Arc 40The Hero Transcends

Shien recovered his memories as the First Generation Hero’s son, learned the truth of the past from Othinus, and completed his transcendence. When Danas and the New Primal Demon attacked Elven Village, Shien intervened and let Danas withdraw after revealing their goals partly overlapped.

  • Shien read Nien’s record, recovered memories of his mother Xiao Hui, and healed Lasha after his power erupted.
  • Shien used his Holy Sword to break Nadula’s seal and purge the death aura from Artemis, then learned that his sword’s transformation would complete his transcendence.
  • Othinus showed Shien how Nien had been forced to fight the Demon King, died by her hand, and was revived through the combined powers of the Hero, Demon King, and Goddess.
  • Othinus revealed that Shien had inherited Nien’s Holy Sword and the powers of the Hero, Goddess, and Demon King, and Shien resolved to intervene in their cursed bond.
  • Danas and the Queen Consort led an invasion of Elven Village while Shien remained secluded to complete his transcendence, and Laisha arrived to ask Lasha for help retrieving the Stone Tablets.
  • Shien merged with his Holy Sword and the three supreme powers, completing the Hero concept and leaving him beyond the World Principle’s system.
  • Danas defeated Artemis and the Queen Consort stabbed her, but Shien appeared, erased the battlefield’s magic, stopped Artemis’s sacrifice, and healed her.
  • Shien told Danas he understood his goal and allowed him to leave, then appeared before him and pressed a hand to his chest.
Chapters 977–1001 Vol. 10 Read

Ch. 977"Son"

Shien and Lasha discovered a hidden record written by the First Generation Hero, Nien, who revealed that her original name was Xiao Hui and described her friendship with the Demon King and her wish to return home. Reading the name triggered a painful memory in Shien, and he unleashed a surge of magic power that blasted Lasha away and shook the Demon King's ruin.

  • Lasha recognized the words on the stone bed and read Nien's record with Shien.
  • Nien's writing described how she had been summoned from Another World, befriended the Demon King, and wanted to return home rather than kill her.
  • Shien read Nien's original name, Xiao Hui, and felt a painful rush of recognition.
  • Shien saw the Hero from his dreams mature into a woman who called him "Son."
  • Shien collapsed in agony, then released a violent wave of magic power that struck Lasha and shook the ruin.

Ch. 978The Greatest Regret in This World

Shien recovered crucial memories of his childhood and mother, uncovering truths about his power and past. After rescuing the injured Lasha, he left the ruins to sort out what he had learned and consider how to make up for the greatest regret in this world.

  • In the Sacred Realm, the Goddess sensed that Shien had found the key to recovering his lost memories and hoped he could mend the regrets shared by the three of them.
  • Shien endured burning pain as memories resurfaced of his mother raising him and warning him to control the unusual power within him.
  • The name “Xiao Hui” helped Shien connect the fragments and recover a final memory of his mother wishing to see two people again.
  • Shien's power settled, and he found Lasha injured and covered in ash inside the ruins.
  • Shien healed Lasha with Celestial Magic and told her he had remembered the most important parts of his past.
  • Shien decided to return with Lasha and take time to understand the truths he had uncovered before acting on his regret.

Ch. 979Darkness Descends Once More

Danas learned that the item from Taiger Forest had reached the Elven Village along with Hero Shien and possibly another Demon Lord Candidate, and decided to attack the village again. He prepared to face Shien himself while the Queen Consort brought two Undead Knights under her control and a demon girl called the Princess emerged from the darkness.

  • Danas received word that the item had been brought into the Elven Village by the Hero and explained how he had planned to intercept it.
  • The Queen Consort considered attacking the Kingdom of Mithra, but Danas reminded her that it held nothing they needed and that their goal was to resurrect the Demon Lord.
  • Danas concluded that Shien and another Demon Lord Candidate might both be in the Elven Village, making a renewed attack worthwhile.
  • The Queen Consort revealed that the two Undead Knights were fully under her control, and Danas said he had mastered his own power.
  • Danas said he would face the Hero and asked the Princess to handle the rest as she appeared from the darkness.

