Chapter 386

Chapter 386
## Chapter 386: The Golden Spirit

—

The Abyss.

That realm was far too shadowy and suffocating.

For the First Heavenly Demon, an entity who had once ascended to the heavens to witness the ultimate truth and had traversed the world as a transcendent being, the Abyss was a particularly brutal confinement.

‘I was callous toward the ruin of the world.’

His only ambition had been to force open the threshold of truth once more.

His plan: harvest the strength of the Primordial Heavenly Demon and subvert the Heavens themselves!

However, that grand design shifted violently following the arrival of ‘Destruction’.

In that catastrophe, every domain and follower, including the Thousand Mountain Divine Cult, was pulled down into the void.

While the Eight Houses’ Opening of the Five Gates remained in the celestial realm of Pangenia, its counterpart, the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, plummeted into the dark depths.

… It seemed his life’s work would never reach fruition.

The hope of merging those two polar powers to reach a state of perfection now felt like a fading dream.

Destruction.

He had been inexcusably indifferent to its rise.

He had convinced himself it was not his concern.

The subsequent existence within the void was a nightmare even for the First Heavenly Demon.

Though imprisoned within the Heavenly Demon Blade, he could connect with the mind of any ‘Heavenly Demon’ who practiced his arts.

But once everything was swallowed by the abyss, he was forced to reside upon a pathetic, cramped fragment of earth.

His essence became tainted, his form twisted, and he endured a life where he could not even move freely—like a bird trapped in a narrow cage—for a duration that defied comprehension.

It lasted long enough that even his undying soul began to fray and dissolve.

‘If only Destruction… had never appeared!’

Bitterness festered.

Animosity took root.

That entity had crushed his aspirations.

If they ever crossed paths again, he would not let it go unpunished.

He would never again stand by as if the matter did not involve him.

That resentment, which had simmered and grown, finally exploded on the ‘Island of the God’.

The Island of the God was a rare sanctuary within the void where the ‘Abyssal Miasma’ did not penetrate.

The origin of such untainted land in the abyss was a mystery.

Wild theories suggested these lands served as bridges back to Pangenia.

Naturally, it was the most sought-after territory for the lords of the dark realm.

If he could only claim the Island of the God…

At the very least, his consciousness would stop eroding.

Perhaps, as the legends hinted, he could use this ground as a jumping-off point to return to Pangenia.

He might finally fulfill his destiny.

—You are nothing but an insect.

… If only he hadn’t encountered ‘that entity’.

It was Destruction.

There was no doubt.

Yet, that being viewed him as a mere maggot.

It looked down upon him as a trivial creature not even worth its attention.

And then, it wiped his very memory.

Never in the First Heavenly Demon’s existence had he been treated with such contempt.

It was also the very first time he felt such a blinding, absolute rage toward another.

I will end it.

Even if I must vanish into nothingness, I will kill it.

That was the reason.

The second his memories flooded back, he triggered a self-destruction.

No matter how powerful Destruction was, it could not withstand this colossal surge of energy.

A demise fitting for the one who stole his vision, jailed him, and ground him into the dirt.

‘I have no lingering regrets now.’

It was acceptable.

This outcome had become one of his objectives.

In fact, he felt a sense of triumph in finally settling the score.

He was satisfied knowing he had struck a devastating blow against the one who had mocked him.

The First Heavenly Demon, the dark deity within the Heavenly Demon Blade, smirked as he embraced his own extinction.

—

It was a total impasse.

Even the Primordial Heavenly Demon hadn’t foreseen that the creature would choose suicide.

The blast directly collided with the power of the Six Gates he had unlocked and the Asura Heaven-Shattering Dance.

Furthermore, with the First Heavenly Demon’s spirit detonating in its entirety, survival was impossible.

Even the true form of the Primordial Heavenly Demon would have perished here.

The crisis was…

“Act, 13th key!”

… That there was no path to rebirth.

The potential the Primordial Heavenly Demon had seen in ‘Park Hyunmyeong’ was incredible, but unlike Randolph, this physical vessel possessed no inherent law of resurrection.

There was only one desperate theory left to test.

It was the ‘13th Hidden Trait’—a mystery that had driven the Primordial Heavenly Demon nearly to the point of obsession.

If it were truly a key and not a mere label, it wouldn’t stand by while its host died.

“This cursed…!”

But there was no response.

The ‘gate’ remained ajar, yet nothing moved.

It appeared the 13th key was not designed to interfere with the cycle of life and death.

‘Then what is its purpose?’

Was it not a catalyst created for the sake of completion?

For that completion to occur, Park Hyunmyeong’s continued existence should be essential.

Even the Blue Bird had sacrificed its own power to shield Park Hyunmyeong.

His left arm held the unique trait to ‘nullify all irregularities’.

Because of that, the Primordial Heavenly Demon assumed the Blue Bird wanted Park Hyunmyeong for itself.

… Was that a mistake?

If not that… then what…

“What is hidden inside this thing! What is the reason for its being…!”

The final hope flickered out.

If the trait did not concern the host’s survival, there was no point in even accessing the ‘gate’.

How had he escaped the confinement?

If Park Hyunmyeong perished now, the Primordial Heavenly Demon would go with him.

If Park Hyunmyeong died, Randolph would also fall, and everything would be lost.

He couldn’t begin to fathom the shockwaves this failure would send through the fabric of reality.

“Ah, no…!”

Dissolution had begun.

Park Hyunmyeong’s physical form was giving way.

The spirit of the Primordial Heavenly Demon was fading at the same rate.

The entire world was sprinting toward a finish line.

In that instant, a notification materialized before his fading vision.

《‘Park Hyunmyeong’ has perished.》

《Game Over》

This was no mere simulation.

