[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
Chapter 332
Escanon intervened in the next section as well.
Originally, a Saint-level Transcendent was supposed to face Jeong-hoon, but instead, a Sovereign sitting in the same seat as Baal stepped forward to face him.
“…Baal, did you end up getting taken down after all.”
A curtain of darkness spread out, blinding the eyes and ears of all Transcendents.
By the time the curtain lifted, it had been made to look like Baal had been killed by Jeong-hoon's hand, so it was only natural that no one suspected otherwise.
Jeong-hoon grinned and summoned the Overlord Titan.
‘A Sovereign-level Transcendent. Just perfect.’
There couldn’t be a better opponent to test the Overlord Titan.
‘Let’s not use any buffs.’
If he used buffs, even a Sovereign could be taken down in an instant, but then he wouldn’t be able to properly test the power of the Overlord Titan.
That’s why using the Overlord Titan while being at a stat disadvantage would be a better way to accurately gauge its performance.
<This is Dispater, ruler of the 95th Demon Realm.>
Baal clearly didn’t like Dispater.
Though they were both Sovereigns, in terms of rank, Dispater was above him.
‘What kind of ability does that guy use?’
<Fire. He wields fire, and he's excellent at it.>
‘Hm, doesn’t sound too difficult.’
<Still, don’t let your guard down. Wouldn’t it be better to just overpower him with strength?>
‘No need for that.’
I’ve got the Overlord Titan.
Jeong-hoon pointed Titan’s sword at Dispater’s throat.
“Human, we’ve already completed our investigation on you.”
“An investigation on me?”
“That’s right. We’ve analyzed all of your abilities.”
“And?”
“What?”
“You’ve analyzed them, so what exactly can you do about it?”
As Jeong-hoon mocked him, Dispater’s expression hardened.
“So you’ve grown arrogant just because you took down Baal. But that one was far beneath me.”
Is he saying that he’s different from Baal?
At that, Baal’s face twisted with rage.
<That bastard’s really spewing crap. Just because he has Escanon’s favor and rules the 95th Demon Realm, he thinks his brain’s made of something other than mush.>
‘That’s a lie, right?’
<Of course it is! The only reason he governs a higher-ranked Demon Realm than I do is because Escanon favors him. If we’re just talking ability, I’m slightly stronger!>
‘Hmm, I’ll believe you.’
<…Feels like I had to beg for that.>
‘I’ll end this quickly.’
Overlord Titan.
Its first ability.
[Activating ‘Overlord’s Descent.’]
First up—Overlord’s Descent.
As the skill activated, a mighty force seeped into Jeong-hoon's body.
Rumble! Boom!
Whether due to the skill or not, lightning struck around Jeong-hoon, and the ground trembled.
“W-What is this?!”
Dispater’s face twisted in confusion.
This phenomenon occurred because the surrounding environment couldn't withstand the pressure of his overwhelming presence.
His shoulders were weighed down, and even standing on two legs became burdensome—it was hard to endure.
Breathing itself became difficult, and for a brief moment, Dispater thought of his lord.
It was a sensation extremely similar to what he had felt when facing his sovereign.
‘I’m… afraid right now?’
Unacceptable.
That thing is a mortal.
A weak being that gets discarded without mercy the moment it's deemed useless after being toyed with.
‘Incredible. My presence has become this overwhelming.’
Jeong-hoon couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.
Overlord’s Descent.
Just as the name implies, his rank had skyrocketed, entering the Overlord mode.
And the immense aura emanating from his body—
This was the pressure wielded by the Overlord, and because of it, a 1-kilometer radius domain known as the Overlord's Dominion was formed.
Dispater’s shock came from being crushed under this Dominion.
<This is incredible. So this is the power of a god.>
Even Baal was full of admiration.
‘No need to test anything else.’
Jeong-hoon was certain.
Even someone like Dispater could be crushed instantly with just this level of power.
‘Let’s go.’
He launched forward, stepping with the Heavenly Demon Lord’s Dominion Steps.
Even though his stats hadn’t increased, his movements were on a completely different level from before, and in a flash, he was right in front of Dispater.
“Damn it!”
Unable to follow Jeong-hoon’s movement, Dispater cursed and staggered backward in panic.
[Dispater uses 'Hellfire.']
At the same time, hellfire erupted from the ground where he had stood and engulfed Jeong-hoon in an instant.
But the flames couldn’t burn Jeong-hoon at all.
There was no need to even use a defensive skill—the Overlord’s authority protected his body.
[Form One: Activating Heavenly Demon Sword Form.]
Jeong-hoon cut through the flames and brought his sword down on Dispater.
[Dispater uses 'Chains of Fire.']
Chains of fire materialized between them and blocked the sword strike.
Crack!
The chains of fire shattered without resistance.
However, an enormous number of chains appeared and instantly wrapped around Jeong-hoon.
Crack! Crackle!
Of course, Jeong-hoon severed them all using the Heavenly Demon Sword Form, and ended the first form by slicing off Dispater’s right arm.
“Aaaargh!”
Dispaster screamed as his right arm was severed.
<Heh heh, serves him right. Acting all arrogant just because he’s favored... how irritating that was.>
Baal listened to his anguished cries with a sense of bliss.
“How can a so-called Lord start whining already?”
He only used the First Form of the Heavenly Demon Annihilation Sword, and yet… at this rate, he won’t even be able to properly test Overlord Titan.
“Silence!”
Dispaster’s bloodshot eyes flared with rage.
[Dispaster uses ‘Gaze of Hell.’]
His gaze landed on the tip of Jeong-hoon’s right foot.
Flames erupted from that very spot in a fierce red blaze.
