Chapter 264 : Chapter 264

Chapter 264

[Are ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍we all going to vanish?]

A ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍gloomy voice.

[I ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍told you to stop spouting ominous bullshit!]

An ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍irritated, thoroughly exasperated voice.

[That ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍is enough. Our opponent is a higher god who rules the sea.]

A ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍rational voice, unlike the other two.

[......]

Neptune let out a hollow laugh as he watched the divine natures move their mouths nonstop in turn.

[I see.]

The space he had arrived in was not Adamas’s Mind Image World.

Another heart that he had forged when he accepted divine power.

Another world that had taken root within him.

[Murus, this is your domain.]

Tsk.

Neptune clicked his tongue as though the wind had gone out of him.

[Adamas infiltrated my world.]

What he had wanted was to erode that bastard’s world, covet his presence, and make him his Apostle.

But that chance had been taken by someone he had not even cared about.

It seemed the divine natures before him interpreted his appearance differently.

[Bastard, you are still putting on airs. You will die that way, you know?]

[Ah, how did divine natures come to oppose one another...... What will become of the world......]

Not an ounce of dignity in their attitudes.

Neptune tilted his head.

WHOOOOSH.

The water forming his body swirled.

Now that he had entered the Mind Image World, he could exist in the form of a Transcendent. He no longer needed to use his power while bound by a body.

[Your barrier will break.]

Even the Mind Image World you are protecting with that paltry barrier.

When Neptune extended his hand, water made of divine power rose throughout the area.

The water became waves and grew higher.

Then.

WHOOOOOOSH.

It became a tsunami and battered the barrier.

RUMBLE. THUD.

The immense crashing tsunami cracked the barrier.

Water seeped through the cracks in the barrier.

And then.

WHOOOOSH.

It succeeded in collapsing the barrier before the golem.

[Ha. Look at that?]

[It is cold......]

The two Muruses each surrounded themselves with divine power and defended against the water touching them. The water he controlled did not flow solely to destroy.

Neptune, the God of the Sea.

His Authority was.

[Encroachment.]

The rational Murus added as he examined the divine power clinging to them.

[He maintains a presence capable of encroaching even upon divine natures.]

For some unknown reason, he was unlike them, who depended upon Killian Eurasia’s presence. He warned that if they were not careful, the domain they had painstakingly drawn him into would be encroached upon.

[You see clearly. You are the key one.]

Neptune praised Rational Murus.

[My sea encroaches upon everything. And it is already too late to defend against it.]

WHOOOSH.

The water finally pierced through the divine power and touched the golem.

[Is encroachment not simply another word for erosion?]

Images of the gods Neptune had subjugated in the past, and of vanished civilizations, surfaced in Murus’s mind.

Many gods who had used the vast sea as their stronghold had bowed their heads to him and begged for their lives.

[You gatekeepers who only guarded the boundary.]

He had become the sea’s sole higher god.

[Do you still not understand that gods do not all possess the same presence?]

Those who survived became lower gods and hid themselves in places that could be called the outskirts of the sea.

[Endure with your barrier if you wish. But you cannot stop a current that has already been made.]

Neptune sneered.

As time passed, the domain would be covered in waterways, and Murus would rapidly lose strength like rusted steel.

[Empty words.]

A low, weighty voice.

When Murus raised his hand, a shining wall rose from the middle of the waves.

RUMBLE!

The space forming the Mind Image World split apart, revealing an enormous barrier.

As vast and solid as a fortress.

[It is strong enough to confine even a god.]

[Do you understand now, jellyfish?]

[If we cannot stop the current...... There is also the choice of confining it......]

With the gloomy voice saying that the strongest defense was also the greatest offense, the freely flowing waves began to pool, trapped by the barrier.

[Idiot, who are you calling gatekeepers?]

[The role of guarding the boundary...... is important......]

[Higher god of the sea, do you have nothing more to show us?]

At the divine natures’ voices clamoring without pause, Neptune’s face twisted.

***

Splash. Splash.

Killian walked without caring about the water that had risen to his ankles.

“This is not simple.”

Neptune’s Mind Image World, which he had infiltrated using Murus as bait.

Countless fish tanks confining species hung before him. Even by a rough count, there appeared to be thousands.

“I expected something from a god’s Mind Image World, but......”

It was more sinister than he had thought.

More like a fishery where countless species were experimented upon.

Those confined in the fish tanks ranged from creatures he had seen when he was an ancient human to creatures he had never seen before.

He could tell they were life-forms driven extinct by the gods.

Some species had been crossbred and shared similar traits, while others devoured different species and evolved into new ones.

“Siren had it easy.”

The countless test subjects before him had suffered such fates and still failed to attain a presence like Siren’s.

Having thought that far, Killian recalled his purpose. The Core forming the dungeon would be somewhere here. He needed to find it.

He tried operating his power.

Fwoosh.

Mana rose.

‘I cannot use divine power or Authority.’

It was likely because Murus, the god residing in Hollyheart, was facing Neptune.

‘Can that Murus bastard face him with his present presence?’

Unlike the gods Killian had encountered so far, Neptune had manifested while preserving an abnormal amount of his presence.

Even if that power was only a fraction of what it had been in ancient times, Murus’s presence was maintained through Killian as a medium, so it must have its limits.

“Well, he said he was a higher god himself.”

He was, after all, the god of ‘barriers’ who guarded the boundary.

“He will not collapse easily.”

The battle would end if Killian found the Core and cut it down first.

He could not wield his sword as before underwater.

