165 – 172
Two bright eyes that shone under blond hair.
Vivid red lips.
Skin that was reminiscent of moonlight.
A white cloth covered all the important parts but it blended in perfectly with her skin.
She didn't do anything, she just stood there.
However, she made Thanatos and shilenda look plain.
Dazzling.
Just looking at her was enough to make this bleak world seem fascinating.
A Goddess that epitomised the splendour of destruction.
A brilliant star illuminating the darkness!
It wasn't an exaggeration.
Kang-jun stopped breathing as soon as he saw her.
The 1st ranked great demonic God Cardia! She was literally a thousand out of a thousand.
Until he saw her, Kang-jun had thought that Karosio, shilenda, and Thanatos were the culmination of beauty.
Of course, Thanatos was by far the most beautiful out of them and he had been sure that there would be no one who could surpass her in the dimensional world.
However, just like there was always someone stronger, was there an end to beauty?
If he had to express beauty in terms of combat power, Thanatos and the others would be a chaos being while Cardia would have the power of a Hwanmong Ruler.
However, Kang-jun soon realized that her beauty was very dangerous.
Her beauty was beyond the other great demonic Gods because the inherent destructive power in her surpassed imagination.
That's right.
Most beings wouldn't be able to endure the destructive aura she emitted and would be destroyed.
Gods with immortality wouldn't disappear but they would be damaged for quite a while.
Should they be at least at the rank of a great demonic God to endure it?
That wasn't enough.
Spiros, shilenda, and Daric were literally petrified on the spot.
An extreme curse that turned even the great demonic Gods into stone!
"Um!"
Thanatos, who had been resisting, was petrified with a final moan.
It was a type of seal.
They would be locked in stone forever unless Cardia released the curse.
If they died then they could be resurrected. However, they weren't killed but petrified in stone forever.
'A very scary curse.'
Kang-jun wasn't paralyzed but he was tense.
In fact, Cardia's beauty wasn't the only problem.
The destructive power of beauty!
It was only the tip of the iceberg of her true abilities.
An aura of unprecedented power was emitted from her!
It was something beyond the power of destruction.
What type of level has she reached?
At that time, Cardia watched Kang-jun and lamented.
"Could that prophecy really come true? Suddenly you've appeared before me."
"What does that mean?"
"On the day the Abyss opened, there was a prophecy that a person with the power of Hwanmong would appear and stop me. You are the one that prophecy was talking about."
Someone with the power of Hwanmong.
There was a prophecy about it?
Kang-jun laughed.
"It is the first time I've heard of this. However, I do have the power of Hwanmong. So that prophecy will probably come true."
Then Cardia laughed coldly.
"No, you're wrong. Although it is just like the prophecy, and you've appeared before me but you can't stop me with your current power."
At that moment, Kang-jun's body trembled and his feet started to get harder.
Jjejejeok!
'T-this!'
It was that curse of petrification again. A part of him was turning into stone.
It was incomparably strong compared to before.
'Euh! I can't stop it.'
A curse derived from the transcendent power of destruction that couldn't be stopped by him.
Cardia scoffed at Kang-jun.
"Resisting is useless. I have surpassed the power of destruction a long time ago through meditation. Just in time, you appeared before me."
Kang-jun stared at her.
"Beyond the power of destruction! Then you should be called a top demonic God, not a great demonic God."
"A top demonic God? Heh, I don't dislike the sound of that. But it is a little pointless."
Cardia smiled and continued.
"I have no interest in things like destruction. It is trivial now."
"So what do you want?"
Cardia replied like she had been waiting for Kang-jun to ask.
"I will hold the entire dimensional system in my hands. An absolute being in the dimensional system. That's what I want."
Kaebul! Kang-jun wanted to tell her not to talk nonsense but he couldn't say anything.
"...!"
In the meantime, the petrification had progressed to his mouth.
Fortunately, his spirit was still intact.
As such, he could still hear Cardia's voice.
"Now this Abyss can't keep me bound anymore. After a while, I will go up to the Celestial World and throw them all away. The celestial Gods are the ones blurring the order of the dimensional system. Once they disappear, the dimensions will become peaceful."
It was ridiculous.
Although Kang-jun was
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furious about the celestial Gods, he had confirmed that they were necessary existences after coming to the Abyss.
The great demonic Gods in this Abyss.
He couldn't imagine how much harm they would have done if they remained in the dimensional system.
In other words, he wanted to praise them for throwing the great demonic Gods into the Abyss.
However, he was angry about being treated the same as the great demonic Gods.
In addition, what did his household members do wrong that they were thrown into hell?
Thus, Kang-jun was still thinking about how to handle the Celestial World.
Of course, he would still occupy the Celestial World.
He wouldn't let them get away with it.
Kang-jun would pay back everything they had done.
However, that didn't mean he would get rid of the Celestial World.
At first, he was angry enough to get rid of the Celestial World but now he realized the necessity of their existence.
Kang-jun didn't want to be in charge of such a troublesome thing.
Now the top demonic God said that she wanted to destroy the Celestial World.
If Kang-jun didn't stop her here, those words would soon become reality.
She said that she wasn't interested in things like destruction, but her words showed signs of true destruction.
Cardia approached and said.
"Before that, I intend to seal you completely. Something still seems strange. Half the prophecy came true so it would be very disconcerting if the other half came to pass as well."
So what was she going to do? Did she mean to kill him?
That was impossible.
Kang-jun was already an immortal being.
Therefore, Cardia could use all types of curses on Kang-jun but she couldn't kill him.
But now wasn't the time to be relieved that he couldn't die.
Cardia was aware of this fact more than anyone else.
In the meantime, her face that came close to Kang-jun was really beautiful.
He could still see despite his eyes being changed to stone.
It wasn't just sight.
His sense of smell and hearing were all still alive.
Cardia's voice sounded like it was coming from a dream.
The mysterious fragrance coming from her body was enough to make his nose bleed.
"Heh."
Cardia laughed at Kang-jun.
Her smile was so fantastic that it even made Kang-jun's cursed stone heart beat wildly.
The calm smile on her red lips was also extremely s.e.xy.
However, the words coming from that mouth wasn't beautiful at all.
"It is convenient to leave you here like this and troublesome to move you elsewhere. So I've come up with a good idea."
Her two eyes shone brightly.
"I will break you up into several pieces. And I will lay another curse on each of them. I will even carry one piece. How about it? Isn't it a good idea?"
As expected from a top demonic God, saying such terrible words with a bright expression.
Suuk. Suuk.
She was already putting her own words into practice. She waved her hands and started separating Kang-jun's body into pieces.
Duk. Duk. Duuk.
His head was cut off and his limbs separated into several pieces.
"What should I take? Indeed, the head is the best."
Cardia picked up Kang-jun's head with both her hands and wiped off the dirt. Then Kang-jun's head was compressed to the size of a small pendant.
She pulled out a golden string and inserted it into Kang-jun's ears. Thus, the necklace was complete. She hung him on her neck and said.
"Don't be too saddened. It can't be helped since I've been stuck with the words of the prophecy for so long. If you were in my position then you would also understand why I am doing this."
She summoned a mirror and looked at the necklace with satisfaction. She patted Kang-jun's pendant head and smiled.
"How is it? The feeling of hanging around the neck of the ruler of the dimensional system."
Of course, he felt dirty. Not that he was capable of answering.
Kang-jun knew it was a strange world but he never expected to be made into the pendant of a necklace. Not to mention it was also only his head.
'No! She is really crazy.'
Compared to Cardia, he thought that the great demonic Gods Thanatos and shilenda were very normal.
And outside this world, Karosio who was known as the Goddess of Destruction could be called an angel.
Especially when compared to Cardia.
Speaking of which, the longer he spent in this world, the more insane it seemed.
Did her extreme beauty lead to extreme madness?
Anyway, now was the time to wake up. He couldn't just stay here watching.
'A top demonic God is nothing but a wicked demonic God. Yet you will be the one to break my last limit, Cardia.'
The string of the necklace holding the pendant suddenly broke and Kang-jun's head flew up.
Sususu.
The compressed head was returned to its original size.
Chak! Chachak! Chaak!
That wasn't the end. His mutilated body gathered and merged together like a transformers robot.
It was still petrified.
However, the stiff body immediately began to move.
What was going on?
The curse created by the transcendent power of destruction was released.
Surely Cardia hadn't changed her mind and released Kang-jun's curse?
Of course not.
It was Kang-jun who released himself.
Now that he had stepped onto the threshold, he only needed to take a single step, but something was making him hesitate.
It was caused partially by the mental fatigue acc.u.mulated through too many level ups, but there was also another reason.
A vague fear of being reborn as a new existence.
He had already become transcendent, chaos and then destruction but strangely, it wasn't easy for him to take this final step before becoming a Hwanmong Ruler.
