Chapter 349

Chapter 349
## Chapter 349

The force known as ‘The End’ was the solitary power capable of shattering a divine mark. As anticipated, it held the specific authority required to snuff out the spark of eternal life.

Most of the ‘Forgotten Gods’ inhabiting this space had lost their identities and regressed to a pathetic state. They were so diminished that they couldn’t manifest even a fraction of the celestial might they wielded during their zenith. At their current level, their influence was restricted to establishing ‘rules’ and engaging in combat strictly within those artificial boundaries. Consequently, they were utterly unequipped to handle the sudden manifestation of ‘The End.’

There was, however, an additional complication.

—How can a mere doll presume to obstruct a god?
—Release us! I command you, let go!

The reason for their paralysis was Lilith. She was the primal puppet, a crucial vessel that the forces of Ruin could never be allowed to claim. If she were to reclaim her essence and transition into a servant of Ruin, she would transcend her status and gain the standing to challenge the divine directly.

*Shwaaaaaaa!*

An explosion of shadows erupted from Lilith’s form, snaking across the ground to bind the ankles of the Forgotten Gods. She anchored them firmly, ensuring no path of retreat remained.

God’s Prison. This was the definitive power Lilith had finally triggered!

The weight of the word ‘survive’ finally crashed down upon the deities.

—Do you intend to push this to the final conclusion?
—You may be ‘The End’, but this realm belongs to us.
—How dare you subject me to such a mockery?

Realizing flight was impossible, the Forgotten Gods began to congregate. They rallied around those among them who had been discarded more recently—those who still retained a functional grasp of their heavenly authority. Their collective strength numbered well over twenty. While they would fall individually, their combined front presented a formidable obstacle.

—Ancient!
—Have you truly lost your mind? Why do you remain on your knees?

Yet, there was a lone holdout. The entity known as Ancient, the most senior of the ‘Forgotten Gods’, refused to join the defense. He offered no fight and voiced no protest. He simply knelt in place, his silent gaze fixed upon ‘The End.’

Perhaps his eons of being unremembered had finally broken him. Perhaps the sheer duration of his isolation—a span of time he could no longer quantify—had drained his will. He simply waited.

—O, my End…

He yearned for nothing more than to embrace the cessation that had finally arrived.

—

《You have annihilated the ‘Symbol of the Forgotten God’.》
《You have earned 1 Ruin Point.》
《You have annihilated the ‘Symbol of the Forgotten God’.》
《You have earned 1 Ruin Point.》
…
《Current Ruin Points: 24.》
《Remaining Forgotten Gods: 1.》

When the violence subsided, I stood in silence, observing the ‘Forgotten God’ who remained prostrate before me. He was the only deity within this World Tree’s Dungeon who had refrained from attacking me.

“Do you have any final words?” I inquired, seeking his intent. It was clear he harbored a message.

The ‘Forgotten God’, manifesting as a withered old man, finally spoke.

—Grant me a conclusion. I only wish for tranquility now.

He gestured with his symbol, offering it up freely. Then, his voice grew heavy with significance.

—Demon of Greed. The progenitor of demons and… the catalyst who transformed Ruin.

Greed and Ruin.

“…”

I was momentarily stunned. What was he implying? The Demon of Greed? The one who altered Ruin? I considered the possibility of senility. Given his physical state, a mistake seemed highly probable.

The old man’s eyes were a dull, lifeless gray, weeping fluid. His skin resembled parched, cracked timber, and his thin white hair looked ready to crumble at a touch. Even his divine symbol was battered and fractured like a discarded relic. He was fundamentally different from the other entities I had faced.

‘The oldest being.’

He had likely endured the longest span of neglect within the World Tree’s Dungeon. The fact that the others referred to him as ‘Ancient’ confirmed his seniority. Still, his claim had to be an error. Me, the Demon of Greed?

‘I am currently in the form of Randolph.’

It was illogical for Randolph to be a member of the Seven Great Demons. If that were true, the ‘Demon of Jealousy, Sanxia’ would have identified me back in the Tower of the War God, given her status among the Seven. Yet, Sanxia had shown zero recognition toward Randolph.

“I am not Greed,” I stated firmly. I possessed greed as a trait, but I was not that specific entity.

The Forgotten God offered a tired, strained smile.

—You believe my vision has failed me.

“I find it hard to argue otherwise,” I replied.

—It is true I lack physical sight. However, that is because I am no longer restricted by material appearances.

“What do you claim to see then?”

—I perceive the architecture of the soul.

The architecture of the soul. While I had encountered beings capable of manipulating souls, meeting someone who could actually read their true shape was a first. He was suggesting my soul shared a blueprint with the ‘Demon of Greed.’

It remained incomprehensible. My past actions might not always have been saintly, but I had never crossed the threshold into demonic depravity.

“…If you only see shapes, isn’t it possible you’re mistaking me for someone similar?”

—There is no mistake. The Demon of Greed possessed a soul of such exquisite beauty that I have never seen its equal.

The deity was unwavering, but I remained skeptical. A demon with a beautiful soul? This old man was, after all, a fallen god. To such a being, ‘beautiful’ might carry a twisted connotation. He was an entity that had been consuming the World Tree; I couldn’t trust his silver-tongued flattery.

—I have been discarded for so long that most memories have vanished, yet the Demon of Greed remains vivid.

“I am not a demon…”

—Ah, you are not one now. This is a tale from a previous existence. Ordinarily, demons are barred from the cycle of rebirth, but it seems you were shielded by the goddesses. The two who held you in such high regard.

“…”

—The memory is as sharp as if it happened moments ago. Lea, Pina… and I… I… who was I? I, I, IIII, I-I-I-I…!

