The explosion started from the far end of the floating island.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The first victim of the explosion was none other than the airships of the Proatine Kingdom and the Guardians waiting for the coalition forces. It went without saying that everyone on board the airship was swept away by it.
The explosion’s momentum seemed to be unstoppable, and it seemed like the God of Destruction had strengthened it, allowing it to devour everything in its path.
“Brunhilde!”
“Ingrid!”
Lohengrin and Lionbreath were also swept away by the explosion, and both screamed out the names of their beloved daughters before they met their end.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
After devouring Lohengrin and Lionbreath, the explosion destroyed the castle gates and walls. Then, it continued until it was about to reach Siegfried and the others. freewebnove(l).com
“Bwahahaha!” Ulcera laughed hysterically despite knowing he was going to perish in the explosion as well. Then, he smugly looked at Siegfried and said, “Do you hear that, Siegfried van Proa?! Can you hear your destruction fast approaching?! Bwahaha!”
However, Siegfried did not respond to Ulcera’s provocations.
“Kyuuu! Owner punk! He really detonated the entire place! What should we do?! Hamchi’s going to die! I won’t see you ever again, owner punk! Kyuuu!” Hamchi cried out. He seemed sadder about not being able to see Siegfried ever again rather than dying.
Large droplets of tears formed in his eyes as he asked, “Why are you so relaxed, owner punk? Are you fine with not seeing Hamchi ever again? Are you tired of Hamchi?”
Siegfried crouched down and hugged the giant hamster before replying, “Hey, why are you so sad just because we won’t see each other again? It’s fine... It’s fine...”
“Kyuu... Hamchi is so sad. I’m sad I won’t see you ever again...”
Siegfried patted the giant hamster’s head and said, “We will see each other again, I promise.”
“Kyu? R-Really?”
“Yeah,” Siegfried said with a smirk. Then, he grabbed Hamchi and gave him a piggyback ride, “Hey, is the thought of not seeing me ever again making you that sad?”
“Sniff...! Y-Yes, it does... It hasn’t been that long since we met... Kyuu...”
“Then you should’ve treated me better when you had the chance, no?”
“Hamchi is sorry if I’ve been bad to you, owner punk... Kyuu...”
“You’re too kind, you little punk,” Siegfried said with a smirk, finding Hamchi to be quite adorable right now.
The heartwarming moment between the two was interrupted by Ulcera.
“Siegfried van Proa! Can’t you tell what situation you’re in?! Ha! I see! You’re trying to act tough! Well, you better drop the act, as your pet and everybody else are going to DIE! Bwahaha!”
“Sure~ Sure~ You can keep yapping if you want, bro~ Ah, please make sure to go die once you’re done, okay?”
“Heh... So you’re going to act tough until the very end? I guess you will only cry once reality hits you...” Ulcera said with a hint of disappointment in his voice. Then, he smirked and added, “It’s too bad I won’t be able to see you despair... I guess I will have to watch you from the pits of hell! Kyahaha!”
Siegfried paid no heed to Ulcera’s ramblings and only focused his attention on consoling Hamchi.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A violent tremor ran through the entire castle.
Boom! Boom!
The explosions got nearer and nearer until one of the pillars in the vast hall crumbled.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Then, a powerful explosion occurred all over the vast hall.
Boom! Boom!
However, Siegfried did not move an inch and only focused on consoling Hamchi.
Booooom!
An explosion triggered right underneath them and swept them away.
***
Meanwhile, Daode Tianzun and the others successfully killed the Dark Snake, Agareth, and were waiting for the rest of the coalition forces.
However, all was not well with them too, as they suffered their own casualties.
“Hang in there. I will patch you up, so don’t worry,” Daode Tianzun said while casting the most powerful healing spell in his arsenal.
Betelgeuse smiled warmly and replied, “Hyung-nim... I think it’s futile...”
“What bullshit are you spouting?! What do you mean it’s futile?!”
“My mana hall has been destroyed... All of my internal organs are... Cough! Cough!” Betelgeuse was unable to finish his words as he coughed up large amounts of blood.
He was in absolute shambles right now. His entire body turned black after being contaminated by the dark energy spouted out by Agareth, and his wounds refused to close as they continued to bleed out.
In addition, his body, which had become younger and had been reformed after becoming a Grandmaster, rapidly grew old, and he eventually looked older than he did before.
