Chapter 524

In the space dominated by endless darkness, the silence surrounding the white marble Round Table grew deeper.

The Blue Girl’s suggestion sent ripples through their hearts, much like a droplet falling into a still pond.

“Very well. Alchemy to create a god would be a fitting way to mark the end.”

An alchemist, a character from a world long destroyed, one who would never again be able to take center stage, nodded in agreement at the thought that they could still leave a mark on the world.

“It’s a bit lonely that we can no longer build an academy, though…”

“I’ll do it too.”

The alchemists who had wished to protect humanity were glad to know there was still something they could do for them.

Their eyes were fixed on the sight of the pink-haired girl and the purple-haired girl sitting side by side.

“….”

The alchemists, fulfilling their duty as masters or alchemists, silently raised their staffs to perform the final task.

Alchemists who had chased gods and longed for them now decided to join the task of creating a new god, replacing the completely destroyed old ones.

“Hmm….”

Finally, the alchemist who had wished for humanity’s end slowly lifted his head.

A strange smile appeared on his face, framed by the smoke surrounding him.

“Hmm… This is interesting.”

He was envisioning the future that the Blue Girl’s plan would bring.

In a world where the foundation of civilization had collapsed, the Mini Reapers slowly replaced human civilization, and in the end, the Mini Reapers took responsibility for everything.

A future where playing with Mini Reapers became the sole occupation of humanity.

It seemed to resemble the complete destruction of humanity.

“Good. I will join as well.”

With the agreement of the Man from the Lamp, the Round Table began its work to create the final alchemy.

As the shadows of the alchemists merged into one, a new light began to emerge from the darkness.

At that moment, golden Halos began to stack up above my head.

The Halos, shining brilliantly like a crown, began to infuse me with a sense of power, as though I had become a foreign entity.

While it didn’t reach the overwhelming omnipotence I had felt when wearing the Black Giant’s body, an incredible strength I had never experienced flowed through my body.

I took a deep breath, expanding my domain within me.

In an instant, my body grew to a size comparable to the Black Giant.

And with a slight sense of anticipation, I activated the Eye of Death.

<■ ■ ■ ■>

But contrary to my expectations, I couldn’t perceive any of the Black Giant’s destruction conditions.

I thought that by this point, at least part of the destruction condition would be visible….

“Then, it seems I’ll have to lower the rank…”

As I made that resolve, the numerous golden Halos burning brightly reacted all at once.

It was on a completely different level compared to when I was a Mini Reaper.

The first to manifest was white flames.

The flames, now strong enough to even limit the powers of foreign entities, quickly filled the Mini Reaper garden.

It almost seemed like the Halo of Nullification was recreating the appearance it had when I was a foreign entity.

It was truly a foreign-entity-level Halo!

I then gathered all my strength to draw the firewood together, without hesitation, and charged toward the Black Giant.

[Die!]

With the Halo of Illusion Manifestation, I created a giant firewood fist and reinforced it further with Command.

The blow carrying a massive amount of firewood cut through the air.

However, the Black Giant easily countered even this blow.

Even a foreign-entity-level Halo didn’t seem to have any effect.

Could this be the Black Giant’s original ability?

Or perhaps it was because of the defeated foreign entities’ powers that were ineffective?

Many questions flooded my mind, but there was no time to find answers.

The massive firewood fist I had made shattered the moment the Black Giant grabbed hold of the space.

The Black Giant’s ability was one that could break down everything — ethereal beings, time, space, powers, domains….

It was the ability to materialize and destroy it all.

As my strike collapsed, the Black Giant began to move.

It was like flowing darkness.

Its massive body rushed toward me at a speed so fast that it seemed to defy the weight it carried.

I quickly gathered Command and raised a massive wall.

Simultaneously, I activated the Halo of Perfect Evasion to twist the probabilities.

As a foreign-entity version of the “Perfect Evasion Halo,” I had small expectations.

But reality was different.

The Black Giant’s sharp claws pierced through the wall made of Command as if it were paper.

Even the probability barrier made by the Halo of Perfect Evasion was useless.

Despite using several Halos simultaneously, none of them had any effect.

It was like the Black Giant’s skill was far beyond anything I had encountered.

Without a moment to think, the Black Giant closed in on me.

I tried to distance myself using etherealization and time acceleration, but the Black Giant’s grip pulled me out of time and etherealization.

Thud-!

When its massive claws pierced through my body, a pain that was indescribable shot through my entire being.

But I didn’t stay still.

My punch also pierced through the Black Giant’s body.

Gray desires, the Halo of Nullification, and the Halo of Circulation.

This combination punch, formed by merging these three, drove into the Black Giant.

Both the Black Giant and I began a grueling close-range battle, constantly tearing and puncturing each other’s bodies.

The sounds of our ranks being diminished echoed through the air.

The lost ranks scattered in all directions.

The Black Giant simply stood still, enduring the loss of rank.

