Asher raised his halberd and swung it toward the beam of light.
His strike contained no divinity, mana, laws, or any other powers. It was merely a simple swing of his halberd.
The beam of light split apart just like that and disintegrated. At the same time, Asher's strike released a shockwave that swept through the solar system, even extinguishing several stars and blowing them into pieces.
Michael looked into the void, shocked and exhausted, where moments ago his attack had illuminated the emptiness.
His eyes, wings, and the cross behind him all stopped glowing simultaneously and lost their power. He had used up all his strength and put everything into that strike, only for it to be parried so effortlessly and nullified by Asher.
"Very good. You seem to already have good control over your power."
Asher appeared not far from Michael.
"You still have plenty of time to explore and improve your abilities. One day, you too will be able to do what I have shown you… but do not neglect your duties in Heaven."
"As you command, my Lord," Michael bowed respectfully, his eyes sparkling.
Asher nodded silently.
Suddenly, beside the two, another tear in space appeared. But this time it pulled Michael in—without resistance, and before he could even react—transporting him directly back to the Heaven of the Gods.
After Michael had vanished, Asher shrank back and returned to his usual human form.
"Phew~ I should take a bit of a break now," he sighed wearily, massaging the back of his neck with one hand.
A moment later, Asher also disappeared from the abandoned solar system and appeared beside Renas, on the platform at the peak of the galaxy, which he had casually named "Creator Central."
With a casual wave of his hand, he conjured a cozy, soft armchair and sank into it. He had decided it was finally time to relax and allow himself a break.
Meanwhile, on one of the new mortal worlds of the World Tree.
Several centuries had already passed on the mortal worlds, and in most cases, the mortals had overcome the Stone Age and developed their own unique civilizations.
On one particular world, development was advancing steadily—B1. It was the mortal world with the second highest potential and level of development.
The nine mortal worlds of the World Tree, named according to their potential, were currently divided into the worlds: A1, B1, C1, D1, D2, E1, E2, F1, and F2. Among them, this mortal world, B1, held the second highest potential and was simultaneously making significant progress.
B1. The mortal world of the World Tree with the second highest potential. Currently, it was the only world inhabited solely by humans, with no other intelligent races, and possessed a civilization in the medieval stage.
Apart from the fact that there were already many Awakened—though mostly of lower rank—there was something that made this world special: a single person who had drawn the attention of several Constellations.
Albert van Goldberg. The young man was a noble by birth, in his early twenties, and the son of Grand Duke Goldberg, the only Grand Duke of the Empire and brother to the reigning Emperor.
The Empire was currently the greatest power on this world. Apart from the Empire, there were only a few independent principalities struggling with the constant monster attacks that plagued all humanity. It was only a matter of time before they either joined the Empire or perished.
Albert was a very sincere young noble who deeply cared for his subjects. This made him popular among many commoners and even among lower-ranking nobles, and the entire Empire rejoiced at the thought of him as their future Grand Duke.
But he was not just a proud and educated noble—he was also a powerful Awakened. After only a few years, he had already reached C-rank, the highest rank that any human on this mortal world had attained so far. His future seemed limitless in every respect.
He often joined the family's knights in monster suppression missions to fight off the monster hordes.
A major problem of this world, unlike some others, were magical beasts. They plagued the land, frequently attacking villages and small towns, terrorizing the people.
But these monster hordes were also the reason why the world was able to develop so much faster than others, and why it had already produced relatively strong Awakened in such a short time.
One day.
Albert left his estate with the main troop of the duchy's knights and set off. The destination was the great pine forest to the west, near the Duchy of Goldberg.
Albert rode at the front of the troop, on a silver steed with a long mane. His gaze seemed unfocused, as if distracted by something, and he appeared deep in thought.
Commander Reis rode up beside him and said with a smile, "Young master, what do you think today's expedition will bring? Perhaps we'll come across a pack of Dread Wolves, or even a giant mountain serpent…!"
"Hm?" Pulled from his thoughts, Albert turned to Reis and responded distractedly, half-heartedly, "Sure..."
There was a good reason why Albert seemed so absentminded. He was focused on something the other knights couldn't see.
["Hero of War" wonders what kind of battle formations you'll use on this expedition.]
["Slayer of Dragons" is curious about which monsters you'll encounter.]
They were messages from Constellations.
As an exceptional Awakened among all current mortal worlds, it was no surprise that the Constellations were paying attention to Albert and took an interest in his actions.
The Constellations were already actively using the message function of the System. Especially the demons, who otherwise had no chance to leave Hell, enjoyed it—this way they could glimpse other worlds and the vastness of the World Tree.
["Demon Who Spreads Fear" looks forward to a massacre.]
["Demon Who Promotes Decay" demands an epic confrontation.]
Albert was practically being bombarded with messages. As an outstanding figure, this was to be expected, but for him it was hard to distinguish which messages might be important and which were rather irrelevant.
["Throne Who Loves Peace" hopes you will show mercy to these pitiful creatures.]
