The Greatest Warrior of All Time Returns-Chapter 428

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Chapter 428

The enormous barrier could be described as a gigantic jar that even ordinary spirits would consider far beyond the bounds of normality.

The Spirit King of Water, Elraim, gazed up at the dim night sky, then slowly lowered her head to take in the spirit corridor that had turned into utter chaos.

Only part of it had been swept up by the barrier, but that alone was enough.

“Migel, do you see? Everything is going well.”

She spoke as if yearning desperately for someone she loved.

From atop a natural cliff overlooking the entire spirit corridor, she watched the scene in silence before turning her head.

Beside a small lake stood a small tree, and tied to it was a gaunt man, sleeping as if dead with his eyes closed.

Was he even alive?

The question naturally arose—but a faint trace of spirit mana could be seen moving through his body.

“Don’t worry. I’ll save you no matter what. Just wait a little longer, my love.”

Elraim, softly scattering a blue glow, walked toward the man.

Each time she took a step, clusters of blue firefly-like lights drifted around her before soaking into her body.

At that moment, someone spoke to her.

No form was revealed, yet the owner of the voice felt similar in nature to Elraim herself.

—Prepare. He’s moving.

“I already drove him outside the barrier anyway. Outside, there’s no means to suppress his power. But because he’s outside, all he can do is try to break it with force.”

Elraim spoke as if stating a simple fact.

—True. The Elemental Law isn’t such a simple ritual circle. Unless there’s someone capable of contesting control with you, a Spirit King… if he simply destroys it, everyone inside will die.

“The other Spirit Kings can’t leave their own domains. The only one who could oppose me is that variable-filled human…”

—His power is heretical. The spirits he commands should never have become true spirits in the first place… Their structure differs greatly from normal spirits. There may be something we don’t know, so be careful.

“No matter what. They may possess great power, but their hierarchy is still that of lower spirits. It’s impossible for such children to resist my rank.”

—Even so…

“Enough.”

Elraim cut off the conversation, then approached the man and gently grasped his cold hand.

“It’s too late to turn back now. To me, Migel is more important than all the humans on this continent.”

Without a word, she pressed her lips softly against the cold man’s lips.

* * *

Shouldn’t this kind of messed-up situation be something the Spirit Kings handle themselves?

I kind of wanted to grab that Sylphid bastard by the collar and shake him—the one who gave me this request before all this happened—but even Sylphid apparently never expected Elraim to be this far gone.

Besides, Spirit Kings aren’t beings that can move freely in the first place.

The other Spirit Kings are stuck in place, and now one crazy Spirit King is running wild.

The whole situation is absurd.

Truth be told, even though the power of the Star Dragon Kos disappeared, there wasn’t any convenient story like The Book of Genesis unlocking some hidden power.

At most, it simply became possible to take that ridiculous thing outside.

And through Isna, I’d already confirmed that aside from me—the resonant one—no one else could use this damn Book of Genesis anyway.

This was my second enhancement attempt.

Even setting aside whether the Book of Genesis could actually be the means to resolve this situation, there was no downside to strengthening it in advance—and right now, there was no safe way to evacuate the people trapped inside either.

Breath of Iron, materials, and the biggest variable—the enhancement reuse cooldown of the Book of Genesis.

Everything lined up as if it had been waiting for this exact moment.

To be precise, I was only touching it now that it had lined up.

Soon, the Aura of Divine Body and Isna’s manifested Breath of Iron began to infuse into the Book of Genesis simultaneously, and the enhancement began.

Unlike other items, enhancing the Book of Genesis carried unknown outcomes—success, failure, and even the penalties for failure couldn’t be predicted.

It existed far outside the normal enhancement system.

Each time the two powers intertwined and seeped in, the book spat sparks and vibrated violently.

Woooong!! Woooong!!

Twisting with sound, the book eventually burst forth with enough light to completely fill the surroundings.

And then—

[+2 Enhancement of the Book of Genesis has failed.]

It failed.

“Uh…”

“This…”

A troubled groan escaped Isna.

