The Grand Temple of Rosellia was thrown into chaos by the invasion of external forces, something that had never been permitted before.
Yet, even amidst the turmoil, a swift response was executed. This was, after all, a sacred site of the order, where elites recognized from all regions gathered. Every boundary, external and internal, was reinforced. Fully armed temple warriors and combat priests were arranged around the sanctuary, and the summoned paladins moved in unison.
Furthermore, covert orders were issued to the strongest among them, including the commander of the paladins: to assemble immediately in front of the sealed area.
This was why Heinrich found himself before a rare sight - individuals often unseen gathered together.
'To think there are still so many left, despite the many who were dispatched."'
Those remaining in the sanctuary, ranking highest among them, numbered over a hundred, including those who had retired, now fully armed.
Suddenly, the saintess, her hair disheveled and her clothes in disarray from rushing, appeared with a group of followers, running through a corridor.
"Let's move, now! Everyone, follow me!"
Without pausing, she led the way, and the waiting personnel hurriedly followed deeper inside.
"There's no need to guard this passage anymore, right? Since she said everyone should follow..."
Noticing this, Heinrich discreetly joined the group.
"What's happening? Has the sanctuary's defense been breached? All the way to the sealed area?"
The saintess asked someone running beside her. A high-ranking female inquisitor, moving without a sound, calmly responded to her query.
"No signs or traces of external intrusion have been detected. It's not through any normal means that they've entered the sealed area."
"What do you mean? Are you suggesting they teleported directly inside the sealed area?"
"For now, that's the only explanation we can provide, but no trace of spatial movement has been detected by the sanctuary's defensive barriers. It's as if they suddenly appeared out of thin air."
"That's impossible... How many divine barriers surround this place...! It's impossible to bypass them and directly invade the sealed area!"
However, the impossible had indeed happened. The saintess, having rushed over upon hearing of the intrusion, was only more bewildered upon understanding the full situation.
"Could it possibly be... The intruder, could it be..."
"...Yes, there was a last message from the director who went ahead inside."
<Encountered the descendant of the Immortal King, Hans. Engaging in combat to buy time. Enter with utmost preparedness.>
"Since then, we've lost contact. We cannot ascertain life or death."
"Hans...!"
With a grinding of teeth, sparks flew from the saintess's eyes.
"Calm down, Saintess. Getting agitated won't help resolve anything."
"Ah! Right. Whoo~ Whoo~."
She took deep breaths, soothing her mind with the gentle voice of Cordelia, the Cardinal moving beside her.
Despite the serious atmosphere among the leadership, Heinrich found himself distracted.
'They're all running without even getting out of breath.'
The relatively young saintess and Cardinal Cordelia, in her late fifties, managed to converse calmly while running. This must be due to the immense divine power coursing through their bodies, aiding their physical exertion.
"Heh, how shameful it is before the divine. To allow the intrusion of heretics into the deepest part of this sanctuary, the sanctuary itself... Heh..."
A disheartened laugh came from a man in his mid-sixties, Cardinal Pion, the owner of the voice that had given instructions through divine power at the onset of the crisis.
"How on earth was it possible to move from the western edge of the continent to the interior of the sanctuary's main temple? Or could it be..."
Even after finding the descendant of the Immortal King, the search by the High Elf Laphori continued to this day. This was to immediately detect any movement if the creature relocated.
The last confirmed location this evening was still the western Forest of Beasts, yet suddenly, it appeared in the heart of the continent, and at a very critical timing at that.
"In the battle records with Hans, this generation's Immortal King, there's a note that he ignored Archbishop Latiu's spatial blockade barrier and escaped," whispered the inquisitor, moving almost invisibly alongside.
"That's right. I can't be certain he was really in the Forest of Beasts anymore, but the fact that he infiltrated the sanctuary's barrier is undeniable. Yet, for someone who isn't even a complete Immortal King to have such abilities..."
"If this fragment falls into his hands, who knows what disaster could befall the continent. It would truly be the birth of a calamity for the land."
Everyone leading the conversation, as well as those quietly following and listening, were reminded once again of the seriousness of the situation.
"Let's hurry a bit more."
As the saintess's halo intensified, divine power radiated out, infusing those around her, and they sped through the interior of the sealed area even faster.
***
Thud—
The last inquisitor chief fell to the ground.
[As expected, but a much more troublesome opponent than anticipated.]
Hans looked around. Amidst the fallen in black priest robes were scattered a tremendous number of undead remnants.
