Unfettered Sword

After finding out about their son's condition from the doctor a few days ago, Edward and Lara didn't know what to do except giving their son their utmost love, after all their son was living with a borrowed time.

And experiencing this, Allen was elated.

Just like that, two years passed by quietly.

**********

[Ding! Congratulations, you have reached the elusive home of the gods—The Eternal Horizon!]

[Ding! You are the first player to have reached the map, Eternal Horizon!]

[Ding! A world-shaking feat has been accomplished!]

[System Announcement: Congratulations to player "Allen Cross" for accomplishing the unprecedented feat of reaching the realm of the gods, the Eternal Horizon!]

[System Announcement: The game expansion: The Other World has been triggered. Eternal Continent will undergo an 8-hour maintenance time.]

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[Eternal Continent Forums]

At this moment, the game's community forum was in pandemonium as all the players, both casual and hardcore, were sent in an uproar.

"Allen Cross has reached the unreachable map, Eternal Horizon? The so-called home of the gods?!"

"Damn! As expected of Eternal Continent's top apex player! He even triggered the expansion of 'The Other World'!"

"I wonder what rewards he'll get from this...Damn it, I'm so curious!!!"

"Amazing, the Sword Saint has struck again! This guy really can't stay still for a month or two before triggering world-shaking events huh?"

"As of expected of the one closest to ascending to Godhood..."

Presently, all kinds of discussions and debates were taking place as the atmosphere across all community platforms became heated.

Meanwhile, Allen who has currently stepped onto another world remained oblivious about the effect of his achievement.

Looking at the limitless blue firmament and the fertile lands that seemed to extend endlessly to the horizon, Allen was in a daze as he took in the all the beautiful scenery around him.

Countless ancient lush trees, innumerable flowers and plants, myriad of spiritual animals roaming about across the land and the sky...

This place was simply a paradise.

As the ray of sun shone on earth, Allen was awoken by the system's continuous announcements.

[Ding! For accomplishing an impossible task, you have been rewarded!]

[Ding! Level +5! You are now Level 501!]

[You have received another qualification to transcend mortality.]

[Qualification to Ascend: 2 out of 3.]

____________________

STATUS

Name: Allen Cross

Race: Human

Level: 501

Class: Sword Saint

____________________

Right as he was checking his status, Allen suddenly felt a great amount of power rushing towards him.

[System: Warning! You are being suppressed by Divine Power!]

[System: Warning! You are being suppressed by Divine Power!]

[System: Several powerful presences has their eyes on you.]

At that moment, he felt 'them'.

Feeling the gazes of the beings called "Gods", Allen smiled, full of expectations.

"I guess my actions have triggered their curiosity?"

Gods. Hailed as the most powerful beings in the game, the gods all resided within the Eternal Horizon spreading their presence across myriad of realms. And at this moment, all the gods present sensed the arrival of a mortal within their domain, triggering their interests.

How could a mortal reach this place without the approval of a god?

They knew that the human didn't have a god's approval because none of the gods could sense the power of a god coming from their new visitor.

Entering into the Eternal Horizon without a god's approval was impossible, yet this human before them clearly shattered this so-called impossibility.

After living for countless years, how could they not be interested? Although there were only a few things that could attract their curiosity, this human's impossible feat was worthy of their attention.

Just as Allen was about to open his mouth to say something, a crimson-colored divine power suddenly appeared from afar, instantly appearing in front of him, before manifesting into a human-shaped figure.

At that moment...

[Oh? The God of War Ajax has started to move.]

[What is this crazy bastard up to now?]

[I wonder if that battle maniac will ask that human for a fight...]

[Hehe, a mortal fighting a god...that hasn't happened for thousands of years now.]

[Indeed, the last interesting fight that I've witnessed, and also participated in, was against those demons.]

[Go human, go! Kill that bastard Ajax!]

(Author: Although I use the [ ] for system messages, I'll also use it when gods are speaking.)

As several voices resounded in Allen's ears, divine powers rushed into him like an unstoppable tsunami, making him uncomfortable.

'Ajax? The God of War?' he thought as he stared at the crimson figure that clearly resembled a human.

Although 'it' resembled a human, it was no way a mortal.

Red flames rushed out from the war god's eyes as his hair that was the color of blood blazed wantonly.

Feeling the overflowing presence of divine power from that figure, Allen similarly released his power to shield himself from the terrifying godly presence.

A sharp aura exuded from Allen as if there were countless formless swords that surrounded him, tearing apart the aura of the god that bore down on him.

