Shaa-
An unusual downpour was raining down on Beijing, China.
The inside of the President’s office was completely dark without a single shred of light.
In this darkness, which had a strange, fear-inducing depth, Nodiesop sat comfortably in a large chair. He looked out the large glass wall which served as a window and into the distance with a seemingly lonely stare.
He found this universe to be extremely disgusting and annoying, but he quite liked views like this one. It felt like the heavy rain would wipe this world clean.
He closed his eyes gently.
He liked times like these. When he could listen to the sound of the rain against the window or even just watching it fall.
He couldn’t believe that these large skyscrapers, the products of science, and the rain, a product of nature, could create such perfect harmony. This was probably one of those miracles called coincidences.
It was a time he wished he could enjoy forever, but today, he had an uninvited guest.
Flash!
A lightning bolt struck down, and before he knew it, a huge shadow was standing above the headquarters.
The owner of the shadow appeared to be a Demon. He had a body that was several times larger than a normal human. And within his large, destructively powerful body, an immense amount of demonic energy could be felt.
Nodiesop looked up at the shadow before muttering calmly.
“Have you chosen me next after Sedi, Demon King?”
Kasajin stood in the pouring rain with his back against the glass. The occasional bolt of lightning revealed his terrifying frightening visage.
Even the bravest of men would scream in fear the moment they saw those fearsome eyes in the darkness.
[And if I have?]
It was only a short phrase, but the pressure behind it was enough to distort the space in the room.
“It won’t be easy.”
[Don’t be so sure.]
After saying that, Kasajin turned to face Nodiesop. In an instant, he appeared in the office. It was fortunate that the President’s office was quite large; otherwise, it might not have been able to contain his large body.
He walked right up to Nodiesop, who remained seated in his chair, before looking down.
[I came here because there’s something I want to talk about.]
“Talk…”
It was something that he never would have expected.
From the moment he sensed Kasajin’s presence, Nodiesop had prepared to use his external force at any time. This was because he thought he’d come here to fight him.
However, he couldn’t see any signs of treachery from Kasajin. Was this a trick?
There was a chance that was the case, but he didn’t think that this guy would go through all of the trouble of tricking him. After all, he was someone who stood at the pinnacle of Lords.
[You must have heard of the way to deceive the ‘laws’ from God. What hint did he give you?]
“I didn’t expect you to be interested in it.”
Nodiesop murmured in a blunt voice.
“Do you expect me to tell you that?”
[It doesn’t matter if you want to tell me or not. After all, no one in this world understands him better than I do.]
It was a strange thought. Unable to contain his curiosity, Nodiesop asked.
“What do you mean?”
[Nodiesop, I’ll teach you. God told me about the laws and deceiving the universe. I’ll tell you the results of the various experiments I’ve done…]
Then, Kasajin began explaining in a low voice.
As a result, Nodiesop’s expression gradually began to change. This change increased as Kasajin continued.
By the time Kasajin finished talking, Nodiesop’s expression was a mixture of shock and disbelief.
He rose from his seat and walked towards the wall of glass that overlooked the city.
For a while, the only sound in the room was the sound of the rain pattering against the glass.
Then, Nodiesop sighed and opened his mouth.
“…why did you tell me all of that? Why didn’t you kill me like Sedi?”
[Sedi joined hands with Lukas. Although, it was only temporary.]
“So you’re saying that you’re targeting Lukas?”
[Right.]
At that confirmation, Nodiesop burst into laughter. He turned around sharply. Brilliant gold eyes shined ominously in the dark. They were the eyes of a predator.
This was different from the pressure Kasajin was releasing.
Anyone who looked into his eyes at that moment would be frozen in fear.
“You made a foolish decision, Demon King. I wouldn’t have any problems killing him without your help. At best, he’s just a foolish kid who doesn’t know the true power of a Lord… He can’t begin to compare to the years of experience I, Nodiesop, have.”
[Did the eons wear away your judgment? Is the amount of time you lived the only thing you’re relying on? Do you think you can defeat Lukas Trowman with just that? He is very accustomed to fighting beings stronger than him… You, Nodiesop, who was promised the fate of an Absolute from birth, would never understand. What it means to constantly struggle just to survive.]
Rage flashed in Nodiesop’s eyes. His external force began to flow from his body.
Shaaa!
Suddenly, the rain began to fall even harder. It was so heavy that it felt like a hole had been ripped in the sky. It pounded against the window to the point where the wall began to creak ominously.
“What are you trying to say?”
[Risk your life. Try to have the idea that you will lose. Learn that fear. Otherwise…]
Kasajin closed his eyes for a moment, and he seemed to think about something, but he then let out a long sigh and said.
