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*****
"Seal!"
Sensing the Beyonder characteristics of the Fool pathway within his body suddenly spiraling out of control and beginning to corrode his physical form, George let out a cold snort. He immediately deployed a high-level Sealing Art, locking down every single trace of the Seer pathway's influence.
To contaminate his body was no simple feat. Had he already reached the sequence of the Fool, a sudden betrayal by his own characteristics might have been perilous—he might have even been forced to discard his physical shell and all his powers just to escape.
But currently, the characteristics within him only reached the level of a Sequence 5 Marionettist. Even with the Celestial Worthy exerting direct control, they stood no chance against the sheer density of George's physical mana. By utilizing a specialized seal synthesized from his research across multiple worlds, he effortlessly suppressed the Sequence 5 traits.
In any case, even without the abilities of a Seer, his combat effectiveness would barely see a dip.
"Now, it's my turn!"
With the Marionettist traits locked away, George focused his internal spirituality, preparing a counter-spell. The Celestial Worthy could hijack the Beyonder characteristics, but he held no sway over George's raw spiritual energy. Only a fraction of that energy originated from his pathway; the vast majority was derived from devouring the Magic Lamp and converting his own mana.
Thus, even without exposing his core magic, George could still unleash devastating spells fueled by his massive spiritual reserves.
"Grand Magic: Fairy Glitter Plus!"
Nine massive magic circles manifested in sequence above the Celestial Worthy. A moment later, a relentless torrent of light, saturated with infinite killing intent, thundered down. In terms of pure offensive power and destructive scale, Fairy Glitter surpassed even Fairy Law.
"A Star!"
The Celestial Worthy's expression finally shifted. He moved the vessel's hands with blurring speed, activating the Grafting authority. Despite Antigonus's body being heavily wounded and missing two Attendant of Mysteries characteristics, the Worthy's status allowed him to exert the strength of a True God.
Where the uncorrupted Antigonus could only Graft ordinary planets, the Celestial Worthy was now Grafting a searing, roaring sun.
"As expected of the Celestial Worthy. If he were at full strength, I'd likely be no match even if I went all out," George mused as a literal star began to grind toward him.
"Fortunately... you are far from your peak."
George was no "noble warrior" of high morals; he had no intention of waiting for an opponent to recover just to ensure a "fair" fight. Against enemies, his guiding principle had always been: Strike while they're down and finish the job.
"Excalibur: Sword of Promised Victory!"
A holy blade coalesced in his right hand. George flooded it with a massive amount of spiritual energy and swung it in a wide arc. A gargantuan blade of light slammed into the Grafted star, shattering the celestial concept into a cloud of void fragments that vanished into thin air.
Before the Celestial Worthy could retaliate, George pressed both palms against the ground. Elemental forms of Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth slowly rose around the perimeter.
"Five-Element Kabbalah Sealing Array!"
A powerful sealing force converged on the Worthy, causing his eyes to instantly glaze over with confusion. Seizing the opening, George blinked to his side and pressed a hand to his forehead, initiating a Soul Search.
"He's vanishing that quickly?"
Sensing George's prying eyes, the Celestial Worthy's consciousness didn't linger to fight for Antigonus's body. Instead, it chose to dissipate actively and rapidly. However, George was faster; before the presence fully faded, he managed to intercept a specific set of critical data.
Notably, it was the information he craved most: how to accommodate the other two neighboring pathways after reaching the Fool, and the path to becoming a Great Old One and a Pillar.
"How very convenient... the information I snatched wasn't historical trivia, but the exact guide to becoming a Pillar. This smells like a trap."
The Worthy had retreated quite gracefully. If he had truly wanted to, he could have left Antigonus's body clean of any lingering intelligence. Instead, he had intentionally moved a half-step slower, allowing George to "steal" the very knowledge he needed.
Upon reflection, George saw the move for what it was: a blatant scheme.
Between George's presence and the Evernight Goddess watching from the shadows, the Worthy knew he couldn't win this round without Sefirah Castle. Thus, he abandoned his attempt to revive in Antigonus. By "accidentally" leaving the methods for accommodating the Door and Error pathways, he was encouraging George to advance as quickly as possible.
The further George climbed and the more characteristics he fused, the easier it would be for the Celestial Worthy to awaken within his body later. It was a classic "open scheme." Even knowing it was a trap, few would turn down the chance for such power. Every True God and Angel knew the risk of the Original Creator's awakening, yet none stopped their pursuit of strength. They relied on anchors and believers to maintain their sanity and suppress the ancient will.
George, however, was even less afraid. He had three trump cards:
His Soul-Merging technique gave him such immense mental fortitude that he could easily crush any lingering will within his characteristics.
His other clones were busy devouring and digesting various worlds; his strength was skyrocketing daily. By the time he reached the top, he might already be a Multiversal entity.
He possessed his own created world. If the Worthy's consciousness ever grew too strong, George could retreat into his own reality and use its unique laws to forcibly extract and dismantle the alien will from his characteristics.
"Time to extract the characteristics and the Uniqueness."
Activating his abilities, George forcibly removed the Fool Uniqueness and the Sequence 1 Attendant of Mysteries characteristic from the dying Antigonus. Just as he was about to peel away the remaining Sequence 2 through Sequence 9 traits, a figure blocked his path.
"Could you, for my sake, leave him the characteristics from Sequence 2 to Sequence 9?"
George looked up. Standing before him was a young woman with a refined appearance, an expressionless face, and eyes as deep and dark as the abyss.
"If it's for the sake of the Evernight Goddess, then I'll certainly comply. After all, you were the one who gave me the clues to this place."
He already had the Sequence 2 and 3 characteristics from other sources, and he had the potion for Sequence 4. The traits of a Miracle Invoker down to a Seer within Antigonus were no longer vital to his plan.
What was vital was determining whether this Goddess—manifesting through the body of the deceased Misfortune Mage—was an ally or a foe.
(End of Chapter)