Chapter 308

Chapter 308
## The Shrine of Valor

A secondary Ruin. And the First Demon of the Heavens!

The fundamental nature of both was strikingly alike. Each class was steeped in the ‘Wicked’ and the ‘Abyssal.’ This was the consequence of the essence of Brilliance and Majesty being concentrated within Park Hyunmyeong, while the polar opposite traits were funneled entirely into Randolph. The outcome far exceeded my wildest guesses. To think that such sheer pressure radiated merely by being, simply by shifting forms! It had moved beyond a scale I could easily govern or suppress.

…It was potent. Overwhelmingly so. The tainted energy. The manifestation of malice. The already formidable shadow alignment had been distilled, unified, and had evolved into something absolute and without blemish. At the same instant—

[‘Another Ruin’ is a harbinger who delivers ‘Desolation.’]
[You can designate a ‘World’ to undergo ‘Collapse.’]
[Attain rebirth as ‘Absolute Desolation’ by bringing worlds to their end.]
[Gain ‘Ruin Points’ each time you cause the fall of a single world.]
[Alternatively, gain ‘Ruin Points’ by obliterating a ‘Divine Icon.’]
[You can augment the strength of Ruin using ‘Ruin Points.’]
[Your subordinates will multiply with every world you dismantle.]
[You are permitted to call forth the first subordinate, the ‘Raven of Ruin.’]

……
……

This was the breakdown of Another Ruin. A predatory class that leveled civilizations and siphoned strength from the wreckage. It was a staggering revelation that went far beyond a mere secret class. The ‘Divine Icon’ likely alluded to critical sanctified artifacts representing a deity’s authority, or perhaps structures like the ‘Towers.’ To harvest points by razing them and fueling the core of Ruin—did the ‘Desolation’ that wiped out Pangenia in the ancient past possess these same traits?

However, I had no intention of dismantling Pangenia or Earth. If there was any entity that deserved to be ground into dust, it would be the ‘Celestial Realms.’

‘Subordinates, then?’

Moreover, the primary kin was birthed from my own essence, much like the Four Calamities. The reason for it being a raven was easy to grasp. It was the bird’s influence that had shifted and grown through the Deities of Malice and Cinder. This was essentially its ultimate state of evolution.

This wasn’t the end of it. The notifications continued to scroll. This time, the focus shifted to the First Demon of the Heavens.

[The ‘First Demon of the Heavens’ is the inaugural entity of the abyss to scale the Celestial Heights.]
[A title that once cowed the Heavens and looked down upon creation, but due to its terrifying might, the Heavens themselves enforced a seal.]
[Every demon that followed was shaped by the First Demon’s shadow and aimed to claim that magnificent title, yet none could grasp the true status of the ‘First Demon.’]
[They devised arts like the ‘Heavenly Demon Sovereign Style’ or the ‘Vitality-Draining Path’ and called themselves Heavenly Demons in an attempt to mimic the First Demon, but they can never touch the true origin.]
[The ‘First Demon of the Heavens’ stands as the supreme entity of the abyss.]
[The ‘First Demon of the Heavens’ assimilates all lesser demons.]
[You are granted the First Demon’s exclusive secret technique, ‘Universe-Sundering Heavenly Demon.’]

……
……

Every scrap of power I held associated with the Heavenly Demon had coalesced and found its peak in the ‘First Demon.’ The progenitor. Under that sovereign title.

Neither of these two new identities lacked for strength. On the contrary, their potency was a liability. It was a level of force that my current self simply could not regulate!

[Activating ‘Gauntlet of Cinder.’]
[Reverting to ‘Park Hyunmyeong.’]

I triggered the swap immediately. I shuddered to think what might happen if I lingered in Randolph’s form. Furthermore, I was in the very center of the Empire. If I were exposed, a violent conflict would ignite instantly. The internal energy was surging so violently it was nearly impossible to remain hidden.

‘……Just grinding levels won’t fix this.’

