Episode 513 The Last Story (1)
There is silence in the hall.
Unlike just before when they lightly expressed their joy of reunion with each other smiling the next story does not flow from either of them.
However regardless of whether it was me or Dam Cheon-woo both of them were opening and closing their lips repeatedly.
It was clear that there was something they wanted to say to each other but it was difficult to express it as if their throats were blocked.
Whiiing….
How many times did the sound of the thin wind blowing through the desert sand echo inside the black pavilion?
“Hot.”
Suddenly I found it funny that I was choosing and choosing what to say in front of Dam Cheon-woo so I burst out laughing.
Isn’t that right?
Actually I’ve summarized some if not all of the things I wanted to ask before coming here.
However despite this the reason I couldn’t say what I needed to say to Dam Cheon-woo was because I felt uncomfortable hearing the answer from the other side.
Because I thought that Dam Cheon-woo might be hostile to me.
“First of all I’d like to ask you something. Would that be okay?”
[True me. When has you ever asked a question that took my opinion into consideration? Do as you wish. It doesn’t matter. ]
“Well it has to be that way. Then let me ask you. …Dam Cheon-woo was all of this something you had predicted from the moment you first met me?”
[….]
No reply came back.
Dam Cheon-woo just stood still gently closing his eyes with a bitter smile on his face.
If that’s the case just seeing the bitter smile on the other side with their mouths closed makes me feel filled with confidence as if I’ve already heard the answer.
Damn it.
“…also. It seemed like that would be the case. Actually if you think about it there were signs. “While climbing the Tower of Trials stories about Dam Cheon-woo came up a few times.”
[….]
“…Then as I thought it means that Dam Cheon-woo came all this way with betrayal already in mind. Is that correct?”
[ Pfft. ]
Suddenly Dam Cheon-woo burst out laughing as if it was funny and then answered in a cool tone.
[Han Seong-yoon. Why are you picking on every single thing which is not like you? Isn’t the answer here now a good thing? ]
“….”
[You probably know right? All your thoughts are correct without needing to be verified by the authority. I don’t understand why you’re trying to exchange meaningless questions and answers. ]
“Is that so?”
Wow.
Before I knew it I was looking at Dam Cheon-woo with my fists clenched and a feeling of somewhat dejection.
“So if I assume that none of my thoughts are wrong and are right then this too is bound to end the way I think.”
[….]
“The pioneer ‘resurrector’. With its unique supernormal ability it forcibly raises the hierarchy of divinity to ancient godhood. “I don’t think the conditions and price would be any better.”
[….]
and.
“at that time. “I vaguely realized that the content of the ordeal had changed as the precognitive law <Resurrection> was activated and posthumous resuscitation began.”
[….]
That means only one thing.
[The god of transcendence and death contorts his face as he feels the inevitable moment of life-and-death struggle slowly approaching.]
[ …Damcheonwoo. If you don’t kill everyone here post-revival will fail. I found out that it was going to be disposed of. Damn it. ]
From the beginning neither I nor Dam Cheon-woo could ever escape this fight until we decided between a winner and a loser.
***
[The blood god reminisces about the past with a faint smile on his lips.]
[Do you remember? ]
Okay.
[ That day the moment my consciousness was embedded in the Blood Heavenly Demon Sword and I met you for the first time. ]
“….”
[I recognized you the moment I faced you in the Tower of Trials and killed the god of battle Advent with the power lent to me by the God of Darkness. ]
“….”
[Han Seong-yoon. That you are strong. And as time passed we fought many fierce battles. Fight fight fight again. In it I also realized something. ]
Eat.
[Han Seong-yoon. You… are my friend my comrade and the object of my admiration. How great it would be if I could move forward with brilliant talents and qualifications like you. That’s what I thought to myself. ]
[I have been longing for this my whole life. To be born with life to acquire intelligence and thus to seek power. Is it a sin and is the bondage of addiction that comes with it a punishment? I wanted to know that. ]
[The strong continue their wanderings indefinitely in search of an outlet for their power. Trying to reach that destination by drawing a mirage. Is this just the play of a puppet with no free will and no will? ]
Taking one step forward Dam Cheon-woo narrows the distance between them and the story continues.
[I want to know. The end of life drawn by intelligence and power. The moment when the strong after endless wandering reach the foot of power and prove their freedom and existence. I… is what I have been longing for. ]
and. Another step is taken. Dam Cheon-woo came closer to me.
[I wanted to abandon ‘me’ and accept the world as it is and reach a destination that is reached by filling and filling rather than emptying everything and emptying again. ]
[So as a result we wanted to prove freedom and existence and prove that what is given to the strong is a blessing not a crime and punishment and that we came this far of our own will. ]
[When I thought about it I realized that it doesn’t have to be me who can achieve it. However I realized that if there was someone there who could answer my questions that would be enough. ]
[ I am…. ]
But that too for a moment.
