『Mother!』 Jeong-woo was the first to shout out. He had finally found his mother and the soul he had been longing for!
Jeong-woo’s vestige spirit body spread his Sky Wings and flew to the place where his mother was. Kronos followed suit. Although Kronos did not scream out, the way he jumped to action and his tense facial expression illustrated just how earnestly he wanted to reunite with Rhea.
Agares was also very excited.『Let’s go! Hurry! I should retake what is mine!』
Bark!
『What? Don’t think of disturbing them? What are you talking about! I’m going to retrieve what is rightfully mine, who would say anything about that…!』
Bark! Bark!
『I’m not meddling in their family reunion! Why am I even talking with this bickering dog!』
Agares was unable to do anything as he contended with Fenrir’s stubborn objection not to interfere.
At that moment, Jeong-woo’s vestige spirit body and Kronos reached the barrier where Jeong-woo’s soul and Rhea were located. Just when they reached the barrier and extended their hands…
Whoosh! Suddenly, they felt a strong wave of energy being condensed from below them. Boom! A sword thunder strike flew their way. The power behind the strike was so overwhelming that it chilled their spines.
『Hyung! What are you doing…!』 Jeong-woo was startled by Yeon-woo’s sudden action. Immediately, he and Kronos split to the side and shouted out at Yeon-woo.
However, they soon realized that Yeon-woo’s gaze was not on them but on something that stood right behind the barrier that confined Jeong-woo’s soul and Rhea.
Yeon-woo’s sword thunder strike soon reached the area beyond the barrier. Rumble! Boom! Through a tear in the emptiness, something black suddenly descended downward.
Feeling an overwhelming pressure and countless gazes, Jeong-woo could not help but straighten his back.『This is…!』
『Could it be the darkness?』 Kronos opened his eyes wide. A dark, gloomy… It was the darkness.
[Darkness is descending!]
[Many Demonisms are descending all at once.]
[The apocalypse is beginning.]
Father!
Father!
Yeon-woo’s shadow started to greatly sway. The otherworld gods became excited when they saw the Demonisms that possessed similar qualities as Yeon-woo. However, this did not cause any of the otherworld gods to leave Yeon-woo’s shadow.
Even though they could see the darkness, they were already in Yeon-woo’s darkness. Moreover, they had already recognized Yeon-woo as their true father and the ultimate owner of darkness.
While all this was going on, the surrounding world turned black, and many Demonisms appeared. As the fragments of the ‘dream’ were shattered into pieces, they were completely absorbed into the darkness, and the space that was originally outside the boundaries of the world became the realm of the darkness.
Everything in the world was covered in darkness. The space soon became filled with Demonisms.
Yeon-woo enveloped his party in his shadows so that they would not be injured by the darkness. He further formed an illusory barrier to repel the oncoming curses and other negative influences that were inherent in the darkness.
Jeong-woo glanced at Yeon-woo to show his appreciation before spreading his Sky Wings to quickly approach the barrier that enclosed his soul and his mother.
Boom!
『Damn it!』 However, the barrier did not seem to acknowledge Jeong-woo, so it forcefully repelled him. Jeong-woo thought he could merge into one with his soul as soon as he touched the barrier…but apparently, that was not the case. Jeong-woo angrily swore and tried to find a way to somehow break the barrier. However, though he knew that the barrier was created based on his Sky Wings, he could not crack through.
Quirinale… It was because of the power of Quirinale. Since the soul formed the barrier while reading and processing his mother’s data, Jeong-woo’s vestige spirit body, which did not possess any qualities of a Quirinale, did not have the authority to access the barrier.
His soul and mother were so close yet so far…! The reality of not being able to do anything about the situation made Jeong-woo grind his teeth.
Such an interesting scene. So many fun things to see.
I can see many things that originated and branched out from ‘me’.
Oho! It looks like the ‘me’ over there is now a match for the ‘me’ over here, no?
Letters started circling like crazy around Jeong-woo as if to tease him before they started forming sentences in front of Yeon-woo.
