Chapter 577
Ding!
[Copy conditions have been met.]
Chun Yoosung, Teresa du Laurentia, and Andrea freed Hercules’s family, who had been trapped in the Underworld.
This message announced their success.
‘As expected, they’re reliable.’
He couldn’t help but think he’d done well to trust them with it.
At the same time, the burden he’d been carrying melted away.
Now he could steer everything with ease and widen his options.
Meanwhile—
Grit…
Driven into a corner, Zeus couldn’t stop the curses rising to his lips at the whole situation.
“Hercules’s…”
“Hmm?”
“How did they figure out the location of his family when it kept changing? Even with Persephone, pinpointing it should have been impossible.”
To be safe, he had entrusted that part to warriors he’d handpicked himself.
After ruling at the summit for ages…
…he knew a kingdom always fell because of those closest to it.
“Oh, that?”
Jinhyuk shrugged.
“I have an ally who’s very good at tracking.”
Artemis.
The perfect hunter for pursuit.
At night her stats rose by 30%, and the Underworld—where it was always night—was the best hunting ground she could ask for.
On top of that, Hades’s death had left the Underworld without a master, which helped plenty.
“So it’s true you can’t trust anyone. You really cooked our side to perfection.”
“When a leader’s incompetent, the people under them build up resentment.”
“Fine, I admit it. Your stratagems and intelligence work are excellent. But there’s a fatal flaw in your plan.”
Zeus gathered the power of lightning.
Crackle!
Rumble… BOOM! BOOM-BOOM!
Thunder rolled as a storm of sparks scattered in every direction.
“No matter how many tricks you pull, if the head of it all—you—dies, then it’s all worthless.”
[Thunder God – ‘Domain of Lightning’ is activated!]
KR-KR-KR-KR-KR-KRAK!
Lightning crashed down in unison.
Again and again it fell.
Until everything before him returned to nothing.
Overwhelming mana and numbers.
In a field of blinding white, nothing seemed likely to remain.
Even a Major God would struggle to withstand Zeus’s wrath.
How long did the barrage continue?
When the endless cataclysm finally ceased, acrid smoke billowed up.
“I may have overdone it for a mere human.”
No matter how incredible he was, there was no way he had dodged every bolt.
And it was hard to imagine he’d survived inside that maelstrom.
Except—
“Don’t tell me…?”
The sight revealed as the smoke cleared was too shocking for words.
—
[Fusion successful.]
[Due to Unique Holy Spear – ‘Phase 2’, Unique Ability – ‘The Twelve Labors’, and Unique Ability – ‘Right Arm and Leg of Tombgrave’, a new Unique Holy Spear is unlocked.]
[Unique Holy Spear – ‘Nemesis’]
Details: Temporarily summons the body of Hercules and grants the use of all Unique Holy Spears and Unique Abilities of the Colossi, including Tombgrave. In addition, four crystalline orbs implement absolute defense in response to incoming attacks. However, while this ability is active, a tremendous amount of health and mana will be consumed simultaneously.
[Fused abilities will be stored in ‘Memory of the World’.]
Reading the stream of status windows,
Jinhyuk felt exhilaration surge through his entire body.
At last…
Using the abilities he already possessed and those copied from Hercules, he had obtained one of the strongest powers.
Another of the many conditions for conquering the 50th floor had just been met.
Clench…
His gaze dropped to his own body.
Just like during ‘Phase 2’, his physique had turned black.
But this time, sleek, razor-edged black flames burned even brighter.
Four violet-tinted crystals floated one meter off his body.
“You… how…?”
Zeus stammered.
He hadn’t imagined for a second that Jinhyuk would emerge from that intact.
Not even a scorch mark.
It would be impossible even for Hercules to walk out unscathed from there.
Which meant—
“You’ve surpassed him.”
He had acquired a body that exceeded Hercules.
The shock and dismay didn’t last long.
BOOM!
Jinhyuk kicked off the ground.
Empowered by the Crown of Tyranny, the effect of the Heavenly Demon Dominion Steps spiked dramatically.
A gust like a storm cut through the air.
Jinhyuk entered the lightning-forged domain and reached Zeus’s nose in an instant.
Rrrrrmm!
Condensed mana clashed with mana.
In less than 0.1 seconds—more than enough time to pierce each other’s hearts.
Tap!
Jinhyuk’s fist touched Zeus’s armor.
[Dark Heaven Demon Emperor Arts and Heavenly Demon Divine Arts]
Two martial arts rooted in the Murim became one.
[Union of Divine Arts]
A realm unknown even to those two schools.
A height only reachable by one who had learned and experienced both.
A strange energy resonated with the Crown of Tyranny, summoning a deeper brilliance to his fist.
‘Thousand Fangs Sundering Fist’
A thousand manifested molars devoured Zeus’s body.
CRRRRACK!
“GRAAAH!”
The gathered lightning scattered all at once.
Rrrrumble… BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!
With the shockwave, Zeus was blasted all the way to the lake on the far side.
Jinhyuk didn’t so much as flinch as he looked straight ahead.
“Quit whining. Why all that fuss over a little sting?”
Zeus wouldn’t die from just this.
Sure, it had rattled him, but not enough to kill his fighting spirit.
Not for the prideful Major God he knew.
At that moment—
Crackle!
A compressed Astrape shot through the steamy haze.
Unlike the earlier indiscriminate bombardment, this was a true Astrape—refined through multiple compressions.
Vrrrrm!
Jinhyuk activated another ability on the spot.
[‘The Twelve Labors’ – ‘Hercules’s Bow’ is summoned.]
[Right Arm and Left Arm of Tombgrave are reproduced.]
