Chapter 1421: Lord of Hell (4)
The Grand Duke’s fleet, shaped like a blue marlin, emerged through the black sky.
The Ascendant’s Bathtub, splitting the purple earth of Paradise Lost and soaring high into the sky.
In the center of the darkness that swallowed everything, a black-haired man, drained of all color, rose to his feet.
The black wizard of Pandemonium. The last survivor of the Black Edict, one of the five oldest families.
The butcher who had unleashed the Gabihaeng, spreading countless deaths across the continent and its civilizations.
The ghost who had departed, taking the secret of the Heavenly Abasement Spellcraft with him to the grave.
Kuuuuooooo!!!
Myeong’s corpse, wreathed in endless black magic, raised a hand.
From within the tidal wave of darkness that stretched to the horizon, black giants dozens of meters tall revealed themselves.
Black pillars made of darkness slammed down from all directions, and giant Black Coffins rose and floated like ships.
As if recreating the Gabihaeng witnessed in Gateway City. As if intending to restart the long-settled battle of Paradise Lost.
Lennok’s expression hardened as he looked up at Myeong’s hollow, lifeless movements.
“[The Gate]… Has it started rampaging in reaction to the darkness flowing back from beyond it…!”
What lay dormant beyond the Mausoleum’s [Gate] was the causality of the Black Edict family’s research into the Heavenly Abasement Spellcraft.
It was the very passage to the hell where the Black Edict clan had been cast, souls and all, upon their execution.
If Myeong’s body, remaining here, had sensed the existence of the ‘soul’ slumbering beyond [The Gate]…
That alone would be enough to draw them to each other, an unstoppable attraction.
Only then did Lennok faintly realize what Croken had been trying to say.
The one reacting to the darkness beyond [The Gate] wasn’t just Lennok from the beginning—
Kugugugugu!!!!
The marlin-shaped fleet floating above Yeongheo Palace pierced the veil of darkness and descended.
The Ascendant’s Bathtub, which had risen from the sundered Paradise Lost, began to approach over the black waves.
The Grand Duke’s blessing and Jinwa’s Spell-Word collided head-on with the black magic, crushing and blowing apart Yeongheo Palace.
“My condolences, Lord of the Black Edict.”
“Even in death, are you still stuck in the past, fighting the Grand General?”
“This is no stage for a rotten corpse.”
[Even as a ghost, you pathetically cling to your regrets!!!]
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaa-!!!!!
With roars echoing like thunder, three streams of power violently collided, centered on Yeongheo Palace.
Kwaaaaaaaa!!!!!
“Kuk…!!!”
The darkness that erupted from the audience chamber instantly swallowed Yeongheo Palace.
Pitch-black darkness covered the ceilings and walls of the detached palace, dripping down like viscous oil.
The tidal wave of darkness that began on the far side of Yeongheo Palace reached the Mausoleum’s vicinity in the blink of an eye.
The grotesque armies lying scattered about were swept away and swallowed without even a chance to resist.
“K-Kuak…!!”
“No, no!!”
“Guuuuhk…!!”
A Dragon Rider whose head had turned into a cephalopod. A member of the Titan Legion whose skin had turned to tentacles. They flailed in the darkness.
Every time they tried to push off the ground with transcendent strength or muster their mana to resist the wave, they only sank deeper.
“Krrrrk-!!”
The darkness filling their bodies flowed back from deep within.
Black tears streamed from the eyes of the Dragon Riders and Titan Legion members, and they wretchedly vomited black blood.
Unable to even scream properly, the superhumans sank, their limbs stiffening like blocks of wood.
The figure of the Nether King, single-handedly manipulating the residual black magic of Paradise Lost to simultaneously face the fleet and the bathtub.
Just as Lennok froze, witnessing the unreal scale of the collision, Myeong’s body turned to look at him.
The moment it met Lennok’s gaze with inverted eyes, pupils stained black and weeping black tears.
Myeong’s figure, floating in the darkness, vanished on the spot.
Fwip!!
“…!!”
The eerie sensation of something incredibly sharp piercing his magical perception at immense speed.
