Child of Destiny

Chapter 2304: Battlefield Transformation

......

The group immediately sprang back into action after hearing Shin’s words.

However, instead of going all out, Shin prevented everyone from fully unleashing their power.

They had to hold back just enough to maintain constant pressure on Donato without overwhelming him, giving him the opportunity to take that final step toward the Tier 4 Realm.

Shin wasn’t too worried about the increase in Donato’s strength if the breakthrough succeeded.

The Fortress Master already had relatively little Health left, and the group could still unleash their strongest attacks afterward to finish him off.

Of course, there was a possibility that they might be unable to withstand the sudden burst of power Donato would gain after breaking through.

Even so, Shin believed their combined strength should still be barely sufficient to deal with a dying King-Class NPC who had just entered the Tier 4 Realm.

A newly promoted Tier 4 existence shouldn’t be too powerful.

After all, such an individual would still need time to consolidate their newly acquired realm, much like how Shin and the other leading players of the game had experienced after they were promoted to Tier 3 Class.

They could not even fully utilize their Tier 3 Skills at that time, especially the overpowered Skills in their arsenal.

More importantly, Shin wanted to experience what it was like to fight a genuine Tier 4 existence since such an experience would be invaluable when they eventually encountered other enemies of a similar level.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Under the controlled pressure exerted by Shin and the others, Donato began to feel an immense power surging within his body.

Madness gradually clouded his eyes as his rage burned more fiercely than ever.

Roar!

A thunderous roar was suddenly forced from his throat, generating a terrifying shockwave that swept outward and tore through everything in its path.

BOOM!

At almost the same moment, the already overwhelming pressure radiating from Donato suddenly erupted with even greater intensity, bearing down upon everyone on the battlefield.

"Argh!"

"Urgh!"

Aside from Shin, everyone was immediately forced to their knees, especially after feeling the immense weight of the pressure descending upon them.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

But that was only the beginning.

The overwhelming pressure continued to grow stronger with every passing second.

Everyone was forced even closer to the ground, their bodies sinking into the earth as the crushing force pressed down upon them.

Bang!

Even Alucard, who had been hovering beside Shin in the air, was unable to remain aloft under the tremendous pressure.

He was slammed hard into the ground and lay flat for a moment before struggling to push himself back up.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Meanwhile, Donato desperately tried to control the overwhelming power erupting from his body.

The raging storm of mana surrounding him made it clear just how violently the energy within him was surging.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Cracks rapidly spread across the ground beneath his feet, sending chunks of rock into the air before reducing them to dust.

From his position, Shin calmly observed the others struggling beneath the pressure.

Multiple layers of power were surging through his body as well, resisting the overwhelming force attempting to crush him into the ground.

Shin had encountered existences that stood far beyond the Tier 4 Realm before. He had even stood before peak Tier 5 existences during certain encounters.

However, those beings had never deliberately released their full pressure in his presence, so he had never been able to accurately gauge just how terrifying their power truly was.

Now, after experiencing the pressure radiating from Donato firsthand, Shin finally gained a rough idea of just how enormous the gap was between those existences and the strongest players currently standing at the summit of the game.

Everyone tried their best to withstand the immense pressure, but they still managed to hold their ground.

Samael, on the other hand, was having the hardest time.

He was already lying flat on the ground, struggling just to remain conscious beneath the overwhelming pressure.

Seeing this from above, Shin finally decided to intervene.

He felt that Donato had accumulated enough pressure and that it was time to give everyone a means of resisting it.

Swoosh!

With a wave of his hand, a heavenly aura suddenly erupted from Shin’s body.

The radiance illuminated the dull black-and-white world generated by his Monochrome Field, sweeping through the veil of darkness created by Diablo’s World of the Ancient Shadow.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Even the spinning crimson dome created by Alucard’s Crimson World seemed to be purified by the heavenly presence radiating from Shin.

WHOOSH!

At the same time, the Sanctuaries Samael had summoned since the beginning of the battle suddenly resonated with Shin’s presence.

The massive magic formation inscribed across the ground shone even more brightly, causing the emblem of the Church of the Sun and Moon at its center to glow with dazzling radiance.

A moment later, the virtual manifestation of the eclipsing sun and moon hanging high above the battlefield brightened considerably, bathing the entire area in their sacred light.

