Chapter 424: Attack From An Old Enemy

While Caelus considered another wager, Lord Alaric in a far away place sat upon his throne and watched the doors open.

His fat subordinate hurried inside and bowed beneath the crest of the Titan Crown Syndicate.

"Any news on the new ascenders?"

Alaric’s fingers tightened against the armrest as Caelus’s face came to mind.

"That bastard, Caelus Kross. I will make sure he dies a painful death."

He had sent a clone into the Path to Worlds for the hidden Star King and Star Queen inheritance. Instead of returning with it, the clone had been destroyed by the very brat who took everything.

Only around a month had passed since then.

With that inheritance and his growth rate, Caelus should have reached the Tier 2 World by now. Alaric had kept his people searching for him ever since.

His subordinate remained bent at the waist.

"Yes. I do have some information regarding them."

Alaric leaned forward.

As a Level 10 Origin Lord, he had little reason to fear most people holding the same rank. He knew better than to bother the monsters nearing ten thousand Combat Score, but a fresh ascender was another matter.

The Titan Crown Syndicate was his to command. His official place within the Olympian Faction gave him even less reason to tolerate this insult.

"I’m listening."

[Talent Activated: King’s Gamble.]

Caelus watched the wheel turn once more. This time he had placed the remaining two hundred million into it.

Sylvia gripped his sleeve as the pointer crept toward its final position.

"Success!"

Caelus nearly rose from his seat as the wheel stopped.

[200,000,000 Faith Power wagered.]

[Multiplier: 2x.]

[Faith Power obtained: 400,000,000.]

Sylvia released his sleeve.

"You really put all of it in."

"And look what happened!"

"I was looking the whole time...."

Sylvia really wondered where his gambling tendencies came from.

But with this, they could complete Divinization.

The remaining cost was about 180 million each. After setting aside Sylvia’s share and his own, they would still have roughly forty million left.

He transferred the Faith Power and opened the Divinization interface.

They immediately begin the transformation.

FWOOOOSH!

Golden-white light rose around them, filling the space between their joined hands. Caelus drew a breath as the first wave entered his chest and spread through his body.

[Body Divinization: 10% → 25%.]

[Soul Divinization: 10% → 25%.]

Heat moved through his bones, followed by a deep pressure that reached every part of him. His muscles tightened as their remaining mortal cells began changing into Divine Essence.

Across from him, Sylvia’s fingers held his more firmly. Light shone beneath her skin and traced the lines of her arms.

Caelus kept his hands steady as another wave struck.

[Body Divinization: 25% → 50%.]

[Soul Divinization: 25% → 50%.]

RUMBLE!

The floor trembled beneath them. Loose dust lifted into the air as their growing presence pressed against the room.

Caelus drew his aura inward before it could spread farther.

Inside him, the change only grew stronger.

His heart drove newly transformed blood through his veins. Divine Essence reached his organs and nerves, rebuilding parts of him that had once needed constant protection from his own strength.

The pressure reached his Soul next.

His thoughts stayed clear through the flood of sensation. Each wave made his sense of self feel more solid, until even the force rushing through his body failed to shake it.

[Body Divinization: 50% → 75%.]

[Soul Divinization: 50% → 75%.]

Sylvia’s eyes opened through the light. Caelus met her gaze and squeezed her hands as the last stretch began.

The remaining Faith Power rushed inward.

BOOM!

His back straightened as warmth passed through every bone and organ. The last mortal structures changed, leaving no weak patch for the next wave to rebuild.

Then the force reached the deepest part of his Soul.

For a moment, Caelus felt every part of himself with perfect clarity. Flesh and Soul had both changed beyond anything he had known before, though the final joining still lay ahead.

[Body Divinization: 75% → 100%.]

[Soul Divinization: 75% → 100%.]

The light folded into them.

Caelus felt Sylvia’s thumbs move over his hands as the room came back into view. Their Divine Bodies were complete.

[Ding! Body Divinization Complete.]

[Ding! Soul Divinization Complete.]

[Divine Body Ready.]

[Mana Divinization is not required as you possess axiom energy]

[Requirement detected for Lesser God Ascension.]

[Faith Power Required: 1,000,000,000 per individual.]

[Obtain sufficient Faith Power to initiate the Lesser God Rank Trial.]

[Upon completion, merge completely with your Divine Body and ascend into the God Domain.]

[Combat Score: 10,375 (Origin Lord 10)]

[Ding! You’ve exceeded the limits of Origin lord]

[Reducing Combat Score.]

[Combat Score: 10,000 (Origin Lord 10)]

Caelus stared at the billion again.

He opened his mouth, but a sudden weight pressed against his senses before he could speak.

RUMBLE!

Outside, windows shook in their frames.

[Innate Power Activated: Prime Mind Manipulation.]

His mental perception swept across the streets and caught a player falling to his knees. The man tried to stand, only for his arms to buckle beneath him.

"What the hell is that?!"

Caelus looked upward.

A gigantic hammer was falling through the clouds. Its head cast a shadow across the land as the air beneath it twisted under its weight.

"Someone is attacking Genesis Kingdom!"

"I can’t move!"

