Ch-188. **Union VS Issera**
—
*Something was wrong.*
After checking his inventory, Union immediately realized the severity of the situation.
Something was wrong — not just wrong, but **disastrously** wrong.
*All those experience potions… gone!*
He felt dizzy.
They weren’t just any potions.
They were the culmination of all the power he had accumulated over countless years — stored in liquid form.
What he had done to minimize the aftermath of dimension-jumping had now returned like a dagger to the heart.
*Who could’ve done it?*
But he couldn’t understand.
An inventory is something only the owner can open.
Never before had anyone touched his inventory.
Because that privilege belonged only to him — the Golden Ratio Mage.
*Only the experience potions disappeared. Someone took them on purpose.*
What was even more shocking was that everything else had been left alone, and only the potions were gone.
Union stroked his chin.
Could Issera, who held his soul as collateral, be the culprit?
But he quickly shook his head.
If Issera had stolen even his authority through his soul, there would’ve been no need to bring him to Earth. No need to give him a full fourteen days.
*To peek into my private space and steal something — that must be done near me. And the only one who’s been constantly near me recently is…*
No one.
Union did not move alongside the demons.
He moved alone, only carrying out Issera’s orders.
No — that wasn’t right.
There *was* one.
Only one.
Something — someone — who had suddenly opened a warp and appeared right in front of him.
*True Lineage.*
…The Lineage who had lost its master.
— **Kya-kya-kya-kya!**
The tiny reaper currently floating before him laughed loudly, just as usual.
Union had no choice but to ask.
“You’re the one who took the experience potions from my inventory… weren’t you?”
— **Kya-kya-kya-kya!**
…It seemed so.
Lineage nodded vigorously.
Good lord.
Union slapped his own forehead — **smack!**
“Why? Who told you to do that?”
— **Kya-kya?**
The little head shook.
So no one told him to.
It didn’t seem like a lie.
Lineages were all simple-minded; they lacked the brainpower to lie.
But still… the fact that it could freely manipulate items inside his inventory…
*Lineage handles space. This particular one must have deeper expertise in spatial magic than the others.*
It was undeniably different.
A completely different tier from any other Lineage.
An inventory is nothing like a simple “parallel space.”
It is an entirely isolated dimensional pocket allowed only to the chosen.
The fact that it bypassed permission, penetrated it, and took items from within — that meant its spatial ability bordered on divinity.
And if this wasn’t something it was ordered to do…
“Haha. I won’t get mad, so won’t you give it back? It’s not like anyone else can use it anyway.”
He could only coax him gently.
His mouth felt bitter, but there was no other option.
He hadn’t even realized the Lineage was removing potions from his inventory — how could he possibly track down where they’d been hidden?
Of course, they wouldn’t be lost forever.
No one else could use his experience anyway.
The potions were sealed, and only he could break that seal.
“Good boy? If you give it back, I’ll grant you anything you want.”
— **Kya-kya-kya!**
“Alright, alright. Is there something you want to have or eat?”
— **Kya-kya-kya-kya!**
“What is that? Ah, a soul? Right, Lineages like souls. But I don’t have any right now— Huh? That soul looks strangely familiar. …Don’t tell me — is that mine?”
— **Kya-kya-kya-kya-kya!**
—
—
“Ha…”
Union sighed as he looked down from the sky to the ground below.
Countless “sinners” gazed up at him, shouting, screaming, roaring.
But their voices didn’t reach him.
*Damn it…*
He could only resent the miserable situation he was now in.
…How had it come to this?
What was certain was that ever since, an era of tribulation had begun for him.
*Every possible weakness I had — completely exposed.*
Somehow, Lineage had not only stolen his potions — it now held even the soul Issera used as collateral.
After that day, Union followed the Lineage everywhere and did all sorts of things.
Rescuing an old man about to be hit by a car, helping a child chased by a dog, catching a thief on the run…
Mainly **helping people**.
*You want me to be hostile toward the demons — is that it?*
The reason the Lineage had opened a warp here must have been the same.
Help the humans of Earth. Fight the demons.
But Union had come to destroy the world.
He had crossed dimensions to massacre Earth’s humans.
This world of sinners deserved to perish — that had been his belief.
*My experience, my soul, and…*
Union shifted his gaze.
Those two weren’t the only weaknesses he had lost control of.
There was something even more fatal.
*Beautiful…*
Lineage.
The being that had **transformed** into the form of a full-fledged reaper — had stolen Union’s heart.
It had forcibly closed countless warps.
Never before had he seen an Lineage with such majesty.
It was so dazzling that it made his eyes ache.
*King of the Lineages.*
Which meant — he wanted it.
Desperately.
He wanted that one-of-a-kind existence.
Issera? The demons? They had never mattered to Union.
He knelt only to achieve his own goal.
So if he could obtain that Lineage — he didn’t care even if he had to oppose the demons.
Once the contract was complete, he could wipe out Earth afterward anyway.
—
—
**Flap! Flap!**
Along with two hundred thousand demons, Issera finally took action himself.
Normally, he would not have moved personally — but the situation had changed.
*There is a being that closed the portal. Someone with a power unknown to me — someone strong.*
The demons who crossed the portal first had been annihilated.
