Ch. 541..550

Chapter 541

"Skaryn went on to be a simple adventurer, in the purest form of the term." Daruun explained, "He did whatever he wished and went wherever he desired. After spending a year or two training professionally and traveling all over the island, Skaryn inevitably left the island nation. Though the people wanted their hero to stay, they didn’t stop his departure.

"First, Skaryn explored what made him most curious. He had discovered that dragons weren’t only legends after seeing Flood Dragons off the Kustram coast. The free-living adventurer explored the depths of the coast, becoming quite the diver with help of his affinity for water magic and a water-breathing spell among the many skill acquired via the king. That’s when Skaryn’s fascination for dragons became a part of his nature, as they were the only physical being that could naturally compete with his freakish strength and skills. That’s what would eventually lead him to the mainland and create his meeting with Halmut."

Changing the topic, Daruun asked, "Do you remember Halmut’s dragon form, Jack?"

"Of course I would, it’s huge! It’s even bigger than Dragov and Lunara’s hydra form," replied the hero.

"What if I told you that was a false form?"

"Huh?"

Daruun continued, "Halmut was born as the runt of the litter, the unwanted child that only existed for the other Sun Dragons to bully and demean. After ascending and gaining more control of his physical form, Halmut always prefers to inflate his true size. In reality, he’s only one hundred meters tall and a couple of hundred meters long."

"Seriously?! That’s it?!" Jack burst into laughter. "You mean the greatest dragon in the history of Kartonia has a height complex? That’s hilarious!"

Chuckling as well, Daruun continued, "Similar to Skaryn, Halmut was born into an oppressive environment but for different reasons. Being labeled as naturally weak yet still managing to survive adolescence scarred Halmut’s personality forever. After more than a century of being belittled and ridiculed, the small Sun Dragon was beyond the point of enraged.

"However, as the runt and weakling, the other Sun Dragons refused to allow the world to see Halmut. Halmut was under lifetime house arrest from the moment he was born, the only one in his entire species. The grandiose reputation of the arrogant Sun Dragons would be tarnished if the world discovered the tiny, frail Sun Dragon that was Halmut, at least that’s what they felt as a species. With only a few dozen Sun Dragons to exist at one time, it made sense for such prideful beasts to maintain their unrivaled image of power.

"Ohhh... So that’s why Halmut grew to hate his race and eventually kill his own kind," deduced Jack.

"Correct."

"What?!" Duorda blurted out in question. "What do you mean by that?!"

Jack answered with a shrug, "Not only did Halmut wipe out the other Sun Dragons, Halmut had his Sun Dragons war with the Spectral Dragons beforehand. Halmut is responsible for the removal of the Spectral Dragons and the Sun Dragons."

"That... Is he that mad?" asked Duorda, looking to Daruun.

Nodding, Daruun stated, "I’ll get to Halmut’s tipping point later, but first you should know the gist of how Halmut and Skaryn came to meet.

"Driven by his curiosity, Skaryn couldn’t help himself after learning that Sun Dragons existed at the pinnacle of the dragon food chain. He inevitably journeyed to the believed location of the Sun Dragon nesting grounds.

"Using his skills with illusions and shadows, Skaryn found it easier than expected to enter the Sun Dragons’ habitat. At first, all he wanted was to witness what they were and possibly collect some loose scales or some memento of his trip. That was until he found a young, weaker-looking dragon sealed in its own separate space. With his interest piqued, Skaryn spent the next week exploring the entire nesting grounds and constantly returning to that sealed dragon. And thanks to witnessing how the other dragons treated the young dragon, Skaryn began to better understand the situation.

Jack and Duorda listened eagerly as Daruun continued the story, "Skaryn used some shadow manipulation to enter the sealed space and visit the young dragon directly. Though the young dragon was caught off guard, Skaryn was sly to offer the young dragon a large portion of various meats.

"As Halmut carefully turned his back toward the slits in the walls, hiding his meal, Halmut kept a close eye on the visitor. He may have been young compared to other dragons, but after living for a century or two and with bullying as the only interaction the young dragon had ever experience, Halmut was always on guard.

"The two became acquaintances in an instant. Halmut was glad to sense no poison in his food, a common occurrence whenever the other dragons brought Halmut any food apart from scraps. Skaryn was overjoyed to get to know one of the most legendary dragons, even more legendary than the Flood Dragon Skaryn had befriended long ago. They spent a few days together until Skaryn offered to get Halmut out of there, which Halmut agreed to only in exchange for fair treatment.

"That was when Skaryn offered to create a seal as a mark of their equality. By sharing EXP it was proof that they were equals in every aspect."

"Wait, you mean--"

"Yes, Jack. Skaryn is the creator of the mutual seal that you’re still using over ten thousand years later," Daruun stated, confirming Duorda’s earlier statement about Skaryn’s skills with seals and inscriptions.

Continuing, Daruun chuckled and shook his head, "After taking a week to come up with the seal and sharing each other’s food, Skaryn performed the mutual seal and then stored Halmut away in his shadow."

"What?! That’s possible?!" Jack shouted.

Daruun nodded. "It’s called Shadow Storage, one of Skaryn’s original spells. Skaryn was not only the most powerful human up to that point, Skaryn had become widely regarded as the most genius inscriptionist in all Kartonia. Also, Skaryn was regarded for his wide range of original spells and skills, marking him as the strongest pure mage and the most powerful physical warrior at the same time.

"Like I said, Skaryn was the first person to impress me and show potential to become my partner. Halmut was only included in my plans upon Skaryn’s insistence."

 

Chapter 542

"But... what about now? You mentioned that Skaryn and Halmut failed you, yet you still talk so highly of Skaryn. Didn’t you remove Halmut and Skaryn from the family?" asked Jack.

Duorda added a question as well, "And how did they fail you so quickly?"

Sighing, Daruun replied, "For one critical reason... that neither they nor I saw coming... Jewel found a way to involve themselves."

"Jewel?!" Duorda almost fell out of his seat.

"Yes, Jewel has managed to enter the district legally. However, their level of influence is still minor at best," stated Daruun, looking to Jack. "The Jewel Enterprise, more commonly known as Jewel throughout the void, is regarded as the most powerful enterprise throughout the void. It’s hard to gauge their true strength, though, as they’re notorious for keeping their true strength under wraps.

"Jewel is both feared and respected. It originates from the Core and spreads gradually but unstoppably. On the surface, they’re an enterprise that offers protection and security for any and all who gather under their name. But they also take the time to silently fill all partnered governments with their own agents. Jewel doesn’t take full control of district or government, at least it hasn’t thus far, but Jewel will gain enough influence to typically swing all upcoming political decisions in their favor."

Keeping up, Jack summed it up, "So they don’t directly control any districts or governments but they turn them into mouthpieces and use the already existing governments as coverups for their growing influence?"

