Chapter 464 Chapter 459: Hall
The group rushed ahead once more, we ran into the passage ways of the palace to make our way to the throne room at the back. I could sense the presence of everyone very clearly, there was no reason for us to be lost.
As we passed through another turn, I noticed the people behind me slowly pulling away.
I slammed my feet on the ground and looked back.
All of them, were walking like snails.
"What happened to you guys?"
I noticed a slight resistance in my movements.
Ah…
The second of the last ones…
Max Timez was here.
Just as I prepared to break the dome of slowed time surrounding us, a swift slash filled my sight.
The world turned white for a moment as space itself seemed to have been cut through.
[Hoh? You broke that?]
Behind, heaving heavy breaths, were Luka and Kai.
"Eugene, keep moving," Luka said.
It was not just those too, even Cosmos and Yvas had intervened in the battle, the one who seemed to the most spent was Bael, though.
Almost everyone from my world was involved.
"We'll keep this guy company, so just go."
"Don't die, all of you."
"We won't, do what you need to."
Kai's reassurance was followed by a determined nod by everyone else.
I looked at the ones that still remained and ran again.
The sounds of battle filled my ears. It was alright, I had to do what I had to do. If they didn't win, they would hold on.
But they would win.
I was sure they would.
Only a final stretch remained till the Hall of the King of the Outer Gods, but the trouble still wasn't over.
Of the twelve ministers, we had only encountered 10 of them so far.
The presences running behind me started to disappear one after another.
"Tsk."
I was about to turn back once more when a hand touched my back.
"Kid, don't look back. You have no reason to get stuck here."
It was another of those ministers, trapping all of them.
Eventually, only Charlotte was left behind me.
"Don't forget, before you I used to be the strongest. Let your mom show off a little."
"I know you'll handle it," I said, running ahead. "I just wanted an opening with the last one too."
"Hah! Well, sorry about that… go win—"
I couldn't say anything back as her presence disappeared too.
With one last turn through the back, I finally saw the doors to the throne room where I had first encountered the King of the Outer Gods.
Standing at the door, dressed in the uniform of a butler, was the last of the twelve Outer Gods.
[You are here, protector of this realm.]
I stopped before running closer.
I had to be careful. Very careful. Give them time and they might just run away, time, was also one thing I didn't have a lot of.
"Catene…"
The coat around me warped as a bright light emerged from it. It slowly turned into a sword and nestled in my hand once more.
[I must commend you, making it this far]
I gripped the sword tightly, a quick decision was needed. One that I had made.
Just one test, and beyond that, I would be going the easiest way that I had thought of. If it was just one, I could pull it off…
[But, I already know all your capabilities. It is unfortunate, truly.]
I blinked my eyes.
And the Outer God was in front of me.
I brought the sword to block his punch, but was too late.
[In front of the Absolute, you cannot do anything]
The punch that was faster than even I could perceive landed straight on my face and sent me reeling back. I drove my feet into the ground, but even that wasn't enough to resist the force.
I flew back and slammed into the wall behind me.
[This is my ability, Protector Eugene Hall. An ability that even people of higher realms couldn't take on, you of the lowest can do nothing.]
I ran in front of the Outer God once more.
[Absolute Defense]
Laden in Cataclysm, I swung the sword at the neck of the Outer God, but my blade could not as much as touch his skin.
My brows furrowed, in a fluster, I started attacking in quick succession. My hands blurred as I continued attacking, but it did not as much as move.
I twisted my feet and jumped ahead. On one side, I shot Catene.
The Outer Gods eyes flew toward the sword that smacked him and bounced away.
But that was enough time.
"Stage Nine."
[How boring. Absolute Counter]
It all happened too fast for me to realize.
Even though I had entered the ninth stage, the Outer God grabbed my hands and kicked my feet.
I was swept off my legs as I fell to the ground.
[Absolute bind]
My hands stopped moving. As if captured by a rope, I was tied down. Though my wrists, feet, head, my entire body still moved, it was impossible to move my hands or legs.
As if I had been cuffed at once.
Catene too struggled, but it couldn't move either.
[I am still unable to do well when it goes outside my body. My conceptual realization is all inside, you see.]
The Outer God grabbed my hair and pulled me up.
[A lot of our people died, but that is no problem. The King and I alone are enough. I guess, the ones that are still alive are fairly useful too. Let's present you to him.]
The man dragged me through the ground and pulled me ahead. He kicked Catene and rolled him forward as he dragged me through the passageway.
A single push sent the enormous door fluttering open as the sight of the dark throne room filled my eyes.
Sitting with an enormous grin on face, atop a slightly cracked throne, was the King of the Outer Gods.
[My king…] the minister bowed. [I have brought you the sinner as a present]
[Haha… HAHA!… HAHAHAHAH! HAHAHAHAHA!]
The king's cackle grated my ears as he laughed.
He laughed for a long, long time.
Still pulling me ahead, the minister brought me to the feet of the Outer Gods King and slammed my head to the ground.
[Without moving from my seat…] the King spoke.
[You have lost, without making me move from my seat. What a shame, if you were stronger, you certainly would have ascended. But no! You were not even enough to make me move…]
The Minister smirked, slamming my head further in.
"Why…" I groaned in pain. "Why did you have to attack us like this?"
The King's eyes widened.
[Hah… fine. Since you intrigued me so much, I'll do you this favor before killing you.]
The King of the Outer Gods crossed his legs and leaned back on his throne.
[This is just a lower realm, a place that has little to no impact on the universe. Tell me, don't you dislike it? That no matter what you do, you will always be insignificant in front of the Universe?]
I couldn't answer back as the minister kept my head to the ground.
[That is what ascension was, the more impact you made on the universe, the higher you ascended. We were on that path too, it was natural, don't you know it too, protector? The desire to grow stronger?]
I couldn't make much sense of his words, but I could accept them.
[We would have ascended further, if not for that bastard, the damned Portalier who sapped our strength away and pushed us back down. He decimated all of us and sent us down here, in this nowhere realm]
Outer Gods.
They were truly beings from outside this realm.
[It is foolish to go down, right? You're weak, an insignificant realm. It should be an honor for you to absorbed by us. We would take your concepts, your impact on the world, and go take our revenge.]
Ah…
So it was something that stupid…
Some kind of revenge, a petty game between higher life forms. That was all it was?
[You intrigued me, Protector. If you had more strength, I could have used your power… What a shame.]
I felt the same way.
[Well, I guess that's enough talking.]
[It's more than enough]
I answered.
The two Outer Gods' eyes widened.
I had learned all I wanted to.
Without moving my body, I brought the hands stuck behind my back together.
And…
A clap resounded.
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