Just as he threw his body forward, Myeong’s hand pierced through the spot where Lennok had been standing.
The overflowing darkness shot out from Myeong’s fingertips like a laser, successively piercing the walls of Yeongheo Palace and exploding.
Pillars of pitch-black darkness erupted one after another to the end of the detached palace, a black curtain weeping down.
Fwobobobobong!!!!!
“Kuk…!!!”
Darkness dripped down from all directions, and formless black magic exploded, staining Yeongheo Palace black.
Hundreds of superhumans and corpses shrieked in the surging darkness before being silently swallowed one by one.
Watching Myeong slowly turn with blackened eyes amidst the flooding darkness, Lennok let out a short breath.
He had sensed something was wrong the moment Myeong’s corpse awakened, but he never expected it to attack him so brazenly.
But Lennok didn’t hesitate for long and got to his feet.
“…It seems pointless to say anything more.”
From the moment Croken burst in from beyond [The Gate] and Myeong’s corpse began to rampage, everything had deviated from his predictions.
But precisely because of that, Myeong’s existence was the core that pierced through this entire situation, the key itself.
The Ascendant and the Herald. The members of the Demonic Conflux fleeing Yeongheo Palace, and the superhumans being swallowed by darkness even at this moment.
At this moment, with Myeong single-handedly holding back the chaotic battle raging on all sides, he and Lennok were facing each other.
Kiiiiing-
Watching Myeong extend a hand in the darkness, he accelerated his consciousness.
His opponent was the continent’s greatest black wizard, who was treated as being in a league of his own even within Pandemonium.
Even if it was a soulless body on a rampage, it was not an opponent he could dismiss.
If he missed a single movement, even for an instant, it would be irreversi—
Paaaang!!!
As if a film had snapped, Myeong’s hand crossed the darkness and appeared right before Lennok’s nose.
He wrapped his body in a Mana Thread and pulled, forcibly twisting his upper body to evade.
Myeong’s pale hand grazed past Lennok’s cheek by a hair’s breadth and vanished.
It diagonally split and crushed the cavern of the Mausoleum standing behind Lennok, the impact echoing.
Kwaaaaaaaa!!!!
“…!!!”
Without even time to utter a word, Lennok and Myeong moved in succession within the darkness.
Myeong’s corpse, weeping black tears, swung its arms as if lashing out at Lennok, firing and exploding blasts of black magic at incredible speed.
Lennok’s figure, clutching his cracked arm and staggering, somehow managed to narrowly evade the attacks.
‘The output…!!’
It fired off black magic like an explosion, using the recoil to slide through the darkness.
Every movement far surpassed supersonic speeds, and each swing of its hand swept away a range of hundreds of meters.
With just a light gesture containing no incantation or will-thought, the Nether King’s body poured down a bombardment equivalent to a strategic-level weapon.
Kugwagwagwagwagwa!!!!!
Was this kind of thing as common as breathing in the battle between the Ascendant and the black wizard that unfolded in Paradise Lost?
Even a tidal wave of black magic that covered the heavens and earth, the current Lennok might be able to counter it.
At that moment, as a hesitant Lennok tried to evade the tidal wave of darkness and slip into an opening in Myeong’s attacks.
A thick tail appeared from thin air, grabbed Lennok by the scruff of his neck, and yanked him back.
Pang!!
“Kuk…?!”
A shock so intense his vision blurred for a moment.
Through the gut-wrenching pain, the form of the crocodile giant that had grabbed him appeared hazy.
The figure of a monster, casually stepping on and leaping over the pouring tidal wave of black magic.
It accelerated across the blackened waves and lake as if running on water.
Reaching the other side of the Mausoleum in an instant, Croken tossed Lennok to the ground.
Thud!!
“How absurd.”
Croken glared at Lennok, who was rolling on the floor without even letting out a scream.
“Who told you to fight that thing head-on? What are you doing, not running away immediately?”
“Cough…!!”
“If you were properly weak, you would have run away without a second thought, but because you have just enough ability to fight back, you’re stubbornly holding on.”
Croken crossed his arms as if looking at something pathetic.