Fortunately, the Book of Genesis wasn’t destroyed.

The materials were still intact too.

“What about Breath of Iron?”

“I can still use it a little more. But at most, maybe two more times.”

“I really don’t like failures.”

My heart dropped for a moment.

If this thing breaks from failure, that’d be a huge problem.

At this point I wasn’t even sure if continuing enhancement was the right choice.

The first enhancement of the Book of Genesis had granted a near-perfect mental barrier, giving me a means to resist Yog.

I knew exactly how important this item was.

As I watched Isna preparing to use Breath of Iron again, something about her demeanor suddenly felt off.

“Hey. Are you okay?”

“What?”

“No, seriously. You look terrible.”

Now that I looked closely, she seemed completely exhausted.

Like someone who hadn’t slept properly.

“It’s nothing.”

Nothing my ass.

She clearly looked unwell.

“What, did you have a nightmare or something?”

“A nightmare… yeah. I guess you could call it that.”

She spoke calmly as she activated her authority.

“Let’s start again.”

“…Alright.”

If she didn’t want to say more, fine.

I prepared Divine Body Aura once again and attempted the enhancement.

The Book of Genesis once more radiated light, vibrating as it resonated.

So far, everything was identical to the previous attempt.

Then Isna quietly said—

“Leon.”

“What.”

“It’s possible… that someday, I might become your enemy.”

“What?”

I stopped what I was doing and stared at her.

“Focus.”

“No, forget that. What are you talking about? Are you dying or something?”

“If it were a terminal illness… my heart would actually feel easier.”

She has a problem?

What kind of factor—

Thinking deeply, something from the past suddenly came to mind.

“Hey. Remember that day you suddenly ran away alone?”

“……”

“Don’t tell me Yog is still eroding your mind?”

Her pupils widened for an instant at my question before returning to normal.

I’d taken a blind guess—but apparently I was right.

“No… he can’t erode me anymore. That’s why I’m saying this. If someday… in the process of protecting humanity… I become an obstacle…”

She looked straight into my eyes.

“Kill me with your own hands.”

“……”

I don’t know why.

There weren’t any concrete clues—but a thought crossed my mind.

“Hey. Is Yog still talking to you? Trying to drive a wedge between us or something?”

“……”

She didn’t answer, focusing only on controlling her authority.

I let out a dry laugh.

So that’s how it is.

I thought everything was resolved—but apparently not. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Her authorities were all contaminated powers.

Just possessing them carried massive drawbacks.

I should have considered this possibility.

“It doesn’t matter what he says. But inside this endless erosion… I’m afraid I might slowly become like him without realizing it.”

That made things serious.

She needed reassurance—something solid.

Right now, the reason she was wavering was because she didn’t know everything about the version of me from the Closed World.

As long as even a sliver of doubt remained, Yog’s whispers would be lethal to her.

“There’s something important I need to tell you. Come find me after this is over.”

“Something important?”

“Yeah. Whatever that bastard tells you, ignore it. Listen to me first. It’s about the Closed World.”

Her mouth opened slightly.

She clearly had a lot she wanted to say, but after I mentioned the Closed World, she couldn’t bring herself to continue.

Thinking about it… was there really a reason to hide it anymore?

My answer leaned toward no.

The conversation between me and myself from the Closed World.

I’d been cautious about telling her the truth—wondering if it might break her.

But it was still better than letting Yog keep eroding her and driving us apart.

Hwaaaaaaak!!!!

The Book of Genesis suddenly erupted with intense light.

And then—

[+2 Enhancement of the Book of Genesis has succeeded.]

At the same time, letters from the Librarian appeared as if the system had been hacked.

You can manifest two abilities.

[All hierarchy restrictions are disabled.]

[You may regulate the fate of a single individual.]

It was clearly a choice between the two.

Right… come to think of it, the Book of Genesis hadn’t been acquired for this purpose in the first place.

At first, it had been about carving out my own fate.

I fell into thought.

Carving fate was important.

