Chapter 116 – Singularity Collection (3)

“This place is…”

“The capital of the Ardenia Empire, Ark.”

Alter spoke calmly, unfazed by the sudden appearance of the Subjugation Force.

Over the past ten years, even if the empire were to fall, Alter had focused solely on compulsively collecting, selecting, and organizing the empire’s records by mobilizing all the influence he had spread throughout academia to ensure history would not be severed.

[Conditions met. Rare Skill <Records Studies> has Bloomed.]

Thanks to this, he had even filled the final Rare Skill Slot obtained from his Four-star promotion.

Naturally, his ideology had grown more profound, and the force he harbored had intensified.

However, the ideological contamination Rough was concerned about had no effect whatsoever on the Subjugation Force.

Sssssss…

The reason was that Asta’s Grade, which naturally spread even without being revealed, completely overwhelmed Alter’s force.

It was only natural—even a brilliant Starlight fades beside a brighter star.

With no need to worry about ideological contamination, Rough, who was acquainted with Alter, stepped forward.

“Where is the Dragon Slayer Emperor?”

“His Imperial Majesty is currently in the imperial palace.”

“Do you still consider him the Emperor? Even knowing he will bring about the empire’s destruction?”

“That is a matter yet to occur. For now, I am merely fulfilling my duty as a subject of the empire.”

Rough sensed a contradiction in Alter’s attitude.

What meaning was there in observing etiquette toward the Emperor while guiding the very Subjugation Force that intended to kill him?

However, Rough did not bother to point out Alter’s contradiction.

If Alter provided the guidance they needed, there was no reason to stir up unnecessary trouble.

“Then, please guide us to the imperial palace.”

“This way.”

Alter’s guidance proceeded smoothly.

Perhaps the capital’s guards had already succumbed to Alter’s Ideology Synchronization, as they naturally cleared the path upon seeing him.

And the dragon-made magical barrier of the capital, designed to detect external threats, was rendered completely powerless against the Subjugation Force due to Deconstruction Theory.

Lee Hanseong, observing Alter’s guidance from within Rough, grasped the principle and inwardly marveled.

‘Hoh. So Deconstruction Theory could be utilized this way.’

The significance of Deconstruction Theory lies in dismantling existing meanings and bestowing new ones.

Alter’s Deconstruction Theory was altering the Subjugation Force’s hostility toward the Dragon Slayer Emperor into the meaning of preventing the empire’s destruction, thereby evading the barrier’s detection.

Step.

They proceeded for a while without any major disturbance.

Before the main gate of the imperial palace, Alter halted.

“My guidance ends here. I leave the rest to you.”

“This far is sufficient.”

Grrrrrrrrr!

Asta, who had been concealing his Grade, revealed his True Body.

In an instant, Asta grew so massive that the imperial palace of Ardenia seemed like a toy, and he reached out as if to grasp it.

Waaang waaang waaang waaang waaang!!!!

Only then did the magical barrier begin to react, sounding an alarm, but it was already too late.

The entire capital plunged into chaos at the sudden appearance of the Giant God.

All beings below 5-Star fainted under the pressure of Asta’s spiritual force.

Even those above 5-Star, Awakened below 7-Star who had not achieved Transcendence, merely avoided fainting but were unable to move.

However, befitting the sole empire that unified the continent, Ardenia’s capabilities were exceptional.

“Block him!”

“We must protect His Imperial Majesty!”

Heroes who had evolved into Transcendent Species, 7-Star and above, swarmed in one after another to stop Asta.

Clank— Clank— Clank—

The Dwarven Transcendent Species, High Dvergr, clad in massive steel bodies, Unifying with them, charged forward.

Chak chak chak chak chak chak chak!

The Undead Transcendent Species, Immortals, controlled Undead similar to the humans laboring throughout the capital, taking charge of evacuating the empire’s fainted subjects.

—Krrrrrrrrrrrrra!

The empire’s guardian dragons, for whom growth itself is Transcendence, sensed the anomaly in the capital Ark and moved through space, filling the sky.

Not only 7-Star Elder Dragons but also 8-Star Ancient Dragons and 9-Star Dragon Lords.

Every dragon that sensed Asta’s presence gathered in one place.

A scene similar to what Rough had witnessed when invading the Dragon Mountain Range.

But.

“Do not interfere!”

All of the empire’s military power was meaningless before Asta.

Authority [Star-Shattering Fist].

A fist containing the power to shatter stars lightly tapped the empty air.

Boom— Jjeojeojeojeojeojeok!!!!

A massive Rift spread, covering the entire sky of Ark, and the flying dragons rained down.

The armored soldiers of the charging High Dvergr and the Immortals coordinating the Undead all staggered and collapsed from the mere shockwave.

Even the Subjugation Force members who came with Asta would have fainted helplessly from the impact if not for the Temporary Sanctuary hastily deployed by Beatus and Hanna!

