Ch.0Return

“This is impossible… This can’t be!”

The elderly man with gray hair spoke. In the world, he was known as Makaroff Williet, the ancient archmage.

“How could a human possibly control beings from the netherworld…”

“Old men always say such things.”

Generally, nothing in the world is impossible. There are only things believed to be impossible.

Whoosh.

“Is there nothing more to show me?”

The emblem of the underworld, said to be wielded only by the one most deeply connected to death in a world.

The symbol of the God of Death.

I pointed at the netherworld seal floating in the air and smirked.

“You… have already transcended humanity. Stop destroying the world’s order! Don’t you know? This power is not permitted to humans!”

“Of course I’ve stopped pretending to be human. You killed me 50 years ago, so what nonsense are you spouting now?”

Those were his last words.

Slash!

Splat!

As the hand of Charon, the ferryman of the netherworld whom I summoned, swung down, the head of the legendary archmage flew into the air.

“…If you had just handed over the item willingly, I might not have been unwilling to spare you.”

He was somewhat necessary for the world’s balance.

Though he once killed me, I don’t really hate him anymore.

After all, I had long since become a being that transcended even death.

Anyway, I finally obtained it.

Whoosh.

“The Goddess’s Tear.”

A divine object said to contain miraculous power.

With this final ingredient, I can at last fulfill my long-cherished wish.

‘It’s been long.’

Truly long.

From the day I fell into this incomprehensible world, surviving hundreds of brushes with death, until reaching this moment.

‘I actually died once.’

Because of that damned old man who claimed to protect the world’s balance.

Back then, his magic seemed like divine might, but now it was no different from a clown’s performance—truly vexing.

“Serejia.”

“…Did you call me?”

The so-called fake deity. More precisely, a demigod.

In this world, she was worshipped as the Goddess of Harmony, Serejia.

“There are no more ingredients needed, right?”

“Yes! Yes, of course!”

“Why are you grinning again? Are you that happy I’m leaving?”

“Ah, no! I’m just happy that you’ve achieved your goal…”

Of course, now she was my faithful servant.

When did we first meet? Perhaps 70 years after I fell here? She pretended to be a goddess, acting all high and mighty, but after I stripped her soul bare, she turned into nothing more than a pretty local loser.

“Tsk.”

When I clicked my tongue, Serejia flinched.

Come to think of it, she’s caused me trouble more than once. Perhaps I should discipline her one last time before leaving?

“A-anyway, shouldn’t you start soon? Since the death energy you carry is so powerful, there’s concern the Goddess’s Tear might deteriorate!”

It was an obvious excuse, but at this point, I didn’t care.

Serejia teleported back to the hideout and immediately placed me on the magic circle that had been prepared over decades.

“Now that we have the core of the spell, the transportation itself should succeed without problems… but as I said, there will be side effects no matter what. There are records of dimensional rulers losing their powers after dimensional travel. I-I’ve clearly warned you, so please don’t come back and take your anger out on me, okay?”

“How many times do I have to say it? I understand. Our relationship ends here. Clean and simple.”

That’s right.

It truly ends now.

“Ha.”

Finally, the curtain falls on this long era.

Here on planet Tebe, the one hailed as the Living Death, a necromancer, will at last return to where he truly belongs.

“Farewell.”

“What?”

“You’re a demigod, so stop getting beaten up everywhere,”

“…”

“Honestly, when I first heard it, I thought you were just babbling anything to escape the situation.”

But in the end, I really can go back.

“Thank you.”

Whoosh.

That day.

The Lord of Death who had dominated an era left planet Tebe.

And.

“I-if you suddenly say things like that… I feel a bit guilty about the prank…”

Serejia, who had played a little trick on the dimensional transfer magic circle, muttered while staring at the empty space where someone had departed.

“Well, if one’s personality is sharp-edged, perhaps it’s better if their appearance is at least round?”

Thus, one story came to an end.

#

Some time after the incident on planet Tebe.

On planet Earth, in South Korea.

At a police station somewhere in Seoul, the capital, a woman muttered in bewilderment.

“…Did this child really claim to be my brother?”

“Yes! That’s right, Hunter Baek Seoha! She knew all your personal information too.”

Everyone’s gaze turned to a corner of the police station, where a silver-haired girl was wrapped in a blanket, curled up and trembling.

“I’ll t-turn you into a skeleton… How dare you… to the Lord of Death… hic.”

Her fragile state, rejecting human touch and trembling in fear, would have seemed pitiful to anyone present.

“…Let’s hear the details first.”

My brother, who was reportedly dead 10 years ago.

Thinking that another troublesome matter had arisen, Baek Seoha, an A-rank hunter and exceptional talent of the current era, muttered to herself.