Chapter 85: Miracle
Of the dozens of heroes Haze had created, many possessed passive and active skills that enhanced their stats.
For health, there was the Gnoll; for defense and attack, the Weapon and Troll; for speed, the Sword Master and Werewolf, among others. Some even included life steal and invisibility… Now, he could use all the skills of the heroes he had created along with every rune and summoner spell.
His equipment slots had also increased from two at the start to six…
The reason was simple: the game world he had spent years building had collapsed.
The immense telekinesis he had accumulated over the years, the rules of the game itself… had all been recklessly unleashed in an instant.
He had shattered the limits of his psychic power because that power responded to him.
Haze had intentionally been strengthening his willpower, allowing his telekinesis to undergo a "perceptual" transformation, a qualitative evolution… but he had never achieved significant success. The reason was simple: he had never truly believed in himself or in his telekinesis.
He had seen it as nothing more than a tool…
And now, with the collapse of the game world, his mind had plunged into chaos.
No analysis, no calculations only chaos. The world of his game had become a torrent of corrupted data, an unreadable storm of code completely out of control.
The last words Ike uttered before losing consciousness were:
"Can I resurrect? Can you?"
A pure thought surged within Haze's heart:
He could resurrect.
He wanted to resurrect.
He would resurrect.
But to do so, he needed to transcend his limits; his mind had to rise above. The game world he created was born from his mind.
The mind was the foundation of everything.
And now, his own mind gave him the answer.
The price was the collapse of the game world itself, the fall of the entire server.
At that moment, Ike was completely immobilized. Haze's ability cooldowns were absurdly short. His runes and items that accelerated skill recovery, combined with his versatility, allowed him to chain attacks seamlessly casting one skill after another without pause.
A werewolf figure burst from Haze's body, howling as it lunged toward Ike. Its claws were like twin blades, raking furiously through flesh.
Ike's defensive psychic energy diminished with every blow.
Warwick, the Zaunite Beast, unleashed his ultimate: Infinite Duress, suppressing the target. His Primal Howl induced fear.
Compared to Hisoka, who moments before had been like a rabid dog, Haze now resembled a true lunatic a demon straight from hell!
As the attacks intensified, the old man's psychic power rapidly dwindled.
Renekton's W – Ruthless Predator stunned him.
Jax's E, Ekko's W…
Every manifested ability struck Ike in sequence, chaining crowd control endlessly. The time between him and death grew ever shorter.
Haze's expression was that of a child savoring a sweet treat grinning all the while.
His smile stood in stark contrast to Ike's pale, trembling face.
After a long, drawn-out moment, the old man's immense psychic energy finally dispersed, leaving behind only his fragile mortal shell.
"Ha… ha… ha…"
A hollow laugh escaped Haze's throat dull and mechanical.
Meeting the wide, terrified eyes of the Bozwa chief, he leapt onto his body, hands drilling and slicing down mercilessly.
The scene radiated a bone-chilling, sinister aura.
Haze's mouth opened and closed in silent laughter as he tore the elder apart his torso shredded, blood spraying wildly.
The attacks did not stop.
He was playing utterly enjoying himself.
Ike's limbs trembled violently, spasmed… and then went still.
He had resurrected
using his final chance as a sacrifice.
The ritual ended the instant he revived.
Now, with his strength restored, there was no resisting this demon god who treated him like a toy destroying him over and over.
He was brutally tortured
First the head, then the torso until the elder was reduced to a mutilated corpse, torn beyond recognition.
Only then did Haze stop.
He stared at the dead man, as if wondering
Why wasn't he moving?
Why wasn't he playing anymore?
Could he not recover?
He waited a while, as if expecting the decaying body to rise again…
A trace of disappointment flashed in his bloodshot eyes.
After a long silence, he finally staggered toward Hisoka.
He bowed his head toward the unconscious human lying on the ground.
Then, bending down, he lifted Hisoka's limp body by the legs and slowly opened his mouth.
He bit into Hisoka's shoulder, hard blood gushed out in a thick, violent stream.
But just as he was about to take another bite
the psychic energy surrounding him vanished like smoke.
His once darkened eyes turned pale white again, no trace of black pupils.
His previously muscular body had withered, weakened and both men collapsed to the ground.
The Hunter Association
President's Office
Beep, beep, beep…
Netero stood by the window, hands clasped behind his back. His phone vibrated continuously on the desk.
After a moment, someone finally answered.
"Hello, President…"
"Where are you?" Netero asked, turning around.
"We've entered East Gothor and are heading toward the Jagged Mountains. We'll arrive in half a day," replied Biscuit from the other end.
Netero wasn't sure if Haze had survived the ritual or the Bozwas.
This was a test for him.
Though she didn't say it aloud, Biscuit was deeply concerned after her last call with Haze. She had summoned two more members from the Association: Morel, and a one-star beast hunter named Bez.
Haze, of course, knew nothing about this.
Meeting him before entering the Jagged Mountains was undoubtedly the best option. It meant Haze had not yet faced the ritual directly. The three would also greatly strengthen his temporary team.
But… there was also the chance they'd find only Haze's body.
Biscuit had already spoken with Hiramori and the others and learned that Haze had only brought three Nen users to the Bozwa settlement.
To her, it was obvious those three were weak and inexperienced.
Haze was being ridiculous!
She had always thought of him as smart.
Since he had already determined it was a ritual, he could have waited for it to end.
After all, his mission was to retrieve the ritual artifact the fate of King Donggoto and the Bozwas wasn't part of it.
Even if it took time, it would have guaranteed his safety.
Clearly, Haze didn't want to wait.
He thought he could handle the ritual and at worst, walk away unharmed.
Or perhaps… he was simply responding to the elder's inaction with his own defiance.
In short, Biscuit thought Haze's approach was terrible.
She decided that when she found that little brat, she'd give him a serious scolding.
She understood Haze's personality rebellious at heart. Joining the Association now was much like his days in the Heavens Arena.
The problem was that this mission was nothing like the Arena.
President Netero had predicted as much.
Biscuit understood the old man's intentions, but still felt his actions were a bit too harsh.
"We've just received news," Netero said gravely.
"Some of the living parasites have regained consciousness, and the dead beasts haven't revived. The ritual has been interrupted or rather, it's over."
"Is it Haze?" Biscuit asked, her voice lighting up.
That meant Haze had done it!
"But… we can't contact him. We're not sure if he's alive."
Netero's next words made Biscuit's heart sink.
"Find him. Quickly."
"Yes, sir."
Pocketing the phone, Biscuit sped up her pace.
Morel and Bates also accelerated; they had overheard the entire conversation.
"With his team setup, to complete a mission like this alone… The Association originally planned to send a high-tier task force," Morel said, glancing at her. "No wonder the President's so serious about it."
"Stop talking! Move faster!" Biscuit snapped. Her face was unusually tense.
She had called Morel precisely because of his exceptional telepathic skills perfect for locating Haze in unfamiliar territory.
"Hm… what's your relationship with him?" Morel asked curiously. "Your apprentice?"
"No… he owes me a priceless gem."
"Ah… makes sense." Morel nodded knowingly.
Hours later, the trio arrived at the Bozwa settlement at full speed. They entered the cave and ventured deep into the mountain.
"This is…"
A moment later, upon entering the ruined underground space, their expressions changed drastically.
It was clear that the battle fought here had been brutal the noise still echoing faintly through the ruins.
Biscuit covered her mouth, her gaze landing on Haze a shrunken figure she could barely recognize.
His aura was faint…
"Barely…" Morel murmured, hesitating as he examined Haze's condition.
"To still be alive in this state… it's a miracle."
(End of Chapter)