Chapter 638
“A Planet Devouring Serpent, huh….”
Gros looked up at the sky.
True to its name, the gaping maw seemed endless—no beginning, no end.
A power worthy of being compared to the Outer Gods.
However—
“Who do you think you’re dealing with?”
Kukukukukuku!
“Kieeeee!”
The Roots of Shaggai shrieked, unleashing a roiling purple storm.
A far more potent and chilling aura than the Abyssal Flash surged outward.
The rising haze was likely caused by the corrosion of the Domain Barrier’s territory.
Horrific, formless chaos.
That was the only fitting way to describe the violet fog engulfing Gros.
Jinhyuk quietly closed his eyes.
A fatal mistake in battle under normal circumstances—but no weakness could be sensed from his defenseless posture.
Mana flowed subtly.
Very slowly…
…he synchronized the stars’ energy with his own Mana.
A mysterious radiance pushed back the encroaching chaos.
[Understanding of Barriers has increased.]
A complex, arduous profession that could not be mastered quickly.
That was why Barrier Masters were shunned.
Their poor efficiency and overwhelming resource demands made them undesirable.
Even so, he chose this path—without regret.
From the smallest, most trivial barrier…
…to the Great Barriers that reached the Zodiac Constellations.
Every step, every moment of growth, had been deeply satisfying.
[The 13 constellations are watching over you.]
“Here I go.”
Jinhyuk brought his raised sword down in a fierce swing.
In response, Gros’s shrieking greatsword shot upward.
Kwakwakwakwakwakwa!
Sword clashed against sword.
The serpent and the tentacles collided with murderous force, each trying to tear through the other.
Pain—like every cell of his body was ripping apart—seared Jinhyuk’s mind.
He felt as though he would lose consciousness at any moment.
“Keuh!”
He swallowed the scream threatening to erupt.
Perfect set-up.
Optimal preparations for overwhelming the opponent.
But none of it mattered before raw overpowering force.
“It was a more amusing diversion than I expected. I thought I’d just crush a bug, but this turned out to be a decent warm-up.”
Kukukukukuku!
Gros subtly twisted his sword’s trajectory.
“Kieeeee!”
Dozens of tentacles from the Roots of Shaggai coiled around the serpent’s neck, tightening as they approached Jinhyuk.
The precarious balance had already collapsed.
The tentacles would reach him any moment now.
“This is the end.”
Gros unleashed an even stronger surge of power to finish things cleanly.
The tentacles screamed.
Countless One Eye Moons filled the sky like an all-devouring galaxy.
Despair—inescapable and absolute.
That was all anyone should have seen.
But Jinhyuk reached out toward the encroaching moons and tentacles.
Despite knowing a frontal power struggle was dangerous, he still forced this clash.
Because he needed those eyes to open.
[Copy Condition: Gros, one of the Primordial Gods, brings destruction simply by appearing. An absolute being who floats through space, turning planets to dust. To copy Gros’s abilities, you must imprint an unforgettable nightmare onto his countless eyes. The strength of the mental impact will determine which of Gros’s abilities or skills can be copied.]
In short—
He had to scar him with trauma.
Like going out for pork cutlet but accidentally catching a whale.
Or discovering Santa Claus isn’t real.
…Right now!
[‘Multiple Barriers’ is activated!]
[The 13-Star Barrier ‘Dreamlike Forest Where Snakes Reside’ is activated!]
As the final Barrier unfolded, hundreds of white trees sprouted across a blue forest. White-scaled snakes slithered out from between the trunks.
An eerie, alien landscape unlike anything of this world.
And all of it poured directly into Gros’s countless eyes.
Only for a moment—
All the snakes surged forward and began devouring something from the lake.
Plump, adorable baby octopuses.
Cute little octopuses with bright eyes roamed the forest—
—and were swallowed whole in an instant.
Chew. Chew.
Tentacles vanished into the snakes’ mouths.
“Kieeeee!”
“Kyaaaa!”
A guttural scream tore out.
Gros’s eyes possessed overwhelming power, but because there were ‘so many of them’, they were ironically vulnerable to illusions.
Of course, under normal circumstances, Gros would never be deceived by an illusion—not unless it was cast by an Elder God or another Primordial being.
However—
With the ‘Primordial Authority’ disrupted, a weakness finally appeared.
Reverse the purple light.
“What…!?”
Gros’s pupils trembled violently.
The power he had amplified to crush Jinhyuk now backfired—becoming poison to his own mind.
The light pouring from the Roots of Shaggai—the tentacles, the eyeballs—dimmed drastically.
Meanwhile—
Crack.
