Chapter 279: New Powers

The deeper they went into the Earth Library, the less the place felt like a library. The shelves had become taller, the corridors wider, and the ancient records increasingly difficult to understand.

Arthur had just finished examining another mural when a low rumble rolled through the floor. He looked up. "Again?"

Athena frowned. "That wasn’t the same sound as before."

The golden lines beneath their feet flickered, and then the entire corridor shook.

BOOM!

A section of the wall exploded outward, stone fragments flying across the library. Arthur raised his arm.

[Guardian Shield]

A golden dome appeared around the group, the debris slamming into it.

CRASH!

The shield trembled. His expression changed. That impact was much stronger than the previous Chiefs.

Something stepped through the broken wall. It was enormous, its body covered in dark iron-like armor, thick plates running from its shoulders to its legs, two massive horns curving backward from its head, each glowing with a faint golden light. Every step cracked the stone beneath its feet, its eyes locking onto the group.

Arthur immediately recognized the danger. "Spread out."

The Beast charged.

BOOM!

The Guardian Shield shattered, the impact sending everyone flying in different directions. Arthur rolled across the floor and stopped against a stone pillar. "Everyone!"

He looked around. Mithra had been thrown toward the western corridor. Vedas had landed on the opposite side. Kong had disappeared behind several shelves. Athy was already airborne, but the enormous library made it impossible for her to maintain vision over everyone at once. Melo and Sun had been pushed toward the rear. Luna and Athena were separated from the main group.

The Beast charged again. Arthur pushed himself up. "Mithra!"

"I’m fine!" Her voice came from somewhere beyond the shelves.

Then the Beast slammed one of its horns into the ground.

BOOOOOOM!

The entire corridor shook, a shockwave racing outward, and Arthur barely jumped over it. Vedas tried to reach him, and the Beast turned, its tail smashing into him.

CRACK!

Vedas was sent through a stone wall. "Vedas!" He emerged from the rubble almost immediately. "I can continue!" He charged, but another shockwave forced him back.

Arthur gritted his teeth. They couldn’t fight like this. The Beast was deliberately breaking their formation, and every time someone moved toward another member, it attacked the gap.

Mithra attempted to reach Arthur. The Chief intercepted her, and she vanished in a burst of speed, but its horn swept across the corridor and forced her backward. "I can’t get through!"

Arthur looked toward Kong, who had finally emerged from behind the shelves. Vedas immediately moved toward him, but the Chief blocked the path. Vedas slammed his spear against its armor.

CLANG!

The attack barely moved it. The Beast countered, and he blocked with his spear, the force sending him skidding backward. Kong growled and charged from the other side, jumped, and his fist struck the Beast’s shoulder.

BOOM!

The Chief staggered, but only for a moment before swinging its head, launching him across the corridor. Sun caught him before he hit the ground. "That’s enough." He looked toward Arthur. "This thing is too strong!"

Arthur knew. Athy was flying above them, but even her vision couldn’t cover the entire battlefield anymore. "Arthur!" Her voice echoed from above. "I can’t keep track of everyone!"

Melo tried to move toward Mithra, and another shockwave forced her away. Luna grabbed a stone pillar to steady herself. Athena was protecting the ancient tablets from collapsing debris. Everyone was fighting, everyone was trying, but they were becoming more separated with every exchange.

Arthur looked around. For the first time since entering the Earth Library, he felt something close to panic. Not fear of the Beast. Fear that they were losing each other.

The King Mark beneath his skin suddenly grew warm. He looked down, the inscription flashing through his mind.

The King does not command the light.

The King becomes its center.

He looked at Vedas. Then Kong. Mithra. Athy. Melo. Sun. Luna. Athena. Eden. Star.

They weren’t supposed to fight as separate pieces. Arthur had spent so long thinking about how to make himself stronger, how to make Vedas stronger, how to find better techniques, how to defeat stronger enemies. But the mural had shown him something different. The King stood at the center. Not above everyone. Not in front of everyone. At the center.

He slowly raised his hand, the King Mark erupting with golden light. "Everyone!"

The entire library went silent for half a second, his voice echoing through the corridors. "Come back to me!"

The golden light exploded outward.

BOOOOOOM!

It wasn’t an attack. It didn’t strike the Chief. It spread, across the floor, up the walls, through the corridors, between the shelves, flowing toward every member of the group. It reached Vedas first. Then Mithra. Then Kong. Athy. Melo. Sun. Luna. Athena. Eden. Star.

Every one of them was enveloped in the same golden radiance. Arthur felt something change, not just in himself, but in everyone. A new authority settled over the battlefield. A new connection formed between them.

His eyes widened as the familiar interface appeared.

