CHAPTER 103

Percy moved swiftly through the forest.

His feet barely touched the earth.

Trees streamed backward on either side.

But the forest...

Was strangely silent.

Normally, hundreds of monsters should have been here.

Thousands should have been moving.

Now there was only scorched earth.

Shattered trees.

An enormous path cleared ahead.

Percy looked forward.

It was the path his grandfather had opened.

He didn't stop for a moment.

Didn't thank him either.

He couldn't yet.

Clara was still ahead.

Blaze.

Percy held out his hand.

The dark air trembled faintly.

Blaze came to his hand.

The staff...

Was trembling.

Percy frowned.

Looked at Blaze.

Blaze trembled a little more.

Percy closed his fingers around its body.

"Easy."

The trembling slowed.

"Just a little longer."

Blaze went completely still.

Percy raised his head.

An invisible boundary lay before him.

King Monster Territory.

He took a step.

And crossed it.

The air changed.

The Orin density changed.

Even the ground felt different.

Percy stopped.

Looked at the sky.

The clouds were heavy.

The sun was hidden.

But Percy's eyes were open.

Wide open.

Because now...

He wasn't afraid.

This wasn't courage.

Percy knew that.

His will to live...

Had been left somewhere behind.

Where Clara had disappeared.

Where Nathaniel had fallen.

Beside the others' bodies.

Percy simply kept going.

At last, he found it.

An aura.

Dense.

Heavy.

Disgusting.

Melanos.

Percy's eyes narrowed.

Then...

Another aura.

Far more familiar.

Clara.

Percy's breath stopped.

She was alive.

Injured.

But alive.

Inside a cave.

Then came the third aura.

Percy's face went utterly blank.

Leon.

"All right."

That was all he said.

And he walked.

Melanos waited in front of the cave.

Its body was no longer what it had been.

Its muscles had grown.

Its bony protrusions had lengthened.

Its aura crushed the ground around it.

A King Monster.

Percy stood before it.

Melanos looked down.

Then laughed.

"So you've come."

Percy didn't answer.

"Come to die like your friends?"

Percy remained silent.

Melanos bared its teeth.

"They were so easy to tear apart."

Not even Percy's eyelid moved.

Melanos continued.

"You won't be any different."

"Your flesh is the same."

"Your bones are the same."

"Even your blood smells the same."

Percy tilted his head slightly.

Then...

"Hehehehe."

Melanos fell silent.

Percy's shoulders moved.

"Hehehehehehehe."

Inside the cave, Clara raised her head.

She knew that sound.

The corner of her mouth lifted despite herself.

But her eyes filled with fear.

"I knew you'd come."

Leon looked at her.

"What?"

Clara looked toward the cave entrance.

"Percy."

Laughter came from outside again.

"Hehehehe."

Leon's face twisted.

"Is he insane?"

Clara didn't answer.

Because...

Yes.

Right now, a little.

Leon left the cave.

Moved beside Melanos.

Percy finally spoke.

"From what I hear..."

"You've become a King Monster."

Melanos's grin grew.

"You finally noticed."

Percy wasn't even looking at it.

His eyes shifted to Leon.

"You explained the technique."

Leon froze.

Percy nodded.

"Bravo, Leon."

Leon frowned.

Percy continued.

A note for curious readers: the author's chapter on NovelPhoenix was reproduced here without permission, while reading there supports them.

"But you missed one small thing."

Leon:

"What?"

Percy finally looked at him.

"The technique that made it stronger..."

"The technique that prolonged your life..."

"The technique that made abducting Clara possible..."

Percy pointed at himself.

"Was created by me."

Leon was silent for a few seconds.

Then burst out laughing.

"You're lying."

Percy's expression didn't change.

Leon approached.

"You're not capable of that."

"You're a lose—"

Percy's voice came like a knife.

"Shut your mouth."

Leon fell silent.

Percy's eyes darkened.

"And wait your turn."

A second.

"You son of a bitch."

Leon's face went crimson.

"Kill him!"

He turned to Melanos.

"KILL HIM!"

Melanos turned its head toward Leon.

Then moved a single claw.

BOOM!

Leon flew back into the cave.

Struck the wall.

Blood came from his mouth.

Melanos turned to Percy.

"You discovered that technique?"

Percy:

"Yes."

Melanos laughed.

"You expect me to believe that?"

Percy closed his eyes.

"No."

Blaze lowered toward the ground.

Percy took a breath.

"I don't need you to think."

The surrounding Orin...

Moved.

Melanos's expression changed.

Percy whispered.

"Expended energy doesn't disappear."

"It remains in the surroundings."

