Ranker Who Lives Twice

The battlefield that met Yeon-woo’s eyes was pure bedlam. Gods were entangled with each other, and the soldiers clashing with the subordinates made him catch his breath. When he saw the black stains growing on the columns of light, he realized that Vieira Dune had pulled off her scheme successfully. At the moment, nothing could stop her.

Although he received the throne from Hades, he still hadn’t exuviated and transcended. Without divinity, there were limits to his strength and how much he could help Olympus. Since Hades knew this, as well, his quest for Yeon-woo was focused on escape. He wanted Yeon-woo to regroup the soldiers and reclaim Tartarus later when everything was settled, which was why Yeon-woo tried to do everything within his capacity.

[Time Difference]

As time slowed, he observed the progress of the war while checking to see what he could do to help. First, he looked for his comrades.

“Creutz!”

“We’re holding our position for now…but we won’t last much longer! We’ll have to retreat soon!

“Shit. Where are these damned things coming from? Please, hold on just a little longer.”

“Hurry! We’re reaching our breaking point.”

Creutz was reciting a prayer, his holy sword Zulfikar planted in the ground. The stone at the center of the holy sword turned to topaz, created a huge barrier around them. Thud. The monsters threw their bodies at the barrier as Galliard shot out arrows one after the other to stop them from approaching. He also sent them towards the monsters with higher statuses to thin out their ranks.

Among them, Kahn was the busiest. He wove in and out of the barrier using Bian. Lightning battered down, and whirlwinds blew, monsters dying with each strike, their blood strengthening the Blood Sword at the same time. Kahn was covered in the blood and gore of his enemies, and he emanated a bleak ghostly energy. However, his appearance was like a light at the end of a dark tunnel for his allies.

Now that the chain of command was broken, Dis Pluto had splintered into islands of soldiers buffeted by the raging waves of the subordinates. They could barely fend the monsters off and were in danger of being overwhelmed at any time.

However, Kahn appeared at the most endangered locations.

“K-Kahn…!”

“This isn’t the time. Follow me! Hurry!”

He secured an escape route through the monsters and led them to Creutz’s barrier. As he gathered the Dis Pluto members one by one, they began to look more like an organized troop, and holding their shields and spears out, they began to push back the monsters. Just as Yeon-woo had ordered, they focused on gathering the Dis Pluto members in one place.

However, there was a disadvantage to this because the bigger the group grew, the more they would catch their enemies’ attention

“Lam…is dead.”

“The first, third, and fourth corps have been decimated!”

“We’ve lost contact with the tenth corps! They were at the location of Hyperion’s descent. I told them so many times not to go. Shit.”

“Krios is coming this way.”

“The right section of the barrier is about to crack! Support it!”

The reports came in about Lam, who had been their psychological pillar, and the situation of the other corps. Most of them had been trying to protect the columns of light only to be defeated by the Titans.

Creutz’s barrier also had its limits. No matter how much he expanded it, it could only hold a certain capacity, and its durability was decreasing as the monsters battered it. The color of Zulfikar’s stone grew fainter, and it seemed to be on the brink of cracking. It was a dangerous situation, and no one knew how long they could endure.

The longer the fight continued, the harder Galliard and Kahn worked to save just even one more person. After fighting with Dis Pluto for the past few months, they had become their precious comrades, and there were still too many of them in dangerous positions.

The gravest danger that they were facing came from the Titan Krios, who was rampaging towards them. He was one of the twelve Titan gods leading the charge, and rage burned in his eyes as he prepared to finally return the humiliation they received at Buwangji.

『I will crush each one of you.』

The monsters around Krios multiplied as he grew close, and so many surrounded the barrier that it was impossible to see through them. Just as Krios’ gigantic shadow fell over Kahn’s head, Yeon-woo released Time Difference and appeared. Crash.

[Sky Wings - Death]

His left wing expanded and shot up so high that it seemed to pierce the sky. As he added more firepower, the wing turned black and split into three layers. At that moment, death descended.

The monsters surrounding the barrier toppled like dominoes before they even realized what was happening. Their corpses looked nothing like the growling beasts they’d been when they were alive.

“Cain…?” Creutz’s eyes widened when he realized it was Yeon-woo.

“Cain!”

“Cain is here! Cain is here!”

“We can win!”

The color returned to the faces of Dis Pluto’s members when they saw Yeon-woo. He represented victory to them, and his arrival at a moment where they felt hopeless and at the end of their rope made their will to fight burst out once more.