“…there is a way for both of them to survive. Dam Cheon-woo you can solve everything by becoming my apostle and godhead───”
[ no. The Tower of Trials will make the Apostle Godhead and will not allow me to escape from here. The law of precognition <Resurrection> is also probably the same. ]
“no. I will be able to remove the death penalty that the Tower of Trials imposes on the challenger. You know? “I am the one who controls death itself.”
[ well. Han Seong-yoon This is a story you probably know well…. The Tower of Trials is stronger than those three ancient gods within the reach of the rules of the system. you will lose ]
“….”
Dam Cheon-woo smiled bitterly.
[ also. How will we deal with the god of despair fall and madness? He will most likely come for you when you are at your weakest. Taking advantage of the moment when the trashy ancient gods of the pantheon are being consumed. ]
“….”
[The god of despair fall and madness. Hasn’t that guy already touched the Earth? There will inevitably come a time when you too will have a hard time. You know that it is inevitable that it will happen that way. ]
“….”
I didn’t give an answer and he did.
[I… I don’t want to be your burden. I don’t want to get in the way of accomplishing your will. That’s what I hope for. ]
“….”
[If you take my power it will definitely be of great help in the final war to come. Then isn’t it already decided what my role is? ]
“….”
still.
I couldn’t come up with an answer but he succeeded in coming up with an answer.
One step. Dam Cheon-woo has narrowed the distance between me and him. Soon he took out a very familiar sword from his waist.
Chaaaang-!
Blood Heaven Demon Sword.
In the past the item that matched the ultimate specifications that we had continuously strengthened while climbing the Tower of Trials was radiating power in Dam Cheon-woo’s hands.
When I saw that I frowned and was about to say something when Dam Cheon-woo approached me again without hesitation and started spouting the quality of divinity and soul.
[Teach me. ]
and.
[The end drawn by life intelligence and power. Look at what is at the destination and answer me. Our freedom and its existence. Know that that is enough for me. ]
Next moment.
[The blood god smiles brightly and demonstrates without hesitation his power as an ancient god.]
[Friend. ]
───!
My vision turned red.
***
The divine abilities are activated their attacks collide with each other and their swords become intertwined like a sword dance.
***
The absence of the Blood Heavenly Demon Sword. What fills that place is the authority ‘Sword of Iron Blood’. And a pseudo-sword created by changing the shape of the skill ‘Shield of Counterattack’. A fight to the death that no one wanted continued.
Dam Cheon-woo is also a genius born with overwhelming talent but he is ahead of me in terms of technical understanding and utilization.
However despite this Dam Cheon-woo came up with a result that was so bizarre that it seemed as if he could read my thoughts or see the future.
A being who pursues only to become stronger and has devoted everything to proving freedom and existence in the end.
It was at a completely different level from the epiphyte gods and the trashy ancient deities seen in the pantheon and was almost at the limit of what a strong man could reach.
Although he was weaker than the three ancient gods he was a person better suited to being stronger than anyone else.
….
But he was weaker than me.
***
There was a roar as the sword strikes clashed with each other.
───!
All of his abilities had risen to a level close to 10000 and it was rare to find a being that could handle the overwhelming physical power that came with it.
It was like that even if it wasn’t the physical force that went beyond common sense that was emitted while reaching the speed of light.
One Dam Cheon-woo is an immortal who became an ancient god. Even though he was vomiting blood he staggered to his feet and rushed at me.
fight And then we fight again.
It repeated over and over again.
….
Pointlessly.
***
If you activate the sacred <Death> and stab it into Dam Cheon-woo’s heart it will be over.
I know.
Because I knew this better than anyone else I couldn’t use any of my divine supernormal abilities.
Then it will really all end.
Fight fight fight…
I took some time to find a solution.
….
Time passed like that.
***
There was no such thing as a solution.
….
Not one.
***
Take a look.
Blood God Dam Cheon-yu’s body cracked and the recoil from fighting with all his might without rest for a long time came to his body.
….
Damn it.
***
I don’t know how much time has passed or how many days have passed.
Dam Cheon-woo has reached a point where he can no longer stand up on his own or restore his body with divinity.
ancient deity. That immortality. This is the result of replacing the flesh with divinity. And Damcheonwoo was using his divine power excessively and rushing towards unprecedented destruction with all his might.
Continuing the fierce battle that depends on one’s lifespan.
Even the concept of divinity which is the basis of divinity was being cut down and the ending seemed as if it could not match the force.
Even if you don’t kill it it will die on its own over time.
….
I made a decision.
***
Puhwaak───!
plosive.
My vision turned red.
Dam Cheon-woo’s blood which was not mine was sprinkled and a conclusion was reached.
dump-.
How much time has passed?
