[Trantor - Helga ]


    [Proofreader - Lucky]


    Chapter 169


    A massive shadow loomed over the floating city.


    Waves of heat and mana shimmered from the shadow, striking the ground below.


    The city, which had been tilting and falling, suddenly halted.


    The blood red shadow''s eyes glowed with a piercing red light.


    The sacred aura of the buildings began to shift.


    Their once radiant and divine appearance darkened into somber, oppressive tones.


    Even the heavenly structures themselves morphed, abandoning their former grace and sanctity.


    Now, they took on a shape that evoked sheer terror.


    Kane slumped to the ground with a heavy thud.


    "Thank goodness," he exhaled deeply, relief evident in his voice.


    This ce originally brimmed with ‘divine energy’, it was now equally saturated with a more sinister energy: blood mana.


    Each breath Kane took seemed to carry the tangible presence of blood mana.


    This energy was one Kane and ta were most familiar with.


    ta had transformed to his main form and consumed overwhelming blood mana in the floating city.


    And by absorbing the power of the First Star, ta had nearly regained his former strength.


    Thanks to this, Kane could now fully utilize ta’s powers.


    That dark blood-red shadow was ta.


    “I had heard that monsters of ferocious species could create domains, and it seems I was right to assume ta could as well.”


    Monsters of the Ferocious species could establish domains using their own power.


    Domain creation was essentially the act of unleashing their energy to transform an area into their territory.


    Much like humans waged wars to imnd, monsters dered dominion through a simr ritual.


    ta had dered the floating city as part of his domain.


    This method proved highly effective.


    Isaac''s eyes flew open as he eximed,


    "We ain’t falling anymore"


    “But we don’t know when it might start falling again. We should escape immediately,” Mikhail advised.


    Isaac, ncing around, searched for ta.


    “Where is Sir ta?”


    “Wasn’t he with us just a moment ago?”


    Moments ago, they had been screaming together, forging a strange camaraderie amidst the chaos.


    Yet now, ta was nowhere to be found.


    “If we lose Sir ta, Kane will be devastated,” Isaac muttered, his expression conflicted.


    For a brief moment, Isaac wrestled with a decision.


    Should they escape immediately?


    Or should they search for Sir ta and escape together?


    The decision didn’t take long.


    “We need to find Sir ta and bring him back. You, help Kane move.”


    Mikhail nodded, understanding the urgency.


    The two men headed out.


    Isaac called out desperately,


    “ta! Where are you?”


    “Where are you, Sir ta? We must escape before the floating city falls!”


    Despite his calls, ta did not respond.


    Meanwhile, Mikhail supported Kane, helping him stay upright.


    “Why is His Highness acting like that?”


    “It’s because Sir ta has vanished.”


    “Am I the only one who can see ta in that form?” Kane gestured ahead with a nod.


    Mikhail followed Kane’s gaze but showed no sign of recognition.


    “So, it seems only I can see ta’s domain manifestation. Is that why no one can locate monsters of this caliber?”


    Even an 8th-ss individual can’t detect their domain.


    This must exin why ferocious ss monsters were able to survive, unchecked, across the continent.


    It wasn’t even part of the original game’s lore.


    “I’ll summon Chrysalis,” Mikhail suggested.


    “There’s no need. We’re not escaping,” Kane replied.


    “What do you mean by that?”


    “ta is stabilizing the floating city to prevent it from falling. There’s no need to panic.”


    “Is that true?”


    Mikhail turned his head from side to side, scanning the area.


    ta was nowhere to be seen.


    At that moment, Kane spoke to ta.


    “Move down to the forest beside the imperial city.”


    [That’s a piece of cake.]


    The floating city, now steady, began shifting sideways.


    “Desdemona,” Kane called out.


    In response, the vampire lord appeared before him.


    “Kill the remaining enemies with Mikhail.”


    “And the hostages?”


    “They’re unnecessary. They’re blindly loyal to the Meyer Family.”


