Imprisoned for a Trillion Years, I Was Worshipped by All Gods!-Chapter 552 - 108-Matter Transmutation, an Unpredictable Combat Style

"I understand now!"

Alan clenched his fists tightly. The words of the black-robed woman echoed in his heart.

Those mages who relied on ambush tactics, at the end of the day, were nothing but practitioners of trickery and deception.

Truly powerful individuals never feared such underhanded methods.

Crushing enemies head-on with overwhelming strength—sweeping them away like dry leaves in a storm—that was the path he should take.

With this thought in mind, Alan asked, "Senior, I know I can't match a tier-diamond mage yet, but tier-gold opponents should be no problem for me now, right?"

"Small-minded."

"…What?"

Alan thought he had misheard her and asked again.

The black-robed woman shot him a glare. "I said your mindset is too small!"

"A mere tier-gold opponent doesn't even deserve to carry your shoes. With the Stone of Sage as your aid, you should be thinking about how to face tier-platinum enemies!"

"Tier-platinum?!"

Alan was genuinely startled. He had just barely broken through to tier-bronze. Challenging a tier-platinum mage now was no different from courting death.

Seeing his cowardly expression, the black-robed woman sighed in disappointment. "Do you lack even a shred of self-awareness? Refusing to fight strong opponents and only picking those weaker than you—that's laziness and cowardice! With such a mindset, you'll never become truly powerful."

"Yes, yes, you're right."

Alan had no real idea what to say—he just nodded blindly.

The woman could only shake her head in resignation. With another long sigh, she said, "Not long ago, I helped you summon the Hell Flame to subdue that silver-haired woman. Now I've had to balance the negative effects brought on by the Stone of Sage. My energy has nearly been drained dry."

"Soon, I'll fall into a long slumber. When that happens, the only person you'll be able to rely on—is yourself. Understand?"

"Oh, and one more thing—Hell will automatically resonate with any Sealed Artifact that appears nearby. So don't worry about accidentally missing one if you come across it."

Alan nodded but couldn't hide the concern in his voice. "Senior, are you really alright? You sound… tired."

The black-robed woman snapped irritably, "Mind your own business. Even if the last flame in Hell were to go out, I wouldn't burn out with it. It's just… people have limits, and after exhausting my energy, I need time to recover."

"But before I enter my deep sleep, there are a few things I need to make absolutely clear to you."

"First, don't die. That's the most important thing. I went through so much trouble to find someone as promising—ahem, I mean, someone as young and talented as you. If you die, everything I've done so far will have been in vain!"

"So until I wake up again, you better stay alive. Do whatever it takes to survive. Otherwise, I swear, even if you're hiding in the eighteenth layer of Hell, I'll drag you out and beat you senseless!"

Alan gave a wry smile. Despite the harsh tone, he could sense the genuine care behind her words.

"And one more thing!"

She continued, her voice sharper. "Today, to absorb the Stone of Sage, we had no choice but to summon a projection of Hell to suppress its primal consciousness. But aside from that one instance—never, under any circumstances, should you attempt to bring Hell into the mortal world again."

"You are Hell's Warden, not its Master. Never forget that. The things imprisoned down there—none of them are easy to deal with. Every time Hell and the mortal realm make contact, their boundary grows thinner."

"So unless your life is truly in danger—don't summon Hell. Got it?!"

"Got it!"

Alan responded immediately, not daring to hesitate. He feared that if he took too long, the black-robed woman might act before he could answer.

But after a moment, she said nothing more.

Alan's heart tightened. He asked tentatively, "Senior… have you already fallen asleep?"

"Sleep your head off!"

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Her voice suddenly rang out, scolding him once again. But this time, it sounded distant—almost ethereal—as though she were speaking from behind a mana barrier.

"And finally… one last warning…"

Her voice became fragmented, cutting in and out. Alan had to strain to understand.

"That clown… on the second layer… has a bizarre personality… you'll never be able to guess what it might do next…"

"But to the Warden of Hell… it still holds a basic level of respect…"

"Don't try to use it… you don't have the wisdom or power for that yet…"

"When you see it again… kid… I hope the next time I awaken… you're still in one piece…"

Her voice faded into silence.

Alan stood there for a long time, unable to move.

A strange sense of emptiness welled up in his chest.

It was like the sorrow one feels after hearing that their parents had suddenly passed away—except not quite. Because Alan knew, deep down, that the black-robed woman would awaken again someday.

It might take a few months. It might take a few years.

But she would return. That gave him hope.

He unconsciously looked up at the night sky.

The rift that had held the Stone of Sage had vanished entirely.

The dark-purple staircase reaching into the heavens was gone without a trace.

Only a solitary crescent moon hung overhead, cold and aloof—just like Alan now, standing alone.

He exhaled slowly, then clenched his fists and slammed them hard into the ground.

In that instant, his body once again turned transparent.

Only the crystal-like heart in his chest continued to beat vividly.

Then, countless blood-colored branches, shimmering with diamond-like brilliance, burst from the ground and spread out in all directions.

The entire area was transformed into a crimson diamond forest.

Vital energy—endless, ever-flowing.

Alan looked down at a deep gash on his knuckles, caused by a sharp rock. Normally, a wound that severe would take weeks to heal.

Now, in less than three seconds, it closed up completely, leaving no scar or trace behind.

Alan picked up the stick he'd used earlier to slash through the underbrush.

The power of matter transmutation activated.

Before his eyes, the wooden branch transformed—first into stone, then iron, then steel.

He even managed to simulate flowing water and burning fire.

The range of matter transformation was astonishing. It encompassed nearly every substance known to this world.

Imagine this: when enemies attack him with fireballs, ice spikes, or even iron swords—

Alan could simply wave his hand, and those deadly attacks would crumble like fragile ice cubes.

Terrifying, isn't it?

Even his strongest finishing move, the Light Sword Spell—if he ever encountered an enemy resistant to light or fire elements—he could instantly convert it to two other elements.

Flexible and deadly.

In other words, any mage below tier-platinum who could only command a single element would be utterly powerless against him.

And even tier-platinum mages, capable of wielding two elements, would no longer pose much of a threat.

Vital energy provided him with a solid defense. Matter transmutation gave him a wildly unpredictable combat style, allowing him to switch elements at will.

Having realized all this, Alan calmly retracted the blood-colored crystal branches and swiftly began walking back in the direction of Ironblood City.