Chapter 291

Countless ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍divinities had flowed into Murus’s Mind Image World.

All ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍of them had once left their marks on Killian, and they were radiating an Existence Force incomparable to when they had manifested as Divine Objects.

Using ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Hollyheart to draw in divinities with divine power alone.

It ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍would not have been easy even with mana, yet he had to accomplish it with divine power alone.

Quite ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍unlike their bold invitation for him to come at them.

CRUNCH!

Killian rolled across the ground.

[You fool. That is not how you handle divine power.]

Pantera, who had shattered the barrier with a single kick, sneered at him.

[And they call this an Authority?]

BOOM!

Pantera kicked at the divine power scattered about in fragments and approached Killian.

[You’re having this much trouble with Pantera alone. Have we grown stronger, or has this fellow grown weaker?]

Roto, wearing the form of a boy, said as he spun a key around in his hand.

It was because Killian was barely managing to hold his own against Pantera alone.

[Hey, Adamas. Do a proper job. At this rate, we’re the ones who will look ridiculous for having acknowledged you.]

He said it because Killian was making such a pathetic show of himself, contrary to his bold words.

But the one who reacted to Roto’s words was Pantera.

Pantera frowned in displeasure.

[Who acknowledged whom?]

[Why?]

[Roto, after letting a human use you, have you thrown away even your pride?]

He was referring to how Charles Cornelia had caught Roto off guard and made him cooperate with her.

Roto shrugged and moved a good distance away from Pantera.

[It seems I have wanted nothing to do with you then or now.]

It was true that he had been caught off guard and used.

But he did not regret his choice.

His temple had prospered through the generations, he had taken root in the Mind Image World of someone with potential among the greatest of humankind, and he had left a mark on Adamas, the former Godslayer, as a precaution.

[Ever since the laws of the world began to change, my key has always pointed toward survival.]

He was proud enough of his own ability to respond to crises.

[A box full of dangers is not something you should open all at once, unlike someone.]

With a snicker, Roto insulted Pantera, whose temple was being run on incorrectly transmitted information.

[A fellow with the Authority of Domination calls himself the god of livestock? Even passing dogs would laugh.]

[Perhaps after being defeated by humans, your divinity became unstable as well.]

[You are the one who has become unstable.]

FWOOOSH—FWOOOSH—

The four-legged beast and the boy faced one another and unleashed divine power.

Lying between them, Killian quietly took in the gods’ conversation.

‘They are really fucking at it....’

This was supposed to be a Mind Image World, yet every joint in his body ached.

The pain was enough to make his consciousness fade, as though his limbs had been torn apart.

More than anything, there was one possibility he refused to accept.

‘I cannot cut them like this.’

The possibility was slipping away.

If he could not cut them down, he could neither strengthen Hollyheart nor reach 9-Star.

Without his power, Eurasia would surely collapse before the Empire and the Monster Lord.

‘I have to cut them.’

Then why could he not?

The answer came from an unexpected place.

[Because you cannot handle divine power the way you handle mana.]

‘....’

[You are being impatient, unlike yourself.]

‘Murus?’

[You handled Atoz well enough.]

Rational Murus, the god who had concealed himself in order to maintain the unstable Mind Image World, spoke calmly.

‘I cannot manifest proper power with divine power alone.’

Cronis stood at a distance with his arms folded, Veritas merely healed his wounds through the laurel wreath, and Roto was trading barbs with Pantera.

In truth, the only one Killian had cut down was Atoz, who had charged in without knowing any better.

[Pantera and Roto are no different from Atoz.]

‘I know that.’

They were simply not as careless as Atoz had been. They were not Higher Gods either.

‘If I can close the distance and cut them properly....’

[You are thinking incorrectly again. Is it because of what Cronis said?]

‘....’

[What does it matter if Eurasia collapses?]

‘Do not speak carelessly.’

[What is your duty?]

‘What nonsense are you suddenly spouting....’

Unfazed by Killian’s response, Murus continued.

[My duty was to guard the boundary.]

‘....’

To protect Styx, who used most of his power to maintain the boundary.

[It was simpler than I thought.]

For that reason, even when the laws of the world changed, Murus had not thought much of it.

He accepted Cronis’s advice, delivered an oracle, and had a temple built to worship him.

His temple had begun to decline at the hands of a foolish Apostle, but it had not deteriorated enough to affect his divinity.

Thousands of years later, he realized his mistake.

The seal on the Anomaly grew weaker with every passing day, and humans began to cross boundaries they should never have crossed.

It was not merely a problem with the temple and its Apostle.

The altered laws of the world seemed to regard the “barrier” blocking what lay beyond the boundary as unnecessary.

It had begun to interfere with his ability to fulfill a god’s duty.

At this rate, he would not be able to hold on for even a few more decades.

It was obvious what would become of a world without barriers.

[Your world will be ravaged by the Curse of the Anomaly, and before long, even the boundary will disappear.]

He joined hands with Killian out of necessity.

It had been a timely response.

[But that is my duty alone. It is not yours. With that mindset, you cannot take those fellows’ power.]

Murus watched Killian’s reaction and fell silent for a moment.

Then.

[Remember your duty, Adamas.]

‘....’

[Confirm your destiny, Killian Eurasia.]

At Murus’s forceful words, Killian’s mind began to grow hazy.

***

A bladed implement called a sword was made to cut something.

Once a knight reached around 8-Star, a single sword stroke could massacre hundreds of people.

