Chapter 623
Vrrrrm—
The screen displayed Brahma slaughtering the beast-soldiers without mercy. (T/N: What the actual fuck? So that’s the reason why he used those beasts as bait. Scamming level x99999999)
To be precise, it was a cleverly edited video showing only the Celestial Order attacking the beast-soldiers, with all context before and after removed.
‘Ever heard of devil’s editing?’
Of course they hadn’t.
Arrogant, prideful gods like them had never experienced such trickery.
And the seamless, natural flow of the video came from the editing sense Jinhyuk had perfected during his days as a BJ.
There was no way Asura or the other beast-soldiers would find anything suspicious.
Indeed, Asura, Ramunk, and countless beast-soldiers stared at the tragedy in stunned silence.
“Grrr….”
“Urrgh….”
Their pupils were empty, as if entranced.
Seeing their own kin—completely brainwashed—being butchered was painfully shocking.
Of course, Jinhyuk had added a sorrowful soundtrack and various dramatic effects.
“I’ll tear them apart… limb by limb…”
Asura’s killing intent exploded, darker and heavier than before.
“How did you… find out about this?”
“I came across the information while fighting the enemy. As you know, the Celestial Order has the upper hand, and we’re on the brink of losing. From their perspective, wiping out the beast-soldiers next would be efficient.”
The Celestial Order and Asura were fundamentally enemies.
Their current alliance existed only because of Unknown and the Primordial beings.
They were never friends.
“It was my mistake… trusting such a despicable god…”
They should never have allied in the first place.
They had entrusted their backs to someone more dangerous than any enemy.
Regret surged through him—but it was already too late.
They had been lured deep into the ravine, their forces fragmented. They could not possibly overcome the fully prepared Celestial Order.
A mouse trapped in a jar.
There was no better phrase to describe their situation.
But—
Asura’s gaze turned to Jinhyuk.
“You didn’t come out of goodwill. Why help us?”
His actions carried purpose. A clear intent.
There had to be a reason he needed to approach Asura specifically.
Jinhyuk slowly opened his mouth.
“I don’t like seeing someone used and discarded.”
[Video continues.]
The screen showed Jinhyuk’s life—his BJ years, when he lived like a dog for corporate profit, and all the races sacrificed inside the Tower for someone else’s benefit.
It showed the Karakal of the Frostfang Tribe, Alice betrayed by her clan leaders, Teresa abandoned for the “greater good,” Andrea who lived as an offering—countless lives trampled upon.
“We’re a group formed from those who lived at rock bottom. We live not for anyone else’s gain, but for our own honor, pride, and the freedom of the people standing with us.” (T/N: What a load of bull…. hahahaha.)
The melancholic look in Jinhyuk’s eyes carried countless buried emotions.
To Asura, at least, it felt genuine.
“…You’ve walked a difficult path.”
“It was rough.”
“So, that’s why you’re warning us?”
“Your refusal to bow to anyone. That’s why the beast-soldiers are persecuted by the Celestial Order. You’re a mirror of us. And I didn’t want to watch the same tragedy repeat itself.”
Do you know when people feel the strongest trust toward someone?
It is when they are on the verge of being abandoned.
When everyone else points a blade at them.
‘And what I need to do is simple.’
Approach them at their emptiest moment.
Share their pain.
Especially when there’s a history of mutual hostility and the potential for betrayal—
the impact becomes even stronger.
[Lv49 Empathy activated.]
A skill copied from Park Hana.
The first skill he earned in the Tower.
And the one that reduced countless people to tears.
Even Asura, cold as ice, felt his emotions waver.
“You want us to ally with you and fight the Celestial Order?”
“I’m saying you strike first. Hunting dogs get boiled after the hunt—but until the hunt is over, hunters still need their dogs.”
The beast-soldiers would never imagine this scenario.
In fact, the Celestial Order wasn’t planning to kill Asura after the war.
But only one person here knew that.
“Certainly… if we join forces, we could land a massive blow.”
Asura stroked his chin.
His deliberation did not last long.
He really had only one choice.
“Tell me the plan.”
A massive fissure formed inside the overwhelming Celestial Order.
—
Twenty-four hours into the war.
Considering the scale of the forces, it was still early—but both sides had fought so fiercely that the battlefield had already turned into a bloodbath.
They were reaching the war’s peak.
However—
Despite the advantageous terrain, the allied forces were forced to retreat repeatedly.
