Chapter 244

Chapter 244
## Chapter 244

—

### Annihilation

I felt incredible.

It was a sensation of total release, a feeling I was encountering for the very first time.

It was a definitive resolution that could only be described as ‘freedom.’

‘The Eternal Lord’s Starlight.’

The moment I stepped out from the confines of the prison, the Specter of the Night was there, acting as if it had been waiting to lead the way.

By trailing the Specter of the Night, the ‘Eternal Lord’s Starlight’ finally came into view.

…The second I laid eyes on it, I understood.

This radiance wasn’t just some tool designed to boost my Health or Offensive Power.

It was a collection of memories; it was a living soul.

Because of that realization, everything became clear.

I understood exactly why the Divine Skin Hybrid had constructed this specific theater of events.

‘He hungers for a state of perfection.’

He desperately wanted to reach a more refined state of being to truly claim ownership of the island.

His goal was to consume every fragment of starlight and every stray memory until he became a singular, pure entity.

This was based on the fact that memory is, in itself, talent.

Someone might question how a mere memory could translate into raw talent, but…

‘It follows the same logic as me being able to handle a blade using Wilhelm’s experiences.’

The power of a physical frame, the clarity of one’s intent, and the profundity of a soul—the one talent that reigned supreme over all of them was memory.

The recollection of a victor, the experiences of an absolute powerhouse who reached the summit, the memory of one who turned their visions into reality… simply by possessing that knowledge, one could achieve their goals in the most efficient manner possible.

Thus, memory served as the ultimate, all-encompassing weapon.

Just as it was functioning right now.

‘The Evil God of the Heavenly Demon Map. The legacy of the First Heavenly Demon.’

I had undoubtedly absorbed the chronicles of the Heavenly Demon Map.

I had witnessed the entire life story of the Evil God, the First Heavenly Demon.

He was a supreme, absolute entity who had cast aside his very humanity, yet remained unrivaled throughout the annals of time.

His every motion, his every philosophy, his entire being.

I observed them, lived through them, and sensed them.

However, for a typical person, these were sensations that their mind could never truly process or accept.

The psyche of the First Heavenly Demon was a specialized engine designed to shatter a person’s sanity.

‘This feels…… wonderful.’

Naturally, that consequence was only for those who were ordinary.

If a person wasn’t standard—if there was someone who functioned like a blank canvas, capable of taking in everything without resistance—then the transformation and the end result would be fundamentally different.

‘Did you claim to want an existence that is flawless and complete?’

The Eternal Monk.

He had instructed me to let go.

The identity that would no longer rise to the surface.

He told me to reach a state of completion.

To abandon every lingering tie and chase nothing but total fulfillment.

What was the true meaning behind that?

‘A true ruler is never governed by simple sentiments.’

Do not be moved.

Strip away every individual emotion.

Clinging to such fleeting feelings was nothing more than shackling one’s own potential.

‘Wilhelm’s blade carries emotion. In contrast, there is no sentiment found in the strikes of the First Heavenly Demon.’

Consequently, the one that reached a higher state of completion was the combat style of the First Heavenly Demon.

It was the essence of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art itself.

The First Heavenly Demon stood on a level above Wilhelm.

And so, I overhauled everything.

My stance, my mindset, and even the rhythm of a single breath.

I fully embraced the essence of the First Heavenly Demon.

I asserted control over the memories and transformed into a being without flaws.

‘Oho.’

As I cast away and shut out every unnecessary distraction, my physical form felt strangely weightless.

So this was the sensation.

The feeling of achieving perfection.

I gave a slow nod and allowed a thin smile to cross my face.

“……I feel excellent. Truly.”

—

Vibrate!

The Heavenly Demon Map gave a sudden shudder.

No, perhaps it was his own physical form that had trembled in place.

‘What is this sensation?’

Even though he had steeled his resolve to butcher the man, the Heavenly Demon’s bewilderment only grew at this sudden shift.

The Terrible Omen.

It was because that individual’s presence had transformed in an instant, as if he had been replaced by a different person entirely.

What’s more, he was radiating a pressure even more sinister than his title suggested.

For some reason, it felt more than just familiar……

It was an incomparably dominant internal energy.

“Are you…… imitating me?”

The idea was preposterous.

This was unmistakably his own signature pressure.

How could a pathetic Omen replicate that aura, which belonged to all the Heavenly Demons across history—that presence of reigning over ten thousand souls that only a true Heavenly Demon could display?

Kwarreung!

The Heavenly Demon gnashed his teeth and surged his internal energy to the surface.

Boom! Cr-cr-crack!

Simultaneously, the earth within a thirty-meter circle around the Heavenly Demon was violently carved out.

