Chapter 1481: Hunting the First Apostle (15)
“How strong is the Second Apostle?”
A little while back, the day after Lennok accepted the Order Alliance Leader’s proposal in Vulcan.
Before departing for the Alliance headquarters, Lennok was meeting Myeong in the courtyard of the District 21 cathedral.
According to Hylaea, Myeong had only been regaining consciousness once a day since the events of Paradise Lost, and even then, for less than an hour.
For that reason, Lennok had tried to avoid disturbing Myeong’s time as much as possible, but—
“I know the Second Apostle has sustained the Cult in the Pontiff’s absence. Like the other high-ranking Apostles, he must be a being for whom the distinction of hierarchy is meaningless.”
[…]
“The Alliance Leader said he must face the Second Apostle himself. Myeong, is he like you? A being who has obtained power comparable to an Ascendant without being one?”
During the Pontiff’s absence, the Second Apostle had led the Cult as its First, an Apostle compared to the leaders of major factions like the Order Alliance and the Warband.
He was like an asymmetric force, a deterrent that kept the super-factions of the Central Continent from carelessly provoking the Cult.
He was undoubtedly the most powerful being in the current Cult, and perhaps a monster comparable to an Ascendant.
However, Lennok, who had defeated Jinwa in Paradise Lost, had another reason for being extremely wary of the Second Apostle.
It wasn’t a simple matter of power levels. In fact, in that regard, Lennok might even have the upper hand.
The problem was—
“The Second Apostle can ‘avoid’ the deployment of my Domain. That’s something no superhuman or Ascendant I’ve ever seen could do.”
When he had met the Second Apostle at the Duris Workshop, the Apostle had evaded the Domain Lennok deployed.
It was an unreal countermeasure that no one Lennok had met until now, not even the Ascendants, had ever even attempted.
The Second Apostle could not be properly captured by Lennok’s Domain or spellcraft.
The Second Apostle could not be properly detected by Lennok’s senses or magical perception.
That in itself was proof that the ability the Second Apostle possessed held a potential far more dangerous than anyone else’s.
A being who was not an Ascendant, but who might possess a power even more bizarre than one.
“I’ve sided with the Alliance for now, but in the end, neither the Leader nor the Second Apostle can be fundamentally trusted.”
Lennok said, looking down at the coffee in his hand.
“But it’s also true that there are things I can only do at the moment they clash with all their might and reveal their hands.”
[…]
“That’s why I intend to move in a way that encourages them to fight with all their strength.”
His reason for accepting the Alliance Leader’s proposal and participating in this affair was not for the sake of the Order Alliance.
What did the Pontiff truly want? What goal did the Alliance Leader seek to achieve through this plan?
He believed that in this war, he could confirm the true objectives that both the Cult and the Alliance had long hidden.
Feeling that the end of his journey was not far, he intended to use this moment to reach the truth.
The Second Apostle, who held the key, was by no means a being weaker or less astute than Lennok.
The strongest Apostle in the Cult, and one who might be under the Pontiff’s direct protection.
Lennok now had to depart to lend his strength in confronting him.
“I intend to gather information to prepare for the worst case. If you can’t remember, it can’t be helped, but I’d like to hear your opinion.”
[Van… trying to gauge his ability by applying my case is likely to be a misguided attempt.]
Myeong said, slowly wagging his tail and licking his forepaw.
[I was able to obtain such power because I inherited the fate and talent of my clan… It was closer to a so-called acquired awakening or a curse.]
“…”
[The Second Apostle is not such a being. Rather, if I had to make a comparison… it would be more fitting to compare him to Kaiser Bajour.]
“…Kaiser Bajour?”
As Lennok paused at the unexpected name, Myeong spoke calmly.
[In his later years, Kaiser Bajour was a Level 9 Ascendant, but he was never a proper hierarchy-based ability user in the first place. He simply pushed his Talent for Reversing Heaven to its absolute limit, and the result could only be expressed in the form of an Ascendant.]
“…”
[The Second Apostle is the same. The ability he possesses is on a different plane from this world’s spellcraft and authority from the very beginning. The result of him developing that talent to its extreme is merely being defined within the framework of an Apostle.]
Myeong spoke as if recalling an old memory.
[That would be proof that he was not born in this world.]
“If the Second Apostle wasn’t born in this world… does that mean he came from the Old World with the Pontiff?”