“Hey! Betelgeuse! You damn brat! Listen to me! Open your eyes! Open your eyes, you punk!” Daode Tianzun shouted. He purposely used the crude words both of them used to use back when they were younger to keep him awake, but it was to no avail.
“Hyung-nim...”
“Why are you in a rush to die when you just became a Grandmaster? You said you don’t even have a disciple! How can you try to overtake me, you punk? Don’t you have any respect for your elders? Ha?!”
“Grand...master... Haha...” Betelgeuse muttered with a faint smile. Then, he looked up into the distance and added, “It was a nice dream, hyung-nim...”
“Hey! Don’t give up! Wake up!”
“I thought I would never step into this realm... but it seemed luck favored me and granted me a taste of it before I died... I can die without any regrets now...”
“Hey, you punk...” Daode Tianzun muttered.
Sniff...!
In the end, tears started pooling in his eyes as he said, “You just became a Grandmaster, so why are you rushing to die already...?”
“I’m fine, hyung-nim... I danced with my sword to my heart’s content, so it’s time for me to rest...”
It was then.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sound of explosion thundered from the Sky Fortress floating in the sky.
“...!”
The eyes of Daode Tianzun, Betelgeuse, and Decimato shot wide open.
The explosion that started at the far end of the floating island triggered a chain of explosions that spread instantly to the center of it, and the explosion showed no signs of stopping.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Even the castle standing in the center of the Sky Fortress was destroyed by the explosion...
Boom! Boom!
Crack...!
The ground cracked open, and the explosion reached the core which was deep in the ground right at the center of the floating island.
Flash...!
A blinding light flashed.
Kaboom!
Then, the Sky Fortress exploded with the force of a nuclear bomb, sending rocks and dirt raining down from the sky.
“Your Majestyyyyy!” Decimato screamed at the top of his lungs.
Daode Tianzun raised his arms and hurriedly shouted, “Cast a barrier first! Can’t you see the rocks coming for us?!”
“Ah, yes, Master!” Decimato replied and instantly cast a barrier.
Shwooooong!
Decimato noticed a red object flying among the rocks, and he instantly cast anti-gravity magic to slow down the red object’s fall.
Shwaaak...!
The red object turned out to be the +10 Blood Butterfly’s Wings, and Siegfried landed gently on the ground while unconscious.
“Your Majesty! Are you alright?!” Decimato rushed over. Then, he tried to shake him awake, “Your Majesty! Can you hear me? Your Majesty!”
Siegfried slowly opened his eyes and replied, “I am... alright... I gambled on it, but it seems I... somehow survived.”
“Y-Your Majesty...?”
“Ugh...!”
Siegfried forced himself to his feet.
Snap...!
Then, a feather fell out from his inventory and turned into ash the moment it hit the ground.
***
The sole reason Siegfried managed to survive the explosion was none other than the item Feather of Salvation.
[Feather of Salvation]
[A feather that will save your life when in danger.]
[This item will save your life once when you are in great peril.]
[Type: Consumable]
[Rating: Unique]
[Effect: The feather will disappear when your HP drops below 5%. It will replenish your HP to 100%]
“I would have died if I had made a mistake, but... Phew... I probably won’t be pulling something like this ever again,” Siegfried said and sighed.
A few seconds ago, Siegfried used the Great Champion’s Belt as a shield to protect himself from the first blast, but that was still not enough to save him, as the explosion from the Sky Fortress’ core triggered an even more powerful second blast.
Fortunately, the Feather of Salvation spared him from that one, and Decimato managed to catch him with his magic just in time for him to avoid falling to his death.
In the end, Siegfried managed to survive alone from the massive explosion.
“Duke Decimato.”
“Yes, Your Majesty...?”
“Thank you. I would have died without being able to fix things if not for you. I was trying to activate it while falling, but it simply refused to do so,” Siegfried said.
“Huh...? What do you mean by that, Your Majesty...?” Decimato asked, seemingly perplexed.
Siegfried took out an hourglass and replied, “This guy reacts too slowly. I tried using it a while ago, but it seems to require a long time to activate.”
Wooong...!
The sands inside the hourglass were shining golden.
“T-That is...!” Daode Tianzun exclaimed. Then, he looked at Siegfried with absolute shock and said, “Siegfried! T-That is...!”
“Yes, it is what you think, Elder-nim,” Siegfried replied with a nod.
“Oh my god! Ohhh!” Daode Tianzun was so overwhelmed by his emotions he called out to god. Then, he smiled brightly and exclaimed, “Siegfried! You really did it this time, didn’t you?! Haha!”
