Chapter 279: Seventy-Third Floor, The Furnace’s Conspiracy (3)

[Dismantle the conspiracy attempting to consume the world. Time remaining: 34 hours 7 minutes.]

Something began to stir just above the pit of my stomach, a little below my throat.

It was a familiar sensation, reminiscent of the first time I felt mana. Soft and tingling, but laced with an undercurrent of dormant power that shifted and coiled like a living thing.

The trouble was, I had no clue how to draw it out, how to wield it.

As I avoided the barrage of beams and bullets, I narrowed my eyes.

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

What is this?

Aside from simply feeling it, I had no idea what had triggered this sudden awakening—what it was, or where it had come from.

Interestingly, it was centered at the exact spot where Paraktus’s necklace had previously rested.

There was almost certainly a connection, but I couldn’t definitively say so. Something didn’t quite match.

The energy blooming inside me felt different from the divinity I had sensed from Paraktus. It seemed divine power, but stripped of any distinguishing features. If I were to visualize it, it was as if there were no color or texture, like a pure formless crystal.

Did that “unknown power” from Paraktus’s necklace evolve into something else?

I had no way of knowing.

No matter how I moved or shifted my focus, the energy nestling in my chest refused to budge. Still, it infused my limbs with strength, causing me to feel charged and full of energy.

This power seems controllable.

I wasn’t sure if it hadn’t accepted me yet, or if I just didn’t know how to use it.

Either way, it is time to focus.

The massive, mechanical apostle was closing in.

I had grown at least a little bit stronger in the last thirty seconds, and my newfound power didn’t feel like it was going to vanish. For now, that would have to be enough. I would just need time to adapt.

Maybe since the power had arisen at this moment, right in front of the apostle, it would be the answer to my problem.

The thought strangely reassured me.

Maybe it is lying dormant, waiting for the right moment to awaken.

As my thoughts settled, I focused back on the battlefield.

Until now, I had only been evading and defending. It was time to respond properly and go on the counter-offensive.

The divine beast launched into the air, narrowly avoiding a beam cutting down from above.

I braced my legs, maintaining my balance atop my mount. Coating my axe with Aura, I then launched a streak of blue lightning that split through the crimson haze. The searing bolt cleaved through the flying machines and shot toward the mechanical colossus.

Kzzzt!

The lightning struck the reddish divine energy cloaking the mechanical fortress, but scattered without leaving a mark.

Still not enough. I will need to land a direct hit.

Even though an attack hurled from a distance contained Aura, a strike at close range packed far more force.

I tightened my grip on the axe and pulled the reins. The divine beast surged forward.

One hundred fifty meters. One hundred meters

.

I aimed to maneuver beneath the mechanical fortress’s main section. Unlike its upper half, its undercarriage didn’t have any laser cannons.

The distance closed rapidly when suddenly a shift occurred. Just like when the flying machines appeared earlier, the mechanical fortress shuddered.

With a deafening metallic roar, a swarm of compact, car-sized machines came spilling out from beneath it.

Of course, it has that too.

Like the drones, each one carried something resembling a gun. Individually, they weren’t much of a threat, but in numbers, they couldn’t be ignored.

On top of that, the laser cannons and drones were still attacking relentlessly. I could avoid the beams, but I had to maintain a mana barrier to keep the bullets at bay.

I am wasting too much mana on distractions.

Destroying the aerial nuisances wasted even more, as every blast of lightning I launched caused more mana to go down the drain.

Unfortunately, ignoring them wasn’t an option either.

I recalled the description that had popped up earlier:

- Continuously produces powerful and autonomous war machines.

In other words, the apostle could generate machines, potentially indefinitely, and likely without restriction. Even now, the giant mechanical fortress churned with fire and echoed with the clang of metal. Drones and walkers were still emerging in real time.

If I let this continue, their numbers would spiral out of control. Unless I destroyed whatever controlled the fortress’s operations, this would turn into a battle of attrition. Once that happened, defeat would be inevitable.

No matter what, I have to bring down the fortress.

The best I could do now was keep the enemy numbers to a minimum and trust that Tunyak and the strike team could handle the rest. I didn’t know what would happen next, but for now, I would continue aiming to destroy its legs.

That was our only hope.

I created a wider arc of lightning than before and launched it. A fifteen-meter-wide bolt surged forward, and the walkers in my path crumbled without resistance.

Ten meters to the fortress.

