[Salvos] 721. The Archangel Part Four
Added 2024-09-15 19:57:25 +0000 UTC721. The Archangel Part Four
***
It was the Spirit Lord.
As a child, Edithe had always been curious about him. There were plenty of tales— fables and stories about the Immortal King Alexander’s journey to meet with the Spirit Lord. However, other than that, there was never any story that focused on the Spirit Lord himself.
There were the occasional writings in the temples about how the Spirit Lord united the Spirit Plane. But that was it. There was nothing about the Spirit Lord’s description or name or abilities.
So Edithe was only left with unanswered questions.
Until now.
Her entire being trembled as her gaze was fixed on the seemingly Human-looking man standing there right before the crater. Despite the tempest of corruption swirling around him, he remained calm, with a small smile on his face.
But it wasn’t a smile out of happiness or arrogance or any other emotion. It was like his lips naturally formed a hint of a smirk even with a neutral expression.
He looked young. Like he was Daniel’s age. And while he wasn’t handsome, he wasn’t ugly either. But most importantly, he looked nothing like what Edithe thought he could’ve looked like. She thought he could’ve been a giant, or maybe a being made entirely out of mana— more similar to the Archangel.
And yet, it didn’t matter what she thought.
Here he was.
The Spirit Lord.
Or Soli, as the Archangel called him.
All the gathered [Ophanims] bowed towards him, while both Willy and Druma backed away in reverence. The Archangel landed across from him as he casually strode forward, ignoring the Corrupted Heavenspace that was rising from the ground behind him.
The Archangel smiled savagely as it spread its arms wide.
“So we finally meet, you self-proclaimed lord of all Spirits! I never thought you’d ever show yourself to me. I always thought you were too scared, sending your annoying [Seraphims] to dispose of me. But finally— here you are!”
Edithe watched as the Archangel licked its lips and produced a giant hammer made out of the iridescent aura wisping off him. Soli ame to a halt right before the Archangel, before slowly opening his mouth.
“Iudex—”
The Spirit Lord started. And the Corrupted Heavenspace slammed its tendril down at him, cutting him off. Edithe blinked, taken aback by this.
The Archangel’s eyes flickered. Willy and Druma paused. And Centina just raised a brow.
“Was that supposed to happen?”
The [Evolved Centinel] asked. And the Corrupted Heavenspace screeched as it flew into the air, pulling its tendrils back. But before it could fly any further, a barrage of beams rained down upon it from the [Ophanims] in the air, obliterating it completely.
Edithe looked up, watching as the [Ophanims] bore down on the corruption once more. And when she looked back at where the Spirit Lord had been standing—
He was still standing there, completely unscathed.
A translucent blue sphere protected him. A simple-looking barrier. But it was more than enough to withstand the Corrupted Heavenspace’s attack.
So he ignored it. He didn’t even glance back. His gaze was still fixed on the Archangel the entire time. He left the [Ophanims] to deal with the corruption.
“Iudex.”
The Spirit Lord spoke simply as he placed his hands behind his back in parade rest.
“I have ignored your trail of destruction for centuries, giving you a chance to give up your ways and see the light. But today, you have killed my creations. And for that, you will pay.”
“So killing these things was enough to draw you out? I should’ve targeted them sooner, honestly.”
The Archangel chuckled as it strode forward, twirling the massive hammer over its head. In return, the Spirit Lord shook his head.
“Unfortunately, while I would have loved to personally attend to your demise, I have other far more pressing matters to attend to.”
And that made the Archangel pause.
“Wait—”
It raised its head, its eyes growing wide as it stared at the Spirit Lord. Edithe frowned, not seeing what the Archangel was seeing.
“You…”
The Archangel started as its gaze darkened. Its breathing quickened and its voice grew deep.
“You dare mock me?”
It bellowed, shaking the landscape. Edithe shrank back at that.
“You dare challenge me with this… this… this sham?”
The Archangel continued as it pointed at the Spirit Lord. And the smile on his face didn’t waver. He just calmly met the raging Archangel’s gaze.
And the Archangel screamed, its voice causing even the corruption to startle.
“DO YOU TRULY BELIEVE YOU CAN BEAT ME WITH MERELY A VESSEL?!”
“A… vessel?”
Edithe blinked when she heard that. But she didn’t get an answer from any of her friends.
The Archangel panted as it pointed its hammer to the ground, and the Spirit Lord just tilted his head in response.
“Yes.”
For a moment, all was silence. Edithe almost forgot about the raging corruption in the background— she almost didn’t see the blinding lights of the [Ophanims]’ attacks.
