The so-called Authority Prototype is an embryo of Divine Authority constructed by Class holders at the Apostle level, based on the concepts they have mastered.
It is the key for Apostles to ascend to Angels and step into the divine realm.
At the Apostle level, the tier of one's Class is not the determining factor for combat power; rather, the completeness of the Authority Prototype's construction is what truly decides superiority.
A Top Tier Class with 1% completion of their Authority Prototype is clearly at a disadvantage compared to a Common Class with 10% completion.
Of course, at the Apostle level, Top Tier Classes still hold significant advantages over Common Classes.
This lies in the choices available for constructing the Authority Prototype and in the Authority Prototype's versatility.
A Demigod from a Common Class, after advancing to Apostle, might only be able to choose one from basic elemental authorities like earth, water, fire, or wind as their development path.
Whereas a Demigod from a Top Tier Class can develop towards more complex authority domains such as time, space, fate, death, and many others.
Such advantages can even be maintained when reaching the Angel realm.
But for Luo Shu now, these were matters for the future.
What concerned him more at present was the completion of his Authority Prototype.
"The development tendencies for a Child of Apocalypse's Authority Prototype are numerous. Leaving aside elemental systems like earth, water, fire, wind, lightning, and light for now, domains such as earthquakes, tsunamis, black holes, and devouring all present opportunities to tread."
"And the core prototypes most closely aligned with the Child of Apocalypse should fall into the three major categories: calamity, order, and fate."
"Among these, fate stems from the developmental tendency of the Child of Apocalypse's major abilities."
"Order, on the other hand, originates from the opposite of calamity. After all, whether it's typhoons, earthquakes, or even black holes formed by celestial collapse, they are all merely part of the universe's order. The reason they are considered disasters is simply from the perspective of individual lifeforms – they represent calamity... Essentially, these natural disasters are a form of order..."
"As for calamity, it is the manifestation of concepts like natural and man-made disasters that my Class involves..."
Thinking this, Luo Shu wore a complicated expression.
Logically speaking, even a Demigod with a Top Tier Class only possesses the basic qualification to condense an Authority Prototype.
The actual condensation of an Authority Prototype requires one's Spiritual Power to reach its limit and a certain trigger to have any probability of forming.
Moreover, the Calamity Authority Prototype is considered the core authority for Luo Shu's series of Classes, so the difficulty of condensing it is naturally imaginable.
In fact, Luo Shu had been planning to directly absorb Spiritual Essence once it reached 300 points, reaching the Demigod Rank limit, and then deliberately create or seek out places where the Calamity Concept was active to attempt condensing the Authority Prototype.
But unexpectedly, that elder dragon's full-scale broadcast before its death directly promoted Luo Shu to Apostle.
"However, this also proves that the broadcast sent by that True Dragon to the Abyss world has already caused serious consequences. Otherwise, the Calamity Concept wouldn't have become active to this extent, allowing me to directly condense the Authority Prototype."
At this thought, Luo Shu immediately looked pained.
Although the initial formation of the Authority Prototype was good news, that True Dragon's final cry before death remained a thorn in Luo Shu's side.
Just thinking about the potential flood of Abyssal visitors that might descend in the coming period made Luo Shu's stomach churn.
"Fortunately, both the present world and the Divine Pantheon impose restrictions on the individuals who can descend. Although disturbances are inevitable, at least my safety can be guaranteed."
Due to the world's suppression, the beings currently descending into the present world are at most at the Apostle level.
And although Luo Shu isn't an Apostle, by relying on the Divine Kingdom, he can wield power approaching the Angel level. With such power as insurance, at least the Hidden Management Department has a reliable safeguard in this era of great contention.
As for the Five Great Powers, Luo Shu could only say they should pray for their own fortune.
After all, aside from his Familia, Luo Shu couldn't trust anyone else. Even with his Familia, his trust was conditional.
Under these circumstances, expecting Luo Shu to selflessly protect the world was basically wishful thinking.
At most, he would notify them of the situation, issue disaster warnings, and comfort his own conscience – that would be enough.
Thinking this, Luo Shu glanced at the Divine Pantheon Reconstruction System panel created by Kotoko Iwanaga and the others.
[Name: Luo Shu]
[Class: Child of Apocalypse (Demigod Rank)]
[Authority Prototype: Calamity (1%)]
[Greater Ability: Apocalypse.]
Luo Shu didn't bother reading the remaining content below and chose to close the panel. He snapped his fingers, absorbing the temporal stasis in the hall, exposing the scene here to the spectators outside the cavern.
After completing this, Luo Shu finally said:
"...So now, all that's left is to wait for Kuroka and Shin Natsume to arrive so we can leave this Abyss world together."
...
Just as Luo Shu was waiting.
In the world formed from the True Dragon's corpse.
Upon the barren desert.
A silver-haired young man wearing a tattered vest, his lower body buried in sand, lay unconscious on the ground.
At that moment, a male voice slowly sounded from behind the youth:
"The compass's guidance ends here. It seems this man is the child of calamity from your prophecy, Lady Joan?"
A bespectacled blond man in pure white military-style uniform adjusted his glasses, speaking in a low tone.
Beside the blond youth, a silver-haired girl with crimson eyes gazed pityingly at the young man buried in the yellow sand:
"A hybrid of human, demon and dragonkind - what a pitiful existence. He must have endured much suffering."
Hearing this, Marco remained silently beside her, seemingly awaiting the girl's command.
Then, Joan of Arc closed her eyes, a single colourless tear slowly tracing down her cheek as she said:
"Marco, grant this young otherworldly invader final mercy."
"Yes, Lady Joan."
Upon hearing this, Marco drew a silver pistol, aiming it at the back of Vali's head.
In that instant, a gleaming angel of mechanical quality slowly raised its sword of judgment behind Marco.
The next moment,
Marco expressionlessly pulled the trigger.
BANG!!