Chapter 80

Chapter 80
## Chapter 80

### Individual Projection (2)

‘To superimpose my physical form with the manifestation I have cultivated…’

The length of time this could be maintained would shift based on how practiced he became with the capability, meaning he would need to calculate those specifics down the road, but this power was far more incredible than he had initially anticipated.

To put it plainly, if he chose to manifest Hans, two separate instances of the Immortal King would exist simultaneously in the world during that brief window.

“Wow… This is truly remarkable.”

An involuntary murmur of awe escaped his lips.

Every single one of his manifestations possessed greater strength than he did in his primary, original form.

This was true even for Hubert, who was currently managing a commercial enterprise, as well as Harris, the Elf who had been brought into existence only recently.

‘It makes perfect sense, given all the developmental advantages and the accelerated passage of time they experience.’

He could understand perfectly why the system did not permit the creation of additional manifestations when a capability of this caliber was involved.

‘I ought to test it out at least once. Which one should I select for the initial manifestation?’

He paused to deliberate for a moment, weighing his choices for a test run.

The most powerful among them was undoubtedly Hans, but… he felt a lingering hesitation about utilizing him for the inaugural attempt due to his intense and volatile disposition.

He did not anticipate any genuine complications, yet he felt he required a bit more psychological readiness before taking that step.

The Elf, Harris, was ill-suited for the atmospheric conditions of Earth, while the merchant, Hubert, did not differ significantly from his baseline physical form.

That left him to make a selection from the remaining options…

‘Ah! Of course. Let us manifest Heinrich first.’

This presented an ideal window of opportunity, especially since he had lacked any means to call him into the physical realm ever since he affiliated with the Church.

“Whew.”

Without further delay, he shut his eyes and centered his focus.

Designating Heinrich as the specific target for his “Individual Projection” technique, he triggered the ability upon his own frame.

“…”

No dramatic detonations or blinding beams of light occurred.

Instead, the realization washed over him in a solitary, instantaneous heartbeat through his physical senses.

The reality that he had truly transformed into Heinrich.

He could perceive a surge of devastating might radiating from the dense, expanded musculature across his frame, while his heightened perceptions effortlessly absorbed data from the environment around him.

A torrential reservoir of holy power coursing through his veins filled him with absolute vitality.

‘This is a bizarre sensation.’

The authentic Heinrich was still physically located within the confines of the Church, yet the presence standing in this room was undeniably Heinrich as well.

His literal identity had been layered directly over his own, and the gear he wore had been replicated precisely, as though it were a perfect duplicate.

“So this is the sensation experienced by a awakened individual who wields holy power upon returning to Earth…”

He spoke the words in a low tone, pooling the holy energy within a single palm until it began to radiate a soft, gentle luminescence.

He was already aware of this reality through public knowledge, but experiencing it firsthand confirmed there was no impediment to utilizing his supernatural gifts.

‘Granted, the rate of replenishment is vastly diminished compared to when I am situated in Auterica.’

Perhaps reduced to roughly half its normal velocity?

Even so, the divine energy was being distributed without interruption, despite the truth that the conduit linking him to the Main God had been stretched and compressed to a thin strand, much like a taut piece of elastic.

‘As expected of a deity.’

It was precisely due to this phenomenon that a multitude of faiths originating from diverse realms were currently multiplying across the face of the Earth.

It was an easy task to stumble upon webpages titled things like ‘XXX Domain, XX Faith – Republic of Korea Regional Outpost’ while browsing the internet.

‘They draw a massive following because regular citizens wish to utilize the supernatural talents of returnees who operated as clerics.’

However, there was a strict ceiling on how far those institutions could expand.

The volume of adherents that such a scarce quantity of clerics could effectively oversee was fundamentally restricted.

Only returnees retained the capacity to manipulate holy power due to their unique physiological traits, and Earth remained an incredibly desolate environment for any form of mystical energy.

They lacked the authority to perform baptisms on normal people, and their baseline holy power was incapable of further development.

