System's POV

Chapter 1181: Praelium Fati [Part 5]

Gods were thought to be the most powerful existence in the multiverse.

Many thought of them as omnipotent and omniscient.

Some even believed they were immortal. But while this was true for some Gods, it doesn’t apply to all of them.

Many Gods had long perished over the passing of time, their Epics forgotten by those who once worshiped them.

And among these Gods, there was a Goddess who was born to ensure everyone had a role to play in the bigger picture.

She was none other than the Goddess of Fate.

Among the Gods, she alone was truly immortal. Whether one liked it or not, Fate would forever be there, deciding one’s life.

Some questioned whether free will existed.

And some people believed it did, while others believed in destiny.

Regardless of beliefs, Thirteen understood that breaking free from Fate wasn’t an easy task.

Someone must either be born as extraordinary or do something extraordinary to free themselves from the binding of Fate.

And these beings are called…

Paragons.

In Thirteen’s lifetime, he had only met three of them.

The first one was his first Host, the Great Sage Equals Heaven, the Monkey King, who goes by the name Sun Wukong.

To his surprise, he also met two very young Paragons no older than ten, and they were none other than the two adorable dwarves, Maple and Cinnamon.

And now, he was looking at the Fourth Paragon he had seen in his lifetime.

One born not naturally but through many series of events that led to the culmination of their powers.

Giving the Philosopher’s Stone to someone could have given them the power to do many miraculous things, but it was not enough to break free from Fate.

Understanding what was written in the Emerald Tablet might allow you to get a glimpse of enlightenment and maybe transcend to an enlightened one.

But you would still be bound by Fate.

What Thirteen did was believe in Cranky’s potential.

The Honey Badger’s resilience, as well as its character to fight against those whom it deemed unable to defeat.

Back then, Cranky seemed fearless, but he understood that he wasn’t a match against the Overlord Hyena, whom he had fought in the Arcadia Archipelago.

He also knew that fighting against Arundel was suicide, so he chose to play a more passive role in the battle.

But it all changed when Cranky had fought against the Ancient Eight-Headed Serpent.

A Majin King, who was far too powerful for Cranky to fight at that time.

But to protect Zion, it took a risk and used its body to shield the teenage boy from the attacks of the Majin King, suffering greatly from it.

Simply put, to break free from Fate, one mustn’t fear death.

The current Cranky didn’t care if he was fighting against a High Archon, a Celestial, or even a God.

If Zion was being bullied, the Honey Badger wouldn’t hesitate to cross worlds and risk his life to protect his first true friend—the one who treated him as an equal.

Not something to be feared but someone who could be depended on when the sky was about to fall and there was no one who would help carry its weight.

Thirteen believed in Cranky, and the manifestation of his belief had finally reached a breaking point.

The Honey Badger’s body glowed brightly as the Honey Badger’s entire body started to reform down to the cellular level.

King Astrion, who had felt that this must not be allowed to happen, roared and summoned a blade that was ten-meters long.

Holding its handle with both hands, the King of Artem charged at Cranky with the intention of slicing him in half during his most vulnerable state.

But Thirteen was ready for him.

“Scram!” Thirteen charged forward, Tiona following right behind him.

No matter what happened, no matter who it was, he would give Cranky enough time to finish his ascension!

Even if it was only for a few seconds, he would put his life on the line for a miracle!

“Skip!” Thirteen shouted, and the runes he had placed on the entire battlefield all shone brightly.

It was the same runic formation that he had used against Arundel in the Arcadia Archipelago, which Thirteen had painstakingly built with the help of his demons while waiting for the Artemian Army to arrive.

As the giant magic formation activated, the teenage boy tapped his chest, activating the Divine Weapon that had merged with his body.

“Fers Du Celestiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

Countless golden chains rose up from the ground and the sky, streaking toward the Artemian King like golden serpents that were about to strike their prey.

Camazotz, who also understood what was happening, flew toward King Astrion, no longer caring if he was going to suffer a fatal injury or not.

He had already deemed Cranky as his senior brother and sworn brother, who had acknowledged him as his little brother.

It wasn’t only Camazotz that started to move. Erasmus had also pressed both of his hands on the ground, summoning countless Undead Spectres that howled in despair and anger.

The Lord of Death controlled their wills to attack the King of Artem, who was planning to end Cranky’s life before he became a true threat to him!

The battlefield trembled.

The golden chains of heaven streaked across the skies, shining amidst the darkness that covered the land in death and blood.

It was as if the Heavens themselves sought to bind the King of Artem, preventing him from destroying a miracle about to be born.

But King Astrion was no ordinary foe.

With a roar that shook the very marrow of those who heard it, his body blazed with a brilliance that rivaled the sun.

The ten-meter blade in his hands cleaved downward, its arc tearing through dozens of chains at once.

Each shattered link exploded into sparks, scattering across the battlefield like dying stars.

But Thirteen didn’t back down, creating handsigns that reinforced the power and number of the chains that answered to his will.

“Vortex Blow!” Camazotz slammed his fist on the side of the Artemian King’s body, pushing him a few meters away.

King Astrion’s reply was just as quick, slashing sideward toward the Death Bat, who barely evaded his attack.

Blood spurted from Camazotz’s chest as a deep cut etched across his chest.

If the slash had been a mere inch deeper, the sword might have reached the Death Bat’s heart, leaving Camazotz with a fatal injury.

“Die!” King Astrion understood that Camazotz was also a threat that he should eliminate while given the chance, so he made a thrust with the intention of piercing his chest to end his life.

But one of Thirteen’s golden chains wrapped itself on Camazotz’s waist and threw him away before the blade hit its mark.

At that moment, the Demons controlled by Tiona merged with her body.

She then transformed into a giant black snake that sank its fangs on King Astrion’s body.

A blue barrier once again emerged from the King’s armor, blocking Tiona’s attack.

It already had many cracks on its surface, but it was still able to hold for two seconds before shattering completely.

This gave the King enough time to swing his sword and cut off the giant snake’s head from his body.

The giant head crashed down from the sky, but just before it hit the ground, it turned into a black mist, where Tiona shot up to rejoin the battle once more.

Waving the flag in her hand, the Demons once again answered her call.

Ready to fight once more.

Thirteen was already at his limit, having used the power of the Skip God several times already.

He had used it when creating the Philosopher’s Stone and the Emerald Tablet, pushing past his daily limit.

And yet, facing King Astrion, who was only a few meters away from him, the teenage boy once again opened his lips to speak the word that would cause him and King Astrion mutual pain and suffering.

But just before the word could escape his lips, a silver arrow flew past him.

King Astrion had planned to swat the silver arrow with his hand, but suddenly switched to the blunt side of his sword.

The silver arrow then pushed him dozens of meters away, the momentum more powerful than he expected.

Thirteen glanced in the direction from which the arrow came and saw a young lady with long black hair, holding a bow and standing on top of a giant Wren.

It was none other than Stella, who had also come to protect the person who held the secret to bring color back in her life.