Chapter 125 - Episode 18. God Without a Vicegerent (7)
Chapter 125: Episode 18. God Without a Vicegerent (7)
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Runald looked at Jin Eunsae’s back as they stood before him.
They were small. No matter how he looked at them, they did not seem any older than him. Yet every passenger Jin Eunsae looked at flinched in fear.
“But that ‘naked mister’ isn’t here?”
Jin Eunsae’s gaze eventually fell on Beris and Jihan, the two strongest passengers in the Alliance’s current advance force.
Jihan quickly hid the Cube inside their clothes, but they could not escape Jin Eunsae’s notice.
“Ah, there it is. The Alliance is pretty impressive, developing a Part that can imprison an Awakened One. You’ve made this easier for me.”
As if warming up, Jin Eunsae began kicking their heels back.
“They’re coming!”
At the Alliance members’ shout, Jin Eunsae vanished from sight.
“They aren’t commander-class. They’re just an ordinary member! Get them!”
“You can tell? Impressive.”
Jin Eunsae grinned.
“But you see, our 「Rupture」 is different.”
The arm of the passenger who had just shouted flew through the air. A Vicegerent’s head followed amid a horrible scream.
Everyone froze at the sight. In the midst of it, Jin Eunsae spoke in an unreal voice.
“Every single one of us is an Awakened One.”
Runald stared blankly.
He had heard plenty of rumors about 「Rupture」. A terrorist organization made entirely of the rare Awakened Ones in this 《Tree of Illusion》.
Jaehwan was an Awakened One too. Yet Runald had already become so absorbed in Jaehwan’s Worldview that he could not objectively judge Jaehwan’s strength.
How strong was an Awakened One?
“Arghhh!”
Awakened Ones.
Enemies of Lords, heretics of the 《Tree of Illusion》 hated by gods.
“Catch them!”
“Fall back! Agh!”
Only now was Runald experiencing an Awakened One’s strength firsthand, as he watched someone his own age fight.
Strong.
Runald’s hair stood on end throughout Jin Eunsae’s battle.
The weight behind each attack. Speed on an entirely different level. Their basic abilities were naturally higher than those of other Followers, but what amazed him most was how smoothly they fought.
“My arm! My arm!”
Their movements belonged to no standard created by this world. They were utterly beyond common sense.
By the time half the Alliance members had been killed in an instant, Beris, who had been watching the situation until then, stepped forward. His expression, relaxed even while fighting Runald, was now grim.
[The God of Flash ‘Rayray’ is confused.]
[The God of Flames ‘Ignis’ says they never thought they would be rooting for 「Rupture」.]
[‘Anonymous God 88’ glares at Jin Eunsae.]
[‘Anonymous God 94’ points at 「Rupture」.]
[Many gods express their hatred for 「Rupture」.]
“Gods! Today, I will avenge your grudges!”
Many gods bore grudges against 「Rupture」.
Beris had finally found a proper chance to put on a show. He drew up World Force throughout his body and charged.
The moment dozens of Crimson Flame Blades rushed toward Jin Eunsae, the blocks circling them changed shape.
“Eunsae Blocks First Form, 「Nodding Roly-Poly」.”
Two roly-polies shaped like nodding sleepers swayed from side to side, deflecting every incoming blade.
“What kind of toy technique is that?”
Beris cursed and recalled his blades. His Crimson Flame Blades struck again with even greater ferocity, but Jin Eunsae’s defense was solid.
There was a seven-rank difference between Beris and Jin Eunsae in the Metaverse rankings.
This had never been a fair fight.
“Eunsae Blocks Second Form, 「Squeaky Hammer」.”
The spinning blocks gathered together, instantly forming a massive squeaky hammer.
Beris’s eyes widened.
Boom!
The hammer struck with a thunderous crash. Beris was battered all over and sent flying into the crater wall, spitting silver blood.
“Argh! Jihan! What are you doing?!”
