Chapter 32: Administrator is dead!!

Hearing the system’s voice after so long, Karl froze for a moment before barely managing to pull his attention away from Satan.

Where the fuck were you, System?

There was a brief silence before the familiar voice finally answered.

[Certain conditions within this legacy prevented communication with Host.]

Karl raised an eyebrow.

And what exactly did you mean when you told me to run?

This time, the answer came immediately.

[The Forgotten Cave contains the legacy of a divine being whose divinity has been corrupted.]

[Host possesses a Divine Profession.]

[This legacy will not accept Host as an inheritor. Once Host’s nature is fully detected, it may attempt to assimilate Host and refine the corrupted divine essence accumulated here over countless years.]

Karl remained silent for a moment.

So they want to refine me into something?

[Correct.]

Yeah, definitely not interested.

Another question immediately came to mind as he glanced toward Satan.

Then why did Death Execution fail? It activated.

[Death Execution contains a fragment of divine authority.]

[An existence possessing sufficient divine protection can weaken its effect or completely resist the instant-death authority.]

The system paused briefly before continuing.

[Host was fortunate to inflict this much damage. The Administrator was caught off guard, and it appears to have already lost a considerable portion of its authority over this legacy.]

Karl frowned slightly, most of what the system was telling him was still unfamiliar.

He had heard plenty of stories concerning divinity in his previous life, but it had always been something discussed among professionals far beyond his reach.

Divine Professions, corrupted divinity and whatever exactly protected Satan were things he had never properly encountered.

Not the time.

Karl focused on the Dokkaebi again.

[Satan: 19.03%]

For a failed execution, Death Severance had still torn away most of Satan’s remaining Health.

Two arms lay separated on the stone while the wound across his torso continued pouring black blood, and for once the Administrator looked just as shocked as everyone surrounding him.

That shock quickly became anger, satan slowly faced Karl.

"You truly brought me to this state, Pioneer."

The remaining barrier around his body twisted violently.

"You really are interesting."

A grin spread across the Dokkaebi’s face.

"You are destined to remain here."

The barrier shattered, the accumulated force exploded outward and threw everyone nearby away while Satan’s body rose several metres into the air.

Two new arms erupted from his back, replacing the ones Karl had severed, and another pair slowly formed beneath them until six massive arms stretched around his body.

A dark golden halo appeared behind his head.

At the same time, his Health began falling.

[Satan: 19.03%]

[Satan: 13.61%]

[Satan: 8.24%]

[Satan: 5.00%]

A notification rang through everyone’s mind.

[The Administrator has gone Berserk.]

Nobody rushed forward this time and then suddenly Satan disappeared.

Karl only saw the empty space where the Dokkaebi had been standing before something appeared directly in front of him.

A foot slammed into his chest and Karl’s body left the ground before he could even raise the Death Stick.

He flew across the Circle and crashed into a slab of broken stone, blood erupting from his mouth as his back struck it.

For several seconds, he could barely breathe.

Pain spread through his chest with every attempt, and his Health bar had dropped by fifty-eight percent from a single attack.

At least a few ribs were broken.

"Fuck! Karl!"

Leon turned toward him.

"Don’t die on me, bastard!"

Satan landed between them and laughed.

"Insects."

One of his hands swept outward and forced Leon away before he could approach.

"Remember your proper place."

Karl gritted his teeth and forced himself upright against the stone.

Death Legion answered his command immediately.

Hundreds of undead rushed Satan at once, several giants pushing through the smaller summons while knights and skeletal beasts filled every opening between them.

Satan walked through them, one arm crushed a skeletal knight into pieces while another ripped through several ordinary undead in a single sweep.

A giant tried to grab him from behind, only for two hands to catch its arms and tear them away before throwing the entire creature aside.

Leon attacked from the left and Atherion struck from the right.

Balder’s shield came down behind them while the earth golem attacked from above.

Satan forced every one of them away.

"Now, now."

Seraphine appeared beside Karl again, completely unharmed and still wearing that irritatingly relaxed expression.

"It seems you’re truly in a difficult position this time."

Karl clutched his side.

"Very helpful."

