[Remiel's POV]

It certainly is the Path of Abyss. This feeling of facing something impure, corrupted and filthy, I can't forget it.

Remiel thought, a deep sense of revulsion spreading through him as that presence brushed against his senses. The feeling clung stubbornly, seeping into his thoughts, reminding him of memories he wished had remained buried. No matter how much time passed, the stench of the Abyss was something his existence would never forget.

It's good that I came to this barren galaxy of the Universe, otherwise if the Path was opened, we would still be kept in the dark due to the web of fate being damaged...

The thought carried a heavy weight. The Web of Fate was no longer whole. Its strands were torn, its warnings fragmented, and its visions unreliable. If he had not arrived here by chance, the signs would have remained hidden until the consequences became irreversible.

It was not the first time the Abyssal beings had discovered a loophole in the restrictions placed by the two dead Goddesses. Across countless eras, they had searched relentlessly for even the smallest crack in those ancient seals. Every time they attempted to exploit such flaws and open the gates, the Angels would receive revelations through fate itself and descend before the ritual could reach completion.

This struggle had continued since time immemorial. It had always followed the same pattern.

Yet this time, something felt fundamentally different.

It was the first time Remiel was witnessing the Abyssal beings succeed in forming the gates of the Abyss, even if the process was still incomplete. The mere existence of that structure caused his instincts to scream in warning.

It's a relief that the path has still not opened yet… there is still salvation.

As the thought settled, a faint disturbance rippled across his perception. It was subtle, fleeting, and nearly indistinguishable from the corruption saturating the air.

A gaze.

Remiel turned his head and looked toward a distant hill. His vision pierced through the mountains in between, ignoring physical obstructions as his eyes locked onto the exact location from where that sensation had originated.

Hmm? No one? Is it some kind of mental interference due to the gates of Abyss...?

A trace of doubt surfaced. Remiel had no clear answer. After all, he had only witnessed Abyssal gates once in his lifetime, and even then it had been from an extreme distance. Standing this close to such a manifestation was an entirely different experience.

He dismissed the unease for the moment and shifted his focus to the beings gathered near the Abyssal gates before his arrival.

I have already sensed that there is no Abyssal being on this planet. The closest thing to the Abyss here are only these lowly demons and....

His thoughts halted.

His gaze narrowed, fixing itself on a single figure.

Orien.

Not Abyssal, but just a step away from evolving into an Abyssal being. Is he the one who opened this path?

Confusion surfaced within Remiel's mind. It was difficult to believe that a lower plane of existence could possess knowledge related to the Path of Abyss. Such knowledge was forbidden, erased, or sealed away long ago.

Still, there were always exceptions.

There was a chance this individual had encountered ancient ruins from a forgotten era, or perhaps inherited fragments of knowledge left behind by Abyssal beings themselves.

Most of the time, when higher ranking Battle Angels fought against the Nightmares of the Abyss, a small number of Abyssal monsters would inevitably escape into the wider Universe. That was precisely why specific units existed within the Angel Army, forces tasked with hunting down these lower ranking Abyssal entities before they could spread their influence across the cosmos.

If even a fragment of such corruption had taken root here, then this world had already stepped onto a path far closer to ruin than it could ever imagine.

While Remiel's thoughts raced at an astonishing speed, Whisperer, who had not moved even a single inch from the same deserted hill, muttered softly under his breath.

"Demi God? As if such a high ranking Angel would come to this barren corner of the Universe. He is only at Legendary Rank. With the powers of fate, if I wish to hide, no one can see me."

Yet, one could never underestimate the abilities of beings from the higher realms. The distinction between the three realms had been established to maintain balance in the Cosmos, to keep destruction and bloodshed from spreading uncontrollably.

According to the Mortal Ranking system, even though this Angel was classified at Legendary Rank, his raw power far surpassed any Saint, and even Orien himself. Their strength was fundamentally incomparable. These beings could breathe, move, and function in the void of space without any difficulty. Their wings allowed them to traverse in perfectly straight lines at the speed of light, and their reflexes, stamina, and perception were far beyond mortal comprehension.

There were numerous other qualities that made them superior to any normal mortal species. Even dragons, known as apex predators among mortals, would pale in comparison to these higher lifeforms.