Furthermore, should their internal devotion begin to falter, their stores of holy power would inevitably degrade, leaving those returnees who had been clerics with no choice but to throw themselves entirely into ministry work simply to preserve their current level of strength.

An alliance known as the ‘Pantheon’ existed to unite these disparate otherworldly faiths, but their internal unity was incredibly fragile because their foundational beliefs were far too incompatible.

‘They operate at a severe disadvantage when measured against alternative awakened individuals, but that is simply an unalterable reality of how divine energy functions.’

He could not say for certain whether the various deities had brokered some sort of mutual compact, but these returnees truly needed to be grateful that their divine links had not been severed entirely.

Shifting his gaze, he observed Hans, who was currently masking his spiritual signature using a concealment field right beside him.

A faint, static-like friction prickled against his awareness, as though their fundamentally contrasting core energies were scraping against one another.

‘I have successfully verified the utility of “Individual Projection”. The “Mind Hub” is likewise operating without issue. I am highly intrigued to discover what will transpire when I choose to project Hans.’

At this juncture, the solitary remaining variable was determining the duration the ability could be sustained.

Regrettably, he arrived at that specific boundary sooner than he would have liked.

“Uh…”

His sensory perception shifted in a single heartbeat, mimicking the sensation of a camera lens swapping out a filter.

Even when viewed from Hans’s vantage point, his physical appearance shifted instantly, mimicking a hard cut in a video production.

Ten minutes.

Consulting the passage of time, he found himself unable to mask a wave of letdown.

Nonetheless, taking into account that this marked his very first trial with the capability, the operational window was bound to expand progressively as his familiarity and mastery grew.

It was entirely possible he might unlock alternative applications down the line.

‘Navigating situations will become significantly simpler going forward.’

He had gained an immense degree of personal latitude as a consequence of this single skill.

He could now appropriate whatever specialized talents a situation demanded in real-time, completely independent of whatever separate events his manifestations were entangled in within their respective locations.

‘For the time being, then… ’

An endless array of potential strategies utilizing this “Individual Projection” flooded his thoughts, but the absolute priority for his first action had already been firmly established.

—

The following calendar day, during the dead of night.

A pair of silhouettes materialized silently from the shadow of the pavement within an abandoned passageway.

There was myself, outfitted in a highly conspicuous ensemble consisting of a low-rimmed headpiece and a facial shroud…

Swoosh—

And alongside me was Hans, whose very aura seemed to drop the ambient temperature of the surrounding air to a freezing point.

Hans, who had served as my transport to this location, immediately dissolved back into the shadows beneath our feet.

‘Having Hans at my disposal is undeniably advantageous. His utility is boundless.’

Then again, given a caliber of strength like his, it would be a far greater challenge to identify a task he was incapable of executing.

Left entirely to my own devices, I remained motionless in the shadows, waiting for Hans to complete his assigned objective.

‘…It is finished.’

After a brief interlude, once every necessary arrangement had been finalized, I activated “Individual Projection”.

For this specific venture, the intended vessel for manifestation was once again the Holy Knight, Heinrich.

His entire sensory apparatus shifted in a flash.

He became acutely aware of a titanic power saturating every fiber of his being, as a deluge of holy energy suffused his form.

‘Time to move.’

I reached up to pull down the protective visor of the headpiece I wore and instantly triggered “Blessing: Leap” to close the distance to the exact coordinate where Hans’s attention was anchored.

Flash—

A burst of holy light detonated at the arrival point, briefly casting a brilliant glow over the immediate environment.

However, the protective boundary isolating the zone managed to completely contain the supernatural pressure without displaying a single tremor.

‘Success. Everything is proceeding without a hitch up to this point.’

This location was the medical ward where Tae-san’s grandmother had been admitted for treatment.

He had journeyed here in person to execute the strategy he had devised previously, capitalizing directly on the newfound power he had claimed.

‘The optimal approach is to manage this entire affair without drawing attention. Hans ensured the groundwork was flawless.’