While pulling on my reins, I drew up every last trace of mana from within me. Brilliant blue lightning erupted from the axe.

I gathered the energy threatening to spill outward and condensed it into a sharp, focused current. The bolt, once five or six meters wide, contracted to just under two. It was smaller now, but vastly more potent and dense.

Boom!

The mechanical fortress’s massive leg slammed into the ground. It was shaped like a human leg, with two prominent joints. Its foot pressed into the earth while the ankle and the knee stood above it.

Just above the ankle, I spotted a section that appeared thinner than I would expect. If I severed that, the leg would be rendered useless.

That enormous cogwheel at the joint looks like a great target.

I let go of the reins for a moment, twisted at the waist, and used the momentum to boost my two-handed swing.

“

Gasp!

”

Thud!

With that loud impact, my axe rebounded and was sent flying back. I tightened my legs, doing my best to stay seated on the divine beast, and clenched my axe with all my strength. I could feel the strain from my palms to my wrists, elbows, and even up to my shoulders. It felt like my arms would tear apart.

However, the cogwheel remained largely intact. The only evidence of my attack was just a faint scratch, a shallow line in the metal.

“God damn it.”

The divine beast twisted to dodge another leg as it came crashing down. That was when I heard a harsh, screeching metallic noise.

The underside of the mechanical fortress began to flash red. A dozen or more crimson lights flared to life above me, right in front of my face.

Great. So much for thinking the underbelly would be safe.

I reached for the reins, but it was too late. If I didn’t act now, both of us would die. With no other option, I triggered Flash Strike.

“

Whoong—!

”

The world around me slowed. Caught within my ability, the divine beast didn’t falter and moved swiftly out of danger. The beam stretched toward us, sluggish and pale, grazing our backs.

As soon as we were clear, I deactivated Flash Strike. In that brief window, two more legs had narrowly missed us.

I hadn’t caused any meaningful damage, but I couldn’t afford to give up now.

Shit. The last leg.

I lifted my axe again, preparing to swing. Instead of stomping, however, the mechanical fortress kicked. The divine beast twisted to dodge, and I launched an attack with all my might.

Thud!

I couldn’t stop the recoil.

Even with my legs tensed, I felt myself slipping from the saddle, sent flying by the combined force of the kick and my strike. Thankfully, I managed to hold onto my axe.

Clang!

I crashed into a steel plate on the underside of the mechanical fortress, before falling to the ground and hitting it hard. Despite that, divine power surged through me, causing me to feel an intense tingling sensation.

Now wasn’t the time to linger, however. One of its legs was coming down from directly above me. If it landed, I would be crushed.

Doing my best to forget my pain, I forced myself to move and rolled to the side, barely escaping in time.

Boom!

The mechanical fortress passed over me, almost completely covering the blood-red sky above.

I gasped for breath as my lungs burned. “

Huff.

Seriously...”

What a goddamn mess.

I held back the string of curses rising in my throat and pushed myself to my feet.

Fortunately, the divine beast was still unharmed. Far off in the distance, it was weaving through a hail of bullets from flying machines and walkers, narrowly avoiding fire. I unleashed two bursts of lightning and took out the mechanical units pursuing it.

Riding it again would be a mistake.

In this situation, I couldn’t protect the beast and fight for my life at the same time. I was better off moving on my own.

I shouted in its direction, “Run!”

“

Whoong!

”

Thankfully, it understood and immediately bolted toward the far side of the battlefield. As I dodged incoming beams and projectiles, I kept an eye on its retreating form.

Tunyak and the others, who had been following directly behind me during the initial charge, were no longer so clumped. They were fanning out and circling the fortress at an angle. They seemed to have realized that getting close to the mechanical fortress would be tantamount to suicide, and now planned to observe from a distance, or perhaps fire from range.

Flying machines and vehicles were already veering toward them, but I couldn’t afford to worry about that.

I finished assessing the situation in a matter of seconds

They can handle it.

Thunk, thunk.

The footsteps of the mechanical fortress grew heavier. It passed me by, moved about twenty meters ahead, and then stopped. Without even turning around, it began advancing toward me once more.

So, it has decided to deal with me first.

That was fine with me—I was going to face it anyway.

By then, Tunyak and the assault team had already engaged the enemy.

Ratatatatat! Boom!

Gunfire and explosions erupted from every direction, mingling with the clangor of metal. From somewhere in the distance, I heard the reverent tones of Tunyak and Doppy ring out.

