THE CURSED GAMER

Chapter 458: The Strongest Entity

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Amidst this cosmic battleground, with its eerie silence punctuated by distant a song, the Abstract Entities glared at the criminals. But Neji's gaze fixed intently on the Director. The tension was palpable, a tightrope stretched across the void, but he had to talk to her before they fled.

-「In the night I hear 'em talk, The coldest story ever told, Somewhere far along this road, He lost his soul to a woman so heartless…」

"You owe me answers," Neji's voice cut through the stillness, his grip tightening on the Director's arm. His eyes were burning with frustration, seeking the truth hidden behind her enigmatic demeanor.

Lady Life looked at him with concern and gently intervened. "Neji," she urged, easing his grip from the Director. "Now's not the time. Our focus must be on escaping, not confrontation."

The Director sighed at that. She looked at him and slowly reached into the void as if plucking a flower from the fabric of space itself. She pulled out a small, intricate doll – a Kimmidoll, its cute presence a stark contrast to the cosmic chaos around them.

"This should make the sixth," she said, tossing it to Neji. "Three in your possession, one with your sister, and another with your familiar cat. Combine these six, and you'll get the truth you seek."

Neji caught the doll, his fingers closing around it as if trying to grasp the elusive answers it promised. He stared at it. The doll's visage, unlike the smiling ones before, was a blend of sadness. Funny.

"A puzzle, huh…" Neji muttered, turning the doll over in his hand, and looking up at her. "What game are you playing, Director?"

The Director's gaze shifted a glimmer of something unreadable in her eyes. "Stop with unnecessary questions. For now, survival should be your utmost priority."

As the Director's words lingered in the air, Neji clutched the doll, a symbol of the mysteries entwined with his and Kimi’s fate. Putting it in his Inventory, a bit surprised that he had a hard time opening it, he focused on the battle.

The Buddha was yet to give his verdict, his decision will decide Neji’s fate.

….

The cosmic battleground that was already a nexus of tension, became the stage for an even more astonishing development. Buddha began to laugh.

As Neji and the others stood amidst the celestial chaos, a rumble of laughter echoed through space, drawing their attention to the Buddha. It was very odd seeing an entity like him laugh, and Neji noticed the thousands of guards in golden armor in the back had chills running down their spine.

“Such futile resistance. At this point, a few hyperverses will end up being collateral. I have seen such a possibility coming. That’s why I have brought reinforcements,” Buddha declared with a mix of triumph and solemnity. 

His six golden eyes gleamed, reflecting a calculated move in this grand cosmic game.

Just as the words left Buddha's lips, the fabric of space itself seemed to shudder and tear. A monumental crack split the void, and from within this celestial breach emerged a figure of unimaginable might.

The red-skinned giant of a man, the Primordial God himself, stepped forth from the rift, his presence overwhelming, radiating power that transcended the known confines of their universes.

[??? – ??? – ???]

The Voidborn’s eyes scanned the surroundings, his gaze locking onto each of the key players, as a silent understanding passed between them. The game had changed, and they were all pawns in front of two Kings. His gaze came to a stop when he saw Neji, and Neji failed to not shudder under his golden gaze.

‘What the hell is going on here?!’ Why was the God of the Prime Omniverse joining forces with the Abstract Entities from the Cube Omniverse?! And why were Buddha and the other Abstracts even agreeing with this? It was too risky-

“I don’t mind taking risks to balance existence,” the Primordial God's voice boomed, echoing Buddha’s sentiment, his words carrying the weight of eons and the resolve of a deity beyond comprehension.

Shockwaves of disbelief and awe rippled through the ranks of all present, not just Neji. The Director's usual composure faltered slightly, and even the Godmother’s calculating gaze flickered with surprise.

The atmosphere was charged with a new, palpable tension. 

The Killer of Omnipotence, Slayer of Paradoxes, was not a being to be taken lightly.

The arrival of the Primordial God was more than an escalation; it was a cataclysmic shift in the balance of power. Neji was sweating and the girls around him looked far from comfortable. Even the Abstract Entities on their enemy side looked surprised at the Primordial’s presence. 

Only Ra, the Life Golem, unable to feel emotions, loomed over Neji and the others with his large figure. 

Yet, everyone knew the Life Golem was nothing in front of that other giant. The red man was also planetary-sized, and his mere presence cast an imposing shadow across the stars themselves.