“Haha...” Siegfried laughed weakly in response.
Wooooong!
The sands within the hourglass shone brightly.
[Hourglass of Miracle]
[An hourglass infused with ancient magic to turn back time.]
[It will allow the user to wind back time by one hour when used.]
[Type: Accessory]
[Rating: Epic]
[Warning: This item will be destroyed upon use.]
The Hourglass of Miracle was the gift he had obtained after helping the spirits escape from the Eternal Isles, and it was an item that allowed him to return to the past.
Siegfried tried to return to the past the moment he ran into Ulcera and found out the altar was a fake, but the Hourglass of Miracle refused to activate at the time.
[Alert: The Hourglass of Miracle is preparing to turn back time!]
[Alert: Please wait! The Hourglass of Miracle will turn back time soon!]
Siegfried had no idea when it would roll back time, so he had to prioritize his own survival. He had a feeling the Hourglass of Miracle would not activate if he died, so he had no other choice but to abandon everyone else and focus on himself instead.
In the end, he relied on his items and the Feather of Salvation to survive until the very bitter end, and the result was...
[Alert: The Hourglass of Miracle will soon turn back time!]
[Alert: 10 seconds remaining before time will be turned back!]
[Alert: 9... 8... 7... 6...!]
A countdown started in front of his eyes.
“I am not sure if you will remember what happened, but I will be going now,” Siegfried told Daode Tianzun.
He was not sure if the NPCs would remember what happened once he turned back time. The Adventurers would probably consider it a rollback caused by some glitch in the server, but it was highly probable that the NPCs would fail to notice that time had turned back.
Of course, that wasn't important right now.
“Sure, off you go now,” Daode Tianzun replied while waving his hand. Then, he smiled warmly and added, “I was really about to lose it after seeing the state this pitiful fella was in. It hasn’t even been a day since he became a Grandmaster, but what tragedy is this? Haha...”
“I agree, but I will define—“ Siegfried replied, but he was unable to finish his words.
[Alert: 3... 2... 1...]
[Alert: The Hourglass of Miracle has activated!]
[Alert: You have been disconnected from the server!]
The entire BNW server froze, and everyone was simultaneously disconnected from it.
The explosion started from the far end of the floating island.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The first victim of the explosion was none other than the airships of the Proatine Kingdom and the Guardians waiting for the coalition forces. It went without saying that everyone on board the airship was swept away by it.
The explosion’s momentum seemed to be unstoppable, and it seemed like the God of Destruction had strengthened it, allowing it to devour everything in its path.
“Brunhilde!”
“Ingrid!”
Lohengrin and Lionbreath were also swept away by the explosion, and both screamed out the names of their beloved daughters before they met their end.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
After devouring Lohengrin and Lionbreath, the explosion destroyed the castle gates and walls. Then, it continued until it was about to reach Siegfried and the others. freewebnove(l).com
“Bwahahaha!” Ulcera laughed hysterically despite knowing he was going to perish in the explosion as well. Then, he smugly looked at Siegfried and said, “Do you hear that, Siegfried van Proa?! Can you hear your destruction fast approaching?! Bwahaha!”
However, Siegfried did not respond to Ulcera’s provocations.
“Kyuuu! Owner punk! He really detonated the entire place! What should we do?! Hamchi’s going to die! I won’t see you ever again, owner punk! Kyuuu!” Hamchi cried out. He seemed sadder about not being able to see Siegfried ever again rather than dying.
Large droplets of tears formed in his eyes as he asked, “Why are you so relaxed, owner punk? Are you fine with not seeing Hamchi ever again? Are you tired of Hamchi?”
Siegfried crouched down and hugged the giant hamster before replying, “Hey, why are you so sad just because we won’t see each other again? It’s fine... It’s fine...”
“Kyuu... Hamchi is so sad. I’m sad I won’t see you ever again...”
Siegfried patted the giant hamster’s head and said, “We will see each other again, I promise.”
“Kyu? R-Really?”
“Yeah,” Siegfried said with a smirk. Then, he grabbed Hamchi and gave him a piggyback ride, “Hey, is the thought of not seeing me ever again making you that sad?”
“Sniff...! Y-Yes, it does... It hasn’t been that long since we met... Kyuu...”
“Then you should’ve treated me better when you had the chance, no?”
“Hamchi is sorry if I’ve been bad to you, owner punk... Kyuu...”
