Transcending Paragon (New)

I finished chapter 18, so hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as I did. 

I hope you guys don't mind if I take some liberty when writing, changing some things to suit my story. 

Cause I don't have an extensive knowledge about Arifureta and solely based on wiki and recaps. 

So don't expect everything to be one to one in terms of details and I might seem to miss some plot point but bare with me.

Anyway, if you have suggestions for rewards feel free to tell me. 

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The two entered a vast chamber, lined with towering stone pillars that stretched toward the ceiling. The moment their feet crossed the threshold, a massive magic circle erupted in the center of the room, illuminating the space with an eerie glow. 

From within the circle, a colossal six-headed hydra emerged, each of its heads bearing a different vibrant crest—red, blue, green, black, yellow, and white. Its massive body slithered with terrifying grace, scales glinting like polished steel. 

Caelum's grip tightened on Eleonora's Poleblade, his mind racing. From the anime and novel, he recalled that there was a hidden seventh silver head, which would only appear after the others were severed. 

"Yue, prioritize supporting me while I take down the yellow and black heads first!" Caelum ordered, his voice firm. 

Yue nodded, raising her hands as powerful mana surged around her. The battle began. 

The Black Head hissed and unleashed a wave of dark energy, distorting reality and inflicting a crushing fear aura. Caelum felt the pressure but pushed through with sheer willpower. He vanished in a blur, dashing toward the hydra with his poleblade ignited in crimson energy. 

With a single, precise cross-slash, he severed the Black Head, cutting through the illusion magic before it could fully take hold. The severed head fell, disintegrating into dark mist. 

At the same time, the Yellow Head roared, its power warping the terrain as the ground beneath him shifted into jagged spikes. Yue reacted instantly. 

"Earth suppression." she chanted. The ground melted and the hydra's body fell down for a brief moment—long enough for Caelum to leap into the air and bring down a devastating crescent slash, cleaving through the Yellow Head. 

The hydra screeched, now weakened significantly. But the fight was far from over.

Caelum dismissed Eleonora's Poleblade and materialized the Moonlight Greatsword, its ethereal azure glow illuminating the battlefield. He took a deep breath, steadying himself as arcane energy surged through the blade. 

Yue unleashed a torrent of lightning, forcing the hydra to recoil as she darted around, blasting its remaining heads with relentless mana barrages. The Red Head roared, spewing forth a wall of flames, but Yue countered with a burst of compressed water, dousing the inferno before it could spread. 

"Keep it distracted!" Caelum called out as he charged his blade, the air around him crackling with sheer power. 

He unleashed crescent-shaped energy slashes, each strike shearing through the remaining heads with brutal precision. The Green Head, which commanded wind, tried to summon a fierce tornado to throw him off balance, but Caelum pushed forward, slicing through the violent storm with a single, decisive slash—sending the head tumbling to the ground. 

The Blue Head, controlling ice, attempted to freeze him mid-air, but Caelum shattered the incoming frost with a shockwave from his greatsword, closing the distance in an instant before beheading it in one fluid motion. 

Only the White Head remained, desperately attempting to heal the hydra's wounds. Yue didn't give it the chance. 

"Devour it—Thunder Lance!" Yue roared, summoning a massive golden spear of lightning, which she hurled at the White Head, piercing straight through its skull, causing it to convulse violently before collapsing lifelessly. 

With all six heads severed, the battlefield fell into a brief silence. 

But Caelum knew it wasn't over. 

From the stump of its neck, the hidden Silver Head burst forth, its luminous eyes brimming with primordial energy. It let out a deafening screech, preparing to unleash its most devastating attack—Aurora Breath, a beam that disintegrated anything in its path. 

Caelum was already waiting. 

He leaped into the air, ascending like a shooting star just as time seemed to slow to a crawl. 

The Silver Head's glowing eyes widened in what could only be described as fear. The last thing it saw was Caelum's unyielding, terrifying gaze before— 

SLASH! 

In a single, vertical cleave, the Silver Head and body were split clean in half, the hydra's death throes echoing through the dungeon before it collapsed into nothingness.

With the Hydra vanquished, the massive doors at the end of the chamber rumbled open, revealing the world beyond. 

As they stepped through, even Caelum—who already knew what to expect—felt a childlike sense of wonder. 

They had entered a hidden underground paradise. 

A majestic manor stood at the center, its architecture untouched by time. Surrounding it was a vast, cultivated field, indicating that someone once lived here, growing their own crops. Further ahead, there was a designated area for livestock, though long abandoned. The most breathtaking sight was an underground waterfall, cascading into a crystal-clear pond teeming with fish, its gentle ripples breaking the otherwise tranquil atmosphere. 

Above them, an artificial sun hung from the cavern's ceiling, illuminating everything with a warm, golden glow, making the entire place feel surreal yet peaceful. 

"Amazing…" Yue whispered in awe, her golden eyes shimmering as she took in the scenery. 

Caelum, however, focused ahead, his eyes locking onto the grand manor. 

"Let's look around and see if we find anything good," he said, already striding toward the entrance.

As they searched the area, their eyes fell upon the skeletal remains of a lone figure seated in a chair. Even in death, his posture exuded dignity. This was Oscar Orcus, the creator of the Orcus Great Labyrinth and one of the Liberators who had once defied the gods. 

At the center of the room, a massive magic circle lay inscribed on the floor. 

Sensing its significance, Caelum led Yue onto the circle. 

The moment their feet touched its surface, it flared to life, bathing the chamber in an ethereal glow. 