[Perhaps. But…]
Wagging his tail in silence, Myeong paused for a moment as if trying to remember.
[When we spoke of this before, the Director said the Second Apostle was not from the Second World.]
“That means…”
[So be careful, Van.]
Myeong said, looking at Lennok.
[Because I thought that he might just be from the ‘First World’.]
A sea of blood where bodies piled up from the ongoing clash between the Alliance and the Cult. The Second Apostle, clad in platinum-white sacred robes, walked forward.
It was the first time he, who had never insisted on any particular attire, had appeared on the battlefield wearing the Cult’s sacred robes.
Because of that, Lennok was able to recognize him at a glance without needing any explanation.
The true form of the First Apostle, superior to anyone in the current Cult. Unmistakably the Second Apostle himself.
Just as the Alliance Leader had affirmed, he had descended upon the battlefield to prevent the restoration of the Great Connection.
And so—
CRACK!!!!
The robed Second Apostle and Lennok’s arms collided in mid-air, then recoiled as if thrown back.
Pale sacred light and sharp lightning flashed and intersected, and their gazes met.
Sizzzzzzle!!!!
The moment Lennok took a step forward, a tremendous amount of smoke billowed from his entire body.
Thick smoke, as if his whole body was boiling so intensely it was melting on the spot.
It wasn’t a curse or a disease. It was simply his body unable to keep up with his amplified metabolism.
An unknown, unprecedented power boiled over from within him, and his heartbeat quickened madly.
The amount of oxygen supplied through his blood vessels exploded, while conversely, his breathing rate slowed to an extreme.
His mind raced, taut and clear, and the mana throughout his body rotated ceaselessly, emitting a roar like an airplane engine.
A chilling sensation, as if his body was being awakened more completely than any doping he had ever used, and simultaneously being killed.
[[Apostle Transformation] activated.]
“…I see. I wondered what you were planning. So you’ve obtained the same conditions as an Apostle in a human body.”
The Second Apostle, who had been watching Lennok with a serene expression, said, unable to hide his admiration.
“The possibilities of magic are truly great. No, is it not magic, but… simply that your talent is that great?”
“It’s a conclusion I reached after killing a few of the Cult’s Apostles.”
Lennok said, raising his gaze through the thick smoke.
“To catch an Apostle, it turns out that obtaining the same power as an Apostle is the most efficient method.”
Apostle Transformation was a power created by applying the Ouroboros magic system, temporarily granting the user abilities akin to an Apostle.
It was a high-dimensional enhancement ability itself, designed so that Lennok’s allies in the tower could become stronger, not Lennok himself.
The reason Lennok brought out this power, originally reserved for his tower allies, at this moment.
It was because he had concluded that this method was the best way to deal with the Second Apostle’s abilities.
‘In a situation like this, bringing out a power like Demigod Transformation or Seamless Robe of Heaven is too high-risk. I don’t even know if the Eightfold Lightning Firmament would work in the first place.’
Using the branching point of his Domain, the Eightfold Lightning Firmament, Lennok could awaken as the Apostle of the Void, who served no god.
But because the Second Apostle could ‘avoid’ the deployment of his Domain, he couldn’t be sure if the power of the Firmament would even be effective.
In the worst-case scenario, it could leave his mind with tremendous aftereffects without yielding any results.
On the other hand, Apostle Transformation was a power that his allies from the Magic Tower had used frequently, a so-called officially known power.
It was a technique that could directly strengthen the body, and at the same time, posed little risk for Lennok to use at this point.
With little time left until the Alliance Leader’s descent, it was a suitable power for Lennok to use against the Second Apostle.
“I have met many people who have rejected the Cult for a long time, but…”
The Second Apostle said, taking a step forward.
“You are undoubtedly one of the most outstanding humans among them. Two… perhaps three. Even if I count all those I have seen, you would comfortably fit within that number.”
“…”
“Even after disrupting the battlefield to this extent, you knew exactly what you had to do. As soon as you saw the Eccentric Monk’s betrayal, you broke from the line of battle to hold him in check, intending to buy time until the ritual was over.”
The Second Apostle raised his head and looked around the blood-soaked battlefield.
“Among all these Transcendent beings… only you and the Alliance Leader see the truth. Considering the Leader’s identity, that is an intuition that should not have been permitted to you.”
“I didn’t do it to earn your praise.”
