, he closed the distance in an instant, throwing his fist forward with maximum power.

Gbang—!

The sheer kinetic force of the strike was capable of flattening a small mountain ridge in a single blow, tearing through the space ahead.

Nonetheless, his adversary was likewise a master-tier holy knight; he was not about to be broken by a physical strike without pulling out his own weapon.

Consequently, he struck forward without holding anything back…

Woooong—!

“What? What is this?”

The conflict immediately transformed into an entirely unfamiliar situation.

[“Ugh! To think I would be forced to deploy this asset so prematurely. Yet I refuse to simply perish here—there is no alternative! I will ensure that you are entirely obliterated right this instant!”]

An unidentified energy from every path began to coalesce toward this centralized point.

Heinz scowled as he observed the defensive ward vibrating slightly under the impact of his strike.

Crackle!

An unfamiliar sacred energy radiated an intense violet light, flowing downwards like molten rock.

Fierce electrical discharges manifested continuously at the intersection where the power emanating from his hand collided with the aura radiating from Joker’s form.

A malevolent sensation drifted from the shroud that was insulating and absorbing the kinetic impact around the individual trapped within.

[“Witness it! And shake with terror! This represents the authentic power of Luseni-sama, manifested across the dimensional divide!”]

Following that proclamation, Joker—who had maintained absolute composure just moments prior—erupted into a hysterical cackle, raising his arms toward the heavens.

Heinz, the adversary he had been debating with, had already slipped completely from his thoughts.

The unrefined power, unleashed solely to escape an immediate crisis, had rushed straight to his mind, stripping away his cognitive facilities within seconds.

Gugugu—!

The dark violet vapor rippled outward violently, expanding in a feral manner and blanketing the landscape.

The materialized power within twisted into shifting, formless shapes.

Heinz leaped backward while rapidly evaluating the situation.

‘Luseni? Luseni?’

Luseni.

Was that not the malevolent divinity that constituted one of the primary belief structures within the Tamaria dimension, existing in perpetual opposition to Laessus?

The animosity between their factions was so severe that brutal sectarian conflicts broke out on a daily basis.

‘How ridiculous. Projecting the image of a Laessus holy knight to the world, while secretly serving the malevolent entity Luseni in the shadows.’

Sacred power was the manifestation of dedicated devotion.

Conviction born from unwavering faith made the simultaneous possession of conflicting sacred energies virtually impossible.

‘He must possess some unique methodology that permits this contradiction… Not that I am incapable of achieving a similar feat if I chose to.’

In the current state of the world, nothing could be deemed completely impossible.

He himself served as the ultimate confirmation of that reality!

There was no decree stating that another individual could not replicate his circumstances.

‘I will analyze this afterward. For now, I must neutralize that threat.’

Crackle—!

The energy of a foreign deity, dragged through the void through some clandestine process that bypassed dimensional restrictions, had swelled exponentially and was consuming the environment, closing the distance toward him.

Heinz evaded the tendrils of physical energy with fluid motions, tracking the movements with focused, unblinking eyes.

As the invocation escalated, details that had previously remained concealed began to manifest one after another.

‘Ah, he constructed a sacrificial platform directly on this site. And this specific ritualistic array…’

How long had this enterprise been in development?

The territory upon which the Pantheon rested held the world’s most potent concentration of ancient power.

The defensive measures were correspondingly impenetrable; channeling its stored energy for personal use was practically unattainable.

Clergymen who answered to the deities would never permit the exploitation of their sacred remains.

‘From what point in time?’

Nevertheless, within this dilapidated estate on the boundaries of the Pantheon, it was unfolding.

Siphoning the ancient power secured within the earth like drawing resources from a well, transforming it into a functional state, and hoarding it—all without raising a single alarm.

Seemingly harmless on the surface, it was in reality a colossal powder keg awaiting a single spark to detonate at its master’s command.

“The Pantheon laid claim to this woodland and established the settlement roughly two decades ago.”

Heinz’s gaze sharpened as he surveyed the area.

The architecture of the estate appeared to predate the history of the Pantheon, and the magical arrays seemed to have integrated with the natural surroundings over a vast period.

This pointed to a single conclusion.

‘Long before the Pantheon ever properly anchored itself in this region… this strategy was already being executed. They anticipated that this exact location would be selected.’

It would have been impossible to construct this covertly once the Pantheon was established.

Had it been done later, some form of disturbance would have inevitably been detected.

‘It functions exactly like a dormant infection slowly wasting away a host without presenting symptoms. Gathering ancient energy from the leylines, patiently waiting for the ideal moment.’

The accompanying violence, sacrifices, and disputes throughout the process—all served as ideal nourishment for this project.

The activities of the malevolent deity’s disciples, which involved constantly provoking the Pantheon, were highly likely designed to facilitate this exact outcome.

‘Regardless, I cannot allow that entity to remain unchecked.’

A manifested echo of a divinity brought forth through a supernatural event was a dangerous presence on Earth, even if it represented only a fraction of its true power.

Particularly when dealing with a malevolent deity—there was no telling what kind of devastation it might unleash.

‘I must deploy my full capabilities from the very beginning.’

Three sets of colossal wings composed of pure light materialized behind Heinz as he launched himself into the sky.

A magnificent, pristine sacred blade shone brilliantly as he gripped it tightly.

“Give top priority to clearing out the elderly and the young!”

“Accelerate your movements! We must assist in reinforcing the defensive ward!”

“Curse it all! Disciples of the malevolent deity! Pushed into a corner and unleashing this filth right in the center of the Pantheon. I will ensure their entire lineage is eradicated!”

The frantic shouts of the active priests on the ground reached his position.

The swelling echo of the foreign god had already consumed the vast majority of the Pantheon’s peripheral woodlands.

Those who had been delayed in their flight were caught in the wake, though for the moment, the location offered a slight advantage.

‘It is fortunate that this confrontation is taking place deep within the woods…’

Had this occurred within a populated urban center, it would have resulted in an immediate slaughter.

Any individual who had not attained a significant level of cultivation would perish from mere exposure to the dark violet vapor swirling around the perimeter, to say nothing of facing the actual entity.

“We must halt its growth by any means necessary!”

“Ugh, our sacred power is proving ineffective against it!”

“The variance in energy concentration is simply too vast. We are barely maintaining our positions, but if we do not find a solution shortly, the moment our forces deplete their reserves…”

“We must at least request immediate reinforcement from the Guardians…”

The clergy below exerted themselves desperately to find a countermeasure, yet they could do little more than panic in their helplessness.

Then, abruptly.

Several individuals shifted their gazes upward and cried out.

“Hey! This is no time for jests… Wait, is that actually real…?”

“Hold on. Is that an angel? That should be impossible…!”

Filtering out the chaotic chatter from below, Heinz tightened his hold on his blade and inhaled deeply to steady his focus.

This phenomenon was part of a supernatural event initiated by Joker, fueled by the ancient energy hoarded within the land.

While it was undeniably flawed, it remained the manifestation of a divinity that commanded an entire realm.

‘Though, when I truly reflect upon it, this is not particularly extraordinary.’

The adversaries he had confronted in the past were by no means lesser threats.

The Great Demon King, imprisoned divinities, and cosmic disasters capable of shattering entire dimensions.

Facing one additional divine echo? It was of little consequence.

Heinz let out a soft laugh.

‘I wonder when exactly my resolve became this unshakable.’

“Very well. Let us begin.”

In the subsequent instant.

His form, radiating a brilliant platinum light, shifted into the shape of a gargantuan blade, hurtling downward toward the earth below.