Ch. 980What Have They Been Through?

After learning more about the Holy Sword’s history, Shien spent a sleepless night struggling with his emotions and spoke with Lasha about their shared confusion. He then met Nadula, noticed the problems affecting her and Artemis, and asked whether her request concerned them.

  • Shien summoned his Holy Sword, reflected on inheriting it and its connection to Roxie, then returned it to his body before his transcendence was complete.
  • Lasha told Shien that she also felt confused about what had happened and needed time to sort out her thoughts.
  • Shien went to meet Nadula in the Queen’s Palace and set aside some of his distress after recalling an awkward moment with Sophie.
  • Nadula asked Shien for help, and Shien guessed that her request concerned the seal on her and the death aura on Artemis.
  • Nadula and Artemis reacted with surprise when Shien revealed he had already noticed their abnormalities.

Ch. 981The Truly Terrifying Reality

Shien revealed that he could use his Holy Sword to remove Nadula’s seal and purge Artemis’s death aura. After showing that his sword had become astonishingly powerful, he freed Nadula and cleansed Artemis, leaving both Goddesses restored from their afflictions.

  • Nadula and Artemis admitted that Danas and the Queen Consort had ambushed them, leaving Nadula sealed and Artemis contaminated by death aura.
  • Shien assured the Goddesses that his Holy Sword could remove both afflictions, and they praised him for its power.
  • When Artemis asked where his Holy Sword was, Shien drew it from within his body and revealed its greatly increased holy fluctuations.
  • Shien slashed Nadula with the Holy Sword and shattered the seal within her.
  • Shien swept the Holy Sword through Artemis, purging the death aura from her body.

Ch. 982The True Ability

Shien’s transformed Holy Sword easily removed the lingering afflictions from Nadula and Artemis, and he left after warning that he could not use it freely. Nadula and Artemis concluded that he had begun transcending, while his Holy Sword continued its transformation.

  • Shien discovered that his Holy Sword had gained powerful purification abilities and was still transforming beyond the laws’ limits.
  • Shien used the Holy Sword to restore Nadula and Artemis, then departed after offering to help again if needed.
  • Nadula and Artemis inferred from Shien’s sacred power and inability to use the Holy Sword freely that he had taken the first step toward transcendence.
  • Nadula and Artemis explained that a Hero must resonate with the Holy Sword and release its restrictions to transcend, as only seven of the one hundred and eight Heroes had done before.
  • Nadula and Artemis awaited the completion of Shien’s Holy Sword transformation, expecting it to determine how powerful he would become.

Ch. 983A Reunion with That One

Shien realized his transcendence and Holy Sword transformation would be complete in two days, then called for the Goddess to discuss his recovered past. The Goddess brought him to the sealed temple, where he asked what had happened long ago, and she thrust God's Spear toward his forehead.

  • Shien calculated that eight days had passed since his Holy Sword began transforming and that his transcendence would be complete after two more days.
  • Shien reflected on the power that had shaped his past, then called out to the Goddess and asked to speak with her.
  • The Goddess transported Shien to the temple and sent Nien away when she tried to approach him.
  • Shien told the Goddess that recovering his past felt terrible and confronted her about being caught up in an ancient situation involving Great Beings.
  • The Goddess asked Shien to call her Othinus, and Shien asked what had happened back then.
  • Othinus raised God's Spear and thrust it toward Shien's forehead.

Ch. 984"The Beginning of a Tragedy"

The Goddess recounted how her failure to understand the First Generation Hero and the Demon King led to the Demon King choosing death and fighting them. As the battle devastated the world, the Goddess urged the frightened Hero to strike the Demon King, and the Demon King turned toward her.