    “So, there’s no saving them. Got it. I’ll take care of it before we descend.”


    With that, Desdemona disappeared.


    Mikhail, who had been listening nearby, was about to move when Kane’s voice stopped him.


    “Tell the Crown Prince to stop searching for ta.”


    “Understood.”


    Kane let out a faint chuckle.


    Isaac truly was an amusing character. Borderline entric.


    He thought Isaac was one of the best-crafted characters in this game.


    St!


    Desdemona’s hand pierced through the chest of a Meyer Family priest.


    She wiped her hand clean as she licked the blood off her fingers.


    He was thest of them.


    Desdemona, as an vampire, inherently opposed to the Meyer Family,


    She was far stronger than them despite being on the same level.


    Though light and darkness typically counterbnced each other, she had transcended her weakness.


    Having been reborn from darkness and grown to endure light, the Meyer Family priests were no match for her.


    “It’s done. The master will be pleased,” she murmured.


    Excited by the thought of praise, Desdemona skipped lightly as she headed toward Kane.


    However, upon seeing him, her slight smile vanished.


    She approached him and reported,


    “It’s finished.”


    “Are you hurt?” Kane asked, his voice steady.


    Desdemona’s heart pounded fiercely at the unexpected concern.


    Struggling to contain her fluttering emotions, she answered,


    “No.”


    Her cool voice matched the icy beauty of her face, perfectly blending elegance with ruthlessness.


    “You’ve done well.”


    Thepliment made her feel as though she could soar with joy.


    But outwardly, she kept herposure.


    To hide her expression, she transformed into a bat and flew off to some unknown ce.


    Meanwhile—


    Thud.


    The floating city descended gently into the forest beside the imperial capital.


    As the gates of the capital opened, arge force of soldiers poured out to secure the area.


    “Your Highness, I’ll leave the cleanup to you,” Kane said.


    “Wouldn’t it be better if you took charge? After all, you’re the protagonist here,” Issac replied with a wry smile.


    “That’s not a great choice. It’s wiser to let everyone believe this was all your doing.”


    “Are you trying to make me the viin?”


    “I simply detest dealing with troublesome matters. Besides… I’d like to rest soon,” Kane admitted, ncing at Issac.


    Kane’splexion was ghastly pale, almost devoid of any color.


    No Blood was immensely powerful, but it came at the cost of its wielder’s life force.


    Though blood pact could replenish that life force, it didn’t change the fact that Kane had spent it heavily in the battle.


    He needed absolute rest now.


    “Alright, I’ll finish this up quickly ande find you. Just hold on for a bit,” Issac said.


    “I’m heading back right away,” Kane replied.


    “Right away? That’s a bit cold.”


    “My condition requires at least a year of rest. I hope you’ll understand.”


    Issac nodded, knowing Kane’s state was far from ordinary. He had faced none other than the First Star, and the fact that Kane was still standing was remarkable.


    “Fine. I’ll handle everything here ande see you once I’m done.”


    “I won’t stop you, but don’t mention me too much. Just say I helped a little—or better yet, don’t mention me at all.”


    “I’ll handle it my way. You just focus on recovering,” Issac said, waving him off.


    Isaac nodded and headed toward the gathered soldiers.


    Kane turned to ta.


    “Take me to Rehinar.”


    “You’ve exhausted yourself so much you can’t even move a finger, huh? Looks like I’m the only one you can count on,” ta teased as he began to expand in size.


    Just then, Chrysalis interjected softly.


    “Isn’t flying faster? Let me take you there.”


    “Won’t that be a strain on you? You’ve used a lot of your strength too,” Kane asked.


    “Flying isn’t an issue,” Chrysalis replied calmly.


    Kane nced at ta, then gave a small nod.


    “Flying would be faster.”


    “What? You’re changing ns now? That’s unfair!” ta grumbled.


    “Let’s just get home quickly so I can rest,” Kane said dismissively.


    ta shrank back to his smaller form with a pout.


    He nipped at Kane with his tiny mouth but was quickly rebuffed.