The Planet Devouring Serpent’s maw opened wider than ever.
Checkmate.
“You’re the one who’s finished.”
“Damn it.”
Gros stared blankly as the enormous jaws descended.
There was no room left to escape.
And then—
The colossal serpent of starlight swallowed Gros whole.
—
Kwakwakwakwakwa!
A massive shockwave tore through the battlefield.
If not for the protection of the constellations, Jinhyuk would have been swept away.
“Hah… hah… hah…”
He gasped for air.
He had burned every last drop of power.
Just remaining conscious bordered on miraculous.
Yet the pain he felt was reassuring.
Pain meant he was still alive.
That final strike—the culmination of the 13th constellation—had pushed him far past his limits.
Crackle…
Crack!
[The 13th constellation signals the end.]
The grand Barrier collapsed.
Fragments fell like faint stardust.
Thud!
Jinhyuk collapsed to the ground.
“Master!”
“Are you alright?”
“Mogiii!”
“Miyooo!”
Goguma, Fried, Tbone, and the Spirit Beasts rushed toward him, along with his companions.
They had anxiously waited outside the Barrier, praying he would return alive.
“Yeah. Thanks to you all, I somehow managed to win.”
Jinhyuk stroked the heads of his trembling, affectionate summons.
Even though he pushed them hard, they always remained by his side.
He thought that once they returned, he should make plenty of their favorite food.
Then—
A pleasant notification rang out.
[Successfully copied ability.]
[Unique Holy Spear ‘One Eye Moon’]
Acquisition Difficulty: Unmeasurable
Details: Allows creation of an Abyssal Eye on a planetary scale, enabling mental assaults and long-range destructive beam attacks. Its range and destructive power surpass even a dragon’s breath and can be used infinitely with sufficient Mana. However, prolonged use of the Primordial Authority risks being dragged into the deep abyss.
‘It… worked.’
Jinhyuk let out a breath of genuine relief.
This was undeniably a miracle—one he could never recreate in the same way again.
If Gros had known this was the goal, he would never have allowed such a huge Domain Barrier to form.
‘Still, catching one was worth it.’
He had achieved the absolute maximum result possible with his current specs.
As proof—
Ting!
Golden and purple status windows appeared.
They were decorated in a way unlike anything he had ever seen.
[Achieved an impossible feat!]
[The fifth perk for the First Conqueror of the Tower is unlocked!]
[You may choose additional rewards instead of the standard ones.]
[Select two of the following rewards.]
1. ‘+35 Levels’
2. ‘Free access to the 50th floor’
3. ‘Key clues about the Necronomicon’
4. ‘One Sacred Relic of the Purple Grade’ (Choose from the catalog of 1,026 items)
5. SSS-Grade Random Treasure Box
6. Tracking scroll for the remaining ‘Crown’ location
[Selection deadline: 3 hours. Failure to choose will cancel the rewards.]
Insane.
Jinhyuk nearly bit his tongue.
He knew defeating Gros would grant exceptional rewards—but this surpassed all expectations.
Each one was so overwhelmingly valuable that choosing between them felt impossible.
‘Thank god it’s not just one.’
Two choices.
He could fill two plates at the world’s most expensive buffet.
[Acquired ‘Shaggai’s Root Greatsword’.]
[Acquired 104 Top-Grade Magic Crystals.]
[Acquired 14 Primordial Essences.]
[Unidentified Large Tentacle….]
Major spoils from Gros flooded the floor, too many to sort through immediately.
After hardship comes ease.
He finally felt the reward for risking his life.
However—
There was no time to enjoy it.
“Master!”
Tbone shouted toward the approaching Mana.
Kwakwakwakwakwakwa!
Undead Warriors and Death Knights held the line, but powerful entities were rushing toward them.
Jinhyuk didn’t need to hear it—he knew who they were.
Unknown’s Apostles of the Apocalypse.
“Clatter! My children can’t hold on for long. If we’re going to fight, we need everyone gathered again—”
Tbone raised his black sword eagerly.
He had clearly been itching to redeem himself after being beaten earlier.
“Mogiii!”
“Miyomiyo!”
“We can handle anything except the giant octopus! Leave the rest to the Spirit Beast Five!”
“That’s right!”
Goguma, Fried, and the Spirit Beasts all burned with determination, glaring in the direction of the incoming enemies.
Seeing them so fired up—they were dependable.
But—
“We’re withdrawing for now.”
Jinhyuk forced himself upright.
Fighting in this condition was suicide.
They needed to return to the castle and regroup.
More importantly—
He had to make one of the most important decisions of his life within the next three hours.