Chapter 40: Master of self

Nobody moved as the last of Seraphine’s attack faded.

Armando was still standing at the centre of the destroyed district without a single wound on his body, while Lyra’s bloodied body rested against him.

Then the notification above them began changing.

[Divine Descent: 89%.]

Karl’s eyes widened, but the number dropped again before he could even process it.

[Divine Descent: 88%.]

[Divine Descent: 80%.]

[Divine Descent: 45%.]

[Divine Descent: 11%.]

[Divine Descent: 0%.]

Karl stared at the final number.

"Damn... did we actually succeed?"

A crushing pressure descended across the golden city before anyone could answer.

The enormous manifestation above them looked directly toward Armando, and whatever calmness had been present in its voice was gone.

"No, Armando."

"You cannot do this."

Armando remained silent while the Sovereign continued.

"Do not allow these insects to influence you."

"I gave you everything when humanity rejected you."

"Power, immortality and a path beyond those who condemned you."

"You belong to me."

"You are my priest, my avatar, my vessel."

"You are me."

Armando still gave no response, he just held Lyra with one arm while her nine tails hung weakly behind her, their crimson glow fading as blood continued running from the wound in her chest.

Then Armando raised his head, the gold inside his eyes was long gone and now a deep reddish light had replaced it.

The ground beneath him cracked, and within seconds the fractures spread beyond the ruined tower and through the surrounding streets.

Karl stepped away as one passed beneath him, while Leon jumped across another just before it widened behind him.

He looked toward Karl.

"What the fuck did you do? Did you give him another buff or something?"

"How would I know?!"

Armando slowly rose from the broken ground with Lyra still held against him.

Karl instinctively used Perception.

[Armando Scythi]

[Level: 99]

The number flickered before a crack appeared across it and then it shattered.

[Level: 187]

[Level: 326]

[Level: 514]

[Level: 731]

[Level: 904]

[Level: 999]

The final number remained for barely a moment before 999 cracked as well.

The entire Level section disappeared and ablood-red ring erupted from Armando’s body.

Karl raised an arm instinctively, but the force curved around him without touching his body. The same happened to Leon, Mira, Atherion and the surviving Fitzalans.

Everything else was torn apart.

Buildings collapsed across the remaining districts as roads split open and distant sections of the city sank into enormous fractures.

Armando looked up at the Sovereign.

"I am Armando Scythi."

"The Blood Warlock."

"I am no god’s priest."

"I am no one’s avatar."

"And I am certainly no one’s property."

The pressure above them increased, but Armando continued without lowering his gaze.

"My faith belongs to me, my life belongs to me."

"Even my death belongs to me."

"There is only one master of Armando Scythi, Armando Scythi himself."

The reddish light inside his eyes deepened.

"A life lived as another’s will is not mine, no matter how long it lasts."

The Sovereign’s expression twisted and golden light gathered throughout the sky as its voice shook the Forgotten Cave.

"Mortal."

The space above Armando suddenly distorted and notifications appeared one after another.

[WARNING!]

[Divine Authority exceeding permitted limit.]

[World Law interference detected.]

[Dungeon structure destabilizing.]

Karl looked upward as golden power gathered above the ruined city.

He had no idea what was happening anymore, but the pressure alone forced several of the others backwards.

"You were given everything by my grace."

Armando lifted his free hand while continuing to hold Lyra against him.

Blood gathered above his palm and stretched outward until it formed an enormous blood-red blade.

"You mistake a bargain for ownership."

The divine attack descended and Armando swung once.

The blood blade met the golden attack above the city and cleaved directly through it.

The slash continued upward and it crossed the Sovereign’s manifestation.

A thin wound opened across its forehead.

One drop of blood fell from the wound and descended through the sky.

The Sovereign went silent and then its voice erupted across the city.

"A mortal dares wound the Divine?!"

Golden power gathered again almost immediately.

Before the second attack could descend, space around the Sovereign’s manifestation began closing.

[World Law interference intensified.]

The enormous face distorted as the golden light around it was forced backward.

The Sovereign struggled against whatever was happening, but more of its manifestation disappeared with every passing second.

"No!"

Its voice shook the collapsing city.

"I will not be denied by this realm!"

Armando simply watched as the Sovereign was forced farther away until only its enormous golden eyes remained visible.

Then those disappeared as well and with it the pressure to vanished.

Almost immediately, the Forgotten Cave began falling apart.

[LIMIT EXCEEDED.]

[LEGACY PATH ERROR.]

[DIVINE DESCENT TERMINATED.]

[FIRST PIONEER STATUS INVALID.]

[DUNGEON COLLAPSE IN PROGRESS.]

Another section of the golden city sank into the growing fractures while Atherion moved closer to his remaining team and Mira returned beside Karl.

Armando finally lowered his gaze toward them.

"Do not mistake this for repentance."

His expression carried no guilt as he looked across the collapsing city.

"There are still people who betrayed me."

"There are still people who framed me."

"And if they themselves are dead..."

A faint smile appeared.

"...then I suppose I will see what their descendants have done with the century I was gone."

Armando looked directly toward Karl.

"Necromancer... I remember my debts."

Armando lowered his eyes toward Lyra, whose breathing had become extremely faint.

The unstable space beside him twisted before he reached into it and tore open a dark spatial crack.

He looked back toward Karl once.

"If fate places us together again, perhaps I will repay this one."

Then Armando stepped through the opening with Lyra in his arms and the spatial tear closed behind him.

The moment he disappeared, the remaining structure of the Forgotten Cave began collapsing even faster.

Massive cracks tore across the city while the remaining golden buildings fell into them one after another.

Then the notifications began.

[Forgotten Cave — Unique Path completed.]

[The Pioneers have exceeded the intended inheritance route.]

[Standard completion parameters invalid.]

[Completion grade recalculating...]

[Additional rewards being generated.]

The final message appeared before them.

[Forgotten Cave cleared.]

White light erupted beneath Karl, Leon, Mira, Atherion and the surviving Fitzalans before any of them could react.

Their bodies began disappearing one after another.

Karl looked back toward the golden city as the teleportation reached him.

This went completely beyond anything I had expected and remembered.

His rebirth had already changed too much. Armando Scythi had returned after nearly a century, the Sovereign’s descent had failed, and whatever history Karl knew from his previous life could no longer be trusted to unfold the same way.

Who knows what happens from here...

Karl sighed as the teleportation light reached his chest.

Whatever. I did the best I could.

A small tired smile appeared on his face.

Let’s just hope for the best, huh...

The streets split apart and then the entire Forgotten Cave disappeared into the darkness behind them.