Maybe he might become a completely different type of existence from now.
It seemed unlikely but that hesitation was surprisingly powerful.
If Cardia hadn't left Kang-jun in a petrified state, it might have taken him quite a while to decide to take this step.
In particular, the atrocity of turning Kang-jun's head into a pendant had backfired.
It badly damaged Kang-jun's pride. No matter how tired he was, he would still burst out in a tantrum.
In other words, Cardia p.r.i.c.ked his pride and gave him a chance to become an absolute being in the dimensional system.
In the end, not half, but the whole prophecy came true.
[You have realized the essence of Hwanmong.]
[You have understood and can deal with Hwanmong energy.]
[Your war rating has risen to Hwanmong.]
[Charisma has permanently increased by 50.]
[Good Luck has permanently increased by 10.]
Lv.500 (MAX)
[War] Hwanmong
Health: 205070/205070
Hwanmong Energy: 201290/201290
Destruction power was trans.m.u.ted into Hwanmong energy.
His war rating increased to Hwanmong and his charisma rose by 50 points! Furthermore, good luck also rose by 10 points.
However, his level remained unchanged.
Then a message immediately appeared.
[Enlightenment as a Hwanmong Ruler has given you a lot of experience, increasing your level greatly.]
It wasn't a surprise to see his level rise.
Lv501, Lv502, Lv503...
His level rose indefinitely.
More messages kept popping up.
[You have reached an ultimate world beyond levels.]
[Your abilities will no longer be restricted by levels.]
[Your abilities will no longer be restricted by tools or equipment.]
Kang-jun's status window changed after those messages appeared.
Lucan
[War] Hwanmong
Health: 500000/500000
Hwanmong Energy: 500000/500000
Good Luck: 31
Charisma: 115
His status window was very short. His level was no longer visible.
His health and Hwanmong energy reached 500,000 while his stats such as strength, intelligence, etc., had disappeared.
They no longer had an effect on his combat power. Therefore, there was no need for those stats to be displayed.
Only the unique stats of charisma and good luck remained.
'Good luck and charisma are important to a Hwanmong Ruler.'
The one sad thing was that his stat bonuses from the Dimensional Sovereign Ring no longer applied.
In addition, any great equipment that he found wouldn't have an effect.
If the water in the cup was full, that quantity of water wouldn't increase no matter how much more water was poured in.
Of course, Kang-jun hadn't reached the peak of everything.
Once he became a Hwanmong Ruler, he was able to see that the world of Hwanmong was never ending.
In other words, there were still ways for him to become stronger in the future.
In that case, it was like he could only expand the size of the vessel that contained the water, it couldn't be increased anymore through equipment.
It was only possible with enlightenment.
It was clear that going one step further than a Hwanmong Ruler would be extremely difficult.
Anyways, once he became a Hwanmong Ruler, Kang-jun could tell that the dimensional system was bigger than he originally thought.
Infinite!
There was no way to express it other than that.
'Will there be an existence stronger than me?'
But within the area that Kang-jun could detect, no one had reached such a level.
After becoming a Hwanmong Ruler, the level of dimensions that he could perceive had broadened. Within that radius, there was only one who had reached a similar level to him.
It was the top demonic God, Cardia, who was standing right in front of him.
Surprisingly, she was almost as strong as the current Kang-jun.
They hadn't fought yet but Kang-jun felt like he was superior to her.
'The prophecy that Cardia told him about is correct. Today is that day.'
On the other hand, Cardia stared at the stretching Kang-jun with a strange expression.
"How surprising. It isn't so easy to unravel that curse. Is this the power of Hwanmong that the prophecy spoke about?"
"That's right."
Kang-jun laughed. However, his expression turned cold after he laughed.
"Great demonic God Cardia! No, top demonic God should suffice. Now that I've become a Hwanmong Ruler, you will never be able to get out of here. How about you become my servant?"
Cardia laughed like it was ridiculous.
"Do you think I would just freely let you do as you want? I don't believe that the power of Hwanmong is that great."
"If you don't believe me then I will make you believe."
Kang-jun moved his hand and the snow on the ground gathered together to form a sword.
"A sword? How interesting."
Cardia's eyes fell on the weapon hanging on her waist.
It was
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also a sword. A white sword.
As she grabbed the sword with one hand, Kang-jun felt an overwhelming momentum pouring out from her.
It was only natural.
Cardia had been a demonic God who was crazy about swordsmanship.
While other demonic Gods poured themselves into their household members, she held a sword and devoted herself to swordsmanship.
Once she raised her sword, other demonic Gods would back away.
After the enlightenment of her swordsmanship combined with the divine power of a demonic God, she overcame her limitations in the Abyss and reached the level of a top demonic God.
Thus, it wasn't ludicrous for Cardia to point her sword at Kang-jun.
"Feel free to use whatever swordsmanship technique you want."
"If you wish."
As soon as Kang-jun pulled out his sword and took the posture of Heaven's Blood Sword Style, Cardia's expression changed.
"What? That is the Heaven's Blood Sword Style."
"I'm surprised that you know this."
"I made it when I was a great demonic God."
"Stop talking nonsense. This is a style that Shadowless created."
Heaven's Blood Sword Style had helped him overcome transcendence to become a chaos being.
If he hadn't received this sword technique then it would have been hard to reach here so quickly.
It was the greatest strength behind making Kang-jun who he was today.
That was the Heaven's Blood Sword Style.
Yet Cardia said that she made it in the Abyss.
Cardia just laughed.
"Then don't believe me. I just made it and sprinkled it into the consciousness of people. If someone stumbled upon it then they would think they were the creator."
"You sprinkled it into the consciousness?"
"It isn't difficult. You should be able to do that now."
Apparently, that was the case. Kang-jun gritted his teeth.
'd.a.m.n! It was true.'
In the end, Shadowless was still Kang-jun's mentor in the Heaven's Blood Sword Style.
Yet it was something created by Cardia that she had sprinkled into Shadowless' subconscious.
In other words, Cardia had transmitted it to Shadowless beyond time and space.
Of course, Shadowless didn't know that.
Cardia laughed and laughed.
"Not only that. Perhaps the most useful thing I created in recent years was how to reach the realm of chaos. Even the celestial Gods are practicing some of the sword techniques that I made."
"It is an honour."
It was an honour to meet the genius in swordsmanship who created so many of the sword techniques.
But a duel between warriors wasn't just determined by the skill in swordsmanship.
A showdown between a top demonic God and a Hwanmong Ruler.
Kang-jun acknowledged that Cardia was a great genius with the sword but he still thought he would win this fight.
"Taste the feeling of being hit by the sword you created.
Kang-jun swung his sword.
Flas.h.!.+
Heavenly Cut. However, it wasn't the same as before as it turned into an absolute force that destroyed everything in front of it.
Pa pa pa pa!
The energy of Hwanmong formed the shape of a sword and the destruction power in the Abyss was scattered.
Of course, the space in front of Cardia also evaporated.
However, her body moved in a direction that Kang-jun hadn't expected. She avoided it and then she swung her sword in retaliation.
'How great. When did she move there?'
Kang-jun quickly moved his sword to block her attack.
Kakakaang!
At that moment, Cardia was pushed back. Blood was pouring from her mouth.
"What? That energy? Is it Hwanmong energy?"
"Yes."
"Euh! What a scam."
Cardia frowned.
She didn't feel anything when she avoided Kang-jun's attack. The power was beyond imagination but avoiding that attack wasn't difficult for her.
However, a mysterious reaction occurred the moment her sword met Kang-jun's.
Unbelievably, she received reflected damage.
It was a blow to her power that had reached the level of a top demonic God.
Not only had Kang-jun casually accepted the attack, he returned the damage!
It was like she inserted a sword into her body herself.
"Ulkeok!"
Cardia staggered as blood emerged from her mouth.
However, she instantly recovered. From then on, she tried to avoid meeting Kang-jun's sword as much as possible while they fought.
Hwiiik! Papapapak - Flas.h.!.+
Kang-jun was alert and also evaded her attacks.
'It is really great.'
Cardia wasn't someone he could win against just by becoming a Hwanmong Ruler.
Chwack! Chwaack! Puhak!
In the end, her sword struck Kang-jun numerous times and gave him some injuries.
But the injuries did little damage.
She stabbed her sword into his heart with all her energy, but Kang-jun's skin was only slightly scratched and recovered quickly.
"No way! Something like this!"
"It doesn't make sense. That is why it is called Hwanmong power. You can't beat me, Cardia."
The power of Hwanmong coursing through Kang-jun's body meant he wouldn't get any serious injuries.
The slightest scratches or bruises caused by Cardia quickly disappeared.
As time passed, Cardia started to get cornered.
