All beings are born as lower existences. This was an absolute condition applied to all worlds; even higher worlds were no exception to this rule.
It wasn't that there weren't absurd monsters born with a level above 270 as a result of a catastrophic cluster of mana, but no matter how 'hard' the 'world tried', there was a fundamental difference in the amount of records and mana between higher and lower existences. If they were born here and there, then the multiverse would have collapsed long ago.
[If it were that easy, the Destruction Demon Army should have destroyed the Heaven's Army long ago.] In fact, the Destruction Demon Army has the largest number among the 4 factions. There are many monsters born with really high levels in worlds after the 4th Great Cataclysm. Although the path to attain a higher existence is as hard as anyone else's, if the Destruction Demon Army reaches out its hands...]
"So even Dareu may have given birth to many Destruction Demon Soldiers."
[Yes, if it was maintained that way.]
"Then what is that?"
Yu IlHan pointed at the golden storm of mana rising from the ground and asked Liera. Liera became speechless.
[Uh, so, it's....]
It was a storm that raged as if every item containing mana was being sucked into it.
The life form raging at the center definitely possessed the violent presences of higher existences Yu IlHan had felt many times while living with the angels, attacking the fallen angels, and when he met Teraka in Dareu, the one that became a higher existence as a dragon.
[It looks like there was a mistake!]
Replied Liera in the brightest way possible. However, her expression was still not very pretty, and she couldn't hide her despair.
However, Yu IlHan just firmly accepted those words.
"Yeah, I was wondering why you weren't saying that nowadays." 1
Rules becoming twisted and broken just on Earth was nothing new anymore. Moreover, Yu IlHan was always waiting for this to happen. Experience from 5th-class beings was always welcome. Their magic stones were even more warmly welcomed.
Liera became worried after seeing Yu IlHan licking his lips.
[What are you going to do?.... Kill it?]
"There's no reason why I can't. In fact, the Deathgod skill is still maintained right now."
The Deathgod skill's activation requirements were relaxed once he entered the 90s, and now, at 99, it has been strengthened to an extreme degree compared to level 1.
Before, his buffs would be reset if he didn't kill an enemy within 5 minutes of each other, but right now, even if he didn't kill continuously, he could maintain the buffed state for one hour and 30 minutes.
Of course, that was nothing to stop the skill from being cancelled if he failed to kill the enemy in one strike, but the 18-fold increase in duration was a huge boon. Especially in situations like now where he found a monster after playing around a lot!
"There's around 5 minutes left, I guess. Although, it would be fine if I can get just a single hit in."
[You do know that the situation is very different from when you attacked a fallen angel by surprise, right...?]
"Yup."
When he attacked the fallen angel in surprise, his conditions were too good. Not only was there Na YuNa, the world's strongest buffer, but he had also learned about the fallen angels' weakness from Liera. If he attacked the head or the heart recklessly, he wouldn't have killed them so easily.
However, Yu IlHan dared to say that his current conditions were much better than that. Two years had passed, and although his level hadn't risen much, his power was incomparable to what it had been before. Just speaking about the Deathgod skill: although 80% was the limit at that time, it's now possible to enhance everything to 90%. Blaze, his Spear techniques, and other weapon mastery as well as support skills had developed a lot as well.
And decisively, he was now with the Destroyer's Flying Fortress. The flying fortress was treated as his equipment, so it not only received the enhancement effects of the Deathgod skill but also the benefits of a surprise attack!
Liera saw that Yu IlHan was completely rearing for battle and spoke after looking at the golden storm of light slowly dissipating.
[It is not far from birth. If you really need to kill it, you need to do it now when its ego still hasn't taken root.]
"Got it."
[...Don't you have any plans on waiting? If it was the birth of a simple monster, I wouldn't care, but this is an unprecedented incident. 5th class and above can no longer be considered 'monsters'. I mean to say that it might not be born evil.]
"Liera, you should know this, but."
Yu IlHan activated the fortress's greatest attack system, the Hundred Eyes, before replying.
"I don't like gambling that much."
If that was a harmless existence, then all was well. He would welcome that at any time. Perhaps that being might understand Yu IlHan's intentions and even support him.
However, what if it was like any other monster born on Earth, born with the resentment and killing intent towards Yu IlHan? If Yu IlHan's concealment wore off, then he would be threatened with death. No matter how strong he was, he could not sustain a full-frontal fight against a 5th-class being without the help of the Deathgod skill.
"And in fact, I don't really like the concept of good and evil either."
If Yu IlHan were a man who could only act after judging right and wrong, he wouldn't even be standing here right now. He would have died long ago.
Despite what grand schemes one may have, once the standard of good and evil becomes oneself, it amounts to nothing but hypocrisy. So, he does not judge the good and the evil. He killed only out of necessity and for survival.
In that, he was neither good nor evil. Only life.
[Okay, I get it.]
Hearing his firm reply, Liera said nothing and stepped back. Yu IlHan thought that Liera might have mentioned it in case he hesitated, but he paid no heed and focused on deploying the destruction mirrors.
One hundred mirrors floated on top of the flying fortress and were tilted at precise angles, as if they were preparing to focus their power into a single point. This was the 'one point focus' mode that Yu IlHan had prepared for scenarios like this.
[Wow, that's amazing...]
