Chapter 651

Ding!

Ding!

Ding…!

A series of notifications popped up.

Four Sacred Relics had revealed themselves in total.

[You have acquired the Sacred Relic ‘Adam’s Rib’!]

Acquisition Difficulty: Unmeasurable

Description: Grants a second life to all those belonging to Eden. It can protect the user from any harm that leads to death, such as fatal injuries or contracts that risk one’s life.

[You have acquired the Sacred Relic ‘Limit Breaker Pill’!]

Acquisition Difficulty: Unmeasurable

Description: A special pill that can be used on items. If you select a specific item and administer the pill, you can forcibly unlock one of the abilities sealed within that item.

[You have acquired the Sacred Relic ‘Key of Gilgamesh’!]

Acquisition Difficulty: Unmeasurable

Description: Grants access to a vault that has not been used for a long time. If you do not have a personal vault, you can borrow three Sacred Relics from Gilgamesh’s vault. If you have a personal vault, you can freely open your own vault.

[You have acquired the Sacred Relic ‘Claíomh Solais’!]

Acquisition Difficulty: Unmeasurable

Attack Power: 1,150,000

Durability: 5,000,000 / 5,000,000

Description: A mythical weapon with the nickname “Sword of Invincibility.” It blinds enemies with its radiance, and a sacred spell is inscribed on the blade, ensuring that it never loses once drawn. (Can be combined with other Sacred Relics.)

Four in total.

Each one was optimized for a specific person.

Jinhyuk opened his Subspace Inventory.

“Everyone, come out. I’ve got something for you to do.”

“Master!”

“Did you call?”

“Yes, yes, I came right away! Really. I didn’t do anything like snacking, and I ran here as soon as you called. Right?”

“Wipe your mouth before you talk, you idiot. Whisper, whisper.”

“Everyone, be quiet. My head hurts.”

The Spirit Beasts grinned and scurried over.

Someone was risking their life and fighting desperately outside, yet they were having a party in the Subspace. It was infuriating, but he needed them to run errands, so he decided to let it slide just this once.

Jinhyuk handed out the remaining items, excluding the ‘Limit Breaker Pill,’ to each Spirit Beast.

“Deliver these to our members. Then go outside the Barrier immediately and act according to what’s written on this note.”

“Understood!”

“Trust us, Master!”

“Of course, of course!”

The Spirit Beasts thumped their chests.

Watching them struggle to carry the huge items with their small bodies, a faint unease crept in.

But he had no choice but to trust them and let them go.

As the Spirit Beasts rushed off to carry out their missions, Jinhyuk, left alone, tightened his grip on the First Blade.

Then he sprinkled the ‘Limit Breaker Pill’ he had just obtained over it.

Swish.

The moment the white powder touched the blade’s surface, the purple radiance flared noticeably brighter.

Whoosh!

A beautifully shining light.

[The second trait of ‘First Blade’ is unlocked!]

[Transmutation]

Description: You can change the shape and appearance of the sword to whatever you desire. It can be applied to various aspects such as mass, length, shape, and characteristics, and you must choose one of them. However, once an ability is chosen, it will remain permanently unless another Transmutation item is used.

He already knew what he wanted.

Jinhyuk infused Mana into the sword.

Then—

Clatter, clatter, clatter… Crack, crack, crack!

Cracks raced across the surface of the First Blade. The blade split and multiplied, and the elongated edges grew long enough to graze the floor, brushing the ground with a soft scrape.

It was the Serpent Sword he’d always liked the most.

With this, he should be able to destroy the heart of Azathoth’s Palace.

So far, so good.

The real problem was—

‘The manifestation has progressed too far.’

With more than 90% of the palace already manifested, destroying the jewel in front of him wouldn’t be enough to stop it.

East, west, south, north, and the center.

He had to destroy five jewels in total to halt the palace’s manifestation.

For that, he needed the people outside the Barrier to move.

‘I just need the Spirit Beasts to finish their work quickly…’

Jinhyuk’s gaze shifted beyond the Barrier.

⁕⁕⁕

“Ugh…! I-It’s… your turn.”

“Y-Yeah. I have to drink. Of course I’ll drink.”

Heracles and Thor, faces flushed red, passed the liquor jar back and forth.

They had been drinking for hours.

Locked in a contest where pride was on the line, they were barely standing.

Even so, they staggered, reached for the next jar, and refused to back down.

Glug! Glug! Glug!

The other gods watched them guzzle like madmen and clicked their tongues.

To the gods, alcohol was meant to savor. Drinking until you collapsed was something humans did.

“Those muscle-brained idiots do barbaric things. Don’t you think so, Brother?”

“That seems to be true.”

Artemis and Apollo sipped their wine with practiced elegance.

“Still, it’s not bad to enjoy leisure like this. Ever since that monster on the 50th floor died, the rest have been behaving.”

