Chapter 167 – Re: Prelude to the Great War

The moment Prometheus emerged in Los Angeles.

Lee Hanseong could have gone there at any time to stop Prometheus’s massacre, but he did not move immediately.

Because he remembered there were six Apostles from the Otherworld side.

―The Great War does not end by stopping just one Apostle.

After all, the essence of the Great War is to tilt the scales with the weight of blood and Ascend one side.

The mere fact that the battle takes place with Earth as the battlefield was a loss.

In a fight between Apostles, countless casualties would inevitably occur just from the aftermath.

The moment the Apostles’ invasion was allowed, it was already close to half a defeat.

Therefore, instead of stopping Prometheus, Lee Hanseong checked the invasion points of the other Apostles while preparing a move to overturn the board.

A Small-Scale Regression that rewinds time within the world.

‘With Alter’s abilities, there’s a sufficient possibility of recreating Regression.’

The ability Lee Hanseong had regressed was ultimately the Wheel Constellation’s wheel, wasn’t it?

It was a method he could choose because Alter, who belonged to the Wheel Constellation and already possessed time-manipulating abilities like Eternal Regression or Ouroboros, existed.

While checking the invasion method of Azathoth, who had descended in New York, he integrated Alter’s unique skills.

Click.

[<Fatalism (Unique)> + <Creation Theory (Unique)> = <Providence Interpretation (Legendary)>]

The theory that the world’s fate is already recorded and that this is Providence, the will of the gods, meshes together, granting Alter a new perspective.

Originally, it would be absurd for a lower-dimensional being to perceive the world’s Providence, but the new Legendary Skill interprets and displays that Providence in a way even a lower-dimensional being can understand.

Then, several futures he had already seen through Infinity but had forgotten began to resurface.

Thanks to this, the speed at which he could locate the next Apostle’s appearance point became even faster.

Previously, he could only sense them after they appeared, but now he could know their location just before they appeared.

‘Next is São Paulo.’

Right after thinking of São Paulo, as he confirmed Deus Ex Machina bursting out from underground there, he integrated Alter’s next Legendary Skill.

Thanks to Infinity, he could immediately convert even Awakening Skills not yet acquired as skills into skills and integrate them, so the integration was fast.

Click.

[<Void View (Legendary)> + <Law Revision (Legendary)> = <Void Edit (Mythical)>]

Void View, which glimpses into the Wheel Constellation’s Void Record, meets Law Revision, which modifies system code, becoming Void Edit, which edits the Void Record.

Click.

[<Providence Interpretation (Legendary)> + <Ideology Synchronization (Legendary)> = <Providence Proxy (Mythical)>]

When Ideology Synchronization, which dyes the opponent’s ideology with one’s own, is added to the recently created Providence Interpretation, it becomes Providence Proxy, which makes the Creator God’s will contained in Providence an ally.

Click.

[<Reincarnation: Ouroboros (Legendary)> + <All Things Flow (Legendary)> = <Revolution: Jörmungandr (Mythical)>]

Ouroboros, containing the principle of cycles, and All Things Flow combine to become Revolution: Jörmungandr, the prototype of Ouroboros, which destroys old conventions and brings forth a new order.

With three new Mythicals completed, all five Mythicals that would become the core of the Authority were filled.

Moreover, the final Mythical, Jörmungandr, was suitable to become the Identity of Alter, who would soon become a True God.

[Keyword ‘Jörmungandr’ is unlocked.]

It was a Grade where he even gained an Identity on par with Fenrir.

‘Shiva and Tiamat appeared in Shanghai and London respectively.’

Meanwhile, the fourth and fifth Apostles appeared almost simultaneously, but there was no need to worry much about them.

The Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord and a Ten Great Guild Master were each dealing with an Apostle.

Lee Hanseong finalized the composition of Alter’s Authority centered around Jörmungandr.

Clack clack clack clack clack—

[Conditions are met. Alter’s Authority Blooms.]

[Unique Authority, [Wheel of Tribulation Escape Net] is imprinted upon the world.]

Like a snake shedding its skin, a Regression Authority that allows restarting from a new Starting Point by molting the world is completed.

And accordingly, slight changes followed in the Mythicals that became Stigmas.

Eternal Regression changed to Tribulation Escape Regression.

‘The last was Sydney.’

And the moment the Regression preparations were finalized, upon confirming the sixth Apostle, Adam Kadmon, appearing in Sydney, he immediately took action.

[Stop.]

Upon activating [Wheel of Tribulation Escape Net], the Illusory Form of a snake biting its tail coiled around the entire Earth, then spat out the tail it had bitten.

Then, the world’s Providence shook, and spacetime began to collapse.