"Of course it is. How many magic stones do you think I'm using to do that?"
The most grand and overwhelming aura made Liera swallow in nervousness. She was sure that even she wouldn't be able to block all of that without coming out unscathed, even if she released all her power as an angel.
Even though the feathers of the fallen angels were from higher existences, now that they were separated and had lost their lives, they had to be weaker than when they were in active use. However, Yu IlHan had focused all that power and stacked it to unleash a power capable of harming higher existences. That was a blessing and, simultaneously, a disaster, born of power and technology.
A set of weapons made for mass destruction. What that was aiming at, of course, was the central regions of the storm on the ground. Although it hadn't even taken shape yet, the absurd amount of mana was still visible. Yu IlHan finished the minute adjustment of the trajectory and smirked.
"Even magical girls are the weakest when they're transforming."
[I like how you say such words without hesitation.]
He was confident he could kill the enemy with just this, but since the opponent was a higher being, he decided to take an additional measure for insurance. Never would Yu IlHan get struck on the back of his head due to carelessness. He had learned countless patterns of sure-fail tactics from novels and their protagonists!
[IlHan, hurry up. It will awaken and move soon.]
"Even if you don't tell me that, I'll...."
He activated Dragonic Blood and Blaze successively. As always, he had made it white using Eternal Flame. The location he placed the power of the flames was, of course, the central regions of the destruction mirrors. Liera shouted in shock.
[Such a thing was possible?]
"Of course, it's a part of my equipment. Although I do wish I could acquire the blessing of the goddess of fire with this..."
He always failed when he got greedy. He shook off his regrets about the blessing of the goddess of fire with a light smile and shot the weapon before that thing actually found consciousness and stood on guard. There was no need for any grand movements. It was just enough for him to grip his left hand more.
[Kyak!]
Just as Liera instinctively shrank and clung to Yu IlHan upon sensing the scale of the compressed mana, the destruction mirrors shot out a ray of white light without the slightest vibration.
It was compressed to the extreme that the ray of light, thinner than a fishing line, not only contained the mana of the hundred destruction mirrors, but also had Blaze's power enhanced by Dragonic blood.
[Critical Hit!]
In that instant, the line connected the sky with the ground and struck the center of the storm at a speed that could not be followed with the eyes. Yu IlHan made the flying fortress charge towards the ground the moment he was sure that his attack had succeeded.
[What are you doing!]
"It's not dead yet!"
[Then why are you dropping the fortress!]
"Watch closely!"
The flying fortress rapidly shot towards the ground! With the 'sudden descent' option, this speed had plenty of room for improvement!
"Although it doesn't amount to much, let's add the weight of the inventory."
[What do you mean not much? It's becoming fasterrrrrrrrrrrrrr!]
The ground neared. Yu IlHan covered the flying fortress with a spherical barrier to protect its crucial parts, then covered that barrier with Blaze. This was a perfect artificial Meteor!
[So you can do everything with Blaze!]
"It's only pitiful that I can't use Dragonic blood simultaneously yet!"
The power of the stacked rays from Hundred Eyes was so strong that the 5th-class enemy that appeared after the storm had dissipated under the sheer force and couldn't move even a little. As the ground neared, Yu IlHan could also confirm the enemy's figure.
"Oh, dang."
At that place stood the figure of a pretty, feeble lady who even made Yu IlHan hesitate for a moment. The enemy, unable to move because of a perforation in its chest, was leaking tears from its clear eyes, as if to provoke Yu IlHan's empathy!
[A-a woman!?]
Liera shouted in panic. Just from the scale of the storm, it wouldn't have been strange if it had been bigger than the golem he fought in Lanpas, but what actually appeared was a human figure! And moreover, she was such a feeble, delicate, and beautiful lady!
"Screw yourself!"
And this guy here didn't consider that at all and still made the flying fortress charge without stopping! There should be a limit to how dried out his emotions can be!
However, there wasn't even any time for Liera to say anything. Yu IlHan would not stop, and before she could do anything, the woman's figure disappeared as the flying fortress flattened her!
A sound, if that could be considered a sound at all, resounded across the lands. The enormous weight of the flying fortress had just struck the ground, despite the 'shock absorption' from the higher existence, so that was nothing strange.
The extreme ray of energy, followed by the charge of the flying fortress, split the region at the point of collision and brought about a large-scale earthquake, but since Yu IlHan had immediately collected the body of the higher existence the moment he killed 'her', the ground was of no concern to him.
[You have earned experience.]
[??? ???? ?????? ??? ?????? ?? Lv 3?? ???????]
"Ah, these question marks again."
[IlHan, you just!]
No matter how you looked at it, it was a 'good' existence! – just as Liera was about to say that, a screeching woman's voice rang out in Yu IlHan's head.
[Hey! You! You really had to kill that!?] (????????)
"Of course, I had to kill that."
Yu IlHan spoke as if he was expecting that.
"When you become a pro loner like me, you would be able to differentiate fake tears. How dare you try to deceive me when you were just born."
[....Huh?]
[....Tch.]
Liera tilted her head after finding out the situation a little late, and the thought-soul of the higher existence ???????? acknowledged that she was inferior to Yu IlHan.
[Uuuuuugh, again...another being I can't win against!]
While the unexpected farewell and meeting took place in silence, only Orochi swallowed his frustration.