'The efficiency drops considerably in this space, but it's necessary to buy some time.'
Despite being heavily imbued with dark magic, the combat power was reduced to less than half of its usual. The shortage had to be compensated for with sheer numbers.
Hans, too, had his concerns in a battle fought while simultaneously unsealing the fragment in such an unfavorable space. The inquisitor chief, who approached swiftly like an assassin and attacked directly, couldn't be blocked even by the undead.
[Still, the seal is almost completely lifted now. I should be able to finish the job before any additional reinforcements arrive.]
[Master...]
At that moment, a Death Wizard named Malcolm, missing everything below his waist, crawled over with his remaining hand, resembling a scene from a horror movie.
[Oh? You're still alive, impressive.]
Though already dead... it was fortunate he wasn't damaged beyond regeneration. Malcolm was thrown into the situation not just as a reserve but had proven to be a quite useful subordinate through growth.
'That should be enough for recovery.'
That's another advantage of the undead.
[Good work. I'll fix you up later, so go rest in the shadow for now.]
[Yes...]
Malcolm immediately disappeared into the shadows cast by Hans.
[Collect those who can be recovered. I can't attend to them now.]
Clatter— Click!
[Groaaah—]
The surrounding undead busily scavenged through the debris, flying into Hans's shadow. Those left were utterly destroyed corpses with no possibility of recovery.
Hans's gaze then returned to the inquisitors wedged in between.
'I didn't kill them, but I've incapacitated them enough that they won't be moving for a while. Thanks to the sanctuary's barrier, it was actually easier to take them down.'
Thanks to the divine barrier protecting the sanctuary's inhabitants, they were made overly resilient, ensuring they didn't die from any attack. Seeing that the barrier also kept those in a near-death state alive, Hans was able to use his power freely to take them down.
'If I had tried to forcibly subdue it, it would have been unnatural. And there wasn't much leeway to do so anyway. In that regard, it's a relief.'
It might be strange to some that they did not confirm the kill. But dwelling on every single detail like that would have made it impossible to even start the "Home Theater" operation.
Swish—
Then, the last pillar of the altar cracked, and the silver chains connected to it corroded and crumbled away. Thus, the final seal was undone.
[Done. Kuhahahah—!]
Dark magic power explosively burst forth from the fragment. Hans savored this energy as he grasped it firmly. Ignoring the negative emotions naturally invading his mind, he carefully channeled it through a pathway connected to himself. The last fragment, as if it was one with the source extracted for "Immortality," clung to him. However, even after entering Hans's quasi-spatial domain, it continued to emit uncontrolled dark magic power in streams.
'I thought as much, but it seems it will take some time to get under control.'
Though they were mixing quickly due to their similar origins, the power contained in the fragments absorbed so far was comparable, leading to a struggle for dominance. Hans poured all mental resources, except for Heinrich's, into slowly making the heart his own. Even if I were to dispel the summoning now, I wasn't sure he could perfectly hide such turbulent energy flow.
As a brief moment passed, while Hans was feeling exhilarated by the surging dark power and rapidly increasing strength...
'It seems it would only take a little more time.'
Unfortunately, the time limit was approaching.
Boom—!
A thick beam flew from the shattered door outside, shaking Hans's barrier. Simultaneously, dozens of figures charged at incredible speeds. The elite forces of the order had arrived.
***
"Are we... too late...?"
Those who hurriedly arrived saw the destroyed seal of the altar and clenched their teeth.
"It's not too late! Let's save the survivors first!"
The saintess yelled, as if awakening their spirits, and gave the order. At the same time, the inquisitors, who followed like shadows, leaped forward to carry the fallen ones to the rear.
Soon after, the priests clung to the wounded, pouring divine power into them, while the paladins had already lined up in the front, confronting the Immortal King Hans and his undead minions.
"Focus! Now is our last chance while he hasn't fully managed the fragment's power!"
Cardinal Pion shouted with a booming voice, leading the combat priests in a unified prayer.
Whoosh—
A beautiful halo of light enveloped the bodies of the paladins. Various enhancement effects were applied, and a channel for smooth coordination using only divine power was established, allowing them to communicate intentions among themselves.
The man at the forefront of the paladins, adjusting his shield and war hammer, stepped forward.
["I will face him head-on. Focus on supporting me,"] he declared.
["Understood, Sir Jonien."]
