Chapter 346: World Of Hope
Listen While Reading: 78. Violent Waves
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My master, my mother, and the Heavenly Empress.
Someone that went beyond all I’ve ever fought, with a tougher body than even the Heavenly Demon.
As I battled her, I realized one thing: she always holds back. I think she was always a bit stronger than the Heavenly Demon.
Yet even when they fought so much… she never killed him.
As I intercepted her blows and as I received some, and as we exchanged attacks, I learned many such things.
My admiration for her was ever-growing.
Perhaps she’s truly the pinnacle of this world… someone comparable to Constellations.
Through these three and a half days we trained and sparred together, we learned many things.
Yes, we.
She also learned; she began to use her skills better in combination with her techniques.
And she also got used to her new strength and body after fusing with her other self from that simulated world, a different “self” made out of this world’s Records of herself.
I unleashed my techniques and she released hers. We learned more from one another.
Her abilities were quick and precise. I learned she liked kicking more than punching.
Aside from that, she was amazingly good with spears, her strongest weapon so far.
She loved fast fights and had maximized her speed and specialized in hitting a foe several times per blow through her aura and martial arts.
The logic behind it? She didn’t like long fights and would always prefer to end things quickly. Despite how much she enjoyed our spar…
She told me she disliked fighting at all; she doesn’t like fighting or taking other lives, and it’s always something she has to force herself to do.
She enjoyed our sparring because it was different; to her, this was more of a discovery of each other.
“Martial Arts are, as their name suggests, art. They’re an expression of our souls and our minds, of our emotions and our lives!”
As she said that, a barrage of Buddha’s Palms of Tranquility reached me.
I intercepted them with my combined techniques and fused Heart of Hope with Myriad Self Arts.
Like the copycat I was, I copied her technique, and multiplied it by ten because it was obviously going to be weaker.
BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM!
“Although I told you that I actually don’t like fighting or killing, that only means I don’t like fighting to the death or taking lives… but sparring? Enjoying Martial Arts for what they are? I enjoy it.”
She rushed forward as she saw her techniques being blocked by me, slightly surprised.
She spread out her wings and then fired a rain of thousands of arrow-shaped white feathers made of light.
I rushed upwards, evading the feather projectiles and destroying them with my Aura and bare fists, explosions of golden flames and white light engulfing me each time I did.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
“When I fight someone, I can immediately begin to learn about their life and their past,” she said. “This is why I was so shocked and amazed when I fought the Heavenly Demon.”
CLAAASH!
I reached her, punching her chest, only for her to intercept my fist with her right hand, then with her left hand, she used the palm attack on my armpit.
BAAAM!
“Ugh…!”
I was sent flying away…
“Many say that Martial Arts are simply a tool to use our own bodies or a weapon with extreme mastery to take a life. But I see it differently, don’t you, Anna?”
She reached me with a wide smile; it felt like she had suddenly become a little girl all over again…
“I kind of understand what you mean…!”
CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!
I intercepted her punches one after another as she kicked me away, but I quickly twisted my body, evading several more kicks and punches and then rushing upwards, hitting her stomach, followed by grabbing her wings and then positioning myself on her back.
And with all my strength, while grabbing her wings up, I pushed down, rushing towards the ground for a powerful attack to crush her!
“Like that!” she said. “This technique tells me you’re very observant and that you’ve noticed my wings could be used against me. But you’re always too cautious too, harboring Mana in your legs so I don’t kick you away by abusing that weak spot.”
“I have simply learned from the best, master!”
“Hahah, that’s right…”
FLAAASH!
However, I was immediately forced to let her go as an explosion of bright light surged from her body; a shockwave encompassed me, making it impossible for me to even get closer again.
“Show me, Anna… That one technique you have yet to use, show it to me!” she said. “You’ve been saving it this entire time, haven’t you? And I’ll also show you a glimpse of my pinnacle…”
“Fine…!” I nodded. “I’m using it then!”
I activated several techniques at once, stacking their effects.
(Listen While Reading: 82. Morrow's Light)
{Heavenly Golden Flames of Hope Weapon Materialization}!
I used Hope Essence to materialize my own Aura and encompass myself with it, creating a strengthened barrier-armor.
{Spiritual Healing Golden Flames of Hope}!
I infused my body with an aura of healing for any damage I could take to quickly recover.
{Heavenly Aura of Empowering Hope}!
The Hope of people gathered within my body and enhanced my musculature and physical prowess, at least ten times, temporarily.
{Soul-Connecting Threads of Hope}!
My Soul was connected with the Souls of my friends, enhancing the Power and Abilities of my Hope Arts, and the Essence’s richness itself.
{Martyr of Hope}!
I targeted an Ego that had been wounded, healing her by sacrificing some of my lifeforce and gaining a part of her power stacked over my own.
{Heavenly Protection of Happiness}!
The Happiness of people around the world, their cheerfulness, and their desire to change the world one step at a time.
A protection made from their smiles enhanced my defenses.
{Boundless Love Protection}!
My Love Essence was unleashed, covering my body, enhancing my attack power and speed through the fierceness of love itself.
“Good! Let us make this our final clash, Anna! Show me… show me that you can carry the dreams of millions!”
Seeing my resolve, my master and my mother nodded, smiling.
Her powers surged endlessly, manifesting like a tower of light that pierced the heavens and the earth below.
“Show me that you can truly save this world… and your world!”
RUMBLE!
Her endless power took shape, becoming a gigantic golden Buddha behind her, with six arms and a serene expression.