’Grim Reaper Skill (Quasi Tier 4): Ultimate Domain – Heaven’s Paradise’

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

This was a powerful Domain Skill that Shin had rarely been able to use.

Under normal circumstances, it required special environmental conditions or a unique scenario to fully manifest.

Furthermore, it was a dual-purpose Domain Skill with two different effects depending on the circumstances in which it was activated.

However, after experiencing numerous special encounters and continuously improving his strength, Shin felt that he could now use this version regularly so long as he remained in his Metamorphosis Form.

More importantly, he believed this particular version of the Domain was better suited for the current situation.

Rather than focusing solely on strengthening himself, Heaven’s Paradise was designed for large-scale battles, enhancing the power of everyone within its range while simultaneously strengthening their willpower.

Swoosh!

The moment the light from the eclipsing sun and moon bathed their bodies, everyone immediately felt an overwhelming power surge through them.

At the same time, a soothing influence washed over their minds, cleansing away the oppressive effects that had accumulated within their consciousness.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

With the assistance of this newfound power, everyone slowly rose to their feet.

The terrifying pressure radiating from Donato no longer felt nearly as overwhelming as before.

"Whoa! What an incredible Domain!" Owen exclaimed after sensing the immense power coursing through his body.

"I even received multiple buffs! It feels like I’ve been strengthened by several Tier 3 Paladins and Priests at once!"

The others didn’t say anything, but none of them could hide their surprise after seeing the sheer number of buffs they had received.

These enhancements weren’t limited to their physical attributes or magical power. Their healing abilities, auxiliary skills, and other support-related abilities had all been strengthened as well.

Even Samael, who possessed a special Tier 3 Profession belonging to the Paladin Class, felt that the single Domain Shin had summoned surpassed any combination of buffs or Sanctuaries he could currently provide on his own.

"So~... Brother Swordsman still has a trump card hidden up his sleeve, huh?" Owen commented, sounding rather excited.

Clang! Clang!

He slammed the tower shields attached to his arms together before grinning. "I feel like I can do anything now."

However, Alucard immediately refuted him. "We’ll still get beaten up by that big guy."

Owen was about to argue when he suddenly raised his head and turned his gaze toward Donato.

At this moment, the Fortress Master was undergoing a massive transformation that was completely altering his appearance.

His already massive build grew even larger, his muscles expanding further as his body continued to increase in size.

Within only a few seconds, Donato had transformed into a four-meter-tall giant with an exceptionally developed physique.

"Sheesh! He got really huge!" Owen exclaimed.

At almost the same time, the already massive battle axe in Donato’s hands also grew larger.

Its twin-headed blades glowed with crimson runes as crimson mana erupted from their sharp edges, forming a second pair of massive blades that further increased the weapon’s already terrifying size and power.

Donato’s hair also grew longer, while his teeth became noticeably sharper and more pronounced.

With all these changes, Donato no longer resembled an ordinary Human NPC and looked more like a monstrous beast that had taken humanoid form.

Seeing this, the others couldn’t help but exchange puzzled glances.

"Isn’t... his transformation a little strange?" Samael asked as he finally managed to pull himself up from the ground.

"Don’t you guys think he looks more like a monster now?" Owen added, nodding in agreement. "Is breaking through to the Tier 4 Realm really supposed to cause such a drastic transformation?"

"It does seem strange," Diablo pointed out. "It’s different from all the data we’ve gathered and the known knowledge about NPCs’ breakthroughs. Could it be because he initially failed to complete the breakthrough and is now suffering some kind of backlash?"

"Could it be because of that strange pill he consumed?" Felix added.

Hearing this, the others immediately began to consider the possibility.

That pill had always seemed suspicious.

BOOM!

While they were discussing the matter, the transformation Donato was undergoing finally came to an end.

The terrifying pressure that had been raging around him abruptly stabilized.

Seeing this, everyone immediately adjusted their stances and prepared themselves for battle.

This time, there was no doubt about it. They were truly facing a King-Class NPC who had broken through to the Tier 4 Realm.

Shin looked at the transformed NPC, who was radiating a terrifying aura, before adding. "Let’s see how strong a Tier 4 Existence is."

...