Chapter 83

Chapter 83
## Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: Dragon Sword Sovereign

Craaaack!

Simultaneously, the physical form of the Supreme Dragon began a process of petrification.

Plop! Crumble, crumble!

Fragments of the stony remains broke away, tumbling down in succession.

The Supreme Dragon’s life was reaching its end.

It embraced its demise willingly.

The creature had understood that its function as the ultimate barrier was now fulfilled.

Content that it could pass on its legacy at the final moment, it greeted the darkness.

Following that.

《Established resonance with the Supreme Dragon.》

《The ‘Dragon Swordsman’ job has evolved into the ‘Dragon Knight’ job.》

《Inherited the ‘Dragon Knight’ job.》

《Sword mastery ceiling expanded to Lv 28 via the ‘Dragon Knight’ job.》

A promotion to the Dragon Knight tier!

This wasn’t an evolution from Riley, but a direct inheritance from the Supreme Dragon itself.

He had officially claimed the Dragon Knight rank.

《The ultimate seal is undone.》

《’The One Who Is the Abyss Itself’ is manifesting!》

《Involuntary Assimilation commences.》

Ziiiiing.

At that very moment, a gargantuan spatial rift tore open.

Visible through the portal: Earth.

A sprawling metropolitan area on Earth appeared in the distance.

Kyakyakya!

However, the transition stalled.

The depths of Hell refused the integration through the gateway.

Yet, a singular concluding test remained.

The One Who Is the Abyss Itself.

Should he fail to conquer this ordeal, the integration would proceed without further delay.

“If my path is flawed… then demonstrate it.”

By this point, Riley had taken the spot where the Supreme Dragon once stood.

Prior to transforming into the Abyss Itself, the essence of Riley had seized authority over the frame.

Much like the Supreme Dragon, he possessed the means to self-destruct, but he sought validation first.

The intent of the Supreme Dragon, which he had perceived through the recent resonance. Whether that conviction was valid. Whether his own existence was truly a mistake.

“You. What do you call yourself?”

Riley inquired about his identity.

In this moment, he was acting solely based on the imprints of the Star’s recollections.

Consequently, the response he was destined to give was already determined.

“Wilhelm.”

“And your designation?”

“The Knight King.”

“Precisely! So that was your title!”

Riley let out a thunderous laugh.

It was as if clarity had finally struck him.

The martial skill exhibited in that short span was more than sufficient to earn the name Knight King.

Then, manifesting a Dragon Sword in his grip just as he had before, he remarked,

“Knight King Wilhelm. Sword Saint Riley offers a challenge… Wouldn’t it be a pity to conclude things this way?”

“You are stating the obvious.”

“Quite right! Had our paths crossed in the past, we would have been formidable allies.”

“Had our paths crossed in the past, you would have found a grave in the soil, rather than the Abyss.”

“Haha! I like the sound of that as well. In that case…”

Riley’s exuberant laughter vanished, his features turning freezing in a heartbeat.

“…the winner shall be the one proven correct.”

It was the most fundamental truth.

-Phase 5…

-Phase 5…..is this for real?

-The One Who Is the Abyss Itself? I guess this is the grand finale?

-It is Randolph

-The actual Randolph?

-I have goosebumps right now

-I’m literally changing my clothes

-Gracia, the Empire, and MintChoco all fell short, but Randolph pulled it off?

-Obviously, Randolph is Wilhelm and Wilhelm is Phantom

-No way… even so…… does this actually make sense?

The player feed transformed in a heartbeat.

General sentiment, previously divided, did a complete 180 the second ‘Phase 5’ began.

The genuine Randolph.

Randolph was actually conquering the maze!

-But still, the concluding phase might be brutal?

-The previous teams wore down its health, didn’t they?

-MintChoco spent over twenty-four hours grinding and he just stole the kill

Naturally, a few detractors remained.

But their complaints were drowned out within moments.

Almost everyone was shouting in support.

-Told you! I knew it was the real Randolph!

-Uwaaaaaah!!!!!

