Birds scattered from the trees. The entrance to the forest was completely obliterated, sending debris flying in all directions.

Necro-Engraving Stage 5.

The Absolute, who had been unleashing utterly unpredictable skills and special abilities, now reigned supreme. He had even broken free from the skill-blocking effect.

Since he had even reset the usage limits of his restricted skills, it was no exaggeration to say he had surpassed the level of a mere Attacker.

[SSS-rank Attacker Pilseus has cast Advent of the Absolute.]

[The movements of all nearby entities are bound.]

[The skills and special abilities of all nearby entities are sealed.]

Instantly, all the soldiers froze in place. Barely half of them could be saved.

Even if Raviz cast her skill, the rest would inevitably die.

“Raviz!”

“Understood, Master,” she replied.

[S-rank Named Guardian, Absolute of Space Raviz, has cast Safe Return.]

[The designated targets are moved to the Valley of Silence.]

[Safe Return Usage Limit: 1/3]

Safe Return had been obtained through Evolution and Remake.

Although it now had a usage limit, it could transport a much larger number of targets than before.

It also had the advantage of instantaneous movement, bypassing the need to form a summoning circle.

The designated targets for this Safe Return were mostly Balak’s Main Forces and the core troops of the allied dungeons.

The elves, who had been fully concentrated on their archery, had no choice but to be left behind.

[SSS-rank Attacker Pilseus has cast Wide-Area Sword Draw.]

[Slashes entities that have entered a certain range.]

Instantly, the surrounding elves were cleaved in two. The surviving elves and Ambush Soldiers scrambled to flee, but it was useless.

The Absolute’s finger was already pointing at them.

[SSS-rank Attacker Pilseus has cast Dark Knight’s Terror.]

[Triggers a Dark Explosion on designated targets.]

[Dark Knight’s Terror Usage Limit: 1/3]

It was a literal death sentence.

The elves and Ambush Soldiers who had managed to gain some distance were swallowed by the explosion, their very existence annihilated.

Taehyun grimaced at the sunken crater. The Necro-Engraving had already reached Stage 5.

Even if he used the Effect Confusion Card now, there was no telling if another stage awaited.

‘Even if I scramble Stage 5’s effect into something completely irrelevant, if he hits Stage 6, an even more troublesome ability might emerge. On top of that, there’s no telling what kind of effect the Effect Reversal Card will produce.’

The Absolute’s footsteps gradually quickened. He was heading straight for the center of the forest, right toward the World Tree.

“Tsk. What good is worrying so much? Just use it, Guide,” Hamolton’s voice echoed.

“…Alright.”

Now, Hamolton was the only one left in the Silent Forest. For the elder’s sake, Taehyun had to do something.

Watching Pilseus on the screen, Taehyun tore the Effect Confusion Card in half.

[You have used the Effect Confusion Card.]

[The effect of Necro-Engraving Stage 5 is transformed.]

[Inflicted with the Silence status.]

[The usage limits of all restricted skills have been reset.]

[The effects of all currently applied items have returned.]

The item he had been saving for the perfect moment brought two strokes of luck and one misfortune.

First, the Silence status was an abnormal condition that disabled skill usage for a set duration—that was his first stroke of luck.

Second, the return of his item effects meant Advent of the Absolute was blocked once again.

However, the reset on restricted skill usage limits was a disaster.

Taehyun groaned at the mixed results.

This was a decent gain, but the real problem would begin the moment the Silence wore off.

With the usage limits reset, Dark Explosion and Tracking Sword would undoubtedly be cast again.

The question was whether Hamolton, a fragile magician, could withstand those attacks.

“Ngh. It’s a bit of a mixed bag,” Hamolton muttered. “Still, this is enough. Protecting the World Tree is my duty and my life’s purpose. No matter the enemy, I have absolutely no intention of backing down. I’ll protect Balak while I’m at it, so be grateful, Guide.”

The hellfire orbs he had prepared in advance surged upward.

Drawing natural mana from the World Tree, the Great Elder manifested dozens of spells, bracing himself for the clash.

And the moment Pilseus appeared before him, Ameria, the God of Nature, descended.