And the Archangel raised its head as its face contorted in anger, screaming as an outpouring of iridescent light wisped off its body.
“YOU MAKE A MOCKERY OF ME— YOU MAKE A MOCKERY OF THE NEXEUS! YOU MAKE A MOCKERY OF THE ARCRAEM! AND FOR THAT, I WILL KILL YOU!”
The Archangel’s body blurred as it shot forward, its voice echoing all around Edithe.
“[Godly Essence Of The Judge Ordained By The Arcraem].”
The Archangel’s words came like a whisper. By the time Edithe could even comprehend what those words meant, the Archangel was already next to the Spirit Lord, swinging down with its blazing hammer.
“FACE ME WITH YOUR REAL SELF, SO THAT I CAN GRANT YOU THE PERDITION OF A MILLION DEATHS!”
The Archangel screamed as its hammer struck the simple barrier protecting the Spirit Lord. It was a powerful attack. More powerful than anything Edithe had ever seen coming from the Archangel before.
The ground beneath the Spirit Lord’s feet cracked open from the impact. But even as the earth shattered and gave way, he stood his ground.
Soli didn’t even budge.
The Archangel screamed as he forced his hammer down with even more force, and the barrier protecting the Spirit Lord crackled. But it was the hammer that began to crack first, before shattering.
Edithe’s eyes grew wide as the Archangel’s weapon broke apart with a flash of light.
A pulse shot out, sending the Archangel flying back into a nearby mountain range. Edithe watched in horror as the Archangel crashed through a dozen or so mountains, causing each and everyone of them to collapse.
Meanwhile, the Spirit Lord remained standing where he was with the same smile on his face.
And the Archangel shot into the air, emerging from the rubble of the collapsing mountains. It brought its right arm in the air as it screamed.
“[THE RIGHT HAND].”
A giant golden hand appeared in the air above the Archangel where its right arm was. It laughed maniacally as it swung down, and the golden hand came crashing down into the Spirit Lord.
Raising its left hand, the Archangel pointed towards the outpouring of corruption.
“And— [Touch Of The Apocalypse].”
And Edithe could only gape as the swarm of corrupted entities swirled up into a storm above the Archangel. They broke apart and shattered and became a single tempest of corruption which it redirected down into where the Spirit Lord was being crushed.
The swirling corruption came crashing down, filling the landscape with a blinding light.
“DO YOU TRULY THINK YOU ARE ALL-POWERFUL? DO YOU TRULY BELIEVE YOU CAN PLAY GOD? THEY CALL ME THE MADMAN, BUT YOU ARE THE ONE WHO IS TRULY INSANE!”
Edithe could hardly even comprehend what was going on. All the while, the Archangel cackled as it continued its assault on the Spirit Lord.
“I ACT MERELY ON BEHALF OF THE ARCRAEM! WHATEVER IT WILLS ME SHALL BE DONE! AND IT DECREES THAT YOU DIE—”
And then a pulse of light overcame the landscape, washing over the tempest of corruption. All at once, the corruption was dispelled as the golden hand was obliterated. And standing down there, still unharmed, was the Spirit Lord. His barrier was gone, but his small smile remained.
And this time, Edithe almost thought she saw a trace of arrogance in his expression.
The Archangel blinked a few times, realizing its attacks had been dispelled with ease, before it conjured a lance.
“I WILL KILL—”
It started, only for Soli to point at it.
“Fall.”
The Spirit Lord said simply.
It was only a single word. It was not an attack, nor was it even a Skill. But in an instant, the Archangel came crashing down to the ground as it screamed in terror and agony.
And the battle was already over.
Author's Notes:
I listened to this while writing this chapter Ultra Instinct OST - EPIC VERSION [身勝手の極意] - YouTube
What thonk?
Comments
I don't know about the enitre Soli=Trico thing. In chapter 606 the Devil does say "Soli— that’s my nickname for the Spirit Lord— is trying something" implying that this is genuinely the spirit lord. But since the Arcraem have tekan notice of him he is at the very least connected some kind of worldwalker, maybe Trico himself has promised him/is using him as well.
Salvos Enjoyer
2024-09-17 18:35:34 +0000 UTCFocalor is a zombie under a soul-magic spell that makes him a slave, at the moment. It all depends on the Salvos' ability to break it. Even his appearance in chains reflects this, and I would say he's a shapeshifter so his chains became quite literal.
