Book 2: Chapter 511
Astrafe was smashed, both arms were chopped off, his head was crushed, and his body was embedded into the ground like a piece of trash.
Instead of the pain that far exceeded his imagination, Retip was more afraid of something else.
‘…has it only been 1 minute?’
In his extremely focused senses, blue flashes of light could be seen in every direction, like illusory images.
This sight revived the feeling of fear that Retip had forgotten long ago.
“Cough. Kuhaha…”
Coughing up crackling lightning, Retip chuckled.
Then, he wondered why he had burst out laughing.
What did that laugh mean?
Was it a bluff to forget his fear? Or was it a way to help his wretched self?
…It was fine either way.
More than that, Retip paid attention to the fact that he could still laugh.
If he still had the energy to laugh, then naturally, he still had the energy to fight.
The moment he got up from the ground, lightning began to strike from the sky like heavy rain.
Rumble!
The surroundings were illuminated and the tall buildings began to crumble like rotten old trees. Retip looked at the only existence that had maintained its original form in his brightened vision.
Ten Thousand Claps of Thunder(萬雷).
He used a radar concept that could turn a country into powder.
Boom!
In the end, it turned out to be the correct judgment. With his ability to barely catch the movements, and half luck, Retip was able to earn another 3 seconds.
Head to head confrontations had to be avoided.
Engaging in direct power clashes with that thing was tantamount to suicide.
In this time, his severed hands and crushed skull had regenerated.
[…so you have a transcendent body.]
Pale murmured in a dry voice.
[That certainly is annoying. If your concept isn’t cut, you’ll keep coming back.]
At that moment, she raised her sword. As the dark blue aura swirled around the blade, Retip felt an unprecedented pressure.
His entire body felt paralysed, like a mouse before a predator.
Crackle.
An electric current flowed through his stiff body, forcing it to move. Retip managed to avoid the blade by a hair’s breadth— or so he thought.
Shuk.
He felt a large cut on his stomach. But instead of blood and intestines, electricity leaked from the wound.
This electricity was the foundation of Retip’s very existence. To the Absolute Retip, this damage was more severe than pouring out blood.
Pale’s attack didn’t stop there.
A series of wild blows that couldn’t be grasped poured onto him without rest, causing the large and small wounds on Retip’s body to increase.
It wasn’t long before he lost the energy to even move and was pushed into a corner.
[About 2 minutes.]
Looking at Retip, who had collapsed in a defenceless state, Pale spoke.
[That is the time you sacrificed your life to earn. Did you know? I could have finished you off faster.]
“…I see.”
Retip muttered in a slurred voice, then reached out to grab something.
It was the broken Astafe. It was like that because it had endured dozens of attacks from Pale. It could be said that it was the biggest contributor to him making it through the first minute.
Even though it had been split in two, a blue current was still flowing from Astrafe.
“It’s broken anyway, so I don’t need permission anymore.”
Just as Pale had a premonition of something troublesome, Retip’s mouth opened wide.
Crack.
Then, he began to chew and swallow the broken Astrafe. Astrafe, which was absorbed by Retip, was not a piece of metal, but a ferocious current.
Crack crack.
Retip’s appearance changed, and his body began to blow up like a balloon.
His skin turned blue, and white currents shot from his eyes.
“Haaah…”
Crackle, electricity was mixed into the sigh that he let out.
“So this is the power of the Thunder G.o.d that the Lightning G.o.d mentioned.* It definitely is something that I’ve never experienced before.”(*: Once again, my arbitrariness bites me in the b.u.t.t… bear with it for now.)
Pale looked up at Retip, who had become ten times larger than her, and opened her mouth somewhat sluggishly.
[Why?]
Rising doubt.
She lowered her sword for a moment.
“What do you mean?”
[In exchange for swallowing that spear, you can at most buy some more time, but you cannot escape death. Even if you run away, you will eventually die.]
“…”
[But that doesn’t mean you will be able to defeat me, or hurt me.]
Pale’s gaze was not on Retip, but on something behind him.
Contempt flickered in her eyes for a moment.
[The Lightning G.o.d. That despicable being hasn’t even thought about showing up in this situation. Do you not know why? He’s avoiding me because he is afraid of fighting me.]
“Shut up, Blue Knight.”
Retip retorted coldly.
Crackle, the electricity surrounding his body crackled as if matching his response.
“I will not forgive you for insulting him in front of me.”
[Why are you defending him? I don’t understand]
“You don’t have to understand. Because you and I are different in the first place.”
[Why are you so loyal to the Lightning G.o.d?]
Retip smiled faintly.