    “Don’t even think about siphoning my mana.”


    “Ah, you caught me,” ta giggled and ran away.


    * * *


    Arriving at Rehinar with Chrysalis''s help, Kane wasted no time heading straight to his room.


    “I''m tired. Don’t let anyone in,” he instructed the maids before closing the door behind him.


    Kane immediately prepared a bath, seeking a moment of solitude. As he soaked, his heartbeat quickened—not from exhaustion, but from anticipation—as he reviewed the glowing hologram before him.


    [Main Story – Visit the Stairway of the Gods]


    Grade: UR


    Description: You have vanquished one who defied the gods. While there are still those who believe humanity can ascend to divinity, the fall of their leader has shattered even their faintest hopes. The gods, relieved of a persistent nuisance, regard you favorably. If you ascend the Stairway of the Gods, you will obtain what you desire.


    Reward upon sess: ???


    Penalty upon failure: Death


    “A quest I’ve never seen before… and it’s the final one,” Kane murmured.


    Not even in his previous life as Ray had he encountered such a quest. Back then, the existence of the Meyer Family had consumed nearly a decade of his time in vain struggle.


    And now?


    It had taken just over a year.


    The results were thanks to the experience he had amassed during those grueling years as Ray. It had been an arduous and prolonged journey, but the end was finally in sight.


    “Would this quest have also appeared for Ray, had things been different?”


    With that thought, Kane activated his magicalmunication link with Ray Hatzfeld.


    “Did it appear for you?”


    - It did.


    “So, we were meant tobine forces all along… too bad I realized it sote.”


    - Trusting you to handle it was the right choice. Are you heading for the Stairway of the Gods right away?


    “Give me a bit more time.”


    - You''re surprisingly sentimental.


    “I’ll contact you again. Just wait. If you rush in and something goes wrong, it’ll be a mess.”


    - Hey—


    Click.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Kane cut the connection before Ray could finish.


    The scenario required coboration to ovee, but the fact remained: this oue was entirely his doing.


    Ray Hatzfeld had never acted overtly hostile toward him, only refraining from interference. Perhaps Ray had even provided unseen aid. But in the end, Kane alone had toppled the Meyer Family.


    "Still, the fact that the same quest appeared for both of us… it must mean something."


    The next quest’s details were aplete mystery.


    Two heads were better than one, especially if it required coboration to seed.


    Kane felt a mix of excitement and fear.


    If hepleted this quest, he could return to reality.


    But failure meant death.


    A death from which he would never wake up.


    Hadn’t he already tasted death once as Ray?


    It was an experience he never wanted to repeat.


    That filthy, hollow despair…


    The crushing weight of helplessness was far more grueling than he ever imagined.


    Especially the helplessness tied to death—he couldn’t endure that again.


    “I need to wrap things up before I leave.”


    During his time here, Kane experienced emotions he had never felt as Ray.


    The bonds he formed were as precious aspleting the storyline itself.


    He had pushed himself to ensure the safety of those who mattered to him.


    “Goodbyes are never easy.”


    This ce was both his reality and a virtual world.


    Over the course of a year, he had forged countless connections with the game''s characters.


    The thought of leaving, knowing he might never see them again, weighed heavily on his heart.


    "If I must leave, I want to go with no regrets. Until then, I''ll cherish every moment."


    Kane finished his bath andy down on his bed.


    His body rxed, and sleep quickly overtook him.


    As his eyelids grew heavy, he drifted into slumber without realizing it.


    The next morning.


    Knock, knock, knock!


    A maid gently knocked on his door.


    "Your Highness, are you awake?"


    "Hmm... what''s going on?"


    "There''s a guest outside. They say you invited them. It seems like you shoulde out."


    "I invited someone? But Isaac is probably swamped with a mountain of things to do."


    Kane rose from his bed and made his way outside.


    The moment he saw the visitor, he tilted his head in confusion.


    [Trantor - Helga ]


    [Proofreader - Lucky]