novelraw Chapter 134 : Full-Power Throw (5)
Chapter 134 : Full-Power Throw (5)
Chapter 134: Full-Power Throw (5)
The crimson bullet aimed at my heart could not advance beyond a certain distance, as if it were being resisted by something invisible.
“……”
The reason was simpler than expected.
The countless barriers spread between the bullet and me were devouring the mana gathered within it in an instant.
“…Consume Barrier.”
“Duck, Eugene!”
KWA-KWA-KWA-KWAANG!
A massive platinum spear fell from above, shattering the blood barrier completely.
Rubia descended between Karen and me and immediately began firing off spells head-on.
And—
Every single one of them was Divine Magic.
Six Divine Magic spells, and two Noble Magic spells.
Karen’s response was incredibly fast and precise, but—
Against Akasha’s power, which was based on Dark Magic and Blood Magic, the compatibility was the worst possible.
Faced with a chaotic barrage of blades raining from above and below, Karen chose evasion over defense.
At the same time, she carefully advanced, trying to close the distance.
Rubia’s offensive was powerful, but it couldn’t completely suppress Karen’s unparalleled regeneration.
Even if she had to endure some damage, she must have judged that returning to close combat would give her a chance.
Tap!
Finding an opening, Karen leapt into the air in a single bound and lunged straight toward Rubia.
Divine Spears and Divine Needles mercilessly pierced her body, yet Karen didn’t even blink and continued forward.
Overflowing with overwhelming madness, she finally reached right in front of Rubia and threw a punch with all her strength.
The mana gathered at her fist resembled a spiked sphere.
It was fast—but not impossible to block.
There was enough time to respond—whether by deploying a barrier or armor, concentrating aura within the body, or even evading at full speed.
And yet—
Rubia Magnus did not take a single step back.
Instead, she clenched her own right fist and threw a straight punch with all her might.
KWAAAAAAANG!
The shockwave from the collision shook the entire area up and down.
“Ghk…!”
Barely steadying myself, I stared at the two who had clashed.
Neither of them retreated even a single step—they were simply pressing their fists against each other.
The standoff that seemed like it would last forever collapsed surprisingly easily.
Crack…!
The mass of mana surrounding Karen’s right arm shattered and scattered in all directions.
As if responding to that, Rubia murmured briefly.
“…Divine Enchant, Saint’s Touch.”
Divine Enchant—a magic that drastically enhances physical abilities through Divine Magic. Its power scales with mana, proficiency, and faith.
Saint’s Touch—limited to Divine Magic, it maximizes the effect of the applied technique. Its power scales with faith.
Through these two enhancement spells, her physical abilities had been elevated—
And for that fleeting moment… she had surpassed even Karen Rosefield.
“……”
Even for the possessing divine entity, it must have been shocking.
Karen—no, Akasha who had descended into her—stood frozen, unable to act.
In that instant, Rubia used wind magic to send me flying toward the main tower.
“Waaah!”
“Master Aleph! Eugene!”
Aleph slowed the surroundings with Field Magic, buying me time to brace for landing.
I barely managed to land safely and immediately lifted my head.
Karen had already resumed her assault, her hesitation short-lived.
Rubia, too, stood her ground without yielding an inch.
As I stared blankly at that awe-inspiring sight, dozens of messages flooded in.
It was time for a spec upgrade.
※ You are a [Growth Contributor] of [Rubia Magnus].
※ You have acquired the following authority: [View Status]
※ [Rubia Magnus] has acquired the new title [Successor of Holy Descent].
※ Conditions met. Class evolves!
: Growth Contributor S → Great Teacher SS
※ You are [Rubia Magnus]’s [Guardian Deity].
※ Some stats increase drastically.
[Leadership S, Anti-Magic B, Pride D, Mental Strength SS, Dignity B]
=> [Leadership SS, Anti-Magic SS, Pride A, Mental Strength EX, Dignity S]
※ You have acquired a Divine Name. [Savior at the End of Ruin]
Great Teacher SS [Legendary]
※ You gain multiple benefits by greatly contributing to the growth of a specific target.
Copy Slot [Great Teacher]
※ Copies abilities and stores them in slots.
※ You can also copy abilities of targets you contributed to indirectly.
※ Current slots unlocked: 2/5
---
If I had to summarize my impression of all those messages in one sentence—
“…This is insane.”
The rare-class ‘Growth Contributor’ ranking up was already shocking, but even that paled in comparison to the next message.
‘Savior at the End of Ruin…’
A Divine Name was the symbol and identity of a divine being.
Obtaining one meant—
That I had truly become a Guardian Deity.
‘…How is that even possible?’
Across all routes and modes of MAGA, there weren’t even five cases of a living person becoming a Guardian Deity.
In Apocalypse Mode, there was only one person I knew who ascended to that position, later called the Incarnate God by his followers.
Even then, his deification was extremely unlikely, and he was only revered a full year after the apocalypse began.
Moreover, he existed merely as proof that “a living person can become a Guardian Deity.”
His combat power in Apocalypse Mode was symbolic at best—nothing like this case.
No matter how much Rubia revered me like a god, faith alone had its limits.
Without recognition or achievements, becoming a Guardian Deity should have been impossible.
‘Unless this message is lying…’
Muttering to myself, I checked Rubia’s status as if possessed.