He was the only top-tier paladin remaining in the sanctuary, thus the most qualified to lead the charge.
[Kuhahat! Minions of the order. It's too late! The heart of the Immortal King is entirely mine!]
"Do not be swayed! Attack!"
Sacred spells from the combat priests flew towards Hans, and the paladins, led by Paladin Jonien, charged. Heinrich, of course, was among them.
'Ah, buying time isn't working either.'
Even though the absorption of the fragment significantly boosted the output of dark magic, it was still too burdensome to engage in battle immediately. However, it seemed the order had also realized this and had no intention of giving more time.
"Haap!"
Heinrich's sword was imbued with divine power, creating a radiant blade of light. Without a moment's hesitation, he swung his sword, cutting down the undead blocking his path. It was a pity, but now he had to fully immerse himself in his assigned role.
"Kieeeek—!"
Rattle, clank—
Despite continuously summoning undead to block the path of the paladins around Hans...
"Uratcha—!"
["These things are nothing! Focus on breaking through!"]
"Divine Lord! Burn these evil beings with Your glorious light!"
Even though he poured in enhanced dark magic power, the paladins, covered in divine power, and the support of sacred spells from combat priests in the rear, didn't last long before melting away.
'All the effort I put into gathering them!'
Hans internally raged, squeezing out every last bit of undead he could. For now, having numbers was the only way to hold out.
Boom—! Bang!
A ray of light initiated by the saintess and the Hammer of Light summoned by Cardinal Pion cracked and exploded against Hans's barrier.
"These annoying creatures!"
A black mist rose from Hans's staff, forming into a giant demonic hand and shot towards them, but...
"Divine Lord— protect Your children!"
Crack!
It was blocked and dissipated by a blue shield created by Cardinal Cordelia. It was a situation that had repeated several times already.
'Ganging up on me, how underhanded!'
Cardinal Cordelia focused on defense and healing the wounded. Cardinal Pion concentrated on supporting the paladins and restraining Hans. And then there was Saint Liesta, who focused solely on attacking Hans with all her might.
For Hans, who had to be mindful of the onslaught from others, it was infuriating.
'If I hadn't obtained the last fragment, I would have already fled by now.'
But he could hold out because he was continually getting stronger even at this moment. The process of gaining control was nearing its end.
"Haap—! Die, Immortal King!"
Paladin Jonien, having broken through the undead, swung his large hammer towards Hans. Naturally, Hans extended his hand and launched a shockwave, knocking him back. But at that moment, seizing the brief opportunity created by repelling the paladin, two paladins suddenly leaped out of thin air towards him, a covert operation executed under the guise of stealth magic.
The attacks, perfectly timed and coming from all directions, momentarily pierced his barrier, and the two-handed swords and spears of the paladins aimed at Hans's heart from both sides.
Caught off guard in a critical moment.
"Huh..."
Naturally, Hans ducked and gripped his skull staff, now enveloped in dark magic, in his right hand.
Crack—
He twisted the staff, deflecting the spearhead coming from the left by stepping back and bringing it up to meet the attack.
Clang!
Then, with a swift spin of the staff, he struck the flat of the two-handed sword coming from the right.
The rapid exchange of offense and defense unfolded in an instant.
In that fleeting moment, a fully formed black flame was already aimed at them from Hans's left hand.
Boom—!
"Kuhk!"
"Ugh—!"
["Hurry this way!"]
The paladins, blasted away by the black magic unleashed right before them, were immediately transported to the rear for urgent medical treatment. The operation, into which much effort had been invested, had been futilely reduced to nothing.
[Kuhuh! To think you would try to deceive me, you're a hundred years too early!]
Hans burst into a confident laugh. No strategy seemed to work against him. He had every situation firmly in his grasp.
["Tch, his reaction is faster than we thought!"]
["Did he learn martial arts? The knights' responses were a beat too slow due to his unexpected movements."]
Even in this situation. Through real-time eavesdropping via Heinrich, Hans could anticipate and counter all of the order's strategies in advance.
'Ah!'
And thanks to that...
'It's over.'
He finally had the time to secure control over the fragment.
[Achievement Unlocked! You have become the 'Immortal King' of the Outerica dimension, a disaster.]
[Having experienced, overcome, and dominated death, you transcend it. As a reward, you are granted the special privilege 'Immunity to Instant Death'.]
[By achieving this feat, you have significantly impacted the world. Your karma will increase accordingly.]
Thus, Hans truly became the Immortal King.