Online Game: Starting with an SSS-Level Plundering Talent

"Damn it!" Nick cursed in rage, desperate to destroy John's World-in-Hand as John had done to his own. But this realm was incomparably solid, and his efforts were useless.

He finally began to understand the terrifying power John wielded and wanted to escape.

However, with his own World-in-Hand destroyed and his laws in ruins, there was no way he could break through the restrictions of John's laws.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, the air hummed with sword intent, and blades of light filled the sky.

John didn't bother with words, unleashing his ultimate skill: Return of Ten Thousand Swords!

"No, Godslayer, don't kill me…" Nick cried out, pleading in terror, but his voice was drowned in the cascading waves of sword energy.

As the sword light engulfed him, his body was obliterated.

Moreover, with John's Crape Myrtle Mind Technique reaching level 10,000, even his regular attacks now included soul damage.

Nick didn't even have a chance to resurrect; he was completely annihilated.

[You have killed Two-Star Overseer Nick, gaining 2.6766 trillion experience points.]

[Plunder talent activated: +1% Heaven's Law, +10,000 Power, +10 Physical Crit, +500 Skill Points]

A series of notifications flashed.

"Heaven's Law? What is that even for?" John wondered, not feeling any immediate changes in himself.

Moments earlier, he had received the blessing of Heaven's Law, but after seeing visions of Sini and others dying horribly, he had forcibly rejected it, and the pillar of light had vanished.

It was almost as though Heaven's Law had its own consciousness, a drive to erase everyone close to him.

Now, after killing Nick and gaining 1% of Heaven's Law through Plunder, he felt none of that ominous sensation.

He couldn't quite figure it out.

With Nick's death, a Heart of the Continent floated out. Raising his hand, John drew it over.

He inspected it with curiosity. This Heart of the Continent was from a realm he'd never heard of—the Asura Realm.

He put it away for now, not in a rush to refine it; he had more urgent matters to attend to.

With a thought, he exited his World-in-Hand and reappeared at the Spirit Stone mine.

"You killed Nick!" Shadow Lord God's voice thundered as he glared at the suddenly reappeared John.

"So what? Is there a problem?" John retorted with a sneer, glancing around at The Absolute and the others.

They involuntarily took a step back in fear.

Nick had been far stronger than any of them, yet John had killed him. They knew they were no match.

"Curse you!" Shadow Lord God was seething with anger, yet he was powerless to do anything to John.

With a thought, he prepared to place another seal, intending to lock down the entire Spirit Stone mine once more.

Shadow God didn't realize that John had already refined this entire area, assuming instead that John's blessing from Heaven's Law had disrupted his seal.

Buzz!

That familiar force surged up again, throwing John backward.

This time, however, John wasn't worried at all. He cast a defiant look at Shadow God, then, with a mere thought, pulled the entire snow mountain and Spirit Stone mine into his World-in-Hand.

Boom!

The vast expanse of the Spirit Stone mine vanished in an instant, leaving a massive spatial void that sent surrounding forces crashing inward, creating turbulent spatial currents.

The Absolute and the others nearly got sucked into the chaos.

"What? You actually refined the snow mountain world!" Shadow God's eyes widened in shock, then blazed with unrestrained fury.

He had planned meticulously for years, only to have someone else take the prize.

"So, you knew about it!" John sneered, realizing that Shadow God had long known about the connection between the snow mountain and Spirit Stone mine.

But judging by his extreme reaction, it seemed there was an even deeper secret hidden here.

"Human!" Shadow God roared, his voice thundering like a storm, his oppressive aura radiating out, crushing everything in its path.

Boom, boom...

The Absolute and the others couldn't withstand the pressure and were instantly pulverized, only to resurrect in place moments later.

Unable to harm John, Shadow God's rage had no outlet.

"Spare us, my lord…" The Absolute, terror-stricken, fell to his knees, pleading for mercy.

The wrath of a Lord God was catastrophic; they had no hope of withstanding it.

Whoosh!

The crushing force dissipated as Shadow God strained to contain his fury, glaring icily at John.

Heaven's Law protected him, leaving Shadow God unable to do anything to this human.

The only option left was to put a massive bounty on John's head and hope other Overseers would take him down.

[System Announcement: Ice Talker of the Nature Clan has destroyed City 1134 and established a new faction, Voice of All Things.]

[Law protection on Shadow Star has been lifted. Resources are now open for all.]

...

Suddenly, three system-wide announcements echoed.

Just as he'd managed to calm himself, Shadow God's anger flared anew, erupting into a furious roar.

"Ice Talker!!!" he snarled, seething, then spat venomously, "Nature God, come out and face me!"

The Absolute and others lay prostrate, trembling.

John had been about to leave, but the announcements stopped him in his tracks.

When he'd first arrived on Shadow Star, the Shadow Clan had immediately imposed rules, forbidding anyone from establishing factions.

