Chapter 269: King of the Battlefield
It was a titanic struggle that shook The World Itself, and the titanic blows between the demon gods formed cracks across the surface of the Demon World, weeping bloody tears of lava and vomiting black smoke. Bae Sungmin could feel it more acutely than anyone else.
“Are we too late?”
The Child of the Moon spoke. Muyoung must have already met Solomon because nothing else could cause the world itself to shake.
“I know that we are not.”
Bae Sungmin shook his head. While he was still disguised as Merlin, the Child of the Moon and the King of the Dragons had felt his essence. That was why Bae Sungmin could speak freely to them. He thought of the connection Muyoung had with them, and the fact Muyoung had started and changed everything. Bae Sungmin was still a central figure in the chaos that followed Muyoung’s wake.
Therefore, he knew that Muyoung was still alive. However, the strange thing was that his heart ached as they approached the savage battlefield.
‘All the demon gods moved quickly, and we also have to go there.”
It had taken over a month to eradicate two demon gods. However, all the other demon gods mobilized immediately afterward. Bae Sungmin thought the demon gods had been targeting them in revenge, but the demon gods were moving towards the battlefield where a mighty tempest was brewing.
The battlefield was chaos itself. They had come near the edge but could not see what was going on because of the massive and fierce black storm.
However, Bae Sungmin was sure that half of the demon world would be in ruins. The storm left nothing behind. The demon gods became dust, their spirits shrieking in silent agony as they were erased from existance, and corpses were incinerated leaving nothing behind, not even ash.
If this continued, at least half of the demon world would be left in ruin and despair and seeing the sight was an overwhelming experience.
“We have to go in.”
The King of the Dragons spoke, and he lifted his massive body to control the winds. Bae Sungmin could finally see the battlefield with his own eyes as the king cut the storm.
There were shouts, screams, and wails, and Bae Sungmin saw hell. He could not count those in the battle, and everyone was locked together in mortal struggle. He could not differentiate between his allies and foes. However, Bae Sungmin’s gazed fixed onto one spot.
‘Why is that child there?’
Bae Suzy stood where Bae Sungmin was staring, and she was eliminating her enemies with shining weapons that illuminated her body.
The Lineage of Light! However, that was not all. Sungmin saw that Bae Suzy was sharing Muyoung’s, his master’s powers. She had done the same when facing Enroth, but now the amount she shared was much greater.
“Who do we attack?”
“They are all demons!”
“Don’t we have to attack them all?”
The allied races were afraid and desperate because of the unimaginable number of the demons in comparison with theirs. However, demons were everywhere in this place, and while they needed to attack, no one was moving because they dared not attack their allies.
“All demons who do not have protective barriers are enemies!”
The Child of the Moon shouted, and they saw some of the demons were shielded with barriers Gremory had created. There were no other demon gods who could put up barriers. The allied races joined the ranks of the shielded, and they fought their opponents as they had done before. However, Bae Sungmin’s gaze was still fixated on Bae Suzy.
Bae Suzy clenched her teeth and suppressed a scream. A demon’s claw had slashed her.
‘We have to win!’
She struck with her fist at a demon, and its face disappeared with a shriek of wind. Bae Suzy did not rest and kept on fighting.
‘How many days has it been already?”
She woke up in the middle of the battlefield, and while she had heard what had happened from a fairy named Woohee, it had taken time to put things together. However, when she did, Bae Suzy chose to fight.
‘This is his power.’
Muyoung’s strength supported Bae Suzy’s will, and it was stronger than ever. That meant Muyoung was still nearby and had not lost yet. So Bae Suzy had to fight and could not fall. The problem was that there were too many enemies, and countless foes to fight.
‘I have to fight for him!’
Bae Suzy could feel the hardships Muyoung was suffering right now from sharing his power. The loneliness and despair she felt from him led Bae Suzy to want to fight for Muyoung. He had saved her so many times, and now was the time to pay Muyoung back.
“You’re insolent for a human!”
The 28th demon god, Berith! The Golden Demon God started to overwhelm Bae Suzy.
‘He’s dangerous.’
Bae Suzy could not face the Demon God, no matter how much power she shared with Muyoung. However, she had to do it anyway. The problem was that everyone was tired out by now, and the number of her allies had noticeably diminished. If it were not for Amon, they would have all died. Amon was buying them time by using magic defensively and also had eliminated four demon gods.
