[Corruption Wielder] Chapter 161: You Called For Help

Bursting with power, Will stepped back into reality. During the process of his resurrection, his items had been transferred into his inventory—most of them, at least. His inventory wasn’t unlimited, though it was quite large now. Taking the corruption from the Lady of Pale Fire had carved a hole straight through the center of that, lessening how much he could carry, and moving everything that had been on his body into his inventory had naturally led to some of them disappearing.

The system had been courteous enough to prioritize his better items. Will popped them out of his inventory as he moved, opening portals to the Beyond as he did. They hadn’t been destroyed by the angel’s blast—that had been meant for him and him alone.

Even now, as he advanced, darkness slipped from his body as he replaced it with the equipment he’d managed to hold onto. His actual clothes were gone since they hadn’t had any magical additions to them, which meant he was using substitutes for the time being.

More pressing than that was the fact that the angel’s pressure hadn’t let up one bit. Props to the monster—the second Will stepped back into reality, the same crushing weight that had annihilated him the first time returned. Now, though, he was ready for it, and his plausibility had already been burning with the fury of a Dread Executor.

Said plausibility burned away fast under the overwhelming power of an angel, but Will had a lot to spare.

And now that he had recognized the kind of power the angel could wield, he had ways to defend against it. They weren’t permanent solutions, but they were enough to buy him some time.

All he needed was a few seconds. It was clear from what he could tell now that the angel wouldn’t be affected by the conventional weaponry they had brought unless its defenses—sure to be as tough as its reality-rending offenses—were breached first.

Will could feel the extent of the plausibility that he now wielded. There was a greater freedom to it now, a sense that he could push it further and farther beyond than ever before. Peace had made the first move. She had extended as far as she possibly could, utilizing Will’s supposed fumble with his demonic eye when it had come to the corruption in the Beyond months ago.

Unfortunately for her and the Contractor, Will had now awakened himself to their ways. He knew now that they had overstepped. Maybe this was as far as she could go without spending ludicrous amounts of plausibility on the planet, but it was still significantly above the power level of anything else here. That meant he had a lot of room to play with when it came to empowering himself.

For one thing, he had another resource to burn on the features that Envoy of Mercy had been bringing him.

You have spent plausibility to negate the cooldown of [Sanctuary].

You have spent plausibility to negate the activation time of [Sanctuary].

Will stepped into the Beyond. Even here, he could see the angel’s influence. Where the Beyond was usually an undefinable mess of energies and bridges to God knew where, it was almost unbearably bright to Will’s eyes. The angel’s energy didn’t only exist in reality—it extended here as well.

In here, however, the light couldn’t kill him. This was the angel’s native dimension, but it was no longer present here. Its reverberations could be felt, but for the time being, Will was fine.

Will didn’t want to immediately step out, since he knew that remanifesting himself in reality would lead to time proceeding as usual. While he was in the Beyond, he had a moment to process and execute the next parts of his plan. Given the unusual circumstances, Will knew his time here would be limited. Still, he had a few ideas.

The Contractor had called upon outside help to summon his angel. Will could do the same to fight against it.

He wasn’t going to make the trips himself, of course. For that, he had familiars.

#

The Lady of Pale Fire had not left her enclave for quite some time now. She had taken time to reflect. More had happened in the last few months than in the last decade. This was her first cycle as a Sovereign tier who could directly interfere with the processes of said cycle, and she had evidently picked a historical one. After so long fighting for her position, she had been convinced on some level that death wasn’t something she was going to have to confront for centuries. A recent brush had changed that impression.

The fact that it had been a gold-ranker who had saved her life had been truly humbling. She continued providing support to the people she’d sponsored, but she had otherwise withdrawn from the affairs of this cycle. There was still much for her to learn.

She meditated on the surface of a star. The solar system that had once been here was now dead. Its cycle had failed, and Dread Executors had been called in to eliminate the corruption that had resulted.

Idly, the Lady of Pale Fire wondered if the same would happen to the cycle she had been overseeing.

As she mused, unbeknownst to her, a dark portal opened within the star itself.

Though she didn’t detect the portal itself, she did sense the magic that passed through it. She almost immediately tried to summon the flames of the star itself to annihilate what was passing through before she recognized the aura.

While she didn’t recognize the dozen iridescent eyes that passed out of the star’s surface, their aura was a painful reminder of just how far she was from invincible.

“Corruption wielder,” she said.

While the eyes themselves could not speak, their aura communicated all that was necessary.

“You can’t possibly be asking me to go there,” she said aloud, knowing it was unlikely that her recipient was actually listening to her. “The rules prevent it.”

To her surprise, the aura reacted.

Nobody got to the rank of Lady without learning a thing or two about aura-based communication. While the gold-ranker was still new to it, he was surprisingly capable of transmitting his ideas across.

The rules have changed.

There was still no way she was going to be able to make it to a gold-ranked planet. No matter how many favors that man called in, he couldn’t break the rules of the system.