They could control the mana in an entire area and even use Carpe Illusion to create a completely different space.

They could cut through a space created in that way.

It was a stage where the line between them and Archmages, who cultivated mana primarily through formulas rather than Ke, grew blurred—a stage at which Archmages became wary of facing them.

A level at which one could respond, to some extent, to Fragments of the Anomaly or Fragments of a God.

‘So that is what 8-Star is.’

Killian had forced his way to 8-Star after feeling the limits of 7-Star.

As a result, he had been able to retain his sanity even after accepting a part of a transcendent being.

He had even manifested the presence of a 9-Star in the Mind Image World, though imperfectly.

Other than Simon Eurasia, who had reached 9-Star alone, he was confident that he would not lose to anyone.

‘I did not expect a descendant superior to Edan to emerge.’

At the thought of Simon Eurasia, a smile seemed to touch his lips.

He had heard that it took Simon Eurasia decades to reach 7-Star.

Another ten-odd years passed before he reached 8-Star.

Then, before even a few years had passed, he reached 9-Star.

Rather than retreating when he encountered a wall, he advanced and cut down the wall blocking his path.

Unlike Cornelia’s Magic Tower, no proper inheritance had even been passed down to him.

Yet he personally refined and revived the lost Eurasia Ke and formulas.

Even to Adamas, who had been with countless heroes, Simon was a remarkable man.

In ancient times.

Even he, who had been called the Master of Mana, had not reached 9-Star through his strength alone.

The knowledge and teachings accumulated by the generations before him had been passed down, and in his generation, he had merely harvested the fruit that could lead to the next stage.

Even without him, someone would have reached the realm of transcendence and stood against the arrogant gods.

‘The laws of the world the gods speak of.’

Perhaps they might have produced an even better result.

Mana spread like a wildfire, and more humans formed Mana Hearts of their own.

Elves and dwarves, being long-lived races, had many possibilities open to them, while monsters used their innate ferocity to evolve by turning their hearts into Mana Crystals.

The most overwhelming of all were dragons.

They had immense hearts known as Dragon Hearts, bodies of steel wrapped in scales, and the longest lives of any mortal creatures.

Their compatibility with Mana Hearts was perfect.

‘A Holy Dragon wielding the mana of a 5-Star could tear an upper-rank monster apart.’

For a race that would surely reach 9-Star if it steadily accumulated mana, they lacked only one thing: perseverance.

Dragons, born with exceptional bodies, were arrogant.

As though they had forgotten the days when they had been treated as livestock by the gods and fawned over them, their innate disposition hindered their growth after the gods departed and they came to reign as the strongest living creatures.

Rather than displaying patience and perseverance for growth, they devoured races that could become their rivals.

With sharp claws and fangs.

With breath that was itself an immense mass of energy.

With clumsily learned mana.

They relentlessly unleashed tyranny upon the races that stood in the way of their supremacy.

That led to hostility concentrating upon a single race.

By the time they came to their senses, dragons were on the brink of extinction.

Elves and dwarves were no different in their shortcomings.

Though not to the same extent as dragons, they too lacked the patience and perseverance to train mana steadily.

Elves chose forests and contentment over mana training, while dwarves devoted themselves to mines and the forging of iron.

Only humans were different.

An inferior race that lived less than a hundred years and was not born with strong bodies.

Humans clung to Mana Hearts at the risk of their lives in order to survive.

They came to be called knights by wielding the bladed implement in which the Master of Mana had been sealed, while those inspired by the forms he used came to be called mages.

Progress continued across thousands of years.

In that process, their capacity for survival and reproduction was strengthened.

Humans became the masters of the continent, and mana was honed more sharply than ever.

The elves and dwarves who had settled into reality were no match for them, while humanity fought several Great Wars against the monsters that had built their power in the mountain ranges.

At last, humanity became the master of the world.

In that process, countless heroes were born.

Each of them held a single sword in hand, and according to the age, the sword was called by various names.

No one thought that the sword changed its form to suit its wielder.

Of course, being a hero did not grant one an endless life.

They burned through their short lives and wrote legends.

But as time passed, the legends of the Magic Sword and its heroes faded, becoming stories known only to those involved.

The Magic Sword alone lived an endless life.

Even it spent most of its time in hibernation.

It was not a bad life, he thought....

[Adamas. Remember your duty.]

A voice echoed in his head.

[What is Killian Eurasia here to do?]

‘....’

The sudden question shifted the course of his thoughts.

Adamas and Killian Eurasia.

One soul divided between two bodies.

Why was he, who had vowed vengeance upon the gods, handling only divine power in a god’s Mind Image World?

‘9-Star.’

At last, he managed to return to his original signpost.

‘I have to reach 9-Star.’

To do that, he had to cut down the divinities using only Hollyheart.

He had to cut them down and take their status.

If he trained alone, there was no telling how many years it would take.

It could be as soon as a month from now, a year from now, or perhaps even ten years from now.

9-Star was a realm on the verge of transcendence.

Separate from his understanding of mana, Killian Eurasia’s status needed to accumulate achievements worthy of it.

The ancient human Adamas reached 9-Star with the single-minded resolve to free humanity from the gods.

Edan Eurasia reached 9-Star with the conviction to protect innocent people from the Empire.

Diana Cornelia reached 9-Star with the desire to entrust her unfulfilled dream to the future.

Simon Eurasia.

What had driven the man chosen by Nornir, the God of Fate?