Danijel Turina
2024-09-16 14:05:05 +0000 UTCI don’t trust falcolor, cause he knows about the corruption and what will happen if regnorex plan succeeds
Travis Brown
2024-09-16 12:54:00 +0000 UTC"I don't think we know how the Archangel ranks compared to someone like Samuel, Belphegor and The Beast. " - that's true. In fact, I would rank him below the Beast, but on par with Samuel and above Belphegor, however that's based on gut feeling only. Also, on gut feeling, he could kill Regnorex with a snap of his fingers. "I actually think the Archangel is a creature of the Nexeus" - there's no evidence for that so far. He does use the skills of the System, but everything else points to the fact that he's here "for centuries", but arrived from somewhere else, and unlike the natives, he sees the "Spirit Lord" charade with fake angels as a mockery and an abomination, since he probably saw the real thing and didn't just form locally thinking that stuff is normal. He behaves essentially like someone who sees a cargo cult imitation of a real religion. "Maybe the Archangel's strength is more or less a level 250 divine being (with especially strong GSs). " - I would give him 240+, where the Beast is around 250. However, I might be mistaken, because I'm not really sure how wild demons compare in power at such a high level with someone who has sophisticated intellectual understanding of magic and doesn't just "repeat whack until dead". Intuitively, there must be a point where merely throwing bigger blasts at problems doesn't make you stronger. Basically, sooner or later you fight against someone like Salvos who makes the space around you disappear and you die in the Void.
Danijel Turina
2024-09-16 08:32:16 +0000 UTCI don't think we know how the Archangel ranks compared to someone like Samuel, Belphegor and The Beast. I actually think the Archangel is a creature of the Nexeus and therefore likely weaker than The Beast. Maybe the Archangel's strength is more or less a level 250 divine being (with especially strong GSs).
Dragonmaster_42
2024-09-16 08:20:11 +0000 UTCIn the nexus divine essence defines gods so divine is basically synonymous with godly which is why it's why to early to just assume it's the next level, it might be the level below rainbow DE or if he really is a world walker that might just be his world's equivalent of Divine essence
Brandon14754
2024-09-16 06:08:47 +0000 UTCwe don't know what the Arcraem even is let alone the current scale of it's involvement in this world, if it's an organization the archangel might just be a native appointed by one of their lowest members for all we know. all we know is that the archangel takes orders from the arcraem that doesn't confirm where he's from, how strong he is or how strong or who soli is
Brandon14754
2024-09-16 05:58:36 +0000 UTC"That would also explain why he's so weak to a simple vessel of soli if soli's also a lesser god" - you missed the whole plot. The Archangel is a formally anointed Judge of the Arcraem. Not only is he not crazy, he's not even from the Nexeus, and he knows more of the higher truth of things than almost anyone, except the Devil and Belphegor. Arcraem doesn't intervene in the internal affairs of worlds, which means this is not an internal affair, which means he's dealing with a worldwalker who is posing as the Spirit Lord and actively destroying Nexeus. This part is fact. The part that this is in fact Trico includes some guesswork on my part, but it's actually high-quality guesswork, because I already suspected Trico to be the "space mage" that replaced Hartia and is now giving Regnorex ideas. That he's actually also posing as the Spirit Lord exceeds even my pessimistic reading of this nightmare.
Danijel Turina
2024-09-16 05:37:19 +0000 UTCI really, really hope Soli/Trico can't actually hurt the Archangel, and will instead just make him fall all the way to Netherworld, hoping to distract and delay him. However, I haven't got the faintest idea how Edithe and her team are going to even survive this, let alone join him there and talk. Honestly, I wish they all fell into Netherworld following the line of least resistance through the most recently cut rift. The one Jofis returned through, that leads right on top of Salvos.
Danijel Turina
2024-09-16 05:27:17 +0000 UTCSalvos needs to know about this, in detail, and now. She's in mortal danger, because she got into this Regnorex-stopping thing thinking it's one thing, and it's in fact much worse. She needs to hear it, and then she and Focalor need to get Samuel and Belphegor, or else everybody dies. She wouldn't be able to do anything against this one even if she evolved. Archangel is much more than anyone thought possible, and he got fucked by a single command. They need reinforcements. Devil and Belphegor need to be clued in, and hopefully they can find Ana too. Also, even Arcraem doesn't seem to know the true nature of the threat, that is, if I got it right, and I think I did. Basically, if Salvos sabotages the ritual, she thinks she'll have to deal with a pissed Regnorex, while in fact she'll have to deal with a pissed worldwalker who will kill her with a snap of his finger.
Danijel Turina
2024-09-16 05:15:57 +0000 UTC"this godly essence could also be the level below divine essence" - no, it can't.