Could he?

Maybe there was a way she could send her power in, if not her entire body.

Though there was a limit to how often she could use her greatest power, the Lady of Pale Fire had learned a thing or two. She drew upon the strength she had been gathering in her silent, secret meditation. Her mana reacted in droves, forming the basis that she could draw her culmination from.

Rather than ignite it, she condensed it. It wouldn’t be the same weapon of mass destruction that it would be in its proper form, but it would still be greater than anything the corruption wielder would have held up until this point.

Whether or not he could use it would be up to him. That wasn’t her concern, and it apparently wasn’t his either.

Darkness came forth from the eyes, accepting the small orb she had created, and it slunk away, receding into the portal from whence it had come.

“I’m taking orders from a gold-ranker,” she muttered to herself.

The Lady of Pale Fire considered things. That man likely wasn’t going to stay gold for long. Though she was still new to this, she thought she had some idea of how to read the changing winds.

If she had to be subservient to someone, William Li-Brown was not the worst choice.

#

“The boy lived,” Azathoth said. “I had not expected that.”

“I suppose you won't expect what happens next, either,” Ramiel replied.

The two of them were in the latter’s palace in the Beyond. Ramiel, perceptive as always, had just added a single new path into that palace.

Azathoth tensed as a new presence blinked into his perception. Newer to his post than his fellow Dread Executor, his senses were neither as broad nor as deep as Ramiel’s.

This being, however, would never escape his notice if it was in the same place as he was.

The Guardian Angel familiar by the name of Aza, a single fragment of Dread Executor Azathoth’s being, sauntered into the palace as if it owned the place.

“You know each other, I assume,” Ramiel said.

Azathoth stared at his lesser copy. He didn’t know if the being could even be called a copy anymore. Until they integrated with each other again, their experiences would be different. If they differed enough, it was possible he would lose that part of himself entirely.

“Hello,” Aza said. “Will sent me to find anyone that might be of use to him. He’s fighting an angel, if you somehow aren’t yet aware.”

“I am well aware,” Ramiel said. “He does not know the rules, does he?”

“Of course not,” Aza replied. “But I do not think he intends to break them, either. He calls for help to break the angel’s defenses, not defeat it entirely.”

“He has a plan,” Azathoth said. “I have seen many with plans to defeat angels. I have not seen many do so successfully.”

“Then you haven’t been watching closely enough,” Aza said. There was a hint of the indefatigable swagger that the corruption wielder always possessed in his voice. “I get the impression that one of you is more knowledgeable about this than the other.”

“That was your purpose,” Azathoth countered.

“Sure,” Aza said. “And I’m providing it. The kid’s coming out on top.”

“It is as you say it is.” Ramiel’s aura flickered with power. “I will not make Nynn’s mistake.”

An ethereal copy of him flickered forward from his position. It was a fragment of his mana, not unlike Aza, though this one possessed no independent will. It was more of an extension of himself than a fragment of it.

“Somewhere between the lines of platinuum and emerald, I should think,” Ramiel said. “Perhaps a little bit more.”

“You're toeing the line,” Azathoth commented.

“Peace is dancing on it.”

“Is that all?” Aza asked. “I've been led to believe that the situation is kind of time-sensitive, so if you don't mind…”

Ramiel’s echo joined the familiar.

“Off you go,” Ramiel said. His echo repeated his words.

Two pieces of two of the most feared names across the universe walked off into the distance.

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Azathoth said.

“Nobody ever does,” Ramiel replied easily. “I have a good feeling about this, though.”

#

Will had one more place to visit before he returned to base reality. He hadn't been sure if she was going to be there or not, but he had a sneaking suspicion that with everything going as it did, Ayla Dreamer would probably try to visit him one last time.

His suspicions were proven correct when he returned to his sanctuary and found the changeling standing there, her form weaker than before and nearly translucent, but there nonetheless.

“Don't go dying on me like that,” she told him. “You had me worried for a second there.”

“You sensed that, huh?”

“Does a fish swim?” Ayla replied. “It looks like you have the pieces to win. Word of advice: don't make it take too long. When the victory presents itself, take it. Leave no trace of your enemy. There's no such thing as being too careful with an angel.”

“Don't need to tell me that twice.” Will grinned. “Assuming I make it out of here in one piece, you know I'm coming for you next, right?”

“You could say it a little less ominously,” she said. “Focus on what's in front of you first.”

“You're not even that far away,” Will added. “Deep space just a few million miles from Neptune? I mean, that's far, but I thought you would be worlds away.”

“Focus, Will,” Ayla said. “The fight's not done yet.”

“You're right about that.” Will sucked in a deep breath, knowing he didn't need to. “See you soon.”

Ayla actually smiled. Her aura reflected the gesture.

“I can't have you getting my hopes up like this without you winning,” she said. “But sure. See you soon.”

#

Will exited the Beyond with power that should not have belonged to a mortal. Not one at this rank, at least.