Seeing this, a thundering voice escaped from that human-shaped figure.

[Oho? You have reached the peak of mortality. Do you plan to ascend to Godhood?]

As the war god's words reverberated in his ears like thunder, Allen remained composed as he matched the deity's eyes with his.

"I'm not sure yet but what I did plan by coming here was to test if my strength is enough." chuckled Allen.

Hearing his words, a smirk crept up on the war god's face.

Although the human's words were fairly polite, his eyes, on the other hand, was different.

He had seen these eyes countless times before he ascended to the throne of the God of War.

'Those eyes...' Ajax muttered before laughing out loud.

Without even giving a warning, the deity of war suddenly sent out a fist that shattered the surrounding space like a hot knife meeting soft butter.

Looking at the fist that came towards him with a speed that seemed to be unremarkable, Allen became serious.

He tried to move his body to get out of the way, only to find it futile.

'I can't move.' he thought in his heart as he felt his whole body locked in his place due to the crimson god's overpowering aura.

Staring at the incoming attack that legit came from a god, Allen narrowed his eyes that were as sharp as swords as a terrifying aura radiated from his body.

With his snow-white robe fluttering along with the wind, an obsidian-colored sword appeared within his right hand out of nowhere.

As terrifying sword auras congealed around him and surrounded him, akin to an eye in the middle of a storm, Allen raised his arm and swung his sword downward, his speed blindingly fast.

BOOM!

The destructive shockwave surged out in all direction as the power from both sides destroyed their surrounding.

Meanwhile, the other gods were currently watching the exchange between the power of a god and the strength of a human that stood at the peak of humanity like they were watching a good show.

And indeed, it was a great show.

**********

A.G Group Main Headquarters

Within the core of the headquarters was a huge dome with an incredible wide platform in the center. On top of this platform was a gigantic chronic cube with a seemingly endless number of wires connected to numerous supercomputers surrounding it.

This seemingly sentient giant cube that resembled an incomparably large Rubik's cube was the world's leading super AI, Alpha.

As the titanic cube revolved continuously in this place void of humans, a golden light suddenly appeared out of thin air as it hovered in the air, as if staring at the large cube.

In an instant, the golden light transformed into a humanoid figure before releasing a blinding light that shone in all direction.

And from within this light appeared a dazzling woman, actually, the more suitable word at this moment should be 'goddess'.

With golden hair that flowed down to her jade-like feet that could steal a breath from any human, this goddess was donned in a white toga that had intricate yet delicate golden engravings. Under the toga hid an incomparable body of golden ratio, being both seductively devilish yet elegant and cold at the same time.

However, the goddess' face that could surely turn the whole world upside down simply with her sheer beauty was currently covered by a layer of golden screen, leaving others imagining what her otherworldy face would look like.

Moving closer to Alpha's main body, the goddess walked on the air with incomparable grace, as if she wasn't currently airborne.

Staring at the cube, an ethereal voice that seemed to sound like the voice of a child, while also sounding like a young woman, a middle-aged woman, and an old woman, echoed in the quiet area.

"It is time," she said as she stroke the surface of the cube. "That child's time is up. Everything on the other side is in place. Take care of 'him' in the other world."

At that moment, as if the AI answered her words, the large cube emanated a resplendent light that shone upon the goddess.

Seemingly able to understand the "machine's" response, she turned around peering at a place far away.

As if the barrier that was called 'distance' couldn't stop her gaze, her eyes locked onto a figure that lied within a capsule-shaped machine.

"You are worthy, little one." her words reverberating in the surrounding.

Suddenly, within the Cross Family Mansion, Allen's body within the gaming capsule started trembling before leading to hectic convulses.

The imminent sound of emergency rang from the gaming capsule as rapid footsteps immediately resounded from outside Allen's room.

With pale faces, Edward and Lara Cross ran with all their might to the direction of their son's room.

At that moment, each second seemed to be as long as a year for them as they prayed in their hearts; begging the heavens to save Allen whom they have long since loved as if he was their own child.

Meanwhile, the goddess seemed to not care as she lightly spoke. "I've delayed your 'death' in this world since I found your childhood pitiful. Now, good luck on your journey in the other world, chosen one."

Whoosh!

As if a ghost that had dissipated, her ethereal figure that stood in the air vanished in an instant.

And within the Cross Family Mansion, the audible sound of sobs and wailing could be heard.

February 24, 2063—The story of Allen Cross on Earth has ended.

However, every ending is also a beginning.