Looking at the shocked group blocking his path, Lioro crouched, then launched forward like a missile, rushing straight toward the World Item.
"B-block him!" someone shouted.
Several arrows were released. The seductive mage in the swimsuit chanted a tier 6 spell and launched it at him. The Black Scripture captain's sword glowed with dark energy as he slashed out a wave of deadly mana. The chunni man in black coat summoned a tier 5 undead. The small giant at the center quickly raised his massive shield, protecting the artifact with all his might.
All their attacks, all their efforts, converged on one single point—Lioro.
But it was all useless.
As none of it could even reach him.
They were all blocked by infinity.
"How!?"
Cries of disbelief and panic echoed around as they watched the impossible. Their strongest coordinated attack had been stopped in mid air for some unknown reason.
The Black Scripture captain clenched his jaw. He turned sharply and shouted at the brat in green dress behind him.
"Do it!"
The boy nodded, lifting his hand toward Lioro.
"Tier 7 magic: Time Deceleration."
Time-altering energy swirled around the boy's palm. A dome of warped air and distortion expanded around Lioro, intending to trap him in slowed time domain.
But as it approached, the ring on Lioro's finger glowed with a dull, eerie light.
Before the spell could fully activate, the dome shattered like a fragile illusion, crumbling under the horrified eyes of its caster.
"No way…"
The captain opened his mouth again, perhaps to issue another order, but he was already too late.
Lioro had arrived.
He passed the stunned green-dressed brat without even glancing at him.
"Thanks," he said casually as he walked by.
A system prompt echoed in his mind.
[Tier 7 spell 'Time Deceleration' has been learned.]
[Skill points: 128 → 127.]
Finally. A time-series spell was his.
Ahead, the Black Scripture's captain stood in his path. Lioro's expression sharpened as he clenched his fist and launched a punch.
The captain managed to raise his sword just in time, but it was useless. Lioro's fist crashed into the blade, smashing through it like paper and sending the captain flying across the clearing like a ragdoll.
One of the summoned undead lunged toward Lioro from the side, but it barely lasted a second before being reduced to ash.
The seductive mage and the black-coated man both froze in place. Fear crawled across their faces. Without exchanging a word, they quietly stepped out of the way.
The low-ranking soldiers nearby dropped their weapons and fell to their knees, unwilling to face the monster in front of them.
Lioro ignored them all.
He approached the small giant still standing guard over the World Item.
"Move," Lioro said plainly.
The man didn't speak. He simply tightened his grip on the shield and stood his ground.
Lioro didn't repeat himself.
With a calm motion, he released a Hollow Purple—10th tier magic, a fusion of raw destruction and gravity. The spell struck the shield with a thunderous sound, cracking it down the center and hurling the giant away like a broken doll.
If Lioro hadn't held back, the man would've been dead.
Now nothing stood between him and the World Item.
It hovered in the air, shaped like a pendant, glowing with faint light. Its power radiated in waves, the same barrier that had wrapped around the entire Slane Theocracy, blocking all teleportation.
Lioro reached out and casually took hold of it.
And just like that, he placed it into his inventory.
For him, a Divine Smith, it was a simple act. A flick of the hand.
But for everyone watching, it was impossible.
No one could just take away a World Item once activated. World Items were deeply bound to their user or their environment, requiring special conditions to activate or deactivate. Some had been active for centuries, their origins lost in time.
That particular pendant had been activated by the Theocracy's gods themselves. It had remained in place for generations, its effect uninterrupted for decades.
And now, Lioro had just... taken it.
'Wait. Storage?'
The realization dawned slowly among the high-ranking members.
'Dragon Lords don't have storage...…'
'He's… a player.'
They stared at him, stunned and silent.
Lioro turned around to face them one last time. He raised his hand and gave them a small wave.
"Bye," he said simply.
Then he activated his teleportation skill.
And vanished.
Silence fell across the battlefield.
A moment later, Antilene came rushing in, armor clanking, scythe in hand, her expression a mixture of rage and determination. She skidded to a halt, scanning the area for her opponent.