Her swordsmanship was better than Kang-jun but that wasn't enough against the fraudulent power of Hwanmong.
No matter what Cardia did, Kang-jun didn't budge.
Every time her sword clashed with Kang-jun's, she was shocked and pushed back.
In the end, the damage acc.u.mulated and Kang-jun aimed a final blow at her after she slowed down.
"Now let's end this, Cardia."
Chwaack!
"Ugh!"
Blood spurted from Cardia's chest. As she staggered, Kang-jun's sword passed across her neck.
Seokeok!
"Euh! This..."
Cardia's body trembled with disbelief.
She tried to gather destruction power around her neck but the power of Hwanmong scattered it.
"H-how vexing..."
After saying that, Cardia's head flew off.
The two of the had been fighting on the snowy field, so her head was separated from her body and hit the snowy ground.
'Finally finished.'
Kang-jun looked down at her.
Kang-jun started with surprise when her body disappeared.
'She hasn't entered the seal. Indeed, a top demonic God.'
The power of Hwanmong meant it was now possible to seal someone without a power jewel.
The moment he defeated the target, they would enter the sealed world but Cardia had resisted.
Hwiing!
At the same time, a flurry of snow rose on the snowy field and Cardia appeared again.
'A perfect state of resurrection.'
It was just like when he first saw Cardia.
Even the distinctive white cloths that covered the important parts were the same.
The attack power also didn't decline at all.
If a great demonic God died and resurrected then their combat power would decline, but Cardia was different.
In fact, Kang-jun was also like that.
Even if a strong opponent appeared and killed Kang-jun, he would still be resurrected in a perfect condition without a decline in his combat strength.
Cardia was currently in such a state.
If Kang-jun's power was significantly superior to Cardia then it would be possible to temporarily delay her resurrection or to seal her, but this wasn't the case.
He could win but it wasn't winning overwhelmingly, so there was no way other than to kill her once she resurrected again.
Cardia also knew this and gazed at Kang-jun with an obnoxious expression.
"In the end, you will block me like the prophecy said. Then we will fight forever. I will also prevent you from leaving this place forever."
With those words, she wielded her sword again.
Hwiiiing! Papapat!
The sword aimed at Kang-jun! After separating numerous spaces, she transformed each of them into weapons that aimed for Kang-jun.
All of them had the extreme destructive power that would turn a great demonic God into dust.
"How troublesome."
Kang-jun rushed through the attack and swung his sword.
There was no need to defend since he wouldn't receive any big injuries and he would only suffer pain.
Of course, the pain was considerable.
He would be able to tolerate one or two ant bites, but what if there were thousands of rats biting him at the same time?
It was a terrible torture.
Papapak!
Kang-jun ran through the weapons and ruthlessly struck Cardia's body.
'Kuook!'
An extreme pain rushed through his body.
Just like how dust could accrue into a mountain, he didn't receive a fatal injury but the pain acc.u.mulated.
Still, Kang-jun managed to split apart Cardia's body again.
Seokeok!
"Ack! D-d.a.m.n! I'm angry..."
A line was drawn from Cardia's neck to waist and her body disappeared.
She stared at Kang-jun as she left.
However, she immediately reappeared again after disappearing.
In the meantime, Kang-jun's b.l.o.o.d.y body returned to its original state.
He didn't have to use a potion or recovery magic as it just healed itself.
There was no end to this battle.
He didn't remember how many times he killed her after that.
At a glance, it seemed like he killed her thousands of times.
Kang-jun continued to kill and Cardia continued to die.
But unlike Thanatos, her fighting spirit burned even more every time she died.
Kang-jun determined where she would pop up and aimed his sword at her.
However, she avoided it and then he was forced to chase Cardia and the time it took to kill her again became longer.
Kang-jun asked sadly.
"Why don't you give up now? You can't beat me, Cardia."
"Shut up, you d.a.m.n b.a.s.t.a.r.d! I will never let you leave this place unless you take me with you."
"How many more times do you intend to die?"
"Let's see! I'm thinking about dying at least a billion times. I might consider it again after dying a billion times. If I die more than a billion times then I might think about it seriously. But prior to that, there is no way. Kill me as much as you can. I'll just revive again!"
Cardia glared at Kang-jun.
"..."
Kang-jun was dumbfounded. Her mentality was entirely different from a great demonic God.
Kang-jun could finally see that Cardia would not surrender no matter how many times he killed her.
So it would stay like this.
He now had two ways
One was to further enhance the power of Hwanmong in order to become overwhelmingly stronger and seal Cardia.
However, Kang-jun thought that was virtually impossible.
So far, everything had become possible in a short amount of time but
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this wouldn't be that easy.
He had no sense of time thanks to being immortal but it would take a great amount of time, training, meditation and luck.
Therefore, he couldn't use the first method.
The second method was to negotiate with Cardia.
But that was also nonsense.
If he wanted to convince Cardia to be his slave then he needed to give her something in return. What could satisfy her?
What conditions would make a top demonic God agree?
Such a thing was impossible.
Or he would have to kill her a billion times and tell her not to leave this Abyss forever.
Cardia wouldn't accept any conditions that Kang-jun gave her unless she went mad.
Furthermore, it was still a possibility.
If he killed her a billion times and asked to negotiate then Cardia would accept.
Cardia was a huge poison.
Once her escape from the Abyss became impossible, she seemed to be trying to retaliate by keeping Kang-jun in the Abyss.
Kang-jun wasn't sure and just swung his sword.
'I will just keep killing her.'
He couldn't find another way.
If he offered a ridiculous negotiation then it would only be laughed at.
Thus, he decided to just immerse himself in killing Cardia.
Anyways, no other strong being could be sensed in the dimensional system.
If Cardia entered the dimensional system then a disaster would occur.
Therefore, Kang-jun was protecting the dimensional system just by killing Cardia.
Killing Cardia had such a meaning but he didn't feel it afterwards.
There was no meaning whatsoever.
Only killing Cardia! He only focused on that.
Seokeok! Chwack! Puhak!
Kang-jun casually killed and Cardia revived with a poisonous expression. But inwardly, she was very frightened.
'Those eyes, it seems like he really plans on killing me for eternity.'
She hoped that Kang-jun would negotiate and sighed when he didn't act that way.
In the end, it seemed like she would have to start the negotiations.
"Wait! Let's have a discussion."
"What discussion? Just die."
Kang-jun said as he approached Cardia with his sword.
"Just let me kill you 1,000 times."
"What?"
"If you die 1,000 times then I will become your servant."
Cardia stared at Kang-jun with a large smile. If he allowed her revenge then she would become Kang-jun's servant.
Kang-jun just snorted.
He wasn't naive enough to believe her.
He didn't intend to die 1,000 times, but even if he did, Cardia might not keep her promise anyway.
"Shut up and die."
Kang-jun pierced Cardia's throat with his sword.
After she resurrected, she stared at him with a frown.
"How about 100 times?"
"There is nothing else. You will just die. If you don't want to die then be sealed and become my servant."
Kang-jun killed her again. Her eyes were filled with poison when she revived again. She was so frustrated that she felt like crying.
"10 times! No, only once! Please die by my hands once, and I will be your servant."
"Once?"
Kang-jun thought about it for a brief moment. It was ridiculous. However, it wasn't difficult to die once. Even if she tried to deceive him, it wouldn't matter since it was just once.
Just how much did she want to kill him?
"Will you really become my servant if you kill me once?"
"Yes. Just let me kill you once."
Kang-jun honestly didn't want to do this but it couldn't be helped. His household members were crying in hell and he couldn't just keep killing Cardia forever.
He decided to try and grab the chance.
"Okay. However, be sure to keep your promise."
Kang-jun weakened the power of Hwanmong that was protecting his body.
Puhak!
Then Cardia approached like she had been waiting for a long time and stabbed Kang-jun's heart with her sword.
"Hohoho! Kill!"
"Ugh!"
Kang-jun's body was crushed and turned to dust.
However, he instantly reappeared in his original spot.
He was in perfect condition. Kang-jun laughed bitterly.
'Dying always feels dirty.'
Even if infinite resurrection was possible, dying was never pleasant.
On the one hand, Cardia was making an extremely satisfied expression.
It was like she had killed an enemy of the clan or an enemy who killed her precious person.
Were they the eyes of a group who defeated the bandits?
He felt like he was seeing the dignity of a hero or an independence fighter who saved the country.
Kang-jun was dumbfounded but he declared towards her.
"Cardia! Now become my servant like you promised. You shall forever be sealed in a Hwanmong world."
If she didn't enter the sealed world on her own then Kang-jun couldn't force her.
Of course, he realized that this was ridiculous.
No matter how he thought about it, dying once wouldn't satisfy her.
