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"The sorcery Epimetheus and I left behind… the Dark Christmas Rite, born from the Fool and the Witch's child. A secret art that succeeds only when a god is offered as the sacrifice!"
A gentle female voice drifted by his ear. Alex slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was a stunning woman with violet twin-tails. Her features were beautiful, her aura mature and alluring… yet her body was petite, almost flat-chested.
A total contradiction.A loli who somehow felt completely grown.An irresistible kind of contrast.
That person was a tyrant.
Because she murdered the gods of heaven and seized the supreme power that made them divine.
That person was a king.
Because she could wield the powers stolen from the gods without being ruled by anyone on earth.
That person was a demon lord.
Because no one living in the mortal world possessed the strength to oppose her.
That was the being known as… a Campione.
Alex realized his head was resting on a pair of soft thighs. The owner of those thighs looked down at him with a smile. "In short, all the conditions have lined up. It's practically a redistribution of Authority."
"You're… Pandora?" Alex asked.
"You really do know Mama, child from another world!" Pandora said excitedly.
In all her years birthing Campiones, this was the first time she'd met a child from another world.
"You knew I wasn't from here?" Alex was genuinely surprised.
"Of course. Mama not only knows you're from another world, she knows the Hestia possessing you isn't our world's Hestia. She isn't a rogue god, yet she can walk the earth freely. That's impossible for the gods of our world." Pandora tapped his nose playfully.
"If you know I'm from another world, why let me become a Campione? Aren't you afraid I'll do something bad to this world?" Alex asked.
As the controller of the Dark Christmas Rite, Pandora absolutely had the power to prevent him from becoming a Campione, even if he killed a god.
"Because Mama thinks you're special. You might be the only one who can help Mama accomplish something nearly impossible." She gently brushed aside the hair on his forehead.
"What is it?" Alex held her small hand, curious.
"I can't tell you yet. Get stronger first. Kill more gods. Claim more Authorities. Then I'll tell you." Pandora smiled mysteriously.
Alex didn't press. He'd already guessed.
The task Pandora wanted from him was likely the slaying of the Last King.
"Well then… let's begin the ritual." Pandora summoned an object.
A huge round plate, almost like a shield, appeared. A dragon's head was engraved on its surface, surrounded by eight sword motifs.
There was no mistaking it—the Circle of Usurpation.
Alex closed his eyes and prayed he would gain a good Authority.
His consciousness slowly drifted away.
…
When he woke again, he was lying on the hotel bed. Luo Hao, Hestia, and Esdeath were seated beside him.
Seeing him awake, Hestia pounced into his arms. "Alex! You're finally up!"
"Was I out for long?" he asked.
"Only three hours," Esdeath replied.
Luo Hao leaned in curiously. "Do you still remember Pandora?"
Alex shook his head. "That part was erased."
They all knew from the anime: after killing a god, a Campione's consciousness would enter the Netherworld and meet Pandora, Mother of Campiones. Luo Hao had no memory from her own experience either, but after watching the anime, she'd been fascinated by the goddess.
"Enough about that. Alex, let's update your falna. Do you know how much your mana grew in those three hours?" Hestia asked excitedly.
Alex paused, then sent his senses inward.
"This… this is insane!" he gasped.
If his old magic was a stream, his magic now was an endless ocean.
He removed his shirt and let Hestia update his falna.
Her hands moved quickly. A moment later, she was done.
[Name]: Alex
[Level]: Lv4
[Basic Abilities]:Strength: I0 → SSS9999Endurance: I0 → SSS9999Dexterity: I0 → SSS9999Agility: I0 → SSS9999Magic: I0 → SSS9999
[Development Abilities]: Luck G, Mystery H, Divinity I
[Authority]: Lord of the Sky
[Magic]: Nasuverse Thaumaturgy, Godslayer Sorcery, Jobless Magic, Fairy Tail Magic
[Skills]: Grandmaster Combat Arts, Body of the Godslayer
"What ridiculous stats… so this is the achievement of slaying a god." Even prepared as she was, Hestia still trembled at the results.
Not only were his stats absurd, his learned magics had transformed from acquired spells into innate awakenings. Everything he had ever learned—spell systems, magics, skills—now showed up on the falna.
There were simply too many, from too many systems, so they were grouped together.
For example, all magic from the Nasuverse appeared under one category: Nasuverse Thaumaturgy.
Within it were Unlimited Blade Works, Imaginary Element Collapse, Reinforcement, Projection, Bounded Fields, Alchemy, Healing… everything.
The falna's magic limit had also shattered.
Where he once had three magic slots, that restriction no longer existed.
In other words, he could now awaken unlimited magic.
Another new change appeared too: a brand-new [Authority] column. This wasn't magic or skill. This was the divine right only gods possessed.
Alex couldn't help smiling as he finished reading.
From this moment on, he was finally a true powerhouse.
"Alex, want to level up?" Hestia asked.
"Of course."
Even though his falna level no longer reflected his real power, he still wouldn't abandon the system. The higher his level, the better.
If he reached Level 10 someday, maybe he could become a god.
He'd reach Level 5 tonight. Then, after killing Verethragna tomorrow, he'd hit Level 6.
Hestia's hands glowed as she started the process.
Soon she asked, "What development ability do you want?"
"What options?" Alex asked.
"There are two special ones this time: Demon King, and Godslayer."
"Do they have descriptions?"
"No," Hestia said.
"Then I'll take Godslayer."
His previous development abilities already had two with the character for "god", so why not add another?
He leveled up to Lv5, and the new development ability appeared.
Godslayer: boosts attack, reinforces defense, and grants bonus damage against gods.
Luo Hao asked, "What Authority did you gain?"
Campiones usually avoided asking such personal things, but Alex and Luo Hao were siblings, so it didn't matter.
Alex felt the power, then smiled. "Its name is Lord of the Sky. It lets me control the weather—sun, rain, snow, thunder, wind, ice—and I can fly."
"Not bad," Luo Hao said. "Useful in battle, and it gives mobility."
"Yeah, I like it a lot." It was a versatile Authority.
Hestia grinned. "Such a big event shouldn't be celebrated by just us." She opened the chat group.
Hestia: @Everyone I have an announcement. Alex successfully slew a god. He's now a Campione, and he's reached Level 5!
Misaka Mikoto: Seriously? When Alex first joined, he was a normal guy. Now he's the third powerhouse in the group?
Yotsuya Miko: More like the fifth. Kurumi and Brynhildr are powerhouses too.
Tokisaki Kurumi: I wouldn't call myself a powerhouse…
Brynhildr: I'm just a Valkyrie. Not as strong as you think.
Shinobu Kocho: Captain's growth rate is insane. He's totally the male lead of a light novel.
Yotsuya Miko: Right? That would make us the heroines!
Busujima Saeko: The captain grows fast because he has both Luo-chief and Lady Hestia nurturing him. It'd be difficult not to become strong.
Yotsuya Miko: If only I were Chinese… then Luo Hao-sister would train me too.
Alex chuckled at the lively chat.
He opened his private messages. As he expected, the 5000-point reward from the chat group didn't appear publicly.
Just like last time, when Misaka and Kurumi took on the Apocalypse mission—their kills had all counted for points.
"..."
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