But there was nothing.
Only the empty space where Lioro once stood.
----
Dwarven mountain.
Inside the smithy.
The space flickered before Lioro, wearing his black dragon set, appeared in place.
The ring on his hand glowed as the Black Dragon's set split open, revealing his excited face.
Taking out the five World Items from his inventory, Lioro started checking their stats.
First of all, the dress he stripped off the old lady.
----
Item: Downfall of Castle and Country.
Grade: World Item.
Type: Robe.
Use Requirement: Have 60 levels in priest or mind-based jobs.
Description: A World Item, an equipment created after the destruction of a world. It holds the power to subjugate the mind of any creature, even those that possess resistance or racial immunity to mind-control effects.
Note: It can only be used on one target at a time.
Note: Equipping a World Item makes you immune to the effects of other World Items.
----
Unlike other equipment, world-class items don't provide bonus stats.
Taking out the other four from his inventory, Lioro checked them out.
----
Item: Pendant of Temporal Stasis
Grade: World Item
Type: Pendant.
Use Requirement: Requires a wide area to deploy.
Description: A World Item created during the collapse of a world. It emits a temporal waveform that freezes spatial interference across an entire region, denying the use of teleportation, dimensional movement across the affected area.
Note: Equipping a World Item makes you immune to the effects of other World Items.
----
Item: Revolt Of A Thousand Prophets
Grade: World Item
Type: Bracelet.(One Time Use.)
Use Requirement: 60 levels in magic or priest-based jobs.
Description: A World Item that defies order. It grants the wielder the ability to override reality, allowing them to negate any one event that has taken place within the last 24 hours.
Note: Can only be used once.
Note: Equipping a World Item makes you immune to the effects of other World Items.
----
Item: Prison of Causality.
Grade: World Item
Type: Prism.
Use Requirement: 70 levels in a magic-based jobs.
Description: A black cube that traps one target inside a temporal-causal loop. The affected target is forced to repeat their last action endlessly (whether a movement, skill use, or even a word), unable to act otherwise until freed.
Note: Equipping a World Item makes you immune to the effects of other World Items.
----
Item: Candle of Ten Thousand Reversals
Grade: World Item
Type: Candle.
Use Requirement: 60 levels in support-based jobs.
Description: When lit, for 5 minutes, all buffs become debuffs and vice versa across a 100-meter radius. Includes racial passives, class auras, and environmental bonuses.
Note: It does not distinguish between friends and foes.
Note: Equipping a World Item makes you immune to the effects of other World Items.
----
Five World Items lay before him—a robe, a pendant, a bracelet, a prism, and a candle.
Each brimmed with power. The robe, capable of manipulating minds. The bracelet, one that defied order, whatever that truly meant, along with the prism that could trap an opponent indefinitely.
But that wasn't everything.
"I can finally use this skill..." Lioro muttered with eyes gleaming.
He held up the 'Downfall of Castle and Country' and activated his power.
"Epic class skill: Heavenly Replica."
A formless aura flowed out from his hand, engulfing the World Item. Almost instantly, torrents of information surged into his mind. He closed his eyes, focusing entirely on the stream of data flooding his consciousness.
An hour passed.
The aura faded. Lioro opened his eyes, now reflecting a deep understanding. He stared at the World Item in his hand with furrowed brows.
The skill had worked. He now fully grasped the process behind the creation of the World Item, 'Downfall of Castle and Country.'
But there was a problem.
"A World Item... requires a world core to be forged."
Every single World Item in existence had been born from a world's death.
A world core was the crystallization of a world's will—what remained when everything else turned to dust.
Which meant that for every World Item, a world had perished.
"What insane items..." Lioro whispered.
He shook his head and stored the items back into his inventory, all except the bracelet.
He looked at it—'Revolt of a Thousand Prophets'—and slipped it onto his right hand.
With that, he had become immune to the effects of other World Items.
He had achieved his goal.
Yet, something felt off. Strangely hollow.
A quiet melancholy crept into his chest.
"My strength is already nearing the ceiling of this world," he thought.
