Chapter 249

Chapter 249

The worst-case scenario had unfolded.

After the Old Gods collectively made their move, Balder's expression had become grim to the point that even the Raven of Doom's leader dared not meet his gaze directly.

Balder paid no heed to the Raven of Doom's fear. The Old Gods were the embodiment of the Dreamworld's will; in his rage, the pleasant weather within his domain turned into a gloomy sky with intermittent flashes of lightning and thunder.

He hadn't expected that those Old Gods would actually let go and dare to protect the Perfect Humans despite the risk of another war with the Evil Gods.

Flashes of light flickered in Balder's eyes as he observed the situation on the field. With the Old Gods entering the fray, more and more neutral Old Gods couldn't resist joining in, even those he had attempted to contact previously.

Damn it! Do they really like those useless Perfect Humans that much? !

Balder's face was dark as he pondered how to turn the tide. Although his identity hadn't been directly exposed due to his previous maneuvers, many Old Gods had already guessed. Even if he were to infiltrate the midst of the Old Gods now, he might not be able to strike from behind directly.

Or should he wait for Lane to appear before trying to contact the Evil Gods for an ambush?

Unaware, Balder left his back exposed to the Raven of Doom's leader, engrossed in his thoughts.

Not out of trust in the Harbinger of Death, but out of disdain.

It was common knowledge in the Dream World that mortals couldn't harm gods.

Thus, he failed to notice the intense fluctuation behind the leader of the Harbingers of Death, which gradually took the shape of an axe.

A furious roar echoed throughout the Dream World. At that moment, the warring Evil Gods and Old Gods, as well as Bester and Lann, who were on high alert in the Shepherd's Forest, all turned their gazes in one direction.

They saw a massive black shadow of an axe descending with a world-shattering momentum, splitting the entire domain of the Old Gods in two.

Baldur appeared in the air, looking disheveled. A huge wound ran from his right shoulder to the lower left half of his body, nearly bisecting him.

A giant silently stood before Him. At this moment, Ogur also revealed his true form, towering at nearly fifty meters tall. With a casual stomp, he crushed Baldur's temple into rubble.

Baldur's expression darkened even further. "Giants! There are still remnants of your cursed breed!"

Ogur remained silent, staring at Baldur's wound with a hint of regret. In the last second, Baldur had reacted too swiftly, turning into light to evade, preventing Ogur from delivering a decisive blow.

Little did they know that Bader was the most astonished. In that moment of being attacked, He had barely sensed something amiss in Aogar's killing intent. If not for quick reflexes, He would have been felled by that axe swing.

Up until then, Bader had not detected Aogar's presence at all.

A cold smirk flickered across Bader's face. "What a pity. Was it for revenge on behalf of your kin? There's no need for such trouble. I'll send you down to join them right now."

"No need," Aogar finally spoke, his voice rough. "I didn't come here to confront you for their sake."

Unfazed, Bader initiated the battle the instant Aogar opened his mouth. The countless beams of light in his hands transformed into the deadliest weapons, turning the giant's enormous body into an easy target.

Lethal rays struck Aogar's body, leaving black-red gashes on his hard skin.

"Oh? Then why?"

Aogar absorbed the attack in silence, his expression darkening. Judging from the intensity of Bader's assault, the blow hadn't been fatal.

This posed a challenge. Giants possessed formidable physiques, but at the cost of agility. Though Aogar could harness the power of shadows, Bader wielded light and moved swiftly, making him Aogar's nemesis.

"Of course, it's for me."

Another voice echoed behind Baldur, causing the god to jump in alarm. Enormous trees sprang from the ground, ensnaring Him in their midst. The tips of the branches transformed into ravenous maws, biting down on Baldur and draining His divine blood.

Lan stood suspended in the air behind Baldur. Taking advantage of the distraction caused by Ogur, he had launched a surprise attack, using his reinforced spiritual plants to firmly grasp the deity. To prevent Baldur from breaking free, Lan commanded the plants to wrap around Him like a sphere.

Only then did he turn to Ogur with a slight smile. "Finally, we meet, Ogur."

The fifty-meter giant had been watching Lan since his appearance, his gaze expressing some disapproval.

"This place is too dangerous."

"But you're here," Lan said cheerfully. "So I came."

"Len."

At that moment, a voice rang out from within the vine-bound sphere – it was Baldur. "Len Pan."

Lan paused his reunion with Ogur and focused on the sphere. Through the feedback from his spiritual plants, he sensed an immense heat gathering inside.

Bang!

Light and heat burst forth, a colossal explosion erupting from within, annihilating the spiritual plant instantly. Baldur stood in gloom, fixing them with a dark gaze. "You truly dared to show yourselves!"

With that said, He immediately conjured a sphere of radiant energy between His hands and launched it skyward. A colossal beam of light pierced through the clouds, visible to a great portion of the Dreamworld.

"Are you calling an evil god?" Len asked, sounding indifferent.

"Don't you understand this quite well?" Barder sneered. "I didn't expect you to actually show up instead of hiding in the real world. Such an opportunity comes once in a thousand years."

