Infinite Evolution Hunter - Chapter 193

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

193
Heaven resembled what people imagined far more closely than I expected.
Endless verdant fields stretched beneath an azure sky.
Lakes and rivers flowed like brushstrokes in a painting.
Perhaps someone who had visited Heaven once shared their experience with people on Earth. Or perhaps humanity’s collective vision of paradise simply converged on a similar image.
The souls that erupted alongside me scattered across Heaven in all directions.
Among the lakes, several were composed not of water but of clouds. One such cloud-lake coalesced into a single mass and rose upward, and from within it emerged a familiar face I hadn’t seen in ages.
It was Angelus, a Ninth Rank Angel.
Lower-ranked angels like Angelus were being born from countless cloud-lakes stretching endlessly in all directions, as if stamped out from a factory.
Gaff had mentioned their numbers were vast, and seeing them born in such a manner, it was hardly surprising they were so numerous.
Thinking of the suffering I’d endured because of these creatures made me want to split my skull open in frustration, but since I hadn’t come to wage war against angels, I restrained myself.
The landscape was barren, devoid of buildings or great mountains, so I hurled myself toward a spot where a few trees clustered together.
Unwilling to linger in this place, I immediately infused the urn I held with vitality.
The urn absorbed my life force endlessly.
Yet even after pouring vitality into it for a considerable time, nothing changed.
“Is this enough?”
I ceased channeling life force and withdrew my hand from the urn.
The urn showed no reaction whatsoever.
Had Gaff made a mistake? It didn’t matter. I had done my part, so I rose to leave.
Then the urn rattled, and countless black insects erupted from within.
Startled by the sudden phenomenon, I leaped into the air.
All manner of repulsive insects poured from the urn—some with numerous legs, others with elongated limbs, still others with countless eyes. They varied wildly in size. Even the small cockroaches the size of dogs sent shivers down my spine merely to behold.
From above, the insects blackened the earth of Heaven. Their numbers seemed impossible for something that had emerged from such a small urn.
“Who dares release such profanities into Heaven!”
A newly born Angelus shrieked and trampled the insects to death.
Their numbers were far too great to crush, and the insects crawled up Angelus’s body.
“Wh—?”
What was supposed to be a small prank hardly seemed like one anymore.
Angelus’s body became completely covered, obscured from view.
Moments later, where Angelus had stood exploded, and far more insects scattered in all directions. The insects were multiplying, using the angel as sustenance.
Countless angels converged and slew the insects, but more poured from the urn than they could kill, and the creatures devoured the lower-ranked angels while multiplying.
The crushed insects spewed black ichor, tainting the earth. I recognized this substance—it was the residue left behind after I absorbed souls.
So when I channeled life force, I had unleashed a curse made from my own discarded filth.
Heaven, once serene, transformed in an instant into a hellish battlefield of chaos.
“…Right. Let’s go.”
The situation had spiraled beyond my expectations. I needed to escape before being caught.
“So it was you all along. The damage from the human weapon detonated in Heaven had only just been fully repaired, and here you are causing such destruction again.”
Cherub, a Second Rank Angel, descended bearing a flaming sword.
Angels shared memories among themselves, so they retained knowledge of me.
“It’s been a while. Have you been well?”
“Are you so arrogant as to boast of defeating a mere lower-ranking angel? Angels who descend to Earth cannot even use half their power.”
“I see. But I’m rather busy at the moment. Let’s meet again on Earth later.”
As I turned my body, angels were already gathered before the Soul Exit Portal I had emerged from.
Leading them was Ophanim, that circular ring-shaped being that fired beams of light, with numerous mid-tier angels crowded beneath it.
“…It’s been a while. Good to see you all.”
In truth, I’d hoped never to see them again. I never imagined I’d end up in this situation by coming to Heaven because of that fool Gaff.
“Seize him. Extract his soul and make him pay the price for this transgression.”
At Cherub’s command, the angels swarmed forward.
Cherub wasn’t bluffing. The angels were definitely more than twice as powerful here as they were on Earth.
The light beams, the force imbued in their swords, their flying speed—everything was amplified.
But I hadn’t been idle either. My Regeneration skill had leveled up, and through evolution, I had achieved perfect unity.
The stats on my status window were now mere numbers to me. I could unleash power that far transcended those figures.
I hurled myself forward, meeting the angels’ attacks head-on and crushing them.
Though I was a guest in someone else’s realm, I harbored no goodwill toward the angels, so I showed no restraint.
If I held no affection for the angels, I held even less for the demons who had dragged me into this mess. When I returned, I’d have words for Gaff.
As I tore through Ophanim’s body and pressed forward, Cherubs—plural—came rushing at me.
“You shall pay the price for daring to invade the Heavenly Kingdom!”
I’d taken every other attack, but this one wasn’t something I could simply endure.
“Was it fine when you all invaded?”
Dodging the incoming blade, I severed one Cherub’s neck, separating its head from its body.
“There is no future for a creation that defies the will of God!”
One fell uselessly, but the others showed no fear and charged forward. This is why fanatics are…
I deflected the sword with the armored back of my hand and drove my fist into the Cherub’s face. Dispatching the others one by one, I pressed toward the exit portal.
In my wake, angels lay scattered across the ground as bloody pulp, while insects swarmed to devour the angelic remains.
“I’m leaving!”
Now no angel stood between me and the Soul Exit Portal.
Boom!
Suddenly, the world felt as though it were crushing down upon me. With my deepened understanding of souls, I could perceive it now—a being of higher rank than myself was pressing down upon my spirit form, my soul, my body.