"Correct, that’s precisely what they specialize in. Of course, that’s not what they tell the public," agreed Daruun. "This time, Jewel entered the Fate District in a roundabout way, mainly because I turn them down without ever agreeing to meet with them. And now, thanks to Silas, they don’t throw their weight around quite as much. They chose a more silent approach.

"They created an incorporate within the Fate District, an organization that has influence throughout at least a dozen precincts or at most across an entire district. It’s basically a self-contained enterprise on a much, much smaller scale. Only this time Jewel has again created an incorporate without publicly linking it to themselves as a parent organization," stated Daruun. "The founding of the Gem Incorporate began without my interference but they’ve been secretly receiving private funding that matching a small, upstart enterprise. But I allowed it to grow and can’t directly squash it out without facing public repercussions.

"And you want me to deal with it?" asked Jack, blinking and wide-eyed.

Daruun nodded. "I want both you and your father to handle them. They know too well how to manipulate the system and managed to gain a decent foothold within the district. Also, it was the Gem Incorporate that snuck contacts into Kartonia and reached out to both Halmut and Skaryn."

"Jewel got involved in Kartonia... That’s definitely unexpected..." Duorda itched his bare skull. "How strong has Jewel become as of now?"

"Hmmm... While you’ve been away, Jewel has grown steadily. On paper, Jewel is now officially partnered with six districts, including District 05 where it originates. According to Silas’s numbers, Jewel is currently infiltrating three other districts, not including the Fate District due to their influence here not yet reaching the zone level and not bearing the ’Jewel’ name," answered Daruun.

"Does that mean this Gem Incorporate can get snuffed out without facing repercussions from Jewel?" asked Jack.

"So long as it’s handled correctly, then yes," Daruun replied. "It’s too small for me to squash directly, otherwise, Jewel may intervene on behalf of the ’abused’ party and push an intergalactic case to the District Council."

Jack then continued Daruun’s train of thought, "But if we handle it, then that won’t count as you using your weight unfairly and Gem Inc. isn’t large enough to cause the district problems if they’re taking out under the right guidelines, right?"

"Correct." Daruun sighed and nodded. "My original plans included having you rise in power through the various tiers of government. That way, you’d gain your own training resources and influence naturally without my intervening. That plan hasn’t changed much but the appearance of Gem Inc. has given you an opening to shoot straight into governing a zone, should you successfully eliminate them."

"And by eliminating them, you’ll be able to spread your names further by word of mouth. That will greatly increase the speed of your climb through the ranks and gain the respect of the many rulers within the district."

Daruun then returned to the topic at hand, "Now, back to how Jewel got involved in Kartonia.

"Without my notice, Jewel snuck a contact person into Kartonia after doing some digging and learning that I was the planet’s creator. This led to both Halmut and Skaryn receiving offers to join Gem Inc., as well as to them both learning a one-sided perspective of the universe outside of Kartonia.

"Skaryn was skeptical until the disguised contact offered them a few things that Kartonia can never offer them," continued Daruun. "This is how the current contract system of the Kartonian gods came into existence, as it was Jewel that introduced the concept and taught them how it worked. The worst thing was Jewel’s ’gift’ of courtesy. They gave both Halmut and Skaryn something termed ’faux-ore’, but Jewel has termed it their ’cosmic stimulant’."

"Faux-ore? Why the two names, and why faux-ore?" asked Jack.

Frowning, Daruun answered, "According to the Council, it was officially recorded as faux-ore due to it being a manufactured catalyst to aid cosmicians in training. It works miracles but at a cost. It drastically increases your strength but only by limiting your potential more with every use. For example, with enough faux-ore, a cosmician can possibly become a three-star or even a four-star if they’re lucky, but no higher. Also, intergalactic studies are beginning to show that cosmicians reliant entirely on faux-ore experience more health problems despite a cosmician’s naturally powerful vitality. A few rare cases even show that faux-ore can become toxic after overuse."

Catching on, Jack asked, "And... Both Halmut and Skaryn have used the stuff?"

Still frowning, Daruun nodded lightly.

Chapter 543

Daruun sighed and explained, "It was after Halmut and Skaryn accepted this deal that they began to change how they perceived the world. Halmut was especially excited to gain more strength and influence, entertaining the thought of leaving Kartonia to rule a system or precinct of his own.

"However, Skaryn wasn’t all that interested in ruling over anybody. He was interested in strength but his concept of strength had always come from hard work and not from shortcuts. Only after Skaryn had made a contract with Moranti did he finally attempt to use the few ’stimulants’ he was gifted, but he didn’t even use them all in the end."

Finally showing a semblance of a smile, Daruun added, "Luckily, Skaryn contacted me and asked about the stimulants. That was when I immediately cracked down on the situation and began paying more attention to Kartonia than ever before.

"I ejected any and all outsiders from Kartonia and strengthened the barrier deterring outsiders from entering. Now, only two-stars can exit the world, and only four-stars or higher can enter it," stated Daruun. "Sadly, Halmut had already taken advantage of his stimulants and had received many more already. When Halmut refused to give them up, I was forced to strike his name from the family and declare him a lost cause."

"And what about Skaryn?" asked Jack.

"Skaryn’s trained sensitivity to raw cosmic energy kept him from using the stimulant more than a couple of times. But, sadly, those few moments of usage can still debilitate a cosmician’s strength to a degree... Until more studies are done and we better understand how faux-ore affects cosmicians, there’s no way to remove the minor debilities infringed on Skaryn. That’s when I underwent my second plan involving the birth of your father, Sterfen."

Jack was still hung up on something though, which Daruun recognized quickly.

"And yes, Skaryn is still regarded as my son and your uncle," clarified Daruun. "Though he had begun to use contracts despite my dislike for such a system, Skaryn kept the contracts within reason. Each of his contracts had two means of termination, either through achieving a certain feat or by reaching lv. 99.

"Halmut, on the other hand, has no expiration on his contracts and only agreed to a cancellation clause with a handful of gods that were smart enough to argue for it," Daruun added with a disdainful tone.

"In other words, even if the other holy gods managed to leave Kartonia, they would still have to answer to Halmut?" deduced Jack.

"Correct..." sighed Daruun. "Skaryn’s contracts are unnecessary in my eyes but were only done in counter to Halmut’s contracts. Also, Skaryn’s contracts never infringed on the purpose behind Kartonia’s creation, to offer me a steady stream of capable leader candidates. Halmut’s contracts directly infringe on that, trying to increase Halmut’s influence within Gem Inc."

"But if Skaryn is still in the family, then why haven’t you--"

"I was aiding Skaryn, to an extent," continued Daruun. "After raising your father and teaching him the fundamentals, I was constantly guiding him. And though I raised him, it was Sterfen’s determination and craftiness that made him what he is today. I was never regarded as an assassin, that was his own prerogative.

