Chapter 332

Chapter 332
## Chapter 332

The situation had shifted entirely because the adversary had successfully seized control over the whole Field of Stars. Due to the stacking and intensification of various magical enhancements, his strikes were no longer mere “small skewers.”

*Stab!*

Every single hit landed as a devastating critical blow. It was enough to drive anyone to the brink of madness. Yet, it was still premature to admit defeat.

“…A blade?”

Actually, perhaps it wasn’t too early. The Giant of Ruin-Demolition shifted his sight downward, staring at the steel buried deep within his sternum. He gripped the weapon, attempting to wrench it out with his colossal strength, but the blade remained fixed, immovable. This was the secondary sword the challenger had wielded, the counterpart to the holy blade, Brilliant Ru-Maria.

Now, that very sword was anchored in his own flesh.

*Gulp! Gulp!*

The weapon began to thirstily drink his essence. Suddenly, notifications flared into existence:

> 《The ‘Ultimate Transcendent Sword’ consumes the lifeblood of the ‘Giant of Ruin-Demolition’ and advances by one stage.》
> 《The ‘Ultimate Annihilation Transcendent Sword’ consumes the lifeblood of the ‘Giant of Ruin-Demolition’ and advances by one stage.》
> 《The ‘Ultimate Annihilation Severance Transcendent Sword’ initiates evolution.》
> 《Two blades are required to facilitate the evolution of the ‘Transcendent Sword’.》
> 《‘Path of Light (Unique Grade)’ and ‘Brilliant Ru-Maria (Unique Grade)’ are sacrificed as catalysts for the evolution.》
> 《‘Endurance (Supreme Unique Grade)’ has been forged.》

It was a gamble of total victory or total loss. Like most virtual worlds, Pangenia featured items capable of merging and evolving. However, such treasures were incredibly scarce here, and even if discovered, completing their progression was a monumental task. The ‘Ru-’ series and the ‘Transcendent Sword’ were notorious for being the most grueling among them.

The ‘Ru-’ weapon was a multi-part holy sword that only reached its peak when paired with a specific suffix, such as the legendary ‘-Maria’. Finding a standard holy sword was difficult enough, but finding the exact matching half was nearly impossible. I had been fortunate to acquire the pieces via the ‘Golden Rule Shop’, but the ‘Transcendent Sword’ was the true nightmare.

*A sword that grows. In practice, it’s the hardest project to finish.*

Locating a base Transcendent Sword wasn’t out of the question; they occasionally appeared within the hoards of dragons, having been infused with the mana of mythical beings over centuries. However, the path to “completing” it dwarfed the difficulty of the ‘Ru-’ blades. The sword required four distinct evolutionary phases: Ultimate, Truth, Annihilation, and Severance.

It matured solely by drinking blood, with the criteria becoming increasingly steep. To reach Ultimate, it needed the blood of fifty individuals; for Truth, one hundred. To nourish the blade, a wielder was forced into a ‘chaotic’ path, accumulating infamy until they were branded a ‘sinner’. A slayer of a hundred men couldn’t walk into a village without a disguise, and major hubs were off-limits entirely, as priests stationed at gates or warp points could instantly detect one’s ‘evil deeds’.

*Annihilation requires the blood of a transcendent mythical entity. And for the final stage, Severance, it demands the blood of a named guardian.*

The final two requirements were staggering. Mythical beings were rare, and the kill only counted if performed solo. As for a named guardian? That meant a Star Guardian with an actual title. The Giant of Ruin-Demolition satisfied both criteria perfectly.

Finally, I had pushed through and finished the growth cycle. The completed weapon then transitioned back into a ‘combination-type’, offering one last leap in power.

*I can’t believe I’ve managed to finish this again.*

I had achieved this feat once in my past life while battling a named guardian to seize a ‘Holy Star’. I had barely survived that encounter, and the result had been a source of deep bitterness.

*…I paired it with blades that had conflicting traits and failed miserably.*

The resulting weapon was the ‘Sword of Great Chaos’. True to its title, it caused confusion in enemies, but its raw combat efficacy was actually lower than the individual swords used to make it. I had essentially incinerated three priceless weapons. That failure, however, taught me a vital lesson: the innate ‘characteristics’ of the base swords are paramount when finalizing a Transcendent Sword.

