Chapter 620
The tense air that had filled the temple softened as if it had never existed.
“Good. It seems you don’t want to join us in hunting down Kang Jinhyuk… so tell me, what is it you do want? Speak freely.”
Brahma’s tone was suddenly gentle.
They had brought him a fine gift—naturally, the atmosphere had shifted.
“All we want is our freedom. We’d rather not get dragged into your political war and have our spines crushed for it. We’d prefer to stay here, oversee the prisoners, and make sure your rear lines are secure in case the enemy strikes from behind.”
Aperman twirled his staff idly.
To seek maximum profit from maximum safety—that was the philosophy of any true magician.
And from Brahma’s perspective, the request was reasonable enough.
“A rearguard duty, huh… that does sound like your style. Fine. I’ll leave the defense of this place to you.”
With perfect prisoners in hand, there was nothing left to fear.
Victory was practically guaranteed.
After handing Aperman a few key details about the temple’s layout, Brahma walked alone down the corridor.
‘Once this is over, all the nuisances will finally be gone.’
Vishnu and Shiva—two of the three supreme gods—were still tearing each other apart, desperate to become the sole god of India.
That damned lust for power… it was enough to drive him insane.
But if the contract with Unknown truly guaranteed him freedom—freedom not just above the 45th floor, but even outside the Tower itself…
He’d finally be free from politics. Free from their madness.
The thought made Brahma’s heart pound pleasantly.
And when Celestial Order’s army had completely vacated the temple—
“They’re gone?”
“Yes.”
“Seems that way.”
The captives began to move.
Crack—
Alice shattered her restraints effortlessly.
Vwooom!
Clang!
Teresa and Chun Yoosung broke theirs with divine power and internal energy.
Lastly, Lee Taemin and Yoo Yeonhwa stretched their arms, completely free.
A flawless infiltration. (T/N: Damnnnn! I thought so.)
They had allowed themselves to be “captured” on purpose—and it had paid off perfectly.
Of course, that success owed much to one powerful accomplice.
Alice rubbed her wrist and murmured.
“Thanks to you, getting inside was easy.”
“Don’t mention it. All I did was say a few words.”
A familiar figure emerged from the shadows behind a pillar.
It was the archmage, Aperman—the very same who had been speaking with Brahma moments ago.
“Those few words were everything. But tell me—what did the Contractor say? He told us to ask you directly.”
Jinhyuk’s instructions to Alice and the others had been simple, just two lines:
1. Fight briefly, then once you discover the rift leading into the mental world, allow yourselves to be captured.
2. Aperman will assist you. Trust him and follow his lead. Details later. (T/N: What a twist!)
They had followed those orders faithfully, purely on trust—but now, they wanted to know why.
“I’ve never met Kang Jinhyuk in person,” Aperman explained. “But recently, I received a rather… compelling offer from his envoys. The kind of temptation no magician could ever refuse.”
Pesis.
The great explorer who had reached the 40th-floor middle zones.
Jinhyuk had grouped Pesis, Frey, and Wolyoung together long before the war even began—building his plan in advance.
He had accurately predicted the nature of the [Covenant] apocalypse and that the Outbreaks would attract S-rank bosses.
“Where are the others now?”
“They’re moving with that man, Pesis. They have a separate mission, but you’ll likely meet before the war ends.”
“I know Pesis. He’s trustworthy—we’ll be fine.”
For now, the priority was to take advantage of their infiltration.
With Brahma and the main force chasing Jinhyuk elsewhere, the temple was nearly defenseless—a perfect chance to tear it apart from within.
Chun Yoosung and Teresa accepted the weapons Aperman handed them.
“I’ll directly imprint this temple’s layout into your minds. Raktak and the other bosses are completely out cold, so you can strike them easily. But one thing—be wary of Indra.”
The God of Thunder.
His mastery over lightning was said to surpass even Zeus’s brute-force power.
Even injured, he wouldn’t be easy prey.
“Ahem! Worry not. You’ve got me, don’t you?”
Alice planted her fists on her hips, her mana flaring around her playfully.
“Yes! We’ll definitely win and go home—to our world.”
Teresa smiled brightly.
“Unbelievable… fighting Celestial Order with a team like this.”
Chun Yoosung ran a hand through his hair, exasperated.
“First, we need reconnaissance.”
Lee Taemin deployed his mechanical drones.
“And leave the small fry to me.”
Yoo Yeonhwa flexed her gauntlets.