"Sterfen works as a unifying leader within the neutral gods of Kartonia and was secretly Skaryn’s informant. He--"

"But I thought--"

"I get that you’re anxious to learn more, Jack, but don’t interrupt your grandfather so often. It may hurt my feelings," joked Daruun.

Jack nervously chuckled as Daruun continued, "It was Sterfen that tipped Jack off about Halmut’s secret raid on Kustram. Also, it was Sterfen that guided Moranti in intercepting Naparn, Torian, and Lyrun from supporting Halmut in battle. The main reason no god’s perished during the godly war was Sterfen’s espionage and Skaryn’s unwillingness to sacrifice his own people, despite some of his underlings doing so anyway."

Once a pause came up and Daruun waited for Jack’s question, the hero finally asked, "Then, does that mean you still want to support Skaryn?"

"Yes, I do," answered Daruun. "Though he can no longer play the main role, Skaryn would still be a tremendous support for you and your father. And he has always accepted me as the father he never had, so how could I not want to support him? Skaryn, should he work hard enough, should still be able to become a five-star with his tireless determination. If we’re lucky, a breakthrough will be made eventually and allow Skaryn to regain his full potential."

"I still have a couple of questions," stated Jack. "First, do the faux-ores have anything to do with Halmut’s failure to surpass lv. 99? And second, how did Halmut manage to defeat Skaryn?"

"Yeah, how did he do it?" asked Duorda, again showing his anxiousness. "I was certain that Skaryn could wipe Halmut out in a fight. It wouldn’t be easy, but I know that Skaryn was more powerful."

"I’ll answer both of your questions at the same time, as the answers are connected," Daruun stated. "Halmut’s use of faux-ore led to him gaining a surge of strength to help him level the playing field. Though it greatly reduces potential, it’s effects are especially potent among the one-stars and two-stars that depend on it.

"However, due to Halmut relying on stimulants so much, his body no longer processes the energy filtered through Kartonia. That’s one of the key side effects of faux-ore, making it all the easier to get addicted.

"It’s also why Halmut now needs more stimulants in order to level up, but his ration of faux-ore is quite low now that he has no direct contact with Gem Inc," added Daruun. "Halmut may still be colluding with Gem Inc. and waiting for the right moment to act. As proof of that belief, Gem Inc sent a kamikaze messenger through the outer barrier to send one final ’care package’ to Halmut, just before I increased the barrier’s strength. I think is Halmut is simply waiting for Gem Inc. to make their move, which is hard to predict with Jewel being the true mastermind.

"As for their battle..."

Daruun sighed and smiled lightly. He stood from his seat and clapped his hands. A flash of light carried the three men into a vision of sorts, letting them appear high in the sky, overlooking a not-too-distant island nation.

"How about I show you, rather than tell you?"

 

Chapter 544

"How about I show you, rather than tell you?" chuckled Daruun.

Both Jack and Duorda were taken aback as they recognized Kustram in the distance. Duorda murmured to himself, "So this is where it took place? I must see this!"

Jack remained silent, eager to examine the most legendary clash that Kartonia had ever experienced. It was a fight that had Jack’s inner gamer anxiously excited to witness and a battle that had Jack’s newer mindset of leadership curious to understand beyond the false records of Kartonian history.

"Save all questions for after the fight," added Daruun. "Let’s watch the fight in silence, so you both can take it all in for what it is."

Just as Jack and Duorda nodded in agreement, a brilliant pillar of light fell down upon the island nation. It lasted only a few seconds but one-fifth of the island had been erased effortlessly.

A gigantic golden figure descended from the opening in the clouds, staring down at the scrambling nation. He stared in disdain to see the people screaming and scrambling to understand what just occurred.

Jarred as well, Jack didn’t know what to think. Though the hero knew Halmut had done some outrageous things, Jack didn’t know how far Halmut was willing to go. Killing thousands of innocent lives without a single thought or worry was beyond what Jack had imagined, even for the great Sun God.

"HALMUT!!!"

The clouds rolled over as Skaryn plunged downward through them. His eyes were overflowing with rage and Skaryn’s entire body was on edge, ready for action.

"You’re still so weak, Skaryn?" Halmut chuckled and mocked the newly-arrived god. "They’re only mortals. Their lives are easily replaceable given a few decades or a century. Why should they hold any true importance to you?"

"You know very well why!" shouted Skaryn, not afraid of showing his emotions. However, that didn’t mean Skaryn was acting hot-headed. He remained in place, standing a few dozen meters in front of the giant dragon.

Halmut laughed some more, "Really? I don’t remember having such a weak companion in the past. Can you jog my memory?"

Unfazed by Halmut’s taunts, Skaryn asked, "Does Kylon know about this?"

"She’s busy supporting Lunara against your men. You have no right to speak for her as her greatest enemy!"

"Does she know about this?!" barked Skaryn.

Halmut shrugged. "She has no need to know of my actions beforehand. Why should I council with her or the other gods for my every move? I lead the Holy Gods and can therefore act in favor of our goals however I wish!"

"Answer the question!"

"No, Kylon knows nothing about this," Halmut sighed, acting disappointed in his former companion. "My, my... how you’ve fallen..."

"Halmut, leave now before I kill you. I’d rather not do that but you’re making any other option more impossible by the day," argued Skaryn.

"Well, I’m glad you’re finally taking notice. I thought I’d have to eliminate all of Kustram to get through to you. I guess I’ll just finish the job after dealing with you."

"You dare?"

With a slow, confident chuckle, Halmut shouted, "Join me, Skaryn! Why can’t we be partners, like old times?!"

"Shut up! I refuse to be another person’s tool... Never again!" Skaryn shouted, shaking the air around them.

"Ohhh... What a temper... But for no reason!" Halmut argued, "I’m no tool, not anymore. I refuse to be a pawn in Daruun’s schemes. He always showed favoritism towards you, not me. Daruun has never offered me anything without offering it to you first. The man only sees me as a tool that makes you stronger. Skaryn, apart from Gem, you’re the only one that I regard as my equal. Let’s both leave this--"

"I refuse."

Shut down before having finished his offer, Halmut added, "Skaryn, don’t make this mistake again. If you don’t choose now, then I’ll be forced to remove you. I’d rather not but I’m more than willing should you choose to become my enemy."

Staring the dragon in the eye, Skaryn remained on-guard. "I don’t choose to be your enemy. I’ve never done that. It was you that chose to go against us, Halmut. You need to abandon them and give up your addiction to--"

"I’ve no addiction!" shouted Halmut, not daring to give up his stance. "I’ve been forced into this decision by him, Skaryn. He’s just like them, trying to keep me cooped up and stowed away forever. If you hadn’t intervened, Daruun would’ve sealed me away to rot forever, just like them!"

