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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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|While mortals cannot choose how they are born or the burdens they carry, they should at least choose how they die. Choose your death.|
The God of the Underworld’s words echoed in my mind as I regained consciousness. I sat up, stroking Undecided’s hair, and a raging inferno greeted me.
A massive fire, threatening to consume all of Elvenguard, raged before me, its flames forming pillars that engulfed the forest, slowly advancing towards the city.
“Ifrit…”
Identifying the culprit wasn’t difficult. A massive spectral figure rose from within the flames, its eyes burning with rage.
The fire elemental, Ifrit.
The one responsible for the Great Fire of Elvenguard had struck again.
“What’s that bastard doing…!”
As if things weren’t chaotic enough, Ifrit was causing another disaster. I rushed towards the flames, thinking there might have been another misunderstanding, and saw Mia and the elven elders trying to reason with the raging elemental.
Ifrit’s fiery breath swept towards Mia.
“Kyaa?!”
I lunged forward, scooping Mia into my arms and leaping away. The spot where she had stood moments ago was engulfed in flames. Ifrit had intended to kill her.
“Ifrit is not in his right mind. There’s no reasoning with him. Evacuate the citizens, now.”
“O-Oh…yes…!”
“Get a grip, Mia. The citizens need you. We’ll talk later, over drinks.”
“Okay!”
Mia seemed dazed, so I gently cupped her face, helping her focus.
Mia had to survive. The lives of a hundred thousand elves depended on her. Even if the World Tree burned and Elvenguard fell, her responsibility remained.
Mia and the elders hurried away, continuing the evacuation.
I checked on Sogong’s clone and Guiho, both unconscious from their prolonged encounter with the God of the Underworld. Nameless was also unconscious, but her breathing was steady, her sleep peaceful. I laid them down in a nearby room and returned to face Ifrit with Undecided.
[Kraaaaaaaaaaa!!!]
“He’s not listening…”
During the previous fire, Ifrit had ignored Mia and the elders’ pleas, intent on burning the World Tree, but he hadn’t tried to kill them. This was different.
He was unresponsive, indiscriminately burning everything in his path, humans included. Something had clearly driven him mad. And the one responsible was…
[Keeeeeeeeeee!!!]
“…?!”
Another colossal figure rose from the distant forest, accompanied by a deafening roar. The lake water surged upwards, forming a massive water droplet that transformed into a spectral form.
“The water elemental!”
And that wasn’t all.
Dark clouds gathered, crackling with electricity, forming a swirling vortex that descended and coalesced into another spectral figure. A powerful gust of wind swept through the area, creating a swirling ring of air that solidified into yet another elemental.
Fire, water, lightning, and wind. All four great elementals gathered in one place. But even stranger…
[Kraaaaaaaaaaa!!!]
[Keeeeeeeeeee!!!]
“This is insane…”
…they were all intent on destroying Elvenguard. Their eyes, devoid of reason, unleashed their power indiscriminately.
Someone was controlling them.
|How do you like my creations?|
“…!”
A chilling voice echoed from the sky. I looked up and saw a humanoid figure descending, its skin pale as moonlight, its face unnervingly handsome, its massive black wings spread wide. I knew who it was.
The Transcendent Being, Luna.
Luna’s final form, not supposed to appear until the very end of the game.
“I’ve been looking for you, Luna.”
|You recognize me! How do you like my new body? This is the perfect evolution of humanity! The Transcendent Being!|
The Transcendent Being.
A body that transcended all human limitations. Luna had actually created it.
‘How?’
The question surfaced, but I pushed it aside. I had to prepare for his attack. If this was truly the completed Transcendent Being, he would be far more powerful than Yerina or Transylvania.
|Are you afraid? You should be! I am the ruler of all spirits! The King of Death!|
“What…?”
|You’re too stunned to understand! I have transcended the limitations of death! I have reached the realm of gods! Ehihihihi!|
Luna laughed, his gaze fixed on me like an insect.
I was stunned. I tried to comprehend his words, but I couldn’t. The God of the Underworld had just been here.
Was he delusional, claiming to be the King of Death?
“Don’t you know who just came and went?”
|Who? What are you talking about? There was a momentary…disturbance…a darkness…|
Luna tilted his head, genuinely confused.
He had been holed up in the dungeon, oblivious to the God of the Underworld’s visit. Or rather, most people, their eyes shielded, hadn’t noticed what had happened.