“I know. But after living for a long time, I find my eyes drawn more to those who are hostile to the Cult than those who are loyal.”
At Lennok’s cold reply, the Second Apostle smiled and turned.
“I have passed through many eras and worlds, but I have never seen a wizard like you. It has been so since before we even had the name of a Papal State.”
“…”
“But the Pontiff’s interest in you was likely not just for that reason. I knew there was something, a much more important… other reason.”
The Second Apostle said, slowly walking forward.
“Actually, I thought I already knew the answer to some extent… but it seems I won’t have the chance to confirm it.”
He stopped, empty-handed without any weapon, and gazed at Lennok.
“The fact that I was permitted to stand here must mean that.”
“You speak as if you received permission from the Pontiff beforehand.”
Lennok smiled coldly.
“Then if you are defeated here, will the Pontiff move himself?”
“Haha… A pity.”
With just those words, the Second Apostle seemed to have understood why Lennok was standing here.
“I am here precisely to solve that problem.”
Fzzt!!
There was no reply.
In an instant, the two closed the distance and clashed head-on atop the hill of corpses.
KWAANG!!!
A blue shockwave erupted, and Lennok’s and the Second Apostle’s hands painted the air.
In a fleeting moment, complex hand seals were formed dozens of times, and with incantations, countless spellcrafts exploded.
A deep blue lightning and a pale flash collided in a chain reaction, striking their bodies at tremendous speed.
KWAGAGAGAGAGA!!!
Lowering his stance amidst the scattering explosions, he used Flicker, sliding behind the Second Apostle as he thought.
‘Prayer Spellcraft? Does he intend to not use Apostle Spellcraft at all?’
During their brief clash, what the Second Apostle used was not Apostle Spellcraft, but Prayer Spellcraft.
It was something any priest of the Cult could handle, akin to the Cult’s own common spellcraft.
The proficiency of the Prayer Spellcraft the Second Apostle used was transcendentally high, enough to trade blows with Lennok, but that was not what he had expected.
The Second Apostle’s attitude was completely different from his prediction that he would immediately gather the power of an Outer God and use Apostle Spellcraft.
Was he trying to conserve his strength for the Alliance Leader’s descent? No, the moment that thought crossed his mind, Lennok immediately dismissed it.
The Second Apostle’s objective was to stop the restoration of the Great Connection. The Alliance Leader’s descent was, in a way, a defeat for the Cult.
If he had personally entered this battlefield, he wouldn’t have been moving with defeat in mind.
“I think I know what you’re thinking. Are you curious why I’m not using Apostle Spellcraft?”
The Second Apostle smiled, glancing over his shoulder.
“I know what you’re expecting, but my Apostle Spellcraft isn’t like that. It’s a much simpler ability than you think.”
“Nonsense—”
The Order Alliance Leader had said the Second Apostle’s authority was one of the most powerful concepts in the world.
That authority was so immense that the Second Apostle’s very existence was affected by the Great Connection.
If he possessed such an ability, it couldn’t possibly be a simple power as he claimed.
Lennok formed hand seals and quickly struck his own shoulder and the nape of his neck.
[[Thunder Word] activated.]
[[Lightning Transformation] granted.]
[[Lightning God Body].]
Bzzzzzzzzzt!!!!!
He imbued the attribute of lightning into his body, already enhanced by Touin and the Black God Demonic Art, deploying a constant state of Lightning Transformation.
It was a combination of Spell-Word and lightning magic that Lennok had developed to strengthen his body while maintaining Targeted Resistance.
“Huuu…!!”
With every breath he took, every cell and organ in his body explosively produced and was wreathed in bio-electricity.
Not just mana, but an amplifier that generated a current every moment blood and chemicals synthesized within his body.
Lennok, cloaked in lightning, placed one hand on the ground and slowly tilted his head.
Crackle, crackle!!!!
Ultimately, to face the Second Apostle, he had to confirm the nature of his ability here and now.
If the other side had no intention of showing it, he had no choice but to draw it out, even if he had to crush him with force.
Fsh—
His decision made, Lennok’s form vanished from before the Second Apostle’s eyes.
The next moment, he grabbed the Second Apostle by the collar and slammed him into the ground with incredible speed.
[Dual Flash: Outer Style]
[Sun-Hunting Lightning Strike]
Lightning, split into two streams, sharply pierced the Second Apostle’s vitals from both sides.