  • The Goddess explained that she had forced the Hero to fight the Demon King without understanding either of their feelings, driving the Demon King to wish for death.
  • The Goddess described how the immortal Demon King could be killed only by the Hero's Holy Sword, with her jewel suppressed afterward.
  • The Goddess resumed Shien's dream, showing the Goddess and Demon King battling amid catastrophic destruction while the Hero tried to stop them.
  • The Goddess said the two fighters ignored the Hero's fear, despite restraining some of their power to keep her safe.
  • As the Goddess faltered, she returned to the Hero and urged her to pierce the Demon King's heart, but the terrified Hero refused.
  • The Demon King struck the Goddess away and turned toward the Hero, beginning the tragedy.

Ch. 985"An Eternal Pain"

Shien witnessed the First Generation Hero Nien die when her Holy Sword triggered the Demon King's uncontrolled power, then saw the Goddess and Demon King revive her by joining their powers through the sword. The revived Nien recoiled from them and begged to go home, leaving the Goddess and Demon King to face the lasting pain of having lost her trust.

  • Shien tried to stop the Demon King from approaching Nien, but the Goddess warned that they could not alter the reenacted past.
  • Nien stabbed the Demon King with the still-incomplete Holy Sword, causing the Demon King's power to run wild and destroy Nien in an instant.
  • The Demon King disappeared to master her power, then returned and asked the Goddess to help revive Nien through the Holy Sword.
  • The Goddess and Demon King each poured half their power into the Holy Sword, forming a cycle of Hero, Demon King, and Goddess power that brought Nien back to life.
  • When the Goddess and Demon King approached, Nien screamed that she hated them, did not want to fight, and wanted to return home.

Ch. 986"The Future of Choice"

The Goddess revealed that Shien was the son and descendant of the First Generation Hero, Nien, and explained how he inherited her power and awakened the unique skill Supreme Authority. She sent him away to face the Demon King and choose what future to pursue, while she watched and wondered what Nien would want her son to choose.

  • The Goddess confirmed that the First Generation Hero had been returned to her original world and described how the Goddess, Demon King, and Hero changed after their separation.
  • The Goddess explained that Shien had inherited his mother’s Holy Sword and the powers of the Hero, Goddess, and Demon King, making him a natural-born Hero rather than a summoned Hero.
  • The Goddess revealed that Shien’s Unique Skill had become Supreme Authority, a power that would fully become his upon transcendence.
  • Shien asked why the Demon King had started the war, but the Goddess told him to ask the Demon King herself and leave the choice of what to do to him.
  • The Goddess sent Shien away and wondered what Nien would want her son to choose.

Ch. 987Something That Must Be Tried

After learning the Demon King’s tragic past and her bond with the First Generation Hero, Shien struggled to decide how to respond. He resolved to intervene in their cursed connection, while Lasha quietly acknowledged that his choice might be fate.

  • Shien reflected on the Demon King giving up half her power to save her friend and wondered whether he could still regard her as an enemy.
  • He considered how terrifying the Demon King had been even with half her power and learned that Danas intended to resurrect someone like her.
  • Lasha found Shien in the corridor, and he gently touched her cheek before apologizing for losing his composure.
  • Shien told Lasha that his origins and the newly revealed past had left him unsure what role he should play.
  • Shien decided that he had to try to intervene in the cursed bond, and Lasha suggested that it might be fate.

Ch. 988Signs That Had Already Arrived

Nadula discovered that enemy forces were gathering on Elven Village, and the defenders prepared for a possible full-scale assault without calling Lidas or Anima away from the royal capital. With Shien unavailable during his transcendence and the enemy able to field awakened Heroes Reinart and Philip, the chapter left the defenders searching for a way to counter necromancy.

  • Nadula detected undead, alchemical demons, Magic Life, and Demonoid Larvae moving toward Elven Village and summoned its leaders.
  • Sophie argued that Lidas and Anima had to remain in the royal capital, so Nadula and the others would defend the village themselves.
  • Artemis asked about Shien, but Yulin and Merika said he had remained secluded as his transcendence progressed.
  • Nadula reminded everyone that Lilith could help hold off the enemy’s demonoid, though Sophie warned that the necromancer had also awakened Heroes Reinart and Philip as Undead Knights.
  • Nadula explained that necromancy required a corpse and sufficient death energy, and the group began considering how its effects might be undone.

