Episode 556
Jik stood defiantly, hurling brazen insults at the celestial being without a hint of hesitation. The master of the Sakyung Palace watched from behind the angel, choosing not to react to Jik’s audacious provocations.
Floating in mid-air, Jik steadied his breath, gripping his sword, Levatein, as he observed the angel’s stillness.
“Is it trying to show patience?” he mused. “Let’s see if I can shake it up a bit more.”
With a sword imbued with chaotic energy, Jik launched himself at the angel.
Boom!
He swung Levatein with ferocity, aiming directly at the celestial figure.
Crash!
The angel, realizing its protective barrier was useless, unfurled its half-destroyed wings to physically block Jik’s assault. But the relentless force of his strikes caused even the remaining wings to crack and crumble.
Jik taunted the angel again. “Is this really the power of a celestial being? Even the filthy demons of the underworld have more impressive abilities.”
At that, the angel’s eyes flared with light.
Zing!
A beam of light shot from the angel’s eyes towards Jik. Though powerful enough to obliterate half a city, it lacked speed. Jik deftly dodged the attack and closed in on the angel’s side.
Thud!
His sword struck true, embedding itself in the angel’s side. The celestial being, resembling a statue, staggered back, its once-majestic form now cracked and diminished.
Jik contemplated the crumbling angel before raising Levatein for the final blow. “Unlike those fallen celestials, this one doesn’t fall for provocations easily…”
Before he could finish his thought, a brilliant light erupted from the angel’s body.
Whoooom!
In an instant, the angel’s tattered form was restored, radiating an aura far more potent than before.
Rumble!
The overwhelming energy of the celestial being spread in all directions, causing Jik’s expression to shift.
“The provocation worked,” he realized. He had successfully lured the master of the Sakyung Palace into manifesting directly through the angel.
The angel, now a beacon of blinding light, fixed its gaze on Jik, transmitting its will directly into his mind.
[Impudent and insignificant mortal.]
Though not in the physical realm, the celestial being’s direct descent into the angel’s form was unprecedented since the age of the celestials.
The master of the Sakyung Palace, now speaking through the angel, continued.
[The sin of insulting a god is unforgivable.]
With those words, the master unleashed its power.
Crack!
A massive bolt of lightning surged, connecting heaven and earth. Jik steadied his breath, watching the colossal spear of lightning envelop the angel.
“So this is the true power of a celestial,” he thought.
Fallen celestials, having lost their divine essence upon descending to the underworld, had weakened powers. But the celestials of the heavenly realm had grown stronger, harnessing karma from the physical world.
Jik witnessed firsthand the celestial power that shook the sacred city of Laocon. He recognized the master of the Sakyung Palace’s power as the source of light magic.
He recalled how Morgan Buffon, a knight of the Sakyung Palace, had wielded celestial power through Hershion.
“Compared to this, the power contained in Hershion was nothing but a speck.”
The master of the Sakyung Palace, now fully manifest in the angel, spread its wings wide. The light from the wings transformed into spears of lightning.
Four spears, forged from pure energy, rose into the air.
[I will erase you without a trace of your soul remaining.]
Crack!
The four spears, charged with the power of lightning, hurtled towards Jik.
Boom!
Jik raised his sword, Levatein, as the spears closed in.
Whoooom!
The chaotic energy within Levatein surged as Jik charged forward, meeting the spears head-on.
Boom!
The clash between the chaotic energy and the celestial lightning created a powerful shockwave. But unlike before, Jik’s attack began to falter. The chaotic energy that had worked against fallen celestials was insufficient against true celestial power.
Boom!
Jik’s attack shattered, and the four spears descended upon him.
Crack!
The spears created a massive pillar of light, threatening to engulf the entire city of Laocon. Jik was swept into the storm of lightning.
Boom!
Trapped in a place from which no one could escape, Jik was caught in the tempest.
The master of the Sakyung Palace, observing this, expressed its disdain.
[For a lowly creature to insult a god, your punishment is severe. You will suffer in the storm of lightning, unable to die or live, until your soul is obliterated.]
This was the true divine punishment decreed by the celestial being.
The master, having descended briefly into the physical realm, realized it had expended considerable karma. With the punishment delivered, it prepared to return to the heavenly realm.
But then—
A strange energy flickered within the storm of lightning.
The master turned its gaze towards the anomaly. Within the storm, another presence was becoming clear.
Puzzled, the master watched as a vortex of lightning surged towards it.
Boom!
Caught off guard, the master spread its wings and erected an absolute barrier. The barrier, imbued with celestial power, was far superior to the angel’s.
The hexagonal shield deflected the vortex, scattering it harmlessly.
The master saw Jik emerge unscathed from the storm, a sight it could hardly comprehend.