“My Divine Artifact has exceeded its capacity to Embrace!”

“The Temporary Sanctuary can’t hold any longer!”

Jjeojeojeok!

Of course, that didn’t mean the Subjugation Force withstood it.

If even a true Sanctuary couldn’t withstand a sincere strike from Asta, a Temporary Sanctuary had no chance.

It was merely that the Heavenly Fortune summoned by Rough’s Great Fortune Circulation deflected most of the impact.

And Duren’s Absolute Fate allowed him to evade the fate of being swept up in the aftermath of the Star-Shattering Fist.

Thus, they barely offset the impact with the collapse of the Temporary Sanctuary.

Even this was only possible because Asta was not yet serious.

The Star-Shattering Fist he just displayed was merely a show of strength to warn the empire’s Transcendent Species who had gathered to stop him—not at all serious.

“This… are we really capable of assisting the Subjugation Force? We’ll just be like shrimp caught between fighting whales.”

“According to Revelation, we will surely have a role to play.”

“How exactly?”

Asta’s power exceeded the Subjugation Force’s expectations.

That meant the Dragon Slayer Emperor, being Asta’s equal, was also beyond their assumed level.

Even assuming they could raise their Grades with Hanna’s Blessing, their attacks would hold little significance.

“We must combine our powers.”

Then, Beatus, having discerned the answer through Revelation, declared.

Legend resonance.

Since the members of the Subjugation Force were also the main characters who had subjugated the Fungus Demon King.

They could all resonate with the legend of Andrei, who was Asta’s essence.

“Everyone, recall the time we subjugated the Fungus Demon King.”

Oooooong!

Centered on Asta, the legends of the Subjugation Force resonated, granting them exaltation.

Hanna, Duren, Beatus, and even Dice.

The quintet of Starlight achieved by the legends of the five Spirits.

Fwaaaat!

Duren, who was 8-Star, became 9-Star.

Hanna, who was 7-Star, became 8-Star.

Beatus and Dice, who were 6-Star, became 7-Star.

The amplification of Legend resonance took effect.

Asta, who was the center, saw no significant amplification because his Grade had become too high compared to the legend.

But Rough’s Heavenly Fortune influenced the Grade elevation of the other Subjugation Force members.

Whooooing.

Hanna, who was about to individually cast Blessing: Blessing on the others to further amplify their Grades, paused momentarily upon sensing the Heavenly Fortune.

A better method than her original plan came to mind.

Now that Legend resonance was achieved, Hanna and Beatus were no different from being connected by an Overmind.

She filled her final Unique Skill Slot, obtained from her 6-Star promotion, with Beatus’s Skill.

Click.

[Conditions met. Unique Skill <Domain Formation> has Bloomed.]

A Skill that creates the Domain of Divine power, which becomes the foundation when deploying a Temporary Sanctuary.

Once filled, all conditions to recreate the Sanctuary of the Holy Land were met.

Through Borrowed Power, she gathered the Starlight of those connected by Legend resonance, converted it into Divine power, and used Retributive Radiance Plate as the core to unfold Domain Formation.

Jwaaaaaaang!

Even the aftermath of the Star-Shattering Fist accumulated in Retributive Radiance Plate was converted into power and used to expand the Domain.

It was the function of the Flawless Constitution.

A constitution that converts any power into pure Divine power.

Of course, some power was inevitably lost in the conversion.

Nevertheless, the amount of Divine power Hanna could currently handle was comparable to the Lantern of Radiance that maintained the Sanctuary of the Holy Land.

Thanks to this, Hanna’s Domain enveloped all of Ark.

Upon it, various Miracles began to be added.

Ongongongongong!

Not only Hanna’s Miracles like Healing, Defense: Protection, Blessing: Blessing, Judgment: Judgment, and Reflection: Reflection.

But also five Miracles excluding overlapping Judgment Miracles, such as Stealth: Hide, Binding: Bind, Pressure: Press, Revelation: Oracle, and Block: Blocking.

A Sanctuary where a total of 11 Miracles were constantly granted was completed.

Among them, the most effective was, of course, the Miracle of Blessing.

Fwaaaat!

Due to the inherent limits of Blessing itself, Duren, who was 9-Star, no longer experienced Grade amplification.

But Hanna became 9-Star.

Beatus and Dice rose to 8-Star once again.

Ongongongong!

The Sanctuary evolved again.

As Hanna and Beatus’s Polarity Reversal was added.

The form of Polarity Reversal had already been somewhat conceived after observing the countless Miracles imbued in the Sanctuary of the Holy Land Lumen, so the process was very brief.

‘1st Stage Polarity Reversal 《Weakness: Weakness》.’

Healing was reversed into Weakness, which gnaws at the body, dealing continuous damage.

‘2nd Stage Polarity Reversal 《Binding: Bind》.’

