Chapter 534

Fwoooosh-

A crimson meteor streaked through the darkness, plummeting tens of kilometers downward into the golden-glimmering depths.

Before their gazes, Eun-Ha vanished. Moments of silence passed. Then...

BOOM!!

Scarlet flames burst up from the crater, followed by a deafening roar that rattled the entire plaza. Against the force of the pillar of fire—which was enough force to tear even the sky apart—the windows and outer walls of buildings across the city shattered, and several street trees were ripped from the pavement and flung through the air.

She really could’ve vaporized the entire city... but she controlled it so well. Dean Ryu has gotten insanely strong.

Jake, who had taken the brunt of the blast due to his position right in front of the crater, flattened his disheveled hair wide-eyed.

Had it been the Eun-Ha of the past, she would’ve flattened not only the plaza but the city’s entire center—redrawing the map in the process. Thanks to the Primordial Ring she received from Se-Hoon, though, she now had precise control over her strength that allowed her to distinguish friend from foe. Even if she used more strength, she could still do so safely.

“The breach is open. Everyone descend.”

Hearing Eun-Ha’s voice through Luize’s Incantation Magic, the ten immediately dove into the crater.

Whoosh!

Dropping, they swiftly arrived at the deepest level of the tunnel. The surrounding walls were scorched crimson by the flames, and shards of the shattered golden barrier were at their feet.

Collectively raising their guard, everyone raised their mana and stepped into the underground chamber where the Pilgrim was said to be.

Woosh-

A beautiful hillside, stretching beyond the horizon, unfolded before their eyes.

“What the...”

Under the cloudless azure sky, a verdant forest was brimming with life. Warm rays of sunlight shone on them, soothing their nerves, as a gentle breeze comfortably wrapped around their bodies like silk. There was no sense of oppression, fear, or anxiety. A profound, disarming peace was all.

To the four blankly staring archbishops, such a scene was...

“Paradise...” Jane muttered with a sigh.

A perfect manifestation of an ideal world free of suffering and pain lay before them.

Awed, the four archbishops were entirely entranced—

Clap!

Luize snapped them back to reality.

“Keep your heads straight. Or you’ll end up like those six.”

“...Our apologies.”

Seeing the hands in front of her face, Jane bit her lip and composed herself. Likewise, the other archbishops also took deep breaths or inflicted small wounds to restore their focus. Only then, at the sight of their efforts, did Luize look away and exchange glances with the two behind them: Sung-Ha and Amir.

“They seem stable enough, right?”

“For now, at least.”

“Some instability remains... but I’ll keep an eye on them.”

When the Pilgrim went berserk, incidents of Pilgrimage Church followers running amok broke out around the world. Like the undead legions that attacked humanity due to the Eternal Nocturne’s influence during the Black Tower incident, fervent worshipers lost control.

Fortunately, only a small portion of the hundreds of millions of believers were affected, so the Heroes Association forces on standby could swiftly suppress the riots—but not all threats.

“...There they are.”

At Aria’s voice, everyone turned to the edge of the hill where she was looking. There, bizarre beings wearing bright yellow masks that resembled those made of sulfur stood.

With ‌golden halos softly glowing behind their heads and six pairs of chaotic, twisted wings, the bizarre angels—the six Archbishops consumed by the Pilgrim’s madness—stood guard over the sealed church as Apostles.

“...Are you sure it’s that church?”

“Yes. The exterior’s changed a bit, but the Pope—no, Karl Andersen—should be inside,” Jane confirmed after correcting herself mid-sentence, forcing away her emotions toward the Pilgrim.

Denying the life she had led until now undoubtedly made her heart tremble, but she steeled herself.

This... is the right path.

For humanity. For her fallen comrades consumed by madness. For Karl Andersen himself.

With similar thoughts in mind, the archbishops took some time to compose themselves. Meanwhile, Eun-Ha was studying the church beyond.

That place... won’t be easy to enter.

At first glance, the golden wall that surrounded the pristine white church looked ordinary. But of course, the power infused within it was the same as what infused the Pilgrim’s Path that had protected humanity and the Pilgrimage.

In that case...

Recalling the abilities of her comrades that Se-Hoon had told her in advance, Eun-Ha turned to Erika, who was silently following behind.

“Erika. Would such a method work?”

Eun-Ha explained in more detail, and after listening to the entire thing, Erika looked at the church and nodded.

“It should be possible.”

“Understood.” Eun-Ha turned to the others. “We’ll proceed dynamically according to the plan. Stay alert, everyone.”

Nodding, each of them instinctively gripped their weapons tighter and turned to face the six Apostles and the church they protected, still several kilometers away.

“

Open Gate.

”

Whoosh!

Erika’s shadow spread across the ground, creating a massive gate that linked directly to the church’s interior. If a frontal assault was impossible, then a side path would do.

However, the moment Erika began establishing that bypass through the holy barrier as per Eun-Ha’s orders, the motionless Apostles all snapped their heads around in unison.

Flap! Woosh-

Leaping across space in an instant, the Apostles surrounded the assault force. The sanctified realm of the Pilgrim—the Paradise of Confinement—had deemed the intruders as heretics and begun a full-scale response.

Tuuuuum-

Accompanied by the grand harmonies of the church organ filling the air, the Apostles chanted a new decree in unison.

“Humilitas”

Immediately, the progress of Erika’s spell, which was moments from completion, suddenly seemed to stretch on endlessly. The realm’s law had nullified all techniques, including spells.

This can’t be real...!

Jane’s expression twisted in disbelief. It didn’t just weaken their powers but prevented activation entirely?! Compared to their own sanctuaries, the result was on an entirely different level.

The archbishops were stun-locked, unable to react to the Apostles drawing their relics.