The very landscape shifted just from the act of him gathering his power.

It was a staggering internal energy that made his previous efforts look like child’s play.

He saw no reason to let this linger.

He intended to pulverize and slaughter the man in one decisive motion.

Swish!

The moment he felt his weight shift off the ground, the Heavenly Demon was already standing directly in front of the Omen.

His blade lunged forward with the speed of a lightning strike.

He planned to finish the fight by severing the throat in a fraction of a second that no eye could follow.

Clang!

However, the strike was parried.

‘He actually caught my blade?’

He had been utterly convinced that the man wouldn’t be able to intercept the attack.

That wasn’t the only shock.

A powerful, repulsive force vibrated back from the point of contact.

This was another impossibility.

‘…He is countering my internal energy with a direct head-on collision?’

It was a pure struggle of internal energy against internal energy.

How could this be happening?

A person might be able to fake a stance, but internal energy was a discipline that could never be mimicked.

Even if the man had somehow studied the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, there was no logical way his mastery could rival his own.

And yet.

Despite that logic……

The Heavenly Demon stared into the eyes of the Omen who had halted his blade.

Those eyes were impossibly still, without even a trace of a tremor.

A profound, chilling curiosity emanated from those dark depths!

‘Very well. Let’s see exactly how much pressure you can withstand.’

The Heavenly Demon pushed his internal energy even higher.

Even if this man were the literal embodiment of Destruction, he shouldn’t be able to match his internal reserves.

The Heavenly Demon Map, which had previously been unresponsive as if paralyzed by fear, was now acting to amplify his power.

In a raw contest of internal energy, he refused to lose.

Boom!

As the two massive tides of energy crashed together, they formed a gargantuan shockwave around them, relentlessly chewing up the terrain.

Crunch! Cr-cr-crack!

The entire island groaned under the strain, and everything in the immediate vicinity was ground into dust and vanished in the blink of an eye.

Guaaaaaaaa—

The air itself seemed to let out a piercing shriek.

Following that, the circular void created by their clashing powers continued to expand without limit, stretching across hundreds of meters and beyond.

It was a sight of unparalleled dominance.

Who would ever mistake this for a simple trade of blows?

‘……!’

Internally, the Heavenly Demon began to panic.

Because no matter how much he increased the output of his energy, the Omen was matching him step for step.

But that was impossible.

The energy radiating from the man felt exactly like his own in texture.

He was flawlessly cycling the power bolstered by the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.

Since the Heavenly Demon Divine Art was a system designed to grow power through perpetual circulation.

The Heavenly Demon was a warrior who had annihilated countless foes using nothing but sheer, overwhelming force.

‘His level of attainment is equal to mine?’

That was madness.

Even if the man had discovered the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, it couldn’t have been more than a few days since he started practicing it.

Even if, by some miracle, the Heavenly Demon Map had bestowed the technique upon him, the timeframe was only a matter of days.

Was it actually possible to bridge the gap of a lifetime’s worth of cultivation in such a short window?

He was a martial genius the likes of which appeared once in a thousand years.

He had always been lauded for possessing a talent for combat that was legendary.

His body was perfectly tuned for the path of war.

Furthermore, because he had never been lazy, he had no equals under the sky.

Did that mean this man was a talent that only appeared once in ten thousand years?

‘Even with ten thousand years of talent, this shouldn’t be possible……!’

Even with a talent that broke all historical records, catching up to his level of mastery in just a few days was a concept that defied all reason.

An impossible feat.

And yet, that impossible feat was unfolding right in front of him.

Grit!

Grit-grit!

His jaw tightened painfully of its own accord.

The Heavenly Demon was now forcing his internal energy to its absolute breaking point.

His level of mastery, which touched upon Great Completion and the realm of the Natural State, felt useless.

Against this freak of nature.

‘The amount of energy he had to begin with must have been so vast it eclipsed mine. Otherwise…!’

The Heavenly Demon, who had tried to deny the reality, finally retreated a step.

He had realized on an instinctual level that if he kept up this energy struggle, he would be completely consumed by the man.

An opponent whose internal energy reserves actually exceeded his own.

This was a category of enemy he had never once faced.

‘…The outcome will be different when it comes to technical swordsmanship.’

He abandoned the plan to crush him with raw power.

He would bleed him out slowly.

There was no way this monster could replicate the sheer depth and prestige of his sword techniques.

He calmed his breathing and settled into a firm stance.

And once more—he lunged.

His sword moved with a deceptive slowness.

However, hidden within that arc were thousands upon thousands of intricate, profound principles.

A blade that had attained the Transcendence of the Demon was impossible to parry, even if it appeared mundane at first glance.