*Path of Light and Ru-Maria. Both are holy implements. Both are at their zenith.*

Since both were Unique Grade and shared identical elemental traits, I didn’t hesitate to use them. I felt a surge of certainty.

*A Transcendent Sword has the potential to reach Unique Grade or beyond.*

Because it was forged from the concentrated mana of mythical species, there was another possibility.

*It might possess an ego.*

It could become a sentient weapon, much like ‘Winter’. That was the primary reason I hadn’t drawn ‘Winter’ during this fight. Beyond the risk of revealing my true identity, I wanted to maximize the odds of this specific evolution.

With a shaky gaze, I inspected the weapon now protruding from the Giant of Ruin-Demolition.

—

### 【Endurance (Supreme Unique Grade)】

* **Description:** The blade of ‘Endurance’, representing the antithesis of the primal sin, ‘Wrath’.
* **Restriction:** Only the ‘Blood Saint of Endurance’ may wield this, though it is currently usable via the ‘Winter’ effect (‘Permits the use of all ‘Supreme’ categorized items’).
* **Effects:**
* Natural health recovery is amplified by 2x.
* All sensory perceptions are amplified by 2x.
* All Elemental/Status Resistances +20%
* Total HP +20
* Physical/Magical Damage +20%
* Bonus damage against ‘Boss Monsters’ +20%
* Experience Gain +200%
* Skill Proficiency Efficiency +200%
* All skill level ceilings increased by 5 (New Max: 50Lv).

> 《‘Supreme’ grade items possess irreplaceable unique names.》《You currently hold two ‘Supreme’ grade artifacts.》
> 《Collection system initialized.》

****

* **‘Throne of Light’ + ★‘Winter (The Final Twilight)’** = ‘A Blindingly Cold Seat’ (Total Armor Penetration +2%)
* **‘The One Who Moved the First Flame’ + ★‘Winter (The Final Twilight)’** = ‘The First and the Last’ (All Statistics +2)
* **‘Path of Light’ + ‘Holy Path’** = ‘The One Who Walks on Light’ (Curse Reflection +10%)
* **‘Throne of Light’ + ‘Path of Light’** = ‘Brilliant Throne’ (Light Attribute Affinity +100%)
* **★‘Winter (The Final Twilight)’ + ★‘Endurance’** = ‘An Endless Time of Hardship’ (Acquire Void)

A flood of text filled my vision, but one notification stood out above all others:

> 《The Hidden Trait ‘Oblivion’ has evolved into ‘Void’.》

A Hidden Trait evolution! ‘Oblivion’, which had remained stagnant and mysterious for so long, had finally transformed upon the acquisition of a second ‘Supreme’ sword. I felt a chill of excitement. From the stats of Endurance to the trait evolution—every single gain was monumental.

“…Why… won’t this… leave…!”

*Grrrrr!*

The Giant of Ruin-Demolition snarled, straining every muscle to yank ‘Endurance’ from his chest. But the sword ignored his titanic strength. Instead, the more he struggled, the deeper the blade bit into his core, draining his vitality.

“Grrrgh!”

His skin flushed a deep, angry red as he exerted himself to the limit, yet the weapon remained anchored.

*Thud!*

Exhausted and off-balance from his own desperate efforts, the Giant of Ruin-Demolition collapsed to the earth. Seizing the moment, I leaped onto his massive chest and closed my hand around the grip of ‘Endurance’.

Immediately, I felt it. *It definitely has a soul.*

*Zzzzzzt!*

The sword pulsed. It didn’t speak in words like ‘Winter’, but its intent was clear. It vibrated with a frequency only I could perceive. It felt… like a loyal hound wagging its tail in pure joy.

At that moment, voices called out.

“O Druid of the Golden Rule! Are you unharmed?”

“…Well now.”

Albino and Lyca were approaching from across the field.

“H-have you actually bested the Giant of Ruin-Demolition?!”

“Incredible…!”

The rest of my subordinates followed. There was a slight misunderstanding occurring; the Giant had essentially tripped himself up due to the sword’s weight and his own exertion, and I was simply standing on him, but to the onlookers, it looked like a total subjugation.

However, my followers weren’t the only witnesses.

“The Giant of Ruin-Demolition… defeated?!”

