Chapter 362

Chapter 362. The Hunter and the Hunted (4)

Agnotia was not present in the material world.

‘It was strange for Meferoseta to seal her power and crawl into the material realm.’

Usually, beings who achieved divinity remained outside of causality.

They generally watched the areas they were interested in from there.

In Agnotia’s case, it was the second artificial island where the mages gathered.

Thus, when the system informed me of Agnotia’s location, I wasn’t particularly surprised.

It was expected, as I had sensed Agnotia’s status from the puppet that had stolen it.

I speculated that Agnotia might have a certain connection with the remaining mages.

‘As a result, it was actually convenient that I could sweep away those troublesome mages too.’

Upon arriving at the last remaining artificial island, the stronghold of the mages, I said,

“Stay out of it if you don’t want to get caught up.”

Gilenios, who had accompanied me to this place, pouted.

“Dragging me to all sorts of dangerous places and now pretending to care.”

I waved my hand without even looking back at him.

“Don’t make me repeat myself.”

Shortly thereafter, Gilenios’s presence vanished.

‘Concern my foot.’

It was a profound misunderstanding.

‘I can’t afford for him to get into trouble and hold me back.’

After sending off Gilenios, I leisurely observed the artificial island not far away.

The view beyond the island was almost surreal.

“It’s a mess.”

Months after leaving Bihar, the dimensional collapse had worsened significantly.

The torn, cracked, and crumbling sky was almost terrifying.

Considering this scene was to be replicated on Earth, it was alarming.

“Of course, I won’t let that happen.”

Once I sealed all the holes that Karklein had opened, the threat of dimensional collapse would be eliminated.

Thinking about Earth’s safety, just as crucial as victory, I began to unleash authority upon the artificial island repeatedly.

The destructive thunder that shone like glass easily tore apart the barrier surrounding the island.

Despite this situation, Agnotia’s presence, felt from afar, remained still.

“Won’t you come? Here lies delectable divinity bound to the material realm.”

The question, masquerading as a provocation, dissipated into the void without a reply.

Agnotia simply maintained her position without showing any particular reaction.

“You don’t intend to move, it seems.”

The last encounter with her ended with her being dragged away by Senoa, even while desperately trying to grab me.

So I fully expected her to pounce upon spotting me.

“Is she that lacking in confidence this time?”

Perhaps she was considering the possibility of a confrontation rather than a one-sided hunt.

“It hasn’t given up on me.”

Evidence of that was her constant maintenance of distance since my appearance.

Whenever I tried to cross beyond causality, it quickly distanced herself, but when I retreated, it approached again to monitor me.

Perhaps it was waiting for the right moment to interfere with the material world.

“If I engage in battle with someone else and show a gap, she might try to intervene.”

If that was what she was anticipating from the start, there was no reason not to give her the opportunity.

I pulled the corners of my mouth into a smile and withdrew my gaze from the sky.

How long had the attack using authority continued like this?

It seemed the mages on the island gradually regained their senses.

Hence, it wouldn’t be long before those magical masses flew towards me.

Striking the air on which I stood, admiring the splendid display of magic, I raised my spear.

Covered with a glossy, glass-like destructive thunder, a single swing sliced the magic in two.

Like cutting through scraps of paper.

“Using divinity makes it easier to change shapes.”

The destructive thunder was fundamentally in the form of lightning.

Thus, creating fixed shapes had been cumbersome, but now the situation was different.

Furthermore, solidifying its form increased its overall strength.

Its utility in close combat was greatly enhanced.

Especially when allies were around, its effectiveness would be even higher.

‘Not bad.’

With a new hand to play, I briefly destroyed each magic.

Tiring of such tedious tasks, I reached out my hand.

In an instant, focusing my consciousness, the magic densely surrounding me crumbled and fell apart.

Using mana domination, I shattered the visible mana arrays.

In response, most of the surviving mages collapsed weakly.

“If it’s about practicing cutting divinity.”

Ordinary magic was no longer a viable practice opponent for me.

Countering with divinity to insignificant magic was sheer folly.

Thus, instead of wasting divinity, I simply shattered all the magics.

Having consistently incorporated countering training into my routine even after achieving divine status, my skills had grown further.

There was no longer any threat from ordinary mages I needed to fear.

Even that old mage flying towards me with a devilish face was no exception.

“You rat!”

It was Vecram.

He matched the face I had seen in the portrait of the main tower master drawn by Ahel.

“Finally, you’ve arrived.”

I had been waiting for his arrival from the start.

I needed a battle that might bait Agnotia, and I wanted to take his corpse too.

“Since the target has arrived, shall we start the hunt?”

There was no need for a pointless self-introduction.

We were already too familiar with each other’s existence and names.

Furthermore, we both understood that the conclusion was the need to eliminate the other.

Hence, there was no hesitation in extending lethal hands toward each other.

“Domination is about the same.”

In fact, the other side might be superior.

Countering according to my intention was hard.

As proof, the flame whip Vecram wielded wasn’t countered and directly touched me.

Crackle!

When I blocked it with the spear, an unpleasant friction noise echoed.

I already knew he was a possessor of flame-type mana like me, but witnessing the actual skills was astonishing.

“To compress the flame to such a degree.”

He was surely a formidable force, worthy of being counted among the strongest mages.

He wasn’t just skilled in magic.

Despite my exerting authority, and the destructive thunder shining a golden light, his flame whip flawlessly maintained its form instead of being cut.