If some yoke still bound me, breaking free from it was undeniably crucial.

But—

Would that help solve the situation right now?

And why only one person?

I groaned quietly while thinking.

Objectively, the latter option fit the situation better…

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But the former wasn’t something I could casually ignore either.

Disable hierarchy restrictions?

At first glance, it sounded like something that suppressed me—but in truth, it was the opposite.

The Book of Genesis kept shining insistently, urging me to choose.

“Leon? Say something. What happened?”

Ignoring Isna’s question, I thought carefully.

Do I carve fate and aim for the later game?

Or strengthen my foundation?

After long consideration, I made my decision and reached out.

[Hierarchy restrictions are disabled.]

I finally chose.

“This time it gave me a choice. Carving fate sounds important too, but long-term… I couldn’t give this up.”

“So what kind of power is it?”

“Hierarchy restriction removal.”

At my words, Isna immediately understood, her eyes widening.

“No way…”

“Yeah. Exactly.”

“That’s possible? That shouldn’t…”

“The Book of Genesis isn’t exactly a normal item.”

The way to resolve the current situation was to interfere with Elraim’s ritual itself.

That was how spirit hierarchy worked.

It differed from magic.

If a Spirit King created a waterfall, for example, lower spirits couldn’t interfere with it no matter how strong they were.

But if a lower spirit created a waterfall through sheer power, even a weaker Spirit King could easily interfere.

It was like a rank system.

Because the source power—the control over nature itself—was the same for all spirits.

But now, with the restriction gone, only one thing mattered: raw power difference.

In simple terms, it meant even a lower spirit Undine could potentially defeat a higher spirit Nereid.

Removing hierarchy restrictions had the greatest impact possible on spirit users.

Spirits benefited the most, but that wasn’t all.

At the very least, I wouldn’t be overwhelmed so easily by Michael in the heavens again…

And even hierarchy gaps against Outer Gods could now be ignored.

That was an enormous advantage.

I summoned three spirits, including Grivy.

Then I re-entered the chaotic spirit corridor city interior, blocked by the barrier.

Outside, nothing major had happened yet—people were only investigating the barrier—so there were openings.

Reaching a less populated section of the barrier, I said to Grivy,

“Grivy. Open it.”

“B-but… Grivy can’t move that thing…”

“Just try.”

Encouraged by my smile, Grivy hesitantly body-slammed the barrier.

Then shouted cutely—

“Eit!! Open sesame!”

KWAJIK!!!

A huge hole appeared in the once-impenetrable barrier.

“Uh… huh?”

Grivy stared with wide eyes at how easily it had broken.

Even Elraim herself probably couldn’t interfere with her own ritual this easily.

“Ah… Father! It opened! So cool! Did I do good?!”

“Yeah. Good job. I’ll get you a snack later.”

“Yaaay!!”

Now it was certain.

My spirits could now contest control even against a Spirit King’s power.

Even if Elraim exerted her force, if Grivy won the struggle, Grivy could forcibly seize control.

Spirit King or normal spirit—it didn’t matter. Their foundation was still elemental power.

Of course, a Spirit King’s power was still overwhelmingly strong, so right now this level of interference was the limit.

But I already had an idea for handling that too.

“Boy! You’re safe!”

A tense shout came from behind.

Turning around, I saw Algran Tevne—the one called the strongest spirit user—leading several others.

“Sir. You’re safe.”

“You don’t need to worry about me. But… this ritual circle is beyond even my ability.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll find a solution.”

I didn’t offer certainty.

“So it seems. That’s a relief at least. We’ve created a small protective barrier to shelter those trapped inside.”

“Well done, sir.”

It wouldn’t solve everything, but it could prevent the situation from worsening rapidly.

He soon tried to lead me toward the shelter.

“Come to the shelter first. This is work for us elders, not young ones like you—”

“Sir! Get down!!!”

At that moment—

Water droplets rippled through the air, and high-pressure water streams shot toward everyone.

A clear warning: Do not interfere.

That attack could only be from Spirit King Elraim.