Though a brilliant light had flashed directly in the center of the semi-private ward containing four medical beds, an absolute quiet maintained its hold over the room.

This perfect stillness was the direct result of Hans’s meticulous advance preparations, which incorporated both slumber enchantments and sensory-veiling fields.

‘He was restricted from even stepping foot inside this space… ’

At this very moment, he was monitoring the ward from a safe vantage point down the line, sustaining the enchantment from afar.

Achieving this was not particularly taxing when leveraging a suite of talents like “Path of Magic” and “Magic Domination”, yet it remained a fundamentally roundabout strategy.

Even so, he was left with no alternative.

‘Allowing him to draw too close to individuals in a weakened medical state carries far too much jeopardy.’

Regardless of how perfectly he could suppress his external presence, extreme vigilance was required because it was impossible to predict what sort of detrimental physiological impacts even a microscopic trace of his leaked power might inflict.

To those who were fragile, Hans represented the literal personification of demise.

I turned my head to cast a silent gaze upon the elderly woman, who remained locked in a deep, uninterrupted slumber.

‘…She has withered terribly.’

She was an individual with whom I had forged a natural bond through my companionship with Tae-san.

She had always been an incredibly warm-hearted grandmother, perpetually wearing a gentle expression while looking after her grandson and the circle of friends he kept…

A mere two winters had slipped by since I last gazed upon her due to my choice to isolate myself within my personal quarters, yet her physical frame had grown drastically more fragile.

Then again, she had shared a close relationship with my own parents, meaning their sudden departure from this world must have exacted a staggering psychological toll upon her health.

With a gentle touch, I clasped her skeletal hand and began to elevate my internal stores of holy energy.

A delicate, shimmering luminescence began to flow smoothly down into her fingers.

I maintained a steady infusion of holy power, channeling it through the specialized framework of “Auterica Holy Magic” to reconstitute her vital essence, fortify her baseline constitution, and purge any systemic impurities.

‘I cannot be certain of the ultimate efficacy of this treatment… ’

Divine power did not function as a magical panacea for all human ailments.

While it was undeniably factual that such energy possessed far superior restorative properties compared to alternative mystical forces, it was powerless to reverse the natural degradation of a body failing from advanced age.

Even the supreme patriarch overseeing the Main God Church was confined to a sickbed as a consequence of his twilight years.

‘Nevertheless, it ought to be sufficient to eradicate minor physical complaints and drastically elevate her body’s natural regenerative functions.’

Despite being heavily mitigated by the restrictive parameters of the Earthly realm, holy energy equivalent to a bishop’s rank was by no means insignificant.

As I held her hand and kept the restoration magic active, a flood of old memories washed over me.

I had crossed paths with Tae-san, building a deep friendship, which naturally brought me into the orbit of his grandmother.

The bond shared between us youths eventually bridged the gap between our respective households, resulting in my mother and father frequently sharing her company.

When she was initially placed in this medical facility, we had all gone as a family to offer our support…

That entire web of connections had been violently shattered alongside the catastrophic event that occurred on that fateful day.

I squeezed my eyelids shut, sustaining the flow of restorative holy magic until the exact moment before my skill’s time limit was set to expire, after which I gently released her fingers and retreated a step.

‘I have provided all that I can.’

Receiving medical intervention via bishop-tier holy energy on Earth was an extraordinary extravagance that ordinary citizens could never hope to access.

Practitioners capable of wielding that caliber of restoration were exceptionally scarce, and they would not casually acquiesce to such a demand.

“…I intend to return alongside Tae-san on a future occasion. I look forward to our next meeting when your vitality has returned.”

I breathed the words in a soft whisper to the elderly woman, whose facial features had eased into a noticeably more peaceful state, before immediately triggering “Blessing: Leap”.

In a fraction of a second, I materialised back inside the alleyway under Hans’s supervision, as Heinrich’s divine armaments vanished into nothingness, returning me to my baseline form.

“Whew…”

The endeavor had not extracted a heavy physical toll, yet a heavy exhalation escaped my lips automatically.