"Halmut, Daruun isn’t like that," stated Skaryn. "Daruun sees you as a valuable asset and a powerful potential leader. He has no reason to--"

"You don’t know anything!" Halmut roared.

"Halmut, you’re in denial! Those stimulants are nothing more than drugs used to control you and--"

"Shut up!"

"Give up the stimulants and stop listening to them, Halmut!" continued Skaryn. "Then, you’ll be able to see things more clearly. Then, we’ll be able to work together again with Daruun--"

"I SAID SHUT UP!"

A second enormous pillar of light fell down toward the island, missing Skaryn entirely.

The crack of thunder filled the air as Skaryn rocketed away, appearing directly in front of the giant pillar. In that split second, Skaryn’s eyes turned pitch-black and a shockwave of dark energy rushed upward to repel and counter the falling pillar of light.

"Halmut! Have you no shame?!"

"As the leader of the Holy Gods, I’ve come to eradicate a nation that defies our presence in support of you and your Chaotic Gods!" reasoned Halmut, shouting it for the entire island below to hear. "By removing them from existence, I’ll be--"

"And the Flood Dragons?! What about them?!" barked Skaryn, not interested in the false logic that Halmut was spewing.

"Those are casualties that will remain on your conscience, Skaryn. It was your influence and defiance that drove me to this necessary course of action. Their demise will be respected as--"

"Retreat now, or die!" Skaryn ordered, letting dark energy consume the sky and air around them.

 

Chapter 545

"Retreat now, or die!"

Halmut sighed, shaking his head as he reverted to his hybrid form not much bigger than Skaryn’s human self. "Skaryn... Why? I deserve to know that much."

"Your addiction to power has been your weakness all this time, Halmut. I don’t want to kill you. But if you dare remain here another second, I won’t be able to contain my rage any longer," Skaryn stated as his body showed signs of turning demonic.

The citizens closest to the fight were completely stunned. They had just witnessed Halmut directly attacking them, something that shouldn’t have happened within the agreed terms of the Godly War, and they saw the Skaryn casually repel the attack. A rollercoaster of emotions torrented their minds as the people wanted to flee but were unable to run before such overwhelming power.

Many citizens dropped to their knees in prayer or watched the battle with shouts of encouragement for their savior above them. All they could do was hope that Skaryn could deter Halmut and claim ultimate victory.

More than ten thousand years had passed since Skaryn’s forced reform of the island nation’s politics, so no one knew or remembered that Skaryn was the nation’s savior of the past. However, Skaryn’s legacy as a god was deeply rooted in the people as they had always regarded Skaryn as a savior-like being, despite how many nations depicted him as a devil. Now, the current generations living on Kustram could witness their savior and add validity to their firm beliefs.

Both humanoid figures stood in the air. Not a word more was said.

One arrogantly stood with dazzling gold scales adorning his body. His almighty appearance was completed with claws, a tail, and three horns jutting from his forehead, the largest at the center and two others from the corners of his hairline.

One was draped and clothed in shadows. His devilish appearance was accentuated by a demonic aura and two black, draconic wings sprouting from his back. Long, pointed claws extended from his fingertips as the man embraced his demonic form, seemingly just as draconic as the hybrid dragon before him.

Another second passed in silence. Their eyes, however, said more than either could bear to listen. Deep, scathing regret and pure, unadulterated rage were evident in Skaryn’s gaze, compared to the overwhelming disappointment and unfazed determination evident in Halmut’s eyes.

Finally, they each made their first move.

Throwing themselves through the air, Halmut and Skaryn let their physical bodies clash directly. Neither used any special attacks or tricks. It seemed uneventful but still created an invisible shockwave as the two attacks collided.

"Hmm... You’re definitely not as strong as I remember..." scoffed Halmut.

With cautious eyes, Skaryn asked, "How many stimulants have you taken, Halmut? There’s no way you could’ve--"

"Die and shut up!"

Halmut roared and attacked a second time, no longer hiding strength or pulling punches. Holy energy coated Halmut’s claws, turning them into make-shift holy weapons, as a multitude of energies gathered around that holy energy. The Sun Dragon thrust forward with one claw as he followed up with a slash of his second claw.

Skaryn shouted a battle cry as the density of his dark, demonic energy increased drastically. He attacked in counter to Halmut, forcing the claws aside and coming out of the exchange unscathed. This was due to the many faint streaks of various colors within the demonic energy. Apart from the abundant dark energy, hints of blue, pale yellow, dark yellow, and white were evident all around the Dark God.

Again, they clashed! The two men eagerly shared attack after attack as they tested their opponent, properly searching for a remnant of weakness to exploit.

"Ha! Not bad!" shouted Halmut, still acting confident and unbeatable. "You shouldn’t have come, Skaryn. Now that you’re here, I have no choice but to kill you!"

"Just die already!" Skaryn replied with a yell. "Seeing your face is too much, so I’ll have to eradicate it!"

Neither of the former allies showed any mercy. They were laying into each other with every morsel of strength feasible. Both were darting around and practically teleporting, as seen through the eyes of the spectators below. Their incredible speed and unmatched will to win drove them across the sky in every which way.

Clouds were dashed away. Oceans were momentarily sliced in two. Tempests ravaged the sky.

All Kustram citizens able to view the battle were in awe. They understood that there was nowhere on the planet that any citizen could go to escape death. Their only hope was the man known as the Dark God, or simply named the Devil by others, like Halmut.

"Give it up!"

As Skaryn began to elevate his attacks further, Halmut snicked. It took a moment but Skaryn felt the movement of abundant holy energy yet again.

The Dark God rushed away and sent out a pulse of dark energy to cancel out the newly falling pillar of light. It was destroyed to the great pleasure of the watching mortals and the dismay of Skaryn.

"You shouldn’t have come, Skaryn... On this battlefield, your greatest weakness is easily exposed," laughed Halmut.

Not giving in to the laughter, Skaryn sent another dark pulse of energy hurtling toward the Sun God.

But Halmut only laughed harder as he took the attack head-on with arms open wide. His deep laughter filled the air as the dark energy enveloped the Sun God completely and continued as the dark energy naturally dispersed. Halmut stood in the same spot, unscathed and unhurt.

"You... What’ve you done to yourself now?" questioned Skaryn.

Smiling wide, Halmut responded, "You dark energy is powerless against me, even the draining miasma you’re so proud of!"

"But--"

"It’s useless! Whether you know why or not doesn’t matter," argued Halmut. "Either way, you’ll die here. The only question that remains unanswered is whether Kustram or you will vanish first?"

Another pillar of light fell toward a faraway edge of the island nation, forcing Skaryn to defend yet again.

 

Chapter 546

"Come on, Skaryn! You’ll have to be quicker than that!" Halmut laughed, dropping one pillar of light after another. At the same time, Halmut was rushing Skaryn physically to keep him overwhelmed. "You can defend your homeland or yourself. Make your choice!"

