Ch-283. **Phase 3**
—
Ant King Pheromone.
He was something else entirely.
Among all the creations shaped and forged by the Black King, he was without question the finest intellectual life-form.
Over an immeasurable span of time, countless blessings had been bestowed—but never before had there existed an entity whose desire burned as fiercely as Pheromone’s.
“He has only two instincts.”
The Black King smiled.
The instincts Pheromone retained in order to evolve numbered just two.
To survive.
And to grow stronger.
Everything else had been discarded.
Perhaps that was why—
No matter what he was taught, he reached the level of a master in an instant.
It hadn’t even taken several months for him to manifest sword energy and release sword aura.
Of course, that was after receiving the implantation of Despair’s cells.
“The Four Calamities are all distinctive.”
The four most powerful monstrosities birthed by Destruction(Ruin).
Each of the Four Calamities possessed an utterly different nature.
For instance, Baal was the embodiment of curses.
That massive, sturdy body of his was nothing more than a reservoir storing an enormous quantity of curses.
Baal’s true function was to twist phenomena through those condensed curses.
Just like what was happening now within the Tower of the War God.
Everything “summoned” there existed due to Baal’s curses.
“Baal summons. Despair replicates.”
Though each of the Four Calamities overflowed with individuality, they shared one common trait.
They multiplied their kind.
Baal summoned powerful beings through curses, while Despair implanted its own cells to replicate itself.
That was the decisive reason why just four of them had been enough to annihilate the splendid civilization of the Old Empire.
“Pheromone survived even after receiving Despair’s cells.”
Up to now, Pheromone was the sole successful specimen.
The Black King had granted blessings in the form of “hidden traits” to strengthen entities for one purpose alone—to implant Despair’s cells.
Thus, he would complete the “Legion of Despair” and bring ruin to this world.
Only then…
“…would he reach the heavens.”
The ideal realm of the arrogant and conceited.
A world that pursued nothing but perfection.
A world he would step into.
That was why the Black King sincerely wished for Pheromone to reach the summit of the Tower of the War God.
“I’ve always been curious about the hierarchy of the Four Calamities.”
Even among the Four Calamities, there had to be ranks.
Moreover, this battle was the first proxy clash between Baal and Despair.
It would be enough to gauge—
Which stood superior.
Naturally, the Black King never once considered that Despair—that Pheromone—might lose.
The greatest had met the greatest and become the strongest.
And Pheromone was still a monster that continued to grow even now.
His yearning to grow stronger was truly—
“Pheromone is greed itself.”
—utterly, indisputably greedy.
—
—
“Ptui!”
Pheromone spat out a chunk of flesh.
He had successfully torn into the Blade Dragon God’s shoulder, but he couldn’t chew or swallow it.
Only then did Pheromone grasp the truth of his opponent.
“What are you? A fake?”
Its appearance was undeniably real, yet it wasn’t real.
A doll forged of curses, borrowing the rank of the Blade Dragon God.
He didn’t know how it had borrowed a rank completely opposed to its own, but one thing was clear—
That curse was of a type he could not absorb.
“A doll, and yet… how did you do this?”
Pheromone lowered his gaze to his own body.
Both of his arms had been severed.
He had completely cut apart the Blade Dragon God’s bones and scattered them across the ground.
It was a state where bone regeneration should have been impossible.
Just as he thought he had perfectly subdued his foe, the counterattack came.
And it exceeded his perception.
“Like this? Is this how you do it?”
Srrrk.
The severed arms regenerated.
With his newly restored arms, he grasped his sword again and swung it.
At first glance, the swings seemed careless, but within them lay the subtle principles of the technique Hana had just used.
In an instant, Pheromone’s momentum changed, seizing control of the very space itself.
Yet he frowned, dissatisfied.
“…Still difficult. A sword that twists space and moves through mental imagery—hm?!”
Slash!
Pheromone jerked his head back.
One of his antennae was severed.
It had happened in an instant.
Had he been even a moment slower, his neck would have been cut.
A chill ran down his spine.
There was no killing intent.
Nothing visible. Nothing perceptible.
He had avoided it purely by instinct.
“A doll, but still… you’re strong.”
Pheromone nodded, forced to acknowledge it.
The Blade Dragon God.
A doll—but strong.
Without question, the true body would be even stronger.
The world really was full of powerful beings.
And that made it fun.
There was still so much for him to surpass.
The certainty that he could grow even stronger!
“I’ll surpass you too!”
—
—
《‘Ant King Pheromone’ has been defeated by ‘Blade Dragon God’.》
《Remaining HP of ‘Blade Dragon God’: 67%》
Perhaps because invincibility had been lifted,
Ant King Pheromone’s challenge had shaved off a massive portion of the Blade Dragon God’s health.
Though he failed.
Still, there was hope.
As if they had been waiting, challenges began pouring in like a flood.
《‘Dark Elf Lord’ has been defeated by ‘Blade Dragon God’.》
《Remaining HP of ‘Blade Dragon God’: 55%》
《‘Great Earth Dragon’ has been defeated by ‘Blade Dragon God’.》
《Remaining HP of ‘Blade Dragon God’: 47%》
《‘Palace Wraith’ has been defeated by ‘Blade Dragon God’.》
《Remaining HP of ‘Blade Dragon God’: 36%》
……
……
《Remaining HP of ‘Blade Dragon God’: 15%》
After roughly half a day, the Blade Dragon God’s remaining health stood at a mere 15%.
But that was the end of it.
Challenges continued relentlessly afterward, yet—
《‘Raiga’ has been defeated by ‘Blade Dragon God’.》
《Remaining HP of ‘Blade Dragon God’: 15%》
《‘Sansha’ has been defeated by ‘Blade Dragon God’.》
《Remaining HP of ‘Blade Dragon God’: 15%》
The health no longer dropped.
