Chapter 444: The Lycanthrope

Woosh!

Karyl’s blade cut through the oppressive air of the dungeon.

Having slain over a thousand monsters, he had grown numb to the hunt. Now, he moved with precision and efficiency—like someone eager to finish a tedious task.

“How long has it been since we arrived here?”

“Just over a week, I’d say.”

“The Third Calamity draws near...”

Karyl realized it was almost time to return.

Rumble...

RUMBLE...

After returning from the Spirit Realm, Karyl had entered the frozen Pharel of the Ice Cave without informing anyone.

It had been a long time since he had gazed upon such a grim scene. The sky was blood-red, and lightning flashed through the darkness. Yet, rather than feel nostalgic, his first thought was that this place was perfect for executing his final plan.

He hadn’t even bothered to count the floors as he advanced. Ever since that encounter with Yula, he had been slaughtering the monsters of Pharel like a man possessed.

“Maybe it’s not my place to say this, but I don’t think you’ll gain much from fighting these monsters. You’ve already cleared this tower once, with nothing but a blade.”

“You’re right.”

“If you’re not doing this to sharpen your skills, then I reckon you’re just sorting through your thoughts until the next Calamity arrives.”

Shing—

Karyl suddenly stopped swinging. His expression told Allen all he needed to know.

“You seem hesitant.”

“About what?”

“You’ve done everything you could. I can tell you’ve pushed yourself to the limit to challenge Yula. We both know that we’re not guaranteed to win the fight to come, but that’s not what truly matters. We all believe in you—not in the certainty of victory, but in you.”

With that, Allen gave him a light tap on the shoulder.

“But now that you’re finally about to face Yula, you’re scared. That’s only natural. Hell, I’d be concerned if you

weren’t

afraid of a deity. In any case, if you want us to have faith in you, you need to have complete faith in yourself.”

Allen smirked. “That being said... maybe it’s time you cracked open Kaye Aesir’s journal.”

Karyl could tell Allen was teasing him, but he didn’t so much as return a smile.

“Yula... She’s undoubtedly a god. Offering a temptation strong enough to shake even your unwavering resolve..”

“There’s nothing to hesitate about. When the time comes, use me first.”

Ramine manifested, his blazing form casting flickering shadows that danced across the walls.

“Absorbing a spirit... Yula wasn’t lying. A spirit contract merely lets you borrow our power, so you can never wield it in its entirety.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

“Spirits are just another component of this world. It’s not about being destroyed—it’s about returning to our original place.”

Those words drew a bitter smile from Karyl. Though he hadn’t spoken of it, he couldn’t deny that Yula’s power had stirred a deep, instinctive fear within him.

“Ramine, I appreciate the sentiment, but you seem to have forgotten something. I am the protagonist of this war, not you. Your war ended in the Mythical Era. Your role now is to support me. The weight of victory or defeat is mine alone to bear.”

“You...” Ramine’s voice trembled—an unusual occurrence for a spirit. Though spirits lacked human emotions, his flames flickered as if Karyl’s words had unsettled him.

“Perhaps I’ve been bound to humans for too long... to be swayed by such emotions.”

“It’s not swaying. It’s a shared will. Our desire to end the god is no less than yours.”

“You know as well as I do that the power of the spirits is the only means to stand against Yula. If that power isn’t enough, then we must find ways to enhance it.”

“That’s why you sought the Two Powers, isn’t it? Karyl, by releasing our seals, you hold the power of life and death over us. We too wish to witness Yula’s end... but we cannot bear the thought of failure again.”

Rather than protest, the Spirit Kings seemed to rally behind Karyl, as if they had been waiting for this moment.

“What’s with you guys? Getting all emotional like that. For Spirit Kings, you sure treat your lives lightly.”

Karyl chuckled faintly, amused by their resolve.

“I’m not going to kill you.”

At that moment, Karyl shook his head.

“

She

is the only one who’s going to perish.”

Fwooooosh...!

A small shard rose above his palm, hovering in place.

“As Allen said, I’ve been contemplating and hesitating. That’s why I came into Pharel, to sort out my thoughts. If I showed Yula fear, she wouldn’t buy it. But if I appear to be conflicted, she might believe I’m wavering.”

“Hmm...?” Allen tilted his head in confusion.

“Pharel is beyond Yula’s influence. If it weren’t, she would have already found out about my ability to go back in time. Moreover, she didn’t seem to know about the death of the Lord, the Supreme Ruler of the Divine Throne.”

Sharp winds swirled around the Dimension Spiral, and Karyl clenched it tightly.

“That’s not all. She also didn’t know about the existence of another Pharel in other dimensions. That means she’s also unaware of this fragment. Otherwise, she would have killed me on the spot.”

Karyl looked at the glowing shard in his hand—the fragment of a god.

“Hmm...”

“When you put everything together, it’s clear that gods aren’t omnipotent. There’s a hierarchy of power. The fact that Yula was unaware of the Lord’s death and the existence of another Pharel proves that their knowledge and reach have limits. This shard, imbued with Dimensional Power, which is the source of a god’s power, must belong to Xeck-Mut, the Supreme Lord of the Divine Throne.”