"You dare harm innocents for--"

"I don’t care bout Kartonia, Skaryn. I’m destined to rule more planets than I can count, far beyond the scope of what Kartonia has to offer me," reasoned Halmut, not letting up at all. "If it meant my entrance to the rest of the universe, then I’d erase all of Kartonia in heartbeat. And though I don’t need to be so forceful with the rest of the world, it’s the best choice when dealing with you."

"Why seek your own death!" Skaryn shouted, retrieving matching greatswords. The metal used to cast them was pitch-black but four different colored crystals were embedded within the handguard, designed similarly to brass knuckles.

"Oh, so we’re finally getting serious, are we?" Halmut chuckled louder and louder. "You’ll only be more disappointed the more you struggle!"

Black sword waves were launched in every which way to counter the falling light pillars. Skaryn made sure to use both swords so that one was for defending the distant island and the other was for keeping Halmut at bay. Also, Skaryn made use of his draconic tale to occasionally add pressure to Halmut, utilizing the long, thin point at the end as a life-threatening needle capable of piercing any armor.

Of all Skaryn’s attacks, Halmut only avoided the needle-like tail. He allowed the sword attack to clash against his body’s natural defenses and claws. Sometimes, his tail would parry the greatsword and leave an opening for Halmut to claw into Skaryn’s torso.

So far, the island had yet to be hit or damaged further but the same couldn’t be said for Skaryn.

Just as Halmut had stated earlier, Skaryn found that his draining miasma attacks were somehow ineffective against Halmut. Normally, even if his attacks were blocked, a fraction of the dispersing dark energy would drain some health away from the defendant, a technique that Skaryn developed after facing Duorda. But nothing happened. Each time Halmut tanked the blows or countered them, no health was drained whatsoever.

"What have you--"

"I told you, the more you attack me the more you’ll realize your own futility," stated Halmut, keeping up with Skaryn without issues thanks to the disabling of the draining miasma. Some cuts and wounds would appear on his body as well, but Halmut’s healing ability mixed with the natural regeneration of Sun Dragons made those a simple fix. Like Skaryn, Halmut had also furthered his healing abilities to mimic Duorda’s holy energy use as closely as possible.

"This fight is mine, admit it, Skaryn! Just submit and join me. We’ll be able to--"

Suddenly, Halmut stopped speaking midsentence and jolted his head back. Holy energy poured out of his eyes as the Sun Dragon searched what was seemingly open air. But Halmut’s tail lashed out to the side, forcing an invisible Skaryn to reveal himself and defend.

"Oh... So you still refuse to give up?" teased Halmmut, letting the false Skaryn in front of the dragon fade away. "You’ll die, Skaryn. If you can’t surrender your pride and choose correctly, then you’ll perish along with--"

"No more, Halmut! I’m tired of your games!" shouted Skaryn. "If you want to fight to the death, then stop playing around! Don’t get others involved or you won’t last long enough to say goodbye."

Taking a deep breath, Halmut clicked his tongue. "Very well... But you’ve chosen the path of no return!"

Holy energy and dark energy rained from the heavens, warring to control the air around the two combatants.

"So long, Skaryn. I’ll say it now while I have the chance..." Halmut sighed, letting more energy erupt from his being.

Skaryn was silent, not letting his emotions show during a time of life and death.

Both men rocketed into each other with unprecedented speed. A shockwave of dueling holy and dark energy washed away the stagnant energy in the air. This repeated over and over again, letting the distant spectators feel their souls shake.

While both sides boasted similar levels of strength and their own varieties of energy types, one combatant began to stick out as the potential winner. Still, Skaryn was unable to drain any energy and heal himself while Halmut undid all wounds of battle. Such a difference made the outcome more obvious by the second.

"How?"

"’How’, what?"

"How are you immune!" Skaryn questioned, furious.

Sighing, Halmut answered casually, "Oh... that? Simple. My friends in Gem have proven their superiority yet again."

Understanding the underlying meaning of such a statement, Skaryn asked, "So, they gave you false hope?"

"No, it’s not false by any means," replied Halmut. "There’s no point in revealing how, but I’ve become immune to dark type energy, your greatest strength. And without it, you’re completely helpless in front of me.

"What’s wrong?" Halmut asked, enjoying the raging glare Skaryn showed. "I told you before, fighting back was useless. Now, it’s too late. They wanted me to kill you long ago but I convinced them to let me convince you. Only, you turned me down for the last time...

"Today was the last day you’ll live... And yet you’re still caught up on saving that island?!"

Regardless of his circumstances and his disadvantages, Skaryn was still defending against the occasional light pillar that Halmut would sneak out of their fight.

"So, that’s how you can attack me and Kustram at the same time..." reasoned Skaryn, showing no signs of forfeit within his eyes.

"Face the truth, Skaryn! If you surrender now, there’s still a chance I can--"

"Shut up and kill me."

"... What?"

Skaryn repeated himself, laughing, "Shut up and kill me. If you’re so confident, then why are you hesitating? You made fun of me for not being decisive, yet I’ve been using killing blows this whole time. If you weren’t cheating me, then I’d have already killed you. But you keep offering peace while mocking me. If you’re going to kill me, just do it already!"

 

Chapter 547

"If you’re going to kill me, just do it already!"

"Fine..." Halmut sighed, finally frowning in disillusionment. "Don’t hate me for being ungrateful, Skaryn. This was your choice..."

A draconic roar echoed across the horizon as Halmut unleashed all latent energy within his body. He let his natural instincts run wild against the only man that Halmut had ever truly called his friend. The Sun God finally let go of his last remaining emotions in the pursuit of power.

Skaryn was still unfazed. He too forced every morsel of energy to emerge as he put up a defense and offense against the savage dragon.

The shockwaves grew more ferocious than ever, causing tremors for the distant island. But apart from the shockwaves, the overwhelming energies at war only proved just how one-sided the match was becoming.

Each time they stepped up their game, Halmut’s advantage grew. And now that Halmut held nothing back, the difference in attack power was far too great to ignore between Halmut and Skaryn. Though some damage was still dealt to Halmut, it was nothing compared to the cuts and burns that Skaryn was receiving.

Even the people spectating from afar began to see a disparity in strength. Both energies were beyond their comprehension but they could visibly see the dark energy attacks withering away upon impact while the holy energy lingered on Skaryn for a few seconds.

Halmut was silent now, letting his blind fury take over as he did something he didn’t want to. His attacks carved through Skaryn’s abundant energy with relative ease, only receiving resistance from the other four magic types Skaryn wielded. Since both wielded lightning, they canceled each other out. Skaryn’s water was matched with Halmut’s fire and Skaryn’s earth was matched with Halmut’s wind. Only Illusion type energy remained, which didn’t offer much resistance in the first place, though Halmut still had nature energy leftover just in case. Adding that to Halmut’s holy energy easily carving through Skaryn’s dark energy, Halmut was carving into Skaryn with each collision.