‘Shit,’ Neji’s throat was dry.

The Buddha's expression remained inscrutable, but the hint of a smile suggested this was a move he had contemplated for long. This alliance was risky, letting the Primordial God to walk the stars of Cube was not good. But Buddha knew more than others that the Primordial was here for only one reason; to erase the Gamer and his companions. 

That was not a bad thing for the Cube. Rather, this was a calculated play in the grand design of cosmic equilibrium.

Amidst his unfolding shock, Neji realized the gravity of the situation. The battlefield had just been redrawn, and the rules from a minute ago were no longer the same.

They had to escape. And they had to do that fast.

“....Run,” to his surprise, the Director made the first move. A grand wand appeared in her hand that she spun like a staff. “[Celestial Gateway of Arcanum]."

….

The cosmic battlefield now was a place of unimaginable power where unexpected alliances were formed. It was on the brink of chaos. 

In response to the Director’s escape spell, the Primordial God simply waved his hand, sending a wave of red energy to break her spell. The celestial gateway that had formed beneath their feet, a beacon of hope and escape, quivered under the simple wave, its fabric straining against the raw power of the Primordial God. 

The gateway shook under this attack. The Director, who was usually so calm, showed a hint of annoyance. The gate shattered into pieces. She quickly gathered her energy and summoned a powerful vortex of light, sending it spiraling toward the enemy.

“[Rupture of Galactic Nexus]!”

A multicolored tear in space unfolded in the form of a beam. It was so strong that the Primordial God couldn’t simply disperse it with a wave. He had to either physically block it or dodge it.

As if to prove a point, the Buddha stepped in, calm and distant. A hundred golden hands raised behind him, and slapped the beam away. "This isn't a 1v1, Director," he declared, his voice a resounding echo across the cosmic expanse.

“Haah, how annoying.” the director grumbled. “I didn’t come prepared to face the two of you.” She hadn’t expected them to team up.

“Las,” the Godmother of All Demons stepped beside her. “I shall take care of the Buddha brat. He should understand that this truly is not a 1v1 fight.” She said and leaped forward. She was going to clash toe-to-toe against the Buddha, the personal manifestation of Samsara.

“I’ll help you,” Contessa Fate stepped beside the Director, lending her a hand in her casting.

“Thanks.”

“Death, help me deal with the other Abstracts.” Lady Life asked her sister as the two of them moved toward Lord Limitless and Maestro Myth.

On the other hand, Neji was quick to act. He opened a Golden Gate, a portal to his inventory. It was tough to keep it open, so he quickly called Eclipsia. 

"Get inside," he said urgently. "It's too dangerous here."

Eclipsia, her eyes burning with a fighting spirit, refused. "We are not going to hide. We can fight too. We are stronger than you, you stay behind me.”

“But-”

“No buts!”

Neji didn’t want all of his girls to die at once.

Sadly, his sister didn’t understand and left no room for arguments. It was true that he was the weakest here since he had lost all of his boosts.

Before Neji could say more, something unexpected happened. A red gauntlet came out of the Gate of Babylon, it was the husk of the Boosted Gear whose abilities Neji had mined. It shot out of the Gate and rushed to the Director.

The gate immediately collapsed. It was hard to keep it open under so much pressure from so many presences, but it should still have stayed open. When Neji’s eyes met with the Primordial, he realized the red man had forced it close. The entity didn’t want to let Neji take anyone out of here. 

Neji’s attention shifted back to the Boosted Gear, which began to transform. It changed and turned into a figure with purple hair, oni horns, and red skin. She was a familiar figure, but she was wearing red gauntlets on her forearms.

"Ah, Ddraig," the Director said, recognizing her, who nodded.

Neji was shocked. "Ddraig? Isn’t that Nawab?!" 

Nawab turned to give him a cheeky wink, but the Director already seemed to know about her. All of a sudden, Neji realized that it was the Director who was sponsoring Nawab's Regressions.

Then, the battle shifted slightly. Nawab and the Director touched hands, and Nawab’s body turned into particles of light. A red dragon armor formed around the Director, and her presence suddenly exuded a lot more power.

“Boost—Dynamo Unleash—200%!”

She announced, and her power level boomed. At her level, a two-times boost was huge. She rushed to the Primordial on her own.

All this time, two of Primordial’s four arms crossed on his chest. Now, he barely unfolded one of them. The fight truly began.

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