‘So he can ignite fire wherever his gaze touches.’
However, not even a strand of hair on Jeong-hoon’s body—now that the Overlord had descended—could be harmed.
‘I suppose I should end this here.’
With the level and stat transfer through Baal and the completed Overlord Titan, the gap between him and Dispaster had become astronomical.
‘Let’s save Overlord’s Wrath for later.’
He wasn’t sure what it was yet, but Escanon was undoubtedly watching this scene closely.
So it was necessary to keep at least one card hidden.
The problem was that not even the user knew what kind of power Overlord’s Wrath held.
[Form 3: Annihilation Form is activated.]
Jeong-hoon pointed the tip of his sword at Dispaster and unleashed the final form, Annihilation Form.
The moment it was activated, his body vanished—and in a flash, it pierced through Dispaster’s throat.
[Overlord’s Presence is activated. Instant death is inflicted.]
“Guh!”
Dispaster died instantly, unable to resist the instant death effect.
<He can’t even regenerate?>
Baal muttered as he looked down at Dispaster’s corpse.
As a Lord, Dispaster had incredible regenerative powers, but he couldn’t use them and died instantly.
‘Impressive…….’
Jeong-hoon admired it inwardly.
He didn’t expect it to include instant death.
Truly, divine class power was on another level.
‘Maybe it’s not so unreasonable to think I can stand against Escanon.’
And he hadn’t even obtained the unknown power yet.
If he could gain that too—maybe he really could change fate.
Jeong-hoon placed his hand on Dispaster’s corpse.
[You use the Soul Absorption Technique.]
[You gain experience points.] Searᴄh the NovelZone.fun website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[All stats increase.]
The Soul Absorption Technique further increased his experience and stats.
Since Dispaster was a Sovreign-Class being, the incoming experience and stat gain were significant.
[Player Info]
– Nickname: Hoon
– Level: 2,722
His level rose from 2,549 to 2,722.
[Detailed Stats]
– Strength: 8,002
– Agility: 7,963
– Stamina: 7,907
– Defense: 8,089
– Wisdom: 7,871
– Magic: 8,835
– Divinity: 8,236
– Willpower: 7,800
His stats had increased across the board.
“It’s done. Let’s go.”
Now it was time to obtain the unknown power.
* * *
The temple where the unknown power is hidden.
It’s here that the power can be obtained.
“Feels like I come here often.”
Before the regression, this was the place he visited after preventing the first destruction.
And after the regression, he came here again using Psyche’s pocket watch.
This makes it his third visit.
<You came here often? How can you come here often?>
Baal, who had followed behind, tilted his head in confusion.
“Do you remember when I used the pocket watch?”
<I do.>
“I used it to visit this place.”
<Huh? What are you talking about? That pocket watch sends you to the past, not the future.>
Baal doesn’t know that Jeong-hoon is a regressor.
So he’s confused about how Jeong-hoon could’ve visited the temple using the watch.
“Strictly speaking, it’s not the past—it moves me through time based on my memory.”
<Right, but that watch can’t send you to the future.>
“Wouldn’t it be a different story if I had memories of the future?”
<Huh? What does that mean?>
“Put simply, I’ve regressed.”
<Regressed…?>
“I don’t have time to explain. Let’s go.”
<Wa-Wait a minute!>
Baal hurriedly reached out to stop Jeong-hoon, but Jeong-hoon ignored him and kept walking.
At the center of the temple was a staircase leading underground, but it was still sealed by a barrier, as if passage wasn’t yet permitted.
To descend that staircase, the second destruction must first be prevented.
Jeong-hoon passed by it.
At the end of the temple stood a massive, ancient door.
Beyond it lies the slumbering unknown power.
‘This time, things will be different.’
As he steeled himself and reached out to open the door—
<Wait! Wait!>
Baal’s urgent voice rang out from behind him.
“What is it?”
Jeong-hoon turned his head, irritation in his voice.
Baal stood there pointing at the door, his expression filled with disbelief.
<Th-That door—why is it here?!>
“Why? Is there a problem?”
<Of course there is! That’s where Tenebris is sealed!>
“Tenebris?”
Tenebris.
He was once revered as the only god before Psyche appeared, believed to have been driven out by war.
Of course, he was actually a made-up deity created by a cult leader to pull off a massive scam.
Back then, while playing the game, Jeong-hoon had captured the cult leader and the entire leadership, and as a result, visited the Golden Temple and obtained the completed Mark of Divinity.
But to think Tenebris was actually a real god.
<This is strange… Why is the place where he was bound and sealed located here?>
“Could this be Tenebris’s temple?”
<No, this temple was built for Destruction. So it doesn’t have an owner.>
“…I’m going in.”
Whatever it is, if he wants to obtain the unknown power, he has no choice but to go inside.
Jeong-hoon pushed the door with his hand.
Creeeak—
Just like before the regression, the door opened smoothly.
<I told you to wait! …Tch!>
Baal grimaced and stepped back as he tried to stop Jeong-hoon.
“What’s wrong?”
<I don’t know… As I got closer to the door, a searing pain shot through my entire body.>
“Really?”
<It looks like this place is protected to prevent transcendents like me from entering. That must be why I can’t sense any energy from it, too.>
“Then wait outside. I’ll be back soon.”
<No matter how I think about it, going in there is too dangerous. How about we just turn back?>
Baal was afraid.
Just what kind of being is Tenebris for him to react like this?
“No, that’s not an option.”
Not going in isn’t on the table.
No matter how dangerous it may be, the unknown power must be taken.
Jeong-hoon turned his back on Baal and stepped through the door.
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]