Skaryn remained focused despite being on the losing side for once. This was the one thing that annoyed Halmut. Being former companions, Halmut understood that Skaryn hadn’t given up or changed his mind in the slightest. That could only mean that Skaryn still had a plan to win.

Amidst their clash, while receiving numerous wounds, Skaryn closed the meter of distance between them in an instant.

However, Halmut didn’t like the look in Skaryn’s eyes. He knew all too well what was about to happen. Using one claw, Halmut casually struck at Skaryn while using his other claw and tail to reach behind and slash at the invisible Skaryn, yet again. His gaze focused on the blood dripping from the fresh wound on the newly-revealed Skaryn’s chest.

"Come on... You’ll have to try--" Just when Halmut was about to mock Skaryn yet again, a hand reached out and touched Halmut’s chest. At the same time, the bleeding Skaryn behind him faded away. Looking back to his front, Halmut found the real Skaryn with one hand on Halmut’s chest and with one of Halmut’s claws stabbing into his shoulder.

"Too late..."

Skaryn’s whisper reached Halmut as he backed away, out of reach from Halmut’s claws and tail.

"What did you do?" questioned Halmut, certain that Skaryn had done something drastic despite feeling no changes within his body.

"Tell me how you became immune," ordered Skaryn, drinking a potion to heal his shoulder and recover while he had a moment to do so.

Eyeing Skaryn angrily, Halmut roared, "What did you do?! Tell me, or I’ll--"

"If you kill me, then you’ll never get that seal off."

"What seal?"

"The seal I just placed on you," Skaryn stated with a confident smile. "Even with your advantage, you may not be able to finish me off. But in the case you’ve got some other means to cheat me, I’ve placed a seal within your body. It’s not my curse. No, It’s much worse than that, at least for you it is."

"Fool... I can undo your curses, so why..."

"I told you, it’s a seal, not a curse. Go ahead and search your body. I’ll give you a moment."

Trusting Skaryn’s personality, Halmut kept his eyes on the Dark God while allowing searching his body with his mana. But nothing felt wrong...

"You’ll have to look harder than that. I didn’t do anything to you physically, but I’m sure you’ll be devastated after you learn the truth," explained Skaryn, laughing to himself.

"Then explain it--"

"How are you immune?" questioned Skaryn, becoming serious yet again. "Answer me that and I’ll share the terrifying truth behind my little seal."

"... You’re bluffing!" Halmut roared in anger. "I feel no difference at all. Even your past seals were felt somewhat, so there’s no way--"

"But my past seals were used to seal bodies, mana, or limit your strength. What I’ve done to you... Let’s just say that you’ll never consider me a friend for as long as you live. Not after what I’ve just done to you."

Confused, Halmut shouted, "Then tell me--"

"Remember, we’re no longer friends. Therefore, we have no reason to share information freely. Fair exchange is all I ask," reasoned Skaryn, not budging as he enjoyed a moment to strategize.

Taking one long breath, Halmut glared heavily at Skaryn. The weight of his stair would cause lower-leveled gods to step back, but not Skaryn. The Dark God was unmoved and unperturbed by the deadly stare.

"If you don’t answer me within three seconds, then I’ll end this here and now," stated Halmut, puffing out his chest and resuming his powerful aura.

"Then you’ll just figure it out eventually, but it will be too late for you after I’m gone."

"3..."

Skaryn chuckled and laughed to himself, enjoying the moment as Halmut got madder with each following number of the count.

"2..."

"I’m waiting..." added Skaryn, taunting Halmut to the fullest and showing his unwillingness to bend.

"... 1..." Halmut tried to stare holes through Skaryn but failed to see any change of expression or leniency on the Dark God’s face.

"... 0!"

 

Chapter 548

Both ruling deities charged ahead, clashing without fear or worry of loss.

More than ever, the difference in strength was made clear as Halmut forced his way through Skaryn’s attack. The Sun Dragon was using his Holy Sight as well, making sure he wouldn’t fall for another stunt of invisibility. Neither of the two was pushed back by the collision but Skaryn was looking far worse than the healing Halmut.

"Stop fighting your demise!" Halmut roared, not letting up.

Skaryn shifted his focus to defense. With a momentary pause on assaulting the dragon, the Dark God would be able to best defend and adapt to another new tactic.

But as Skaryn shifted to defense, he sensed another pillar of light gathering over Kustram. And this one was more than three times the size of those from earlier.

"Go ahead," Halmut taunted. "I know you want to save them and I know you’re capable. So why not?"

A split second was all Skaryn had. The Dark God knew his limits and was sure he could fend off that distant attack. However, defending the island while Halmut was going all-out would leave the Sun God an opportunity to injure Skaryn yet again.

Still, Skayrn didn’t hesitate. He had never been an indecisive man, something his actions proved time and time again.

Shouting at the top of his lungs, an avalanche of dark energy burst out of Skaryn with perilous ferocity. Though Halmut was practically immune to the energy, the sheer amount of it forced Halmut back a few steps. At the same time, a majority of the energy rushed toward the city. Darkness now covered the entire island nation, too thick for spectators or the dueling gods to see through.

The next moment, the gigantic pillar of light fell through the clouds and clashed with the darkness.

That’s when Halmut went wide-eyed and glanced at his panting former companion. "You would go to such lengths... for them?"

Shrugging, Skaryn didn’t bother saying anything.

"Why, Skaryn? Why not submit and join me?!" Halmut shouted in rage. His actions spoke differently, however, as Halmut retrieved his bladed scepter and lunged into Skaryn. It was a combo attack from his personal weapon and his powerful breath attack, both utilizing all five of Halmut’s magic types.

In response, Skaryn took a deep breath and darted forward with both of his greatswords, attempting to cleave through Halmut’s attacks.

The two collided and came to a grinding halt. One tanked a mighty breath attack to the chest and the other was hacked by a heavy greatsword. Neither was unscathed, to the point where Halmut struggled to heal himself on the fly.

"You still--"

"You’re finished!"

Skaryn did something that Halmut hadn’t expected. The pitch-black sword jabbed into the dragon’s chest began to glow. Etching of some language unknown to Halmut appeared on the blade and Halmut finally had a sense of fear and dread wash over him.

The Sun Dragon rushed backward to retreat but Skaryn stored the second greatsword in an attempt to hold tightly to the fleeing dragon.

They found themselves rushing back toward the island, only the spectators had no clue what was going on and Skaryn wasn’t worried about them at the moment. All Skaryn wanted to do was to hold tightly and complete his seal.

"Fool!" Halmut roared, unleashing his breath attack at point-blank.