"It doesn't have to cause harm."

"It can be purified."

Fragments of energy began to turn.

Gathered around Percy.

"Power born of purity..."

"Can return to purity."

Percy opened his eyes.

"Return."

BOOOOOOM!

Orin flooded his body.

His Core trembled.

Advanced Four.

Melanos's smile vanished.

Advanced Five.

Leon looked out from the cave.

Advanced Six.

Clara's eyes widened.

Advanced Seven.

BOOOOOOM!

Percy's aura rose.

The ground cracked beneath his feet.

Melanos took a step back.

"Impossible."

Percy turned his eyes toward it.

Melanos's voice changed.

"Someone like you..."

"How can you do that?"

Percy raised an eyebrow.

"Like me?"

He paused for a second.

Then looked around.

"That really is your whole thing."

Melanos growled.

Percy continued.

"Looking down on everyone you meet."

"Crushing anything smaller."

"Tearing apart the weak."

"You see an ant, you step on it."

Disgust filled Percy's face.

"Then you call yourselves superior."

Melanos stepped forward.

"Don't think you're anything special."

Percy fell silent.

Melanos roared.

"We didn't start this!"

"Your grandfather did!"

"Millions of us died!"

"Millions of you died!"

Percy looked at it for a few seconds.

Then his face twisted.

His stomach clenched.

"URGH!"

Percy turned aside.

Actually vomited.

Melanos froze.

Leon's mouth hung open.

Even Clara blinked.

Percy wiped his mouth on his sleeve.

Looked at Melanos.

"You..."

"Really are disgusting."

Melanos's face contorted.

"HUMAN!"

It vanished.

Percy raised Blaze.

"Descent of the Fire Angel!"

Flames erupted.

Wings formed behind Percy.

Melanos's claw came.

Percy blocked.

BOOOOOOM!

Percy flew hundreds of meters.

Broke through three trees.

Stopped at the fourth.

Spat blood.

Melanos appeared before him.

Percy stood.

"Natural Domain of Fire."

A field of flame opened.

Fire covered the ground.

Melanos advanced.

It didn't slow at all.

Percy swung Blaze.

Chaos Fire rose.

Melanos broke through with its shoulder.

Percy's eyes narrowed.

"Pure Orin."

Blaze turned white.

Percy lunged forward.

A direct Orin strike came.

Hit Melanos's chest.

BOOM!

Melanos retreated half a step.

Only half.

Then laughed.

"That's it?"

Percy was breathless.

Melanos looked at its chest.

Not even a scratch.

"You thought that would hurt me?"

Percy opened his mouth.

"N—"

A fist struck his face.

BOOM!

Percy slammed into the ground.

Melanos stomped down.

Percy rolled.

The earth shattered.

Percy got up again.

Melanos was behind him.

A claw struck his back.

Blood sprayed into the air.

Percy fell forward.

Blaze spun to his side.

Percy caught its shaft.

Stood up.

Melanos frowned.

"Why are you still getting up?"

Percy didn't answer.

Attacked again.

Flame Spear.

Chaos Fire.

Pure Orin.

Natural Domain.

Master of Probability.

Starting points appeared.

Percy evaded one.

The second too.

The third possibility closed.

The fourth disappeared.

Melanos struck with its elbow.

Pain shot through Percy's ribs.

He was hurled into the air.

Blaze changed direction in midair.

Percy righted himself with it again.

Attacked.

Melanos struck again.

Percy fell again.

Got up again.

Fell.

Rose.

Fell.

Rose.

Clara watched from the cave.

Tears streamed from her eyes.

"Percy..."

Leon leaned against the wall.

The anger on his face had disappeared.

In its place...

Fear was coming.

Because Percy wasn't winning.

But...

He wasn't stopping.

Finally, Melanos caught Percy.

Seized his throat.

Lifted him into the air.

Percy's feet dangled.

Melanos smiled.

"Do you understand now?"

Percy spat blood.

Melanos:

"You can't defeat me."

Percy looked at the cave.

Saw Clara.

Their eyes met.

Clara shook her head.

"No."

Percy smiled faintly.

"Clara..."

Clara's eyes widened.

"I'm sorry."

"Percy, no."

Tears ran from Percy's eyes.

"I think..."

"Dying is the only thing I can do."

Clara screamed.

"PERCY!"

Melanos raised its claw.

Percy closed his eyes.

And...

Something happened.

The world trembled.

But it wasn't an earthquake.

The oceans stirred.

The sky fell silent.

The stars...

Appeared despite the daylight.

Holar raised his head.

Everyone on the battlefield stopped.

