년 만에 귀환한 대마도사

낙하산
BOOK 9

Frey took the scroll and left the Jun family residence.

He then headed to a place called ‘Kusman’, one of the cities in the Kastkau Empire. In
truth, it was a small town not quite large enough to be called a city, but Frey didn’t
care about that.

“…”

After he arrived in this quiet city surrounded by darkness, Frey stood in place, as
though he’d been nailed to the spot.

When he thought about the people staying there and what he was about to tell them,
he somehow couldn’t muster the determination to walk forward.

But he couldn’t delay it. It was still early dawn, but there were many things that had
to be done.

Therefore, he looked for traces of mana.

The ones he was looking for were evading the Imperial family’s pursuit. And as he
expected, it took him a moment to find a faint trace in front of the entrance to an
alley.

It was a messy, narrow place.

It was an illusion.

Frey walked forward, slowly walking through the barrier placed there.
He immediately found himself in an area brightly lit by lanterns, and he was covered
by a warm feeling as the faint scent of chemicals drifted past his nose.

It looked like a Wizard’s workshop.

“…Rounder Frey?”

A surprised voice called out to him.

It was Honor Gisellan, who had been standing at the side. He stared at Frey with
wide eyes, obviously not expecting his arrival.

“Why are you here?”

Eizek was also there.

Frey held back a sigh.

Then, with a heavy expression, he said.

“I’m sorry.”

***

It was with a heavy heart that Frey left Kusman.

They didn’t blame him. Maybe they didn’t have the energy to.

They simply sat and cried.

Frey didn’t comfort them.

He didn’t think he deserved to do that.

Instead, he handed Beniang’s body over to them and left.

“…I was irresponsible.”

With a thought, he headed over to the Amakan Desert. There, he found a young girl
on the desolate sandy ground.
She was laying on her back, looking up at the sky.

“Dawn in the desert is very cold.”

Frey nodded.

“You must have been cold.”

“A little, but it was faint.”

The girl rolled her eyes slightly before turning to Frey.

“I thought you didn’t come back because you forgot.”

“There were a few urgent matters I had to deal with.”

“Did you resolve them?”

“…most of them.”

The moment she heard that, her expression changed.

“What happened?”

“…”

Frey didn’t answer.

Anastasia rose up from the ground with a strange expression. Her limbs that had
been cut off had regenerated a while ago.

“Who died?”

Those words caused a bitter chuckle to come out of Frey. He’d chosen the wrong
person to pretend to.

This girl in front of him was probably the person who had the best understanding of
Frey in the world.

He nodded slowly and said.

“Beniang died.”

Beniang Argento. The Circle Master of the Trowman Rings who had carried on the
Great Mage Lukas Trowman’s legacy.

Anastasia didn’t know much about her, except for what she’d heard from Frey.

“It might feel new now. But this isn’t the first time we’ve been through this.”

Frey didn’t know how many comrades they had lost since the start of the war,
because he knew it was foolish to keep count.

“Beniang was special to you.”

Frey nodded again.

“Right. She could have become my disciple.”

Had things worked out a little better, she would have. It was only then that Frey
realised the biggest feeling was feeling at that moment—a sense of loss.

“It wasn’t your fault. Don’t blame yourself, Lukas.”

As she said this, Anastasia closed her eyes.

“You don’t have to bear the sadness. Never forget their sacrifice. But there is
something more important than that.”

“…never getting used to it.”

“Right.”

Never growing accustomed towards the death of your comrades. To live a human,
you had to always feel angry, sad and regretful towards their deaths.

You had to continue fighting passionately and living every day.

“Bury it in your chest and stand up. As always.”

It was a rough form of consolation. But Frey felt a faint tightness in his chest at those
seemingly insignificant words.

In truth, Anastasia’s words were more like advice than comfort. This had happened a
lot in the past, and although he didn’t want to think about it, it would probably
happen in the future as well.

‘You wouldn’t be able to prevent it every time. Don’t get used to blaming yourself.’

Too much self-criticism would wear away at one’s resolve, and one would eventually
begin fearing the struggle.

Frey knew this.

However, there were times when one needed to hear someone else say something,
even if it was something one already knew. And it was even better if that person was
a close friend, for example, one’s lifelong friend.

After managing to turn the mood around, Anastasia opened her mouth and said in a
cheerful voice.

“That’s enough of the cheesy stuff. What are we going to do now?”

“Go to Hitume Ikar.”

“Hitume Ikar?”

“Before that…”

Frey told Anastasia what he’d learned from Dro. When she heard everything, she
nodded and said.

“Hmm. So this is a good opportunity. That’s why we have to head to that island
country. To get rid of Ananta’s Apostle.”

“But it’s a bit difficult to enter the country. It is very closed off.”

“They have a national isolation policy?”

That wasn’t exactly the case, but it was pretty similar. So Frey nodded before
unfurling the scroll he received from Shepard.
“What’s that?”

“Ways to enter the country.”

There were a total of three methods listed in the scroll.

The first was to obtain an entry permit.

After reading the process for this method, Anastasia frowned and said.

“We can’t do this one.”

“Right. The screening process is too demanding, and it takes a very long time.”

Even the fastest case still required a month. Naturally, Frey did not have that much
time at his disposal.

So they quickly skipped past that method and checked the next one.

The second was to be invited as guests by the royalty or nobles of Hitume Ikar.

‘This is the method Jekid used.’

Since the Lucid Swords had a branch in Hitume Ikar, they naturally had members
from there as well.

“Do you have any acquaintances who could help us?”

“I don’t. Hmm… no. Wait a minute.”

The Orc Shaman from Paragon suddenly appeared in Frey’s mind. The sorcery she’d
displayed at that time had left an impression on him.

‘However, Paragon is also busy at the moment.’

They wouldn’t have the time to lend a hand.

It was also not a confirmation that she was from Hitume Ikar simply because she
could use sorcery, so that method was also put aside.
This meant that there was only one method left.

Anastasia’s eyes naturally turned to the last part of the scroll.

“Obtain permission from the Great Medium.”

Anastasia grinned.

“Wouldn’t this one be easy since we’re all comrades?”

The Great Mage couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the Great Sage’s words.

“That was a terrible joke.”

“Huhu. Don’t be a stick in the mud! It was quite funny.”

When he heard this answer, Frey felt like he suffered a bit of a loss. So he thought
about something that could ruin her mood and said.

“I don’t think I should be saying this now, but it seems your tone is becoming more
and more feminine.”

The effect was exactly as he hoped.

Anastasia’s face became extremely pale.

***

Hitume Ikar was a religious country.

They worshiped a god named ‘Dauns’ who was said to be the god of creation who
controlled fate, mysticism and life.

Of course, this was a bit of a troubling factor for Frey, who always associated the
word ‘god’ with the Demigods.

More importantly, Frey was an atheist. However, the Great Medium was said to be
guided by god and followed his will.

So he would have to respect her beliefs to an extent.

“I’ll go with you.”

It was Ivan who spoke.

Frey glanced at him.

He had given his answer immediately after Frey informed the group about the trip to
meet the Great Medium.

“Did you receive some clues from the three treasures?”

“Right. It’s fine since I can do it anywhere. I think it would be better to get some fresh
air now.”

Frey then turned to look at Snow.

“What about you?”

“I will focus on my training for the time being.”

“Me too.”

Nix cautiously agreed with her opinion.

Frey didn’t intend to force them. Rather, he would have refused if they really did
choose to go.

It would be better for those two to absorb Agni’s crystal as fast as possible and focus
on mastering their divine power.

The next person Frey turned to was Isaka.

“I think I’ll stop by the Blake family residence.”

“Why there?”

“Didn’t you say Heinz was looking over the family on his own? I’m worried.”

Frey frowned at the unexpectedly fatherly words. But the words that followed were
even more unbelievable.
“Heinz is smart, but he has no experience and is too inflexible in his thinking. So I
will help him. I think we need to improve our awkward relationship.”

Aside from a slightly strange feeling, Isaka’s judgement was actually quite good.

The man in front of him had been Leyrin’s puppet, but he’d also been the head of a
great noble family for decades.

He wasn’t sure how Heinz would respond to Isaka, but his guidance was certainly
necessary in order for the family to progress smoothly.

Moreover, it was more reliable to make use of experience rather than intelligence or
knowledge when it came to evading the Imperial family’s pursuit.

“Then it’s decided.”

The people heading to Hitume Ikar were Frey, Anastasia, Ivan, and Dro.

“…”

Nora simply watched from the side without saying a word. Perhaps it was because of
her mood, but her empty sleeve seemed to look even more empty.

Ivan’s eyes turned to her.

“At your age, it’s best to retire. Think of this as a good opportunity, Master.”

“Even if I just have one arm, I can still smash your skull.”

“…why did you have to say that…”

When she heard Ivan’s soft complaint, Nora smiled.

“Thank you, Ivan. Really.”

“Please leave everything to me.”

Anastasia opened a map.

Then, with her slender, white finger, she pointed to an island in the east.
“This is Hitume Ikar… By the way, how exactly are we going to meet the Great
Medium? Don’t we need a permit to even enter the country?”

“The Great Medium doesn’t live on the island.”

Anastasia’s expression became a bit strange.

“She lives outside?… On the continent?”

“No. She lives on an island called ‘Lesha’ located between Hitume Ikar and the
continent. It is said that that’s where the Great Medium has always lived.”

Snow tilted her head.

“Isn’t she the leader of the country? Why would she stay in such a place?”

“Because the title ‘Great Medium’ has a more symbolic meaning. She has neither
power nor influence. I heard that she had special abilities, but I don’t know how she
is treated by the country.”

At Isaka’s explanation, Snow nodded.

She seemed to understand that the Great Medium was a concept similar to the Elven
Queen.

“Do you need to prepare anything to meet her?”

“Not really.”

“What do you mean?”

“I heard that anyone with hostile intentions would not even be able to find the
Island. And only those that the Great Medium wants to meet will find the path.”

“Sounds like a legend.”

“Hmph. The more unbelievable the rumors, the less the truth is worth.”

Ivan snorted loudly, and Frey agreed with him.

Isaka shook his head.

“The Great Medium has lived for over 200 years. Nevertheless, she remains so young
and beautiful that everyone who saw her could only compliment her. It’s possible
that she’s not human.”

Anastasia laughed at those words.

“200 years. Compared to us, she’s still a newborn. Isn’t that right, Lukas?”

At that moment, it was as if time had come to a stop.

“Aht!”

Anastasia hurriedly covered her mouth with both hands.

However, it was impossible for her to take back the words that had already been
said.

Everyone there knew. Despite having the appearance of a young girl, Anastasia was
one of the heroes from 4,000 years ago, the Great Sage.

That was why her words couldn’t be dismissed as a slip of the tongue.

“By Lukas… do you mean Lukas Trowman?”

“Why would the name of the Great Mage suddenly pop up?”

“No. Wait a minute… No way…”

As everyone turned their eyes to Frey, Anastasia said.

“…uh. Sorry.”

Frey covered his face with his palm.

 ***

Frey sighed and looked around.

Fortunately, the only people in the room were those whom he trusted.

It was a bit uncomfortable to have Isaka there as the man had once been an enemy,
but it couldn’t be denied that he’d risked his life in the battle against Agni. He
couldn’t hold a bias against him forever.

“It’s as that idiot said.”

Anastasia scratched her cheek sheepishly at Frey’s harsh words. Nevertheless, she
was aware of her mistake.

After a while, Nora spoke carefully.

“Then…”

“Right.”

“…”

At first, there was silence again after he answered the unasked question.

Of course, this was a natural reaction. After all, this wasn’t something easy to accept.

Or at least that’s what Frey thought.

“I knew you were hiding a secret…”

“No way, you’re really the Great Mage.”

“I see. Now I understand your absolutely ridiculous growth rate.”

Unexpectedly, it seemed that everyone accepted it quite easily.

Frey felt that he should have briefly explained what happened so that they’d
understand.
“4,000 years ago, I was defeated in a fight against Lord and was trapped in the
Abyss.”
After a while, Frey finished talking.

Then Snow, who had been silent for a while, said.

“…Um. So Frey, should I call you Mr. Lukas?”

“You don’t have to.”

“Um. Under… stood.”

Snow tried to act like usual, but it was obvious that she was a little uncomfortable.

This was natural.

After all, she was talking to the greatest of the heroes over the past 4,000 years.
Called the Pioneer and Father of Magical Science, the only person in history to ever
be given the title ‘Great Mage’.

Lukas’ reputation and prestige had even been pounded into her, who was focused on
swordsmanship. That was why it wasn’t easy even for her, a noble elf queen, to speak
informally to him.

“4,000 years. It must have been really boring. You really suffered, Frey.”

“…”

Snow couldn’t help but look at Ivan in shock. The others were the same.

Ivan had the same attitude as before he heard the story. And it seemed he didn’t even
realise what he’d done as he made a strange expression when he saw their gazes.

“What are you looking at?!”

“…nothing. I’m just praising your insensitivity.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“Something like that.”

“Hmm.”

When Ivan nodded as though he found her answer satisfactory, Anastasia couldn’t
help but burst out laughing.

“Haha! This guy is fantastic! I like him!”

Frey cleared his throat and opened his mouth.

“…you don’t need to think of me as Lukas. I don’t even want such treatment. The
most important thing right now is for us to find a boat and head to our destination.”

Everyone nodded.

If anyone else had claimed to be Lukas Trowman, they would’ve scoffed at him.
However, they had all been long curious about Frey’s calmness, behaviour, and
speech that didn’t match his age.

In addition to that, the words of Anastasia, who had Schweiser’s memories, added
credibility to the statement.

Of course, they might not all have been completely convinced, but they decided to be
quiet. They had already received enough answers for the day.

***

The next day, they headed to Hitume Ikar.

Ivan looked at the others while packing food for himself.

“Aren’t you guys going to pack your own food? I’m not going to share even a single
bean.”

“Unfortunately, Golems don’t need food.”

“My body is similar to the Golem’s.”

Dro muttered, looking down at his hand.

Ivan’s eyes turned to Frey.

“I already put them in my bag.”

He also didn’t need to eat food, but he decided to hide this fact for now.

Ivan nodded unconcernedly.

They then gathered in a clearing in the Trowman Rings’ hideout.

Frey took out a map and said.

“The closest city to Hitume Ikar is ‘Genix’. It belongs to the ‘Prima Kingdom’ and is a
port city. We should be able to get a boat from there to Lesha.”

“Can’t we fly over?”

Ivan’s question was natural, but Frey shook his head.

“If we do that, they’d be alerted. The best method would be to go by ship.”

“Hmm.”

“Let’s head over first.”

Shuk.

As he said that, Frey used Warp to take the group to a forest near Genix.

Anastasia looked around and said.

“Luka-… Frey, have you been here before? It seems you already had an idea of the
coordinates.”

“I came here yesterday at dawn.”

“You prepared quite thoroughly. But how?”

“I flew.”

After giving that brief answer, Frey turned and began walking towards Genix.

“Ivan, do you have identification?”

“I have a Mercenary badge.”

“What’s your rank?”

“A.”

If Ivan really wanted to, it would have been no problem for him to obtain an S rank
or higher badge, but he didn’t seem too interested in increasing his rank.

As an A rank Mercenary, he had sufficient authority to vouch for three other people,
including Frey.

Although Frey had a mercenary card of his own, he did not feel the need to use
illusion magic.

However, it was much easier to pass the checks than Frey initially expected. More
precisely, no checks were done.

A guard was standing outside the city gates, but he simply glanced at Frey and the
others for a moment before lifting the bottle in his hand to his mouth once again.

“This is too lax. Are all the cities in the Prima Kingdom like this?”

“I don’t think so.”

Nevertheless, the strange feeling only intensified the deeper they got into the city of
Genix. It was as though no energy could be found in the city.

“It doesn’t feel like a port city.”

Frey agreed with Ivan’s murmur.

Although it wasn’t as much as the Kastkau Empire, Luanoble Kingdom, or Silkid, it
seemed that this place had been affected by the Demigods.

First, they headed to the docks. There weren’t many boats settled on the pier.

Frey called out to a nearby sailor.

“Excuse me.”

A middle-aged man with a sleepy expression turned to look at Frey and asked in a
blunt tone.

“…what do you want?”

“Are there any boats heading to Lesha?”

“The Island of the Great Medium?”

“That’s right.”

“Hmm. Unfortunately, there aren’t any boats sailing anymore.”

Frey tilted his head at those.

“Did something happen?”

“A sea monster appeared. It’s wreaking havoc on the area.”

“Is it the Kraken?”

This was the name of the sea monster known as the Disasters of the Seas, but the
middle-aged sailor shook his head.

“The Kraken doesn’t live in such shallow waters.”

“Then…”

“It’s a sea snake.”

“A Sea Serpent?”
“Mm… it looks similar to that, but…”

The man furrowed his brows before sighing.

“…it’s probably not. I’ve never seen a two headed Sea Serpent destroy a ship in all my
decades on the sea. Plus, it could breathe fire, and its body was large enough to reach
the clouds. Huhu. You probably think I’m talking nonsense.”

After saying this, the middle aged man laughed.

“After all, it’s a monster that shouldn’t exist.”

Frey seemed to think of something as he removed the map from his bag.

“When did the monster first appear?”

“About a month ago.”

“…”

A month ago. Then how did the Lucid Swords avoid this place?

Was there another way to get to Hitume Ikar other than traveling by ship?

Frey looked at the middle-aged man again, deciding to not think about his previous
question any longer.

“Can you tell me where the sea snake appears?”

“No matter which route you choose, it’s impossible to completely avoid it. All the sea
that you can see from this port is part of its territory.”

“That’s fine. Please tell me.”

The middle aged man gave Frey a strange look before drawing a line on the map with
his finger.

“Here, I’m not sure if this will help you.”

Frey’s eyes shined slightly.

He humbly gave the man his gratitude before turning and showing the map to
Anastasia. Then, he pointed out the sea snake’s territory according to what the man
told him.

“Look at this.”

“I’m looking.”

“Do you feel anything?”

“Uh. I feel that this is excellent parchment paper.”

Frey sighed.

Anastasia chuckled softly before saying.

“I’m kidding. Right. The sea snake’s territory is a bit strange.”

“Is it? I can’t tell.”

Ivan tilted his head as he looked at the map, but Anastasia was right.

Frey turned to look at the coastline.

“It seems to be protecting Hitume Ikar.”

“Two heads and a huge body said to reach the sky. My guess is that it’s a Demigod.”

“It has their stench.”

A Demigod was blatantly protecting Hitume Ikar.

This fact alone increased the probability that Hitume Ikar had some kind of deal with
the Demigods.

“Maybe we’ll be able to get some clues about that Jenta guy from him.”

“To do that, we’ll have to hide our identities. If he hides in the sea, it will be difficult
to find him.”
If they knew that Frey was the one who wiped out Agni, then it was very likely that
the Demigod would hide if he appeared. In other words, the option to fly to Lesha
had become even more difficult.

“Then we’ll need to take a boat.”

“Didn’t the guy say that no boats are sailing?”

“Then we’ll just have to buy one.”

“Do you have money?”

“Of course.”

Frey removed a gem from his back.

Anastasia’s eyes narrowed.

“This gem seems pretty familiar. Is it just me?”

“Probably. Most gems look similar.”

“Haha. Is that so?”

The expression Anastasia, who had been laughing a moment ago, suddenly froze.

No matter how she looked at it, it was definitely one of the gems from her dungeon.

“…ca-, calm down… put that back. You don’t know what kind of treasure that gem is.
It’s a natural esoteric gemstone that was hand-carved with the best magical
engraving techniques. Those sailors who spent their entire lives at sea would never
know the true value of such an item.”

“Alright. I’m going to get a ship.”

After saying that, Frey went and bought an old medium-sized ship before returning.

Then he gave Anastasia the change.

“…”
He ignored Anastasia, who was shaking with her head bowed, and boarded the ship.
But they couldn’t leave right away.

Frey, Ivan, nor Anastasia had any knowledge when it came to sailing a ship, and
naturally, Dro was the same.

It would only be a short voyage, but they would still need a navigator.

Frey searched for someone willing to go with them but didn’t have any luck. Then, a
young, brown-skinned man spoke to him.

“Old man Frank is the only sailor who would willingly leave this port now.”

“Frank?”

“The old man sitting on the beach over there.”

Following his finger, Frey saw the middle-aged man who’d first explained the
situation to him.

“Every day, he sits there staring at the sea, thinking about all the troubles that have
happened recently.”

“…”

“In any case, you can try to persuade him.”

Frey nodded before walking over to Frank.

“Excuse me.”

“…do you want to ask something else?”

His tone was still as blunt as before.

Frey shook his head.

“We have to go to Lesha. I was told that you are an excellent sailor, so may I ask you
to guide us?”
“…well. I am the best sailor left in Genix.”

Although it was said in a soft tone, there was unmistakable pride in his voice. Then
he looked at Frey’s clothes as he thought about something.

“Did you say you’re going to Lesha? Hmm… if you use a longer route… we might be
able to avoid the sea snake. If we’re lucky. Of course, that doesn’t change the fact that
it’s a dangerous voyage and I’m risking my life.”

Frey didn’t tell him that his purpose was to meet the sea snake. Instead, he watched
as Frank hesitated before continuing.

“How much money can you give me?”

“How much do you want?”

“…30 gold. N-, no. 20 gold… If you give me just 15 gold, I’ll get on your ship.”

Frey went back to Anastasia, collected 30 gold, and gave it to Frank.

When he saw this, Frank’s eyes shook.

“O-, oh my God, thank you…”

“…?”

Frank shed tears while looking at Frey’s puzzled expression.

“M-, my daughter is sick. But because of the treatment cost, I would have needed to
give up…”

Frank wrapped his rough hands around Frey’s.

“Thank you so much. You are my benefactor…”

Frey shook his head.

“I have paid you to do a job. What you need to do isn’t express your gratitude but
safely take the ship to the destination.”
“Of course I will! With my pride, I could take you to the other side of the continent
without a scratch.”

After saying this with a firm expression, Frank boarded the boat after a few
preparations.

“But how did you manage to get a boat? No smart person would lend their boat out
with the sea snake around.”

“I bought one.”

“…I, I see.”

Frey looked at him with a perplexed expression.

Then Frank said he’d need a few more sailors since the boat was larger than he
expected.

This was natural. After all, it was impossible for him to control a boat of this size on
his own.

“How are you going to get the sailors?”

“I know some people. My friends all know my navigation skills, so as long as I am at

the helm, they won’t mind coming aboard… as long as you’re willing to pay, of
course.”

“Please.”

When Frank left, Dro walked over to Frey.

He looked into the sea and muttered softly.

“You are right. I can sense a strong divine power here.”

“Are you sure it’s a Demigod’s?”

“Right. But I don’t think that’s all.”

Dro placed his hand over the left side of his chest before continuing.
“I can feel the presence of my people in this sea.”
The Great Medium opened her eyes earlier than usual.

“…”

As she sat up, her long, ebony hair flowed down, covering her face.

The Great Medium swept her hair roughly to the side, lost in her thoughts.

It had been a long time since she’d received a revelation.

This wasn’t a problem. But this time, the revelation was too short and vague.

The representative. The person who would stand tall and prevent the end of the
world. The last fighter.

“…Dauns, what role do you want this girl to play?” (TL: she addresses herself in a
similar manner to Snow)

The Great Medium muttered softly as she got up from her seat.

“Jose.”

“Did you call for me, my lady?”

Only a voice could be heard.

After a brief silence, the Great Medium continued.

“Guests will be coming soon, so make preparations.”

The eyes of Jose, who was standing outside, lit up.

This meant the visitors who were coming should not be mistreated but treated as
guests.

“As you command.”

Jose’s presence disappeared, and the Great Medium let out a sigh.

It was annoying, but she had to accept the revelation.

She opened a window.

Then, as she looked at the wide horizon and smelled the scent of the sea, she
couldn’t but think.

‘He will soon appear on that horizon.’

The mysterious representative from her revelation.

***

“By your kind… do you mean a Dragon?”

“Right.”

Dro said that he wasn’t the Dragon Lord. Nevertheless, he still described the
presence of the Dragon that he felt there as his kind.

Of course, that wasn’t important at that moment.

Frey thought about Hector’s words.

At that time, Hector had said that there were basically no more Dragons left on the
continent, and Frey agreed with him. They were practically extinct.

However, Dro was now saying that he could sense the presence of a Dragon there.
Together with a Demigod’s divine power.

“…”

It was possible that there was some kind of secret hidden in the small sea.
“Can you track it?”

“I don’t know. This is my first time experiencing something like this. But… if we get
close enough, I think I’d be able to find it.”

That was enough for now.

It was possible that the Dragon was hiding because of the Demigod nearby.

‘If Dro can feel the Dragon’s presence, then it’s possible that the Dragon can also feel
his presence.’

Regardless, if they attacked the Demigod, the Dragon was bound to respond in some
way.

By the time Frey finished thinking about this, Frank returned. With him were seven
sailors who had agreed to accompany them.

When Frey tried to take out the money to pay them, Frank stopped him.

“Ah. I will handle their payment.”

“You will?”

“…You gave me too much money.”

Frey shook his head firmly when Frank said those words.

“It is a fair price for your work. We already calculated your wages, so you don’t need
to worry about that.”

“But…”

“End of story.”

Frey then ignored him and went to pay the other sailors.

Frank looked at him and muttered bitterly.

“He’s so stubborn…”
 ***

It was said that the trip to Lesha would take a week.

If they had headed there directly, it would have only taken three days, but since they
were taking a route to avoid the sea snake, it inevitably took longer.

However, even if they were to take the longer route, there was no guarantee that they
would be able to evade the sea snake.

If it was really a Demigod, then it would attack this ship without a doubt.

Frey had been gently scattering mana since the ship had first set sail. It was like
gently waving a rat tail in front of a cat.

‘If it’s really a Demigod, then it won’t be able to resist this bait.’

If it ignored the bait, this meant that it was nothing more than a simple monster and
he would no longer have to pay any attention to it. He could just get rid of it on his
way back after finishing his business.

“The weather is so good. The waves are calm. Originally, such weather would have
created a lot of jobs.”

“If it wasn’t for that snake bastard…”

“Well. Even without it, the current situation in the continent isn’t too good.”

“Rather, it can be said that the sea is still safer than land.”

This was the conversation between the sailors.

It was ordinary people like these who were the most terrified by the Demigods’
appearance. For them, the Demigods were like an unidentified horror.

The circulating rumors were so unbelievable that they sounded extremely

exaggerated. Nevertheless, these rumors continued to spread.

Unknowingly, their anxiety was steadily being amplified, so if they did actually
encounter the Demigods in the future, their will would be broken right away.
Of course, Frey didn’t have any intention of blaming them. Very few people chose to
continue fighting after personally witnessing the Demigods’ power.

Frey turned to look at Ivan.

He was probably the most bored out of everyone on this sea journey. He was
standing on the deck, fiddling with the Gale Necklace while wearing all three of
Kasajin’s artifacts.

“Did you get any results?”

Ivan shook his head as Frey approached him, saying.

“A little. I can at least see why they’re called the three treasures. All three of them
must be collected before they can show their true worth.”

“Worth?”

“Would you like to see it?”

When Frey nodded, Ivan furrowed his eyebrows. Frey realised he was injecting his
mana into the three artifacts.

After a while, a slight hum seemed to be coming from the Giant’s Belt, Tiger King’s
Gloves, and Gale Necklace.

Paht.

“…”

Frey forgot how to talk for a moment.

Then he murmured in a shocked voice.

“…Kasajin?”

“Hmm. Since the Great Mage himself confirmed it, I guess this guy really is Kasajin.”

Ivan seemed to have still had some doubts whether the phantom of the man that
appeared was Kasajin.
It was a man with short hair and fierce eyes, who seemed to exude pressure similar
to a mountain.

It was Kasajin without a doubt.

“…”

Kasajin suddenly took a stance. Then he took a deep breath and slowly stretched out
his fist.

It was a gentle and fluid motion. But he wasn’t just giving a fist bump.

“Warrior King Fist.”

Kasajin’s phantom was personally demonstrating the Warrior King Fist that he’d
created.

Ivan didn’t speak. Unknowingly, his eyes had become fixated upon Kasajin. In fact, it
looked like he was trying to devour Kasajin’s image.

Frey liked the look in his eyes. And Kasajin would have probably, too.

If he was still alive, he would have definitely taken Ivan in as his disciple.

Frey left Ivan to concentrate and returned to his room.

Four days passed.

Until then, the voyage had been smooth. During this trip, Frey mostly stayed on the
deck.

Like the previous days, this day was calm, and he spent it having conversations with
Anastasia, Ivan, or Frank.

Krrrr.

However, just as the sun was about to set, he felt an unusual tremor. Something was
approaching the ship from below.

Frey was the first to realise this.

Ivan and Anastasia rushed onto the deck while Frank hurriedly gave orders to the
sailors.

“Unfurl the sails!”

The sailors moved perfectly to follow the order.

Frank looked nervous.

He must have seen the sea snake rushing towards the ship. It was possible that he
felt that he might have taken the wrong course and was ashamed.

Seeing this made Frey feel a bit guilty, but there were more important things to deal
with at that moment.

Roar…

The waves shook heavily, and the ship listed(1) violently. The sails fluttered as if they
had encountered a fierce typhoon.

The sailors tumbled across the deck a few times before they were able to latch onto
the mast like bugs.

Suddenly, something emerged from the sea.

It was the sea snake.

Although that was what Frank called it, it looked more like a Drake or a similar
subspecies than a snake. With bright blue scales, bright yellow eyes, and gleaming
teeth, it wouldn’t have been wrong to call it a Sea Dragon.

Now that he could see it in person, Frey could definitely tell from its divine power. As
he’d expected, it was a Demigod.

However… that wasn’t all.

Frey couldn’t help but feel that something was off.

[Are you the ones traveling through my sea without permission? While sloppily and
ignorantly spreading your mana at that.]
The Demigod spoke.

It wasn’t strong. At best, it was as strong as or weaker than Milled.

Compared to Agni or even Norn, it was not strong at all.

With his current strength, it would be quite simple for Frey to get rid of this
Demigod. Nevertheless, he didn’t release his divine magic power to get rid of it.

[Kuku. Are you afraid? Right. I should have expected this much. Don’t worry, you
won’t feel any pain. Your bodies won’t even get stuck in this body’s teeth.]

It had a very strange way of speaking.

It reminded Frey more of Torkunta than of a Demigod.

Frey suppressed these doubts and said.

“I heard you had two heads.”

Immediately afterwards, his body moved, floating up in front of the Demigod.

“Crazy…”

“Th-, that…”

Frank and the other crew members watched this sight with shocked gazes.

It was only at that moment when they realised Frey was a Wizard, but they didn’t
have the energy to rejoice.

After all, it seemed that Frey would get swallowed in one bite.

“Reveal your other head.”

Frey spoke calmly.

This was where the strange feeling was coming from.

[You’re out of your mind.]

The Demigod opened its mouth as though it had heard something absurd. Then,
flames poured up from its throat.

Now that he thought about it, Frank did say that the sea snake could breathe fire.

Just as Frey was about to cast a spell, a man shot up from the deck.

It was Ivan.

Ivan’s fist struck the Demigod’s chin heavily.

Crack!

[Kuk!]

The Demigod’s mouth closed with a heavy sound, and the flames that it was about to
spew out leaked through its clenched teeth.

The flames from its own stomach were burning it.

It was a very effective attack.

Unlike Frey’s calm observation, the Demigod’s anger was intense.

It glared down at Ivan with eyes that seemed to drip with rage.

[You… you worm!]

Ivan cracked his knuckles.

“If you want to spit flames, then you should go live on the land instead of in the sea.”

[Shut up!]

The Demigod screamed.

At that moment, the sea surged and the second head emerged.

The moment he saw this head, Frey realised the reason for his strange feeling. At the
same time, another question was answered.
“…”

A sea snake with two heads.

That was the impression that most of the sailors, including Frank, had.

The second head also looked like a Dragon’s, but it was different. It was completely
different.

The second head wasn’t a sea dragon’s or a serpent’s. It wasn’t even a Demigod’s.

This difference was clear to Frey.

This Demigod’s second head was a Dragon. A Dragon whom Frey knew.

Even if he couldn’t tell the difference between other Dragons, this was the one
Dragon whom Frey would always be able to recognise.

It was the head of Green Dragon Isolla. His teacher.

[Ku… uu… uuhh…]

The cracking voice was like a terrible sound coming from a corpse. It was clear that
this head didn’t have any intelligence.

Its ego had already disappeared. It was basically a zombie.

Frey realised.

Transplantation.

Did they transplant a Dragon’s body to a Demigod and then reshape it? Was
something like that possible?

“What on earth did you do?”

Frey’s voice trembled slightly

The Demigod laughed loudly at that, believing he was trembling in fear.

[Huhaha! You think I’ll tell you? Die!]

“…”

At first, Frey had no intention of killing this Demigod. However, he now had even
more of a reason to keep him alive.

He had to find out why this Demigod was wearing his teacher’s head no matter what.

It was then.

“I will help too.”

It took Frey a moment to realise it was Dro’s voice.

This was because there was a strange emotion in his usually emotionless voice.

It was only when he turned to look at him that he realised what it was. Dro’s face was
clouded by indescribable rage.

This caused him to wonder about Dro’s true identity once again, but he shook his
head.

“You can’t kill him.”

“I know.”

[Kuhaha!]

The Demigod laughed even harder.

He didn’t realise now that most of the Demigods, including Lord, were in the Demon
World, these two people standing before him were among the top five strongest
beings on the continent.

(Note:

1. To list is to lean over to one side, typically because of a leak, unbalanced cargo, or
heavy waves.)
It was less than 10 minutes after the fight.

Frey felt a deep sense of incongruity, and in the next moment, he stopped moving.

[…sp-, spare me.]

The Demigod bowed his head and begged. Its big eyes were filled with tears.

Frey recalled his divine magic power.

The sea snake was strong. Especially underwater, it was an invincible being.

Unfortunately, it had met the wrong opponents this time.

The power Frey used the most was Indra’s lightning. By itself, the lightning was
already incredibly strong, but the effect was amplified exponentially since the sea
snake was covered in water.

The power Dro displayed was equally as amazing.

This was the first time Frey saw him fight.

‘He uses the power of Dragons as if it was his own.’

It wasn’t just Dragontongue. He was also very skillful when it came to the use of his
Dragon Fear.

His spells were excellent, and he always knew the best times to make use of the
spirits.

Frey couldn’t help but wonder if he really wasn’t the Dragon Lord.

Anastasia, who was watching the fight from the ship, couldn’t help but laugh.
“This guy is really strange. Is that something a Demigod would say?”

“I don’t think it is.”

“What?”

“This isn’t a Demigod.”

This creature’s divine power was comparable to a Demigod’s. Its combat strength
was also astonishing.

Nevertheless, it wasn’t a Demigod.

Perhaps he heard Frey because the sea snake began nodding quickly.

[R-, right. I’m not a Demigod.]

“Then what are you?”

[I am Neptunus.]

“You stupid snake bastard. Who asked for your name?”

When Ivan shouted in anger, Neptunus shuddered.

[Uhh…]

“Explain properly.”

Although Frey tried to speak calmly, the sight of his teacher’s head in such a
miserable manner made his voice grow cold.

Neptunus spoke even faster and in a more frightened manner than when he was
threatened by Ivan.

[I, I was originally a sea serpent.]

“You’re too large. Are you a mutant?”

He said that while thinking about Torkunta.

Neptunus nodded.

[You can say that, yes. I was much stronger than the others.]

“…”

[I was originally in the great ocean. I had a fairly large territory there.]

“Get to the point.”

[…o-, one day, a Demigod appeared. It was a woman with grey hair. She looked like a
human at first, but I soon realised she wasn’t.]

A grey-haired woman. Leyrin.

Frey frowned.

“Then?”

[I was overcome with fear and attacked her. But I lost without her even lifting a
finger. When I regained consciousness, I was in a dark place and my body was bound
to a platform. And every now and then… I would feel terrible pain.]

Neptunus’ body shook.

[The pain of my scales being pulled out or of my flesh being cut… or of my guts being
pulled out… I was never afraid of pain, but that was an exception. There were
hundreds of times when I thought it would be better to just die, but she never let
that happen. Then, at some point, the pain ended and my body became like this…]

He turned to the head of Isolla, Frey’s teacher, which was attached to his body.

[The grey haired woman gave me many orders, and I had no choice but to follow
them. If I even thought of defying her for even a moment, my head would hurt like
hell. The last order I received was to sink all the ships headed to Hitume Ikar.]

Only then did Frey realise what Neptunus was.

He was a lab rat created by Leyrin.

No matter how crazy Leyrin, who created the Blake family bloodline, was, it would
have been impossible for her to fuse the body of a Dragon and a Demigod.

The proud Demigods would never allow impurities to be added to their bodies.

[But not long ago, that woman’s voice, which was always in my head, suddenly
disappeared. I was so delighted, but when I realised it was only partial freedom, I
was sad again.]

Neptunus would never have true freedom unless the Demigods disappeared
completely.

Just as Frey was about to open his mouth.

[Uh, ah, ah…]

Isolla’s head cried out once again.

It was like a whining baby.

“…what are you doing?”

This naturally caused Frey’s voice to become cold once again.

Noticing this, Neptunus hurried to explain.

[I don’t know either. Ever since that woman’s voice in my head disappeared, it
started making these mysterious noises.]

When Frey’s expression became even colder, Neptunus, who seemed to remember
something, added.

[So-, sometimes it sounds like it said the word ‘Lord’.]

“…!”

Frey looked at Isolla’s head once again.

Was he still alive?

Or was it a clue he left just before he died?

After thinking about it for a moment, Frey turned to the others.

“You guys head over to Lesha. I think I need to talk to this guy a bit longer.”

Anastasia’s expression was also one of displeasure.

Although she didn’t notice it immediately like Frey, she eventually recognised the
Dragon’s head.

“…is that really Lady Isolla?”

“Right. I think there might be important clues on him.”

“Understood.”

Ivan then poked Frank, who was still staring dumbly at the sky, with his finger.

“What are you doing? He said go.”

“A-, ahh. Oh, my God. Is this a dream?… w-, who the hell are you people?”

“We’ll explain on the way, so just get the boat moving. Just head straight there.
Without that sea snake, you no longer have anything to be wary of.”

Frank had no choice after hearing Ivan’s rough tone.

In the meantime, Frey landed on Neptunus’ head.

“I am going to take a closer look at your body. Is there anything similar to an island
around here?”

[There’s a rock island nearby.]

“Let’s go there.”

[U-, understood.]

Neptunus nervously nodded at Frey’s words, and before long, they arrived at the
island he spoke about.

[How are you going to… take a closer look at my body?]

“Stay still.”

As he said this, Frey pointed his finger.

“[U-, urk…?]

Neptunus’ entire body slowly rose up from the sea. It was a magnificent sight to
behold, similar to that of an island floating up into the sky.

But Neptunus, the main subject in this scene, couldn’t afford to enjoy his first flight.

‘Wh-, who the hell is this human?’

He felt that he was even more terrifying than the woman who captured him. In fact,
he wasn’t even sure if this man was a human in the first place.

Filled with anxiety and fear, Neptunus wanted to struggle, but he was afraid of Frey’s
gaze, so he felt that it would be best not to.

Meanwhile, Frey was scrutinising Neptunus’ body.

“…”

Seeing it with his own eyes confirmed it for Frey.

The scars on this sea snake’s body were much worse than he thought. It wasn’t just
Isolla’s head.

He had a pair of shabby wings that did not match his enormous size, numerous eyes
embedded in his chest, six legs, and countless patches and stitch marks carved
across his entire body.

‘How many creatures did she splice together?’

Just looking at it allowed him to see the madness of the creator.

If it wasn’t for Neptunus’ strong vitality, he would have died many times over. Instead
of a sea serpent, he should have been called a chimera.

“You, can you use mana?”

[N-, no. I can’t even use divine power at will. I can only use it to strengthen my body.]

Frey looked at Isolla once more.

Isolla was dead. Or she was on the verge of death.

That much was certain.

But it was possible that a faint bit of his ego… still remained. It was just that
Neptunus’ power prevented him from waking up.

“Take a nap.”

[What?]

Boom!

Subsequently, Neptunus felt an intense shock behind his head. His mind was shaken
in an instant.

Just before he lost consciousness, he looked at Frey with a hurt gaze.

[I, I wouldn’t say…]

Neptunus fainted without being able to complete his sentence. His head then
collapsed on the rock island.

Frey looked at Isolla.

Even though Neptunus was unconscious, it was still murmuring. In other words,
Neptunus and Isolla’s egos were not connected.

He touched the head.

He could feel divine power. It was left behind by Leyrin, but she was an Apocalypse.
So the amount of divine power at her disposal was very large.

‘He said that Isolla started murmuring after Leyrin died.’

With her death, most of the divine power in Neptunus’ body disappeared, and Isolla
was able to regain a bit of his consciousness.

So if all of the remaining divine power was removed…

Chch.

He was already able to control divine power as well as he could mana. He’d simply
knocked Neptunus out so that it would be easier.

Thanks to this, in just ten minutes, all the divine power in Neptunus’ body
disappeared.

The next thing he noticed was Neptunus’ heart.

When he was inspecting Neptunus’ body, he had noticed a large number of scars and
stitches on his chest.

And just as he expected…

‘I knew it.’

Neptunus had two hearts. And the heart on the right that was shaking fiercely was,
without a doubt, a Dragon Heart.

This should have been what Dro felt.

Without hesitation, Frey pumped mana into the Dragon Heart. His mana was purer
and denser than even the most mana rich locations on the continent.

Babump!

The Dragon Heart began to beat heavily. Like a traveler who had wandered the
desert for several days before finding an oasis, the Dragon Heart sucked in the mana
like it was drinking water.
Paht.

As soon as the Dragon Heart was filled, Isolla’s murmuring stopped.

After a while, she opened her eyes.

It was not the same as the unfocused eyes from before. There was clearly intelligence
in her eyes.

Frey hesitated before saying.

“…Master?”

[…you are…]

“It’s Lukas.”

This reunion made Frey feel joy and sorrow at the same time. However, there was no
time to think about that.

Isolla blinked before saying.

[Luka-, s? But… Lukas is dead…]

“A lot has happened.

They didn’t have time.

Frey summarised everything to the best of his ability and told her about the
situation.

Isolla seemed to have a hard time believing it at first, but she still listened to Frey.
And when he finished, she let out a long sigh.

[…right. As you said, a lot has happened.]

Isolla’s voice was weak. This made Frey even more sad.

He couldn’t find any traces of the gentle and relaxed expression from the past.
“Who did this to you, Master?”

[…Lord.]

As expected.

Frey grit his teeth. His anger towards Lord had reached new heights at that moment.

[Lukas, we don’t have the time to enjoy our reunion.]

He knew what she was saying was true. It was already a miracle that her
consciousness had persisted for so long.

It wouldn’t be strange if she suddenly died.

[…you said you met someone you suspect to be the Dragon Lord…]

“I’m not sure… do you know him?”

[Of course. I was also an ancient.]

After falling silent for a moment, she spoke again.

[I don’t know the exact identity of that man named Dro. But if he really is the Dragon
Lord, Lukas, you can’t trust him.]

“…why?”

When Frey asked this in a surprised voice, Isolla gave him a shocking answer.

[Because the Demigod Lord and the Dragon Lord were like brothers.]
“That island is Lesha.”

It took about a day for them to arrive.

Ivan looked at the small island that was surrounded by a strange fog.

There was an indescribably mysterious feeling exuded by the island.

“There are many reefs in this area. If you don’t have the Great Medium’s permission,
it is impossible to find the safe path…”

The moment Frank said those words, the fog suddenly began dispersing.

Seeing this, Anastasia muttered contemplatively.

“I guess this is sorcery. It certainly is unique.”

“I think this is the way we are meant to go.”

After following the path surrounded by fog, they reached a small dock.

Frank anchored the ship and turned to Ivan.

“We will wait here.”

“Since you came with us, why don’t you see what the island is like? I feel like I’m
going to be sick if I stay on this boat any longer.”

“Our role is just to guide you. The Great Medium will not allow us to go any further.”

By not allow it, did they mean she’d kick them out?

It was a strange statement, but Ivan nodded, not bothered to persuade them any
further.

“The Great Medium stays at a shrine at the top of the mountain in the middle of the
island.”

“Climbing a mountain. How annoying.”

Ivan scratched his head in annoyance before walking towards the mountain.

Anastasia and Dro followed him.

But they soon stopped.

This was because there were people standing in front of them.

There were two people. A man and a woman.

Ivan looked at the man and narrowed his eyes.

‘That guy’s pretty strong.’

He was so skilled that it was a waste for him to be staying on such a small island.
There weren’t many people as strong as him even in Silkid, the land of Warriors.

Ivan then turned to look at the woman.

The woman was dressed in blue robes and had long, ebony hair. Her face also
seemed to be locked in a perpetually sleepy expression. Just looking at her made one
feel tired.

“Welcome, guests, to Lesha.”

It was the woman who spoke.

Unlike her polite words, her voice was filled with fatigue and annoyance.

It was then Ivan realised that she was the Great Medium.

“Uh, I’m sorry. Can you wait a bit? There’s someone who hasn’t arrived yet.”
The Great Medium tilted her head before shaking it slightly.

“The person whom I foretold is already here. Is that necessary?”

“Huh? Who are you talking about?”

“The candidate for representative.”

The Great Medium muttered then turned to someone.

“It is you. The prophesied being who will have great influence in the end of the
world.”

“…”

Even after receiving the Great Medium’s expectant gaze, Dro didn’t utter a word.

***

Isolla took a deep breath.

She closed her eyes for a moment as if to compose herself before opening them and
continuing with difficulty.

[…while we were fighting the Demigods, I always thought that we were in the right.
However… the more I learned the truth, the more questions arose. It is possible that
the Dragons were not a benevolent race.]

Her voice was heavy.

Frey was curious, but he remained quiet.

He knew that his teacher didn’t have much time. So he wanted her to choose her own
last words.

He felt a renewed sense of helplessness.

The thought that he’d gained absolute power after acquiring the divine magic power
was only an illusion.
‘In the end, I’m just like a Demigod.’

When it came to destroying things, he had gained near omnipotent power, but it was
still impossible to revive a single dying life.

Isolla spoke in a soft voice as though she noticed Frey’s inner turmoil.

[…you said it was that child, Iris, who created Dro.]

“That’s right.”

[I wonder what Iris is thinking. She was deeply frustrated when you disappeared. I
thought she could overcome that darkness, but before I knew it, she fell to Lord.]

“…”

[I don’t know what her intentions are. But one thing I do know is that Lord will do
whatever he can to get his hands on Dro.]

“Yes.”

He knew that, which was part of the reason he kept Dro near.

Isolla was proud to see her disciple’s resolute expression.

Even though an inevitable fight with Lord was rapidly approaching, he did not back
down or waver in the slightest.

She didn’t know when he’d become so reliable.

[You are much stronger than you were in the past. I’m proud to be the teacher who
once guided you. But I… I’m worried that you will forget your humanity.]

“…”

[The important thing is to never forget yourself. You have already reached a stage
where you can no longer be called mortal. So if you take even one step down the
wrong path, you might become a second Lord.]

“I will keep it in mind.”

Frey bowed his head. (TL: I think I should add that Isolla is the only person in the
entire novel that Frey spoke politely to.)

Isolla seemed to smile wistfully for a moment.

[…will I be able to return to nature even though I’ve become like this? Or am I being
too greedy?]

“No. You can be naturalised. Please leave it to me.”

[Huhu. Thank you.]

This time, she laughed happily.

Frey looked at the smiling face of his teacher and couldn’t help but smile.

[…I’m glad I got to see you again, Lukas, my disciple. And I’m truly happy to have
been your teacher, even up to my last moments.]

She closed her eyes slowly.

[Thank you. Thanks to this, dying a second time doesn’t seem so bad…]

Isolla’s voice gradually faded.

Frey bowed once again.

“I wish you eternal rest… Master.”

***

“There’s an intruder.”

Jenta paused.

“Again? These rat bastards… how did they manage to crawl in this time?”

“They have not yet set foot in the country. But it has been confirmed that they went
to meet the Great Medium.”
“They will probably get permission from the Great Medium.”

That damn woman was giving him hell.

Jenta’s expression crumpled.

He really wished he could kill her. The Great Medium had never been of any help to
their cause.

However, she was not easy to handle, even for Jenta.

“Since the fog path was opened, it is believed that they will enter the country soon.”

It was only a feeling, but Jenta felt that these intruders would be much more
troublesome than the previous ones.

‘This is getting more complicated.’

Jenta recalled Ananta’s words.

‘Get out of Hitume Ikar. You won’t be safe there.’

He hadn’t believed it at that time because he didn’t think there would be much
trouble. So naturally, he had disobeyed.

Jenta was filled with regret, but it was already too late.

“Maybe they’re all from the Circle. If they work together, things will become more
troublesome.”

“What are you going to do?”

“We’re going to destroy them before they can gather.”

Jenta’s eyes became cold.

“We have to deal with those who arrived first. Are you ready?”

“Even if you give the orders right now.”

“Good.”

As for the first intruders, they already had an idea of who they were.

The Lucid Swords. One of the Three Great Circles.

The Circle Master, Jekid Deosis, Circle Rounder Hart Lowmind, seven Knights, one
Wizard, and one Shaman from Hitume Ikar.

Jekid was a Knight who had surpassed the Master rank. But Jenta wasn’t afraid of
him.

Chchch.

His dagger began shaking, and sticky poison flowed from his hand to cover it.

Even a Knight who had defense and resistance like an iron fortress would die as soon
as this poison touched him.

Jenta let out a cold laugh.

“I will show those proud Knights just how terrifying Assassins can be.”

***

The room Dro was assigned to had an excellent view of the outside. From it, he could
see the dark sea that seemed to swallow the shore and the soft moonlight and the
scenery of the island, all with a single glance.

It was truly a beautiful and magnificent sight.

It gave Dro a feeling of stability.

The sound of the crashing waves gave him peace. His eyes closed slowly.

Then, he heard a knock on the door.

“Who is it?”

“It’s the Great Medium.”

“…”

Dro hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Come in.”

The Great Medium walked into the room. Unlike before, she was dressed in a white
outfit.

It might have been because of the soft moonlight, but she seemed a bit more pleasing
to look at than when he saw her during the day.

Nevertheless, there was no change in Dro’s expression.

“Do you like the room?”

“I have no feeling towards it.”

“Hmm. You are quite honest.”

The Great Medium nodded with her drowsy expression, staring at Dro.

“Can I have a seat?”

“It seems you have something to talk about.”

“It won’t take long.”

“If you say so.”

The Great Medium sat down in front of Dro. Then she looked at him with eyes that
seemed to be darker than the night sky.

“Do you believe in God?”

“No.”

It was an unexpected question, but Dro answered without hesitation.

The Great Medium continued like it didn’t matter.

“Ah. I see. That’s fine. I also didn’t believe until I became the Great Medium.”

“You speak as though God exists.”

“He exists.”

It was a response filled with confidence.

A slight glint appeared in Dro’s eyes.

“Then what is God doing now?”

“He’s probably doing something so complex that I couldn’t even begin to

understand.”

“Is it so important that he can ignore the chaos on the continent?”

“Huhu. A bad habit that humans have is to only seek God after a disaster. Besides, it’s
not possible to measure God with human standards.”

“…”

“God is absolutely fair. Our painful cries will only sound like complaints to him.”

The Great Medium laughed.

“This will be hard to understand for someone who isn’t even human in the first
place.”

The two stared at each other’s eyes for a moment, and it was Dro who opened his
mouth first.

“You said that I will have a great influence on the end of the world. Did God tell you
that?”

“Yes. I also have something else to tell you.”

Dro looked at the Great Medium intently.

The playful expression that had never left her face before disappeared, and she said
in a serious voice.

“A person will stand tall and prevent the end of the world. The last fighter. The
representative.”

“…”

Dro’s expression, which had barely changed during the entire conversation, changed
at the end. He could feel his heart flutter strangely.

The Great Medium’s eyes shined.

“It seems you felt something because of what I said.”

“…”

“I have no intention of prying. I have already carried out my task. Come to think of it,
you want to enter Hitume Ikar, right? I will send them a message. So you can leave as
early as dawn tomorrow.”

Then, the Great Medium nodded and left the room.

Dro didn’t move even after she left. He sat on the bed with a stiff expression.

“…representative.”

That word caused a ripple to go through his mind.

It felt like he’d forgotten something important. A memory that should not have been
forgotten.

…He tried to remember it.

After a while, a few fragments seemed to emerge in his mind. But it was still not
enough. He needed a decisive ‘chunk’.

“Kuk.”

Dro’s expression twisted painfully.

He was very confused by his identity. Memories slowly began to surface.

He couldn’t help but wonder.

‘Is this ‘me’? Or the ‘Dragon Lord’? Who am I in the first place?’

[Shhh.]

A small voice in his head got rid of the emotional ripples. It was the familiar voice of
Iris.

Dro’s expression once again shifted back to one of expressionlessness.

He scratched his head, confused.

‘What was I just doing?’

Since he couldn’t think of it, it should not have been too important. That was what he
thought.

Dro turned to look outside once again.

-But he no longer felt the serenity he felt when he first saw the scene.
Early the next morning, the Great Medium watched as Ivan and the rest left the
island.

She had already sent a message to Hitume Ikar so they could enter the country.

Nonetheless, the Great Medium couldn’t help but wonder.

‘Is this the end?’

Her role. She had already passed on the revelation that ‘God’ had sent to her.

Nevertheless, she couldn’t help but feel that there was still more for her to do.

It was then.

Jose walked up to her and spoke quietly.

“Great Medium, someone is approaching the island.”

This woke the Great Medium from her thoughts, and she shook her head.

“I have already received those whom I should have. I will not accept any more guests
in Lesha for the time being. Let the fog drive them away.”

“Th-, that…”

Jose’s expression changed as though something shocking happened.

“…the fog… isn’t working.”

“Huh?”

What did this mean?

Were the barriers that had been placed around the island ineffective?

Krrr-

Then they felt a great tremor.

It was the sense of someone breaking into the island with brute force.

The Great Medium then felt a wave of dizziness and stumbled slightly.

“Great Medium!”

“I’m alright.”

However, at that moment, the Great Medium’s expression was more serious than he
had ever seen in his decades working for her.

‘My barriers were broken?’

The Great Medium blinked as she turned to look at the place where she felt the
tremor.

A huge shadow could be seen in the fog. It was the head of an enormous creature
that seemed to want to pierce the sky.

The Great Medium immediately realised whose head it was.

Wasn’t this the large sea snake who had been wandering in the sea around Hitume
Ikar recently?

‘How?’

She knew that this monster was an extraordinary being. However, it was still an
impossible task for it to break through the fog on its own.

Even if it was a Demigod…

But it didn’t take long for the Great Medium to realise that it wasn’t the sea snake
who broke her barriers.
There was someone standing on the sea snake’s head. His grey hair fluttering
violently in the sea breeze.

The man looked down calmly, his gaze soon meeting the Great Medium’s.

“…!”

At that moment, the Great Medium trembled.

‘This feeling… ’

No way. No. Was this… possible?

The Great Medium felt extremely confused at that moment.

She tried to speak, but she couldn’t stop herself from stuttering.

“You… are you Dauns?”

“Gre-, Great Medium!”

Jose stared at the Great Medium in shock.

This was natural.

After all, Dauns was the name of the god of creation that Hitume Ikar worshipped.

“…?”

Frey tilted his head slightly at the unexpected question.

***

Frey sat face-to-face with the Great Medium.

She was much calmer now compared to their first encounter, but she still didn’t
show the drowsy attitude she had while dealing with Ivan or Dro.

They stared at the steam rising from the teacups in front of them for a moment
before Frey spoke first.
“I am not Dauns.”

The Great Medium lowered her eyes slightly and muttered.

“Yes. I was mistaken.”

The Great Medium admitted to her mistake. Nevertheless, her doubts still remained.

A few hundred years had passed since she abandoned her own name and took up the
title of Great Medium. And in that time, she had never seen the shadow of Dauns
appear in someone.

The god of creation that she, as well as Hitume Ikar, believed in only sent revelations.

This was natural.

The Great Medium knew this. After all, he was the omnipotent and just god of
creation, so he naturally would not care about just them.

That was why she felt even more guarded against Frey.

Even up until now, she could not read him. It was as he was covered in dense fog.

This wasn’t something to be disregarded. After all, this could be described as the
Great Medium’s talent.

In the first place, this was the man who had broken into Lesha even though she
didn’t receive any revelations about him. He was an unauthorised guest, a being
whom even the revelations from god failed to predict.

Nevertheless, the presence that he gave of was greatly similar to the power of god.

“Are you human?”

Frey was greatly displeased by the previous misunderstanding.

Whenever he heard questions like this, it made him feel that he had become a being
who was no longer human.

But he remembered Isolla’s teachings.

‘As long as you don’t forget your true nature.’

‘I am human.’

When he had this thought, the dark clouds in his heart disappeared immediately.

Frey calmly nodded his head.

“That’s right.”

“…however, your power greatly surpasses human capability.”

He nodded his head once again.

This was a natural fact, and she wouldn’t believe otherwise even if he tried to
convince her.

Frey also felt that the Great Medium’s gaze was not simple.

The Great Medium paused to think for a moment before speaking.

“I mistook you for Dauns because I felt the power of God from you.” (TL: you’ll notice
variable capitalisations of the word ‘god’. I will explain them below)

Frey’s eyes shined slightly.

The power of god.

Simply speaking, that was divine power, the power of the Demigods. But it was clear
that this was not the power of God that the Great Medium was referring to.

Then what was it?

Did she literally mean the power of God?

If so, then there was only one explanation.

‘Divine magic power.’

The power that could be converted to either divine power or mana.

Thinking about this power that he gained in his mental world, Frey asked.

“Does God really exist?”

In the end, Frey’s question was the same as Dro’s.

However, this time, the Great Medium wasn’t sure what to say. It was impossible for
her to deal with this in the same manner with which she’d handled Dro’s question
the night before.

This was because it felt contradictory for the man who she felt was closer to God
than anyone else was now asking her about the existence of god.

The Great Medium sat silently for a while before slowly opening her mouth.

“…God exists.”

“I would like to meet him.”

There were many things that he wanted to ask.

Of course, Frey did not think there was an omnipotent being capable of being
involved in everything in the world.

4,000 years ago, people worshipped the Demigods and Dragons as gods. This was
because, from a human’s perspective, these powerful beings were no different than
gods.

It was possible that even the Great Medium had such an illusion.

Frey’s request to meet God was to see what he was like.

The Great Medium responded with a shocked expression.

“I didn’t receive such a prophecy.”

“I see.”

Frey muttered in a soft voice.

“So you’re just a puppet.”

“…I beg your pardon?”

The Great Medium’s voice became sharp.

On the other hand, Frey’s attitude had not changed since the beginning.

He slowly lifted the cup and took a sip of the tea.

The Great Medium bit her lip at his attitude. This was because she thought this
expressionless man was making fun of her.

“Dauns is the omnipotent god of creation. His prophecies have helped my country
overcome numerous crises.”

“Anyone can anticipate the future by considering the present situation.”

“It isn’t anticipation. It is prophecy.”

After saying these words in a firm tone, the Great Medium continued.

“The prophecies of Daun are absolute.”

“So you leave everything to prophecy? You stopped thinking for yourself, and now,
you wait for your God’s voice even when making the smallest decisions?”

‘No. That’s not it.’

Frey shook his head.

He had no malice towards theists. And he had no intention of belittling them.

On the contrary, Frey acknowledged the existence of religion to a certain extent, and
even had a respectful attitude towards religious people.

This was because humans were weak. They needed support even to live their short
lives.

And religion was the most faithful way to fulfill this role.
However, he didn’t like the Great Medium’s attitude.

What was the meaning of life if even the smallest decision depended on her god?

It didn’t matter if she intended to live as a puppet. However, she was a human.

“You rude…!”

Jose’s expression changed greatly.

He had a sword at his waist and his hand naturally fell to its hilt. He didn’t intend to
shed blood, but this man had to know his place.

Even the King of Hitume Ikar wouldn’t dare to act so impudently.

“…!”

However, Jose couldn’t draw his sword.

His entire body froze as though time itself had stopped.

In the time it took him to put his hand on his sword, Frey had turned to look at him.

It was just a glance, but he couldn’t move.

‘Wh-, what is this… ’

Was it magic? Or sorcery?

No, it was different from that.

Jose had a strange feeling. It was hard to even take a breath. He felt like his stamina
was being drained rapidly.

Frey only looked at him without making any further moves, but Jose’s entire body
became soaked in sweat. And as soon as Frey looked away, Jose collapsed.

He stared up at Frey, panting heavily.

‘H-, he is not human!’

Jose felt a chill creep down his spine. In that moment, he even forgot his mission to
protect the Great Medium.

At the same time, Frey rose from his seat.

“I have to go to Hitume Ikar. Can you grant me permission?”

“…you.”

The Great Medium looked at Frey with a complicated expression. This was the first
time she’d ever met a man like this.

She hesitated for a moment before biting her lip.

“Jose, leave us.”

“I, I can’t. This man is too dangerous…”

“Would I be safer if you’re by my side?”

“…”

Jose’s face was awash with humiliation. But the Great Medium’s expression didn’t
twitch.

She didn’t have any intention of insulting Jose. She was just speaking honestly.

Of course, Jose also understood the Great Medium’s intentions. However, this fact
wounded his pride even more.

“…understood.”

Jose could only swallow his disgrace and leave the room.

Frey turned to look at the Great Medium. He wondered what she wanted to say.

The Great Medium also got up from her seat, then she headed to a corner of the
room and said something in a strange accent.

“–.”
It was Frey’s first time hearing this language.

In terms of intonation, it was highly likely that this was an ancient language.

A refreshing energy began flowing from within the Great Medium’s body.

‘She’s using sorcery.’

Frey looked at this scene with interest.

This was certainly different from magic. The Great Medium didn’t use either divine
power of mana.

The energy that the Great Medium was using to practice sorcery seemed to come
from within her own body.

The moment he saw it, Frey was certain that although he didn’t know it, if he
observed this force a bit more and broke it down… he would be able to use sorcery.

Suddenly, the space in front of the Great Medium split open, revealing a dark void.

Frey frowned.

He couldn’t help but think about Lord’s ‘Space’ at that moment.

Of course, he knew that neither sorcery or this space had anything to do with the
Demigods.

“Let’s go to the shrine.”

“Shrine?”

The Great Medium nodded.

“Yes. If you go there, you will be able to meet God.”

“…God.”

“You are not someone I judge. Dauns will make his own judgement.”
It was unprecedented to take outsiders to the Shrine.

The Great Medium swallowed the last of her words. This was because Frey would
not care about such remarks.

Frey’s eyes narrowed slightly.

If what she said was true, this meant that Frey had the chance to meet that being
called God.

(TL: So it was brought to my attention some time ago when we first encountered the
word, that God(with the capitalised G) refers to a specific ‘god’. So I generally try to
use common letters when referring to the god(s) in this novel. However, I feel that
when people are talking about the god(s) they serve, it would be with reverence,
which is why I use ‘God’ in speech or for emphasis. So the varying capitalisations you
see aren’t editing mistakes, they are intentional.)
Hitume Ikar was only two days away from Lesha.

As he looked at the most mysterious country among the islands around the
continent, Frank opened his mouth.

“There is only one port in the country that can be used by outsiders. It’s called
‘Lutaha’. It’s the only place I’ve visited in the past while trading. In other words, our
role ends here.”

“What about when it’s time to go back?”

“If there are no incidents, Hitume Ikar will provide you with a boat. You can come
back with it.”

Ivan nodded.

At that time, the ship reached the Lutaha dock and was about to anchor.

“Halt!”

They then heard someone’s loud shout.

Ivan turned to look at the dock.

‘A little over ten men. Is the guy in the front the leader?’

Ivan looked at them and said.

“What is it?”

“Identify yourselves!”

The arrogant tone caused Ivan’s face to twitch slightly.

“My name is Ivan!”

The man felt a bit of a sting when Ivan, who had never had a good temper, shouted
even louder than he had. He could feel the mana in Ivan’s voice.

Of course, this wasn’t the attitude a guest should have had.

Seeing this, Anastasia smiled and said.

“I’ll take over from here, my young friend.”

“…I’m afraid you would only be laughed at if you were to step out.”

When she heard those words, Anastasia looked down at her body before muttering
in a depressed voice.

“That certainly does seem to be the case.”

She looked even younger than he did.

Dro was clearly not interested in this matter, so Anastasia could only sigh before
saying.

“Then we’ll do it like this. You will tell them what I say.”

“Alright.”

Ivan nodded before repeating Anastasia’s words with a cold voice.

“We were granted permission to enter the country of Hitume Ikar by the Great
Medium of Lesha.”

There was a bit of an uproar below before the man who shouted before spoke again.

“I heard that there are three entrants in total!”

Anastasia beckoned over for Dro to come and stand beside them so the man could
see before saying.

“It is us three.”
The man inspected the three of them one by one.

Ivan’s expression crumpled.

“This doesn’t feel good at all. Is this how we get treated despite receiving the Great
Medium’s permission?”

“It’s possible that this is the last gateway. They still need to compare our
appearances to what the Great Medium gave them.”

Even though he heard Anastasia’s answer, Ivan still grumbled.

“I want to gouge out his eyes.”

“I can’t allow that.”

“Hmph. But that guy said three people were granted entry. What about Frey?”

“…come to think of it.”

Anastasia looked at Ivan with a bit of admiration.

“You’re much sharper than you look. You’re quite different from Kasajin.”

“Dammit. Stop treating me like a child.”

“From my perspective, you are a child. And you don’t need to worry about Frey. He
can move on his own. Because he’s not a child.”

Anastasia smirked, not needing to add the words ‘unlike you’ for everyone to hear
them.

Ivan growled, making a sound similar to that of a wild beast. He felt angry, but
strangely, it didn’t go any further.

If someone else had dared speak to him in such a way, he would have punched them
in the face immediately.

When he tried to think of a reason for this, his thoughts turned to Nora.
Looking at it closely, Anastasia had a lot in common with Nora. They both looked
incredibly young, said and did things that didn’t match their appearances, and had
tremendously terrifying power.

‘I don’t have to keep being embarrassed by a kid like this in the future, do I?”

As a sense of horror began to descend upon Ivan, the man spoke.

“You are allowed to anchor your ship!”

“Ha. Why, thank you.”

Ivan grumbled irritatedly while Frank moored the ship to the dock.

After the three of them disembarked the ship, they turned to look up at Frank, who
didn’t come down.

He hesitated for a moment before saying.

“You guys are all extraordinary characters. Perhaps this was a special work of fate
that a country bumpkin like me might not be able to encounter even once in a
lifetime. It probably is.”

“It’s not that special.”

“Huhu. I pray that you will achieve whatever you came here to do. And please thank
Frey for me.”

“Sure.”

Ivan sheepishly scratched his cheek and nodded.

In this time, the guards approached them. The man at the head of the group then
bowed towards them in a strange way.

It was accompanied by the strange gesture of putting the right fist in the left palm.
(TL: Think of the way martial artists bow)

“Welcome to Hitume Ikar. I’m Vajra, a Samurai of Lutaha.”

‘What is a Samurai?’

Although he had this question, Ivan didn’t ask it and instead said.

“I’m Ivan.”

“A pleasure to meet you. Hmm. I heard that your arrival was revealed in a
revelation… But I won’t ask the details. The Great Medium herself has spoken.”

Revelation.

Anastasia narrowed her eyes.

Was the Great Medium just trying to assist them?

Or did she really receive a revelation from Dauns about their arrival?

“However, first, you’ll need to follow me. Any guest who comes to Hitume Ikar after
receiving the Great Medium’s approval must greet our king.”

Not a lord of high-ranking noble but the king himself. This was an example of the
way special guests were treated in Hitume Ikar.

“Where is your king?”

“…Ivan.”

Anastasia grimaced at Ivan’s rudeness, but Vajra just let out a short chuckle.

“Haha. It’s okay. We respect the culture of others. It is clear that you are a Warrior,
but are you not from Silkid? I heard that a Great Chief leads that country…”

“…uh. Right. Well.”

Ivan wasn’t from Silkid, but he didn’t say it directly.

Vajra laughed as though he expected something like this, but then his expression
suddenly changed.

“…I heard about what happened. I’m sorry.”

When he thought about Agni, Ivan’s expression naturally hardened.

“It’s okay. We will overcome it.”

“That’s good to hear. In any case, the king’s palace is not far from here. If we leave
immediately, we will be able to arrive by sunset.”

“Hmm…”

“After that, we will give you an identification card. You will be captured by the guards
in no time if you were to wander around the country without a card. As you can see,
we do not look alike.”

Vajra pointed to his black hair and eyes as he said those words.

Ivan nodded.

“Right.”

“If you have accumulated fatigue, you can rest in this city for a day before leaving.”

“No. There’s no need for that. We can leave immediately.”

“I like that. Very well.”

Vajra laughed honestly.

When Ivan looked at him, he couldn’t help but have positive feelings. He realised that
this man was stronger than Jose, whom he’d met in Lesha.

‘I thought this was just an island country, but the level of the warriors here is
amazing.’

He really wanted to fight them if he got the chance.

***

The warriors in Hitume Ikar were unique.

This was something Ivan noticed from the first meeting.

Including Vajra, Lutaha’s Warriors… no, ‘Samurai’…wore light, fluffy clothes.

At first glance, these seemed unfit for battle. No different than being naked. After all,
they were just pieces of cloth not suitable to block arrows, much less a sword.

They all also had swords at their waists.

Did they all practice hard body skills?

That wasn’t the case.

He could tell with a glance.

The muscles of these warriors were trained to the extreme, but their direction was
different from Ivan’s. They were flexible. Resilient.

‘They focus on speed.’

That’s why their equipment was minimised.

Ivan subconsciously loosened his joints.

He thought about how the battle would be if they were to fight. Of course, their
combat skills were no threat to Ivan, so in his virtual battles, he increased their
speed a bit more.

‘It would be a long battle.’

As they focused on speed, they had no choice but to give up some power in return.
And Ivan’s defense was second to none.

They would only be able to gradually add wounds to Ivan’s body. Like chipping away
at a rock.

Their only shot at victory would be to attack a vital spot after digging into the flaws
and exhausting their opponent.

Ivan, on the other hand, would need to wait for the right moment to overcome such
annoying attacks. He would have to end the fight with one blow.
Naturally, his mind turned to the incident in Silkid.

‘Ivan’s fist.’

This was a skill that had been able to fatally injure even an Apocalypse like Agni, but
it had its own drawbacks.

It required him to shorten the distance enough for him to use his fist, and it took
some time to use.

The former wasn’t too much of a problem. After all, Ivan’s fighting style had always
been to have fierce fights at a jaw-droppingly close distance.

However, the latter was troublesome. While he focused his mana, Ivan would be
completely defenseless.

As long as the opponent was at least a First class Warrior, they would never miss
such an opportunity.

But this wouldn’t be a problem as long as he had someone to momentarily block the
enemy’s movements.

(TL: So I will be forthright. When I first saw the name ‘Great Medium’ I felt it was a
bit strange, since the word the author used could also mean ‘shaman’ but since they
used a different word for ‘shaman’ I just looked for a good alternative and added the
‘great’ in front of it(just like the author did). However, the slightly Japanese vibe that
I had been getting from ‘Hitume Ikar’ always made me wonder if there might be a
Japanese term for the word which would fit the setting better. However, my laziness
stepped in a bit and I felt it was unnecessary to research this since I had already
made a decision and the novel didn’t actually correspond to the real world. However,
my guilty conscience in this chapter led me to go research and I learned that there
really was a Japanese term for the word. It is ‘Miko’ or ‘Shrine Maiden’ so, in fact, the
‘Great Medium’ could be changed to the ‘Great Maiden’. Since I did the research and
found the variation, and since I like reading you guys’ opinions as it feels like an
interaction between us, I decided that you can help be choose between ‘Great
Medium’ and ‘Great Maiden.)
While Ivan was suffering from a headache because of his endless pondering,
Anastasia looked around with an expression of interest.

“Hmmm.”

Hitume Ikar was definitely a country with unique characteristics.

Ivan only paid attention to their warriors, but Anastasia looked at the country from a
much broader perspective.

‘They created a completely independent culture in 4,000 years.’

She was curious.

She wanted to spend a month just exploring the island and properly studying their
culture. She was also interested in sorcery.

However, Anastasia put aside her selfish desires.

Meanwhile, their surroundings became quieter and quieter as they headed deeper
into a forest.

It was a dark and ominous forest. In fact, it was as dark as if it was night, even though
the sun was still high in the sky when they entered the forest.

Vajra, who was walking at the front, said.

“This is the ‘Dark Forest’. As outsiders, if you were to get lost here, you would never
be able to escape, so don’t stray too far from me.”

This was said in a serious tone, and the group nodded.

‘I’m bored to death.’

Ivan shook his head after having this thought.

It hadn’t been long since they entered this forest, so he shouldn’t have had such
thoughts already. But this forest was truly unpleasant.

The darkness in the forest seemed to strangely cling to the skin. And for some
strange reason, he felt tired.

He had slept enough before they arrived, so he wondered why he was feeling this
way now.

“Stop.”

It was Anastasia. The voice was clearly that of a young girl, but it carried a fierce
hostility that couldn’t be hidden.

Vajra stopped moving and looked back.

“What is it?”

“Didn’t you say we’d arrive at the palace before sunset?”

“Of course. We’re almost there. Just follow us a bit longer. I think we’ll arrive sooner
than I expected. The sun is still high.”

Anastasia laughed at those words.

“You think we’re fools? The sun has already set. Did you think we wouldn’t realise
that?”

Ivan’s expression changed, but Vajra remained calm and said.

“It’s not unreasonable to have this thought. Because this forest does not allow
sunlight to…”

“Hmph.”

Anastasia snorted.

She felt that there was no need to listen to his nonsense any longer.
Bang!

The ground shook as Anastasia’s small body shot towards Vajra like a cannonball.
Her fist then struck forwards, hitting him.

Crack!

“…”

Anastasia frowned.

She didn’t feel the sensation of hitting a person, and instead, a piece of wood broke
under her fist.

Vajra had already moved.

What she’d stuck was an old grey tree. Vajra was already far away.

Ssss.

The darkness from the forest wrapped around his body as if it was alive.

Vajra’s expression was cold.

It seemed the expressions he’d displayed so far were all fake.

“You’re quite quick, girl. The sorcery in this place is not something that strangers
could easily notice. How did you know?”

“You might be able to trick my senses, but my body clock is always accurate.”

Anastasia snorted again. There was no reason to reveal that she was a Golem.

“…hmm. Is that why you have such a strange presence?”

Ssss.

As he muttered those words, Vajra faded into the darkness.

‘We couldn’t lead them to the center of the forest, but it doesn’t matter. They can’t get
out of here easily anyway. The only thing left is to slowly wear them down.’

A mysterious smile stretched across his lips. The time for a thrilling hunt had come.

<Stop.>

Shortly after this voice sounded, the darkness that was spreading around Vajra’s
body stopped. His expression also became one of shock.

Taking advantage of this, Ivan and Anastasia quickly narrowed the distance and took
Vajra down. They had the ability to kill him right away, but they didn’t.

Capturing him was a much better option.

‘What happened…?’

His body still couldn’t move. Vajra could only move his eyes. He didn’t realise that
he’d been bound by the power of Dragons, Dragontongue.

“That was amazing. Are you sure you’re not a real Dragon?”

Anastasia tapped Dro’s shoulder as she asked this.

Dro looked into the dark forest and said.

“The others ran away. I can track them for now, but… I feel something unsettling.”

“Their original intent was to bring us into this forest. They have already achieved
that. But it might be dangerous to go deeper.”

Anastasia’s gaze turned to Vajra.

“There’s no need to rush. We captured the guy who knows the most. All we have to
do is extract the information from him.”

“You’re going to torture him?”

“That’s too inefficient. I’m going to take control of his mind. Even if it’ll take longer,
it’s the most effective…”
It was at that moment that something suddenly shot out from the dark forest.

Ivan and Anastasia evaded at the same time.

Puk.

This thing then stabbed into Vajra.

“What was that?”

“It was… a needle.”

Ivan looked at the nape of Vajra’s neck and clicked his tongue.

The needle was so thin that he had to look closely just to see its outline.

“Amazing. He died instantly. They managed to strike his vital spot perfectly.”

“Tch. I regret not bringing a weapon.”

If he had a blade, he would have struck the needle down. However, it was suicidal to
block a hidden weapon without knowing what it was.

‘Couldn’t I have sacrificed an arm to stop it?’

Anastasia had regrets, but it was unavoidable. Her way of thinking was not yet that
of a battle Golem; it was that of the Great Sage.

“Pull out the needle.”

“…why me?”

“Then should I do it?”

Ivan nodded at Anastasia’s words.

“Both of us are barehanded, so it doesn’t matter which one pulls it out.”

“You have the Tiger King’s Gloves.”

“…right.”

Ivan’s face twitched as he nodded.

Then, after putting on the Tiger King’s Gloves, he pulled the needle out of Vajra’s
neck.

Jurk.

Blood condensed at the back of Vajra’s neck for a moment before it began flowing
down his back. This blood was slightly purple.

“It’s extremely poisonous. Other than that, I can sense traces of divine power on it.
Was it Ananta’s poison on the needle?”

Anastasia couldn’t help but feel glad she didn’t hold it with her bare hands. She
couldn’t let her guard down because she was now a Golem. She knew just how
terrifying Ananta’s poison is.

“Is this the work of that guy named Jenta?”

“It’s possible.”

“That guy really doesn’t care about shedding blood.”

Ivan shook his head.

“First of all, shouldn’t we head out of the forest?”

“There is some sort of barrier here. It’s probably sorcery. It’ll take time for us to get
out. Dro, what about your Dragontongue?”

“It can be destroyed, but sorcery is directly connected to the forest.”

“Hmm…”

Ivan turned to the pondering Anastasia with a frown.

“What’s the problem?”

“If we forcefully break it, most of the forest will be destroyed. That would make us
criminals in this country. Worst case scenario, we will be hunted down and forcibly
expelled.”

“They attacked us first. What we’re doing is self defense. They can go ahead and try
to kick us out.”

When Ivan said those words, Anastasia’s gaze sharpened.

“Are you here for war? These people don’t represent the entirety of Hitume Ikar. The
officials might not know the truth behind this situation. Maybe that guy named Jenta
sent Vajra to intercept us.”

“What if that’s not the case? This whole country might be in the hands of the
Demigods.”

“If that was the case, they wouldn’t have lured us to this Dark Forest before acting.
They would have attacked us even before we could set foot on the dock. It’s just a
feeling, but I don’t think Jenta wants us to meet the king.”

This caused Ivan to close his mouth.

He understood what Anastasia was trying to say. Hitume Ikar could also have had
two factions.

Those who wanted to accept them as guests and those who wanted their lives.

“Dammit. Then are we supposed to stay here for a day?”

“A day or two. First, we will try to go around and find a way out. If that doesn’t work,
then we’ll just have to destroy the forest.”

In other words, they would have had an excuse for destroying the forest rather than
doing it from the start.

Just as Ivan was about to sigh, they all turned to look into the dark forest at the same
time.

Someone was approaching.

They were headed directly to them.

“It’s not just one.”

“Right. It should be three or four.”

“Let’s do it right this time.”

However, when they saw these people come out of the darkness, the group relaxed
their battle postures slightly.

This was because no matter how they looked at them, these people could never have
been citizens of Hitume Ikar.

There were five people in the group that appeared. They were all men and had a
variety of hair colors.

What they had in common was that they all looked like they could collapse at any
time.

“…hmm.”

When Ivan frowned, Anastasia turned to look at him.

“Do you know these people?”

“I’ve seen the man on the left before. He’s probably Hart Lowmind, Circle Rounder of
the Lucid Swords.”

“So this should be the first group of Circle members who came to Hitume Ikar.”

The moment Anastasia muttered this, the man at the front of the group opened his
mouth.

“You guys…”

“We are Frey’s companions.”

“Rounder Frey’s companions…? Then what about the issue in Silkid?”

The Silkid incident was one of Ivan’s greatest disgraces. So naturally, his expression
hardened.

“It’s already over.”

“I see.”

“Are you the Circle Master of the Lucid Swords?”

Jekid nodded.

“Right. I am Jekid Deosis.”

“Why are you here?”

“…we are being hunted by them.”

He said these words with a bitter smile.

Ivan’s brows furrowed.

“Hunted? A man like you?”

Jekid’s power was something that not even Ivan could take on easily. In terms of pure
sword skill, the man might even have been able to rival Snow.

Even if one searched the entire continent, it would be difficult to find people who
could match him in swordsmanship.

“I came too hastily. I should have prepared more.”

Jekid looked to the sky and muttered.

“This country is very dangerous.”

***

Frey looked around.

It was a damp, humid place with stone floors that had a layer of water on it.
‘This is beneath the island.’

It would have been better to call it an underwater cave. In the center of the cave,
there was a small building.

This was probably the shrine that the Great Medium had mentioned to him before.

“This is a holy place that only successive Great Mediums have been allowed to enter.”

“Is it okay for outsiders to come to such a place?”

“…”

The Great Medium didn’t answer.

She knew that her actions this time were impulsive.

“Go to the shrine. If you are qualified, you will be able to meet Dauns.”

Frey calmly walked to the shrine.

The shrine was a building made entirely of wood.

It was quite strange.

If a wooden structure stayed in such a humid place, it wouldn’t be long before it was
completely rotten. However, this wooden shrine was clean and sturdy as if it had
been only a day since it had been built.

When he entered the building, candles that were placed at the sides, lit up on their
own, illuminating the entire building.

In the center of the room was a statue. Perhaps this was Dauns.

“…”

Frey’s expression became firm as his eyes rested upon this statue.

It had a body that appeared similar to that of a human, but the face was without
features or hair. There was not even a contour of muscle on its body. And even
though it was just a statue, this figure seemed to be constantly exuding light.

It was very similar to something he knew.

‘Lord.’

At that moment, he suddenly felt as if the space he was in had disconnected from the
world.

[Welcome.]

“…”

Frey looked back. A figure was now standing where the statue had been.

With a tense expression, Frey spoke.

“You are not Lord.”

The figure laughed, a mouth filled with bright teeth appearing on its otherwise
featureless face.

[I am God.]
There were a lot of things that Frey wanted to ask when he finally got to meet God.
Questions from 4,000 years ago.

However, Frey put aside his numerous questions. First of all, he had to confirm
whether the being in front of him was truly god or not.

“Are you Dauns?”

[You could say that.]

Frey felt like he was standing in front of Lord. However, the entity in front of him had
basically denied being Lord.

Frey thought so too. They looked similar, but his aura was not the same as Lord’s.

[I’ve long wanted to meet you.]

“You say that like you’ve known me for a while.”

[Oh. Of course I did. It’s impossible for me to not know you. You are the third
candidate! You don’t know how thrilled I was when I first sensed your presence.]

Dauns smiled brightly.

Frey furrowed his eyebrows.

“The third candidate?”

[Unusual events require swift action. That’s why I came here personally.
Congratulations, you are the first human to meet God face to face.]

Frey couldn’t figure out what Dauns was trying to say.

This wasn’t because he couldn’t understand him. Instead, it was because Dauns
didn’t seem to pay any attention to his words.

“I am a Wizard.”

[So?]

“This means that unless I witness something with my own eyes, I will not be able to
believe it.”

[Now that you mention it, most Wizards are atheists.]

His smile didn’t go away as he said these words.

[So? You want me to prove that I am God? Haha. What a blasphemous guy.]

“…”

[But it makes sense.]

Frey was speechless.

‘He doesn’t feel like a god.’

This thought couldn’t help but appear in Frey’s mind the more he heard Dauns talk.
His attitude was careless, and he spoke freely.

It was at that moment that Dauns started laughing and nodded.

[Everyone always expects us to have an outrageous attitude. Naturally, it’s not hard
to live up to those expectations. I could show the image of an absolute being who
transcends the world. But I don’t. Do you know why?]

Frey didn’t answer this question.

Instead, his expression hardened.

“Was reading the thoughts of other people without permission one of the things you
wanted to show?”
[It makes it easier for me if I can understand what the other person is thinking. Like
this. Don’t you think that it’s more likely for me to be God now?]

He truly did have a slight thought like that.

After all, even if he had formidable insight, it would’ve been impossible for Dauns to
tell Frey’s inner thoughts. This was naturally since Frey’s mental power, which had
been tempered by his numerous hardships, far surpassed that of normal humans.

He couldn’t confirm whether this being before him was God or not, but that was
certainly something that mortals couldn’t even hope to imitate.

“You said ‘us’ before. That means there are multiple gods.”

[Well…]

“Are you proclaiming yourself as God without having a firm grasp of your identity?
I’m starting to doubt who you are now.”

Frey’s snide remark only made Dauns shrug.

[Not even the most eloquent speakers could ever hope to properly explain the word
God, but fine. I’ll answer your little question. Every ‘God’ that exists in this world
refers to me.]

His statement seemed vague at first glance, but Frey could see the truth behind his
words.

‘Don’t tell me this is… ’

Dauns laughed.

[Haha. You truly have transcended mortals. I can’t believe you managed to guess my
identity after such a simple clue.]

“…I see.”

Frey sighed.

“So you are the ‘law’.”

The Law of the World. Or its will.

The huge chunk of energy from which the Demigods fell. That was the identity of the
being in front of him who called himself God.

‘Is this Dauns?’

When Frey had asked this question, he’d replied that ‘he could say that’.

He wasn’t lying. But it wasn’t entirely true either.

This existence was the very source of divine beings.

It was clear now that all the religions on the continent, and the various gods they
believed in, were all derived from this being.

However, this didn’t answer all of his questions.

Instead, the biggest question still remained.

[But… he said the will of the world had no consciousness.]

These were Riki’s words, and Frey didn’t doubt them.

Dauns nodded.

[You probably heard that from the beings you call Demigods. It’s not entirely wrong.]

“What?”

[Hmm. How should I explain it…]

As he said these words, he held his chin as if he was thinking deeply.

This caused Frey to feel even stranger. This was because such an attitude felt too
human.

Frey didn’t believe in God, but he thought if He existed, He would be an absolute,

perfect, and omnipotent being.
However, this being standing in front of him seemed far from that.

[To put it in a way that you would understand… Right. You can say that I’m usually
absent.]

Just before, Frey had been able to guess his identity with only a small hint, but now,
he had no idea what he was thinking.

Frey asked back in a soft voice.

“Absent?”

[Because I’m busy. I can’t afford to control everything in the world. I just set the laws
so that it wouldn’t fall into the depths of destruction. After that, my style has been to
leave it unattended.]

“That’s irresponsible.”

[Hmm. That’s true. So I will not try to argue with you.]

This was said in a very uncaring tone.

Looking at him with a solemn gaze, Frey said.

“What about the prophecies that you give to the Great Medium? Is that also part of
the laws you set?”

[It’s more efficient than telling them the solution after the incident has occurred.
Because, the best way to stop a disaster is to prevent it. Sometimes, such people are
born. Those who can feel my presence more clearly. So it’s possible for me to show
them what dangers the continent will face ahead of time.]

God did not directly inform the Great Medium about the dangers of the continent. If
the ‘law’ which always monitored the continent detected a threat beyond a certain
standard, it would send a warning to someone like her.

That was the truth of ‘God’s revelations’.

What kind of expression would the Great Medium have if she heard this?
Frey had this thought for a moment, but he pushed it aside for even more important
questions.

“You must be aware of the current situation in the continent.”

[Right.]

“…The Demigods have revealed their fangs. They are thinking about using a metal
called Illuminium to avoid the law’s punishment and subjugate the mortals.”

[That’s right.]

It seemed he already knew all of this.

Frey clenched his fist.

“Then do you plan to just watch them do that?”

[You said it yourself. They are avoiding the law’s punishment. Therefore, there’s
nothing I can do.]

For the first time since they started talking, Frey became truly angry.

“Some religious people believe God will only give humans trials they can overcome.”

Dauns had a hint of interest in his voice.

[That’s a pretty plausible statement.]

“Then why are you not making a move? Is it because you think the continent needs
to face such a bloodbath? Or is it that you think it will not reach the level of a
disaster?”

[That’s a very human opinion. Don’t try to force your thoughts upon me. I have no
intention of getting involved in this world I created.]

Frey became speechless for a moment.

This was because Dauns’ voice had become serious for the first time. The playfulness
that he’d displayed so far was no longer visible.
[‘Dauns’ is revered as the God of Creation in the island country Hitume Ikar. Right. I
am the God of Creation. I created everything in this world. Do you understand?
Everything. Not just the humans. Even the Demigods were created by me.]

“…so whether it’s the Demigods or the humans, they are things you created. And
that’s why you won’t choose a side?”

[I created this world a very long time ago, and in that time, many species have
appeared and disappeared. What’s interesting is that few of them failed because they
failed to adapt or failed to evolve. Most of them went extinct at the hands of other
species.]

“Does that mean that it is now the humans’ turn?”

[That might not be true. Huhu. This is how it is. I’m not sure how to make you
understand. I don’t care about what is done or how many species are destroyed. All I
care about is the world itself.]

“…”

The moment he heard those words, Frey couldn’t help but feel that this being might
actually have been God.

After talking for so long, Frey was now able to grasp a bit of what the other was
thinking and his mindset.

This, in itself, was amazing as even the Great Medium, who had been alive for
hundreds of years, had been seen through by Frey immediately. However, despite
their lengthy conversation, he was still unable to fully understand the other.

Instead, the more they talked, the more questions he seemed to have. It was clear
that the root of their thoughts was completely different.

“…why did such a busy being like you decide to reveal yourself to me? Does it have
something to do with the candidate thing you mentioned before?”

[As I expected, you’re easy to talk to.]

Playfulness returned to his voice.

[Listen closely. There are three worlds in the universe. They are closely connected
because they are ‘neighbouring worlds’, and it’s possible for them to interfere with
each other as long as certain conditions are met.]

“…by neighbouring world, do you mean the Demon World?”

[Right. Exactly. Hmm. But have you ever heard of the Celestial World?]

The topic was sudden, but Frey shook his head without being shocked.

“This is my first time hearing about it. But I assume you are referring to Heaven.”

Frey knew a bit about Heaven as he had been interested in the afterlife. It was said to
be a paradise to which only the souls of those with good characters could go after
death.

A world where you could feel fullness and restfulness just by staying still, without
ever experiencing boredom. Where you could have all kinds of fruits, foods, and
alcohol.

That was the definition of Heaven that Frey knew.

[The Celestial World and Heaven are different. Then I’ll change my question. Do you
know Angels?]

“They are the inhabitants of Heaven.”

[That’s not it. Well. It’ll take too long for me to explain little by little, so listen
carefully. In the past, I created three worlds in this universe. The Mortal World, the
Demon World, and the Celestial World.]

“…”

The Mortal World referred to the world to which Frey belonged. The Demon World,
also called Hell, was the land of the Demons. But this was his first time hearing about
the Celestial World.

‘Moreover.’

Why was he suddenly telling him this?

Frey wondered this, but he didn’t open his mouth. After all, this being could read his
thoughts, so he probably knew what Frey was thinking about already.

‘I’m sure my questions will be answered if I continue listening to him.’

Frey’s prediction was correct.

[Just like the Demon World, there were six great beings who watched over the
Celestial World. To be precise… there were supposed to be. The Celestial World. That
would have been the case if this world, which I had put the most effort into, didn’t
have a fatal flaw.]

Dauns spoke in a sad voice and slowly shook his head.

[…this ‘flaw’ eventually led to the destruction of the Celestial World, and the mighty
souls that belonged there were sucked into a vortex of will. And as I said, I was busy,
so I couldn’t afford to pay attention to it at that time. This vortex of will then spat the
souls out of the Celestial World. Unable to return to the Celestial World, these fallen
souls fell to the Mortal World.]

Frey felt a chill down his spine. It was as though a bolt of lightning struck his head
and traveled down to his feet.

What he’d heard before and what he was hearing now combined, and he was
naturally able to draw a conclusion.

“…no way…”

[They are outcasts. For whatever reason, they were kicked out of their own world.
That’s why it’s not strange that they mistook themselves as fragments separated
from the will of the world because they lost their memories when they fell to the
Mortal World. So it’s not completely wrong.]

Frey looked at him with wide eyes.

He didn’t get chills anymore. Instead, they were replaced by a suffocating feeling.

[The Demigods were originally the beings who were supposed to rule over the
Celestial World. And the one you call Lord is special among them. It is possible for
him to hear my voice directly through space and time. If it wasn’t for the setbacks, I
would have favoured him more than anyone else in the universe, and I gave him a
special name as proof of this.]

Dauns voice was calm as he continued.

[The one closest to God. The Archangel Michael.]

No words were spoken for a while.

Frey needed to organise his thoughts, and the being before him knew that.

‘Angels.’

He wasn’t certain, but he felt that they were similar to the rulers of hell.

‘Perhaps the Apocalypses are on par with them.’

There were a total of six rulers of hell.

‘Including Lord, there are six Apocalypses.’

Frey closed his eyes.

All of this no longer felt like just a coincidence.

Especially Lord.

His appearance had always been the most bizarre among the Demigods. Even more
so than Nozdog, who was a skeleton, or Agni, who was a literal being of fire.

‘Did he unconsciously imitate the appearance of God?’

He’d heard of the Demigods’ origin from Riki, but now, he realised it was much
deeper than he first thought. They were beings who were originally the inhabitants
of the Celestial World.

Those were the Demigods’ true identities.

‘This is something even the Demigods don’t know.’

It was a strange feeling.

He’d always felt that the Demigods were wrapped in a kind of mysterious veil. But
according to this being in front of him, even the Demigods themselves didn’t know
what they truly were.

Even Lord.

This was a secret that only he knew.

Frey couldn’t help but feel a little joy at that fact.

[You seem to enjoy this more than I expected. I’m glad to see that.]

“…was this your intention? Is that why you’re telling me about the origins of the
Demigods?”

[Not exactly. This is simply background information. We’re about to move on to the
main point.]

His eloquence made Frey speechless once again.

‘What did he mean by next?’

The things he’d heard so far had already been extremely shocking for him. Even Frey,
who could keep his composure regardless of the situation, couldn’t help but react
after hearing it.

If it was anyone else who had heard this, they would have definitely shouted in shock
or they would have found it hard to close their mouth.

[I need someone to help me keep the balance. A being who would always look over
the world and seek harmony. Someone who would devote themselves to maintaining
the stability of the world. But it’s tricky. Such talent isn’t born easily. And it’s
impossible for me to manipulate the flow of fate and move time forward. Especially
since I need three of them.]

Frey couldn’t help but ask when he heard this.

“Why do you need three?”

[I told you. There are three worlds in this universe. If the Celestial World hadn’t been
destroyed, Michael would have been the balance. He would have played his part
perfectly, and the Celestial World would have been a true paradise.]

“So the other worlds also need such an existence.”

[Exactly. I’m sure you know who held the balance for the Mortal World.]

“The Dragons.”

[Their leader was the best among them.]

He was referring to the Dragon Lord.

Frey sat down, organising his thoughts.

However, he was still worried of the possibility that this being might disappear at
any moment. He had said that he was very busy, and he was stressed about how
unusual it was for him to appear directly.

So if his thoughts were correct, this conversation had a time limit.

[When Lord first landed on the continent, the Dragon Lord was simply a large beast.
He did not have any intelligence. Lord wasn’t very different. He had not established a
sense of self and was still confused about his identity.]

Frey realised that this was a tale about tens of thousands of years ago, if not longer.
The truth of the past was not recorded anywhere in the world.

It felt a bit strange to hear it from this being who claimed to be God.

[Over time, Lord’s ego was established, and the Demigods continued to fall to the
continent after him. Around the same time that all the Demigods recognised him as
Lord, the Dragons evolved to be the mediators of the continent.]

Dauns voice was quite humorous as he said this.

[When they realised the existence of the other, it was inevitable that conflicts would
arise between them. I’m sure that even at the time, they realised that they were not
compatible with each other.]
“…”

This was natural.

In those days, the Dragons were the only ones who could fight against the Demigods.

He’d heard about it from Isolla. The Demigods had never been careless or arrogant
while fighting against the Dragons.

[However, the ‘law’ I created had already chosen the Dragons as the balance. Lord
was a step above them when it came to aptitude, but in the eyes of the Mortal World,
he was an outsider. In any case, Lord couldn’t accept this fact, so he went to war
against the Dragons, and he won.]

It was only then when Frey understood.

The goal of Lord, which had always been blurry to him. And the reason why he had
yet to destroy the continent despite having ample opportunity to.

“Lord’s goal is…”

[To become the balance.]

Frey closed his mouth for a moment before speaking.

“…I heard that the Dragon Lord is connected to the continent. Is this balance that you
mentioned connected so deeply to the world that it shares an existence with the
world?”

[That’s right.]

He’d said that the Celestial World had been destroyed. Nevertheless, Lord didn’t die.

His soul had already been absorbed by the vortex of will, and his connection to the
world was severed.

Frey didn’t know the details, but in that process, the Archangel Michael died and the
Demigod Lord was born.

This was the same for the Dragon Lord who was connected to the Mortal World. He
lost a battle against Lord, but he didn’t die.

Although he was barely alive at the moment, he was certainly still alive.

‘Then what about the Demon World?’

Was there also a balance in the Demon World?

‘Is it one of the six rulers?’

When this question was raised.

[…]

Eyes appeared on the being’s head, and he looked at Frey with interest.

[There is someone who knows everything that I just said. Probably the only other
person in the universe.]

“Who is that?”

[I already mentioned him. He was the fatal flaw in the Celestial World, and he is the
one who rebelled against me.]

Dauns laughed.

[The most arrogant person in the world.]

***

“Jeble and Noctis have been slain.”

Beelzebub fell silent.

Jeble and Noctis were two Demons who had served him for hundreds of years.

“What is the damage on the Demigods’ side?”

“…”
Halifer, the Demon who was making the report on one knee, could not answer this
question immediately.

Instead, he bit his lip quietly.

“…I’m sorry.”

Beelzebub spoke in a blank tone.

“Two High-rank Demons were lost, but there were no results?”

“I’m sorry.”

“You are not the one who has to apologise.”

After saying this, Beelzebub lowered his head. This was a habit of his whenever he
was lost in thought.

Halifer had never seen Beelzebub angry. He never lost his cool, regardless of the
situation.

Although Beelzebub was called cunning and treacherous by the public, Halifer knew.

Out of the six rulers of the Demon World, Beelzebub was the wisest.

‘He is the only one who can become the true ruler of Hell.’

After pondering for a long time, the King of Flies finally muttered.

“There is a traitor.”

“Huh?”

“Someone is communicating with the Demigods.”

“Why do you think that?”

“They don’t know much about the Demon World. Nevertheless, they have an
excellent understanding about their surroundings.”
This was definitely the case.

Halifer agreed with Beelzebub. Clearly, they had chosen a strange place to advance.

‘They should have passed through Asura’s Slaughter Hell, which would have been the
worst place for the invaders.’

Asura’s Slaughter Hell was not a place that the Demigods’ would have been able to
penetrate easily.

Asura’s territory was infested with battle fanatics who loved fighting. None of his
loyal subordinates disliked blood and slaughter.

As such, the combat capability of his territory was excellent. If they had collided, the
Demigods would have been hit hard.

‘But they attacked the Black Dream Hell instead.’

This was Lilith’s territory and the homeland of all Dream Demons. Naturally, their
combat power was much lower than other demons’.

Nevertheless, the reason their land had not been invaded and taken from them was
because the illusion arts used by the Dream Demons were quite troublesome.
Unfortunately, this trump card had no effect against the Demigods.

Their mental power was not something that ordinary demons could compete with. It
was possible that Lilith, the Queen of Dream Demons, could affect them if she were
to act personally, but the illusions from her subordinates would have no effect.

‘About half of the Black Dream Hell has already been lost.’

It had been taken quickly. And soon, their advance would reach Beelzebub’s territory.

Their goal was Barbatos’ Despair Hell. And to get there, they had to go through
Beelzebub’s Bloody Hell.

So Beelzebub had sent two of his High-rank subordinates to the Black Dream Hell as
reinforcements.

He would not have done it if it were any other Hell. Nevertheless, they had been
wiped out without being able to even leave a scratch.

“Are you still trying to find Lord’s location?”

“Yes.”

Beelzebub became lost in thought once again.

‘Lord’s power is definitely annoying.’

The power to control space. The versatility of such an ability was too great. It was
fortunate that he couldn’t move around with other Demigods.

‘That’s probably why he’s moving separately.”

If it weren’t for Lord, Beelzebub and the other Archdukes wouldn’t have been acting
separately even now. Instead, they would have launched an all-out war while they
figured out the others’ abilities.

But without knowing Lord’s whereabouts, they were unable to move hastily.

While they were fighting the main Demigod army, Lord might have turned their
unprotected Hells into wastelands. In that case, even if they won the war against the
Demigods, they would still lose in the end.

‘It’s ultimately reached this stage.’

An alliance made by demons was thinner than a piece of wet paper and even easier
to tear.

He wondered how Lilith, whose Black Dream Hell was under attack, would act in the
next meeting.

Beelzebub awakened from his thoughts.

“Their speed of attacking the Black Dream Hell is much faster than we expected. It’s
a speed that doesn’t make sense unless they have knowledge of the terrains of the
various hells as well as the demons who populate them. And there is no way that the
Demigods already had this information.”
“Ah. I see.”

“And this type of knowledge is not something that could be obtained from a low-level
demon.”

Beelzebub said these words with a fierce voice, his bloody eyes swiveling bizarrely in
his head.

“The traitor is a high-level demon. He has to be at least High-rank. Halifer, investigate

the demons who have suddenly disappeared in the last decade. Those above Mid-
rank. You’ll have to investigate not only our territory but also the other Hells as well.
I will tell the other rulers in advance.”

“As you wish.”

Halifer bowed his head, admiring the wisdom of the King of Flies. He was a demon
whose loyalty towards his ruler pierced the sky, something that was rare for a
demon.

Because of this, although his combat power was a bit lacking, he was able to become
one of the arms of the King of Flies.

Halifer stepped out of the room, his expression still filled with reverence.

Beelzebub also rose up from his place on his throne. He had to meet someone
urgently.

Just as he opened the window and was about to fly into the murky skies of Hell.

“Where are you going?”

“…”

Beelzebub turned his gaze to the direction from which he heard the voice.

There was an uninvited guest standing there.

“Ruler of the Corrupted Hell.”

“Hmm.”
Lucifer, the lord of the Corrupted Hell, raised his head.

“What do you want with me, King of Flies?”

Beelzebub looked back at Lucifer. Black hair and eyes, unusually pale skin, and a
dwarf-like figure.

He couldn’t help but hold his breath as he looked at this being who didn’t appear to
be a demon.

This was a thought he’d had since the first time he’d seen him.

Of course, this was an impression that one would get from the outside. The demonic
energy swirling around inside his body was much greater and purer than any other
demon’s.

Hiding his personal thoughts, Beelzejub opened his mouth.

“Is it okay for you to leave the Corrupted Hell empty and wander around? Lord’s
movements are still unclear.”

“My men are on guard. I can have faith in them.”

Beelzebub couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of incongruity at those words.

He couldn’t help but want to find the reason for this sense.

It wasn’t difficult.

In fact, he could immediately think of a quick and simple way.

‘If I mention this feeling… ’

He was certain that Lucifer would react. And he would be able to find a clue based on
his reaction.

Nevertheless, Beelzebub couldn’t easily say those words. Instead, his instincts were
ringing alarm bells in his head.

In the first place, Lucifer had broken into the deepest part of his castle without
anyone knowing.

“I’m sorry, but I overheard your conversation.”

He’d thought this, but he hadn’t dared to mention this himself.

Beelzebub forcibly swallowed his saliva.

He wasn’t scared. But it was true that he was pressured.

Beelzebub admitted this fact to himself.

However, as the Lord of the Bloody Hell, he could not show such a pathetic
appearance.

“That’s rude. This isn’t the Corrupted Hell, Lucifer.”

“That’s why I apologized.”

Lucifer smiled as he said this.

When it was said so stiffly, Beelzebub could not stand it any longer.

As an Archduke, he had no choice but to defend his authority.

Just as he was about to make a quiet warning.

“You have a point.”

“What?”

“The traitor. I had the same idea. The Demigods’ movements have been strange. I
think they know a lot about Hell.”

He had lost the initiative.

This made it hard for him to question him any further.

As Beelzebub rolled this problem only in his head, Lucifer continued in a quiet voice.

“One of my men disappeared quite a while ago.”

“Who is it?”

“Kaltud.”

“…the Red Devil.”

Beelzebub couldn’t help but mutter the demon’s moniker. This was a moniker that
came from his red skin.

Kaltud was one of Lucifer’s closest aides and one of the most powerful demons.

He was definitely among the top 100 demons in the entire Demon World.

Beelzebub had the most information about these demons, so naturally, he knew
more about Kaltud than the other Demon Lords.

“I had thought that it had been a long time since I last heard of him, but he’s
missing?”

“This happened decades ago. The time matches too. I thought he’d run over to the
human world, but I never thought he’d go under the Demigods.”

“…”

Beelzebub felt strange again.

What was that tone?

He seemed to be convinced that it wasn’t just disappearance and that Kaltud had
betrayed them.

‘What if I put a stop to it here?’

He had such a thought for a moment, but he soon shook his head.

He alone wasn’t enough.

If Lucifer denied it to the end, there was no way to pressure him any further.

‘Also, this place is not good.’

He didn’t want to make a fuss in his territory. And he couldn’t defeat Lucifer in a one-
on-one battle.

All of the Demon Lords except Asura would have the same thought.

Beelzebub decided to follow his instincts.

‘I’ll try to press him later. By then, I should have conclusive evidence as well as the
support of the other Demon Lords.’

He just needed to bear the humiliation for the time being.

At the meeting, Lucifer said that if the Demigods were driven out, he would give up
all of his rights over the Corrupted Hell and step down as a Demon Lord.

Even Asura, who had been pressuring Lucifer at that moment, couldn’t help but step
back with his mouth open in shock.

‘He lowered his head and it worked.’

Because Lucifer had lowered his head at that time. And that’s why it was natural that
everyone had only paid attention to that fact.

Demons were extremely proud beings.

Therefore, even Lilith, the most insidious and cunning demon, couldn’t help but
respect Lucifer’s position.

Beelzebub didn’t.

He was able to vaguely feel how strong Lucifer’s pride was and just how arrogant he
was.

‘What could he be planning that he would willingly abandon that pride?’

It was a simple belief.

However, Beelzebub’s belief was quite firm. He believed his senses.

Lucifer’s actions made him feel a strong sense of peculiarity. Like something was off
or out of place. Even though he was doing the same thing as before, it felt different,
and it caused his suspicion to increase.

“Do you know about Satan?”

Once again, an unexpected topic was brought up.

Beelzebub responded in a calm voice.

“You mean the Demon King? I have no interest in the old days.”

“I see. Then you don’t know about his peril.”

Lucifer seemed amused as he said this.

Beelzebub couldn’t help but feel a chill down his spine in that moment.

Lucifer could have been described as living history in the Demon World. Even
Beelzebub didn’t know just how long he’d been alive.

Satan, whom he had mentioned, was also a legend.

He was the only one who had ruled over the entirety of Hell and who had been called
the Demon King.

Of course, Beelzebub had never seen Satan for himself, so he wasn’t completely
certain about his legend.

Compared to mortals, demons had near infinite lifespans, but they were not
immortal.

Satan had disappeared a long time before Beelzebub had come into existence.
However… it was possible that Lucifer had met him.

‘Why did he suddenly mention the Demon King?’

Beelzebub couldn’t figure out the reason.

“Then I will go look for traces of Kaltud. I will inform you if I make any progress.”

“Wait. You didn’t tell me when you came here.”

“Ah.”

Lucifer turned around and laughed heartily.

“Accidents are bound to happen, Beelzebub.”

“What?”

He didn’t receive an answer.

Lucifer had disappeared after saying those words.

Beelzebub stood there for a moment before collapsing onto his throne, shivering.

Satan’s peril. He’d said he wasn’t interested, but that didn’t mean he didn’t know.

Instead, it could be said that he knew it better than any other demon.

The Demon King, the ruler of Hell stronger than any other demon, suddenly went
missing one day.

***

[Lucifer swallowed the balance of the Demon World.]

“Swallowed?”

[He absorbed him.]

Absorbed.

This was a very ominous statement.

“Then, did Lucifer become the balance of the Demon World?”

[If it was so simple, the Demon World would have already become Lucifer’s world. In
any case… there aren’t just one or two dangerous guys.]

Dauns spoke in a light tone before he suddenly froze.

[Tch. I guess this was too much fun. I lost track of the time.]

It felt like he sighed.

Flash.

Then, his body started shining brightly.

Frey couldn’t help but squint his eyes, finding it difficult to look at him directly.

It felt as though he was being sucked or merged into that light.

Dauns turned to look at Frey.

[Anyway, this was interesting. Personally, I’m rooting for you. But that doesn’t mean I
will intervene directly. You should be thankful that I’m giving you this bit of advice.
This alone can be considered special treatment.]

“Wait. You still haven’t told me what a candidate is.”

[You want me to help you chew the food I gave you? No matter how nice I am, there’s
no way I’d do that. I gave you the pieces of the puzzle; it’s up to you to assemble
them.]

The light shined even brighter.

Frey felt like his eyes were burning.

Just when he couldn’t handle it anymore and was about to close his eyes.

“…!”

He realised that the features on Dauns’ face were slowly beginning to appear.

As he tried to squint his eyes in order to see more clearly.

[See you later.]

“…”

Frey felt that he’d returned to the shrine. The sense of disorientation that he’d had
disappeared.

He was once again facing the statue.

He couldn’t help but feel a bit strange standing on solid ground again. It felt like the
meeting he’d just had with God, where he’d been able to talk face-to-face with the
strongest being in the world, was a dream.

…But he knew it wasn’t a dream.

See you later.

He never expected this being to mention a reunion.

Frey left the shrine with a strange expression on his face.

The Great Medium, who was standing in the distance, asked in a puzzled voice.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Then why did you leave immediately after entering?”

Immediately after entering?

Frey frowned at those words.

He was certain that they’d talked for a few dozen minutes, if not longer.

‘Even the time?’

Frey had no choice but to admit that the being he’d just met was truly God.

He sighed heavily.
Then he turned to the Great Medium. He wondered how she would react if she
learned the true nature of her God.

“…”

It would probably be one of two things.

She would either immediately shake her head without believing me or agree
unhesitatingly.

In any case, he had nothing to gain from enlightening her.

Therefore, Frey chose silence.

Then the Great Medium spoke with bright eyes.

“I guess Dauns didn’t show any reaction. It seems he has judged that you’re not
qualified.”

It didn’t really matter to him, so Frey simply nodded and asked.

“So will I not be allowed to enter Hitume Ikar?”

“…I’ll listen to your reason first.”

As the Great Medium said this, she prepared to use her sorcery again.

“Wait. Can’t we just talk here?”

“Only Great Mediums are allowed to enter this place…”

She paused, looked at Frey, and sighed.

“…fine, let’s do that. Then tell me why you want to get into Hitume Ikar.”

“There is an Apostle in that country.”

“Hmm.”

The Great Medium’s eyes shined slightly.

She knew about the Apostles. In other words, this meant that she’d already known
about them before the Demigods revealed their intentions.

Well. She had lived for a few hundred years, so she should have at least known that
much.

“His name is Jenta. He is quite famous and is known as the Assassin King.”

The Great Medium’s expression suddenly changed.

She frowned.

“I see.”

“Do you believe me?”

“I just realised that it really could be Jenta.”

“It seems you know him.”

“He’s an exiled royal.”

Frey’s expression became strange.

For some reason, there seemed to be similar cases before. Wasn’t there Oydin from
the Elf Forest?

At that time, when he found out that Oydin was Snow’s brother, he’d clicked his
tongue. He didn’t expect his target this time to be an exiled royal.

“Although he was exiled, for a member of the Royal family to join under the
Demigods…”

“Jenta had always been an ambitious child. He would do anything to achieve his
goals, even if it meant shedding blood. He was heartless, and he killed without
hesitation. Therefore, this is no surprise. And Jenta isn’t the only one working with
the Demigods.”

Frey was unable to prevent his expression from changing. He was aware that there
was a high possibility of this happening, but he didn’t expect to hear it from the lips
of the Great Medium, the top executive of the country, herself.

“Then this country…”

“It’s not the entire country. This is only an issue of the high-ranking persons.”

If one was to talk about high-ranking people in Hitume Ikar…

“The King?”

“Right. Morgid, the current king. That man… huhu.”

The Great Medium chuckled for a while before turning to Frey.

“In any case, if it’s Jenta, then I have no choice but to cooperate.”

“Can you tell me where he is?”

“It will take a while.”

After saying that, the Great Medium paused for a moment.

“…Lutaha is the only port open to outsiders, but you don’t have to enter the city
through the sea route. I’ll show you another way.”

Frey nodded.

Of course, now that he had her cooperation, Frey didn’t actually need her to do
anything.

The woman in front of him was probably the only person in the entire country who
could faintly sense his magic. If she condoned his actions, then Frey was certain that
no one would notice.

In addition, she could even tell him Jenta’s whereabouts.

‘Maybe this will end sooner than I thought.’

“I need some time to prepare, so please wait in your room for a moment.”

Frey nodded gently at her words. He too, needed time to organise his thoughts.

It was Jose who then led him to his room. He still seemed to be upset with Frey, but
he also seemed to fear him greatly.

Frey allowed him to guide him without further threatening or pressuring him.

The room was one that overlooked the island’s scenery.

Without greeting him any further, Jose left.

Frey sat down by the window, immediately diving into his thoughts.

‘God said that he’d given me all the pieces.’

The pieces were clues. Clues needed to find the ‘conclusion’ that solved the question.

‘Lord’s goal is to be the balance of the Mortal World.’

For that goal, he buried the Dragon Lord in the Demon World without killing him.

Absorption.

This was another clue that he’d received from God. He suggested the possibility of
absorbing the balances.

This meant that it was possible that Lord’s goal was to absorb the Dragon Lord. Frey
didn’t know the details, but it was highly likely that the reason Lord imprisoned the
Dragon Lord in the Demon World for over 5,000 years was in preparation to absorb
him.
‘And Lord’s reason for going to Hell now is… ’

Probably because he was ready to absorb him.

In other words, he was ready to become the Mortal World’s balance.

Frey’s expression became severe when he had this thought.

‘If Lord becomes the balance, I can’t kill him.’

Now that he had divine magic power, he thought he could finally see some hope of
victory. The method to attack Lord, who’d he’d had no chance of defeating before,
seemed to have finally fallen into his hands.

But he couldn’t guarantee victory by himself yet. After all, he’d never witnessed
Lord’s true power.

Nevertheless, Frey was not alone.

If he fought together with his companions, it was no longer impossible to truly defeat
Lord. But even this assumption would be pointless if Lord became the balance of the
Mortal World.

‘If I kill Lord then, the continent would be destroyed.’

Then what should he do?

The first thing that came to his mind was a seal. Similar to what Lord did.

But was it possible for them to drive him to the brink of death?

It wasn’t possible for them to fight equally with Lord. The only way one could
overpower their opponent was if they were several times stronger.

And even if he did manage to seal him, there was still a problem.

Lord was the ruler of space. So no matter how perfect the seal is, it wouldn’t be able
to hold him for very long.

‘It would be fine as long as the Rulers of Hell win.’

If he is not able to get a hold of the body of the Dragon Lord, Lord wouldn’t be able to
become the balance.

Originally, Frey thought about helping them. By killing Jenta, he would be able to
weakened the Demigods’ main forces.

However, he couldn’t help but hesitate because of Lucifer.

‘The flaw of the Celestial World. The fallen angel. The being who absorbed the
balance of the Demon World.’

Yet he was still not the balance. He must have done it incorrectly.

‘The most arrogant man.’

Those words stuck in his throat. Frey wasn’t sure exactly what Lucifer was thinking.

He was the one who conspired to have the Demigods go to the Demon World. It was
even possible that Lucifer was manipulating the stage from behind the scenes.

This thought made Frey’s heart feel heavy.

‘Iris.’

The only Contractor Lucifer had ever chosen. Asura said she’d been moving around
in the Demon World with Lucifer.

This caused Frey to think of a new question.

Lucifer, the Ruler of Hell whose goals were still unclear, could never be trusted.

So how did Iris manage to bring this being over to her side?

‘No, in the first place.’

Were they even on the same side?

***

‘First, I’ll kill Jenta.’

This was Frey’s conclusion.

First, he judged that the most important thing was the presence of Lord, who wanted
to become the balance of the Mortal World.

Lucifer’s intentions were still unknown, but he decided to put that aside for now.

Frey looked down at the summoning circle in front of him. It was Asura’s summoning
circle.

He no longer responded to Frey’s calls.

Frey couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. He had information that could help
him and there were also things that he wanted to know.

They could have been of great help to each other as long as contact had been made.

‘I know he’s busy, but I’m still disappointed.’

Frey got up from his seat, shaking his head.

When he opened the door, he found the Great Medium standing there with her hand
raised as though she was about to knock.

“I’ve finished my preparations.”

“How are we going to get into Hitume Ikar?”

“I will use the same sorcery I used to go to the shrine.”

“Then wait a minute before you do that.”

“Aht. Where are you going?”

Walking outside, Frey didn’t answer.

He headed over to Neptunus, who was still waiting in the fog.

Neptunus trembled when he saw Frey.

It wasn’t that he didn’t think about running away. Instead, he had already tried
dozens of times. But there was no way for him to escape this monster-like man.

‘He can pull me out even if I try to hide at the bottom of the sea.’

Neptunus’ fate was completely in this man’s hands.

Frey looked at him carefully for a moment before speaking.

“There are two hearts beating in your chest. One of them belongs to my teacher. At
first, I was going to kill you and recover her heart.”

[…sp-, spare me.]

“Listen to the end.”

[…]

Neptunus obediently became silent.

Frey sighed.

Perhaps because it involved his teacher, his tone was many times sharper than usual.

“…however, you are also a victim. You were kidnapped by the Demigods and forced to
undergo body modifications.”

[Of course I am! If it wasn’t for those bastards, I Neptunus would…]

Neptunus, who was about to profess his innocence, went silent again as he saw
Frey’s eyes.

“You must not kill humans in the future. And you must help those who encounter sea
disasters around here. Keep that in mind.”

[A-, are you saying I can’t return to my homeland?]

Frey looked at the dejected Neptunus and said.

“100 years.”
[Huh?]

“You can return in 100 years. Keep in mind, Neptunus. The heart in your chest
belonged to my teacher. You are not allowed to disgrace her. I’ll be watching.”

Then he turned around without saying any more words.

Looking at his back with a blank expression, Neptunus then helplessly muttered.

[…how long is 100 years?]

Frey returned to where the Great Medium was once again.

She seemed to have just been calmly observing what happened, but the look in her
eyes wasn’t very nice.

“I don’t think that monster will listen to you.”

“He will listen.”

“A monster’s patience is not that deep. It will pretend to listen to you for a while out
of fear, but it will eventually reveal its true nature when its memories of you have
faded.”

“That’s just your preconception. He has intelligence, that means he can become a
better being. Knowing the joy of doing good would make him a spirit creature, not a
monster.”

“He sank many ships. Hundreds of people died because of him.”

“He will save many more people than that.”

“Will that bring the dead back to life?”

Their eyes met for a moment.

The Great Medium thought Frey would be upset at her questioning, but he was only
looking at her with a sad expression.

“Do not mistake the wrong person to vent your anger.”

“…”

The Great Medium closed her mouth.

The moment she heard those words, she had a strange feeling.

‘Preceding Great Medium.’

Talking to Frey felt like talking to her teacher.

And as she pondered the reason for this feeling, the answer came to her immediately.
The more she talked to this man, the more intimidated and small she felt.

‘Did I do something wrong?’

She couldn’t help but have this thought.

The Great Medium shook her head.

Maybe he had twisted the conversation so that she’d think like that.

“Can you take me to the royal family of this country?”

“…it’s possible.”

“Then please do so. I think it would be better if I was able to see and talk to the king
personally.”

The Great Medium nodded.

Regardless of whatever disagreement they had, she couldn’t snub him right after
agreeing to help him.

The Great Medium used sorcery to create a rift in space once again.

Seeing this, Frey asked.

“What is the name of this sorcery?”

“It’s called God’s Steps.”

“…”

Without realising Frey’s strange gaze when she said those words, the Great Medium
continued.

“Morgin is suspicious in many ways at this point, but in the end, he is still the king of
the country. You will not be forgiven if you act as rudely towards him as you do to
me. So you’ll have to be polite.”

“If he is someone who deserves my politeness, then I will.”

The Great Medium couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious since those words were
neither positive nor negative. But she quickly put aside her anxiety.

No matter how rude he was, he shouldn’t act the same way to a king.

“Let’s head over first.”

Frey nodded and followed the Great Medium into her space rift. He immediately felt
a sensation that was very different from a Warp.

As if they were moving at high speeds, the surrounding objects blurred past them.
And suddenly, Frey found himself standing in front of a castle.

“Please wait here for a moment. I will return after receiving permission.”

After saying that, the Great Medium walked into the castle.

Frey looked up at the castle without answering her.

“…ha.”

He let out a laugh.

He’d seen it for himself.

The castle of Hitume Ikar. The safest and noblest place in the entire country had
traces that shouldn’t have been here.

Frey’s expression became cold and his heart even colder.

He felt that he couldn’t listen to the Great Medium’s words.

He’d changed his mind a bit after meeting God. He needed to move faster and with
more focus. He couldn’t afford to take his time any more.

Frey’s figure disappeared.

The place he reappeared was the deepest and safest part of the castle. The King’s
chambers.

He looked up to the middle-aged man sitting on a throne. This should be Morgid, the
King of Hitume Ikar.

“W-, who are you?”

The man looked at Frey with a frightened expression.

The Samurai around him hurriedly drew their swords.

“Who are you?!”

“Do you know where this is…?!”

They were the elite Samurai of Hitume Ikar. They were all probably close to being
First class Magic Warriors.

In no time, they drew their swords and charged towards Frey.

A swift and ferocious aura seemed to burst out from their bodies. It was clear that
anyone they faced would feel threatened by their movements.

But their swords weren’t able to even touch Frey.

Swish.

Just a gentle swing of his hand was enough.

Dozens of Samurai collapsed to their knees in the middle of the room.

“Kuk!”
“K-, kuk…”

Their bodies shook uncontrollably. It felt like a mountain was sitting on their
shoulders.

They felt as though their entire bodies were crumbling. Some of the weaker fights
even fainted on the spot with their eyes still open.

“How impudent.”

“…”

Morgid’s expression changed when he heard that.

He quickly asked.

“A-, are you a Demigod?”

“…”

Frey didn’t answer.

He just looked at Morgid’s face with a cold expression.

“I came here to kill you.”

“H-, huh? Wh-, why…”

“You should know it well. Do you have anything to say? Human.”

Morgid’s expression changed in an instant.

Without even the slightest hint of hesitation, he leapt from his throne and knelt
before Frey with his forehead on the ground.

“I-, I’m sorry… I’m sorry… God’s race…”

He cried out in a tearful voice.

Frey’s eyes shook and a feeling of bitterness overtook him.

This was not the attitude he expected to see from the king of a country.

He had mistaken Frey for a Demigod, and it was natural that he’d feel that way. Frey
was currently unleashing his divine power freely, and the way he spoke was similar
to the Demigods.

He’d also used divine power when subduing the guards.

Therefore, they believed that only a Demigod would be able to show such a
performance.

The race of God.

That was what Morgid had just referred to the Demigods as. Perhaps the reason they
gave in was because they felt the Demigods were close to their god of creation.

Of course, that wasn’t important to Frey.

“Please forgive me… please… please…”

Morgid believed that his actions were the most suitable to guarantee his survival.

For those who bowed their heads and gave in, the Demigods showed an appearance
of merciful gods.

However, he wasn’t.

This was a mistake. Because the one standing before him was not a Demigod, nor did
he want Morgid’s subservience.

‘…he’s not just doing it for appearances sake.’

He expected to see something different.

If he had risked his life to go against him, if he had shown himself worthy of the title
King, if he had remained calm despite his fear… but he didn’t.

Anyone could tell from Morgid’s current appearance.

This was a man who had completely submitted in body and in mind. He was
someone who would lick the soles of his feet without hesitation just to survive.

For people like this, there was only one thing Frey could do.

“Stand up.”

“Y-, yes.”

Morgid hurried to his feet.

Frey closed his eyes.

Ever since he thought about going to Hitume Ikar, he’d had a thought.

If the reason that this country was able to remain peaceful was because they had
shady dealings with the Demigods. And if it was completely voluntary, without any
signs of force or intimidation. If the senior executives in this country proved to be
rotten and were eating it from the inside.

Then he would stop treating them like human beings.

“Morgid, King of Hitume Ikar.”

“Y-, yes.”

Morgid looked at him in anticipation.

Frey looked at him like he was no longer human and said.

“Die here.”
“A-, ahh…”

Morgid looked up at Frey with a fearful expression. He felt like an inevitable death
was approaching.

Why was he angry?

He’d never made any mistakes in front of the Demigods.

Morgid desperately rolled this problem around in his head.

The reason he was able to become the King over all his brothers was because he had
the sharpest wits.

But at that moment, his brain didn’t seem to be working properly, probably because
of the fear of death. His tongue, which normally moved so well, was frozen stiff.

Meanwhile, Frey slowly walked up to him.

He closed his eyes tightly, trying to show as much determination as he could.

“I-, if I die, this country will be over!”

These words were said recklessly, but Frey stopped moving.

Morbid felt the aura of death, which was lingering around his neck, recede slightly.

“What do you mean?”

‘It worked!’

Morgid inwardly cheered loudly at this fact.

Of course, this could simply have been prolonging his death. He didn’t have time to
waste.

He quickly continued.

“I-, it hasn’t even been five years since I succeeded the throne. I haven’t fully
established my authority. My brothers, who are still ambitious, would have a chance
to…”

“Just get to the point.”

He gulped audibly.

“If I die, my brother will take my place as King.”

“Brother?”

“I-, I mean Jenta. Don’t you know? Lord Ananta’s Apostle…”

Morgid still mistook him for a Demigod.

“Right. But I heard that Jenta was exiled. How could such a person become king?”

Morgid tilted his head inwardly at those words.

The Demigods were basically indifferent to the affairs of humans. So he didn’t expect
this one to know about Jenta’s exile.

However, Jenta was Ananta’s Apostle. So it wasn’t strange that he would know a bit
more about him.

“Jenta still has many supporters in Hitume Ikar! Mostly those powers in the dark! I-,
it’s not just domestic! Jenta also has a strong relationship with many foreign
countries. P-, possibly even more than me. I don’t know just how much power Jenta
has.”

Frey frowned.

This was because he thought it was truly unruly for a king to say such things.
‘Someone is amassing power to the point where they might rebel and you do nothing
to pressure them or create any countermeasures?’

‘And you can even admit that you don’t know just how much power the other has?’

He couldn’t help but feel that this man before him was not qualified to be king.

This irresponsibility would develop into a rebellion or a civil war and would cause
great fear to spread throughout the country.

Just as Frey looked at Morgid from above.

Piht.

Projectiles were suddenly shot from above.

They were aimed at both Frey and Morgid at the same time. Or at least that’s how it
appeared at first glance.

In truth, they were mostly focused on Morgid. The ones that were sent to Frey were
just to grab his attention.

Frey immediately created a barrier.

The projectiles crashed into the barrier, giving him a chance to see what they were.

‘Needles.’

They were also coated in poison.

Then, Frey felt movement from the ceiling.

Suddenly, two men in black dropped down at the same time. Their actions were swift
and stealthy, with no wasted movements.

It was clear that they were trained professionals.

Flashing daggers were held in their hands.

‘They’re aiming for Morgid.’

Crackle.

Pale lightning erupted from Frey’s body. The current traveled along the floor before
touching their feet.

“Kurk!”

“Kuk!”

The would-be assassins convulsed violently and foamed from the mouth. They then
collapsed to the floor, unable to move even a finger.

“H-, huk…”

Morgid also collapsed.

It had only taken a few seconds for all of those actions to take place.

He’d seen everything that happened, but he couldn’t figure out what was going on.

Frey looked down at the convulsing assassins and said.

“Who are they?”

“A-, assassins! They are Jenta’s men. I can’t believe it… I didn’t think they’d dare to
infiltrate the royal castle…”

Frey looked away from Morgid and approached the assassins.

He’d controlled his strength, so they were still conscious.

“Tell me where Jenta is.”

“…”

Juk.

Purple liquid seeped from the assassin’s lips.

Frey furrowed his eyebrows.

Poison.

Were they hiding it in their mouths?

It seemed they still had the ability to move their chin.

Frey’s face crumpled with displeasure.

He hadn’t thought they’d kill themselves without hesitation. It seemed they had also
been trained to do that as well.

It was then.

The space beside Frey twisted before splitting vertically. The Great Medium then
walked through this rift.

She looked around before sighing.

“I thought this would be the case. Do you know what you’ve done?”

Morgid blinked in confusion.

The Great Medium had suddenly appeared and started talking to the man he thought
was a Demigod. As though they were acquainted.

‘How does the Great Medium…?’

It was a well-known fact that the Great Medium didn’t acknowledge the existence of
the Demigods.

Therefore, the relationship between the Great Medium and Morgid was naturally
poor.

Frey looked down at Morgid and said.

“This man, the King, was in communication with the Demigods. He sold his pride to
save his life and didn’t hesitate to become a dog.”

“So you plan to kill the king of the country?”

“What does his status have to do with killing this man?”

The Great Medium and Morgid both felt chills when Frey said those words. In
particular, Morgid felt pressure as though someone was gripping his heart.

If Frey had decided to do it earlier, he would have been dead by now.

Since he’d become King, there hadn’t been a day that he’d been able to sleep
comfortably because threats to his life surrounded him.

However, this was the first time that he’d truly felt the grip of death.

“Morgid cannot be called a good king, but he did what was best for his people. If the
Demigods were to reveal their fangs, then the island would be engulfed in war and
many people would have died. Is that what you want to happen?”

“I think it’s better than being raised as livestock.”

“…that’s just your perspective.”

“…”

Frey didn’t know what to say for a moment.

Then he suddenly let out a sigh.

“…you’re right. That’s just my perspective.”

At that moment, Asura’s words appeared in his mind.

He’d called him a warrior. A fighter. And that was right.

Frey despised those who would discard their pride just to save their own lives. No,
his feelings went beyond simple contempt and bordered against utter disgust.

But in the end, this was just a subjective view.

Morgid was a king.

As he calmed down, Frey understood what this meant.

For Morgid, the things that mattered the most were the survival of his people and his
country.

“I was too hasty. As you said, it wasn’t without reason.”

“…”

The Great Medium was genuinely shocked when Frey reflected and suddenly
apologized.

Frey then pointed to the assassins and said.

“They tried to kill Morgid. It seems they are under Jenta. Where is he?”

The Great Medium frowned.

“What will you do with the information?”

“I have to kill him.”

Unlike Morgid, he had no intention of sparing Jenta.

“Jenta is the King of Darkness. He is called the King of Death, the legendary assassin.
He enjoys sneak attacks, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t strong in head-on battles.
And a few years ago, he became the Apostle of Ananta and gained the ability to use
divine power, so no one knows just how strong he is anymore.”

She took a deep breath before continuing.

“The place where Jenta is staying is his territory. With a simple gesture, he would be
able to summon hundreds of assassins who would willingly throw their lives away
for him.”

“That’s fine.”

“…”

There was no sign of pride. Frey remained expressionless as though what she’d just
said was unimportant.
The Great Medium then glanced at the warriors collapsed around the room.

‘Certainly.’

This man’s power was certainly extraordinary. Not even the best Sorcerer she knew
would be able to incapacitate so many top Samurai with ease.

‘…first, I’ll see how it goes.’

If he was unable to deal with Jenta, she would step in. As long as Jenta was a citizen
of Hitume Ikar, he would never harm the Great Medium.

When she finished her calculations, she opened her mouth.

“Jenta is in a city called ‘Perunaya’ in the northernmost part of the island.”

“Perunaya?”

Morgid asked in a surprised tone.

The Great Medium nodded.

“Right. As you know, it’s the city of Karuka, your sister.”

He sighed.

“They… right. So she laid the groundwork for Jenta to expand his power. Huhu…”

Morgid burst into laughter, but he didn’t look happy.

Instead, he looked incredibly sad.

The Great Medium looked at him with a sad gaze.

Frey could feel the complicated relationship in the royal family, but he had no
intention of prying any further.

‘I’ll just kill Jenta and have Ivan clean up the rest.’

As he’d said, he didn’t have time to waste.

“Do you plan to leave right away?”

“Right.”

“The civilians who are not assassins…”

“I won’t let them get involved.”

“Fine, give me a minute.”

The Great Medium seemed to want to say more, but in the end, she simply shook her
head and opened a rift to Perunaya.

It was easy to get there because it was in the northernmost part of the island.

Taht.

They arrived in Perunaya in no time.

Frey looked around and narrowed his eyes.

‘Divine power.’

Frey was able to distinguish the divine power.

What he was feeling now was Ananta’s power. It was a strangely dark energy that
seemed to seep into the skin.

It felt like being blown around by an uncomfortably hot wind. This was a place
where sea breeze blew constantly, but it didn’t feel fresh.

Crunch.

Without hesitation, he walked towards a shaded back alley.

Before long, the noise of the port faded together with the unique smell of the sea.

Then, Frey stopped walking.

He looked into the shadows and said.

“I didn’t think you’d come to me directly.”

A man appeared in the dark.

It was Jenta, the man he’d seen in the past.

He wasn’t wearing a mask this time, and he was instead revealing the bare face he’d
seen back at the Demigods’ meeting.

Jenta spoke in an arrogant voice.

“There’s no reason to run away. This is an opportunity to finish you with my own
hands.”

“You brought many hands to accomplish this goal.”

Jenta frowned.

His subordinates who were surrounding them had been noticed.

“Did you come even though you knew? Ha. You’re out of your mind.”

“I came…”

Frey’s voice was cold.

“Because you guys are nothing to me.”

[This is a shallow land.]

Lord muttered, looking down at the land of the Demon World.

He never thought about conquering this world. After all, it was clear why this place
was called Hell.

[Don’t you think so?]

“Compared to the continent, it is.”

Iris smiled.

“Can I ask why you called me here?”

[There’s something I want you to do.]

“Please say it.”

[Send Nozdog to Hitume Ikar.]

Iris’ expression changed at those words.

“At this point, if Nozdog is absent, then the power of the main force will be greatly
reduced, wouldn’t it?”

[That’s right. But it’s not something you need to worry about.]

“…I see, but…”

[But what?]

Humour could be heard in Lord’s voice.

[Are you currently occupied with something else?]

The moment she heard that, Iris felt an unknown chill. But she was used to hiding
her feelings, so it didn’t show.

Instead, she answered naturally.

“Busy? What could I possibly be busy with?”

[You are borrowing my power. Except for me, you are the only person who could
enter the Demon World.]

“I know that.”

[Huhu.]

Lord’s low laugh was disturbing.

Iris looked at him in silence. He was still looking down at the Demon World’s earth
with his back to her, so she couldn’t see his expression or tell what he was thinking.

No. She wouldn’t have been able to tell even if she could see his face. After all, he
didn’t have any features.

But as soon as Lord turned around to face her, Iris realised that her prediction was
wrong.

“Hup.”

Iris couldn’t help but take a breath.

Lord’s face was now clearly revealed to her. He had eyes, a nose, and a mouth.

But they were all positioned in a bizarre manner. His mouth was vertical, extending
from his forehead to his chin, four eyes, and an innumerable amount of flaring
nostrils.

[Iris Phisfounder.]

Lord smiled hideously with his large vertical mouth.

[If a tail is too long, it’s bound to be stepped on.]

***

Jenta looked down at Frey with a laugh.

He never thought he’d come to Perunaya on his own.

‘A prey caught in a spider’s web.’

Of course, that didn’t mean he would take him lightly. After all, it was still unclear
just how powerful this Wizard truly was.

However, this was the place where most of the assassins Jenta had raised were
located.

Even if it was the king of the country, Jenta was confident that if he dared to set foot
in this city, he would be assassinated without a trace.

It wasn’t even worth mentioning that this was clearly an irrational Wizard. For
generations, even collected Wizards were the easiest targets for assassinations.

Their bodies were filled with openings.

They were very different from the Magic Warriors, who always fought on the edge of
the blade, the Knights, who were covered in heavy armors, or the Sorcerers, who
could employ all manners of unpredictable tricks.

Their entire bodies were open when they walked, ate, slept, or even when they were
on guard. And during the time it took for them to cast spells was the perfect time to
assassinate them.

‘How should I kill him?’

He came to Hitume Ikar without properly understanding his target. If he was to kill
him in a straightforward manner, then it wouldn’t be able to resolve the grievances
he had inside.

He felt it would be good to pull out his nails first. Or melt the tips of his toes off with
poison.
People usually died in shock if their lower bodies suddenly disappeared. But this
man was a powerful Wizard, so he should have been able to last a bit longer.

Most people did not have a good resistance to physical pain.

As Jenta was wondering how he should kill him, Frey’s expression changed slightly.

“…”

They had already been staring at each other for some time.

Jenta knew that.

Nevertheless, he was unable to give the order to attack hastily.

What was the reason?

He wondered to himself.

Frey’s body was full of openings. That he was certain about.

With just a single gesture, he was sure that this man’s body would become a ball of
meat.

‘Yet… ’

He didn’t want to. He didn’t want to give the order.

Jenta felt that his palms had become wet without him realising.

‘Am I nervous?’

Crunch.

He grit his teeth subconsciously.

Nervousness, fear, dread. These were words that should have no connection to him.

Until he met the Demigods.

Faced with them, he had no choice but to abandon his arrogance. And he believed
that he had grown to the next level, both as a human and as an assassin.

Now that he thought about it, this situation was very similar to the one of that time.

When he first met Ananta, he’d also felt that his body was full of openings. The Jenta
at that time had quickly narrowed the distance. In his head, he could already see the
scene of his sword slicing through Ananta’s throat.

But the moment he was tossed to the floor was when he realised it was all an
illusion.

He was shocked.

He’d actually thought that he could kill a great being that had lived for thousands of
years. He’d been drunk on his own lethal power.

But that illusion was shattered when he saw Ananta’s power. Even the little
hesitation he had in his heart disappeared after he learned of Lord’s existence.

Jenta decided to compromise.

He decided to consider the Demigods as beings on a completely different level than

humans. That was his last bit of pride.

He would recognise the Demigods as the true superior species. And he wouldn’t
hesitate to bow his head or borrow their strength.

But if it was anything else, he wouldn’t lose. He would kill it.

That was what he thought.

‘Yet… ’

He didn’t know why he was nervous.

Jenta stepped back.

Before he knew it, the ridicule had disappeared from his face.
“…kuk.”

Jenta bit his lip, using the sharp pain to calm his mind.

Then, he regained his composure while calmly wiping the blood from his lips.

‘He’s just a Wizard at best. There’s no reason to be scared of him.’

Several years had passed since he became an Apostle, and his mental power was
many times more powerful than it had been. He’d successfully developed his own
style of assassination by incorporating his divine power into his techniques.

For him, Ananta’s power was like adding wings to a tiger.

A small bottle of poison was enough to contaminate an entire lake. That was how
deadly Ananta’s poison was.

With a stiff expression, he raised one hand.

“First generation.”

Paht.

The assassins in the dark moved simultaneously.

This was the best terrain for them to move as they pleased. It was dark, there were
many places to hide, and there was limited space to move.

Of course, the fact that there was limited space to move was only from the prey’s
perspective. For them, this space was not a constraint at all. Instead, it was close to
an advantage as it made it possible for them to reach their prey more efficiently.

But in the very next moment, they realised that all of these advantages were
meaningless.

Flash!

Something blue fell from the sky.

Jenta closed his eyes in an instant. If he had been a moment slower, it was possible
that he would’ve been blinded.

Strong light filled the entire alley.

Boom!

Then, a noise loud enough to shake heaven and earth was heard. It was a loud
explosion as though a meteorite had fallen from the sky.

Of course, he knew that a meteorite hadn’t fallen.

Before he could open his eyes, the first thing that greeted Jenta was a smell. It was a
strange smell, but it was one he was familiar with.

It was the smell of burnt skin.

Jenta opened his eyes.

And immediately regretted it.

Black lumps of charcoal were scattered everywhere. Without any difficulty, Jenta
realised that they were the first generation assassins.

Dozens of burned bodies were scattered around Frey.

“H-… ow.”

Total annihilation.

This elite group, which had carried out dozens of missions without receiving even a
single scratch, had been completely decimated.

Jenta’s expression was one of shock.

He shook his head.

“Th-, that wasn’t magic.”

That was not like magic at all.

The first generation had a lot of experience fighting against Wizards. They were well
aware that when mana erupted around a Wizard; it was both a crisis and an
opportunity.

There were no fools amongst them who didn’t know the dangers and destructive
power of magic and the flaws.

Yet it was this elite group who had been turned into charcoal before they even had a
chance to properly respond.

In addition, the attack just then had been enough to immediately turn humans into
charcoal, but there wasn’t even a single mark on the surrounding structures.

Jenta wondered if he was dreaming.

“It’s not magic.”

As he responded to Jenta’s words, Frey took a step forward. And Jenta took a step
back without realising it.

It was both fortunate and unfortunate that Jenta did not notice this fact.

It was true to say that Wizards could only serve as prey for assassins. Even 7 star
Wizards, crowned as Archmages, would have trouble against them. Perhaps even an
8 star Wizard would struggle.

Jenta’s power and the addition of his hidden assassins were truly troublesome.

High ranking assassins were able to read the movement of mana. They would keep
their eyes on the Wizard’s every gesture and listen to even the softest murmurs. To
observe their target, they would raise their concentrations to the limit.

However, their detection abilities didn’t work on 9 star Wizards. Frey could move his
mana without them noticing, and he could cast spells without chanting or doing any
prior actions.

He could even use their keen senses to set traps for them. It was the same just then.

‘They thought I would use a defensive spell.’

He pretended to be on the defensive on purpose. And the assassins were unable to
see through Frey’s trick.

This wasn’t because they lacked foresight. Instead, it was because Frey’s control over
his mana was too outstanding.

It was not that they were wrong but that they had been blinded by their own eyes.

“Second generation! Third generation! Don’t get close to him! First, we’ll pressure
him with long distance attacks! No, we have to determine his attack range…”

“This entire city.”

It could just be a low-handed trick, but Jenta had no time to listen to it. Frey had
reached close enough to touch him.

‘When?’

‘No. How did he even get there?’

‘Did he use Blink?’

‘No. That didn’t matter.’

Jenta’s face became clouded by rage.

“You… bastard!”

It was a very primitive rage.

He had never heard of a Wizard who dared to get close to an assassin.

It was something that would never have happened if they were treating their
opponent seriously.

‘No.’

He forcibly regained his calm. Unexpected things kept happening consecutively, but
it could just be the other’s plan.
‘You’re too arrogant, Wizard!’

Such a close distance. This was an opportunity like no other.

Each assassin had their secret weapons, and Jenta’s were particularly deadly.

There was no way he would miss at this distance. It would definitely mean certain
death.

Paht.

What Jenta revealed was a simple-looking awl. Six of them.

He put them between his fingers and crossed his arms. His expression became
extremely serious at that moment.

‘If you can block this, I’ll admit you are better than-’

Jenta didn’t get to finish his thought.

A white light from Frey covered his head.

“…”

Then, Jenta’s body, which had lost its head, collapsed to the ground. He hadn’t even
realised how he’d died.

“L-, leader!”

“Impossible…”

Even when the first generation had been annihilated, the group of assassins hadn’t
wavered or been so distracted.

Naturally, Frey would not miss this chance.

He was aware of the location of every single one of them.

There were 129 left.

Chchch!

A stream of lightning went through the ground and engulfed them.

The assassins weren’t even given the chance to scream. Just like the first generation,
they all quickly became lumps of charcoal.

“…”

Frey looked around.

Jenta and the assassins had been wiped out.

They were dead. It was not a trick, nor was it a mistake.

Frey was certain that he’d killed Ananta’s Apostle, Jenta.

Nevertheless, Frey’s expression did not look good. Instead, he felt incredibly
uncomfortable.

‘Is this it?’

He felt like something was stuck in his throat.

Jenta’s ability to hide was amazing. But he should have known that he would be
unable to hide from the Great Medium.

Did the Demigods not know that too?

‘That’s not possible.’

They were the type to pay attention to their weaknesses. If they weren’t certain of
their safety, they would not have rushed over to Hell.

Then… was it possible that they disconnected from their Apostles? So that even if the
Apostle was killed, the Demigods wouldn’t go into hibernation?

If that was the case, then Ananta would not have needed to care about Jenta any
longer.
That was a possibility. But Frey didn’t think that chance was very high.

Even if such a thing were possible, it would not have been something that could be
done quickly or easily.

‘…the most plausible hypothesis is that they were confident in Neptunus’ protection.’

The chimera that Leyrin had made was quite strong. If it wasn’t Dro and Frey, but
someone else, they would have suffered.

This was especially because they would be forced to face him in the sea, a terrain
that was most advantageous to him.

It was possible that Ananta overestimated the power of Neptunus. As long as he

could protect Hitume Ikar, Jenta would be perfectly safe.

He might have thought so.

‘It’s too lax.’

It was too sloppy.

He was certain that they knew Agni was dead. Yet they were acting like this?

Frey couldn’t help but feel anxious.

‘I have to contact Asura.’

The quickest way to check if Ananta was hibernating was to ask a ruler of Hell
directly. But Asura no longer responded to Frey’s calls.

‘Should I get Sheryl to contact Lilith?’

The two seemed to be close. At least closer than Frey and Asura.

But he wasn’t sure if Lilith would respond.

‘Should I find another Contractor?’

One who had signed a contract with a High rank Demon who wasn’t a Demon Lord.
He could use them to help him pass on a message to Asura.

However, Frey’s concerns soon became useless.

“Hello.”

Frey looked back in shock.

Without him noticing, a man had appeared behind him.

‘I couldn’t feel his presence.’

That fact alone made Frey’s expression harden.

“Who are you?”

When Frey asked this in a vigilant voice, the man smiled.

“Lucifer.”

“…!”

The Lord of the Corrupted Hell!

Frey breathed in sharply.

This was his first time meeting this man in person, but he couldn’t help but raise his
guard.

He wasn’t sure if this man was truly Lucifer, but it was clear that this was no ordinary
person since he was able to evade his senses.

‘Even though demons can’t use their full strength in the Mortal World… ’

He felt a sense of portent that couldn’t be hidden.

God’s words appeared in his mind at that moment.

The flaw of heaven, who knew the true background of Lord and the Demigods. And
the man who had devoured the real balance of Hell.
How should he react?

“…what business do you have with me?”

“I came to make an offer.”

“An offer?”

“Right. An offer.”

Lucifer looked at Frey without hiding his interest.

“Would you like to go to Hell with me, Great Mage?”

“I’m human, I can’t go to Hell.”

“You don’t have to be so stiff around me.”

When Frey didn’t respond, Lucifer shrugged.

“You don’t really think that, do you? Are you afraid that you wouldn’t be able to
perform the dimensional leap?”

Lucifer’s movements were exaggerated, and he had a strange way of speaking.

Nevertheless, his gaze was sharp.

That was the reason why Frey was unable to relax.

Dimensional leap.

He’d never tried it for himself, but in his heart, Frey agreed with Lucifer’s words.

He knew that his soul had already transcended human standards. Even the
turbulence that he would encounter during a dimensional leap would affect him.

Just like he’d been able to send Apep to the Slaughter Hell in the past, it was also
possible for the current Frey.

But that didn’t mean that all of the problems had been solved.

“Even if my soul can withstand it, my body can’t. My body would be torn apart like a
piece of paper.”

“That’s not a problem either.”

“What do you mean?”

Lucifer burst out into laughter.

“Are you sure you don’t know? Great Mage, I’m sure you can feel the changes
occurring in your soul.”

“You talk as though you know me well.”

“It’s not from observation. I don’t have that much free time.”

“…”

“Can you tell who told me?”

Frey’s eyes shook.

He didn’t answer that question either. But the image of a purple-haired woman
subconsciously appeared in his mind.

Frey sighed deeply.

“Transcendent.”

“Huhu!”

Lucifer laughed happily and nodded.

The Demigods’ true self. It was easy to understand if one thought about Agni, who
had a body made of fire.

The boundary between body and soul was not present. Even if their organs exploded
or their limbs were torn off, their bodies could be constantly and quickly
regenerated as long as they still had mental power.

For transcendent bodies, normal physical attacks were pointless. Magic, and even
divine power, was the same.

To deal a proper blow to a transcendent, one had to use a high level technique to
reach their ‘core’.

“You can also become transcendent.”

Frey knew that.

He put his hand on his chest.

At some point, he’d begun feeling that his body was unnecessary. It felt cumbersome,
like it was holding him back.

He also knew that he could throw away this body if he wanted. He could get a
‘freedom’ that he’d never felt before in his life. He could feel a sense of fullness that
the feeling he had now would never be able to compare to.

Frey knew that he could be like that at some point.

“You have already surpassed the class of humans. So why are you still clinging to
your body?”

Lucifer asked this question with genuine curiosity.

Frey’s mouth twisted.

In all honesty, it was because he wasn’t confident. He didn’t know what changes he
would experience after truly becoming a transcendent being.

It was possible that he’d become completely different to how he was now. Even his
way of thinking might change.

He was scared. He wasn’t sure if he’d still consider himself a human at that time, or
how he would feel towards them.

Frey loved humans, but at the same time, he hated them.

He knew of their extremely contradictory nature better than anyone else. He knew
that there were just as many bad people as there were good.

What if he only focused on the former after becoming a transcendent being? What if
he could no longer see the bright side of man?

When he became transcendent, Frey believed that his vision would be much higher
than it was now. It would be almost impossible for him to see the humans below him.
Even if he bent his back as much as he could, he would never be able to see their
expressions. And no matter how he stretched his ears, their desperate cries would
never reach him.

He would become a new level of existence.

Would he even be himself anymore?

“Hmmm.”

Lucifer’s expression changed for the first time.

The relaxed expression that he had up to that point disappeared, replaced by a bit of
surprise and frustration.

“Foolish. It has already been determined. You are destined to abandon humanity in
the end.”

“…”

Frey took Lucifer’s words to mean two things.

He would abandon his humanity. Or abandon the human race.

Both were obviously things that he never wanted to happen. Nevertheless, the
moment he heard it, his heart became heavy.

He felt that those words were like a prophecy that couldn’t be denied.

“Chrysalis. That’s the best word to describe your current state. You’re already ready
to spread your wings. So why aren’t you flying? Why are you still focused on the days
when you crawled across the ground? Do you think you can go back to being a
caterpillar? No. You can’t!”

Lucifer’s voice was filled with a strange emotion.

“Evolution or destruction. You have to pick between them. The cocoon will
eventually rot, and your body will rot with it. That’s not the end you want, is it?”

He would die as a human.

Lucifer didn’t want to say such terrible words. Instead, he looked at Frey with eyes
filled with anticipation. There was even a faint hint of affection in his gaze.

He couldn’t help it.

He had been alive for a frightening amount of time. Except for God, there was no one
else in the universe who’d been alive as long as he had. He was the oldest creation.

Lucifer also knew more about the structure of the world than anyone else. In other
words, he knew the laws and order.

The core of these laws was ‘class’.

All living beings were placed in a class from birth. It could be called a brand.

Frey was a human. Even though he had power that far surpassed humans, he was
still classified as a human.

It was the same even when he was the Great Mage, Lukas Trowman. Even though he
reached 9 stars, he was still mortal.

He was still inferior to the Rulers of Hell and the Demigods.

In a sense, that was the limit of a human.

But Frey had raised his class. He far surpassed the limit of power that humans could
possess.

He broke the limit.

In truth, this result came from a series of coincidences. But Lucifer didn’t care about
the process. The only thing he paid attention to was the result.

This human in front of him had accomplished something that was unprecedented in
thousands, no, tens of thousands of years.

Lucifer greatly admired Frey’s feat and praised him sincerely. It even made him
uncharacteristically excited.

The ‘possibility’ that Frey’s existence revealed was simply astonishing.

It was natural for him to have a lot of curiosity towards him.

He was curious about this human who managed to break the ‘law’. And just what
thoughts he had in his mind.

But right after he finally met this person and talked for a brief moment, he was
overwhelmed by disappointment.

‘Lingering affection.’

Frey was still deeply attached to the human race.

He shouldn’t have been. Such personal affection was not a virtue that a transcendent
being needed to have.

“Become transcendent, Lukas.”

Lucifer spoke with a serious expression.

“I know you have an aversion towards transcendent beings. It’s only natural since
you’ve only experienced the Demigods’ behaviour.”

“…”

“However, you should have realised. They don’t have the dignity worthy of their long
lives. They are just pathetic. The Demigods have wasted their near infinite time, and
they are now paying the price for it. Look! The fall of those arrogant beings who
claimed to be the masters of the continent is at hand!”

Lucifer clenched his fist.

“You won’t be like that. The path you’ve taken so far proves that.”

“All of a sudden.”

Frey finally opened his mouth.

Lucifer looked at him in anticipation. But his expression became hard when he heard
the words Frey said next.
“My friend’s advice comes to mind.”

“What is that?”

“They said that you should be especially careful when a demon starts wagging its
tongue at you enthusiastically.”

“…”

The expression of Lucifer, which had been alight as he was talking passionately,
quickly cooled down. The emotion disappeared from his face.

The change was so sudden that it would cause anyone to feel chills, but Frey didn’t
shrink back.

Instead, he continued in a cold voice.

“What do you want?.”

Frey’s expression was as cold as his voice.

He didn’t trust Lucifer at all.

This would have been the case even if he hadn’t heard the truth from God.

“As you said, I will transcend humanity. Sooner or later… Perhaps it will be as you
said. Perhaps.”

“Hoh.”

“However, in the end, that is my choice. Do you understand? It is a judgement that I

will make for myself after careful consideration. Your words have no effect on my
choice.”

Lucifer smiled coldly.

This smile was very different from the one he’d given before. However, Frey felt that
this smile revealed his true intentions.

“I understand perfectly. Right. Every choice deserves respect. However, you should
understand the reason why I want you to become transcendent as soon as possible.
We have a common enemy. I just thought that you would like to increase our odds.”

“You mean Lord. He certainly is a common enemy between the Continent and Hell.
But in my opinion, you and Lord are the same.”

He didn’t know what he was up to.

“Demons cannot exert their full strength here on the continent. We are of no threat
to you.”

“I don’t know that.”

The Demigods had been able to avoid the law’s punishment by using a metal called
Illuminium.

It was one of the laws that also restricted the demons when they entered the Mortal
World. So he couldn’t say for sure whether they had a way to bypass it or not.

“Then let’s change the method of this negotiation a little.”

“Do you intend to threaten me?”

“You might see it that way.”

Lucifer’s lips spread to form a large, sinister smile.

“…”

Frey’s expression became hard when he heard his words.

***

[I’m sorry, Nozdog. You must have been busy, but I called you here.]

Nozdog shook his head at Lord’s words.

{It’s fine at the moment. The battle has entered a lull.}

[It’s only a matter of time.]

{Right.}

Nozdog nodded heavily.

Lord looked at his empty eye sockets and opened his mouth.

[I heard Ananta went into hibernation.]

{… It’s probable that his Apostle in Hitume Ikar was attacked. We were worried, but
we didn’t expect it to happen so fast.}

[Right. It’s certainly a shame.]

Nozdog couldn’t help but feel a bit strange after hearing Lord’s voice.

‘Since when?’

Lord was accepting the death of his own people calmly.

He wasn’t like this before. He would be furious at the death of every single one of his
people. As if he carried the anger of every single Demigod.

This was why the majority of Demigods felt a strong bond to Lord.

[Of the five of my people that I was closest with. You are the only one left, Nozdog.]

Nozdog felt two discrepancies in those words.

‘The ones he was closest to?’

Lord loved every Demigod equally. He never used a tone which seemed to favor one
over the other. Even if he thought it, he would never say it directly.

And there was another thing.

{Lord, Ananta is still alive. He is just hibernating.}

[…ah. Right.]

Nozdog felt a strange sense of anxiety.

He couldn’t help but fall silent for a moment.

[Right. That’s true.]

Nozdog’s body was a skeleton. This meant he had no heart. But if he did, he was
certain that it would practically jump out of his chest with how hard it would be
beating at that moment.

[Head over to Hitume Ikar.]

{I don’t mind doing that, but… Will it be fine over here?}

If both Nozdog and Ananta were away, the power of the Demigods’ side would fall by
at least half.

Lord was acting on his own, so he wouldn’t be able to help.

With just the others, even if only two Archdukes made a move, they would have a
hard time.

[It’s fine. I have a plan.]

{… understood.}

Nozdog forcibly suppressed his anxiety.

Even when Lord absorbed Leyrin, his belief did not waver. Regardless of the
consequences, he would listen to Lord’s will.

{What should I do after I get there?}

[There should be a being with a Dragon Heart there. Take him down. But don’t kill
him.]

{… understood. Then I will brief the others and come back.}

Nozdog left after saying those words.

Lord’s gaze was elsewhere. It was like he was looking beyond Hell.
He was looking at the one who was probably his biggest obstacle.

[It must have been fun. Everything was going according to your plans.]

A smile appeared on his face.

[But it will be different from now on.]

Lucifer left, saying that he would return the next day. He also added that he hoped
Frey would have made a decision by then.

Frey was once again alone in the back alley.

He sat on the dirty ground, looking up at the sky.

He couldn’t help but think back to what Lucifer had said.

‘Iris was caught by Lord.’

‘I lost contact. I don’t know if she is alive or dead. Lord has no reason to keep her alive.
Even if she is alive, there is no guarantee that she’s okay.’

Strangely enough, he felt that those words were true.

Lucifer no longer tried to force an alliance. He simply looked at him with a

meaningful smile.

However, it was this attitude that shook Frey’s heart more than the persuasion
tactics he’d employed before.

He slowly closed his eyes.

There were a lot of thoughts on his mind. His face was stiff, and his heart was heavy.

His worries continued to pile up.

His relationship with Iris. The things she’d done after he disappeared. What
Anastasia said. Lucifer and Lord.

“…”
He suddenly felt that that wasn’t important.

‘What do I want to do?’

Frey asked himself.

The most important thing was his own thoughts.

And that answer came so quickly that his worries seemed unnecessary.

‘Regardless of the reason, I don’t want to leave her like that.’

He didn’t want Iris to end up dying at Lord’s hand. It wouldn’t solve anything.

There was still a lot that needed to be cleared up between Frey and Iris. A lot of
things that he wanted to hear and a lot that he wanted to say.

In this sense, Lord was a hindrance and an uninvited guest. He did nothing but
interfere.

Frey was finally able to see inside himself clearly.

He wasn’t just going to save Iris. If he met her this time, he would be able to look at
her more calmly than the last time.

He couldn’t help but wonder how exactly he would treat Iris Phisfounder.

“…”

First of all, he had to meet her again.

After having this thought, Frey stood up.

He didn’t intend to act as Lucifer wished. He said he would return the next day, but
Frey didn’t intend to wait until then.

He would go to Hell on his own.

Of course, there was something he needed to take care of before that.

 ***

“You go first.”

Ivan’s cheek twitched at Dro’s sudden announcement.

“What?”

“There’s something I need to do.”

“There’s nothing to do in this depressing forest where you can’t even find a single
bug. Do you plan to dig up a tree? The quality of the wood isn’t too bad.”

Ivan touched a dark tree beside him while he mumbled insensibly.

But Dro shook his head firmly.

“That’s not it.”

“Then?”

“…”

“Dammit. What’s the need to hide it?”

Dro remained silent even as Ivan vented his anger. This attitude made Ivan even
angrier.

But Anastasia, who was observing Dro’s expression, had a different view than Ivan.

“Let’s just go.”

“What?”

“I have a bad feeling.”

Anastasia frowned.

“Dro’s words sound like advice.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Just come. That friend needs our help.”

“…”

Anastasia pointed towards Jekid who was standing at the front of his group as she
said this. But Jekid couldn’t help but make a strange expression when he heard
himself being called ‘that friend’ by a girl who looked much younger than his
daughter.

Ivan clicked his tongue.

He didn’t trust Dro completely, but he was at least certain that he wouldn’t try
anything stupid.

Nevertheless, he turned to Anastasia and opened his mouth, showing that he didn’t
back down easily.

“It’s not that you don’t understand what I’m implying, is it?”

“Something like that wouldn’t happen.”

“Ha.”

Ivan snorted before walking over to Jekid.

Anastasia gave Dro a meaningful gaze before turning around and following him.

Their figures grew further and further away.

No signs of life could be found in the entire forest. So as they disappeared, a sense of
serenity settled. Like the calm before the storm.

Dro appeared to be left alone in the clearing. But he knew he was not alone.

“You’re still not very good at speaking. Well. Iris couldn’t really afford to care about
that.”

A man was standing in the darkness of the forest.

He was not hiding his presence. In fact, he had been leaning against a tree since the
beginning, but no one except Dro had felt his presence.

Neither Ivan, who was at the gateway to the Warrior King, Anastasia, who carried the
title Great Sage, nor Jekid, leader of one of the Three Great Circles and a Knight who
surpassed the Master rank, were able to.

“It’s quite amazing that you sent them away so recklessly.”

The man spoke in a strange manner.

Dro felt like he knew who he was somehow. So he wasn’t surprised.

Instead, he continued talking in his normal, blank tone.

“What if I didn’t tell them to leave first? What if they were still here?”

“I wanted to talk to you alone. I don’t want others to hear our conversation.”

His tone was light but seemed to carry a deeper meaning.

He meant that he would have killed everyone there. It wouldn’t have been difficult
for him.

Looking at his pale complexion, Dro slowly opened his mouth.

“Lucifer.”

“Hoh.”

Lucifer made a sound of admiration when he heard his name called.

His voice was filled with a sense of anticipation as he asked.

“Can you remember?”

“Faintly.’

“That’s good to hear. Now, come here.”

Lucifer beckoned to him, but Dro didn’t move from his position.

Instead, he shook his head firmly.

“I was told not to trust you.”

“I don’t need to ask who told you that. Haha. I can’t believe Iris said that. She is fun
and annoying at the same time.”

He still had a smile on his face as he spoke.

“Iris created me. She is my…”

“What? Hahaha!”

This time he truly burst into laughter.

Lucifer laughed for a long time before looking at Dro again.

“Kuku. You’re not wrong, but… How naive. Right. I get it now. Is this also part of Iris’
design? That woman really can’t be underestimated.”

“What are you talking about?”

The answer came from behind him.

“The one you need to believe is not her but me.”

“…!”

Snap.

Lucifer, who’d moved behind Dro, grabbed his shoulder. And in that instant, Dro felt
as though lightning bolts were flashing in his mind.

“Remember, Dro. The meaning of your name.”

His voice drifted into his ears like an irresistible hypnosis. First, it flowed in
smoothly like a gentle breeze before eventually becoming a storm.
“—.”

Dro’s mouth hung open, and his eyes were stretched wide.

“…I… am not the Dragon Lord.”

“Right. You’re not.”

Lucifer smiled brightly.

“You’re not just that much, Dro.”

***

Lilith breathed deeply as she stared at the Demigods.

She didn’t have her usual composure at all. Her well groomed hair hung wildly, and
her entire body was covered in wounds.

That wasn’t all.

Most of the Black Dream Hell had been taken, and even her own castle had been
destroyed.

‘This is really frustrating.’

She never would have thought that she’d be the first victim.

At first, she had the advantage, but she wouldn’t have imagined that it could become
like this.

Because the Demigods were ignorant about Hell.

Lilith was confident in her territory. She had believed that since it was the Black
Dream Hell, she would be able to stop the Demigods’ advance and even kill a few of
them.

But it was all just an illusion.

Their patterns began changing as the battles continued. The Demigods inexplicably
adapted to the terrain and environment in Hell at a quick rate.

They were not shaken by the advantages of the demons. And in the end, the
difference between winning and losing became the difference in power.

Each Demigod had power that surpassed even the High rank demons’. And while
they might have been weaker than the six Rulers of Hell, there were over a dozen of
them.

And among them, there were also those who were exceptionally strong.

Nozdog and Ananta. Those who were called Apocalypses.

The two of them weren’t around right then, but Lilith couldn’t afford to care about
them at that moment.

“It’s like we were told. The Queen of the Dream Demons is particularly weak among
the Archdukes.”

“Indeed.”

The Demigods muttered these words with expressionless faces. They just muttered
what they thought.

But Lilith felt humiliated as though they were actively mocking her.

And the thing that was the most humiliating was the fact that she couldn’t refute
their words.

It was true that of the six Rulers of Hell, she was the weakest.

‘In the end, no one came to help.’

Lilith laughed to herself.

She wasn’t disappointed. Because she didn’t expect to get any help in the first place.

She knew the habits of demonkind well. If it was strong, they’d eat it, and if it was
weak, they’d still eat it.
Hell followed the rules of the jungle. Those who couldn’t protect themselves would
be eaten without hesitation.

Maybe that was why the other Archdukes didn’t view Lilith in a good light. She relied
on cunning and treachery instead of simply advancing with force.

Of course, Lilith didn’t think she was wrong. She also struggled to survive. Which was
why she was able to accept this death calmly.

It would have been a lie to say she wasn’t regretful, but she felt that there was
nothing she could do.

She would die because she was weak.

She never would have expected to die at the hands of Demigods instead of Demons.

“Hooo.”

She closed her eyes.

Just as she tried to accept her end with one last sigh.

Woowoong-

The Demigods looked up to the sky at the same time.

The sinister, purple sky of Hell cracked open, and someone fell from it.

At first, the Demigods thought it was their own kind. Some of them even though it
was Lord.

But that was an absurd misunderstanding.

“…you are…”

Shock was visible in Lilith’s eyes.

It was a face she was familiar with but not one she expected to see at that moment.

No.
Instead, it could be said that this sight made her wonder if she was dreaming.

The appearance of a human falling from the skies of Hell was not realistic in any way.

Taht.

Frey looked around.

This was his first time in Hell. He quickly noticed that there were certainly many
things that were different from the continent.

The purple sky, pitch-black earth, and incredibly disgusting stench which permeated
the environment were the most noticeable.

Then he saw the rivers that appeared to be made of flowing blood.

Chch-

“…”

His divine magic power fluctuated for a moment. The dimensional leap had been
successful, but it wasn’t without side effects.

Frey realised that he was currently in a state of excitement.

Was the raging divine magic power affecting his mind?

“Who the hell are you?”

“I can feel divine power, but he’s definitely not our kind.”

“I don’t think he’s a demon.”

Only then did Frey turn around.

Seeing the beings standing there, it took him a moment to realise that they were
Demigods.

Even Frey had never seen so many Demigods in one place. Of course, Frey did not
think about having a conversation with them.
This number was a threat even to him.

Frey’s mind spun quickly.

The best strategy was to reduce their numbers before they realised who he was. If
his attack went well, he would be able to get rid of two of them.

Just as lightning was about to spread out from his body.

“Wait a moment. We have no intention of fighting you.”

At those words, Frey suppressed his divine magic power.

Then he turned to the one who spoke and asked.

“Who are you?”

“I am Heimdall.”

It was a man with cloth tied around his eyes.

His aura was also different from the other Demigods’.

“We have no intention of fighting?”

“Heimdall, what are you talking about?”

It was the Demigods around him who expressed displeasure at his words. However,
his next words forced them to shut up.

“Lord said it directly. If Frey Blake appears in Hell, be polite.”

Frey’s expression became strange.

After a brief silence, Heimdall added.

“Just like we treat our own kind.”

‘Did I hear that incorrectly?’

No. It wasn’t possible.

Frey didn’t even know what kind of expression he was making at that moment. He
even wanted to feel his face to check.

The words that Heimdall had just said were too unbelievable.

Be polite? Like he was one of their kind?

He couldn’t believe that Lord would say such words.

Frey spoke coldly.

“Nonsense.”

“Right. Don’t be ridiculous, Heimdall.”

One of the Demigods beside him agreed with Frey’s words. His voice was fierce, and
his eyes had a hideous glow, as though he was ready to tear his opponent apart
without any hesitation.

“He is an enemy who has killed many of our people. I don’t need to talk. I’m going to
kill him here.”

“You are no match for him, Kullis.”

Crunch.

The Demigod named Kullis grit his teeth at those words, but he held back his violent
behaviour.
It was a sign that the Demigods’ thoughts had changed a lot.

He didn’t vent his anger even though he was told he was weaker than a mortal. In
fact, Kullis was not confident that he could defeat Frey on his own.

Heimdall looked at Frey again and said.

“Frey Blake, it doesn’t matter whether you believe me or not. However… Lord
seemed certain of your arrival.”

“…”

Frey guessed the reason.

Iris Phisfounder.

Was he using her as a hostage?

The situation wasn’t good. Nevertheless, a smile spread across Frey’s lips.

Of course, it was a smile colder than ice.

“Right. That’s more like Lord.”

He would not have understood if he hadn’t said that. Even if he pretended to have
suddenly gotten a change of heart, he would only feel suspicion.

Frey pointed to Lilith, who was still staring without understanding what was going
on.

“Do not touch Lilith anymore.”

“Ha. Why the hell would we listen to-”

“We understand.”

Kullis opened his mouth to retort, but Heimdall nodded gently.

It seemed that Heimdall’s position was higher than the other Demigods’ there.
Of course, all Demigods were viewed equally by each other, but it was a difference in
speaking right.

Lord and the Apocalypses were representative of this.

“Follow me.”

After saying that, Heimdall turned around. Most of the other Demigods seemed to be
just as displeased as Kullis was, but they didn’t express it openly.

Lilith urgently called out to Frey, who was about to leave.

“Y-, you. Why did you save me?”

“Because it’s not time for you to die yet.”

“What?”

“Tell Asura. Tell him that he must not trust Lucifer.”

“W-, wait.”

Frey didn’t listen and followed Heimdall away.

Except for Lucifer, the five Lords of Hell must not be allowed to die. Because they
were the best deterrent to hold Lord and Lucifer back.

***

Lord looked no different from the last time he saw him.

He was standing on the edge of a cliff, looking at Frey.

What was unusual was that the land around him was not black. Instead, it was fertile
and grassy as though they’d returned to the continent.

[Welcome.]

“…”
Frey didn’t know what to say.

He never could have imagined that a day would come when he’d hear this word from
Lord.

He felt strange.

Of course, it wasn’t a good feeling. Instead, it was a feeling so unpleasant that it gave
him goosebumps.

His disgust increased, and Frey didn’t try to hide it.

[You’re too quick-tempered. Why don’t we sit first?]

The space split open, and two chairs appeared.

[There is none of that murky energy unique to hell around here. I purified it. I made
it so that it would make people from the continent like us more comfortable. Do you
like it?]

“You’re out of your mind. Are you trying to build rapport? Are you foolish enough to
think we could ever be close?”

[Not at all. I just want to talk.]

“Talk. Talk?”

Frey let out a cold laugh.

“It’s too late for that. 4,000 years too late.”

Lord’s attitude didn’t change even after hearing Frey’s cold words.

Of course, he didn’t suggest he sit down again either.

[I’m surprised. I didn’t think you’d come here so easily. It seems you knew this
wouldn’t be a trap. Hmm. Or perhaps…]

Lord chuckled softly and said.

[Do you have the confidence to defeat or run away from all of us?]

“I can take at least half of you down with me. Then you would not win against the
demons.”

[Right. You calculated it well. You’re correct. I don’t want that kind of result.]

After a moment of silence, Lord spoke once again.

[Frey Blake, would you like to become one of our kind?]

Those words made the surroundings as quiet as death.

The Demigods around him looked at Lord in disbelief. A few of the more hasty ones
took steps forward to tell Lord something, but it was Heimdall who silently stopped
them.

Nevertheless, his expression was also one of shock.

He couldn’t understand Lord’s intentions.

[You have the power of origin. This is a very special type of energy. It must have
caused many changes within you. I’m sure I don’t even need to explain this. You must
already feel a sense of solitude as though you are floating alone in space.]

There was great emotion in Lord’s voice.

[If it’s me, no, if it’s us, we can fill that solitude. Become one of us. Then, everything
you desire…]

“That’s enough of your bullshit.”

Frey’s tone was harsh.

He rarely got excited, and his time in the mental world had given him even more
control over his emotions. But Lord’s words seemed to reach past all of his
safeguards to his most sensitive parts, causing Frey to feel an unprecedented rage.

“This is the last warning. Get to the point. What you wanted to say was not this
proposal but to make a deal, right?”
[Huhu.]

Lord chuckled before muttering.

[You don’t compromise… just like Riki.]

“…”

[Fine. Let’s move on to the deal.]

With whose words, Lord’s demeanour changed.

[Lucifer is dangerous.]

“You’re one to talk.”

[I understand your hostility towards me, but that kind of attitude makes it difficult
for us to communicate.]

At Lord’s words, Frey shut his mouth for a moment. He didn’t want to admit it, but he
knew he was being too emotional.

Although it was better to keep your calm in front of an enemy, he didn’t intend to
fight right away. So he decided to focus on what he was saying first.

[Lucifer is more dangerous than I am.]

“Do you know what he’s after?”

[I know much more than you do.]

Frey recalled his conversation with God. The flaw of the Celestial World, the most
arrogant being in the universe.

Did Lord know about this? Did he know about his origin?

‘Michael.’

The balance of the Celestial World.

Frey looked at the leader of the Demigods who was imitating God’s appearance.

[Do you know that the Dragon Lord is in Hell?]

“Yes.”

[About 5,000 years ago, we fought and I won. It was a bloody battle for the fates of
our respective races. After I won, the Dragons should have submitted to us. And
given their authority to us. They shouldn’t have rebelled against us. That was against
the agreement.]

“So they were supposed to watch as you reigned over the continent as gods?”

As Frey laughingly said those words, Lord nodded.

[Exactly.]

“Ha.”

[I don’t think it’s wrong. We just wanted to rule in a peaceful manner, and that
thought remains unchanged. If not us, who could play such a role?]

“It would be different if it were the Dragons.”

[Haha! Really? Do you think it really would have been different if it were the
Dragons?]

“…what do you mean?”

Lord’s mouth appeared as he let out a hearty laugh.

[Long before 5,000 years ago. Before our battle with the Dragons. Do you know how
the humans at that time lived?]

“Those are ancient that couldn’t be recorded in history. I don’t…”

[They were slaves.]

“What?”
[They were the weakest and most insignificant beings on the entire continent. This
was natural. Their bodies weren’t strong like the orcs’. They couldn’t communicate
with Spirits like the elves. Nor were they as strong as the dwarves.]

“Humans had magic.”

[That might be the case now. However, humans at that time could not even feel mana.
Because that was before the concept of Magical Science was established.]

“…”

[But there were many of them at the time. At least enough to overcome the innate
weakness of the race. Nevertheless, they were slaves. Why do you think that is?]

Frey felt that there was a deeper meaning behind Lord’s smile.

[Because the Dragons made it that way.]

“…!”

[There weren’t any special reasons or circumstances. The Dragons at that time were
nothing like what you knew. They were arrogant and greedy. They needed slaves to
satisfy their desires. And the humans were the best race to satisfy their lowly
desires. They were moderately intelligent, knew how to bow their heads, and were
well suited to the tasks. And more importantly, they were so weak that they couldn’t
even think about rebelling.]

“…”

Frey didn’t know what to say.

He wanted to shout that Lord was speaking nonsense, but his voice refused to come
out at that moment, as though it had been stuck in his throat.

He couldn’t help but recall Isolla’s words.

‘…while fighting the Demigods, I thought we were the good guys. But it is possible
that the Dragons were not a good race.’

[Then who do you think it was who freed the humans?]

Lord continued, his eyes locked onto the speechless Frey.

[It was us, Frey Blake. We changed your fate with our hands. It is the Demigods,
whom you hate, who freed you from a life of slavery.]

“…”

[I’ll ask you again. Do you really think your fate would have been different if the
Dragon Lord was the one who defeated me 5,000 years ago? Do you believe they
would have respected you and cared for you?]

Lord clenched his fist and shouted.

[No! Nothing would have changed! The only thing that would have changed is that
the Dragons would be the ones in our place right now!]

“…”

Frey closed his eyes.

He was confused. He didn’t believe everything Lord said, but he was certain that at
least most of what he said was true.

‘Is that really possible?’

The possibility of humans joining hands with the Demigods to fight against the
Dragons.

It was hard to accept.

Naturally, he was shocked. But the chaos in his head didn’t last very long.

Frey quickly regained his stability. His mind became cool once again, and he was
confident that he could dismiss Lord’s words as simple information.

He took a short time to organise his thoughts before he opened his mouth again.

“You have the Dragons.”

[Right. They’re not as noble as you think they are. At some point, they stood together
with the weak and fought against us. Declaring that the Demigods were evil. Their
hypocrisy was disgusting to me. Nothing more. Most importantly, the Dragon Lord…]

Blood vessels sprang up on Lord’s face.

Frey could clearly see that he was angry.

[Deceived me.]

“Deceived you?”

Lord forcibly controlled his anger.

Then, after a moment, he spoke in a calm voice once again.

[…I will tell you everything I know. After that, think and decide for yourself. I don’t
know what decision you’ll make.]

“…”

Frey finally understood the situation.

Lord and Lucifer.

Demigod and Demon.

Their powers had reached their peaks centuries ago. If they were to fight with
everything they had, it was highly likely that they would annihilate each other.

Therefore, they turned to Frey. A being who had managed to surpass the limits of
mortality. The only one who could break the balance of power.

The third power.

Frey’s choice would be the deciding factor that determined victory or defeat in this
battle between absolute beings.
Frey looked at Lord for a moment before he finally spoke.

“I met God.”

[Hoh.]

“To be precise, it was a being who referred to himself as God. He looks just like you
do. No. It would be more accurate to say that you copied his appearance.”

[…]

Lord went silent.

Frey couldn’t help but feel it was regrettable that he couldn’t see his expression. But
if he had any features, he was certain his expression would be terrible.

[What did he tell you?]

“I have no intention of telling you.”

[Hmm. Then why did you say anything about this God in the first place?]

“Can’t you tell? Just as you know secrets that I don’t, I am the same. He told me a lot
of interesting things. For example… about the <Celestial World>.”

[…!]

There was a reaction for the first time.

Frey didn’t miss the faint reaction.

‘I’m not sure how much he knows.’

Frey didn’t believe every word God told him. He’d said that Lucifer was the only one
in the world who knew the things he’d told him, but he’d also said that he didn’t pay
much attention to the world as he was always busy.

‘This means that even if Lucifer was the only one who knew it in the past, that might
not be the case now.’

Lord also knew something about the Celestial World. His slight reaction to his words
had proved that.

That was part of the reason why Frey had brought up God in the first place. Because
he felt that Lord would try to tell him lies.

‘Most of what he said so far is probably true.’

The vicious attitudes of the Dragons thousands of years ago, the miserable lives of
humans at that time, and what would have happened if the Dragon Lord won.

Of course, since it was coming from Lord’s mouth, it was definitely somewhat biased
towards the Demigods, but other than that biased interpretation, most of it should
have been true.

This conclusion came from Lord’s attitude and the information Frey already knew.

‘But it might be different from now on.’

‘He could make things up.’

Lord is an insidious creature.

He was different from the other Demigods. This was a being who knew how to
scheme properly.

‘Hiding one lie amongst nine truths.’

The truth that he told so far could very well be preparation for the lies he intended to
tell.

That was why Frey mentioned the Celestial World. He made it so Lord thought he
already knew some of the information he was about to tell him.
That way, he would feel uncomfortable telling any lies. Because Frey might already
know enough information to see through his lies.

That was enough for now.

He could be satisfied with the fact that he’d suppressed Lord’s possible lies to an
extent.

‘Lord is trying to gain my trust.’

There was one thing he could be certain of.

Lord’s biggest enemy at that moment was not him; it was Lucifer.

It was the same for Lucifer.

They were beings who would never be able to see eye to eye, and they were
desperate for Frey’s help to get rid of the other.

[…fine. Let’s start the conversation.]

After a brief silence, Lord opened his mouth and spoke in a serious tone.

From his tone, Frey noticed that Lord’s thoughts had changed a little. Something had
changed.

Frey only hoped that this would mean a positive result for him.

[5,000 years ago. Before the battle between the Dragon Lord and I, we made a
promise.]

“A promise?”

[The winner would become the Continent’s balance.]

Frey didn’t ask what the balance was.

Lord looked at him in silence as though he found this fact interesting.

‘I should have pretended that I’d never heard of it before.’

Frey lamented for a moment before shaking his head.

Hiding his inner thoughts, he continued to listen to Lord.

[It was a fierce battle. If there were maps in those days, it would have taken at least a
few days to fix it. Dozens of mountains disappeared, and the sea was overturned.
This fight lasted for decades.]

That would have been a terrible disaster for the Continent.

If the Dragon Lord’s power was comparable to Lord’s, dozens of civilizations would
have disappeared during that fight. They would have been like shrimp in a fight
between whales.

[My kind and the Dragons did not get into the fight. Because we didn’t want them to.
And in the end, I won. I was the one who won. But the Dragon Lord didn’t keep his
promise.]

“You mean he didn’t give you the right to become the balance?”

[That’s right. And because I couldn’t kill the Dragon Lord, I decided to bury him in
Hell. To later absorb him when the connection between him and the Continent had
faded.]

“…”

[So I want to ask. Was I wrong? Or is he the one who was in the wrong?]

“Generally speaking, the person who didn’t keep their promise is wrong.”

Frey, who had been speechless for a while, continued before Lord could speak.

“And the one who dares to tell lies is also wrong.”

[…you think I’m lying?]

“Don’t you think my accumulated hatred is too deep to try to earn my trust with just
a few words?”

Lord shrugged his shoulders as though he agreed.

“Tell me why you say Lucifer is dangerous.”

[He is greedy.]

Frey frowned.

“That’s a little different from what I know. God said that he was the most arrogant
being in the universe.”

[Both are true. And in a way, they are related.]

Lord turned his head to look out over the Demon World.

[This world won’t last much longer.]

“…what?”

[Hell will disappear. It is something that was set to happen a long time ago. It’s also
something that can’t be changed. Right, since you know about the Celestial World,
it’s easier to talk about this. Sooner or later, the same thing will happen here.
Possibly sooner.”

“Why?”

[Because Lucifer couldn’t become the balance.]

“He devoured Satan but couldn’t become the balance.”

[Hoh.]

Eyes appeared on Lord’s face, a light of interest shining within them.

However, a shadowed look appeared in his eyes not long after.

[You know quite a bit. That’s something that happened during the period of the
world’s creation… So it seems you truly met God.]

It seemed Lord had also been testing to see if Frey was bluffing or not. And the
words he’d just said seemed to prove that he wasn’t bluffing.
‘On the bright side.’

He wasn’t sure why, but the negotiation felt more dangerous than the numerous life-
or-death battles he’d had up to that point. Perhaps because his opponent was Lord.

[Lucifer tried to become the balance without permission. But it didn’t work because
Satan was already dead at that time. He’d absorbed Satan’s corpse.]

“The balance was already dead? Then why wasn’t the Demon World destroyed?”

[It is going to be destroyed. It’s happening even right now. It’s just that it’s happening
slowly. Even at this moment, Satan’s body is still being digested in Lucifer’s stomach.
It was a pretty good plan. Hell managed to last a pretty long time as a result. But
when that process is over, this world will also be over.]

“…”

Frey frowned.

“Then what is Lucifer’s goal?”

[To reign over a new world.]

“So he plans to head to the Continent.”

Frey sighed.

In the end, it was as he expected.

Lucifer also had an insidious goal.

“But how does he intend to ignore the laws of the world? Aren’t demons unable to
move freely on the Continent?”

“If it’s a pure demon, then yes. But that’s not the case for the current Lucifer. Now, he
has the power to travel freely between the Continent and Hell as he pleases.”

“What?”

[You know what my power is, don’t you?]

Frey nodded.

“Dominion over space.”

[Soon after first coming to Hell, I went directly to the place where the Dragon Lord
was buried. It wasn’t hard to deceive the eyes of Barbatos, the owner of the Despair
Hell. But it was too late. The ‘core’ was already gone.]

“The core? Are you talking about his Dragon Heart?”

[It’s a bit different, but I won’t say you’re completely wrong. The core is in the
Dragon Heart. To put it simply, it is the qualification to become the balance in a
material form.]

“…”

[You must have met Dro. And I assume you believe he is the Dragon Lord.]

“No, he’s not.”

[Huht.]

Lord chuckled.

[That’s right. He isn’t.]

***

Dro began recalling memories from the past. The distant past.

Fragments of things that he thought he would never have been able to remember
once again appeared in his mind. Then they began to merge.

[You lost.]

He heard a voice.

A being that constantly radiated white light was the one talking to him. It was the
Demigod Lord.
But he couldn’t understand what he was saying. He didn’t lose. He wasn’t defeated.

It wasn’t a fair fight.

While he was obligated to take care of and protect the Continent, Lord didn’t have
those restrictions.

They were the one that carried and the one that wanted to take.

That was the difference between winning and losing.

‘I didn’t lose!’

Dro’s scream was swallowed by the darkness.

He was buried alive beneath the Demon World.

He had no strength at all. He couldn’t even move a muscle.

Nevertheless, he could feel it. His ‘connection’ to the Continent grew weaker as time
passed. He was constantly in pain as what seemed like an eternity went by.

To him, this was far worse torture than being imprisoned in Hell.

‘Lord is going to swallow me.’

He would try to take the right in an unjust manner.

It was unacceptable. He couldn’t hand the Continent over to a guy like that.

But there was nothing he could do. The fierce energy that permeated the ground of
the Demon World constantly weakened him.

His mana couldn’t move. Even his voice could not be heard.

He was being forced to die slowly.

Time passed.

How long had it been?

He didn’t know.

He hated this place. It was cold. Damp.

He wanted to go back.

‘To my world… to my continent… ’

“Are you still alive?”

Then he heard a voice.

Dro opened his eyes. And for the first time, he was actually grateful that he was able
to do that.

Because for the first time, he was able to ‘see’ something.

It was a man with incredibly pale skin.

“It seems you’re still conscious. That’s good. What a relief.”

“…you… Who are… you?”

“I’m Lucifer, Balance of the Continent. It’s sudden, but I have one thing to inform you
about. Ah. Of course, I’ll tell you in advance that it’s not harmful to you in any way.

“In… form?”

Lucifer smiled brightly and said.

“That fight—I don’t think you lost it.”

“Fight…”

Dro, who was blankly looking at this man, nodded slowly but without hesitation.

“Right. Didn’t lose… I didn’t lose.”

“But I can’t say you won either.”

This time, the answer did not come immediately.

But this was a fact that even Dro knew.

“That’s… right. That’s right. I didn’t win. Then the fight is…”

“It’s a draw.”

“…!”

It was as though a bolt of lightning struck his head.

Dro trembled in excitement.

“Just now… what did you say?”

“The fight was a draw. Wasn’t it?”

“Right! Right…”

Dro repeated Lucifer’s words as though he was out of his mind.

Why didn’t he realise it when it was so simple?

The fight was a draw. There was no conclusion!

It was a tie!

Dro spoke with confidence.

“Right. You’re right.”

Lucifer drew a line around his mouth as he agreed with Dro.

“A draw.”
[If Lucifer becomes the balance of the Continent, it will become a world no better
than Hell. I don’t even need to explain. The example is right in front of you.]

As he said this, Lord looked out over the Demon World once again. Frey was also
looking at this scene.

‘This is Hell.’

In truth, he felt that the name Demon World was more suitable.

This place was a different world. At first glance, it seemed chaotic, but there was an
order in the chaos.

There were many different forces and factions, and they all combined to form a
strange balance.

Except for a few fundamental values and ways of thinking, this was a place where
living beings could live.

But that didn’t mean he would want to see the Continent become like this. Extreme
change was always followed by chaos. It was possible that even more blood would be
spilled once the Demigods began acting in earnest.

“Is it not picking between two evils?”

[Right.]

“…”

To be honest, Frey could not really understand Lord’s reactions at that moment.

‘Something has changed.’

He felt completely different from the last time.

From Lord’s perspective, he would certainly not feel comfortable unless Frey was
torn apart and killed. He should’ve hated Frey just as much as Frey hated him.

However, during this reunion, Lord did not once show any signs of that hatred.

It felt strange. As though something important was missing.

Was this really Lord?

Frey suppressed his suspicions and asked.

“What if I don’t interfere?”

Lord’s and Lucifer’s powers were almost equal.

Their fight would definitely be determined by subtle advantages, and neither of them
would end up the winner.

Frey could certainly take the position of fisherman while watching the situation
progress.

But Lord didn’t overlook Frey’s idea either.

[The one who loses will be consumed by the other. Either Lucifer or I… will be
absorbed by the winner. Do you know what will happen then?]

“What will happen?”

[I don’t know.]

Frey furrowed his eyebrows.

Was he joking?

No. Lord’s expression was serious.

[However, an unprecedented ‘something’ will definitely be born. Something that is

definitely close to the level of God. An absolute, not a transcendent. If you’re
confident that you can take on such a being, you’re welcome to watch.]

“…”

It was a very impactful statement.

No matter how powerful Frey was, he would not be able to defeat a combination of
Lord and Lucifer.

[So choose.]

Lord’s voice urged him to answer.

Frey closed his eyes.

This was not a decision that he could delay making. The fight between Lord and
Lucifer was about to begin.

But before that, there was still something he needed to know.

It was probably the question that he should have asked as soon as he arrived there.

“Before I answer, there is something I want to ask you.”

[Say it.]

“Where is Iris?”

Lord fell silent for a moment.

Just as he was about to open his mouth, Frey spoke first.

“I will warn you in advance. I will not tolerate any lies or tricks on this matter. Think
about it carefully, Lord.”

Frey’s warning was sincere.

Realising this, Lord closed his mouth before he could say what he was about to.

He didn’t speak for a long time.

The Demigods around them became a bit noisy at this time.

Then, as everyone focused on Lord and waited for his answer, he opened his mouth.

[The Abyss.]

Frey’s pupils enlarged before becoming even smaller than before.

“…I see.”

He closed his eyes, and a hot wind blew over at that moment.

The winds of hell were ominous and disgusting. It smelled horrible, like the burp of a
monster that carried the scent of flesh and blood.

When the breeze passed, Frey opened his eyes.

“I want to meet her.”

[I can’t do that.]

“Why?”

[Iris is deeply connected to Lucifer. She also had many secrets. Maybe just her
existence is a trump card for Lucifer.]

So he imprisoned her in a space that was filled with nothingness?

It was only then when Frey realised just how tightly he was clenching his fist. His
nails had pierced into his palms, but no blood came out.

This was natural. After all, his body wasn’t there.

“In that case, I will go to the Abyss.”

Even Lord couldn’t help but make a speechless expression at those words.

[…are you serious? Don’t you know that if you enter that place you might not be able
to come out ever again?]
“There is proof right in front you that your words aren’t accurate.”

Frey’s existence was the best proof that the Abyss was not a perfect prison.

But unexpectedly, Lord burst out laughing at his words.

[Huhaha…]

“Why are you laughing?”

[Do you really think that? That you were able to successfully find and attack a flaw in
the Abyss and escape?]

“Is that not the case?”

[You were human at that time. Even if you were 9 stars, you weren’t able to break out
of the frame of humanity. And my powers are not so weak as to be exploited by a
mere human.]

“You’re too confident in your strength. I spent 4,000 years in that place.”

Not 100, not 1000, but 4,000 years. Forty centuries.

That was an amount of time that even transcendent beings would not be able to scoff
at.

“A long time passed, and a flaw appeared. And I managed to take advantage of that
flaw perfectly.”

[Huhu.]

Unlike Frey, whose voice was becoming sharper, Lord’s voice remained calm.

He simply chuckled and nodded.

[In any case, it doesn’t matter what you think. Above all, it has nothing to do with
me.]

“…”
[In your current state, it shouldn’t be too hard for you to escape from the Abyss. So
do whatever you want.]

With those words, space split open, and a world that was darker than Hell appeared.

Lord smiled brightly as he pointed to this pitch black world that seemed to be filled
with solitude.

[Welcome, Frey Blake. To your dear old home.]

***

Iris Phisfounder was able to hear special voices from the moment she could speak.

The voices were countless, and each of them was different, and they all talked to Iris
about different things.

Nevertheless, there was one thing that they all had in common. And that was the fact
that they all favoured Iris.

At first, she thought they were spirits.

She’d seen them in fairytale books.

Pure and innocent beings who were close to nature, also known as fairies.

But they weren’t. They weren’t such cute beings.

As she got older, she no longer just heard their voices, but she also saw their figures.
Even though they were blurry, she could tell with a glance that they were far from
spirits.

They were demons.

Iris learned of her identity when she was 9 years old.

Witch.

Witches were terrible things. Regardless of race, ethnicity, or age, they were treated
like a terrible curse.
Every Witch had no choice but to hide herself. If their identities were revealed, they
would suffer from the constant pursuit of the Heretic Inquisition, which transcended
the frame of the state, and after being captured, they would be subjected to hundreds
of different types of torture.

Iris was smart. Even though she was only 9 years old, she already understood what it
meant to be a Witch in such a society.

She could have concealed her secret.

…The only exception was her family.

Iris told her parents her secret. Unfortunately for her, her parents had more religious
passion than affection for their child.

When Iris, who had dinner as normal and went to sleep, opened her eyes again, she
realised that she was in a place she’d never seen before.

The strong smell of blood pierced the nose. On the floor, she could see puddles of
blood and pieces of flesh. Then, she heard the screams.

Dozens of tortures that her mind would never have been able to conceive were all
being carried out in front of her.

This scene, which was of the torture chamber in the basement of the Inquisition’s
base, was not something that a girl her age could bear to see.

She burst into tears immediately.

Of course, there were many girls her age there as well. And as she later learned, the
torture was supposedly a means to purify the soul.

After the torture, the body would then be lit with a torch and the soul would rest as
the body burned.

That was what those lunatics believed.

Then, when the members finally laid their hands to Iris, she instinctively summoned
a demon.
The High-rank demon turned the headquarters of the Inquisition into a sea of fire in
no time.

After leaving the hideout, which had become nothing but ashes behind, she walked
aimlessly.

And when she came to her senses, she’d returned home. She wasn’t sure what her
goal was, but her footsteps had led her home.

She missed her parents. She wondered what they’d say.

“We didn’t give birth to something like you. You, you are a monster.”

“Oh God… I’m sorry… Please forgive me… I’m so sorry.”

“…”

And she regretted her choice.

She hadn’t wanted an apology.

If so, then what did she want?

Iris was unable to answer her own questions.

She left her fearful parents behind, and at the same time, her heart cooled. She was
cold.

Her body was shivering. But she wasn’t scared or nervous.

Her expression became cold as though she lost her emotions. And she felt this
coldness would never go away.

There was no way she’d ever trust humans again.

Never.

***

Ten years passed.

Iris was now 19 years old.

She lived alone in a deserted forest. It was a place in which she had no problems
being self-sufficient.

But it was a life without a purpose.

At a young age, she was already feeling empty deep inside.

‘I should just die.’

This was the first thought she had every morning after opening her eyes.

However, she felt it was unfair to just take her own life.

That day. The day that changed Iris’ fate forever was a little more special than any
other day.

She had a visitor.

“Are you the Black Witch?”

It was a man in a brown robe and a long staff.

He didn’t have an appearance that stood out, but Iris felt a strange sense of
familiarity to this man.

Of course, it was just a hint of it. By that point, Iris had already become sick of the
human race.

But there was a decisive difference in this man who appeared to be a Wizard.

“Am I?”

It was a name. And naturally, Iris was not happy to hear it.

Being distinguished from other Witches meant that she was becoming well known,
and that meant that the Heresy Inquisition would fall upon her soon.

The man continued in a calm tone.

“I saw a forest to the west. It was terrible. Hundreds of trees were uprooted. That
was your doing, wasn’t it?”

Iris couldn’t help but sigh.

She didn’t even bother denying it.

“…right.”

She just nodded with a tired expression on her face.

It was true that she’d done it. There was naturally a reason, but she didn’t bother
trying to explain it.

He wouldn’t accept it. And he wouldn’t understand anyway.

He wouldn’t even have the slightest intention of understanding Iris. As long as she
was branded as a Witch, all of her actions would be seen as carrying out the work of
the devil.

She decided to just moderately threaten this man and chase him away.

Then, she would have to find a new place to stay.

Just as she decided to summon a demon.

“Thank you.”

“…huh?”

This was something Iris would never have expected.

The man continued, ignoring her blank expression.

“It was already a dead forest. It’s probably the work of a Lich who has been active
around this region. If it wasn’t for your quick action, the entire forest would’ve
become rotten.”

“…”
Iris hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth,

“Did you come here just to say that?”

“Right.”

“…I am a Witch.”

Hearing this question, the man responded with a confused look on his face.

“I know. Did you forget already? I called you the Black Witch.”

“And you still believe me?”

“To be precise, I believe my eyes.”

The man’s voice was filled with self-confidence.

It wasn’t just his words. It was clear that he truly believed what he said.

“If you’re a real Witch, then you know at least a dozen ways to make the forest rot
more efficiently. Nevertheless, by cutting only the rotten trees, it shows that you’re
actually trying to help the forest heal.”

“…”

“Am I wrong?”

Iris heard a beating.

It was her own heart. She didn’t know why, but she felt her face become hot.

Her throat felt tight, and her eyes felt like they were burning.

She felt like she couldn’t move her lips easily.

“That…”

Iris understood why.

This was the first time she’d been understood by another person since she was born.
The Abyss.

Frey finally faced the place that made him the most uncomfortable after a long time.

Despite the fact that this was the place he’d spent more time in than the real world
and the mental world combined, he didn’t feel used to it.

This was because he didn’t miss the Abyss at all.

‘It feels strange.’

His body was moving around in a space where such a thing should not have been
allowed. That fact alone was enough to make him feel strange.

‘No. It’s because I’m using my soul body now.’

Frey’s body was still on the continent. The form that was currently in Hell was his
soul in his image.

Even though it was out of his body, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that it had formed a
new body as he’d left some insurance.

Of course, that didn’t mean he left his real body without any protection.

Frey looked around.

He didn’t need to go looking for Iris. He was probably the one with the best
understanding of the Abyss with the exception of Lord.

He could see where she was.

“Iris.”
His voice rang out in the pitch black space.

He didn’t receive an answer, so Frey called out to her once more.

“Iris.”

He was sure she could hear him.

Iris seemed to have been deeply assimilated with the power of space. There was no
way she hadn’t noticed Frey’s arrival.

Nevertheless, he still didn’t receive an answer. Perhaps it was because she had no
intention of talking to him.

Frey bowed his head. Then he muttered in a low voice.

“…The Abyss. It’s a terrible place that can’t be described with just the word solitude.
At first, it feels like only your body was restrained, and your mind is basically
trapped in a barrel. But it doesn’t take long before you realise that that’s actually not
a good thing.”

It was a horrific punishment.

The Abyss could be called the space of madness.

Even if a sage with deep mental training was trapped in this place, he would not be
able to last very long before he went crazy.

And even if you were frustrated, there was nothing you could do. You couldn’t break
your neck, scream out of frustration, or move in any way.

It was a world where nothing could be seen, heard, or touched. Only thinking was
allowed.

Lord hadn’t locked Frey in the Abyss for no reason. He did it because he felt being
locked in the Abyss was even crueler a fate than death.

And it truly was.

“Is this the atonement you wanted?”

[…!]

He could feel the space fluctuate slightly. Iris had obviously had a reaction.

As expected, she was listening to his voice.

However, Frey wasn’t happy even though his predictions were correct.

Rather, his heart became heavy.

“There must have been a reason. Killing Schweiser, separating Lucid and Kasajin, and
standing beside Lord… However, you’ll never tell the story behind it. Especially to
me.”

Never.

Frey could finally see the reason.

Some of the questions he had about Iris’ actions had been answered.

“You don’t want to be forgiven.”

Frey recalled what Iris had said just before she left the last time.

‘You want to forgive me?’

At that time, Iris had gotten angry. She was still smiling faintly, but he knew she had
been angry at that moment.

She didn’t want Frey’s forgiveness.

So she kept her distance and hid her reasons.

“You thought that I’d forgive you after hearing everything.”

That is what Iris believed.

If someone else had thought that, he would’ve been upset. Nothing felt worse than
having someone come to a conclusion before he himself could make a judgement.
But Iris was different.

She had the right to guess his thoughts and make conclusions.

“…I’ll respect your choice.”

He wanted to know what happened.

He wanted to know the inside story behind her choices.

Wasn’t that natural?

Iris was one of Lukas’ closest friends, a friendship that was supposed to be eternal.

He wanted to hear her reasons, comfort her, and forgive her for what she’d done. But
if Iris didn’t want that, then Frey wouldn’t either.

He felt that the deeper the relationship, the more thorough the respect one should
give to the other.

“However, there are some things that you have misunderstood. Don’t run away. You
can’t atone for your crimes here in the Abyss. I know your value. It is
counterproductive and irrational to let you rot in a place like this.”

Frey’s voice became serious.

“Iris, if you truly intend to take responsibility for what you have done, follow me.”

It was a very clear voice.

He once again felt a shift in the space. This was proof that Iris’ mind was reacting.

“That way, I will produce the best result. I’m putting everything on the line. But it’s
hard on my own. I need help. Your help. So walk beside me from now on. That will be
your atonement.”

[…that.]

Iris spoke for the first time. But it wasn’t with her mouth.
It was Telepathy, something close to a thought.

Her cracked voice rang out in his head.

[That is not an atonement for me. That’s not even a punishment.]

“What?”

[And I’m not trapped here either. I can leave any time I want. I’m just waiting for the
right time.]

“…are you saying you can get out of the Abyss on your own?”

Frey asked back because he couldn’t understand her words, but he didn’t receive an
answer.

But somehow, he felt that she was smiling bitterly.

[I don’t like writing very much.]

It was something that was completely unrelated to the current situation. But Frey
continued to listen to her voice without interrupting her.

[Still, when leaving something behind, there’s nothing better than text on paper. I
also made a diary. I wrote a little… no. I only used it from time to time but it became
a lot because I kept using it. Ahaha. Isn’t that natural? After all, I used it for 4,000
years.]

“…”

[Read it when the time comes.]

“…where is it?”

[It’s not time yet. I haven’t finished using it.]

He heard Iris’ laughter.

[It’s okay. Everything will be fine. I don’t know about anything else, but at least I am
very thorough. You don’t have to do anything. You’ve already worked hard enough.
We all know that. That Lukas did far more than we expected.]

That was Iris’ mistake.

Frey knew just how important his duty was. And what would happen if he stopped
now.

The rest that Frey was allowed to have was over. 4,000 years was more than enough.

How could he possibly rest more?

“No. This is just the beginning.”

Iris laughed again.

Unlike before, this laugh was truly cheerful.

[…I knew you’d say that. But please don’t disregard my sincerity.]

“…”

[Please make the world a better place.]

Shuk.

Frey felt his body being pushed back by an intangible power.

It wasn’t a forceful feeling. Instead, it was soft. As though someone was softly
gesturing to him.

However, Frey’s expression hardened.

This was the same thing he felt when he left the Abyss in the past.

Suddenly, Lord’s words appeared in his mind again.

‘Do you really think that? That you were able to successfully find and attack a flaw in
the Abyss and escape?’

No way.
Frey opened his mouth and shouted desperately.

“Iris! Was I able to escape the Abyss because of your…”

[As long as it was you.]

Iris’ whisper interrupted Frey’s words.

[I believed that you’d be able to make it through. That you’d come back, that your
mind wouldn’t break, and that you wouldn’t give up. And it turned out that I was
right.]

“…Iris.”

[I was really happy to see you again.]

***

Hitume Ikar.

It had been quite a long time since they’d started walking through the Dark Forest.

Ivan’s expression crumpled.

“He’s not coming.”

He was talking about Dro.

He looked back. Anastasia also turned slightly to follow his gaze.

“No matter how late he is. He wouldn’t get lost.”

“Dammit. It’s really bothering me. Should I go get him?”

“No.”

Anastasia shook her head.

“I don’t think it would be wise to go back there.”

“Why not?”

“I have a bad feeling about it.”

“…”

Although the statement lacked any logical basis, Frey agreed with Anastasia.

This was because he had a lot of confidence in his own senses.

‘It has saved my life many times.’

Ivan scratched the back of his neck subconsciously.

Since they’d left Dro alone, he felt an ominous feeling as though someone was licking
the back of his neck.

Something troublesome would happen if he turned back.

Ivan’s instincts were telling him that.

“I’ve been wondering, why don’t we just destroy the forest and leave?”

At first, it might have seemed like an ignorant statement, but Anastasia could no
longer deny it. She also felt that they’d spent too much time in the forest.

“Now that I think about. We haven’t felt the traces of any assassins in a long time.”

Just as she muttered this to herself, they felt someone approaching them from
behind.

Ivan turned his head around, frowning.

“Are you only returning now? You really took your time…”

He was speechless. It was an unexpected face.

It was none other than a gray-haired young man who showed up. It was Frey.

Ivan was pleased.

“Frey! Ha. You’re finally here. Did you manage to get onto the island?”

Now that Frey was there, he would no longer have to be trapped in this depressing
forest.

A man like him would use some kind of magic that Ivan had never seen before to
destroy the barrier without a trace.

However, Anastasia didn’t look pleased at the reunion.

“…I don’t think that’s Frey.”

“What?”

“As expected of the Great Sage. You have good eyes.”

“Huh?”

Ivan narrowed his eyes when Frey spoke in a tone he’d never heard him use before.

It was the same for the others. Jekid, who was silently watching from the side, put his
hand on his sword’s hilt.

“Who are you?”

Frey gave a nice smile.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Grey Trowman.”

“…Grey… Trowman?”

Ivan muttered the name slowly while tilting his head.

“How is that… possible? Are you supposed to be Frey’s descendant? No. You look too
much alike.”

It wouldn’t have been strange for him to have any descendants as he was over 4,000
years old, but everything else was strange other than that.

“Descendant? That’s impossible.”

Anastasia denied that with a stern expression.

“How can you be so sure?”

“That stone head would not have gotten a woman without me knowing it. He would
have preferred to memorise another magic formula instead.”

Ivan’s expression also became serious when he heard that.

“If that’s the case, don’t tell me that even at this age, Frey is…”

“Right. He is the Great Mage in the truest sense.”

Ivan was shocked.

“Oh… Oh, my God. For 4,000 years… H-, he’s a lot stronger than I thought.”

Anastasia made a sad expression as she spoke.

“That’s the fate of a 9 star Wizard. It’s like being mentally castrated.”

“And you were physically castrated. No wonder you two are best friends.”

“You bastard.”

Just as blood vessels were about to burst on Anastasia’s forehead. Someone

appeared beside Frey, no, Grey.

“What the hell are you guys talking about?”

It was the Great Medium.

She looked at Ivan and Anastasia with a ridiculous expression.

Ivan’s expression was a bit bitter as he spoke.

“Why are you here?”

“I’m controlling this man right now.”

Anastasia turned to look at Grey again.

“…I think it’s Frey’s body. But he has a different core. What happened?”

The Great Medium nodded.

“Don’t misunderstand. This is what he asked me to do.”

“Asked?”

“Yeah. He had a favor to ask you, including that other one.”

The Great Medium’s expression became serious as she said those words.
Morgid, King of Hitume Ikar, couldn’t help but feel as though a great storm had just
passed.

As the tension that filled his body slowly faded, his legs began to feel weak.

“Yo-, Your Majesty!”

“Are you alright?”

The Samurai rushed forward to support the staggering Morgid.

He turned to look at them.

Most of the Samurai had embarrassed expressions on their faces. This was natural.
After all, they’d failed to properly fulfill their roles as the King’s guards.

If Frey had wanted it, Morgid’s head would have already fallen to the floor.

However, Morgid didn’t intend to hold him at fault for that. His strength was like that
of a natural disaster, and a natural disaster was given that name because there was
nothing humans could do to stop it.

“…I’m… okay.”

As he said that, Morgid gestured for the Samurai to let go of him. He couldn’t show
such a pathetic appearance before his subordinates.

‘No. Haven’t they seen it already?’

Recalling his unsightly appearance in front of Frey, he felt embarrassed.

Morgid walked staggeringly to his throne before sitting down heavily. Then, he let
out a deep sigh that seemed to come from his heart.
“…I.”

He’d always thought he made the best choices. From a king’s perspective, from the
people’s perspective, and from the nation’s perspective.

It was the same this time, too.

Demigods.

There were at least dozens of these ridiculously powerful beings who could all
destroy a country single-handedly.

To fight against God’s race?

How was that any different from telling them to kill themselves?

‘Reared? He’s mistaken.’

Morgid bit his lip.

This was just him keeping his head low. To protect his country and to save his own
life.

He wasn’t wrong.

After all, this was a judgement he made for his entire nation.

But he was afraid.

He felt as though a disturbing wind was blowing around the country.

“What will happen to Hitume Ikar now?”

He murmured this without expecting an answer.

[It will be destroyed.]

“…!”

Morgid’s face, which was just beginning to regain its complexion, became pale once
again.

Juk.

It was a skeleton that appeared. Sinister green light seemed to wrap around its
entire body, and ominous purple energy poured out from its mouth endlessly.

This was not a human. And it was definitely dangerous.

Realising this, the Samurai acted almost simultaneously.

Taht.

Just like before, their response was swift.

Although they were exhausted, their senses were much sharper following the
incident with Frey.

The Royal Guard, made up of dozens of elite Samurai, surrounded this unknown
being and launched their attacks.

“S-, stop!”

Morgid’s cry was a step too late. No, the results would have been the same even if
he’d managed to yell in time.

The sinister aura brushed past their skin.

Rattle…

Despite seeing it with his own eyes, it was still an unbelievable sight. The green light
that surrounded the skeleton flowed through the bodies of the dozens of charging
Samurai, causing them to become skeletons.

It was as if they were aging at an extremely high rate.

Crack.

A skeleton stiffly turned its head. It was clear that the Samurai didn’t understand
what had happened to them.
And that was his last movement.

The Samurai all collapsed to the floor like broken dolls.

“A-, ahh…”

This being was different from Frey. Morbid was able to recognise that fact
immediately.

It was only then when he truly understood. Frey didn’t really have any intention of
exterminating them.

Between Frey and the skeleton in front of him, Morgid wasn’t sure who was stronger.
But one thing was clear.

Transcendent beings were incredibly terrifying.

“G-, God’s race…”

This being was a Demigod. He was certain of that.

Morgid hurriedly got down on his knees.

The Demigod, Nozdog, looked down at him.

[You?]

“I, I am the King of Hitume Ikar, Morgid.”

[That’s not what I’m asking.]

“H-, huh?”

[Why are you still alive?]

A strange fire burned in Nozdog’s eyes. He walked over to Morgid.

“H-, huk…”

Morgid remained kneeling. He couldn’t move at all as it felt like a mountain sat on his
shoulders.

A boney finger swept across his neck.

[This… I see. The Great Medium did a pretty good job. Is this a minimised defensive
spell? Well. You are still a king. You would need to have at least this much.]

“G-, God’s… race…”

[But it’s just a minor annoyance.]

The sinister wind blew again.

“Kuaack!”

Morgid screamed.

It was an unbelievable sight even though he was seeing it with his own eyes. The
flesh on the tips of his toes fell, allowing him to see his toe bones sticking out of the
mess of flesh and blood.

“H-, hu-. Huhaha!”

It was a nightmare. It was most certainly a nightmare.

Morgid almost went crazy. The most terrible pain he’d ever experienced in his life
dug into his brain.

[Is the spell causing it to work from the bottom? How interesting.]

Nozdog’s cold voice brought Morgid’s reason back. He looked up to Nozdog with a
broken gaze.

There was no emotion in the flames burning in the skeleton’s eye sockets.

As soon as he saw this, Morgid couldn’t help but remember Frey’s words.

‘Reared.’

It was a word that he hadn’t understood back then. But now, he understood it a little.
He understood what Frey was worried about. And why he used such an extreme
term like ‘rearing’.

‘Thing like this… could happen at any time.’

For the Demigods, their deaths meant nothing.

Regardless of whether it was one, dozens, hundreds, or even thousands. To them,

humans were like worms who could be killed as they pleased.

They were like livestock being reared, completely different from dying during
conquest or domination.

Morgid also realised that he knew nothing about the Demigods.

“Hu-, huhaha!”

Morgid burst into laughter that was filled with madness.

He thought he’d never made the wrong choice for himself since becoming king. The
same was true with the Demigods.

He was convinced that he’d made the best and most reasonable choice.

But that wasn’t the case.

Morgid shed hot tears of resentment.

The most miserable thing was that although his death loomed near, he still didn’t
know the reason for it.

Nozdog’s aura completely covered his body, and before long, the King of Hitume Ikar
became a pale white skeleton.

Nozdog looked away from his corpse.

He’d just killed the king of a country, but it didn’t mean anything to him. Whether it
was an ant or an ant queen, in the end, it was still an ant.

‘The Great Medium isn’t here.’

Before arriving there, he’d stopped at the Great Medium’s residence on Lesha, but
she wasn’t there.

Nozdog had used space-time movement to follow her traces, which was why he
ended up in the castle of Hitume Ikar.

He had no reason for killing Morgid and the Samurai. He truly didn’t.

In other words, it was nothing more than swatting a fly after he saw it.

[Where is the Great Medium?]

It was said that she could feel the presence of every living being on the island of
Hitume Ikar. If that was really the case, then she should have been able to help him
find the man called Dro.

So first of all, he had to find her.

***

[You came back sooner than I expected.]

Frey blinked when he heard Lord’s words.

Then he realised he had already left the Abyss and returned to Hell.

He turned around.

One thing was different from before he left.

Lord was the only Demigod present.

[Did you come to a conclusion?]

“Right.”

Frey paused for a moment before continuing.

“I will cooperate with you.”

[Hmm. I see.]

Lord nodded as though he expected such an outcome or as though it wasn’t too big of
a deal.

Seeing his attitude, Frey couldn’t help but feel a bit strange.

He would have found it strange if Lord was happy to receive his help. Nevertheless,
Lord’s current attitude was a bit too dry.

‘What is he thinking?’

Frey narrowed his eyes as he tried to guess Lord’s intentions, but it was useless. He
wasn’t certain if he would have been able to do so if Lord had features, much less
when he didn’t.

Therefore, his top priority was to not lose the initiative.

“However, there are conditions.”

[Tell me.]

“After defeating Lucifer, you will not try to dominate the mortals on the Continent.”

[Sure.]

“…and release Iris.”

[Understood.]

“…”

Frey’s feeling of incongruity became stronger. No matter how he thought about it,
this response felt much too innocent.

Was he lying?

[Do you not believe me?]

“…should I?”
Lord shrugged.

[Hmm. I ‘swear’ I will not rule over the mortals after returning to the continent, and
Iris Phisfounder will also be released. Without a scratch.]

Frey snorted.

“Do you expect me to believe a verbal oath? One that has no binding whatsoever?”

[I’ve never broken an oath. When Riki died, I could have killed you, but I didn’t. That
was because Iris and I had an oath. She ‘asked’ me not to, and I agreed.]

“…”

[But if you still can’t believe it, then I have nothing more to say.]

Frey forcibly swallowed his words.

Lord was right. At that time, the anger and hostility he had towards him were
beyond imagination. It could even be said that Riki’s death had driven him half mad.

Yet even in that state, Lord kept his oath.

This was also part of the reason why he couldn’t understand Lord’s current attitude.

‘No. I don’t need to understand.’

He quickly put aside his judgement, deciding to not care about it as much as he was
able.

Frey was also aware of just how loose their alliance was.

It was correct to say that he had formally joined forces with Lord. However, he had
no intention of helping Lord kill Lucifer.

‘I’ll step in before the battle is truly over.’

It would be correct to say that Lord’s and Lucifer’s powers were a half step higher
than Frey’s. So if he fought them one-on-one, his chances of winning wouldn’t exceed
70%.
On the other hand, Lord and Lucifer were almost equal. So unless they actually
fought, there was no way to determine who would win or lose.

That was why he decided to watch their battle from the closest spot. And, if possible,
control the flow of the battle. Conserving his own strength while creating situations
in which their strength was reduced equally.

And if it became possible for him to overwhelm them on his own, he would kill them
immediately.

Lord and Lucifer were just too dangerous. If left alive, they would almost certainly
harm the mortals.

Frey was sure of this.

Of course, there was only one reason why Frey decided to join Lord instead of openly
claiming neutrality. That was because they might become uncomfortable with Frey’s
existence and make a temporary alliance in order to get rid of him first.

‘…however.’

It was a flimsy idea. It was so simple and shallow that anyone would be able to think
of it if one simply pondered for a moment.

This was the comment that Frey had about his plan after he thought about it.
Therefore, he put forward those conditions in order to slightly reduce his suspicion.

However, would Lord really be unable to see through such a simple trick?

Would the leader of the Demigods, one of the strongest beings in the world, be any
less smart than he was?

…He was uneasy.

‘One move.’

He was certain that Lord had a trump card. And he had absolute confidence in this
‘one move’.

Otherwise, the carefree attitude he showed so far wouldn’t have made sense.
‘Lucifer hasn’t shown all of his cards, either.’

Frey felt that he also needed to get more cards. In order to be on par with them.

[Is there anything else you want to ask?]

“…no.”

[Then you should go now.]

“Aren’t we supposed to stick together? We don’t know when Lucifer will make his
move.”

Lord let out some air from his mouth.

It took him a while to realise what it was, but it sounded similar to a laugh.

[Don’t you have other business in Hell? I’m sure you didn’t just come here to see me.
Do what you want. I won’t interfere.]

“…”

[And Lucifer won’t make a move right away. It looks like he has some business on the
Continent.]

Frey naturally had things to do in Hell. So he would have looked for a chance to leave
Lord’s side to do the things he wanted.

However, Frey couldn’t help but get a complicated feeling when Lord read his
intentions and gave him permission beforehand.

‘…but I can’t deny it.’

Frey felt a bit displeased that he would be acting just as Lord expected, but he didn’t
show it.

Instead, he just turned to ask Lord something before he left as though he just
remembered.

“By the way, where did the other Demigods go?”

[…ah. You mean them?]

Lord let out a laugh as his mouth appeared on his face, smiling brightly.

[They went back.]

Frey returned to the area in the Black Dream Hell where he arrived.

Lilith flinched when she saw someone approaching her, but she let out a sigh of relief
when she saw it wasn’t a Demigod.

‘…no. Is that right?’

She could feel this man’s power. It was much larger and denser than that of the
Demigods.

But he had a hostile relationship with the Demigods. Lilith had seen this with her
own eyes.

Taht.

Frey landed in front of Lilith. And as though he didn’t have time to waste, he
immediately brought up his reason for finding her.

“Where is Asura?”

“…are you asking me where he is?”

Lilith replied in an incredulous tone.

Even the lowest-ranked demons in Hell knew that she and Asura were enemies.

But Frey’s expression was serious. He didn’t rush her to answer, and he didn’t
steadily increase his aura, but he was constantly exuding a constant pressure.

Lilith couldn’t help but mutter softly as she avoided his gaze.

“The Black Dream Hell is as good as fallen at this point, so there will be a meeting to
discuss countermeasures. All of the Archdukes, including Asura, will participate.”
All would participate.

Frey’s expression hardened when he heard that.

“Including Lucifer?”

“Naturally. Lord Lucifer is the deterrent factor. Do you think, if not for him, that the
arrogant Rulers of the Demon World would sit down and have a discussion?”

“…”

Lucifer’s influence in Hell was far greater than he expected.

He knew it was great, but he was still shocked when he heard her words.

‘This will be a pain.’

Frey felt his head throb slightly.

Lucifer’s relationship with the other Rulers was much stronger than he anticipated.
There seemed to be no room for Frey, a stone that rolled in, to interfere.

‘No. Do I need to be careful?’

Hell would inevitably be destroyed. If this fact was to be made known to the
Archdukes, there was no telling how they would react.

One thing that he could be certain about was that they wouldn’t willingly accept
their demises. They might end up revealing their ambition towards the Continent as
the Mortal World would be the only safe place left.

Frey knew the demons’ greed well.

‘I have to persuade them to become a third force.’

It was impossible to persuade the Demigods. Their trust in Lord was absolute.

But the demons were different. Even though they were all a part of the same race,
they were hostile towards each other.
He felt that if he played his cards correctly, he’d be able to convince them to
cooperate with him. But when he heard of Lucifer’s influence, his mood became
solemn.

It seemed that this plan would be harder than he expected.

“Where will the meeting be held?”

“The Demigods’ next destination. The Bloody Hell, Beelzebub’s territory. Oh,
Barbatos won’t go. He had to protect the Dragon Lord, who was buried in his
territory.”

There wasn’t really any need to watch over the Dragon Lord. After all, it was
probably just an empty shell.

In the same vein, Lord would probably not continue to trample upon the territories
of Hell.

The Dragon Lord’s core had already been taken by Lucifer, so taking down Lucifer
had become his sole purpose.

‘Lucifer will also try to get them on his side.’

Just as Lord proposed an alliance with him, Lucifer would also try to expand his
forces.

In fact, the Rulers of Hell were already enraged. They had already developed a
grudge against Lord and the Demigod’s who trampled upon their territories as they
pleased.

This meant that Lucifer’s objective was already half complete. Frey’s task was to
change the minds of the remaining Archdukes while Lucifer was away doing his
other business.

Even if it was impossible to completely convince them, he would be satisfied to just

plant the seeds of doubt.

The trust they had in Lucifer needed to be cracked.

If he returned, then Frey would almost completely lose his right to speak, so it was
safe to say that time was limited.

After thinking all of this, Frey finally opened his mouth.

“Where is the Bloody Hell?”

***

The entrance to the Bloody Hell was disgusting. The dark and gloomy atmosphere of
the Black Dream Hell seemed cute in comparison.

At first glance, it looked like a blood red lake.

But Frey knew it wasn’t a lake.

Buzz-

Instead, it was a group of hundreds of millions, maybe even billions of thumb-sized,

blood-coloured flies.

It wasn’t a lake but a large hole. However, the hole was filled with so many insects
that they appeared to be a moving liquid.

Lilith said she’d come after cleaning up the Black Dream Hell. Because of this, Frey
came to the Bloody Hell on his own.

Taht.

Frey threw himself into the hole without hesitation.

The sound of flies shook his ears violently. The sound of one fly’s wings was not a
problem, but it became an unimaginable torture when such a large number of them
gathered.

If he hadn’t protected his eardrums, it was possible that blood would have poured
out from his ear canals.

Then the flies swarmed towards him.

Chch-
Frey’s covered his body in pale lightning, causing the bloody flies to immediately
scatter to avoid the threat.

If he was willing, Frey could have burned all of them to ashes within moments, but
he didn’t. After all, he didn’t come to pick a fight.

As Frey went deeper into the hole, the bloody flies no longer approached him. They
just observed his movements from a distance with their compound eyes.

Paht.

Frey finally fell out of the hole. The scenery he saw was no different from the rest of
Hell.

Then a huge shadow covered his body.

[What the… You…]

[Is it an intruder? Then why didn’t the blood flies attack?]

It was giant demons. A demon with the head of a goat and one with the head of a
lion.

They weren’t as large as Agni or Asura, but they were still as large as castles.

Frey looked up to them and said.

“I’m here to see Beelzebub.”

[Hmph. Lunatic.]

The goat-headed demon on the left snorted before the demon swung the whip in its
hand. The whip became engulfed in flames as it hurtled towards Frey.

Jik.

Frey drew a diagonal line with his finger.

Immediately after, the whip was cut in half and the flames that were spread on it
extinguished instantly.
[What?!]

Ignoring the demon’s shock, Frey moved his left foot once.

Crackle!

A bolt of lightning that traveled from his foot shot through the ground like a snake
before hitting the demon’s foot.

[Ku-, uk!]

The demon’s eyes rolled back as it felt a pain it had never felt before. Smoke then
came out of its large mouth, showing its burned insides.

[Bastard!]

Then, the lion-headed demon on the right roared and charged forward. Every step it
took made the ground shake like there was an earthquake.

Frey didn’t back down.

He lightly kicked off the ground and jumped dozens of meters off the ground with
that single step. In an instant, he appeared in front of the lion-headed demon’s head.

[…!]

The lion-headed demon was shocked. This was because he didn’t expect that this
small opponent would not back down and, instead, would charge towards him.

But soon, he bared his teeth fiercely.

How dare he try to fight against him up close?

He opened his mouth wide, as though he intended to swallow Frey whole.

Paak!

And it was closed even faster than he opened it as he felt a powerful impact on his
chin.
He felt that some of his teeth had been broken.

Frey’s fist had only hit the lion-headed demon’s head once, but it fell down
immediately without making a sound.

Boom!

The two demons had quickly been incapacitated.

Looking down at them, Frey tilted his head.

‘Is this the power of a High rank demon? They are at least ten times stronger here
than on the continent.’

They were also ten times larger.

After having this thought, Frey shook his head.

He could see a large castle in the distance. Perhaps that was Beelzebub’s residence.

Just as Frey was about to head there.

Paht.

Someone appeared in front of Frey.

It was a man who had the head of a fly.

Buzz.

Following the man’s appearance was the sound of countless fly wings buzzing. While
it didn’t sound as loud as that from the hundreds of millions of flies from before, it
was much more intimidating.

Frey realised that this being didn’t use a technique like Warp or space-time
movement, but he had appeared in front of him using pure speed.

“You were too heavy-handed.”

As he said this, Beelzebub looked down at his two subordinates.

He’d begun to move since he noticed Frey’s entrance into the Bloody Hell. It had only
taken him about a minute to arrive. He hadn’t expected that Frey would have taken
down two High rank demons in such a short time.

Frey also looked down at the two demons as he replied.

“I could have killed them.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Because I don’t have any hostile intentions towards you.”

“Nonsense. From the moment you entered the Bloody Hell, you crossed an
irreversible river. The only thing left now is a battle to the death. We will now
determine who among us is closer to the realm of Absolute.”

“Don’t be mistaken. I’m not a Demigod.”

“…what did you say?”

Beelzebub’s body, which looked like it was about to shoot forward, froze.

Crackle.

Frey let lightning cover his body as he continued.

“Those thousands of eyes are just for decoration, are they? Does this look like divine
power?”

“…”

Beelzebub fell silent for a moment.

He had no choice but to agree with that statement.

Frey’s power was similar to divine power, but it was also different.

“…then who the hell are you?”

“Including that, there are other things that I would like to tell you. But this place is a
bit…”

“…”

After a brief silence, Beelzebub turned around, saying.

“Follow me.”

Paht.

Then he disappeared.

It was the same high-speed movement that he displayed during his arrival.

‘A test.’

To see if he could follow.

Frey felt that it was a bit childish, but he understood that it was the other who didn’t
want to back down so easily. Therefore, he chased after Beelzebub without saying a
word.

Beelzebub was a bit surprised to see Frey catch up to him so easily. Throughout the
entirety of Hell, there were no more than five beings who could match him in terms
of speed. Of course, this included the Archdukes who ruled over the other hells.

‘Should I increase the speed a little?’

Beelzebub had this thought, but he soon decided not to. Because they were already
close to their destination.

It was a hot, dark basement.

Beelzebub stopped moving and turned to look at Frey, saying.

“I can’t let an outsider into my castle so easily. I hope you understand.”

“Of course.”

“So who exactly are you?”

Frey was silent for a moment before finally opening his mouth.

“Beelzebub, what do you think of Lucifer?”

“…!”

Beelzebub’s expression changed, surprising Frey. It was just a probe before he said
what he intended, but the reaction he got was far greater than he expected.

‘…this might be… ’

It was possible that he’d already found his first potential ally.

Frey looked at Beelzebub.

Frey didn’t know much about this demon.

It was not a demon that Iris had signed a contract with in the past, nor had he ever
heard of any Contractor who had. However, he had heard some stories and legends
about him in the past.

Beelzebub. The King of Flies. The Great Demon of Schemes.

This was probably the demon who had the best insight into Lucifer’s plans.

But what really mattered was what was about to happen.

“Let’s make a deal, Beelzebub.”

Frey was going to negotiate with him.

Beelzebub looked at the grey-haired man in front of him.

‘This man is mysterious.’

This was the only conclusion he could reach.

Beelzebub was confident in his insight, and this was a statement that could even
have been considered humble. After all, his thousands of eyes could view and
analyze everything around him from many different perspectives.

Even if it was a creature whom he’d never seen before, he could tell its habits,
characteristics, and even weaknesses just by observing it for a certain period.

However, the being in front of him did not give him any clues even after his focused
observation.

‘In other words… ’

This man was a transcendent being.

This was the only thing Beelzebub had been able to gather. That was why he was
even more confused.

Beelzebub only knew three types of transcendent beings in the universe. The
Demigods, Demons, and Dragons.

He wasn’t a Demon. He couldn’t have been a Dragon because they were all extinct.
Which was why he thought that he was a Demigod.

In fact, he even seemed to be able to control divine power.

“I am human.”
“…”

Beelzebub couldn’t believe it.

However, he found it strange.

He could not find any traces of lies in Frey’s voice.

“Asura and Lilith can prove my words.”

“The Queen of Dream Demons and a War Demon. That’s a rare combination.”

It was not strange for him to say that.

After all, he was talking about none other than Lilith and Asura. Didn’t those two
have the worst relationship among the six Rulers of Hell?

The hostility and hatred that the two of them had towards each other had long
surpassed imagination.

Beelzebub observed Frey for a moment before speaking.

“You are not human.”

“…”

“Even if you were human, that is a thing of the past. You have already shed your
mortal shell and emerged as an entity capable of stepping into a whole new
dimension.”

Such a being could not be called human.

He didn’t know as much about the state of the soul as Lucifer did, but he understood
enough to know that the being in front of him had somehow defied fate.

As if he was truly curious, Beelzebub couldn’t stop himself from asking.

“But why are you deceiving yourself into thinking you’re human?”

“The most important thing is how I see myself, King of Flies.”

“What do you mean?”

“As you said, I’m not human. So what am I? Can those thousands of eyes on your head
define my existence?”

“…”

Beelzebub remained silent, showing that he couldn’t.

Frey continued in a quiet voice.

“You can’t. Even you, who has the keenest of insights among the Demons, cannot
determine what I am. That is why I call myself human.”

Since no one knew what he was, he had the freedom to call himself as he pleased.

So Frey still considered himself a human. At least, until he could figure out what he
had become.

“That’s sophistry. There is already a proper title in the world for mysterious beings
like you.”

Beelzebub burst into laughter as he continued.

“Monster.”

Then he nodded again and again as though he liked the word.

Beelzebub then made a decision. He looked towards the man whose very existence
was in itself a contradiction, and he said.

“How interesting. I’ll trust you… you’re an unbelievable and unidentifiable being. So
you’re rather reliable in a situation like this.”

Usually, he would never have worked together with an unknown being, but the
current situation was urgent.

He didn’t know his identity nor his goal, but that was exactly why he chose to trust
him.
No. He had no choice but to trust him.

Because he had to deal with the two great beings, Lord and Lucifer, whose schemes
ran so deeply that he could no longer tell the truth from the illusions.

“What should I call you?”

“Frey.”

“Alright, Frey. Let’s cut to the chase. Tell me what you know about Lucifer.”

Frey nodded and opened his mouth.

***

He finished talking.

Beelzebub remained silent for a while, seemingly unable to speak. He also made no
movements except for the occasional tilt of his head.

It was only after the unpleasant Demon World winds blew three or four times that
Beelzebub finally opened his mouth.

“I see. So that’s Lucifer’s plan. It matches with my assumptions.”

It explained why Lucifer was so willing to give up the Corrupted Hell. He had already
turned his eyes away from the territories of Hell.

Instead, he wanted to acquire richer, fertile land and turn that place into a nightmare.

However, there was still something that he was not clear about.

“There is one thing missing from your story.”

“What is that?”

“The eventual destruction of the Demon World.”

“…!”
Frey’s expression cracked. Then he immediately regretted it.

‘He landed a hit.’

He’d unconsciously expressed shock at the unexpected statement. This had given a
silent confirmation to Beelzebub, who was only half confident.

His agitation was so subtle that not even the quickest of individuals could realise it,
but he couldn’t trick Beelzebub.

‘However.’

This was still fine.

The negotiation, deal, or however you might call it was not over it. It was possible
that Beelzebub had done this on purpose, but if he truly slipped up here, he would
lose control of the conversation.

So Frey quickly corrected his posture. Then he raised his chin and asked in a calm
voice.

“How did you know that?”

“I’ve long been interested in the history of Demons. Especially in the legends that
have been passed down in the Demon World. So naturally, I know of Satan, who ruled
Hell in the past. I also know that his existence was closely tied to this world.”

“Are you saying that you know about the balances?”

“At the very least, I know enough to not be embarrassed while talking to you.”

Should he have admired him for showcasing a bearing that matched his thousands of
years of life?

No. It was a bit different than that.

It was possible that aside from Lucifer, Beelzebub was the only demon in Hell who
knew this truth.

As Frey expected, negotiating with Beelzebub wasn’t easy. But that was exactly why
it was worth it.

If he could bring him over to his side, then it wouldn’t be difficult to persuade the
other Demon Lords.

“Do you intend to hide it?”

“It’s kind of strange to announce that your world is going to end.”

“That’s true.”

Beelzebub nodded.

He seemed too calm even though the world he lived in, the Demon World, was bound
to be destroyed.

“Do you have a way to prevent it?”

“Right.”

“…!”

He didn’t expect that there would really be a way.

Frey looked at Beelzebub with a shocked expression before asking.

“What is it?”

“Simple. After killing Lucifer, take Satan’s core out of his body.”

The core.

This was what Lord had told him earlier. The core was the qualification for the
balance in a material sense.

Lucifer had swallowed Satan. He was being digested, and when that was completed,
the Demon World would be destroyed.

So if they killed Lucifer, they would be able to prevent the destruction of the Demon
World.
“Will you then absorb the core?”

“Huht.”

Beelzebub chuckled softly.

“It’s very attractive, but I’m not interested in such a low probability gamble.”

Beelzebub knew that he was not capable of absorbing Satan’s core. The moment he
swallowed it, his body and mind would collapse at once.

“It’s too much for me. And it’s not just me. No demon is capable of absorbing the
balance’s core.”

Lucifer was the only one capable of that.

Frey’s expression became strange.

“Then…?”

“We can give the core to someone who is qualified.”

At first, he didn’t understand, but after a moment, Frey’s eyes brightened.

This was because he understood the meaning in Beelzebub’s words.

“The Dragon Lord’s body.”

“Right.”

Beelzebub nodded as he answered.

“As Lord said, it’s already a shell. However, it is a shell that qualifies as a balance. As
long as it has the core to serve as a power source, it should be able to recover its
function. We’ll just change its role a bit.”

It certainly made sense.

Frey admired the fact that Beelzebub’s wisdom was much greater than he imagined.
He wasn’t just smart. He was also able to think flexibly depending on the situation.
“The Dragon Lord doesn’t have an ego. It would be a balance without a will. It might
be useful in many ways, but I have no intention of using it. Instead, its body will be
buried deep in hell in a place of which nobody knows.”

It was an understandable decision.

To the Demons of Hell, the balance was a troublesome figure. Instead of the struggle,
insults, and slaughter that were norms for them, they would be forced to remain
peaceful with each other as they fell under absolute rule.

It was much more suitable for their tastes to have a situation in which they
continued to struggle because of the different sides having equivalent power.

‘If they planted Satan’s core into the Dragon Lord and then buried him deep
underground, he would basically become a totem.’

In that case, Hell would be much safer than the Continent.

But Frey realised that he had overlooked something important.

“…then what about the Continent? Even though it’s currently an empty shell, the
Dragon Lord is still the Continent’s balance.”

“As you said, when the Dragon Lord becomes the balance of the Demon World, the
position for balance of the Continent would be left open temporarily.”

Without a balance, it would be the Continent, not Hell, that would be destroyed.

However, Frey did not believe that Beelzebub would try to force such a result. His
conversation with him so far had allowed him to grasp a slight understanding of
what he was like.

He was an extremely rational and cold-hearted Demon. And he recognised Frey as a

possible partner.

Therefore, he would never try to make such a ridiculous deal.

“It’s simple. You become the Continent’s balance.”

“…!”
Frey’s expression hardened.

Beelzebub could feel his agitation, but he continued in a calm tone.

“You have the ability to do it. I can tell this just from standing in front of you. You are
much stronger than I am.”

It would have been the same even if he compared him to the other Rulers. Frey had
already surpassed most of the other Rulers.

‘He’s about half as strong as Lucifer and Lord.’

But that didn’t matter.

Before absorbing Satan, Lucifer was about as strong as Frey was now. So it wouldn’t
be a problem for him to handle the core.

“I would be like Lucifer.”

Frey’s concerns were natural. Ability wasn’t enough to create a balance.

The ‘qualification’ was also required.

Lord and Lucifer had not become balances because they didn’t have the
qualifications yet.

“If I swallow it but cannot absorb it, the Continent would be doomed for
destruction.”

That would simply be postponing the inevitable destruction. It would not solve the
fundamental issue.

But Beelzebub shook his head.

“That won’t happen. The Dragon Lord has been imprisoned in Hell for over 4,000
years, and the core has lost its connection. If someone who has the ability swallows
it, that person will become the balance.”

Frey couldn’t help but agree with those words.

Right.

That was the reason the Dragon Lord had been buried in Hell in the first place. It was
Lord’s preparation in order to take the position of balance of the Continent.

He was so thorough that he would not allow even the slightest error.

“That’s the only method we have left. We have no choice but to take the cores from
Lord and Lucifer after killing them.”

Seeing that Frey still didn’t agree to his proposition, Beelzebub decided to take it a
step further.

“If you can agree to this, I will promise my full cooperation.”

‘If I became the balance, I would be more than a transcendent being.’

Frey looked at himself objectively. He realised that he had less resistance to being a
non-human being than before.

Another voice inside of him was dismissing his faint hesitation as stubbornness.

Stubbornness.

It wasn’t wrong.

His heart was gradually leaning towards what Lord and Lucifer said.

‘The Continent needs a being to protect it.’

And he wanted to fulfill that role. He wanted to protect not only the humans but
every other being on the Continent.

He also had the confidence.

Lord and the Dragon Lord were not capable of such a task. It was impossible for
them, who were born as transcendent beings, to understand the lives and needs of
mortals.

But Frey was different.

He had climbed up from the bottom. It would not be hard for him to handle
something potentially impossible for them.

It would also let him paint the continent in his own colors. Selecting only those who
understood him, who had the will to fight, the ideal world…

“…”
Frey shook his head.

He felt the arrogance of the Absolute sprouting up inside him. This certainly didn’t
bode well with him.

Ever since he’d come to hell, he felt his inner self undergoing subtle changes.

‘Is it because I left my body behind?’

It was possible that this was the reason, but it could also have been that this was an
inevitable change.

What Frey was feeling was his being becoming closer and closer to the order and
following the path of fate.

Lucifer had been right. He was already in a cocoon.

Even if he personally destroyed the chrysalis, he could no longer return to being a

caterpillar. The moment he wrapped the silk around his body, he was destined to
become a butterfly.

Frey realised that there were only two paths in front of him.

Evolution or destruction.

‘Sooner or later.’

Frey was more aware of his internal changes than anyone else.

It was not a matter of willpower.

He would soon have to accept the fact that he’d truly become a transcendent being.

***

Asura roughly sat down on a chair. Then, with a rough voice, he growled
threateningly towards Beelzebub.

“The meeting was supposed to be held tomorrow.”

“This is an urgent matter.”

“Then speak quickly. I left my territory unattended.”

This wasn’t strange, considering the fact that the Demigods had invaded.

Asura wanted nothing more than to tear the Demigods apart with his own hands as
soon as possible. But Beelzebub shook his head.

“You don’t need to worry about your territory anymore.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I will explain when everyone arrives.”

“…”

Asura snorted before falling silent in his seat.

Soon after, Zefar, Barbatos, and Lilith arrived. Then the doors shut on their own.

Asura’s eyebrows furrowed.

“What’s the meaning of this, Beelzebub?”

“What do you mean?”

“There is still one empty seat.”

“No. Everyone is here. The Archdukes that I invited.”

Beelzebub spoke in a firm tone.

Just as Asura was about to open his mouth again.

Click.

Someone walked through a door on the other side of the room.

Asura’s expression became stranger. It wasn’t Lucifer that walked into the room.
Instead, it was someone much more surprising.

“You…”

Frey Blake first bowed his head slightly to Beelzebub. This was to show his
appreciation for the effort to bring the other Demon Lords together on such short
notice.

Seeing this, Zefar spoke in a disbelieving voice.

“Are you working with the Demigods now, Beelzebub?”

Demonic energy began surging from Zefar’s body. It seemed he thought Frey was a
Demigod and believed that this meeting was a trap.

But Asura shook his head.

“No. He’s not a Demigod.”

“Then what is he?”

“…a human.”

“What did you say?”

Barbatos, who had risen from his seat, turned to look at Asura and said.

“What the hell are you talking about? How could a human come to Hell? And… and
why can I feel divine power in him? No. It’s something more than that… Shit. Who
the hell is this monkey?”

“He really is a human.”

This time, it was Lilith who spoke.

Barbatos turned to look at Zefar with a strange expression.

“Are these lunatics going crazy together? They’ve been living long enough that it’s
obviously possible, but it’s too sudden.”
“There must be a reason. Let’s listen to them first.”

Frey turned to the empty seat and spoke.

“I told him not to call Lucifer.”

“With what right?”

Asura’s voice was full of hostility as he asked this question. He originally didn’t have
any bad feelings towards Frey, but things were different now.

As the Ruler of the Slaughter Hell, he didn’t tolerate others invading his world.

This fact wouldn’t change just because he was a human whom he liked a little.

“I will tell you Lucifer’s plan. You can make your own decision after that.”

After saying that, Frey recounted what he’d told Beelzebub before. He didn’t hide the
information about balances.

-When he was finished speaking, the five Rulers reacted differently.

“Hell is going to be destroyed? Are you bluffing to gain our trust?”

When he heard Zefar’s cynical words, Beelzebub turned to look at him.

“All of Frey’s words are true. I can vouch for him.”

Then Barbatos spoke up.

“Who the hell are you?”

“At least I’m a Demon with a much better brain than yours.”

“You fly bastard.”

Unlike Barbatos, who seemed reluctant to even think about it, Zefar seemed
genuinely surprised by Beelzebub’s unexpected confirmation.

He obviously knew how wise and knowledgeable the King of Flies was. He was not
someone who would be deceived by someone else or cooperate with someone
without a good enough reason.

Lilith also lifted her hand.

“I believe him.”

“Why?”

“…”

Lilith couldn’t answer Zefar’s question. This was because her pride wouldn’t allow
her to admit that Frey saved her life.

Then Barbatos snorted.

“You trashy bitch who couldn’t even protect her own territory. You seem to have
mistakenly thought you have the right to speak here. You should be thankful you
haven’t been kicked out of your spot yet.”

“Your breath stinks, Barbatos. Do you want to give me your territory, then?”

“Oh. You can try.”

“…”

It was only then when Frey truly understood Lucifer’s influence.

Although he had never witnessed a meeting when he was present, he was certain
that such a messy scene had never occurred.

To call the relationship between the various Rulers bad would be an understatement.

But Frey didn’t intervene in their fight. Instead, his gaze was locked onto Asura, who
was also looking at him.

Asura then closed his eyes while muttering.

“Right. I knew that there had to be a reason why Lucifer was willing to give up the
Corrupted Hell. He even bowed his head, which made it even more unbelievable.
Kuku. Right. Now, I’m in a bad mood.”

He opened his eyes and turned to Beelzebub.

“Beelzebub, do you agree with him?”

“That’s right.”

“Right. I should have expected as much from you.”

The hostility in his voice was evident.

At that moment, Frey knew what choice Asura would make.

Asura then turned to look at Lilith and Zefar respectively.

“It seems the Black Dream slut has decided to shake her ass to the humans now, and
of course, the greatest coward in the Demon World will wait until the last moment
before making his decision, as always.”

“What?”

“…Asura, are you crazy?”

Anger was evident on the faces of the two Rulers who had been insulted.

But Asura ignored them and laughed, saying.

“You guys are the crazy ones. You want to entrust the fate of Hell to a human? Are
you serious? Kuhaha! You bunch of fools can’t tell the difference between
cooperation and dependence!”

“…”

“The fact that you guys claim to be Rulers is so disgusting. I can’t be a part of that. So
I’m going to step out of this frame.”

Frey responded in a calm voice.

“Asura, this isn’t a matter to be handled with emotions. Isn’t it you who doesn’t
understand what it means to be a Ruler?”

“Pay attention to where you’re standing. Outsider, you have no right to interfere in
this war. I’ll let this go for the sake of our past relationship, but if you dare stand
before me again, I will kill you.”

Barbatos nodded.

“You said it perfectly. I agree with the War Demon King. This is our fight. The fact
that an outsider was even in this meeting makes me feel dirty.”

After making their positions known, the two Demon Lords prepared to leave.

Frey, who was looking at them, muttered just as Asura was about to leave the room.

“Stop barking, Asura.”

Of course, Asura did not miss this murmur.

He turned around as a fierce aura began rising up from his body.

“What did you just say? Human.”

Crack.

The stone wall cracked from just his aura.

Lilith gulped subconsciously.

‘He grew stronger.’

Asura’s aura made her feel as though she was a mortal who could die at any time, not
a transcendent being who could live for an eternity.

Whenever wars broke out, he was also standing on the frontlines, and he never
neglected training his body to become stronger.

As a result, the gap between them had widened over time, and it was now impossible
for her to close it.
At that moment, all of the demons in the room had a similar realisation.

Asura was the strongest demon present.

But Beelzebub was the only one who didn’t shrink back.

‘Asura is probably the strongest demon in the world.’

This demon wasn’t currently targeting him.

“I’m saying to act like a predator if you are a predator.”

“Are you trying to provoke me?”

“Is that what you think?”

Frey got up from his seat.

Then he looked up at Asura and said.

“I’m weaker than Lucifer.”

“Hmph. That’s natu…”

“However, I’m still stronger than you.”

“…”

Asura’s eyes narrowed.

“So I’ll give you a test. To see if you will just be killed by Lucifer or if you’ll manage to
scratch him first.”

“It seems your tongue has gotten longer, Lukas Trowman. But don’t be mistaken. You
don’t think this is the Continent, do you?”

Krrr.

Beelzebub’s castle began shaking.

It shook as though it was terrified of Asura’s aura.

Frey smiled and said.

“Right. My words were long. But the meaning is simple. As you say, I’m an outsider,
so I will obtain your cooperation by invoking the only law in this world.”

“Hoh.”

The only law in Hell.

Asura, who knew what this meant, finally restrained his anger. Instead, he smiled
widely and said.

“Then?”

“Right.”

And that was the end of their conversation.

Asura’s figure disappeared. The floor above which he was standing was crushed,
sending pieces of rock flying in every direction.

Then, in an instant, he appeared in front of Frey.

Crack!

Asura’s large hand grabbed Frey’s head and squeezed as though he was crumpling a
piece of paper.

But that wasn’t the end.

He then smashed Frey’s head into the floor before dragging it across the Demon
World’s ground.

Crack, crack, crack!

He also added demonic energy to his grip.

Even if it was a head made of steel, it would have been crushed in his hands.
But Asura frowned as he felt a sudden pain in his wrist.

“…!”

Frey’s hand was holding his wrist.

Crunch.

His bones, which wouldn’t melt even when dipped in lava, had been broken by a
human?

Asura burst into maniacal laughter.

“Hahaha! Kuhahaha!”

Then, he slammed Frey into the ground and drew his six weapons.

***

“Asura can’t win.”

Lucifer muttered as he watched from a distance.

Seeing the two transcendent beings wrestling through the land of Hell, Dro asked.

“Why didn’t you intervene while Frey was convincing them? If you had appeared on
time, the Rulers might have followed you instead.”

“I don’t need the help of such small fry. And this situation is actually rather good for
us.”

Lucifer could already see the outcome of the fight.

In the end, Frey would win and obtain the assistance of the five Rulers of Hell. He
now had that much power.

But the truly important thing was what would come after.

Lucifer looked across Hell.

He looked towards the being who could not be seen nor felt but was definitely
paying attention to this situation.

“Lord, I know you’re watching.”

Lucifer smiled contentedly.

“Your pure love has been horribly betrayed. So what are you going to do now?”

BOOK 9 END
BOOK 10

“…”

Barbatos was speechless.

He was looking at the scene below him with a stiff expression.

It wasn’t just him.

The other four Rulers also had similar expressions on their faces. Including
Beelzebub, who had some idea about Frey’s power.

“…are we going to just watch Asura…”

“Barbatos, are you trying to insult him?”

“No. I said something stupid.”

Barbatos rarely admitted his faults, but it couldn’t be helped in this situation. He
looked at Frey with a complicated expression on his face.

At first, he thought that the game had already ended when Asura slammed Frey’s
face into the ground. But it wasn’t.

He hadn’t even received a scratch, and he was later able to easily break free of
Asura’s grip.

Then, they went out to fight an even battle.

This was an unbelievable and unrealistic sight.

A human fighting evenly against a Ruler of Hell?

If someone had told him this, he would have laughed loudly in their face. However, as
he was seeing this sight with his own eyes, he had no choice but to believe it.

‘Asura… is stronger than me.’

Barbatos admitted this fact.

Of course, this didn’t mean those words would ever come out of his lips. But he said
it to himself.

If he were to fight Asura right at that moment, he would have been defeated.

‘The other Rulers should be having the same thought.’

But his thoughts were completely wrong.

Beelzebub was instead paying attention to the sky, not the ground.

In the skies of Hell, so high up that it was a place he would never be able to reach,
someone was watching the fight on the ground.

And it seemed that Beelzebub was the only one who noticed his presence.

‘Lucifer.’

It wasn’t just one. There was also a black-haired man whose appearance was similar
to Lucifer’s.

“…?”

Beelzebub tilted his head to the side, feeling that something was wrong.

The man had black wings on his back that were similar to Lucifer’s.

‘No.’

They weren’t similar. They were exactly the same.

Only then did Beelzebub realise where this strange feeling was coming from.

The man only had three wings on his back. They were all on his left side, and his
right side had nothing.

Lucifer originally had 6 pairs of wings.

The other three wings were on the back of the other man.

‘Who the hell is he?’

The moment this question popped into Beelzebub’s head.

Juk.

Lucifer turned to look at him.

***

Boom! Boom!

Huge explosions occurred one after the other.

No one would have believed it if they were told that these were actually caused by
the collision of weapons and a body. Moreover, it was not the body of a Magic
Warrior but one of a Wizard.

A black mountain collapsed, causing a massive landslide.

Frey gestured towards the rocks, soil, and trees falling towards him, and the
collapsed mountain immediately regained its original shape.

It was a transcendent feat that was similar to reversing time, but no one was
surprised by this ability at this point.

The surrounding area had already been destroyed to the extent that the original
shape could not be found at all.

“Hmm.”
Asura laughed loudly despite the pain he felt in his wrist, revealing his sharp teeth.

He didn’t have the tendency to enjoy pain, but it was an entirely different story when
he was locked in a close-combat battle like this one, where he was unable to guess
the outcome.

The tension and joy of fighting turned his pain into pleasure.

Asura lifted his arms. He had six arms, and in each hand was a different weapon.

Saber, axe, spear, hammer, club, and staff.

They were all treasures of the Demon World that had existed for thousands of years,
and at the same time, they were the trophies that Asura had risked his life to obtain.

Asura was able to perfectly control each one of these six weapons. It had been
hundreds of years since he’d acquired the ‘staff’, which was the last of the group. And
since then, he’d practiced with them constantly.

These weapons could already have been considered a part of his body.

‘…as I thought.’

Something wasn’t right.

Asura bent his knees slightly. Then, his body shot forwards like a cannonball.

Frey did not back down, and he instead took a stance.

Asura laughed inwardly.

‘He is mimicking a warrior. Every move he makes is clumsy. This shows that his body
can’t keep up with the movements he learned just by watching… However… ’

There was that strange power that was neither divine power nor mana. And it
covered all of the flaws in his natural fighting sense.

In Asura’s eyes, this made Frey more suited to be a Knight or a Magic Warrior than a
Wizard.
Boom!

Asura’s blade was drawn diagonally. Frey paused while trying to block the attack.
Then he felt the presence of that axe coming from his right.

But that wasn’t all.

The hammer and club were aimed at his skull. And if he stepped back, his heart
would be pierced by the spear and staff.

‘There’re no gaps between the attacks.’

This was an attack that was close to perfection.

It wasn’t just stabbing or cutting. Depending on Frey’s subsequent movements, the

directions of the attacks would also be changed to follow him accordingly.

It was one attack that contained a hundred different changes.

And it wasn’t just one. There were six such attacks.

A hint of the practice that was put in could be felt in the diversity of the attacks. He
even saw the years of experience that had accumulated over countless battles.

‘It’s like a Golem.’

Frey felt like there was a calculation apparatus in his mind that calculated thousands
and tens of thousands of possible outcomes and selected the most favourable
conclusion.

But what Asura had was something closer to instinct than logical thinking.

Frey’s eyes shook slightly.

Paht.

Asura clicked his tongue.

He missed again.
He thought he’d finally managed to trap him in a net, but when he came to his
senses, he’d already escaped.

‘It’s not teleportation.’

This was a battle that required their focus to be honed to the limit. Even if he were to
use a skill like teleportation, he would only be able to move a short distance away,
and he would still be within Asura’s range.

But Asura could clearly see Frey’s graceful movements. He tried to predict his
movement and change the direction of his attack, but he still missed.

‘This means I’ve lost this fight.’

Asura didn’t understand.

He had an overwhelming advantage. Wasn’t it normal for the side on the defensive to
be in the most disadvantageous position?

Ninety-nine paths were blocked. If he took even one incorrect step, his entire body
would be destroyed in an instant. Yet Frey still managed to find a way to escape.

One time could be called a coincidence. And two times could be called luck. But if it
happened three times, four times, or five times, then it was intentional.

This meant that Frey could easily see and take advantage of Asura’s flaws.

“…”

The hands holding his weapons up drooped.

This was the first time in thousands of years that he’d felt that his weapons were a
hindrance.

‘That doesn’t mean anything.’

As he thought this, Asura did something that was completely unexpected.

Boom!
Frey’s expression changed.

This was because he saw Asura throw away his weapons. They were so heavy that
even though he had only thrown them lightly, they cracked the ground as they
landed.

At the same time, Asura’s aura, which was like a mountain before, suddenly dropped
to half of its former strength.

But Frey didn’t let his guard down. Instead, he felt an unfamiliar tension that was
different from before.

Asura spread his legs. His knees were bent, and his waist was also tilted slightly. His
six clenched fists were pointed at Frey, and his eyes burned as though they contained
the fires of hell.

‘He changed his stance.’

He hadn’t weakened. He’d adapted.

Frey immediately realised this fact.

In general, abandoning your weapons meant a reduction in your overall strength, but
this didn’t seem to be the case for Asura.

His intuition was proven by Asura’s next movements.

Asura’s figure disappeared, leaving behind only an afterimage.

He moved so fast that Frey was temporarily unable to see him. Even Milled’s
clairvoyance was unable to keep up with the movement.

Crack.

“…!”

Then he felt a sharp pain in his side.

This was the first time that he’d actually been hit since becoming a transcendent
being. The unfamiliar sensation of pain in his body caused his thoughts to pause
momentarily.

Without properly dispersing the shock, Frey’s figure was sent flying. His body
skipped off the ground like a rock on a lake.

While the sky and ground were spinning around fiercely in front of him, Frey
desperately tried to focus on recovering from the unexpected attack.

‘This isn’t the end.’

He was right.

Asura appeared and struck Frey again.

Bang, bang, bang!

Six arms battered Frey’s body like a storm. Although he protected himself with
divine magic power, the shock of each attack sent him reeling.

It wasn’t just the punches.

Currently, Frey was a soul body. This meant that normal physical attacks wouldn’t be
able to even leave a scratch on him. But each explosive punch that Asura hit him
with, which happened over a dozen times in the blink of an eye, contained demonic
energy, which was able to reach his core.

‘He is equal to or stronger than Agni.’

One might have thought that Asura was stronger, but Frey thought differently. Unlike
Asura, who grew up with continuous struggles, Agni’s life had been mostly peaceful.

After all, the Demigods rarely had to engage in life-or-death battles. They didn’t
know how hard it could be to take down just one opponent. They couldn’t
understand the misery of the weak.

Nevertheless, the similarity of their powers was a clear indication of just how
overwhelming the Demigods’ inherent strength was.

‘However.’
It didn’t matter if Asura was stronger than Agni.

‘Push.’

Paht!

A dazzling glow erupted from Frey’s body. And Asura, who was constantly attacking
him, was flung away, crashing heavily into Beelzebub’s castle.

“…”

Asura slowly stood up within the cloud of dust, his eyes narrowed as he looked at
Frey.

Divine magic power was wrapped around Frey’s body like invisible armor. It even
made him look like a saviour bathed in holy light.

The fact that he was currently standing in Hell made the scene even more dramatic.

Of course, Asura didn’t pay any attention to things like this.

“A body made for battle. No. It should be more than that. It’s a power that has a
ridiculous practical ability.”

“You seem surprised. Have you never seen something like this before?”

“That’s right.”

Asura nodded.

Frey glanced at the weapons he threw aside and said.

“Your speed has increased by several times. I don’t think you’d become so fast just by
throwing your weapons aside…”

“It’s true.

“What?”

Asura smiled and pointed at his weapons.

“Even my lightest weapon weighs hundreds of tons. I’ve made them smaller, but their
weights remain the same.”

“…”

Frey became speechless.

When he threw the weapons aside and they cracked the ground, Frey didn’t think
they were that heavy…

That was no different from fighting while carrying a castle on your shoulders. It was
no wonder his movement speed increased so explosively.

“Then let’s get started again.”

Asura laughed.

Frey’s heart became heavy when he saw this.

‘This may not go as I expected.’

Asura was much stronger than he expected. He was not an opponent whom he could
handle as he pleased.

It was possible that Frey would end up killing him.

There was only one reason why he thought so. He could feel his own patience
reaching its limits.

And seeing that Asura continued to be disobedient, his irritation was beginning to
increase.

‘This lowly demon dares to defy me/you.’

Voices sounded in his head.

It sounded like Lukas and Frey’s voices had been mixed together. Even though they
were his own voices, hearing them still made him uncomfortable.

‘They’ laughed and mocked Frey.

‘You’re pathetic. You’re really pathetic. Do you really need the help of these
weaklings?’

‘Why are you underestimating yourself?’

‘You can do it on your own. Lord and Lucifer are afraid of you!’

‘Just kill him! Swallow the power of this insolent demon!’

“…”

Frey forcibly suppressed his irritation.

He also tried to ignore the voices in his head. He cleared his mind.

Perhaps Frey’s greatest enemy at this moment was neither the Rulers of Hell, Lord,
nor Lucifer.

‘Hold on.’

He had to control it.

It wasn’t time.

Not yet.
“…”

Asura blinked his eyes slowly.

As he lay on the ground, he realised two things. One was that the sky in Hell, which
he had been looking at for thousands of years, was still very ugly, and the other was
that he’d accepted his defeat much more calmly than he expected.

‘When was the last time I lost?’

Asura tilted his head for a moment, but he soon decided to stop thinking about it.
This wasn’t the time to be locked in memories of the past.

His gaze turned to Frey.

Unlike Asura, who became a wreck, he didn’t have any injuries to speak of, and he
was able to remain smiling. Nevertheless, he was able to get the sense that he was
very exhausted.

‘It’s not because of me.’

Asura knew this, so he couldn’t help but ask.

“What were you fighting? You weren’t even focusing on me during our fight.”

“…”

“…well. I’m not really asking. You don’t have to answer.”

In any case, Asura was the loser.

Frey had been right. His strength was more than one level above Asura’s. Even
though his attention had been focused elsewhere, it hadn’t been hard for him to
subdue him.

In fact, Asura was curious about why he was even alive at that moment. In Hell,
defeat usually meant death. The more powerful the individuals involved were, the
more true that was.

The winners would not want to leave any regrets behind, so they would take
preventative measures.

That was why Asura thought he would die if he were to ever lose.

“So are you willing to accept my will now?”

“What else can the loser do?”

“Good.”

That was enough.

Frey pressed against his throbbing temples and turned to look at Beelzebub’s castle.

Paht.

In the next instant, his body appeared in front of the other Archdukes.

“I’ve persuaded Asura. So all that’s left is… Barbatos.”

The Ruler of the Despair Hell became nervous when Frey called his name. However,
the words he heard next were unexpected.

“Won’t you change your mind?”

“H-, huh?”

“I understand your position. For a ruler, borrowing the power of a foreign party
would certainly make you feel uncomfortable. But there are exceptions to
everything, and I believe this situation is an exception.”

“…”
Barbatos thought that he would be singled out as the next opponent. Now that Asura
had been defeated without much effort, the other was more than able to overpower
him. It wouldn’t even be a difficult task.

Nevertheless, Frey spoke in a calm voice, and it seemed that he truly intended to
genuinely persuade him, without argument or sarcasm.

“I don’t want Hell to be destroyed. Not for the demons or for you. What would
happen to the majority of the High rank demons after this world is destroyed? Would
they simply lie down and accept their end? No. Never. I’m certain that they would
look for ways to survive. Regardless of what it takes. And this will naturally result in
them stretching their claws towards the continent. That is what I’m worried about.”

Although the demons were unable to use their full power when they left this world,
naturally, there were exceptions. The fact that a High rank demon named Kaltud was
able to become Nozdog’s Apostle was proof enough.

‘Even if it’s weakened, if it’s a High rank or stronger demon, it would certainly cause
chaos if it descended onto the continent.’

This was something that Frey believed with all his heart.

If the other side was human or another mortal race, he might have been more casual.
But they were talking about demons.

“Mm…”

“I see. So it’s not for us but for the continent.”

Barbatos nodded at Zefar’s words.

Such frankness was very effective against the demons. They preferred this kind of
calculative remark rather than meaningless courtesy or compassion.

In a way, this statement even made Barbatos feel relieved.

He’d realised something when he saw the fight with Asura. He couldn’t beat Frey.

Nevertheless, if Frey decided to fight him, he would have no choice but to accept it.
The title ‘Ruler’ resting on his shoulders would not allow him to refuse.
It was possible that Barbatos might even become the one to propose the fight first.

However, Frey understood Barbatos’ position and gave consideration for his position
as Ruler.

It was a novelty. To be exact, it was something Barbatos had never experienced

before.

After all, this was Hell, where only the strong survived and the weak were eaten.

That’s why he never expected that Frey, who had the position of supreme predator in
this bloody world, preferred to lower his head.

“…fine. I will cooperate.”

So it didn’t take long for him to make a decision.

Frey sighed in relief at Barbatos’ words. This wasn’t because Barbatos had said the
words he wanted to hear. Rather, it was for himself.

He could have fought Barbatos. In fact, he still had the urge to do that. However, Frey
believed that if he fought again, he might have really killed his opponent.

That was why he was restraining himself.

Because he wanted to unleash this feeling upon Lucifer or Lord.

“…by the way, where did Beelzebub go?”

Frey looked around as he said these words.

Lilith had an ambiguous expression on her face as she said.

“I’m not sure. He suddenly flew up into the sky.”

The sky?

Frey followed her gaze.

Then he used his clairvoyance to look for Beelzebub.

“…”

But there was no one in the sky.

***

“Hmm. So Nozdog came to Hitume Ikar, and he’s after the Great Medium…”

After hearing all of this, Anastasia became lost in thought.

As wrinkles appeared on her youthful face, Ivan smiled belligerently.

“Good. Nozdog is one of the Apocalypses, isn’t he?”

He was on the same level as Agni, who he’d fought in Silkid. If he defeated him, he
might be able to restore some of his wounded pride.

But Anastasia shook her head firmly.

“We don’t have to fight him.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ll explain later, so be quiet. I’m more curious about where Frey’s consciousness
went.”

When he said those words while looking at the self-proclaimed Grey Trowman, the
Great Medium answered his question.

“He went to Hell.”

“What?!”

Ignoring Ivan’s shocked scream, Anastasia spoke calmly.

“…naturally, that doesn’t mean that something went wrong and he fell into the
underworld, does it?”

“Right. The place he went to was the land of the Demons.”

“Hmm. I see. So that’s why he left his body behind.”

When she nodded with a look of understanding, Ivan tilted his head to the side.

“What are you talking about? What does going there have to do with throwing away
his body?”

“The pressure applied when crossing between dimensions breaks up and dissipates
all forms of matter. In this sense, the body is nothing but a burden. The soul of an
ordinary being would never be able to accomplish something like that… but it might
be possible for the current Frey.”

Anastasia couldn’t help but feel that Frey was growing further and further away.

As she tried to soothe her aching heart, Ivan spoke again.

“So you’re saying his soul left his body. Doesn’t that mean he’s dead?”

“In a sense, yes. That would have probably been the case if I didn’t enter this body.”

This time, it was Grey who answered.

His appearance and voice were identical to Frey’s. But his tone and expression were
very different.

That was why they felt strange.

Unlike Frey, who rarely showed his emotions, there was always a small smile on
Grey’s face.

“Then who are you?”

“I am a Wizard who was active about 2,700 years ago.”

Then, after falling silent for a moment, he added something else as though he felt his
explanation was too short.

“I was the strongest 9 star Wizard of my time.”

“Hoh…”
“At that time, there were also people fighting against the Demigods, and I was one of
them. I dare to say that. After the Era of Light, which was ruled by the Great Mage,
Lukas Trowman, we were probably the ones who fought back the most against the
Demigods.”

Pride was obvious on Grey’s face.

The Great Medium sighed and interrupted.

“Grey, you’re getting off-track.”

“…ah. Right. Pardon me. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to use my tongue.”

He gave a short laugh before continuing.

“In any case, I died. And when I came to my senses, I had become a spirit body.”

“Spirit body?”

“I guess you could call it a ghost. Then I met a man… and when I heard what he had
to tell me, my jaw literally hit the ground.”

“Frey.”

“Exactly, it was the Great Mage himself who called out to me.”

“Actually, it was me, not him, who called your soul.”

Grey shrugged at the Great Medium’s lazy words.

“Ah. You’re right. Heh. Sorry… Anyway, he told me everything. After going to Hell, if
his body was left alone, it would eventually collapse, so he asked me to stop that
from happening. Of course, I was honored to help. I immediately accepted his
request… and that’s all that happened before we arrived here.”

So it was the Great Medium’s ability that drew his soul into Frey’s body.

‘…but is that it?’

Anastasia knew Frey well.

She didn’t believe he’d do something as troublesome as to find a new soul just to
maintain his body. Considering Frey’s efficiency, there should have been several
reasons why he allowed Grey to possess his own body.

Of course, there was still one thing she was curious about.

“Then how are you a Trowman? Frey didn’t have any children.”

“I used to be a slave. Naturally, this meant that I didn’t have a last name. So I
borrowed the name of the man I respected the most. I thought I had the qualification
to do so.”

Anastasia nodded.

If it was a 9 star Wizard, he was certainly qualified to call himself a Trowman.

Because of Frey’s personality, he wouldn’t have had a problem with that either.

However, Ivan seemed to be a little disappointed. He was expecting something more

dramatic and interesting.

Suddenly.

“Wa-, wait! Wait a minute! What are you guys talking about?”

It was Jekid who hurriedly asked this in a distraught voice, his pupils shaking
violently.

If anyone who knew his usual temperament were to see this scene, they would be
shocked.

Jekid Deosis, Circle Master of the Lucid Swords.

He was always serious, and he rarely panicked. So no one would expect him to act in
such a way.

Unfortunately, the only subordinates who could have borne witness to this sight
were those beside him, and they were just as shocked.

Only then did Ivan realise that they’d completely forgotten about Jekid’s existence
and nodded.
“…oh, yeah. This guy was here too.”

“Yeah.”

Though he was openly ignored, Jekid shook without even realising it.

“Gre-, Great Mage Lukas? Why are you mentioning the names of ancient heroes? P-,
plus a Wizard from 2,700 years ago? Are you all crazy?”

“Mm.”

Anastasia frowned slightly.

His tone was strong as he said that, but it was understandable.

And he hadn’t even realised anything.

No, that expression was wrong.

Frey and Anastasia did not feel the need to hide their identities any longer.

Besides, the other was the Circle Master of one of the three Great Circles. To an
extent, he had the right to understand the situation.

Therefore, Anastasia spoke with a solemn voice.

“Listen, Lucid’s successor. Frey Blake is Lukas Trowman. After being imprisoned for
4,000 years in a place called the Abyss, he escaped relatively recently, and now, he’s
headed to Hell to stop the Demigods’ plot.”

Then, she pointed to herself with her thumb as she continued.

“As for me, I’m the Great Sage, Schweiser Strow, praised as the Great Mage’s best
friend and the Representative of Truth. I’m sorry for my delay in greeting you, but I
sincerely hope we can continue our friendship.”

Jekid’s jaw dropped again.

Then the man beside him couldn’t help but speak.

“Lu-, lunatic!”

“…”
It took them a while to persuade Jekid and the others. And Anastasia couldn’t stop
glaring at the Knight who called her a Lunatic.

She wanted to hit his head at least once, but she knew that with her current body,
doing such a thing would only have made her look more ridiculous.

So instead, she thought about Hector. If he wasn’t a Dragon, she would have long
separated his flesh from his bones.

‘He could have at least made me look a little older.’

Since she didn’t appear very old, it could be said that Anastasia’s suffering was only
beginning.

The Knights flinched when they saw her gritting her teeth. On the other hand, Jekid,
whose face had regained some semblance of calmness, opened his mouth with a sigh.

“Hoo! If all of this is made up…”

“Then I would have been called Great Literati, not Great Sage.”

“…”

Anastasia didn’t really care too much about persuading them or proving herself.
Probably because she didn’t think it was necessary.

In fact, her judgment was correct.

‘I don’t think it’s a lie.’

Anastasia’s story had managed to fill in many of the doubts Jekid had. The things that
had happened so far had too much of a cause-and-effect relationship for him to deny
her words.
In particular, there was Frey Blake’s ridiculous growth speed.

He was an unprecedented genius who had managed to reach 9 stars at an age of less
than 30 years. At the same time, he had discretion and judgement that were not
proportional to his age, and he knew to act boldly at times.

There were times when he showed consideration even with small actions, and there
were times when he was so cold-hearted that it was hard to tell if he was truly a
human being.

Talent alone was not enough to explain all of these things.

Time was a necessary factor in order for such omnipotence to appear in a human.

If Frey’s real identity was the Great Mage who disappeared 4,000 years ago, then all
the questions he had would be answered.

“…I see.”

The day of the purge. He remembered the words Frey said to Rezil at that time.

‘You don’t deserve to be the master of the Strow Necklaces.’

At that time, he’d thought it was just arrogance.

In fact, it was possible that everyone thought so.

Rezil had been leading his circle before Frey was even born. Although his choices
were wrong, the agony he went through and the burdens he had to shoulder were
enough to destroy a person’s character.

No one felt that a child too young to understand these things had the right to
question his qualifications.

But that wasn’t the case.

Frey was truly ‘qualified’ to judge others’ qualifications

Jekid felt like he’d finally understood a hidden truth after the fact. He looked up, his
eyes calmly sinking again.
“So what are you going to do now?”

“We have to kill Nozdog.”

Ivan replied in a tone that seemed to say the answer to the question he was asking
was obvious.

In any case, since the Great Medium and Grey were there, it wouldn’t have been hard
for them to escape the forest.

But Anastasia was paying attention to something else.

“What is his purpose for coming here in the first place? Was it to bring the country to
its knees? Or was it to destroy it?”

“I don’t think it’s either of the two.”

“Why do you say that?”

The Great Medium shook her head.

“If his purpose was to make the country submit, he wouldn’t have killed the
country’s royal family.”

“…he killed the royal family? Nozdog?”

“Yeah.”

If that was the case, then the situation might have been worse than they expected.

“And afterwards?”

“He’s currently staying in the palace.”

The people in the palace were most likely dead.

Ivan was almost certain of it.

“He’s probably looking for me. That’s why I came to this forest.”
The Dark Forest could be called a closed space as it was completely isolated from the
outside world. Unless Nozdog used a special method, he would be unable to find any
trace of her.

Meanwhile, Anastasia still pondered with a serious expression.

‘Does he still have Illuminium?’

Or had he found another method to escape the punishment of the law?

She wasn’t sure.

But there was one thing unclear. What was Nozdog’s purpose for coming to the
country if it wasn’t for submission or destruction?

“…perhaps, killing the Great Medium is his goal.”

“Yeah. But we don’t know why.”

Then Ivan asked bluntly.

“How are you so sure that you’re his target?”

“Because he’s blatantly following my tracks.”

The Great Medium could see the entire continent.

It couldn’t have been a coincidence that Nozdog appeared in the places she’d been in
one after the other.

So she was certain that he was tracking her.

In a way, the fall of the palace was her fault.

Ivan, who had been thinking for a while, suddenly opened his eyes.

“Let’s defeat Nozdog.”

Anastasia sighed.
“…Ivan. As I said earlier, defeating Nozdog is not so simple.”

“I know. I didn’t say that without thinking about it first.”

Anastasia paused.

This was because Ivan’s voice was serious as he said those words. He continued in a
clear voice.

“Because I fought Agni before, I have an idea of how strong Nozdog will be. So
looking at the current power of our group, I can say that it’s not impossible.”

Lucid Swords’ Circle Master. A Magic Warrior who was at the threshold of Warrior
King. A Golem with a transcendent body. A 9 star Wizard. And the Great Medium who
had mastered sorcery.

The Great Medium froze at that.

“Wait. Why am I in the head coun-”

“We’re definitely not inferior in terms of power. I think we would be able to defeat
him. But the risk is definitely high. I think…”

“That we should wait for Frey to come back?”

“…”

Anastasia could not respond. Because Ivan’s words were exactly what she was about
to suggest.

“If that guy was here, then catching Nozdog would definitely not be a problem. He
managed to defeat a monster like Agni without a scratch. But we don’t know when
Frey will come back, do we?”

“That’s right.”

Grey nodded.

Ivan turned to Anastasia with a slightly cold gaze.

“I felt it before, but you are too dependent on Frey. That’s not necessarily a bad thing,
but… I don’t really like things like that.”

“…!”

Those words gave Anastasia a shock.

She stared at Ivan blankly for a while before nodding as if she was broken.

“…you might be right.”

She couldn’t deny it.

Looking back, that had always been the case since the time Frey was Lukas.

Was it because of his natural charisma?

Or was it because she’d seen countless heroic aspects as he somehow overcame

situations that were thought to be impossible?

Anastasia couldn’t tell.

She knew how heavy the burden on her best friend’s shoulders was. But now, she
realised that she was part of that weight.

In fact, it was possible that she was the greatest burden.

Anastasia looked at Ivan with a fresh gaze. It was only now that she realised he
looked at Frey as a person, not as a hero or the Great Mage. He knew of Lukas’
numerous achievements, but he didn’t dwell on it.

His attitude didn’t change.

Other people might have called Ivan rude, but it was possible that only this kind of
person could truly be on par with Lukas.

‘…if this guy was around 4,000 years ago.’

Anastasia had that thought for a moment before shaking her head.
The past didn’t matter anymore. What mattered was the present.

“…fine. Let’s hear your plan.”

Ivan had managed to convince Anastasia.

This guy was not ignorant nor savage. It was clear that he could make rational
judgments when necessary.

“It’s simple.”

However, when she heard the words Ivan said next with a smile, she regretted that
thought.

“We’ll just attack the palace and crush the skull of that guy, Nozdog.”

***

Beelzebub never returned. The other Rulers, including Frey, scoured the area, but
they were unable to find any traces of him.

“Where the hell did he disappear to?”

“I don’t think he ran away.”

Asura and Barbatos grumbled, but Frey’s expression was even more serious than
theirs.

There was no way he’d run away. After all, where would he escape to if the plan
failed and Hell was destroyed?

‘…surely… ’

An ominous thought popped up for a moment, but Frey shook his head.

This was not something that he could judge rashly.

After all, Beelzebub was no pushover. He was one of the Rulers of Hell, a being who
had managed to live for thousands of years.
It was impossible for him to be dealt with covertly.

‘We have to hurry.’

Time continued to flow even at that moment, so he didn’t have any time to waste.

Even though the owner was absent, they eventually held the final meeting in the
castle.

Surrounded by a sullen mood, Frey opened his mouth.

“Lord and I are in a superficial alliance. Of course, I have no intention of maintaining

that alliance.”

Afterwards, he briefly explained his plan.

When Lord and Lucifer began fighting, he would not actively interfere with the fight
and would instead control the situation, eventually stepping in and taking care of
both of them at the same time when their strengths had reached a suitable level.

According to his plan, the rest of the Rulers would standby at a distance, and they
would rush into the battle when Frey gave the signal.

Tilting his head, Asura asked.

“Is that it?”

“Is there a problem?”

“It’s just much simpler than I expected it to be.”

The other Rulers seemed to have similar thoughts. But Frey had no intention of
making an overly complicated plan.

“It might not necessarily be a simple plan. In any case, against those two, complex
tactics are almost completely useless.”

It was also true that even a ‘simple plan’ might not be realised.

That was why he purposely made it simple. Complex plans became useless if even a
small variable was changed.

“Your task is to look for traces of Beelzebub. Expand your range a little further.”

“Understood. What about you?”

“I need to head back to where Lord is.”

He needed to ask exactly when the fight with Lucifer would begin. In addition, his
fight with Asura had caused more of a ruckus than he expected.

Considering Lord’s capabilities, it was possible that he’d noticed the fight. Therefore,
he needed to confirm this fact and check whether their alliance was still in effect.

If he felt anything strange, he would have to change his entire plan.

Frey quickly headed back to the place where Lord had been staying, and his anxiety
became a reality.

“…”

The location where Lord had been staying was empty.

***

“You can head back to the continent.”

“What should I do there?”

“You just need to wait in Hitume Ikar. When I give you the signal, you just have to be
the bait. It’s simple.”

“Understood.”

Dro nodded gently.

He’d realised his identity. There was no reason for him to not listen to Lucifer.

He could no longer hear Iris’ voice. Now, Lucifer was the person he trusted the most.
Shuk.

Dro’s figure disappeared.

For him, jumping between dimensions was nothing. It would only take him a few
minutes to arrive in Hitume Ikar.

Lucifer looked down, seeing the figure of a person. Blood from this person’s body
soaked the ground of Hell.

“Your blood smells really bad. Is it because you’re a fly?”

“…”

“Didn’t I tell you before, King of Flies? Accidents happen.”

Beelzebub didn’t answer.

No. He couldn’t answer.

This was natural. After all, the Ruler of the Bloody Hell had already been decapitated.

“I hope Lord likes my gift.”

Lucifer grinned.
Frey returned to the castle, knowing that there would be someone there.

Lilith was the Ruler left to guard the castle. The others were out looking for
Beelzebub.

“Why are you back so soon?”

“Lord is gone.”

“What?”

Frey walked past her. There was no time for him to explain the situation.

He walked to the balcony of the castle, which overlooked the vast Bloody Hell. Then
he used Clairvoyance.

He saw all of the Rulers looking for Beelzebub nearby. But in the next instant, Frey’s
expression crumpled.

“Shit.”

“What’s wrong?”

“The other Rulers are under attack. They’re taking care of them one by one before
we can join forces.”

“Is it Lord Lucifer’s doing?”

“Right.”

Frey grit his teeth before adding.

“Lord is there too.”

 ***

“Gurk!”

Barbatos coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Looking at the being in front of him, he couldn’t help but mutter.

“H-, how are you guys so…”

He was unable to finish his sentence and ended up dying with his eyes wide open.

“It’s a waste of thousands of years of life. No demon would expect a Ruler of Hell to
die in such a way.”

[…]

Lord turned to look at Lucifer who was standing beside him. He was holding a
bloody head in his hands.

It was Zefar’s head.

Noticing Lord’s gaze, Lucifer shrugged.

“It doesn’t really make sense. I’ve personally taken care of two of them.”

Lucifer threw Zefar’s head onto the ground and stepped on it.

Paak.

Zefar’s head exploded.

Then, Lucifer rubbed the sticky flesh and blood on the ground with his foot as he
said.

“Don’t you think this game was easier than you expected?”

[…]

“Rulers of Hell or whatever… You might think they are nothing when compared to
beings like us. However, it’s not that they’re weak. We are simply too strong.
Nevertheless, if these guys really did decide to work together, they might have given
us a bit of trouble.”

Originally, he didn’t have any intention of doing something like this.

Lucifer knew better than anyone just how proud and arrogant the Rulers were. But
something that was able to bring them together had appeared.

Frey Blake.

He wasn’t even a demon, but he had the charisma and power to subdue the Rulers.

If these Rulers were to truly join forces under his command, it was possible for him
to threaten Lord and Lucifer.

That was why they joined forces.

Of course, it was all a part of Lucifer’s plan.

‘Everything changed greatly after you came to hell.’

Lucifer couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought.

His whole plan had gone awry.

At first, he intended to use the Rulers of Hell to pressure Lord, but he failed because
Beelzebub managed to notice the incongruity.

Then he tried to draw Frey over to his side, but he was rejected.

And finally, he’d joined forces with Lord, who he considered to be his final enemy.

Anyone else would have been unable to keep up or might even get confused by this
ever-changing situation, but Lucifer quite enjoyed these interesting developments.

“But that Frey is a real bastard too. You and I both offered him an alliance, but he still
chose a third path. Even an idiot could tell that it’s a thorny path.”

Lucifer grinned.
“Don’t you agree with the proverb that says you have to go through hardships to
achieve your goals?”

[It would be wiser to deal with Asura first.]

Lord finally opened his mouth.

Of course, he didn’t intend to respond to Lucifer’s nonsense.

[It is said that he is the strongest of the Rulers after you.]

“Maybe if he was in his peak condition. But he was greatly weakened by his battle
with Frey. Now, he’s even weaker than Barbatos or Zefar, who we just killed.”

As for the remaining one, Lilith of the Black Dream Hell, she was not even worth
mentioning. It was a well known fact in the Demon World that Lilith’s powers could
not even begin to compare to the other Rulers’.

Lucifer then burst into laughter as he looked up at the sky.

“It seems our last guests of the day are about to arrive.”

Taht.

The first to arrive was Asura. He looked down at Barbatos’ body with a stiff
expression on his face.

“…did you do this?”

[Not both. Just one. This Demon. I was…]

“Barbatos!”

Asura said his name roughly.

On the other hand, Lord nodded lazily and corrected himself.

[Right. Barbatos. I killed him.]

“And Beelzebub…?”
“I got rid of him.”

Lucifer answered happily. Then he pointed towards the puddle of blood that had
been created when Zefar’s head exploded.

“I killed this guy too.”

“Zefar…”

A fierce aura erupted from Asura’s body. He glared at Lucifer with bloodshot eyes.

“Haha. Are you angry at the death of your fellow Rulers? I never expected you to be
so loyal.”

“It was a fight, and they died because they were weak. That’s all. What I’m angry
about is your disgusting behaviour, Lucifer. Even the slight bit of respect I had for you
has been uprooted.”

“I never really cared about that.”

“Right. Frey was right.”

“-should I thank you for acknowledging my words so late?”

Frey appeared beside Asura while responding to his words. He then looked at Lord
and Lucifer, who were standing side by side, and sneered.

“Right. I didn’t believe it at first, and it’s nothing new, but it still feels really dirty to
get hit in the back of the head not even a day after we talked.”

Did this mean that everything was a part of this guy’s plan from the start?

Frey recalled Lord’s words. He told him that it looked like he had things to do so he
could leave first.

But it seemed he expected Frey to rally the remaining Rulers under his banner.

‘Then he kidnapped Beelzebub and waited for the other Rulers to search for him.’

Considering the personalities of the Rulers, there was no way they would have stuck
together while searching for Beelzebub. It was almost certain they would have
separated and acted individually.

So they aimed exactly for that moment and killed Zefar and Barbatos. It was highly
likely that the missing Beelzebub was already dead.

In the end, all he was left with were Asura and Lilith. But Asura was exhausted and
was unable to fight, and he couldn’t expect much from Lilith in combat.

The opponents were beings who had taken the first step into the realm of Absolute.
Beings to whom even he had a high chance of losing if he were to fight them one-on-
one.

Then Lord stretched out his hand.

Paht.

Frey pushed Asura and Lilith away at the same time.

Jijik!

Then he witnessed an unbelievable sight even though he was seeing it with his own
eyes.

When Lord drew his finger across, the surrounding space trembled before shattering
like a pane of glass.

Crack!

It was as though space itself had been cracked. And the crack was steadily
approaching Frey.

Frey protected his body with divine magic power.

Thud!

A heavy shock hit him. If he relaxed for even a moment, his entire body would have
been torn apart in an instant.

He grit his teeth.

‘The power to control space. If attacked directly, even a transcendent being wouldn’t
be able to survive.’

How was he to reverse this situation where he was already being touched directly by
this power?

The strength of his body and durability of his armor already had no meaning in front
of Lord. After all, he had the power to tear space apart.

In front of such an ability, even the toughest of metals would become like wet paper.

There were only two ways.

To avoid it. And…

Boom!

[…!]

Frey’s divine magic power collided with Lord’s power, causing him to pause for a
moment.

He hadn’t expected that he would compete with his power head-on.

This wasn’t a reckless action either.

In fact, his power, which had been steadily tearing the space apart, staggered slightly
as though a boxer had been struck in the chin.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, Lord felt intense heat on his back. When he turned around, he saw a ball of
flames speeding towards him.

It was like a sun that was twice the size of Beelzebub’s castle.

Boom!

This sun, which was hotter than lava, engulfed Lord’s body, the explosive firepower
burning everything around him.
However, this was only the beginning of Frey’s offensive.

Crackle!

Lightning surged along the scorched ground to find Lord. If it was able to reach him,
it would be able to temporarily paralyze him.

It was followed by a beam of light from Frey’s finger.

Pit, pit, pit!

Dozens of the beams of light that he’d used to slay Norn were fired in an instant. This
was an attack that was much more focused than the fireball explosion and the
lightning.

No matter how powerful Lord was, he would not be able to escape unscathed if he
were to be hit by these beams.

But Frey’s expression wasn’t good.

‘I don’t feel like any attack hit him since Another Sun.’

This meant that his attacks had hit nothing but the air.

Frey looked to the side, intending to see how Asura and Lilith were doing.

Shuk.

“Kuk!”

Lord took advantage of that opening. Without any warnings, a blade of wind from
behind Frey cut off his left arm.

Frey wasn’t certain, but he believed that this was the power of Leyrin, one of the
Apocalypses.

Holding his severed arm, he retreated.

Blood didn’t flow from the wound. After all, Frey’s body was already a soul body.
Specks of light were the only things that flowed from the cross section of his severed
arm.

At the same time, the flames on the ground disappeared. No, to be precise, it
appeared as though they were sucked away.

It was quite an unbelievable sight. As though an invisible monster had devoured the
flames.

Lord, who had reappeared, did not have any burns. He simply looked at Frey and
said.

[You are mistaken.]

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Lord didn’t answer. Then Lucifer returned.

“You’ve been fighting for too long, Lord.”

[Are you finished?]

“No. Lilith’s abilities are too annoying. It’s a power that’s really suited to running
away. So it will take a little time.”

[I see.]

Frey watched their conversation as he pressed his left arm back to the stump. Light
blossomed from the cut, and his arm was healed in an instant.

Lucifer seemed amazed by the sight.

“You’re really good at using your willpower. We definitely have to kill you. Otherwise,
we’ll end up with three Absolute beings.”

[Right. There’s no need for three.]

As he nodded, Lord stretched out his hand.

Puk.
“…”

“…”

And the thing he did next made the other two speechless.

“…huh?”

After a brief silence, it was Lucifer who finally opened his mouth. He was looking
down at his body with a blank expression on his face.

There was something protruding from his chest.

It was Lord’s right hand.

“Gurk!”

Lucifer coughed up blood as he stared at Lord in disbelief.

“What the hell… is this…”

[Don’t be surprised, Lucifer. You should have expected this.]

“…”

Lord was right.

He hadn’t let his guard down. No. He might have let it down a little. Still, he had
maintained an appropriate level of vigilance.

He knew that he would fight Lord, but he hadn’t thought that it would be now. No
matter how much he wanted to defeat Lord, he knew that neither side could
guarantee one’s victory.

Even if he was to be betrayed, he thought it would only be after they reduced the
obstacles.

“…do you intend… to deal with those guys alone?”

[I’m sorry, Fallen Angel, but this was my plan from the beginning.]
“Crazy… bastard…! You are more arrogant than me…!”

[It’s not arrogance. It’s a firm belief. From the beginning, I never had any intention of
working with someone other than my own kind.]

Lord chuckled before turning to Frey.

[I hope this has cleared your misunderstanding, Frey Blake. I did not break my
promise.]

“…”

[Now, let’s join forces and kill Lucifer.]

Frey didn’t get a chance to answer as Lucifer acted before him.

Puhuk!

His back cracked, and there was an explosion.

No. It wasn’t an explosion.

It was the sound of black wings being forced out of his back.

The size of the black wings was unusual. They were large enough to cover the sky,
and they were as black as the darkest ink.

He could hardly believe it despite seeing those wings come out of Lucifer’s body with
his own eyes.

A single flap of his wings caused a large gust of wind to sweep through the area. It
was so powerful that even the boulders around them were blown away.

Lord smiled slightly and said.

[Your twelve wings of the past have now become only three wings. How unsightly.]

“How do you know about my wings?”

[Well…]

Lucifer glared at Lord with a cold gaze.

Lord had called him the Fallen Angel. This was very close to his true identity, and it
was something no one in the world should have known.

‘No, Frey might know.’

After all, he had managed to have a conversation with God. But he didn’t think that
Frey was the one who told him.

His hatred for Lord went beyond imagination.

The same was true for his wings. Only God knew that he originally had twelve wings.
(TL: author put ‘12 pairs’ each time, but I’m pretty sure the Seraphim – the highest
ranked angels – had 12 wings total)

“…hoo.”

Lucifer sighed.

Then he looked at Lord and suddenly let out a laugh. He roughly wiped the blood
from his lips before covering the hole in his chest with his hand.

“How interesting, Lord. Do you believe you gained the upper hand just because you
pierced my chest? You should know that this kind of wound means nothing to us.”

Paht.

His wound healed in an instant, disappearing without a trace. But Lord nodded
without hesitation.

[Of course. My goal wasn’t to do something so simple as to pierce your chest. Instead,
Lucifer, it seems that you have no ‘core’ in your body.]

“…!”

Was that his goal?

‘…there was clearly no murderous intent in Lord’s attack.’

He could have dealt a bigger blow to Lucifer if he’d really wanted to.

But he didn’t. Instead, his attack had only been a means to carry out his search.

In fact, Lord’s judgement was accurate. For Lucifer, he would have preferred to lose
some of his fighting power than face the current situation.
‘How terrifying.’

It wasn’t a good situation. To put it simply, it was a crisis.

Nevertheless, the corners of Lucifer’s mouth still rose.

Despite living for a frighteningly long time, this was the first time he’d ever felt
pressured to such an extent.

He recalled his battle with Satan. In that bloody battle, if Satan hadn’t been
weakened slightly, the loser would definitely have been Lucifer. He still felt a chill
down his spine whenever he recalled that battle.

That was how terrifying Satan had been. And the current Lord was in no way
inferior.

No, it would be more correct to say that he was actually better than the other. After
all, he was much stronger than Lucifer, who was also stronger than when he’d fought
Satan.

‘However.’

It was Lucifer who’d stood victorious at the end of that bloody fight.

Paht!

Feathers began falling from Lucifer’s wings. Because the wings on his back were
large enough to cover the sky, each feather was the size of a person.

The feathers that fell from the wings froze in the air before they could reach the
ground. Then, hundreds of feathers shot towards Lord at the same time.

Clang, clang, clang!

The terrain began to change following the terrifying explosions. Even a single feather
had the power to completely destroy a castle. Therefore, when a hundred such
feathers struck down at the same time, large boulders were sent flying just from the
wind.

It was at that time when Frey noticed a lone feather.

Paht!

As though it had a will of its own, this feather turned and fled in the opposite
direction from Lord. Then, it suddenly disappeared.

Frey narrowed his eyes.

‘It crossed dimensions.’

He was worried about his intentions.

Suddenly.

“Hey, Great Mage.”

Lucifer called out to him out of nowhere.

Frey didn’t answer, but he turned to look at him.

“I know it might be hard to believe in a situation like this, but how about forming an
alliance?”

“It seems you still have the energy to talk nonsense.”

“Is that how it looks? To be honest, I’m quite pressed.”

Lucifer was still smiling, but there was a bit of cold sweat on his face.

“You better think carefully about how you will deal with Lord after he devours me.”

“…”

“In the first place, wasn’t your goal to control our fight and make sure each side took
a relatively even amount of damage? If I’m beaten by the two of you, will you be able
to handle him on your own?”

This was an undeniable fact.

Nevertheless, he couldn’t nod his head easily.

Even though it had reached this point, he didn’t believe Lucifer would suffer one-
sidedly.

He was certain that this man still had some things hidden in his sleeves. The feather
that had just disappeared was definitely one of them.

“I’m not alone. I have Lilith and Asura.”

“Hahaha! You don’t mean that, do you? Do you really think they would help you?”

Lucifer’s expression became cold.

“Look carefully, Frey Blake. Judge for yourself whether they would be of any help to
you in your fight against Lord.”

Frey turned to see the appearance of Lord within the cloud of dust. He stood still in
his spot without moving a finger. Nevertheless, the feathers, each boasting incredible
power, were falling apart before they could even reach him.

In the end, Lucifer’s loud attack couldn’t even scratch Lord.

“I still have a method. Though it’s a bit complicated, it’s a card that could turn
everything around. It could work as long as you cooperate with me.”

Frey didn’t pay attention to Lucifer’s words. This was because Lord had flown out of
the dust cloud and into the sky.

It was an unexpected act, but the meaning behind it was clear. He was going to
launch an attack.

‘It’s not me or Lucifer.’

And it was clear that he was aiming at someone else.

Divine power condensed in Lord’s hand.

“…!”

Frey realised Lord’s intention and responded immediately. Lord tore the space apart
almost at the same time that he used space-time movement.
Crack, crack!

“K-, uhh…”

This was the second time he’d faced Lord’s attack. However, he felt that the pressure
this time was completely incomparable to the first.

It almost brought him to his knees. It felt like his entire body was cracking.

“Get… back.”

“…!”

Then he felt someone flinch from behind him before the presence vanished once
again. It was probably Lilith. He didn’t believe it was Asura.

He wanted to check the situation, but he couldn’t afford to. Instead, Frey could only
stare at Lord with bloodshot eyes.

‘What is this… ’

Was the power he’d displayed before not his true power?

Frey grit his teeth.

Lord’s power far surpassed his expectations. He had never underestimated his
power. Nor did he overestimate himself.

It could even be said that Frey had made the most logical assumption.

The strange one was Lord.

The power he was displaying far exceeded Frey’s predictions.

Huk.

The pressure suddenly disappeared. This wasn’t because he’d successfully defended
against the attack but because Lord had recalled his power.

Then, he asked in a seemingly confused voice.

[Why are you protecting her?]

“Why are you trying to kill her? Lucifer is your goal.”

Frey gripped his trembling forearm as he asked back.

Then Lord answered as though it was natural.

[She is also a demon.]

“Is that the reason?”

[Of course. The Demons showed their hostility toward my people. Asura even killed
Apep. There’s no reason for me to let them live.]

“It was my plan to kill Apep.”

Lord tilted his head.

Then he suddenly nodded as though he understood.

[…ahh. Right. You did. But that’s okay. I forgive you, Frey. I hope you can forgive me
too.]

Those words scared Frey greatly.

He hoped that he could forgive him? Lord himself?

He felt like a bolt of lightning had struck his head.

Frey felt a chill down his spine.

He finally understood.

The strange feeling he got from Lord while talking in Hell. His attitude while dealing
with him. All of these things pointed to one fact.

Lord was now…

“…you see me as a Demigod.”

[Hmm.]

Lord made a sound similar to a sigh. Eyes appeared on his featureless face like
floating on a still lake.

These eyes, which were spinning in a bizarre manner, looked at Frey intently.

[Is it wrong? You are already capable of using divine power, and you have the
qualifications.]

“Absolutely. You’re crazy. Lord, what the hell happened to you?”

He had continued his tough relationship with Lord for thousands of years. He hated
him from the bottom of his heart, but he also knew him better than most.

If it was the Lord he knew, he wouldn’t accept a human as his kin simply because
they could use divine power. Rather, he would have wanted to kill them even sooner
as their very existence brought him deep displeasure.

The current Lord had become twisted. But he was unsure of the reason.

That was why Frey felt even more afraid of Lord.

[I think that’s a good word to use… I mean the expression ‘crazy’. When you don’t
understand something or when you refuse to understand it, you can use that word as
an escape. Look at me. Do I really look crazy?]

“If you know you’re crazy, then you’re not really crazy.”

When Lucifer said those words, Lord turned to look at him.

[Your presence is starting to get on my nerves, Lucifer. I have no interest in you since
you do not have a ‘core’.]

“If my mouth is getting on your nerves, then shouldn’t you just shut me up? Of
course, if you’re able to.”

[Hahaha…]

Lord suddenly burst out laughing.

“What’s so funny?”

[Do you think you can defeat me in that state? You wouldn’t be able to even if you
were in your optimal state, so what can you do when you’re so drained?]

“What the hell are you talking about?”

[If you want to fight properly, then call your precious other half. I am willing to wait
until then. Isn’t that why you sent your feather to the Continent?]

“…”

Lucifer fell silent at that moment. The ever-present smile disappeared from his lips.

“…you… no way.”

[You really didn’t think I’d notice. You’re far too arrogant. If you really wanted to hide
it, you should have at least hidden the fact that you only have half of your wings.]

“Wings?”

Hearing Frey’s questioning tone, Lord chuckled.

[It’s a simple story. It’s not even surprising. It’s quite the obvious twist. The one who
was defeated by me long ago and the one who isn’t confident in defeating me now
have combined.]

The one who’d been ‘defeated’ by Lord. To be defeated meant they had to have
fought.

And there was only one being who came to mind when the words ‘fight with Lord’
came up.

Frey’s expression became stiff.

“…the Dragon Lord. Are you saying that Lucifer and the Dragon Lord joined forces?”

[Joined forces? It’s much more intimate than that. Lucifer absorbed the Dragon
Lord’s soul and heart.]
“He absorbed them. Like that time with Satan?”

[That’s a method that’s already failed. Lucifer isn’t a fool. Instead, he made up his
mind. He decided to merge with the Dragon Lord’s very existence. There’s the risk
that his ego would collapse or that he’d lose his mind, but… he wanted to digest an
existence like the Dragon Lord, so he was willing to take the risk.]

Lord spoke with a humorous voice as he continued.

[However, the actions he took after were even more surprising. Lucifer wanted to
combine the two sides before splitting them again.]

‘Split?’

Frey didn’t understand what he was saying.

[Frey Blake, have you ever heard of a Black Dragon?]

“I haven’t.

[And you still didn’t notice?… No, you don’t know much about Dragons, so it should
be expected. In that case, let me give you a brief lesson. In the first place, there is no
such thing as a Dragon with black scales.]

‘There is no Dragon with black scales.’

“…!”

It was only then that Frey understood what Lord was saying.

It was Dro’s image that appeared in his head at that moment. His appearance. A man
with black hair and black eyes with a similar appearance to Lucifer’s.

A man who also had a Dragon Heart.

‘…Dro felt the presence of his Dragon Heart. But the heartbeat was not very strong.’

It was much stronger compared to Beniang’s, who was only a Half-Dragon, but it was
not enough to be called the Dragon Lord’s.
Frey could tell even when he first met him. If the reason for this was because he had
been split in half.

[The Dragon Lord became half of Lucifer, and Lucifer became half of the Dragon
Lord. With a perfect understanding of each other, they could be one or two.]

Lord then smiled and looked at Lucifer.

[Then what should I call you now?]

Frey understood Lord’s words.

Lucifer didn’t absorb the Dragon Lord. He accepted him. This meant that every part
of these two independent beings had been combined.

‘Their egos, consciousness, and even their memories.’

They were each other’s other half. It couldn’t be expressed in any other way.

Even if black and white were separated after being mixed, they would never return
to their original colors.

And that’s exactly what Lucifer did. It was no longer possible to distinguish Lucifer
or the Dragon Lord as independent beings.

They had literally been ‘reborn’ as an entirely new being.

“Just Lucifer is fine. That’s how we decided to do it… I am a bit closer to ‘Lucifer’ in
nature.”

Lucifer said these words with a terrible expression. He didn’t try to refute Lord’s
words.

He admitted that he was neither Lucifer nor the Dragon Lord but an entirely new
being.

There was a faint hint of madness in his eyes as he continued.

“Lord of the Demigods, you can’t imagine how long I… no, how long we have been
waiting for this moment. I naturally don’t think it would be easy, but we will
definitely be the ones to win in the end.”

[…]
“I’ll show you everything I have. You don’t need to restrain yourself anymore. —
Then, firstly.”

Flash.

A golden glow shined within Lucifer’s eyes. His pupils were torn vertically, and the
golden glow made his eyes seem like those of a predator.

<Stop.>

Thud!

Dragontongue!

The most powerful ability of the Dragons was now being displayed in Hell. In
addition, it was the Dragontongue of a being who had once been the Dragon Lord. No
matter what Lord tried to do, his movements would most certainly be stopped.

Puk!

Then Lucifer’s body swelled up, and his skin was torn apart. Of course, no flesh was
shown, and no blood poured out of the gaps.

Instead, scales could be seen under his skin.

‘There was never a Dragon with black scales.’

Frey couldn’t help but recall Lord’s words. But now, he was witnessing a scene that
made him doubt those words.

The scales that covered Lucifer’s body were so black that they didn’t reflect any light.

Nevertheless, although he could freely use Dragontongue and his body was covered
in scales, it was still not enough to call Lucifer a Dragon. He was much too small to be
a member of the ancient race.

He was much larger than a human, but he was still far from the giant body that
exceeded tens of meters in height.

At best, he was three times Frey’s size, but the pressure that was constantly flowing
off his body was far stronger than that of his teacher, Isolla.

Juk.

Lucifer’s mouth opened. Behind his sharp teeth, flames could be seen fluttering in
his throat.

Frey slightly anticipated what was about to happen.

Fwoosh!

Black flames poured out of Lucifer’s mouth, moving so quickly that they engulfed
Lord’s body in an instant.

But even up to that point, Lord didn’t move in the slightest.

Crackle…

‘Those flames are definitely not ordinary.’

As though he heard Frey’s thoughts, Lucifer muttered quietly.

“It’s not Dragon Breath.”

Even though he was talking to Frey, his gaze didn’t move from Lord’s position.

“But I can’t say it’s completely different. It’s the Dragon Lord’s Dragon Breath
combined with Lucifer’s destructive powers.”

“…”

“I’ve defeated many powerful beings with this power. Because of the nature of Hell,
powerful monsters would appear in places beyond imagination. Those guys all had
power that was at least comparable to those of the current Rulers.”

Fwoosh!

The flames died down, and Lord’s figure was revealed once again. There were still no
burn marks on his body.
Lucifer simply shrugged at the sight.

“But this power is still not enough to deal with the real monster.”

“…what are you trying to say?”

“That guy has dominion over space itself. You could say that he has a thin veil
covering his skin. Every attack disappears upon touching that veil. Well, to be
precise, they are sent to another place.”

This meant that no attack would work against Lord while he was able to use his
powers to the fullest.

Like a Dragon, unless it was an attack that exerted pressure on his very existence, it
would be impossible for any attack to reach Lord unless he ran out of energy.

“It should be obvious by now, but soul attacks would never work on this opponent of
ours. However, it appears that you have the power to pierce Lord’s space.”

When Frey moved to protect Lilith, he saw his power collide with Lord’s. At the same
time, he saw Lord’s power falter.

If Lucifer’s predictions were correct, Frey’s attacks would be able to reach Lord.

“So you intend to block Lord’s movements, and you want me to end it.”

“Right. Think about it carefully. Right now, he-”

“You don’t have to keep talking. I don’t plan on helping you.”

“…hmm?”

Lucifer tilted his head to the side as though he was genuinely confused.

“Why? Isn’t that what you want?”

“It is, but… your sudden change of attitude is pretty suspicious. I was hit in the back
of the head just recently.”

He looked at Lord as he said those words.

Then Frey continued without even smiling at his own lame joke.

“As you said, you only just decided to join forces with me.”

That was his answer, but Frey felt a strange desire surging in his heart.

Lucifer believed that his divine magic power could threaten Lord’s life.

This wasn’t wrong. But it also wasn’t completely true. It could hurt him, but it wasn’t
enough to kill him.

‘Will alone is not enough.’

Frey had realised this fact in his brief skirmish with Lord. His ‘willpower’ was
enough to kill the other Demigods, even the Apocalypses, but he could only use it to
inflict damage to Lord.

‘I have to take it a step further.’

He would have to move to the next level.

-In truth, it was not that difficult.

Frey looked down at himself.

His body was currently on the continent. It was his soul that was in Hell.

However, the ‘string’ that connected his body and soul was still present. He knew
that the string was the compass that would help him return.

Frey’s current appearance was the best proof of that. He still looked like Frey Blake.

It wasn’t just his body. Even his soul had taken this appearance.

‘If I cut that string.’

Many things would change.

It wasn’t just his appearance. His thoughts and personality would be reset.
Just like Lucifer and the Dragon Lord had combined to create a third persona, an
entirely new being with Frey’s power and memory would appear.

Shuk.

But Frey still cut the string. There was no hesitation.

And a bitter smile still appeared on his face.

‘I didn’t hesitate at all.’

Instead, it could even be said that he was happy with this situation. Frey felt that he
might have been waiting for a situation like this.

An unavoidable situation where he was forced to make this choice.

This was probably because he wanted an excuse in order to relieve his own guilt
even a little.

‘How pathetic.’

And this was what made Frey feel bitter.

***

Frey’s thoughts seemed to have taken a long time to process, but for Lucifer, who was
in front of him, the change happened in the blink of an eye.

This meant that the changes he was worried about didn’t take that long.

Juk, juk.

‘He finally decided to become transcendent.’

As Lucifer was so close to him, he was able to grasp what was happening much faster
than anyone else.

As if it was an eggshell, Frey’s skin began cracking. And underneath this cracked
skin, he could see a shimmering blue glow.
Crack!

His skin felt like cracked pottery.

Then Lucifer laughed when he saw his new appearance.

“Is this your transcendent appearance?”

“…”

All of “Frey”’s external features had disappeared. However, in Lucifer’s eyes, there
was no significant difference.

He still looked like a human. Instead of gray hair, his hair had become blonde, and
even though his facial features and physique were different from before, he was
clearly still human.

But as soon as Frey opened his eyes, Lucifer’s thoughts changed.

‘This… ’

Only blue energy could be seen fluttering in his eyes. His pupils had disappeared.

That was the only thing that made him different from a normal human. Nevertheless,
Lucifer could easily tell that this man in front of him was anything but human.

However, if Anastasia had been present, she would have been surprised. Frey’s
appearance had become that of Lukas Trowman, the Great Mage who had been
renowned around the continent 4,000 years ago.

Lucifer smiled gently.

“How interesting. Show me your strength.”

“…”

Frey’s gaze turned to Lucifer.

“Lucifer.”
Even his voice had changed. While thinking this, Lucifer responded.

“What is it?”

“You’re blocking Lord’s movement with Dragontongue.”

“You could tell just from looking.”

“Then if I attacked you right now, you’d die.”

“…what?”

Lucifer glared at Frey.

He had a smile on his face that he had never seen before. It was not a smile that
contained any cynicism or ridicule. Instead, it was a real smile filled with genuine joy.

“Why are you so shocked? It was just a small joke. Laugh.”

“…I thought you didn’t like jokes.”

“Is that so? I didn’t know.”

Huhuhu.

Frey chuckled softly. The sound was soft, but somehow, it still filled the area.

Lucifer subconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

‘What is going on?’

Something had changed. Of course, Lucifer didn’t know enough about Frey to point
out exactly what that was.

However, he at least knew that he was not the type of man who would crack jokes at
such an important moment.

‘Has his personality changed completely?’

That was bad.

If that was really the case, then the situation might have been worse than he
expected.

Lucifer couldn’t help but question whether urging him to become transcendent was
really a good idea.

Frey didn’t seem to care about Lucifer’s inner turmoil. There was even a soft smile
hanging on his lips.

To Lucifer, this was a smile that dripped with arrogance.

Then Frey lifted his hand and said.

“Shall I give it a try?”

Paht.

A blue beam of light shot out from his hand. This beam did not make a sound. At the
same time, it was so clear that the sight of it was engraved on one’s retina.

This beam of light reached Lord in the same instant it appeared. To be precise, that
was how fast it was.

Crunch!

[…mm!]

Lord was hit for the first time. His body couldn’t handle the force of the light, and he
was pushed backwards.

His power to control space had not been able to prevent it.

“Did it work?”

Lucifer asked in a bright tone.

“It was still too shallow. Hmm… even though I’ve become transcendent, it seems I’m
still not able to reach Lord’s core.”

As he said this, Frey dropped his hand.

Then he shot an admiring gaze at Lord as he continued.

“You really are an incredible being, Lord.”

“…Great Mage, you’re making me wonder if something went wrong in your head.
What the hell are you saying?”

“Do you have a problem with me?”

“A problem? I do. You don’t seem to be sane at this moment. Think about it. You’re
standing there, voicing admiration for the being you hate the most in this world.”

“Mm.”

After thinking for a while, Frey finally responded.

“Should I really get rid of Lord?”

“…what are you talking about?”

“I suddenly remembered a deal I discussed with him. He said that if I helped him kill
you, he would not dominate the mortals on the continent and he would even release
Iris.”

Lucifer’s expression hardened.

He looked at Frey and spoke in a harsh tone.

“You don’t really believe that bullshit, do you?”

“Lord ‘swore’ to me. I think it’s worth trusting him at least once.”

Frey’s gaze turned to Lucifer once more.

The moment he saw the blue energy swirling in those eyes, Lucifer felt a chill down
his spine.

“So what do you think I should do, Lucifer?”

“That was also a joke. Why don’t you relax, Lucifer? We obviously need to work
together to defeat Lord.”

Frey laughed as he said those words.

Looking at his smile, Lucifer couldn’t help but think.

‘…this guy.’

He was dangerous.

No. He’d become dangerous.

By abandoning the humans and becoming transcendent, he had set foot on an

entirely new level.

But that wasn’t a big deal to Lucifer.

The most important thing was the way his thinking had changed.

‘This is outside of my predictions.’

Before this, he was able to read Frey’s way of thinking. From the information he’d
gotten from Iris, the stories about the Great Mage, and the information he’d obtained
first-hand. All of those had allowed him to have a certain understanding of the
human named Frey Blake.

But it was different now.

‘I thought that becoming a transcendent being would cause a dramatic change in his
personality, but… ’

He hadn’t expected that he would change so severely. He didn’t know why, but the
hostility that the current Frey had towards the Demigods or Lord had faded.

In addition, it seemed that some of the responsibility towards the humans he’d
carried had been relieved to an extent.

Frey had said that they should work together to defeat Lord, but Lucifer didn’t trust
him anymore.

He stopped making predictions. From now on, he thought to deal with the situation
using the things he’d prepared beforehand… and improvisation.

He could have an alliance with Frey, but it would only be temporary. If Frey
determined that he’d reduced Lord’s power to a certain extent, he would
immediately turn his sword on him without hesitation.

‘It’s so ironic. The weakest of the three of us is the one holding the sword.’

And they didn’t have a choice but to let him. Frey was the weakest one there, so he
already occupied the safest position.

He was a wolf in a fight between a lion and a tiger.

But that safety wouldn’t last long either. Sooner or later, if Lord and Lucifer’s powers
were reduced to a level similar to Frey’s, they would also pressure him more and
more.

So in the end, the conclusion was simple.

He needed to figure a way to hide how much power he had left.

[That was a magnificent attack.]

Then they heard Lord’s voice. There was a crack on his chest. It was the first time
that he’d actually been hit.

He looked at Frey and said.

[Is that what your transcendent body looks like? It’s pretty good.]

“Are you still in the position to be so relaxed?”

[…Huhu. My goal was already achieved the moment you, Frey Blake, became a
transcendent being. I sincerely welcome you. Become one of my kin.]

Frey gently raised his eyebrows as he said.

“Why are you so adamant to pull me to your side? Lord, I don’t think that you’d ever
consider a human as your kind.”

[You are the biggest piece.]

“What?”

[…and as you said, I don’t think I can afford to remain relaxed. So let’s move on to the
‘next step’.]

Lord turned to look at Lucifer.

[So Lucifer, it’s time for the clown to leave.]

“…!”

Woowoong.

Lucifer reacted.

He saw something white shoot out from Lord’s hand. This was the only warning that
appeared before space was torn.

Jijik!

“Kuk!”

Nevertheless, he was unable to avoid it. When Lucifer came to his senses, one of his
wings had been torn off.

Black blood poured from Lucifer’s back. He then used the feathers of the torn wing to
engulf Lord.

Lord simply waved his hand slightly.

[Didn’t you already say it? Your attacks will not reach me.]

“My attack was…!”

Piht.

Frey unleashed his divine magic power once again.

In an instant, the divine magic power soared into the sky and split apart like
lightning before charging towards Lord.

Only then did Lucifer realise just how strong Frey had become.

‘He hasn’t reached the next stage.’

Before this, Frey could have been said to have surpassed the mortal class. Therefore,
his complete separation from the human race did not lead to a radical increase in
power.

If he were to express it, then it was only his output that had increased. The divine
magic power he released now was about twice as powerful as before.

But that was still not enough to kill Lord.

Woowoong.

The warning came once again. And just like before, he was unable to dodge it.

Another one of Lucifer’s wings was torn off.

‘Dammit.’

He couldn’t help but swear.

Lord was persistently aiming for him. It was a hellish situation.

It was Frey who was actively damaging him, but Lord’s focus never shifted from
Lucifer.

[I wonder how weak you would become if all of your wings were torn off.]
When he heard Lord’s voice, Lucifer had a slight mental breakdown.

Every time the number of wings he had decreased, Lucifer would become weaker.
But this was something that no one should have known.

“I wonder who told you that.”

[No one told me… about the characteristics of an Angel. I found them out on my
own.]

“Then did you realise your true identity?”

[…]

Lord paused for a moment. It seemed he didn’t know that yet.

Lucifer sneered.

“Then should I tell you?”

This time, a pair of Lucifer’s wings was torn off simultaneously. He couldn’t hold it in
and let out a cry. (TL: It seems he really did have 12 ‘pairs’ of wings originally and 6
pairs in Hell. 3 pairs went to both sides. So far Lucifer has lost 2 pairs of wings.
Hopefully the author sticks to this count…)

“Kuack!”

[No. You don’t need to.]

Lord finally responded.

At that moment, Frey was still attacking Lord, but it didn’t seem to have any effect.

Frey was probably trying his best. But Lucifer didn’t believe that. He felt that he was
only pretending to help while conserving his power.

‘So this is how it is.’

The only one he could rely on was himself.

<I found Nozdog.>

Then he heard Dro’s voice.

“Haha!”

A smile blossomed on Lucifer’s lips.

“Stop, Lord.”

[…]

Lord, who was about to rip off another pair of wings, stopped moving.

This was because he was curious about Lucifer’s confident tone.

Lucifer opened his mouth, not trying to suppress his leaking laughter at all.

“My preparations are complete.”

[What preparations are you talking about?]

“Huhu.”

Tak.

Lucifer flicked his finger, and a moment later, someone appeared in the sky above
them.

Frey and Lord narrowed their eyes at the same time.

It was a face they all knew.

“Kaltud…”

Kaltud, the High ranking demon who was also Nozdog’s Apostle. The red-skinned
demon had suddenly appeared there.

“You seem a little surprised, Lord. I’ll show you something even more amazing.”
Lucifer smiled as he said this.

“Kaltud, kill yourself.”

[…!]

Everything afterwards happened in an instant.

“Yes.”

With a happy expression on his face, Kaltud reached into his chest and pulled out his
own heart.

The heart in his hand was still beating while giving off a dark, evil aura. Every time it
pulsed, black liquid poured from the broken veins.

[What are you doing?]

Unlike Lord, who had become a bit more serious, Lucifer’s voice was completely
relaxed as he spoke.

“Kaltud was one of my most loyal servants. And he inherited some of Lucifer’s power.
Therefore, he was able to enter and exit the Continent as he pleased. Decades ago, I
told him to become the Apostle of any Demigod.”

At first, the plan was to have an insider in order to learn the Demigods’ movements.
An Apostle, who was closely connected to their Demigod, was the most suitable for
such a role.

He didn’t have high expectations. After all, the Demigods would definitely be wary of
the demons. However, Kaltud carried out Lucifer’s orders brilliantly, completely
surpassing his expectations.

He managed to become the Apostle of an Apocalypse called Nozdog!

“When I received that report, I felt that the day would arrive when I would be able to
use this card. Lord, you should have a good understanding of the relationship
between Demigods and Apostles, right? Now that Kaltud is dead, Nozdog will
definitely fall into hibernation. Even if he forces himself to stay awake, he would
definitely be much weaker.”
Lord froze.

It was so faint that it was almost unnoticeable, but he was clearly affected.

Lucifer laughed as he targeted that sore spot.

“And Dro is on the continent right now. You should have an understanding of his
strength. It wouldn’t be a problem for him to kill a weakened Nozdog.”

[…]

Silence.

Lucifer quite liked this silence. He continued in a cheerful voice.

“It seems like it’s my turn to take the lead, Lord.”

[This… was this your hidden card?]

Lord’s voice shook slightly.

This was proof that he was surprised. Lucifer sneered as he replied.

“Right. You must have been surprised. Now, listen to my demands. Firstly-”

[How disappointing.]

“…what?”

[Lucifer, I’m even more certain now that your fusion was a failure.]

Crack!

“Kuack!”

Lucifer let out a scream. His last two wings were torn off, and his body fell to the
ground in an instant.

‘What’s going on?’

He didn’t understand.

Did Lord just use his power to rip off the rest of his wings?

How?

He raised his head.

Lord was looking down at him.

[The Dragon Lord’s clumsy schemes and Lucifer’s arrogance. It seems you have
received only the worst parts of the two. As a result, you’re weak. It would have been
much harder if you worked as separate individuals.]

“…you, do you think that Nozdog will be safe after doing this?”

[It doesn’t matter if he’s safe or not.]

“What did you say?”

[I said it’s fine if Nozdog falls into hibernation or even dies.]

Lucifer became speechless.

This wasn’t a lie. He could hear the sincerity in Lord’s voice.

“How… you… are you really Lord? The Demigods, you…”

[You have the habit of guessing what the other person is thinking and making your
own conclusions. Didn’t you realise how dangerous something like that is? Change is
bound to happen, Lucifer. The same goes for my values.]

“That’s… hilarious.”

Lucifer suddenly roared.

“You talking about change? Garbage that wasted almost an eternity…! Demigods,
especially you, do not have the right to talk about that!”

Suddenly, Lucifer’s head cooled down.

“…the Demigods that came to hell. Right. I thought you’d sent them back to the
continent. To protect Nozdog or to carry out some other plan. Because I could no
longer feel their divine power in Hell.”

However, that wasn’t the case.

Lucifer muttered in disbelief.

“You ate all the other Demigods. Ha-, haha!”

[…]

Lord didn’t deny it.

Right. It was only then when all the pieces fit into place.

Lord had gotten stronger. In a short amount of time, he’d become ridiculously strong.
According to what he’d known, this half should have been enough to deal with Lord.
Yet his powers couldn’t even reach Lord.

And now, he knew the reason.

“You’re crazy. Did you really swallow the people who supported you for thousands
and tens of thousands of years?”

[Do not insult us with such vulgar words. I didn’t swallow them. They simply
returned. They’re back where they belong.]

Lord’s voice was calm and confident as he said these words.

He put his hand on his chest and said.

[I can still hear the voices of my people. They are thanking me for allowing them to
feel this fullness once again. Of course, you wouldn’t understand.]

“…”

He didn’t know much, but he knew one thing.

‘A clumsy trick.’
Right. At some point, he’d become accustomed to moving things behind the scenes
rather than doing them directly.

He became hesitant to act personally. And when things happened as he predicted, he

felt pleasure similar to that of a drug. This all started after he accepted the Dragon
Lord.

He looked at Lord and muttered in a strange voice.

“…I didn’t think there would be someone even more broken than I.”

No one here would have expected it. Not even himself.

That those would be Lucifer’s last words.

Chak!

In the next instant, Lucifer’s head was ripped off.

Feathers, blood, and brain matter mixed together and fell like rain.

In this gruesome downpour, Lord and Frey’s eyes met.

[Now, you can stop acting.]

When Frey didn’t answer, Lord turned to look at the head of Lucifer that rolled
forward. (TL: I’m pretty sure this should have been destroyed since blood and brain
matter rained down)

Crack!

Then, he stepped on the head with a simple motion and crushed it. Lucifer, who was
already dead, might not have realised, but Lord had shown a similar nonchalance as
Lucifer did when he destroyed Zefar’s head.

Lord then continued as though nothing happened.

[I know that you were acting to deceive this trash. As far as I can tell, personality
changes are never so radical. It is very slow and subtle, such that it happens
sometimes without the individual even noticing. Just like a drizzle that you might not
pay attention to might end up soaking your body.]

“Are you certain that I was acting?”

Frey finally opened his mouth again. His face and voice became cold once again.

Lord chuckled.

[You were curious about Lucifer’s final card. In order to make him reveal it, you
intentionally made him feel like he was in danger, causing him to increase his
vigilance. Your awakening was a great opportunity that made it impossible to doubt
your performance.]

“…”

[In the end, Lucifer judged you as unpredictable, a potential enemy. Therefore, he
summoned Kaltud to threaten me with a hostage. That was Lucifer’s last card. The
plan was actually pretty good. The only thing he overlooked was our unity.]

“Don’t try to twist it, Lord. Your actions were just to satisfy yourself.”

[Don’t say it like you were any different.]

Lord’s voice contained some emotion, but it was faint.

Frey looked at him with a solemn gaze.

His guess was right. Frey had only acted as though his personality had suddenly
changed. He had done this to force Lucifer into a corner and make him take out the
cards he was hiding.

Frey’s plan had succeeded much more easily than he expected. Perhaps because, as
Lord said, using his awakening as a pretext was very effective.

Lucifer believed that Frey had been reborn as a transcendent being, so he didn’t find
his change of attitude strange.

Therefore, he could only take out his card to threaten Lord.

However, what came after did not go according to Frey’s intentions.

‘I thought I could push Lord a bit further.’

Lucifer’s plan had been ineffective to the extent that it could be called futile.
Nevertheless, he couldn’t dismiss it as his fault.

If he had used it on Lord ten years ago, it might have gone just as he expected, if not
better. Lord treated all the Demigods equally and loved them more than anything.
Every single Demigod could have been considered a weakness to take advantage of.

But the current Lord was different. At some point, his way of thinking had changed.

“Now, I understand. The reason for your change of attitude.”

Lord wanted to consume Frey as well. That’s why he treated him as his kind.
“The biggest piece.”

Recalling how he’d referred to him, Frey continued.

“…that’s probably referring to Riki.”

[Hmm.]

Lord hummed as though he was surprised.

Frey’s words were correct. Riki, the second Demigod to appear on the continent, was
the biggest piece that Lord wanted. And Riki’s crystal had now merged with Frey.

[It’s not just Riki. I can also feel the power of Indra and Milled. And you also have the
crystals of Norn and Sunsir. Every crystal left in the world by my people is a piece of
the puzzle that I cannot miss.]

“I don’t understand. Why did you suddenly think of your own kind as pieces?”

[I swallowed Leyrin. I absorbed her after she fell into hibernation, and with her
energy, I was able to heal the others. Do you know what happened to me in the
process?]

Lord spoke in a heated voice.

“It was ‘memory’. Memories came back to me. And what came back to me weren’t
things that I’d forgotten but things that had been wiped from my memory!]

Frey furrowed his eyebrows.

Not memories that had been forgotten but memories that had been replaced. Was
that referring to the memories he had when he was Michael?

[I don’t know what the principle behind it is. However, I found out as soon as I
became one with Leyrin. We, Demigods, are all pieces… when we’re separate, it’s
impossible to determine the whole picture, but the more pieces I combine, the
clearer the image becomes.]

“Is that why you started swallowing your own people?”

[That’s right.]

He no longer denied the word ‘swallowed’. Perhaps Lord knew exactly what he’d
done.

[The more pieces I gathered, the more I learned the truths of the world that no one
else knows. Thanks to that, I was able to learn about Lucifer… And then, I realised. I
knew what my mission was. What I had to do. We had to become one.]

In Lord’s voice, conviction and madness could be heard in equal parts.

Now that he was actually saying it out loud, he was becoming even more certain. He
was convinced that he was doing the right thing, that he wasn’t wrong.

[I persuaded the rest of my people. I wanted them to understand my mission. Some

of them agreed, but the majority of them could not understand. It was a pity, but I
understood. It’s not a concept that could be understood simply by explaining in the
first place. So I used a bit of coercion… And in the end, I was proven right.]

Brruk.

Suddenly, bubbles began appearing on Lord’s skin. Then, faces began to appear all
over his body. It was a very frightening and gruesome sight.

“Ahaha…!”

“Aha, ha!”

“Hi, hihi.”

It was the faces of the Demigods. Probably those who had been absorbed by Lord.
Not only did he see Heimdall, whom he’d met only a few days ago, but even Leyrin’s
face was there.

All of these faces burst into laughter. The laughter of dozens of completely different
voices at the same time created an incredibly creepy feeling.

But that wasn’t the only sound coming from the body.

[Listen, Frey. This is the laughter of my people. I’m certain now. Everyone who
became one with me is satisfied. In every instant, we are all feeling a sense of
fulfillment that we never would have felt as individuals. We have finally understood
and achieved the concept of perfection and true unity!]

Frey was now certain.

At some point, Lord had gone completely insane. Frey couldn’t help but snort in
disgust.

Lord tilted his head to the side as he heard the sound.

[Do you not understand?]

“…in my mental world, I accepted Milled and Indra. Not just their power but their
memories and personalities, too. The method was different, but in a way, it is similar
to the absorption you are talking about.”

[Hoh…]

Lord gasped in admiration.

Two Demigods. As well as Riki.

Perhaps it was just residual thoughts, but they were still not things that a human
could absorb.

If it was an ordinary human being, that is.

He let out a laugh.

As expected, it was an incredible waste for Frey Blake to live as a human.

“That’s why I can understand. Just what every Demigod thought of you, Lord. I
learned of the respect and awe they had for you.”

That was why… he’d come to acknowledge Lord to an extent.

He didn’t have a choice. Of course, this didn’t mean he would ever forgive him for
what he’d done. He didn’t even want to justify it.
He was still Frey’s greatest and most hated enemy. But from the perspective of the
Demigods, Lord was a hero.

They were transcendent beings who didn’t know why they’d suddenly fallen to the
Continent. Each of them had the power to destroy a country with ease.

Nevertheless, their minds were delicate and fragile. They were afraid. They were like
newborn babies who had yet to understand themselves.

The transcendent power that was given to them was a curse, not a blessing.

They didn’t know what to do, where they were, or even who they were.

It was Lord who reached his hand out to these Demigods, who were trembling in
fear, and united them.

He was the first Demigod, their leader. He was also like a parent to the other
Demigods.

Perhaps even more terrifying things would have been done to the continent if it
weren’t for Lord. Predators who didn’t know restraint were much more terrifying
than purposeful tyrants.

If the Demigods, who had overwhelming power, simply saw other living beings as
food… If they didn’t dominate them but instead chose to eat them…

Frey looked at Lord and said.

“The Demigods didn’t become beasts because of you. Because of your teachings.”

[…]

“But now, I understand. You are no longer my enemy. The Demigods no longer have
the right to rule over the Continent. And you, Lord, no longer deserve to be called
‘Lord’.”

Frey spoke with confidence.

“Now, you are nothing but a monster.”

[…]

Shuk.

All the Demigods’ faces that were protruding out of Lord’s skin disappeared.

He sighed and muttered.

[Right. You don’t understand me after all. Even if you have Riki’s piece.]

“Don’t distort the facts. Riki never understood in the first place. Not even once. If you
felt that way, then it was only your one-sided delusion.”

[That’s a lie. I can tell.]

“…”

Frey stopped talking.

Just because they were talking didn’t mean they were having a conversation. It was
foolish to try to have a conversation with someone who was covering his ears and
only listening to the things he wanted to hear. Even if he was a powerful being like
Lord.

This meant there was only one thing left to do.

Koo.

Divine magic power surged in Frey’s body.

[Do you intend to fight? It’s not like you don’t know it’s pointless. Haven’t you
realised what kind of being I have become?]

Lord spread his hands. It was a holy gesture as though he had become a supreme
being.

His body slowly rose into the air.

Crack!
The sky split open. Then a crack appeared on the ground.

A black space could be seen behind these cracks.

[I brought the Abyss to this place… the ‘world I created’ has overlapped with Hell.]

“…”

[I suddenly remembered something you told me, 4,000 years ago. You said we don’t
have the right to claim to be gods. What about now? My existence isn’t far away from
that state.]

This wasn’t pretense. Lord was now the being closest to the level of God. Even
though Lucifer was only half of a being, his power was comparable to that of Frey,
who was a transcendent being.

Yet Lucifer had died after one attack from Lord.

Even his ‘power of space’ had evolved. It was also possible that he could use the
powers of the other Demigods as well.

It was impossible that Lord would be able to immediately digest all the power he
received from the Demigods. This meant that he was becoming stronger even at this
moment.

When he was finished digesting all of the divine power, Lord might truly become
God-like.

He knew that, but Frey still stepped towards Lord.

Instead of avoiding eye contact, he looked up directly at Lord’s face.

[…so this is your answer.]

It was a pity.

Following Lord’s mutter, there was no more conversation.

And so began the most arduous battle of Frey’s life.

There was a chance for him to win. If he didn’t believe that he had a chance, he
wouldn’t have let Lucifer die so easily.

After all, the more variables present in a battle where the outcome was not
guaranteed, the better.

Nevertheless, the fact that his odds of winning remained abysmal was unchanged.

Clang!

Following a heavy sound, Frey’s body was pushed backward. It felt as though a
hammer as heavy as a mountain had struck his body.

The shock from this blow was so powerful that it shook his very transcendent bones.

Lord was still standing in the air, and a pale glow shone around his body. As Lucifer
had noticed before, this was a sign that he was about to attack.

Frey seemed to understand the true nature of this glow.

‘It’s a visible representation of his divine power.’

The reason why it was barely visible was because the space couldn’t properly digest
his divine power. This was nothing to scoff at as it meant that Lord’s power had
reached a stage that surpassed the limits of their dimension.

Clang! Clang!

The heavy sounds continued one after the other. Lord’s attack had no shape, and it
had already become unnecessary for him to move.

It was possible for him to deal with his opponents using only his thoughts.
This also meant that his attacks couldn’t be anticipated. Invisible attacks repeatedly
struck Frey’s body from every direction.

Of course, he wasn’t unprotected. His divine magic power wrapped around his entire
body like solid armor.

Nevertheless, this didn’t mean that he was completely unscathed. His divine magic
power was being whittled away, bit by bit, with each subsequent attack.

He couldn’t continue like this. He had no hope of winning this battle unless he turned
his defensive into an offensive.

But there was one thing that he’d become convinced of after a series of blows.

‘Lord doesn’t want to kill me.’

He was trying to capture Frey alive. And the reason was quite obvious.

It was in order to completely absorb the divine power that Frey had. After Frey died,
there was no guarantee that he would leave behind a crystal like the Demigods did.

‘The only way to win would be to make use of that point.’

He didn’t think it was cowardly. Rather, he thought that it was an opportunity.

Those who wanted the kill and those who wanted to capture. The difference in
mindset was by no means trivial.

Moreover, in a fight like this one, the fight between Frey and Lord, could be seen as a
clash of wills.

It was the same as when he’d defeated Milled, Indra, and Riki in the mental world. In
the end, it would become a question of whose will was stronger.

And Lord’s ‘capture’ mindset would surely work against him at a crucial moment.

‘In addition.’

Clang!
Lord’s attacks were steadily becoming faster. He was as expressionless as usual, but
Frey could feel the faint impatience in his attacks.

This was inevitable.

Kaltud was dead. This meant that Nozdog was either hibernating or severely
weakened. Moreover, Nozdog was currently in Hitume Ikar. Frey’s teammates and
Dro were there as well.

All of them were hostile towards Nozdog, and it wouldn’t be hard for either party to
find and kill a defenseless Demigod.

Lord said that he didn’t care about Nozdog’s death, but he would definitely want to
obtain the crystal he left behind.

‘Did he realise that he wouldn’t be able to subdue me with this kind of attack?’

Lord had become too strong. It was possible that he didn’t know his own strength,
which was why he wasn’t putting all of his strength into his attacks.

Therefore, he was gradually increasing the strength with each subsequent attack.
But Frey’s defenses were also gradually becoming stronger.

The strength and weakness of their respective powers didn’t matter. What mattered
was that Frey was becoming used to his attacks.

He would not be able to overpower Frey if he continued to attack in this way.

Did he feel that?

Lord’s attacks, which seemed unrelenting, stopped for a moment. It seemed that he
intended to change his attack method.

Frey’s eyes shined.

This was the moment he was waiting for.

“Spear of light, pierce through the enemy.”

Frey muttered softly.

“Magic Missile.”

[…?]

Lord paused.

It was unintentional, but his pause created a small opening. Then, the magic missile
that Frey created shot towards him.

It wasn’t fast. The size was also ordinary.

Lord had some degree of understanding towards magic. No, it could be said that he
had more knowledge and understanding than most Wizards.

That was why he could tell. The Magic Missile that was flying towards him was a
basic spell with no special properties.

[…!]

Lord, who was quietly observing the magic missile, twisted his body slightly, and
with a sharp sound, the magic missile flew past his cheek.

After flying for a bit longer, the magic missile disappeared.

That was it. It was a basic spell that would disappear after flying a few dozen meters.

Nevertheless, he could not allow this attack to touch him. This was because the
energy that the Magic Missile constructed was not from mana but from divine magic
power.

However, this was only the beginning of Frey’s attack.

“Balls of flame soaring through the air. Fireball.”

Fwoosh!

A ball of fire as large as a fist suddenly appeared in the air. But this time, Lord did not
sit still.

He immediately used his power of space to extinguish the flames.

Frey continued to chant without hesitation.

“Bind their voices. Chain Lightning.”

“The Ruler of Earth devours you. Earthquake.”

“My enemies will forever dance in fields of flames. Flame Ball.”

Frey cast one spell after another. And Lord responded to each spell immediately.

Destroying them, blocking them, or avoiding them. He did not allow any of the spells
to hit him directly.

Lord thought.

They were threatening. They were definitely a threat to him. However… they were
sloppy.

As he extinguished a Flame Ball, he spoke.

[Spells. This is probably the weapon you are most familiar with. But the idea of going
back to basics is quaint. It’s sloppy. Did you think that fighting in the way you are
most comfortable with would help?]

“…”

[Your attacks are nothing now that you’ve lost the element of surprise. By the time
your first attack missed, my guard was raised. So now, any of the tricks you might
have hidden in these spells has lost their meaning.]

Lord’s voice was filled with disgust. He even felt that Frey was just giving up.

It was impossible for him to defeat him with such clumsy spells.

Frey muttered in a soft voice.

“The screams of ice tear the eardrums. Frost Scream.”

Whoosh-
Then he looked at the storm of ice while thinking.

The weapon he was most familiar with. Calling them that was not wrong, but that
wasn’t really the case.

Frey’s recent focus had not been on his magic but on his divine magic power. During
his 800 years in the mental world, he’d devoted all of his attention to learning to
control divine magic power.

Jijijik!

The ice storm was ripped apart. This was also caused by Lord’s power.

“The condensed lava roars. Lava Blast.”

Boom boom boom!

This spell was quite intimidating. And it was very fast.

It was much more powerful than a normal Lava Blast.

But Lord didn’t panic, easily avoiding the attack. The power of the spells was
gradually increasing, but that wasn’t very surprising.

In all honesty, it was natural. After all, the spells that Frey was using were gradually
increasing in level.

[…]

It was at that moment when Lord felt uncomfortable.

The levels were increasing?

Right. They were.

The spells that Frey used were increasing in levels, one after the other.

From the 1 star spell Magic Missile to the 2 star spell Fireball, 3 star, 4 star, 5 star, 6
star… and now the 7 star Lava Blast.
Lord turned to look at Frey.

That meant that this time…

“At a gesture of my hand, the frozen era breathes a deep sigh. Ice Age.”

Crack crack!

Frost spread from the tips of Frey’s toes to cover the surrounding area. It was as
though the cold hand of an ice god had touched the ground.

Lord flew into the air without responding to the spell.

‘Why is he wasting so much of his willpower?’

Once one became a transcendent being, the energy that had to be treasured was not
mana, nor stamina, but willpower. That was the power that formed the basis of every
other power.

So if it was wasted unnecessarily, it was the same as setting oneself up for an

inevitable defeat. Of course, he didn’t find it strange that Frey, who was weaker than
him, was doing all he could right from the beginning.

If he hadn’t been playing around with spells up to this point, Lord would have
thought so. But in his eyes, Frey’s spells weren’t very efficient.

Instead of wasting his willpower to create these spells, it would have been much
stronger and more efficient to directly make use of his divine magic power.

“Did you know, Lord? 9 star spells don’t exist.”

Frey’s quiet but cold voice suddenly resounded.

Lord looked down at him without responding.

When a Wizard reached 9 stars, he gained the ability to use Absolute Field. This
couldn’t be called a spell. It was a simple power.

The Absolute Beam that Frey used was derived from this power.
“…in general, the complexity of the formula is what determines the rank of a spell.”

2 star spells were more complicated than 1 star spells, and 3 star spells were more
complicated and difficult to cast than 2 star spells.

If a 7 star spell were to be written down, the magic formula would easily be able to
fill ten sheets of paper.

That was why everyone who met Frey was amazed. Frey’s ability to swiftly break
down and create magic formulas exceeded common sense.

Of course, no matter how powerful Frey was, this would have been impossible if he
hadn’t spent over 4,000 years in the Abyss.

“I created a 9 star spell, Lord.”

[You can’t defeat me with a spell.]

“I agree. However, this one will be a bit different.”

[…show it to me. Let me take a look at it.]

Frey laughed at Lord’s words.

“It seems you still haven’t noticed. I already used it.”

[…what are you talking about?]

Frey tapped his chin.

“I showed you every spell from 1 star to 8 stars. I even added the chants to make
them appear perfect. Thanks to that, half of my divine magic power disappeared.”

[…]

“Did you think my attack was over? No. It’s only just beginning.”

Paht!

Lord felt heat on his back and dodged without turning around.
Whoosh!

A fireball flew past him in an instant.

Lord’s expression stiffened.

Did he secretly cast a spell?

No. It wasn’t so simple.

Crack crack!

This time, it was an Ice Spear. Then a Magic Missile flew over at that same time.

These spells also didn’t come from Frey’s direction.

He avoided and blocked, but the onslaught continued.

Instead, the number of spells flying towards him steadily increased as though it was
just beginning.

[…this.]

“These spells have already been cast. So they won’t go away even if you block them
or avoid them. In time, they will simply appear again. And they will keep getting
faster and faster. As long as my willpower supports it, this magic bombardment will
never end.”

Frey fell silent for a moment before adding.

“Since all of these processes were calculated at the same time, it created a formula
that was incomparable to that of an 8 star spell. It’s a complicated and esoteric
formula that would truly turn anyone’s brain to dust. So I decided to call it the 9 star
spell Infinite Field.”

The surrounding area had already been filled with Frey’s divine magic power. Even
with Lord’s power of space, he could not easily disperse it.

Especially since he would be focused on defense from now on.

Frey did not say anything else.

This was because he didn’t have the time to. From now on, he had to focus most of
his attention on calculating formulas.

Boom, boom, boom!

Lord’s body was covered with dozens of spells. It didn’t matter whether it was a 1
star or 8 star spell. What mattered was that they were all made of divine magic
power.

So he had to avoid them. Or he had to block them.

Frey no longer had to control the spells he’d cast. He just had to keep adding spells
one after the other and wait for Lord to reveal a fatal opening.

‘…but I can’t kill Lord with just this.’

Frey’s eyes sank.

At first glance, it seemed like he had the upper hand, but that didn’t mean he could
let down his guard.

He also didn’t think that this was enough to actually defeat Lord.

So Frey was preparing a spell of the next level. The step above 9 stars, which was
known as the peak of Magical Science, and the legend the very existence of which
was still unclear.

A 10 star spell.
“It’s an honor to meet you.”

Grey wanted to pretend to be calm, but he couldn’t. His heart pounded like he was a
young boy again.

With trembling eyes, he looked up at Frey, the Great Mage who had made
unprecedented achievements in the study of Magical Science.

‘Anyone who understood mana would be excited.’

His heart trembled violently just by making eye contact.

Frey looked at the man who currently possessed his own body before saying.

“I need your help. Can you lend me your strength?”

“I will do whatever you say.”

He said these words without even needing to think.

Grey’s firm belief in Frey could be clearly seen in his eyes.

“I’ve long dreamed of something like this happening. That the Great Mage, who
suddenly disappeared, was still alive and had returned to defeat the Demigods…
Haha. It was like a fairy tale that even little children would not believe possible…”

“The truly unbelievable things only happen in real life. You have wisdom that befits
your age, so I’m sure you already know this.”

“Of course I do.”

Frey looked at Grey for a moment before speaking.

“By the way, why did you give yourself the surname Trowman?”

“Ah… pardon my discourtesy.”

“I’m not against it. I’m just curious.”

This was the truth.

Frey was not a noble. So naturally, he didn’t have any pride in his bloodline. He had
no objections to someone using his last name unless it was a despicable person.

“If I think about it simply, I believe you took my last name out of respect…”

“That is naturally one of the reasons.”

“So there are other reasons.”

“Huhu. That’s right. It is also because I, Grey Trowman, am the successor to the Great
Mage’s path in the truest sense.”

“…”

This was a statement that he couldn’t understand.

Naturally, there were many Wizards whom Frey had ‘taught’, but he didn’t have a
‘direct disciple’ among them who had received everything.

As if he knew that, Grey nodded.

“Of course, I know that the Great Mage didn’t have any direct disciples. But a book
containing the essence of your path was passed down.”

“…a book?”

Frey’s eyes narrowed.

A book containing his essence. He had never written anything of the sort.

Grey laughed bitterly.

“Of course, you might not know about it. It is a book written by those who were
taught by you at least once and were greatly impressed by your teachings… You
thought that you were just guiding the lost, but for them, you were their lifelong
teacher.”

“…”

“My master’s master… No, even long before my master’s master, we were able to
decipher the teachings in the book. And many were able to reach 9 stars because of
that book.”

When he heard that, Frey recalled something.

“There is an organisation called Paragon in the modern era. They mentioned 10 stars
to me. And they seemed convinced that it was real. They said… that they read it in
the Great Mage’s… my book.”

When Grey heard that, he pondered for a moment.

He had never thought deeply about the 10 stars level, nor did he recall leaving it in a
book.

But if the authors of the book were truly Grey’s ancestors and descendants, then the
missing pieces could be interlocked.

“May I ask the name of the person who owns the book?”

“Cairo Wilsemann.”

“Wilsemann! Then he must be a descendant of the Great Sage. In that case, I’m
certain. They have always had a close relationship with us in the past.”

“…by that you mean…”

“Exactly.”

Grey nodded, saying.

“After your ‘death’, we never once neglected our research. The path of the Great Mage
was continuously inherited, and for a long time, we were able to progress steadily by
taking one step at a time. And that was why we were certain. That the 10 stars level
is real.”

***

Crack, crack!

Lord admired the spells as they bombarded his entire body.

‘The number of spells has surpassed 50.’

Frey had implied that all of these processes were within the formula of the Infinite
Field spell, but it was not so simple. To put it simply, a vast and complex process that
even ten 9 star Wizards working together would have had trouble breaking down
was being carried out every moment.

At the same time, not even the smallest miscalculation was tolerated.

Dozens of spells of different attributes and types had created what could be
described as a magical storm in a certain portion of space. It was an amazing feat to
be able to control them so that they did not conflict with each other.

‘It’s as though dozens of Wizards who have been working together for a very long
time are attacking me in unison.’

Crack, crack!

At that moment, a Howling Tempest spell was gnawing at his skin. It was only a 6
star spell, but because it was created by divine magic power, it was able to reach his
core.

Frey’s attacks were definitely causing damage to Lord.

‘-a scratch on a tree branch can still be called a wound.’

As he had this thought, Lord lifted his hand.

Crack!

“…!”
Frey, who was watching from the sidelines, narrowed his eyes.

A spell had just disappeared. Of course, this didn’t mean he’d completely gotten rid
of it.

Crack! Crack!

But it wasn’t an illusion. Even at that moment, his spells were being nullified one
after the other.

There was no need to ponder who was behind this.

‘Is he erasing them with his power?’

But that couldn’t be it.

Frey’s spells, which were cast using divine magic power, could not be so easily
erased by Lord’s power.

Frey looked inside the field. And when he realised what Lord was doing, he became
speechless.

How many times could he witness such a sight?

‘He’s disrupting the spells.’

Frey had no choice but to watch on in disbelief.

What he was seeing was certainly theoretically possible. It could also be called the
most efficient method.

It involved basically conserving your own power and making your opponent’s
attacks collide with each other, thereby negating themselves.

But there were many ‘theoretically possible’ things in the world. And the reason they
were given such a grand modifier was simple.

That was because the vast majority of beings were unable to even try to attempt
these things. It was like catching an incoming arrow before throwing it again and
hitting another incoming arrow.
No. It was much more difficult than that. What Lord was doing was many times
harder than that.

Another spell disappeared.

Lord was gradually increasing the speed with which he destroyed the spells.

‘I can’t afford to waste even a single minute.’

Frey’s judgement was quick.

If it no longer had an effect, then he had no reason to continue using Infinite Field,
which required a large amount of willpower. (TL: Author keeps jumping between
‘infinite’ and ‘infinity’, I’ll just stick to infinite.)

Huk.

In an instant, silence fell upon the area. Then, the dust settled, and Lord’s figure was
revealed. There were a few scratches on his body, but after a moment, those were
healed.

Frey looked at him silently for a moment before opening his mouth.

“…I didn’t expect the Infinite Field to have much of an effect.”

[The heavy expression on your face says otherwise.]

“That’s because I didn’t expect that you’d use such an unbelievable method. You used
a technique that requires a great understanding of Magical Science. Is this also
knowledge you gained by consuming your own kind?”

[Right. To be precise, I gained an understanding of the concept of mana. Magical

Science is a study of mana created by you humans, but mana itself is derived from
the power of origin.]

“…”

Lord’s affirmation made Frey’s heart feel heavy.

It was hard not to. After all, one of Lord’s weaknesses had been erased.
Just as Frey used his understanding of divine power to his advantage in fights against
Demigods, Lord had also learned the concept of mana and could now use it to deal
with magic.

“You really are powerful.”

He meant it.

Frey was incomparably stronger than he had been 4,000 years ago. But Lord was still
stronger than him.

He’d thought he’d narrowed the distance between them, but inexplicably, it had only
grown larger.

It would have been a lie to say he didn’t feel any hopelessness. But Frey struggled to
suppress those negative thoughts.

If his conviction was broken, a monster called defeat would surely raise its ugly head.

Even if one was forced or bluffing, one should never admit that one’s opponent was
superior. In a sense, sometimes, it was better to keep a good frame of mind than to
conserve willpower.

“However, even if you understand mana, you won’t be able to decipher a 10 star
spell.”

[You seem to be mistaken. The 10 star level doesn’t exist.]

“I, too, thought so.”

[…]

Lord paused. He could feel in Frey’s tone that he wasn’t lying.

[…are you saying that you have achieved that level?]

“It seems that I have at least stepped one foot in.”

[I see. So that’s why you haven’t become desperate yet.]

He nodded.

[I’ll give you time. Enough time to prepare. So do your best, and show me the 10
stars level.]

At first glance, this statement might have seemed to carry the composure of a
powerful being. But the meaning being it was completely different.

Lord’s goal was to defeat, capture, and ultimately consume Frey. And the most
efficient way to do that was to make him realise the difference between them.

Lord knew.

Just as Kaltud was Lucifer’s last card, the power of 10 stars was Frey’s. If he could
withstand this attack, then Frey’s will would certainly be broken. Because he would
realise that he couldn’t win.

“Sss…”

Breathe.

Close your eyes.

Empty your thoughts.

Then remember the power of 10 stars that Grey Trowman had found.

‘-language.’

Whether it was spoken or written. Words contained power.

Frey knew that too.

The power that Grey’s ancestors, that is to say, Frey’s disciples, paid attention to was
the Dragons’ Dragontongue.

This was a power unique to Dragons that was neither magic nor divine power.

Then how was this transcendent power expressed? How could a combination of
words released through speech have such an effect on the fabric of reality?
They explored.

They explored for thousands of years.

Even someone with an extremely long lifespan would not have been able to achieve
such a feat.

Frey dared to affirm this.

He believed that this achievement was only possible because it was done by humans.

‘Our lives are short.’

Even if they reached the highest level, they would rarely be able to surpass 200
years. But they were able to fiercely live each moment to the fullest because they
knew that death could arrive at any moment.

They could burn their souls as though the present was their last. They could run
constantly, and even if they couldn’t achieve their goal in the end, they could die
laughing. Because their will, desire, and achievements would all be inherited.

And they believed that their future generations would be able to complete the
mission that they couldn’t.

If not the next one, then the next after that.

It kept stacking and stacking. And eventually, the pile of leaves would become trees.

“The power of beginning. Ether.”

[…!]

Lord showed a rare look of surprise.

This was because he didn’t expect Frey to suddenly mention this power.

“The Dragons used Dragontongue to communicate with the ‘ether’. The power that
forms the foundation of the world. This law, which only operated of its own will,
responded to the Dragons’ voices… Probably because they were given the role as the
balance of the Continent from the beginning.”
However, it was pointless to imitate them. Dragontongue was certainly powerful, but
in the end, it was defeated by the Demigods’ divine power.

“We couldn’t handle that power. So I found a new law. I decided to communicate with
the law I was most familiar with instead of ether.”

Mana.
Frey muttered softly.

<Wizard’s World.>

Krrr.

Space changed.

Lord could feel it more clearly than anyone else.

He looked at Frey with a deep gaze and saw that the blue energy that was
overflowing in his eyes had started to glow brilliantly.

After looking at him for a while, Lord sighed.

[…I can’t help but feel a little disappointed, Great Mage.]

Lord felt the same way he had with Lucifer before. Just like that time, this was far
below his expectations.

He felt that all the preparations and schemes that they had prepared were of no
threat to him. Everything they’d done had only been able to injure him at most.

He never thought it would be so easy.

[I know what you’re trying to do. After understanding and deciphering the Dragon’s
Dragontongue, you then applied the same principle to the law of mana.]

If Dragontongue could control the ether, then the power Frey was currently using
could control mana.

That was why he was disappointed.

Because this power only controlled the mana within a certain space.

[How dare you say the word ‘world’ when all you are controlling is the mana in your
surroundings?]

Lord’s voice shook with rage.

[Do you truly understand the law? This power that controls an entire area? Wizard’s
World? Does it only have a grand name? Do you still not understand who is standing
in front of you?]

Lord growled.

[You’re more arrogant than Lucifer. How dare you claim to have taken control of
space in front of me?!]

Frey looked at him before speaking in a calm voice.

“You are a Demigod. Demigods use divine power.”

[That’s right.]

“The Dragons used ether, and the Demons used demonic energy.”

[…are you trying to say you need to do that now?]

“I need to. Definitely.”

Frey muttered softly.

Then, looking back at the steps he’d taken, he questioned himself. After he separated
from his body and became a transcendent being, his emotions had gradually begun
to fade.

He could feel even more clearly that he’d stepped out of the realm of mortality. In the
end, he had become completely separate from the humans he was so obsessed with.

Nevertheless, there was something that didn’t change.

“I am a Wizard.”
…No. That alone wasn’t enough.

Frey shook his head then spoke with greater confidence in himself.

“I am the Great Mage.”

The explorer of mana.

That was who Frey was in essence.

“My mission is to explore mana, the greatest energy, and decipher the truths hidden
within it. It is my duty to understand and adjust the complex laws of this world. That
is the responsibility I hold as the Great Mage. That’s why, Lord, I will face you with
mana.”

Ttuk.

Lord’s aura changed in an instant.

It was as though the calm before the storm had descended upon the area.

[That disgusting stubbornness. I’ve changed my mind again, Frey Blake. You don’t
deserve to be our kin.]

Lord looked at Frey like he was delivering a sentence.

[First, I will suck out all of my kind’s power from your body. Then, I will kill you. You
will die in the most miserable and humiliating way you can imagine.]

Frey smiled at that.

“If you take away my powers, I can die as a human.”

[…]

Lord closed his mouth.

He realised that any further conversation was meaningless.

Frey thought so too.

And so.

A silent clash of wills began.

***

It was Lord who announced the start of the battle.

He suddenly lifted his right hand and pointed it towards Frey. His entire body
became covered with a pale glow, and his outstretched hand appeared even whiter
than usual.

The distance between them was great. At least a few hundred steps. Nevertheless,
instantly, it felt that Lord’s hand was right in front of him and large enough to cover
his entire body.

This was a visual representation of the fact that Lord could close the distance
between them in an instant.

Lord’s plan was also predictable.

He intended to touch Frey’s transcendent body and directly destroy his

consciousness. If necessary, he would also torture him and much more.

He no longer considered Frey his own kind. Nevertheless, he still had no intention of
killing him directly.

His goal was to absorb all of the divine power in his body.

Frey spoke softly.

<Get lost.>

Crunch.

In an instant, Lord’s hand, which was about to reach Frey, suddenly twisted in a
bizarre direction. Then, his entire body flew backwards like he was a cannonball shot
from a cannon, quickly flying so far away that he could no longer be seen.

The distance between them had been widened again. But this wasn’t enough to make
him relax.

The blue light shining in Frey’s eyes became stronger. He narrowed his eyes, and as
though he could see the staggering Lord who was slowly getting to his feet, he said.

<Fall.>

Thud!

Lord’s knee, which was almost straight, was forced into a right angle.

Unable to withstand the invisible pressure, his face soon made contact with the
ground.

In this broken state, Lord lifted his head to look at Frey. The faint glow began to cover
his body once again.

<Stop.>

Huk.

This word caused the glow to tremble dangerously. Then it was extinguished like a
candle in front of a strong breeze.

Three words. With just three words, Frey had completely neutralised Lord’s actions.

These words weren’t temporary like Dragontongue either. They had the ability to
last for a very long time.

Lord could no longer reach Frey, could no longer stand, and could no longer use his
power as he pleased.

This would remain the case as long as Frey had the mental power to support it.

Yet, it was Frey who decided to call this power ‘Endtongue’. (TL: strange name, it was
‘created’ in the same way Dragontongue was, I’ll try to think of something better…)

“…”

At first glance, it seemed as though he was overpowering Lord, but Frey’s expression
wasn’t very good.

‘It’s hard.’

He had restrained him, but he hadn’t caused any actual damage.

No. Could it even be called restraint? It wasn’t considered a restraint when a rope
was tied around a rock.

It wasn’t enough. He couldn’t kill Lord with just this.

Frey calmed himself.

Now that he’d brought all of his power to bear, he had no intention of wasting any
time. In fact, he was already feeling a bit dizzy.

This was the effect caused by his use of Infinite Field as well as a power with which
he was not familiar. In particular, the aftereffects of his Endtongue were quite severe.

It was inevitable.

‘It is the power to change my perception into reality.’

It was an ability that could be called ‘reality manipulation’.

It might even have been possible for him to create matter as long as he had the time
to increase his proficiency. It was a power that was no different from the power of
God; however, it wasn’t universal.

If anything he said really could happen, he would have already told Lord to ‘die’. In
fact, he still wanted to try it. But it was up to Frey to handle the impact his
Endtongue had on reality.

Stopping Lord’s movements and extinguishing his very existence were completely
different. And naturally, their aftereffects would also be different.

Frey was unsure of just how much of a price he’d have to pay for Lord to be
destroyed. More importantly, he wasn’t sure if Lord would be destroyed immediately.

It was the same even now.

Crik, crik…

Lord was already resisting his Endtongue.

This wasn’t because Frey’s powers had weakened. Instead, it was because his body
was gradually developing a resistance.

“Monster.”

It was a scene that he found hard to believe even though he was seeing it with his
own eyes. This was because most Demigods would be completely defenseless in
front of his Endtongue.

Crack!

He felt something break.

Lord had broken one of Frey’s three words.

It was the word <Fall>. He no longer felt a great pressure pressing him down.

[…]

Lord had temporarily regained his freedom, but he didn’t try to close the distance.

Instead, he just looked down at his hand and clenched his fist.

He didn’t have a choice.

There were still two words binding him. Unless he broke those two, he would not be
able to approach him…

Whoosh.

-Probably.

In what could only be called a stroke of luck, Frey suddenly realised that the winds
he suddenly felt were not the disgusting winds of Hell, and his eyes widened.

<Stop.>
He used Endtongue once again, and he felt that the winds around him had stopped.

Frey subconsciously swallowed his saliva.

If he had used Endtongue even a moment later, wind blades would have torn his
body apart.

This was also Lord’s power.

‘He can use the power of every Demigod he absorbed.’

What Frey had restrained with <Stop> before was Lord’s own ‘power of space’. But
there were dozens of powers that Lord could still use.

“I was mistaken.”

Frey muttered.

He’d intended to restrain him with the Endtongue before finishing him off with his
divine magic power. However, he did not even have the time for that.

He had realised that now. His chances of defeating Lord had a very short window.

Now that only a small amount of his mental power remained, he would have to go all
in.

Krrr-

Blue light covered Frey’s body.

Lord also felt the restraints on his body disappear.

[…]

He knew that this blow would contain Frey’s all.

His largest and last attack would be coming. In other words, if Lord could survive
this attack, it would be his victory.

<Die.>
Crack.

Death had no substance. Lord was aware of that. However, Frey’s voice had clearly
caused an embodiment of death to appear in reality.

Lord looked at this ominous, amorphous black fog. This fog, which seemed to drift
aimlessly, gradually began to take shape.

[…]

Lord was speechless.

Then his eyes appeared. And nothing but rage could be seen within them.

It was a blade.

The black fog had slowly transformed into a sword that shined with a dazzling silver
glow.

Lord burst out in an angry voice.

[Insolent! Are you saying this is how I will die?!]

Then his body seemed to move impulsively.

Lord charged towards the sword without any protection from his power.

This was something that even Frey couldn’t predict. In an instant, the sword collided
with Lord’s chest.

Jujuk-

Lord’s chest cracked. Then light exploded from within him.

Frey looked at this light. He didn’t blink even when his eyes started to burn.

The brilliant flash of light swallowed Lord, then the sword, and then, eventually, it
swallowed Frey.
He could see many faces. Faces he’d seen before.

They were looking up at him in fear.

“S-, stop.”

“We don’t want that.”

Frey looked at them and reached out his hand. No. He wasn’t the one who was
moving.

It seemed that Frey was only conscious, but it was someone else who was controlling
his body.

[Don’t be afraid, my people. You will understand soon.]

It was Lord’s voice.

Only then did Frey realise that this was Lord’s body. And the beings who were
shivering in front of him were the Demigods.

These transcendent beings, who had trampled upon humans like bugs, were now
even more miserable than those they killed.

They never even thought about fighting back. They had no choice but to watch on in
horror as death approached them.

The feast began.

Crunch, crunch…

Although Lord expressed it as accepting them and becoming one, that was not the
case. No, he literally devoured them.
A huge mouth appeared on Lord’s face, and with it, he bit the Demigods, chewed
their bodies, and swallowed them.

Lord didn’t seem to hesitate when moving his mouth. He could feel it now that he
was a part of him.

He did not feel even the slightest repulsion in his actions. In fact, there was even a
sense of satisfaction in his mind like he was truly doing the right thing.

Frey felt speechless.

‘These are Lord’s memories.’

Only then did he understand his situation.

Frey and Lord’s wills had been stirred violently, and fragments of their memories
had been scattered everywhere.

What Frey was currently witnessing was one of those fragments. It was possible that
Lord was viewing his memories as well.

He was drawn into another memory.

This time, he saw a silver-haired man.

[Killing our people is unforgivable, Riki.]

“I know.”

[I want to ask. Why did you betray us? You weren’t like this before. You understood
me better than anyone else and agreed with my goal.]

“That’s obvious, Lord.”

Riki looked at Lord with a firm gaze.

“It’s because I realised at the time that we were in the wrong.”

Right after hearing Riki’s words, it was like a large, irreparable crack appeared in
Lord’s mind. It caused his emotions, which didn’t so much as shake when he
devoured dozens of his people, to waver.

Their conversation continued.

Lord pretended to be calm, but he was burning on the inside. He felt impatient. He
felt confused.

He’d never expected the betrayal of the person he trusted the most.

He felt that he had to change Riki’s mind somehow. His impatience made him say
something that never should have been said.

[Then let’s pretend this never happened.]

“…what?”

[We have to put on a good act. I will pick one of the Demigods who comes here.
There will be no suspicion, and everything will go smoothly. You will have nothing to
worry about…]

“…you’re going to falsely accuse and then kill an innocent Demigod?”

[It is unfortunate, but it can’t be helped. Because you are more important than
anyone else.]

It must have been exactly at this point. The first distortion in Lord’s mindset and all
the subsequent changes began with this very proposal.

Naturally, Riki did not accept his offer, which further increased the speed of the
cracks spreading throughout Lord’s psyche.

‘I was willing to give up so much for you! Yet you!… you…!’

Lord screamed desperately on the inside. For more than tens of thousands of years,
he had treated and loved every Demigod equally.

It was because of this that he was able to gain the title ‘Lord’ and was able to win
every Demigod’s blind loyalty.

Yet he’d committed the first act that went against his beliefs for Riki.
It was an act that violated his own identity.

But he didn’t even realise that his thoughts were already crooked. He was just angry
because his dedication wasn’t rewarded.

He didn’t care about the confusion that the other Demigods would feel if this were
revealed.

The biggest problem had already sprung up in Lord’s mind. And for the first time, he
felt hate towards the race known as Demigods.

‘This is.’

This was Lord’s weakness.

It was the only thing that could pierce through the iron fortress that was his
conviction.

I can win.

The moment Frey had this thought.

Crack.

‘Kuk… ’

He woke up from the assimilation in intense pain.

***

“Huk… huk…”

Frey panted heavily.

After waking up from the memories, he noticed his condition. He had poured out
everything he had.

The power used in the Endtongue word <Die> was beyond imagination.

Frey’s body had even become faint like an illusion. He forcibly raised his head and
looked around.

Lord was standing there. His current state could only be described as a mess.

The glow around his body flashed like a candle ready to go out. There were cracks all
over his body that revealed the flesh beneath. And his presence could barely be felt.

This was enough to show just how much damage he’d taken.

The most important thing was that despite this damage, his condition was still better
than Frey’s.

Defeat.

This word suddenly popped into his mind.

Frey bit his lip as he tried to erase this negative thought, but it didn’t work. Even
considering all the means he had, no way to reverse the current situation.

At that moment, having such a clever brain felt like a hindrance.

[I won.]

“…”

Frey saw Lord’s face for the first time. This face, which was usually blank, had clear
features.

Lord also had a smug smile on his lips, but his expression was still somber.

He didn’t have a choice.

He had no choice but to change his decision at the last minute.

He didn’t intend to kill Frey. But he might have disappeared if he so much as touched
him.

Therefore, he did his best. And he won.

[We became assimilated after that clash. And most of your power came to me. Just as
the river flows into the sea. This is proof that I have greater power.]

‘It was a really… really long and hard fight.’

Lord had no choice but to admit this fact.

It wasn’t even a Dragon, a Demon, or even God.

Instead, it was this man before him, a human, who was Lord’s greatest enemy.

But that was it.

In the end, it was Lord who won.

[You will die here.]

“…”

Frey opened his mouth for a moment before closing it again.

He had nothing to say.

He had challenged him, fought, and lost. His will dampened.

Now, he didn’t even have the strength to lift a finger.

In the end, all this scene showed was Lord’s conviction which was still stronger than
his own.

In truth, he couldn’t believe it. There was no way he could believe it considering
everything he’d gone through throughout the years.

Lord’s conviction was clouded. It was twisted and contradictory. If it were to be

expressed as a color, it would be dark while giving off a dull aura.

That was why he couldn’t believe that he’d lost to such a perverse conviction.

Nevertheless, it was undeniable that he’d lost.

The results didn’t lie.

“…”

Frey closed his eyes.

‘…I didn’t think it would end like this.’

He’d thought he could win. He’d even learned Lord’s decisive weakness.

But in the end, he still lost. Just like 4,000 years ago.

Of course, it was different from back then.

Lord could no longer look down on Frey. Therefore, he would not do something like
locking him in the Abyss again.

He had clearly recognised just how threatening Frey was, so he wouldn’t leave even a
piece of him behind.

There would be no miracles this time.

“…I lost. But…”

Frey’s voice was clear as he spoke.

“Humanity didn’t lose.”

[…Frey Blake, do you not yet understand? For me, your existence was more
troublesome than every other human on the continent combined.]

Lord looked down at him for a moment before muttering softly.

[Goodbye.]

Puk.

Lord’s hand stabbed into his chest.

Then, his consciousness disappeared. It was as though he had been sucked into a
dark space. Like he had fallen into an abyss from which he would never escape.
It was useless to even struggle. Instead, the darkness would only pull him deeper
and deeper like quicksand.

And so.

‘Frey Blake’ died.

Strange.

Lord thought this while looking down at Frey’s body.

It wasn’t Frey’s body that was there. He had already separated from his flesh.

This was his soul body. Or it could be called his transcendent body.

Nevertheless, whether it was called his soul body or his transcendent body, if the
body of a transcendent being received a fatal attack to its ‘core’, it would inevitably
disappear. This was true even for his own kind.

But Frey’s body didn’t disappear. It was still translucent as though it would
disappear at any moment, but it didn’t disappear even after he stopped breathing.

It was strange.

‘I’m sure he’s dead.’

To put it in the context of other living beings, his heart had exploded and his brain
had been smashed. There was no living being who could remain alive when its vital
organs had been destroyed.

That was why he still felt uneasy.

After all, this was the man who’d managed to escape from the Abyss. Even if he didn’t
do it on his own, it was still an achievement that ordinary humans would never have
been able to accomplish.

In short, this man had a record of making the impossible possible.

So he couldn’t let his guard down. He couldn’t even relax.

Therefore, in order to get rid of his anxiety, he had to erase even the slightest
possibility.

Just as Lord was about to raise his hands and carry out his thoughts.

“You look exhausted.”

Lord didn’t turn around. But he knew the owner of the voice was Asura.

[So? Did you reveal yourself because you think you can defeat me now?]

Lord’s voice was filled with disdain.

Of course, it wouldn’t have been enough to call his current state a mess. But that
didn’t matter.

The only one who could kill him was already dead. If there was truly something
called fate, then it was already settled.

Now, there were no longer any threats to Lord’s fate.

In other words, he no longer had to worry about dying. Everything he wanted to

happen would surely happen.

He was the winner.

“…no.”

Asura knew that too.

He shook his head bitterly.

“I saw your fight with Frey.”

It was such a fierce battle that he couldn’t even have tried to interfere. Their levels
were so different that they could be said to have been in different dimensions.

Asura had no choice but to run away and watch from a distance. He’d even used the
power of Lilith, who he always disdained, to save his life.

It was the most humiliating thing he’d ever done in his life. It was to the point that he
wanted to bite off his tongue and kill himself in shame.

For Asura, who had lived for thousands of years, this day was surely an incurable
scar on his heart.

…Or not.

There was another way.

Clang.

Asura threw his six weapons aside.

Then, while taking the stance he’d shown Frey not so long ago, he said.

“Let’s exchange pointers, Lord.”

[Don’t be ridiculous, Asura. It’s very unsightly to see you, a demon, trying to imitate a
Magic Warrior.]

“…I know. I think so too.”

[Why are you trying to throw away your life? I have no intention of destroying Hell.]

Lord sounded genuinely confused.

[I think it is necessary for Hell to exist. I will not destroy this place and cause chaos.
Look. This is the end of the clown who mistook Hell for his own property.]

Lucifer’s headless body suddenly appeared.

Lord then put his hand into the body.

Crack!

[…and this is the core of Satan, Hell’s former balance. It wasn’t completely digested.]
Lord opened his bloodied hand to reveal a small gem.

Even though it was a gem, it seemed to have a mysterious aura filled with unlimited
vitality and potential. This was the only thing that could have been considered the
qualification of a balance in a material way.

It was just as Lord expected. Lucifer had the cores of both Satan and the Dragon
Lord. And after separating them, he realised that it would be inefficient for one being
to possess all the cores, so he decided to share.

Lord held out Satan’s core to Asura.

[I will give this to you.]

“…”

[You and Lilith are the only surviving Rulers. Just you two. The Dream Demon is not
qualified to be the balance. But if it’s you, it might be possible. It can be said that
you’re a half-step ahead of the other Rulers… You could become the only Ruler just
like Satan in the past. I will help you do that.]

It was an extremely attractive offer. He felt that every Ruler would have had this
dream at least once.

To be the one and only Ruler of Hell.

Asura’s desire to do this was particularly strong. It would have been a lie if he said he
wasn’t shaken.

But.

Asura still shook his head.

[…why?]

“There is no point sitting on a seat that someone else prepared for you. I get what I
want with my own two hands. This is the way I have lived from the start.”

Crunch.
Asura clenched his fists.

Lord sighed.

[How foolish. Do you feel like you’ve accomplished something by telling yourself
that? Your image, which has been deeply influenced by the mortals’ way of thinking,
just looks unsightly. Don’t forget your place, Demon.]

Asura didn’t answer and rushed towards Lord.

Lord didn’t even bother to move.

“…!”

Then Asura’s body suddenly stopped.

His body gradually became bright red. He was using all he had, but he still could not
move even a single muscle.

Chak!

Blood splattered from Asura’s body.

He wasn’t even sure what happened. Lord had only looked at him with the same
disdainful gaze.

But in truth, such a result was natural.

With no way to resist Lord’s power, this was inevitable. Frey was the only exception.

So even Asura, who was the strongest demon after Lucifer, could not even touch
Lord’s body despite the state he was in.

Hik.

But Asura just laughed.

Curious, Lord asked.

[Why are you laughing?]

“Because… it took longer than I thought. We talked for so long.”

[…!]

At those words, Lord turned to look behind him. Frey’s body was no longer there.

[You dare…!]

Burning with rage, Lord’s eyes appeared on his face.

Asura grinned.

“Dumbass…! Exchange pointers. Bullshit! Is there any way the War Demon King…
would say that kind of nonsense? Hu-, hahaha.”

Asura looked Lord in the eyes.

“I… really hate you Demigods.”

[…]

Lord’s hand shook. Then Asura’s body exploded, his flesh and blood scattering
everywhere.

He’d killed Asura with a gesture, but Lord’s thoughts had already turned away from
him.

Frey’s body couldn’t have just disappeared on its own. Someone had to have taken
him.

And that person’s identity was quite obvious.

[Lilith.]

The last Ruler, Queen of the Dream Demons. He never thought that she was worth his
time, just a bug, but now, she was annoying him.

Where did she go?

[…fine. I’ll play tag with you.]

Lord’s eyes disappeared again.

His mind had calmed down again.

He would literally pursue her ‘to the ends of Hell’ and kill her.

***

“Huk…! Huk…!”

Lilith flapped her wings desperately as she ran away.

“Why am I… doing this…?”

Frey’s body was on her shoulder.

Right. His dead body. A body colder than ice with not even a hint of vitality in it.

“Asura, you stupid bastard!”

She cursed nervously.

She didn’t see Asura’s end, but she knew that he wouldn’t have survived.

Paht!

Lilith’s body faded for an instant before reappearing in an entirely different place.

This was Lilith’s power. She was able to step into the virtual world of ‘dreams’. She
was sure that Lord would invade and conquer the Dream Realm. That was why she
was only using it sparingly.

This was to blur Lord’s perception of the Dream Realm and reality. If she hadn’t used
this method, then she would’ve been caught already.

‘However… I’m only stalling.’

Lilith bit her lip.

If Lord had been in his normal condition, even this method would not have worked.
She’d have been caught in seconds and suffered a miserable end just like Asura.

‘How am I supposed to run away from a guy who controls space?’

Hell had already become a strange world that could no longer be called Hell. This
was because Lord had mixed the Abyss with the space here.

It was like black ink had been spread across the sky and earth, and ominous
dimensional cracks were everywhere.

Crack!

“Kuk…”

Lilith didn’t scream despite the pain of the sudden attack. Then she felt that
something was missing.

Her left wing had been torn off.

After losing a wing, she inevitably crashed to the ground as she was no longer able to
fly.

Then, as she lay face-down on the ground, she heard a voice.

[You really thought you were clever.]

Lord.

Lilith grit her teeth.

She couldn’t believe that the time Asura had desperately fought for had been so
meaningless.

[Asura died to protect his petty pride. He didn’t want to sit on a throne created for
him and died for his stupidity. So what about you? Why are you trying to save him?]

“…I owe him my life.”

Lilith glanced at Frey and muttered.

“I am a demon, but I have something called shame. Do you? You are lying. You never
thought about making Asura the balance of Hell.”

[Nonsense…]

“Ha. Stop pretending. I am a woman who survived for thousands of years with the
lies from my mouth. Do you think I can’t smell a liar?”

Lilith laughed.

“You have no intention of keeping Hell around.”

Lord was speechless.

He never thought that he would be seen through so easily by this woman.

Lilith didn’t miss this opening. She pushed Frey into the black space beside her.

Frey’s body was quickly swallowed by this black space.

Seeing this scene, Lord shook his head and said.

[Do you know what you’ve done?]

“I’m going to die anyway, so what does it matter?”

[Right. You know it well.]

Crack!

In the next instant, Lilith’s body was crushed as though she had been stepped on by a
giant being.

It was an end so pointless and miserable that it was not befitting of the last Ruler of
Hell.

Lilith didn’t even know how she died.

Lord looked down at the puddle of flesh and blood that had once been the Ruler
known as Lilith. Unlike Asura, he didn’t think she was worth talking to.
[That space, the Abyss, is my world. Lilith, all you did was push Frey directly into my
lair. Your foolish struggle was for nothing.]

That was what Lord thought.

He tried to step into his space.

But,

Tak.

He felt that he’d been blocked by a wall.

[What is going on?]

Lord’s voice was filled with shock.

This wasn’t possible.

He couldn’t step into the space that he’d created?

[…]

But Lord soon realised something.

His expression became distorted.

[…Iris, do you intend to block me till the end?]

“Huhuhu…”

A loud laugh reverberated around him.

Lord spoke in a cold voice.

[Your struggle is futile. Right. I forgot your existence because you were so
insignificant. Iris Phisfounder. ‘Get out’ of my Abyss immediately.]

…
…

It wasn’t possible.

Lord’s expression became stiff.

Despite his direct declaration, Iris was still staying in the Abyss.

No, that wasn’t all.

He couldn’t ‘interfere’ with the Abyss.

[How…]

“The Abyss is no longer your world. I’ve been studying this space for over 4,000
years, Lord. I know secrets of this place even you don’t know.”

That was impossible.

Lord was silent for a moment before opening his mouth.

[Nonsense. The place you’re in isn’t the Abyss. Where is ‘that’ place? Where the hell
did you take Frey?]

“Huhu.”

Iris chuckled.

Lord stared at the black space in front of him and opened his mouth.

[I don’t know what the hell you’re thinking. He’s already dead. What you have is
nothing more than a corpse… Frey Blake reached the transcendent level. That means
the boundary between his soul and body disappeared.]

For ordinary beings, death meant a new beginning. Even if their body died, their
souls would wander around the Continent, and soon, they would get a new
beginning.

But after reaching the transcendent level, one stepped outside of the path of
reincarnation. One would be able to view the world from a higher level.
However, this wasn’t necessarily a blessing. There was a price to pay for breaking
free of the yoke of life.

For transcendent beings, death was not a chance to restart but a complete end…
nothingness.

It was not possible for them to leave behind a crystal like the Demigods, so they
wouldn’t even leave residual thoughts behind.

There was no way Iris Phisfounder didn’t know that.

“I know. So please don’t worry about us.”

[…us?]

“Yes. Lukas and I will live here forever. I don’t want anyone to interfere. Lord, you
have a lot of work to do, don’t you? You have a world to reset.”

[…]

When Lord didn’t answer, Iris continued in a cold voice.

“Lukas is already dead. If you try to take even his body from me, then I will interfere
with everything you do. I will bother you till the day I die.”

This wasn’t a bluff.

Lord weighed the pros and cons for a moment.

Iris Phisfounder. This woman could definitely be incredibly annoying. Now that Frey
was dead, it was clear that she was the person who could bother him the most.

After all, Iris had his power and would be able to resist his power of space to an
extent.

‘I could spend the time to find and kill Iris, but… ’

He was thinking about the Continent.

Dro’s core on the continent was Lord’s top priority.

Besides, Frey was already dead. There was no way he’d be revived.

Therefore, it was more urgent to deal with the situation on the continent than chase
after a corpse.

‘I will kill her after.’

After thinking this, Lord nodded.

[In the end, you got what you wanted. Black Witch, I admire your perseverance and
willpower.]

Lord did not say anything else and simply disappeared.

He was headed to the Continent.

“…”

It was only then when Hell finally became silent.

It was a beautiful sunset.

As he woke up, Lukas Trowman looked up with a blank gaze. He didn’t know why,
but he felt like he’d been unconscious for a long time.

Then he shook his head and turned to the side. There he saw a black-haired woman
looking at him with a smile.

“Why?”

“Just because.”

Iris laughed as she said this.

When Lukas only tilted his head, Schweiser sighed.

“You’re so slow that I’m going crazy.”

“What do you mean?”

“You don’t need to know, you stonehead. Anyway, what are you going to do now?
We’ve already explored every ruin in this country.”

“…well.”

Lukas felt strange. His thoughts were hazy.

It was strange because this was a feeling that he hadn’t felt since reaching 7 stars.

“…we… what were we doing?”

“Where did you leave your mind?”

Schweiser asked this in a disbelieving voice.

Then Kasajin, who was also beside them, answered.

“We decided to head east. You were interested in the culture there.”

“…”

Was that it?

Lukas was confused. He felt like he had been doing something incredibly important.

But no matter how hard he tried to think about it, nothing came to mind.

Trying to shake off the strange feeling, Lukas nodded.

“…right. Then let’s go there.”

“I heard the eastern swords are unique. I’m already looking forward to it.”

Lucid said these words in a pleased stone.

***

It was a pleasant journey.

They weren’t in a hurry. After all, there was no urgency.

Therefore, they purposely rented a carriage despite the fact that they had the power
to go to the other side of the continent in an instant. Yet, they traveled slowly on the
road.

When they found a place with a particularly good view, they would set up a camp
there even if the sun was still high.

If there was a village or city nearby, they would definitely visit it even if they had to
make a slight detour.
The East was an exotic land. Not only the countries, the characteristics of each city
were different, so it was interesting no matter where they went.

…He should have been enjoying it.

“This is a really good blade.”

Lucid looked at the sword in his hand with ecstasy.

It had a deformed and bent blade, so Lukas, who had no knowledge of weapons, was
unable to determine if it was really good or bad.

“What’s wrong, Lukas?”

Schweiser walked up to him and hit him on the shoulder.

“You look like you just ate a bug. Why? Are these artifacts below your expectations?”

“…no.”

The ruins in the land were all amazing. Lukas couldn’t help but once again admire
their ancestors and praise their achievements.

But apart from that, the strange feeling he had only got stronger. The thing that
frustrated him the most was the fact that he didn’t even know what was causing the
strange feeling.

But traveling around the eastern nations did nothing to make him feel better.
Instead, his heart only grew heavier.

Eventually, it got to the point where Lukas no longer smiled.

Schweiser kept glancing at him like he was acting strange, but he did not say
anything.

That night, Lukas couldn’t sleep, so he went out.

They were currently on an island in the far east. He walked along the shore for a
while before sitting on a large rock.
Shhh-

He looked at the dark sea, feeling like he was being sucked in.

He just sat there without thinking about anything. The rock was a pretty good
location. He was able to see the horizon drawn between the beautiful dark sea and
the night sky at a glance.

The scenery was quite superb, but it did nothing to alleviate his heavy heart.

“You don’t look so good.”

It was Iris.

She spoke in a soft voice. Her ebony hair blended perfectly with the dark sandy
beach.

She hesitated for a moment before taking a seat not too far from Lukas.

“You must have been worried. Sorry.”

“…no.”

Lukas looked at her before saying.

“So do you.”

“Huh?”

“You don’t look so good either.”

“…”

There was a subtle change in Iris’ face when she heard those words.

Lukas turned away from her. Then, while looking at the dark sea, he spoke again.

“…I think I’m forgetting something important.”

“Can’t stop thinking about it?”

“Right.”

“…if it doesn’t come to mind, maybe it wasn’t that important.”

“That might be true, but this is different.”

Lukas grabbed his chest, his auburn robes crumpling.

“I’m happy now. Touring the continent with my best friends, exploring and
examining the ruins and artifacts left behind by our ancestors… This is something I
have wanted to do for a long time. It’s what I call my dream come true.”

“That’s good. So what’s the problem?”

“…I feel like it’s not the right time.”

Lukas’ voice became heavy.

“I feel like everything has been derailed. I felt like this for a while too. It’s like we
stepped off the beaten path and began walking in the wrong direction. I know I have
to go back… but it seems that part of me is reluctant to do that.”

He felt that the path he used to walk on had become difficult. On the other hand, this
smooth path and beautiful scenery were amazing.

Every time he walked, he felt cheered up, like he was having a lazy afternoon outing.

“Sometimes, I hear people screaming, and I feel like I’m running away with my eyes
covered and my ears blocked.”

“That’s not so bad.”

Iris was indignant. Her voice was filled with stubbornness.

“Lukas deserves to rest. Why don’t you ignore them? Is it so wrong to run away? You
don’t have to deal with all of their problems. Sometimes, you need to take a break.
You… you are human too.”

Her voice became sad.

Lukas lowered his head, silent.

He looked at the sandy beach that was stained by the darkness.

“…sometimes. I want to live like that. Like you said… Do you think I hate taking
breaks? Sometimes, I want to be lazy. That’s natural. But I can’t.”

Lukas seemed to space out for a moment before continuing.

“I know that I’m special. I know just how many people I could save. And I’m not
confident that I can face the disaster that would come from ignoring their screams.”

“You are bound by responsibility. That can’t be called a life.”

“It’s nothing so grand. I’m just a bit more tired than everyone else.”

Lukas let out a soft laugh.

“Thank you, Iris. I feel comforted by your words.”

“…what do you mean?”

“The word human. You called me human. Haha. I don’t know why… but that made me
happy.”

“…”

“Why are you making that face?”

Iris was shaking her head with teary eyes. She flinched for a moment before
speaking half impulsively.

“I… like you, Lukas.”

“…”

Lukas’ expression stiffened.

This was a confession. A confession between a man and a woman, not showing favor
to a friend.
He would have never imagined.

But… he felt like he’d known this. Like someone had told him about her feelings
before.

That couldn’t be.

Iris wiped the tears from her eyes as she hurriedly said.

“That… I shouldn’t have… told you that. I just…”

Iris hesitated for a moment before burying her face in her knees and muttering.

“…I love you. Lukas, I love you more than anyone else in the world.”

“Iris.”

“So I was a bit greedy, but I can’t do it. I can’t change the nature of my beloved Lukas
Trowman with my own hands. It would feel like I’m killing you with my own hands.”

“…”

“I just…”

Iris’ voice faded.

Then his surroundings were enveloped by a bright light.

‘This… ’

Lukas’ mind sank into this light.

***

[3917 years, 11 Months, 7 days…]

He heard a voice. A familiar voice.

Lukas regained his consciousness while hearing this voice. He felt like he was waking
up from a long dream.
‘That was just… ’

Was it an illusion?

He’d never seen something like it before. It was so vivid and long that it could not be
compared to reliving a memory.

He clearly remembered traveling with his friends for a few months.

‘No. But… ’

The conversation he’d had with Iris…

Lukas could not remember ever seeing Iris’ tears. Even if it was only once, he would
not have forgotten it even if 4,000 years passed.

It wasn’t just that.

There was a lot of incompatibility in the memories he just witnessed.

‘I was about 30.’

He wasn’t too sure, but he felt that it was probably around that age.

At that age, Lukas was already engaged in an all-out war against the Demigods. He
would not have been able to afford such a leisure trip with his friends.

But the thing that puzzled him the most was the fact that he was still able to think.
He had gained a transcendent body and died after being defeated by Lord.

He should have already disappeared without even a soul left. Naturally, it was
impossible for him to consciously think like this.

[3111 years, 9 months, 4 days…]

‘Who’s there?’

Lukas wanted to ask this, but he didn’t have a mouth. He didn’t even have a tongue.

So there was no way for him to talk. He could only cry out in his mind.
Naturally, he didn’t receive an answer.

‘Where am I?’

It was a place that was filled with just darkness.

It felt very similar to Lord’s prison, the Abyss. But he felt that there was a
fundamental difference.

Shuk…

Suddenly, something changed.

His senses began to return. This was the first time Lukas had ever felt this sensation.

It was as though ice covered him and was slowly melting, allowing him to feel his
‘body’.

Then he felt warmth. Warmth that was milder than a spring breeze.

Lukas tried to suppress the fatigue that suddenly hit him in waves.

[2937 years, 4 months, 20 days…]

The voice continued.

It calmed Lukas’ heart like warm sunlight.

He then realised that he had a tongue. But he still couldn’t speak.

His senses hadn’t fully returned yet.

‘Something is still missing.’

A piece was still missing. But that piece was vital.

It was like a Golem who didn’t have a core. Just like a Golem wouldn’t be able to move
even a finger without its power source even when complete, Frey couldn’t move.

[2300 years, 1 month, 9 days…]

[1721 years, 8 months, 18 days…]

[1001 years, 7 months, 17 days…]

[661 years, 3 months, 1 day…]

He continued hearing the voice.

It was gradually going back in time.

Frey finally realised whose voice it was.

‘Iris.’

She continued reciting the date in a calm voice. One by one, detailing such a long
time that humans would not begin to imagine.

[121 years, 11 months, 11 days…]

Dak-

Then something pierced Lukas’ chest.

It was at that moment.

Babump!

It seemed he had regained his heart. Blood raced through his body, and his weak
heartbeat gradually gained strength.

His senses came back. He also became able to move again.

Lukas opened his eyes.

Paht.

The first thing he saw was a bright light. It was so bright that he was blinded for a
moment.

After blinking several times, he realised that it was light from a small candle.
Scribble-

Someone was bent over, relying on the light to write something.

The elegant curves that could be seen despite looking at them from the back told him
immediately that this person was a woman. He could also see her ebony hair.

Iris Phisfounder.

He was looking back at her.

“Do you trust me?”

When she asked this, he replied with a complicated expression.

“I don’t know.”

When she heard that, Iris’ composure broke.

She was such a fool.

She killed Schweiser, and she drove a wedge between Kasajin and Lucid. She even
accepted Lord’s power and assisted the Demigods.

She had committed sins that could never be forgiven regardless of the circumstances.

That fact was abundantly clear.

…But she was hopeful.

Maybe he’d forgive her. Maybe they would be able to go back to the way things were.

This was her hope.

“…”

Iris shook her head.

But that wasn’t possible. Even if he forgave her, she would never be able to forgive
herself. She would hate herself, curse herself, and resent herself even more.

And in the end, she wanted him to be her judge.

Iris wanted to die by Lukas’ hand.

***

-Lukas Trowman had disappeared.

It wasn’t just one Wizard who had disappeared. He was the center, the core behind
which people of all races, cultures, and beliefs had rallied.

He was the hero of all mortals who had disappeared.

They felt defeated. They no longer had the will to fight.

It wasn’t strange that those who were fighting against the Demigods had this
thought. A lot of time had passed since they’d been on the defensive because of a lack
of leadership.

Over time, more and more people fled, and many even surrendered because of their
broken wills.

And the man who represented the hope of all humanity was still missing.

It was natural that they’d feel despair.

They felt cold, as though their struggle up to this point had been for naught.

Of course, not everyone collapsed.

Schweiser continued to struggle.

Lucid united a kingdom.

And even in this time, Kasajin remained focused on his training.

Nevertheless, Iris could feel their hidden despair.

They were just helplessly fighting against the evil. There was no basis behind their
actions.

Struggling did nothing to improve the situation.

Building a kingdom had no meaning.

And no matter how hard one trained, it still wouldn’t be possible to take on a
Demigod on one’s own.

This was the truth.

So Iris went missing too.

She refused to accept Lukas’ death more than anyone else. Perhaps even at that
moment, he was in a difficult situation, waiting for his friends to help him.

With this thought, she desperately searched the continent like she was going crazy,
eager to find even the smallest trace of Lukas.

Meanwhile, the Demigods’ power continued to increase.

Most of the kingdoms had already cut off their support, and many countries had
even sided with the Demigods.

Slick bastards.

When they judged that there was no chance to win, they betrayed them without
hesitation, even going so far as to reveal their weaknesses.

Yet even as the situation seemed to get progressively worse, Iris did not find any
clues.

No. The clue was that there were no clues.

Iris bit her lip.

‘Lord.’

He was the only being who could make the Great Mage disappear without a trace.

So Iris arranged a meeting with Lord.

As she requested, he appeared alone. This was because he had full confidence in his
power.
This was natural.

After all, there was no trap from which he couldn’t escape. Not even if they used a
million soldiers or some other mysterious power.

Lord was a being who felt that he was only slightly inferior when compared to God.

“Where is Lukas?”

[He is being punished.]

Lord didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding it, but he didn’t tell her more than
that.

Iris became nervous.

As expected, he was directly involved in Lukas’ disappearance.

[Black Witch, Iris Phisfounder, you have no chances of winning. Quietly submit to us.
Then I will spare his life.]

“Sure.”

Iris revealed her intention as though she had been waiting for such an offer.

She had already thought about it before going there. So she didn’t hesitate for even a
moment.

[Hoh.]

Lord seemed interested, but he didn’t show any other emotions. He probably didn’t
believe Iris’ words.

Nevertheless, the reason he didn’t kill her was because he was certain that he could
prevent whatever she had planned.

‘…it will be difficult to gain Lord’s trust.’

She needed results. Achievements were the easiest way to obtain trust.
Her heart became heavy at this thought, but she simply shook her head.

She’d already steeled her determination.

It would have just been like going back to the old days. The time when she stayed
alone in the swamp and was called the ‘Black Witch’ while receiving the accusations,
insults, and disgust from the rest of the world.

Just for Lukas to come back. She would have done anything just to see his face again.

What could she do to make Lord trust her?

It couldn’t be something small.

Iris had been one of Lord’s most troublesome enemies. So she needed to do
something unconventional.

‘…’

The alternative she thought of made Iris’ expression stiffen for a moment.

This was an irreversible path.

It was more than a sinful and morally outrageous choice. It was something that
Lukas would never be able to tolerate.

But there was no other way.

“It’s impossible for us to defeat the Demigods right now. So please start a fight with
Kasajin.”

“…”

Lucid didn’t panic.

He didn’t even appear surprised to see Iris, who had suddenly appeared in front of
him.

He simply asked back in a quiet voice.

“What does that have to do with getting rid of the Demigods?”

“…”

“Did you know? All of our former teammates are cursing you. They’re calling you the
Traitorous Witch.”

“I know.”

Lucid’s gaze was deep.

“You betrayed us, and you became Lord’s right hand. Now, you appear before me and
ask me to clash with Kasajin? I’m not sure I understand you correctly.”

“You understand it perfectly.”

“…”

Lucid lifted Deukid off his lap, the cold blade shining in the moonlight.

“What are you planning?”

“We need time. We can’t win right now. It’s not possible at this time. Most of the
different races and kingdoms have already submitted to the Demigods. Their pride
and fighting spirits have disappeared.”

That was a fact that even Lucid could not deny.

There were very few people who had not lost their wills, and it was impossible to
stand against the Demigods with them.

“So you want us to give up?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s funny… We’re giving up our responsibility.”

“No. I have faith in the future generations. Of course, a long time has to pass. A lot
longer than we might expect.”
However.

Iris continued in a clear voice.

“The Demigods cannot grow any stronger. Because they’ve already reached their
peak. It’s possible that laziness might even weaken them over time. But ‘we’ are
different. We have not finished growing, and we can still become much stronger. And
that time will come.”

“That time?”

“When the Demigods become weak and the humans become strong.”

A strange emotion entered Iris’ voice.

“At that time, under Lukas’ banner, the Demigods will cease to exist.”

“…”

Lucid was silent for a long time.

Suddenly he put Deukid back into its sheath.

“…Lukas… is alive?”

His voice was shaking slightly.

Iris nodded.

“Yeah. He’s alive. And I will save him.”

“…”

Lucid sat up in his seat.

Then he looked out the window and murmured.

“…does anyone else know what you just told me?”

“No.”
“Why did you only tell me?”

“Because I thought that you could understand me.”

Schweiser had too much affection, and such a complex plan would just go right over
Kasajin’s head.

Naturally, Lucid was the only one left.

“I’m going to kill Schweiser now.”

“…!”

Lucid shot up at those words. His deep, dark eyes bore into Iris’.

Iris accepted this look calmly.

“I will use his life and my support to gain Lord’s trust, and in return, I will demand
his power.”

“You’re crazy.”

“I wish I were, but unfortunately, I’m still perfectly sane.”

“…”

Lucid grit his teeth.

He stared at Iris with a fierce gaze.

“…even if it’s for Lukas, killing one of our friends is unforgivable. Don’t you know
this? If you cross over that river you will never be able to return.”

“Of course I know that.”

“You will be hated by the man you love.”

“…I know that too.”

She was willing to do it despite knowing that.

At that moment, Lucid seemed to see a giant mountain on Iris’ shoulders. It was so
large that it seemed impossible for her thin shoulders to handle its weight.

Nevertheless, her eyes were still clear.

Seeing this, Lucid suddenly calmed down. He couldn’t bring himself to curse her
anymore.

Because he’d managed to get a glimpse of the pain Iris would have to endure.

“…you are going to fight a long and painful battle that is incomparable to our own. All
by yourself.”

Lucid sighed.

Iris’ judgement was correct. Lucid was the only one who could understand her.
That’s because he put his reasoning over his emotions.

It was probably not his role to hold her accountable.

No matter when, no matter how long it took, no matter what they thought of each
other.

He hoped that Lukas and Iris would reunite.

So Lucid nodded his head.

She didn’t hate Schweiser.

Though she sometimes felt jealous because Lukas would often give Schweiser more
attention than he gave her, she knew that he was Lukas’ most precious friend, and
his talent made up for his shortcomings.

Yet Iris still killed this man. She even laughed at him right before his death,
demeaning his achievements and insulting his death.

She did this because Lord might have been watching.

Nevertheless, the moment Schweiser died, Iris felt something in her heart die along
with him.

Lord immediately responded to her achievement.

[Good work. But that was too simple. I wanted to imprison this man in the Abyss as
well.]

Lord murmured to himself before turning away.

‘…this man as well.’

Lord had definitely said those words.

She’d finally gotten a clue about Lukas.

Iris felt hope again.

The Abyss. Lukas was trapped in a place called the Abyss.

Now that she knew where he was, she thought that she would be able to rescue him.
But when she found out what the Abyss truly was, that thought disappeared.

It was a world personally created by Lord. A space completely disconnected from the
outside world.

In other words, an inescapable prison.

Moreover, Lukas’ body was already dead. The only thing that had been trapped in the
Abyss was Lukas Trowman’s soul.

“Ha-, hahaha.”

Iris felt like her mind broke a bit at that moment. She felt like it would have been
better to just go crazy.

But she couldn’t.

Craziness at that moment would simply have been an escape. It would have been no
different from locking the door and ignoring all of her sins and the responsibility for
everything she’d done so far and the things she’d do in the future.

Even if she really let herself go crazy, it could only be after she’d saved Lukas.

Not long after that, Lucid and Kasajin had a confrontation. Iris had predicted that
this would happen, and as a result, Lord had no choice but to acknowledge her to an
extent.

[Excellent. I will grant you a favor that you can use at any time. Unless it adversely
affects my people.]

“…”

This was an achievement that had been built on the blood of her teammates.

Iris was so disgusted with herself that she ended up vomiting.

It wasn’t just that.

She’d also been granted the ability to borrow Lord’s power as she wished.
The power of space. It could have been said to be the power that stood at the peak of
all the transcendent powers the demigods had.

This was the power she gained, but she didn’t feel proud of it.

Iris’ heart had already died by that point.

‘It’s fine.’

Everything was okay. She recited these words like a mantra.

As long as Lukas could come back.

As long as she felt he could come back, she could keep hanging on.

She knew that he wouldn’t forgive her. After all, she knew what kind of man he was.
She knew better than anyone else that he was wise, upright, yet surprisingly
inflexible.

But she could still bear it. Rather than never meeting again, she felt that it was much
better to meet him and be hated.

So, using Lord’s power, Iris began to probe the Abyss, the pitch black space where
Lukas was imprisoned.

It was literally like an iron fortress.

This wasn’t to say that there wasn’t any progress. She’d definitely gotten some
results.

Nevertheless, Iris couldn’t help but feel deep frustration.

She fully understood just how insignificant the power she controlled was when
compared to Lord’s.

It felt like trying to cut through a castle wall with her fingernails. Something that
others would laugh at and call crazy.

But she didn’t give up. Instead, Iris calculated just how long it would take her if she
kept making these fingernail-sized scratches.
And when she finished calculating, she realised that the result was much worse than
she expected.

She knew that it would take a long time to save Lukas. That’s why she talked about
the future with Lucid.

However… She thought that it would be 100 years at most. She felt that it would not
exceed 100 years at worst.

She was too optimistic.

“…4,000 years.”

It was said that a mountain would change greatly in 10 years. And also, in 100 years,
it wouldn’t be strange for a country to disappear and for a new one to take its place.

And 1,000 years… was a length of time that humans were unable to fathom.

4,000 years meant that she’d have to experience such a length four times.

“…ah.”

Her mind seemed to shatter at that moment.

This wasn’t an exaggeration.

At that moment, Iris felt even more despair than when Lukas had disappeared.

For 4,000 years, she would have to carry a task every day without missing a single
one. And if she made a mistake or allowed Lord to notice, then it would all have been
for naught.

Schweiser’s death would become a dog’s death, and Lucid and Kasajin’s
confrontation would become meaningless.

She felt so overwhelmed by the pressure that she felt like she was being crushed.

…If by chance.

If she somehow managed to endure it for so many years. If, in the end, she managed
to maintain her sanity, deceive Lord, and successfully create a gap in the Abyss after
toiling for 4,000 years.

Would Lukas really be able to grasp that opening?

No.

Would Lukas even be able to stay sane until then?

His situation was much worse than Iris’. He was imprisoned in a place where there
was nothing but darkness.

Could he really endure for 4,000 years in such a place without a body to move, only
being able to think?

This was a task that was absolutely impossible for an ordinary human.

“-it’s possible.”

This voice which sounded out with absolute certainty was her own.

“If it’s Lukas, then it’s possible.”

She suddenly let out a laugh.

She didn’t know long had it been since she’d laughed so heartily.

Iris laughed to herself while nodding continuously.

‘Of course it’s possible.’

The only man she’d ever loved.

The unprecedented Great Mage.

The Great Teacher of all.

If it was Lukas Trowman, he would definitely be able to endure it. He wouldn’t give
up.
So she wouldn’t give up either.

To save Lukas, be hated by him, and then killed by his hand.

Her shattered mind seemed to regain shape.

Lukas had once told Iris that she was pretty. It was a time when she’d been smiling
mysteriously.

Since then, she practiced a lot by looking in the mirror every day. And the mysterious
smile from that time remained on Iris’ face.

‘It’s been 20 years since I’ve known Lukas.’

It felt romantic.

To keep their relationship of 20 years, she was willing to endure 4,000 years.

Some might have even found it touching.

Iris chuckled.

“…it’s going to be a very long plan.”

So she felt like she should give it a name.

‘What should it be?’

After pondering for a moment, a good name popped into her mind.

The name of the plan was intuitive, the simpler, the better.

“-The Great Mage Returns After 4,000 Years.”

Right.

She liked it.

Iris smiled.
“1 Day.”

***

Iris’ memories ended.

Lukas once again stood alone in a dark space.

He realised that his body had been fully restored, but he still couldn’t say anything.

Because his mouth didn’t seem to work.

When he had been trapped in the Abyss, he’d thought that he was having a harder
time than anyone else in the world. But he’d stopped thinking like that because he
felt it was a petty and self-important thought.

It was obvious that Lukas had a long and painful experience that no one would have
been able to imagine.

…But Iris’ experience was no lesser than his.

No. In a way, she had a much more painful time than Lukas.

Unlike the Abyss, which was a world of silence, the world Iris had to live in could
only have been described as hell.

Lukas could see that.

From the beginning of her plan, there was not a single painless day.

She had long abandoned her body. After all, no matter how much the longevity of a
Witch contracted to a demon was, she couldn’t survive for 4,000 years.

So Iris transferred her soul to a doll in order to continue living.

Naturally, this method came with side effects. Her soul gradually began wearing
away.

It was the soul price that Lucifer had mentioned before. The human soul was not
resilient enough to withstand the process of transferring from one body to the other.
So Iris’ soul could be said to have been in tatters. Like a candle in front of a breeze, it
wouldn’t be strange if it went out at any moment.

And when that candle went out… her soul would disappear.

An end no different from that of a transcendent being awaited her.

There was no bright future ahead of Iris. And there was no way that she didn’t
already know this.

Nevertheless, she refused to give up. She continued her long and lonely fight.

And in the end… she finally achieved her goal.

She pulled Lukas out of the Abyss.

‘There’s no way I could have escaped on my own.’

He felt ashamed for thinking that he’d escaped from the Abyss on his own.

Now that he thought about it, it was natural.

The Abyss was the world that Lord had created using the full extent of his power. It
could even be called the essence of his power.

So even if 4,000 years passed, there was no way for a 9 star Wizard like Lukas
Trowman to escape.

It was only possible because of Iris’ help. Because she scratched at the walls of the
iron fortress for 4,000 years without missing a single day.

“…”

Lukas couldn’t help but feel choked up because of his rising emotions.

After becoming a transcendent being, it became incredibly hard for him to be

affected by normal things. It could be said that he’d lost his emotions together with
his mortality. And he’d thought he’d never be able to experience his emotions the
same way again.
But at that moment, Lukas could clearly feel a whirlwind of grief.

Suddenly.

“This is the shattered Celestial World.”

He heard Iris’ voice.

Lukas called out in shock.

“Iris? Where are-”

“You fought Lord, you lost, and you died.”

“…”

Iris’ voice cut him off.

Lukas felt anxiety fill his heart at that moment.

“I’m probably… already dead.”

“…”

“And I hope you’ll at least feel a little sad.”

“…I’m sad.”

A thick, cracked voice sounded out, and it took him a while to realise it was his.

A tear rolled down his cheek.

“…if Lukas felt sad, I would be really happy.”

Iris was pretending to speak in a bright voice.

Lukas could tell immediately.

“I originally didn’t want to show you my memories. But… I couldn’t. Just one person.
I wanted at least one person to know everything that transpired. I wanted them to
remember everything. Both the good and the bad. And if that person was Lukas, it
would make me extremely happy…”

“Iris.”

After a brief pause, her voice continued.

“The Angels, masters of this world, had the task of guiding souls to the afterlife. And
those souls who were dyed bright by their good deeds were even given the right to
live here in Heaven. Originally, this place was supposed to the afterlife the souls
would gather at before returning to the world. Because it was this kind of place… I
was able to slow down the collapse of Lukas’ soul.”

“…Iris, what’s going on?”

“You did enough already.”

“…”

She wasn’t responding to his questions.

Lukas bit his lips.

A vague sense of anxiety began building in his heart.

He closed his eyes tightly.

Maybe.

Iris had already…

“However, it’s not the same for me. Because I need to be punished… After meeting
Lukas again, I realised that you weren’t going to kill me.”

“…”

“But it mustn’t be that way. If you commit a crime, then you deserve to be punished.
Ahaha… I’m ashamed to call it punishment. In truth, I just want to rest.”

Iris’ voice was gradually fading.

“I just want to rest. I’m so tired. Isn’t that okay? But I don’t know if I can sleep… A
wicked woman like me… A traitorous witch like me… It feels so hard to just… just…
just put my eyelids together…”

…
…

Iris’ voice faded completely, and Lukas realised.

Iris’ soul had just crumbled completely.

“Ah.”

He called out blankly.

Lukas looked at the darkness in front of him and recalled his conversation with Iris.

He recalled her face, her tears, and her confession.

[…So I was a bit greedy, but I can’t do it. I can’t change the nature of my beloved
Lukas Trowman with my own hands. It would feel like I’m killing you with my own
hands.]

The short, few-month journey in the illusionary world.

Those false memories were the greed that Iris was talking about.

4,000 years of devotion for only a few months.

‘That’s… not greed.’

Lukas grit his teeth.

He couldn’t accept it.

He would never be able to accept such an ending.

“Not yet.”

Their reunion hadn’t happened yet.

Paht!

A bright light rose up from Lukas’ chest.

The last piece, which had been filled by Iris, caused unimaginable changes to his
body.

“Iris, it’s not time for you to rest just yet.”

He could no longer hear Iris’ voice. The ‘diary’ that she’d mentioned had already
come to an end.

It was her broken soul.

The soul of Iris Phisfounder who’d faced an end even crueler than death.

“So. Just wait a little bit.”

…It was slim, but there was still a chance.

Of course, it was impossible with Lukas’ current power. But even that crumbling soul
could be revived.

To meet him.

“I have to take down Lord.”

It would not be easy. After all, Lukas had been weakened.

Lord had taken all of his divine power. Thanks to this, his divine magic power’s
capacity had fallen below half of its former capacity.

With this much power, he’d only be able to use his Endtongue a few times.

However, Lord had also been weakened. So he had to go.

As he thought this, Lukas left the broken Celestial World.

He had to do this.

No matter what.

***

[…]

Nozdog felt his mind become overcome with a heavy sense of drowsiness.

Sleep.

This was a word that had no association to him, who had the body of a skeleton. In
the first place, most Demigods did not need sleep.

Therefore, Nozdog couldn’t help but feel strange when the urge to sleep overtook
him.

One thing was clear at that moment.

If he relaxed for even a moment, he would immediately fall into a deep sleep. Then,
he would die immediately after.

At the hands of none other than the man who was currently standing in front of him.

[…so Kaltud really was Lucifer’s pawn all along.]

Of course, he had never fully trusted the red-skinned demon. What Nozdog trusted
was the fact that he was a ‘demon’.

Aside from his natural strength, he didn’t think that the members of the Circle would
be able to do anything to a being who was mostly active in Hell.

But he never thought they’d end up in an all-out war against Hell. If he’d known this
would happen, he never would have taken a demon for his Apostle.

Dro murmured.
“Lucifer is dead.”

[…what?]

“Just before he died, Lucifer sent his memories to me. Did you know, Nozdog? The
Lord you support so much seems to have consumed the rest of your kind.”

[What… the hell are you talking about?]

Nozdog could not conceal his shock at those words.

He couldn’t afford to.

He immediately jumped up from the throne of Hitume Ikar and glared at Dro.

[Lord would never do that.]

“Whether you believe it or not, the only Demigods left in this world are you, Lord,
and Elliah, who never leaves the Frozen Lands.”

[Kuk…]

Shocked, Nozdog stumbled back slightly. His body flopped back onto the throne.

[Lord… why would Lord consume our people?]

His voice was weak.

Normally, he would have exuded a dark and gloomy aura like a god of death, but now,
his aura was scattered and exhausted.

“Isn’t it obvious? To become stronger. Lord started treating your kind like simple
chunks of energy. Like nutrient supplements that could make him healthy and strong
after he consumed them.”

[…that’s… impossible.]

“Stop the pointless denial. I can already tell from your attitude, Nozdog. You don’t
seem to be surprised. You must have expected something like this to happen.”
Nozdog shook.

It was true. From the time Lord had swallowed Leyrin, he’d thought that something
like this might happen.

But he pretended not to know.

And in front of Agni, he spoke large words. He boasted that he’d trust Lord no matter
what he did.

No. Until now, he’d firmly deluded himself that Lord was only taking shortcuts in
order to revitalize the Demigods.

However… he had no choice but to look at the results now.

Lord had devoured all of their people.

“Lord will be here soon. Then you’ll know for certain that he swallowed all of the
other Demigods. I wonder. Nozdog, is that the end you want?”

[…what are you trying to say?]

“Let’s work together. If you don’t want to die, then help me take Lord down.”

[Stop talking nonsense.]

Nozdog spoke in a harsh voice.

Dro glanced at the door before speaking.

“We have a chance of winning. Our reinforcements have arrived.”

Crash!

The doors to the throne room were smashed open, and people could be seen walking
in.

Ivan, who was standing at the front of the group, shook a piece of iron off of his hand
as he said.
“We came to the right place. All the guys who were hard to find are just gathered
here.”

“…”

“Hey, Dro. Did your business go well?”

After Ivan said this, Dro sighed.

“…there’s no time to listen to your reproach. You guys, get ready.”

“Get ready for what?”

Jak-

Suddenly, space split open, and Lord walked out.

His sudden appearance caused the hearts of everyone in the room to freeze for a
moment.

It was as though time itself had stopped.

Only Lord’s head moved in this room which seemed to be frozen in time.

It wasn’t long before his eyes settled on Dro.

[Here you are, Dragon Lord.]

“…”

[Because you seem to have forgotten your promise, I came to retrieve my prize.]

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

When Dro responded with an expressionless face, Lord didn’t say anything else.

They all knew that a conversation was useless in the first place.

Then, Anastasia spoke with a stiff expression on her face.

“Where is Frey?”

She was told that Frey went to Hell to stop Lord.

But now, Lord was standing in front of them. And he appeared to be heavily injured
as though he’d just been in a fight with someone.

While Anastasia looked at him with anxiety, Lord replied indifferently.

[The Great Mage is dead.]

“…”

“Enough of your bullshit!”

Unlike the shocked Anastasia, Ivan growled in a low voice.

Lord’s gaze finally turned to them before he nodded.

[That being… Right. This must be the shell the Great Mage used before he became
transcendent.]

He was talking about Frey’s physical body. Grey Trowman.

Lord spoke in an annoyed voice.

[Your presence annoys me. Die.]

Pop!

“…huh?”

Grey’s body exploded without any warning, his blood covering the Great Medium
who stood beside him.

No one realised what had just happened.

Dro then shouted in an urgent voice.

“Mana or Qi! Either of them works! Draw upon your energy and protect your body!
He’s weak right now!”

[Even if I’m weakened, killing you is no problem.]

Just as Lord was about to reach out to them.

[Lord.]

Nozdog called out to him.

Lord lowered his hand and turned to him.

[Nozdog, your mental power is amazing. You’re still awake.]

[Why did you consume our people?]

[…ah. Now that I think about it, I haven’t explained it to you yet, have I? Hmmm.]

After thinking for a moment, Lord shook his head and said.

[There’s no time. Just let me absorb you too. Then you’ll find out.]

Juk-

A mouth appeared on Lord’s face. It was the same large, hideous mouth that he’d
used to devour the other Demigods.

With his mouth opened wide, he approached Nozdog.

Taht!

A wall of bones appeared from the ground, blocking this mouth.

Lord paused for a moment.

[What is this supposed to be, Nozdog?]

[…convince me. And I’ll let you.]

Nozdog squeezed out those words.

[…if you convince me, I will become a part of you. Lord, you didn’t consume your
own kind for no reason, did you? There must be a reason. A reason that we all can
understand. Tell me that. Then…]

Lord looked at Nozdog for a moment before speaking.

[Nozdog.]

[…what?]

[You talk a lot, Nozdog.]

His voice was irritated.

[Just shut up and become my food.]

Nozdog was speechless.

He was one of the Demigods who fell to the Continent the earliest. This meant that
the time he’d spent with Lord was naturally longer than most other Demigods.

They’d known each other for almost an eternity, and he had trusted and followed
Lord from the start. Nothing had ever been able to change his mind.

This wasn’t because Nozdog’s loyalty was impressive. Instead, it was because Lord
had always been an amazing leader.

It was possible that all of the Demigods thought the same.

Even if Lord gave up on dominating the continent and instead decided to live in
seclusion, their loyalty was enough that they’d follow him without hesitation,

Yet it was the very same Lord who’d just told him. To shut up and become his food.

This was only something that one would say to prey, not to one’s own kind.

[…]

Only Nozdog knew the emotions that filled him at that moment.

Just as Lord was prepared to consume him again.

Crack!

[…!]

Lord’s waist bent at a right angle, and he was unable to offset the force, causing him
to fly backwards and into a wall.

Ivan shook his clenched fist.

‘I hit him?’

He didn’t attack in a lackluster manner. But it couldn’t be said that he’d put his all
into that punch.

Nevertheless, he had felt it.

That punch had connected.

While it was clear that his attack hadn’t reached Lord’s core, it still counted.

Dro’s words weren’t wrong. The current Lord was in a weakened state. Someone had
dealt great damage to him.

When he thought about this, his excited heart stilled.

‘Is Frey really dead?’

Lord stood to his feet again while casually brushing pieces of stone off of his body.

[…how foolish.]

Anger was evident in his voice.

Anastasia, who was observing the situation, wasn’t used to this.

‘Did Lord ever display his emotions like this?’

The answer was no. The only time Lord expressed his emotions was when his people
suffered great harm.

But he was different now. Lord’s emotions felt primitive.

Like a childish and low-level annoyance that had been caused by a bug bite.

‘He’s a mess.’
He felt nothing like the flawless Lord who couldn’t be reached no matter how much
they stretched their hands.

Anastasia saw a chance.

If they took advantage of this, they might be able to reverse the situation.

But that didn’t mean that Lord’s power had disappeared.

Crack!

“Kuk!”

Jekid’s arm was crushed in an instant. If he had reacted any slower, it wouldn’t have
been his arm; it would have been his head.

‘His attacks are hard to detect.’

No. He should have been glad that he was even alive at that moment.

If Lord hadn’t been distracted, such a sure-kill attack would have appeared without
warning.

Shuk.

Jekid swung his sword and cut off his squashed arm without hesitation.

Ivan, who saw this, couldn’t help but murmur with a blank expression.

“Did you really need to cut it off?”

“I’d rather not keep anything that could distract me. Didn’t you know? The more
immovable your mindset is, the sharper your attacks.”

“That’s true, but… it’s tough.”

Jekid swung his sword a few times with his left arm,

“It’s not a problem since I trained myself to use my sword with my left hand as well.”
“That’s not the problem… Well… As long as you don’t mind.”

Ivan shrugged before pointing towards Lord.

“I don’t know why, but he’s weak right now. So we just have to push him somehow.”

“…push him somehow. Is that a plan?”

“What plan? We have never worked together, so we shouldn’t overdo it. It would be
best if we didn’t get in each other’s way.”

He wasn’t wrong, so Jekid nodded before turning to Lord.

“You have to be careful. His defenses are definitely weak, but his offense is still
extremely powerful. Grey was protecting his entire body with mana, yet he still died
before being able to do anything. My arm was also crushed like a dried fish.”

“So all we have to do is hit him without getting hit by him.”

It was easy to say.

Ivan grumbled.

It was at that moment when the Great Medium, who had been watching the
situation, finished her chant.

“Seven Flower Binding Technique.”

Fwoosh!

Suddenly, seven kinds of flowers appeared around Lord before blooming at the same
time.

These flowers didn’t just bloom. Their roots stretched out like vines and wrapped
around Lord’s body tightly.

It took Lord a moment to realise that these weren’t illusions but rather sorcery that
altered the substance of reality.

Nevertheless, it was only a human technique. Such a crude power would not be able
to restrain him completely.

But Lord found that he was unable to break these vines, that he couldn’t move. His
entire body was frozen as though he’d been paralysed.

Lord’s fierce gaze turned to the man who was calmly watching the situation from the
corner.

‘Dragon Lord.’

His Dragontongue prevented him from moving his body.

It was stronger than the Dragontongue Lucifer had used. This meant that in his
current condition, he would not be able to break out of it easily.

‘This is our chance.’

They’d never worked together before, but it was clear to everyone that Lord’s
movements had been restricted.

Jekid, Anastasia, and Ivan rushed to Lord at the same time. They stood in different
directions and bombarded Lord’s body with their attacks. Each one being strong
enough to destroy a castle.

Such powerful attacks hit Lord dozens of times in an instant.

Pa pa pa pa!

Lord’s body shook violently. Their attacks were violent, but they weren’t enough to
reach his core.

Nevertheless, Lord was unable to easily escape their barrage.

‘How is this happening?’

He had consumed dozens of Demigods.

How could he be struggling against only a few humans and half of the Dragon Lord
after all he’d done?
Considering the power he’d consumed during the fight with Lukas, this shouldn’t
have been happening.

This question soon caused him to be filled with irritation and rage.

Lord’s face distorted in an ugly manner.

[Don’t touch me-!]

Boom!

A huge explosion of energy burst out from Lord’s body.

The three, who were close to him, were unable to react in time and were sent flying
simultaneously. They were all prepared for a sudden attack like this, but it didn’t
help.

The explosion that erupted from Lord’s body wasn’t just a ‘strong impact’. An
unknown force seemed to push their bodies roughly as well.

“Kuk.”

Ivan was only able to stop himself after rolling several times across the ground.

He wiped the blood that was flowing from his forehead before saying.

“What did he just do?”

“He condensed the space around him before causing it to burst. It is a repulsive
power that is in a higher dimension than a physical force… using higher density
space, he created empty space.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“…in simpler terms, the different spaces pushed each other away. It wouldn’t have
helped even if you held on to something. As long as it’s an object, it will be pushed
away.”

Ivan shook his head at Anastasia’s explanation.

“I still have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“…you don’t need to understand. I don’t think it is something he can use often. You
just need to be careful.”

Then she continued in a solemn voice.

“I’m sure that Lord is very weak right now. If it’s now… we have a chance to defeat
Lord.”

Anastasia avoided commenting on why Lord was so injured. Because she didn’t want
to believe Lord’s words.

Lord, on the other hand, grit his teeth.

Anastasia’s murmur was quiet, but he could still hear it perfectly.

‘Was she talking about the battle with Lukas? Was she saying that the damage he
inflicted had weakened him so much?’

No. It wasn’t because of that.

It was true that the battle with Lukas had a tremendous impact on his condition, but
the reason why he was in this situation was different.

Lord felt a foreign power bubbling inside his body.

This energy was the reason.

The divine power he’d stolen from Lukas.

‘This… is not divine power.’

To be precise, it was a mixture of divine power and mana.

While absorbing it, Lord knew that Frey’s divine power was mixed with impurities.
Nevertheless, he hadn’t cared.

Because in the end, the ratio was 9:1. Naturally, his divine power was the 9.
Therefore, he thought that he would easily be able to filter out the mana, which was
nothing more than scraps in comparison.

It was the perfect mistake.

This man was extremely persistent and toxic, causing Lord’s body to rot just with its
presence.

Due to this, Lord’s body was currently unstable. To make matters worse, even the
divine power that he had yet to digest showed signs of running rampant.

All of this chaos inside of him could have been easily quelled if he were in his peak
condition, but Lord had spent a lot of energy in his battle against Lukas.

‘Even so… ’

It was extremely humiliating for him to be pushed to this extent by this insect-like
group of mortals that Lukas Trowman wasn’t even part of.

“Warrior King’s Fist. Blade Fist.”

Jijik!

A sword-like gust of wind shot out from Ivan’s fist and violently scratched Lord’s
body.

Jekid and Anastasia also began using their long range attacks.

The wounds on Lord’s body increased.

‘If this continues… ’

He would actually be defeated by these pieces of trash.

Suddenly, an idea appeared in Lord’s mind. He turned his eyes to Nozdog, who was
standing far away before calling out desperately.

[Nozdog, help me.]

[…Lord.]
[I’m sorry about earlier. But can’t you understand? My mind is really unstable right
now. I still haven’t completely controlled the others who became one with me. If this
continues… I will definitely forget my essence and become a monster. That means
every Demigod in me will also have a terrible ending!]

Nozdog flinched at those words.

Then Dro shouted in a rare, harsh tone.

“Nozdog! Don’t be fooled! He’s just saying nonsense to make you go to him! Did you
already forget how he just treated you?”

[That wasn’t me. Nozdog, please believe me… Right. You asked me to convince you,
didn’t you? I will explain it to you now. Come here and help me stop their attacks for
a while…]

[…]

The flames burning in Nozdog’s eyes shook unstably. Then he lifted a bone finger.

Crack!

Suddenly, layers of bones rose up from the ground, blocking the attacks headed
towards Lord.

Ivan clicked his tongue when he felt the hardness of the bones.

“They’re much harder than steel!”

“What is he trying to do?”

Meanwhile, Nozdog began walking towards Lord.

[…Lord, the things you said aren’t easy to understand. However, I know you-]

Nozdog didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence.

This was because Lord rushed towards him like a wild beast. His arms and legs
wrapped around Nozdog’s body like rope while his face, which had become
featureless again, was once again covered by an enormous mouth.
Crunch…

The feast had begun.

Lord chewed on Nozdog’s skull, neck, ribs, spine, hip, thighs, knees, and shins…
before finally putting his toes in his mouth and chewing them as well.

Nozdog.

It took only three seconds for this skeleton-shaped Demigod to disappear from the
world.

In other words, by the time Ivan smashed through the bone barrier.

[…]

Lord had already finished his meal.

Dro looked at him with contempt.

“Do you know what you’ve done? With your own hands, you killed all the people who
trusted you till the very end. You took advantage of Nozdog’s loyalty and betrayed
him!”

[That might be the case. But their wills will not disappear. Right, in human terms, I
have inherited their will. What’s the difference between you and me?]

“Disgusting. So you’re crazy to the point of asking such a question. Don’t talk about
concepts you don’t understand.”

It was Anastasia who responded in a disdainful voice.

Then Lord shook his head.

[Hmm. I naturally don’t need your understanding.]

There was once again a sense of stability in Lord’s voice.

This was thanks to the divine power he’d absorbed from Nozdog. His divine power
was helping get rid of the bits of mana that were corrupting his body.
After all, Nozdog was powerful enough to be called an Apocalypse.

[Right. I understand now. So I was Michael. Ku-, Kuhuhu. How interesting. I was the
balance of the Celestial World…]

Paht!

White wings tore out of Lord’s back. He looked back at these wings before muttering.

[I don’t think I can lose anymore… So first, let’s take care of the bugs.]
[Urk…]

Lord suddenly felt nauseous. He collapsed to the ground while holding his chest.

[Urk! Wek…]

Tok, tok…

Then he vomited something.

It was a thick, viscous substance with a disgusting smell like it was something that
had almost been digested.

Moreover, this liquid was black and wriggled as though it was alive.

‘I’m not sure what’s happening.’

Lord was currently defenseless.

Seeing this, Ivan charged towards him. He wanted to take advantage of this opening.

He couldn’t help but think about the battle with Agni. Nora had lost her arm, and
Beniang risked her life to give him an opening, which he then used to land a punch.

He remembered the feeling he’d had at that time.

‘I can do it.’

After that battle with Agni, Ivan had done his best to perfect ‘Ivan’s Fist’, which had
become his trump card.
That fist was the limit of the path that Ivan pursued. But it was still incomplete. This
was proven by the fact that it hadn’t even been able to finish off the weakened Agni.

That was why he was confident now. This time would be different from back then.

If everything went well, he would be able to reach Lord’s core.

Kooo-

Ivan began condensing mana into his fist.

‘Not enough.’

He wouldn’t be able to do it with this much.

It had to be cleared. Denser. More compressed.

He would bear the burden for it on his own.

Fwoosh.

His hair seemed to have been turning white.

In a pure white world, Ivan recalled the path he’d walked on so far. At the end of his
teenage years, which could only be described as trash, he met a benefactor by the
name of Nora and was taught the Warrior King Fist.

He was talented, and for the first time in his life, he felt a sense of accomplishment.

It was on one faithful day when he found out about the Demigods.

-The secret of the Warrior King Fist.

It was to kill Demigods. That was what the martial art had been created for.

And the existence in front of him was now an amalgamation of almost every member
of this transcendent race to the extent that it wouldn’t be strange to call him The
Demigod.

As long as he killed him, everything would be over.

‘So I will steel my resolve.’

He wouldn’t swing his fist again.

For Ivan, who had devoted himself to the Warrior King Fist, he had more than
enough determination to give up his life.

This determination then created a miracle.

Jurk.

Blood flowed from Ivan’s lips. It wasn’t just his lips. Red blood flowed from his eyes,
nose, and even his ears.

Crunch.

He felt his molars crack, the veins in his eyeballs burst, and his eardrums tear.

If it wasn’t for this pain, he might have lost his mind by then.

Kooo-

And finally.

Ivan had gathered his ‘everything’ into his fist.

‘This is it.’

This fist was the limit of Ivan’s ability.

He looked at Lord with calm eyes. He could reach him with this. An unknown
conviction filled his heart at that moment.

Ivan swung his fist, his hand penetrating Lord’s body.

Clang.

“…”

Or, at least, that was what should have happened.

Ivan stared at the scene in front of him with disbelieving eyes.

There was nothing in front of him. But ‘Ivan’s Fist’ had been blocked.

He hadn’t even gotten the chance to reach Lord. In fact, Lord wasn’t even looking at
him. He was still wheezing on the ground with his back bent.

Nevertheless, Ivan’s fist had been blocked by an invisible wall.

“Kurk…”

The backlash came before he could even figure out what had just happened.

Ivan couldn’t swallow the bubble of blood that shot up from his throat. Blood and
pieces of his internal organs shot out from his mouth.

‘Impossible.’

He stared at his fist in disbelief. It felt like he had struck something that was
unimaginably hard.

It didn’t make sense.

In front of Ivan’s Fist, even the hardest metal in the world, Adamantium, which was
praised for its durability, would be torn apart like paper.

Then Lord, who had finished vomiting, wiped his mouth before saying.

[I already told you. I don’t think I can lose anymore.]

“What… the hell… did you do…?”

[I used my power. But it’s only natural that insects like you wouldn’t understand.]

Ivan couldn’t hold it anymore and collapsed to the ground. His stamina and strength
were already depleted.

He had literally put everything he had into that punch.

‘What the hell… kind of monster did he become?’

Ivan felt fear for the first time.

He cast a fearful gaze towards Lord, but Lord was still not paying any attention to
him. Instead, he was looking down at his vomit.

“Hup!”

The Great Medium gasped and stumbled backwards. She realised what Lord’s vomit
was.

“Th-, the Demigods…”

“What did you say?”

Anastasia was shocked by the Great Medium’s murmur. She hurriedly observed the
black liquid.

Kuaaah-

This disgusting, viscous liquid, which she’d thought was vomit, was covered in
numerous ‘face’-like bubbles.

It was like grieving ghosts had become tangled together, forming a liquid and
becoming prisoners in a hell-like place where the punishment never ended.

Even Anastasia, who had witnessed numerous horrifying scenes before, could not
help but feel cold at the sight.

“What the hell did you do?”

[They no longer have divine power. So I filtered them out… As you saw, having
multiple egos coexisting in one body is very dangerous.]

Lord’s voice was emotionless.

This caused Anastasia to feel that the being in front of them was not ‘Lord’ but an
entirely new being.

“But they were once your kind. Are you really saying this is okay? Are you really
going to throw away the people who trusted you and followed you for so long in such
a way? That’s a fate more miserable than dying.”

[You’re wrong.]

Crack!

Lord stomped on the vomit without any changes to his expression.

Power from the soles of his feet spread deep into the vomit.

Kuaah-

The Demigods screamed even more painfully.

Lord spoke without any fluctuations in his voice.

[How can you call beings without divine power Demigods?]

“You… you are even more disgusting that the vomit you just spat out.”

It was Dro who spoke with a disgusted voice.

Lord tilted his head as though he couldn’t understand those words.

[That’s strange. Why are you baring your teeth at me? You were in the same situation
as me. Lucifer and Dragon Lord. I don’t think you separated the cores because you
wanted to be separate beings. You did it because your two powerful egos were
unable to coexist in one body. I also got this idea from your actions.]

“Don’t equate our decision to your disgusting actions.”

[You don’t understand that it’s just a difference of perspective.]

Lord shrugged nonchalantly before looking at Dro and saying.

[And from now on, it would be best if you watched your mouth.]

“Quit your bullshit, you son of a bitch.”

Ivan growled, spitting out a mouthful of blood. This was his step of courage to not be
devoured by fear.

Ivan’s courage was certainly something to be admired. It was possible that his body
and mind were in a situation much worse than any human had ever encountered. To
swear at Lord in this state was something no one would dare do.

However, Ivan’s courage didn’t work in his favor.

Lord looked down at this man who was barely conscious and nodded.

[Then you can disappear.]

Lord’s words immediately became a reality.

Paht.

Ivan disappeared.

By the time the people in the room noticed, he was no longer in the throne room.

“Huh?”

Anastasia exclaimed softly.

Ivan’s entire existence had disappeared, as if he’d evaporated, as if an invisible force

had agreed with Lord’s words.

It wasn’t just Ivan. Even the blood he’d shed had disappeared.

Flap!

Lord spread his wings.

This sight caused the Great Medium to be momentarily speechless. This was because
for a moment, this being, who seemed to shine with a holy light, looked like an Angel,
an Apostle of God, or even God itself.

‘It’s not possible!’

The Great Medium only froze for a moment before she immediately discarded those
thoughts.

God’s Apostle?

This disgusting creature?

She would never accept it. As the Great Medium who had devoutly served God for
hundreds of years, she wholeheartedly denied Lord’s existence.

“What the hell is your goal? Do you intend to rule this world alone, with no one by
your side? Do you really think such a life is worth living?”

[I do not intend to rule.]

Lord had naturally given up such a foolish goal. He closed his eyes and muttered.

[I will meet God.]

“What…?”

[However, he is very busy. He never shows up unless he absolutely has to.]

After saying this, Lord paused for a moment.

He recalled the extremely unusual case of God’s appearance to meet an individual

named Lukas Trowman.

He wondered just what their conversation was about for a moment before shaking
his head and continuing.

[…so I will create a ‘special situation’. A special situation that will force him to make
an appearance.]

“A special situation…”

[I will destroy every world. And return the world to the state of nothingness just like
in the beginning.]

“…!!!”
Everyone there was shocked by his words.

Destroy the world?

Return it to nothingness?

These were normally ridiculous statements. But it was Lord who said them.

He definitely had the power to do what he said.

More importantly, he meant it. Lord was serious about destroying the world.

‘This is Lord’s real goal.’

Cold sweat dripped down their backs.

She understood what he said, but Anastasia couldn’t stop herself from arguing.

“Yo-, you’re insane… Then you’ll die too! Regardless of how strong you are now, you
wouldn’t be able to maintain your body if the world didn’t exist!”

[Did you forget? I have a world of my own.]

“…no way.”

[The Abyss.]

Lord laughed.

[There are currently guests who are using it without permission, but it won’t be hard
for me to break through the walls they set up. I will wait there. For thousands or
even tens of thousands of years… until God comes. Then, after meeting him, I will
make a suggestion. To rebuild the world.]

Lord’s eyes shined. It was as though he was already looking at the newly created
world instead of the beings in front of him.

[I’m certain that the newly created world will be a paradise. I’ll make sure it is.
Right… it would be nice if I could recreate my kind as well.]
“…do you really intend to become God’s Apostle?”

[I’d prefer that.]

“…God might not appear in the end.”

[Then I’ll make it myself. Of course, it might take tens of thousands of years, but… it
would be fun. I told your dead friend before: creation is not impossible for me any
longer.]

He was serious when he said this as well.

It was only then when those remaining in the room realised just what kind of being
they were fighting against.

Maybe Lord was a god.

It was hard for them to call a being whom they had never seen or heard before and
who didn’t even seem to care about what was happening, God.

Lord, on the other hand, was a god of destruction who could kill hundreds of
thousands of people in an instant.

[Of course, you would be long dead by then, Dro.]

In the next instant, Dro’s body floated into the air.

This was Lord’s power.

Dro didn’t struggle uselessly. Instead, he bit his lip and quickly used Dragontongue.

<Stop.>

[Reject.]

“…!!”

The Dragontongue was deflected.

Instead, it was the body of the one who used it that had been bound.
Dro’s jaw dropped in shock.

“How the hell did you cancel out my Dragontongue?”

[I don’t know what power it is. I’m just imitating.]

So this was the power that Lukas was using.

As he had this thought, Lord looked at Dro’s shocked expression.

“What do you…”

[You don’t deserve to know. Shut up and give me your heart.]

Shik!

With those words, a heart was pulled out of Dro’s chest, covered in blood and still
beating.

“Ku-, uk…”

Dro shook with his eyes wide open before he stopped moving completely.

He was dead.

Dro’s artificial body had strong vitality. But the power source at the core of its vitality
was the heart.

If he had lost another vital part, he would not have died so easily.

Lord gestured lightly.

[Come, my last piece.]

The heart slowly floated towards Lord.

‘If we just leave it.’

‘It’s over.’
Jekid and Anastasia exchanged glances. Then they threw themselves toward Lord at
the same time.

[Get lost.]

Their bodies were sent flying in an instant.

As they’d expected this, they bounced up immediately and charged again.

[Fall.]

Terrible pressure landed on their bodies. Unable to overcome this pressure, they
collapsed face-first into the ground.

In an instant, it felt like gravity had increased by hundreds of times.

The pressure was so strong that the ground around them shattered.

[This power is pretty good.]

Although, it was a bit annoying to admit it himself.

Lord turned to look at the Great Medium who was standing in a corner and asked.

[What will you do?]

“…”

[Right. Just stay still. In a way, you might be the smartest bug here.]

The end was finally there.

A smile appeared on Lord’s face. He stretched out to the heart that was finally within
reach.

The Dragon Lord’s heart. This alone could have been called a supreme treasure, but
for Lord, it was a simple shell.

The shell which hid the core that Lord was searching for.
The last piece that he wanted so badly was kept in this very heart.

[…]

Or, at least, it should have been.

Lord’s expression stiffened.

[…what’s going on?]

It wasn’t there. There was no core.

Just when he’d thought it was impossible, another accident occurred.

[…]

Naturally, the image of a woman appeared in the mind of Lord who stood there as
though he’d been frozen.

Iris Phisfounder.

The person who’d created Dro’s artificial body.

[…where did you hide it…]

His voice seemed to rumble with anger, like an active volcano that was about to
erupt.

Lord clenched his fist tightly.

Bang!

The Dragon Heart exploded, sending blood flying in every direction.

[Where did you hide the balance’s core, Iris?!]

“I have it.”

[…]
Lord turned around slowly, his expression still one of extreme rage.

No, it was so distorted that even ‘rage’ was not enough to describe it.

Lukas Trowman was standing there calmly as if he’d been there from the beginning.

He looked at Lord’s distorted expression before pointing to his chest. He pointed to

the last arrangement of Iris, who had brought him back from the dead and whose
soul was inches away from disappearing.

“I have the balance’s core.”

“Kuk…”

It felt like her consciousness was slowly fading. Anastasia wanted to get up, but
because of the pressure on her back, such a task was impossible.

The force of this pressure was beyond imagination.

If it weren’t for the fact that she was a Golem, her body would definitely have been
crushed by now.

‘Shit!’

She couldn’t help but shed some tears because of her helplessness.

Anastasia forcibly raised her head.

She knew that it was pointless. Nonetheless, she couldn’t help but take a look.

Then she saw an illusion. In her blurry vision that seemed as though it would fade at
any time, she thought she saw Lukas.

‘Ha-, hahaha.’

Right. It was definitely an illusion.

Anastasia was certain that somewhere in her heart, she was desperately hoping for
Lukas’ help. She was hoping that he’d suddenly appear and overcome this helpless
situation.

But she was simply escaping her responsibility. No. She was doing nothing more than
denying the reality.
Anastasia felt so disgusted in herself that she wanted to vomit.

Lukas wasn’t a god. In other words, he wasn’t someone whom she could just
conveniently cry out to whenever she was in trouble.

Besides, looking at this illusion.

It wasn’t ‘Frey Blake’; it was ‘Lukas Trowman’. What was the probability that he, who
Lord said was already dead, would suddenly appear with his appearance from 4,000
years ago?

At this critical moment.

‘It’s so childish that it wouldn’t even be written in the story of a great hero.’

That’s why she was certain that this was an illusion.

Anastasia’s vision faded.

And even if it wasn’t.

If what she had just seen was not an illusion.

If that person was really Lukas.

And if he’d come to save them…

‘It’s a little… late.’

With that thought, Anastasia lost consciousness.

***

[…]

Lord felt his Endtongue slowly dissipate.

This wasn’t because he stopped it. Instead, it was because Lukas had negated his
pressure.
This wasn’t surprising. Especially if this man was truly Lukas.

Before long, the pressure that had been pressing Anastasia and Jekid to the floor
completely disappeared. Nevertheless, neither of them got to their feet. The two of
them had already lost consciousness.

Of course, Lord had completely lost interest in them.

[Right. So that’s what happened.]

His attention was only focused on Lukas.

This man, who should have died after he took most of his divine power, was now
standing in front of him once again.

This wasn’t a condition that could’ve been cured.

It was different from an injury to his body. The scars that had been dealt to his soul
itself should have taken a very long time to heal. Furthermore, the wounds that he’d
dealt to Lukas’ soul should have been fatal.

Time should have done nothing more than accelerate his death.

But he was still alive. More importantly, he reappeared in front of him in perfect
condition.

With the balance’s core. The power that he’d given everything to obtain.

Lord’s distorted expression slowly softened. He regained his composure.

This situation was actually much better than he expected. If that Witch, Iris, had
been determined to hide the core, then even Lord would have spent a very long time
looking for it.

However, the core had now appeared in front of him without requiring any effort.

The reason for his rage and impatience had completely disappeared.

But now that he had more time to think, his suspicion increased.
Lord tilted his head to the side and said.

[But why did you appear before me again?]

He was genuinely curious.

He continued as he looked at Lukas who was silently looking back at him.

[I figured where Iris took you… It was the broken Celestial World. It is a world that
had already been destroyed and was filled with space debris. Had you not left, you
might have been able to enjoy some false happiness for a moment.]

“…”

[Isn’t that what Iris wanted?]

“I’m sure it was.”

[Then why? Why did you come here just to die a dog’s death?]

“What’s the point of living in a fake illusion?”

Lukas paused for a moment before shaking his head.

“…no. I might make sense to you. But I don’t want that. Reality is much more
important to me, and I can’t ignore the suffering of those who are close to me.”

[Hoh…]

“That’s why I can’t just sit at the side and watch you do as you please.”

After saying this, Lukas seemed to remember something.

“And it will be you, not me, who will die.”

[Ku-, kuhuhu…]

Lord burst into laughter.

Right. He thought this would be the case.

For some reason, he felt that this situation was very familiar. Similar to when the
humans here had driven him into a corner.

Lord had been unable to completely hide his irritation at the time. But he’d never
thought he was going to die.

This was because something important had been missing. He wasn’t sure what it
was.

However, Lord believed that there was only one being in the entire world who had
the chance to kill him. In the end, he believed that there was only one person who
could block the path to his goal.

He thought he’d killed him, but maybe he was still hoping he was alive.

He finally understood why.

The others weren’t good enough. They were still missing something.

And he wasn’t just talking about strength.

[In the end, you are my final enemy. Lukas Trowman.]

There was a hint of joy in Lord’s voice as he said those words.

On the other hand, Lukas was looking down at the ground. He was looking at the
vomit that Lord spat out.

“…did you spit them out yourself?”

[And if I did?]

“To throw away your own duty. You’ve done something pathetic and foolish. More
importantly, you haven’t even realised what you’ve done.”

[What are you talking about?]

“Right… I see.”

Lukas muttered indifferently before looking up.

“Let’s go somewhere else.”

Paht.

With just those words, their surroundings changed. It was as though all of the colors
in the world had been reversed. Or like the world had been flipped upside down.

Lord felt dizzy for a moment, and by the time the feeling faded, he realised that he
was in an entirely new place.

[…]

His expression stiffened.

This was because he couldn’t understand what Lukas had just done.

Was this the power of 10 stars?

Did he just use the power of Endtongue?

‘It’s similar.’

Right. It was similar. But it was not the same power.

Lord looked at Lukas.

His figure, which was still standing there indifferently, suddenly appeared extremely
large. And it felt like he was releasing an unknown pressure.

It was as if darkness was covering Lukas’ body. And this darkness was looking at him
hungrily with its drooling mouth wide open.

‘What’s going on? This feeling… ’

He wanted to turn his head. He didn’t want to face this gaze. If possible, he even
wanted to leave this place.

Lord immediately understood his feelings.

‘Am I afraid?’
He immediately denied it.

That was impossible.

There was no reason for him to feel an emotion that he’d never felt once since birth.
Especially after he’d reached his most perfect form.

[Where is this place?]

“An unnamed island in the western part of the continent.”

[Why did you bring me here?]

“There is no life in this area.”

[I see. But this place is a bit too lackluster to be the stage for our final fight.]

His lips curled up as he continued. (TL: At this point, just assume that Lord’s face is
clearly visible)

[This will be my final trial. Lukas Trowman, I will kill you here.]

“…you still haven’t realised.”

Lukas sighed.

Lord furrowed his eyebrows at his attitude.

[What is with your attitude? Are you looking down on me?]

“What would you do if that was the case?”

[…the scars on your soul are definitely still there. Don’t tell me that you already
forgot who was the one that drove your existence to the brink of extinction.]

Lukas looked at Lord and said,

“At least it’s not you.”

[Bullshit!]
It was only then when Lord finally realised what the strange sense that he’d been
getting since Lukas had reappeared had come from.

Lukas’ attitude towards him had changed. It had changed as though he was dealing
with an opponent who was clearly beneath him instead of one that he’d have to give
his all to defeat.

Lukas’ cold, indifferent expression proved that.

Without even caring about Lord’s harsh tone, he continued to murmur calmly.

“I thought a lot before I came here. I thought that this would be my final battle with
you, that whoever won would be gravely wounded. However… that’s not the case.
The greatest struggle is already over.”

Right.

He thought that it would be just like his fight with Lord in Hell.

“I came here prepared to lose.”

[That’s natural. At the very least, all of the islands in this area will sink.]

The two fiercest fights that Lord had ever fought were against the Dragon Lord and
Lukas. This battle would be no less bloody than those two.

Or at least, that is what he thought, and he believed that Lukas thought so as well.

“But I realised the moment I saw you. As soon as I saw your vomit. The current you
cannot defeat me.”

[What?]

“But this doesn’t make me feel good. Rather, I feel empty.”

[…]

Lord couldn’t bear to listen to any more of his nonsense.

He called out in a harsh voice.

[That’s enough of your bullshit. I already know how to use your power… Get lost.]

The power of Endtongue was clearly activated.

And Lord was convinced that this power would be able to break Lukas’ composure.

But nothing happened.

[Get lost!]

He said it again.

Nevertheless, Lukas didn’t even budge. Rather, he even began walking towards Lord.

[What is…]

“As long as you have those wings on your back, you will never be able to defeat me.
Your essence has already changed.”

[What…?]

Lord looked back at his wings with a blank expression.

Lukas sighed again.

“You are no longer a Demigod. You still haven’t realised that.”

[Of course I know that! But what does that have to do with anything?]

Lord shouted with bloodshot eyes.

[The fact that I’m no longer a Demigod has nothing to do with killing you! They just
became a burden anyway! Why should I carry around that trash that made me go
crazy when combined with my broken psyche?]

“…”
Clear disappointment appeared on Lukas’ face. This expression enraged Lord even
more.

“…is that something that the leader of a species would say? Furthermore, you don’t
even seem to realise that you’ve become a different being.”

[Of course I have! I have evolved!]

“You haven’t. Instead, it can be said that you degenerated. At least here in the Mortal
World… Think about the demons.”

[The demons?]

He couldn’t understand.

However, when he heard what Lukas said next, Lord’s expression hardened
considerably.

“Are they able to use their full power here on the Continent? Even Lucifer only
managed to circumvent this law after fusing with the Dragon Lord. After he obtained
the core of the balance. What about you? You’re the balance of the celestial world,
who killed Lucifer and absorbed Satan’s core. Do you really think you could exert
your full strength here in the Mortal World?”

[…]

“It had been possible a while ago. You could have used all the power you wanted. And
there’s only one reason why it was possible… the Demigods. The presence of those
you treated like burdens was what supported you.”

[…!!!]

The Demigods.

Even if they thought that they were fragments of the will of the world, no one could
deny that they were beings born in the Mortal World.

Because he had consumed dozens of these transcendent beings, he had been able to
use unlimited power in the Mortal World. Until then, the laws of this world still
considered Lord as a Demigod.
But that was no more.

[U-, uhh…]

Lord stumbled backwards.

He recalled the vomit he’d just spat out.

The race he’d abandoned had been calling his name.

‘Lo… rd… ’

‘Spare us… ’

‘Ku-, kuuk… juk… ’

Lukas got closer to Lord, who had collapsed on the ground, and delivered the final
truth.

“And now, you are no longer Lord.”

[What do you…]

“‘Lord’ is there.”

While saying this, Lukas pointed to the puddle of black liquid. It was only then when
Lord realised that Lukas had also brought his vomit to the island, but he couldn’t
concentrate on that fact.

Among the faces that appeared like bubbles in the black liquid, he suddenly saw
‘that’ face. The face of ‘Lord’. The round, egg-like face without any features. (TL: well
that explains the sudden facial features)

[A-, ahhh-?!]

“…you should have kept carrying your people. Even if the path was painful, you never
should have given up on carrying them.”

Lukas and Lord had something in common.

They were different in many ways, but both of them had successfully brought their
souls to a new level.

But there was also a difference.

Lukas abandoned his humanity, but he didn’t forget that he was human. But Lord
abandoned the Demigods and forgot that he was Demigod.

He’d forgotten his essence. He’d given up the responsibility that he should have held
till death.

Just to be comfortable, Lord had chosen to run away.

And this was the price.

“You gained the powers of an Angel. You must have wanted to showcase your
absolute power to the humans. It wouldn’t be impossible for them to wallow in
hopelessness and despair after witnessing the power of my Endtongue.”

However.

Lukas looked down at Lord as he continued.

“But such power means nothing to a being who is your equal.”

[Sh-, shut up!]

Lord screamed and rushed wildly towards Lukas.

Looking at him, Lukas simply muttered.

“…we won’t have a fight. You have already thrown away that possibility.”

[Th-, then. What am I?]

Was he saying that wasn’t the trash?

If that was the real Lord…

Then who was he?

Was ‘he’, the one who was currently controlling the body, the trash?

[A-, ahhh! Aaaak! Lu-, Lukas-!]

Lord screamed madly as he rushed towards Lukas.

And on this small, unnamed island, what happened next, as Lukas said, was not a
fight.
[U-, uaack-!]

The first instinct of this transcendent being who had been alive for tens of thousands
of years was to charge forward. A mad dash with no skill or finesse.

Even so, his figure was not easy to keep up with.

While Lord’s mind was extremely unstable, his physical strength was still
astonishing. His power was enough to shake the small island violently as he moved.

Boom!

But he still wasn’t able to reach Lukas. In fact, Lord realised that he was the one who
had been the most affected by his charge.

[Uwaa-!]

Lord roared as he swung his fists recklessly. But it seemed impossible for him to
break the invisible walls surrounding Lukas.

It was incredibly humiliating for him as Lukas just kept looking at him with an
indifferent gaze.

And at the same time, Lord realised.

He was now experiencing the same thing he’d put Ivan through moments earlier.

[This can’t be happening!]

Lord shouted with bloodshot eyes.

Even though he knew he couldn’t reach him, he didn’t stop swinging his fists. He
couldn’t even think properly anymore.

Lukas felt bad just looking at him.

[I-, I can’t be trash! Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for this moment? How
much I sacrificed?]

“You weren’t the one to make the sacrifices; it was the Demigods.”

[I am a Demigod!]

Lord’s mind was already on the verge of collapse.

He knew that everything Lukas had said was true. He knew it, but he couldn’t accept
it.

His pride couldn’t’ tolerate it.

He couldn’t tolerate the fact that the real ‘Lord’ was currently in the vomit he spat
out while he was just the trash that remained in the body.

“As I said before, you are no longer…”

[Shut up!]

Lord interrupted Lukas.

Lukas looked at him with a solemn gaze.

Up until that point, Lord had believed everything was in the palm of his hand. He
hadn’t realised that that was not the case, that he had lost everything instead.

His identity as a Demigod.

The people who trusted him and followed him blindly.

And the name Lord.

It was strange that he hadn’t gone crazy considering the obsession he had with the
Demigod race in the past. In fact, he would have preferred to go crazy. But the strong
mental power that came as a result of his transcendent body was hindering him.

[Kuaah!-!]

Lord’s fists shoot violently. Blood was coming out of his fists, but he didn’t seem to
realise.

To Lukas, it looked like he was struggling with his own body.

“I won’t be sympathetic. You brought this upon yourself. You are no longer the being
called Lord.”

[I said shut up-!]

His punches were no different from the tantrum of a child.

So Lukas waited.

It was easy to kill him, but he decided to wait first. Lukas could already see Lord’s
end.

A terrible and miserable end, unbefitting of the power he had, awaited him.

[Uwa-, ahh…]

Lord’s movements gradually began to slow down.

It didn’t feel like a lot of time had passed, but it did.

His burning emotions had cooled over time. Especially his anger.

Even when he swung his fists, Lord did not stop thinking. No. It would be more
accurate to say that he couldn’t stop.

He constantly agonised over why this was happening to him. And eventually, he had
no choice but to accept the conclusion he had been avoiding.

Thump.
Lord collapsed.

He stared into the sky with a blank gaze, as though he’d lost his soul.

[…I didn’t want this to happen.]

His cracked voice showed none of the power he’d just displayed.

[…what the hell have I done? Tell me, Great Mage.]

“You betrayed those who believed in you.”

[And?]

“You threw them aside when they were struggling in pain.”

[And?]

“…you cursed the people who died for you.”

[Hu-, huhuhu…]

Lord let out a crazy laugh.

For a while, the sound of his deflated laugh resonated across the island.

Then, Lord turned around in a hurry. It was like he was looking for something.

Then, he finally spotted the vomit that he himself had spat out.

[A-, ahh…]

Lord crawled towards the vomit. He grabbed the black liquid with both hands and
pulled it closer to himself.

He looked at his own people who he’d abandoned.

[I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… H-, huk…]

“…”
[I didn’t mean to do this… I… I just…]

Where did it go wrong?

Lord’s head was filled with questions.

Not so long ago, the Demigods were Lord’s everything. He would have done anything
for them to the point of even sacrificing himself.

However, at some point, his beliefs had changed. He no longer looked at the
Demigods equally. He began to distinguish between the superior and inferior
Demigods.

It all started from that small crack.

Useful and useless Demigods. Strong and weak Demigods.

He shouldn’t have evaluated and separated his people into groups like that.
Differentiation resulted in discrimination, and discrimination became contempt.

And at some point, contempt became hatred.

-Because

Lord himself was the best. He was stronger than all of the other Demigods combined.

As he kept separating the Demigods in such a way, he eventually reached the

extreme conclusion that every Demigod apart from him was useless. He felt that it
was more ‘efficient’ to just absorb them.

He should have loved every Demigod equally. And should have regarded them as his
precious kin.

That was the way Lord had been for tens of thousands of years. He’d carried out his
responsibilities with great success.

But at the most important moment, he’d failed to do so.

[…the Demigods faced an unprecedented crisis.]

This era was a crisis for the Demigods.

A Demigod would die every thousand years or so, and the forces who rebelled
against them were unexpectedly powerful.

And at the center of this crisis was a single man.

[We couldn’t overcome it in the end, and so we eventually fell. Lukas, what do you
think was the reason?]

“The Demigods followed the wrong leader.”

Lord pursed his lips slightly.

[So you think it’s my fault.]

“Your fault is the biggest. But I can’t say that the Demigods who died were
completely innocent.”

[Why? They are only guilty of following an incompetent leader.]

“That’s their fault. There can never be a perfect leader. Everyone makes mistakes,
and at times, we make the wrong decisions. Can you really call it loyalty if they nod
their heads even at those times? Sometimes, it’s necessary to point out your leader’s
faults.”

Lukas looked down at Lord and said.

“But someone did do that.”

[…!]

Lord shook for a moment before lowering his head.

[…huhu. And I killed him with my own hands.]

Lord’s face, which was smiling despondently, suddenly distorted.

[Urk… urk!]
Then, he started retching once again.

Lukas’ eyebrows furrowed as he realised what he was going to do.

[Uwek!]

Lord vomited again. But this time, it wasn’t black liquid.

Tuk… tuk.

Instead, it was fresh blood that soaked the ground in front of him.

[Uwek… uwek!]

There was nothing wrong with his body because Lukas didn’t do anything to him.
Instead, Lord was willingly vomiting blood at that moment.

What was it that he was trying to spit out?

The answer to this question was revealed in the next moment.

[Uwek!]

Clink…

Two shiny gems, covered in blood, rolled across the ground to Lukas’ feet.

They were Satan’s core.

…And Michael’s core.

“Do you know what you’ve done?”

[…I spit out all the cores.]

“That’s no different from ripping out your own heart. Why are you giving up your
own life?”

[…]
Lord turned to look at the black liquid once again.

Then he picked it up and started stuffing it in his own mouth. He was trying to put
the vomit back into his stomach.

Seeing this, Lukas spoke in a soft tone.

“Stop. You should know how foolish that is. The moment you spat them out, they
already died. The bubbles are nothing more than a simple phenomenon… Nothing
will change even if you swallow them again after spitting out the cores. It’s no use
crying over spilled milk.”

[…I know that. But I still want to.]

“Are you saying that you want to die as a Demigod?”

Lord paused.

Because this could be considered a classic phrase. He recalled what Lukas Trowman
had said at that time.

‘If you take away my divine power, I can die as a human.’

He hadn’t understood what he meant at that time. He was going to die anyway, so
what was the point of dying as a human?

Lord’s question was understandable.

After all, he was a transcendent, an absolute. He’d never thought deeply about death.

It was only now while Lord was dying when he understood Lukas’ feelings at that
time.

‘Is this what he meant? It should be.’

How would he die?

This question was so important that it was comparable to his near eternity of a life.

Lord slowly put down the liquid in his hands.

[…I don’t deserve to. As you said, I am trash who betrayed the trust of my people.]

“…”

[Would it have been different if we were like the humans? You all have always been
the one facing the crises, and you’ve shown great unity for a long time. At the same
time, individuals with extraordinary talent would often appear among you as if they
had been guided by fate… Would we have had a different end if we were the same?]

Lukas never expected to hear Lord praise the humans at the end. There was even a
hint of genuine envy in his voice.

That’s why Lukas gave him an honest answer.

“Not every human is like that.”

[…]

“But maybe you would have had a less miserable end.”

[It’s not about the species. It’s about character. What a great answer.]

Lord could tell that Lukas had discarded his bias. He had also indirectly answered
that the Demigods could have been a better race.

[Haha.]

Suddenly, a laugh came from his throat, like wind leaking out of a balloon.

It was hard not to laugh.

The two beings here. The strongest Human and the strongest Demigod could only
understand each other after their essences had changed.

[Where did it go wrong…]

Lord lowered his head.

He had already vomited all of the Demigods and the balance cores.
Now, death was the only thing that remained for this being without organs or blood.

“…”

Lukas looked down at Lord, realising he was already dead.

Psss-

The glow, which had been ever-present, gradually faded, and before long, Lord’s
entire body was bleached gray.

It was similar to Riki’s death. Like ashes, his body broke apart before scattering into
the wind.

Suddenly.

Everything stopped.

Thud.

Lukas realised that it wasn’t just the items he could see that had frozen, but even
time and space had.

Originally, not even Lukas would have realised that time had stopped. Regardless of
his new state as a transcendent being.

Because the only being who could stop time and space was the only true absolute
existence in this world.

[I knew we’d meet again.]

God laughed as he said those words.

“…Were you sure that we’d meet again because you’re God?”

[No way. Sure, it’s not hard to see the future, but I don’t have the time to observe it.
Let’s just say I had a feeling.]

“I wanted to meet you.”

[I know. You want to ask for an absurd favor.]

Lukas’ eyes shook.

[Iris Phisfounder. You want to revive a soul that’s almost completely broken. Do you
know how ridiculous that is?]

“Is it impossible even for you?”

[That’s not a question you should ask God. There are very few things that are
impossible for me.]

“…”

[But I can’t just do that for you.]

“Tell me what you want. I’ll do anything I can.”

Luke glanced down at the two gems Lord had spat out. These gems then rose up to
float in front of Lukas’ face.

[Swallow these two cores.]

“…then what will happen?”

[Nothing big will happen. You’ll become much stronger, but it’s not really that
remarkable in my opinion. However, you will gain the qualification.]

“What qualification?”

[The qualification to travel between universes.]

God continued in a sincere voice.

[Lukas Trowman, I’ll make you an ‘Absolute’. So leave ‘this universe’ with me.]

***

God mentioned absolutes and the universe.

But Lukas had a feeling that the concepts God was talking about were different from
what he knew.

Not minding Lukas’ silence, God opened his mouth again.

[I’m busy. I told you this the other day. Have you ever wondered, ‘just what the hell is
God doing that he doesn’t care about the world?’]

“I have.”

He couldn’t help but nod.

It always felt like a contradiction for this being to say he had no time to take care of
the world because he was busy.

It was already clear that this being in front of him was the creator.

So was there anything more important to such a god than caring for and managing
the world he created?

A smile appeared on God’s face as he said.

[Think of the largest number you can possibly imagine.]

“…”
[Then multiply that number by 100 million.]

“…what are you trying to say.”

[It must have been an astronomical number. Right?]

That was obvious.

Lukas kept his mouth closed because he couldn’t understand his intentions.

[What if there were even more worlds than that number you thought of? What if this
world you live and breathe in can only be counted as a grain of sand on a beach?]

“…!!”

Lukas felt like he’d been struck in the head by a bolt of lightning. He finally
understood what God was trying to say.

“That’s… impossib-”

[It’s not. Don’t you remember? I called the Demon World and the Celestial World
neighbouring worlds… This is because as long as you meet certain conditions, you
can travel freely between them. The three worlds, including the Mortal World, are
closely related to each other. It’s no different from being born together, so they could
even be called siblings. But this is just a small group. From a broader perspective,
there are countless worlds like them in the universe.]

“…”

[Seeing it once is better than a hundred explanations. Experience it yourself.]

Then.

A new world unfolded before Lukas’ eyes.

Fwoosh-

“…!!!”

Lukas stared at the scene in front of him with wide eyes.

Before him was a world that far surpassed anything he could have imagined in his
long life.

Large buildings that rose high into the sky, wagons made of metal, and pieces of
metal that flew around in the sky. There was also a variety of humans walking
around the streets wearing clothes he’d never seen before.

While Lukas was speechlessly observing this incredible world, the scene in front of
him changed again.

He was in a completely black world. Large rocks floated here and there, and
countless stars shined like jewels.

This was space.

Then he saw ships. Ships as large as cities were fighting, shooting beams of light at
each other.

“Ahh…”

Lukas couldn’t help but gasp in admiration.

He didn’t know what the principles were or how they were made. But he could tell.

These ships were the creation of truly developed scientific civilizations that far
surpassed his imagination.

They had discovered the universe. An extremely cold space where air didn’t exist. It
was so cold that even the Snowfields in the north were only a slight chill when
compared to the coldness of the universe.

They had set foot in this unknown world. They had made such a great advancement
using nothing but science.

How was there such an amazing civilization?

Suddenly, his vision changed again.

This time, he could see two humans dressed in white and black clothes respectively.
Both were old people covered in wrinkles with oriental features.
They were confronting each other in a forest with falling leaves swirling around
them. Both with swords in their hands.

When their eyes finally met…

Clang!

“…!”

Lukas was shocked once again.

It was only the first collision, but he realised that their power was beyond
imagination.

‘Transcendents? No.’

They were humans. Human beings with flesh and blood.

But he still couldn’t believe it.

Could something like that really be achieved with the human body?

They were even stronger than Kasajin and Ivan, two of the best Magic Warriors
whom Lukas knew.

Their blades seemed to contain the secrets of nature. Perhaps it was even
comparable to the 10 stars level he’d stepped into.

He saw dozens of worlds after that.

It wasn’t just humans. He even saw worlds where beings who had bizarre features
that could hardly be described with words were civilized and intelligent. They all
had built their own lives and cultures that could not have been made up.

Soon, the images God showed him ended.

“Huk, huk…”

Lukas couldn’t control his breathing for a while.

That was how shocked he was.

This was no longer at the level of broadening his knowledge. He had literally seen
alternate worlds. Not one, or dozens, but hundreds of them.

If it was an ordinary human being, their brain might have melted because they could
not grasp such a vast amount of information.

[Now, do you believe me?]

“…”

[Huhu.]

God couldn’t help but smile when he saw Lukas’ speechless face.

[Then I’ll continue with my explanation. Most of the worlds you just saw are
independent universes. In fact, there aren’t many worlds that can be traversed as you
please like your world.]

“…that sounds like a very big secret. Can you really tell me that?”

[You have reached the basic qualifications to be an Absolute, so you deserve to know.
Of course, you are a special case. This is something that even Lucifer didn’t know.]

“…”

Lukas forcibly swallowed his saliva before asking.

“What exactly is an ‘Absolute’?”

[The balance of the cosmic scale, the being seeking harmony, the saviour of the weak,
and the apostle of God. They are usually mortals who become strong in a world that
has lost its balance, and so, they can’t help but undertake the role of eradicating evil.]

“Why do you need such a being?”

[To save suffering universes.]

God looked around the island, but he wasn’t looking at the island; he was looking at
something larger. He was looking at the entire continent.

[You may not believe it, but such stability is rare. In terms of percentage, they make
up only 0.001% of the total.]

“This world? Stable?”

[That’s right. Most of the universes are like hell for the weak. Demigods? Huht. They
are nothing compared to real monsters.]

God flicked his finger.

Then, a new image appeared before Lukas’ eyes.

“…this.”

It was a terrible sight.

He was looking at a dark, small room. In this room was a small, filthy cage.

And there were humans inside the cage.

No. Could they even be called human?

They were so fat that it was impossible for them to even stand. It was fine to just call
them balls of flesh.

More importantly, they had lifeless eyes.

Then, another being appeared. It was a small, insect-like being who observed the
humans in the cage before slitting the throat of one of them with its hand.

“…!”

It didn’t seem to care about the blood that spurted out. It simply grabbed the human
whom it had slaughtered and dragged it away.

Even up to that point, the other humans did not move. They just ate the food in the
bowls in front of them like pigs.
[They are born on a farm and die on the farm. In a confined space where it is difficult
to even twist their bodies, they eat the food that comes out at a fixed time. And when
they’ve fattened up enough, they are slaughtered and eaten.]

“…”

[They also had egos at first. But they lost the war of fate, and this was the result.
They have been living like livestock for years, and their intelligence has degenerated.
As you can see, they are no different from animals.]

Lukas bit his lip.

Intense rage towards this insect-like race soared in his heart as he saw them treating
humans like livestock.

If he could have interfered, he would have torn this being apart in an instant.

Only then did he vaguely understand that the Demigods were truly nothing. The
Demigods’ goal had always been domination.

Of course, he would never have forgiven them for treating humans like bugs, but they
were still better than these bastards.

Their goal was breeding and slaughtering. Something absolutely blasphemous to an

intellectual race.

God laughed when he saw the look in Lukas’ eyes.

[Your views are still biased.]

“Are they?”

[Right. Your obsession with humans is still beyond imagination. This is not a virtue
an Absolute should have.]

“…you are certain that I’ll become an Absolute.”

[That’s right. It’s not just about Iris Phisfounder. I’m certain you know. That leaving
is a positive thing for you… and for this universe.]
“…”

God’s words penetrated Lukas’ heart like a cold blade.

They were correct.

Change was about to begin. Perhaps it had already started.

That inner voice that he’d heard that day. The thought that manifested when he first
became a transcendent being.

It was a problem that Lukas had been agonising over ever since, but he still had not
thought of a countermeasure.

For now, it was still fine.

As God said, he still had a biased view towards the humans. This was proof that
Lukas did not forget that he was also human.

But that wouldn’t last long.

‘The second Lord. Perhaps I would be even worse.’

That was why Lukas wanted to revive Iris as soon as possible. If too much time
passed, perhaps the sympathy and sadness he had for her would also disappear.

Lukas, who had been silent, finally spoke heavily.

“…after becoming an Absolute, will I be able to return to this world someday?”

[No.]

God’s answer came immediately.

Then he looked at Lukas’ face and elaborated.

[This isn’t to say that it’s absolutely impossible. Something dangerous might happen
here that might require the intervention of an Absolute. However, everything has a
‘flow’. There were three beings in this world who were close to being Absolute. From
the universe’s perspective, something like that might not happen again in the next
hundreds of thousands of years.]

“…”

[Even if they appear, the chances of you being assigned as the saviour would be even
lower.]

This was natural.

After all, Lukas wouldn’t be the only one.

Even if there really was a crisis of some sort in this world, it was more likely that
another Absolute would be tasked with saving it.

Lukas’ heart became heavy.

His chances of returning were slim. And even if he did return, it would probably be
hundreds of thousands of years later.

By that time, everything Lukas remembered would be changed, and the world would
be completely different.

[You can refuse.]

“…”

[But what else can you do to save Iris Phisfounder?]

It was a shocking remark, but Lukas shook his head.

God was right.

For him and his world, it would be best if he left.

“…the balance’s core has already become one with me. The Mortal World won’t
collapse if I leave, will it?”

[Of course. Unless you become immortal. This world can survive until its appointed
destruction.]
Then there was no other reason to hesitate.

Lukas made up his mind.

“Then can I ask for a favor before I leave?”

[Say it.]

Lukas spoke in a soft voice.

“…just give me one day.”

Elliah looked out as the cold winds buffeted her. She liked snow. Unlike rain, snow
piled up and covered everything.

That was why she’d chosen the Frozen Lands as her territory. By adding her power
to the weather of this cold territory, she had managed to create a never-ending
snowstorm regardless of the season.

Just by looking outside, she’d be able to see her beloved snow flying around.

But today was different. She couldn’t help but feel uneasy while looking at the snow.

“You are the last Demigod.”

“…”

Elliah turned around to find Lukas standing there.

She lowered her head slightly before murmuring in a soft voice.

“I see. And you… are no longer human.”

“…”

“Did you come to kill me?”

“No.”

Lukas was silent for a moment.

“Do you want to die?”

“No way. I still have a lot of unfulfilled wishes in life.”

“That’s a lie. I can’t feel any motivation from you. Nothing is more futile than a life
without purpose. It’s as if there’s a huge hole in your chest.”

“…”

Elliah’s heart felt heavy.

Lukas was right. Nothing he’d said had been incorrect.

She turned to look at the snowstorm once again.

“Originally, I wanted to live with Riki, here in the Frozen Lands.”

“…”

“Maybe it’s because I tried too hard to convince him. But he didn’t like it. As you
know, our race can be very stubborn. Ha. Shit. Now, I feel like I should’ve kept trying
till the end.”

Elliah let out a laugh which sounded like air leaking from a balloon.

“Son of a bitch. I knew this would happen. In the end, everyone else died and I was
left alone.”

“What do you think is the reason?”

“What?”

“The reason you alone survived.”

“What difference does it make? I’m no different from a deserter. A coward who ran
away without hesitation just because she didn’t want to get involved in a terrible and
fierce war.”

Her voice was strained as she continued.

“And it’s always the coward who survives in the end.”

“I disagree. I think there are still things for you to do.”

Her cynical attitude didn’t change even after hearing Lukas’ serious words.

“Don’t be ridiculous. What am I supposed to do in a world without Demigods?”

“Those who followed the Demigods.”

“…!”

Elliah froze for a moment at those words.

“There are still many people like that on the Continent. They have already closed
their eyes and ears. Even the words of their families wouldn’t reach them. Elliah, you,
a Demigod, are the only one who can save them. You can lead them to the right path.”

“The right path? Me? Haha. That’s easy to say.”

“You want to find a way to atone. If you just stay still, you will only wallow in your
guilt.”

“…”

Those words made her heart shake.

It was true.

Lord and Riki.

When the situation became such that she could only follow one of them, Elliah chose
to run away. She cut off all her relationships, froze the door to her heart, and ran to
the Frozen Lands in the North.

No. It was even worse than that.

In truth, she couldn’t stop paying attention to everything that was happening. She
was a coward who could only look at the situation from the outside.

“…I’m not saying that my words are the perfect answer. But you’ll definitely feel even
more lonely if you stay here in the Frozen Lands on your own.”

“…”
“I can’t do anything if you refuse, but… I will leave this with you.”

After saying that, Lukas took a bottle from his pocket. Black liquid could be seen
moving on its own within the bottle.

“That’s…?”

“It’s your people. I believe you are the one who should bury them.”

“…”

Seeing Elliah’s devastated expression, Lukas placed the bottle on the table.

“I’m leaving now. I don’t have much time left… I hope that you can make the decision
you find the most satisfying, last Demigod.”

With those words, Lukas disappeared like an illusion.

Elliah kept staring for a while before getting up.

Then she picked up the bottle with a hard expression.

***

Nix woke up in the middle of the night.

She didn’t even know why. But when she sat up on her bed, she realised that there
was someone else standing in the room.

“Ah…”

She’d never seen this man before. But Nix was able to realise who he was at once.

Pure joy appeared on Nix’s face.

Lukas looked at her before speaking in a soft voice.

“You did a great job with Agni’s crystal.”

“Yeah.”
“Well done.”

It was definitely a compliment filled with warmth. Nevertheless, hearing it made Nix
feel so cold that she shivered.

She sat on the bed and looked at Lukas. Her mind was clear, but she was uneasy.

“Are you leaving?”

Nix asked.

Lukas laughed for a moment before nodding.

“…please take me with you.”

“The best place for you is not next to me.”

“But.”

“Nix.”

Lukas called her name.

“Is there anything that you want to do?”

Something she wanted to do…

Nix hesitated for a moment before speaking in a soft voice.

“…I… want to find my people.”

“The Phoenixes are a race that isn’t easy to find, but it shouldn’t be too difficult in
your current state.”

“Will they accept me?”

“That’s not something I can answer. But you shouldn’t be afraid of them rejecting
you. Since you are a powerful being now, you don’t have to be in their shadows. Keep
that in mind.”
“Is Torkunta still there?”

“…yeah.”

“Sharing a body with someone is not something that many can experience. Moreover,
he’s a monster who lived for almost 1,000 years. His character is poor, but your
relationship isn’t that bad.”

“Right.”

Nix smiled softly and nodded.

As he said, Torkunta had become like Nix’s other half.

“Treat him well.”

“…when are you coming back?”

Lukas paused for a moment when Nix asked this question in a sad voice.

He hesitated before sighing deeply.

“…I’m sorry.”

“…”

Nix lowered her head.

Lukas whispered in a faint voice.

“Torkunta, please take care of Nix.”

At that moment, the tears, which Nix had been holding back, burst out. She couldn’t
raise her head.

Lukas had probably left already.

Not wanting to accept this fact, Nix didn’t lift her head for a long time.

***
‘I didn’t think it would turn out like this.’

Ivan grumbled inwardly.

He never thought much about death, but at least he never thought it would visit him
so soon. He also thought that he’d have a dramatic death.

For example, after saving someone, he would cough up blood and leave a note…

No. He didn’t even care that much about a heroic death.

But this was still too much.

Lord killed him instantly with nothing but a hand gesture.

‘So is this death?’

If so, then it couldn’t have been more boring. His consciousness just floated in a place
filled with nothing but darkness.

He wouldn’t have to live like this forever, would he?

‘This is bad.’

Just as Ivan realised the gravity of his situation, something changed.

He felt like he’d been at the bottom of a pond and was now slowly rising to the
surface.

“…”

Ivan blinked.

He could see light.

After blinking a few more times, his blurred vision returned to normal.

“Huh?”

He was confused.
He could feel the ground, he could smell, and he could see.

“This is…”

Isn’t this the castle in Hitume Ikar where he’d died?

“H-, he’s really alive.”

The Great Medium was staring at him in shock.

“What happened?”

“…that…”

The Great Medium’s eyes turn to look somewhere else.

A man was standing there. The man had blonde hair and wore an auburn robe.

He’d never seen this person before. Nor had he met him before…

But he felt that he was extremely familiar.

Especially his expression.

Before he could even think too deeply about it, a name popped out of Ivan’s lips.

“Frey?”

“Right.”

“Huh… is that what you really look like?”

“You could say that.”

“What about Lord?”

“He’s dead.”

“…I see.”
Ivan sighed while making a frustrated expression.

“So it’s all over. Damn. I was a bridesmaid again.”

“…”

“In any case, thanks for saving my life.”

“I didn’t save your life. I just took you out of a gap in space in which you were
trapped.”

“Same thing.”

Ivan tried to scratch his head while saying that, but he spazzed as he felt intense pain
from his right hand.

Lukas looked at his hand.

“Your right hand has been completely crippled. It’s a wound so severe that there’s no
hope of curing it.”

“I know.”

“Even if you successfully learn to use it again, you will never be able to put any force
behind your punches.”

“I know that too.”

He said this with a calm voice.

Lukas looked at Ivan with a strange expression before speaking once again.

“Would you like me to fix it?”

“What?”

Ivan looked at Lukas for a moment before shaking his head with a smile.

“Thanks, but I’ll have to decline.”

“Why?”

“When I swung it, I already had the determination to never use this fist again. While
it wasn’t able to do anything in the end, I already made the decision.”

Ivan frowned.

It seemed he could not think of the words to express his feelings.

“…so this injury… I’ll call it my medal, my battle scar. I don’t think I’d feel good to
have it healed for nothing.”

Such words could be called a luxury from Ivan.

Lukas smiled.

“Right. You don’t want to erase your determination from that time.”

“Well. It’s nothing so fancy. I’m just saying I don’t feel like it.”

“…Ivan. You truly are an amazing person.”

Lukas was showcasing genuine respect for this man.

Ivan frowned at his words. He felt like he was being teased.

In the end, he didn’t solve anything nor did he help in any way.

It was the same the last time with Agni.

No. He was even more pathetic than back then.

In the end, Lukas was the one who solved everything.

Lukas understood Ivan’s feelings, but he decided not to say anything about it.
“From now on, you will be the center of the Circle.”

“What are you talking about? Why me?”

Lukas glanced at Anastasia, who was still unconscious.

“I’m asking for Anastasia. Technically… She isn’t Schweiser. The situation might seem
fine now, but as time passes, more things will come to change.”

It was only now Lukas was able to understand Anastasia’s true nature.

He could still call her Schweiser. But as time went on, she was gradually becoming
her own individual.

After all, she wasn’t actually Schweiser Strow but a War Golem who had inherited his
memories and personality.

While she hadn’t truly formed an individual identity yet, it was impossible to say that
it would never happen.

The more she saw and experienced for herself, the more Anastasia would change.

This would cause her to think deeply about her true identity.

“When that time comes, your naivety will help her.”

“…is that supposed to be a compliment?”

“Right.”

Although he still spoke bluntly, Ivan’s attitude had changed because he saw the way
Lukas looked at Anastasia and heard the seriousness in his voice.
He also agreed because he’d long noticed that her behaviour was becoming
increasingly close to a girl of similar age to her appearance.

“What do you mean by center of the Circle?”

“The entire continent is suffering because of the damage caused by the Demigods.
There were huge scars everywhere. The founding goal of the Circle has already been
fulfilled. There are no longer any Demigods to threaten humanity. Now, all that has to
be done is to repair the damage dealt. Leading the world to a peaceful era. That
should be the Circle’s new goal.”

“…that’s not my cup of tea.”

“With your fist the way it is, you will be unable to train for a while anyway. And I’m
sure. If it’s you, the Circle Masters will follow without a single word.”

“You’re overestimating me.”

Ivan grumbled.

“I don’t like where this is going. It feels like I’ll be forced to do that job for the rest of
my life.”

“That would be fine.”

“You bastard… you should pick someone else.”

Lukas chuckled.

“The Circle needs someone who is unbiased. In front of you, whether they are royalty
or slaves, they are all the same human beings.”

“…you are the same. In fact, I think you’re better than me.”

“I have to leave.”

“Where?”

“To a far place. It will be very hard to come back.”

Ivan narrowed his eyes at those words.

“No.”

“What do you mean?”

“It doesn’t matter if you have to leave, but promise to come back.”

“…it’s not that easy to say.”

He couldn’t explain in detail. There had to be a reason why God hid the information
about ‘other universes’.

Lukas understood that.

Even if an unqualified person found out about it, they would only be confused.

“Frey. No, it should be Lukas now.”

Ivan’s tone became serious.

“You said earlier that I am amazing. But aren’t you the same? To me, you are a much
better man.”

He hadn’t spent a very long time with Lukas. Nevertheless, Lukas had a very large
impact on Ivan’s inner self.

He’d long been accustomed to being alone. Apart from his teacher, Nora, he found it
annoying to fight together with anyone.

But Lukas was different. His existence allowed Ivan to reflect on himself and think
about his shortcomings.

He was able to develop because of him. Even when he fought together with other
people, he was still able to move freely. He felt like an additional force was added to
his outstretched fist.

He still didn’t mind being alone, but he also didn’t mind leaving his back to a reliable
person.
Lukas had taught him the importance of teammates.

“I’ll wait for you, so come back. When you were locked in the Abyss and everyone
thought you were dead, you still broke their expectations and came back.”

“It would have been impossible on my own. I only came back because my friend
helped me.”

“Then I will help you too.”

“Ivan, this time, it’s completely different.”

Despite Lukas’ serious tone, Ivan still shook his head.

“I don’t know the difference. To me, it’s no different from 4,000 years ago. Even then,
you made the impossible possible. Who’s to say that you won’t do the same again?”

“…!”

At first glance, it sounded like it was forced. However, Lukas couldn’t help but widen
his eyes at Ivan’s simple words.

He felt like he’d been hit in the head with a hammer.

Lukas stared at Ivan for a while, completely speechless.

“What?”

“…no. You’re right. Haha. Right… I can make the impossible possible.”

Right.

Why hadn’t he thought of that?

Lukas felt like the dark clouds, which had settled on his head, had suddenly been
lifted. It was only then when he realised he was taking ‘God’s words’ like they were
absolute.

After knowing how omnipotent God was, he’d subconsciously believed that his
words were always right.
But he didn’t have to do that at all.

Ivan was right.

It had been the same 4,000 years ago. What was important was Lukas’ own will.

“Ivan.”

“What?”

“Live to a ripe old age.”

“Hmph… Of course I will.”

Ivan replied with a snort.

Lukas smiled at him.

His heart felt much lighter.

He felt he could say goodbye with a smile.

***

Iris suddenly realised that she could think.

‘Ah? How? I should’ve been dead already.’

“I hope my memory was accurate.”

Then she heard a voice she really wanted to hear.

Iris turned around.

“He said that your body was reconstructed based on my memory.”

“…Lukas.”

“Can you scold me for saving your life later? It’s been a long and tiring day.”
Iris almost burst into tears as she heard Lukas’ laugh.

“How did you save me? Can I ask that?”

“I negotiated with God, and it went well. I’m a pretty good talker.”

“God? Haha…”

When Iris burst out laughing, Lukas pouted slightly and spoke grumpily.

“I’m not joking.”

“I know. I just… couldn’t help laughing. Did it make you feel bad?”

“No.”

There was no need for them to talk much. Both already knew what the other was
thinking.

While they were in the Celestial World, in Iris’ illusion, they had already heard each
other’s inner thoughts.

Thanks to that, they knew exactly what the other person was thinking.

Iris opened her mouth cautiously.

“…is it all over?”

“Right.”

“It was long.”

“…it was long. For both of us.”

Lukas’ expression was serious.

“I’m leaving. It will be a long journey, but I will definitely return… Iris, can you wait
for me?”

Iris didn’t respond to Lukas’ words immediately.

Lukas looked her in the eyes and continued.

“I promise. I’ll be back sooner than last time.”

“Sooner than 4,000 years? That’s comforting.”

Iris spoke in a playful voice.

“You’re a really bad guy. Lukas, you are the only man on the entire Continent who
dares to make a woman wait so long.”

Iris fell silent for a moment before adding.

“…and I’m probably the only woman who would willingly wait for such a long time…
twice.”

She looked up at Lukas with a firm expression.

“Go and hurry back, Lukas. I will be paying for my crimes. With this life that you
saved, I will make this world a better place than it is now. I swear. Even if you hate
humans, even if you lose all faith in humanity, I will make a world so beautiful that
you’ll have no choice but to love them again. So…”

Iris smiled brightly.

It was the most beautiful smile that Lukas had ever seen.

“Go ahead without any fear.”

“Thank you.”

Lukas nodded.

That was it. They didn’t have anything else to say to each other.

They knew that the shorter the farewell was, the better… and that they would meet
again in the future.

The moment he turned around, Lukas could no longer feel Iris’ presence. His body
had appeared in space, and God was standing in front of him.
[Are you finished with your farewells?]

“Yeah.”

[You promised them that you’d return. Do you understand how difficult that is?]

“Of course I do. However… you never said that it was impossible. You said that it was
‘near’ impossible. Those were your words.”

Right.

It was just that he thought it would be impossible for Lukas.

But there was a chance, no matter how small. So Lukas still had hope.

God chuckled and spoke.

[Well, I suppose that’s your answer. Good. I’ll give you a piece of information as a
gift.]

“What is it?”

[-There is a class above Absolute.]

Lukas’ expression changed at those words.

[You’ll be starting at the very bottom, but depending on your achievements, you
might be able to increase your level. The ‘Lords’ at the very top are even more
powerful than I am.]

He couldn’t help but feel strange at those words. Beings created by God were even
more powerful than God?

It felt like a contradiction.

God chuckled as though he could sense Lukas’ thoughts.

[It’s not that strange if you think about it. Isn’t it natural for a blacksmith’s sword to
be sharper than his fingernails?]
“…”

[However, out of the countless Absolutes in existence, there are only four Lords. They
are cosmic beings who were destined to become Absolutes from birth. Even right
after they were born, they had the power to treat the Demigods like bugs.]

God looked at Lukas.

[Lukas Trowman. Can you become a Lord? Will you be able to overcome all kinds of
hardships that you’ve never experienced before and travel the near infinite worlds
without losing your mind?]

“They’re not hardships.”

Right. It wasn’t a hardship.

Lukas looked at God and spoke in a serious voice.

“For me, it’s a journey.”

[Hoh. What for?]

“To not forget my humanity.”

And even when he came back, he would still be on the journey of loving humans.

Lukas had shown his intentions to God.

[Hahaha!]

God burst into laughter.

He stared at Lukas with genuinely delighted eyes.

[I see! Lukas Trowman! So you intend to become the ‘God’ of all the humans that
exist in the universe!]

That was Lukas’ answer.

Lukas had revealed to God’s face that even if he became an Absolute, he would not
stop favouring the humans. This was the only way he could continue to love humans
without forgetting his humanity after becoming an Absolute.

[It will be interesting to have at least one being like you! Hahaha! I’ll give my blessing
to this new Absolute who loves humans!]

Paht!

God’s blessing came in the form of a bright light that seemed to shine in every
direction. Then each particle of this light became the entrance to another world.

Hundreds and thousands of worlds spread out like lanterns.

There, he could see countless humans suffering. Some were slaves, livestock, or even
worse.

And all of them were waiting for Lukas’ help.

He finally understood his role. He was the saviour of all the humans in each of these
three thousand worlds.

When they were in despair, when they were frustrated by walls that they couldn’t
seem to overcome, when they wanted to give up everything. Lukas would appear
beside them to give them the hope they needed.

“Let’s get going.”

A smile blossomed on Lukas’ lips.

The Great Mage took his first step on the long journey he promised to return from.

BOOK 10 END

SEASON 1 END