In a matter of a month, he had gone from a helpless level one to a monstrous level eighty-something. The speed at which he had grown stronger was absurd.
He exhaled softly and sank into a nearby chair, his mind wandering.
"If I play my cards right, even a True Dragon Lord isn't out of reach..."
The only real threat was wild magic—something only dragons could wield.
He remembered how Elder Coffin Dragon Lord had sacrificed an entire kingdom's souls to cast wild magic with power rivaling the most destructive World Item: Longinus.
Still, if he played it smart and fired off tier 10 spells repeatedly, his chances of victory were at least sixty to seventy percent.
Not that he had any plans to fight one just yet. He was only calculating his odds for the future.
His thoughts drifted aimlessly until a knock at the door pulled him back to the present.
"Come in."
A dwarf with a thick beard stepped in hesitantly, something strapped to his back.
"What is it?" Lioro asked.
The dwarf fidgeted nervously before speaking.
"That divine forgemaster... I forged this blade."
He slowly pulled a weapon from his back and presented it.
"A sword?" Lioro raised an eyebrow.
Was this some kind of appraisal request?
He was about to dismiss the dwarf when he noticed the look on his face—hopeful, almost desperate.
The puppy-eyed expression was unsettling on a bearded old dwarf, but Lioro managed not to laugh.
With a sigh, he gestured for the dwarf to come closer.
The old craftsman hurried over and held out the blade with both hands, reverently.
Lioro gave it a cursory glance.
----
Item: Dwarven Blade
Grade: High
Type: Blade
Equip Requirement: Level 30+, Physical Attack 150+
Description: A blade forged by an unknown dwarf inspired by the divine smith's craftsmanship. He poured in decades of effort, using the finest materials he could find. This blade was his tribute, a plea for approval.
Stats:
Physical Attack +80
Agility -20
Passive Effects:
Powerful Strike: Each attack has a chance to deal 10% bonus damage.
Sharp Blade: Possesses a sharpness attribute, making it easier to cut through materials.
----
It wasn't a bad weapon. Better than trash, at least. Just slightly.
But the description caught his attention.
'A tribute to the divine smith? Seeking my approval?'
He glanced at the dwarf, who was now trembling.
"Is it... acceptable, sir?" the dwarf asked, clutching the blade tightly.
Lioro scratched his chin.
To be honest, the weapon was barely decent in his eyes. But as a blacksmith, he could clearly feel the dedication and hard work behind it.
He took the blade, ran a finger along its edge, and pointed to a few areas.
"You used too much force here... and here."
He spoke calmly, explaining the flaws and offering ways to improve. It wasn't difficult for someone of his level.
The dwarf slowly stopped trembling, his eyes focused intently. When something was unclear, he asked in a hushed voice, and Lioro answered patiently.
When he finished, he handed the sword back.
"It has its shortcomings, but it's a decent weapon."
The moment the words left his mouth, the elder dwarf burst into tears.
"Thank you, lord Divine Smith!"
He dropped to the ground and grabbed Lioro's leg.
Lioro became doumbfounded,
"What are you doing? Let go!"
"S-sorry, lord!"
The dwarf scrambled to his feet, bowing repeatedly before rushing out of the room with a bright smile.
Lioro stared after him, bewildered.
"All that from just a little praise?"
His image among the dwarves must've been towering.
Watching the dwarf practically skip down the hallway, Lioro couldn't help but smile faintly.
Once the moment passed, he leaned back again, letting the room fall into silence.
Then, without a sound, he vanished.
----
On top of a sky-high building.
The space flickered before Lioro appeared.
Stepping on the advanced structure, Lioro couldn't help but pause.
Turning his head, he looked around and saw a familiar sight.
A modern city.
With advanced buildings and vehicles driving on well-made roads.
For a moment, Lioro stood in place, silently looking at the scene.
And then...
"I finally returned to modern society!"
A loud cry, filled with excitment, rang out throughout the place.
----
If you're interested: patreon.com/nkc_reaper
P.S: Can you guess the world? Guess right and I'll upload another chapter.