Chapter 294

Chapter 294
## Chapter 294

—

The Divine Canine

The Supreme.

Is there any title more intoxicating than that for a man who lives by the blade?

-Lyca. Your talent is a phenomenon the likes of which the human realm will never witness again.

-Is it possible for me to climb even higher?

-Naturally. You are destined to be the most powerful man alive!

The memory of Lyca’s first moments of consciousness traced back to a slave auction. For a child orphaned by conflict, there was no other destination. After being traded like merchandise and drifting through various hands, he eventually crossed paths with the former patriarch of the Eight Excellences.

From that day forward, Lyca gripped his hilt every morning without fail, driven by the singular goal of reaching the summit, until he was eventually hailed as the Empire’s First Sword. Lyca gave his soul to the Empire and to the sovereign who had recognized his worth. He took on the most perilous assignments, such as venturing into the Abyss—missions where a single life was far too small a price for the risks involved.

-Tainted blood.

-He is nothing more than a nameless war brat.

-Where does a vagrant with no lineage think he is standing…

-Even sharing the same air as him is revolting!

Yet, there were factions that refused to acknowledge Lyca’s status. This was why the ‘Holy Blood’ was essential. If the Emperor himself granted him Holy Blood, his low-born status would be shielded from any criticism. If that failed… then he would need absolute, overwhelming martial dominance. Only a level of strength that rendered even the thought of defiance impossible would compel them to bow.

Therefore, he was burdened with the necessity of being the strongest.

‘To build the world I envision, I must never lose my place at the top.’

A world where talent alone dictated one’s path. A society where hard work yielded fruit regardless of one’s family tree or social standing! A perfect Empire where every citizen recognized merit and was rewarded in kind. Lyca sought to transform the Empire into such a sanctuary. This was the root of his intense fixation on the concept of “The Supreme.”

“Fifth Gate (O-mun), Open.”

…Even if the cost was his very existence.

Shuuuuuuuuuk!

A crimson aura erupted. It was the physical manifestation of his blood seeping through his pores and instantly vaporizing alongside his mana. In this state, Lyca’s physical capabilities and magical density surged by tens of multiples. It was a terminal technique that leveraged his life force as collateral for a brief, apocalyptic explosion of power.

However, the fatal flaw of the Fifth Gate was its transience. He had a few minutes at best. If his adversary managed to stall for time, or if he failed to conclude the fight within that window, his life would forfeit in vain.

“I won’t judge you if you choose to flee. In this moment, I am the strongest being in existence.”

“······.”

Sreung.

Wilhelm unsheathed his blade. At that sight, the grin on Lyca’s face broadened. The man wasn’t retreating. It was the defiant stance of a warrior prepared to meet the storm head-on.

‘Just as I thought.’

He had known. He knew this man would never sidestep the challenge. Through the exchange of blows, Lyca had come to understand Wilhelm’s nature. Just as Wilhelm had decoded him, Lyca had managed to peer into Wilhelm’s soul.

‘We are both fractured.’

Wilhelm was broken. He was far from normal. But Lyca recognized that same distortion within himself. Because of this, he felt a strange bond. A clash between two anomalies. Yet, both anomalies were forged in the fires of discipline that defied comprehension. They were monsters defined by a stubborn sincerity and a refusal to yield.

When was the last time he had savored this sensation? The raw ecstasy of confronting a superior foe. At some point, those capable of challenging him had simply ceased to exist. And yet, this specific brand of adrenaline and joy was a novelty.

…Yes, it was a first. For the first time, Lyca had found a rival to whom he wanted to reveal his absolute limit. So, please.

‘I hope we find no reason to be disappointed in one another.’

* ······.
* ······.

As the final movement of the duel commenced, the Player Talk feed was filled with nothing but ellipsis. The viewers lacked the mental capacity to type words. No other thoughts could form in their minds. They were reeling from a level of psychological impact they had never before encountered.