It was a colossal rank that would not shrink, no matter how much it was reduced.

I used the Halo of Time to reverse the time on my wounds, minimizing the loss of rank.

But still, the gap in our size was just too great.

I was overwhelmed.

One of my arms was severed.

I lost one of my eyes.

Even the seemingly endless firewood began to run low.

But I couldn’t retreat.

If I backed off, I had no means to damage the Black Giant.

In fact, if I hesitated to increase the distance, I’d only complicate things for myself.

There was only one path left.

To never retreat, not even in the final moments.

The marshmallows burned, and the canopy was shredded to tatters in the Mini Reaper garden, now in complete ruin.

Like a shattered porcelain doll, my body was broken, but I still stood before the seemingly unscathed Black Giant, continuing to trade blows.

Once again, it seemed futile.

‘Is this the end?’

At the moment when it felt like I would collapse any second, golden firewood suddenly began to pour down from the sky, as if it were rain.

‘?’

At first, I thought the Golden Horn Reaper had resurrected.

But as I traced the origin of the firewood, an entirely different scene unfolded.

In the courtyard, the Anglerfish were spreading a massive alchemical array.

Just like the Golden Horn Reaper, they were gathering the firewood of humanity from Earth and sending it to me.

Perhaps due to the difficulty of reproducing abilities, the snack items forming the alchemical array were burning one by one.

Yoo-hee-heeng!

The cries of the white Anglerfish echoed through the air.

One by one, the snacks burned away, expending all their power.

With the help of the snacks, I recovered the firewood, and gripped the only remaining fist, confirming the destruction condition.

After lowering the rank this much, I believed the destruction condition would finally appear.

<■ ■ ■ ■>

But it did not.

‘No…’

I was filled with despair.

I had no more strength left to endure.

Then, a faint voice reached my ears.

“Mom, hang in there!”

“You can do it, Mom!”

It was the voices of the children who had now vanished.

Could it be a sound from Valhalla?

Since the children who had fallen asleep due to the rank loss couldn’t send their will, it was likely just an illusion.

But from that, I drew strength and began thinking slowly.

‘…’

Then, I realized that the Halo’s abilities had become somewhat more flexible.

That should apply to the “Halo of Death” as well.

I opened my eyes again and stared directly at the Black Giant.

This time, it wasn’t the destruction condition, but the nullification condition.

I tried to figure out how to make the Black Giant lie down like it had in the Immutable Sphere.

‘I see!’

<Insert ■ into ■ inside.>

It was only part of it, but the condition was finally visible.

In the span of a moment, I interpreted the phrase, using all my remaining mental energy.

Since I couldn’t afford to lower the rank any further, I gathered all my intelligence to interpret the meaning.

What I understood clearly was this: I had to insert firewood inside!

There was no time to hesitate.

I created numerous firewood gems using the Halo of Jewels.

And with the Halo of Fusion, I combined them into one.

What resulted was a giant-sized gemstone spear, made entirely of firewood.

The moment it was completed, I grasped the spear with my remaining hand and thrust it toward the Black Giant.

[ ■ ■ ■ ]

The Black Giant tried to widen the distance using spatial assimilation, but I used spatial domination to grab it with all my strength.

Although I couldn’t grasp the concept as skillfully as the Black Giant or the veteran black Reapers, I managed to hold it for a brief moment!

And through the spear that pierced the Black Giant’s body, I poured all the remaining firewood into it.

When the Black Giant used its sharp claws to sever the arm holding the spear, my final firewood burrowed deep into its body.

As the spear broke, a massive explosion erupted.

A deafening roar filled the air.

Golden light flooded the entire 360 degrees, filling the world.

When everything passed, I was left lying on the ground with my giant form dissipated, both arms severed.

“Heehee.”

It was a pitiful sight, but I couldn’t help but smile.

The Black Giant, with a massive hole in its chest, began to crumble apart.

Like I had worn a white Halo, golden cracks spread rapidly from its heart.

Even in this state, the Black Giant tried to keep moving, but each time it moved, the part where the golden cracks had appeared crumbled away.

Like puzzle pieces falling apart.

The Black Giant continued to move forward until its entire body shattered, and in the end, it was no longer a Black Giant, but just a black mass.

Truly, it had been a monster worthy of being called a god.

The Black Giant fell silent, just like it had in the Immutable Sphere.

‘I really did win…’

I smiled faintly in the joy of victory and looked up at the sky above the ruined Mini Reaper garden.

Even the garden, ravaged by the battle, now looked beautiful.

But at that moment, a pale white light began to pour from the sky.

It looked almost majestic and sacred, like the light breaking through the clouds.

The light was so intense that nothing could be seen.

But amidst that dazzling light, I could sense something.

The massive hand of a being was descending toward the Mini Reaper garden.

‘!!!’

And in response to that light, a grotesque hand began to emerge from the Black Giant’s now shattered body.