But Skaryn didn’t flinch. The Dark God kept his eyes on the greatsword which was glowing bright with each passing second.

Recognizing Skaryn’s determination, Halmut understood one thing. That even if Skaryn left himself wide open and was willing to die, Skaryn wouldn’t act recklessly without being certain that Halmut was doomed also.

In a frantic motion, Halmut ceased his breath attack and instead grabbed Skaryn by the shoulder with one arm. Halmut’s other arm remained at his side until a strange item appeared in his hand. It was finely carved and entirely foreign. But Halmut then forced the medallion-like item into Skaryn’s chest.

Suddenly, pure white light exploded out of the amulet to form rings of raw energy, the same color as Jin’s many raw energy attacks. Those rings circulated and surrounded the Dark God.

Skaryn immediately sensed the threat they posed, recognizing the vast amount of energy contained within each of the five rings. He pulled his greatsword from Halmut’s chest and attempted to break free before he was unable to escape. But Skaryn was already contained. All five of the rings began to slowly close around Skaryn, completely unaffected by Skaryn’s powerful attacks.

"What is this?! This isn’t from--"

"It’s a gift, from Gem to you," stated Halmut, who was staring down at the gaping hole in his chest. "If I hesitated any more then you would’ve sealed my heart, right?"

"What is--"

"That’s your eternal prison, Skaryn. To guarantee my victory and future partnership, Gem gave me that seal. I didn’t want to use it, but it’s better that you get sealed instead of me. A fitting end for you, isn’t it?" Halmut chuckled as he attempted to heal his wound.

"It won’t work..." Skaryn sighed, failing to break free of the shrinking cage again and again.

Halmut’s cocky chuckle shifted to a frown. The Sun God could sense that his body wasn’t responding as well as it should’ve. "You... You were sealing my mana supply? Skaryn... If only you had accepted... Now I must teach you and your followers a lesson."

While Skaryn was trapped inside the ever-shrinking cage of energy, Halmut momentarily abandoned thoughts of healing himself. Instead, the Sun God lifted both hands high above his head.

Half a dozen pillars of light took shape above Kustram, getting a serious look from Skaryn.

Disregarding Skaryn’s shouts and vicious attempts to break free, Halmut threw down his arms along with the half a dozen pillars of light.

The shroud of heavy darkness held strong but the third pillar created a dent in the defenses. Then, the fourth and fifth turned that dent into cracks, allowing the sixth pillar of light to break the defenses and scatter the darkness altogether.

"That was some barrier... If it were any stronger, I wouldn’t have been able to breach it in time for you to see the demise of your people," stated Halmut, staring coldly at the island beneath them.

 

Chapter 549

Skaryn felt the five rings now pressing into his skin. He was rendered immobile as they continued to press into his body. But despite the pain racking his body, Skaryn spat, "Halmut! You coward! You--"

"I’ve heard enough from you," Halmut stated with a shrug. "Just watch them die in--"

"HALMUT!!!"

Though his words were cut off by Skaryn’s shouts, Halmut’s next six attacks were already falling upon Kustram. They riddled the island with craters and ruined the largest cities in seconds. The third round of attacks finished the job as the island was crumbling away. It was the fourth wave of attacks that wiped the island nation from the Kartonian map.

"HAAAALMUUUT!!!"

Ignoring his captured rival, Halmut took one last look as the raging sea rushed to cover up what was once an island nation.

"Any last words? You’ve only got seconds left to--"

"I’ll kill you!" Veins bulged from Skaryn’s forehead as the rings tightened further. "When Kylon and the others learn about--"

Cutting Skaryn off, the five rings finally finished their job. They reached their full brightness and ended with a flash. At the same time, all five of the rings dragged Skaryn to the bottom of the sea in a fraction of the second. There, the Dark God vanished upon impact. All that remained was a sealing inscription made up of five rings etched into the seafloor where Skaryn’s homeland once stood.

"Finally... That fool’s finally gone..."

Halmut sighed, letting relief overcome him. The Sun God took out a potion but found little to no results when using it to heal his chest. He then took out a contact crystal and sighed into it, sending for aid and revealing Halmut’s interpretation of the final outcome.

"So, what do you think?"

Jack and Duorda were motionless, still enraptured by the fading scene they just witnessed.

The skeletal construct was the first to speak, asking, "What item was that?"

"As you expect, it’s nothing special, at least in terms of function. It’s a sealing item crafted to handle a two-star cosmician or anyone weaker," replied Daruun. "The only thing special about such an item is its origin. As you both know, it doesn’t come from Kartonia. What Jack doesn’t know is that such an item must be created by a three-star, if not by a genius two-star inscriptionist."

"So..." Jack started to put his many thoughts together, "Gem Inc trusts Halmut enough to give him such a powerful item. Or do they simply want to guarantee that your plans are ruined?"

"I’d guess a bit of both," Daruun answered.

"Then we can assume that item was part of the suicidal care package you mentioned earlier?" deduced Jack. "Do you think Halmut has more of such items?"

"I doubt that. Gem and Jewel have no reason to do so. The only one that Halmut has ever acknowledge as a threat is Skaryn. Even against Moranti, he’s yet to accept him while Moranti remains at lv. 98," explained Daruun.

"And what’s his opinion of my dad?"

Smiling, Daruun sighed, "I think he fears your dad more than Moranti, though I’d label them both as threats. If Halmut would ever get the chance to see the true beast that originated Moranti’s bloodline, he would do everything in his power to kill Moranti."

"You mean... Dominus, right?" Jack asked, trying to remember.

"Jack knows Dominus?!" Duorda shouted in question.

Daruun shook his head. "No. I merely mentioned that Moranti and the Spectral Dragons were brought to life in an attempt to recreate Dominus’s bloodline."

"Ohhh... That’s why they’re so powerful!"

"How strong is Dominus? You said--"

"Dominus is also a six-star," answered Daruun. "He rules District 09, the Mirror District. We’re both six-stars but Dominus was bred for battle. Don’t get me wrong, he’s incredibly intelligent but his raw fighting power is hard to come by. Though Districts 08 and 07 rank higher than the Mirror District, Dominus is regarded as the strongest district leader among the Intervals. Some might even argue that Dominus could fight a seven-star if he needed to."

"He’s that strong... Could he--"

"No, Dominus can’t beat Silas. Don’t get any crazy ideas like that," Daruun stated. "If Silas wasn’t stronger than Dominus, why would Dominus agree to lower on the enterprise’s hierarchy?"

"So Silas is a seven-star?" Jack deduced, staring intently at Daruun’s face for a response.

Pausing, Daruun closed his eyes and nodded slowly. "Jack, you’ll learn plenty about Silas later. For now, you need to focus on the matters at hand. You’ve now witnessed the last battle between Halmut and Skaryn, as well as the destruction of Kustram. There are many things tied to that event. And I’m sure you have plenty of questions for me, as well."