“Don’t let your guard down. The enemy isn’t someone we can judge with common sense.”

Loki sneered, and Odin cut him off sharply.

He had even sent out crows to patrol, but the ominous feeling wouldn’t fade.

Heimdall, too, stood by without taking a single sip, waiting for Odin’s command.

“Father worries too much. Always worrying.”

“I think it’s unnecessary concern. If anything is unsettling, it’s more likely… Celestial Order.”

Anubis glanced toward where Celestial Order was stationed.

They had formed a temporary alliance, but strictly speaking, they were enemies.

Once this battle ended, either side could stab the other in the back.

“Asura and the demonic beasts are grinding their teeth. They won’t turn on us so easily. Still… where did our winged friend go?”

Berial muttered and scanned the area.

He’d been planning to needle Gabriel, who lived like a monk with his Ten Commandments and prayers, but the Archangel hadn’t been seen for a while now.

Just then—

“Heeek! Heeek!”

Salamander popped into view with a poof, spitting out tiny flames.

No one needed an introduction.

“Heeek! Master told me to deliver this!”

One of Jinhyuk’s five great Spirit Beasts.

Salamander thrust out a piece of paper, gripping it tightly.

—

Clang, clang, clang!

Splatter, splatter, splatter!

Blood droplets burst in midair. The sky, saturated with colliding Mana, suited the name Apocalypse perfectly.

“He’s putting up quite a fight.”

Unknown frowned as he dealt with Alice’s relentless assault, her skewers firing in frantic waves.

Just handling the thousands she sprayed indiscriminately demanded far more effort than he liked.

“Insolent creature. How dare you act so relaxed in my presence!”

Alice’s fury hit its peak as she glared at Unknown.

In the past, she had been an absolute being—someone no one dared treat lightly. Unknown’s attitude now crushed her pride.

But to Unknown, Alice was nothing more than a troublesome opponent.

Most of his attention remained elsewhere.

‘Even now, he’s still looking for the best route. Impressive.’

With the manifestation nearly complete, the palace wouldn’t collapse unless all the pillars outside were destroyed.

There was also the possibility of calling for outside support, but that, too, was within his calculations.

No—rather—

‘Our preparations outside are even better.’

Unknown’s mask twisted into a grotesque smile.

Alice, Teresa, Chun Yuseong, Frey, and finally Goguma.

He would bury all the core members of Veteran Corporation here.

“Are you… going to ignore me to the end?”

Sensing his mind was elsewhere, Alice gathered the Mana she still possessed.

[‘Apocalypse of Revelation’ – Blood Eclipse ‘Night Embracing Day’ is activated!]

Her vision flickered. A red line slowly carved itself into view.

It was nothing like the indiscriminate skewers she’d been firing.

A single heavy strike—one that could suppress even formidable bosses in one blow.

But—

‘It’s not enough.’

Alice knew instinctively.

Even with this, she couldn’t land a fatal wound on him.

And if she squandered her insufficient Mana recklessly, she would face consequences she couldn’t take back.

‘Is there really no way?’

Disgust churned at her own helplessness. More than anything, what hurt most was knowing she couldn’t help much when her contractor’s life was on the line.

Just then—

Bubble, bubble!

Bubbles rose, and a familiar face surfaced.

“Madam!”

It was Undine, the Spirit Beast of Water.

“Madam, huh… I like it… I mean, ahem! I’m busy fighting the enemy.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. But Master told me to deliver this no matter what!”

“The contractor?”

Alice’s eyes widened.

She’d assumed he was too busy right now. Why would he send her something in the middle of this?

At the same time, her heart pounded.

If he could still spare thought for her in a moment like this—

It meant he truly valued her.

Alice accepted a golden key from Undine, her imagination running wild.

“This is…?”

She still looked confused.

Because she didn’t understand what she was holding.

But the moment she inserted the key into empty air, she knew.

[‘Key of Gilgamesh’ is activated!]

Click!

With the sound of a latch, dimensions connected.

A vault sealed for a long time, its location impossible to find.

Ataraxia’s—

No, a vault of Sacred Relics kept solely for Alice von Ataraxia.

“Ah…”

A deep exhale escaped her.

With a trembling hand, she reached toward the place she had missed so much.

[The sleeping Sacred Relics respond to their master’s call.]

⁕⁕⁕

‘What kind of scheme is he plotting?’

Unknown, still preoccupied with the palace, ran through possibilities.

He imagined what he would do in Jinhyuk’s place to break this situation.

As his thoughts spiraled—

A chill.

An unfamiliar sensation intruded.

“What… is that?”

For the first time, Unknown’s gaze locked fully onto Alice.

Tingle, tingle!

Mana like the deep sea seeped through the mask.

Something he had never experienced before was awakening there.