I Became the 1st Floor Boss of the Tower

Chapter 226

Divine power and black mana had enveloped the surroundings. The Corps of Immortality and the Corps of Divinity clashed as the two powers fought for their territories.

‘There is no way this is all of Gene’s combat power. There’s got to be more.’

Lee Shin was skeptical. Even though the Corps of Immortality had displayed tremendous force thus far, he still found it a bit lacking. If one compared the current combat power of the two corps, the Corps of Immortality would come out the victor as long as they stayed within the castle walls.

If Oskepel were to join the battle fully, things might change. However, the same could be said for Gene Ebrium, as he surely still had more in store.

‘To be honest, I’d like to break through the Corps of Immortality with Oskepel and attack Gene Ebrium, but…’

Would Gene Ebrium really give them such an easy path? It was unknown how many more monsters lurked in his dark shadow.

"Oskepel, is it possible for you to completely destroy this territory?" Lee Shin asked.

"...Umm, I will give it a try," Oskepel replied.

Lee Shin knew that if the territory declaration failed, it could not be recreated quickly. Although the divine territory had also extended, it had not reached Gene’s vicinity yet. Gene would likely only reveal his true power after his territory had been destroyed.

"Haap...!" Oskepel gathered his divine power around Martyr as it spun.

[Great Divine Sword]

The divine sword elongated to dozens of meters in length. With his arm pulled back, Oskepel swung it to cut through the black mana.

Grrrrk—!

The divine sword, clashing with the black mana, made a peculiar sound, and the black mana shattered like glass. The recoil simultaneously destroyed the divine territory.

"Haa... Haa..." Oskepel breathed heavily, struggling to catch his breath. "The recoil is quite significant... But that necromancer should have also taken quite a hit."

"Good job," Lee Shin said.

If it weren't for Oskepel, Lee Shin would have had to use [Summoning of the World of Death]. However, Lee Shin could save that card for later, thanks to him. Besides, the World of Death was also an advantageous place for Gene, so it might not have been of much help in the first place.

‘Well then, let’s go and face him head-on.’

[Dark Blitz Gun]

Dark mana gathered at Lee Shin’s fingertips and then darted toward Gene. A black streak of light, emanating blue lightning energy sparks, clashed with Gene’s hexagon-shaped translucent black shield. The battlefield's atmosphere changed instantly, and the Corps of Immortality sensed the danger and stepped back.

‘He managed to block my Dark Blitz Gun with just a shield?’

Lee Shin could tell that Gene used this shield because he could interfere with and control black mana, the unique force. It had nothing to do with its durability.

‘Hmmm… it’s been a while since my magic was blocked due to mana interference…’

Despite years spent researching and training to master black mana, Lee Shin paled in comparison to Gene Ebrium, its original owner.

‘Hmm… I guess I have no other option.’

Black mana had death elements, so Lee Shin didn’t want to give it up. However, to win this fight, he had to stop using such a fascinating power and let go of any lingering attachment to this power.

‘Well, I never intended to just rely on black mana in the first place.’

Lee Shin gritted his teeth and spread his hands wide. He then simultaneously created seven different elemental transformations.

[Elemental Field]

The seven elements fused together in harmony before dispersing in all directions. No one could expect these elements to play well together, but the many hues combined and blanketed the area. It was strange yet adaptable elemental magic. The Grand Spirits revealed themselves from within it and bestowed power upon various attribute spells.

[Whirlwind]

A fierce wind arose on the battlefield, surging instantly toward the foe. Likely due to the wind element's nature, the casting speed was abnormally rapid while its point of origin remained unpredictable.

Woooooosh―!

Gene was caught off guard as wind materialized before him. For the first time, his hair blew wildly in the raging whirlwind. The hair tie holding his black locks was severed, setting them loose.

"It's not over yet," Lee Shin muttered, looking at Gene.

Elemental Field was a type of field magic that rapidly created combinations, separations, amplifications, and transformations of the seven elements. There was no better magic for drawing out the power of the Grand Spirits.

‘Try your best to endure it if you can.’