[You will be defeated by Lukas’ tenacity.]
* * *
In an ominous forest.
The air felt sticky and clung to one’s skin as though it was alive, and an unpleasant breeze tickled the ears.
With the faint stench and hazy fog that surrounded this forest, any normal person would never dare to think about entering this forest.
Nevertheless, Kran walked in this swamp like he was used to it. With every step he took, his feet sunk into the mud. The water that entered his shoes made him uncomfortable, but he ignored it. (TL: The author randomly transitioned from forest to swamp, so swamp it is…)
Eventually, he arrived at a cabin that was hidden deep in this swamp.
Creak-
Without hesitation, Kran opened the door and stepped inside. Inside, he saw a dusty room in which sat nothing but a small table and a crystal ball.
Kran put his hand on the ball, and a faint light began to leak out of it.
The light lit up the room for a moment before gradually taking the shape of a woman.
[Your call was pretty late this time, Kran.]
The hazy figure of the woman spoke softly.
“It was a tough hunt.”
“Hmm. Well, I suppose one of the Five Dukes would certainly be tough prey.”
“…where’d you hear that from? Ringo.”
[Huhu. Well…]
The woman, Ringo, chuckled softly at Kran.
Kran frowned at her for a moment before shaking his head.
“I met a guy called the Great Mage.”
“…”
Ringo’s image shook for a moment before finally stabilising. Because it was a figure made of light, no appearance or expression could be seen. Kran could only see the curves that were unique to women.
It was a bit depressing.
[I see, so you were able to defeat one of the Five Dukes with his help.]
Kran looked offended when he heard that, but he couldn’t deny it. After all, she wasn’t wrong.
He was strong, but the Five Dukes were monsters.
If it wasn’t for Lukas’ help, he probably would have died.
[More importantly, all the equipment I prepared for you has been ruined. It was really expensive, you know?]
“I’ll pay for it. I obtained a lot of soul crystals this time. Though, I missed the Duke’s.”
Chuk-
As he said this, Kran upturned his bag and dumped all of the soul crystals on the table.
Seeing this, Ringo grinned slightly.
[That’s unfortunate. Well, this should be enough to cover it. Take off your coat and turn your back to me, Kran. I’ll help you recover.]
She then whispered in a voice that could barely be heard.
[The Black Witch and the <Shroud of Night> will always give you our full support.]
* * *
Letip disappeared after saying what he had to, but Lukas couldn’t help but remain frozen in his spot.
…Kill Kasajin. With his own hands.
That was something that he never could have imagined.
‘I should be happy instead.’
He should be happy that Kasajin was still alive, that he’d become an Absolute like him, and that he’d finally found someone he shared a past with.
It was lonely.
The Absolutes who wandered around the multiverse were essentially strangers wherever they went. This was why most of them chose to serve Rulers. Just by putting themselves in a large group, they were able to suppress the inherent loneliness that came with their task.
Lukas didn’t do that. So his life as an Absolute was even more lonely than the others. He hadn’t felt this lonely even during the 4,000 years he’d spent locked in the Abyss.
Then, he learned of Kasajin’s existence.
One of his oldest friends was in this universe and shared the same goal as him.
A being who knew the Great Mage, Lukas Trowman, and not the Absolute, Lukas.
Suddenly, a laugh escaped his lips.
He could feel something creak. It wasn’t just in his head.
Deep within, he felt something that helped form the foundation of his existence shake.
‘Are you tired already, Lukas?’
It shouldn’t be.
The path he was currently walking on did not allow him to stop or rest.
He’d decided that he wanted to become the God of Humanity.
Did he think it’d be easy? Had his resolution only amounted to this much?
…If he had to think of a problem, then it would just be one thing.
And that was that this path was much longer and harder than he’d initially expected.
He’d thought that he could endure it. But what if that wasn’t true? What if he was just turning a blind eye to the fact that he’d already reached his limit…?
The Thunder God, a Ruler, had told him. Lukas was an Absolute with emotions and a very strong personality.
But Lukas couldn’t help but doubt those words now.
Was he really different from the other Absolutes?
Wasn’t he also only focused on his mission to save humanity?
…At this point, he knew that a clash with Kasajin was inevitable. As long as he called himself the Demon King and worked against humans.
There were also things that he could not tolerate. Things that Kasajin had done.
“…”
Lukas still didn’t like Letip. Nevertheless, he had been helpful in the end.
Because he had allowed Lukas to prepare himself to kill Kasajin in the hospital room with only the electronic sound of the equipment to accompany him.