"Oh? Do you really think you’re superior to a mere mortal like me?"
Every word from Snow Dream cut deep, silencing Usher momentarily.
"Hand it over, and I’ll let you live," Usher growled coldly, his demonic longbow aimed straight at her forehead.
"You’ve misread the situation," Snow Dream replied, her smirk sharpening. "Even if you’re kind enough to spare me... do you think he will?"
She tilted her head toward Orson, that teasing smile still dancing on her lips. "From his point of view, whether I hold the Abyss Node or not is irrelevant. Don’t forget, he’s a god among millions. The Unmatched Mortal God."
Usher’s expression turned grim. He didn’t want to admit it, but deep down he knew the truth—if Orson used his full power, he could steamroll through the Abyss by himself.
Usher, no matter how wealthy, no matter how talented, was just the backdrop to make the real hero shine.
"I’ve changed my mind. You can die now."
Usher’s eyes lit with killing intent as he pulled back his bowstring.
Dozens of invisible arrows shimmered into existence, distorting the air as they shot toward Snow Dream’s vital points.
"You do not have access to the Infinite Dimensions: Awakening Battlefield."
The system prompt echoed again.
Usher’s eyes widened in disbelief. The moment the arrows neared Snow Dream, they disintegrated on their own.
"How pathetic," she said sweetly. "Your arrogance will be your undoing."
Her smile never faded. She looked like a picture of innocence as she added, "Here, weaklings like you are just spectators."
Usher’s face contorted with unwilling rage.
The #1 god-tier spender in the US, leader of the Dragon’s Kiss Guild, someone who dreamed of global domination—yet here, he wasn’t even qualified to lift a finger?
"Orson doesn’t care about the Node," Snow Dream went on. "He brought you only because you could locate me."
"He’s only here to kill me. Isn’t that right?"
Orson said nothing, but his gaze was fixed on her.
This monster—his creation.
He nodded. "That’s right. So... are you ready to die?"
"Die? Oh, I’ve prepared for this moment a long time ago. After all, your strength terrifies the Grey Watchers’ engineers—but it’s me you fear the most."
Snow Dream’s eyes were like bottomless voids. "You’re afraid that as long as I live, one day I’ll drag your friends, your brothers, your woman..."
"...and your child... down into the abyss with me."
Orson didn’t react. He knew she was baiting him, trying to shatter his calm.
So he remained composed. "I made a mistake," he said flatly. "I should’ve trusted my instincts from the beginning. You were never meant for esports."
"No. You were wrong. I was born for this," Snow Dream snapped back. "I thrived. You can’t deny my talent. I’m standing here—that proves everything!"
"You’re wrong," Orson interrupted firmly.
"Strategy, cunning, awareness, understanding the big picture... those are just tools."
His voice was cold and steady. "Sometimes, thinking too much means you lose too much. You forget how to fight with a clear heart."
It wasn’t the first time she’d heard him speak .
But to her, all of this—manipulation, deception, risk—was for one thing: victory.
No matter how ugly the path, winning was all that mattered.
A victory was a victory.
Orson began walking toward her.
He had made up his mind. To ensure the future, even if it hurt, he had to finish this.
This woman had fully embraced darkness.
And if he didn’t stop her now, no one else could.
This was his mistake to fix.
Snow Dream didn’t flinch. In fact, her expression grew almost mocking.
"You still haven’t figured it out, have you?" she said with a chuckle. "I chose this battlefield for a reason."
"In the eyes of the gods, you’re an anomaly. A heretic. They don’t like new gods rising. It threatens their authority."
She folded her arms as if she had all the time in the world. "No matter what artifacts you’re hiding behind, once you step onto this battlefield, your true nature will be exposed. You’ll be seen. You and whoever backs you."
"So... do you dare step forward?"
"Or are you... afraid?"
Light flickered around Orson’s body. Bright galaxy swirls danced along his skin. His figure seemed to tower a thousand feet tall.
But his steps didn’t falter.
He understood Snow Dream too well. She would never engage unless she had a perfect setup.
And she was probably telling the truth.
This was a cruel trap—forcing his hand.
Because when he’d ascended to God-tier, something had changed. If he truly entered the sight of the gods, one of them might intervene.
And Orson wasn’t just any God-tier.
He carried the will of BlazeKing.
To the cosmic deities, that made him a remnant of the traitorous Era of Immortals.
Radiant Shuttle had once stabbed the gods in the back. In the Cycle Gate alone, several lesser gods had been slain.
The gods wouldn’t let that slide.
If he stepped forward, he could be erased.
But if he stayed back and let Snow Dream rise unchecked...
She would one day become the end of everything he fought for.
There was no room for hesitation.
"Show me your best. I’ll bury you myself," Orson said with a calm, clear voice, stepping onto the platform.
Instantly, a beam of divine light scanned him from head to toe.
[Earth Adventurer: Orgod - Class: God]
[You have obtained permission to enter Awakening Battlefield #x9120.]
[Eligible challengers on this battlefield:]
[Infinite Dimensions King: Snow Dream]
[Divine Weapon: Remnant Leaf]
[God of Infinite Dimensions: Lament of Flame]
[Warning: You may decline or issue three challenges. Upon the fourth, you will be forcibly summoned into combat.]
[Note: If your challenger is a Divine Weapon, their stats will be scaled to match yours for combat balance.]
[If multiple opponents challenge you, defeating them will yield double rewards.]
[Awakening Reward Option 1: Receive divine blessings—rare skill books, gear blueprints, and powerful items. Walk the path of transcendence.]
[Awakening Reward Option 2: Accept the gods’ gift and become a Supreme Divine Weapon. The higher your class and strength, the greater the enhancement.]
[Reminder 1: Once the Awakening Battle begins, revival and escape skills will be disabled by Infinite Dimensions law.]
[Reminder 2: Use any means necessary. Hold nothing back. Kill your enemy.]
[Failure will result in total loss: stats, equipment, relics, divine items, adventurer merit.]
A flood of system messages filled Orson’s vision.
His passive buff Rootless Water was gone. His teleport scrolls were grayed out—unusable.
"Multiple challengers? Double rewards?"
If he used all three denials, there was a real chance of being ganged up on.
"You underestimated me," Snow Dream said with an arrogant smile. "And that mistake will cost you dearly."
[Divine Weapon: Firelord Godcore has challenged you!]
[Will you accept the Awakening Battle? Yes/No]
[Divine Weapon: Storm God has challenged you!]
[Will you accept? Yes/No]
One challenge after another. Bloody, ominous notices flooded in.
[Divine Weapon: Seraph Xinala has challenged you!]
[Divine Weapon: Lord of Hell, Sakan has challenged you!]
"...He fell into the trap!"
Outside the battlefield, Usher felt the hair rise on his neck.
More and more space rifts opened.
Eight powerful figures stepped forward, each emanating terrifying pressure.
These were the true rulers of Watcher’s City.
Nine God-tier monsters who had once reigned over Earth.
"Orgod," said Xinala, stepping from the light, her eight angelic wings glowing with divine radiance, "I warned you. One day you’d regret what you’ve done."
"Keh keh keh... Knocking down the Golden Pillar, ruining the gods’ plans for Earth... You’re bold, boy!"
A hulking demon with flaming skin, six muscular arms, and twisted horns laughed eerily.
It was Sakan, the Lord of Hell.
[Infinite Dimensions King: Snow Dream has challenged you!]
As the final challenge arrived, Orson’s chest tightened.
"You’ve only got three refusals," Snow Dream said, her voice smooth and cold. "But we have nine challengers. What’s it gonna be?"