The thunder rumbles ceased, and silence returned.
The endless night sky was scattered with the moon and countless stars. A horizon stretched behind me, and a black horizon covered the front.
The area was vast due to the impact of the raging thunder just moments ago, and normally one might feel a sense of liberation… but I still felt confined.
It was as if I was surrounded by walls, making it hard to breathe.
The distant stars felt like they were within reach, as if I could grab them with a slight stretch of my arm.
“It’s strange, isn’t it? My physique hasn’t changed that much,”
I muttered my question, vibrating my vocal cords.
Well, whether I can even call them vocal cords is questionable.
When I was a slime, I used to “slush” by vibrating my body surface, but now I make sounds without doing that.
“I’ve become an even more bizarre creature.”
If I were to describe my current form, it would be a jewel pierced by a double helix.
A helix of thunder falling from the sky and a helix of rock jutting out from the ground. They intersect and intertwine with a seven-colored jewel that changes its hue every moment.
The tips of each helix are sharp like blades, making it look as if the sky and the earth are pointing spears at each other.
“…………”
“Well, first I need to do something about Chaos.”
I shifted my focus outward.
Chaos had retreated due to the shock when I became an Asteron, but it was approaching again now that the vortex of Sparkle had stopped.
“The 〔Aether〕… I don’t even need to use it. It’s not right to push an injured (God) too hard. Alright, for now, let’s blow it away, 〔Thunder〕.”
In an instant, the night sky was dyed in midday light.
Hundreds of lightning bolts rained down, completely incinerating the Chaos within a few kilometers in all directions.
This was the power of the Asteron’s authority, the pinnacle of the hierarchical ability, Alitia.
Of the three divine authorities, the first concept, 〔Thunder〕, was activated now.
It’s an Alitia that excels in destructive power, easy to understand.
“Well, this alone isn’t enough.”
The current attack was just a warm-up. It was just to shake off the Chaos and get rid of its minions.
In fact, while the minions were annihilated, I didn’t even use half of my maximum output. Also, I didn’t use the Alitia that defines the form necessary to subjugate Chaos.
So, naturally, the scattered body of Chaos was quickly repairing itself.
No matter how powerful it is, it’s like this. One of the reasons why the god of this star lost was probably because they were caught off guard by this characteristic.
“So, well, if I can resolve that, there shouldn’t be a problem… but if I miscalculate, it’ll be scary, so I’ll move the battlefield. Lift up, 〔Earth〕.”
A power that is similar to but different from Mana… or rather, I refined Inelgia, the undiluted form of Mana, and exercised Alitia.
The earth where Chaos had taken root was blown high into the sky with a roar.
The ground is essentially the body of the Star God, but even if the surface of the earth is peeled off, it won’t cause any pain.
It’s not that difficult to manipulate even without Alitia.
“Alright, now I can unleash my power without worry.”
I myself floated into the sky—this is my raw physical ability, without using Alitia or Inelgia. It’s strange—and pointed the tip of the rock helix towards Chaos.
It was trying to attack by extending its roots, unfazed by the sudden floating experience, but it was too slow.
I lost skills like Clear Mirror Still Water in the process of becoming an Asteron, but I’m much faster now than when I had skills.
Both my action speed and reaction speed.
I finished gathering the Inelgia gushing out from my Arche before Chaos could even stir.
The tip of the rock helix, aimed at Chaos, extended with great force.
Starting from the helix that pierced the center of the black Great Forest Sea, I poured in the final Alitia.
“Take form, Ame no Nuboko.”
The flesh of Chaos, which had been constantly changing shape, was fixed. Not just a partial change by Thunderous Cycle of Rise and Fall, but the entire vast Great Forest Sea.
The invincible protection that Chaos boasted was completely gone.
“If I remember correctly, it’s a spear from Japanese mythology, right?”
I dug up old memories while circulating Inelgia.
During the creation of heaven and earth, the Japanese archipelago was formed by stirring the chaos with Ame no Nuboko. I remember hearing a myth like that somewhere.
In other words, it’s a creation artifact.
What happened now was the same thing.
I gave a clear shape to the flesh of Chaos, which was formless and therefore invincible. I solidified the chaos.
“I see, so the increase in Experience Points was also because of this.”
I was convinced after actually using it.
The effect of increased harvest was created by the synergy of Thunder and Earth, but the fact that it extended to intangible things like Experience Points was due to the influence of Ame no Nuboko.
Hierarchical abilities are fragments of Alitia.
In particular, Unique Skills are not adjusted, so all three properties are easily reflected.
“Oops, my thoughts are wandering again.”
I’m getting too relaxed.
The reason is clear. The enemy is gone.
Chaos is still nearby, but it was no longer an enemy.
“…………”
That Chaos, on the other hand, was entering an attack stance.
It aimed the spouts of its minions towards me and gathered Mana to release a lump of chaos.
“Weave, 〔Earth〕.”
In response, I created a Mana Crystal in the air. Or rather, something like a Mana Crystal.
This, which was strengthened and modified by Earth, had performance that could not even be compared to the highest-grade Mana Crystal.
I poured Inelgia into the spherical Mana Crystal, which was already shaped as an Artifact.
It quickly began to shine white, and then I pulled the trigger.
“Skill recreation, S (Sparkle) U (Aproot) – Modified… I guess.”
Due to the power of Earth, the Inelgia within the Mana Crystal took on the property of destruction and was fired.
It was a technique based on the S (Sparkle) U (Aproot) I used to use, but there were some improvements.
One of them was the addition of directionality.
I was now able to fire magic bullets… no, divine bullets, only in the direction I intended.
“Farewell, Chaos.”
There was no need for a follow-up attack.
Inelgia, whose energy quality was on a different level than Mana. If that was made into a bullet, the outcome was obvious.
Chaos’s minions, attacks, and even its desperate defenses… everything was shattered without even a moment of resistance, leaving holes in the Great Forest Sea.
And then, an explosion. The Inelgia reduced Chaos’s vast body to dust, completely destroying it.
“Bury, 〔Earth〕.”
While watching Chaos’s Arche scatter, I used Alitia once more.
The countless scattered fragments of Chaos instantly weathered and turned into soil.
This eliminated any possibility of its revival.
The decisive battle with the Karkinos that threatened the world thus came to an anticlimactic end.