The sky split open with thunder as Ashura's blade met the divine guardian's flaming greatsword. Each strike sent shockwaves through the ground, tearing the ancient battlefield apart. Lightning flashed, divine fire burned, and the ruins of the gods themselves trembled beneath their clash.
Ashura slid backward, his boots grinding against the broken marble floor. The divine guardian loomed above him—a colossal being of golden stone and molten veins, with six eyes burning like suns. It raised its blade again, its voice echoing like the will of a thousand heavens.
"You bear the scent of the nameless one… yet you are human. Defiance wrapped in flesh."
Ashura spat a bit of blood and smirked. "Yeah, and you talk too much for a pile of rocks."
He blurred forward. The next instant, the two collided again—lightning and divine fire exploding in a storm that devoured the world around them. Every blow from the guardian was heavy enough to crush a mountain. Every counter from Ashura tore through space itself.
But even he could feel it. This thing was different. Every swing tested his bones, his spirit, his very existence.
The guardian roared, and its voice shattered the silence of centuries.
"MORTAL. WITNESS THE HONOR OF THE DIVINE LEGIONS!"
The seal beneath them cracked open. From the glowing fissures emerged thousands of figures—warriors clad in ancient armor, their bodies woven from flame and faith.
[ALERT: New Quest Generated.]
Quest: Defeat the Divine General of Ruin and his 3,000 Divine Soldiers.
Difficulty: Catastrophic+
Time Limit: 4 hours.
System Support: 10%
Rewards: Unique Class Evolution, Divine Weapon Core, Title — [Breaker of Thrones].
Ashura exhaled sharply. "Three thousand? Heh. Guess the warm-up's over."
His aura surged, purple lightning crawling across his arms, forming wraiths at his sides—each one humanoid, spectral, and hungry. The ground shattered beneath his step as he pointed his sword toward the divine army.
"Let's paint this ruin in gold and ash."
The divine soldiers charged first, their footsteps like thunder. Arrows of fire and spears of light rained from above. Ashura moved like a streak of violet lightning, cutting through ten soldiers in an instant.
[EXP +2300]
[EXP +4100]
[Level Up: 72 → 73]
But they didn't stop. The more he cut down, the more replaced them, each wave thicker than the last. He gritted his teeth, shifting his stance as a spear grazed his cheek, searing his flesh.
"Tch—persistent bastards."
He slammed his hand into the ground. Lightning erupted outward in a massive dome, obliterating hundreds.
[EXP +53,200]
[Level Up: 73 → 76]
The ground quaked. The guardian's molten sword came down again—Ashura barely rolled away, the impact sending molten rock spraying like rain. His lungs burned, muscles screaming, his vision momentarily blurred.
Yet, even in exhaustion, he laughed. "You hit like you mean it. I'll give you that."
High above, the Watcher stood upon his storm throne, arms folded, observing every motion with narrowed eyes.
"Even this remnant… this fragment of a divine general… was once a being who commanded three legions of the First War," he said softly, his tone unreadable. "And yet this human… is holding it back."
His gaze deepened, thoughtful. "The Divine General of Ruin—known as Galdreth the Last Flame. His power burned a hundred nations before the gods sealed him. That this boy can even bleed him… it's almost poetic."
The storm flickered, lightning tracing the watcher's eyes as he whispered, "Nameless one… what kind of monster have you chosen to bear your legacy?"
Below, Galdreth raised his sword, summoning a burning vortex of golden flame. "This is the divine pyre that ends all impurity!"
Ashura's instincts screamed. He moved, but the blast came faster—engulfing him in an inferno that could melt a fortress.
For a moment, silence.
Then a spark.
Lightning tore through the fire, a defiant roar splitting the heavens. Ashura emerged—his clothes torn, his body scorched, but his eyes alight with furious resolve.
"Still alive?" he rasped. "Guess I'm too stubborn to die."
He raised his blade, lightning condensing around it into a single, blinding core. "Your fire might burn everything…"
He vanished in a flash, reappearing above the guardian's head. "But mine devours it."
He swung down, amethyst lightning slicing through divine flame.
The explosion tore the air apart.
Galdreth staggered, molten cracks spreading across his body. The divine soldiers around him shattered into embers.
[EXP +278,000]
[Level Up: 76 → 81]
[Sub-Quest Cleared: Divine Army — Completed.]
Ashura landed heavily, panting, his sword still crackling. "Guess it's just you and me now."
The divine general straightened, golden light leaking from his wounds. Even on the edge of defeat, his gaze burned with respect.
"You are not a mere mortal," he thundered. "You walk between heaven and hell. You… are a storm given form."
Ashura smiled faintly. "That's the nicest thing anyone's said all week."
They both charged again—fire and lightning colliding one last time.
The Watcher in the clouds closed his eyes briefly, feeling the surge. "This boy… he's going to tear the world apart one day."
Lightning devoured the battlefield.
When it cleared, Ashura stood alone, smoke rising from his body. The guardian's broken form slowly disintegrated, its last words echoing faintly.
"The heir of ruin shall ascend… when the storm kneels before him."
Then it vanished—leaving behind a glowing sphere of divine energy that floated toward Ashura.
[Quest Complete: Defeat the Divine General of Ruin.]
[Reward: Class Evolution — Unlocked.]
[Title Gained: Breaker of Thrones.]
[Divine Weapon Core Acquired.]
Ashura exhaled deeply, lowering his sword. "Heh. That was… worth it."
The storm above rumbled with laughter.
The Watcher watched in silence, his smile almost proud. "Good. You survived."
He turned, his eyes glowing faintly. "Then you are ready, Ashura Bellet… for the heavens will not stay quiet much longer."
Lightning danced again, and the clouds swallowed him whole.