A woman caught a child beside a market stall and dragged him beneath its roof. Farther down the street, an armed player braced himself against a wall.

"This pressure...!"

"Who the hell would attack us here?!"

Sylvia released Caelus’s hands and stood with him.

His expression hardened as he sensed the scale of the attack. Whoever had sent it intended to crush everything below.

WHOOSH!

He rose through the sky and lifted one hand toward the hammer.

[Skill Activated: Origin Lock.]

His authority cut through the power holding it together.

CRACK!

A crack ran across its enormous head. Caelus closed his fingers, and the hammer broke into fading light before it reached the highest buildings.

The pressure vanished with it.

He kept rising as Sylvia caught up beside him. Beyond the atmosphere, a man stood with one arm still extended toward the kingdom.

Caelus recognized him. It was the man that told him "We will meet in the Tier 2 World." back in the Path to Worlds.

"Alaric?"

The man’s cold sneer disappeared as he looked past Caelus toward the empty sky below.

"You destroyed it?"

"You threw that at my kingdom?"

Alaric’s jaw tightened.

He drew back his hand before Caelus could answer.

[Skill Activated: Titan Hammer.]

Golden light gathered around his fist and formed a smaller hammer. Its surface held far more power than the first.

Caelus moved away from the planet to meet him. Alaric swung the moment he came within reach.

BOOM!

The hammer slammed into Caelus’s open palm.

A ring of force spread into space, but his arm barely shifted. His fingers closed around the glowing head as Alaric tried to pull it free.

That was it?

Immediately, he tightened his grip.

CRACK!

The hammer burst between his fingers.

Alaric shot backward and swept both arms apart.

[Skill Activated: Golden Arsenal.]

Several rings of golden weapons formed around Caelus before driving inward from every side. He flew straight toward Alaric as the first spears struck his shoulder.

BANG!

The spears shattered against him. He knocked aside the next with his forearm, then punched through the thick shield Alaric raised behind the barrage.

BOOM!

His fist struck Alaric’s stomach.

The man folded around the blow and hurtled away from the planet. Caelus followed before he could turn his fall into an escape.

Alaric twisted in flight and thrust a hand toward Sylvia. One of the remaining golden spears turned and shot at her face.

She caught it between her palms.

CRACK!

Its point stopped a finger’s width from her forehead before she crushed it into sparks.

"Was that supposed to help you?"

Alaric’s eyes darted between them.

Caelus reached him again, forcing him to raise both arms.

[Skill Activated: Titan’s Judgment.]

A huge golden figure formed around Alaric’s body. It gripped a hammer in both hands and brought it down with enough force to bend the light around its head.

This time Caelus met it with a punch.

BOOOOM!

His fist broke through the weapon and continued into the figure’s chest. Cracks spread across its body before the entire thing burst apart.

Alaric emerged from the broken light with blood running from his mouth.

"How?!"

He tried to retreat, but Caelus caught his wrist and pulled him back.

"How is this possible?!"

Alaric struck his chest with his free hand. Caelus barely felt it.

"Y-You only just arrived in the Tier 2 World! How can you already be this strong?!"

Caelus leaned closer.

"I’m built different, bitch."

CRACK!

He twisted Alaric’s wrist and forced the arm down. The man cried out as Caelus raised his free hand toward his head.

"You can’t kill me!"

Caelus held his hand where it was.

Alaric seized the opening.

"I’m a member of the Olympian Faction! If you kill me, they won’t let you survive!"

Caelus glanced toward the planet behind them.

The people below had barely managed to stand under that first attack. Alaric had known they were there and thrown it anyway.

His gaze returned to the man in his grip.

"If they come after me too, I’ll just wipe them out of the universe."

"But people like you need to die."

Alaric’s mouth opened, but no threat followed.

[Skill Activated: Titan Hammer.]

Golden power flared around his free hand as he tried one final attack.

[Authority Activated: Origin Lock.]

The forming hammer vanished as Caelus severed Alaric’s access to his power. His fist followed before the man could pull away.

BANG!

Caelus drove his fist through Alaric’s chest.

The man’s body jerked. Caelus released him as the last of his aura vanished.

Sylvia came to his side and glanced over his arm.

"Did he hurt you?"

Caelus turned his unmarked hand toward her.

"Not even a scratch."

She took it and checked anyway. Only after running her thumb over his knuckles did she let her shoulders relax.

Beyond her, something large caught his attention.

A vessel hung against the distant stars. Its hull faced the planet, with an open entryway along one side.

Alaric had arrived in a hurry it seems like.

Caelus extended his mental perception toward the ship and found the controls within. The vessel had brought its owner here, which meant its navigation records should also show where he had come from.

A man like that would have territory. He would have resources and people working beneath him.

Caelus looked once more toward Genesis Kingdom before turning to Sylvia.

"Let’s go, Sylvia."

She followed his gaze toward the waiting ship.

"Where?"

"We’re taking over this guy’s territory."

Her lips curved as she tightened her hold on his hand.

Caelus led her toward the open entryway and reached for the ship’s controls.

[Talent Activated: System Hack.]

A locked navigation window flickered before opening to its stored routes. He selected the record of Alaric’s last departure.