Not surprisingly, Cardia cried out.
"Are you crazy? I won't do something so ridiculous."
"Are you trying to break your promise?"
"Heh, I just said I was going to be your servant. A servant doesn't have to follow their master's orders. Conversely, there are situations where the master must listen to the servant's orders."
"In the end, this is just the beginning."
Kang-jun wasn't greatly disappointed that Cardia hadn't kept her promise.
Still, he hadn't known so it was worth dying once.
"Then it can't be helped. Go back to dying."
When Kang-jun decided to begin the infinite slaughter again, Cardia frowned and cried out.
"Wait! What kind of master kills their servant?"
"I don't need a servant who doesn't listen to their master."
Kang-jun swung his sword once again. Cardia moved back to avoid it and stared at Kang-jun. She had a mournful expression on her face.
"This is really crazy. How long will you do this? Take a look at me. I will definitely live quietly without any incidents."
"A top demonic God can live quietly without any incidents? Do you really expect me to believe that?"
Cardia shrugged. She didn't reply so it meant she also thought it was ridiculous.
"Why don't we split the control of the dimensional system in half? We won't interfere with each other and you can rule your half as you like."
"My answer is this."
If he was going to accept such a ridiculous proposal then he would have negotiated from the beginning.
It was impossible to hand over half of the dimensional system to the top demonic God.
Seokeok!
Kang-jun rushed forward and cut off Cardia's head.
"What type of negotiation can there be between a top demonic God and a Hwanmong Ruler? Our relationship is one where we have to kill each other."
Cardia ran as he tried to kill her again and she cried out with a tired expression.
"I understand. I'll do whatever you want so just stop."
Kang-jun stopped.
"You will let yourself be sealed?"
"I will let myself be sealed or anything else. However, I have a condition."
"What is it?"
If she was willing to be sealed then he would listen to her conditions. Kang-jun looked at her expectantly.
Cardia was staring at Kang-jun. Her expression showed that she was being serious now.
"First of all, the world that you seal me in must be the size of a station and I have to be in control of it."
Making the sealed world the size of a station.
It was possible to connect a seal to a station.
It was annoying since he would have to move the other species in the station, but it wasn't a difficult task.
Moreover, it was a chance to seal a top demonic God instead of killing her a billion times.
"Okay. I'll do so. Any other conditions?"
Kang-jun easily nodded. Cardia opened her mouth again.
"The second is to put as many demonic Gods as possible in it in the future. Even demons, demon kings and top demon kings. The more monsters there are, the better. I am going to make a demon world there.
"Okay. As much as you want."
If Cardia could control the troublesome ones then it would be good for Kang-jun.
"And the third."
What? Another one? In fact, the two conditions above were barely enough to seal her. It would be better to listen as long as it wasn't too troublesome.
"What is the third condition?"
Cardia gazed at Kang-jun with a strange expression and said.
"This condition is the most important one. The first two don't really matter. If you listen to this one then I will do whatever you want."
"Tell me."
How great was it that she didn't care about the first two conditions? Kang-jun looked at her nervously.
Then she opened her mouth.
"It is to become my lover."
"...!"
Kang-jun doubted his ears.
A lover.
The word 'lover' suddenly came out.
"I think I might have heard it wrong. What does that mean?"
Cardia replied with a strange smile.
"Literally. It means to become my lover."
She shrugged at Kang-jun's shocked expression.
"Do you like me or something?"
"No. I hate you so much that I want to kill you."
That was true. Fortunately, Cardia was still insane like he thought she was.
"Then why do you want to become my lover?"
"Because you are stronger than me. I am only attracted to those who are stronger than me.
"You want to kill me but you can't, so you want me to become your lover?"
"Yes. You have understood correctly."
It was ridiculous logic to humans but it was very logical to demonic Gods.
Kang-jun had already received the passionate gazes of shilenda and Thanatos who he had defeated.
They were afraid of Kang-jun but they also desired him.
He didn't know if the other Gods were like that, but the demonic Gods were obviously s.e.xually attracted to those stronger than them.
However, Kang-jun was mistaken.
The reason they were attracted to Kang-jun wasn't merely due to his strength, but because of his Hwanmong power.
The mysterious attraction was given by the power of Hwanmong!
Even before becoming a Hwanmong Ruler, the charm given to Kang-jun by the power of Hwanmong already existed.
If combined with enough strength then she would have willingly become Kang-jun's slave.
Needless to say, it wasn't disappointing now.
It was enough to make Cardia, who hated Kang-jun, to crave his arms.
But
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it was Kang-jun's freedom to accept or not.
There was no need to take things by force.
He had Hayun on Earth and there was no need to be confined in Hwanmong.
Anyway, Kang-jun still hadn't realized such a thing.
'Honestly, having one more lover in Hwanmong isn't such a big deal.'
Cardia could be called the best beauty in the dimensional system so he welcomed it.
Come to think of it, he had accepted quite a few household members after fighting them.
Naga Queen Melinad had fought hard to kill Kang-jun at first and she later became his lover.
Therefore, it didn't seem strange to accept Cardia as a lover after he had just killed her.
Rather than being strange, it was more natural.
Kang-jun easily nodded.
"Okay. I will do so."
Cardia's eyes shone.
"Really?"
"Of course. I will accept all three conditions."
"Okay. Then prove it now."
"Proof?"
"You have to prove that you will become my lover."
Kang-jun quickly realised what Cardia's proof meant.
"Okay. I'll prove it to you."
He wanted to exit the Abyss and save his people right now, but the negotiations might be completely over if he couldn't get Cardia's heart.
And he didn't know how long it would take to grab her heart.
Maybe the door to her heart would never open.
So it was best to focus on Cardia.
Sururuk.
Kang-jun grabbed the white strings covering Cardia's body and she became naked all at once.
There were no constraints in this place.
Floating up into a sky filled with snow.
From then on, Kang-jun proved to Cardia that he could be her lover.
Cardia was endlessly demanding and Kang-jun fulfilled all those demands.
A long time passed.
After spending some time on a transparent bed in the sky, Kang-jun finally came down to the snowy fields. Cardia also landed on him.
"I will be sealed as promised."
Unlike before, she gazed at Kang-jun with warm eyes. Kang-jun smiled.
"Thank you for keeping your promise, Cardia."
"Instead, don't forget about me. I won't forgive you if you turn off your interest."
"Don't worry about it. I will visit you often enough to annoy you."
It wasn't flattery. In fact, Kang-jun always had to be careful with Hayun.
His body was so strong that he could hurt her.
Even a demon king or spirit ruler was only an ordinary woman in front of Kang-jun.
Kang-jun always had to restrain himself.
He had to be as careful as holding an egg in his hand.
So it was impossible to feel full satisfaction when holding them.
It was more spiritual than physical.
Now he had met someone with an incomparably strong body so it was possible to feel extreme satisfaction.
Kang-jun's body was strengthened due to the power of Hwanmong.
Cardia was the only one in the world who could accept it freely.
At least when he was holding her, Kang-jun didn't have to control his own power.
Therefore, Cardia was an indispensable being for Kang-jun.
Kang-jun smiled at her and said.
"As soon as the work in the Celestial World is over, I will select a station and connect it to your sealed world. If you control yourself well and don't emit a huge power then I won't relocate the species living there."
Cardia just laughed.
"That isn't a concern. You'll be surprised by how livable it will be."
If so, there was no reason to seal Cardia.
However, Kang-jun still meant to keep Cardia sealed. Cardia also wanted it.
After being locked in Kang-jun's seal, she could live as she wished. But the moment she left the seal, she couldn't be assured how things could change.
"Wake them all up. Now it is time to go to a new world."
Cardia waved her hands towards the petrified great demonic Gods. They were immediately freed from the curse and returned to normal.
"Ohh!"
"Phew!"
They sighed in relief at the thought of living again.
Cardia declared.
"If you have something to take care of then do it. It won't be easy to come back here later."
"Yes. I understand."
The great demonic Gods all had their belongings. Of course, they were mostly golems made using destruction power but they still wanted to keep them.
Then Kang-jun smiled at them.
"There is no need to do it separately. All your castles will be moved as well."
As Kang-jun waved his hand, a gigantic gap appeared in the sky and the castles built by the great demonic Gods were sucked up.
Cardia also made a beautiful palace so she was delighted when Kang-jun moved it as well.
"That's great. Now I don't need a separate house."
She smiled at Kang-jun and disappeared into the gap.
The other great demonic Gods bowed to Kang-jun and flew towards the gap as well.
shilenda and Thanatos didn't forget to wink at Kang-jun.
It meant they would find him later.
Kang-jun didn't care and just nodded.
Ku kwa kwa kwa!
They all disappeared into the crack and it faded away.
It was a seal created by the power of Hwanmong.
