Chapter 570

Kukukukuku!

As Demeter’s unique ability activated, everything began to wither.

The environment dried at an alarming rate.

Moisture was being sucked not only from the air but from inside their bodies as well.

“Ah…”

“Urgh…”

Lips cracked and parched.

A strangled breath escaped from a throat that had gone bone dry.

Just standing there and facing her was exhausting.

For Andrea, who wielded flame, and Teresa, whose power was entirely divine energy, this ability was a near-perfect counter.

And then—

Screech… skreek…

Scarecrows woven from straw began to approach through the fields of grain.

Each one was armed with a long scythe, their eyes burning with ominous light.

Andrea immediately unleashed [Foxfire] at the scarecrows.

Boom boom boom!

Thanks to the dry air and the easily flammable stalks, the flames were several times more powerful than usual.

The scarecrows were reduced to ash without being able to resist.

But—

Thud!

Andrea, who had attacked, staggered and dropped to one knee.

“Ah…”

Her head spun.

Just using a little mana made her feel like she might lose consciousness entirely.

“Your proud abilities can’t function here, can they? Feels good, doesn’t it—watching everything you relied on shatter?”

Demeter walked forward slowly.

In her hand was a simple, weathered scythe made from oak—her relic, [Scythe of Harvest].

A rare item whose stats increased with every harvest of grain. It could never be used with selfish intent.

Crack…

A fissure formed along the blade.

For the first time, the scythe that had always reaped grain for the poor was about to take life.

This would be the last time she could use it.

So—

She would release every last shred of killing intent.

Kukukukuku!

A menacing aura swirled around her.

[[Unique Holy Spear – Aspect of Famine] has been activated!]

Her skin turned the color of earth.

A body imbued with the power of drought would nullify incoming attacks and drain all fluids from anyone it struck.

The scythe reached slowly for Andrea’s neck.

No need to rush.

Snapping this prey’s neck would be as easy as twisting a chicken’s.

But just before the blade touched her—

Kwakaaang!

A blinding light erupted from the side.

[[Teresa activates Unique Ability – Blessing of the Stars!]]

Her divine power, pushed to its limits, shot forth in a beam.

“…!!”

Demeter held out her palm and evaporated the light entirely.

But the opening created by her defense was all Teresa needed.

Tap!

She closed the distance in a leap almost like teleportation, merging brilliant starlight into one.

Teresa gripped her sword from beneath Demeter’s guard.

One chance.

She poured everything into the strike.

Her eyes glowed softly—

From below… upward.

The star-filled sword strike soared.

Kwakwaakwaakwaak!

It cut through the aura and skin layered with the Aspect of Famine—an ultimate expression of divine power.

“Kh!”

Black blood sprayed.

A deep wound ran from Demeter’s abdomen to her chest.

It was deep—but not fatal.

“To dare scar my body…”

The scarecrows around them lunged all at once.

Countless scythes tore into Teresa’s armor.

“Aaagh!”

She raised her shield and deployed a divine barrier, but there were far too many.

“Teresa!”

Andrea tried to help, pushing herself past her limits—

Boom!

Her body was slammed into the ground.

A scarecrow several times larger than the rest pressed its scythe down on her head.

“You truly don’t know when to give up. By now your bodies must be so devoid of moisture that your cells feel like they’re tearing apart.”

Demeter stepped up beside the restrained Andrea and placed her scythe against her neck.

“The fight is already decided… I’d like to send you off peacefully, but we’ve shed too many tears. The lesser gods of the sea mourn Poseidon, and Artemis… well, she’s lost without Apollo.”

So—

She would return the pain in kind.

“As for which of you to kill first to make the other suffer more… should it be you? Or the saint over there?”

“Andrea!”

Demeter lightly scored Andrea’s neck, and Teresa cried out from within the swarm of scarecrows.

“Stop that right now!”

“The saint seems rather desperate. In that case, I wonder… how will you react if I cut her instead?”

Demeter stood, turning toward Teresa.

She had complete control now, toying with them.

The elemental mismatch was bad enough, but her ruthless, merciless hands made it far worse.

Slash!

“Aaagh!”

A matching wound appeared on Teresa’s neck.

The blood that welled up evaporated instantly.

The wound carried with it a searing thirst and dryness.

Once, twice, then a third time—

The scythe traced across her white skin.

[Blessing of the Stars] began to heal the wounds immediately—

Which only prolonged the agony.

“Haa… haa… haa…”

Teresa panted.

