Darkness enveloped the entire world as if hell''s darkness leaked and spilled.


    Nothing could be seen but a spectacrnceing down from the sky like a shooting star—alongside it was a rain of ashes, that shimmered, with celestial power. Under the might of a representation of the Lunirich Gods, thest moon, the Yule Moon was thrown at Rex.


    It was the cause of this absolute darkness.


    Every ounce of Yulthar''s power in his avatar was infused into this meteornce.


    A sharp, piercing sound thundered from thence.


    Rex looked up and saw thence splitting the sky open, and the concentration of energy that was aimed at him, locking him in ce. Even without that concentration, he couldn''t move as threences speared through him already, pulsing inside of him with malice.


    "Now you die..." Yulthar''s whisper seeped into his eardrums.


    He knew that receiving this attack directly would''ve killed him without a doubt.


    Even the System prompted him endlessly with warning notifications, begging him to dodge.


    Possessing the Invincible II item, the chance of him surviving this attack was unquestionable, but Rex was reluctant to use it. He had used the Invincible item—back when he was attacked by these Gods for the first time in the Endless Field of Hyacinth.


    Because of the suddenness of the situation and condition, he has no choice but to use that.


    Capitalizing on the System again to save himself, that didn''t sit well for him.


    Especially when he had made a deal with Nivellen without the System telling him to do so, it was his words that were given to her. Due to that, he did not want to use the Invincible item. He could use other items but not the Invincible item.


    Rumble!


    But how...?! I can''t break free from thesences!


    Is there really no other way?


    Just as hope began to be lost, a figure rekindled his hope as a roar resounded.


    Rex turned sharply—and saw Giste, sprinting towards him, there was something different about her but he couldn''t pinpoint what, since she was in her Human form. But he could see that her condition had gotten better.


    It was almost like the clogged part of her had been released, and she emerged anew.


    "Don''te close, Giste!" Rex warned in a panic. "You''ll be in its way!"


    Despite the warning—Giste kept on going without a care in the world.


    She then felt the air nearing Rex beginning to thicken.


    Under the influence of the descending meteornce, the space around Rex was gripped.


    Giste was halted—her movements began to turn into slow motion.


    It was akin to running at the bottom of the sea but ten times harderpared to that.


    Nobody could get close to Rex, at least without any help.


    Out of nowhere, Nivellen made an intervention—the surface of Giste''s jade-like skin began to steam, and flicker with the banished dark moon kingly energy. It coalesced, and enhanced the blood moon kingly energy that empowered Giste through the Herald Mark.


    Empowered by Nivellen, Giste was able to move again and stretched her hand forward.


    "Rex!" She shouted, her eyes gleaming with a light bronze hue.


    Knowing what Giste wanted and also having no other choice at this heightened moment— Rex also reached for her hand as much as he could—though it was hardly anything. Instantly after their fingertips touched, Giste''s form suddenly dissolved into liquid.


    Her liquid form spurted and gushed into Rex''s body through his spores, surprising him.


    <Notice: the user is enhanced by the Adaptive Unity moon ability!>


    Not expecting this to happen even in his wildest dream, Rex looked down, located beside his heart was another beating heart, but this one ck—and humming with energy. Then, a wild mutation happened.


    Rex watched in astonishment as his skin began to peel away.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But instead of blood and bone beneath, metallic, bronze-colored scales reced it.


    Each scale shimmered like steel under the light from the meteorce, each oneyered to form an imprable armor. His body expanded, swelling with power as bony sounds began to assault his hearing.


    It was as if he was turning into a Werewolf for the first time all over again.


    His fangs elongated, the muscles in his jaw thickened, his horns stretched, his ws sharper, and a massive armored tail, grew behind him, thicker, than his own thighs—as it mmed the ground with power.


    Power surged through him like an unstoppable current.


    Rex could feel his strength returning—with renewed vigor, he nced at the threences still embedded in his body—the wounds no longer debilitating. You see now, Giste? It was right to bring you here with me, you came right on time!


    A distance away, Adhara watched the transformation unfold and sucked in a cold breath.


    "Giste, what did you do?" She mused in utter astonishment.


    But sensing that Rex''s aura was flickering once more, she turned to the meteorce.


    "I need to buy time, even a precious second counts!" She nodded and summoned thest bit of her power. Adhara unleashed her serpent spirit—sending it charging towards the meteorce to intercept it.


    At the same time, she invoked a spell she gained from Riona.


    "Fire Sequence: Celestial Sanctum!"


    Discover hidden tales at empire


    Swoosh!!


    Though it was meant to be a protective barrier, Adhara cleverly repurposed it, wrapping the spell around the meteorce. She pointed her hand, at the descendingnce—and blood gushed out of her nose and mouth, the odor of iron was assaulting her senses but she kept controlling her arcane fire mana to cast the spell.


    "Raargghh!!" She shouted determinedly.


    Under her control, the barrier constricted thence, squeezing it and draining as much power as possible. Additionally, her violet serpent, spiraled around thence, its mes intensifying, creating a fiery vortex around it.


    Its gushes stripped even more energy from the meteorce.


    No matter how small the impact would be, Adhara pressed on, pouring everything she had.


    If it meant gaining a few precious seconds for Rex, she would do it.


    Emerging from the rubble, Kyran, scanned the situation of the battle, and saw what Adhara was doing. His pupils dted at the sight of Rex still being pinned, and also thence. Not a single second more was needed for him to make his move.


    He leaped skyward, aiming tond a distance in front of Rex, still within thence''s target.


