King's Tomb

The tomb was sparkling like the night sky’s stars.

[Aaah…!]

Bamont began emitting light as he faced the vast tomb.

It was a phenomenon appearing when a thought-form entered a space stimulated by spiritual power.

Pernok also looked around the tomb with interest.

From the moment he entered this place, the space had expanded infinitely.

Thick darkness spread, and grain-like particles sparkling like stars were embedded everywhere.

It was a vastness where no matter where he stepped, he’d feel lost and collapse.

‘Spiritual power amplified the Magus Arts of Sealing.’

This space wouldn’t originally be like this.

Like any tomb, there would be a path leading to the coffin, and if one was royalty, entry along that path would be permitted. However, this Magus Arts of sealing thoroughly recognized Pernok as an intruder.

This infinite space was a law to reject those who invaded the seal.

Though hundreds of years had passed and it should have faded, the reason the seal remained so solid was all because of spiritual power.

Between the seal wrapped inside and out with mana, spiritual power flowed like thread, circulating organically. Just like an artifact’s Full Body Weaponization, the spiritual power continuously exchanged and amplified had evolved the Magus Arts to a higher dimension.

‘S2 Magus Arts… no, the seal forming this place reached even higher. Comparable to S3.’

Even this era’s Magus couldn’t carelessly collapse this place.

No matter how strong Chris was, if he carelessly deployed mana, he’d be swallowed by the seal as is.

Normally, that is.

“Do you know the method for rejecting intruders here?”

[…Huh?]

“Save the sentimentality for before the coffin. Rather, shouldn’t we hurry to leave this place?”

[Ah! Right! I haven’t experienced it directly. But Uncle said so! The seal rejects intruders in three stages!]

Bamont’s light reminiscing the past became more intense.

[First, it traps intruders in this infinite space! Time here flows the same as outside, so the trapped opponent ages and dies as is!]

“Method to escape?”

[The more you push with strong force, the more solid the seal becomes!]

“If he made three stages, he must have assumed the worst situation?”

[If the first stage is breached, the seal’s guardians emerge.]

“Guardians?”

[Yeah! They have special power that turns opponents’ flesh to ash the moment they graze!]

“And?”

[If even the guardians are neutralized, the Magus Arts of sealing will try to trap the intruder directly in a box. I heard even gods can’t escape that box!]

Pernok chuckled.

“Arrogant.”

[No one escaped Uncle’s hands! Sealing was special power that created new providence in the world itself!]

“Certainly, a seal that doesn’t waver despite long years is attractive. But there’s nothing that can’t be broken with stronger force.”

[Don’t tell me you’re going to break it?!]

Pernok silently entered Full Body Weaponization state.

[H-hey! Don’t! You’ll get crushed!]

“This Magus Arts of Sealing isn’t very frightening by itself. The problem is the spiritual power. If I separately remove the spiritual power that circulates and amplifies, this space will crumble futilely.”

[What do you…]

With Observation Eye, Pernok grasped the circulation routes of spiritual power flowing through the space.

In an instant, he understood how 256 circulation routes amplified, and wrapped the power amplified in Full Body Weaponization around his fist.

BANG!

The lightly struck blow transformed into hundreds of light rays and simultaneously struck all circulation routes. Explosions rained in the empty space and even the light resembling starlight vanished.

In one moment, the space was enveloped in thick darkness.

Within it, Pernok’s pure white eyes flashed.

Bang!

Divine Punishment shot forward.

Divine Punishment, which hesitated briefly as if blocked by a wall, soon wrapped around the space’s mana and advanced violently.

Finally the space’s core center was destroyed, and the 256 previously broken circulation routes fell like light powder.

Wooong!

The space began contracting. When the nourishment called spiritual power vanished, the remnants with only mana left showed desperate resistance. However, Pernok, who had already anticipated this, shot elemental magic forward, and struck Divine Punishment again through the slightly opened gap.

KABOOM!

As the space collapsed, the vast tomb revealed itself.

Beneath the circular ceiling, four pillars rose tall, and from all directions, giant god-like beings were emerging.

[Guardians!]

All four giants contained spiritual power. And each wrapped strange energy around their weapons, which looked similar to the sword’s darkness Phillena had shot at Pernok.

‘Does sealed power dwell in those weapons?’

