My Alter Ego’s Path to Greatness

Episode 226 Immortal King vs Hero Party (1)

Corrupted warriors, their bodies covered in dark blue veins, swarmed them from all directions.

“Kyaaaack!”

“Gah! Ugh!”

Everyone’s faces hardened at the sight of their grotesque forms.

The demons had completely lost their sanity, their bodies half-undead, but their strength was incomparable to before.

“…We can’t delay any longer. Let’s go all out.”

As soon as Heinrich, leading the charge, finished speaking, “Blessing: Holy Sword” activated, and the beautiful holy sword in his hand blazed with a brilliant light.

At the same time, his body was filled with an unprecedented power, all his abilities reaching their peak.

He hadn’t reached transcendence yet, just in terms of pure level… but the divine power, forcibly elevating him to the pinnacle of humanity,

Amplified his other skills, including “Grand Blessing: Knight of Light” and “Blessing: Fortitude”.

His aura, which had been flickering gently, now blazed fiercely, spreading to his companions.

“Oh… what is this?”

“Charge! Follow the Hero!”

“Eternal rest to our fallen brethren!”

He hadn’t even used a large-scale holy spell, but he was now emanating a wide-ranging buff, just by his presence.

Not only mental support that dispelled fear and boosted morale, but also practical combat bonuses that enhanced physical abilities.

This was another reason why the hero was revered.

The chosen one of God.

The hope and beacon of humanity.

The expedition pushed through the swarming demons, following Heinrich’s lead, deep into the darkness-shrouded city.

“Misty, are you sure you’re alright?”

“…I can’t just sit back and watch while the others are risking their lives. Don’t worry, I won’t be a hindrance.”

Misty, who was struggling to maintain her spells, answered the Saintess’s concerned question.

She was exhausted, her lifespan dwindling, but she could still amplify the warriors’ tattoos.

Liesta sighed softly, seeing her overexerting herself.

But she couldn’t stop her.

It was better to focus on doing what she could.

“Main God, please grant your children the strength to rise again when they are weary, to fight against injustice.”

The Saintess’s prayer activated her holy magic, enveloping the entire group.

And empowered by the layered buffs, they marched forward.

Their destination was the large building in the center of the city, emanating a thick abyssal aura.

It was Baltheon’s residence, and where the Immortal King was hiding.

______________

It wasn’t difficult for the hero party to reach their destination if they went all out.

They were facing a horde of demons and undead summoned from the Immortal Fortress, and the sinister energy permeating the city was constantly empowering them… ŕ𝘼ΝỘᛒĘŞ

But they were still no match for the hero party.

However, they conserved their strength and advanced cautiously.

Even that was an overwhelming sight compared to the others.

“Horia, Equistin.”

Lydia Granwood, the High Elf, whispered, and her arrow, imbued with the power of fire and wind, turned the front lines into a sea of flames.

“Thunder Buster!”

Isea’s chant concluded, and a spear of lightning pierced through the darkness, striking the ground.

“Haa—!”

Geos’s spear thrust exploded the heads of the charging enemies,

“Hahaha!”

And the demons Harley collided with were sent flying like bowling pins.

The hero party cleared a path, and the Southern Warriors followed, blocking reinforcements and securing their advance.

They were buying time for the main force to reach their destination with minimal casualties.

“Push forward! We’re almost there!”

“Kyaaaack!”

“We can’t let them get any closer. This is our land, we’ll open the path with our lives!”

The warriors’ weapons struck the demons, whose bodies were tougher than monsters.

But the demons, burning their last drop of life force, didn’t die easily, and the casualties were mounting.

“Gah! Ugh!”

“Ah— Rest in peace, brother. I’ll be joining you soon.”

[Kyaaaack—!]

And the undead, also empowered by the abyss, were relentless.

The Southern Warriors were literally carving a path with their blood.

‘…He’s really serious this time, Hans. Using humans as expendable pawns… Just how far will you fall?’

Heinrich, marching forward, gritted his teeth, his heart heavy with the warriors’ sacrifices.

High Chieftain Baltheon had forcibly injected madness into his warriors, turning them into ‘Berserkers’.

Like Harley when he first absorbed madness, their physical abilities would have skyrocketed.

The difference was that they had lost control of their bodies and were completely subservient to Baltheon’s commands.

They might have still been salvageable… but Hans’s ‘death’ had extinguished all hope of recovery.

They weren’t completely turned into undead because of the madness that had already corrupted their bodies, but they were practically dead.

‘And the abyss spreading through the air is also a problem. The concentration is still low, so the warriors blessed by Liesta are enduring it, but I don’t know what will happen if it continues.’

Hans was the source of the abyssal energy and the undead army.

If they could defeat him… or at least disrupt him… the situation would improve.

Reaching him as quickly as possible was the only way to minimize the casualties.

‘Let’s go straight…!’

But…

As always, things didn’t go according to plan.

In front of the central building, their target…

Now completely shrouded in a sinister aura, blocking the entrance…

“Haha! So you’ve finally arrived.”

A demon, slightly smaller than Harley, his body covered in purple and black contamination, blocked their path.