At the same time, a divine glow enveloped me. Their spells, heavy with divinity, sent vitality and strength surging through me.

Maybe this will be enough to let me leave a mark on the fortress.

I charged toward the mechanical fortress, dodging beams as I closed the distance, axe in hand. I struck at its leg, pouring Aura into the blow.

Crash!

Just like before, the recoil was immense, even greater than before, in fact.

Is it the divine buffs enhancing me?

I tried to brace myself against the ground but was hurled backward once again.

Still, I had been prepared, letting me avoid as hard a crash as earlier. I quickly got back on my feet and rushed forward again.

I tried twice more, but both attacks were deflected. The legs weren’t giving me a way in.

Backing off slightly, I dodged another beam and then looked upward. Maybe the core was higher up.

Tunyak is circling around, and the divine beast has retreated.

So far, everything had worked in my favor. There was no reason to focus solely on the legs anymore.

I launched myself off the ground, then kicked off the fortress’s leg to propel myself upward. A heat hotter than magma enveloped me. I swung the axe against the black steel, but the rebound from the barrier remained unchanged.

If anything, the apostle’s divine presence pressed down on me even harder. My breath shortened, and my lungs felt like they were being squeezed tight.

Huh?

That was when I felt something stirring within my chest. The same divine energy from earlier pulsed a little more freely.

My breathing eased somewhat, though I still couldn’t move the power consciously. Although it had stirred a little, it still felt like it was waiting for something.

Is the core higher up? Is that why my divine energy is reacting more strongly?

While I considered the possibility, beams erupted from various parts of the fortress. I barely managed to dodge—those last dodges had felt too close for comfort. Immediately after, I dashed across the surface of the mechanical fortress like a gust of wind.

Ratatatata!

The noise all around was deafening.

Countless sensations enveloped me: clanging metal, the warping whine of beams slicing through the air, the crack of gunfire from the machines, and the crushing weight of the apostle’s divinity.

Moreover, a persistent heat seared into every inch of me.

I pushed through it all and climbed the fortress.

As I ascended, I glanced around and scanned for anything that resembled a core. However, nothing stood out.

Still, the higher I went, the more the power inside my chest began to overflow.

A sensation I couldn’t explain surged within me, and before I knew it, the pointed summit of the mechanical fortress—a massive smokestack—was right in front of me.

Then, I felt the urge to soar into the sky.

Is it a raw instinct? Sixth Sense?

I didn’t know, but I felt with absolute certainty that I

needed

to do this.

I followed my instinct, simply pushing off from the smokestack and leaping into the air. As I rose, I glimpsed what lay inside the towering chimney. There was a furnace that glowed hotter and redder than molten lava.

At that moment, the divine energy in my chest exploded outward, spreading through every fiber of my being.

Only then did I realize that this wasn’t Paraktus’s divinity. It was mine.

A thrill coursed through me as my own divine energy filled every one of my cells, mingling with my mana and surging to its peak.

Beneath my feet, the colossal mechanical fortress loomed.

Suddenly, the sight overlapped with a memory of the lava giant I had faced on the fifty-ninth floor. The lava giant and the mechanical fortress were both burning, massive, and overwhelming.

I couldn’t help but let out a quiet laugh. I didn’t know why, but a deep, liberating sense of clarity spread through me as if my chest had been blown wide open.

Then, a question I had asked Angelina resurfaced in my mind.

“Have you ever fought a god before?”

“Yes, I have. A fifth-class one, though.”

“What happened?”

“Well, I’m still alive, right?”

“Can an apostle beat a god?”

“I use Lord Omniscient Thunder Axe’s divinity, too. In the end, it all comes down to belief and will. The belief that my axe can destroy anything and everything that stands in my way.”

My own divinity was rising within me.

I chose to believe in myself. There was nothing I couldn’t do. I

would

destroy the apostle of the Endless Furnace.

As if in response, my divine power blazed even brighter.

From that moment on, the world changed. The crimson-black sky filled with brilliant bolts of blue-gold lightning. The lightning wrapped around me, from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.

I kicked off the air and dove into the heart of the chimney, into the roaring furnace.

***

「Invisible message: In response to a hostile divine energy, Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok’s divinity has begun to bloom earlier than expected.」

「Invisible message: Though premature, the belief of those who support Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has compensated for the timing. His skill has leveled up. Divine Power is now lvl 4.」

「Invisible message: From this point forward, the more people who place their faith in Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok, the stronger his divine power becomes.」