It wasn’t the typical bald, fat Buddha, no.
It was an almost anorexic-looking golden statue, with long hair made of golden strands.
Unlike the Heavenly Demon’s axe, her power “pinnacle” was even grander?!
“{Divine Venerable Imperial Armament}: {Six-Armed Boddhisatva Of Heaven’s Redemption}”
This was…
Her pinnacle?!
The entity, this armament, it was huge.
A hundred meters big.
“After absorbing my other self born from my own records, I can even do this now,” she said. “Now, can you take it?! Or will you be defeated! Show me! Show me, Annaaaa!”
“RAAAHHHH!”
I rushed forward, screaming my lungs out.
I gathered the memories of everything I loved.
My friends, my brother, my mother, my father, my masters, their son, and all the many other friends I made in this world.
But that wasn’t enough; the people, yes, every single person on Earth.
From the worst to the best person… I wanted them all saved, so in a way, I did love them, as flawed and horrible as some could be and as beautiful and purehearted as others were.
And then I harnessed it all, even this own world, which I’ve only visited briefly, its history, its pain, its agony, and the countless people that died by the hands of the Apocalypse that took place.
Their countless faces, their countless cries of despair, I visualized it all.
And through this, I also visualized their relentless hope.
Because I know…
I know it.
That even in the last moment, all of these people had only one thing in their minds.
“The Venerables… they will do it!”
“Please save our world…”
“Please, Venerables!”
“Despite being enemies for so long… you’re fighting together to save our world…”
“Please, save the Murim! Save Bestia!”
“This beautiful world… It cannot die, not yet!”
Even when they eventually die as the continent sank below the seas…
Most of these people only had one thing in their minds.
Hope!
I channeled these powers, and then I did something ridiculous.
I combined the essence, the Holy Nether Essence of my Specialization into this technique.
Through Necromancy, I was able to recreate a fake image within my head based on people that were already dead.
This fake image felt real as it merged with my techniques.
And a projection that became a domain within my own fists was born.
As my master’s armament rushed down, I released it all.
Look at me, master!
This is what I’ve achieved with your teachings.
This is also…
My pinnacle!
(Listen While Reading: 86. Cut Down the False God & 87. Where the Sword Takes You)
“{The World of Hope}”
FLAAASH!
As the six metallic, golden palms reached me, my fists clashed against them.
I was like a little rat confronting a huge lion.
Yet my fists carried the Hope of Entire Worlds.
Space bended to my fists.
BAAAM!
And with my bare fist, I managed to intercept the golden palm.
“Ah!”
My master gasped, unable to realize what just happened.
A huge shockwave of golden essence was released, shaking the heavens and the earth.
However, more attacks kept coming, each one breaking one of my bones.
CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!
No, this is not enough!
I have to go even further!
Faster!
More precise!
If you want to save this world and Earth, Anna…
Why are you being so bad at it?!
Keep going…
Keep fighting!
You can do this!
Anna!
With these fists…
You’ll punch the Constellations.
The Void Rulers.
And the Author in the face!
“RAAAHHHHHH!!!”
As I screamed, the screams of millions of people echoed with me.
My Myriad Self Aura exploded, transforming into all these people I imagined, all these people that once existed.
“Aah! W-What is this?! I can’t… believe this!”
No, it wasn’t millions.
It was billions of people!
My own madness, my own obsession with becoming strong.
And my own obsession with saving others…
It all came together into this.
My own delusions.
My own stubbornness.
All of it, just like they turned other emotions into power.
I also will make them my strength!
“Anna! What are you…?! How are you doing this!”
My master couldn’t believe it!
She kept attacking more and more.
Attacks that could shatter a whole planet’s crust!
I was tanking them with my fists, with my aura.
I only had a dozen Egos, so I turned every person’s Hope into their own Egos within my Myriad Self Aura.
Yes!
“{The World of Hope Echo}”
I could feel it.
It’s there!
My enlightenment.
All of these hardships.
All of these trials!
It was now all finally coming together.
There it is!
I looked into the skies as I smiled, facing my master.
The novel I read; it gave me more power than I imagined.
To know most of its story meant that my own story was shaped by it.
In a way, my own story… included the entirety of this story, of the entire novel within it.
And suddenly, through the power of {Empathy}, not just one world appeared, nor two, nor three.
Dozens after dozens, all the worlds they visited through the story.
Their people, their tales.
And the one thing they shared as they struggled and ultimately perished.
Beneath the void and the darkness of despair, of this never-ending chaotic cosmos.
Under the endless gluttony and hunger of the Void Rulers…
“{Myriad Worlds of Hope}!”
These worlds, manifested within my aura!
Each world was like a star.
And each star impacted one of the golden palms, destroying it.
BOOOM!
“Ahh!”
BOOOM!
“Amazing…”
BOOOM!
“I cannot… believe this.”
BOOOM!
“Anna! Oh, Anna!”
BOOOM!
“You make me so proud…”
BOOOM!
“You’ve surpassed all my expectations.”
Once the Bodhisattva lost all six limbs, it began to crumble down into pieces.
Yet it quickly encompassed her body, creating an armor…
A holy armor.
You’re kidding me, right?
Hahaha…
“But there’s a long way to go before this power attains the power you want it to have… There’s only so much that your own imagination can bring you to.”
She appeared behind me, and with a single tap of her armored fingers.
BAAAM!
I flew down from the skies, impacting the ground, and passing out on the spot.
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