It wasn’t a simple entertainment.

If it were truly just a game, he would have been brought back.

He could have continued by paying a price.

Most importantly, Park Hyunmyeong was a living, breathing person.

His life was separate from any digital construct.

Yet, how could the death of Park Hyunmyeong be categorized as the conclusion of a ‘game’!

《Game Over》

《Game Ove》

《Game Ov》

《Game O》

《Game》

Right then.

The characters started to vanish, one by one.

But the following change was entirely unforeseen.

《Game E》

《Game En》

《Game End》

…End.

What sort of end did it signify?

What finality did Park Hyunmyeong’s passing trigger?

But he would never find the answer.

Because the consciousness of the Primordial Heavenly Demon was snuffed out entirely.

Oblivion.

Gone, for all eternity.

—

*Rumble!*

The foundation of the world trembled.

Everything at the lowest point of the abyss was starting to fade into nothingness.

《A ‘Party Member’ has fallen.》

《The ‘Party’ has been dissolved.》

《The ‘Abyssal Miasma’ has initiated erosion.》

Vasara’s face turned grim.

Just moments ago, the individual holding the 13 Hidden Traits had died.

She wasn’t sure if he fell in combat against an ascended being or if some other disaster had struck.

‘This location is not a simple void.’

The saving grace was that during this crisis, Vasara had managed to scout a massive portion of the abyss’s subterranean tunnels.

The conclusion she reached was stark.

This was not merely an abyss.

No, it wasn’t an abyss at all.

‘… Found it.’

At the deepest end of the underground vault, Vasara spotted something.

A relic radiating light as intense as the sun.

And the person clutching it.

The source of this entire catastrophe began right there.

Because that being lusted after that object, this chaos had been unleashed.

The Seventh Lord Vasara called out the other’s name, her voice thick with emotion.

“Third Lord, Mammon.”

“……”

“Return the ‘Golden Spirit’ to its resting place this instant.”

“……”

“That is not a treasure meant for you.”

Slowly, Mammon’s attention shifted toward her.

His eyes glowed with a gold hue.

“… Seventh Lord Vasara……”

He recognized her.

However, he appeared to be lost in a state of delirium.

The Lord of Primordial Spirits, Mammon, let out a soft, chilling laugh.

“A turncoat hiding in human skin to help mortals. The Demon King would be disappointed.”

“……”

“Actually, there wouldn’t even be time for disappointment. For I am to be the new ruler of the Demon Realm.”

“You’ve lost your mind.”

“The power within this spirit… Ah, it is intoxicating. Utterly divine. Now I see it all. I understand why you were brought into this world as a ‘Mutant Dragon God’.”

“……”

“Would you like to know? Isera and Vasara. The reason for the destiny that haunted you both.”

Isera and Vasara were anomalous from their birth.

Because of that mutation, the Dragon Gods had cast them out.

That rejection was what drove Vasara to the Demon Realm.

But… was there a specific cause for their birth as mutants?

Mammon’s grin stretched wider.

“Your creators.”

“Silence.”

“……?”

“I have no interest in that.”

But the Seventh Lord Vasara was unmoved.

She genuinely did not care.

No matter what fate had been ordained, she was the type to smash through it.

She didn’t dwell on the ghosts of the past.

That was her nature.

However, one thing remained crystal clear.

“You have to die, Mammon.”

“Ha! Do you think you can slay me in that pathetic form?”

“In this state, it would be a challenge.”

“Then what? Your true self cannot manifest in this place, can it?”

“Who told you that?”

“……?”

In that moment.

*Crack—*

The very fabric of space ripped open.

But this was the absolute bottom of the abyss.

Inside the very essence of the Golden Spirit.

Who would be bold enough to intrude so recklessly?

It should have been impossible.

The upper levels might be vulnerable, but this subterranean sanctum was supposed to be impenetrable.

“… What?”

Even Mammon was stunned.

The entity that stepped through the tear in space was beyond expectation.

Then, the newly arrived being stared at Mammon and erupted into a piercing, manic laughter.

—*Kyakyakyakyakya!*

—

*Rumble!*

That tremor was only the beginning.

“The, the Black Dome…!”

“What is happening in there?”

Every person on the planet turned their eyes in a single direction.

Toward the epicenter of the vibration: the Black Dome.

The structure was perfectly spherical, as its name implied.

But now, as if jagged spikes were punching through from the inside, it began to shake violently and distend.

Like a pressurized container on the verge of exploding.

“What about the teams that went in?”

“Don’t tell me… were they all lost?”

The elite units sent to fix the situation had gone silent.

For such a violent reaction to occur meant…

The mission had failed.

They might have all been killed.

‘… Every name has vanished from the Hall of Fame.’

The leader of the Korean Hero Alliance, Park Tae-woo, gripped his hands in frustration.

It was normal for names to be hidden while in the abyss, but this was different.

It wasn’t just the exploration team; every single name in the Hall of Fame had been wiped clean.

‘The World Tree network is offline as well.’

It felt as though the vital components of the world were simply ceasing to exist.

One by one, the systems were failing.

And it seemed that very soon, everything would come to a grinding halt.

A catastrophic event was unfolding.

This was far beyond the expected fallout of the Spirit Tower’s collapse.

“Huh?”

“L-Leader, do you see this?”

“What is this…”

The alliance members standing guard with him suddenly cried out.

Not just them—every Awakened in the world stared at the notification appearing before them with expressions of total shock.

“Wh-what does this mean?”

“Why is this happening now?”

“Does anyone have an answer?”

They couldn’t process it. It was beyond their ability to understand or accept.

The text hovering in the air was just a single sentence.

Only one line.

But that line was enough to throw the entire world into a state of absolute panic.

《The service of ‘Pangenia’ will be terminated.》