‘I can do this.’
All eradication conditions have been solved after Baal disappeared. They died when their bodies were slain without needing to fulfilling the conditions. So, Bae Suzy thought she could do this.
Bae Suzy screamed as the metallic Demon God was fast despite its solidity. However, it was an attack she should have avoided. Her senses dulled from the days of fighting, and her strength had left her.
‘I have to do this…’
Bae Suzy stood up stumbling, and Berith threw a massive metal bullet. While Suji Bae managed to receive it, the bones of her arms both broke with a loud cracking noise.
“Give up. You have already lost!”
“Shut up!”
She had no time to take in a breath while Berith continued to throw metal bullets that hit like a falling mountain. Bae Suzy’s body was at its limit.
‘I need to do this…’
Bae Suzy’s eyes closed, and her body crumbled. This was a chance that took so much to grab, and she wanted to meet Muyoung and learn the truth. She wanted to know what he was hiding and ask why he kept them apart.
“Are you going to give up like this?”
Suji Bae barely managed to open her eyes by a voice speaking to her.
“You are…”
He did not speak but raised a staff to block Berith’s metal bullets. Bae Suzy barely managed to stand using both hands.
“Wait. I did not say I will give up.”
“Why can’t I keep my eyes off you?”
Bae Sungmin turned his vacant eyes, and they seemed to be lamenting something lost. Bae Suzy answered herself with another question.
“Why do I keep looking at you?”
“I…”
Bae Sungmin tried to speak something, but he closed his mouth again. He wanted to reveal that he was her father, but his body set the line between them. He was dead, and Bae Suzy was alive. They existed in entirely different worlds.
“If you won’t speak, I’ll find out even if I have to force you or even Muyoung!”
Bae Suzy’s willpower returned to her as she spoke sincerely. Bae Sungmin closed his mouth and grabbed his staff tightly.
‘You have grown well.’
Children grew fast, even when their parents turned around and were doing something else. Bae Suzy had been an exceptional child, and Bae Sungmin felt pride and sadness at the same time. Bae Suzy had grown to become an admirable woman, and he had not been able to be with her on that journey.
She would not leave the battleground until this war came to an end, and he could not stop her now.
Therefore, they had to win. Bae Sungmin raised his staff and opened the door to summon monsters who would join the battle.
“Do you see?”
Muyoung raised his head to look at Ars Paulina as she spoke.
“So many people gathered for you, Muyoung. Your wish has come true.”
“My wish?”
“You told me you did not want to be alone anymore.”
“I said that to you?”
Muyoung could not believe he had said that. Ars Paulina nodded.
“You wanted to do something more meaningful and overcome life, death, and everything in between.”
“I…don’t remember.”
“Are you sure that you just want to forget? You are not used to these kinds of things.”
Ars Paulina smiled. Their time had been stopped, and Muyoung was only staring at the time going by past them.
“Even if I did not forget, what would change?’
“Nothing, but you are not alone anymore. You did it. However, it is not enough.”
“I can only watch since Solomon’s divinity is trying to erase my existence.”
Muyoung and Solomon’s divinity were clashing and merging. Muyoung instinctively knew that he would not exist after this process was completed.
“Will you give up?”
“No, but there’s nothing I can do.”
“Weren’t you someone who made his path if there wasn’t one?”
“You speak as if you know me well.”
“I watched for you a long time, and that’s why I know that you’re just confused right now.”
“I thought I arrived at my destination, or I believed so because I had never stopped until now. However, I learned that there are no starting points or ending points.”
“Is that right? Look, you gathered them together, not by Baal’s intentions but by your wish.”
Muyoung looked outside to see Tacan, Bae Sungmin, Crimson Balrog, the nine-tailed fox and Bae Suzy, and the transcendentals fighting despite their numerical inferiority.
Everyone gathered because of Muyoung’s will, including Gremory and Amon. Muyoung had been the one to move them into action, and now they were dying. The results would be irreversible if he acted too late for those who came together for Muyoung.
“But what can I do? I cannot do anything when time has stopped.”
Muyoung only could speak of them, and everything would be over when Baal started to move. The gap was too large, but Ars Paulina smiled.
“You can do it. Baal intentionally gave you only Ars Nova and me, and you made everything else. Those unique factors will work for you even when the time has stopped.”