Taking a moment to scratch his head in thought, Jack asked, "Why was Skaryn so adamant to mention Kylon?"

"You don’t remember?" Daruun chuckled. "During your time playing ’A Hero’s Tale’, where was the best place to find Flood Dragons?"

"Easy, they... they nested under Kustram..." Catching on, Jack answered his own question. "So Halmut destroyed Kustram along with the home of the Flood Dragons, all without telling Kylon."

"Not only was she not informed of Halmut’s actions, but Kylon was also told the opposite," added Daruun.

"Oh... Then the destruction of Kustram was pinned on Skaryn."

"Correct. Now, Kylon has the greatest grudge of all against Skaryn. She won’t be easy to convince otherwise, I’ll warn you of that."

"Convince? Can’t I just defeat her?" asked Jack.

"I wouldn’t recommend that..." sighed Daruun. "Before you tackle that matter, you’ll need to decide something else first. Do you wish for Skaryn to remain sealed or not?"

"Why even ask?" Jack laughed, shaking his head. "Skaryn isn’t what I thought he was and now that I know he’s still my well-respected uncle, why shouldn’t I help free him?"

"Even if your system says to do otherwise?"

"That... I forgot about that..."

Smiling, Daruun stated, "Remember, the system has a blend of knowledge that I’ve bestowed upon it while also recognizing your feelings and motives. Depending on how loosely you allow your feelings to be, the achievements it creates will be altered. So, where do you think such an achievement came from?"

 

Chapter 550

"So, where do you think such an achievement came from?"

Taking his many experiences into account, Jack pondered that question. After a couple of minutes passed, Jack replied, "A blend of both, I think. Thinking back, as I started to reign in my emotions and become more mission-focused, my system hasn’t created many wild achievements, if any. I started focusing more on the achievements that previously existed and not the new ones that it can create.

"In the case of my Skaryn achievement, I think it recognized how grateful I was to learn that Skaryn wasn’t around to get in the way of my plans. So when the system recognized the enchantment key back then, it most likely created that achievement following my understanding and just how impactful such an event would be." Finished with his explanation, Jack looked back to Daruun and asked, "How wrong am I?"

"I’d say you’re pretty spot on. I had to make the system unique and adaptable, otherwise, you’d be helpless after leaving Kartonia," stated Daruun.

"How so?"

Daruun continued, "Within the void, there are two types of cosmicians, mystic and martial. Consider these the basis of the mage and warrior classes on Kartonia. Mana is the same as raw cosmic energy, so the difference between mystic and martial type cosmicians is also how they utilize cosmic energy.

"Mystic cosmicians focus on the energy outside of their bodies, exactly as a mage would to cast powerful spells or alter their environment. Martial cosmicians focus on the energy within their bodies, turning the energy into powerful physical attacks or enhancing the strength of their body.

"Once you leave Kartonia, you’ll be recognized as a binary cosmician skilled in mystic and martial techniques," added Daruun. "It’s something that I’m proud of but also curious to see take place. Because you leave Kartonia, all of my preprogrammed achievements will practically be obsolete. You’ll need to depend on the system’s ability to autogenerate achievements."

"Then I need to get a better grasp of how the autogenerate function works, right?" asked Jack, catching on. "If that’s what will help me most, then I don’t have a choice."

"Since we’re on the topic, why not update your system right now?"

Looking back to Daruun, Jack tilted his head. "Right now? But I can’t--"

"Jack, you unlocked an achievement the moment you walked through the spatial gate. Thanks to your initiative of stockpiling skill points, you’ll have enough the moment you claim your new achievement." Daruun then added, "But don’t spend any skill points after your ascension. We’ll discuss what comes next before you spend anything, okay?"

"Okay..."

Excited, Jack opened his menu and found the notification he had long ignored, being too caught up in the moment about Daruun’s office and learning about the universe at large.

[One small step for man, a powerful spatial gate for mankind!: completed]

[Be the first being in the history of Kartonia to set foot on a foreign planet and unlock the sole spatial gate connected to Kartonia. Divine reward: 10,000 skill points. Would you like to claim the reward?]

The moment Jack accepted the reward, a new pop-up appeared and it was exactly what Jack was looking for.

[Mandatory System Update]

[Required: 30,000 skill points. Would you like to begin the update?]

With a proud nod, Jack accepted the update and smiled wide.

Energies of all sorts appeared within Daruun’s office and began to circulate around Jack, circulating slowly around Jack at first but gaining speed with each passing second. The colors grew more vibrant and powerful as they picked up speed. Soon, Duorda and Daruun could no longer see Jack within a cyclone of harmless energy gathering around Jack.

Jack kept staring at his level, waiting for the fateful moment he finally became a god.

A couple of minutes passed and it was finally time. The bright variety of energies lit the entire room until each spec of energy suddenly froze in place. In a single instant, all the life-filled energy was absorbed into Jack’s body. Only a small aura leaked out of Jack after the dancing lights seeped into his system.

At the same time, new achievements appeared while the entire room was smiling.

[The heavens are mine to climb: completed]

[Don of divinity: completed]

[Welcome to the family: completed]

Jack opened each one and immediately claimed them before reading their descriptions.

[The heavens are mine to climb: claimed]

[Become a one-star cosmician with unparalleled speed and instantly rank among the strongest one-stars upon ascension. One-star reward: 10,000 skill points.]

[Don of divinity: claimed]

[Found and lead a faction of one-star cosmicians, having led them since before the user’s ascension. One-star reward: 10,000 skill points.]

[Welcome to the family: claimed]

[Accept the over-arching responsibilities founded by the system creator, becoming recognized as the legitimate grandson of the system creator. One-star reward: 15,000 skill points.]

In awe of his latest earnings, Jack was silent. His mind was already trying to imagine how he would spend his new harvest of skill points.

"Wait, Jack. Like I said, we’ll discuss your system before you spend any of your new points."

Remembering where he was, Jack nodded. "Okay, then how should I spend all this? I’m sure I can--"

"First, take this back." A crystal sphere covered in different etchings appeared in Daruun’s hands.

Recognizing the item, Jack sighed and nodded. Carefully, Jack accepted the item and saw a new alert from his system. Upon opening it, Jack discovered something entirely new about the system.

The former achievement regarding Skaryn’s sealing had changed. Now, it read very differently.

[Force Skaryn’s Unsealing: in progress]

[Enact the unsealing of Skaryn, releasing him despite the delaying attempts of the contentious gods of Kartonia. Event reward: 50,000 skill points.]

"Keep in mind that the hierarchy of the gods was very different when the original achievement was made," added Daruun. "Now that the chaotic gods are no more and they’ve absorbed by the holy gods turned legendary gods, their motives have also shifted."