* Is that…
* A collision between the two strongest…
* This is insane. I’ve forgotten how to breathe……

Wilhelm and Lyca. Set against a backdrop of hundreds of thousands of spectators. Yet, no one dared to step in. The soldiers of both factions could only watch, paralyzed by the sheer intensity. The shockwaves of their duel were utterly obliterating the environment. Everyone was witnessing the true, unbridled power of these two for the very first time.

* Who claimed Wilhelm was inferior to Lyca?

In that moment, a glaring realization surfaced. There had always been debates regarding Wilhelm’s true strength. Some heralded him as the peak, a being without peer. Others dismissed him as a fraud, claiming his reputation was built on exaggerations. This skepticism existed because almost no one had ever seen Wilhelm fight with everything on the line. Wilhelm only revealed his true self when facing the trials of the system.

* It feels like his value was suppressed because of the Eight Hero Association.
* Because they framed the disaster of the Great Expedition in that specific way.

But there was more to it. Originally, players who held influence in Pangenia worked to hide and gatekeep information. They orchestrated smear campaigns and manipulated the narrative for their own benefit. Knowledge was currency, and monopolizing it ensured their profit. Naturally, Wilhelm’s existence was an obstacle to their control.

He, the man suspected to be Phantom, had selflessly shared his expertise on the forums, allowing countless people to overcome their plateaus. That was the reason. Several elite players, including the Eight Hero Association, had secretly categorized ‘Hunting Phantom’ and ‘Sabotaging Wilhelm’ as priority objectives. They downplayed Wilhelm’s feats, painting him as an overrated fluke so that he would never become a symbol for the masses.

However, even the most elaborate deceptions crumble when faced with the raw truth of reality.

* Wilhelm!
* Wilhelm!

Every voice joined in chanting Wilhelm’s name. They understood now. They could distinguish the fabrications from the truth. …They knew who the strongest truly was.

It was a total conflict. A duel involving only two individuals carried more weight than a massive war between nations. Yet, the final exchange did not drag on. In a heartbeat. Right there, before the eyes of the world.

“······.”
“······.”

Wilhelm’s steel—had brought Lyca to his knees.

Tu-uk.

A sword clattered against the stone. Lyca, the man heralded as the Empire’s peak who had stood above all—the man who seemed to have no equal—personally discarded his weapon. The crimson mist that had been surging through his veins had dissipated. He had sacrificed everything and bared his soul, but in the end, he had failed to close the gap.

“······It’s beyond belief.”

Lyca’s voice was hollow. His frame, which had been engorged with power, withered away, and his voice turned frail, cracking as if echoing from the bottom of a dark canyon. He was now standing at the very edge of the grave. And yet, he had been unable to touch him.

…Lyca had never encountered such a terrifying entity. It fueled a final curiosity within him.

“Answer me one thing. Is the Demon King even more powerful than you?”

He spoke of the Demon King’s prowess. Because a creature existed who had once defeated a man like Wilhelm. The catastrophe of the Great Expedition, and the figure who had supposedly ended Wilhelm—did that being not still draw breath? If so, then Lyca wouldn’t have been bested by the absolute peak. As he waited with bated breath, Wilhelm gave his reply.

“He is pathetic.”

“······!”

The Demon King was weaker? Then how had he fallen? Was there a hidden truth, as the Kingdom of Balan had claimed? Regardless, it was a comfort. Lyca felt a wave of relief wash over him.

“However.”

As if there was a more vital truth to share, Wilhelm scanned his surroundings. Then, he spoke with deliberate slowness.

“Prepare yourself. For the Demon King from this point forward will be unlike anything that came before.”

…What did he mean? No one present could fully grasp the weight of Wilhelm’s warning. But for Lyca, it was enough. He squared his shoulders, his expression hardening.

“I am Lyca, Commander of the Eight Excellence Knights and the First Sword of the Empire.”

…Though his personal ambitions remained unfulfilled, he was grateful to have encountered such a complex individual and to meet his end at his hands. Perhaps he had been waiting for this moment all along. A day when he would meet a genius so overwhelming that he could finally accept his own limitations.