Yeon-woo fixed his gaze on the being that positioned itself above the letters. Compared to the other Demonisms, the being’s size was much smaller. The being did not exude overwhelmingly great power… Rather, it was full of contradictions, a kind of power and presence that overwhelmed all the other Demonisms.
Sage sat cross-legged as he looked at Yeon-woo. Although Sage did not have clear facial features, one could sense that he was smiling.
It doesn’t seem that long ago when you left the darkness. I didn’t expect that we’d meet each other under these circumstances.
“How did you find the coordinates to this location?” Yeon-woo was able to locate this location due to the vestige thoughts left by his mother, Rhea. However, Sage did not have this luxury, so Yeon-woo was perplexed on how Sage was able to locate Jeong-woo’s soul and Rhea’s body.
Furthermore, Sage had not been able to locate the position for a long time. It seemed that Sage had constantly searched for Jeong-woo’s soul and Rhea’s whereabouts but had not made any headway… Thus, Yeon-woo could not help but feel perplexed by how Sage was able to find the location, especially right at the moment when Yeon-woo arrived.
I was lucky.
Very…lucky.
Aren’t you now a part of ‘us’? Since we have a similar basis, I constantly searched in the places that I felt a familiarity in. That’s when I happened to stumble upon the scent of a Quirinale… I also sensed that you were headed in this direction.
That’s how I was able to stumble upon this place. I was lucky.
This meant that Sage had deduced the location while narrowing the scope he needed to search based on Yeon-woo’s directional movement. Through observation and extrapolation, Sage had triangulated the location of Jeong-woo’s soul and Rhea’s body.
Yeon-woo frowned and clicked his tongue. As long as he was entangled and affiliated with the darkness, it was impossible to move independently without the other beings of darkness noticing. Though he tried to block the outflow and limit any information from leaking as much as possible, it seemed that he could not completely avoid Sage’s watchful eye. However…
Didn’t you want this outcome?
Hearing Sage’s comment, Yeon-woo gave a wry smile before bursting out into laughter. Apparently…Yeon-woo could not hold back his laughter.
“I thought this might happen. However, I wasn’t too sure that you’d actually come.” Yeon-woo coldly smiled before taking a step. In an instant, he appeared next to Jeong-woo’s vestige spirit body.
『Hyung…!』 Jeong-woo’s gaze trembled as he looked at his older brother.
“You can release the barrier later. For now, take mother and get out of this area.”
『…Alright.』 Jeong-woo did not even consider offering Yeon-woo help. It was because Yeon-woo, who had his eyes squarely fixed on Sage, felt particularly cold. It seemed that Yeon-woo was doing all he could to actively suppress a fit of simmering anger that was coming from within. Jeong-woo felt that it was not the time to get in his brother’s way. Thus, without another word, Jeong-woo quickly retrieved the oval-shaped barrier that enwrapped his soul and Rhea’s body.
Clang! Scythe’s blade suddenly flew in and smashed all the approaching tentacles. The tentacles, made up of darkness, had been shot out by Sage.
Whoosh!
『How dare you approach my family!』
Scythe’s words reverberated throughout the space as Scythe placed itself in Yeon-woo’s hand. Kronos’ deep and resentful aura influenced Yeon-woo, and in turn, Yeon-woo’s anger was conveyed to Kronos.
The two emotions, resentment and anger, mixed together, and soon, unity was achieved. The father and son would not forgive those who messed with their family.
Rumble! Whoosh! The intense aura emanating from Yeon-woo began to forcibly push away the darkness that was starting to surround them.
Kikiki! So much fun! We knew it!
It was getting slightly boring for that ‘me’ since there was no one to challenge that ‘me’, but now there seems to be a ‘me’ who’s up to the challenge.
First.
The rest of ‘us’ will take our leave.
The other Black King’s egos conveyed a message before retreating. They had no intention of harming Jeong-woo’s vestige spirit body or the beings of Day. It seemed like a good opportunity for the Demonisms to finally drive their adversaries, who constantly obstructed them, into a corner, but on the contrary, they made their exit. They did not want to garner Yeon-woo’s hate since it was possible that Yeon-woo may become the executor and the Black King’s main ego.