Even Raiga, the Empire’s strongest, and Sansha, the former champion, failed to shave off even 1%.
Since other monsters had managed to reduce its health, it was impossible that those two couldn’t.
There had to be another reason.
But the real problem lay elsewhere.
As time passed—
《The ‘Blade Dragon God’s’ HP is recovering.》
《Remaining HP of ‘Blade Dragon God’: 18%》
《The ‘Blade Dragon God’s’ HP is recovering.》
《Remaining HP of ‘Blade Dragon God’: 21%》
……
《Remaining HP of ‘Blade Dragon God’: 78%》
Its health was restoring.
Before long, most of the damage had been recovered.
“N-no…!”
“At this rate, it’ll go back to 100%!”
“I-it’s over…”
People despaired.
No matter how hard they tried, no matter how many plans they devised, the strategy remained impossible.
“Why wouldn’t it drop below 15%?”
“Does it have another invincibility skill or something?”
“Someone—anyone—try again!”
It made no sense.
There was no way to accept it.
They had to climb higher, purify the curse.
They had to reach Randolph, free Randolph—only then could this disaster be contained.
Yet they were stuck at Phase 2.
If just a few more days passed like this, the tower would destroy both Pangaenia and Earth.
It was at the height of everyone’s despair that—
《Remaining HP of ‘Blade Dragon God’: 77%》
《Remaining HP of ‘Blade Dragon God’: 76%》
……
“W-what?”
“Why is its HP dropping again?”
“No one’s challenging it right now!”
Suddenly, the Blade Dragon God’s health began to decrease.
Yet no one knew the cause.
No one was challenging the Blade Dragon God anymore.
Even more strangely, its health began to drop faster with time.
《Remaining HP of ‘Blade Dragon God’: 18%》
《Remaining HP of ‘Blade Dragon God’: 17%》
《Remaining HP of ‘Blade Dragon God’: 16%》
《Remaining HP of ‘Blade Dragon God’: 15%》
When it finally returned to 15%—
“Is it going to recover again?”
“It won’t go down any further anyway.”
They said that, yet everyone fixated on the remaining health.
For a long while, it stayed at 15%.
“Figures.”
“Of course.”
Just as people were shaking their heads and sighing—
《Remaining HP of ‘Blade Dragon God’: 0%》
《Phase 2, ‘Blade Dragon God’ has been subjugated!》
“……!”
“……!”
Everyone’s eyes went wide.
From 15%, the remaining health dropped straight to 0%, completing the subjugation.
What on earth had just happened?
There was no information on who had challenged it, or who had slain it.
But regardless—
The Blade Dragon God had been subjugated.
And if it had been subjugated—
“Next…”
“What’s going to appear?”
…What would emerge in Phase 3?
Those climbing the tower and those who weren’t alike focused their attention on the next being to appear.
—
—
KUUUNG!
They collapse.
Ten thousand giant skeletons.
But the skeleton soldiers falling wasn’t what mattered.
What mattered far more was—
KRAAAAW!
The “Terrible Omen” was screaming as it burned.
It smoldered at first, then was completely reduced to ash.
Seeing this, both the God of Omen and the God of Ashes cried out.
—This is a scam, caw!
—This is a scam, caw!
…Honestly, I agree.
A total scam.
I never thought something like this would be possible.
No—I’d expected something along these lines, but not to this extent.
“So the Paradox of Fate doesn’t work on just me.”
The Paradox of Fate.
The closer one draws, the fainter their presence becomes.
It seemed that didn’t apply only to me.
Randolph, too, was affected by the Paradox of Fate.
The proof was the Terrible Omen burning away into ash.
And right now, I was standing right beside the Terrible Omen.
The reason I, whose body wouldn’t move, was able to kill it despite the transparent wall erected by the gods was simple.
—You pierced the wall with the Spear of Longinus?!
—I never even imagined using it that way!
Just before my limbs completely locked up, I hurled the Spear of Longinus straight at the Terrible Omen.
It was the only thing I could think of.
If it had the power to forcibly traverse dimensions, then it should be able to pierce an “invisible wall.”
Thankfully, that guess was correct.
“A clash of existence.”
The moment the wall was pierced, I summoned the “Crow of Omen” and closed in on the Terrible Omen.
We burned together, and a clash of existence took place.
But the Terrible Omen was a phantom created by Randolph.
In a simple contest of existence, I was bound to win.
Srrrk.
Soon, the Terrible Omen—now reduced to ash—merged into me.
My right arm was completely consumed in pitch-black darkness, like dark matter.
“…So that’s how it works.”
This was the existence of the Terrible Omen—part of Randolph.
Climbing the tower, repeatedly engaging in clashes of existence, becoming one.
It seemed this was the true trial given to me.
《You have overcome ‘Trial of Ashes (5)’!》
《As a reward, you may obtain the Transcendent-Unique Mystery ‘Terrible Catastrophe’.》
《If you choose not to obtain it, you will proceed to the next trial.》
《30,000 God Points (GP) have been awarded.》
《Using God Points, the level of ‘Crow of Omen’ increases to 10.》
《‘Crow of Omen’ has reached its maximum level (10Lv).》
《‘Crow of Omen’ evolves into ‘Crow of Great Omen (1Lv)’.》
Who cleared ten thousand skeleton soldiers faster—
That didn’t matter at all.
If you eliminate your opponent, you’re first by default.
Shrugging, I spoke to the two gods.
“So what’s next?”
—
《Phase 3, ‘Eternal Randolph’ appears.》
