The Greatest Warrior of All Time Returns-Chapter 393

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Chapter 393

At the very least, the version of me from the Closed World wouldn’t have entered this place in a weakened state.

If someone like that came back drenched in blood, then whatever lies in there must be extremely dangerous.

And it doesn’t feel like it’s simply because there’s a powerful physical enemy inside.

As I stood there, slowly taking in whatever lay beyond the gradually emerging door, Isna—who had been pulling the stars back—approached me.

“What are you going to do?”

“You leave too. Like you said, if things went that wrong in the Closed World, having you all here would just get in the way.”

At my cold response, she silently turned around.

Leaving her retreating figure behind, I fixed my gaze on the completely collapsed space beyond, radiating white light.

“Librarian. Do you know what that is?”

[Unable to confirm. It has lost all of its original form.]

“And the gatekeeper was guarding that thing?”

[However, judging by the name ‘The Corrupted One Within the Gate,’ it is certain that the interior has lost its original form and become corrupted.]

“Looks like it.”

The pure white light slowly turned blood-red.

Then—

A gigantic eye made of light gradually formed in the sky.

Magic?

No.

It was magic mixed with authority.

The enormous eye seemed to shift, then pulsed once.

Thump!!

At the same time, a strange sensation rippled through my body.

Then something slowly began to take shape in front of me.

That something was—

“…What?”

It was Isna’s body, dyed blood-red.

As if to declare that the only colors she possessed were black and red, an intense sense of alienness washed over me.

“That’s not Isna.”

[Presumed to be a copy. Or something equivalent.]

A doppelgänger?

But it felt like it was reproducing Isna’s power perfectly.

The blood-red Isna doppelgänger immediately drew a sword in each hand when it saw me.

Oh, really?

[Be cautious. This entity possesses power nearly identical to Isna Mielephon.]

An ability this precise and comprehensive was tempting—but there was no clear way for me to obtain it.

“Well, since it’s not Isna, I don’t need to hold back, right?”

[Correct.]

“Then I don’t need to control my output either.”

The moment I spoke, my shadow writhed once, and the space behind me tore open, revealing the massive maw of a dragon.

It was the power of the Demon Dragon Baril.

Wooooong— KWAHHHH!!!

Without hesitation, it fired its breath toward Isna.

Isna silently watched, then stepped forward.

BOOOOM!!

At the same time, a blade of ultra-high-temperature flame flew toward us.

Baril’s breath was a non-physical energy beam, yet astonishingly, the sword energy fired by the copied Isna shattered and tore through it, continuing straight toward me.

I lightly snapped my fingers.

Snap!

Magic circles bloomed around me, resonating as hundreds of 7th-circle spells—Astrape—were unleashed.

CRACKLECRACKLECRACKLE!!

It felt as if the world itself had turned into streams of lightning as countless thunder spears assaulted her at once.

The copied Isna evaded or destroyed them at incredible speed, closing the distance.

[9th-circle necromancy activated.]

[Chains of Black Obsidian.]

Clatterrrrr—

Prepared in advance, the necromantic spell activated, and black chains burst out from all directions, wrapping around Isna.

At the same time, something pale seemed to be forcibly pulled from her body.

As she staggered, I took a step forward.

[The copy is currently unstable. Immediate suppression is recommended.]

“Yeah. She is a bit different from the real Isna.”

I met eyes with her—her mask shattered, her bare face exposed.

In those emotionless eyes, I saw my own reflection raising a sword.

SHRAK!!

As I slashed through the air with my ghost blade, her body crackled and scattered like paper fragments.

[Analysis indicates that the entity was suppressed during the process of fully copying Isna Mielephon’s power. Given time, it likely would have been able to wield her abilities and judgment in full.]

That would’ve been a nightmare.

Still—since the doppelgänger was born right in front of me, I should consider myself lucky.

“Still… I don’t feel like this alone explains why I came back covered in blood.”

A foe like this shouldn’t have pushed me that far.

Then—a chilling thought crossed my mind.

“…Ah. Shit. Don’t tell me it copies everyone in this space?”

Others aside—that can’t happen.

If I were copied, I’d have to destroy it before the copy was completed.

WOOOOOOONG—!!

The moment the thought ended, a bizarre mana fluctuation erupted from the area where the stars had retreated earlier.

Normally, it’d be hard to notice—but I knew exactly what it was.

Because it was my own unique magic.

“Now I get why I came back completely wrecked.”

The stronger I become, the stronger the enemy becomes.

There’s nothing more dangerous than that.

* * *

“So this is what happens when the gate opens?”

“At least one thing is certain.”

Sword Saint Osberg Mielephon tightly gripped his sword, suppressing his killing intent to near nothing.

In his sight was a blood-red being.

At first, there were more than six of them.

But one of them slaughtered the others in an instant and absorbed their power—complicating everything.

Sensing danger, everyone hid their presence and silently watched Leon’s doppelgänger standing motionless.

“If we fight it head-on, it’ll be a massacre.”

“I’d rather run right now than fight that thing.”

The others agreed.

A copy of Leon Cascadia.