Anyway, they felt and thought that the position of ‘me’ would be decided as soon as the match ended.
The vast darkness soon divided into two sides and started giving off slightly different properties.
At the center of each darkness were Yeon-woo and Sage.
Like an elderly man slowly getting up and raising his body, Sage got up with a slumped back. His arched back soon straightened as he stood up and his narrow shoulders extended out. The moment he proudly raised his head was raised proudly, the darkness surrounding him started to explode into a frenzy… It was a scene that Yeon-woo had seen before.
‘Monkey King.’ It was the same aura Yeon-woo had felt from Sage before. It was the aura of the Heavenly Bracket’s Five Elements mixed in with the properties of the darkness. The aura soon reverberated throughout the space and roared loudly.
Rumble. Rumble.
It was not my plan to face you here.
But this works as well.
Flash! Sage laughed and flew toward Yeon-woo.
[‘Night (Nox)’ spreads!]
Yeon-woo swung Scythe at the approaching Sage. The sword thunder strike was mixed with Black-Red Gubitara. The strike took a direct line at the approaching opponent.
[Two egos collide violently!]
[Darkness is mixed!]
***
『Damn it! How am I supposed to open this…?』 Jeong-woo could not help but feel a growing sense of nervousness.
From the moment Yeon-woo and Sage’s clash began, Jeong-woo tried to break through the barrier that bound his soul and his mother. However, it was easier said than done. Just as Kronos was able to ascend to the god king throne based on his Pneuma power, the Quirinale’s power, which was comparable to Pneuma’s, was not easily bypassed.
[Access to the target is not possible!]
[You do not have access to the target!]
Jeong-woo’s vestige spirit body attempted to make the barrier recognize him as the same entity as the soul that resided within. If he was able to successfully do this, Jeong-woo might be able to find a detour and gain access and control over the barrier. However, Jeong-woo was finding no success. His failure was largely due to the barrier recognizing his vestige spirit body and soul as two completely different beings. The two were acknowledged as completely independent entities.
The soul had already acquired divinity while interpreting the power of Quirinal. Similarly, Jeong-woo’s vestige spirit body acquired demigod status based on his past achievements, so it was understandable that the barrier would judge the two as completely different entities.
A divine existence was singular. Thus, the position on which Jeong-woo’s vestige spirit body stood was a completely different level and entity from his soul’s.
‘But… But still… That is me. I’m also me. There must be a way…!’
Jeong-woo utilized all the divine power he had gathered as the successor of Day while maximizing the output of his Sky Wings.
Jeong-woo’s Perfect Adaptability became more sensitive than ever. His senses were heightened to the extreme. Jeong-woo felt like his head was overheating. Jeong-woo endured the extreme heat, which seemed to want to burn his eyes, as he tried to connect with and read his soul.
Just as his soul had used Draconic Eyes to read Rhea, Jeong-woo sought to somehow read his own soul through Draconic Eyes. Although the barrier kept blocking his access, Jeong-woo persevered. If he could not access and read his soul, Jeong-woo was planning to break through the barrier by force.
Jeong-woo would consume and burn his divine power. And if that was not enough, he would consume and burn his legends. And if that was not enough, he would consume and burn his divinity.
He was willing to consume the entirety of his holiness, faith, and divinity. If only he could reach even a little bit of his soul that resided just beyond the barrier…! If only he could stimulate his own soul!
With that singular thought, Jeong-woo poured all the vestiges that made up his own spirit body and focused it all into his Draconic Eyes. As he did so, the light distribution that glowed like a halo around him gradually grew dim.
[Unsuccessful! The target cannot be read!]
[Unsuccessful! The target cannot be read!]
…
[Unsuccessful! The target cannot be read!]
……
[Skill, ‘Sky Wings’ is overheating!]
[The effect of ‘Sky Wings’ strengthens the character of Draconic Eyes. It will now be easier to detect and understand divine power.]