Suddenly, the ancient deity began to convulse. Having spoken the names of the goddesses, he fell into a violent seizure. His eyes rolled frantically, and his physical manifestation began to flicker, blurring in and out of existence.

‘So this is the fading of a Forgotten God…’

This was the death rattle of a deity. When a god’s name is truly lost, they eventually reach this point of total dissolution. It was a wretched sight. To vanish into nothingness in a forgotten hole, unremembered and unable to remember oneself.

After several agonizing minutes, he stabilized.

—…Forgive my pathetic display.

“It’s alright. It was quite a spectacle,” I replied.

—…If you vow to grant me the peace I seek, I will recount everything I recall. Everything regarding the Demon of Greed and Ruin.

“You want me to personally shatter your symbol?”

—Indeed. That is my only request.

It was a fair trade. I had already intended to destroy the symbol, and my curiosity regarding Ruin was piqued. However, time was a factor. Staying in this Randolph transformation for too long risked the total corruption and death of the World Tree.

“Keep it to the essential facts. Be brief.”

—Have no fear. I will be succinct.

The Forgotten God inclined his head and began his narration.

—The Demon of Greed… was utterly insane.

His opening words were unexpectedly blunt.

—

The Golden Age of civilization was a time when divine influence was at its peak. It was an era where all demonic entities lived in fear, never daring to cast their eyes toward the heavens. Yet, amidst that era, there lived a demon who lacked all fear of the divine.

He looked toward the sky without hesitation and would constantly pester the gods who descended to confront him.

“You’re quite capable. How did you perform that move?”
“…”
“Don’t be like that, teach me!”
“…You are simply a lunatic. Vacate my territory at once.”
“Come on, don’t be stingy! Just show me how it’s done!”

The gods were baffled. Whether he triumphed or tasted defeat, his only desire was the thrill of the struggle. He never took a life. He was the demon who would not kill—the ultimate pariah of the demon world.

His own kind found his behavior repulsive. A demon was expected to expand their reach and torment humanity, feasting on the misery of mortals to bolster their strength.

“We must reach a verdict on how to handle Greed.”
“Demons require total eradication.”
“But Greed is only a demon by blood; his actions have been entirely benign.”
“The fact that he looks upon the heavens without trembling is an insult to our status. That defiance alone is a capital offense.”

The Pantheon of the Hundred Gods held daily sessions in their high halls. The ‘Greed Problem’ was a recurring topic that never reached a resolution. While many gods loathed him for his nature and his arrogance:

“Is he not charming? He’s hardly a demon at all.”
“Truly. Just yesterday, I watched him tend to a dying blossom.”
“I witnessed that as well. He actually whispered words of encouragement to it, telling it to grow strong.”
“Keep going, buddy! That’s the way to get powerful!”
“Haha! See? He’s adorable.”

A significant portion of the Pantheon, largely the goddesses, had grown fond of him.

“The standards of this Pantheon have plummeted…”
“Haaaaah!”

The debate would always be shelved without a conclusion. The twin goddesses, who held the highest authority among their peers, were the primary obstacle. They stood as Greed’s unwavering protectors, granting him a functional immunity from divine wrath.

For a time, this status quo held. The world was flourishing, and the gods were invincible. Having one eccentric demon around was a minor nuisance. He was obsessed only with his own martial progress and harmed no one. If he ever became a threat, they assumed they could crush him instantly.

That arrogance lasted until ‘Ruin’ manifested.

With the arrival of Ruin, the Golden Age and the Pantheon itself were incinerated.

“O, Heavens! Why do you seek to ash our world?”
“What have we done to earn the scourge of Ruin?”
“We shall fight back!”

Mortals and gods formed an alliance. They believed the combined strength of their greatest age could repel even Ruin. However, the truth was revealed quickly: Ruin was insurmountable. Towers of Ruin erupted across the globe, and entire realms and their protecting deities were hollowed out and enslaved.

The failure was rooted in a lie. They were never truly united. Their individual egos and greatness prevented real cooperation. Beneath the surface of their alliance, everyone pursued their own agendas.

This lack of unity led to the fall of the empire through the Four Evils and internal strife. The Druids were wiped out by their own bickering. The World Tree began to fail, and the sun was blotted out.

Demons, no longer fearing the heavens, grew so powerful that the gods could no longer restrain them. Divine beings began to fall from grace, transforming into evil gods with terrifying frequency.

“It is finished.”
“The end has come…”
“If only we had known…”

The gods were drowning in regret for the centuries they spent idle, intoxicated by their own perceived permanence. Had they purged evil when they had the chance, they wouldn’t be facing this void.

In this new era, demons ruled the heights. Their power had eclipsed the divine reach. They were no longer the hunted; they were the hunters, corrupting the gods they once feared. Even the evil gods seemed civil by comparison; they wanted to rule the world, but they did not desire its total destruction.

The demons, however, were ravenous. They seemed to relish the chaos, focusing only on sating their own appetites. Their influence ensured the world could never truly unite against the coming shadow. Ruin ignored their rampages, allowing them to grow unchecked.

“The demons have finally revealed their core.”
“Those cowards who once hid from the Pantheon’s light…”
“Speaking of which, where is Greed?”
“He is one of them. He has undoubtedly seized this power and revealed his true, vile nature.”
“Most likely. He was always obsessed with strength; he must be more monstrous than any of them now.”

The surviving gods were cynical. Greed had vanished from the public eye, but they assumed the worst. As the world crumbled, the ‘greed’ of sentient beings only intensified. People were slaughtering each other over scraps, and they assumed Greed was leading the charge.