Thus, the Veteran Corporation, once bound in chains, began to move again.
⁕⁕⁕
The Palatamunsar Gorge.
Among all regions on the 45th floor, it was infamous as one of the most dangerous.
Steep cliffs tangled together like a spider’s web—so treacherous that even Celestial Order’s gods avoided it for fear of never escaping.
“To think he’d choose this place…”
Brahma frowned.
The gorge made deploying large armies nearly impossible.
Their numerical advantage meant little in such terrain.
“I’ve always hated this place… perhaps we should just erase it entirely.”
“With your power, Lord Brahma, that’s certainly possible.”
Creation and destruction—Brahma’s authority over all things could make even the impossible, possible.
But—
“If I destroy it, our Prestige will suffer catastrophic damage.”
This gorge was part of Celestial Order’s very origin.
Erasing it would be unthinkable.
‘So that’s why Jinhyuk chose it.’
What a terrifying man.
A human, in his first time here, recognizing this as the most tactically threatening location—his insight and judgment bordered on monstrous.
Even imagining the kinds of traps he might have laid inside made Brahma’s nerves tingle.
If they wanted to stay safe, they would have to advance slowly, securing ground bit by bit.
But who would take the most dangerous role?
Fortunately, the decision didn’t take long.
“We’ll go first. Ambushes and hiding won’t work on us.”
Asura stepped forward with his demon beasts.
“Are you sure? It won’t be easy.”
“Don’t worry about us. Worry about yourselves.”
“Heh… fine. I’ll trust you then.”
Asura leapt down the cliffside, his elite beasts following close behind.
Swift and silent, they advanced deep into the gorge.
“They’re coming.”
Hidden in the underbrush, Loki raised his hand.
Hundreds of Valkyries gripped their spears, ready to throw.
“Don’t let your guard down. We stick to the plan—only then do we have a chance.”
Jinhyuk fingered the small items he had bought from the Coin Exchange.
He’d fought Celestial Order several times before—but there was a reason they ruled the 45th floor above all other mythic factions.
Their strength was unmatched.
“We know how terrifying they are.”
Loki’s eyes narrowed, tracking the enemy’s movements.
Fifty meters. Thirty… five…
Now.
“Throw!”
[Valkyries summon the ‘Spears of Valhalla’!]
Dozens of silver lights flashed through the gorge.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A thunderous ambush erupted from the rocks and foliage.
But—
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Even that failed to pierce Asura and his beasts.
Green light flared from their strange weapons.
“So the rats were hiding here after all.”
Asura’s eyes gleamed.
He looked straight toward Loki’s position.
“Again!”
Loki shouted, and the Valkyries raised their spears once more.
“Idiots! You think the same trick will work twice!?”
“Who said it’s the same?”
[Loki activates the Unique Ability ‘Circus of Deception’!]
[‘Multiple Illusions’ stack successfully!]
The number of spears multiplied exponentially.
An endless storm of silver flooded the gorge, blindingly bright.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The explosions rocked the cliffs.
“Incredible…”
The watching Celestial gods swallowed hard.
Even under ambush, Asura and his army suffered no losses, charging straight ahead—the mark of true monsters.
“If he’s handling Loki, our risks drop drastically. Good. We move out too. Choose those with high mobility for the vanguard. The main force will follow slowly at range—make sure the supply lines stay intact.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Celestial Order’s army shifted with perfect coordination.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Tens of thousands of soldiers advanced into the gorge, splitting into multiple divisions.
—
An hour into the battle.
The fighting was fierce, but Celestial Order’s army had pushed deep inside without significant losses.
They’d crushed every skirmish, winning every localized clash.
“Smooth progress.”
“Well, of course. A makeshift alliance could never hold against our elites.”
“Ha! I was worried about this gorge at first, but it seems that was all they had.”
“For outsiders, they did try hard, though.”
The Celestial gods spoke with growing arrogance.
Every ambush, every trap had been predicted and crushed before it could spring. Their confidence soared.
Even Brahma began to relax, the overwhelming difference in power undeniable.
They had captured thousands of prisoners already.
Which was why—
No one noticed the frail old man among the prisoners.
“Ahem! Hem!”
Jinhyuk, disguised among them, cleared his throat and glanced at his pocket mirror.
A long, tangled beard. Deep wrinkles. Sharp, stubborn eyes.
A flawless disguise.
‘Alright, let’s get started.’
It was time to deliver a spectacular strike—
from deep within the enemy’s heart.