The sudden intrusion of historical recollections had severely disrupted my internal composure.

…Throughout this entire night, thoughts of my departed mother and father refused to leave my mind.

Just as I was attempting to anchor my wavering emotions, Hans materialized stealthily out of the shadows at my flank.

He radiated his customary, bone-chilling presence that felt as though it could freeze a person’s very soul.

“…!”

The psychological fog cleared from my mind instantly at the sight of him.

Hans.

The very first manifestation I had crafted, forged out of pure concentrated malice and dark sentiment using the “Persona” technique.

My own double, my manifestation, overflowing with stagnant, decaying psychological torment such as fury, grief, isolation, and deep-seated malice…

I silently studied the flickering azure phantom flames dancing within the contours of the Hahoe mask.

Despite knowing full well that I was merely gazing upon a extension of my own self, my “Clear Mind” defense wavered violently, leaving my thoughts spinning in a state of vertigo.

I could feel the weight of his unvoiced, agonizing screams.

…That was the reality of it.

He stood as the literal avatar of expiration, the very archetype of terror.

He was the consolidated mass of my darkest psychological baggage, the tangible manifestation of my personal frailties…

And at his core, he was fundamentally… ‘me’.

“Ha! Of course… I have harbored nothing but fury, malice, and grief for all this time… but I have no luxury to dally in emotional regression at this stage.”

The path before me did not involve turning my gaze backward to weep over old attachments, but rather…

To structure my strategy for what lay ahead, to systematically dismantle and eradicate the adversaries who opposed me.

I closed my eyes for a brief span, drawing in a massive breath before shifting my gaze to the side.

“Shall we make our departure?”

A faint smirk crossed my face as I initiated conversation with Hans for no particular purpose.

The darkness beneath our feet rippled like liquid, rising up to encircle and pull us down into the earth.

[Ah— The grand epic has only just crossed its threshold. There is absolutely no purpose in yielding to sentimentality at this juncture. We can afford ourselves that luxury at the absolute conclusion of this chronicle, while standing atop their desecrated remains. Hehehe… I am filled with immense anticipation!]

…He was missing one final component, without a doubt.

He represented the shameful, blackened depths of my own inner void.

—

Harris, upon making his landfall within the Elven Kingdom situated on the expanse of the Enamel Continent, initiated his trek toward the location of the World Tree, a journey spanning multiple days.

The fellow Elves and the rustic settlements he encountered throughout his passage offered a succession of novel experiences, while the melodies that appeared to vibrate in perfect harmony with the local elemental spirits brought an immense sense of pleasure to his senses.

Following a prolonged period of continuous travel, he at last arrived at his destination.

The absolute center of the realm, the sacred ground where the World Tree was rooted.

Even throughout his approach to this destination, calculating the sheer scale of the entity had proven nearly impossible due to its reality-defying proportions, but standing before it now felt as though he was confronting an immeasurable, vertical precipice.

“Ah!”

In that exact instant, Cecily, who was walking in lockstep alongside him, let out an involuntary cry and fixed an empty, unseeing gaze into the open air.

The conscious awareness within her amber-colored eyes began to rapidly recede.

“…The process has commenced.”

The High Elf, Rapori, spoke in a hushed, reverent tone, motioning for the assembled party to step back and grant her space.

Harris complied with the instruction, retreating alongside the others while maintaining a silent watch over Cecily.

‘That girl, Cecily, is finally undergoing the transformation into a genuine High Elf.’

Just as he felt himself beginning to be pulled into a vortex of unfamiliar, profound emotion,

‘Ah! Look there… ’

Harris’s vision locked onto an object that was drifting unhurriedly downward from the upper canopy of the sky.

A solitary bough, adorned with vibrant, healthy foliage, danced gently upon the currents of the wind as it made its descent.

‘The harvest of the World Tree.’

And suspended from the very tip of that descending branch was a deep-crimson fruit, roughly matching the dimensions of a clenched fist.