Ch. 989Waiting for the Storm to Arrive

Nadula and the others sought a way to counter the Queen Consort’s transcendent necromancy and free the two Heroes she had turned into Undead Knights. They organized research and defenses in the Elven Village, then Nadula and Artemis waited for the enemy to arrive.

  • Merika suggested using Holy Magic against the necromancy, but Sophie explained that it could not overcome the Queen Consort’s higher-order power.
  • Artemis argued that controlling two Demon-level Heroes must require a method or have a weakness, and Nadula proposed unraveling it to free their souls.
  • Leia, Nia, and Merika agreed to analyze necromancy, while Nadula tasked the Goddesses with supporting their research using Holy Magic.
  • Yulin left to organize the monsters defending the Elven Village against the enemy’s forces.
  • After everyone else departed, Nadula and Artemis watched beyond the Queen’s Palace and waited for the storm to arrive.

Ch. 990The Turning Point of Fate

In a sealed temple, the Goddess of Origin asked Nien to use her bond with Shien to watch the lower realm because his Supreme Authority was about to awaken, beyond the reach of her own sight. She told Nien that Shien’s coming choice would turn fate, and Nien reluctantly opened a view of the Human Realm.

  • Nien cursed the Goddess of Origin, who had restrained her, and questioned why she needed Nien’s power to observe the lower realm.
  • The Goddess explained that Shien was about to transcend and awaken the Supreme Authority, ending the reach of her future-seeing eyes.
  • The Goddess asked Nien to use her connection to Shien to watch events without interfering, and threatened to keep Nien from watching if she refused.
  • The Goddess offered to reveal the truth behind Nien’s past Hero Summons and said Shien’s choice would affect the future of their world.
  • The Goddess released Nien, who warned that she would not hand her Hero over before unfolding a screen showing the Human Realm.

Ch. 991A Consensus Among All

As monsters gathered around Elven Village and the necromancy countermeasure remained unfinished, Artemis, Nadula, and Sophie prepared to face the coming invasion without Shien. Sophie and the others agreed to keep Shien undisturbed during his final stage of transcendence, even if the village had to be abandoned.

  • Nadula reported that more than four million monsters were gathering around Elven Village, driven there by Magic Life forms outside Taiger Forest.
  • Artemis and Nadula planned to hold off the Demonoid-class enemies while the Elves worked to decipher the necromancy formulas and hoped Shien would eventually be able to fight.
  • Lasha told Sophie that Shien remained in his room, resting and emerging only to eat, and Sophie concluded that he was likely completing his transcendence.
  • Sophie told Lasha never to wake Shien or inform him about the battle, even if Elven Village was defeated, so his transformation would not be disrupted.
  • Sophie left to prepare for battle while Lasha watched her depart, and night fell over the land.

Ch. 992The Descending Shadow of Evil

Danas and the Queen Consort launched an assault on the Elven Village, where Nadula and the others prepared to defend their home. Danas arrived expecting to face Shien, but Nadula told him the Hero was absent, and Danas refused to believe her.

  • The Queen Consort declined to fight Shien because the Holy Sword could purify her death aura, while Danas said he would face the Hero himself.
  • The Queen Consort unleashed death aura over Taiger Forest, and the undead and Magic Life forms gathered around the Elven Village prepared to attack.
  • Nadula, Artemis, Sophie, Leia, Nia, Merika, Yulin, and the Elven forces assembled as Danas crashed through Nadula's barrier and the monsters ravaged the village.
  • Danas descended above the Queen's Palace, greeted the defenders, and asked where Shien was.
  • Nadula said Shien was absent and that they would be Danas's opponents, but Danas said he did not believe her.

