The Return of the Legendary All-Master

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

Chapter 251

[11:59:59]

The countdown had begun.

Following this, the users launched an onslaught of attacks against the barrier.

However, just as Jeong-hoon had said, not even the slightest crack appeared in the barrier.

In other words, it was impossible to break the barrier with physical or magical attacks.

"Looks like it’s useless after all."

"Exactly. Just continuing to attack like this won’t solve anything."

Hearing Jeong-hoon and Rangrang's conversation, the users quickly ceased their attacks and started seeking alternative methods.

Yet, most of their responses remained pessimistic.

"They’re saying there’s no way to break the barrier."

"That guy plans to push this penalty to its highest stage."

It was inevitable.

‘Judging by the silence, there doesn’t seem to be any way to break the barrier.’

‘Hmm, this human is sharper than he looks.’

How could anyone react positively after hearing such conversations?

[So, there’s no way to break it in the end.]

‘Tsk, not even a chance to attempt it.’

Mukho and Anima also seemed ready to give up.

The Colossus Ursus remained sealed, showing no movement, making it seem relatively easy to deal with.

This only made the situation more frustrating.

"Who said we’re giving up?"

Jeong-hoon approached the barrier.

[Seal Barrier]

The barrier sealing Ursus.

If this barrier were to disappear, Ursus would awaken.

[Is there another way?]

‘Didn’t they say there’s no way to break it?’

Mukho and Anima tilted their heads in confusion.

"There must be."

Before the regression, right before his betrayal, there had been a time when he broke a similar barrier.

It was in that dungeon, where he barely managed to prevent annihilation.

To reach the boss, the barrier had to be destroyed. Much like the current barrier sealing Ursus, physical and magical attacks had been ineffective against it.

And Jeong-hoon had successfully removed that barrier.

‘The same method should work here.’

The barrier wasn’t entirely sealed across its entire range.

It started from the point where it was initially established.

From that point, magic energy flowed outward, enveloping the surroundings.

In other words, focusing on that point of flow would allow the barrier to be broken.

‘Of course, instead of physical or magical attacks, the barrier’s magic formula must be dismantled.’

Fortunately, Jeong-hoon was familiar with the magic formula of the barrier sealing Ursus.

This familiarity gave him confidence.

‘Alright, let’s get started.’

Jeong-hoon placed his hand on the barrier and began to move slowly.

It was the task of locating the core of the barrier.

The users, unaware of what Jeong-hoon was doing, tilted their heads and watched his actions with curiosity.

"What is he doing right now?"

"No idea."

And then it happened.

Whoosh—

A barrage of Fire Spears was launched at Jeong-hoon, who was examining the barrier.

"What the—?!"

"Watch out!"

The users shouted in alarm.

[Using the Light Barrier.]

Without even glancing at the incoming Fire Spears, Jeong-hoon deployed the Light Barrier.

Boom! Boom!

The Fire Spears struck the Light Barrier and disintegrated instantly.

The users widened their eyes at the sight.

"He stopped the Fire Spears?"

"And wait, isn’t that guy a martial artist?"

A martial artist deploying the Light Barrier?

What’s more, its radiant glow suggested it wasn’t an ordinary-grade skill.

"…Impressive."

James Marcus, who had been observing, couldn’t help but express his admiration.

He had sensed it ever since Jeong-hoon effortlessly subdued Alessandro Bryden—this martial artist wasn’t ordinary.

"That man is full of secrets."

Amelie Reina’s words were something James could wholeheartedly agree with.

After all, the Light Barrier was a skill Jeong-hoon hadn’t even used during his confrontation with Alessandro.

"Exactly. Which is why I want him as an ally even more."

If that martial artist became their ally, he would undoubtedly be a significant asset in completing this game.

"But what happened to that guy?"

Amelie turned her gaze toward Alessandro.

The murderous aura emanating from him was far greater than when they first encountered him in the Great Cavern.

Additionally, the Fire Spears he launched now were incomparably stronger than before.

"…Could it be that he made a pact?"

The last time they saw Alessandro, he had lost his power.

Yet now, not only had he regained it, but the magic energy he exuded was far more powerful than ever before.

This could only mean one thing: Alessandro had entered a pact with a transcendent being.

"…So making a pact can grant you that kind of power?"

Neither James Marcus nor Amelie Reina had formed a pact with any transcendent beings.