"Oh, don’t look at me like that."

She glanced toward the battle before pointing past Satan.

"It seems you might not need me anyway."

Karl followed her finger, Atherion had stopped attacking.

He stood several metres behind the others while the strange substance covering his enlarged body began moving again.

This time, he did not become larger.

His body slowly shrank back toward its previous size while the dark-red armour merged into the liquid covering him. The substance deepened until his entire body became almost completely jet red.

Karl frowned and Satan at broke through another wall of undead.

Several summons were thrown away as the Dokkaebi stepped through the opening and stared directly toward Karl.

"Enough playing."

Karl tried moving away from the stone, but pain immediately tore through his ribs.

Satan grinned.

"Time to go to hell, Pioneer."

But then Atherion moved.

The sword he had been carrying struck the ground behind him as he crossed the Circle without it.

His hands had changed completely.

Long red claws extended from each finger, their edges narrowing until they resembled curved blades rather than anything belonging to a human hand.

Atherion appeared behind Satan.

"Devour."

The Dokkaebi’s expression shifted as he turned toward Atherion for barely a moment.

Golden threads wrapped around all six of his arms.

Satan jerked backwards and finally noticed Seraphine standing beside Karl with one hand raised.

Thin golden threads extended from each of her fingers and disappeared across Satan’s body.

Seraphine smiled brightly.

"Sweet journey."

She pulled and Satan’s six arms were dragged apart and his torso became completely exposed.

Atherion struck and both sets of claws pierced straight through Satan’s body.

The Dokkaebi screamed.

"No!"

The jet-red substance covering Atherion surged through his claws while Satan’s body rapidly began losing its strength.

"I am the Administrator!"

His Health collapsed.

[Satan: 3.72%]

[Satan: 1.19%]

"No! I can’t die! I am—"

[Satan: 0%]

Atherion pulled his claws free and Satan’s body dropped onto the stone, the once enormous Dokkaebi now looking like a dried husk with almost nothing remaining beneath its skin and fur.

Silence returned to the Circle.

Atherion slowly straightened while blood covered most of his arms and chest.

Then he turned toward Karl, for several seconds the two simply stared at each other.

There was nothing friendly in Atherion’s gaze.

Karl could understand what was passing through his mind well enough. In his current condition, one clean attack from Atherion could probably finish him before he managed to properly defend himself.

Karl smiled anyway.

Atherion was arrogant, cruel and perfectly willing to kill people he considered beneath him, but someone raised as the Fitzalan heir still possessed his own version of honour.

And if Karl happened to be wrong...

Seraphine’s golden threads were still wrapped around her fingers.

Atherion finally withdrew his claws. "We’re equal now." And then turned away.

Karl’s smile widened slightly.

Good.

Atherion immediately moved toward the opposite side of the Circle with the members of his team still capable of fighting.

The two transformed Beast Humans had not disappeared with Satan and Mira was still holding them back while the one-armed Fitzalan fighter struggled to remain standing.

Seraphine suddenly patted Karl across the chest.

"Oi. Where’s my thanks?"

Karl almost collapsed.

"Fuck don’t touch there."

He pressed one hand over his ribs and glared at her.

"I’m nearly dying."

Seraphine nodded thoughtfully.

"Then we’re equal too."

Karl stared at her.

"That’s repayment for all the Death Energy I consumed."

Karl’s eyes widened.

"What kind of fucking repayment is—"

Seraphine vanished back into the summon space.

Karl nearly cursed after her before hurried footsteps approached from the side.

Leon appeared beside him with a potion already in hand.

"Fuck, you really got trashed."

"Thanks."

"You’re welcome."

Leon handed him the potion before glancing toward Satan’s corpse.

His expression became strange.

"And what the hell did that bastard Atherion do to this thing?"

Karl followed his gaze, Satan’s corpse had been almost completely sucked dry.

Before either of them could examine it further, a notification appeared before everyone still alive inside the Circle.

[The Administrator has been killed.]

Another line appeared beneath it.

[Special Condition Fulfilled.]

The entire Circle of Pistis began shining.

[New Path Unlocking...]