If it copied not just his appearance, but his power—

That was a disaster.

“Hey. Commander of the Watch.”

“….”

“Can we beat that thing?”

“Does it look like it?”

Bellion scratched his head awkwardly at the obvious counterquestion.

“That thing hasn’t taken any enhancement potions yet, right? If we all take ours and attack together—”

Before he could finish, the red Leon pulled something from his coat and tossed it into his mouth.

“That— that bastard!!”

“It copied his inventory too? What kind of insane rift is this?”

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“So what—there were doppelgängers beyond the gate?”

“That would’ve been preferable.”

Isna spoke calmly, preparing for battle.

“What are you doing? Don’t tell me you’re planning to fight that thing.”

“Then what? Are bearers of the Star Title supposed to cower?”

At her provocation, Radiant Star Revolt let out a dry laugh.

“Didn’t know you were this nasty.”

“Hide here. I’ll buy time—get outside.”

“That won’t do.”

Revolt gripped his axes, circulating aura through his body.

“Protected just because of a title? That’s a joke.”

Leon’s doppelgänger turned its head.

“Fortunately, it seems the thing couldn’t copy the power Leon developed here.”

“That is fortunate. I don’t think I could survive that absurd magic.”

As Sevinel muttered agreement, Osberg shouted—

“It spotted us! Move!!”

“Don’t let your guard down. One mistake and you’re dead!”

All six raised their weapons toward Leon, tension razor-sharp.

* * *

Suppressing Isna’s doppelgänger before it could fully copy her power had been lucky.

I slowly approached the gate.

Blood-red, eye-like magic circles rotated, and the white light beyond the door deepened into crimson.

As if proclaiming its corruption.

Still, I reached out and touched the gate.

“Baril. Nemesis. Dagon.”

My shadow writhed violently, dragging massive entities into reality.

“Grivy. Sur. Serqet.”

I summoned three spirits as well.

“Father!”

Grivy ran toward me and hugged me the moment she saw me.

After hugging her once, I spoke.

“If you go straight west from here, there are people there. Guard them, just in case.”

I need to look inside this place.

She looked reluctant to part, but soon hopped onto Baril’s head, shouting excitedly.

“Let’s go! Dragon-dragon!”

Grrrrrr…

Baril growled low, clearly displeased, but still moved west with Grivy and the other two orders aboard.

Following him, Nemesis and Dagon advanced as well.

With 9th circle reached, my undead had gained immense power.

This should be enough to handle unforeseen variables.

Without hesitation, I stepped into the red space beyond the gate.

And the moment I entered—

I saw something entirely unexpected.

“…What is this?”

Before me stretched a massive corridor.

A gigantic stone bridge, like something straight out of a movie, extended far beyond the gate.

Below it lay an endless abyss—so deep that even my necromantic sight couldn’t see the bottom.

An alien landscape that instinctively evoked fear of the unknown.

At the far end stood another open gate.

I silently scanned the area.

“Librarian. Doesn’t this look like a passage?”

[Analyzing……]

Bzzz… bzzzzzz…

After a brief pause filled with static-like noise, text appeared.

[Area identified. Name: Bridge Leading to the End of the World.]

The end of the world?

I stared quietly beyond the bridge.

That’s when something appeared within the open gate on the other side.

A great archangel, bound in enormous chains.

[Warning. Warning. Immediate retreat is strongly advised.]

The Librarian’s messages flooded my vision.

“Hey, move. You’re distracting.”

I brushed the messages aside and walked forward.

This might be a seal.

And the one being sealed was likely that angel.

The problem was—

It was an angel.

Remiel and Luna had been sealed before, but never with this level of brutality or intent to erase.

Unlike Luna or Lispa, this one felt unforgivable.

As if they wanted it dead—but couldn’t kill it.

As I stared at the sealed being beyond the gate, I noticed something.

“The chains look pretty corroded.”

Just then—

The angel, eyes closed in silence, began to pulse.

Thump. Thump.

Its power spread outward, making my skin prickle.

This was beyond Luna.

Luna was one of the Three Great Archangels—among the highest.

Yet this angel surpassed even that.

For something like this to exist—

Only a god would make sense.

That’s when I noticed what surrounded the angel.

Massive fossilized remains of dragons anchoring the chains.

Dragons?

No—this was—

[Confirmed. Judged to be remnants of Progenitor Dragons.]

Ancient progenitor dragons, long extinct.

Multiple beings of their bloodline had banded together to seal this thing…

Then—

A voice reached me.

—Ah… ahh. Can you hear me? I smell a mortal. Someone has come here, yes?

“You don’t look familiar. Who are you?”

—Indeed… such vibrant life. A frail creation. Will you free my seal? Do so, and I shall grant you immense power.

“No thanks. Who are you?”

—You wish to know my existence? My name is Lucifer. A legitimate archangel.

There is no archangel named Lucifer.

And just looking at his sealed state made every hair on my body stand on end.

That’s when I realized—

Perhaps in the Closed World, I had already released this seal.

Or perhaps I had faced him after he was freed.

Either way—

That explained everything.

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