“Are you really asking about a subject like loyalty while in the form of a knight?”
[…]
“Huhu. You don’t know. Ruling at the top is a lonelier and harder task than you could even imagine… You have to carefully consider every small choice, and if you make even one bad decision, it will become a lifelong resentment.”
A feeling of pressure as if your existence is being crushed.
As if recalling something, Retip shuddered.
“Then, one day, the Lightning G.o.d appeared… Can you imagine it? Being able to put all of your responsibility and accountability onto someone else…! At that moment, I was reborn. It was the first time I understood what freedom really meant…”
Retip smiled as he recalled a man.
“Others might look at me like this and mock me for simply pa.s.sing my responsibilities to someone else.”
[…]
“That’s not wrong. However, I was saved, and I’ve been living a wonderful life ever since. So this is my grat.i.tude. It is to repay the kindness he bestowed upon me.”
[Even if you die as a result?]
“Even if the consequence is worse than death.”
Retip smiled.
“I have no regrets.”
[…]
Pale realised that further conversation was pointless and raised her hanging sword once more.
Then, the two beings clashed once again.
—The result.
Retip was able to accomplish his task brilliantly.
Although there was no longer even a trace of the being ‘Retip’ in the Three Thousand Worlds, he has successfully endured 10 minutes against one of the Four Knights, Pale.
However, by that point.
Lukas had still not finished thinking.
[…were you waiting a long time, Uncle?]
Pale stumbled towards Lukas.
[I’m coming.]
* * *
His mind was blank.
Almost immediately after obtaining the first and most important clue, Lukas’ thoughts unfolded explosively. That small enlightenment was enough to cause the scope of his thoughts to become infinite.
It was clear that the information about this power was simply obtained from the Lightning G.o.d. So it could not be considered omniscience in the full sense.
Whether the way he used the power was wrong, or the Lightning G.o.d was wrong. It was not yet at that level.
What he focused on was ‘destruction’. And as mentioned before, ‘Thunder’ was the purest destructive force in the universe.
‘Rather, my way can be called trying something else.’
…On the verge of grasping something.
If he thought about it a bit more, he might be able to grasp something.
No, he could definitely grasp something.
What Lukas was currently experiencing was the ‘time of enlightenment’, which was much more precious than thousands of pieces of gold. If he were to miss this moment, then even if he did repeat the same thought later, he would end up with the wrong conclusion.
Only if he were to raise his concentration to the limit and completely immerse himself would Lukas be able to go to the next level.
However─
‘…Lightning G.o.d.’
Relaxing his concentration a bit, he called out to the Lightning G.o.d.
‘I know you’re listening, Lightning G.o.d. Answer me.’
[…can you afford to talk?]
An apathetic voice responded.
This guy was probably watching Lukas’ contemplation. He was the only one able to do so.
In any case, this was because his remnant thoughts resided within Lukas.
‘How much time has pa.s.sed?’
[…]
‘How much time has pa.s.sed ‘outside’ since I’ve been immersed?’
[What does that matter?]
‘What?’
[In any case, if you don’t develop here, it will all be over.]
The Lightning G.o.d spoke in a cold voice.
[Right. What if, at this point, you only had 1 minute left? Or what if 10 minutes have already pa.s.sed? Will you stop your immersion and return to reality? Are you confident that you can defeat Pale without developing?]
‘…’
He wasn’t confident.
It was not enough to just find a clue. If he were to return to reality like this, Lukas would not be able to stop Pale.
Lukas couldn’t refute the Lightning G.o.d’s words, but despite that, he couldn’t help but feel that he was hiding something.
It had already been a long time since the Lightning G.o.d had entered his mind. Now, there were things he could understand to an extent just from this guy’s tone of voice.
‘…however.’
Nevertheless, it didn’t change anything.
Lukas sighed.
He didn’t want to give up his life so easily. Although he was in a state of repeated regression, he was unsure just how long this rule would apply. Moreover, this situation was taking place in the Three Thousand Worlds, not the World of Void. It wouldn’t be strange if variables were to occur.
‘I have always regressed to the first time I stepped into the World of Void.’
In other words, the regression was a rule that only applied within the World of Void, and it might not be possible for him to regress after coming to the outside world.
If he were to die to Pale here, it would all be over.
As soon as he realised this fact, tension ran up his spine, but at the same time, an absurd laugh leaked out.
If he died, it would all end?
Wasn’t that how it was supposed to be in the first place? From the start, regression was an act that went against nature.
‘…I tried to not let it happen, but.’
At some point, Lukas’ way of thinking had factored in his regression.
It was dangerous.