The moment he sensed the meaning of “turning to ash” originated from the weapons, Pernok leaped into the air.

Bang bang bang bang!

Four consecutive strikes fell simultaneously where he had been. And in the blink of an eye, four weapons flew into the air.

Pernok immediately entered etherealization. The guardians’ weapons grazed Pernok and struck each other’s weapons, and the moment he released etherealization, the artifact’s Maximum Impact covered all directions.

BOOM!

The guardians all collapsed simultaneously.

When the weapons slipping from their grips stuck in the ground, Pernok shattered the nearest guardian’s head.

Synchronization rate – 66.5%

The moment the guardian collapsed into a pile of stones, the spiritual power clustered inside was absorbed into Pernok. Being a lump of pure spiritual power, far more synchronization rate increase followed than when absorbing S2 Magus.

RUMBLE!

When the guardians rose while picking up their weapons, Pernok licked his lips and drew out Divine Punishment. Pure white lightning flashed in all directions, and the guardians’ weapons released their sleeping power and swept through the space. Pernok raged between them.

Bang bang boom!

With such large bodies, it was easy to capture their weaknesses with Observation Eye.

Though they looked solid at a glance, unable to withstand the ravages of time, microscopic gaps had opened at their joints. He stuck the artifact there and alternately used Maximum Impact and Divine Punishment, driving intense shocks inside.

Synchronization rate – 67.5%

The remaining two’s weapons displayed wickedness enough to cover the space. Like Pernok’s artifact, it was a reckless method of releasing and amplifying power to sweep away the entire space. However, Observation Eye evolved one layer further predicted all situations one second ahead.

The direction the weapons were swung, even the dangerous things that would burst from there—he predicted everything, made instant judgments, and blocked them in advance.

Bang!

The artifact transformed into a spear penetrated the guardian’s head.

When he destroyed where the spiritual power’s core slept, the guardian collapsed.

The moment he absorbed that spiritual power, he clashed the remaining guardian’s weapon with the artifact.

Whooom—!

The moment a roar vibrating the space echoed, Pernok pushed off the giant’s weapon with both hands. Though power that had slept long was released beyond hundreds of years, it couldn’t suppress the king’s sword.

He stuck the sword in the guardian’s chest and detonated Maximum Impact.

The explosion starting internally instantly covered the entire body and shattered the guardian’s body to pieces.

Synchronization rate – 68.5%

There was no time even to admire the soaring synchronization rate. The moment the guardians’ weapons turned to ash, they gathered in the air and completed into a dark box.

When the box’s lid opened, something disgusting that gave Pernok chills was transmitted.

‘The thought-forms of the dead I felt in the Netherworld…’

The box released something cold as if it would suck in everything.

‘It resembles forcibly commanding the dead to silently walk the path in procession.’

In the Netherworld, it was also called compulsion force.

The moment any human in the world touched it, they would be deluded into thinking they must be sucked into the box.

If they were human, that is.

[What… is that?]

Bamont was watching the box’s reach hesitate before Pernok. Because he was a thought-form made of spiritual power, he could see this bizarre situation.

‘The procession’s invitation, compulsion force doesn’t work on those with high dignity.’

Pernok’s soul had birthed dignity more magnificent and brilliant than anyone else in this world. The soul’s rank, also called great achievement, didn’t even allow this lower realm’s box to touch it.

‘A unique tactic of mixing spiritual power with mana to fight like the absolute beings of the Netherworld use.’

The fact that a lower realm human had mastered this was surprising, but.

“You shouldn’t intervene in souls through such inferior methods of simply extracting. That’s the lowest of the low.”

When Pernok drew out all his spiritual power, the hand emerging from the box fearfully tried to flee. Pernok grabbed that hand and pushed in his own spiritual power. Spiritual power flowing from hand to hand dyed the box pure white. Soon brilliant light burst from the box and colored even the space brightly like the sun.

Bang!

Unable to endure Pernok’s spiritual power, the box shattered and fell like light powder.

[……]

Bamont’s mouth hung open.

In his memory, the tomb’s seal was absolute, and he had thought intruders must necessarily die.

“Quite interesting.”

Pernok smiled wickedly.

Before he knew it, his synchronization rate had reached 70 percent.

Just by absorbing the spiritual power sleeping in this tomb, he had secured weapons to compete equally with Arisha.