The bolts crossed inside the Second Apostle’s body, colliding and creating an internal explosion upon repulsion.
[Tearing Pierce]
KWAAAAAANG!!!!
A pillar of lightning shot up as everything around them was burned and pushed away.
Amidst the waves of consecutive shockwaves, Lennok’s and the Second Apostle’s arms became a complex tangle.
From shin, knee, the back of the knee, to the kidney, ribs, and scapula, all the way to the artery—in a fleeting moment, he calculated hundreds of spells.
[Thunder-Breaking Pierce]
[Scattering Thunder Echo]
FWOBOBOBOBOOM!!!!
The instant Lennok’s fingertips brushed past the Second Apostle, sharply rotating fragments of lightning rained down upon his body.
The lightning embedded in his knee became like a saw blade, the bolt in his side a sharp lightning spear, and the one piercing his scapula turned to plasma.
Every spell he ceaselessly chanted flowed into another like water, amplifying through a rapid chain of combinations.
Ignoring the prolonged exchange that should have taken place, the attacks drove sharply into vital points.
But as he hammered lightning into the Second Apostle’s body, Lennok’s expression remained coldly set.
‘As expected, there’s almost no damage. The Second Apostle’s ability is undoubtedly…!’
Despite accurately targeting and landing his magic, the Second Apostle was barely wounded.
Even as his body was shredded and pierced by lightning spears, he had a strange appearance, as if he were ignoring all the damage that should have accompanied the process.
“My turn.”
With dozens of lightning bolts still embedded in his body, the Second Apostle instantly changed his stance. He dismissed his Prayer Spellcraft and extended a hand.
Treating offense as defense, he fluidly shed Lennok’s hammering spellcraft and swung at his side.
Ninefold Dorye.
[Eighth Reversal]
It was a martial art Lennok knew, the art of a crazed berserker passed down from long, long ago.
A boxing art taught by a martial artist from the First World, its origins now lost to time.
Block and crush. The moment Lennok finished his judgment and activated his defensive magic and Jeongryun Barrier.
The Second Apostle’s hand ignored all spellcraft and barriers, piercing straight through Lennok’s side.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The flesh of his side was ripped away as if shredded, and a powerful shockwave exploded from behind Lennok’s back.
Even with his sense of pain numbed by stimulants and painkillers, an immense agony flowed through his mind.
But Lennok did not gasp for breath or hastily retreat while coughing up blood.
Thud!!
He urged his body, its metabolism activated by Apostle Transformation. He slammed one foot forward, taking a powerful stance.
With a stoic face, he ignored his shredded abdomen and advanced. Grabbing the Second Apostle’s shoulder and unleashing lightning—
KWAAAAAAAANG!!!
A pillar of blue light exploded as dust shot up, and the two were thrown back.
Lennok, regenerating his body in real-time, walked forward, while the Second Apostle tilted his head slightly, as if troubled.
Sizzzzzzzzle…!!!
As Lennok slowly walked, the powerful regenerative ability of an Apostle healed his wounded body.
Even an injury where his organs were spilling out and his side was crushed was being restored in real-time with every step he took.
Lennok’s strategy was to endure the Second Apostle’s attacks head-on while conversely pushing him back with a barrage of spellcraft.
The high-ranking Spell Masters and collaborators who were watching their fight amidst the chaos muttered in shock.
“Unbelievable, he’s pushing back the Cult’s First Apostle one-on-one…!!”
“I heard he was monstrously strong, but I never thought he’d be capable of a frontal brawl…”
“In terms of instantaneous output, he’s practically overwhelming him. Just how strong is his firepower—”
While their experience and speed might be similar, in terms of raw power, Lennok clearly had the upper hand.
That was why he was able to push the Second Apostle back, effectively crushing him with sheer force in every exchange.
The very fact that a living human was capable of such a thing against the current First Apostle of the Cult was unbelievable.
“It seems you left humanity behind a long time ago. I definitely felt my hand connect.”
The Second Apostle seemed to feel similarly, smiling as he looked at Lennok.
“Is this what it feels like to face one of the Cult’s Apostles as an enemy? You’ve become unbelievably tough.”
‘If we trade blows head-on, I can seize the initiative. The problem, as expected, is elsewhere.’
No matter how strong a monster the Second Apostle was, even if by some chance he was stronger than an Ascendant.
As he was now, Lennok was confident he could achieve at least an even fight, if not better, in a one-on-one battle.
