Second World Chapter 1996: Chapter 1996. Reinforcements
Master released his grip on the Book of the Damned. Even so, the tome failed to return to his inventory, nor did the Demonic Contract cease its effects. Crimson threads continued to weave from the pages, funneling energy into his vast legion as the book remained suspended in the air beside him.
In the hand that previously held the book, a new magic staff materialized. Complex spell formations immediately began to manifest around the weapon.
Jack lunged forward, his already immense speed further amplified by the Sphere of Tiamat. Despite his rapid approach, he was unable to reach his opponent before the casting was finished. Master’s casting speed was nothing short of supernatural.
The spell cast was Greater Dispel. Instantly, the Sphere of Tiamat protecting Jack’s form dissipated into nothingness.
Jack had anticipated this move. The moment his protection vanished, the veins across his body swelled and leaked a thick crimson mist. He had triggered the Devil Blood ability granted by his Ring of Devil Incarnate.
Master possessed the means to nullify this transformation with another Greater Dispel, but doing so required the Necronomicon to bypass cooldowns. While maintaining the Book of the Damned’s active effect was hands-free, activating a new ability was not. He would have to drop his staff, retrieve the Necronomicon, re-equip the staff, and then cast. Even with his god-like speed, Jack would strike before the sequence finished.
Deciding against another Greater Dispel, Master began a different incantation as Jack bore down on him in his Devil Blood state.
Master’s subordinates tried desperately to obstruct Jack’s path, but their interference was trivial. Jack unleashed Soul Asura alongside his Devil Blood. Wielding six blades, his sword art became a whirlwind of steel that carved through the ranks, bypassing enemies even as he struck them down. Close behind, the gold dragon guarded his flanks, preventing any opportunistic ambushes.
By choosing to chain-cast a new spell rather than refreshing his dispel, Master completed his magic just before Jack reached him. The air directly in front of him transformed into a chaotic realm of elemental fury, trapping Jack within the turbulence.
This was the Domain of Elemental Pandemonium, a high-tier spell belonging to a level 90 Elemental Master. Though typically a massive area-of-effect offensive spell, Master utilized Form Manipulation to compress its size. This concentration made the elemental forces within the zone significantly more violent. Even with his various buffs, Jack found himself unable to fly out of the storm, tossed helplessly by the raw elemental power.
The gold dragon trailing Jack managed to avoid the tempest. Rather than attempting a rescue, it veered off course and charged directly at Master.
Master was ready for the beast. Immediately following the first spell, he completed the casting of Elemental Singularity. This focused, single-target strike slammed into the gold dragon, robbing it of its momentum and sending it crashing down. As soon as the dragon stalled, Master’s other summoned creatures swarmed the creature.
Master showed no signs of stopping. He began another incantation, preparing for the possibility of Jack escaping the Domain of Elemental Pandemonium. Through the thick elemental haze, Jack appeared trapped. However, Master’s mana sense suddenly screamed with a warning of approaching lethality.
He was unable to pinpoint the origin of the threat. He moved to switch his casting to a defensive spell, only to realize it would be futile; the strike was manifesting exactly where he stood. He triggered Soul Armor to absorb the impact, but his instincts warned him that even this would be insufficient.
Forced to abandon the Second Sun, Master sprouted demonic wings from his back. He attempted to fly away, but a powerful gravitational pull anchored him in place. While Soul Armor mitigated some of the suction, it wasn't enough to break free. He performed a rapid-fire Teleportation, yet he reappeared in the exact same spot, suddenly encased in a blinding world of white.
High above, the second sun flickered and died out. Near the battlefield below, a new, smaller sun ignited. This orb was pure white; it did not burn those on the outside, but those trapped within were a different story. The radiance acted as a cage, and Master was caught at its very center.
This was the white sun known as Hope’s Light.
The charge by Jack and his gold dragon had been the third layer of John’s tactical deception. Even if Jack failed to land a blow, he had successfully closed the distance. With that proximity, they had locked onto Master’s precise coordinates.