As a result, four great demonic Gods and one top demonic God from the Abyss were permanently isolated from the dimensional system.
'I have a few things of my own.'
As they disappeared, Kang-jun used the snow to make weapons and equipment.
It was because weapons made here were stronger than the celestial ranked items.
In fact, Kang-jun no longer needed a weapon but it had its own charms.
'These are rough. Should I make extra?'
He made two swords and an extra armour before moving to a bigger space.
After that, he immediately left the Abyss.
He flew towards the area where the white snow became the darkness of space.
Kwaaaah!
And there was a swirl at the entrance to the Abyss.
The entrance was the exit.
No other exit existed for the Abyss.
However, people could only move down from the entrance.
It was designed like a one-way street so that no one could get out.
However, that was useless against Kang-jun who had the power of Hwanmong.
Supak!
He turned into a ray of light and escaped the Abyss.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The Abyss shook violently as something flew up.
The angels in front of it were shocked.
"T-this is?"
"Perhaps?"
They were guards of the Abyss but stayed far away from its entrance.
They were too afraid to even look down at the Abyss.
In fact, it should be impossible for anything to ever emerge from it.
It was because even the chief Gods of the Celestial World wouldn't be able to ascend if they fell down.
Yet now there was a huge roar from the Abyss and a young man wearing white armour soared up.
They knew who the young man was at once.
It was impossible for them not to know since they personally threw him into the Abyss.
"Unbelievable! How did you get out of the Abyss...?"
"D-demonic God Lucan has escaped from the Abyss...!"
The angels couldn't say anything else. It was because the moment they met Kang-jun's eyes, they literally became stone statues.
All the other angels that had rushed over also found themselves stuck in place.
The curse of petrification.
In the blink of an eye, the lowest level of hell that contained the Abyss was captured by Kang-jun.
hell had a total of 100 layers.
Among them, the 100th floor was where the entrance to the Abyss was located.
It was said that the lower the floor, the more severe the punishment. Therefore, the 99th floor was the scariest place in hell except for the Abyss.
Kang-jun ascended to the 99th floor and looked over it.
He saw nothing. The barracks to imprison the captives were all empty and there were no guards as well.
Was there no one imprisoned on the 99th floor?
That couldn't be.
'There is another area separated by a veil.'
The 99th floor of hell itself was connected to another space. It was the true 99th floor of hell.
"Who?"
"Who dares come here?"
The angels ran forward as Kang-jun entered.
However, they all turned to stone at Kang-jun's gaze.
Kang-jun entered the area.
Hwaruru! Hwaruruk!
It was filled with flames. However, it wasn't a normal fire but one where just the heat alone caused pain.
In other words, the flames were just an illusion and it was actually the energy that was giving the worst suffering.
Of course, it was nothing compared to the power of destruction in the Abyss.
Furthermore, Kang-jun couldn't feel anything since he had Hwanmong power.
However, those trapped in it felt the worst pains.
"Kuaaaaak!"
"Aaaagh!"
There were people wailing.
What sin had they committed to end up in this hell?
He looked at a demonic God.
The great demonic Gods were thrown into the Abyss while the demonic Gods seemed to be punished here.
Why bother doing this when they could be thrown in the Abyss?
They were demonic Gods.
Kang-jun saw the great demonic Gods and realised how wicked they were.
Although she was now his lover, Cardia had also spent a long time doing evil.
He embraced such a woman after becoming a Hwanmong Ruler, but he didn't agree with her wickedness.
He didn't think lightly of the potential consequences which was why he sealed her.
Therefore, it was very good that the Celestial World placed the wicked demonic Gods in this hell.
It just didn't make sense to Kang-jun.
They could just throw all demonic Gods in the Abyss so why bother with a separate area on the 99th floor.
The demonic Gods would be destroyed immediately after falling into the Abyss. There were very few among the great demonic Gods who could realise the essence of destruction and settle on the snowy field.
At that moment, Kang-jun witnessed a strange scene.
One of the demonic Gods crouching down in pain suddenly vanished in a splendorous light and appeared somewhere else.
Although his existence was completely hidden, Kang-jun easily noticed that his traces were connected with an adjacent space.
Kang-jun instantly moved there.
Angels and celestial Gods were waiting there so Kang-jun watched their actions.
If Kang-jun decided to conceal his figure then no one in the Celestial World could find him.
"W-where is this place?"
On the other hand, the demonic God was confused by the absence of pain and of being moved to another place.
Furthermore, there were angels and celestial Gods surrounding him so he was nervous.
One of the celestial Gods said.
"You, a repentant demonic God! Don't be afraid. You deserve to come here because you have truly repented for your past mistakes."
"How...! How did you know that I regretted the past?"
The celestial God smiled.
"This is a space that becomes available when you have truly repented. Don't
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be alarmed because the light of repentance led you here."
The demonic God was even more amazed. He had been punished on the 99th floor for so long.
He realised that the acts of slaughter, destruction and all the types of wickedness were indeed wrong.
So even though the punishment was harsh, he felt like he deserved it.
And if he had the opportunity to live in the world once again, he wanted to be a good God instead of an evil one.
Of course, it was impossible to be given a second chance so he just endured the pain.
How much time passed like this?
All of a sudden, he was moved to a place where angels and celestial Gods were.
"What am I going to do now?"
The demonic God asked and the celestial God replied.
"You will live a new life. I don't know what you will be reborn as. The Well of Trials will give you a destiny as a new God."
The angel guided the demonic God to a huge well of light located in the centre of the space. The demonic God's expression became filled with emotion.
"A new life. Not a demonic God, but a new being."
"You aren't a demonic God anymore so don't think of yourself as a demonic God. You are just one of many Gods. If you become a worthy person after passing the trials in the Well of Trials, then you might defend the Celestial World as another God."
The demonic God was startled by these words.
"I can become a celestial God?"
"That's right. Of course, everything depends on your will. The will to break away from evil towards good."
"I am now no longer disillusioned about evil."
"That's why you were brought here. I wish you all the best."
The demonic God shook the celestial angel's hands and disappeared into the Well of Trials.
'Hrmm.'
Kang-jun fell into thought as he watched it.
Originally, he hadn't been planning to get rid of the Celestial World but he had thought about turning hell upside down.
But now he realised that the purpose of hell was to open a new path through penance.
Kang-jun was very angry but he couldn't get rid of hell since it contained this special arrangement.
Even the worst demonic Gods should be given a chance at penance.
It was clear that the Celestial World maintained the order of the dimensional system in various ways.
The great demonic Gods were thrown in the Abyss because there was no possibility that they would repent.
Or the Celestial World couldn't handle them so they were thrown into the Abyss.
That was the case with Kang-jun.
Thus, Kang-jun decided not to touch hell except to take out all his household members.
Destroying this place would eliminate the possibilities for many who might gain a new life through repentance.
He climbed up to the 98th floor that had a similar structure to the one below, fallen angels and celestial Gods were imprisoned here.
However, he couldn't see Shaoniel.
Kang-jun went up again.
Unlike before, the angels couldn't find Kang-jun as he moved.
On the 97th floor, he found a familiar person.
It was Goddess Shaoniel.
The structure here was similar to the 99th floor.
She was suffering in the middle of a frozen lake.
The extreme cold caused great pain to her flesh.
However, the intensity of the pain here was stronger than the 98th or 99th floors.
It was also unusual because Shaoniel was the only one trapped here.
"Ugh!"
An angel was standing outside the area with a face full of pain and sadness.
The advanced angel Luminael.
He tearfully shouted towards Shaoniel.
"Shaoniel... even now, it isn't too late. The chief Gods told me that if you withdraw your words, they will forget about the past.
"..."
Shaoniel didn't say anything as she just frowned from the pain.
Luminael stared at her with frustration.
"Shaoniel, why do you have to suffer the worst of hell in place of Lucan's household members?"
Shaoniel finally opened her mouth.
"Lucan did nothing wrong. The Celestial World made a wrong judgement and his people were punished as well."
She breathed painfully as she talked.
"My strength is weak so that I couldn't save him, but I can at least get rid of the punishment for his people. That is what I can do."
"Sob! Shaoniel! Of course, I also feel that Lucan isn't a wicked person."
"..."
"He disappeared into the Abyss. Thanks to Shaoniel, all of his people have returned to their original lives. Isn't Shaoniel all alone now?"
Shaoniel responded with sorrow and rebuked Luminael like he was a child.
"I am getting something else, not punishment right now Luminael. My purpose is to receive the punishment itself."
"What does that mean?"
"Shouldn't there be a single person in the Celestial World atoning for Lucan who was thrown into the Abyss?"
She said with a moan.
"Of course, this won't be any comfort to him. However, it will be one way to ask for forgiveness once he comes back."