She was telling Muyoung to do what he could. Muyoung thought about what he could do, and something only he could do. ‘My sword.’ It was a weapon only Muyoung had, and he raised the sword in his mind as Baal had never intended Muyoung to have it. His sword was composed of 51 strikes but was not completed yet. He did not need his body to move but accepted his sword and started to create it anew.
Muyoung went deep inside himself and slowed down the flow of time by 128 times. Muyoung contemplated again and again and focused on his sword.
‘What choices do I want to make?’
His thoughts came to that, as Solomon and Baal had their own goals. On the other hand, Muyoung wanted to do something meaningful rather than trying to become a hero. Therefore, he did not hesitate to kill. However, Muyoung now had to decide on the end, because he could only walk forward when there was a destination.
‘I…’ What made Muyoung act? He remembered again that he wanted to right the wrongs. Once he realized that, he saw the Prayer of the Gods, Ars Nova! It was a power that could make miracles happen and a power that could be used by someone who had caused a miracle. Muyoung grafted that power onto his sword. He was determined to make a miracle happen if it was needed to change everything.
‘I would become a god if I needed to.’
If he needed divinity to become one who could right the wrongs, Muyoung would accept it. Muyoung finally found the determination to do so and would now give everything he had to a specific goal rather than simple survival and a determination to not be used by others.
Muyoung merged his sword, and if ‘The Evil Slayer’ was the stance of fifty strikes, he compressed it down and made it into a single strike. He merged dozens of miracles into his sword and swung Anguish in the time he had slowed down. It was then Solomon’s divinity reacted. The power began to become one with Anguish rather than just merging together.
<You have achieved ‘The God of Swords’ and become the ‘The God and Soul of the Sword.’>
<You have gained a Lord Class ‘The Angel of Time.’>
<All titles, effects, and classes are added together to create a new class.>
<An eternal class, ‘The King of Battlefield’ has been completed.>
Muyoung opened his eyes after completing everything and stood on his own. At the same time, six black wings and six white wings fluttered to start the flow of time again.
Hyacinth trembled because she knew that he was the king she had desperately searched and waited. He had twelve wings and a beautiful form behind his impassive face. He was more than anything she had imagined, and Hyacinth felt awed just by looking at him. While she had substantial powers to beguile, but now she was the one beguiled.
Hyacinth felt she could do anything if only he would see and speak to her. Muyoung was her king, and she pledged once more that she would only follow Muyoung.
“My King.”
Hyacinth kneeled in the middle of the battlefield and blue aura soon surrounded her. No one could approach her as if she had created a sanctuary.
Crimson Balrog fell with a cry. Even with his durability, he could not last if he was attacked by tens of demon gods. Gremory had supported him, but she was also at her limit. The transcendentals had come with millions of allies. However, there were too many strong foes, and it was a losing battle from the start. Gremory used the last of her strength but had to kneel before the massive troops. They were desperate, they needed a hope, anything to change their situation.
‘A chance.’
Gremory turned her head towards where Muyoung, Baal, and Solomon had disappeared. However, it was useless because even Muyoung could not change this situation. He might be a wind, but not a tornado.
However, she heard wings fluttering.
“Have you become enlightened while your was time stopped? You are still merely a vessel. You cannot turn the tables!”
Gremory also heard Baal’s voice as they appeared again without Solomon. She saw him above Baal.
“Mister!”
“Dear husband!”
Bae Suzy and Woohee shouted first. Gremory followed suit silently because Muyoung had appeared again in a changed form. He had twelve wings of light and darkness. Muyoung raised Anguish with a blank face, and the black, moving carpet covering the land as far as you could see, Baal’s demons disappeared when Anguish struck. That meant hundreds of thousands of demons on Baal’s side evaporated in an instant by a single swing of Anguish.
“You, have you absorbed Solomon’s divinity? That’s impossible. A vessel cannot make that divinity their own!”
Baal spoke in disbelief.
“Only I alone chose the path I will walk.”
Muyoung spoke. He had gained something greater than Solomon’s divinity. He had completed his sword and crystallized his goal. Since all the powers had been added together to become Muyoung’s, the name it was called by did not matter now, including the power of miracles and the power of time.
“Then I will take them away by force.”
Baal started to transform into a form similar to Diablo. However, he was larger and had more horns.
“I will become complete with your divinity, and rule over all dimensions by becoming a god with Ultimate Power!”