Hercules’s true terror wasn’t close combat.
It was archery—arrows coated with the Hydra’s venom, backed by overwhelming strength.
Ordinary Strength stats wouldn’t suffice…
…but he now had a body that made it possible.
A bowstring heavy as a thousand catties drew back in a blink.
FWANG!
The arrow met the Astrape at a single point.
A flash.
The light blinked out.
Perfect cancellation.
Neither side had the upper hand as mana scattered in the air.
“To match my Astrape… this won’t be easy to decide.”
Zeus ground his teeth, as if refusing to accept reality.
Evenly matched, was it…
He’d agree to a point.
But—
“When two similar powers clash, the side with the numbers has the advantage, don’t you think?”
If he needed prep time to fire compressed Astrape, things were a little different on this side.
[Unique Holy Spear – ‘Lingering Moonlight’ is activated!]
Jinhyuk’s clones spread out in a wide circle centered on Zeus.
At a glance, there were more than a dozen.
And then—
[Unique Ability – ‘Daemonic Might in Defiance of Heaven and Earth’ is activated!]
Behind each clone, multiple massive arms sprouted.
Bows were gripped in hands that outnumbered Zeus more than tenfold—and then some.
Lastly—
[Zodiac – ‘Sagittarius’ is opened!]
The night sky unfolded.
A dazzling constellation spread across it.
Countless arrows became meteors, ready to fall.
A breathtaking spectacle for some; the start of a nightmare for others.
Zeus stared blankly and muttered,
“Just how many abilities do you have? No—what are you, to reach such a realm?”
Those in the Tower were granted their personal Unique Abilities and the skills that supported them.
And only those who achieved the utmost dedication attained a Unique Holy Spear that broke their limits.
But then…
Why…
Why did that human have countless abilities on par with Unique Holy Spears?
He had never seen or heard of such a thing.
Not even the beings beyond common sense who dwelled on the 50th floor had anything like this.
“Even if I told you, you wouldn’t believe it.”
The summit of the Tower was everyone’s dream—and no one’s destination.
Jinhyuk’s true body loosed the bowstring.
At the same time, meteors began to fall across the night sky.
—
At the same moment, another wind was blowing through the Demon Realm.
“Urgh…”
Alice furrowed her brow.
A one-sided rout.
Even the strongest large-scale defensive skill, ‘Blood Castle’, wasn’t enough to reverse the tide.
“Milord… now we must—”
“You have to flee. Otherwise, we all die!”
“That’s what I kept saying. This fight is unwinnable, isn’t it? Gods, why are Ataraxias so stubborn? Duke Dekathos was weaker than you, but he wasn’t a fool!”
Belus and the Ataraxia bloodline, as well as Ophelia, had all hit their limits.
The damage among the vampires committed mid-battle was beyond belief.
Most were combat-ineffective.
Casualties were piling up.
They were only alive because Berial was tying down the Demon Kings.
If not, they would have been annihilated long ago.
‘There’s no hope.’
No one knew that better than Alice herself.
Even so—
She didn’t want to run.
Her contractor and the others were each risking their lives right now.
She refused to choose a coward’s path and save her own skin.
Her pride as the True Ancestor would not allow it.
KRA-KRA-KRAKOOM!
“Gaaah!”
“T—the flank…!”
“They’re breaking through. There are too many!”
The precarious walls finally gave way.
Through the gap, a flood of demonic beasts poured in.
The fragile morale they had barely maintained collapsed in an instant.
“Lord… what will you do?”
“We fight to the end.”
Shiiing…
Alice drew her rapier and prepared for the last stand.
The Crown of Pureblood had already lost its luster.
She had spent the very last drop of mana maintaining the walls.
All that remained was the body of a frail girl, not a great matriarch.
Even so—
The flames in her eyes did not die.
To the very end.
If she died, it would be as the head of House Ataraxia.
Fwoosh… BOOOOM!
“Kieee!”
“Kegh!”
The enemy’s screams were suddenly right before them.
All lines of defense had fallen.
Those who remained steeled themselves for a final battle.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The last iron gate between them and the enemy shuddered.
Through the shattered gap, they could see demonic beasts ravenous for blood.
Her grip tightened on the sword.
And right then—
KRA-KRA-KRA-KRA-KRA-KRA!
Two beams of light cut across the battlefield.
[Goguma and Fried activate ‘Breath’!]
With two breaths, thousands of demons vaporized on the spot.
“W-what?”
“Ambush!”
“Dragons—no, Ancient Species!”
They had taken massive damage, but the demons, seasoned by countless battles, reacted quickly.
Breath couldn’t be fired in succession.
Everyone knew that.
If they struck before another breath was unleashed, they could still subdue them.
But—
BOOM!
Taesan appeared before the demons who were rushing the two Ancient Species.
A crushing killing intent that squeezed the heart.
Now completely free, Hercules stomped demonic beasts into paste.
“Groooaaah!”
The roar of Hercules—who had lived as Olympus’s hunting dog for eons—thundered across the field.
The demigod vented his long-suppressed fury with abandon; even Demon Kings hesitated to face him.
With Olympus fallen, the Norse could spare support now, too.
Snow-white pegasi filled the skies.
Over a thousand Valkyries finished their charge preparations.
“Hm. So we reclaim that fortress first?”
Loki pointed at the crimson castle, nearly destroyed.
“Yeah. Saving the allies inside—that’s top priority.”
Their guide, Frey, nodded blankly.
“Kahahaha! Fate is strange. A moment ago we were fighting Hercules to the death, and now he’s an ally.”
Thor clenched Mjolnir.
The counterattack had begun.
And it was ferocious.