Luminael's expression distorted.
"Once he comes back. Can he really return from the Abyss?"
Shaoniel closed her eyes for a brief moment before she spoke again.
"With the power of Hwanmong, he entered the Abyss! I recently felt like it was meant to happen. I don't know why but he had to enter the Abyss."
She continued speaking with a smile on her face.
"But even if it was meant to happen, it is clear that the Celestial World greatly wronged him. Thus, this is the only method to avoid his wrath."
Luminael trembled. He knew that Shaoniel wasn't a crazy person, no matter how much she suffered in hell.
"Are you saying that Lucan will really exit the Abyss?"
"According to my predictions, there is no doubt about it. It might take many years but it will definitely happen."
It was at that moment.
"I have already emerged from the Abyss, Shaoniel."
It was Kang-jun. He arrived here and had heard the conversation between Shaoniel and Luminael.
He was surprised to find out that Shaoniel had allowed all his household members, including Hayun, to leave hell.
The reason he was surprised was the method she chose.
She took on all the pain they would have suffered.
As a result, she received more pain than the demonic Gods on the 99th floor.
Shaoniel chose to punish herself to apologize to Kang-jun, who she knew would return one day.
Kang-jun hurriedly pulled her away from the punishment area and said.
"You are still very knowledgeable. You thought that I would still forgive the Celestial World even after this?"
Kang-jun spoke in a reproachful tone but his eyes were warm.
Although he was a Hwanmong Ruler, he still had a sense of humanity.
Once he saw Shaoniel, his heart became choked with hot emotions that couldn't be expressed.
Naturally, he was impressed.
But it went beyond being just impressed.
Due to her, Kang-jun's household members had avoided the pains of hell.
He was impressed by that alone, but she had suffered in order to atone to Kang-jun.
On the other hand, once she saw Kang-jun, Shaoniel looked stunned and couldn't help crying.
"I guess I was right. I was sure that you would come back. Please forgive the Celestial World..."
She didn't finish speaking.
After suffering from the extreme pain, that pain had suddenly disappeared so she fainted when she saw Kang-jun, as if all her tension had been released.
It wasn't merely physical exhaustion but mental fatigue as well. Due to all her suffering, even the transcendent mind of a Goddess had reached its limit.
"Tsk."
Kang-jun clicked his tongue and embraced her.
"Don't worry, I won't get rid of the Celestial World."
With those words, Kang-jun moved her inside his wings to rest.
Just like Aquana and Klater, she would recover by resting inside Kang-jun's wings.
Of course, it was also to protect Shaoniel.
No one would be able to harm Shaoniel if she was waiting in his wings.
'No one will touch Shaoniel without my permission.'
Although Shaoniel wasn't his, Kang-jun intended to protect her like she was.
He didn't think that anyone had ever touched his heart like Shaoniel had.
'Shouldn't there be a single person in the Celestial World atoning for Lucan who had disappeared into the Abyss?'
In particular, the words that she had said.
Kang-jun bluntly asked Luminael.
"Tell me what happened after I entered the Abyss."
Luminael's expression was still blank like he couldn't believe the situation, but he eventually spoke with a sigh.
"Now that you've come out of the Abyss, your power must be beyond my imagination. I understand. I will tell you about what happened."
Luminael was worried that Kang-jun would go to the Celestial World so he was as polite as possible.
"As you've already heard, Shaoniel made it so that Lucan's household members didn't have to suffer in hell. She pleaded with the chief Gods to release them and she would take all their pain instead. The appeal was heard and Shaoniel came down to the 97th floor to suffer the worst pain in all of hell.
"So my household members have been returned to their original place?"
"Yes, but unlike before, their abilities are normal. In addition, they have forgotten all about you and don't know who you are anymore."
At that moment, Luminael trembled. It was because Kang-jun's expression distorted the moment he spoke.
"All their memories of me were erased? Then their memories will be returned, including their original abilities. There will also be compensation for the damage they suffered. Isn't that right?"
"T-that's right."
Luminael started sweating. It wasn't an impossible task but the chief Gods of the Celestial World were the only ones who could do it.
But would they be willing to?
Luminael was certain that the chief Gods wouldn't bend even if the Celestial World would collapse.
So he was very concerned.
Kang-jun had the ability to
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escape the Abyss so he could stop the chief Gods.
At that moment, Kang-jun looked at him and said.
"Don't worry so much. If we can talk well with each other then I will hold back my hands. Anyway, it seems like I am now done with hell. Guide me to the southern area."
"M-me?"
Luminael jumped at the suggestion that he should be Kang-jun's guide in the Celestial World.
"Yes."
Kang-jun nodded. Luminael hurriedly shook his head.
"I am an advanced angel of the Celestial World. It is clear that you are going to the Heavenly World for a bad purpose so how can I guide you?"
Kang-jun sneered.
"You will guide me even if you don't want to."
He waved his hand and a beautiful man in red armour showed up in front of him.
The great demonic God Spiros.
He was the lowest on the great demonic Gods hierarchy but he was unbeatable in the dimensional world.
His abilities became stronger after surviving in the snowy terrain with extreme destructive power for many years.
"Lord, did you call me?"
As soon as Spiros appeared, he bowed without even daring to look at Kang-jun.
"Heok! T-that person?"
Luminael, who had the intuition of an advanced angel, noticed Spiros' identity and trembled.
"Great Demonic God Spiros! H-how are you here? Lucan, did you drag him out?"
Spiros carefully looked up and glanced at Luminael.
Beondduk!
Luminael felt faint with just one glance. He felt like a rat who had just met a cat or a snake.
Kang-jun smiled.
"I pulled out not only Spiros, but everyone else. They are all my servants."
"T-that!"
Luminael looked desperate after hearing that all the great demonic Gods in the Abyss were Kang-jun's servants.
Kang-jun laughed coldly.
"Spiros, question him and find out the location of the southern area. We will start by capturing the southern area of the Celestial World."
"Yes, Lord."
Spiros walked towards Luminael with a face full of interest. Luminael's entire body trembled.
In fact, Kang-jun could find out the location of the celestial areas by intimidating Luminael directly. But he thought it would be more effective to use Spiros.
They were capable servants so as the master, he didn't need to take action.
That was one reason why he only called Spiros. It wouldn't be good to call out all his servants just to take over the Celestial World.
"Just don't take it too seriously, Spiros."
"Huhu, don't worry. I'll just check his back. I didn't know that I would be able to see an angel's back as soon as I left the Abyss."
At those words, Luminael immediately jumped up and cried out towards Kang-jun.
"I-it can't be helped. Then I'll guide you to the southern area."
Luminael freaked out when he saw Spiros' strangely flashing eyes. It wasn't difficult to figure out what he saw.
'Sob! Anything else but that. I would rather apologize and face punishment in hell.
Thus, an advanced angel collapsed due to the words from a great demonic God.
Spiros bowed towards Kang-jun and declared.
"The mission is complete, Lord."
"Okay. Then let's move onto the southern area."
Kang-jun smiled with satisfaction. The threats of the great demonic Gods were on an entirely different level. He reduced an advanced angel to this pitiful state with just a few sentences.
A portal to the southern area was immediately opened and Kang-jun and Spiros went through it. The frightened Luminael followed behind them.
"They are?"
"Who dares come here?"
The southern area symbolically meant the southern sky, but that didn't mean there were no defenses.
It was one of the separated worlds of the Celestial World.
A huge celestial world with vast areas. These four celestial worlds ruled over the whole dimensional system.
There were countless angels in the southern area alone.
The abilities of the angels varied. Among them, the upper-ranked were celestial Gods and the lower-ranked were the angels.
But right now, there appeared to be an invasion of this place. It was unprecedented in the southern area as well as in the entire Celestial World.
Kang-jun gave an order to Spiros as he looked at the angels coming towards them.
"Capture all those who resist."
"Yes, Lord."
Spiros was completely excited.
He had been dreaming of revenge!
His desire to occupy the Celestial World would finally be fulfilled.
He never imagined that his wish would be fulfilled through Kang-jun.
"Kukakakaka! Bring it on."
Previously, Kang-jun had struggled against Spiros and had been killed dozens of times.
Kwarurung! Flas.h.!.+ Papapat!
Spiros swung his whip and countless weapons were created everywhere. This was the energy of destruction that existed in the Abyss!
It was shaped as weapons and flew towards the angels.
All the angels ravaged by the weapons of destruction vanished without a trace.
Of course, they weren't dead.
They were just moved to the sealed world that Kang-jun created.
Kwarurung! Kwa kwa kwa kw.a.n.g!
Spiros flew along the southern sky. The angels and celestial Gods within the radius of his attack all turned into dust and disappeared.
"These people! Evil demonic Gods dared to show up here?"
