Ch.234Chapter 234: A New Era (6)

# Chapter 234: A New Era (6)

Before Valt’s provocative shout had even faded, the Great Demon Zmorael’s red eyes gleamed with a strange light as they meticulously examined Valt from head to toe.

The cruel smile on his lips changed ever so slightly, but unmistakably.

It was a kind of curiosity.

“Oh…? That energy…”

Zmorael’s low, cold voice brought an eerie silence to the battlefield.

His gaze was now perfectly fixed on Valt alone, no longer on the five heroes.

Finally, his mouth opened, and blade-like killing intent erupted from his entire body.

“You… you’re a Gerungtu!”

At those words, not only Valt but even the five heroes who were watching this confrontation with bated breath wore puzzled expressions.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Gerungtu. Valt’s race of origin.

A barbaric and warlike people who couldn’t properly handle mana or aura, barely maintaining their lineage in the outskirts of the continent.

That was the general perception held by everyone in the world.

But Zmorael’s next words contained an ancient secret that shattered all common knowledge.

“You don’t know? Well… much time has passed. Fine, this too shall be entertainment. Let me tell you an interesting story.”

There was no reason to refuse when the demon was willingly buying them time.

The five heroes began to recover, catching their breath.

Ignoring their efforts, Zmorael began his tale.

“Let’s see… was it ten thousand years ago? No, it must have been much earlier. There was a time when gods, demons, and all races lived together. Among them was a race whose name alone inspired fear to speak. That was the Gerungtu.”

His voice carried a faint but distinct wariness, along with a kind of disgust.

To Valt and the five heroes listening, this was an unfamiliar tale from long ago.

It was a story from an era so ancient that not even records remained.

Though it came from a demon, it was undeniably intriguing.

“They were strong enough to make gods and demons fear them. What was that one’s name? Ah yes, Tenger! A terrifying being. Single-handedly brought eight gods and six great demons to their knees… heh heh, truly an inhuman creature.”

Zmorael continued with a nostalgic expression.

“How wounded must the pride of gods and demons have been? Eventually, gods and demons joined forces to place a curse on the Gerungtu. Strong as they were, they were still mere mortals. They weakened with each passing generation. Without the ability to use mana and aura, their strength meant little, heh heh.”

The hidden history of the Gerungtu was being revealed.

Demons were one thing, but even the gods? Valt felt a strange sense of betrayal.

Zmorael’s gaze pierced into Valt.

“Looking at you, it seems that curse has faded with time, as you can use mana. But the curse hasn’t completely disappeared. If it had, the Gerungtu wouldn’t be so weak. Heh heh heh, how pitiful, young Gerungtu, once the mightiest of all.”

Zmorael’s words unveiled an unbelievable ancient truth.

Far more than ten thousand years ago, in an era when gods, demons, and all races including humans lived together in chaos, vying for each other’s territories.

The Gerungtu, a race possessing physical strength and primal vitality more powerful and pure than any other.

That was why the Gerungtu couldn’t properly handle mana or aura, and why their unlimited potential had been sealed for ages.

As time passed, even the existence of the curse was forgotten in continental history, and Zmorael too had thought the curse would have completely dissolved in the flow of time.

“It seems neither gods nor demons were all that impressive. Fearing mere mortals enough to place a curse on them.”

At Valt’s provocation, Zmorael burst into laughter, seemingly delighted.

“Hahaha! I can’t deny your words. But how about now, young Gerungtu?”

FWOOOOSH—!

With those words, dense demonic energy erupted from Zmorael’s body with terrifying force.

“Guh!”

It was powerful enough to make the hair on the bodies of the five heroes and Valt stand on end.

Zmorael spoke with a bloody and cruel smile.

His crimson eyes now reflected murderous intent instead of playfulness.

“Let me make you a promise. I will personally ensure that the disgusting Gerungtu race is completely eradicated in this opportunity. So that no one will ever remember that arrogant past glory again. Hahaha!”

Valt’s heart sank coldly.

This battle had now become more than just protecting the world—it was a final struggle for the fate and survival of his race, the Gerungtu.

The faces of his kinfolk from his homeland flashed through his mind, their innocent expressions.

‘If we lose, everything ends anyway. Don’t waver. Nothing has changed.’

In that moment, something exploded from deep within Valt.

“BRING IT ON!! HAAAH!!”

All his potential, all his anger, all his will, and all his strength began to emanate.

He realized he needed to stake everything he had—no, even more—to fight Zmorael and protect his race.

And in his mind appeared the final and perhaps only hope—his trump card.

“NOARES!”

Responding immediately to Valt’s soul-filled cry, the supreme earth elemental Noares answered his call.

The energy of the earth gathered around him like a storm.

[You called, my master.]

Noares’s voice was far more majestic and weighty than before.

“Combine my Blood Demon Armor with this Rupenium bracelet to create the ultimate armor covering my entire body!!”

[As you wish, master…]

The Rupenium bracelet on Valt’s left arm, given to him by the Emperor.