‘Here, Eye is more efficient than Direction.’

Fwoosh.

He concentrated the mana enveloping his body into both eyes.

Unlike when he normally enhanced his body by surrounding it with mana, it felt as though his senses were activating.

Eye, Aquares’s secret technique, was a more delicate method of enhancement than simply strengthening the body with mana.

What Direction and Eye had in common was that they strengthened both eyes to see mana lines.

And when one trained Direction to the extreme, one found one’s own path to strengthening the body.

If Direction concealed Existence Force, Eye revealed Existence Force.

To wield a knight’s sword, Eye was more suitable than Direction.

At that moment.

Splash. Splash.

In the distance, he saw a creature with a fish’s head and four legs approaching.

“A hybrid.”

Frowning at the grotesque appearance, Killian swung Anima.

[Grrrk.]

The hybrid died in a single slash.

After walking and cutting down several hybrids.

“There will be no end if I search like this myself.”

Whoosh.

He tried cutting one of the fish tanks confining a species.

Space only rippled; there was no sensation of cutting anything.

That meant these were merely part of the space itself.

Unless Murus hunted Neptune.

It also meant that, for now, Killian’s power did not overwhelm Neptune’s enough to erode his Mind Image World.

It was strange.

Neptune lacked a main body just as Silvana had, yet his Existence Force was greater than Silvana’s.

Was it because he was a higher god?

‘No, even so, this is excessive.’

A god who had come into contact with the Monster Lord and the Anomaly.

Neptune called him a vicious bastard and a mutant.

One thing was certain: they could clear the dungeon only by cutting the Fragment of the Anomaly here.

Killian had devoured quite a few Fragments of the Anomaly himself.

He was merely suppressing them with an 8-Star presence now.

‘Fragments of the Anomaly have a tendency to return to the form of “us.”’

Information he had learned while fighting that bastard on many occasions.

‘I will use that.’

Fwoosh.

The color of the mana enveloping his body changed.

“Carpe.”

Green mana spread through the area.

Carpe Illusion.

“Elvenheim.”

Grass grew over the rippling water.

He recalled the moment he had fought at the Divine Tree Wigdrazil.

Before long.

Silvana’s will remaining in the green mana revealed itself.

[You bastard, are you using a god as bait now?]

An elf girl clutching a rabbit doll looked up at Killian.

She was now only a remnant that could no longer even be called power.

“Silvana, you are bound to the Curse of Search.”

When he reached 8-Star, he had completely subdued the Anomaly and Silvana, binding them into the form of remnants.

But even that would be enough to serve as bait.

Tzzzzzz.

He overlaid Carpe Illusion upon the fishery that could be called Neptune’s mental image.

Silvana, who had been watching, raised her voice.

[You are doing something this insane just to catch one Neptune!]

“I have always done my utmost to catch gods.”

Tap.

Killian kicked Silvana in the rear.

The great force in his leg sent Silvana’s body crashing into the corner of the fishery.

[What are you doing!]

“Do your role as bait properly.”

[You......!]

Silvana shouted.

But she was only a stray thought that had already exhausted most of its strength.

As Killian kicked her, Silvana rolled from place to place and scattered her Existence Force throughout the fish tanks.

[Even if you do this, the Fragment of the Anomaly will not react......]

“Quiet.”

Killian cut Silvana off and stared ahead.

Splash...... Splash.......

It felt unpleasant in a way unlike meeting a god or a monster.

Before long, a creature stranger than any of the hybrids he had cut so far approached.

Eight legs and two fish heads.

Its eyes seemed to be reptilian eyes set into its head, and a faint radiance enveloping its body was its defining feature.

Its gaze was fixed on Silvana.

“The bait has been taken.”

Splash...... Splash.......

Tongues extending from its two gills dripped saliva as they moved toward Silvana.

[Adamas!]

“What?”

[P-Protect me!]

“If you agreed to be bait, do it properly.”

Killian spoke with his characteristic smile.

“Even if you are eaten, I can simply cut you down with it. Take this chance to leave my body cleanly.”

[Idiot! If I am eaten like this, even you will not be able to handle it!!]

“That is what you think.”

[I am telling you it is not!!]

The radiant hybrid stopped five paces away from Silvana.

[Ah......]

Despair appeared on Silvana’s face as she collapsed.

The hybrid’s mouth, which had been flicking its tongue, opened wide.

Then.

[“We” are “one.”]

It uttered familiar words.

[“You” will once again become “one” with “us.”]

[Adamas, you fucking bastard......]

The instant Silvana cursed thickly and squeezed her eyes shut.

SLICE.

Anima cut through the hybrid.

FWOOSH.

Blue Flame rose over its corpse.

[Fuck......]

Killian kicked Silvana once more as she cursed at him with raised eyes.

Once the Blue Flame had burned the hybrid’s corpse away completely, the fishery began to swirl.

The species imprisoned in the fish tanks changed into forms of divine power.

Grrrrrrrr.

They blended together.

‘Anomaly, are you finally going to reveal yourself?’

Ignoring the grumbling, foul-mouthed god, he focused on the phenomenon before him.

Before long, the radiance that had drawn in all the divine power formed a single shape.

“......”

Killian’s face hardened after confirming the figure.

[Edan Eurasia.]

His face was deathly pale.

[For the presence of Transcendence.]

An immense presence difficult to define as a monster.

[My archenemy.]

Rip.

The mouth of the man whose eyes met his split wide.

“Monster Lord.”

Killian spoke his name.