Danijel Turina
2024-09-16 05:00:17 +0000 UTC"So you would argue that Jofis was not particularly in control of his corruption?" - I don't think this is what we saw. The message said he was immortal, and I think we saw him die and be reset back to his original condition, likely with some demerits. He no more un-corrupted himself than Great Agarus un-killed himself. When corrupted, he had almost no control over anything, and was about as conscious as that [Corrupted Heavenspace]. Salvos, on the other hand, has corruption mastery encapsulated in skills, class and a grand skill.
Danijel Turina
2024-09-16 04:59:52 +0000 UTCAll we've been told is basically world walkers fear it and is the reason they won't stay in a world long enough to corrupt it. So soli somehow pissed of the thing that makes people fearful of creating corruption.
Brandon14754
2024-09-16 00:29:00 +0000 UTCthis godly essence could also be the level below divine essence, this might be the type of essence you get if you only have single color DE and the archangel learned rainbow DE only after becoming a primordial so only has the inferior DE skill. That would also explain why he's so weak to a simple vessel of soli if soli's also a lesser god
Brandon14754
2024-09-16 00:25:35 +0000 UTCMust be harsh being such a good author 😉 Thanks for your hard work, Melas! I was always wondering, how many weekly hours do you roughly put in? I'd estimate 60-80 on average based on what I hear from self-employed people I know in other fields. Is it similar for you?
Dragonmaster_42
2024-09-15 23:39:28 +0000 UTCSo you would argue that Jofis was not particularly in control of his corruption? I'm a bit unsure, especially because of how he uncorrupted himself.
Dragonmaster_42
2024-09-15 23:25:39 +0000 UTCVessel could talk with Edithe. New lore: What is A.R.Cream and Cookies?
Użytkownik Przeciętny
2024-09-15 23:23:43 +0000 UTCCh 555, 608 and 610 mention it.
Gonvas
2024-09-15 22:58:24 +0000 UTCDying, Amelia comic coming out next month
MelasD
2024-09-15 21:37:50 +0000 UTC"Heck, this vessel body might even be the body of Alexander." - actually, I'd say it's the other way around. Alexander was merely a vessel for Trico, used to fuck over the Mortal Realm.
Danijel Turina
2024-09-15 21:31:48 +0000 UTC"What I find interesting is that the Arcraems agent wielded corruption." - also interestingly, Salvos is the only other person who can do it. And he could wield corruption only after he triggered the [Godly Nature of...] super-GS, which indicates that Salvos might indeed reach what I called "super-Divinity", AKA Godliness, through control of both Divinity and Corruption. This is super interesting.
Danijel Turina
2024-09-15 21:27:43 +0000 UTCI think the probability for that is 70% I give 20% to it being Trico's more calculating master and 10% to Trico's eager but cautious student.
Dragonmaster_42
2024-09-15 21:25:51 +0000 UTC"Or Folcanor is the vessel/disguise already planted back at the beginning of the First Kingdom. " - no, Focalor looks like a victim of his own crime, I'm afraid. However, I would bet that he is conscious and observes and remembers everything, although he can't control his actions. He will know things, if Salvos manages to wake him. And if the Archangel joins them, they will have all the information to put the pieces together.
Danijel Turina
2024-09-15 21:24:32 +0000 UTC"I'd say the worldwalker behind Soli is either Trico's servant or Trico himself attempting to erase all evidence of his murder" - that's my thinking too. The mannerisms indicate Trico, rather than an intermediary. I was afraid that Trico was behind Regnorex's idiotic plan, but this is even worse. He basically controls 2 out of 3 planes of the Nexeus, directly and indirectly. The good part is, Salvos seems to actually have been empowered by either System or Arcraem, because she seems to be the only actual Angel on the Nexeus, beside the Judge.
Danijel Turina
2024-09-15 21:21:33 +0000 UTCWell, did we see distinct effects? What I find interesting is that the Arcraems agent wielded corruption.
Dragonmaster_42
2024-09-15 21:20:59 +0000 UTCHey Melas! Thanks for the chapter! How are you doing?
Dragonmaster_42
2024-09-15 21:17:41 +0000 UTCSoli's mannerisms... the mocking smile, the parade rest... This is Trico.
Danijel Turina
2024-09-15 21:17:29 +0000 UTCI'd say the worldwalker behind Soli is either Trico's servant or Trico himself attempting to erase all evidence of his murder or someone who instigated Trico's whole plot for some other nefarious purpose, possibly usurping the multiverse from the Arcraem. So Soli is probably the Archangel's target because he deceived Reggie into accelerating the destruction of the Nexeus. Or Reggie is another vessel with the alibi of being deceived by Soli. Or the instigator himself wrapped in native flesh. Or Folcanor is the vessel/disguise already planted back at the beginning of the First Kingdom. Heroes might be summoned either in defense of the Nexeus or to disrupt the formation of powerful natives. In any case, I think The Beast is the only creature aware of what's really going on aside from the worldwalker behind Soli. That's why it is afraid. It likely intentionally pretends to be wild to avoid being drawn into conflicts, including the Arcraem agent vs worldwalker business. Or it might just want to deceive the worldwalker. Or The Beast summons heroes to extend the life of the Nexeus.