“When that bastard’s corpse is busy dealing with the noble and the Ascendant for you, you should have the sense to get out of the way. Are you slow, or did you just want to use this chance to fight that Myeong bastard?”
“We had no prior agreement. I don’t see how I was supposed to read your intentions…”
Lennok, after spitting out water, retorted as he swept back his wet hair.
“I don’t know how to read the mind of a monster who was transcendent from birth. You adapt.”
“Kukukuk… You sure know how to hold a grudge. Were you still bothered by what happened in Yorta?”
Croken laughed.
The old mercenary had immediately noticed the bite in Lennok’s irritable reply.
Croken, still with his arms crossed, tilted his head and spoke in a rare, softened tone.
“The curses you saw back then in Mugan are none of your concern. It was a momentary whim… or perhaps a provision for myself.”
“…”
“If I’d known this would happen, I wouldn’t have spouted such useless sentiments to you back then. You’re still strangely human for someone with your talent…”
Croken’s bright yellow pupils stared intently at Lennok’s face.
“I don’t know if that’s why Myeong chose you, but I don’t like that part of you at all. On the contrary, it just bothers me, worrying that you’ll screw things up later because of it.”
“…”
“Mark my words. Unlike the other insects, you are not allowed to die in a place like this.”
Croken’s voice turned harsh.
“Your job here is not to fight that bastard’s corpse to the death or sort out your pathetic feelings. You know that, don’t you?”
“No, I don’t.”
“What?”
“I still haven’t even heard why you’re here. I don’t know what you’re planning to do in this operation either.”
Lennok raised his gaze.
“If you want my help, then explain properly. What’s the reason for dragging this whole situation this far?”
“…”
Croken scowled, but Lennok didn’t avoid his gaze.
Instead, he just stared up at Croken with clear eyes that had regained their focus.
The reptilian pupils, gleaming with sallow killing intent, and Lennok’s gaze crossed in mid-air.
Standing on a trembling fragment of the Mausoleum, Croken finally burst out laughing as if it were an explosion.
“Puhahaha!! What an absurd bastard. Are you trying to have a battle of wills with me right now?”
“…”
“But that spirit is commendable. You’ve grown up, I see.”
Croken said, stroking his chin with satisfaction.
“It’s quite arrogant, but I like that part of you… Fine.”
No, it wasn’t Lennok’s spirit or audacity that pleased Croken.
If anyone else had answered like that, Croken was the type of person who would have smashed their head for their arrogance without a second thought.
The only reason this unpredictable monster didn’t do so to Lennok was purely because Lennok had talent.
He knew it was because Croken expected Lennok could accomplish some task he desired.
And, for that very reason, Croken would have to explain what this situation was all about.
That was why he wanted to hear an explanation from him, even in the midst of this uncontrollable, chaotic battle.
“As you’ve probably guessed, the reason I’ve stepped in is because of a request he left behind.”
The monster said, turning and walking away without waiting for a reply.
“I knew that due to the law of the Gabihaeng he started long ago, it wouldn’t stop even after he died.”
“…”
“So I tried to charge directly into the hell he created to forcibly end the Gabihaeng, but I failed.”
“…What?”
Lennok flinched for a moment at the completely unexpected, almost absurd-sounding answer.
From the moment Croken failed to show up throughout the plan, he knew the man wouldn’t cooperate normally, but…
To think that from the very beginning, Croken had been planning to finish things not in Paradise Lost, but in the hell Myeong had created.
“The causality in that place called hell is tangled up so complexly that it’s difficult to destroy with force. It was even more so because of the contract he made with those things called the Three Grand Dukes.”
Croken said in an indifferent tone.
“I tried a few times and managed to wake him, but I ultimately couldn’t succeed. So, you’ll have to go in and finish the job.”
“…”
Kugwagwagwa!!!!
In the raging storm of darkness, Myeong, weeping black tears, turns his gaze.
But Lennok remained silent, even as he faced the darkness that had completely covered Yeongheo Palace.
After staring at the darkness echoing inside the Mausoleum for a while, Lennok spoke.