‘I felt Agnotia’s divinity from the barrier around the island.’

And now, that same presence was sensed from the flame whip.

‘He must have discovered how to mix divinity with mana.’

I raised the corners of my mouth, knocking away the whip with force.

Then, to drive away the flames coiling around me like a snake, I released destructive thunders in every direction.

At that moment, I sensed a massive gathering of mana at my feet.

It was likely a magic applying substantial force at a single point like a pillar of fire.

I wasted no time in spilling divinity toward my feet.

Swiftly, with a sound like cracking, the rapidly solidified destructive thunder firmly supported my feet.

It effortlessly blocked the explosively bursting flame magic.

But that wasn’t the end of Vecram’s attack.

He soon burst into a blossom of flames all around him.

These took on sharp forms targeted at me.

It was as if cutting large masses of flames into smaller pieces to fashion arrows to shoot.

Against me, it wasn’t the best choice.

My destructive thunder was inherently formed to sprawl in every direction, causing chaos.

The golden lightning spewing from my body aggressively covered the sky, deflecting all fiery arrows.

The strikes aimed at taking my life were sharp and relentless.

The steadfast tenacity insisting on killing me was transmitted vividly.

However, I blocked every attempt.

I possessed sufficient strength and experience to do so.

If they wanted to kill me, they should have succeeded long before now.

Before I achieved status and gathered divinity to wield authority.

“It’s too late now.”

No matter how strongly Vecram struggled, a mere mortal’s power couldn’t kill me.

Perhaps because of my unconcerned demeanor while watching Vecram struggle with all his power.

Yet, instead of killing him at once, I deliberately extended the fight.

It was for the chance to draw a massive being to attack me amid the battle.

And my wait was rewarded not long after.

“As expected.”

Beyond Vecram’s flames covering me, Agnotia’s presence began to move.

True to form, she intended to exploit a lapse while I was occupied.

“To be that easily read.”

The simplicity of Agnotia’s actions amused me, but.

Concealing the golden hue from my eyes, I held my breath, waiting for its presence to approach even closer.

“Now!”

Finally, as she neared, I wrapped her up instead of letting the being trying to grab me.

With the destructive thunders, formed glossy and wielded like whips, I tightly bound the unseen gigantic hands of the divine being.

The opposite destructive thunder flung Vecram far off.

And within that time, I dragged Agnotia down.

From that distant realm to the base of this material world where I stood.

I exerted all my strength, enough that it wouldn’t be surprising if my whole body tore apart.

But Agnotia didn’t yield easily.

She gritted her teeth and held on.

The tug-of-war with neither side yielding shook the surroundings.

Bringing such a mighty divine being into the material realm was no easy task initially.

Even if she was in a half-materialized state.

“If I keep holding, there won’t be an end.”

Having ensured she couldn’t escape, I boldly advanced from my end.

Holding onto Agnotia, I proceeded with greater resolve.

I poured out the vast amount of divinity absorbed from Meferoseta.

Crackle!

Lightning, as extravagant as if burning the world, engulfed the area.

The floating mage islands, confronted by the destructive authority, crumbled effortlessly.

During that process, vecram, on approach again, vanished without leaving a trace.

The omnious, destructive feature of the authority utilizing an incalculable amount of divinity was apparent.

Enough to vividly scorch the hand of Agnotia I was holding onto.

– Ahhhh!

Listening to the harrowing scream emerging from beyond causality felt intriguing, affirming some part of me was indeed broken.

Soon, Agnotia, who hadn’t budged earlier, started to give way to my force.

She advanced like mountains dragging ground, with the sky rumbling and air quivering.

– You… dare!

Then, in a realm ambiguously suspended between the material world and beyond causality, Agnotia began ranting loudly.

– I am a god!

It was a voice, dripping with inferiority and victim complex, echoing hideously.

– A being who achieved a great status, that of divinity!

– Dare you challenge a being like me?!

– I’ll teach you how foolish a decision you’ve made!

– Your true role is to become a mere sacrifice for me!

The pitiful, desperate outcry ended, and sharpened fragments of divinity began to slash around me.

Appearing as a mimicry of blade dance magic, but it wasn’t magic.

Arranging mana and arranging divinity.

They were entirely different actions.

‘It’s similar to putting gasoline into an electric appliance.’

Thus, I partly abandoned the idea of implementing magic using divinity.

I doubted Agnotia would fare much differently.

Now, it seemed like creating thousands of divine blades to wield willingly.

“There are no mental resources left for anything else.”

The frenzied puppet, acting as if it bore a will, clashed with and repelled the divine blades.

Yet not all divine blades were fended off.

Despite that, instead of encasing my body with a glassy puppet, I chose to charge.

I leaped through the densely thronged divine blades that cut vigorously around me.

Finally, let’s see who ends up devouring whom.

‘Let’s see.’

In an instant, I crossed causality, advancing in a straight line toward where Agnotia was.

Upon detecting me, the color drained from Agnotia’s face instantly, and our eyes met.

She wasn’t in a human form but a strange appearance with a beak and wings.

She was the form as described in Agnotia’s myth, that of the avian race.

‘She can’t evade it.’

It was the truth and certainty I realized after long traversing battlefields.

A certainty that this attack could finish off the opponent.

Without hesitation, I plunged the spear straightforwardly.

A brilliant flash of light traversed the material world and causality, reaching far where Agnotia was.

It connected directly to Agnotia’s heart.

Damned System