The realization finally hit home. Before the split, Randolph was pure discord. I saw now that merely increasing my level wouldn’t achieve a true equilibrium. I had to cultivate the power of the Light. Only through that could I tether Randolph’s shadows. If I lost the reins, merely transforming and existing would hasten the end of the world. The Seven Sovereigns of Hell or the Demon Lord himself might come knocking, looking for an alliance.

…The thought alone made my head swim. A few minutes hadn’t even passed before—

“What’s going on in here!”

Thud!

Lyca burst through the door, his movements frantic. He was geared for war, and his gaze was sharp with palpable anxiety.

—

“Pheromone and Laktusha have fallen……?”

The Black King, absorbing the news from the Lord of the Dark Elves, narrowed his eyes. Those two were his most trusted pawns, sent out with the certainty that they were invincible. Yet, they had perished without even retrieving Baal or the Shards of Desolation. What’s more, both had been empowered further by his personal blessing.

“Who took their lives?”

“Laktusha was struck down by Pheromone, and Pheromone was finished by Wilhelm.”

“……”

The Black King fell into a heavy silence. Despite his twisted expression, he couldn’t immediately process the report from the Dark Elf Lord. Those who carried his blessing were physically incapable of slaying one another because the Black King’s will forbade it. Unless, of course, there was an exception.

“Did Pheromone lose my favor?”

There were scenarios where a blessing was stripped. But if Pheromone had been forsaken, he would have devolved into a mindless beast. He would lose his wit and regress. In such a state, he wouldn’t have the capacity to kill Laktusha. Yet, he had succeeded. How was that possible?

“He transitioned into a Perfected State,” the Dark Elf Lord answered.

However, he was careful not to explain the exact circumstances of the ‘loss of favor.’ He conveniently left out the arrival of the Black King’s true nemesis—the being that unraveled Enigmas and shattered blessings. He masked the truth by claiming it was a natural evolution to a Perfected State. The scowl on the Black King’s face grew deeper.

“And he still fell to Wilhelm?”

Reaching a Perfected State meant that, regardless of the path taken, he had become the ultimate weapon the Black King had envisioned. It meant the seeds of hopelessness within him had reached their peak. Killing Laktusha should have been trivial. Yet, to think he would be bested by Wilhelm even after such an ascent.

‘Wilhelm. The thief who claimed a tooth from the White King.’

He knew the name well. He was aware that this man was responsible for maiming the White King. But hadn’t that person perished?

“I have retrieved the remains of Pheromone and Laktusha.”

“You did well.”

Examining the bodies would provide clarity. But the second he laid eyes on the corpses, the Black King grimaced. Laktusha’s body was a mangled mess. Conversely, Pheromone’s remains—Pheromone, who had been polished into a sleek, dark humanoid—the body of the warrior who supposedly fell to Wilhelm was remarkably pristine.

The Black King spoke in a low rasp.

“…He was killed in a single heartbeat.”

He had been snuffed out in one move because of a staggering disparity in prowess. The spark of his life had been severed so cleanly that regeneration was impossible.

Tch.

The Black King made a clicking sound with his tongue.

‘That is the ceiling for an insect, I suppose.’

An ant is an ant, after all. And Laktusha was merely an orc. Regardless of the grace he bestowed or the power he injected, the inherent limitations of their species couldn’t be overcome. Still, these two bodies provided a chance for a new trial. A dark grin touched the Black King’s mouth.

“What is the status of the ‘First Forest’ operation?”

“We have captured several ‘High Elves,’ including their Elder. But……”

“But what?”

“Because of an unforeseen interference, we could not take the Queen.”

“An unforeseen interference?”

“The White King intervened.”

The White King? Why would that creature, who should be rotting in the Northern Kramdel wastes, suddenly show up in the ‘First Forest,’ the heart of Elven territory? Even so, the White King’s presence changed nothing. He had no fear of a predator without its teeth. The Dark Elf Lord then added:

“It appears the White King has reclaimed his vigor.”