Albert frowned at the sight of the last message. What could possibly be pitiful about these monsters that mercilessly slaughter humans, tear families apart, and disrupt our peace?
He couldn't understand what the sender of this message was thinking and inwardly scoffed in contempt.
It didn't take long before Albert and his knights reached the great pine forest.
The great pine forest, west of the Duchy of Goldberg. A particular feature of the pine forest was its massive pines that reached up to 30 meters into the sky. There were so many pines that they blocked out the sunlight and created a gloomy, dark atmosphere in the forest, where monsters could ambush you at any time, heightening the tension unnecessarily.
As they ventured deeper into the forest, the knights took up a battle formation that protected them from all directions and became more cautious.
Only Albert rode alone at the front of his horse, looking like a fearless commander.
["Hero of War" is very pleased with the professionalism of the knights and your fearless demeanor.]
Albert paid no further attention to the messages from the Constellations and focused on the expedition.
Though he didn't look it, he was also quite tense, as he could be attacked at any moment. His vigilance was at its peak, and he would draw his sword at the slightest sign of monsters.
Awoo~ Suddenly, a loud, grotesque wolf howl echoed nearby through the forest. The howling multiplied from various directions until it became clear that several dozen wolves must have already found their prey.
After a brief moment of rising tension, the source of the howling revealed itself.
Magical beasts emerged from the dark forest, surrounding the knights of the Duchy of Goldberg and quickly encircling them, leaving no escape.
Dread Wolves. A type of E-rank magical beast, essentially a stronger and more dangerous version of bloodthirsty wolves, always roaming in packs in search of fresh prey.
Although each individual Dread Wolf was only of E-rank, a pack could even take on Awakened of higher ranks than their own.
Awoo! With a loud howl from the Dread Wolf that seemed to be the pack's leader, the bloodthirsty horde lunged at the knight troop.
The knights quickly formed a circular formation. They held their shields outward and, as soon as they blocked the wolves' sharp claws, their comrades struck the beasts down with precise blows. Thus, the formation had both defenders and attackers, leaving no gaps for the enemy to exploit.
The roughly thirty knights had no trouble dealing with the pack of Dread Wolves.
They were seasoned warriors who had fought many monsters during their time as knights. Each of them was Awakened—even if only of E- or F-rank, it was enough to handle the unintelligent wolves.
Albert wasn't left out. He was attacked by three Dread Wolves at once.
He remained calm, as did his steed, whose reins he held tightly in one hand. With the other, he swiftly drew his sword and killed two of the attacking Dread Wolves with a single swing.
The third wolf, however, seemed to be targeting his horse. It opened its jaws wide, revealing razor-sharp fangs, aiming to bite the horse's neck.
But Albert skillfully guided his mount and narrowly avoided the wolf's teeth.
Then he seized the opportunity and beheaded the wolf while it was still mid-air.
Having dealt with the attackers, Albert moved into action.
Instead of checking on his knights—whom he knew could handle a mere pack of Dread Wolves—he went straight for the pack leader.
His loyal steed galloped ahead and quickly reached the rise where the largest wolf had been observing the pack's assault before preparing to attack himself.
This Dread Wolf was significantly larger than the others and, unlike the rest, didn't just have gray fur but gray-black—marking the difference between an ordinary and a more powerful Dread Wolf.
Awoo~! As soon as it noticed him, the leader lunged at Albert. It extended its razor-sharp claws and leapt.
Albert blocked the claw skillfully with his sword. A ringing sound echoed, as if two blades had collided—so sharp were the Dread Wolf's claws.
Immediately after the clash, Albert infused his blade with mana and performed a deadly thrust aimed directly at the wolf's vital point.
But the Dread Wolf reacted surprisingly swiftly and managed to dodge the thrust by leaping backward.
["Slayer of Dragons" watches the events with keen interest.]
["Throne Who Loves Peace" cannot bear the sight and averts her gaze.]
More messages from observing Constellations continued to come in. Some were excited, others disinterested, but they all had their reasons for watching.
They resembled the viewers of a video stream.
"Hm? What do we have here? A slightly stronger insect!"
Albert showed an ecstatic, sinister grin.
His demeanor had completely changed. He no longer looked like the noble, proud aristocrat from before but like a bloodthirsty murderer intending to exterminate an insect unworthy of his time.
He once again infused his blade with mana and charged forward.
AWOO~! The Dread Wolf let out a loud howl and lunged at Albert with murderous intent.
With the reins in one hand and his sword in the other, Albert prepared for the imminent confrontation.
The mana traced a path that the blade followed. The wolf leapt, over the horse's head, directly at its target—Albert, the rider.
At the perfect moment, the blade followed the path and cut off the wolf's head.
The pack leader was no match. He couldn't keep up with Albert's speed and power.
Thus, the leader of the Dread Wolves was slain, and the knight troop had dealt with the remaining wolves as well. With their leader dead, the wolves' morale collapsed, and they lost their coordination.
They wandered aimlessly until they were eventually slain.