Fire, Earth, Electricity, Light, Darkness, Wind, and Water. These seven elements gathered and formed a spiral. Oskepel’s expression suddenly stiffened. Being right next to them, he could feel the Grand Spirits’s power better than anyone else.

Another figure on the battlefield was getting worried about the impending danger.

[Elemental Cannon]

Bababababam—!

Gene's black mana sliced through the air as the Elemental Cannon discharged, summoning a towering Skeleton dozens of meters in height.

‘That is…’

The Skeleton towered above, its massive size spanning dozens of meters. A skull emerged from the depths of the void, engulfed in fiery flames. Clutched in its skeletal hand was a giant sword crackling with frigid blue energy and radiating an icy chill.

Woong—

The Skeleton burst into existence, swinging its massive sword in a single, powerful arc. The blade sliced through the air, defying the might of the Grand Spirits.

Swoosh—!

Despite its best efforts, the Skeleton's sword began to falter, overwhelmed by the relentless assault of the Grand Spirits.

[Corpse Explosion]

Baaaam—!

Suddenly, a loud explosion rocked the area, causing the pile of undead bodies beneath the castle wall to detonate in quick succession. The blast obliterated the section of the wall where Lee Shin and Oskepel stood, sending debris raining down everywhere.

Unfazed, Lee Shin walked forward, his expression grim as he stepped over the rubble. Meanwhile, the Skeleton, no match for the Grand Spirits' power, crumbled under their attack and vanished into thin air.

‘God… He must have been a god…’

The powerful divine aura emanating from the Skeleton had captured Lee Shin's attention momentarily. He could not believe Gene could turn gods into Undead. He recalled how, during his previous battle against the God of the Golden String, the deity's corpse had vanished the instant he died. Similarly, Endo's corpse had also disappeared after he met his demise at Lee Shin's hands.

‘I thought gods couldn't be turned into Undead, but maybe… I was wrong.’

However, Lee Shin knew that there was really no point in worrying about it in this situation because there were so many unknowns.

‘First, I will capture Gene.’

As soon as the whirlwind reached Gene, the odds of winning this battle increased dramatically. Even a god, at least an Undead one, could not withstand the Grand Spirits' attacks.

"Oskepel!" Lee Shin shouted.

Oskepel heard the call, nodded, and sprinted out of the castle wall.

[Path of the Divinity]

Running along the golden path that appeared in the void, Oskepel infused divine power into Martyr.

[Black Sea]

As Oskepel charged forward, he locked eyes with Gene Ebrium’s. Suddenly, Oskepel found himself trapped in black water that erupted from the ground, rendering him immobile. He looked around, but there were no Undead, no soldiers from the Corps of Divinity, and no Commander Lee Shin in sight. All that existed was the inky black sea that spread in every direction, engulfing and pulling him deeper into the earth.

‘It's quite peaceful, actually.’

Oskapel started to feel hazy. The floating sensation made him feel strangely liberated. He thought he could just drift away like this.

- Snap out of it!

A warm voice reached him from somewhere. When he tried to look for it, he noticed that there was something in his right hand.

‘When did this...?’

- Stop it! Stay focused! You'll get eaten!

‘I’ll get eaten…?’

Suddenly, golden light emanated from his right hand and enveloped him. Oskapel was conscious again and felt the rushing wind on his face.

- Wake up!

Martyr's shout brought Oskapel back to his senses, and he quickly realized he was falling. He desperately turned to look down at the ground below.

‘Oh no…’

A dragon was right in front of him with its mouth wide, preparing to shoot its Breath at Oskapel.

[Divine Shield]

Whoosh—!

Oskapel barely managed to block the Breath attack at the last moment. After defending himself from that attack, he gritted his teeth and clenched his sword.

"Die!" Oskapel shouted.

After infusing divine power into Martyr, he descended straight down and struck the Dragon with his sword.

Crack—!

The Skeleton Dragon's head and body split in half, and it collapsed.

Thud.

As he landed on the ground and looked around, he saw nothing but the Undead.

"Ugh… It will be a bit bothersome—" Oskapel muttered.

"Keugh...!"

Oskapel hastily turned his head to look in the direction of the sudden sound.

"Get out of the way!" Oskapel shouted.