He was not alone. A thousand eyes spilled out of portals to the Beyond, and though they should have been incinerated by the all-consuming light, they were not. Plausibility infused them like a shield, and a second ethereal layer of protection wrapped around them.

Behind Will stepped out two humanoid figures. One was a less dark mirror of him, wings spread wide with protective energy that could actually stop the angel with how overclocked it was. Aza’s power was augmented with months upon months of soul-crushing encounters with gods and literal nightly torture finally bearing fruit.

He wasn't going to be able to keep this up forever. Peace had a lot more plausibility to spend than he did, and all she needed to do was keep the angel weak enough to survive Earth’s cycle.

Will didn't need forever.

Ramiel stepped out behind him.

“Oh, it has been a long time since I've been on a mortal world,” the Dread Executor’s echo said. “Now, let's see. Where do we start?”

“Who is that?” Caiyeri asked. “Also, duck.”

Will ducked. Half a second later, a platinum-rank card reinforced with death energy crackled over his head, screaming toward one of the Contractor’s monsters, which apparently had gone completely unaffected by the angel’s change—apart from the fact that they were all knee-deep in saltwater now.

“A friend, of sorts,” Will said.

“You're the elf,” Ramiel said. “Allow me to extend you my most sincere congratulations on becoming the single chosen champion of the Elven Mother.”

Caiyeri tilted her head, narrowly dodging an arrow that clipped her hair. A burst of mana popped out from Ramiel’s echo, bringing the arrow down. “I didn't know that.”

“Your goddess is proud of you,” Ramiel said. “You have shown more potential than any of your kind have for many, many cycles.”

“I like him,” Caiyeri said to Will.

“I appreciate that,” the Dread Executor said. Though his face wasn't perfectly visible as an echo, Will got the impression he was smiling. “Now then. I think you should have a fair fight with that angel.”

The echo increased in size, growing more transparent as it did, and suddenly—the light that had been trying to erase Will from existence once again simply stopped.

The angel’s effects on the environment remained, and judging from the incredible surge of power Will sensed not a mile away, it still had a number of tricks up its sleeve.

But whatever had been identifying and eliminating Will specifically was no longer capable of doing so.

A message appeared on Will’s system.

You have received a chat request from [Ramiel].

You cannot turn down chat requests from a Dread Executor, past or present.

Ramiel: While I look forward to working with you in the future, there is little I can do to assist you in the present. There are still rules, and what would we be without rules?

Will almost ate a flaming meteor to the face staring at the message. Little? This man had single-handedly stopped an attack that had completely ignored Will’s defenses—apparently permanently—without even breaking a sweat. That was little?

“This just got a whole lot easier,” Will said. “Clear a path for me. Try not to die.”

With that brilliant speech, he charged forward, trusting his people and the army he had brought behind him to do what he had said.

They did. Months upon months of training showed their results. His party was a well-oiled machine, used to fighting above their rank thanks to the superdungeon and equipped with tons of gear from their outings. While they couldn't immediately kill every threat, they could certainly weaken them enough for Will to pass by.

Will wasn't idly charging forward either. As he passed every monster, he sent Sen’s eyes out toward them, spitting forth hunger phantasm and afflicting them with corruption. Plausibility turned up the power.

Notifications scrolled through Will’s system as he was credited for kill after kill after kill, but he only had eyes for one monster.

With his speed, it didn't take long to get to the angel.

Will: Hey, Regina. Is that weapon up yet?

Regina: The first shot disintegrated. Second one is loaded.

Will: Whenever you’re ready. Look for the explosions.

Regina: Initiating firing sequence. T minus ten seconds to impact.

It was standing still atop what looked like a ruined oil rig. Why it had decided to create an oil rig, much less a ruined one, Will had no idea. It was clear, however, that it was waiting for him. A translucent white shield surrounded it, pulsing with power greater than even the platinum rank Will could normally sense.

It pointed at him, and a burst of the scouring light it had used earlier shot forward from its mechanical body. Its wings spread wide, and it screeched.

Will teleported, rendering himself temporarily intangible with Wraith Cloak and using Weapons Free to transport himself to one of a thousand knives. The blast missed, annihilating a chunk of ocean so thoroughly that Will could see the floor in the instant before water rushed back in.

You have marked an [Angel] of [Peace] for death.

[Peace] has marked you for death.

Will put one foot into the grave, drawing from the deaths occurring all across the battlefield to boost his power.

Dark clouds formed around him, thunder rumbling within.

He tested the defenses, but his skills alone weren’t going to penetrate that barrier around it.

That was fine. He would have used his weapons, but those were what he was going to use to win.

To break the first layer of defense, he had hired a nation.

The orbital railgun’s shot impacted with the force of a gold-rank projectile accelerated to several dozen times the speed of sound.

Will sensed the shield break before he saw it, so intense was the explosion. He was already dashing forward as the smoke cleared.

“Game on,” he said, plausibility flaring. “Let’s see if we can’t get some desecration done.”