In less than half an hour, the pack of Dread Wolves was completely defeated, and every single one had become a bleeding, slashed-up corpse.
It didn't take long before Albert and his knights reached the great pine forest.
The great pine forest, west of the Duchy of Goldberg. A particular feature of the pine forest was its massive pines that reached up to 30 meters into the sky. There were so many pines that they blocked out the sunlight and created a gloomy, dark atmosphere in the forest, where monsters could ambush you at any time, heightening the tension unnecessarily.
As they ventured deeper into the forest, the knights took up a battle formation that protected them from all directions and became more cautious.
Only Albert rode alone at the front of his horse, looking like a fearless commander.
["Hero of War" is very pleased with the professionalism of the knights and your fearless demeanor.]
Albert paid no further attention to the messages from the Constellations and focused on the expedition.
Though he didn't look it, he was also quite tense, as he could be attacked at any moment. His vigilance was at its peak, and he would draw his sword at the slightest sign of monsters.
Awoo~ Suddenly, a loud, grotesque wolf howl echoed nearby through the forest. The howling multiplied from various directions until it became clear that several dozen wolves must have already found their prey.
After a brief moment of rising tension, the source of the howling revealed itself.
Magical beasts emerged from the dark forest, surrounding the knights of the Duchy of Goldberg and quickly encircling them, leaving no escape.
Dread Wolves. A type of E-rank magical beast, essentially a stronger and more dangerous version of bloodthirsty wolves, always roaming in packs in search of fresh prey.
Although each individual Dread Wolf was only of E-rank, a pack could even take on Awakened of higher ranks than their own.
Awoo! With a loud howl from the Dread Wolf that seemed to be the pack's leader, the bloodthirsty horde lunged at the knight troop.
The knights quickly formed a circular formation. They held their shields outward and, as soon as they blocked the wolves' sharp claws, their comrades struck the beasts down with precise blows. Thus, the formation had both defenders and attackers, leaving no gaps for the enemy to exploit.
The roughly thirty knights had no trouble dealing with the pack of Dread Wolves.
They were seasoned warriors who had fought many monsters during their time as knights. Each of them was Awakened—even if only of E- or F-rank, it was enough to handle the unintelligent wolves.
Albert wasn't left out. He was attacked by three Dread Wolves at once.
He remained calm, as did his steed, whose reins he held tightly in one hand. With the other, he swiftly drew his sword and killed two of the attacking Dread Wolves with a single swing.
The third wolf, however, seemed to be targeting his horse. It opened its jaws wide, revealing razor-sharp fangs, aiming to bite the horse's neck.
But Albert skillfully guided his mount and narrowly avoided the wolf's teeth.
Then he seized the opportunity and beheaded the wolf while it was still mid-air.
Having dealt with the attackers, Albert moved into action.
Instead of checking on his knights—whom he knew could handle a mere pack of Dread Wolves—he went straight for the pack leader.
His loyal steed galloped ahead and quickly reached the rise where the largest wolf had been observing the pack's assault before preparing to attack himself.
This Dread Wolf was significantly larger than the others and, unlike the rest, didn't just have gray fur but gray-black—marking the difference between an ordinary and a more powerful Dread Wolf.
Awoo~! As soon as it noticed him, the leader lunged at Albert. It extended its razor-sharp claws and leapt.
Albert blocked the claw skillfully with his sword. A ringing sound echoed, as if two blades had collided—so sharp were the Dread Wolf's claws.
Immediately after the clash, Albert infused his blade with mana and performed a deadly thrust aimed directly at the wolf's vital point.
But the Dread Wolf reacted surprisingly swiftly and managed to dodge the thrust by leaping backward.
["Slayer of Dragons" watches the events with keen interest.]
["Throne Who Loves Peace" cannot bear the sight and averts her gaze.]
More messages from observing Constellations continued to come in. Some were excited, others disinterested, but they all had their reasons for watching.
They resembled the viewers of a video stream.
"Hm? What do we have here? A slightly stronger insect!"
Albert showed an ecstatic, sinister grin.
His demeanor had completely changed. He no longer looked like the noble, proud aristocrat from before but like a bloodthirsty murderer intending to exterminate an insect unworthy of his time.
He once again infused his blade with mana and charged forward.
AWOO~! The Dread Wolf let out a loud howl and lunged at Albert with murderous intent.
With the reins in one hand and his sword in the other, Albert prepared for the imminent confrontation.
The mana traced a path that the blade followed. The wolf leapt, over the horse's head, directly at its target—Albert, the rider.
At the perfect moment, the blade followed the path and cut off the wolf's head.
The pack leader was no match. He couldn't keep up with Albert's speed and power.
Thus, the leader of the Dread Wolves was slain, and the knight troop had dealt with the remaining wolves as well. With their leader dead, the wolves' morale collapsed, and they lost their coordination.
They wandered aimlessly until they were eventually slain.
In less than half an hour, the pack of Dread Wolves was completely defeated, and every single one had become a bleeding, slashed-up corpse.