It was the chief God of the south, Notos. Behind him were Liviana of the west, Ceres of the east and Dianas of the north.
The moment that the southern area got attacked, a warning rang through the entire Celestial World.
In particular, Cadeos informed the chiefs of the fact that the angels guarding the Abyss were turned to stone and that Shaoniel had disappeared.
They immediately realized that there was a crisis in the Celestial World. Therefore, the chiefs stopped everything and came to support the southern area.
They were astonished to see that the identity of the demonic God was Spiros who they had thrown in the Abyss a long time ago.
"Spiros! Why are you here?"
"I can't believe that you are out of the Abyss."
However, they were even more astonished after they saw Lucan, who was watching the situation with his arms folded.
"L-Lucan!"
"Demonic God Lucan!"
Kang-jun laughed coldly.
"Everyone is here so I don't have to go around looking for you."
The reason why Kang-jun had Spiros make such a big commotion in the southern area was to draw the chiefs here.
It was tedious to go find them directly.
Fortunately, they all came.
"shilenda."
Kang-jun called out shilenda from the sealed world.
Sususu.
A great demonic God with ruby hair and white skin.
Her red eyes were frightening and cold.
However, she was extremely polite towards Kang-jun.
"Lord, did you call me?"
"Show the chief Gods your anger."
shilenda's eyes widened when Kang-jun pointed at the four chief Gods.
It was natural for her to want vengeance on those who threw her into the Abyss long ago.
"As you command."
She didn't appear overly displeased or excited like Spiros.
Even if she was in a good mood, her expression wouldn't show it. Rather, she looked like someone who was becoming angrier.
She used it to appeal to Kang-jun but to others, it was a disaster.
"It has been a long time."
As shilenda approached them with a gentle smile, the expressions of the chief Gods hardened.
"Great Demonic God shilenda!"
"Unbelievable! You are still alive?"
The chief Gods remembered when they tossed her into the Abyss.
An even more horrible existence than Spiros.
At that time, all they could do was seal her power.
However, shilenda had appeared again after so many years and an even more terrifying power was emanating from her.
shilenda sneered at their surprised expressions.
"Of course I am alive. I am very well."
Her hands stabbed into the air and the chief Gods staggered with a scream.
Chwack! Sukeok! Puhak! Sakak!
Notos' wrists were cut off. Liviana's legs were cut off while Ceres' neck was sliced. Dianas' heart was crushed.
Of course, they had a strong resilience unique to the chief Gods. However, shilenda just separated their bodies again once they returned to their original state.
Seokeok! Seokeok! Seokeok!
The celestial Gods and angels watched this scene with angry expressions.
"Ugh...! What is this?"
"Ahh! How can such an evil being have such terrible power..."
They wanted to assist in some way, but an unknown barrier blocked them.
Furthermore, now wasn't the time to be worried about the chief Gods.
As the chief Gods were being attacked by shilenda, Spiros was rushing towards them with thousands of weapons.
Kwarururung! Kwaang! Pa pa pa pa!
Spiros' weapons flew and blocked the angels.
Kwaang! Kakang! Kakakak!
There was a tremendous impact the moment he collided with them!
The weapons were steeped in the power of destruction so it was impossible for them to block it.
"Kuaaaak!"
"Aack!"
Screams filled the air everywhere. There was the pain of their whole body being crushed before they turned into dust and scattered.
Tears flowed down the chief Gods' faces as they gazed at the helpless angels and celestial Gods.
How could such a terrible thing happen to the Celestial World?
Disaster had come to the Celestial World today.
Unlike those who were killed and sealed elsewhere, the chief Gods kept reviving despite being killed more than a dozen times.
This meant that shilenda was intentionally not sealing the chief Gods.
No, strictly speaking, it was Lucan's order to shilenda.
Instead, the chief Gods felt despair as they watched Lucan.
But their fear of Lucan was like a distant mirage.
Their fear was focused on shilenda, who was causing them such tremendous pain.
As rulers of the Celestial World, the chiefs had transcended pain long ago.
However, the pain shilenda caused them was so tremendous that they couldn't help but scream.
"Kuaaaaak!"
"Aaack! P-please stop now!"
"Kuooh! I'd rather die!"
The chief Gods howled from the pain. This was because shilenda first poured the power of destruction into their bodies, making the chief Gods feel immense pain.
At this moment, a situation similar to what happened in the Abyss was occurring to the chief Gods.
Pain! Pain! Pain!
Falling into an endless pit of despair!
Kang-jun gazed at them with a nonchalant expression. shilenda turned to ask if she should continue and Kang-jun nodded.
"It is still far from enough so keep going."
"Yes, Lord."
shilenda was excited. As the screams of the chief Gods continued, Spiros swept up all the angels and celestial Gods in the southern area.
"..."
Kang-jun watched them blankly, but his mind wasn't that good.
'If they accepted my offer then this wouldn't have happened. Don't blame
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me when you were the ones who caused my anger.'
Instead, the chief Gods decided that Hwanmong was evil and threw him into the Abyss like he was a great demonic God.
If Kang-jun didn't have his desperate will to survive and good luck then he would have already been destroyed.
No, he might be in the terrible position of living as Spiros' or shilenda's slave.
Kang-jun had used everything and survived.
He had stabbed a sword into the heart of despair and now he was in control of the despair.
To those who had fallen into the hell of despair, he would make them feel what true despair truly was.
They would feel the despair.
The despair of being punished for their decisions!
They would feel what a heavy punishment felt like.
As Kang-jun watched the chief Gods being punished, Shaoniel woke up in his wings and let out an aghast sound.
"Ah..."
Shaoniel grieved as she saw the southern area being turned into hell.
Tears flowed down as she stared at Kang-jun.
"Lucan, please have mercy... Please forgive the Celestial World."
She knelt in front of Kang-jun and begged.
Kang-jun shook his head and lifted her up. Then he smiled gently and said.
"Shaoniel! There is no need for you to get on your knees since you have done nothing wrong. Rather, I should be rewarding you. I will accommodate it if it is possible, so tell me if you have a wish."
Shaoniel was the only one who tried to defend Kang-jun when the chief Gods had unanimously decided to throw Kang-jun into the Abyss.
As a result, she also suffered in hell but she never gave in.
Therefore, he intended to save Shaoniel even if Kang-jun killed all the other celestial Gods.
No, he would listen to whatever she wanted.
Shaoniel realized Kang-jun's meaning and begged.
"I want only one thing. Please forgive them."
"I can't do that."
Kang-jun laughed coldly. It was something he couldn't accept at this time. No, he didn't want to accept.
The reward should only be for Shaoniel.
Shaoniel had made a drastic sacrifice so why should they be rewarded?
Those people deserved to suffer for what they did to the innocent Shaoniel.
It was nonsense to reward them.
Kang-jun continued.
"I think that they aren't qualified to be the chief Gods. Therefore, I will throw them into the Abyss for a while."
"Throw them into the Abyss?"
Shaoniel was startled. The chief Gods trembled as they heard Kang-jun's voice from a distance.
Kang-jun nodded.
"I will show them what the Abyss truly is and they will feel true despair."
"Can't you forgive them if they are sealed and repent?"
Shaoniel asked anxiously.
"I think that they misjudged you. Those people will feel regret that they misunderstood you and Hwanmong so please let go of your anger."
Kang-jun shook his head.
"It was not just a mistake in judgement but a result of their arrogance. An arrogance that defines everything that didn't come from them as evil. As long as there is such arrogance, they won't change and will repeat the same mistakes. Of course, I won't let them make repeat these mistakes."
Kang-jun was adamant. He tapped Shaoniel's shoulders for encouragement and said.
"I don't think we need four celestial skies. I will unite the Celestial World and it will be ruled by Shaoniel."
"...!"
Shaoniel was shocked by these unexpected words.
Kang-jun was saying that he would make her the ruler of the Celestial World.
It wasn't a lie.
Kang-jun had the abilities to make it happen.
He had practically occupied the Celestial World.
Shaoniel was silent for a moment before carefully opening her mouth.
"It is possible to do it by force with your strength. However, the Celestial World will lose its vision. I truly appreciate it but I can't accept."
Kang-jun frowned lightly.
"Do you want the Celestial World to stay like it is now?"
"The Celestial World will change. Today's lesson will never be forgotten."
"Let's see! How can you guarantee that?"
"I will guarantee it."
Shaoniel declared with spirited eyes.
"If they let you down again then I will follow your words. However, I want you to watch it just once. Until then, I won't be a celestial Goddess but your Goddess of Hwanmong."
"You will become mine?"
"It doesn't matter if you treat me as your servant." I'll do anything you want."
Kang-jun was inwardly baffled by Shaoniel's words.
Of course, Kang-jun had no intention of treating her like a slave.