“How could this happen in such a short span?!”

The remaining Star Guardians were there as well, but they were currently being held as ‘hostages’. Some were too injured to move, while others had surrendered to ensure the safety of their comrades.

“…Forgive me, Giant of Ruin-Demolition. Those two captured so many of our kin that I could not fight on. …Though you seem to be in a dire state yourself.”

A Star Guardian in the shape of a massive wolf spoke these words of apology. ‘Those two’ clearly referred to Albino and Lyca. My “ultimate duo,” whom I expected to be peerless, had delivered even better results than I imagined while I played the distraction.

I had told them ‘don’t kill the Star Guardians’, but I hadn’t anticipated they would use hostage tactics to force a mass surrender.

*At least no one is dead.*

There were wounds, but the ranks were intact. I looked down at the Giant pinned beneath me.

“Do you wish to keep going?”

“…”

“It doesn’t look like a winning move.”

“…”

The Giant of Ruin-Demolition remained silent. He still had the health to fight; he could likely hold his own against the group and force a stalemate until the clock ran out. But he looked at the surviving Star Guardians. They were alive only because the enemy had shown mercy.

The Druid of the Golden Rule had willed it. He had placed more trust in his subordinates than in his own individual power. The Giant slowly closed his eyes.

“…I concede. The victory is yours.”

For the first time in his existence, he admitted defeat.

> 【A winner has emerged within the allotted time.】
> 【The ‘Knight Order of the Golden Rule’ is victorious!】
> 【You have unlocked 10 ‘Wondrous Feats’ within the ‘Field of Stars’.】
> 【Achievement: ‘All Members Survived’.】
> 【Achievement: ‘Honorable Confrontation’.】
> 【Achievement: ‘2nd Floor Boss Room Perfect Clear’.】
> 【Achievement: ‘You and I, Eye to Eye’.】
> 【You claim one ‘Soul of the Forgotten Knight’ from the ‘Star Guardian Knight Order’.】
> 【Total ‘Souls of the Forgotten Knight’ acquired: 15.】
> 【The ‘Knight Order of the Golden Rule’ has reached ‘19’ Wondrous Feats.】
> 【Dungeon Wondrous Feat Progress: 38/370.】

—

> 【You have reached the 3rd floor.】
> 【Three paths toward the ‘Root of the World Tree’ are available.】
> 【Choose one:】
> 1. Normal Room
> 2. Question Mark (???) Room
> 3. Boss Room (Requires 5+ Souls of the Forgotten Knight)
>
>

As we crossed the threshold, the familiar interface appeared. I didn’t need to deliberate.

> 【You have chosen ‘3. Boss Room’.】
> 【The ‘Knight Order of the Golden Rule’ has entered the ‘Boss Room’.】
> 【The ‘Knight Order of the White King’ has entered the ‘Boss Room’.】
> 【Each order is granted a ‘Monster Soul (Grade 0)’ for summoning.】
> 【Enhance the ‘Soul’ grade as much as possible before the deadline.】
> 【Methods: Tame the summoned creature and evolve it through combat.】
> 【Additional factors may also increase the grade.】
> 【If the creature dies, the Soul resets to Grade 0.】
> 【Time Limit: 72 hours.】
> 【At the deadline, the two summoned creatures will duel.】
> 【The loser forfeits 3 ‘Souls of the Forgotten Knight’.】
> 【All wondrous feats from the 3rd floor will be transferred to the victor.】
> 【A ‘Forgotten God’ will oversee the conflict.】

The rules of the Boss Room were clear: high risk, high reward. And with a ‘Forgotten God’ involved from the start, the stakes were even higher. But I felt a surge of confidence.

*This floor belongs to me.*

Taming and forced evolution? That was my specialty.

—

**Baby Hydragon**

“…The ‘Star Guardians’ have fallen into a pitiful state.”

In the silence left by the departure of the Knight Order of the Golden Rule, the massive wolf remaining in the Field of Stars spoke up. These were mythical beasts, legendary protectors, yet their pride had been completely dismantled.

“‘Wolf of the Black Swamp’, if you had exerted your full power, the stars wouldn’t have been gathered so easily,” the Giant of Ruin-Demolition replied, regaining his composure as he shook his head.

The Wolf of the Black Swamp watched the fading light of the gate.