-The legend has arrived!!!!

-Mom! I want to be just like Randolph when I grow up! Mom! I’m going to be Randolph!

-Please! Please! Please win!

-I have faith in you, Phantom God!

-Phantom God! Show these pathetic pretenders what a master looks like!!

Claaaang!

Every collision of their blades produced a sharp, vibrating chime.

Two figures utilizing identical powers.

A raw battle of pure swordsmanship.

“……I concede.”

However, the skirmish was brief.

Before even ten passes were exchanged, Riley returned his blade to its scabbard.

“You never had the goal of winning from the start.”

The fight wasn’t over.

He hadn’t intended to stop.

Yet Riley just shook his head slowly.

“No, I put everything into it. While it’s a shame we couldn’t see it to the end, this is enough for me to see. You are my superior.”

The second their metal touched, from the very first strike, Riley realized.

No, he had sensed it since the confrontation with the Supreme Dragon.

His own inadequacies.

That wasn’t the limit of Wilhelm’s capability!

“You are suppressing your authentic power. Even when facing the Supreme Dragon or me, you held back. It’s proof that we weren’t formidable enough to force your hand.”

……Riley appeared to be suffering from a major misconception.

He believed he hadn’t seen the full extent because he was too fragile.

Even though he had exerted his maximum effort.

It was simply that he hadn’t been able to trigger Wilhelm’s ultimate potential.

Riley tightened his hand into a fist.

“Though we met with failure, you might actually deliver a blow to destruction itself. As the sovereign of the Throne of Light, your honor must be absolute. For the sake of all people, that is a true blessing.”

His gaze was filled with a new sense of emotion.

His face was caught in a moment of watery nostalgia.

Even though he had personally lost, the person standing before him represented a hope for success.

‘This is awkward.’

There was no point in mentioning he had already taken the Demon King’s life once before.

The triumph wasn’t set in stone yet, after all.

“Most of all… I thank you truly for allowing me the chance to end my own existence before turning into the Abyss Itself, and for passing on the Supreme Dragon’s desire.”

Riley’s frame began to turn to stone.

Just like the dragon before him.

He was choosing to destroy himself before he could become the One Who Is the Abyss Itself.

Riley offered a small, thin smile.

“I am lucky to have encountered you at my final hour. It was a privilege to duel a master like you. If our paths cross again in some other time, then for certain…”

His voice held a trace of longing.

But Riley’s sentence remained unfinished.

Plop.

Crumble!

His entire form petrified, shattered into pieces, and descended into the dark Abyss.

Because he was being constantly absorbed by the Void, his time had been limited from the beginning.

Before long, Riley disappeared entirely.

And in that moment.

《Successfully eliminated ‘The One Who Is the Abyss Itself’!》

《Involuntary Assimilation has ended.》

《Secret Quest fulfilled.》

《The ‘Dragon Knight’ job has evolved into the hidden job ‘Dragon Sword Sovereign’.》

《Sword mastery ceiling expanded to Lv 30 via the ‘Dragon Sword Sovereign’ job.》

《Unique skill manifested.》

His eyes stretched wide.

His pupils shook slightly.

‘……A hidden job?’

A secret class, Dragon Sword Sovereign!

He had attained a status two levels higher than he had anticipated.

Earning the respect of both the Supreme Dragon and Riley had done it.

Perhaps this was the ultimate rank Riley was supposed to reach.

Now it was fully passed down to him, across the echoes of time.

But the process wasn’t finished.

《Successfully conquered the ‘Abyss Labyrinth’!》

《The ‘Abyss Labyrinth’ ascends to the celestial realm.》

《You have assumed the title ‘Ruler of the Labyrinth City’.》

《Travel point to the Labyrinth City has been established.》

……

《The entities of the Hundred Battles, who observed from the shadows, enter the fray.》

《All cosmic entities are focusing on the legend you have finalized.》

《Conclusion of a broken legend! They celebrate your achievement of turning myth into reality.》

《All cosmic entities are deeply pleased by the peaceful passing of the Supreme Dragon and the noble Sword Saint Riley.》

《By consensus, all entities vote to escalate the prize tier!》

《Survival tally commences.》

《Quest total rewards are modified based on the ‘Fragment of the Broken Golden Rule’ utilized.》

《1,407h 37m recorded.》

《Several entities observing the time elapsed begin to feel uneasy.》

The final survival tally.