Following John’s command, those imbued with Hope’s Sanctification had congregated. Jeanny, Paytowin, Grace, and one of Jack’s clones gathered around the Celestial Moth. The Archdemon Lord and the Celestial Moth deployed defensive barriers to shield the group as they prepared their combined strike.
Veiled by concealment, they had successfully unleashed their coordinated assault. Master never realized the magnitude of the hit until it was far too late.
“Grgghhh…!”
Master struggled against the crushing weight within Hope’s Light. His stats were high enough that the Soul Armor held together, but the pressure rendered him immobile. Every attempt to cast a spell failed as he struggled to maintain focus; the light seemed to be invading his very mind.
Though he possessed the largest health pool among all players, Master’s HP was still far below that of a native NPC. His Soul Armor blunted the damage, but the drain remained lethal. With a final roar of indignation, his HP hit zero.
*
“What sort of enchantment have you used here?”
The other Master, currently locked in combat with the mana-awakened Jack, demanded an answer following the death of his double. That version of himself had been protected by a High Angel’s enchantment, summoned via a High Priest spell, which should have allowed him to resurrect if killed within thirty minutes. Instead, his other self had stayed dead.
“I don't know what you're talking about,” Jack countered. “You should be more concerned about yourself. Your divine incarnations are about to expire.”
With Demonization active, Master held the upper hand in raw strength, pushing Jack back during their exchanges. However, the divine incarnations were temporary. They were fading fast, and Master was nowhere near finishing the fight.
Without the oppressive heat of the Second Sun, Jack’s allies were no longer pressured. Bolstered by the melodies of Will and Elayne, they held their ground comfortably despite the enemy's superior numbers. Furthermore, the death of the first Master at the hands of Hope’s Light had severed the Demonic Contract. The Book of the Damned had vanished back into the living Master’s inventory. Without that massive buff, the Council of Elpo members were now the stronger force.
The momentum shifted further when a piercing shriek echoed from the clouds. A massive white eagle dove toward the battlefield, summoned by John’s Summon Apex Monster. It wasn't alone; a swarm of flying beasts followed in its wake, called forth by John’s Call Monster Horde.
And these weren't the only reinforcements to arrive.
“Jeanny!”
Jeanny looked up at the sound of her name. Her companion, Garuda, was descending, accompanied by a massive host of eaglefolk from the surrounding regions.
Jeanny had used her companion token when Master first called his legion. Instead of summoning Garuda directly, she had used it to send a plea for aid. Given the Council of Elpo’s positive standing with the local eaglefolk, the tribe had not hesitated to fly to the defense of the divine faction.
These new arrivals completely neutralized the numerical advantage of Master’s legion.
Master surveyed the field, realizing his position was deteriorating rapidly. To make matters worse, his divine incarnations finally timed out. Left with only the Earth Titan Suit and Demonization, his power level plummeted.
Jack seized the opening. He executed a One-word Slash, sending a prismatic line of light through the air that struck Master’s head. The force of the blow shattered the stone mask concealing Master’s features.
“It's over! You lose!” Jack shouted. He prepared a final, devastating skill to end the encounter, but he froze when he saw the expression on Master’s face.
With the stone mask gone, Master’s face was fully visible. He was wearing a wide grin.
“Thank you,” Master whispered.
As the words left his lips, a violent eruption of elemental energies burst from his body. Fire, ice, and lightning flared outward, followed by a localized hurricane that swirled around him.
Jack recognized the techniques instantly: the Fire God Suit, Ice God Suit, Lightning God Suit, and Wind God Rage. Combined with the Earth Titan Suit, Master had triggered the secondary abilities of every divine treasure simultaneously.
Jack was confused. These were primarily defensive measures. Was Master simply trying to buy a few more seconds of life? That didn't explain the smile.
Before Jack could process the situation, something incredible happened. The chaotic elemental shrouds surrounding Master merged, transforming into a brilliant, multi-colored aura identical to the one Jack himself possessed.