Chapter 798 - Epilogue, the Final Chapter (4)

How long have I been here? Cha Yeon-woo thought it was probably pointless to ask himself that question. The flow of time here and the outside world was too different. No, in the first place, there was no such thing as time in here.

Was the Heavenly Demon experiencing this all this time? This isnt something that anyone should have to do. Yeon-woo couldnt help but appraise the Heavenly Demon in a better light, wondering how the Heavenly Demon even endured such boredom.

Yeon-woo also understood why the Black Kings egos had always been divided instead of uniting as one. It wasnt possible for anyone to remain here with their mind intact. He also realized why the Black King was always attempting to wake up. Hed probably been dreaming the same dream Yeon-woo was. If it was a sleep that never ended no matter how long it lasted, even the greatest beings would become crazed.

So youve come all the way. Keekeekeek! Really, I didnt think a little punk like you would grow to this level. Amazing. When Yeon-woo had been battling the Demonisms, one of them had said this to him. To Yeon-woo, all the Demonisms looked the same, but he was able to realize who the one who spoke to him was. It was the guy who Kronos had discovered in the swamp of darkness and who inflicted pain on Kronos and Yeon-woo until now. Kronos had slashed him apart when he woke up, so Yeon-woo had thought he disappeared because he was nowhere to be found in the abyss.

It appeared the Demonism had actually been hidden where all these Demonisms were collected, fearing that Yeon-woo would retaliate now that he was stronger. At the time, Yeon-woo had wanted nothing more to reciprocate what the Demonism had done to him. However, the problem was that after Yeon-woo eliminated Sage/Yvlke, he started to combine all the Demonisms, and the Demonisms began to disappear one by one. They were destined to meet in the end.

Yeon-woo easily contained the struggling Demonisms. There was a gap in power between them that was too great to be overcome.

I was like you too. I foolishly believed I could obtain everything I wanted!

I dont remember it anymore, but I had parents, a wife, and children.

I wanted to return.

But I couldnt.

Why?

Because this d.a.m.ned cursed wheel showed no sign of stopping!

The Demonism mustve thought it was meaningless to fight back, so he continued to scream as he was dying. He didnt have eyes, but it seemed like his eyes would be bloodshot.

So I became like another me.

And its not just me! The other mes are all the same!

But youre not trying to get rid of all the other mes so you can be alone.

You. The word felt strange in this abyss. The Demonisms who had lived through the ages in this abyss didnt differentiate between me and you. It even included the executors of the future who would someday be bound to darkness. Sage/Yvlke knew that Yeon-woo would someday combine with the Demonisms and had called Yeon-woo me in the battle with Rhea.

However, this creature hadnt said me, but you. He must have wanted to differentiate himself between him and Yeon-woo, as Yeon-woo was trying to kill him. Moreover, he probably thought that Yeon-woo was too different from him, because he was struggling and doing anything to become free. But the beings in the darkness were all bound to it without any freedom.

Now, in these curses, restraints, and wheelshe would be alone.

Youll be alone in this disgustingly vast place where time doesnt flow, you can lie down, and theres no one to talk to. You cant even die here.

Youre death itself. You might even die. Youll end as a small dream and eventually come back as you were anyway.

The Heavenly Demon was able to ingrain his existence into the world because he was an outstretching light, and he could plant his exuviae down there so he wouldnt be lonely, but youre darkness that cant even do that!

Youll sink and sink. Your family might see the light of day, but they wont see darkness. No one perceives darkness so youre going to have to watch your family from outside of their world.

Why do you think all those otherworld G.o.ds wandered around the universes? Why do you think their existences were continually erased outside of the grace of creation? It was because they were all outside.

And youll also be outside. No, you might even be placed further outside where no one can see or remember you. Itll be lonely and lonelier. The Demonism continued to curse until his last breath, endlessly spewing out letters. Youll be lonely. Until the end. Then, he disappeared.

But Yeon-woo just scoffed, actually finding hope in it. The creature probably didnt know how much the difference between you and me meant to him. Yes. Im not the me you guys say. Im going to be completely different.

It meant Yeon-woo was going to become entirely different from these creatures. From then on, he began to absorb the Demonisms with more rigor and was able to reach the last of them.

[You have successfully absorbed all Demonisms!]

[You have become a complete Black King.]

Current State: Black King

Yeon-woo felt all the darkness and abyss around him becoming bound to him. He was also now free from the limits of time and s.p.a.ce, Pneuma and Quirinale. Although he was using an avatar of Cha Yeon-woo to maintain his ego, he didnt need a body like that anymore.

However, he realized that his consciousness was trapped in this place, as if he was being blocked by a firm sh.e.l.l. In the past, Yeon-woo was able to find an opening and express his consciousness, but he wasnt able to do that anymore. He wasnt allowed to use such shortcuts because he had become a complete Black King.