Valt instinctively knew that Noares, now a supreme elemental, could complete this armor.

Noares received Valt’s will and pushed his enhanced elemental power to the extreme.

As a supreme elemental, there was no metal in this world that Noares couldn’t manipulate.

WOOOOONG—!!!

Click—

Clank—

Click click—

Clank—

Clank—

THUD—!

THUD—!

Like a super-alloy robot being assembled, the magical armor began to cover Valt’s body.

The Rupenium bracelet melted like liquid, breaking down into thousands of shining metal particles.

This was not a simple overlay.

The magical energy of the Blood Demon Armor and the sacred, pure metallic nature of Rupenium were perfectly fusing under Noares’s precise control, reborn as an entirely new form of armor tailored to Valt’s body and will.

“HAAAAAAAH!”

Valt felt power beyond imagination flowing through his entire body.

It felt different from the previous Blood Demon Armor.

The Rupenium-plated armor, filled with Valt’s 8th circle magic power and the elemental power of a supreme elemental, was already emitting tremendous energy by its mere existence.

The surrounding air screamed in response to his transformation.

FWOOSH—!

The platinum light of Rupenium and the golden light bursting from Valt’s aura radiated brilliantly.

The light emitted from the armor seemed to purify the surrounding demonic energy or make it flee in terror.

Finally, all light and energy converged into Valt’s body, revealing his new form.

It was like a giant robot of light or a battle armor of gods from ancient mythology.

The ferocity of the previous Blood Demon Armor had evolved into a refined yet powerful form, with Rupenium’s unique platinum glow gently enveloping the entire armor.

On his back spread six pairs of massive, imposing wings that seemed made of light.

They were in perfect opposition to Zmorael’s black wings.

His two eyes shining inside the helmet now emitted a sacred white light beyond pure gold, seeming to pierce through everything.

This was the ultimate combat form born from the combination of Valt’s will, Noares’s power, the potential of the Blood Demon Armor, and the divinity of Rupenium.

The final form of the Earth Magical Armor—the Divine Steel Magical Armor.

“Hmm… impressive… but relying on tricks is pathetic, young Gerungtu.”

Even Zmorael momentarily showed an expression of admiration at Valt’s sudden transformation and the powerful, refined energy emanating from him, incomparably stronger than before.

The smile on his lips became even more cruel and intrigued.

“Good. Very good. Let me test how long that beautiful shell can withstand. I hope there’s some satisfaction in crushing it. Hahaha!”

At that moment, one of the five heroes, Saint Seraphina, looked at Valt clad in Divine Steel Magical Armor with eyes full of wonder and conviction.

She seemed to have discovered a sun-like possibility amidst this chaos and despair.

“This one… truly is the single variable sent by the Divine to save this world…! That majestic appearance, like the advent of the Apostle of Light…!”

She began to pray fervently, bringing her hands together before her chest.

All the divine power remaining in her body exploded, becoming a dazzling, massive beam of platinum light that shot toward Valt.

“Divine One, in the name of your most faithful servant, I beseech you, bestow all your protection and power without reserve upon that brave and noble soul! Add the sacred flame that burns and purifies all darkness to that righteous heart forever!”

As Seraphina’s all-in divine power buff poured onto Valt’s Divine Steel Magical Armor, the armor began to emit an even more brilliant and sacred light.

Ancient divine characters appeared and disappeared repeatedly on the armor’s surface, and the energy wings on his back doubled in length, displaying a majesty that seemed to cover the sky.

Valt was no longer simply a powerful warrior.

He was the continent’s last hope, the final variable, armed with divinely blessed god-metal and magical armor, having partially awakened the power of the ancient Gerungtu.

He took one step, then another toward Zmorael, slowly but without the slightest hesitation.

“Quite impressive, isn’t it? You damned demon.”

The earth reverently trembled with his footsteps.

Even demonic energy retreated before his steps.

“I’ll admit it. Quite an impressive shell, Gerungtu.”

Zmorael said, still not erasing his arrogant smile.

“But a toy is still just a toy. How long can that shiny armor of yours last?”

From within the Divine Steel Magical Armor, Valt’s voice flowed out with a deep and powerful resonance different from before.

“This toy will make this place your ugly grave, Great Demon.”

Zmorael’s red eyes flashed ominously for a moment.

“Your race still has the same bravado as tens of thousands of years ago. Good. Very good! I shall personally enjoy the moment when that bravado turns into desperate screams! A revenge drama spanning tens of thousands of years! Give it your all, Gerungtu!”

Valt slowly clenched his fist covered in Divine Steel Magical Armor.

Inside him, powers from five different sources were condensing into one, preparing to explode.

‘Not yet! I must use it at the decisive moment.’

“The time for talk is over, Zmorael. Today, you will be defeated by a Gerungtu again and return to hell.”

All the air on the battlefield seemed frozen, with extreme tension filling the space between Valt and Zmorael.

“How delightful. Come, young Gerungtu.”

At last, the final battle for the fate of the continent was about to begin.