"Stop."

A deep voice rang in Arthur's ears just before the Golem was going to launch the second phase of its attack. The voice contained a hint of surprise and anger.

As per Arthur's orders, the Golem put its hammer down but it didn't back away or dispel the lightning for it was not ordered to.

With his arms still folded and a cold smirk hanging on his face, Arthur looked up to the World Tree and asked

"Why should I stop?"

"..."

Hearing no reply, Arthur just shrugged his shoulders and ordered the Golem to keep advancing which it did but after only one step, it was once again stopped by the mysterious voice.

"... It is useless to fight. What you are seeking is not here."

"And who are you to know what I'm seeking? Even a God can't so what makes you so sure about my goal for coming here?"

".... Nonetheless, battling here and ruining this precious land is not worth it. Turn around and leave."

"What if I don't leave?"

"Then suffer the consequences of your foolish questions, Arthur."

Hearing his name, Arthur's eyes narrowed and his look turned serious. Makaze appeared in his hand and black flames burned in its edges.

"So you even know my name?"

A period of silence passed before whoever was talking spoke again. It was either purposely remaining silent or thinking of an answer, maybe it was both?

"Arthur. Appeared on this land precisely 38 months ago. The race is unidentified but one of its properties is stealing the power of whichever target the user enters. These are some of many things I know about you...."

A bit of killing intent was being emitted by Arthur as he heard the voice talk about him in such a calm manner as if it knew everything about him. He didn't burst out in anger and maintained a rather calm attitude despite the cold killing intent aimed at the World Tree.

".... I do not need to hear it from you to know that you came here seeking to enter me and steal my powers just like you did to the others... It's not going to happen... not now and not a decade or a century later... it's but a waste of time. Turn around and leave."

The voice was right about a few thing. First, if Arthur possessed a target, if it is alive, he'll gain its stats but the target will still have its stats if he leaves it without killing it. If it's dead, its stats are just transferred to him, so what was said was partially true.

Sure, Arthur wanted to try possessing the World Tree but he was more curious about it as a whole and not just gaining its powers. It would be great if he can increase his stats by possessing it but his main goal was just to inspect it first.

He was not sure if it was the World Tree talking to him but his guts told him it is, and if that's the case, possessing it became an impossible feat unless he kills it and definitely wouldn't do that.

If it dies, the Itas continent perishes with it and Arthur valued Astria no matter what happened to him on it. He considered it as his home and wouldn't purposely destroy one of its continents. For him, Astria was his one and only home, Earth was just a place he lived on in his past life.

".... I thought you were a World Tree nourishing this continent... not a sentient being."

"The truth is never so simple.... it's too early for you to know it. Turn around and leave, Arthur."

"You know.... I hate it when someone tries to boss me around... or when I'm cornered and helpless or when I'm saved by an unknown bastard... or when someone lies to me or hides the truth with some bullshit they think it's righteous. I can only tell you one thing, I'm not leaving until my curiosity is fully satisfied."

Makaze vibrated in excitement, seemingly impatient to cut some things and stab some hearts. Arthur fed it countless sword until it reached a certain limit, he has to break through for it to start devouring again but its sharpness and power now is unbelievable, it's by far his best weapon.

The four hands that vanished since a while ago, appeared yet again and instantly merged into one big green hand that faced him.

Arthur heard a long sigh followed by the sound of the voice.

"Foolish. That's what higher-beings call you Humans. Although I know your Race is not human. However, your action cannot be more humanly..... fine, if that is your decision then I'll allow you to know a bit of the truth if you can block one my blows."

"Bring it on then"

With his katana unsheathed, Arthur readied himself for the incoming blow. His stare with fixed on the large green palm that pulsated with a small blue light in its center.

'I'm counting on you, buddy'

While tightly holding Makaze, Arthur activated as many passives as he could with his body as well as turning on his Pain Immunity to not fall unconscious from the continuous painful pressure.

The wind raged as the large palm rushed at Arthur, making the air whistle and creating small wind tornados. It was still far from Arthur yet he could still feel the enormous pressure pressing on him as if he is being crushed by a mountain. The previous force waves were nowhere near this attack's intensity.

"[The Boon]!"

Arthur shouted, making the motionless Golem flash with a yellow light and appear in front of its master. Without wasting any second, the lightning armor, shield, and hammer disappeared and the Death Golem which was made from black boulders transformed into an ominous looking Shield which decreased in size until it fit Arthur.