It felt similar to Eres’s oppressive aura, but this carried malice and the intent to crush me.
This merciless attack flattened not only me but the angels as well.
The insects burst apart, transforming into black fluid that stained the ground.
I lifted my head to face the source of this overwhelming pressure.
“Showing no mercy even to your own allies, Metatron.”
Metatron, adorned with countless wings and eyes, was so grotesque that I couldn’t even distinguish where its torso was.
I’d heard that demons took alluring forms to seduce humans, while angels took such horrifying shapes to receive human worship. Whatever the reason, the form was biologically repulsive.
[A human could never have done such a thing. This must be the work of the Demon King. Repent, insignificant creature.]
Metatron’s voice reverberated as though it would shatter the entire Heavenly Kingdom, and the vibration shook my brain violently.
[… A human withstands my voice?]
Seeing me still standing despite enduring its voice, Metatron’s massive eyes narrowed halfway.
“Were you trying to kill me?”
My head merely shook, but the lower-ranking angels had their heads blown clean off.
[If that had happened, I would have died.]
“Is that so? If you’re not going to kill me, then I’ll be on my way….”
[But I’ve changed my mind.]
A colossal pillar of light cascaded down from the heavens.
Goosebumps erupted across my back. That’s dangerous.
I maximized my defensive power through unity and flew toward the hole.
Even without directly touching the pillar of light, I felt the scorching heat behind me.
The pillar of light caught up to me at tremendous speed, and my feet entered the light.
Thanks to the defensive boost from unity, I didn’t turn to ash instantly, but my body began burning away slowly.
Since I was flying, I could continue even as my feet burned, but gradually—from my toes, to my calves, to my thighs, to my waist—my body incinerated piece by piece.
I was nearly at the Soul Exit Portal, but the light was catching up faster.
If it reached my heart, it would be over.
So much for “not asking for more than necessary”….
ROOOAAARRR!!
Just as the light burned through my chest, the jar that had been spewing worms exploded, gushing out torrents of black ichor.
[Gaff! How dare you defile the Heavenly Kingdom bestowed by the Divine!]
Metatron’s massive eyes turned toward the jar. The very gaze incinerated the dregs of souls, but the ground had already turned pitch black.
[Hahahaha! Who told you to send such a beast to the Demon Realm?!]
Gaff’s voice echoed from within the jar.
While Metatron cleaned up the filth Gaff had scattered, I hurled myself toward the Soul Exit Portal.
“Damn it….”
I burst from the Waterfall of Souls and tried to descend toward the ground, but I needed time to recover and couldn’t fly properly.
“Bepar!
It was Razgas. Despite the danger to herself from touching the River of Souls, she came to rescue me as I fell toward it.
“Take my hand!”
I grasped Razgas’s hand as she fluttered her bat wings and flew toward me.
She exerted herself until her face turned crimson, pulling me up and moving me to the riverbank.
“Thank you….”
I had no strength left. In the Demon Realm, where life force was nearly nonexistent, I could only rely on natural regeneration.
“It’s only natural. Down there….”
Looking at where Razgas pointed while shielding her eyes, my lower half was exposed. I had regenerated my body but not my armor.
Well, there’s nothing embarrassing about showing a succubus, but… why is she blushing at the sight of my lower half when she herself is half-naked?
“I thought demons didn’t feel shame?”
I descended to the ground and regenerated the armor on my lower body.
“I’m not embarrassed.”
Her face was still flushed.
I returned to the fortress with Razgas, who had turned her face away.
“Didn’t you say it wouldn’t be dangerous? Gaff?”
“You’re alive, aren’t you?”
“…”
“I’ve already arranged everything.”
I fixed Gaff with a suspicious glare.
“Really? If I die, I can’t complete the remaining tasks, can I? If you’re going to kill me, you should do it after the final task.”
“…”
“I’m joking, joking. Ha ha ha ha. So nine tasks remain?”
“You’re going to assign nine more tasks like this? No matter how demonic you are, don’t you have any conscience at all?”
“Fine, since you’ve worked hard, I’ll count this one as three tasks. Metatron’s furious face was worth at least that much. Keke keke.”
“What’s next?”
Since I had no choice anyway, I wanted to finish this quickly.
“Why don’t you rest a bit?”
“I don’t have time to rest. I need to get back soon.”
“Your devotion to your wife is quite remarkable.”
“Gaff.”
“Understood. I’ll give you the next task. Do you know Morax?”
“A bull?”
“Keke. Yes, that bastard is indeed a bull. Break off his horns and bring them to me.”
“He’d be an easier opponent than Metatron, but I can’t defeat Morax in combat in the Demon Realm.”
“Who said anything about defeating him? You blockhead. Just break off his horns.”
“His horns, which symbolize power in the Demon Realm? He won’t just sit still for that.”
“That’s something you’ll have to figure out yourself.”
“I didn’t know you held a grudge against Morax.”
Eres had said he was neither enemy nor ally, yet they were clearly adversaries.
“I’m not petty enough to harbor resentment toward such a lowly bull.”
“Then why the horns?”
“It’s amusing.”
I wanted to strike Gaff’s mischievous face as well. It wasn’t the demonic energy controlling me—anger welled up from deep within my own heart.
“If you don’t want to do it, don’t. Rest, rest.”
“… I’ll go and come back.”
I left the Audience Chamber where Gaff’s throne stood, and Razgas hurried after me.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————