“Ugh. Now they’re even dragging in the Evil Dragon’s Energy,” Ameria complained. “Just how many enemies does this dungeon have?”

“Ameria, God of Nature. Please lend me your strength,” Hamolton pleaded. “I will stop that bastard no matter what.”

“Be careful. That Attacker already possesses the authority to cleave even Divine Power. I cannot exert my true strength on the continent, so I will support you as much as possible through the energy of nature.”

“It is an honor, Mother.”

Perhaps because she had been forcibly summoned in response to the Necrotic Energy, Ameria’s form remained stable, refusing to fade.

With the God of Nature at his back, Hamolton’s expression hardened with resolve.

“This is a domain you cannot enter,” he declared. “If you want to come any closer, you’ll have to strike me down first.”

—

Celestial Realm Pletas, top floor.

A meeting convened in the Celestial Crystal Palace, a sanctuary permitted only to the highest-ranking angels.

The Archangels who commanded the peaks of each tower, along with Archangel Captain Kamiel, were all in attendance, underscoring the sheer peril of the situation.

The first to speak was the Archangel of Order, Rideumael.

“The Demon Realm Grand Army, led by Duke Nikunbel, has destroyed the protective barrier and breached the lowest floor.”

“Despicable bastards. They summoned Dungeon Masters to throw the continent into chaos, and now they dare to invade the Celestial Realm.”

“Indeed. But the real problem lies with the Main Forces of the SS-rank Dungeon Masters,” Rideumael continued. “In particular, a Guardian that has reached the SSS-rank is a formidable threat even to us Archangels. I believe we must deploy the Spear of Judgment to halt this invasion.”

The Spear of Judgment was a weapon personally favored by the God of Light, Behel, in the Divine Realm.

It was a devastating anti-personnel armament that, upon activation, detonated its contained Divine Power to instantly annihilate any evil entity.

However, its power was so immense that a single misstep could cause Pletas itself to collapse.

The other high-ranking angels pondered this gravely, unable to reach a consensus. Meanwhile, Kamiel, seated at the very front, rose to her feet.

“Where are you going, Archangel Captain?”

“Send me a separate report with the results of this meeting,” Kamiel replied. “I will prepare to face the demons.”

“…Understood.”

A few Archangels exchanged questioning glances, but no one dared stop her.

Kamiel left the meeting hall and returned to her private chambers.

‘…It seems that bastard has arrived.’

The mark carved into her back flared. The demon’s stigma, branded there twenty years ago, writhed as it constantly bled Demonic Energy.

Enduring the throbbing pain, Kamiel began to suppress it with her Divine Power.

“Crawling out again, are we? Keep your mouth shut,” she hissed. “We were the beginning. If you hadn’t started a war, none of this would have ever happened.”

“Heh. You say we were the beginning, yet you try to shift all the blame onto me,” Kraktio’s voice echoed in her mind. “If you hadn’t summoned humans to the Celestial Realm, the Dimensional Rift would never have opened in the first place.”

Kamiel fell silent. The war from twenty years ago flashed through her mind—the massive Dimensional Rift that had torn open when she summoned the humans.

Because of that catastrophic event, the balance of the dimension had been shattered, and a portion of its authority had slipped into Nikunbel’s hands.

Kamiel bit her lip, recalling the dark figure she had faced back then. She was certainly in no position to point fingers.

As the Archangel Captain, she was the one who had unequivocally summoned the humans. Her own sins were undeniably grave.

“Regardless, the Celestial Realm will perish,” she said coldly. “The Demon Realm has already fallen into Duke Nikunbel’s hands. There is no longer a place for you.”

“So, who will be the new Archangel Captain?”

“No one here. Duke Nikunbel said he would prepare one separately, so we will have to wait and see. The moment you slip out of my body, a new Archangel Captain will be born, and they will execute you personally.”

“If he prepared one separately, that means there’s an angel on the outside. How is that possible?”

There was no angel in existence that did not belong to the Celestial Realm Pletas.

Although a few had been exiled, most had fallen or been completely annihilated, leaving no trace behind.

The idea that Duke Nikunbel had an angel in his clutches was simply unbelievable.