Slash!

—

……What was this?

What was occurring?

The more he unleashed his sword.

When he was certain he had landed a cut, he found himself being wounded instead; when he was sure he had blocked an attack, he felt a blade pierce him.

Even though they were utilizing the exact same Heavenly Demon Divine Art.

He simply could not find a way to stop the Omen’s blade.

Forget stopping it.

…He was being toyed with, systematically.

-You have to slaughter him! He is stealing my essence!

The Heavenly Demon Map was screaming in fury.

It felt as though he could actually hear the voice of the Heavenly Demon Map, a voice he had never encountered until this moment.

However, the Heavenly Demon couldn’t focus on it.

Because every single one of his movements was being anticipated by his enemy.

“What…… are you…… exactly?”

Drip. Drip.

Blood began to pour down in a steady stream.

The sinews visible through the gashes in his skin were shredded to ribbons.

The Heavenly Demon looked up at his adversary.

The eyes of that Omen.

They were eyes like the abyss, deeply sunken and hollow, where not a single spark of human emotion could be found.

He understood the truth as soon as he looked into them.

Those were the eyes of someone who had truly discarded every shred of their humanity.

A monster that had been perfected by cutting away and isolating everything that wasn’t strictly necessary.

He didn’t want to accept it, but if such a person truly existed.

A being who forced ten thousand demons to bow and made the heavens themselves shake,

The one true Demon of the Heavens.

“The Heavenly Demon……”

……That person would be the true Heavenly Demon.

The pinnacle he should have been striving for.

The one who stood at the absolute end of the path!

It was he who had been nothing more than a cheap imitation of the Heavenly Demon all this time.

At some unknown point, he had become the fraud, and this man had become the genuine article.

He had been robbed.

Completely.

Of his identity, the purpose of his life, and every one of his memories.

And this was only the start.

‘An entity that consumes everything in its path……!’

Beginning with him, this man would go on to devour every living thing on the island.

In doing so, he would rise above all else and reach completion.

Only then did the Heavenly Demon feel certain.

He had been doubtful at first, but finally, the truth was undeniable.

The Terrible Omen.

That man was Destruction itself.

—

Swish.

Thud!

The Heavenly Demon’s head spun through the air.

His torso collapsed onto the dirt as the electrical signals of life were severed.

Isabella, who had stood by and watched the entire sequence from start to finish, could see it clearly.

‘He has changed.’

That he was no longer the same.

That Randolph, having been stripped of what he held most dear, had evolved into a different entity.

Then this must be Randolph’s true nature…… the version of Randolph that existed without the interference of Park Hyunmyeong.

A tragic human who had been a puppet, just like she had been.

The Sovereign and the North Star that she was destined to follow with total devotion.

As the chains that held him back fell away, Randolph was climbing past every conceivable limit.

Randolph could now truly be described as a being at the very peak of existence.

‘What I am meant to do. The reason I was summoned here.’

Isabella shifted her gaze to the flickering, unstable orb hidden within her cloak.

Park Hyunmyeong.

This was the core of his soul.

The brazen man from another realm who had toyed with both her and Randolph.

Though she had known of that name through her transcendent sight, this was the first time she was physically holding his essence.

And this was her assigned duty.

To wipe out and destroy this soul.

By doing so, she would fulfill her mission to remove Randolph’s greatest weakness, his final shackle.

Since Park Hyunmyeong was her sworn enemy as well.

Wasn’t this the perfect moment?

This was a feat that only a Specter of the Night was capable of performing.

‘But why……’

Why was she hesitating to destroy this soul?

Perhaps it was because she had caught a glimpse of the memories woven into Park Hyunmyeong’s spirit.

The memories of a person who had loved the world of Pangaea more than anyone else,

A man who had fought with total sincerity and passion, driven only by the desire to save this reality.

Even though he had experienced failure more times than could be counted and had caused countless deaths in his wake… could a person really label all of that as just a ‘game’?

Park Hyunmyeong’s intentions were far too honest to call him a mere villain who crushed lives for fun by forcing divine possessions.

He had simply attempted to rescue Pangaea with every fiber of his being.

‘What I…… must do.’

Isabella centered herself on her purpose once again.

“Randolph-nim.”

A Specter of the Night was strictly forbidden from speaking.

Under normal circumstances, communicating with a participant was impossible.

If their true identity was ever exposed, they would immediately fade away.

However, she didn’t care about the cost.

Isabella looked Randolph directly in the eyes.

Slowly extending her hand, she brushed it against his cheek.

With a clear, steady voice, she declared.

“I am Isabella.”

……It was going to be the last time, regardless.