The reversal of Defense: Protection mimicked the form of Beatus’s Second Awakening Skill.

A barrier can function as an obstacle that hinders movement.

This overlapped with Beatus’s Miracle, so it wasn’t newly added to the Sanctuary. But it became the stepping stone to realizing the next Polarity Reversal.

‘3rd Stage Polarity Reversal 《Curse: Curse》.’

The opposite of Blessing is Curse.

A Polarity Reversal that lowers the opponent’s Grade, resembling the form of Lee Hanseong’s Divine Fall.

‘4th Stage Polarity Reversal 《Salvation: Redemption》.’

The judgment of Radiance is also mercy.

The Miracle of Salvation, reversed to reveal that aspect of mercy, manifested as a warm light that atones for the opponent’s sinful karma, erasing only the evil deeds without pain, like an attack enhanced by the Miracle of Stealth.

‘5th Stage Polarity Reversal 《Absorb: Absorption》.’

The Miracle of Reflection, perhaps due to the influence of the Flawless Constitution, reversed into complete Absorption, becoming a Miracle that even turns the enemy’s attacks into one’s own power.

Of course, there was a limit to that absorption amount.

However, perhaps because it was the Polarity Reversal of Reflection, damage exceeding the limit was reflected.

Ultimately, to inflict damage by breaking through the Miracle of Absorption, one must pierce both the absorption limit and the reflection limit.

Thus, while four types of Miracles—Weakness, Curse, Salvation, and Absorption—were added, excluding the overlapping Binding.

Beatus also awakened three Polarity Reversals, adding new Miracles to the Sanctuary.

《Apocalypse: Apocalypse》, reversing Stealth to reveal what is hidden.

《Liberation: Release》, reversing Binding to liberate restraints.

《Support: Assist》, reversing Pressure to support the opponent.

Thus, the final number of Miracles contained in the Sanctuary was 18.

“Now you don’t have to worry about the rest, Asta.”

And the Sanctuary’s effect was tremendous.

The fallen dragons, not dead, were unable to move a muscle, afflicted by various Miracles.

The armored soldiers of the High Dvergr had their cockpits wide open, liberating the High Dvergr.

And the Undead controlled by the Immortals were saved and passed on to Nirvana.

Of course, those like Ancient Dragons could still struggle, casting magic or breathing fire even while bound by the Sanctuary.

And the Dragon Lord outright resisted the binding and was still in a state to fight.

—The Emperor… intends to kill us all?

The truth of the Dragon Slayer Emperor, revealed and apocalypsed to them, stripped away their reason to protect the Emperor.

—If the Revelation we saw is true, thou art here to save our future.

The Dragon Lord, with a gaze devoid of hostility, obediently entrusted his body to the Sanctuary’s binding and looked at Asta and the Subjugation Force.

The Dragon Lord’s draconic eyes had already realized the Revelation was true.

The very realization of the Sanctuary that produced this result was sufficient Feat to complete Hanna’s 6-Star promotion.

But Hanna’s Historical Alteration was not over.

Because she had temporarily escaped the gaze of Radiance by leaving Arcadia and coming to Ardenia.

For the Subjugation Force facing the Dragon Extermination Campaign, this was actually good.

If Hanna’s Historical Alteration ended prematurely and the Epicenter’s Jewel returned, the Divine Artifact Retributive Radiance Plate, which formed the Sanctuary’s core, would be downgraded, and the Sanctuary would disappear.

Anyway, as the Sanctuary enveloped the capital Ark.

Crunch.

The upper part of the imperial palace was grasped by Asta’s hand and swung wide open.

The Emperor, the Dragon Slayer Emperor of the past, seated on the throne, revealed himself.

Gooooooo!

Despite Asta’s powerful presence remaining intact, an irresistible charisma emanated from the Emperor, drawing all gazes.

The Emperor, even with a True God before him, maintained his composure and raised his head.

Swoosh.

“Have you come to stop Us?”

His low voice was clearly heard by all gathered around the imperial palace.

“For a True God to appear already at this time… It seems the future Us succeeded in the plan.”

The Emperor, having grasped the situation through Revelation hacked from the Sanctuary, smiled faintly and said so.

Pik.

He took his own life.

If his future self succeeded, he would descend here and be resurrected.

If his future self failed, there was no way to stop Asta anyway, so he chose not to resist pointlessly and committed suicide immediately.

Grrrrrrrrrr!

Immediately after, a Grade comparable to Asta’s surged like a broken dam from within the Emperor’s corpse.

The body sublimated, forming a Primal Spirit God.

A faint Divinity completed, forming a Divine status.

“Dare you disrupt Our history.”

And a being similar to the Emperor before death, yet more powerful and Transcendent, descended upon this place.

The calamity of Ardenia, the Manifestation of the Dragon Slayer Emperor.