Azimuth: The Elden Throne (New Version)

Chapter 266 Manifestation of the Perfect Self

I think this chap was pretty cool but as always I feel like I did not develop it enough to make it sound cool.

Up to you though, enjoy!

.

.

.

—------------

/PRESSURE!/

"UGH…"

While everyone ate their own desserts peacefully, unbeknownst to them, Dale was in the middle of a life-and-death hurdle.

Everything it took was a simple message, that someone, something, was looking at him, gazing in his direction to make his entire body freeze over and even tremble.

He tried to resist but he didn't even know where to begin, he felt like a child being reprimanded by a burly adult…

[Ding]

That was… Until he had enough...

Not him exactly.

[Manifestation of the Perfect Self 1-??? has been forcefully activated]

/Stop…/

/Shua.../

Dale suddenly stopped shivering, his eyes turning serene as the air around him also stopped flowing.

Faint mist started to gather around his body as the lingering pressure vanished like smoke, he wasn't afraid anymore, he didn't care, and those feelings together made everything feel like a dream.

Just a product of his imagination.

His gaze… Had changed, he looked... Bigger than before if that was possible.

As proof of that, he raised his head to where golden light cascaded from, the beautiful golden curtains up above that decorated the ceiling of the Plaza.

He was looking for something... He knew it was there.

And he found it.

[The Gods of Old look upon you… And you gaze back]

With a cold stare toward the ephemeral light of the heavens up above, Dale did not cower.

The faint energy surrounding his body, imperceptible to those around him, Dale defied the Will of those he could name.

Something seemed to be happening, without them knowing, Dale's armor effects activated.

/Tremble…/

But this act of his... To look upon them with that sort of arrogant gaze...

That angered them.

/Tremble…!!/

"Wh… What's happening?" Ermin exclaimed as he looked around

'Are there Events within the Plaza?'

"The entire Plaza is shaking!" Erminia pointed out as she held onto her chair

'My drink spilled all over!'

"Is this an Event of some sort?"

'Why is he looking upwards? Is there something there?' The older sister thought after she noticed Dale's actions as he ignored the earthquake

But when she gazed up, the only thing she got was a slight squint of her eyes as the light was too strong.

"..."

Dale was the only one who remained silent, his only reaction to it all was his ever-increasing coldness.

It would've been fine if the pressure came merely from their collective presence and not as a form of intimidation.

The Gods... Or whatever these beings may be may believe that they can decide the life and death of their subordinates, but they would be severely wrong to think they can do the same to him.

/Raise…/

He slowly raised his hand, grasping at the golden light.

…

/Tremble…/

Back at Resko, at a hidden location only Dale and a few others knew…

/Tremble…/

Caladgold, placed upon a small altar, trembled, as if reacting to something.

/Shake... Shake.../

It shook itself, as if searching for something, but alas, it never connected.

…

/BZZ!/

/BZZZ!/

Back at Babylon, golden lightning exploded around Dale's hand, clawing at his flesh and skin as it danced around his metallic plates, leaving behind terrific scars beneath his armor.

But those were quickly healed, as within the Plaza, all players have increased regeneration…

'Someone… Something is interfering.' He thought without even batting an eye 

He quickly realized he couldn't call upon his weapon, feeling that there was something at the edge of his vision… Something he could not see but was definitely there.

It was cutting his connection with his weapon… And that irritated him.

[DING]

As he did that, several specs of golden brilliance descended from the curtains above, dozens of small individual creatures… Inquisitors.

""DISCLAIMER! DISCLAIMER!"" They said in unison as they moved close to Dale and company

"Unauthorized use of force detected, seize all…"

/BANG!/

But before it could finish speaking, Dale closed his grasp, and the Inquisitors turned to scrap metal as they all exploded at once.

"...!!"

/BOOOM!/

Suddenly, Dale's eyes squinted heavily as he noticed something was wrong.

He quickly used Mana to push Ermin and the sisters to the side before they could react.

And that proved to be the right answer because soon enough, a pillar of light descended from the ceiling, like a laser beam in the sky.

/CRUNCH!/

"Ugh…"

It cascaded onto his shoulders and body, burning him as it pressed him down, causing the very ground to crack.

Yet… He remained standing.

Gritting his teeth, the seconds passed as the powerful light pushed everyone around the plaza like ragdolls, the wind dragging them around like twigs in a storm.

The ground around his foot burned fiercely just like his determination.

A lonely fight between Man and God.

/FLASH!/

As if noticing his resistance, the light intensified, pushing him a few meters down onto the solid ground of the tower, but Dale still remained standing, albeit it was clear that he was being pushed down, step by step.