“He found his fangs? I see……”

The Black King rubbed his chin. If the king had recovered his trophies and returned to his prime, he might be more than the Dark Elves could handle alone. But it was no matter. While losing the Queen was annoying, the High Elves were a sufficient haul. Including an ‘Elder’ made the deal even better.

……In that moment.

“……!!!”

Abruptly, the Black King’s pupils began to quiver. Instinctively, he turned his head, staring far beyond the horizon. Somewhere. Right now. A colossus of ‘Malice’ had surfaced. His mind went blank for a second. it felt like the end of all things. …He had sensed a vibration of evil so intense it felt capable of unmaking the world.

—

It wasn’t only the Black King who noticed.

“Hmm?”

The Sovereign of Arrogance, King Frederic, also looked toward the horizon. He had caught a scent of energy that felt strangely familiar.

“‘Ruin’……?”

It was unmistakably the pulse of Desolation. Arrogance, along with his demonic peers, felt the shift. But it was far too soon. The hour for Ruin to walk the earth had not arrived. Arrogance gazed up at the firmament and tilted his head in confusion.

‘The appointed time is still distant.’

It defied logic for Ruin to manifest now. The prerequisites for its arrival hadn’t been satisfied. There was only one scenario where the Heavens unleashed Ruin: when mortals grew too grand and the pride of the gods swelled. When progress reached its zenith and civilization tried to knock on the doors of the sky, Ruin was the inevitable response.

Pangenia was nowhere near that level. Currently, the God of War Karas and a lone Dragon Deity had only just begun to recover. Civilization was far from its peak. Had the time been right, many deities would have been visible just by looking at the sky. But the heavens were empty. The gods and the state of the world were still far below the benchmark.

‘It vanished?’

Furthermore, the surge of Desolation blinked out in an instant. What was that? It definitely wasn’t a hallucination.

“…….”

Arrogance wasn’t the only one left with questions. The Demon King, inhabiting Wilhelm’s physical shell while resting on the throne of the Abyss, stared into the distance with eyes that looked like twin voids.

—

The high-strung Lyca couldn’t help but look confused. The nauseating wave of malice he had felt just a moment prior had disappeared completely. It was as if it had never been there.

Was he losing his mind? It had gone so fast that he could almost convince himself it was a phantom feeling. Besides, the only person here was ‘Hyun.’

“Is there a problem?”

“……”

Lyca found himself speechless. It appeared he was the only one who had registered that terrifying energy. Here in the heart of the Empire, within the palace walls. If so…

‘Is it finally time for my end……?’

…Maybe it was just a phantom. Perhaps his instincts were fraying because his death was approaching. After all, the String of Adrium was the antithesis of evil. The sacred capital of the Church was a sanctuary where ‘Evil’ was blocked by a divine shroud. Moreover, his student’s faith was so apparent that even Aaron, the son of the High Cardinal, was a devoted follower. Yes. It had to be a trick of his mind.

Lyca let out a quiet sigh, looked at Hyun, and spoke.

“……Get yourself ready.”

“Where are we headed?”

To Hyun’s inquiry, Lyca gave a firm nod.

“We are going to the ‘Shrine of Valor’ to conduct the ‘Ritual of the Eight Houses.’”

It was a ceremony that had to be completed for him to be recognized as a true heir. Even if the families of the Eight Houses objected, he was prepared to use force. He intended to pass everything down correctly—his own strength and the legacy of everyone who had held the mantle of the Eight Houses. It didn’t matter if the boy wasn’t loyal to the Empire, so long as he didn’t turn his blade against the Emperor. He wouldn’t burden him with that kind of debt.

He simply wished that, unlike his own life, Hyun’s life would be one of freedom. He hoped the boy would climb out of the shadows, see the world, and carve out a legacy. He hoped he would reach the heights of the War God and fulfill the ancient dream of their lineage. It was enough if he just reminded the world that the name of the Eight Houses still carried weight. That must have been the true goal of the first Eternal who founded their order.