Although she could be called a servant due to the chief Gods being defeated by Kang-jun, Shaoniel had always helped him.
How could he treat her like that?
Therefore, he wanted to send the chief Gods to the Abyss and make her the ruler of the Celestial World. However, he felt a little bitter when she said she would rather become his slave.
On the other hand, a new greed was sparked in Kang-jun.
She wouldn't be a celestial Goddess but a Hwanmong Goddess.
That's right.
It would be nice if Shaoniel was Kang-jun's Goddess instead of the Celestial World's.
Among Kang-jun's people, there were many evil Gods but no good ones.
There were spirit rulers and a naga queen but no good Goddesses.
He was crawling with demonic Gods. There was even a top demonic God.
Therefore, having a heavenly being, who was the incarnation of good, would balance them out.
Moreover, it was the greatest beauty, Shaoniel, so his heart would warm just by looking at her.
There was also something persuasive about Shaoniel's words.
If the Celestial World made such a mistake again, he could put Shaoniel in their place.
There was no need to rush.
As Kang-jun became silent, shilenda and Spiros stopped their slaughter.
They waited quietly for Kang-jun to decide and the chief Gods were staring at him as well.
They had already realized that resistance was meaningless and knew that the Celestial World's fate would be decided by Kang-jun's next words.
It was a miserable situation, but they had to accept reality.
In particular, the northern chief God felt a sense of responsibility.
'I didn't say anything even though I should have. It is clear that his anger was caused by our actions, which we made despite me knowing that it was wrong to do so.'
Dianas had used the pretext of preventing the division of the Celestial World as the reason for their actions.
However, now that she looked back, she didn't like that a new world, which was out of the Celestial World's control, had appeared.
it was true that the demon Gods were trying to obtain Hwanmong, but Lucan was the guardian of Hwanmong and he was going against the demonic Gods.
Therefore, Dianas broke the silence first and spoke up,
"I, Dianas, on behalf of the northern area, take responsibility for all this. Please give the Celestial World another chance. We will never interfere with Hwanmong and your work. Moreover, the Celestial World will be glad to cooperate if it is necessary."
The words Kang-jun wanted to hear before entering the Abyss were now coming from Dianas' mouth.
Kang-jun glanced at her.
"If I had taken action sooner, I could have prevented the Celestial World from becoming like this. I don't know why I didn't speak up, but I am now feeling the bitter taste."
Dianas bowed her head humbly and didn't say anything else. This time, it was Notos of the south who spoke,
"Lucan, it was me who instigated the idea that you were evil. Now, I know that it comes from my ignorance of you as well as my arrogance. Therefore, I am determined to receive any punishment, but please limit your anger to just me. I'd like to ask for mercy for the others."
Notos had a very self-deprecating expression on his face because he thought the Celestial World had become like this due to him.
Liviana and Ceres also spoke up,
"I will support you if you throw us in the Abyss and appoint Shaoniel as chief. I realize and take responsibility for today's situation."
"I will as well. So, please release all your wrath onto us and spare the other angels and celestial Gods. They are bound to follow our orders."
Kang-jun's expression relaxed noticeably.
To be honest, Kang-jun didn't intended to throw them into the Abyss now that the chief Gods had come out like this.
This was the difference between the demonic Gods and the celestial Gods.
The celestial Gods could reflect on their own.
They acknowledged their mistakes and were even willing to accept punishment.
On the other hand, the demonic Gods simply obeyed out of fear.
So, it was easier to deal with the demonic Gods.
The demonic Gods were worthy to be his servants.
Kang-jun was silent for a moment.
"I will give you one last chance because of Shaoniel. Of course, there will be some conditions."
Shaoniel's face regained its colour.
"Ah! Really?"
The chief Gods also had tumultuous expressions on their faces.
They were actually thinking that Kang-jun would throw them into the Abyss. Thus, they had wanted to at least save the
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angels.
The chief Gods hadn't expected Kang-jun to give them new opportunities.
They couldn't help but be surprised by the unexpected words that emerged from Kang-jun's mouth.
"Truly?"
"Are you really going to give us another chance?"
Kang-jun nodded.
"As long as you return my household members and Hwanmong to its previous state. Additionally, it should be the same for Earth in reality as well."
"We will do so."
Dianas accepted instantly. Not only that, the other three chief Gods nodded like they agreed.
Kang-jun had a pleased expression due to their cooperative attitude and continued with his conditions.
"I believe there will be no complaints if Shaoniel becomes the Goddess of Hwanmong instead of the Celestial World."
"Of course."
"We will respect Shaoniel's will."
The Celestial World might cause trouble later on, but for now, he felt positive about them.
Kang-jun continued,
"She is the only Goddess of Hwanmong. Although she is a Goddess, there are no angels or celestial Gods to assist her..."
Dianas nodded before Kang-jun even finished his words.
"We will send four celestial Gods, ten advanced angels and 100 general angels to defend Shaoniel, who will permanently be the Goddess of Hwanmong."
Kang-jun's expression brightened.
"I guess that is reasonable."
As a result, four celestial Gods, ten advanced angels and 100 angels now belonged to Shaoniel and Kang-jun.
Kang-jun turned toward the portal in the south and pointed to Luminael, an advanced angel who had been looking on with a devastated expression.
"I want him to be one of the advanced angels."
Dianas accepted that like she had already expected it.
"We will do so."
Luminael sent Kang-jun a bemused expression.
He never imagined that Kang-jun would take him as an advanced angel of Hwanmong.
In fact, Luminael had been in distress.
He had opened the portal for the destruction of the southern area because of Kang-jun's efforts.
How could he wash away the sin of selling out the Celestial World due to fearing a great demonic God?
Thus, he thought he would be punished for today's work once the Celestial World became stable.
His actions were a sin that would be hard to wash away even if he repented in hell for hundreds of years.
He was only left with despair.
It was with a type of consideration that Kang-jun decided to bring to Hwanmong. Kang-jun knew that Luminael would be punished if he stayed in the Celestial World.
'Anyway, he will be stuck in hell if he stays here. It is better to take him.'
It might be a disservice to the Celestial World, but Luminael had helped Kang-jun. He smiled immediately and said,
"Luminael, come to Hwanmong and help Shaoniel. That is all you have to do."
"As you command."
Luminael was sad about leaving the Celestial World but excited about becoming an advanced angel of Hwanmong.
Then Dianas asked Kang-jun mildly,
"Do you have any other requirements?"
"That is enough. Don't interfere with Hwanmong in the future and I won't come to the Celestial World."
"How about we do this? If there is a branch of the Celestial World in Hwanmong and a branch of Hwanmong in the Celestial World, there won't be any misunderstandings because we can communicate with each other."
They had a desire to maintain a friendly relationship between the Celestial World and Hwanmong so that they wouldn't become enemies again.
"That's a good idea."
Kang-jun accepted readily. If there was a need to cooperate with the Celestial World, he could talk to the celestial branch in order to solve it.
Of course, Kang-jun didn't need to bother with such a hassle since he could just fly to this place and talk to the chief Gods.
However, it would be troublesome to come here if there were many things that required the cooperation of the Celestial World.
He would let Keirun and the others take care of it. The celestial branch was necessary to make their work easier.
Kang-jun was considering his people even now.
'I'm not living in this world alone.'
'I can live comfortably even if I have nothing, but my people are different.'
Kang-jun would be happy as long as his people were having fun.
Sususu. Susususu.
Once the negotiations were finished, Kang-jun released all the angels and celestial Gods in the sealed world.
At the same time, the great demonic Gods that they had been so scared of, Spiros and shilenda, disappeared into the sealed world.
Shaoniel smiled and said,
"Peace has returned to the Celestial World. It is all thanks to Lord."
She called Kang-jun, 'Lord' and Kang-jun nodded.
"Peace has come to the Celestial World due to Shaoniel. You've gone through a lot, so just go into my wings and rest."
"Then I will be going."
Shaoniel staggered once she relaxed. She hadn't recovered completely yet.
So, she headed immediately into Kang-jun's arms and entered his wings.
It was at that moment...
A portal was created in the southern area and a b.l.o.o.d.y angel exclaimed hurriedly,
"This is serious! The western area is now being attacked by demonic Gods."
"What? The demonic Gods?"
The chief Gods, including Dianas, had startled expressions on their faces. Panting, the angel replied,
"The Goddess of Destruction, Karosio, and her servants."
Dianas replied angrily,
"She must have attacked knowing that there was another war in the Celestial World."
This time, it was Notos who cried out,
"We have to focus all our forces on fighting Karosio. We have to go."
The chief Gods were tense.
Kang-jun said with a laugh,
"I will take care of Karosio, so don't worry. I was going to handle her in the near future, so this is good."
He immediately headed to the portal.