A catastrophic burst of magic detonated through the cavern.
The mountain screamed.
Stone walls split apart as ancient runes carved into the cave began glowing violently, reacting to the pressure flooding the chamber. Cracks raced across the floor in every direction while pillars bent unnaturally beneath the sheer force erupting from Hiroy's body.
Everyone present felt it instantly.
Not power.
Ascension.
Hiroy staggered forward slightly as something inside him shattered.
Then—
another.
Two Dependent Gates opened simultaneously.
The sound alone resembled chains breaking across reality itself.
BOOOOOOM.
Golden-red magic exploded outward in waves so dense the atmosphere became difficult to breathe. The air warped violently while the mountain overhead groaned like a living creature trying desperately not to collapse.
His magical output multiplied instantly.
Tenfold.
Then again.
Until the pressure became nearly unbearable.
Even Kara dropped to one knee.
Frana's lightning flickered uncontrollably around her body.
Lilith's eyes widened in disbelief.
"This… isn't normal…"
It wasn't.
Because Hiroy hadn't simply gained more mana.
He had unlocked divine authorities.
The third gate's awakening granted him two sacred inheritances reserved only for true successors of gods.
Domain Creation.
Universal Manipulation.
Not spells.
Not techniques.
Laws.
Fundamental authorities once wielded only by omnipotent beings.
The moment the abilities fully settled into his soul, the cavern itself began responding to his emotions unconsciously.
Reality distorted around him.
Gravity fluctuated.
Sound bent unnaturally.
Even the colors in the room seemed slightly delayed, like existence itself struggled to process Hiroy's presence now.
At the center of the chaos stood Aria.
Or rather—
Aria and Yasurah.
Their souls still intertwined unnaturally within one body.
Hiroy slowly raised both hands.
Twin streams of golden magic surged from his fingertips, illuminating the cavern in divine brilliance. The soul-link connecting the two women immediately reacted, trembling violently as spiritual chains began surfacing visibly through the air.
Aria gasped.
Yasurah screamed somewhere deeper within.
The separation had begun.
The mountain shook harder.
Chunks of stone collapsed from the ceiling as the strain intensified. The process should have been impossible. Separating fused souls without destroying one—or both—required absurd precision even among gods.
Yet Hiroy's expression never changed.
His concentration remained absolute.
Golden energy wrapped around the two souls carefully.
Gently.
Almost tenderly.
Then—
the light split.
A second figure slowly emerged from Aria's body.
Long golden hair flowed behind her softly while radiant light covered her form like sunlight given shape. Her appearance carried both warmth and sorrow, elegance and exhaustion.
Yasurah.
Whole again.
The moment her feet touched the ground—
everything became quiet.
The violent trembling stopped instantly.
Warmth spread throughout the cavern, washing over every wound, every ache, every lingering fear. It wasn't simple healing.
It felt like peace itself had descended briefly into the world.
Even Kara's bruises vanished.
Frana's trembling slowed.
Lilith blinked back tears without understanding why.
The soul separation had succeeded perfectly.
And then—
another presence descended.
The air became heavier.
Gentler.
Infinite.
A soft golden light spread across the cavern ceiling while a familiar voice echoed from every direction simultaneously.
Warm.
Regal.
Absolute.
"Congratulations, my chosen one."
Kokono.
The World Goddess herself.
Even speaking her name felt dangerous.
Her voice wrapped around the cavern like a mother embracing a child.
"For accomplishing what even many gods struggle to achieve," she continued softly, "I acknowledge the completion of your second trial."
Golden light intensified around Hiroy immediately.
The cave itself seemed to bow beneath her presence.
"You continue to exceed expectation, Hiroy."
The words carried no exaggeration.
No manipulation.
Just calm certainty.
The goddess paused briefly before speaking once more.
"Prepare yourself."
"The next challenge awaits."
Her presence slowly began fading afterward, the divine pressure receding like an endless ocean pulling away from shore.
But the moment she vanished—
the cave exploded.
The accumulated energy finally destabilized the mountain completely.
BOOOOOOOOM.
Shockwaves erupted outward.
The cavern ceiling collapsed.
Entire sections of the mountain split apart while raw magical energy poured uncontrollably through every fracture.
Pillars shattered.
Stone avalanches crashed downward.
Reality itself briefly destabilized near Hiroy due to the massive overlap of divine forces.
Yet—
he stood perfectly still.
Calm.
Composed.
Untouched.
Golden energy flowed around him naturally now, no longer wild or unstable.
The collapsing world bent around his existence instinctively.
Hiroy looked upward slowly.
Then spoke one word.
"Stop."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The universe obeyed.
Debris froze midair.
Dust halted between moments.
Cracks stopped spreading.
Even time itself seemed to hesitate briefly beneath the authority Hiroy had unconsciously exerted.
Universal Manipulation.
A divine law.
The ability to directly command reality within range of one's authority.
Not control.
Not influence.
Command.
The ruined cavern remained suspended in impossible stillness while Hiroy stood calmly at its center, golden eyes glowing softly beneath drifting particles of frozen dust.
Frana stared speechlessly.
Kara slowly lowered her fists.
Even Aria looked shaken now.
Because they all realized the same terrifying truth.
Hiroy was no longer simply becoming stronger.
He was beginning to become divine.
The silence finally broke as Hiroy exhaled slowly, lowering his hand.
The cave resumed naturally afterward, though far more gently than before.
Stone settled harmlessly.
Dust drifted downward peacefully.
The disaster had passed.
For now.
Yasurah looked toward Hiroy quietly, her golden hair swaying softly in the fading light.
"…You really came for me."
Hiroy smiled faintly despite his exhaustion.
"Told you I would."
Somewhere deep within the cosmos—
the gods were watching now.
Because the Successor Games had changed.
And Hiroy…
had just announced himself as one of the greatest threats in existence.