Dam Cheon-woo has reached his limit.
Even if I hadn’t pierced its heart if more time had passed a permanent defect would have occurred in the concept of divinity itself and it would have died on its own.
But that didn’t stop me from feeling confused.
Drop… drop… drop….
[The blood god opens his mouth with difficulty feeling satisfied with the outcome of the game.]
[Not bad… Hanseong…Yoon. The use of sacred <blood>… seems to have shown me everything. It will definitely help… right? Haha…. ]
Damcheon Woo was lying on the floor bleeding profusely and making a sound like he was breathing.
The basis of Godhead. With the collapse of the concept of divinity the body was again bound by the bonds of matter.
Although the divinity and soul status achieved by becoming an ancient deity have not completely disappeared their immortality is coming to an end.
in other words.
This is….
It was a will.
[Divine <Blood>… does not end the interpretation of the concept in the manipulation and control of blood… Blood… is life…. Life gains intelligence pursues strength and acquires will… Do you understand…? ]
“….”
[Ha ha…ah. The sacred <blood> reads the ‘meaning’ itself of a being that has gained the power of life and intelligence. The other person’s psychology. Prediction of next action… Furthermore even the opponent’s hidden abilities… You’ll find out. ]
“….”
I still couldn’t come up with an answer and Dam Cheon-woo had reached the end of his answer.
[Hot… I said that the final war would break out soon… It will definitely be helpful to you. Take it…oh. ]
Hahahaha!
As Dam Cheon-woo extends his right hand upward divine <blood> and all kinds of divine supernormal abilities dwell in that hand completing preparations for the inheritance of his power.
[ …Ha hahaha. You know…don’t you… This isn’t the end for me… Even if my body dies my consciousness sleeps in the concept of divinity… You will wake up again in the future… ]
Kwasasak.
Disintegration of the body. I stretched out my hand as I saw Dam Cheon-woo losing his divine power and his existence. And caught it.
───.
The concept of divinity <blood> including the unique supernormal abilities of divinity also comes with the status of divinity and soul that Dam Cheon-woo possesses.
The number of divine supernormal abilities has also increased dramatically and the hierarchy of divine powers which were once thought to be unable to become stronger has also increased slightly.
At the same time Dam Cheon-woo gave a light-hearted smile and slowly closed his eyes as if he was sleepy.
[Goodbye….]
and.
[The blood god closes his eyes with a smile as he feels his life fading away.]
[My friend….]
Tsutsutsu….
Dead.
***
In the sacred <Blood> I saw the uncertain journey of a strong man as Dam Cheon-woo’s memories and emotions flowed in.
‘What is the destination of life intelligence and power?’
‘If it is a sin to pursue power as an intelligent being who has acquired life is the resulting punishment a cycle of desire from which one can never escape?’
‘So does this mean that we are wandering in the labyrinth of eternity believing that we are finite without even being guaranteed freedom or existence in the cycle of desire?’
A strong man asked.
What lies at the end of life depicted by intelligence and power.
I asked about the sin given to the strong and the punishment and I was angry that reaching the destination was a non-existent illusion like a mirage.
….
A Buddhist preached that ‘I’ must rid myself of the ‘source of suffering’ and rid myself of wrong desires and suffering.
One Taoist argued that in order to become one with the universe and enjoy an eternal life one must realize the Tao itself melt into it and escape from the ego.
One final intelligence could not find the answer but he told us that it was okay to see the answer we wanted and hope to get there.
….
and.
….
━Teach me.
━The end drawn by life intelligence and power.
━Look at what is at the destination and answer me. Our freedom and its existence.
I am.
‘I’ll teach you.’
It was that person who answered.
***
Saaaa───!
I realized.
I realized that what I wanted to prove was the fundamental reason for my actions that led me to the other side without stopping even after coming this far.
A strong man who pursues countless lives intelligence and power asked. end. What is there that guides us?
Okay.
answer.
It was something that Damcheonwoo had given away but it was just something that couldn’t be given to me.
Not anymore.
I realized it too.
Freedom and proof of existence do not begin with self-loss but with self-acquisition.
The beginning and the end were in contact and everything was moving in cycle and change.
[….]
[Congratulations you have surpassed the 48th floor of the Tower of Trials.]
[As a reward for breakthrough a ‘Vessel of Revival (SSS+)’ will be sent to your inventory.]
[You have obtained ‘8 000 000 points’ as a breakthrough reward.]
[You have obtained ‘100 000 SP’ as a breakthrough reward.]
[As an additional breakthrough reward ‘Noble Questioner’s Pendant (SSS+)’ will be sent to your inventory.]
[Go to the waiting room.]
‘I have to go.’
Free will.
‘I am….’
Proof of existence.
‘I am the answerer.’
The time of ascension and transcendence had arrived.
.