And soon, I found the reason behind this miracle.
Deification [Foresight] EX
May your god become everyone’s god.
※ Designates a target as a god.
※ Special - Foresight: Allows deification based on the target’s future self.
※ Some stats increase drastically.
[Anti-Magic B, Faith B, Luck E, Pride S, Mental Strength S, Morality B, Causality C, Insight A, Stress F]
=> [Anti-Magic S, Faith EX, Luck C, Pride SS, Mental Strength SS, Morality A, Causality S, Insight SS, Stress B]
It was a trait I had never seen before, but understanding the situation wasn’t difficult.
I let out a quiet breath of admiration.
“…I see.”
She didn’t deify the present me—
She deified my future self.
I never imagined such an option existed.
Watching the two successors clashing before me, I smiled.
A thrill ran through my exhausted body, refusing to fade.
“So now you finally greet me properly.”
Hearing the old man’s voice beside me, I glanced over.
“It’s been a while, Eugene Carter. Twelve years, was it?”
Surprised by his polite tone, I responded in kind.
“Something like that. Done with your disappearance?”
“I had matters to attend to. Once they’re done, I’ll leave again.”
Aleph stroked his beard and glanced behind us.
“I must thank you for guiding my long-time disciple.”
“…You mean Gustav?”
“He has talent, but is prone to self-absorption. He needed someone to discipline him. Perhaps because he was my favorite disciple, I couldn’t be harsh enough.”
“Well… I had my reasons. I just did what I felt like, so no need to thank me too much.”
“…I still feel apologetic. Especially regarding Agent Rubia.”
“……”
“But perhaps this, too, is fate.”
“Fate… huh.”
“She’s in there, isn’t she? My old friend.”
He must mean Clina White.
I didn’t expect them to be close enough to call each other friends.
Even the person in question remained silent, so it wasn’t a lie.
Aleph placed his staff against his chest and bowed slightly.
“If she has chosen you as her master, then I will support you to the end.”
“I didn’t realize you were that close.”
“Cooperating with an Evil Spirit—it’s unprecedented. But we must do whatever it takes.”
He looked beyond the outer wall, determination in his eyes.
“To face the global catastrophe to come… I will even join hands with an enemy.”
“…That’s good to hear.”
“Soon, we’ll see whether you truly deserve it. For now, I’ll observe this turning point of the era.”
I wanted to ask what he meant—but there was no time.
“Then, go.”
“……”
After a brief glance at Aleph, I ran toward the two figures locked in battle.
The Land of Pain that had dominated the area, and the spikes that had filled it—were all gone without a trace.
Only the lingering scent of mixed mana remained, thick and deep.
Rubia stood facing Karen, nine magic circles aimed at her.
Karen, now fully conscious, assessed the situation instantly and slowly closed her eyes.
“…Why didn’t you kill me?”
“Because my savior does not wish for your death.”
“That’s right, Karen Rosefield.”
I stepped in, firmly placing my hands on Rubia’s shoulders.
“…Eugene.”
“It’s alright now, Rubia. So…”
I gave her a small smile and a signal.
Understanding, she stepped back a few paces.
As I approached, Karen slowly lifted her head.
Her face was filled with confusion, turmoil, resentment, and self-reproach.
“Why… Why…?”
“…Who knows.”
I spoke firmly.
“I just thought it would be a waste for you to die here.”
“……”
“They used you as a tool. A tool to cover up their filth.”
“I chose that. I accepted it. I killed them. Then the responsibility is mine. Will you take even that sacred responsibility away from me?”
“Responsibility… huh.”
I looked down at her coldly.
“Aren’t you… being a bit arrogant?”
“…What?”
“A tool is just a tool. You can’t assign responsibility to a tool.”
“……”
“If you chose to live as a tool, don’t dare speak of sacred responsibility, Karen Rosefield.”
Without revealing my true feelings, I pointed at her sharply.
“You’ve never made a single choice for yourself. You chose to be used, and because of that, you couldn’t even question anything.”
In truth—
I knew that wasn’t entirely true.
If it were anyone else, maybe—but I alone knew.
What she had endured all this time.
Her peaceful village was destroyed in a single day, and she alone survived.
Then she was forced to bear responsibility for the dead, demanded to sacrifice herself.
She must have resisted. Struggled.
But all those attempts would have failed.
And at the end of despair, the conclusion she reached was—
‘I just need to comply.’
Ironically, the only world left to her was them.
‘Those cunning old bastards…’
A life of submission. Until now, that had been enough.
It had been the best she could do.
But at best, it was only a half-measure.
In the end—
She had to break it.
Her world.
And that choice belonged solely to her.
That was why I had to be harsh.
Why I had to say things I didn’t mean.
To break the shell and let her soar—
This level of shock was necessary.
“Go back and think carefully, Karen Rosefield. Will you continue living as a tool… or leave those who destroyed you and live as a human?”
“……”
“If you truly want to take responsibility for the dead—make those responsible pay first.”
Karen kept her lips tightly shut, searching for words for a long time.
Tears had already begun to well up in her eyes.
“I…”
Just as she was about to speak—
A grotesque scream echoed from afar.
“…Already here, huh.”
Now it was time to face it.
The radiant yet dreadful future—
One that some had long awaited, and others had desperately feared.