Rakina—no, something else.
Divine, powerful, and ancient, He turned His head toward Ordinal. His eyes glowed as He floated, bringing the cross along with Him.
"For this universe to exist... it is beyond my comprehension."
A grand voice echoed, shaking both heaven and earth. Shun slowed down, wincing as the voice caused an intense headache—it felt like his head was about to burst.
Ordinal cried out in agony.
"It is you who is beyond my comprehension, you nerdy fool! Go back to your cave and let me finish my task!"
The entity opened His mouth again.
"I see through illusion. I see through time. I see everything. Yet I have never seen knowledge that satisfied me. But you—your existence is fascinating."
"My existence belongs to Him alone!" Ordinal declared.
"Him? The Melody of the Heavenly Conductor?" The entity paused, then seemed to reach enlightenment. "Your belief in Him will not stop me. You'll make an excellent subject."
The entity—no, the sliver of consciousness belonging to the Hideous Sage—released Himself from the cross. The nails were strong, embedded deep into His hands, but it didn't matter. With a jolt, He thrust His hands forward.
A giant gap tore through His palms. Blood gushed violently—but soon, glowing runes sealed the wounds. Flesh and blood reknit themselves.
Then, He aimed His hand at Ordinal. The runes on His skin detached and floated toward him.
Ordinal gripped his staff tightly.
"Don't think you can take me down just because you're a god! My Lord will protect me!"
Despite being a heretic—and clearly unhinged—his bravery was commendable.
"Come! The corpse of a god will be more efficient than that little girl!"
His staff glowed as he chanted. Two magic circles formed behind him.
"O Melody of the Heavenly Conductor, hear my cry.
Lend me strength in the face of erasure.
My heart for Your will. My death for Your design.
Let this impurity be undone by sacred flame.
Encore!"
Magic surged to its peak. A grotesque creature appeared: a tentacled monster with dragon wings and a floating giant eyeball. They roared.
Ordinal's staff cracked, then turned to dust. He had exhausted his mana and collapsed with a loud thud.
"Such a waste," the Hideous Sage muttered with pity, as though his food had just been snatched by a dog.
Then, He turned to the beasts.
"I suppose you two will suffice as my subjects."
They unleashed a storm of spells—devastating enough to annihilate a country—but against a sliver of a god's consciousness, it was meaningless.
Runes shielded His body from every blast.
As He walked closer, the beasts panicked. They tried to flee—but something invincible held them in place.
The tentacle monster lashed out with a massive tail.
But just before it landed—it was severed.
The monster shrieked. The Hideous Sage touched it, and runes engulfed its body. In seconds, it disintegrated into shimmering particles of light.
Those particles entered His body.
"Such an amazing piece of information."
He turned His gaze to the floating eyeball. It tried to flee—but couldn't. It was paralyzed... by fear.
He touched it. Runes raced across the eyeball, which turned to dust and joined the light entering Him.
"I never thought such delicacy existed in this world," He murmured, eyes closed, savoring it.
Shun stood frozen, horrified as the terrifying monsters turned into nothing but glimmering dust. He stopped, panic rising in his chest.
How on earth was he supposed to defeat that?
Physical attacks? Useless—those runes would protect Him.
He scanned the area. Nothing.
"Come on! Think! Think!"
In frustration, he slapped his forehead repeatedly.
Then, at the corner of his eye, he noticed a small wound on his arm. A single drop of blood had fallen.
Just then, glowing particles drifted into view. The wind carried them aimlessly, and they hovered—then gently fell on the drop of blood.
Upon contact, the particles absorbed the blood. Slowly… they began transforming into a piece of flesh.
Shun froze, doubting his own senses.
His eyes darted around. The air was filled with golden dust. He walked up to the nearest speck, bit his thumb, sucked the blood, and spat it on the dust.
It reacted—feeding on the blood. The dust gathered into something. Upon closer inspection…
An unknown organ.
Shun's face twisted in disgust. But it faded quickly—replaced by wonder.
Could this… work on Him?
The being controlling Rakina could reduce anything to dust with a touch. Yet that dust, when exposed to his blood, returned to its original form.
He didn't know why it worked. But it was the only shot he had at saving her.
[Echo of Divine Forge activated.]
He pressed his palm to the ground. The earth rumbled and rose.
***
"Hey, bastard."
A cold voice echoed behind Him.
He turned and saw a human standing atop a pillar, arms crossed.
"What are you?" the Hideous Sage asked after a pause. His curiosity peaked. He wanted to dissect this boy. A mere mortal—yet radiating a strange, transcendent energy.
"Bring her back."
"She is dead," He said flatly. "Even if you drive me out, this body will become an empty husk."
"So be it. I refuse to let a foul creature like you possess her."
The Sage chuckled.
"Are you not afraid, child?" He stepped closer, stopping one meter from Shun. "That I will turn you into the purest form of data and absorb you?"
"So that's what you did to those monsters?" Shun smirked and grabbed Him, pulling Him close.
"It doesn't matter."
Runes began to crawl over Shun's skin.
The Hideous Sage grinned wide.
Shun winced in pain—but endured.
———
[Rune of Dissection has started to corrode you.]
[Your passive skill: Memory of Flesh has been activated.]
[Neutralizing Rune of Dissection… successful.]
[You have gained a sample of Rune of Dissection.]
[It has been integrated into your flesh.]
[Bonus: +10% resistance to Rune of Dissection.]
———
More messages popped up. Shun ignored them.
He bit his lip hard. Blood filled his mouth.
The Sage sensed danger and tried to push him away—but…
How is he this strong? And this power... There's no way to deny it. He thought.
"MONARCH!" the Hideous Sage screamed in rage—
Before Shun slammed their mouths together.
He forced his blood into the Sage's mouth with his tongue, pushing it down His throat.
The Sage struggled, but Shun was unmovable.
No… he had become something more.
As the blood flowed, the runes on the Sage's body dimmed. The glow in His—no, her—eyes faded.
The presence of the Hideous Sage dissolved.
Her body grew weaker. Struggles slowed. Muscles relaxed.
Stillness.
Shun stopped. He pulled back.
He looked at Rakina's body, praying for any sign she might wake.
"Please… wake up."
He didn't know who he was begging—gods? Why bother? One tried to kill them. The other cursed him into a living alloy.
Still, he accepted the curse. He was prepared.
But Rakina dying?
Dying to protect him?
Dying because of him?
He refused that.
He clung to hope. To a miracle.
"Rakina…" he whispered. Her stillness shattered his hopes.
Despair crept in. Shun lowered his head and rested it on her chest. Grief drowned him—no, more than grief.
Helplessness.
Damn it! Even with new powers... I still couldn't save anyone. What excuse do I have now—except myself? He thought.
She was gone.
His fault.
If only he had known what price he'd pay...
Her body remained still. Her breathing had stopped.
When suddenly—
"Shun."
A voice.
He doubted it. A hallucination, surely.
"Shun!"
Louder this time.
Shun raised his head. Disbelief.
She was looking at him. Softly.
A miracle.
"I'm glad you're okay," he whispered, smiling faintly. Then—
"Thank you. Hey—Shun!"
—he collapsed.
Shun's consciousness plunged into darkness.
As it did…
———
[Ascension Quest: Defeat a God — 1/1 Completed.]
[Reward: Divine Symbol.]
[You are now eligible to Ascend.]
———
I can be stronger, he thought, filled with excruciating joy, before falling into slumber..