He was accompanied by several other demons, emitting auras stronger than any they had encountered so far.

“Baltheon…”

Misty, her face pale from overusing her spells, muttered softly.

“Hehehe, Misty. I thought you were hiding like a rat, but you came back on your own.”

“…Is this what you wanted? To sacrifice yourself and your followers to the Immortal King? You said it was for Calcos’s glory… It was all bullshit.”

That had been Baltheon’s justification.

To unite the south and march north, to escape this barren land and conquer the fertile lands.

He had been ousted for oppressing the tribes that desired peace and pushing his warmongering policies too far…

“Ah, this was an unexpected accident. I was originally planning to take over the Empire’s southern region while the continent was in chaos and then renegotiate.”

He shrugged nonchalantly, ignoring her accusation, and then looked at the demons, their bodies consumed by the abyss, and the endless stream of undead pouring out of the entrance behind him.

“But this isn’t bad either.”

A twisted smile spread across his face.

“The Empire’s southern region? No, with the Immortal King and this invincible army, we can take over the entire Empire! We can destroy the Azerion Empire and establish the Calcos Empire!”

Madness burned in his bloodshot eyes.

He had lost all traces of his humanity, fueled by twisted beliefs and ambitions.

“…You’re insane. Allying with the Immortal King, who wants to turn the world into a wasteland, will only lead to destruction.”

“No, he’s different from the previous Immortal Kings. Even the Saint knows that. That’s why he proposed that ridiculous wager!”

He had chosen to cooperate with the Immortal King, even though it meant risking everything.

It was the dream he had cherished for decades, the desire he had carried since joining Oath of Heaven’s Defiance and opening the abyss.

“Khehehe— After we’ve eliminated those damned imperial bastards… I, Baltheon, will become the first emperor of the Calcos Empire…!”

But his self-absorbed rant…

“You talk too much.”

“What?!”

…was interrupted,

And at the same time—,

Kaboom—!

“Gah!”

…he was sent flying like a missile, crashing through walls and buildings before disappearing into the distance.

Rumble— Boom! Crash—!

Leaving behind only a trail of deafening explosions.

Everyone, including the demons who had been standing around him, stared blankly at the spot where he had been standing a moment ago.

Harley was now standing there, his fist extended, his expression bored.

“Ah, come on! I don’t care about the Empire or anything, just fight me!”

He grinned, looking around excitedly.

Baltheon, the transcendent High Chieftain, was already a satisfying opponent, but there were also three other great warriors, all at the mastery level, and a dozen more demon warriors…

What a feast!

“Hehehe… This might actually be fun.”

Harley grinned ferociously.

He hadn’t had a decent fight since his transcendence.

He had just been bullying Hans’s weaklings with the hero party and occasionally punching White Giants.

What was Harley’s reason for coming here in the first place?

He desired a fierce battle, a bloody struggle against a worthy opponent.

In that sense, the prey before him seemed promising…

But there was one thing he had to do first.

“Hey, leave these guys to me and go ahead. You’re in a hurry, right?”

Crack— Creak!

Whoosh—

Metallic sounds echoed from Harley’s body as he stretched, and a cloud of steam erupted from his overheating body.

He stood in front of the entrance that Baltheon had been blocking and glanced at the hero party.

As if telling them to leave this to him and go ahead.

‘These guys are mine! I called dibs! So get lost!’

Even Heinrich couldn’t help but stare at him with a dumbfounded expression.

“Y-you bastard—! How dare you—!”

Baltheon’s furious roar echoed from the distance,

Accompanied by a destructive shockwave that shook the surroundings.

“Ah, just go! And you, missy, you should get away from here with your friends. I’m not responsible for what happens next.”

But Misty, sensing the danger, was already retreating with her warriors.

Heinrich sighed and entered the building with the hero party…

“I’ll kill you—!”

Kaboom—!

And at the same time, Harley clashed fists with Baltheon, who had already closed the distance.

“Oh! That’s the spirit! You guys too! Come at me! Khahaha—!”

His smile was brighter than ever.

______________

Creak— Creak—

“Sigh, what am I going to do with Harley? He’s a different kind of problem than Hans.”

Hugo grumbled as he continued his usual workout routine in the home gym.

Things were chaotic in Auterica, but it had only been two days since his main body fell unconscious in Earth time.

Naturally, there weren’t any incidents here, so he didn’t have much to do, except for checking on his main body’s condition and maintaining his usual routine.

‘Harris is a saint compared to him. He’s just sleeping and not even participating in the mental meetings. I have no idea what Harley’s going to do next.’

What was the point of sharing thoughts if he acted without thinking, without any warning?

Harley was a true embodiment of ‘a healthy mind in a healthy body’.

‘Ah, but the situation seems to be getting worse. When will he wake up? I hope at least one day goes by without any problems…’

As Hugo sighed worriedly,

In a bedroom, the most heavily guarded room in the house, protected by all sorts of security measures,

Twitch—

A finger on the hand of the man lying motionless on the bed— twitched slightly.

As if heralding something to come.

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