Though they had been tempted by the initial offers, they couldn’t bring themselves to trust those beings enough to go through with it.

James had immediately realized that the offers were a trap and chose not to proceed with the pact.

And it had been the right decision.

Those who became Avatars of the transcendent beings received exclusive quests, but the contents of those quests only hastened Earth’s destruction.

The same held true for Amelie.

She, too, couldn't shake off her doubts and had yet to finalize a pact with the transcendent beings.

Thanks to this, she was able to remain as James Marcus’s ally.

"Alessandro... you've finally crossed the line you were never meant to cross."

Seeing the ruin of a friend she once relied on heavily left her with a bitter feeling.

But Jeong-hoon paid Alessandro no attention, continuing to inspect the barrier instead.

"You damned bastard!"

Enraged, Alessandro activated Creation Ice, forming an enormous spear.

The sheer size and sharpness of the spear were incomparable to a regular Ice Spear, and even from a distance, the chilling cold could be felt.

With such destructive power, even the Light Barrier would be hard-pressed to withstand it.

It was only then that Jeong-hoon turned his gaze to meet Alessandro's.

"Busy as I am, I should’ve taken care of you back then."

Jeong-hoon sighed with an annoyed expression.

"Heh, I’ll make you regret not finishing me off."

At Alessandro’s gesture, the massive Ice Spear was hurled toward Jeong-hoon.

Crash!

The Light Barrier shattered instantly upon impact, and Jeong-hoon evaded the spear using True Heavenly Demon Lord's Steps.

'Who is he, really?'

Frowning, Jeong-hoon scrutinized Alessandro.

The Creation Ice just now possessed destructive power far beyond the 9th Circle.

This wasn’t just a return to his previous status as an Archmage surpassing Level 500; Alessandro had become a monster of an entirely different level.

A transcendent being capable of granting such power…

'Could it be Baal?'

If Alessandro had entered a pact with Baal, such destructive power made sense.

"Hey, did you make a pact with those red eyes?"

"…."

At Jeong-hoon’s mention of red eyes, Alessandro flinched.

The subtle tremor in his gaze betrayed his thoughts—he was asking how Jeong-hoon knew.

"So, I was right."

As he suspected, Baal was involved.

Jeong-hoon hadn’t thought much of Baal since their last bet, believing their connection to be over.

'He must have been bored.'

Baal clearly held a significant interest in Jeong-hoon.

But without another wager, Baal had no reason to directly interfere. Instead, he had chosen to meddle with Alessandro, likely hoping to amuse himself by watching Jeong-hoon’s reaction.

This way, Baal risked no losses from any wager, and he could easily claim Alessandro’s soul.

'I’d hate to play along with his plans.'

As much as Jeong-hoon wanted to leave Alessandro to suffer, Alessandro was now an Avatar.

This meant that Alessandro had to be killed here and now.

Though Jeong-hoon wanted to focus on the barrier first, it was clear that wouldn’t happen under these circumstances.

'I wanted to break the barrier before other Avatars could intervene.'

Unsurprisingly, there were already many Avatars present in the area.

More than half of the high-ranking players here were likely Avatars.

After all, with the promise of power beyond imagination, who could resist?

James Marcus had recruited allies among those who weren’t obstructing him.

He had long realized that Avatars played a pivotal role in hastening the world's destruction.

"…So, what now?"

Alessandro smirked as he conjured another spell.

A sphere the size of a fireball appeared above his head but quickly began expanding.

In mere moments, it grew to fill the vast cavern, its scorching heat suffocating everyone present.

Many scrambled to flee, but the countdown had begun, sealing off any escape routes from the cavern.

‘A 9th Circle spell? How could a human achieve such power…?’

Anima was stunned.

The spell was Wrath of the Sun, a devastating 9th Circle magic that created an artificial sun to burn everything in its vicinity.

“Baal must have given him quite a boost.”

Even though Alessandro had surpassed Level 500, he hadn’t truly reached the 9th Circle.

The 9th Circle was a realm beyond human limits, accessible only under extraordinary circumstances.

In Jeong-hoon’s previous timeline, Alessandro had achieved the 9th Circle only after ascending to a celestial state.

“I’ll kill every last one of you!”

Alessandro’s expression twisted with madness.

His target was no longer just Jeong-hoon; he intended to obliterate everyone present.