Not a single one returned alive.
Thus, the situation was completely unknown.
The only certainty — someone had forcibly closed the portal.
A variable never accounted for.
*The 30,000 demons who crossed first all died. Too easily — too pathetically.*
Issera frowned.
Like this, he was no different from that idiot, the King of the Dead, Ahram — whom he had always despised.
Disappearing before even starting a proper invasion, just like that fool.
So he intended to verify it himself — and crush the threat.
And his goal was achieved sooner than expected.
“Inventory — *Rain of Penance*.”
**Swoooooosh—!**
Yellow droplets poured from the sky.
Rain infused with holy power that weakened demons.
Striking before the leyline could be reached.
Looking toward the distant caster who had deployed a divine domain, Issera spoke.
“…Union.”
Union was here.
Just as expected.
Like Basara said — humans of the Empire couldn’t be trusted. He had betrayed them.
“Have you forgotten the contract we made?”
Issera raised his left hand.
Above it floated a glowing soul radiating light.
Union’s soul.
“With a flick of my finger…”
The soul would extinguish — and Union would die instantly.
That’s when it happened.
**Fwoosh!**
Flames suddenly erupted from the soul — and in the blink of an eye, it vanished.
*What…?*
A first-time occurrence.
Issera looked at Union.
But he remained floating arrogantly in the air — completely unharmed.
His soul had evaporated, yet he was fine.
Meaning—
*Don’t tell me the soul was a fake?*
A dummy.
If the soul itself had been fake, this was possible.
But impossible.
A contract was absolute.
No contract would proceed using something like a fake soul.
“You… what have you done?”
“So you got tricked too, huh?”
*Tricked?*
Union uttered something inexplicable.
But before he could question further, Union’s demeanor changed.
“Inventory — Seeker’s Set.”
“Inventory — Sacred Mindset.”
“Inventory — Candle of Purification.”
“Inventory—”
Equipment and tools appeared one after another.
And not only that—
**Ziiing!**
**Zii-i-i-ing!**
Below him, one after another, humans began warping in.
It seemed Union had intended this all along.
The thirst for vengeance against the sinners — merely a masterful act.
Union closed his eyes for a moment.
It had been a long time since he felt such anger.
But more than anger, what enraged him was the fact that he had been deceived by Union.
*Even after resurrecting — nothing has changed.*
Just like sister Basara said.
His eyes for judging people were still insufficient.
He thought he had grown — yet he remained the same.
*But it’s fine.*
Unlike before, he now had time to correct mistakes.
And if the opponent was Union — it was almost laughable.
*So he has an item that closes warps on a massive scale?*
It was surprising, yes.
But no matter how many outrageous tools he pulled out, the result would be the same.
As long as the unexpected third powerhouse wasn’t involved — and the opponent was only Union.
“…Fine. If you wish to die, I’ll grant your wish.”
Issera opened his eyes slowly.
—
—
Union was confident.
*The demons are weakened beyond recognition. We can win.*
He had watched up close — and was certain.
The demons were far weaker than the state of his own sealed power.
Some even struggled to fly properly, unused to long-term flight.
*Issera also must have burned through almost all of his mana.*
Having used Mass Teleport, Issera had expended nearly everything.
There was no way that vast power had completely recovered already.
And this wasn’t Pangaenia — this was Earth in another world.
Mana recovery here would be even slower.
At most, he would have 30% back.
And Union wasn’t alone.
“Follow the **Guardian of the Black Egg**!”
“The **Guardian** protects us!”
He didn’t understand it, but countless sinners called the Lineage the “Guardian of the Black Egg” and followed it.
And they were quite capable.
*A large number of 3-Star Transcendents. They’ll do nicely.*
More than enough to deal with the remnants of the demons.
Their numbers were far greater, yes — but so weakened that they posed no threat.
And when combined with the numerous **tools for slaying demons** he had distributed, this battle was one he could never lose.
*Issera — once you find his weakness, he’s nothing special.*
Among all the Demon Realm’s lords, Issera was the most insignificant.
Any other lord would have withdrawn early, but because Issera was weak, Union could handle him.
He wasn’t monstrously strong like Basara, nor did he possess any unique divine authority.
He was simply someone whose weakness was hard to find.
Meaning — once found, defeating him was beyond easy.
*The Seeker’s Set — its hidden option shows the weakness of an enemy with demonic properties.*
And Union was an expert at exploiting weaknesses.
He only needed to tailor his approach depending on the opponent.
By activating the Seeker Set’s hidden option, he could pierce through the weakness of anyone with demonic attributes.
Even with his level lowered, Union was confident he could display the power of a 3-Star Transcendent or higher.
And his inventory items were not rendered unusable.
*With Sacred Mindset, Candle of Purification, and Blessing of Water — I can completely nullify Issera’s skills.*
Each perfectly countered abilities commonly used by Issera.
From the beginning, Union had only *pretended* to submit to Issera while continuously analyzing him.
Now, the results of that analysis would shine.
*I see it.*
Union smiled.
Just as he predicted —
Soon, his eyes began to lock onto **Issera’s true weakness**.