    As he did that, he saw Flunra also recovering from the earlier crash.


    Making a wave with his hand, he used his ice to propel Flunra in the same direction.


    Just like Giste—the locked dimension slowed them down—but Nivellen did the same thing, helping them reach Rex. Landing firmly on the ground, Kyran mmed both of his hands, and summoned the biggest ice spike he has ever summoned.


    Crack!


    It was as big as a skyscraper, endlessly protruding out of the ground.


    Seeing this, Flunra cut his hand from the wrist and used it to draw a rune in front of him.


    His writing was immacte and sophisticated.


    Eventually, a rune made more than fifty strokes manifested, humming with incredible power.


    From his paleplexion, the rune certainly took everything he had to make.


    Branding the magnificent rune on the elongating ice spike, Flunra fell to his knees—and then fell to his face from exhaustion. Even then—his effort was not in vain as Kyran could feel the power of his ice spike double, enhanced by the gleaming runic energy of the old.


    Kaboom!!


    Upon making an impact with the meteorce, the ice spike was speared through.


    But more came to rece the shattered ice as Kyran also poured everything.


    His arms nted into the ground began steaming violently.


    It felt like his arms were being boiled from the inside, sending excruciating pain through his nerves, "Raargghh!!" Kyran howled, the veins across his arms bulging—as his feeble power challenged a God''s power. "Over my dead body!! Even if a God, wants—to kill the Alpha, he would need to go through me fist!"


    "I suffered through years of hell, I will not let this be Rex''s end!" He screamed mightily.


    Kyran was exerting his moonlight energy automatically.


    His mind was already darkened, he was losing consciousness at this fearsome sh.


    Initially, he was breathing heavily—full of vigor but it didn''t take long before that disappeared and he was thrown into a world of ckness. However, as his mind was about to slip, a voice prated his mind.


    You''ve done good, let go. I''ll take care of the rest.


    Upon hearing this, Kyran smiled lightly as he also fell forward, knocked out cold.


    Swoosh!!


    Piercing the sky above Kyran, and Flunra, Rex sted through the restrictions—with his new enhanced power and headed straight to the meteorce. He could feel the power—of thence breezing against his skin.


    It''s incredibly strong, butpared to before... this is not as overwhelming.


    Rex recalled the sensation he felt during the Lunirich Gods'' initial attack.


    Compared to back then, he was not as oppressed.


    I''ve gotten stronger, the tip of the celestial realm, I barely reached it.


    Even though I needed help from others, I still reached it.


    No skill, abilities, or other power he has would be able to match the destructive power of this meteorce—crafted by the Yule Moon''s body. He was utterly outmatched, but his power alone was not the only thing present at this moment.


    He has the Countess and also the System backing him to achieve this victory.


    Thus, his power was propelled to the bottom tip of godhood.


    Swish!


    As Rex shot toward the meteorce, an item appeared in his hand.


    It was a crystal that was filled with an unknown energy, a fragment of something, that was at the tip of godhood even without any help. Rex took out the Versatile Origin Fragment item he gained from turning Caraptaros.


    Such an item was filled with Origin energy.


    Had he absorbed it earlier, he would''ve gotten stronger once again.


    But he had already absorbed, the fragment inside Caraptaros, his body could not handle one more Origin fragment. Saving it forter was the best logical move he could make but he was not going to do that.


    Instead, he was going to use it right now.


    Crash!!


    Swoosh!!


    Rex shattered the Versatile Origin Fragment, causing its Origin energy to spiral out.


    Gritting his teeth, he instantly cast his strongest ability, the Brutal Impulse moon ability, and siphoned the Origin energy—into a single attack. His right arm trembled uncontrobly, Rex had never felt so much power charging his right arm before.


    It threatened to explode his right arm but his physique and willpower persevered.


    Fixing his eyes on the meteorce, Rex made a savage swing, meeting its tip with his fist.


    "Suck on this!"


    KABOOM!!


    A sh of energy. exploded like a blossoming flower, lighting up the entire sky—as if it were the day. Rex''s bloodshot eyes stared at the point of impact and saw the Yule Moon''s energy violently pressing against him.


    It traversed through his right arm and caused blood to spurt out.


    Suffering through the pain, he pushed his punch harder as the Origin energy aided him.


    "RAARGGHKK!!"


    Crack!!


    Making a violent push, the meteorce cracked with a spectacr light.


    In the next second, the crack spread instantly throughout its body before it shattered.


    Boom!!


    Waves of energy expanding like beautiful aurora exploded outwards—as Rex pierced through the meteorce, achieving triumph over Yulthar''sst attack. He didn''t stop, and soared to the sky, following the upward momentum and basking in the glory.


    From the other part of the sky, Yulthar had his eyespletely wide in shock.


    He saw what he saw but he couldn''t believe it.


    Even though he was restricted by the world, as he was an anomaly, a God—thatst attack was beyond the capability of the avatar, he was using. Rex should not be able to block that attack.


    "You should''ve died as you''re supposed to, mortal..." He mused in disbelief.


    Just then, however, his shock heightened when his face was grabbed by a hand.


    In a blink, Rex appeared and grabbed him by the face.


    "In the higher scheme of things, a God is higher than a mortal," Rex said—his voice stabbed deep into Yulthar''s ears. "but Godsck the fragility, youck the driving motivation to fight. For a mortal who faced death as they eat is already a step higher than a God"


    "In the name of Nivellen the Countess of the Banished Dark Moon, I, a mortal, banished you back to your pathetic realm... God"