Ch. 993Where Justice and Rightness Lie

Danas challenged the Goddesses’ claim to justice and began fighting Artemis as the monsters attacked the Elven Village. The battle escalated when the undead Heroes Reinnart and Philip descended, prompting Lilith to confront them.

  • Danas deduced that the Hero was present but unable to fight, then declared that pursuing the truth of the world was his own justice and rightness.
  • Artemis chose to fight Danas, and the two clashed as the monsters charged the Elven defenders.
  • Carol, Leia, Nia, Yulin, Sophie, and Merika joined the battle to defend the village.
  • Reinnart and Philip descended as undead knights, enraging Nadula, and Lilith appeared to unleash a powerful attack against them.

Ch. 994"Power" and "Body"

While Shien remained isolated in the Queen's Palace to complete his transcendence, Laisha arrived to take the Demon King's record Stone Tablets and ask Lasha to join her. Laisha and Lasha recognized that their shared memories and instincts drew them toward doing something for “that person,” and Lasha left with her, trusting Shien to handle what came next.

  • Lasha watched the war from the Queen's Palace while Shien remained protected in an isolated space, unaware of the battle.
  • Laisha arrived after reclaiming her power, explained that she was now a complete vessel, and revealed she had come to take the record Stone Tablets for her collaborator.
  • Lasha realized Laisha was cooperating with the New Primal Demon, whose invasion had drawn defenders away and created an opening for her to enter the palace.
  • Laisha explained that she had left Lasha with Shien to prevent their powers and bodies from resonating, but now needed her help with something she felt compelled to do.
  • Laisha and Lasha recognized that memories of the Demon King had led them to want to act for “that person,” and Lasha took Laisha's hand after she affirmed her trust in Shien.

Ch. 995"Transcendence"

Shien consolidated his levels, skills, and remaining Skill Points by merging them into himself with the Holy Sword’s Sacred Power, and understood how transcendence freed him from the World Principle’s system. As he felt his abilities become truly his own, the Holy Sword suddenly trembled and blazed with light.

  • Shien spent two days in his room, guiding the Holy Sword’s Sacred Power as he fused the fluorescent representations of his levels, skills, and Skill Points into his body.
  • Shien realized that levels and skills had been power granted by the World Principle, while transcendence let him escape its system and claim that power for himself.
  • Shien considered how the World Principle’s influence shaped the Three Great Goddesses, the Six Great Demon Lords, Hermes, Lilith, Danas, the Queen Consort, and Heroes from Another World.
  • Shien felt his body grow stronger and his magic, skills, and Cycle of Fate become abilities he truly wielded.
  • The Holy Sword trembled within Shien and released an astonishing radiance.

Ch. 996Hero

Shien’s transcendence fused the powers of the Hero, Demon Lord, and Supreme God into his Holy Sword and completed the supreme concept of Hero. He emerged with a new, unparalleled existence, and no Heroes could be born after him.

  • Shien saw the three supreme powers merge into his awakened Holy Sword and realized the sword had become the source of his existence, potentially allowing him to revive unless it was suppressed or destroyed.
  • Shien concluded that the balanced fusion was possible because his Holy Sword was exceptionally powerful, the Demon Lord and Supreme God had each given him half their power, and he had transcended.
  • Shien realized he had become the sole possessor of the completed Hero concept, meaning no one else could awaken as a Hero or wield a Holy Sword.
  • Shien suspected the Supreme Goddess had arranged events to help him complete the Hero concept, possibly with the Demon Lord’s cooperation, as the son of the First Generation Hero’s old friend.
  • Shien’s levels, skills, Skill Points, Holy Sword data, and Unique Skill disappeared as the sword and his body fully merged with the three supreme powers.

Ch. 997The Second Moon Demon

Danas overwhelmed Artemis and revealed that his power now rivaled Moon Demon Sela at night. He explained that a Magic Book helped him compensate for his lack of combat methods, but left the source of his increased power unexplained.