He felt a literal weight lifting from him. He felt free. Because a man of this caliber would surely be capable of rewriting the future.

“I acknowledge Wilhelm as the strongest.”

…In this world that God has abandoned.

The moment Lyca conceded his defeat.

Teol-sseok!

He collapsed. The cold grip of death was closing in rapidly.

Suaaaaaaa!

Suddenly, a massive, oppressive shadow of sorrow blanketed the region. The darkness drifted toward Wilhelm and Lyca. Wilhelm, gazing into that abyss of misery, spoke with a gentle, fatherly tone.

“······You are a kind soul.”

Wilhelm sensed Lucaria weeping within the darkness. He slowly extended his arm.

“Were you attempting to keep everyone safe?”

His hand made contact with the shadow. At that touch, the myriad of black appendages recoiled and became still. The blossoming despair that threatened to swallow the crowd—he realized that her presence here was actually a barrier to shield the people from Lyca’s fallout. Wilhelm gently stroked the shadow of Lucaria as he continued.

“It is all right now. I have stopped the cruel man who caused your tears. You can leave the rest to me.”

Seueueueue······.

In an instant, the dark limbs dissolved into mist. The smog that had choked the Tower vanished as if it had never been there.

“You truly are a good child.”

Wilhelm offered a faint smile. The shadow that had inspired terror in every heart was, to him, nothing more than the frustrated crying of a child.

“W-What happened?”
“Where are we?”

As the influence lifted, people began to recover their senses. A massive throng of 500,000 looked around in a daze.

“L-Look at that······.”
“What is that thing now?”

It was then.

《 ‘Eternal Randolph’ has finished its metamorphosis. 》

Jjeo-jeok!

The insectoid shell split open, and something erupted from within. Eternal Randolph! The creature that the divine canine had reportedly cultivated with even more devotion than his own self. That entity, which had challenged him to finally grasp a victory, was now standing before him.

‘He is distorted.’

Furthermore, it was clear that the creature known as Eternal Randolph was also profoundly broken. Yet, it felt familiar. Was it the shared resonance of their suffering? Or was it simply because the creature was as madly twisted as he was? Wilhelm stabilized his breath and tightened his grip on his sword.

‘Watch closely, you divine canine.’

I was within the void. A place so consumed by blackness that vision was impossible. I was struggling as if submerged in a bog, unable to move. From that depth, I observed Wilhelm, who appeared as a distant figure.

‘So this is the sensation.’

The experience of having one’s own body piloted by another. I finally understood the helplessness Wilhelm felt when I was the one in control. Yet Wilhelm had not surrendered in this state of absolute powerlessness. It wasn’t just the lack of control; it was the relentless tide of negative emotions. It was a pit designed to make one abandon hope and seek the oblivion of forgetting.

‘The magnitude of this is on a different level compared to the Creation of Heaven and Earth I once utilized.’

Because of that, I resolved not to falter. I intended to witness the unfolding of Wilhelm’s story. I wanted to study his techniques, gain new insights, and build a more stable foundation for myself.

“······Stunning.”

I couldn’t help but whisper in awe. This was a different dimension from the swordsmanship I held in my memories. This was the full, uninhibited sword of Wilhelm, wielded by the man himself. Seeing it in person was a revelation.

Now I truly understood. The sheer volume of effort he had poured in, even in this place. How he had pushed past his limits again and again. The reason he hadn’t succumbed to the urge to give up was because of me. He had fought through the silence, trying to make his voice reach across the divide to me. Since I hadn’t heard him, it was only natural for him to call me a divine canine and spit curses at me.

“Go on, show me everything you have. I am watching you now.”

I focused all my senses. I didn’t want to miss a single twitch of his muscles or a single intake of breath. I wanted to fully acknowledge the being known as ‘Wilhelm.’ This was the moment we could truly see each other for the first time.

…Because only now was I finally prepared to listen to what Wilhelm had to say.