And into the collapsing spacetime’s past, the snake’s head advanced into the past.

Srrrrrr—

However, its speed was slower than expected.

The existence of the Apostles present on Earth became axes supporting the collapsing spacetime, hindering Jörmungandr’s Regression.

It was only to this extent because they hadn’t yet noticed the Regression.

If any of the Apostles noticed and interfered, the Regression itself could fail.

‘If the Unique Authority is insufficient, just raise it to the level of a Constellation Authority.’

Fwaaaah!

As if a Constellation Descent was unfolding, Infinity dwelled within Jörmungandr’s Illusory Form.

Perhaps due to the more vivid Starlight, it looked not like an Illusory Form but like a real entity.

Kwa-gwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!!

Jörmungandr, shaking off the weight carried by the Apostles’ existence, advanced unhindered into the past.

Blink.

The next moment, Lee Hanseong realized that time had returned to just before Prometheus appeared in Los Angeles.

* * *

Lee Hanseong’s actions upon realizing the Regression had succeeded were swift.

Before Prometheus could rain blood upon Los Angeles, he summoned Pheidippides, who had become the Apostle of the Sun Constellation, to Los Angeles.

[The weight of the blood you shed shall lead us to Ascension.]

Pat!

Then, Prometheus, who had burst out from the Great Rift, rained down a shower of Authority from the blood-reddened sky of Los Angeles.

[As long as I am here, no one shall shed blood.]

Simultaneously, from the ground, Pheidippides’s [Great Heaven World Tree] extended countless branches to intercept him.

Just as Prometheus infused each drop of blood with the Authority of stars belonging to the Epicenter Throne using his Epicenter Authority.

Each leaf on the World Tree’s branches was infused with the Authority of stars belonging to the Sun Constellation using Sun Authority.

Swaaaaaaaa—

The sound of rain echoed.

It was a sound so quiet it could hardly be believed to be from the clash of Authorities.

Perhaps because it was just a moment ago that he had fought Luke Meyer inside the Star Constellation’s True Body, unleashing countless Authorities.

Not a single drop of Prometheus’s blood was causing any damage to Los Angeles.

In an extremely brief moment, he grasped all the Authority contained in the opponent’s blood drops and used leaves infused with opposing Authority to erase even the aftermath of the clashes.

The rain of Authority Prometheus had unleashed was downgraded to mere ordinary rain under the World Tree’s Protection.

However, the citizens of Los Angeles and the Sun Church Priests, though saved from near death, could not simply rejoice.

“His Majesty the Holy King has come to save us… It’s not His Majesty the Seonghwang?”

“This… isn’t His Majesty the Holy King’s Authority? Could it be…!”

Because those who had mistaken Pheidippides for Luke Meyer soon grasped the situation and realized that Luke Meyer was no longer the Apostle of the Sun Constellation.

Prometheus also noticed that the opponent blocking his attack was an Apostle of equal standing and smiled with interest.

[You… are the Apostle of the Sun! What is your name?]

[I am the branch that embraces the world. Pheidippides.]

[I see. To have a worthy opponent from the very start. Good!]

Swaaaaa!!

As green leaves holding the sun and crimson blood drops craving life continued to clash in the midst of Los Angeles’s sky.

[Constellation Descent.]

Prometheus attempted a Constellation Descent.

And.

Failed.

[You…?!]

The True Body of the Epicenter Throne, which should have descended from the higher dimension to reality, was being held back by the True Body of the Sun Constellation existing in the same higher dimension and could not descend.

[Constellation Descent Counter.]

If he had left the Constellation Descent alone, Pheidippides would have had no choice but to use Constellation Descent himself to stop him.

If that had happened, the damage to Earth would have increased exponentially.

So Pheidippides blocked the Constellation Descent itself.

[How did you do that? Even within the same higher dimension, the layers where the Twelve Constellations reside should all be different?]

[The layers within the higher dimension are also merely worlds. The World Tree is the branch that connects world to world. Just because the layers are different doesn’t mean it cannot cross them.]

[That is certainly dangerous. This is almost like the return of Primordial Chaos.]

At Pheidippides’s explanation, Prometheus, with a serious expression, wrapped the Divine Blood he had been pouring down like rain around himself and began to move personally.

Sswaeaeaeaek! Tududududuk!

Prometheus, shot forth like a crimson meteor, broke the World Tree’s branches and aimed for Pheidippides.

If it was merely amusement before, now he seemed intent on truly killing Pheidippides.

However, burrowing directly into the World Tree’s interior was a mistake.

The interior of the World Tree had already become a labyrinth with twisted spacetime due to Stigmas like Nine Palaces Transformation, Six Harmonies Return Formation, and Water Form Taiji Diagram.