No one here could block it.

Except me.

“Sur.”

At my call, the red chick-like spirit Sur spread its wings—

—and the rushing water streams evaporated midair.

Sur hopped excitedly, flapping its wings, seemingly surprised that it had resisted a Spirit King’s attack.

—Pip! Pip!!

It wasn’t overpowering Elraim.

She was still a Spirit King.

The chance of current Sur defeating her directly was low.

But being able to oppose even the aftereffects of her power meant something else.

Normally, lower-ranked spirits could never interfere with higher-ranked spirit power.

Dispelling it outright—as if casting Dispel—rather than merely defending against it.

That phenomenon only occurred when spirits of equal rank clashed.

In other words, removing hierarchy restrictions erased the disadvantages tied to lower spirit rank.

“My heavens… that water stream was neutralized?!”

“Impossible… that ignores spirit hierarchy!”

“Who in the world is he?”

“I’ve never seen a spirit user like that…”

Algran Tevne’s eyes widened in pure shock, and the other spirit users were equally stunned.

Of course they were.

Those were pressure streams created by a Spirit King.

Inside this space, Elraim ruled absolutely.

Even the higher spirits here couldn’t have nullified her attack like that.

Those who had devoted their lives to spirit research instantly understood how absurd this scene was.

Some stared intensely at Sur, whose form resembled a mutant spirit.

Receiving their gaze, Sur puffed out its chest proudly.

“My, what an energetic spirit.”

“Have we been wrong all this time? Do mutant spirits possess such potential?”

“Is it even truly a mutant spirit?”

“Then what else could it be? I’ve never seen a spirit of that form in my life.”

“Well, that’s true…”

If I let them continue, they’d talk forever.

So I cut in.

“Sir Azure Star. I think I need to go somewhere other than the shelter.”

“Somewhere else?”

“Yes. I need to investigate something.”

More accurately, I intended to stop Elraim and shut down this ritual—the Elemental Law—but there was no reason to explain that.

He fell silent for a moment, then nodded.

“Very well. If what I just witnessed wasn’t a lie, then perhaps only you can contend with the Spirit King… In that case, may I ask a favor?”

“A favor?”

“There are some fools who slipped away in this chaos. I can’t search such a wide area alone anymore.”

As expected.

Since entering here, Elraim had expanded the range of the Elemental Law.

Which meant even spirit users who had been outside were now being trapped inside.

In other words, he wanted me to help find reckless kids.

I was about to refuse outright—we didn’t have time for rescues—

But then he grabbed my hand tightly.

“Please. They’re still children. The atmosphere here is worsening. Spirits are no longer just suppressing and draining mana… they’re becoming aggressive. I fear it won’t be long before they begin attacking with lethal intent.”

Elraim had likely decided to eliminate any obstacles entirely.

“…If I run into them on the way, I’ll secure them.”

“Thank you. Truly. I’ll join you as soon as things are settled.”

He finally looked relieved.

“So who are these damn troublemakers?”

“Corison Jackper.”

Ah.

Couldn’t we just leave that guy?

“And the young lady of House Mobierty—Behena Mobierty.”

Mobierty… probably the girl who competed with Corison in the first preliminary.

I only remembered her face.

“Lerban Code.”

“Lerban…”

The guy who got swept away in the landslide with Corison.

“And… embarrassingly, my own grandson as well. Apparently they went out to rescue others. Said they might even solve this situation themselves…”

Even Eltemion Rubakara—the one who’d shown me some goodwill.

Well, at that age, overflowing confidence was normal… but from a rescuer’s perspective, they were the worst kind of people.

Aside from Corison, none of them had really been hostile toward me.

“I’ll rescue them if I see them.”

“Be careful. It seems powers other than spirit arts are being heavily suppressed.”

He didn’t know my current situation, so he only warned me.

“So… can I hit them a little?”

“You may break their legs if you have to.”

“Got it.”

If I run into them, they’re getting a proper beating.

Since ancient times, the best cure for kids who don’t listen has been a good whack.

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