Chapter 31

The dazzling flash that had reclaimed the snowy white expanse, capturing everyone’s gaze, lasted only for a fleeting moment. As the brief instant passed, the snowfield, leaving behind only dust and a snowstorm, returned once again to its ashen state.

All fell silent. A silence so profound that even the smallest breath felt forbidden. Only the faint sound of crumbling gravel and dust filled the space, as the living gazed upon Alon with varied expressions.

The soldiers’ eyes were filled with awe. The knights’ eyes were filled with hope. However, Alon, the one receiving these gazes of awe and hope, merely maintained a blank expression. To be more precise:

‘Please, please, please.’

He was praying fervently. He sincerely wished that with this strike, the Outer God would be annihilated. But—

“Ah.”

With a low murmur of regret from someone nearby, Alon realized that his prayer had not reached the heavens. A giant stood there, arms raised triumphantly, facing the sunset with an expression of joy. A massive hole pierced through his chest.

[Impressive.]

A low voice. The sight of the giant, smiling brightly despite his heart being pierced, filled both the soldiers and knights with a reverence that transcended fear. But for Alon, it was a feeling of endless despair.

‘It’s over.’

His attack had indeed succeeded in delivering a direct hit to Ulthultus. However, the problem was that it had only destroyed the heart, rather than obliterating the entire body.

‘ ... Was my firepower insufficient?’

Objectively speaking, for someone who had only recently reached the third tier of magic, the fact that he could even muster this level of firepower was due to various factors. Among them, the constraints played a significant role. The use of Babylonian phrases and beastly power were clear restrictions, but this time, the constraints he had placed were even more limited.

In fact, designating a ‘species’ or ‘specific enemy’ in a constraint amplifies the pure power of magic by over 100% and 200%, respectively, even in games. Additionally, the time spent on incantation, which normally would be impossible for an offensive spell, had extended to dozens of seconds, allowing him to produce this level of firepower only because the opponent could not avoid the attack.

By preparing auxiliary magic that sets the coordinates during the spell’s initiation, allowing for an even higher level of firepower, he had finally been able to unleash such a powerful spell.

In short, the magic from a moment ago was Alon’s strongest and only trump card at this point in time. Thus, with this attack having failed, Alon’s defeat was inevitable. His attack had indeed destroyed the Outer God’s heart, but destroying just the heart wouldn’t make the Outer God vanish.

As if to prove this, Ulthultus stood proudly in the same spot, still smiling broadly. His body was covered in burn marks, and there was a gaping hole in his chest, but that majestic smile remained.

[Ah— I see. So you were still holding onto your will.]

Muttering words that only Alon could hear, the giant spoke in cryptic tones, causing Alon to drop the hands that had been clasped together in a seal.

Even at this moment, the effects of the highest-grade potion continued to restore his body. Though his body was still uncomfortable, it had recovered enough for him to move around, but that meant little. Alon, who had exhausted all the magic in his bracelet due to the recent spell, no longer had the strength to continue fighting.