Chapter 1212
Swoooosh. Raon moved toward the spire belonging to the individual known as Kurrk, his fingers interlaced behind his back.
"The end is finally within reach."
With the assistance of Priest Srude, the process of solidifying his status in Heaven had proceeded far more rapidly than anticipated. If he could consume this final tower standing before him, he would ascend to the firmament and at last confront the Archangel.
—Is the conclusion truly upon us?
Wrath rubbed his palms together in anticipation.
—The local cuisine wasn't terrible, but I pine for a home-cooked meal. Furthermore...
The entity flashed a freezing look, baring his fangs.
—I am eager to see which of those Archangels dares to appear and act superior! Had this King been at the height of his power, they would not even venture to cast a shadow in my presence!
Wrath spent a good while licking his lips as he recited the names of the Archangels one by one.
"Look, it’s Zilfen!"
"Is he actually going to challenge Kurrk?"
"Undoubtedly! Kurrk’s tower is the only thing left in that direction!"
"At last, a clash between titans who have never tasted defeat!"
"The victor of this struggle will claim the honor of an audience with the Archangel."
Observing Raon’s intent, the onlookers realized a conflict between Tower Masters was imminent and began to trail after him.
"We cannot miss this! This will be the grandest duel since the dawn of Heaven!"
"I’m so envious. If only a chance like that fell to me..."
"Opportunities were everywhere. We simply lacked the strength to grab them."
"Zilfen threw himself into the fire like a moth and embraced every trial. That is how he reached this summit."
"Whether on the soil below or here in Heaven, gain only comes through risk. Taking the first step is always the most grueling..."
"That’s exactly why I’m rooting for Zilfen. Watching him is like seeing my younger self."
"Zilfen! You’ve come too far to fail now! You must prevail!"
"Exactly! Consume every tower and ascend as a Transcendent!"
"Just make sure you don't forget us once you're at the top!"
The inhabitants of Heaven, who had tracked Zilfen’s rise, now waved their arms with fervor, behaving like devoted disciples.
"Wow..."
Charlie surveyed the crowd cheering for Raon and let out a hollow breath.
"What’s gotten into them? They used to despise us."
He blinked rapidly, unable to reconcile the crowd's sudden shift in attitude.
"It is certainly peculiar."
Raon narrowed his gaze, shifting his attention to the right.
"Typically, jealousy would be their primary emotion."
The group on the right side was indeed hurling silent curses, their eyes burning with the fires of resentment. In truth, given the nature of this Heaven, that reaction was far more logical.
"Then why the applause from the others?"
Charlie tilted his head, searching for an explanation.
"Because they are fundamentally human," Raon replied with a light chuckle. "People are always desperate for someone to lean on. Even though they came to this place to sate their own cravings, they look for a champion to live out their fantasies for them."
The followers were projecting their unfulfilled ambitions onto him. They were seeking a hollow, vicarious triumph through his actions.
—How miserable.
Wrath clicked his tongue in disdain.
—To seek fulfillment through a proxy even in a realm where dreams are meant to be realized!
The creature struck his chest, visibly frustrated by the crowd's passivity.
"It’s more complicated than that."
Raon offered a calm wave of his hand.
"On the surface, this place looks like a paradise where every wish is granted, but in truth, it’s just a pigsty with a slightly higher ceiling."
A shadow crossed his face as he recalled the oily, unpleasant grin of Derus Robert.
"These people spent their lives being crushed by the powerful in the world below; they instinctively sensed the rot beneath this Heaven's surface."
Initially, he had shared Wrath’s perspective, viewing those who desired much but risked nothing as pathetic. However, his outlook had evolved significantly during his climb through the tower death matches.
The denizens of Heaven were professional victims, making them experts at reading the wind. Their intuition told them that this place was ugly and limited, so they had essentially surrendered.
"Because of that man."
Raon’s lips curled as he stared at the spire that pierced the highest point of the sky.
"Everyone stopped trying to expand their desires because of that ceiling, which stands before humanity like an insurmountable wall."
Priest Srude claimed people avoided death matches to protect their desires, but the truth was grimmer. No matter their efforts, they could never surpass Kurrk, the master of the ultimate tower. Fearing they would eventually lose everything to him, they abandoned their grander ambitions and settled for petty comforts. They were being kept like livestock.
"In that case..."
Raon shifted his weight, preparing a familiar stance.
"That's enough of that."
Just as he prepared to strike the tower to signal his arrival, a resonant voice echoed from behind him.
"Save your strength. I have already come out."
Raon turned to see a striking young man. He was short in stature, but his skin possessed a white radiance so intense it demanded attention. He stood with his arms folded across his chest.
"Keu... Kurrk!"
"The meeting of Kurrk and Zilfen..."
"That’s Kurrk? He looks like a child."
"Don't be a fool and underestimate him. They say if you enter a death match with that monster, you won't walk again for a month."
"Yeah, Zilfen is incredible, but I wouldn't want to be within a mile of Kurrk."
The mere presence of Kurrk sent a wave of tension through the crowd, leaving them breathless.
"Just as I thought..."
Raon’s eyes thinned to slits as he examined Kurrk’s translucent, glowing complexion.
"That individual is not human."
He had never encountered Kurrk in person, but the moment he was identified as the strongest being in Heaven, Raon was certain.
"Kurrk is undeniably an Angel."
A man as malevolent as Derus would never permit a common human a genuine path to their heart's desire. From the start, the plan must have been to install an impossible barrier to ensure those who climbed high would eventually plummet.
"He is definitely..."