Suddenly, the air shifted. Though they stood in the same place, the skeletal remains were gone—and in their place sat a living, breathing man with dark hair and sharp glasses. 

With a solemn yet welcoming expression, he spoke. 

 "Greetings. Congratulations on overcoming the trials. I am Oscar Orcus, the creator of this labyrinth." 

Even knowing what to expect, seeing a dead man come to life and speak left them momentarily stunned. 

Caelum, however, regarded Oscar with deep respect. This man had stood against the false gods of this world, defying them despite the overwhelming odds. 

Oscar then recounted the story of the Liberators' war against the gods, describing in painstaking detail how their ideals were shattered—not by the gods themselves, but by the very people they wished to protect. Betrayed, outnumbered, and ultimately defeated, their struggle ended in tragedy. 

As the tale concluded, Oscar's eyes darkened with the weight of the past. 

 "Good luck, and I hope you will live in the future with free will." 

With that, the illusion faded, and the once-living Oscar returned to being a mere skeleton. 

Both Caelum and Yue lowered their heads in silent mourning. The weight of history—of a battle fought and lost—hung in the air. 

Then, suddenly— 

DING! 

A notification window materialized before them, drawing their attention. 

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 

📜 Notification

[ Ancient Magic Acquired! ]

➤ Magic Type: Creation Magic

➤ Description: Grants the ability to imbue magical properties to minerals, creating a new ore with special traits. It is the only form of magic which allows the creation of an artifact. The true power of this magic is the ability to manipulate inorganic material.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 

Both of them exchanged glances, a silent understanding passing between them. 

Caelum smirked, already imagining the possibilities. With Creation Magic in his arsenal, he could craft tools, weapons, and structures far beyond what was available in this world. He didn't share Hajime's job as a Synergist, but that didn't mean he couldn't make full use of this newfound power. 

"Let's give him a proper burial." 

Yue nodded, and together they carefully prepared a resting place for Oscar Orcus. They crafted a modest yet dignified grave, honoring the man who had fought an impossible battle, placing his hopes on the future. After a moment of silence to pay their respects, they turned their attention to the manor. 

Exploring the vast estate, they uncovered hidden treasures and artifacts, resources that could aid them in the journey ahead.

Caelum found a few materials, storage rings and books. He already had an inventory therefore he simply gave it to Yue. 

'System. Do I have full control of the dungeon?' 

[ Yes, you can even observe those who are taking the trial. Do you wish to look for Hajime? ] 

It was then a panel screen showed Hajime and he appeared to be doing well. His once black hair turn white and demeanour had completely changed. He clearing the dungeon relatively easy and fortunate for him didn't need to encounter powerful bosses like he should have since Caelum had already killed them. 

'At this pace, he should arrived within a day or two.' 

Caelum said nodding to himself since Hajime will be useful especially when it comes to creating artifacts. He might be able to do Hajime's invention like in the series but having help from him would be a lot better. 

"Shindo…" Caelum's attention shifted then turn to see Yue with clear intention for them to have another fun. He smirked at this and happily took care of his woman. 

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A couple of days had passed, and Caelum dedicated himself to mastering Creation Magic. Unlike a Synergist, he lacked a natural aptitude for crafting, but that didn't mean he couldn't learn. 

Using the books from Oscar's library, he studied alchemy, transmutation, and artifact creation, quickly grasping the fundamentals. Thanks to his perfect memory and higher comprehension, he absorbed knowledge at an astonishing rate, defying the very laws that bound this world. 

He experimented tirelessly, refining his ability to manipulate and shape materials, pushing the limits of what was possible. Before long, he had crafted a handful of intricate and complex artifacts, each one tailored for utility and combat. 

As he worked, Yue watched him with quiet curiosity. 

"What are you working on?" she asked, approaching him. 

Caelum looked up, a smirk playing on his lips as he continued transmuting the ores in his hands. 

"Ah, I'm trying to make something that will speed up our travels." 

Before her, a frame of a sleek, futuristic vehicle was beginning to take shape. Though he wasn't an engineer, nor did he have innate knowledge of machinery, his adaptability allowed him to learn from scratch, using logic and experimentation to fill in the gaps.

Yue watched Caelum work with intense focus, his hands moving with precision as he shaped the materials with Creation Magic. A small smile tugged at her lips before she wordlessly approached him, slipping onto his lap without warning. 

Caelum blinked in surprise before letting out a chuckle.

"Getting comfortable, huh?" 

Yue simply nestled closer, resting her head against his chest.

"Mn. You're warm." 

Caelum smirked, wrapping an arm around her waist. 

"You really are spoiled." 

Yue looked up at him, pouting slightly.

"No, I'm not." 

"Oh? Then why do you always cling to me?" he teased, tilting his head. 

Yue huffed softly. 

"Because you're mine." 

Caelum laughed, tapping her nose. 

"Possessive little princess, aren't you?" 

She didn't deny it, instead tightening her hold on him. 

"And? You like it." 

"Tch. Can't argue with that." He grinned, pressing a quick kiss on her forehead, making Yue hum in content. 

Their lighthearted moment was suddenly interrupted when Caelum froze, his expression shifting as he sensed a familiar presence approaching the labyrinth. 

"What is it?" Yue asked, noticing his sudden change. 

Caelum narrowed his eyes slightly before smirking.

"Looks like an old friend is finally catching up." 

Yue tilted her head, curious, as Caelum turned toward the entrance of the labyrinth—where Hajime had finally arrived.