Yeon-woo grinned at Dis Pluto and turned back to Krios, who stood as tall as a mountain.

『Grahh! This…what is this…?』Formless powers crept up Krios’ legs like a spreading disease, making it impossible for him to approach. 『You…how are you here?』

The wing of death had the significance of the powers of 666 different deaths. Just as the Titan Toae had struggled against the fear of death descending on him, Krios could feel the 666 gods and demons reaching out to grasp his neck.

Yeon-woo’s powers of death had been strengthened with the fourth step awakening. However, Krios didn’t go down as easily as Toae. He kicked and struggled, withstanding the gods and demons of death like a true leader of the Titans. This was only possible because more of his divinity had returned with the darkened columns of light.

Roar! Krios made another thunderous bellow that practically shook the earth. However, Yeon-woo was satisfied. He only needed time, and with all the magic power he could muster, he released Open Speaking. 『Everyone…run!』

There was no need for him to give directions because only one path was open—all the way to Myeongbujeon, where Yeon-woo first cooperated with Dis Pluto successfully. There was another column of light there.

『Where…do you think you’re going…?』Krios stretched his hand when he saw Yeon-woo and the others escaping. The 666 powers were still eating away at his body; it was dangerous to disregard them, but stopping Dis Pluto was more important.

The Dis Pluto bastards were nuisances that had bothered them during the time of their imprisonment, and if he didn’t get rid of them once and for all now, there was no way to predict what they would do in the future. He had to nip the threat in the bud.

Yeon-woo attempted to stand against Krios, gripping Vigrid in one hand. Even if he could keep it open longer because of the fourth step awakening, the death wing wouldn’t last too long. He had to furl his wing to buy some time.

At that moment, something powerful crashed into Krios’ neck. Boom! Krios lost his balance and fell to the ground, his throat halfway through. Black smoke spurted out. 『Grahh! How dare you…!』 Krios thundered in fury. However, a flame shot up from his chest and soon spread to the rest of his body.

“How dare I? Dare?” Athena growled as she glared at Krios. She had seemed so sad and frail in front of Yeon-woo, but at this moment, he could see why she was the goddess of war, her eyes flashing intensely under her helm. “Those should be my words! You fools dared to harm my children in front of me? You degenerates!”

Swish. Space opened, and nine petaled shields rushed out one after the other: her holy artifact, Aegis. It was like watching flowers fall to the ground. Athena held one of the Aegis in her left hand and raised a massive lance in her right as she leaped up like a ray of light splitting through air. Ping. She landed on Krios’ forehead.

『Grahh! 』 She crushed his skull, and a large storm of fire blazed over his body. The crack on his forehead spread to his arms, and black smoke leaked out.

Hermes appeared as though to assist her, tapping Caduceus on the ground lightly. However, those easy movements caused a great tremor to shake through the earth. Mounds of dirt tossed over as six mammoth boa constrictors rushed out towards Krios.

The largest of them wrapped around Krios’ body like rope, and the others tore at his limbs. One of Krios’ arms was thrown in the air as black smoke poured out like a fountain, obscuring the ground. The boa constrictors ate through Krios’ body, filling their stomachs.

『Grahh! 』As Krios floundered in pain, Hermes smiled and signaled at Yeon-woo to leave, his eyes full of affection.

Yeon-woo felt apologetic and grateful at their help. He bowed and turned in the opposite direction. His right wing unfolded.

[Sky Wings - Fight]

Red flames that seemed to burn the sky spurted from the blackened embers.

[Black Gubitara - Philosopher’s Eyes]

[Draconic Divine Eyes]

[Fiery Golden Eyes]

As his eyes grew tinted with gold, he saw Titans and their subordinates arriving to stop the escaping Dis Pluto members. His Philosopher’s Stone whirled, overheating. With Time Difference, he quickly chose his target and made a powerful swing with Vigrid.

[The hidden true name of Vigrid-???, Durendal, is released.]

[Folklore: Gust of Wind]

The wings condensed inside Vigrid and released a tornado that swept away countless enemies with the strength of Heaven Bracket and Holy Fire. Yeon-woo was now stronger than when he first arrived in Tartarus.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Rumble! Smash!

Yeon-woo rolled out his Fire Wings and stepped on Wind Path, blasting everything away and clearing a path for Dis Pluto.

It was the beginning of the exodus.