Chapter 38 — Unexpected Twist
As Astriel and Varnesh continued their devastating clash, another figure suddenly entered the battlefield.
He was an Epic God.
But at this moment… he was no longer just that.
The pressure of the war, the madness, the endless fighting—everything had pushed many warriors to their limits.
Some of them were breaking through.
Not officially.
Not in title.
But in power.
This particular Epic God had crossed that boundary.
He had stepped into the realm of celestial strength.
His aura surged violently, growing stronger with every passing second.
He was on the verge of true ascension.
Without hesitation, he moved toward Astriel's side.
His intention was clear.
He wanted to fight Varnesh.
Astriel didn't stop him.
Why would he?
An ally in battle was always welcome.
The newcomer raised his weapon, a blazing crimson spear, and pointed it toward Varnesh.
"My name is Kael Draven," he declared calmly.
Then both Astriel and Kael unleashed their power together.
Varnesh immediately shifted his stance.
For the first time, he stopped attacking.
Fighting one celestial-level opponent was manageable.
But two?
That was different.
Two attacks from two directions.
Two overwhelming forces.
Blocking both at the same time was nearly impossible.
He could defend against one.
But the other would land.
So Varnesh made a choice.
He began taking Kael Draven's attacks head-on while focusing his defense against Astriel.
Even then, the pressure was immense.
He was pushed back.
Violently.
Step by step.
But then—
The ground trembled.
The entire battlefield shook.
From below, something rose.
A monstrous figure emerged from the earth itself.
His body was massive, towering over the battlefield like a living mountain.
Stone-like armor covered his entire body, giving him the appearance of a walking fortress.
He had also broken through.
From mythic rank to something beyond.
Not fully celestial.
But close.
His energy was still below Astriel and Varnesh.
But his raw physical strength…
Surpassed both of them.
He stepped forward and stood beside Varnesh.
Astriel's expression darkened.
"That idiot… he's on my side," he muttered angrily.
But this was not the time to argue.
Varnesh glanced at the giant and asked, "Why are you here?"
The beast-like man replied simply, "One… I didn't like it. Two… good fight."
Varnesh laughed.
"Fair enough."
The giant grinned.
"My name is Gorath Stoneheart."
With that, the battlefield split into two massive clashes.
Astriel and Kael Draven on one side.
Varnesh and Gorath Stoneheart on the other.
Gorath pulled out a massive axe from his storage.
He swung it with terrifying force.
For a brief moment, Nameless felt something unusual.
His barrier… almost cracked.
Nameless instinctively moved.
Ready to intervene.
But he stopped.
He realized something.
The attack could be handled.
Kael Draven didn't dodge.
He stepped forward.
His fist ignited with hellfire.
He caught the descending axe with one hand—
And punched Gorath directly in the face.
The impact sent Gorath flying backward across the sky.
Silence lasted for a split second.
Then both of them started laughing.
Loudly.
Madly.
They had found equals.
Without wasting time, they charged again, exchanging blows in the sky.
Now four near-celestial beings were fighting at once.
The shockwaves became even more destructive.
Nameless had to move constantly, saving participants and stabilizing the battlefield.
But something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
He was using spirit energy.
The lowest form of energy.
The one he could use infinitely.
Yet…
He felt tired.
A drop of sweat rolled down his face.
Nameless froze.
That sensation…
It had been ages since he felt it.
Eons.
The last time he sweated was during a divine war where countless enemies attacked him at once.
But now?
This battlefield?
This level?
It shouldn't be enough.
"This doesn't make sense…" he muttered.
He looked up.
There were no clouds.
The sky had been shattered by the earlier clashes.
So it wasn't rain.
It was sweat.
His body was actually getting tired.
For the first time in ages…
Nameless felt exhaustion.
And then—
Something changed.
Something inside him.
Something that made even Nameless feel a trace of fear.
And the gods watching him…
Felt it too.