[King’s Mark Authority — Light Aura]

The golden aura intensified. Vedas clenched his fist, his muscles tightening, his golden spear suddenly burning brighter. Mithra looked down at her hands, her body feeling lighter, faster, sharper. Sun’s grip tightened around his staff. Kong flexed his arms, the Stone Monkey’s body seeming denser than before. Athy’s wings spread, golden energy flowing through her feathers. Melo’s five tails glowed brightly. Even Luna and Athena could feel the change.

Eden floated higher, her golden eyes widening. "Arthur..."

He stared at the entire group. He could feel them. Not their thoughts. Not their emotions. Something simpler. Their presence. Their strength. Their synchronization. The distance between them no longer felt quite so large.

The Chief charged. This time Arthur didn’t move alone. "Vedas."

The Goblin King smiled. "I know." He launched himself forward. Mithra moved at the same time. So did Kong. Athy rose higher. Melo’s tails spread. Sun lowered his staff. Everyone moved together.

The Beast slammed its horn toward Vedas. He blocked.

BOOM!

He didn’t move. His eyes widened. "I’m stronger."

Mithra appeared beside him. "Then keep it busy." She struck, once, twice, three times, and the Beast turned toward her.

Athy immediately called out. "Left!" Mithra ducked, the horn passing over her head, and Kong appeared from behind, his fist slamming into the Beast’s back.

BOOM!

The Chief staggered. Sun followed.

[Point Shockwave]

The impact struck the same damaged section. Melo’s dream mist spread across the battlefield, the Chief’s movements becoming slightly less precise. Eden’s golden particles appeared around its head, and the Beast hesitated, only for an instant. But that instant was enough.

Arthur stepped forward, the golden aura around him intensifying. He understood it now. The Light Aura wasn’t simply increasing their strength. It was making their abilities work better together. Every movement became easier to read. Every opening became easier to exploit. Every member could push further because the others were covering them. The entire battlefield felt connected.

He smiled. "The King Mark isn’t just for me." Everyone looked toward him. He raised his spear. "It’s for all of us."

Vedas roared. Mithra disappeared. Kong charged. Athy dove from above. Sun attacked from the side. Melo’s dream mist distorted the Chief’s senses. Eden shared the battlefield’s vision.

Arthur stepped directly into the center. The Chief raised both horns, and he thrust forward.

[Guardian Strike]

Golden light erupted, the Guardian spirit appearing behind him. At the same moment Vedas attacked from the front.

[Armor Piercing]

Mithra struck the exposed joints. Kong slammed both fists into the damaged armor. Sun’s shockwave broke the outer plating. Athy’s attack struck from above. Melo disrupted the Beast’s senses. Eden’s golden particles caused another brief hesitation.

The Chief stumbled. Arthur’s golden pillars erupted around it.

[King’s Mark Authority — Columns of Light]

The pillars formed a cage. The Beast couldn’t retreat. Vedas raised his spear.

Arthur met his eyes. "Now."

Vedas grinned.

[Blazing Spear]

The golden spear pierced straight through the Chief’s chest.

BOOOOOOM!

The Dreadhorn Warden roared, its armor cracking. Mithra struck the exposed weakness. Kong followed with another punch. Sun’s shockwave hit from behind. Athy attacked from above. Melo’s mist thickened. Eden’s Charm disrupted the Beast’s final counterattack.

Arthur thrust his spear forward, the golden light erupting one final time. The Chief collapsed.

THUD.

Silence filled the library. Arthur lowered his spear, the golden aura slowly fading. Everyone stood there breathing heavily.

Vedas looked at his hands, then at Arthur. "That was different."

Mithra nodded. "We moved differently."

Sun looked around. "For once, nobody got left behind."

Arthur smiled. The Beast’s body began dissolving into golden particles, and a progression notification appeared.

[Level Up!]

[Goblin King]

[Level 32 → Level 33]

Vedas looked at it. "Level thirty-three."

Arthur nodded. "Good."

Across the battlefield, the others were also feeling the effects of their victory. Mithra’s movements had become noticeably faster. Sun’s grip on his staff was stronger. Kong bounced excitedly. Athy’s wings spread with renewed energy. Melo’s tails swayed through the fading mist. Even Eden looked more confident.

Their strength was increasing. But Arthur’s attention remained on the golden mark on his hand. The mural’s words finally made sense. The King didn’t stand above everyone. He wasn’t supposed to command every movement. He wasn’t supposed to fight every battle alone. He was supposed to become the point where everyone could meet.

He looked around at his companions. For the first time, the title of King felt less like a title about power, and more like a responsibility.

He smiled. "Let’s keep going."

Athena looked toward the endless library. "After that?"

He nodded. "There are still thousands of records."

Sun groaned. "You’re more terrifying than the Chief."