However, he still couldn’t be satisfied.

Something more dangerous than the third-stage barrier Bamont had warned of was sleeping inside there.

“I sense very tempting spiritual power…”

Holding the scale, Pernok entered deep into the opened tomb.

[H-here!]

The place Bamont cried out with a trembling voice was an altar simpler than even the Knight King’s tomb.

[Something Uncle said must be protected was definitely placed here!]

Bamont looked around the altar, but there was only accumulated dust.

Nothing special existed anywhere.

Tomb raiders would have been disappointed and spat curses, but Pernok’s Observation Eye captured a special flow coursing through this place.

“Did they make it impossible to even find unless one has the bloodline?”

Being thoroughly treated as a plunderer made him all the more interested.

What was that thing which even this internal flow couldn’t conceal?

Pernok reached his hand into empty air, poured in spiritual power, and gripped.

Crack!

As soon as something shattered, the thin veil forming this space burst, and hidden things revealed themselves.

[This is a holy ground permitted to the royal family.]

At the voice filled with great achievement planted in spiritual power, Pernok twisted his lips and spoke.

“That royal family was destroyed through wrong politics and wicked actions, and now I’ve newly inherited Illumina. If not for me, this place will vanish from the world forever.”

Then the voice left in spiritual power no longer sounded, and a plain-patterned box revealed itself on the altar.

It was undoubtedly the dangerous something that had caught Pernok’s attention from the tomb’s entrance.

Evil Dragon Chimayos.

Letters were written at the altar’s base.

It seemed to refer to something sealed in the box.

[Look at the walls!]

Following Bamont’s cry, he turned his gaze around.

On walls that had been plain until just now, letters were written.

I leave this to my descendant who will become Illumina’s king.

Magus of Sealing.

Illumina’s Founding King.

Beamin al Illumina.

His grave warning began engraving into his mind.

The ancient king… a beast that devours souls.

Through it I realized the meaning of the word soul.

But I am already too old…

A king must know how to look down upon all people.

And must cultivate power to oppose the darkness cast upon this land.

To protect this weak kingdom divided into many tribes, I faced the darkness that had tried to destroy the world long ago.

Though it had already weakened, it still tried to raise its ‘dignity’ by devouring the world’s knowledge.

As an existence, it was enough to make all Magus despair and give up.

However, I desperately fought the evil dragon, and after countless long times, I subjugated it.

Chimayos.

The moment part of its knowledge entered me, I shuddered.

It was the method of devouring and utilizing human souls that it had explored all along.

And because it was fantastic knowledge of storing vast amounts of souls in that heart.

And at the continued writing, Pernok’s lips twitched.

Inside the shell after killing it was a small core.

The core that was extremely small grew to a darker color, devouring countless human souls through wars.

And vast souls I dare couldn’t handle began being contained.

The power of massive souls by itself to completely erase an entire nation.

I succeeded in sealing this by shaving my own soul using Chimayos’s knowledge.

However, I cannot guarantee how far this seal will go.

Pernok turned his gaze to the box.

Because that core multiplies at a terrifying speed.

He had wondered how he sensed such high-purity spiritual power, but now he seemed to understand why.

The massive spiritual power that couldn’t be hidden by the box’s seal was all contained in refined state in that thing called a core.

The core that even absorbed the spiritual power used for sealing was like a living creature itself.

“A core imbued with will…”

A thought-form.

The core filled with countless spiritual power had possessed thought-form like Bamont dwelling in the scale, and had continued gathering spiritual power even after death.

“A core that maintained form for hundreds of years with the sole purpose of sucking in spiritual power…”

The moment he peeled off that box, the core’s terrible thought-form would detonate all the contained spiritual power.

Then what if he gripped the box, drilled a tiny hole, and absorbed only the spiritual power inside?

Or what if he transferred the core to a better vessel and refined it into a form good for absorption?

The core even now transmitted wicked resonance to him.

Beamin had feared and guarded against the unknown power, leaving even this tomb for hundreds of years.

However, that was merely concern arising because Beamin couldn’t properly handle spiritual power.

If he could just handle that power superior to everything that had existed since the beginning, that core living and moving there was nothing different from very appetizing nourishment.

No one can stop Chimayos’s core.

Pernok’s gaze looking at the box glittered with desire.