Dragonmaster_42
2024-09-15 21:15:40 +0000 UTCAnd now we know what the next-level beyond normal Divinity would look like, and what the qualitative leap beyond Salvos' [Divine Essence of...] would look like. And this guy in general looks very much like a Primordial evolution of Salvos.
Danijel Turina
2024-09-15 21:08:15 +0000 UTCHeck, this vessel body might even be the body of Alexander.
Sancturillore -- Élie Simard-Wallot
2024-09-15 20:50:24 +0000 UTCNo, Arcraem is beyond the System, it's the rule-maintainer of the Multiverse.
Danijel Turina
2024-09-15 20:46:35 +0000 UTCOh fuck, something just crossed my mind. If those "Angels" under Soli are fakes, Salvos might be the only actual Angel of the System in Nexeus.
Danijel Turina
2024-09-15 20:40:46 +0000 UTCIMO, demons and spirits as a race are at the same lvl of power.
Gonvas
2024-09-15 20:37:46 +0000 UTCNo, guys, you didn't get it. Arcraem was mentioned by both the worldwalkers and Belphegor as some kind of a maintainer of the rules within the Multiverse. The worldwalkers that would destroy or in other ways disrupt a world would "suffer the silent wrath of Arcraem". It would not appoint a Judge to deal with some internal issue of a world. It would be appointed to deal with a worldwalker who reached a certain point on the "fuck around/find out" graph. Soli is a worldwalker who at some point took over the Spirit Plane, posing as a Spirit. This is his "vehicle", and his true body is who knows where, probably prodding that fool Regnorex on how to break Nexeus. Who knows who that is. Maybe even Trico, hidden so well not even the Devil recognised him.
Danijel Turina
2024-09-15 20:31:56 +0000 UTCHuh
Travis Brown
2024-09-15 20:28:36 +0000 UTCSo the Archangel follows Arcraem, whatever that is. I presume it is some kind of power within the System, and that it targets Spirit Lord means he is up to something dubious.
Alexey Gladkich
2024-09-15 20:25:31 +0000 UTCI think I get it. Soli is a Worldwalker. He's not a being of Nexeus. "Archangel" is in fact "Iudex", or Judge, appointed by Arcraem, the only entity worldwalkers fear, to stop him from breaking the rules, and the rules probably involve fatally interfering with worlds. The problem is, he's too weak, because this bastard is something like Amelia. The Judge accused Soli of "making a mockery of everything", probably meaning his "Angels" are fake, "his creations", that are made to resemble the true agents of the System. This is the most high-level insight into the reality behind Nexeus we've seen so far, and I love it.
Danijel Turina
2024-09-15 20:24:24 +0000 UTCI was referring to them more as factions than individuals. I believe it was said earlier that that Beast was the strongest being in the Nexus? But he's not on anyone's side.
Benjamin Mages
2024-09-15 20:22:44 +0000 UTCI don't believe the Spirit Lord is stronger than the Beast. Demons are likely more suited for combat than spirits, but they tend to be wild and uncooperative.
Alexey Gladkich
2024-09-15 20:21:33 +0000 UTCIudex getting clapped within a chapter makes me think that Soli has reached beyond the power of the native System for his plans. If a single avatar that didn't even use a skill can rebuff The Archangel so badly I shudder to think of what the main body can do. And we also know that The Beast is /still/ stronger than what Soli has done to himself in the end.
Ihaxlikenoob
2024-09-15 20:15:58 +0000 UTCSo Spirits > Demons > Humans it seems to be. If Reggie had anywhere near as many Primordial Demons as the Spirit Lord has Supreme Spirits he would have showed them by now. Makes sense though, in terms of age the Spirit Lord is the oldest by far (probably the same one that Samuel knew), then Reggie, and humanity doesn't have any old monsters left.
Benjamin Mages
2024-09-15 20:14:58 +0000 UTC“[Godly Essence Of The Judge Ordained By The Arcraem].” - shit just got real.
Danijel Turina
2024-09-15 20:10:20 +0000 UTCI listened to this while writing this chapter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpcOxoqleAU
MelasD
2024-09-15 19:58:07 +0000 UTC