“Seeing you suffer tugs at my heart. Revenge is already satisfied… so I’ll give you a way out. Tell me what the Norse and the rest of your allies are plotting in this war.”

“…I can’t.”

Slash!

“Aaagh!”

“Even after this? Even after this?”

Slash!

The pain was so intense it felt like it burned her soul.

“I’ll never…”

“The longer you drag this out, the longer you’ll suffer. Just say everything and be free. No one here will judge you.”

“I can’t. No—I won’t!”

Teresa’s voice rang firm, despite the blood in her throat.

No matter the pain, she would never betray her allies—

Even if the price was a horrific death.

“As expected of a holy knight… stubborn to the end. Then I’ll make sure to break you slowly—until you beg for mercy.”

“Kieee…”

“Kiiiii…”

At Demeter’s order, the scarecrows began their torture anew.

Time passed—

Until both Teresa and Andrea were battered beyond recognition.

They could barely move a finger, teetering on the edge of unconsciousness from thirst and exhaustion.

“To endure without a single word… even gods couldn’t manage that. You’re enemies, but I respect you.”

There was nothing more to gain here.

Demeter wiped the blood from her scythe and looked up toward the sky.

“Then…”

If it was the one who had planned all this—

The one who had taken Olympus’s most precious things—

He would know everything.

And he would be the perfect target for revenge.

“I’ll ask Kang Jinhyuk. I want to see how much pain that human can endure.”

She already had the power to do it.

Until her scythe broke, there was no one she couldn’t defeat.

[[Gate has been opened.]]

Beyond the warped rift, a familiar figure appeared—

Jinhyuk.

“Jinhyuk…”

“Jinhyuk…”

Their eyes shook in fear.

If Demeter joined while he was still fighting Hades…

No one knew how it would turn out.

She was that terrifying to face.

And if Jinhyuk were captured and made to suffer as they had…

…Vwoooong!

Kukukukuku—kwaaang!

A storm of immense flame and equally blinding light erupted.

“Kieee!”

“Kyaaaak!”

The scarecrows vanished in an instant.

The power was beyond description.

“What…?”

Demeter froze.

The [Aspect of Famine] was still active—

They should have no mana left at all.

So how—

How could near-corpses be radiating such impossible power?

* * *

Protect him.

The one most precious.

For that, she would pay any price.

Teresa rose to her feet.

[[The power of Archangel Gabriel has manifested!]]

[[Unique Ability – Call of the Stars] has been activated!]]

System messages flashed one after another.

Mana and light wove together into pure white wings.

[[The saint’s noble will reaches the heavens.]]

[[Unique Holy Spear Phase 2 – Saint of the Cavern has been activated!]]

Three pairs of wings spread fully.

Her silver armor gleamed with ornate runes.

The power to rise to the rank of angel in a mortal body—

This transcendent holy spear was unlike any Jinhyuk had ever seen.

Shhh…

In the blinding light, golden motes drifted down.

“I won’t… let you reach Jinhyuk.”

Emerald eyes locked on Demeter.

[[Andrea has released her Unique Holy Spear.]]

Her entire aura changed.

From her nine tails rose blue flame—

The eternal fire of life itself.

[[Unique Holy Spear – Millennium Fox has manifested!]]

A mythical divine beast equal to the Ancient Races—

The master of the 5th Floor had fully awakened.

“I won’t forgive anyone who tries to harm Jinhyuk.”

Bared fangs.

Claws gleaming sharp.

—

“…Tch.”

Watching several battlefields at once, Hades’s face twisted.

Demeter was the undisputed queen of fighting against multiple foes.

Normally so peaceful, but when enraged, no god could stop her.

In just a bit more time, she would have joined him to fight Jinhyuk.

But an unexpected twist had ruined that plan.

‘They both awakened…’

And each now held power rivaling the gods.

Dionysus, too, was struggling to gain the upper hand against Chun Yoosung.

Even with his intoxicating drink and Aphrodite’s potion, none of it worked.

It was the moment he realized—there existed a man immune to lust.

“See? I told you. We’re still strong even split up.”

Jinhyuk gave an easy shrug.

He hadn’t expected things to go *this* well.

Chun Yoosung was one thing—

But Teresa and Andrea awakening their holy spears had been beyond prediction.

‘Guess… I’ve just been too good of a boss.’

Employees willing to set themselves ablaze to save their CEO.

Proof of what a great leader he was.

Haah.

Maybe living a life of generosity and constant loss wasn’t so bad after all.