The problem was, as expected, if the other side simply avoided the exchange altogether—
“Taking a hit made it perfectly clear. Is that your Apostle Spellcraft?”
“…”
“The power to brush off all my magic without taking significant damage. The power to ignore my barriers and defenses as if they don’t exist.”
Lennok slowly walked forward, his eyes flashing.
“The power to remain unaffected by the Outer God’s madness even in an Apostle’s body… all of it was connected to the ability you possess.”
“Ah, I see. I thought you were being strangely defenseless, but to think you took a hit on purpose just to confirm that?”
The Second Apostle said, flicking the blood from his hand.
“You might have died in one hit, yet you did it so brazenly. Or, like a true wizard, do you simply have a way to nullify death?”
“I don’t underestimate Apostles. Every time I face the Cult… I realize just how immense the potential of Apostle Spellcraft is. I imagine it’s the same for you.”
“…”
“Without confirming your ability in this place, nothing can begin. Your true ability, which even the Alliance Leader couldn’t speak of directly…”
Lennok wiped his mouth and raised his mana.
“I think I finally know what it is.”
“If you intend to fight knowing that, then I suppose it can’t be helped.”
The Second Apostle nodded and adjusted his glasses.
“You know, don’t you? My ability is not bound by the hierarchy of power or tied to levels. Rather, it’s closer to an absolute counter against such restraints and bindings.”
“…”
“You may be thinking of buying time until the Alliance Leader descends, but the war ended the moment I arrived here. The Alliance’s ritual is—”
The Second Apostle took a step forward, slowly lowering his hands as he spoke.
“—nothing more than a trivial game that I can break at any time.”
“No, didn’t I tell you?”
Lennok replied, raising his mana.
“It’s just beginning.”
Before he even finished speaking, Lennok twisted his body at incredible speed and charged towards the crystal tower with all his might.
He smashed through the outer wall of the crystal tower where the Leader’s descent was still taking place and entered inside.
At the same time, he saw the figure of the Second Apostle stepping down in front of the bathtub where the Leader’s host body was stored.
KWAAAAAANG!!!!
The Second Apostle who had been confronting Lennok outside the crystal tower, and the existence of another Second Apostle who had just appeared before the host body.
The moment their eyes met with the Second Apostle who had descended into the tower, the Spell Masters participating in the ritual jumped to their feet in horror.
“Second Apostle!! Don’t tell me!!!!”
“He was definitely outside just a moment ago—”
“No, he’s still outside!! This can’t be…!!!”
“Get a grip! Protect the host body!!!”
The barriers and the resistance of the Spell Masters protecting the ritual area were useless.
The Second Apostle, who had landed in front of the ritual site in a single move, plunged his hand into the neck of an approaching Spell Master.
Splurch!!
Throwing the corpse aside with a bloodied hand, the Second Apostle stood before the bathtub in the center of the ritual site.
He looked down at the host body in the tub, and just as he was about to rip its head off before the other Spell Masters could reach him—
Almost simultaneously, Lennok descended into the center of the ritual site and for the first time, ‘grabbed’ his hand, stopping him.
CLAAAAANG!!!
“Kuagh…!!”
“Everyone, hold your positions!!”
Lennok and the Second Apostle confronted each other in the center of the ritual site, as the other Spell Masters were pushed back.
The Second Apostle, his arm caught in Lennok’s grip, turned his gaze.
“My, have you started to read that far now?”
“I’ve only just started to get a grasp of your ability.”
The Second Apostle’s power to interfere with the descent ritual while simultaneously fighting Lennok in the middle of a hectic battle.
But Lennok, knowing this, was neither flustered nor shaken.
He had merely turned the suspicion he’d had the moment he activated Apostle Transformation into a certainty.
Why did the Second Apostle leave no presence or trace whatsoever?
Why could the Second Apostle move freely, avoiding Lennok’s Domain?
Why was the Second Apostle free from the madness that afflicted other Apostles?
The answer to all those questions had been in the questions themselves from the very beginning.
The Second Apostle, who governed a concept so powerful that even the Alliance Leader was reluctant to speak of it.
The First Apostle, said to be the most outstanding and perfect among all Apostles.
“From the beginning, you were never an Apostle who chose and served a single Outer God.”
Lennok said.
“That freedom itself… was your very origin.”
Freedom.
The Apostle of Freedom.