Only then did Jihan, who had been watching the situation, intervene. With a light swirl, Jihan’s silver staff blocked Jin Eunsae’s blocks.
“That is far enough, Rupture. This is not your business.”
A flicker of interest crossed Jin Eunsae’s eyes.
Jihan, second-in-command of ‘Mogi’ and Vicegerent of the God of Whirlwinds.
Jin Eunsae had heard of them.
“Sorry, but we were asked for a favor too.”
“Are you willing to become enemies of the Alliance?”
With a booming crack, Jin Eunsae’s World Force knocked Jihan away. Jihan frowned at the light impact and stepped back.
Jin Eunsae’s momentum was becoming fiercer.
“The Metaverse’s little ‘Alliance’ is threatening 「Rupture」?”
Jihan groaned and raised their World Force in response.
Even with their synchronization rate with their god pushed to its limit, Jin Eunsae’s pressure was difficult to withstand.
“Us, 「Rupture」, feared even by the Twelve Great Lords and the Seven Divine Thrones?”
No matter how powerful the Alliance was, that power only mattered within the 〈Metaverse〉.
“The Alliance may not be able to deal with Rupture as a whole, but a single member is another matter.”
A whirlwind of World Force erupted from Jihan’s staff and targeted Jin Eunsae’s side.
It was a straightforward but powerful strike.
Jin Eunsae deflected the whirlwind, and their expression changed.
The World Force was one thing, but that strength could only be gained by a Follower who had spent long years training.
“I heard you were a Follower who betrayed their god. You’re pretty good.”
“...”
“But no matter how much a Follower trains, they can never become a god.”
For some, those words would not even count as a provocation.
Yet there were people who reacted to nothing but words like that.
For some, it struck a nerve.
“What would an Awakened One like you know about-”
Jihan’s expression hardened as they activated the 「Multi Whirlwind」 Setting and pressed Jin Eunsae.
“Eunsae Blocks Third Form, 「Floating Spinning Top」.”
The blocks around Jin Eunsae began to whirl in unison, then mixed with Jihan’s 「Multi Whirlwind」 and started changing direction.
As a result, Jihan’s attack exploded somewhere completely irrelevant.
“Arghhh!”
Alliance members caught in the whirlwinds screamed as they fell into the crater.
Beris joined the battle late, but Jin Eunsae perfectly defended against both of their attacks with nothing more than a casual movement of the blocks.
“Eunsae Blocks Fourth Form, 「Back Scratcher Theft」.”
Defense was not all they could do.
Jin Eunsae’s blocks scattered in an instant, changed into rake-like shapes, and burrowed into Jihan’s clothes.
“Ah-”
Jihan reached out in shock, but the Cube was already in Jin Eunsae’s hand.
Jin Eunsae looked down at the Cube, which was thudding in their palm.
It was already half-cracked.
“This mister is impatient.”
Anxiety appeared on Jihan’s otherwise cold expression.
“Attack with everything you have!”
At the command, the Alliance members’ assault changed.
Settings of every kind bombarded Jin Eunsae like a barrage of missiles. The ground around the crater was completely torn apart.
Even so, Jin Eunsae endured the bombardment alone.
That was an Awakened One.
Combat Power capable of facing an entire Alliance battalion alone.
Other than the Six Gods, had there ever been anyone in the 〈Metaverse〉 with that level of power?
Runald bit his lip until it turned white.
How would Jin Eunsae compare to Jaehwan?
He could not imagine it. A battle at that level was beyond anything Runald’s imagination could reach.
[Charge rate until the ‘Volcano’ erupts: 89%.]
Thanks to the fierce battle, the charge rate continued to rise steadily despite Jaehwan and Ethan’s absence.
Jin Eunsae was about to change the blocks’ form again amid the bombardment.
Then a small, swift shadow snatched the Cube from Jin Eunsae’s hand.
“What?”
It was the Moya Moya Crow Doll possessed by Andersen.