Ice Talker was the first to destroy a city on Shadow Star and establish her own faction.

This woman—or rather, the Nature Clan—must have some hidden agenda.

Boom…

The sky rumbled again as an aura equal in power to Shadow God's descended.

John looked up, seeing the figure of an old man appear in the sky, watching Shadow God calmly.

"The Immortals?" John muttered, frowning as he studied the elder's spectral figure.

The Immortals' presence surrounding this elder was as potent as that of Ice Talker.

This wasn't simply the result of acquiring one of the Immortals' treasures.

The Nature Clan and the Immortals must have a deeper connection.

"Nature God, what is the meaning of this?" Shadow God's voice was cold as he addressed the elder.

The Nature God remained serene, his tone calm. "Don't think I'm unaware of what you've done to Ice Talker. Did you really believe my Nature Clan is so easy to bully?"

"Very well!" Shadow God gritted his teeth, his voice filled with malice. "I'd planned for the next world invasion to be Earth. But now? The next world to fall will be your Nature Star domain!"

"Heh." The Nature God's gaze turned icy as he sneered. "Let's see if you have the strength to carry that out!"

With a huff, Shadow God's figure began to fade, the blood-red aura gradually dissipating as well.

He took The Absolute and the other peak upper-tier gods with him, wary that John might take advantage of the situation and kill them.

Whoosh!

With the winds howling around them, the turbulent spatial currents subsided, leaving only John and the Nature God behind.

The elder observed John with curiosity before saying, "Young man, let us speak in the void."

With a wave of his hand, the space around them fractured, and John found himself pulled into a void realm, unable to resist.

Though chaotic spatial currents swirled around, they didn't come close to the two of them.

John felt puzzled; sensing no hostility from the Nature God, he asked, "Why have you brought me here, senior?"

The Nature God studied him with a keen gaze, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

Memory Search…

John's expression changed. He could feel the old man's soul invading the depths of his memories, performing an ability similar to his own Memory Search.

Fury surged within him as he tried to resist, but he was completely powerless.

It was as if he stood exposed before the Nature God, unable to hide a single secret.

Soon enough, the elder's soul withdrew, and he seemed relieved, exhaling softly.

"Old man, what do you think you're doing?" John growled, his anger evident. Anyone would be furious at having their memories searched so invasively without warning.

And with Heaven's Law's protection, he had no fear of this elder.

The Nature God glanced at him and explained, "Calm down, boy. I meant no harm. You've recently received the blessing of Heaven's Law, and I simply wanted to ensure you haven't been compromised by it."

"Heaven's control? What do you mean?" John frowned, recalling the scenes that had filled his mind when the blessing of Heaven's Law descended upon him.

It seemed that this "Heaven's Law" wasn't merely a cold, impersonal set of rules but possibly an entity with conscious intent.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Nature God's expression turned somber. "It means becoming like us… a puppet of Heaven."

John's confusion deepened, and he was about to ask more when Nature God continued, "Kid, don't accept Heaven's blessing. It's a way to erase your humanity, turning you into a puppet with no will of your own."

A puppet?

For some reason, a chill ran down John's spine.

His life's purpose was to protect Earth and prevent impending catastrophes.

But as he grew stronger and closer to his goal, he also felt an increasing sense of dread.

Looking at Nature God, he asked, "And you… do you still have your humanity?"

"Me?" Nature God's hands clenched, his gaze turning vacant as a single tear slipped down his cheek.

John took an involuntary step back.

He could feel Nature God's sorrow and despair radiate from him.

Even more intensely than Quagmlier's anguish after being imprisoned for millennia and watching his companions die.

"Senior, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…" John said, realizing he may have touched on a painful memory.

"It's alright," Nature God sighed deeply, regaining his composure.

He continued, "Godslayer, I sense that only you have the power to stop what's coming. If one day I am… no longer here, I hope you'll protect Ice Talker. And if possible, extend your protection to the Nature Clan as well."

John's frown deepened. It sounded as if this old man was leaving his last wishes.

Before he could ask anything, Nature God continued, "Don't ask any more questions. The less you know, the better off you'll be. Just remember—under no circumstances should you accept the blessing of Heaven's Law. We'll meet again…"

As his voice faded, Nature God's figure gradually vanished.

The space around John fractured, and in the next moment, he found himself back at the Spirit Stone mine.

Roar…

Suddenly, furious howls filled the air as waves of Hunters surged toward him.

With the Spirit Stone mine gone, this place had once again become a paradise for Hunters.

With a thought, John summoned three longswords and used Sword Control, sending icy gleams flashing through the air as he slaughtered the approaching Hunters mercilessly.

In mere minutes, he had cleared the area.

"Hm?" He frowned, sensing an unexpected visitor within his World-in-Hand.

It was Ice Talker.

"How did she get in here?" he wondered. Curious, he vanished from the Spirit Stone mine and entered his World-in-Hand.