[Skill, ‘Sky Wings’ has been infused with divine power beyond its limit!]
[Caution! The skill, ‘Sky Wings’ has exceeded its limit! If the forced injection of divine power continues, the skill may be damaged!]
[Warning! The connection between the skill, ‘Sky Wings’, and your trait, ‘Perfect Adaptability’, has gone far beyond the allowable range! This may lead to the collapse of your legends!]
[Warning! Your divinity is in danger of collapsing!]
[Warning! Your divine position is in danger of collapsing!]
…
[The divine power has exceeded the limit! Your powers shake dangerously!]
[Your light distribution has become clearer!]
[The light of ‘Day (Eros)’ splendidly illuminates the world of darkness!]
『Wake…up!』 Jeong-woo was clenching his jaw and fists. He had poured out so much of his divine power that his body began to shake precariously as if it was about to crumble and collapse at any moment. His limit, which had been reinforced when he achieved exuviation, was in jeopardy of collapsing.
『Wake up you bastard!』
Jeong-woo screamed at his soul. He just needed it to awaken.
However… Crack. A sound, which originated from the center of Jeong-woo’s vestige spirit body, rang out. A small crack had formed on his spirit body.
『Damn it! You’re not some sleeping beauty you asshole! How long are you going to have me do your dirty work while you rest!』
Crack. Crack. The light emanating from Jeong-woo continued its heightened output non-stop and overheated. Soon, cracks spread all over his body. The cracks were spreading at an alarmingly high speed. The numerous cracks covered his upper body and reached the area under his eyes.
『Because of you, I was unfairly beaten by hyung! I’m so embarrassed! I couldn’t even fall asleep because I was so upset! Damn it!』
Pop! The lower half of Jeong-woo’s vestige spirit body disintegrated. Soon, his right arm and the left portion of his face followed. His body parts burst into powder and scattered. It was sublimation.
Like the Martial King in the past, Jeong-woo’s vestige spirit body was being incinerated from within, burning everything that remained. Now all that was left was part of his left arm and right eye. Jeong-woo’s already red, bloodshot Draconic Eyes were fixed on his soul, which still had its eyes closed.
『Wake up!』
And again…
『Wake…!』
Before he could even finish his words, Jeong-woo’s right eye disintegrated. As the powder helplessly floated into the air, it lost its shining divine light and disappeared. No, it was in the process of disappearing. At that moment…
Bam! Bam! Bam! From somewhere, the sound of restraints, which had been tightly bound around something, breaking could be heard. Crack! Crack! Boom! The barrier that had been holding firmly exploded into pieces like firecrackers.
Amid the explosion, Jeong-woo’s soul raised his upper body, opened his eyes, and reached out toward the place where Jeong-woo’s vestige spirit body had just sublimated.
As soon as Jeong-woo soul’s touched the powder with his fingertips, in an instant, all the data contained within the powder was sucked into Jeong-woo’s soul. It was only a fleeting moment, but that was more than enough time.
Jeong-woo’s soul accepted, restored, and merged with all the memories that his vestige spirit body encountered while his soul was asleep. In one part of his mind… In an infinitely white world, Jeong-woo’s soul and body came together and were having a brief conversation.
『Hey, did hyung ever find out that I sold him out to mother?』
『What do you think?』
『…so I guess hyung knows?』
『Yeah. You better get ready for a beat down.』
『Damn it!』
『I have nothing to do with it, so take care of it yourself.』
Jeong-woo’s body smiled and disappeared after stating those last words.
Flash! Jeong-woo’s soul, which had been blurry, now became Cha Jeong-woo. A sense of life and vigor returned to his eyes. However, despite waking up after a long time, Jeong-woo frowned. “Maybe I shouldn’t have woken up.”
After stating his complaints… Whoosh! Cha Jeong-woo spread his Sky Wings, which were shining brighter than ever. The surrounding dark world was filled with light and became bright. In an instant, it seemed to have become a bright day.
[The sun of ‘Day (Eros)’ has risen!]
[‘Day (Eros)’ spreads!]