The difference in numbers mattered, but the Celestial Order’s superior tactics mattered even more.
Brahma won every mid- and small-scale battle in the twenty-seven zones of the ravine.
During that time, Apollo, Artemis, and Loki received severe injuries that made further combat impossible.
And now—
Brahma’s main force was assaulting Eden, the strongest remaining holdout.
Rumble…
Walls crumbled instantly into dust.
Gabriel’s sanctuary, Zion, was erased by Brahma.
“…Unbelievable ability.”
Gabriel let out a hollow smile.
Destruction in his left arm. Creation in his right.
When Brahma’s dual-natured power combined with the Tower’s mana—reality bent.
“It was a sturdy fortress. No wonder archangels are said to be able to face armies alone.”
Top-tier large-scale authority.
A power allowing an army to build a sanctuary in hostile land was equally absurd.
But that was all.
Unless Eden could unleash all six wings, even divine authority dimmed.
“Surrender and I’ll spare your life. Our target is Kang Jinhyuk. We have no desire to be enemies with Eden. Shouldn’t you focus on your internal conflict first?”
Uriel’s rebels sought the perfect moment to seize Eden.
If Gabriel died or was gravely injured here, the fragile balance would collapse instantly.
Brahma had struck at the core.
He hoped Gabriel and the angels would surrender.
[Gabriel summons ‘Spear of Purification’!]
Fwoosh!
Holy flames wrapped the white spear.
Fire that burned even souls illuminated the battlefield, forcing the divine beasts near Brahma to stumble back.
“Grrr…!”
“Gaaah!”
Just looking at it dried their eyes.
Gabriel’s divine power was on a different level.
“It’s unfortunate. That human, Kang Jinhyuk, ruined 100 years of my dawn prayer.”
He had erased all the merit Gabriel built up.
Therefore—
“I intend to keep him for the next 1,000 years and collect compensation.”
“So you refuse to surrender.”
Brahma sighed lightly.
Then there was only one outcome.
Vrrrrm—
Golden and black lights twisted as the arm of destruction surged.
Two opposing lights exploded simultaneously.
At the same moment—
BOOOOM!
Gabriel’s spear shot forward at supersonic speed.
Creation and destruction were overwhelming—but each had limited range.
As long as Gabriel avoided direct touch, she still had a chance.
‘Win it with speed.’
Acceleration from two sets of wings amplified the spear’s might severalfold.
But just before the tip pierced his heart—
A lotus-shaped divine eye opened in Brahma’s gaze.
[Special Skill ‘One-Second Premonition’ activated!]
He saw the trajectory and outcome.
KRRRR—BOOM!
The spear deflected violently.
“Ever wondered which is superior? Divine power or mandala?”
Brahma’s hand touched Gabriel’s chest plate.
A chill shot through her.
Then light mass shifted sharply—
Turning into a storm.
—
Sssss—
Heat rippled from the ground.
The sweeping light of destruction left no divine power behind.
“Should’ve minded your own house. Meddling got you killed.”
Brahma approached Gabriel, annoyance all over his face.
He raised his hand to deliver the final blow.
Rumble…
His left arm glowed with dual light again.
With not a single drop of divine power remaining—
One more attack would guarantee death.
But then—
Vrrrrm—
[A Gate is being summoned!]
A green gate opened, and Heimdall appeared.
“This ends here.”
He spun his staff clockwise.
Starlit waves wrapped Gabriel gently.
“Kill him! We must finish him now!”
The most troublesome foe of the alliance—Heimdall, master of spatial distortion.
Even with top-tier barriers, he always found a gap.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Myth-tier spells and divine techniques filled the sky.
[Heimdall activates Unique Ability ‘Light of Asgard’!]
But the rainbow light moved faster.
“Damn it!”
“Click!”
Latri and Ushas clicked their tongues.
Gabriel and Heimdall’s bodies were nowhere in the ruined land.
Capturing the major stronghold was a good achievement—
But missing Gabriel made it feel incomplete.
Until Agni spoke.
“I recognize the location Heimdall used.”
Agni recalled the scenery beyond the gate.
They saved Gabriel, but in doing so—
They revealed their base location.
‘Ishukra Marsh.’
A land infested with countless marsh-beasts.
The Celestial Order had abandoned it for so long that no one knew its current ecosystem.
That’s why their base was so hard to find.
But thanks to Agni’s sharp eyes—
They finally had the chance to end this exhausting hide-and-seek.