Having cleared a path through the Undead by swinging his divine sword, he was shocked to see what had happened to Gene Ebrium. A long spear was lodged in Gene’s body, and Lee Shin stood beside him.

‘Huh? What happened?’

***

Oskapel had created the Path of the Divinity and was racing through the void. The sword shone brightly as divine energy pulsed from its blade, captivating anyone who looked at it—including Lee Shin, who watched from a distance.

‘It's a power that rejects death.’

Lee Shin thought that even Gene Ebrium couldn’t easily deflect this strike.

[Psychokensis]

“Huh... What...?" A knight standing beside Lee Shin was shocked when his spear started to move away.

Lee Shin took the knight's spear using psychokinesis and infused it with all kinds of magic.

[Target Fixation]

[Strengthening of the Acceleration]

[Strengthening of the Rotation]

[Strengthening of the Durability]

[Bullet Calibration]

[Amplification of Penetration]

Like this, Lee Shin chained dozens of spells together to strengthen the spear. He was ready to drive this spear straight into Gene Ebrium’s heart if the opportunity arose.

‘Hmm...?’

Lee Shin realized that something was wrong with Oskepel, as he was no longer rushing forward like a madman; instead, he was staggering.

‘Damn it. Is he under a curse or something?’

Lee Shin furrowed his brow and harnessed his Transcendence, catapulting himself towards Oskepel with a burst of psychokinetic energy. His eyes met Gene Ebrium's, which seemed to bore into his soul with an unsettling intensity.

Woosh—!

As their eyes met, a sea of darkness threatened to consume Lee Shin's entire world. Realizing that a simple glance could unleash such a powerful and sophisticated illusion was unsettling.

[You are immune to it due to your Memory Retention ability.]

Wooosh—!

The surging sea level vanished instantly, and Lee Shin could see the battlefield again.

‘Did it not affect me because of the Immortal Sphere?’

Gene Ebrium’s face got distorted. The area protecting him shook violently.

‘A backlash from a failed spell?’ thought Lee Shin.

With Gene Ebrium’s territory shaking, Lee Shin thought now was the chance. His intuition was telling him that it was time to end this battle. Therefore, he immediately threw the spear he had prepared directly at Gene.

Wooong—!

A mighty sonic wave warped the air as the spear hurtled toward Gene.

‘Oskepel is... Good. He regained his senses on his own.’

Oskepel, who had regained his senses, was frantically turning his body.

Crack—!

The spear, which had pierced through dozens of dark shields, struck precisely at Gene Ebrium's heart.

‘No matter how many layers there are, a hastily assembled shield can’t help him.’

Lee Shin knew that if Gene’s domain were in turmoil, he wouldn't have the resources or time to erect an adequate defense. The moment Gene's hallucinatory spell was disrupted, the tables had turned in Lee Shin's favor.

"Keugh...!" Gene Ebrium gasped.

With trembling pupils, his gaze turned toward Lee Shin. Slowly, Gene’s knees got closer to the ground.

"Gene..." Lee Shin muttered.

Gene's previously calm pupils flickered even as his knees were about to touch the ground. At the same time, his black mana surged wildly.

‘Damn it! What else does he have left?’

Despite using Transcendence, he noticed Gene Ebrium’s movements were getting faster. Until now, it had felt like Gene couldn't endure a perfect transcendence, but now it seemed like he didn’t even care about it.

"Greed," Gene Ebrium muttered.

A strange voice echoed from his mouth, sending a chill down Lee Shin’s spine. He quickly turned around, shocked by the unsettling sensation. In the distance, a massive entity had emerged from the void, devouring hundreds of soldiers from the Corps of Divinity in a monstrous gulp.

‘This power is…’

This power felt very familiar to Lee Shin.

"Ugh!" Lee Shin groaned in pain.

Lee Shin felt an overwhelming pressure bearing down on him. The fabric of space was ripped open, and thick violet tentacles descended, undulating like serpents. Confronting it up close, Lee Shin could recognize it. This sensation was all too familiar to him: a power that hungered to possess and dominate everything in its path.

"Chaos...!" Lee Shin muttered.

A massive amount of chaos, hungry for him, descended upon Lee Shin.