Whoosh-

A greatsword, spear, cross, vajra, shield, and candlestick—six items once their signature Stigmata granted by Karl—were now Holy Relics fused with Apostolic power. Like Apostate, who was battling Se-Hoon, their relics exuding a divine presence far beyond what normal divine mana could provide were clearly channeling power directly from the Golden Ring.

“Wait...!”

The overwhelming strength made Jane panic. Instead of weakening, they grew even stronger? When victory was uncertain even before? Certain it was impossible to win, Jane believed they needed to retreat and regroup—

“Pathetic. I’ll handle it.”

Passing by Jane, Sung-Ha hurled his two spears with all his strength toward the Apostles.

Inferno Ring: Red Sun

BOOM!

A blazing sun bursting from the tips of his spears consumed the Apostles’ attack and their bodies.

“What...!”

Jane was stunned. A single man, without elaborate preparation, had unleashed such devastating force? But before she could say anything, the voices in unison sounded once more.

“Caritas”

Fwoosh!

The sun that had devoured the Apostles turned golden, and the bodies that were vaporized began regenerating within the flames. The newly decreed law had redirected Sung-Ha’s skill for the Apostles to use themselves.

That blow was powerful enough to kill a high-ranking hero...!

To think the strike didn’t just fail but was actually used against them. Their tenacity left Jane shaken.

In contrast, Sung-Ha smirked.

“All the better.”

The black spear began tracing a new ring over the sun, which created a resonance that shook the entire sanctuary.

Rumbleeeee-

Shadow Ring: Black Moon

Woong!

The resonance of the crimson sun and the black moon crushed the Apostles caught between them. They were two opposing natures, yet the two kept drawing closer and closer.

Then, the moment Sung-Ha’s unique skill achieved perfect synchronization between the two opposing forces...

Complete Source Resonance: Unity of Sun and Moon

BOOM!

A solar eclipse consumed the entire sanctuary.

The organ’s music vanished. The voices went silent. The laws were no longer enforced. Everything, including the Apostles, was obliterated.

RUMBLE-

The Paradise of Confinement trembled, struggling to restore its rules and regenerate the Apostles. By then, though, it was too late. Everything was already ready.

Having completed her spell, Erika entered the gate into the church and was quickly followed by Eun-Ha, Aria, and Jake. Luize headed over as well, but just before stepping in, she casually glanced at Sung-Ha and Amir; they would remain with the archbishops.

“You scared?”

“If you’re afraid, I can go instead.”

Playfully teasing Luize, the two chuckled. And upon seeing their joy, Luize shouted, “If you let even one through, I’ll kill you later!”

Whoosh!

With that, she crossed over, and the shadow gate vanished without a trace.

“So noisy,” Sung-Ha said, shaking his head.

“Indeed.”

Meanwhile, as they were chatting casually, six rings had risen into the sky.

“Looks like they’ve become something akin to a law now.”

“Basically immortal.”

The two looked up at the sky. If those things could regenerate from that, there was no way to win with their current strength.

Maybe if we invoke Phase Manifestation and borrow power from the future...

That, however, had to be left for their last resort.

Instead, Amir glanced at the archbishops preparing Divine Magic.

“Ready?”

“Yes. We can begin.”

“Then let’s start.”

At his cue, Jane pulled out her Stigmata, the Arrow of Guidance. Following suit, the others respectfully drew their axe, rosary, and mirror.

RUMBLE-

The force that had been restoring the Apostles suddenly changed, now coalescing around them instead to form a massive wall. By exploiting the Paradise of Confinement’s instability from Sung-Ha’s strike, the archbishops managed to add a law of their own to trap the enemy.

“Patientia”

Woong!

However, since they were not the Apostles, their “law” was more like a “rule” and could not fully take effect. Thus, as the Paradise recovered itself, the wall crumbled. Without the wall, the regenerating Apostles could move to protect the Pilgrim—

Frost Alchemy: Ice Crystal Prison

Crack!

The collapsing wall was frozen solid, blocking their path.

“...Phew,”

Amir, who froze the wall with Frost Alchemy, exhaled a frosty breath. If they couldn’t stabilize the rule within the Paradise, then they’d simply force it to hold.

Rousing his mana, he stared at the Apostles, who were consumed by madness, following solely the Pilgrim’s will: more machine than man. However, looking through his Winter Sky Eyes, Amir saw a different picture painted by the synesthetic mindscapes.

Irritation, rage, disgust, confusion... so that’s why they wear masks.

Kamal and the others hadn’t been fully consumed. In other words, that meant someone, somewhere, was holding down the Pilgrim and Apostate.

“As you just heard, we’ll be dead if even one gets through.”

Crack-!

Two transparent ice daggers formed in Amir’s hands, and a faint purple light shimmered near his solar plexus. His shadow shook, followed by an icy figure rising from within.

“I leave the rest to you.”

“Of course.”

Possessing the ice golem Amir just created, Zayed smirked and conjured violet daggers in his own ghostly hands.

BOOM!

The ice wall shook. The fully regenerated Apostles had raised their Holy Relics once more. Seeing them, the archbishops gripped their Stigmata tightly. Could they withstand the endless battle against immortals?

“You’re all soft.”

At that moment, as if answering their thoughts, Sung-Ha calmly stepped forward. In his eyes, while the creatures had regeneration like immortals and strength comparable to the Perfect Ones, none had genuinely reached that height.

And more than that...

“They’re still weaker than Se-Hoon.”

Reminding himself of the absurd strength of the man named Lee Se-Hoon, Sung-Ha’s eyes gleamed as he readied his spears.

“So fight like you mean to bring them down.”

BOOM!

His feet launching, golden light and flame clashed once more within the prison of ice.