“So, you’re telling me to go into that hell gate you just crawled out of?”
“You understood perfectly well. Why ask twice?”
“…I don’t understand what you’re saying. How will entering that gate help in this situation?”
Lennok retorted.
“Myeong’s body is rampaging and dealing with the Herald and Jinwa, but a balance like this won’t last long. Both sides want to obtain [The Gate], so they’ll play their hidden cards to break the stalemate.”
“…”
“We need to decide on a course of action and move before they start responding in earnest. If we’re not going to run away, we need to prepare to fight.”
Myeong’s body, rampaging by drawing in the darkness of Paradise Lost, was neither an ally nor a helper.
One wrong move, and he could end up having to face the Grafter, Jinwa, and Myeong all at once.
No matter how strong Croken was, could he defeat so many Transcendent beings alone? The outlook was pessimistic.
In this situation, instead of Lennok leaving, having him take the rear as mentioned before would offer the highest chance of victory.
But Croken’s answer was completely different from what Lennok had expected.
“Myeong’s soul is still waiting for you in that hell.”
“…What?”
“In the end, he himself was no exception to the rules of the Gabihaeng.”
Croken slowly turned and looked down at Lennok with his reptilian pupils.
“He gathered all the death on the continent to manifest hell, but he himself is bound to that hell, suffering for all eternity… Wasn’t that the end he desired?”
“…”
“In a sense, that is the very causality that the bastards gathered here so desperately want, the very power they desire.”
Croken looked back at Lennok.
“So you have to go. Do you understand?”
“…”
Looking back, it seemed many of the things Lennok had experienced were like this.
He would ask for an explanation because he couldn’t understand what he was told, only to be left even more lost after hearing it.
The hell gate forced open by the Ascendant and the Herald. Croken leaping out from beyond it, and Myeong’s soul said to remain within.
There wasn’t even time to ask questions to hear more of this inexplicable explanation.
[I N S E C T]
Kugugugugu!!!!!
From above the darkened Yeongheo Palace, swarms of grotesque purple characters looked down.
The true form of the Ascendant, shaped like a snail in a giant bathtub, appeared in the skies of Paradise Lost.
“You. I finally understand.”
Chwaaaaaak!!!
The three-headed, six-armed monster rose through the deep black waves and stared at Croken with a sunken gaze.
“Beast of antiquity. Sin of anguish. The loser who fled from the heavens. The colossal power that changes maps is your proof.”
The Herald, flapping three pairs of wings, washed away the dripping darkness and stepped forward, beginning to form a hand seal.
“I shall reclaim your destiny here, which should have originally belonged to the Imperial Palace.”
Kwaaaaaa-!!!
The Ascendant’s true form descended upon Paradise Lost, and the Herald of the Three Grand Dukes chanted a spell, raising his mindscape.
At its center, the black wizard who had stained Yeongheo Palace with darkness rampaged, endlessly swallowing everything.
At this moment, three different Transcendent beings, each possessing power rivaling a demigod, clashed around Yeongheo Palace.
“While you’re inside, [The Gate] must remain open for you to come back out.”
Croken said, grabbing Lennok by the scruff of his neck and lifting him up.
“I’ll hold them off, so go and come back. You’ll know what to do once you’re inside.”
“…Croken.”
Was he going to buy time here alone against the Ascendant, the Grafter, and the Nether King’s remains?
It was similar to what Lennok had done for Pandemonium in the audience chamber, but far more extreme.
But Lennok said no more and simply gave a strained nod.
“Alright. I’ll do it.”
There was no time to discuss, no time to explain.
The fact that they could even afford this brief respite was a result of Croken’s transcendent might.
In that case, relying on Croken’s help to settle things at this moment must be the right path.
Kwaaaaaaaa!!!!
The scattering Spell-Word and the Grafter’s authority. The rain of darkness falling like tears.
Croken took a bold step toward the flooding tidal wave, and time, which had been stopped, began to move.
The monster’s footsteps, crashing down like thunder, pierced the tidal wave head-on, accelerating and scattering a roaring sound.
[W H E R E A R E Y O U G O I N G]
“Come at me!!”