The Shield was pure black and only had a symbol on its center, black fog emanated from it and it was extremely heavy. Arthur was certain that to be able to properly use it, you need at the very least 50 Million in the Strength stat.

This particular skill can only be used with the Death Golem. It transforms into a shield that the user can use, the Shield increases the defense and magic resistance by a huge amount.

The Boon, Death Golem (Shield): +35% Defense / +35% Resistance to any form of magic attack.

Effect: +5% chance to reduce the damage received to 0.

Unfortunately, Arthur can't use this shield permanently as it only lasts half an hour but it should be enough for now. While holding Makaze in his right hand and the shield in his left hand, Arthur lifted the shield and prepared himself for the impact.

The dark shield was lifted to cover his head and chest, after doing that, Arthur raised Makaze and banged it several times at the front of the shield.

At first, this didn't do anything but then the air around the shield began twisting bit by bit and the amount of black fog around the shield became denser and thicker.

[Bucker Of The West: Max Lvl ](active): The user sacrifices 20% of his Health to increase reduce incoming attack by 10%

Cooldown: 1 day.

Cost : 10,000 Mana.

This was one of his strongest shield attack he has. He received it from a dead legendary warrior that created this skill by himself.

[Armageddon Shield Aura: Max Lvl ](active): Your Shield is your ally, it is as infuriated as you are. The Shield spreads its aura, slowing the time around the user and creating time waves in all directions dealing 120% of the user's defense as damage.

Cost: 500 Stamina per second

'If I go all out in defense, not even that annoying Holy Goddess can damage me!'

Arthur let of Makaze, which rotated itself and pointed its tip toward the incoming palm. Arthur pushed his shield a bit to the front and activated the last skill.

[Death's Glory: Max Lvl ](active): Death Chains are briefly summoned to wrap around the user's shield and reinforce it.

Cost : 9,999 Mana.

Cooldown: 10 days.

Rusty looking chains appeared from behind the shield and in just a second, they wrapped around it and made crackling noises continuously while tightening around the black shield.

'Let's see what a World Tree can do!'

With that thought in mind, Arthur roared and charged at the large green palm. Makaze floated without Arthur's help and flew toward the enemy with its master.

'DANG'

At the moment of impact, Arthur could feel his left hand turning numb but he wasn't pushed back neither was the shield cracked or destroyed. To the right, Makaze stabbed the palm with its tip while dark flames moved from the katana to the green palm, invading it and heading toward the pulsating blue light with insane speed.

As for the shield, it was motionless, like an unbreakable fortress. Albeit the increasing numbness and the cracking of some of his left arm bones, Arthur bashed his shield to the front with all his Strength, making the rusty chains open up a small hole in the front of the shield and soon, a dark beam was shot from that tiny hole.

The dark beam penetrated the palm and created a hole in it, which surprisingly weakened the pressure pressing on Arthur but this was at the cost of losing his left arm which by now, had every one of its bones broken.

Arthur dismissed the idea of switching the shield to the right arm as it had already done its job of blocking the palm. The dark shield returned to the Book of the Damned, which floated in front of Arthur and with his right hand, he caught the book and summoned the creepy and rotten hand.

An ominous and cold aura came out of the book, followed by a long rotten hand that touched the large palm and infecting it with [Death Plague].

[Death Plague](active: Only with Book of the Damned): A plague is transferred from the book to the target, inflicting continuous death damage and absorbing it for the user to unleash.

The hand gripped the illusory green palm and something similar to a whirlpool started spinning and decreasing the size of the palm and at the same time storing it in the book.

Arthur felt proud to have so many powerful tricks but the joy soon vanished as the palm suddenly rotated and the only remaining finger pointed at him. At that split second of danger, one that many people could have the time to react in, Arthur's instincts told him to go back, retreat from the finger pointed at him but knowing the kind of person he is, he didn't listen to those instincts.

Without any hesitation, Arthur stretched his handheld Makaze then he immediately executed [Thousand Waves] accompanied with [Dark Burst].

[Thousand Waves]: Combine the user's heart and soul to create a powerful slash that is worth 1,000 sword strikes: 400% damage in 2 seconds.

Cooldown: 25 Hours.

Cost : 125,000 Mana.

When both the skills were unleashed, a dark slash that could split the skies was created. It was unstoppable as the finger with all the rest of the hand was cut in two with no resistance. The slash continued further ahead, cutting the clouds in two and reaching the World Tree.

A deep cut more than a hundred meters was engraved on the thick trunk of the World Tree.