“You’re too kind, you little punk,” Siegfried said with a smirk, finding Hamchi to be quite adorable right now.
The heartwarming moment between the two was interrupted by Ulcera.
“Siegfried van Proa! Can’t you tell what situation you’re in?! Ha! I see! You’re trying to act tough! Well, you better drop the act, as your pet and everybody else are going to DIE! Bwahaha!”
“Sure~ Sure~ You can keep yapping if you want, bro~ Ah, please make sure to go die once you’re done, okay?”
“Heh... So you’re going to act tough until the very end? I guess you will only cry once reality hits you...” Ulcera said with a hint of disappointment in his voice. Then, he smirked and added, “It’s too bad I won’t be able to see you despair... I guess I will have to watch you from the pits of hell! Kyahaha!”
Siegfried paid no heed to Ulcera’s ramblings and only focused his attention on consoling Hamchi.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A violent tremor ran through the entire castle.
Boom! Boom!
The explosions got nearer and nearer until one of the pillars in the vast hall crumbled.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Then, a powerful explosion occurred all over the vast hall.
Boom! Boom!
However, Siegfried did not move an inch and only focused on consoling Hamchi.
Booooom!
An explosion triggered right underneath them and swept them away.
***
Meanwhile, Daode Tianzun and the others successfully killed the Dark Snake, Agareth, and were waiting for the rest of the coalition forces.
However, all was not well with them too, as they suffered their own casualties.
“Hang in there. I will patch you up, so don’t worry,” Daode Tianzun said while casting the most powerful healing spell in his arsenal.
Betelgeuse smiled warmly and replied, “Hyung-nim... I think it’s futile...”
“What bullshit are you spouting?! What do you mean it’s futile?!”
“My mana hall has been destroyed... All of my internal organs are... Cough! Cough!” Betelgeuse was unable to finish his words as he coughed up large amounts of blood.
He was in absolute shambles right now. His entire body turned black after being contaminated by the dark energy spouted out by Agareth, and his wounds refused to close as they continued to bleed out.
In addition, his body, which had become younger and had been reformed after becoming a Grandmaster, rapidly grew old, and he eventually looked older than he did before.
“Hey! Betelgeuse! You damn brat! Listen to me! Open your eyes! Open your eyes, you punk!” Daode Tianzun shouted. He purposely used the crude words both of them used to use back when they were younger to keep him awake, but it was to no avail.
“Hyung-nim...”
“Why are you in a rush to die when you just became a Grandmaster? You said you don’t even have a disciple! How can you try to overtake me, you punk? Don’t you have any respect for your elders? Ha?!”
“Grand...master... Haha...” Betelgeuse muttered with a faint smile. Then, he looked up into the distance and added, “It was a nice dream, hyung-nim...”
“Hey! Don’t give up! Wake up!”
“I thought I would never step into this realm... but it seemed luck favored me and granted me a taste of it before I died... I can die without any regrets now...”
“Hey, you punk...” Daode Tianzun muttered.
Sniff...!
In the end, tears started pooling in his eyes as he said, “You just became a Grandmaster, so why are you rushing to die already...?”
“I’m fine, hyung-nim... I danced with my sword to my heart’s content, so it’s time for me to rest...”
It was then.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sound of explosion thundered from the Sky Fortress floating in the sky.
“...!”
The eyes of Daode Tianzun, Betelgeuse, and Decimato shot wide open.
The explosion that started at the far end of the floating island triggered a chain of explosions that spread instantly to the center of it, and the explosion showed no signs of stopping.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Even the castle standing in the center of the Sky Fortress was destroyed by the explosion...
Boom! Boom!
Crack...!
The ground cracked open, and the explosion reached the core which was deep in the ground right at the center of the floating island.
Flash...!
A blinding light flashed.
Kaboom!
Then, the Sky Fortress exploded with the force of a nuclear bomb, sending rocks and dirt raining down from the sky.
“Your Majestyyyyy!” Decimato screamed at the top of his lungs.
Daode Tianzun raised his arms and hurriedly shouted, “Cast a barrier first! Can’t you see the rocks coming for us?!”
“Ah, yes, Master!” Decimato replied and instantly cast a barrier.
Shwooooong!
Decimato noticed a red object flying among the rocks, and he instantly cast anti-gravity magic to slow down the red object’s fall.
Shwaaak...!
The red object turned out to be the +10 Blood Butterfly’s Wings, and Siegfried landed gently on the ground while unconscious.