'This lunatic!'

‘At this rate, we’re all going to die!’

The hidden Avatars, who had been lying in wait, grew anxious.

Alessandro was originally an Archmage who had surpassed Level 500.

Now, having entered a pact with a Lord-class transcendent being, he was far beyond their league.

In contrast, most of them were lower-level Avatars tied to Apostle-class transcendent beings.

The power disparity was clear, and it was obvious they couldn’t withstand a full-force attack from someone like Alessandro.

“What’s your class?!”

“Form groups and brace for impact!”

The players hastily organized themselves into groups, preparing defenses against the oncoming spell.

Even the Avatars reluctantly mingled with the players, forming defensive units.

“Burn in hell!”

With a maniacal cry, Alessandro hurled the completed artificial sun toward Jeong-hoon.

The massive orb hurtled toward him, yet Jeong-hoon didn’t even attempt to evade.

BOOM!

The artificial sun collided with the ground, triggering an earth-shaking explosion.

***

Crackle. Crackle.

The inferno that had erupted began to subside as time passed.

‘Heh… It’s done! He’s finally dead!’

Around Alessandro, corpses lay scattered.

Despite their best efforts to coordinate defenses, the overwhelming power of the 9th Circle spell had proven insurmountable, leaving only devastation in its wake.

The air reeked of burnt flesh, but Alessandro’s face was alight with a victorious grin.

With that level of heat, even he wouldn’t have survived.

“So? How do you like the sight of my revenge, you damned fool?!”

Alessandro’s triumphant laugh echoed through the charred cavern.

When Alessandro shouted into the void, a rift tore open, and a pair of crimson eyes appeared.

<"Hmph, do you truly believe that?">

But Baal’s tone carried a distinct note of disapproval.

“What’s wrong? Upset that you couldn’t claim my soul?”

Alessandro sneered, smugly reveling in his victory.

He had won this wager fair and square.

<"Humans truly are dull creatures. It seems only that human will suffice.">

Baal's cryptic muttering made Alessandro furrow his brow in confusion.

“What are you talking about?”

It was then that a familiar voice reached Alessandro’s ears.

“If it weren’t for the rune, that could’ve ended badly.”

The one who should have been reduced to ashes was instead walking toward him, entirely unscathed.

Alessandro’s eyes widened in shock.

“H-how is this possible?!”

“Alright, let me return the favor.”

Jeong-hoon grinned mischievously as he extended a hand toward Alessandro.

Flames erupted from Alessandro’s body without warning, consuming him in an instant.

Before he could even scream, his body detonated, leaving nothing but silence in its wake.

***

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, thank you."

Wrath of the Sun.

Even in the face of such a devastating spell, some had managed to survive.

Foremost among them was James Marcus.

True to his reputation as the strongest Paladin of the Americas, he had raised his shield and blocked the blast.

Thanks to his efforts, Amelie Reyna, who stood behind him, emerged unscathed.

Several other high-ranking players had also managed to endure the spell by utilizing runes and skills.

"Can you tend to the injured?"

"The injured?"

Amelie frowned at the suggestion.

But James Marcus was insistent.

"Yes, there are too many wounded."

"And what if you end up healing the contracted ones too? Besides, you’re in no shape to keep this up."

"I’ll be fine. Please, we can’t afford to argue about that now—how else will we deal with that?"

James gestured toward the colossal Ursus, a towering golem wreaking havoc nearby.

“…Fine.”

With a resigned sigh, Amelie began tending to the wounded from other groups.

She wasn’t the only healer present; given the gathering of elite players, there were others with similar professions.

While the casualties were significant, the number of survivors far outweighed them.

As Amelie moved on to assist the others, James Marcus turned his gaze toward Jeong-hoon.

There was no way anyone could have survived that spell unscathed.

Yet, there Jeong-hoon was, walking calmly as if nothing had happened.

James's eyes widened in disbelief.

‘…Impossible!’

Even with a Light Barrier, defending against that magic should have been a near-impossible task.

Yet, Jeong-hoon had not only endured it but also retaliated, eliminating Alessandro with little resistance.

Alessandro’s body had been torn apart from within, scattering in gruesome pieces.

Despite the horrifying scene, Jeong-hoon was completely unfazed. Instead, he began inspecting the barriers surrounding the cavern with a composed expression.

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]