Everyone’s gaze turned toward the shard in his hand.

“The shard of the mightiest god...”

“That’s right. I believe this Divine Power holds the key to making me an equal match for her.”

“But is that really enough? Power, no matter how great, depends on the one wielding it. Dimensional Power is no exception. Can a human body truly endure it and overpower a god?”

“Your life force will be drained before you can fully use Divine Power. That’s why you need us and our lives. Our sacrifice will allow you to wield Dimensional Power and fight against a god.”

Ramine’s tone was firm, but Karyl shook his head just as firmly.

“No.”

"...?"

“I think it’s the opposite. Why do you think Yula told me about absorbing spirits? Do you think she really wanted to help me stand a better chance? To give her would-be executioner an edge?”

“Are you saying you believe you can win without the combined power of the Spirit Kings?"

“Or perhaps the Spirit Kings themselves are a thorn in her side.”

“But that’s just your guess,” Allen retorted, but Karyl merely shrugged to his skepticism.

“True, it’s just a theory, but there are no definitive answers in this game. That’s why I came here, to find a way to use Divine Power without sacrificing you.”

"Are you saying there is way stronger than merging with spirits..."

“Exactly. If I can wield the Dimension Spiral on par with a god while keeping all of you alive, your presence might become an even greater obstacle to her.”

“But how...?”

Ramine seemed clueless, but Karyl responded with a faint smile.

“Mael.”

The blue serpent answered his call, coiling himself around Karyl’s arm and flicking his sharp tongue.

“So, you’ve finally decided to use me properly, haven’t you?”

Mael’s voice dripped with arrogance and amusement. His eyes met Karyl’s, and the atmosphere tightened with sudden tension.

“The Dimension Spiral is a shard of Divine Power. It’s simple. To fully wield Dimensional Power, you need the qualifications of a god.”

“Qualifications of a god...?” Ramine muttered the words uneasily.

“When I first met Mael, he told me about the Bladers. They were originally the protectors of the gods before they became godslayers.”

Karyl turned his gaze to Mael.

“That’s right. The Bladers were created to protect the gods, and the Master Key was their sacred weapon. But not all Master Keys are special. Only two, known as the Immutable Seats, are unique. Those who claim these seats become candidates for godhood and gain the right to challenge the god.”

As Mael spoke, his serpentine form shifted. His body elongated into that of a strikingly handsome man with crescent-shaped eyes and flowing hair.

“You remembered that and turned it into a plan? Impressive memory.”

“Don’t act surprised. You also said something else to me back then, in that same form,” Karyl replied with a faint smirk.

Mael chuckled quietly.

“And where’s the other seat?”

“Haha! That’s right. Back then, you asked me about the vacant seat next to me. You arrogantly claimed you’d take that seat as well.”

Mael raised his hand and pointed at Karyl’s chest. The others looked visibly confused, unable to understand why the conversation had suddenly shifted to the past.

"But it seems you’ve already taken it."

Wuuuuuum—!

As if in response to Mael’s words, a glow erupted from the necklace Karyl around Karyl’s neck, the same one that had sealed the Raging Gale.

“...!”

“...?!”

“The Lycan’s Will...” Ramine muttered, his eyes locked on the shining necklace.

“That’s my plan,” Karyl said calmly.

“Honestly, I’m impressed. When I first mentioned the Master Keys, the Spirit Kings were too distracted by the trials of the Great Warrior to notice. Yet even in the chaos of battle, you had already begun forming a strategy to use this.”

Mael’s grin widened at Ramine’s reaction.

“In the Mythical Era, one would have to fight countless ferocious battles just to earn the right to challenge Yula. Yet you’ve already claimed both Immutable Seats. At this point, it wouldn’t be wrong to say you’ve earned the qualifications of a god."

“Unbelievable...”

Allen Javius chuckled in disbelief as he finally grasped what Karyl was planning.

“Master Keys cannot coexist, yet you’re trying to claim a second? Even the gods would tremble at such audacity.”

Mael lifted the glowing necklace lightly, almost reverently.

“This one might be a brute, but he fought off the other Master Keys to claim one of the Immutable Seats. It won’t be easy to make him bow to you.”

“Ramine, how long do you think it’ll take the Lord of Rocks to recover?”

Ignoring Mael’s comment, Karyl calmly turned to Ramine.

“Hmm... If he truly has the will to fight, ten days should suffice. His heart wasn’t destroyed, and even though the Spirit Realm is deteriorating, it still allows for faster recovery than the human realm.”

Karyl nodded.

“We have three days left, then. I can stay here a bit longer.”

Shing—

He unsheathed his sword, slicing through the corpse of a nearby monster with ease.

“Mael, it didn’t even take me a day to gain control over you. Are wolves stronger than snakes?”

“Of course not.”

Mael grinned, grasping what Karyl meant.

“Then it shouldn’t take me more than half a day to make the wolf bow its head.”