Hero of Darkness

Marcus Brutus possessed the power to manipulate reality using the ominous eyes that hung in the sky, granting him his freedom from captivity and overturning the situation.

"Looks like I need to teach you all your place." he spoke as his sceptor glowed yellow and shot a blinding white beam in the sky, towards the eyes-like moons.

Crackle!

Rumble!

Under his control, the once arid desert was transformed into a battlefield crafted from magma and stone, with rivers of molten lava coursing through it. The very nature of gravity felt altered, making the battlefield a surreal and treacherous landscape. Thousands of lightning bolts rained down from the sky, heralding the manifestation of Marcus's will in this altered reality.

'This is my Hell.'

As his power took hold and the world around them transformed, the truth of his words became evident.

And now, all those present comprehended the full extent of his dominion over the realm and the profound danger that loomed over them. The battle had entered a new and more nightmarish phase, where reality itself was a malleable canvas for the Necromancer Hero's grim intentions.

However, everything about this world was unnatural in many senses.

BOOM!!

But then, unexpectedly, a resounding boom echoed through the realm. In an astonishing turn of events, all the members of the Hero's Party felt as if the restrictions on their bodies were lifting. 

They experienced a profound transformation, and in an instant, they reverted to their former state as Saints.

"What's this? Isn't God's Domain supposed to keep us limited to Semi-Saints?" Borat questioned, his expression one of perplexity.

"No, we are no longer in God's Domain... we're in his Domain." Atreus remarked, having astutely analyzed the unique signature of mana and world energy that surrounded them.

[I understand what his second Divine Ability is.] Atreus revealed, shedding light on the nature of the Necromancer Hero's extraordinary power.

[It's called the Visionary's Reality.] he proclaimed with a conflicted countenance.

[What's this? I never faced any Hero with this type of divine ability. As a matter of fact, it's the first time I've heard about it.] said Rathnaar.

[Well, I remember it because of my Eidetic Memory.

This is one of the most OP but also one of the hardest to achieve divine ability just like my Dimensional Law.

The reason I didn't choose it back then is because even I could tell that one would need centuries to perfect and use this divine ability.] explained Kahn.

[As far as I remember, this was one of those divine abilities that were chosen only once among all the summoned heroes till this day when the God of Darkness presented them to me.

Now I can finally see that it was Marcus Brutus who chose it 700 years ago.] he iterated with a complicated expression.

[Kid, are we in trouble?] asked Rathnaar.

[Very much so. Because this ability allows the user's imagination or let's call it his vision, to become reality.

It's not like my Lucid Reality where all of it is just an illusion, rather the world itself bends to the user's will and everything will turn into whatever he was.

He can turn mountains into rivers or icebergs into lava. He can change anything he wants.] clarified Kahn.

[What?! If this type of Divine Ability exists, why did no other heroes choose it?

This can even rival a Peak Saint if the Hero ever became a 9th stage saint.] Rathnaar gave his opinion.

[That's the main problem. Back then, one of the drawbacks I noticed while reading the skill description was that one must be able to influence the world around them first to unlock it.

Now I understand that it meant unlocking your own Domain, which can happen only if you become a 5th-stage saint at least.

And also, it would take mastering certain types of magic arts to reinforce it.

The information about those arts was non-existent in those details. Even to me, it was like throwing a rock in an endless pit where you didn't know if you will ever be able to use this divine ability at all.

But this guy, Marcus Brutus… he made it possible.] declared Kahn.

Despite the fact that the 7th Hero of Nature, Marcus Brutus, stood as an enemy and a grave threat to his life, Kahn couldn't help but feel a trace of respect and admiration for this formidable adversary. Having experienced the unlocking of his own Dimensional Law divine ability through a stroke of sheer luck, Kahn understood the magnitude of the risks Marcus Brutus had undertaken.

The Necromancer Hero's unwavering determination and the extent of his power were impossible to ignore, even in the face of their deadly conflict.

[Wait… this Hero, is indeed a formidable and experienced tactician.] said Rathnaar.

[What do you mean?] queried Kahn.

[Think about it... He chose the Necromancy Divine Ability to raise his rank, to amplify his firepower through his undead creations, and, most crucially, to ensure that he would emerge from any battle alive, as his opponents would typically remain unaware of the only weakness of this divine ability.

And after becoming a 5th stage saint, he unlocked and mastered the Visionary's Reality Divine Ability as well.

Regardless of the time it took him to perfect his second divine ability and the world he created within his domain, the combination of these two divine abilities would render him both unkillable and unbeatable. 

It was undoubtedly a perilous and exceedingly challenging combination to achieve, but this Hero managed to make it possible.

At the zenith of his strength, I firmly believe that this individual would possess the power to vanquish the Demon God. 

Even I, Rathnaar Whitlock, have to acknowledge his farsightedness." Rathnaar explained and praised, his admiration for the Necromancer Hero's strategic brilliance evident in his words.

What Rathnaar expressed was an undeniable truth. Marcus Brutus was a summoned hero, much like Kahn, and he possessed a unique set of abilities and potential.

Yet, fate had woven its intricate and mysterious tapestry. The one hero who held the potential to vanquish the Demon God had been inexplicably confined within God's Domain ever since he entered the Conclave of Heroes nearly 700 years ago.

The reasons behind this enigmatic imprisonment remained shrouded in uncertainty, but now, they found themselves on the brink of a harrowing battle against the very person.

[Don't be in such a hurry to praise, old man. There are also reasons why I didn't choose this divine ability.] interjected Kahn.

[Oh really, what are those then?] asked the peak saint with genuine curiosity.

[There are mainly 2 drawbacks that could be used to overcome this divine ability.

One of the drawbacks of using Visionary's Reality is that although you can turn the world into whatever you want… you're also subjected to the laws of reality that your imagination manifested.

And the second is that this world that you created will defy and break apart all the restrictions and laws placed by the outside world.

That's the reason why the suppression of semi-saint rank placed by Babylon no longer works on us. 

And now, Maximus, Borat are also capable of using our Domains in this different reality.

So even if it's the world Marcus Brutus created… he has lost his advantage of being a 6th stage saint over us.] spoke Kahn with a grin.

[If his Necromancy divine ability was still active and he could summon all the saint guardians in this world of his creation, it would have been extremely hard for us to survive.

But now that we have disabled it for an entire day… we still have a chance to defeat him.

It's now Six Saints vs One Guardian. And three of us are 5th-stage saints and above.

You could say that his desperation after losing his access to world energy because of the damage to his core and us forcing him to use his 2nd divine ability has helped us instead. 

Now, we no longer have to fear him. Instead, he should fear us.] declared Kahn as he too looked forward to ending this battle once and for all.

Their entire conversation took place within 10 seconds in the real world as Marcus Brutus had finally completed establishing his world.

Kahn in his Atreus persona quickly contacted Maximus.

[I have a plan. But it will need both of us to risk our lives.

And also, you won't be able to protect anyone but yourself.] he spoke in the Hero of Nature's mind.

Kahn was planning to use both the weaknesses of the Visionary's Reality divine ability.

However, even at the present moment, he needed Maximus' help unless he wanted to reveal his secrets such as Dimensional Domain, his Cosmic Replicas, or the variety of his skills that should be impossible to perform given his identity as an Ice-elemental Brawler class warrior.

[Atreus… I have to ask you something important before we start this fight.]

However, in response… Maximus queried in a grim voice as he continued his question…

[What the hell is your real identity?!]