NOVEL NEXT Chapter 164
164. Are You Prepared?
In a pure white space—Inner Space—I stood alone.
Before me loomed a pristine white temple.
I stepped into the temple that had suddenly appeared.
As I ventured deeper, I found a door glowing with golden light.
A faint, rainbow-colored light seeped through from the other side.
“The door is starting to open…!”
I had seen this same sight before, during my battle with Greed at the ancient dragon’s temple.
The abyss of my defensive skills.
Beyond that door lies a power far beyond what I possess now—.
“You have encountered all Skill Holders—and their powers.”
Before I knew it, a petite, beautiful girl stood by my side.
A lovely girl with shoulder-length blonde hair and round eyes.
A goddess—or rather, a fragment of one.
“Gregorio of Slaughter. Jack of Enhancement. Electra of Fate Manipulation. Vanessa of Teleportation. Sephiria of Restoration. And Levin of Domination, who remains within Jack. Now that you have resonated with all the divine crests—you can obtain complete power.”
“Complete power…”
I reached out toward the door.
With a trembling hand.
As I gently pressed my palm against it, the door shifted slightly.
It seemed like it would open if I pushed just a bit more.
From the already slightly opened gap, a faint, rainbow-colored light spilled through.
What lies beyond?
A chaotic mix of excitement and fear raged within my chest.
I want the power.
I’m afraid to take the step.
Two emotions clashed violently.
“The choice is yours.”
The goddess solemnly declared.
“If you step through, you may no longer be yourself. Are you prepared?”
“Prepared—”
“Once, I told you. You will gain even greater power, and eventually reach an inviolable realm—”
Yes, those were the words I heard during my battle with the Demon General Gairasvrim.
“Now is that time.”
Ilfaria stared at me.
Her eyes—deep, unfathomably deep.
A majestic divine aura, a torrent of radiant light.
“I ask you once more, Haruto. Are you prepared?”
Her gaze overwhelmed me.
A crushing, immense pressure.
The instinctive awe one feels when stepping into the realm of the gods.
“I—”
Yet, I reached out without hesitation.
Straightforward.
Toward the door.
“My resolve—”
Has been decided from the start.
To protect people with this power.
To keep those I care about from being hurt.
So, there’s no need to hesitate.
And so—I opened the door.
A burst of golden light.
Simultaneously, seven orbs of light floated around me.
These orbs, adorned with angelic crests, merged into one in midair.
My entire body pulsed with heat, as if my blood was boiling.
An overwhelming power surged from within, a sensation of wild, uncontrollable force.
—Before I knew it, I was back in my original location.
Nearby were Lilith and Vanessa.
And ahead, the dragon warrior Jack, cloaked in crimson light.
“What is this…!?”
Jack’s voice was filled with confusion.
The surroundings had completely changed.
A golden, radiant space expanded endlessly, centered around me.
Far wider in scope than any defensive skill I had used before.
Likely covering the entire capital.
“The seventh—form of the divine realm.”
I quietly declared.
The true name of the defensive skill bestowed upon me by the goddess.
“The Sealed World, [Elysion Gate].”
A world painted in vivid gold.
A space where all skill forms could be activated simultaneously—something that had only manifested once before, at the ancient dragon’s temple.
Back then, the strain on my body was immense, and I could only maintain it for a short time.
Since then, I hadn’t been able to activate it at will.
But now, it was different.
I could feel that I had complete control over it.
The intense pain I felt back then was gone.
Is this the completed form?
I instinctively understood.
This was an absolute defensive space—one that could block, seal, and annihilate all things.
The essence of divine power, usable only by me, who had resonated with all the Skill Holders’ crests.
“A new variation of your skill? But your power is only for defense… The situation hasn’t changed…!”
Jack charged at me.
With a speed I couldn’t react to, he slammed his fist toward me.
Just before impact, his fist was enveloped in a rainbow-colored light.
The blow that struck my cheek felt no heavier than a feather’s touch.
The destructive force had been completely nullified.
This—was different from my previous skill activations…!
My defensive skills were typically activated by my own will.
Only the sixth form, [Reverse React], activated automatically in response to my peril, once per day. The other five forms required my conscious activation.
But now, the rainbow-colored light that enveloped Jack’s fist—[Void Seal]—had activated automatically, without my will.
If my previous skills were active, this was automatic.
It had evolved even further since its manifestation at the ancient dragon’s temple.
“You’ve sealed my destruction… But I know how to break through…”
Jack’s figure vanished.
Using his super-speed movement, he escaped the skill’s range, only to return and attack again, likely aiming to strike once the skill was deactivated.
“No way… This space extends all the way to the capital’s walls… But with my speed, escaping its range is easy…”
The killing intent came from behind.
“It’s over, Haruto…!”
By the time I turned, Jack was already in his attack motion.
With my ordinary human reflexes, dodging or blocking was impossible.
A fatal blow was about to strike me—,
Clang!
The metallic sound unique to my defensive skill rang out.
A rainbow-colored light enveloped me.
This time, [Armor Phase] had activated.
“This is different from before…!?”
Jack leaped back, wary.
“Then, I’ll kill those two first…”
By the time he spoke, he was already in front of Lilith and Alice.
Simultaneously, the rainbow-colored light burst forth.
“Ugh…!?”
Jack retreated with a startled cry.
It seemed he had tried to strike, but my skill had automatically activated again, protecting the two.
“You activated your skill in response to that strike… With human reflexes…!?”
Jack turned to me in shock.
—No, I couldn’t have reacted.
By the time I noticed, Jack had already launched his attack.
It seemed this [Auto Guard] protected not just me, but also those I wished to defend.
The defensive aspect was now secure.
All that remained was how to render Jack powerless.