Radiating light, the master spoke in the divine tongue.
[How can a mortal defy the power of a celestial?]
To the celestials, mortals were little more than livestock. They were playthings, trembling before celestial power, begging for mercy.
Yet here was a mortal not only insulting a celestial but challenging its power—a notion the master found inconceivable.
Fallen celestials constantly sought to interfere with the physical realm, observing how mortals grew and gained strength. But the celestials of the heavenly realm, content with extracting karma, paid little attention to mortal capabilities.
They took what they needed, erased what was no longer useful, and started anew.
Jik had aimed to exploit this complacency.
Emerging from the storm, Jik addressed the master of the Sakyung Palace.
“I’m disappointed that a celestial from the heavenly realm is only this strong.”
The master struggled to endure the insult from a mortal it deemed insignificant.
[Even pain is too generous for you. I will erase your existence here and now.]
The master spread its wings wide, bringing its hands together to form a triangle.
Crack!
Within the triangle, a core of raw lightning energy formed, distorting the surrounding space.
Jik, sensing the ominous energy from the master, raised Levatein with a hint of tension.
The chaotic energy within Levatein flickered.
Jik had been waiting for the power of the arrogant savior to be fully absorbed while facing the master. He calculated that once he absorbed the savior’s power, he would have the divine strength to confront the master.
However, the absorption was taking longer than expected.
Crack!
As Jik tightened his grip on Levatein, a white lightning surged from the ground of Laocon, converging on the master.
He could feel the power of the entire world of Laocon gathering.
The celestial power, using the world itself as its strength, was on a different level from the powers of the physical realm or demons.
Rumble!
Jik expanded the chaotic energy from Levatein, resisting the pressure from the celestial power.
The master, observing Jik, slowly extended its hands, forming a triangle.
[Repent, sinner.]
Zing—
A powerful wave emanated from the triangle formed by the master’s hands.
At that moment, Zeke realized he was trapped in the palm of the master of the Celestial Palace.
Rumble!
He looked around and saw that both above and below him were the master’s hands.
“How is this possible…?”
It was an attack that transcended every concept Zeke had ever known.
In an instant, the space surrounding Zeke was suffused with the purest energy of lightning.
Whoooom!
A brilliant white light burst from the master’s hands.
Caught within those palms, Zeke was swept away by the divine thunder pouring in from all sides.
Crackle!
The god-sent lightning sought to burn and purify all that was unholy.
The master of the Celestial Palace intended to erase not just Zeke’s soul but the very trace of his existence by drawing upon his true power.
Everything in existence was recorded in the Akashic Records, the dimensional server, but the power of the celestial being could even erase those records.
It was an absolute law that mortals could not oppose celestial beings, and nothing could transcend this law.
Crackle—
The master of the Celestial Palace felt the presence and traces of the foolish creature that dared oppose him vanish completely and withdrew his power.
“A mortal daring to defy a god… Perhaps it’s time to deliver divine punishment to the earth…”
But then, something unexpected happened.
Crackle—
Though the divine thunder had been withdrawn, its energy lingered, sparking small flames in the air.
The master sensed something amiss.
Just as he reached out toward the lingering energy—
Slash!
A sword strike flew toward his hand.
Though surprised, the master of the Celestial Palace was a celestial being of absolute power.
An automatic, impenetrable barrier formed to block the incoming strike.
He assumed the strike would dissipate against the barrier.
Slash—
But the sword strike pierced through the barrier and severed the arm of the angel he had descended into.
“This can’t be!”
From the severed arm, divine blood, like a halo of light, dripped down.
The celestial being within the angel’s body felt no pain.
Yet he was stunned that a mortal’s attack had affected his avatar, leaving him momentarily frozen.
In all his time as a guardian of dimensional order and absolute law, only once had a mortal’s attack reached him.
“The Godslayer, Solomon…”
The master of the Celestial Palace’s eyes wavered at the thought of Solomon.
But he quickly shook his head.
“Such an event cannot happen again.”
He felt a strong sense of displeasure toward the mortal who had briefly reminded him of Solomon.
He began to gather his power once more.
He intended to erase not just the bothersome mortal but the entire world.
As he brought his hands together to summon his energy—
Whoosh!
Something hurtled toward him at incredible speed.
The master raised his barrier again.
Despite having seen his barrier pierced moments ago, he chose to confront the attack head-on rather than evade.
A stronger, absolute barrier unfolded.
But it was futile.
A streak of black light pierced through the barrier and struck the heart of the angel hosting the celestial being.
Thud!
The master of the Celestial Palace let out an involuntary cry of agony as his soul was shaken by unbearable pain.
Roar!
A spear forged from adamantium, imbued with the power of chaos, was firmly lodged in the flesh of the celestial avatar.