“Your Majesty! Are you alright?!” Decimato rushed over. Then, he tried to shake him awake, “Your Majesty! Can you hear me? Your Majesty!”
Siegfried slowly opened his eyes and replied, “I am... alright... I gambled on it, but it seems I... somehow survived.”
“Y-Your Majesty...?”
“Ugh...!”
Siegfried forced himself to his feet.
Snap...!
Then, a feather fell out from his inventory and turned into ash the moment it hit the ground.
***
The sole reason Siegfried managed to survive the explosion was none other than the item Feather of Salvation.
[Feather of Salvation]
[A feather that will save your life when in danger.]
[This item will save your life once when you are in great peril.]
[Type: Consumable]
[Rating: Unique]
[Effect: The feather will disappear when your HP drops below 5%. It will replenish your HP to 100%]
“I would have died if I had made a mistake, but... Phew... I probably won’t be pulling something like this ever again,” Siegfried said and sighed.
A few seconds ago, Siegfried used the Great Champion’s Belt as a shield to protect himself from the first blast, but that was still not enough to save him, as the explosion from the Sky Fortress’ core triggered an even more powerful second blast.
Fortunately, the Feather of Salvation spared him from that one, and Decimato managed to catch him with his magic just in time for him to avoid falling to his death.
In the end, Siegfried managed to survive alone from the massive explosion.
“Duke Decimato.”
“Yes, Your Majesty...?”
“Thank you. I would have died without being able to fix things if not for you. I was trying to activate it while falling, but it simply refused to do so,” Siegfried said.
“Huh...? What do you mean by that, Your Majesty...?” Decimato asked, seemingly perplexed.
Siegfried took out an hourglass and replied, “This guy reacts too slowly. I tried using it a while ago, but it seems to require a long time to activate.”
Wooong...!
The sands inside the hourglass were shining golden.
“T-That is...!” Daode Tianzun exclaimed. Then, he looked at Siegfried with absolute shock and said, “Siegfried! T-That is...!”
“Yes, it is what you think, Elder-nim,” Siegfried replied with a nod.
“Oh my god! Ohhh!” Daode Tianzun was so overwhelmed by his emotions he called out to god. Then, he smiled brightly and exclaimed, “Siegfried! You really did it this time, didn’t you?! Haha!”
“Haha...” Siegfried laughed weakly in response.
Wooooong!
The sands within the hourglass shone brightly.
[Hourglass of Miracle]
[An hourglass infused with ancient magic to turn back time.]
[It will allow the user to wind back time by one hour when used.]
[Type: Accessory]
[Rating: Epic]
[Warning: This item will be destroyed upon use.]
The Hourglass of Miracle was the gift he had obtained after helping the spirits escape from the Eternal Isles, and it was an item that allowed him to return to the past.
Siegfried tried to return to the past the moment he ran into Ulcera and found out the altar was a fake, but the Hourglass of Miracle refused to activate at the time.
[Alert: The Hourglass of Miracle is preparing to turn back time!]
[Alert: Please wait! The Hourglass of Miracle will turn back time soon!]
Siegfried had no idea when it would roll back time, so he had to prioritize his own survival. He had a feeling the Hourglass of Miracle would not activate if he died, so he had no other choice but to abandon everyone else and focus on himself instead.
In the end, he relied on his items and the Feather of Salvation to survive until the very bitter end, and the result was...
[Alert: The Hourglass of Miracle will soon turn back time!]
[Alert: 10 seconds remaining before time will be turned back!]
[Alert: 9... 8... 7... 6...!]
A countdown started in front of his eyes.
“I am not sure if you will remember what happened, but I will be going now,” Siegfried told Daode Tianzun.
He was not sure if the NPCs would remember what happened once he turned back time. The Adventurers would probably consider it a rollback caused by some glitch in the server, but it was highly probable that the NPCs would fail to notice that time had turned back.
Of course, that wasn't important right now.
“Sure, off you go now,” Daode Tianzun replied while waving his hand. Then, he smiled warmly and added, “I was really about to lose it after seeing the state this pitiful fella was in. It hasn’t even been a day since he became a Grandmaster, but what tragedy is this? Haha...”
“I agree, but I will define—“ Siegfried replied, but he was unable to finish his words.
[Alert: 3... 2... 1...]
[Alert: The Hourglass of Miracle has activated!]
[Alert: You have been disconnected from the server!]
The entire BNW server froze, and everyone was simultaneously disconnected from it.