He couldn’t think about the ‘next time’. Because that fueled the sharpness of his decision making.
Making up his mind, Lukas hardened his heart.
—The Lightning G.o.d,
That was his only source of information about ‘Thunder’. And because of that, there were limitations.
For example, if someone with the same vessel as you were to exist in the same s.p.a.ce, it would not be possible to perfectly obtain information about that being.
‘What about me?’
Lukas inputted himself into the equation.
The computational power Lukas gained by devouring the ‘other Lukases’ was formidable.
‘Computational power can be called the [authority] of Lukas Trowman.’
Therefore, if it was him, he would be able to not only see the movement and development of every atom in s.p.a.ce, but also predict the behaviour, and even thoughts, of those with egos.
It would be possible for him to completely digest all of the information.
If this power was applied to the minimal time zone…
…Lukas’ contemplation deepened, but as a result, his understanding of Thunder began to increase.
Thoughts beckoned thoughts, and possibilities beckoned possibilities.
And the hypothesis with the highest probability was established.
Of all the scenarios, the best method to use Thunder.
‘Lightning G.o.d.’
He perceived the presence of the Lightning G.o.d.
[What is it now?]
There was even a hint of annoyance in his voice now.
Lukas got straight to the point.
‘I want advice. Listen to my opinion and tell me if I’m wrong.’
[Kuku… madman.]
Chuckling as if he enjoyed it, the Lightning G.o.d continued.
[Nevertheless, since you seem to have let go of your pride, I’ll give you one piece of advice. If you want to go to the next level, don’t be so attached to the human body.]
‘…’
[As you are now, it should be possible to form a transcendent body with your soul. If you got rid of the pesky constraints of a physical body, the amount of power you could handle would increase by several times.]
‘I know that. Nevertheless, I have no intention of abandoning my body.’
[Why?]
‘Because I can only be myself when I have this body.’
The Lightning G.o.d was silent. Lukas could feel that he was speechless.
‘Although you might not know, I, who was once an Absolute, know. The warmth of a body. The beating of a heart that is more beautiful than any rendition… The soft skin that feels good to touch.’
[Or in other words, fragile. You intend to use the Lightning G.o.d’s Thunder with a human body? Did forget what happened to the arm that you used to fire the lightning bolt?]
‘I didn’t have any experience at that time, I just need to use Void to prevent the side effects.’
[Hmph… do whatever you want.]
The Lightning G.o.d didn’t seem to plan to persuade him any further.
Smiling, Lukas said.
‘I want to apply the information acquisition of Thunder to the Absolute Field.’
[Are you talking about magic again after coming all the way here? This guy.]
‘It’s fine as long as there’s a detailed setting. I’ll adjust it after combining them. All I want to know is if it’s possible.’
This was something that he couldn’t figure out, no matter how much he pondered.
Only the Lightning G.o.d, who knew everything about Thunder, could give an answer.
[In theory, there should be no problem.]
‘Then…’
[However, you might go crazy. It seems that you’re trying to show off your computational power, but controlling s.p.a.ce and understanding it are completely different matters. Even more so ‘understanding everything’.]
‘…’
[It is similar to what you defined as the ‘minimal time zone’. The general laws of physics that you use in the world are a bit different from that place. The world of atoms that you’re trying to comprehend are even more so. The elusive laws in the minimal time zone are tangled together like a spiderweb…]
Lukas also knew that the atomic world in the minimal time zone had completely different laws from the existing world.
However…
‘It’s possible.’
[…]
‘This isn’t refusal to give in. Lightning G.o.d, I’ll say this without any arrogance or conceit. My computational power is higher than yours.’
[Hmph.]
The Lightning G.o.d neither affirmed nor denied.
[Then prove it.]
That was the last thing he said.
Almost immediately after reaching a conclusion, Lukas’ consciousness quickly rose to the surface.
—He could feel his blocked senses returning one after the other.
The first thing he felt before even opening his eyes was a certain sensation.
Tuk, tuk.
It was the feeling of a warm, gloopy liquid.
Falling regularly onto Lukas’ face.
The sense of touch meant that his body still existed.
Lukas opened his eyes.
His blurred vision gradually cleared up and returned to its original state.
Then, he realised that someone was standing in front of him.
Like a shield, protecting him.
At first he thought it was Retip, but it wasn’t.
It was a body so delicate that it couldn’t possibly be that guy.
“…Iris?”
Blood dripping from her mouth, Iris looked at him with hazy eyes.
Seeing this, he realised two things.
Firstly.
Iris protected him from Pale’s sword.
Secondly.
She… was already dead.