* * *

Back in Korea, White Deer Lake.

Having confirmed that Prometheus was bound by Pheidippides’s World Tree, Lee Hanseong shifted his gaze to New York.

As the Apostle of the Wind Constellation, Azathoth, descended into dreams this time as well.

He decided on the Apostle who would block his Stealthy invasion.

“Yuseong, you and Asta block the New York side.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. The Golden Divine Realm’s heart and the Wind Divine Realm’s dreams are on close layers. With Asta, he should be able to block the Constellation Descent.”

“Got it. Just leave it to me.”

Pat!

Having sent Jin Yuseong, who had invoked Asta through Spatiotemporal Theft, to New York, Lee Hanseong nodded with a face full of trust.

He was already certain from Infinity Stage 2 that Asta’s Identity was himself from a Parallel World.

The fact that the Identity was Lee Hanseong meant that he too had the authority to invoke Infinity.

‘Moreover, even if, by any chance, Yuseong can’t win, it doesn’t matter.’

While he was blocking Azathoth and his Fairies, Lee Hanseong planned to Bloom Rough’s Authority.

If he made Rough, who belonged to the Wind Constellation, into a True God Rank and initiated an Apostle Duel, they could settle the match in the higher dimension, not on Earth.

This wasn’t just about Azathoth.

Prometheus, whom Pheidippides was holding, could also be finished with an Apostle Duel by raising Utangka.

And Deus Ex Machina, who would appear soon, Shiva, Tiamat, and Adam Kadmon—all of them.

He could raise the Spirits he had contracted with to a level where they could obtain Challenge Rights through Infinity and finish them with Apostle Duels.

With this method, the Great War could be ended without significant damage.

Thinking so, Lee Hanseong shifted his gaze to São Paulo, where a Great Rift had just begun to open.

His physical eyes were looking at Yu Sehee, who had invoked Seras.

“The Deus Ex Machina appearing in São Paulo has an Authority that decomposes matter and soul. So amplifying Beowutus’s blocking Miracle with the Annihilation Kaleidoscope would be effective.”

“You want me to go, right?”

“Yeah. Please.”

“Fine, just send me quickly. We’ll be late at this rate.”

Nod— Pat!

Lee Hanseong nodded and sent Yu Sehee, who had invoked Seras, to São Paulo.

After confirming that the Sanctuary enhanced with the blocking Miracle enveloped São Paulo.

‘Shanghai will be blocked by the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord, so I’ll skip it for now, London is… what?!’

Lee Hanseong’s eyes widened as he shifted his gaze to London.

Because Tiamat’s actions after emerging from the Great Rift were different from before the Regression.

The Wheel of Tribulation Escape Net was the cause.

Tiamat, an Apostle of the Wheel Constellation, could borrow Alter’s Authority through Wheel Authority.

The Tiamat appearing this time was from a Timeline that had experienced at least one Regression.

Leaving her as is could create unknown variables, so he immediately began Alter’s Apostle Duel.

Hwaaaak!

Alter, becoming a streak of light, Ascended to the higher dimension where the Wheel Constellation’s True Body resided.

“This way, Tiamat won’t appear until the Apostle Duel is over.”

Finally, he shifted his gaze to the Sydney side.

Adam Kadmon, being the prototype of humanity, could plunder the Achievements accumulated by humans, right?

If he faced and fought him directly, Adam Kadmon would be a troublesome Apostle even for Lee Hanseong.

But that Authority only applied to humans.

“Lycan. I leave Sydney to you.”

“Understood. Master.”

Sending Lycan, a Divine Beast, would be no problem.

Pat!

Having sent Fenrir to the spot where Adam Kadmon would appear, Lee Hanseong handed the Formless Sword Demon Armor he had been wearing to Park Seongcheol just in case.

“Seongcheol, if it looks like the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord might lose, help him a bit. Since both Sword Demon and Dice are Sword Gods, Dice should also have good compatibility with the Formless Sword Demon Armor.”

“What if it looks like the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord will win?”

“Then watch for now, and you take Shiva’s last hit.”

The Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord was not an ally, so he couldn’t just let him grow stronger unchecked.

When Prometheus killed Luke Meyer before the first Regression, the Epicenter Throne and the Sun Throne became one.

That is, when victory or defeat is decided in a fight between Apostles, the winner subjugates the loser’s Constellation.

So if either the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord or Shiva won, they could become difficult to handle.

“Hmm. I’ll do that.”

Pat.

Only after sending Park Seongcheol, who had invoked Dice and equipped the Formless Sword Demon Armor to Shanghai to prevent such a situation.

Did Lee Hanseong proceed with the Authority Bloom of the Spirits belonging to the Otherworld side Constellations.

The first was Rough.