Kwagwagwagwagwa!!!!
The fleet descended, pouring down a bombardment, and the bathtub rose, engraving Spell-Words in all directions to bind his body.
The Ascendant and the Grafter wielded their authority to block his path, but the giant shattered all the forces pressing down on him and moved forward.
He advanced with his bare body through a storm of spellcraft and blades, carrying Lennok in one hand.
Fwobobobobong!!!!
Every time Croken’s colossal body moved, sound was crushed, and shockwaves exploded in succession.
His form, piercing the atmosphere and spreading hundreds of overlapping concentric circles, distorted like a cannonball.
At that surreal movement, unbelievable even when seen with their own eyes, even the Transcendent beings let out telepathic cries of astonishment.
[H O W C A N A N O R G A N I C B O D Y M O V E L I K E T H A T -]
“Unbelievable. He has already surpassed the standards of a living being…!!!”
“Kuhk…!”
In a field of vision where everything stretched into lines of light, Lennok, holding onto Croken, gritted his teeth and lowered his head.
It was useless to try and watch with his naked eyes; he couldn’t see properly anyway. His priority was to leave it to Croken and endure by mustering his mana.
“Go, brat.”
Chwaaaaaak!!!!
Stepping on the black tidal wave that swallowed everything, he spun his body as if sliding across the water’s surface.
The moment the ink-black scaled body, treading on the overflowing black magic and creating ripples, drew a curve so perfect it was almost elegant.
Croken, smirking and muttering, rotated his shoulder and threw Lennok’s body beyond [The Gate].
“Don’t forget to hear my last words when you get back.”
Paaaang!!!!
There was no reply.
The moment Lennok’s body vanished beyond [The Gate], the rampaging corpse of Myeong stopped moving.
The waves of black magic flooding from all directions poured down around the Mausoleum as if to hide [The Gate].
Kwaaaaaa!!!
Amidst the overflowing black waves, Croken dusted off his hands and turned around.
“This should be enough for a warm-up.”
He looked up at the Grafter’s fleet descending from above and the Ascendant’s Bathtub, then laughed heartily.
“Time to switch, you grotesque Transcendent beings. I’ll play with you for a bit until the brat finishes his work.”
[B E A S T]
The Ascendant’s true form in the bathtub spat out a chilling telepathic message.
[Y O U A R E N O O R D I N A R Y L I V I N G C R E A T U R E -]
“Your insults never change. Well, I suppose ‘beast’ is better than ‘insect’.”
“Cheondun. There is no need for long words.”
The Grafter, having descended before the strangely curved fleet, looked at Croken.
“You fled from heaven’s mandate, and you fell of your own accord to remain there. That, too, is an answer.”
“…”
“The Grand Duke I serve wishes to meet you in person.”
The Grafter said with his eyes closed.
“We shall now receive the noble one.”
The moment he was led by Croken’s hand and fell as if plummeting toward the other side of [The Gate].
Lennok felt his vision go completely black and closed his eyes.
Fwaat!!!
Beyond the gap between dimensions, at the end of a subspace that transcended the standards of worlds themselves.
The moment he felt all his senses detach and grow distant, his consciousness fading.
How much time had passed?
Swaaaaaa-
The faint sound of waves seemed to drift to his ears.
A wave that felt somehow warm yet empty brushing against his cheek. A transient echo that could not be grasped even when he reached for it.
He felt like he had experienced a similar sensation somewhere before.
Lennok struggled to open his eyes, got up, and looked around.
…
A coastline where an endless darkness flowed like waves, a black sea stretching out before him.
Beyond the distant horizon, a bizarre landscape where light chased its own tail, rotating to a standstill.
A black sunset, as if a massive black hole were sinking beyond the horizon in place of the sun.
Staring at the scene, which seemed frozen in time, Lennok finally realized where he was.
“…This place is.”
The hell created through the Gabihaeng, existing beyond [The Gate].
A separate dimension created to contain all the death and causality Myeong had gathered.
Countless Black Coffins were embedded in the shore, facing the accretion disk beyond the horizon.