That’s why he was spouting nonsense about being the King of Death, transcending its limitations.
‘This is my chance.’
My initial confusion quickly turned to excitement. The part of the God of the Underworld residing within me would drag Luna to the underworld if I made contact with him. I just had to touch him.
And with Luna so arrogant, so confident…
“You’re truly magnificent. I’m in awe. You truly are the closest thing to a god, Luna.”
|Ehi! No one has ever recognized my greatness before! You’re a truly exceptional human!|
“Yes. I understand the significance of your…creation. So, would you mind shaking my hand?”
|…|
I extended my hand.
Luna paused, his expression hardening as he assessed the situation.
|You dare…extend your filthy hand to this Transcendent Being?!|
“…!”
A massive amount of demonic energy, no, Yin energy, swirled around Luna, coalescing into a dark, ominous sphere. A power no human should possess.
|It’s a shame to kill such an exceptional human, but…farewell! Ehihihi!|
A giant sphere of Yin energy hurtled towards me, too fast, too large to dodge.
Could I cut it?
|…|
I gripped my sword, but the Demonic Sword remained silent. It seemed even it didn’t know how to cut Yin energy. If I couldn’t dodge, I could only endure. I raised my arms, shielding my head.
The sphere struck me.
|What?!|
And shattered. It dissipated harmlessly, leaving me unscathed. I stared at my hand, unharmed, then remembered.
‘The God of the Underworld…he’s still inside me.’
The true King of Death resided within me. No matter how skilled Luna was in manipulating spirits, the God of the Underworld, whose very being was composed of spirits, was on a different level.
Luna’s power couldn’t harm me.
|Ifrit! Kill him!|
[Krrrr…]
|Damn it! Why aren’t they working?!|
The elementals, despite Luna’s commands, refused to attack me, turning away instead. They wouldn’t dare harm the God of the Underworld, even a small part of him. They were currently attempting to surround Elvenguard.
The evacuation wasn’t complete yet. Thousands of elves would die if they were caught in the crossfire.
‘I have to contain Ifrit again.’
I had to eliminate at least one of them, create an escape route. And the only way was to capture Ifrit again.
“Ifrit! Back in the bottle you go!”
I handed the mana stone necklace to Undecided, and she swung it towards Ifrit. The necklace glowed, attempting to absorb the elemental’s core, but…
“What?!”
The core resisted, refusing to be absorbed. The power of the Transcendent Being…it seemed my trick no longer worked. A wave of despair washed over me, but I forced myself to stand.
I couldn’t give up. A hundred thousand lives depended on me.
‘I have to capture Luna’s Transcendent Being!’
The only way to prevent this disaster was to send Luna to the underworld and free the elementals from his control. But I didn’t know where he had gone, or how to capture him in the sky.
“Yoo-jin! It’s terrible! That creepy winged thing emerged from the dungeon, and now it’s…Oh! Why are you covered in blood?!”
Jill rushed towards me, her voice panicked, clinging to my arm. Yerina, Yulia, and Transylvania followed, their expressions grim.
“Did you fail the dungeon raid?”
“Yes…we couldn’t get past the undead…”
The dungeon raid had failed. And Luna’s Transcendent Being, having emerged from the dungeon, was now destroying Elvenguard. Even the combined might of the heroines couldn’t stop a force of nature. We could only watch as Elvenguard, and countless elves, perished. We, as superhumans, could probably escape the flames, but not everyone could. Despair filled their faces, and mine as well.
…Or so I thought.
‘Wait. How did he complete the Transcendent Being at this stage?’
Luna’s Transcendent Being wasn’t supposed to appear until the very end of the game. He wouldn’t have waited if he could create it sooner.
That meant the requirements were incredibly difficult to fulfill, something that only became possible in the late game. But he had completed it far earlier in this loop.
How? How had he fulfilled the missing requirements?
“The dungeon…”
The answer came quickly. Luna’s unique dungeon. The undead army within it…sacrificing them would provide the necessary energy.
“The dungeon…is it still there?”
“Yes…it is…”
If the unique dungeon still existed, it meant the Transcendent Being was still drawing energy from the undead army. It wasn’t complete yet. He had emerged in his incomplete state, desperate to destroy Elvenguard.
Then my course of action was clear.
My mind, which had felt clouded, now saw the path forward.
“We’re entering the dungeon.”
“…?!”
If I couldn’t go to him, I would make him come to me.
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