“Hmm.”

Plop!

“Ugh.”

Plop!

“Uuuugh……”

Isaac’s face grew grim as he watched the Saintess of the Sea lose consciousness time and again.

Isabella’s strikes appeared cold and heartless, knocking her out simply by her sheer aura.

“Even if it’s a direct command, she is still a holy woman……”

Acting on Randolph’s instructions, they had been keeping watch and silencing the Saintess of the Sea.

But Isaac couldn’t bring himself to actually hit her.

The Saintess of the Sea.

Among all those with her title, she was considered the most pious, refined, and respected.

Regardless of Isaac being a common criminal, he was well aware of the sacred nature of a saintess.

The mere title of saintess usually demanded reverence from any mortal.

Yet Isabella treated the situation as if it were trivial.

“……”

She didn’t even bother to reply.

She just looked down at the holy woman with total neutrality.

‘I’m glad I mastered that pressure point trick.’

Isabella’s mouth twitched upward almost imperceptibly.

Catching sight of it, Isaac felt a shiver run down his spine.

Was she actually deriving enjoyment from striking the saintess?

‘I used to hate practicing this so much as a child……’

Of course, that wasn’t the actual reason.

Isabella was trapped in a memory.

From her youth.

When she first gained awareness, she was in the desert town of Paysalmer.

She had woken up in a dark, sunless sewer surrounded by starving kids.

In that place, many children fought and perished.

To stay alive, Isabella had to master every cruel tactic.

She loathed it with a passion, but there was no alternative.

The Desert Queen.

She had to earn the attention of that nightmare.

“Aren’t you even a little anxious?”

“……?”

Faced with Isaac’s question, Isabella tilted her head to the side.

“About the boss. It looks like every other contender failed out.”

“I’m not.”

“You’re not?”

A quick nod!

With a certain movement, Isabella moved her focus back to the saintess.

Fulfilling commands was more important than worry.

It was only natural for her.

She truly felt no anxiety.

In Isabella’s mind, Randolph winning was a certainty.

The man who stood before the Desert Queen without a hint of hesitation, mocking and breaking her instead.

He had ended the life of the creature she had feared her whole life—a being she couldn’t even look at—in an instant.

The Desert Queen, the source of Isabella’s deepest trauma.

The monarch who commanded the sands like a deity.

Observing her, Isaac clicked his tongue quietly.

‘She’s turned into a total devotee.’

To Isaac, Isabella was becoming a fanatic for Randolph.

Unshakable conviction. Absolute trust.

When their year of bondage concluded and they went their separate ways, who knew what the fallout would be.

In his experience, that kind of devotion rarely resulted in a happy ending, which made him feel a bit uneasy.

‘But I’m not one to talk about others.’

Isaac shook his head.

If Randolph actually managed to clear the Abyss Labyrinth, the world ahead would be beyond anyone’s dreams.

How much time had ticked away since the start of Phase 5?

Those who had been doubting Randolph’s arrival had no choice but to stay silent.

-Abyss Labyrinth conquered…

-I can’t believe what I’m seeing

-It’s the truth…..,. The real legend has arrived..,..

-Wow!!!!!

-Randolph! Randolph!

-Phantom God! Phantom God!

-The Phantom Church is eternal!!!

-Phantom Church, the forums belong to you today

-Gracia got destroyed? The Master is silent? Dark Star is too busy fleeing?

-lololololololol

-lololololololololol

-At this point, forget the 7 Heroes, he’s the Sole Hero lolololol

-A hero? You’re a non-believer. He is the Phantom God!

The player Randolph had officially conquered the Abyss Labyrinth.