Angels were mainly categorized into five types: Guardian Angels, Messenger Angels, Battle Angels, Healing Angels, and Normal Angels.

Normal Angels were the most common, ranking at the bottom of the Heavenly Realm hierarchy. Their population was vast, and most cities and continents of Heaven were filled with these Angels, functioning much like the common populace of mortal civilizations.

Healing Angels specialized in restoring life, purifying corruption, curing diseases, and stabilizing mental or spiritual health. Their role was crucial, especially in preventing chaos from spreading during wars or cosmic disturbances.

Battle Angels, as the name implied, were born with extraordinary combat traits, instincts, and innate powers. They were considered the elite warriors of the Heavenly Realm, trained for war and battle strategy from birth.

Messenger Angels were rare and exceptionally special. Born with affinity for fate and time, their strength depended on their alignment with destiny and their ability to receive and interpret revelations. They formed a central, critical core of the Heavenly Realm, often acting as the eyes and guides of Heaven itself.

Guardian Angels, true to their name, specialized in protection and defense. Their abilities were primarily designed to shield, fortify, and intervene in crucial moments to prevent catastrophic losses.

There were other variants and hybrid types, but their numbers were small and did not influence the main hierarchy significantly.

Initially, only a Normal Angel was supposed to arrive, yet here stands a Battle Angel at Legendary Rank…

Whisperer closed his eyes, allowing all the accumulated knowledge of the angels, their classifications, powers, and roles, to surface in his mind.

After Angels are born, they are not much different from humans. They look just like humans, with the same features and proportions, yet every Angel is born with an energy core within their body. This core means they are born awakened, automatically achieving the lowest rank immediately after birth.

By contrast, humans and other mortal races must wait for 12 to 14 years before their children even begin to reach the lowest rank of cultivation.

But their difference is more than just speed. Angels do not control mana or possess a mana core; instead, they have a Divine Core, capable of harnessing Divine Energy available only in the Heavenly Realm. This energy is roughly a hundred times more potent than regular mana, giving Angels a decisive advantage in combat and making them fundamentally superior to mortals and most other lifeforms.

From birth, Angels are classified as F rank, the lowest rank, yet this is already far beyond what a mortal child can achieve. By the age of one or two, they reach E rank, though they still appear indistinguishable from ordinary humans, showing no physical signs of their power.

By five or six years old, Angels reach D rank. At this stage, a faint white, angelic halo begins to manifest behind their head, blurred at first, and gradually becomes clearer with each rank they gain.

By the age of ten, Angels attain C rank, and a single pair of pure white wings grows behind their back, completely white without any hint of gold. Their halo becomes fully defined, forming two sharp white pointed edges. The edges of the halo correspond with the number of wings the Angel possesses, making it a clear visual indicator of their rank.

While Angels can fold their wings into their flesh to make them disappear, their halo is much harder to conceal, serving as a permanent mark of their progress.

At this point, their physical growth begins to stagnate, and further advancement requires effort, training, and cultivation. From here, distinctions between Angels start to appear clearly, as each Angel's unique talent and traits lead them to follow different paths. Those with limited natural talent are classified as Normal Angels, while the gifted ones pursue specialized roles and higher ranks.

When Angels reach B rank, their pure white wings start to gain golden sheen, indicating their body has adapted to much purer Divine Energy.

At A rank, they grow a second pair of white wings, while the previous wings remains golden. Their halo becomes four-pointed, with the two edges remaining golden and the new two edges being white.

At S rank, the earlier white wings shift to golden, and all four points of the halo become gold, radiating with divine brilliance.

At SS rank, a third pair of white wings emerges, creating a total of six wings—four golden and two white.

By SSS rank, the remaining white wings turn golden, completing the transformation to six golden wings, while the halo gains six golden points.

The ranking system continues in this fashion. While it may seem complex at first, it becomes simple once one remembers to observe the number and color of wings as a direct representation of an Angel's rank and power.

While the Whisperer recalled all this knowledge about Angels in his mind, the Battle Angel Remiel spoke from the underground city. Sunlight streamed in through a large hole above, creating a sharp contrast of light and shadow, amplifying the tense atmosphere.

His voice carried across the empty space, directed toward Orien, whose mind was racing at high speed, calculating countermeasures and contingency plans that might be disrupted by the sudden appearance of an Angel.

[Did you summon this gate..?]

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