Even Lucifer looked at the sky.

Crowley drew back.

Eleanor's expression changed.

"This..."

Galahad whispered.

"It's not the Voice of the World."

At home, William stood.

Arthur raised his head.

Charlotte's hands trembled.

Marcus turned to the window.

The academies fell silent.

Teachers came outside.

And...

The universe looked.

The Chosen One was in danger.

But danger wasn't the problem.

The universe had seen countless dangers.

Death wasn't new either.

The problem...

Was Percy Grant.

Percy was no longer trying to live.

He didn't want a future.

Didn't want victory.

Didn't want a title.

Didn't want destiny.

He wanted nothing that had been set aside for him.

All he wanted...

Was for Clara to live after him.

If necessary, he would burn his entire future.

For the first time, the universe...

Hesitated for a moment.

How foolish you're being, Percy.

Percy didn't hear it.

Not yet.

You haven't even begun.

Melanos was preparing to bring its claw down.

The universe looked again.

There was no other path in Percy's mind.

No escape.

No surrender.

Only death.

The universe seemed to sigh.

I suppose that's the thing about Chosen Ones.

It paused.

But I can't say you're wrong.

Then...

The same voice echoed everywhere.

"Percy Grant."

Melanos's claw stopped.

Percy opened his eyes.

Clara froze.

Holar's expression changed.

Eleanor held her breath.

The universe continued.

"You're pushing the limits."

Percy raised his head.

"You cannot do this."

Percy was covered in blood.

One eye barely opened.

But he looked at the sky.

Grew angry.

"You don't direct me."

The world fell silent.

Holar's eyes widened.

Galahad:

"This boy..."

Percy continued.

"Don't think you're anything special."

Silence.

Then...

The universe laughed.

Truly laughed.

The sound came from the stars.

From the oceans.

From the void.

"Very well."

"For now, I permit it."

Melanos's body trembled.

The space around Percy darkened.

Then turned white.

"Title activated."

"AURA OF THE CHOSEN ONE."

The world held its breath.

"Five features in total."

"Four locked."

"First feature unlocked."

Percy's eyes gleamed.

"For now."

"FEATURE: ANNIHILATION."

Melanos drew back.

"Effective against every being..."

"That has not reached Universe level."

Lucifer's expression changed.

Even Crowley looked at Holar.

Holar...

For the first time, said nothing.

The universe continued.

"Usage limit..."

"Once every two hundred years."

The aura around Percy grew.

"Temporary feature granted."

"For now."

"MANIFESTATION IN TIME."

Percy looked up.

"First you keep me alive."

Then he looked at Melanos.

"Then you let me take my revenge."

He looked at the sky again.

"This isn't a gambling table."

The universe fell silent.

Percy's voice hardened.

"I won't lose."

The universe laughed again.

This time...

A little more uneasily.

Melanos released Percy.

Retreated.

One step.

Then another.

"What are you?"

Percy didn't answer.

He walked slowly.

Melanos roared.

"STAY AWAY!"

Percy kept walking.

Melanos's aura erupted.

Not even Percy's jacket moved.

Melanos retreated again.

Percy stopped before it.

Tilted his head slightly.

For a moment...

He thought of Belar.

Her white teeth.

Her tail.

Her carefree gaze.

Her seven pups.

Percy's hand rose.

As though...

He were stroking Belar's cheek.

A tear ran from his eyes.

Then he lowered his hand.

"I'm sorry, my friend."

Melanos attacked.

Percy's hand went forward.

Flesh...

Didn't stop it.

Bone...

Didn't stop it.

His hand passed through Melanos's body.

Melanos's eyes widened.

Percy stopped his hand inside.

Found something.

A heart.

His fingers closed.

Melanos's body convulsed.

Percy withdrew his hand.

Then...

Swung his palm.

SLAAAP!

Melanos's head...

Separated from its neck.

The enormous body collapsed.

The head fell.

Skidded across the stones.

One meter.

Five meters.

Ten.

Percy...

Didn't look back.

Not for a second.

Because Melanos no longer mattered.

Percy was walking toward the cave.

Toward Clara.

"This was all I could do."

Another step.

"My friend."

A step.

"My friends."

Melanos's head remained behind him.

Percy advanced.

He entered the cave.

Blaze trembled in his hand.

Percy took a few steps.

Then saw it.

Leon...

Was bent over Clara.

Forcing her to stay on the ground.

Clara struggled.

Leon's hand held her wrist.

Percy stopped.

One second.

Just one second.

Blaze...

Came to his hand on its own.

Percy's expression changed.

"Leon."

Leon turned.

And...