Of course, it wasnt impossible to fully break Yeon-woos consciousness. If he pushed himself, he could escape from the abyss and expand his consciousness outside. The Demonisms had most likely attempted to do this out of boredom too. But what about after that?

Ill completely awaken from the dream. Waking from his sleep meant Yeon-wood be abandoning the dream, and the worlds and universe would come crumbling down if he did.

[The Heavenly Demon is observing you from the outside.]

And after that, hed get into another fight with the Heavenly Demon. Yeon-woo didnt intend on falling asleep so mindlessly like the past Black King did. The past king was inefficient, but Yeon-woo knew how to utilize the power he had. But what did all that matter when none of the people he wanted to see were here?

You have made a great accomplishment that no one from the beginning of time to the present has achieved.

You can now choose from choices.

You will be choosing your stance as the Black King.

You can continue to dream as the original Black King did, or you can try to escape from the dream.

[However, the Heavenly Demon will attempt to put you back to sleep if you choose the latter.]

[If you choose the former, your existence will escape the perception of the world and you will be outside of it.]

[You can also choose a separate third option that you create for yourself.]

[What will you choose?]

Yeon-woo thought all these messages were being sent by the Heavenly Demon, who was probably asking Yeon-woo to choose what position hed take. And unfortunately, the Heavenly Demon already knew what decision Yeon-woo could make. It had been what Yeon-woo wanted in the first place too.

[You have chosen the third path!]

[You have decided to once again create your own path.]

[It will be a dangerous path filled with obstacles.]

[May luck be on your side.]

Yeon-woo thought to himself the Heavenly Demon was acting out of character with how cringey he was being. After taking in a deep breath, he attempted to take the next step: transcendence!

[Hades Spirit Eating Sword is starting to absorb all the darkness and abyss!]

[Existence is being swallowed. 1, 2% 5%]

[Digestion is starting.]

[Harmony is commencing.]

[Variables are created.]

[Transcendence is starting!

Clack. Clack. This time, Yeon-woo attempted to swallow the existence of the Black King instead of the Demonisms. Exuviating was to break out of ones shedding, and transcending was going beyond that once again.

Yeon-woo intended on taking apart the components that made up the Black King and rea.s.sembling them to his own tastes. It was the moment that darkness that had been fixed to the bottom of the world for eons was starting to change for the first time.

[Darkness moves.]

[Darkness moves.]

However, there was a grave issue with this. What made up the Black King was too vast, so the rate of change was critically slow. It could potentially require more time than was taken to absorb the Demonsims.

No, the fight against the Demonisms was far superior. At least Yeon-woo hadnt been bored in those battles. But here, he was so very alone. He needed to continue with this process with a resolve of steel. If his determination faded in the slightest, everything would be refused to ashes. He had to keep running forward without rest. The Heavenly Demon had probably encouraged Yeon-woo since he had also once gone through this in the past.

Still Im going to do it. To return to his family, Yeon-woo would do it.

Crunch, crunch! The sound of Hades Spiriting Sword chewing at darkness echoed sadly.

* * *

[The rate of change is slowing. 22, 23, 24%]

As time went on, the process didnt speed up, but it went slower. Still, Yeon-woo persevered and persevered. Waiting was his specialty, was it not?

* * *

[The rate of change slows even more. 35, 36, 37%]

It became slower.

[The rate of change slows even more. 47, 48, 49%]

And even slower.

* * *

[The rate of change cannot be calculated. 51%.]

At a little over the halfway mark, the process didnt continue any further. It was moving forward extremely slowly, but it was essentially paused. Yeon-woo felt more urgent. Although it had been slow, the change had been steadily moving along, so he hadnt been too worried. But now, even that had come to a stop.

Yeon-woo tried to search for the cause. He could only move forward if he found the malfunctioning section and fixed it. The problem was how he was going to find such a small malfunction in this vast darknessbut he had no other method.

You will be lonely. Until the end. The words of the Demonism weighed heavily on Yeon-woos heart, but he gritted his teeth through it.

* * *

Yeon-woo eventually found the cause. But the causewas so insignificant it was futile. It was so small he was only able to find it after 51% of the change had occurred. The ident.i.ty of Cha Yeon-woothis was the only obstacle that blocked the change of the Black King. But this would all be for nothing if he had to kill himself to meet his goals.

The reason why Yeon-woo attempted to change the Black King was because he wanted to change, not because he wanted to disappear so futilely like that. If he had known he had to do that, he wouldve closed his eyes eternally under darkness.

But it was then Clunk. Creeeeak. Outside the darkness, where nothing shouldve been able to reach, he heard the sound of two large objects being interlocked.

[Deus Ex Machina has successfully interlocked his cogwheels with darkness.]