An Angel. Others might be blinded, but Raon’s senses were sharp. Kurrk was of the same ilk as Vayph, the entity that had escorted him to this realm.
—Spot on!
Wrath wrinkled his nose in disgust.
—That wretch is an Angel! Those winged bastards are lower than insects!
The creature gnashed his teeth, enraged by the way Angels toyed with mortal lives.
"The legends of the one who built the towers and left Heaven after fulfilling their wish... that person was likely an Angel as well."
The individual mentioned by Vayph and Charlie was almost certainly another celestial being masquerading as a human.
"The moment has arrived."
Priest Srude carved a path through the throng and stepped into the clearing.
"I heard the faithful Kurrk and Zilfen were set for a death match, so I came to witness the event myself."
He beamed, claiming he couldn't possibly miss the collision between these two.
"Hey, if I crush this guy, I get my wish from the sky, right?"
Raon gestured toward Kurrk’s tower with a casual indifference.
"Hmm..."
Priest Srude looked between Raon and the massive spire, then nodded slowly.
"Follower Zilfen possesses the extra boons I bestowed upon him. It should be sufficient."
He wore a faint, knowing smile, suggesting that victory over Kurrk would grant immediate access to the Archangel. His tone, however, carried the silent implication that victory was impossible.
"If you are here to challenge me, let us begin."
Kurrk faced Raon and spread his arms wide.
"I despise wasting time."
He tilted his chin, indicating they should bypass the posturing and proceed directly to the death match.
"Starting immediately without a word?"
"That’s Kurrk for you. Always blunt."
"Now that you mention it, I’ve never heard of Kurrk turning down a fight."
"Who... who do you think will win?"
The audience swallowed hard, their eyes locked on the two combatants.
"I’m in agreement."
Raon let out a small laugh and clapped his hands.
"I’m not a fan of idle talk either."
He gave a haughty nod, signaling his readiness.
"Hmph."
Kurrk smirked, radiating an air of certain triumph as he unleashed his desire. Swoooosh. His energy manifested as a thick mist that reached out to touch Raon's soul.
"This isn't desire; it’s divine power."
The force Kurrk emitted was celestial energy masked as human longing.
"You seem to have a grasp of what desire feels like."
Kurrk’s lips curled upward, acting as though the battle wouldn't be a total bore despite his refusal to use actual desire.
"Indeed. I know desire well. However..."
Raon accepted the terms of the duel and matched Kurrk’s sneer.
"You don't seem to understand the first thing about it."
He delivered the insult with a gaze that could draw blood.
"How dare you!"
Enraged by the perceived insult from a mere human, Kurrk knitted his brows and surged forward with divine power disguised as desire. Kugugugugugu! The pressure was on an entirely different level than the previous Tower Masters, threatening to pulverize Raon's soul. It was easy to see why Kurrk’s past opponents ended up broken.
"I’d love to shred him with my aura..."
But the timing was wrong. He had to keep his true identity hidden until he stood before Derus Robert and the Archangel. With Priest Srude and other celestial observers watching, he had to rely on desire. Swoooosh!
Raon tapped into the raw emotions of the demon kings residing within his spirit. Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Lust, Envy, and Wrath. These were human feelings, yet the potency of the Devildom lords far surpassed mortal limits. This dark tide slammed into Kurrk’s divine energy.
Kuwaaaaang! A silent, spiritual shriek echoed through the air. The demonic energy instantly dissolved Kurrk’s poorly masked divine power and moved to swallow it whole.
"Wh-what is this?!"
Panic seized Kurrk. He abandoned all pretense of disguise and unleashed the full breadth of his divine power. It was a desperate explosion of pride; he refused to be bested by a human.
"Tsk."
Priest Srude raised a hand, weaving a veil of blue energy. He cast an illusion to ensure the gathered humans wouldn't recognize Kurrk's power for what it truly was.
"A futile effort."
The emotions of the demon kings were the ultimate counter to divine power. In a land defined by grotesque desires, there was no need to hide this specific strength. Raon unleashed that wicked Authority, consuming every shred of Kurrk’s celestial force.
"This... this cannot be happening..."
Kurrk’s pale lips trembled. He was in total shock that even his true power could not overcome Raon.
"You said you didn't like wasting time, didn't you?"
Raon looked down at Kurrk, returning the same mocking grin he had received earlier.
"No! Wait!"
"Let’s finish this quickly so we don't waste another second."
Kurrk gestured frantically for a pause, but Raon ignored the plea. He launched the mass of desire that had just finished feasting on divine power. Raon’s energy wrapped around Kurrk like a constricting serpent, draining every ounce of desire and divinity from the Angel's soul.
"Keuheuk!"
Because Kurrk was an Angel, the agony of having his essence stripped away was magnified. He coughed up blood and collapsed in a heap. It was a pathetic downfall for the master of Heaven's tallest tower.
"Heavens!"
"Kurrk... lost?"
"I never imagined Zilfen could actually pull it off..."
"Who could have foreseen this outcome?"
"I just assumed Kurrk would win and move on to his wish."
"I can't believe a human could harbor such overwhelming desire."
The majority of the spectators had bet on Kurrk’s dominance; they stood frozen in disbelief, clicking their tongues at the sight of the fallen champion.
"......"
Even Priest Srude seemed blindsided. He bit his yellowed lip, his eyes fixed on the unconscious Kurrk.
"Hey."
Raon tapped the side of Kurrk’s tower with his palm, snapping Priest Srude out of his trance.
"I believe it’s time for you to build my tower."
He flicked his chin toward the priest with an arrogant flourish.
"I’d like to make my wish right now."
