Chapter 465 460: STRONGEST - End (LAST CHAPTER)
"You'll keep five percent of your strength sealed at all times, that would be the zeroth stage."
It was a confusing thing to say.
I was going to use zero percent of abilities on default. A true base stage.
"And then, we'll make you progressively unlock more of your strength over ten levels. Get it?"
Ten levels.
At stage one. Only one percent more was unsealed.
With Stage Zero included, I was using 6 percent of my strength.
With Stage 2, it became 8 percent.
11 in stage three. 15 in four.
And as we went on…
"Even with the five percent of stage zero… when I get to stage nine…"
"That's right… this, is your key, Eugene."
***
"Stage. Ten."
A burst of energy took over my body. The two Outer Gods around stopped talking as the sunglasses on my eyes broke into bits.
Stage zero to stage nine… Only opened.
50% of my strength.
And with stage ten—
I unlocked the other half. Cataclysm flowed into every part of my body as an elevating sensation took over me.
My veins turned black all the way to my eyes, like tattoos, patterns of Cataclysm spread over my body.
The chains binding me down broke into bits. I pushed against the ground and stood up.
[W-what… this… A-Absolute Defense!]
—I had unlocked another fifty percent.
I tapped my hand at the Outer God whom I couldn't touch all this while. My hand gently touched its upper body.
—BOOM!
An explosion resounded as the Outer God's upper body exploded into bits.
"Huh. Fragile."
[You…]
I heard the voice of the King of the Outer Gods.
I slowly turned to face him.
[T-those… eyes…]
The King of the Outer God, in utmost fear.
Stood from his throne.
I climbed up the stairs in an instant and appeared in front of it. My hand pulled back once more.
[Don't use your hand!]
And it froze in its tracks. As if every cell, every atom in my body was rejecting the movement, my hand completely froze in track.
At the same moment, I swung my fist with the other hand and punched the Outer God's guts.
A shockwave spread through the air breaking the entire palace apart as the King of the Outer Gods flew into the skies.
All the fighting outside completely stopped.
Even as I stood, the cataclysm taking me over only continued to grow stronger. My entire body screamed in pain.
"Stay here, Catene. Run if it's dangerous."
—Whirr…
Leaving those words for my trusty right hand, I jumped out of the palace.
The King of the Outer Gods had fallen to the ground, forming a grand crater in the ground.
Blood spilled from his body, blood red like everyone else's.
[YOU BASTARD!] The King of the Outer Gods screamed. [I am the dominion of this realm! MY WORD. IS TRUTH!]
I kicked off the roof of the castle and approached him again.
[GET HIT]
As soon as I neared the Outer God's King, my body refused to attack him. The King of the Outer Gods swung his fist and punched me.
Just like he had, I flew back and hit the walls of the castle behind me, crumbling it down.
[Yes, just like this! All of you, BOW YOUR HEADS!]
Every single being, be it a friend or foe, stopped their war and lowered their heads at the King of the Outer Gods.
Every single being, except I.
I stood tall in front of the King again, a large grin on my face.
[You bastard!]
The King of the Outer Gods charged at me again.
My hands and feet had slowly started to lose response as the mark of the Cataclysm spread to my head.
[STOP!]
He screamed.
Every atom in my body forced me to stay true to his words. I couldn't move ahead, not at all.
A madder smile covered the King of the Outer Gods. I could tell it did.
In deep satisfaction, he walked over to me.
[Come.]
At his call, the fallen Catene still lying in the throne room flew through the debris and landed in the King of the Outer God's hands.
He walked right up to me and placed a hand leg on my chest, raising the sword up high.
[Now…]
***
"This is my key? This… strength?"
"Nope, you still are young, aren't you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Your key is not the fact that you wield such a terrifying power, Eugy. Your key is the fact… that you can keep it under control. That you can…"
***
[DIE!]
"Seal."
For a short moment, it felt as if the universe had collapsed onto itself.
All the lowered heads raised, the restrictions binding my body disappeared.
I grabbed the sword before it could lower down.
[What…?]
The King of the Outer Gods stared at me in great surprise.
[No… how… stop… BOW! BOWWW!!]
No matter what it said, it was all futile.
I swathed my fist in Cataclysm, Cataclysm with a hundred percent of my strength.
With the King of the Outer Gods sealed.
There was nothing that could deny me as the strongest, nothing could dare.
I punched the King of the Outer God once but stopped him from flying back. A mouthful of blood dripped from his lips as I punched him again.
Even as the Cataclysm gnawed at my body, I punched it.
Then again and again. I snatched the sword and cut off his hands.
[No… no… stop! Stop! This can't be… This realm! I am the ruler of this real—]
My foot slammed straight into its face and crushed it below. The King's jaws broke into bits as my feet landed atop it.
No one moved, no one dared move.
I crushed its ribs, then its neck.
Not a groan left the King of the Outer Gods, but his eyes remained on me.
I didn't miss it.
As I raised the sword.
I could tell.
I could just tell, the trembling in his eyes.
[I… was to… ascend…]
I flipped Catene in my hands and brought the blade down to the King's heart. A streak of Cataclysm flooded out of the sword and covered its entire body.
No more screams emerged, no words lingered.
My vision turned completely dark.
The cataclysm that was held back all this time finally calmed down.
Not a sound remained…
Only silence followed.