Gravity collapsed.

BOOOOOOM!

Leon struck the ceiling.

Then the ground.

The ceiling again.

The ground again.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

Leon screamed.

Percy walked to Clara.

Leon was being hurled around behind him.

Percy knelt.

"Clara."

Clara opened her eyes.

Saw Percy's face.

Her lips trembled.

"Idiot."

Percy couldn't laugh.

He undid her restraints.

Saw Clara's injuries.

The blood on her face.

The dried trail by her ear.

Her bruised arms.

Percy's hand trembled.

"Absolute Heal."

Nothing happened.

Percy froze.

Tried again.

"Absolute Heal."

Silence.

Cooldown.

Percy couldn't see the sky.

Still, he looked up.

"Really?"

The Voice of the Universe came.

"One more one-time exception."

Percy's eyes closed.

"Thank you."

Light enveloped Clara.

Wounds closed.

Blood disappeared.

Her breathing steadied.

Clara's eyes opened fully.

Percy rested his forehead against hers.

One second.

Just one second.

Then he stood.

The gravity stopped.

Leon fell to the ground.

His bones ached.

He couldn't breathe.

Percy walked toward him.

Leon tried to retreat.

Percy caught him by the collar.

One punch.

BOOM!

Leon's head snapped sideways.

A second punch.

A third.

A fourth.

Leon fell.

Percy lifted him again.

A right fist.

A left fist.

A knee strike.

Shoulder.

Ribs.

Percy didn't stop.

Leon could no longer fight back.

Percy threw him down.

Placed his foot on his chest.

Leon rasped.

"Kill me..."

Percy looked down.

"I want to."

Clara looked at Percy.

Percy's voice was ice.

"I really want to kill you."

Leon closed his eyes.

Percy removed his foot.

"But I won't."

Leon opened his eyes.

Percy continued.

"You're not worth it."

He paused for a second.

"You're worse than the creatures outside."

"They know what they are."

"You don't."

Leon gritted his teeth.

Percy bent down.

"You're not human."

A second.

"You're an animal."

Percy looked at the sky.

Despite the cave ceiling...

The universe heard him.

Percy nodded slightly.

"You can take it back."

The world fell silent again.

The Voice of the Universe echoed everywhere.

"Temporary permission ended."

"Aura of the Chosen One locked."

"Annihilation sealed again."

"Manifestation in Time withdrawn."

Percy's aura dropped.

Advanced Seven remained.

The borrowed powers disappeared.

The universe's pressure withdrew.

On the battlefield, Holar exhaled.

Eleanor looked at him.

"Percy..."

Galahad closed his eyes.

"He gave it all back."

William whispered.

"He could've tried to keep it if he wanted."

Arthur nodded.

"But he didn't want to."

Charlotte cried.

Marcus said quietly:

"He found Clara."

In the cave...

Leon lay on the ground.

Percy looked at him.

"You'll spend your life in a cell."

"You'll wake up every morning."

"You'll live every day."

"And you'll remember what you did."

Percy turned away.

Clara spoke.

"No."

Percy stopped.

Clara stood.

Percy looked at her.

Clara's face was calm.

Too calm.

"Not yet."

Percy raised an eyebrow.

Clara looked at Leon.

"First..."

"My turn."

Percy was silent for a few seconds.

Then reduced the pressure on Leon.

Clara walked.

Leon raised his head.

"Clara..."

The first punch came.

BOOM!

Leon's head snapped sideways.

The second.

The third.

The fourth.

The fifth.

Clara wasn't counting.

Neither did Percy.

But it passed twenty.

Then a few more.

Leon's nose broke.

A few teeth fell from his mouth.

Clara was breathless.

Leon crumpled.

Clara kicked.

His ribs.

Then his leg.

The other leg.

His shoulder.

His ribs again.

Leon curled up.

Clara turned him over.

Caught his right arm.

CRACK!

Leon screamed.

Clara moved to his other arm.

Percy's face creased slightly.

CRACK!

Leon screamed again.

Clara took a breath.

Her hair was disheveled.

Her fists were covered in blood.

She looked at Leon.

"Son of a bitch."

Percy said nothing.

Clara looked at Leon for a while.

Then turned her face away.

As though she couldn't bear to see him anymore.

She looked at Percy.

Her voice was tired.

But clear.

"Don't get me wrong."

"That wasn't to satisfy my rage."

Percy raised an eyebrow.

Clara pointed at Leon.

"I can't stand his existence."

She took a step toward Percy.

Then looked at Leon one last time.

"Percy."

"Get him."

"Out of my sight."

CHAPTER 103

END