  • The God Race and Elves expected their superior high-end fighters to hold off the larger New Primal Demon army in a prolonged battle.
  • Danas defeated Artemis soon after the battle began and hurled her into a crater in Taiger Forest.
  • Nadula, Lilith, Sophie, Yulin, and Merika recognized that Danas's power rivaled Moon Demon Sela using Moonlit Pilgrimage.
  • Artemis asked how Danas had grown so powerful in less than a month and suspected the Magic Book he carried.
  • Danas explained that the book let him cast stored spells with his magic power to make up for his limited combat methods.
  • When Artemis asked what caused his power increase, Danas smiled and told her to guess.

Ch. 998The Man Who Climbed Up from the Bottom

Danas overwhelmed Artemis after she invoked her Judgment Authority, using powerful magic to destroy her attack and engulf her in fire. Artemis survived the assault, but Danas prepared to seal her and remove her from the battle.

  • Artemis spread her twelve White Wings and used her Judgment Authority to send crosses of execution down on Danas.
  • Danas burned through Artemis’s judgment and restraints with Hellfire, astonishing her with the strength and control of his magic.
  • Artemis asked why Danas had fallen into evil, and he transformed the dark flames into scorching fire that engulfed her.
  • Nadula, Sophie, Merika, and the others cried out as Artemis fell into the burning forest, badly injured but alive.
  • Danas said he was tired of fighting and raised his hand to begin sealing Artemis.

Ch. 999The Last Desperate Gamble

Danas trapped Artemis with his perfected Limit Chain ritual, but she chose to sacrifice herself to destroy him. Queen Consort appeared behind Artemis and pierced her chest, leaving her defeat unresolved as her consciousness faded.

  • Nadula was struck by the black Undead Knight, while Lilith and Hero Philip continued their fierce battle.
  • Artemis used Judgment to resist Danas, who deployed his perfected sealing ritual, Limit Chain, across Taiger Forest.
  • Artemis endured Danas's lightning and grabbed him, detonating her magical power and Authority to try to kill them both.
  • Danas revealed that one of his generals had yet to act, and Queen Consort appeared behind Artemis and pierced her chest.
  • Artemis coughed up blood, lowered her hands, and gradually lost consciousness.

Ch. 1000The Hero Who Returned in Force

Shien returned to the battlefield at the moment Artemis tried to destroy herself and the enemies around her, then used overwhelming magic to stop the explosion and heal her. He confronted Danas as both sides realized Shien had changed into something extraordinary.

  • Artemis revived her fading consciousness, bound Danas with her White Wings, and seized the Queen Consort's hand as she prepared to self-destruct.
  • Danas, the Queen Consort, Lilith, Nadula, and the two Undead Knights rushed toward Artemis while the Queen's Palace activated its evacuation barrier.
  • Shien appeared beside Artemis and used Enchantment: Disperse to erase the magic power across the battlefield, stopping Artemis's detonation and disabling the Queen's Palace barrier.
  • Shien separated the combatants, caught the falling Artemis, and healed most of her wounds and the death energy within her.
  • Shien challenged Danas to explain himself as the assembled fighters sensed Shien's changed and extraordinary presence.

Ch. 1001"You Go."

After transcending, Shien effortlessly suppressed the battlefield and told Danas he would let the New Primal Demon retreat because their goals partly aligned. When Danas questioned him, Shien suddenly appeared before him and threatened to keep him there by force.

  • Danas and the Queen Consort recognized that Shien had changed dramatically and ordered their forces to retreat rather than risk fighting him.
  • Shien noticed the retreat, called the New Primal Demon's attack an invasion, and said he had little interest in fighting because he now viewed his concerns differently.
  • Shien revealed that he understood Danas's goal and that it partly overlapped with his own, so he told Danas to leave.
  • Nadula, Artemis, Yulin, Merika, and Sophie protested Shien's decision, but he stopped them with a glance and told them to listen.
  • Danas asked whether Shien was sure, and Shien warned him that he could stay if he wished before suddenly appearing in front of him and pressing a hand to his chest.
Arc 40 of 42