Andersen quickly flew to Runald and brought him the Cube in her beak.
From afar, Jin Eunsae snapped.
“Hey! If you don’t give that back-”
That was when the battle changed.
Jin Eunsae suddenly looked up, reached urgently toward the sky, and rearranged the blocks.
“Eunsae Blocks Fifth Form, 「Spinning Umbrella」.”
Jin Eunsae’s blocks instantly formed a giant umbrella and spun toward the sky.
As a massive Door opened, a golden spear strike came crashing down over Jin Eunsae’s head.
A blinding spear of lightning struck the umbrella. Jin Eunsae received the blow, but their feet sank a full meter into the ground.
The attack contained truly enormous World Force.
There was only one being in the entire 〈Metaverse〉 capable of manifesting a lightning-based Setting at that level.
The Alliance members’ faces brightened.
“Lord Galateon!”
Currently ranked fifth in the Metaverse.
The God of Spears and leader of Alliance ‘Mogi’.
The passengers of the Metaverse called them with respect.
One of the Metaverse Six Gods, Galateon of the Shining Spear.
Galateon, clad in brilliant golden armor, slowly descended from the air.
Jin Eunsae, buried in the ground, turned to look at Runald.
“Run.”
Their lips clearly said that.
“Hurry!”
Runald’s feet floated into the air. Andersen had grabbed the back of his collar and was beating her wings with all her strength.
-Runald, snap out of it! One of the Metaverse Six Gods came in person!
The Metaverse Six Gods.
It did not feel real. Ethan Cart was one of the Six Gods, and Andersen had once been one as well.
But what was that?
Galateon slowly turned their head and looked at Runald.
That gaze hid none of its killing intent. It felt as though his heart would freeze solid.
Could anyone fight a monster like that?
At a gesture from Galateon, the Alliance members leaped after Runald.
Jin Eunsae’s blocks caught their ankles.
Jin Eunsae climbed out of the pit, dusted off their pants, and stood before Galateon.
Galateon’s golden eyes looked at Jin Eunsae.
[Move. This is not a place for you to interfere.]
Jin Eunsae tilted their head at the declaration that carried a god’s authority.
“The Six Gods, huh? I’d only heard about you. This is my first time seeing one in person. But...”
Jin Eunsae’s blocks spun through the air.
“You don’t look that strong.”
Jin Eunsae’s 「Squeaky Hammer」 collided with Galateon’s spear strike.
With the sound of a balloon popping, Jin Eunsae’s 「Squeaky Hammer」 burst apart.
Jin Eunsae flipped backward in midair and retreated, a wound left on their right shoulder.
They were being pushed back.
Jin Eunsae, who had endured the combined attack of the entire Alliance advance force, was being overwhelmed in World Force for the first time.
Yet Jin Eunsae smiled.
“Weak. I thought you’d at least be as strong as our commanders.”
[No matter if you are 「Rupture」, I will not tolerate any further interference.]
“Why do you fight using Dolls, anyway? Don’t you have Vicegerents? Fighting with Dolls makes you weaker-”
A destructive impact blasted Jin Eunsae’s body into the opposite wall of the crater.
Galateon lightly adjusted their spear and spoke.
[All Six Gods fight through Dolls. There are no worthy opponents even then.]
Jin Eunsae emerged while brushing volcanic ash from their clothes, smiling.
“Now this is starting to feel like a fight.”
[Whatever your intentions may be, stopping me here is pointless. I am not the only one of the Six Gods who came here.]
The gods’ noisy messages hammered at Runald’s ears.
[‘Anonymous God 88’ is startled by the descent of a Six God.]
[‘Anonymous God 94’ says it is finally getting interesting.]
[The God of Flash ‘Rayray’ points outside the crater.]
Then, the next moment.
[The God of Flames ‘Ignis’ gleams with excitement.]
A ray of light that tore through the world rose from the direction Runald had fled.
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