As if agreeing with that sentiment, Kamiel answered with silence. But then, a single angel crossed her mind.

“This is too much. We were definitely together. We were the closest of friends…”

“Silence, everyone! Sinner Eclat, raise your head.”

A soft sob echoed.

“Hah. Does an angel who sold herself to demons also know how to shed tears?”

The sinner Eclat—the very angel she had personally sentenced to exile a year ago.

Originally, Eclat should have faced summary execution, but at Duke Nikunbel’s request, the low-ranking angel was merely banished from Pletas.

“…Could it be?”

“Hehehe. It seems you have a guess,” Kraktio chuckled. “This is getting more and more interesting. Even in this wretched state, watching the show is always entertaining.”

“Shut your mouth, Kraktio,” Kamiel snapped. “No matter what kind of Archangel Captain is born, the fact remains that you will die in the end.”

“Right. I suppose so. But I can’t help but find this amusing.”

His gloomy laughter echoed through her mind.

Demonic King Kraktio.

A monster who had once ruled the Demon Realm and slaughtered countless angels, only to be trapped within a stigma due to a single mistake.

Now, with only his soul remaining to emit Demonic Energy, even if he gained his freedom, he would ultimately meet his demise.

Kamiel suppressed the pulsing Demonic Energy and headed toward the Room of Purification once again.

—

Crimson blood dripped, soaking the grass.

He had channeled a practically infinite amount of mana to cast his ancient spells, but even as the Great Elder, he couldn’t stave off mana depletion forever.

He let out a ragged gasp.

He exhaled heavily. He couldn’t even remember how many spells he had cast by now.

Through his blurry vision, Hamolton stared at the Absolute. The brown armor didn’t have a single scratch on it despite taking direct hits from dozens of ancient magics.

He had even tried magic designed to destroy durability itself, but he simply couldn’t pierce through the defense.

“W-what kind of existence is that Attacker?” Hamolton stammered. “Has he truly reached the level of a Demigod?”

He coughed violently. “How can you feel fear toward a single Attacker, Lady Ameria?”

“Do not get up,” Ameria warned gently. “If you push yourself to use mana any further, your body will collapse.”

“I am undeniably the Great Elder who assists the Guide,” Hamolton rasped. “If I were to fall from just this much, I wouldn’t have accepted the mantle of Great Elder in the first place. To protect the World Tree and guard Balak—that is the meaning of my existence and the mission I must fulfill for the rest of my life.”

His bones screamed, and his entire body felt crushed as if he were carrying an iron plate on his back, but he forced himself to stand.

The battle wasn’t over yet.

His primary reason for holding out was to buy time for the other Main Forces to recover, but he also needed to bait out Pilseus’s restricted skills.

If he could force the Absolute to burn an Exclusive Item here as well, it would be much easier for his allies to find an opening later.

Hamolton cast a protective barrier around the World Tree in advance.

“It… it might get a little cold, Lady Ameria,” he said, coughing up more blood.

A bitter chill whipped through the air. It was the greatest wide-area spell he could manifest by squeezing out every last drop of his mana. This final move would decide the end.

Hamolton looked up at the sky and let out a bitter laugh.

[Great Elder of the Silent Forest Hamolton has cast Ancient Blizzard.]

[A snowstorm from a snowy mountain rages across the entire Silent Forest.]

[All entities within the range are inflicted with the Frozen status.]

[Ancient Blizzard Usage Limit: 1/1]

Instantly, winter descended upon the Silent Forest. It was the Ancient Blizzard he had previously showcased when hunting the Griffon.

Although it couldn’t compare to the Frost Queen’s magic, it was more than enough to freeze his opponent in their tracks.

However, as if to shatter even that last hope, the Absolute pulled out a card.

[SSS-rank Attacker Pilseus has used the Effect Immunity Card.]

[Resists the Frozen status.]

S-rank Exclusive Item: Effect Immunity Card. Unfortunately for Hamolton, while it wasn’t a higher-tier item, its effect was highly versatile.

Hamolton spewed a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground.

“Ugh. Looks like I’ll be seeing that tiresome face again,” he wheezed. “I guess there’s… no other way.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep