Chapter 98 – 1-137

The fight dragged on.

It did not mean it was a war of attrition.

The allied forces were clearly losing.

In the process, Se-min pulled himself up again, relying on Lupus.

Badurbarok’s power was mighty. No matter how desperately they struggled, they could hardly inflict any damage on him. A sense of helplessness, as if they were pouring meaningless attacks on an enemy who would not die even if killed, was spreading throughout the allied forces.

However, their morale did not drop.

If they did not kill Badurbarok, the world would end. Everyone knew that.

Since it was a war they had plunged into to save their lives, the allied forces could be called a suicide squad prepared for death.

Eyes.

Se-min saw the eyes of the dying countless times. They always stared into the distance. It felt as if something was floating beyond their blurring focus.

Were they seeing hallucinations, or was there really something after death that had come to greet them?

“Your Majesty.”

Shozen spoke.

“It was an honor to be with you.”

Se-min ended up laughing.

“Aren’t you setting the mood too much?”

“I just wanted to say it in advance.”

“Didn’t you hate me a lot when we first met?”

“That’s because you abruptly denounced me as a pervert.”

“It was all to help you grow.”

“I know it wasn’t.”

Shozen also laughed. Se-min shook his head.

“Enough, don’t say useless things. It sounds like a common cliché. Do you want to play the role of selling memories and dying?”

“That’s fine too.”

Shozen raised his sword.

“If this flows like a play, that Badurbarok will also eventually be defeated. Even if I die, that is.”

“Whew.”

If it were usual, he would have shuddered, but hearing such words now when death was truly right in front of them made it seem a bit cool.

“Somehow, I felt from the beginning that things would turn out like this with Your Majesty.”

“Once it passes, everything feels that way.”

“It’s true.”

“Quiet down, let’s go.”

Shozen stood up. His entire body was covered in blood. His left arm had already been pierced by a tentacle, leaving him unable to even hold a sword. Still, he stood up holding the sword with one hand.

“Everyone is waiting, after all.”

They walked toward the middle of the battlefield.

Stepping over the corpses of allies, going around the weapons stuck in the ground, and bestowing final mercy upon a soldier convulsing in agony, they reached the front line confronting Badurbarok.

Badurbarok’s human form and a giant mass of flesh were attacking the allied forces.

Izergazin, standing on the front line, roared and exhaled breath once again. It was close to a desperate struggle, squeezing out power that would no longer come. The clearly diminished flames went out with a single gesture from Badurbarok.

“Watch out!”

Se-min shouted as he leaped up lightly.

Throb.

He was not in normal condition either, so he staggered every time he leaped. One of his legs was injured. Still, he did not care. In a battlefield of killing or being killed, the safety of the body was not important.

Already, numerous soldiers had advanced by exchanging their own lives for the enemy’s wounds.

“Shozen.”

“Yes.”

“You said you felt from the beginning that things would turn out like this with me.”

“I did.”

“Then, how do you think this fight will turn out?”

“This fight?”

Badurbarok’s gaze turned toward Se-min and Shozen, who had returned to the battlefield.

Badurbarok reached out his hand. At that, a giant tentacle was formed and rushed toward Shozen. Right before reaching them, the tentacle split into dozens of branches, attempting to swallow Shozen.

Lupus blocked the gap between them.

Se-min flew into the air and swung Lupus countless times. Each time he drew a sword slash, the tentacles were chopped to pieces. As the sword slashes repeated, the tentacles also split into dozens, hundreds of pieces, scattering in the air.

Looking at that scene, Shozen spoke.

“I’ll tell you after it’s over.”

Se-min smirked, then kicked off the air and flew toward Badurbarok.

Badurbarok, who spread his white wings like an angel, stared straight at Se-min.

Badurbarok was strong.

It was not in the same manner as the transcendents, but he clearly possessed as much power as them, if not more.

As Badurbarok reached out his hand, his force of constraint bound Se-min’s body.

His leaping speed slowed down. The air grew heavy. All of Se-min’s movements were gradually decelerating. Soon, his body lost its inertia and floated gently in front of Badurbarok.

A giant power struck Se-min.

It was a mighty shock that felt like his mind would go blank. However, Se-min blocked it with Lupus and grit his teeth. Although he was losing the upper hand, at the same time, he was adapting to the battle.

The desperate sword energy Se-min fired flew toward Badurbarok.

The sword energy passed by Badurbarok’s human form and cut the mass of flesh standing behind him. That was restored once again. Se-min narrowed his eyes.

Something was visible.

Through the wound, a faint light leaked out.

It was the power of the Primordial Core.

Se-min could feel its residue more sensitively than anyone.

When fighting the five giant magic beasts earlier, Han Su-in had said that the source of their power was the Primordial Core. This enormous monster would surely be no different. That was the source of infinite power.

That had to be destroyed.

“You said the Heavenly Demon has a disciple.”

Badurbarok, who had kept his mouth shut, spoke.

“I shall make them my test subject as well. As you must have seen, there is only one experiment I conduct.”

Se-min forced the corners of his mouth up, recalling the scenery of beyond shimmering outside his vision.

The amplification of pain and despair, that was his sole purpose.

“Why are you doing such a thing? No. There is no reason, right? It’s just because you are a pervert, right?”

“Reason.”

Badurbarok stared straight at Se-min. Something wavered within his eyes.

As Se-min peered into it, he instinctively recoiled in shock and dodged. A tentacle pierced the spot where he had been standing.

At the same time, Badurbarok’s voice brushed past his ears.

“Because someone has to hand down punishment.”

“What?”

It was a bizarre answer.

“Good grief, whether it’s this guy or that guy…”

Se-min muttered as he swung Lupus.

Sword energy flew in.

Badurbarok did not block it but rather let it slide past. Passing him, Se-min’s attack embedded into the giant mass of flesh. Relying on its overwhelming scale and recovery rate, he had not bothered to respond.

However, once Se-min’s slash was completed, something shone in the afterimage of the sword.

It was starlight.

Following that, the power of Cosmic Flow began to rise countlessly. The power of Cosmic Flow that Se-min had saved up until now exploded at this moment.

An enormous scale of power expanded belatedly, and digging through the wound created by the sword energy, advanced toward Badurbarok.

A deep scar was engraved where Se-min’s attack had landed.

Badurbarok reacted belatedly. He waved his hand to suppress the power of Cosmic Flow, but Se-min was already measuring the distance. And he shot forward like a bullet toward Badurbarok.

Se-min passed by Badurbarok.

And he plunged into the crack in the mass of flesh that the guy had created.

At Se-min’s sudden action, Badurbarok did not take any particular action. In his view, Se-min had done a foolish deed. He had plunged into a deadly ground of his own accord.

The interior of Badurbarok’s mass of flesh was the most dangerous place. However, Se-min had one thing better than Badurbarok.

His sense of the Primordial Core.

After leaping inside the mass of flesh, Se-min held Lupus and stabbed a spot. The scent of the Primordial Core began to flow out.

The more he stabbed and stabbed, the energy leaking out from the Primordial Core grew gradually denser. Internal tentacles wrapped around Se-min’s ankles and began to block his movements, but Se-min did not stop stabbing.

Shozen had told Se-min that he had a premonition that things would turn out like this between him and Se-min.

If so, was that premonition merely a feeling, or did Shozen truly feel something?

Se-min was in such a sense at this moment.

To others it might seem like a suicidal act, but he felt an unknown source of certainty that he would obtain something at the end of this. Therefore, even as he was gradually losing strength to Badurbarok’s attacks constricting his entire body, he thrust Lupus toward that one point where the Primordial Core was felt.

A strange feeling flowed into Se-min along the blade.

Se-min grit his teeth and extended his arm. The blade opened the flesh and advanced inside. Step by step, slowly advancing, it soon caught on something.

The moment Se-min’s body was completely consumed by Badurbarok.

A strange power flowed in from the tip of the blade.

***

As if connection with his body was severed, only Se-min’s mind floated up and drifted.

He was looking at something.

Like the scenery seen when crossing a gate, numerous things were being screened all around. However, this time, it was not the scenery of a world.

Numerous memories left in the Primordial Core were passing by like a panorama.

Then, from a certain moment, all of them crackled as if the film had been swapped, and began to display terrible things.

It was Badurbarok’s universe.

A dreadful scenery that contaminated his mind even with a brief glance enveloped Se-min.

Pain.

Se-min did not look away but stared straight at them.

Badurbarok’s universe and Se-min’s universe seemed completely different at first glance.

However, the two were not different. Se-min saw something in Badurbarok’s ruined universe. It was completely the same as Se-min’s universe.

Something beyond, which could not be described in words and could not be distinguished by human five senses.

A certain sensation infinitely close to a vague premonition.

The two universes shared that.

Now, Se-min was no longer afraid of Badurbarok’s universe surrounding his entire body. Accepting everything, he stared at the pitiful and wretched world.

Se-min could now discover his world in Badurbarok’s universe, and Earth pulsing in the screams of life echoing through the universe.

And.

All screens stopped.

One by one, the lights went out. Now, a completely pitch-black darkness enveloped Se-min. Nothing was visible except for an infinite black.

And that blacked-out vision.

Soon became a close-up of a black sleeve.

It fluttered.

***

“We have arrived.”

The man dusted off his clothes. Because he took pride in his black attire, he was always mindful of his appearance.

[Nothing special.]

A white wolf followed behind him.

“You haven’t seen anything yet.”

[I can tell without looking. I was foolish to trust and follow you. Let us return to my homeland so that I may guide my final…]

“Stop grumbling.”

The man looked back.

A giant hole was in the air. It was the gate they had passed through.

As the man waved his hand, a strange light flowed out from his body, absorbing the gate into the interior of his body. The gate dissolved as if it had never existed in the first place.

They were standing in the middle of a dense forest.

[I hate forests. The narrow view is stifling. Let us go to a wide plain.]

“Wait.”

The man stroked his chin and looked into the distance.

“It seems there is something over there.”

With those words, the man’s figure vanished.

Left alone, the white wolf wrinkled the bridge of its nose and soon turned its body in the direction the man was staring. And in the blink of an eye, it leaped a long distance, arriving by the man’s side in an instant.

The man was sitting astride a tree branch.

[Is it a human?]

“Yes. It is a dimension where humans are.”

Below the tree, a group of humans was confronting a large tiger. They were all wearing fluttering white robes and crowns on their heads.

They babbled something, but it could not be understood. It was a unique language with undulating tones.

“If I synchronize the language using the Primordial Core…”

The man furrowed his brows. A strange light flowed out from his body once again.

Soon, he became able to understand their language.

They were speaking like this.

“Senior brother, will you be okay?”

“That guy is a monster that harmed countless human lives. Even if we die today, we must kill him.”

“Yes.”

“Everyone, attack!”

The humans leaped toward the giant tiger. The tiger also lunged back without backing down. As the tiger swung its forepaw, the leading human raised his arm to block the claws.

An ordinary human’s arm would have been torn off, but he withstood the tiger’s attack.

“It’s a very basic level. It’s at a level that cannot even be called martial arts.”

[Do you plan to help?]

“Well…”

The man watched the fight between the humans and the tiger. The tiger’s momentum was fierce and strong, so even though the humans were many in number, they did not dare withstand it. Gradually, voices calling for retreat began to rise.

“Senior brother, let us retreat for now!”

“It is dangerous!”

The human who was struggling with the tiger at the front shouted.

“If we retreat, this guy will harm more people. Wudang never turns its back on people’s suffering!”

He shouted so and rushed toward the tiger again.

The man watching that scene nodded.

“I guess I’ll help.”

As the man leaped down from the tree, everyone’s attention was focused. The tiger bared its teeth toward the man.

The man was perfectly calm.

“You are a spiritual beast. However, you drank too much blood. You will soon become a demonic beast.”

He waved his hand.

A gentle breeze passed by.

Simultaneously, the tiger’s body was torn to shreds.

Everyone was astonished.

“Oh my god.”

“What on earth is that!”

Without even a weapon or physical contact, the wild beast was instantly sliced to pieces like a rag.

What was even more surprising was that the blood and flesh could not touch him and remained suspended in the air, only falling to the ground when he brushed off his black robe once.

The man dusted off his hands as if it were nothing and said.

“Let’s go.”

Then, a white wolf leaped down from the sky. The people took a step back. The wolf glanced at the people once and followed behind the man.

They were disappearing into the forest like that.

It was then.

“Wait!”

The one who had struggled with the tiger at the front chased after them. Chasing after the man, he asked.

“Who on earth is the esteemed one? Are you an immortal? Who on earth are you to possess such unbelievable power?”

“Me?”

“Please at least tell me your name.”

The man looked back. Following his movements, the gold dragon embroidery stitched on his black robe sparkled.

“I am the Heavenly Demon.”

***

The Heavenly Demon stayed at the Taoists’ quarters for a short time. It was to find out how this dimension operated.

At the same time, he also taught them the martial arts he knew.

The Taoists considered the Heavenly Demon an immortal who had descended to the human world. Although the title was dropped because the Heavenly Demon denied it, they secretly did not seem to believe he was a human like them.

[I really don’t like this dimension.]

“It certainly has thin natural energy. It is not a place for a spiritual beast like you to stay.”

[Let us go elsewhere. I did not follow you to stay in a place like this.]

“Wait.”

This place was unique.

Although similar to the Heavenly Demon’s original dimension, the energy spread in nature was weak and the level of martial arts was also low.

The Heavenly Demon asked the Taoists.

“Who is the strongest person in this world?”

“Perhaps you are referring to the Emperor?”

“The Emperor?”

He nodded.

“Could it not be said that the Emperor who encompasses the realm is the strongest?”

The Emperor; although it was not what he had intended, seeing the Emperor seemed to make sense. Since authority drew power, there would be those around him whom the Heavenly Demon might want to meet.

“What must I do to meet the Emperor?”

The Heavenly Demon inquired closely about the political situation of this world.

It was a period of great upheaval.

A country perished, and a new dynasty arose.

Li Yuan founded Tang and ascended as the first Emperor. In the process, the second son made great contributions and was engaged in a war of nerves with the Crown Prince over the throne.

“The second son has such marvelous talent that he is called the Grand General of Heavenly Policy.”

“A general produced by heaven.”

The Heavenly Demon nodded.

“I want to meet him once.”

***

Emperor Gaozu of Tang, Li Yuan, was a man who deeply believed in Taoism. In exchange for imparting his martial arts to Wudang, the Heavenly Demon negotiated with the Taoists to dress as a Taoist and see him from a distance.

The wolf complained every single day.

[It is a truly dull place. Compared to the imperial Emperor, the Warchief, or the ogre, these guys are nothing. It is obvious what kind of guy the Emperor is. If you are curious, you can just break in. I don’t know why you bother to keep staying in this dimension.]

“Must there be a reason?”

[Do you not just want to pass down martial arts to these guys?]

“Perhaps.”

In the Heavenly Demon’s eyes, this dimension was too backward.

While humans flew in the sky and shattered boulders in other dimensions, they at best only knew how to use weak internal energy mental cultivation and their own physical strength.

“Because a transcendent must appear in this dimension too someday.”

[Is that so important?]

“Such is the logic of the universe. What would you know.”

Time passed and the moment came. The Heavenly Demon headed toward Chang’an together with the Wudang Taoists to attend the Taoist ceremony hosted by the Emperor.

The Heavenly Demon had become an absolute presence among the Wudang Taoists.

There were even rumors that he was an immortal descended from heaven, and an envoy of the Heavenly Emperor sent to choose the next Emperor directly.

Of course, whenever such talk was heard, the Heavenly Demon beat up the Taoists in the name of training.

The ceremony began, and the Heavenly Demon watched the scene of the Emperor offering sacrifices to Laozi from a distance.

The Emperor was completely different from what he had thought.

[You want to fight an old man like that?]

“Are you crazy?”

Since the Emperor met in that wolf guy’s dimension was not proficient in combat either, it was not surprising. An Emperor was a ruler, not a fighter.

[Then why did you come?]

Still, he somehow wanted to come here.

There were moments like that.

The Heavenly Demon was a transcendental being who had reached an unprecedented realm and had attained a level where he could borrow the power of the universe. Thus, he occasionally came to feel something like a premonition of unknown origin.

Taking this wolf along with him was also due to such a premonition.

“Who is it?”

At that moment, a voice was heard.

Since the Heavenly Demon was concealed on the roof of the palace, he did not think anyone had found him. He thought it was just a commotion taking place below.

However, the voice called him once again.

“You on the roof there! Are you an assassin?”

The Heavenly Demon and the wolf looked at each other.

“Calling me, right?”

[It seems so.]

“Spotted me?”

An amused smile appeared on the Heavenly Demon’s face.

He immediately leaped down. Falling straight down from a high place, the opponent also took a step back with a startled look.

It was a young man.

He scanned the Heavenly Demon’s attire and pulled out his sword, speaking.

“A Taoist outfit; are the ones with His Majesty over there all in cahoots too?”

“No way.”

“I shall gather all the Taoist bastards and interrogate them. How dare you target the imperial palace? I will ensure you do not die easily.”

“You don’t listen to others.”

The Heavenly Demon looked at the young man. He was on the stronger side among those met in this dimension. He did not know how to handle his power properly, but he had natural talent.

“Shut up!”

He swung his sword.

There was no way he could reach the Heavenly Demon. The Heavenly Demon lightly dodged and kicked his leg, tripping him.

“Ugh!”

“Your movements are too large.”

Embarrassed, he rolled on the ground and scrambled up. Then, realizing his own unsightly state, he brushed himself off.

“You bastard!”

He swung his sword again.

The Heavenly Demon slipped past it and kicked his abdomen. The young man was pushed back, then grit his teeth and lunged further.

His movements were still large. The Heavenly Demon struck his openings multiple times.

“Cough!”

The Heavenly Demon chuckled.

“Let me teach you one thing. Listen to others well.”

“I don’t listen to the words of someone like you.”

“You only listen to what you want to hear, and turn a deaf ear to what you don’t. You can never develop that way.”

“Nonsense!”

“Keep those who criticize you close.”

The young man lunged at the Heavenly Demon several more times. However, the result was the same.

He was beaten to a pulp and writhed on the floor. Having grit, he tried to stand up to the end, but the Heavenly Demon kicked him down, causing him to fall flat again.

“Ugh…”

Realizing he could not defeat the Heavenly Demon, he now took a different action.

“What is everyone doing! Why is no one coming! Everyone, kill this guy!”

He bellowed at the top of his lungs.

It was certainly strange that no one was coming when a sword fight was occurring inside the imperial palace.

He kept shouting, but realizing something was off, his voice gradually quieted down.

“Why is no one…”

“Have you only just realized?”

The Heavenly Demon smirked.

“I shrouded us in energy so that our appearances cannot be seen and not a single sound leaks out. Thus, even if you die here, no one will know.”

The young man shut his mouth. The Heavenly Demon laughed out loud.

Then, he suddenly tilted his head.

His technique was definitely blocking his presence. Nothing was wrong. But how did this guy see through him and notice that he was on the roof?

He looked down at the young man anew. It was precious fabric. He was by no means a common soldier, yet he carried a sword.

“What is your identity?”

At that, the young man shouted aggressively.

“That’s my line! Reveal your identity first!”

“I asked who you are.”

“I am the Second Prince!”

“Second Prince?”

“Yes!”

As the Heavenly Demon quietly looked down at him, his confidence surged and he shouted again.

“Are you scared now?”

“Are you that famous Grand General of Heavenly Policy?”

“Yes.”

“Such a green kid…”

The Heavenly Demon let out a sigh.

It seemed there were truly no outstanding figures in this world.

“Stand up.”

When the Heavenly Demon reached out his hand, the young man was startled but soon took his hand cautiously and pulled himself up.

A refreshing energy flowed in from the Heavenly Demon, and the pain in his body subsided.

The young man’s eyes widened. He scanned the Heavenly Demon up and down anew. It was a Taoist outfit.

“Are you really a Taoist…?”

“Yes.”

“I thought all Taoists were swindlers, but there is someone like you. It seems my father’s words were correct.”

This time, the Heavenly Demon asked.

“How did you spot me?”

“Well, by your outfit…”

“I don’t mean that, I mean how did you know I was on the roof.”

“Just…”

The young man scratched his head.

“Something was shining.”

“What?”

“Something like starlight was shimmering on the roof. I thought it was strange to see a star in broad daylight. So when I looked closer, you were standing there.”

“Starlight?”

The Heavenly Demon stared at the young man’s face.

“W-what are you looking at?”

His gaze connected to the young man’s dark eyes. Looking at him for a while, the Heavenly Demon spoke again.

“What is your name?”

“My name?”

The young man cleared his throat.

“Do you really not know the Second Prince’s name?”

“Yes.”

“Alright. I will tell you.”

He pointed to himself.

“It is Lee Se-min.”

“Lee Se-min?”

“Lee Se-min, using ‘Se’ for world and ‘Min’ for people. It has the meaning of Jeseanmin.”

Jeseanmin.

The Heavenly Demon repeated that word.

Chewing on its meaning, the Heavenly Demon began to laugh.

His laughter grew louder and louder. The Heavenly Demon laughed for a long time, enough to make Lee Se-min look puzzled.

“Jeseanmin. So that’s why. That’s why I came here.”

With a face still full of laughter, the Heavenly Demon placed his hand on Lee Se-min’s shoulder.

“Lee Se-min. Se-min, do you have the confidence to live up to your name?”

“Of course. I might see blood in the process, but I will absolutely make it happen.”

“Yes.”

The Heavenly Demon patted Lee Se-min on the shoulder.

“Do so. Leave your name in history like that, so that children named after you will be born in the world in the future. Thus, so that the world does not forget that meaning, become an Emperor who is remembered forever.”

Lee Se-min blankly stared at the Heavenly Demon who spoke in such a manner.

And.

Again, the Heavenly Demon’s back.

The screen closed up again.

The black robe, and the form of the dragon engraved on it, filled his vision.

There was such an event.

Through the memories of the Primordial Core, Se-min witnessed a past memory that had occurred at a certain point in space-time.

A minor twist changed the world.

A small encounter overturned the fate of the world.

And such moments accumulated to create the present.

Then, was this the result of repeated coincidences, or was it a preordained flow?

Watching the fluttering black hem turn into a vast universe, Se-min thought.

Had something started when they met?

What did this universe know?

Se-min closed his eyes. The energy of the Cosmic Flow orbited around his body.

Starlight rose from all directions. They each harbored their own galaxy.

Se-min opened his eyes again.

Lupus was held in his hand.

And it was touching the Primordial Core.

What could this also achieve?

The Primordial Core was flowing into Se-min.

Numerous scenes and memories that could not be categorized by his abilities flowed into Se-min like a wave. Se-min realized that the Primordial Core by no means symbolized great power or military might.

Universe.

It merely contained that.

Se-min felt the darkness constricting him recede.

He heard the howl of a wolf. Se-min laughed as he tightly gripped the vibrating Lupus. Within the memories of the Heavenly Demon recorded in the Primordial Core, he saw the true form of Lupus. It was an appearance he had witnessed once before.

When he met the White Wolf in the wolf tribe, Se-min had met a giant wolf in a hallucination. At that time, Lupus had pushed Se-min to advance past the corpses of the dead.

“Lupus.”

He called its name.

“The Lee Se-min whom the Heavenly Demon met remained in history as a wise ruler.”

Did it remember him? Lupus vibrated and sharpened its edge as if answering him.

Emperor Taizong of Tang, Lee Se-min. He eventually killed the Crown Prince, became Emperor, and achieved a peaceful reign. His reign was referred to as the Reign of Zhenguan. The Zhenguan Zhengyao, which compiled the questions and answers between him and his ministers, became a textbook of imperial studies read and learned by later rulers.

“My name came from him too.”

Se-min felt the Cosmic Flow he had mastered and the Primordial Core mix together. As if interlocking, the gaps in the Cosmic Flow that he had not completed began to be filled.

“Then, how will I remain?”

Lupus shook uncontrollably. Cosmic Flow was further amplified through Lupus. Se-min felt like he now understood, even if just a little, how marvelous the Cosmic Flow was and what it meant.

At that moment, he surpassed the limits given to him.

Se-min swung Lupus.

The world surrounding him shattered and collapsed.

***

Kubar opened his eyes wide as he saw Se-min swallowed by Badurbarok’s mass of flesh. It was a reckless charge. Had the Emperor made a blunder due to being exhausted from the fight? Now, his body was completely buried in the mass of flesh and was no longer visible.

Those who had advanced inside to destroy the interior eventually all became a part of Badurbarok.

“Emperor.”

Was he no exception either?

Kubar felt his strength draining. The Emperor’s presence was not felt at all. Badurbarok’s evil energy completely dominated the area.

He clenched his fists.

If they could not win, they were going to die anyway, and the world was destined to perish. He had already resolved himself for death. Since even the Emperor had fallen, he would at least struggle desperately until the end before finishing.

However.

Cracks began to occur on Badurbarok’s body.

“That is…”

Through the gaps, a dark red light gushed out. A desperate and beautiful color, as if mixing black ink into clear white light, and then casting blood on top of it.

It was the Emperor’s unique aura.

Badurbarok in his angel form, with wings spread, looked back. The cracks grew wider and wider, and the intensity of the light strengthened.

Kubar did not take his eyes off that light until the end.

One layer, two layers.

The cracks multiplied.

Now, the mass of flesh split into dozens of branches, spewing streams of dark red aura. The entire mass of flesh shook.

“Your Majesty!”

Someone called the Emperor.

The voices calling him increased. Everyone called the Emperor. Eventually, the mass of flesh could no longer support its body and began to slide down along the cracks.

The mass of flesh that seemed too giant to dare do anything about.

Badurbarok’s body sprawled out in pieces like that.

Because it was so large and high, just its collapse shook the ground.

The mass of flesh began to roll in like a landslide. The troops scattered in all directions, evading it. The collapse continued without stopping.

“Everyone, dodge!”

Kubar stared into the air.

In the place where the mass of flesh had been, a human he knew well was floating.

His volume was incomparably smaller than the mass of flesh, but his presence was giant enough to not be any different. The dark red aura surging from his body flowed down to the ground.

He was an unpredictable guy, as expected.

Kubar smirked and spoke.

“Badurbarok, it seems you are in big trouble too.”

The Emperor’s body was far more powerful than before. Even Badurbarok’s presence that pressed down on the surroundings was being crushed by the Emperor.

Badurbarok waved his hand toward Kubar instead of answering.

A giant force rolled in.

Kubar did not suffer helplessly like this. With the Emperor returning, the entire allied forces were gathering vitality. Kubar raised his momentum and swung his fist.

His martial arts and Badurbarok’s power collided.

Kubar tumbled backward. As he raised his body, someone approached from behind and cast a spell on him, boosting his recovery rate.

“Rest a bit.”

Looking back, it was the troll Sagong.

“Because now is the time to leave it to the Emperor.”

“Will the Emperor be okay alone?”

“It is not a spot where we can intervene anyway.”

Kubar looked up. The Emperor’s energy gathered all over the sky and plunged down toward Badurbarok. Badurbarok spread his wings and received it. When the two’s energies clashed, the firmament shook with a roar.

A battle of a level they could not intervene in was taking place.

Kubar nodded.

“That is correct.”

Now there was no room for them to intervene. Not only Kubar, but even Ilrgar and Gru were looking up at the sky from their spots. Watching the brilliant battle taking place in the sky, the entire allied forces gathered their hands and prayed.

“Did the trolls know it would turn out like this?”

Kubar asked.

It was a question he had wanted to ask since long ago. Trolls were wise. Then, how far could they see? It was said that the reason the trolls did not participate in the past war was because they foresaw defeat. Then, did they know that they would win this war?

“We cannot know everything.”

“But you probably don’t know nothing either. Speak honestly.”

“Well, since we’ve come this far, there’s nothing to hide.”

A flash gleamed in the sky. Sagong shielded his eyes. Furrowing his brows and staring up as if it were not clearly visible, he continued speaking.

“I thought we would lose.”

“What?”

“If we lose, we are finished anyway, so we should at least struggle desperately for the last time.”

“I didn’t expect a troll to behave in such a manner.”

“We can do at least that much.”

Sagong laughed.

“However, now I truly don’t know. The Emperor is a presence we cannot predict. He is growing stronger and stronger. Badurbarok is the same. Since those two met, now something we couldn’t even think of will truly happen.”

“Then it’s a relief.”

Kubar let out a sigh.

“I shall just keep thinking about the world perishing.”

***

As Se-min swung Lupus once, space was sliced just like that.

Badurbarok was busy blocking Se-min’s attacks.

As he absorbed the Primordial Core, Se-min’s mind expanded. He saw Badurbarok’s universe, and also witnessed that thin and faint link flowing between him, the former Heavenly Demon, and Emperor Taizong. Through it, he became able to understand the Cosmic Flow from a completely new perspective.

Se-min realized that he had achieved his long-cherished desire.

“I don’t know what happened, but you became more similar to that guy. A similar smell comes off you.”

“I suppose so.”

Se-min smirked as he swung Lupus toward Badurbarok.

“Because I transcended.”

Se-min felt that he had now completely reached the realm of a transcendent.

Not a nobody who accessed the Transcendent Network by some unknown coincidence, but he had become a transcendent who truly surpassed the limits.

The flow of the world entered his eyes as if within reach. Impossible deeds were perceived as if they were naturally possible.

Were the transcendents in such an ecstatic sense of omnipotence?

“That means you are in big trouble.”

Se-min swung Lupus. Badurbarok kept backing away. He waved his hand and wielded his power, but Se-min deflected it all. Instead, he used that power to his advantage and approached Badurbarok.

The distance drew closer.

Se-min stared at Badurbarok.

It was a face without any expression. A non-human thing possessed a human form. Nothing was reflected in the guy’s eyes. Although he had the appearance of an angel, his essence was rather closer to the mass of flesh Se-min had crumbled.

“Badurbarok.”

Se-min asked as he thrust Lupus into his abdomen.

“I ask again. Why do you do such things?”

Badurbarok destroyed his entire universe and manifested hell. Such evil karma could never be achieved without a motive. Even if Se-min could not understand it, Badurbarok would have his own reason.

“I believe I have already answered.”

Badurbarok looked down at his abdomen.

The blade was completely piercing him.

Badurbarok waved his hand. At that, Lupus began to be pushed back. Se-min tried to hold his ground by putting his weight behind it, but his entire body retreated. Se-min unfolded the Cosmic Flow and barely stopped.

Badurbarok struck Se-min again.

Se-min was blown back.

After Se-min found his balance again and gathered his senses, he stopped in the air and looked for Badurbarok. The guy was flying toward the opposite side.

“Are you fleeing!”

Se-min kicked off the air.

An explosion erupted and his body flew like an arrow. Each time he swept the air, the aura rode the atmosphere like a snake, aiming at Badurbarok’s back. Badurbarok skillfully turned and escaped the attack radius.

Their speed became infinitely fast.

Se-min passed the horizon numerous times.

At the end of the flight, the city of magic beasts that Se-min had seen before appeared.

A gate was open in the middle of a structure that looked like a biological organ.

Se-min caught up to Badurbarok and brought Lupus down. Badurbarok reached out his hand and blocked it. While locked in a struggle of power with Badurbarok, Se-min asked.

“Are you fleeing?”

“Because I no longer have business in this world.”

He pushed Se-min away and advanced toward the gate again. Se-min fired sword energy to hinder him. Badurbarok circled a few times in the air, then waved his hand to reflect the attack back at Se-min. The impact force struck Se-min’s body.

“Ugh!”

Se-min stopped in his tracks.

Badurbarok was slowly approaching the gate. He could not be let go like this. Se-min also rushed toward the gate. However, he could not enter within the force field that Badurbarok had deployed.

Se-min stabbed Lupus into the wall and stirred it. However, the wall did not stretch. Since it was of no use even after striking the wall several times, Se-min leaned his forehead against it and shouted at Badurbarok.

“Where are you going?”

Badurbarok did not answer. Se-min stared at the gate. It was shimmering with a strange color. Where did that lead?

The power of Cosmic Flow wrapped around Se-min. His eyes pierced the vast void between dimensions cast upon the gate.

The other side was visible.

Se-min started and gripped Lupus tightly. The force field deployed by Badurbarok trembled.

That gate connected to none other than Badurbarok’s own world.

That was it.

Badurbarok had come here through that gate.

It was the first gate created by Badurbarok.

“Could you perhaps…”

Se-min came to know what Badurbarok was planning.

Beyond that gate, countless magic beasts and dreadful monsters were lurking. Numerous gates were also prepared. Se-min could foresee where they were connected and what his host would do.

Stepping beyond the gate, Badurbarok spoke.

“I told you, didn’t I? That I would make your universe just like my universe.”

A universe finished preparing to annihilate a universe.

Damaging this world and Earth was nothing more than reconnaissance.

Now, a full-scale invasion targeting all dimensions would begin.

“Badurbarok!”

Se-min could do nothing even while watching the guy disappear beyond the gate.