His heart pumped fiercely, his muscles contracted, and every bit of knowledge he had was being used to resist this immeasurably tyrannical force.

/FLASH!!!/

The seconds turned into a minute, and like before, the light got even stronger.

/CRACK!/

Another layer of the ground shattered beneath his foot, and for a moment, Dale felt as if he was about to fall somewhere he wasn't meant to… That once he did, there would be no way back.

He couldn't move out of the way, he was trapped in the hole, being pressed down by the collective will of those so-called Old Gods.

Maybe that was their objective all along, not to punish him but to push him down... Outside of their Plaza.

He didn't know what they were nor the reason for such harsh actions, but he knew they were behind it, his instincts told him that.

And he knew that the only way to survive was to resist, to persevere through their challenge.

Dale would survive. Each moment he stood under the Golden Light his will to climb back strengthened.

His eyes burned with faint power, gathering, condensing... Something was happening.

Right now, Dale wasn't himself anymore, he was…

He remembered the verses of the book he read, was this what it meant by conquering oneself?

Or was this what it meant by resisting the elements?

He knew that this was an answer, but for what question exactly?

If he could figure that out...

/CUT!/

But before the situation could escalate any further, another flash of light, this time, dark and gloomy, struck across the ceiling, severing the pillar completely

Suddenly, the pressure and presence he felt before vanished.

Confused, he quickly breathed once before holding onto the wall.

...

/Climb…/

Climbing out of the hole, Dale was met with a ruined world.

Everything in the plaza had been turned upside down…

Broken chairs, pillars, tables, and the ground itself were shattered into massive chunks and laid across the server room.

He knew his friends were okay due to the party screen, as through it, he could tell they were mostly okay and alive.

/Land…/

"Hm?"

While he was focused on looking around for his friends, he heard the sound of something tapping lightly against the ground behind him, so he turned around to see what it was.

There, he saw a person wearing a dark blue robe, mostly black, full of strange details that were extremely hard to see.

But above all, he could strangely see the person's information:

[Overseer of all Mountains

Challenge Level: ???-???

Elite(Ebony)

World Boss

Extraordinary

Affected by:

#Oath of the Stone

#Presence of the True Ruler

]

A being whose power he could not discern.

Although Dale's current state was one of extreme confidence and the pinnacle of his abilities, even he felt pressure coming from the veiled figure.

He would die if he were to test its patience, that was what his instincts told him.

Even a hunter had to know when to stop, there was no right, wrong, nor pride in admitting to it.

Above that, Dale was no beast, he knew the process of critical thinking and of understanding the situation first before acting.

So he remained in place, his arms crossed.

"... Those… Will not… Interfere… Again." The Overseer said in an old, slow, and raspy tone as he 'looked' at Dale

But from his tone, he took that the Overseer was a man.

Before Dale could reply, however, he raised his right hand and tapped in the air with his palm.

[DING]

[Achievement: Corruption of the Inquisitors]

[You have been awarded 100,000 Favor]

[Hidden Achievement: Interest of the Old Gods]

[You have been awarded 333,333 Favor]

[Hidden Achievement: To look upon Heaven]

[You have been awarded 333,333 Favor]

[Hidden Achievement: Resistance against the Final Law]

[You have been awarded 1,000,000 Favor]

[Hidden Achievement: Apology of the Overseer]

[You have been awarded 1,000,000 Favor]

"It... Is... Done."

With that, the Overseer took one last look at Dale before turning around and walking away.

"Wait." Dale said without hesitation

"..."

The Overseer stopped walking, turning its head momentarily at Dale.

He was giving the latter a chance, an opportunity to ask a question.

But by the look of it, he could only ask one.

"... Who are the Old Gods?"

"... Those who tried… To proclaim… A new Age… But failed."

"Now trapped… By the weight… Of their own… Achievements."

"Not... Who they appear... To be."

"..."

Dale said nothing this time, letting the Overseer leave as he crossed his arms.

He already understood that this was the most he would receive from him, maybe the only reason he even said anything was as a form of Apology.

It would be best to not force anything.

/Tremble…/

As he thought about what just happened, the entire Plaza started moving once more as everything fixed itself, one stone block at a time.

And amidst this great sight, Dale received a notification:

[Manifestation of the Perfect Self 1-??? has deactivated]

"!"

The moment his Skill ended, Dale was overwhelmed by his own lingering emotions as a bead of sweat fell down from his forehead.

'What just happened?'

…

.

.

.

Notes