"That would depend on whether They have the leisure to visit," Lane smiled gently.

Upon the battlefield of the Old Gods and the fell deities, most of the latter naturally caught sight of Bader's signal. However, just as they attempted to move, they were immediately blocked by the Old Gods.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"This isn't some place you can enter and leave as you please!"

The majority of the fell deities were either lifted away or obstructed by the Old Gods the moment they showed any sign of action. Not to mention joining forces with Bader to besiege Lane, they would be fortunate to even hold their own against the Old Gods.

Ever since the Old Gods made their appearance and lent their support to humanity, Lane and the players' plan had already succeeded. Regardless of their willingness, they now stood on Lane's side, opposing the fell deities.

Baldur's expression darkened. "You really were thinking that."

Lane replied, "Isn't that only natural?"

Ogar looked at Lane blankly, to which Lane shot him a glance. "I know about your plan, but have you considered that after successfully ambushing Baldur, you're bound to be killed by the Old Gods or the Evil Gods?"

"I'm mentally prepared for that."

"Well, I'm here to change your preparation," Lane sneered. "It's enough for you to be a good dog by my side. There's no need to be a hero."

Oh no, I let my anger get the best of me and spoke too harshly.

Lane had unintentionally blurted out what he usually kept to himself, mainly due to Ogar's self-sacrificing statement.

Ogar fell silent for a moment. Lane expected him to be angry, but to his surprise, Ogar quietly shrunk back to his two-meter size in reality and obediently stood beside him.

"..."

If it weren't for the current situation, Lane would've been tempted to ruffle Ogar's head.

Baldur watched them in silence, and for some reason, the urge to kill within him intensified.

"As long as I have you, everything will fall into place," Baldur's icy voice echoed. In the next instant, His entire form transformed into light.

The attack struck.

Lane's pupils constricted as he lost sight of Baldur on his retinas. At the same time, spheres of light suddenly appeared around him and Ogier, converging into a single point like a laser weapon on Earth, hurtling towards the two of them.

Ogier pulled Lane into his embrace, ready to shield him with his body. The giant race's physique was their most potent weapon and defense. However, the beam of light didn't strike Ogier but stopped right in front of them.

Crack.

Cracks resembling a mirror appeared around them, yet the beam couldn't advance any further.

The spatial lock that Lane had obtained from ascending to the fifth platform was now augmented at an epic level since entering the Dream World. He was more adept at manipulating space than ever before.

Lane gently pushed Ogier away, closing his eyes to sense the ripples in space. After a moment, he opened his eyes and snapped his fingers.

Baldur reappeared, though this time, He was forced to do so. The surrounding space was constrained, causing His expression to turn terrifyingly grim.

Oddly enough, Lane had initially expected Balder to be their formidable foe, but when he actually faced this seasoned old deity, the overwhelming sense of being invincible wasn't as intense.

He hadn't even revealed his trump cards yet, and he was already trading blows with Balder.

Had he grown stronger, or had Balder weakened?

Lane noticed Balder's pale complexion and the seemingly unhealing wound that stretched across His body. Well, it was likely a combination of both.

The divine battle was imminent.

The battlefield was divided into two factions: the Old Gods and the Evil Gods on one side, and Lane, Ogier, and Balder on the other. Although they didn't feel anything during their combat, the entire Dream World was being ravaged by natural disasters due to the ripples of the divine war.

When Balder's beam of light descended from the horizon, a mountain would vanish.

Plants on the ground were growing wildly, with occasional scorching sunbeams and tornadoes wreaking havoc on the land. The tides roared, thunder boomed, and it felt as if doomsday had arrived.

The phrase "Old Gods embody the will of the Dream World" was exemplified in this divine battle. Their internal strife was a catastrophe, and mortals caught in the crossfire would suffer massive casualties—this was why the Old Gods and Evil Gods had previously called a truce.

Kittridge gritted his teeth, supporting Jimmy who was on the verge of collapsing. His voice trembled as he urged, "Hold on, we're almost there."

Now the scene seemed reversed; previously Jimmy had supported Kittridge, but now it was Kittridge who was propelling Jimmy forward.

Half of Jimmy's body was drenched in blood. A fleeting beam of light had swept across the ground earlier, diminished by the barrier, but even a fraction of that force was unbearable for an Unbroken. It had taken away his arm and half his body.

Jimmy remained silent, his lips pale. He barely had any strength left, and Kittridge practically dragged him along.

The Unbroken troupe continued on, leaving some behind, for they knew where their journey would end.

Now, Jimmy also understood that his journey should end here.

A sudden opposing force came from his side, catching Kittridge off guard. Jimmy pushed himself away.

Kittridge immediately tried to hoist Jimmy back onto his back, but he failed this time. Not just because he was exhausted, but Jimmy resisted as well.

"Go, go on," Jimmy's bloodless lips murmured. "Keep moving... don't look back."

Kittridge didn't budge. He watched the light fade from Jimmy's eyes and gently closed them. Then, turning around, he resumed following the group.

His journey wasn't over yet.