The moment Baal stepped forward, Muyoung murmured ‘acceleration’ to spring forward. Time began to flow 256 times faster, which was one level higher than the 128 times. Muyoung had reached an area the Kingslayer had been unable to cross. It was a divine territory, and Muyoung had completed the Kingslayer’s dream for him.
“I am the Speaker for all Possibilities.”
Muyoung was different from Solomon or Baal because he had opened all possibilities and gained them. The King of the Battlefield had been completed because of them, and no one could defeat Muyoung here, even if the opponent were a god.
One of Baal’s arms fell to the ground when Muyoung’s sword touched it. Anguish danced smoothly, and Baal felt his body being torn apart in slow motion. He had been trapped in time as things became 256 times faster.
“This…cannot…be…”
“You speak too slowly.”
Muyoung stopped the acceleration, and Baal’s body crumbled down at that moment. While Baal’s pieces gathered together, they could not recover their original form. Baal became only a massive and ugly lump because Anguish cast a potent curse.
“Do you think you can be a beacon of hope for them? You all will not survive since Earth is already contaminated! Only demons can live there!”
Baal spoke, and Muyoung nodded. He remembered the entirety of Dantalian’s memories when completing his divinity. Muyoung saw a contaminated and destroyed Earth unfit for living organisms. While demon gods believed that Baal would purify the planet, he did not possess the power of miracles. Therefore, Solomon created the demon race who could survive anywhere by putting together the strengths of all races. This was why Solomon tried to create a new and more perfect organism.
However, Muyoung was different from them.
“I believe in all evolutions and their possibilities.”
“Faith will not solve the problems! You will regret this and shed tears of blood as they die in front of you!”
Baal knew that he had lost as everything ended when he was trapped in the restraints of time. The eradication condition that necessitated killing all demon gods did not apply for a being with a higher divinity than him. Muyoung’s face grew rigid before swinging Anguish.
“Do not decide my regrets.”
***
The long war ended with Baal’s eradication and the removal of all demon gods on the coalition side. Paimon, who had been a spectator, could not avoid Muyoung’s sword. He had observed Kingslayer, Solomon, and Baal’s deaths, and Muyoung trapped him in the eternal restraints of time. It had been a fitting end for the spectator, but Baal’s disappearance broke down the axis that had been maintaining this world.
The world shook and started to crumble down. Muyoung became a guide who led them. He met someone who came out to greet him when they arrived at the walls of the Blue Temple.
“I had been waiting for you.”
“Merlin.”
He was the true Merlin, and not the imitation. While his alter ego had tried to take on Muyoung as a student, now the tables were reversed.
“Your master is dead.”
“I only need to serve a nobler master.”
Merlin had a different opinion from Solomon, and that was why he built the walls and trained people. While many people died in the process, Merlin had decided that they would not survive in the demon world if they could not pass the Blue Temple. So, Muyoung asked a question.
“Do you know the way to Earth?”
“The Sky Mirror will become a path.”
Baal had created the Sky Mirror, and it seemed to be the road that connected Earth and the demon world!
Muyoung took everything, including the Ark and also the Sky Mirror. It had begun to serve Muyoung when he had gained Solomon’s divinity. People had been surprised at the real Merlin appearing in front of them, but Muyoung was indifferent. Merlin opened his mouth with care.
“However, they will not last. Earth has been contaminated to the extent that they cannot survive.”
“Do not worry.”
Muyoung smiled because he had finished the preparations.
‘The Art of Death.’
Everyone had been recreated, and that was not all. Muyoung ‘endowed’ them with possibilities, which was the last ability the Death Lord had given to Muyoung. They would continue to adjust and evolve through the opportunities Muyoung had imbued them. Muyoung believed in their possibilities.
“Then let’s go.”
Muyoung led them on the path opened in the Sky Mirror once it was completed.
“Dear husband, let us go together!”
“Mister! Who is that old skeleton?”
“Your father’s bones…”
“Daddy?! Daddy!”
“Brother! Don’t leave me behind!”
“My king, I will follow you anywhere.”
There were side effects due to the power of domination. All survivors, including Woohee, Bae Suzy, Bae Sungmin, Snow, Ogar, and Hyacinth, reacted the same except for Talcan. He shook his head as he spoke.
“Look at the chaos fit for the King of Chaos.”
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