Ch.164The Final Battle Is Dangerous (3)

As I stretched out my arm, dark blue mist filled the surroundings.

The sky and sun were completely obscured, and from within that mist, the hands of the dead reached out, targeting their prey.

“We’re both busy, so why drag this out?”

In response to my clearly offensive stance, my opponent turned that invisible face toward me and softly uttered a phrase.

[My name is Mors. I am the one who deals with the end of all life.]

Simply put, it meant that from this moment on, he would consider me an enemy.

Whoosh!

Rustle!

He did nothing. Nevertheless, the hands formed of death energy and divine power began to crumble into dust as if corroding.

‘It’s not that they’re being countered by an opposing force… I’ve never seen anything like this before.’

This was a phenomenon I had never encountered in my living days, which meant Mors’ power reached to the heavens.

“Death Sentence. Seal of Magdala. Warrior’s Ring.”

Given my opponent’s caliber, there was no need to test the waters. I began pressuring Mors by using the most powerful methods at my disposal from the start.

Yet despite absorbing all of these attacks, Mors showed no signs of suffering or taking damage.

‘…What is this?’

It was like looking into an abyss.

A bottomless depth with no end, an infinite deep sea from which there is no escape once you fall in.

My current attacks were hardly any different from pouring water into a bottomless jar.

[Is this really all you have?]

Mors’ divine status was so overwhelming that I couldn’t even argue with those words.

It was merely a reflexive action, but it had been a long time since I’d faced an opponent who made me think I couldn’t win.

“You’re not doing anything either. Why don’t you try something?”

Continuing my offensive here wouldn’t be good.

With that judgment, I slightly provoked Mors, wanting to gauge his capabilities.

And immediately after, heaven and earth shook.

Rumble.

“…Kuk.”

To be precise, that was just how it felt. Around my body, which was swaying from the waves of power, several black spheres began to form.

And soon, they expanded and completely swallowed me.

Whoosh!

Splash!

‘…What is this now?’

Incomprehensible phenomena kept occurring. The way Mors used his power was completely different from others.

Like a three-dimensional being intervening in a world where two-dimensional beings draw lines, his methods transcended common sense.

I felt my thoughts slowing down, and realized that all bodily sensations had disappeared.

I couldn’t tell where my eyes were, where my arms were, or even if I was still breathing.

It was like a space that embodied the concept of death in a universal form.

[If it’s impossible to escape from there, perhaps it would be happier to simply forget everything.]

Such a voice penetrated my ears, then disappeared without a trace as if it had been an illusion.

And in that space, I calmly thought while fighting against my drowsy consciousness.

‘I can’t get a read on this at all.’

I couldn’t quite figure out how to deal with Mors.

Certainly, Mors was closer to the concept of a god than anyone I had ever seen.

He possessed transcendent power, and I couldn’t shake the feeling of an immense distance between us.

With that, I felt the need to execute my second plan.

“But I guess the difference isn’t completely overwhelming?”

As I spoke those words, I regained the bodily sensations that had been disappearing.

After taking time to observe, I began to understand the nature of his power a little better.

He had reached an extremely high level, but he wasn’t an untouchable being.

Even for me now, there was definitely a chance of victory.

“Hans. Come out.”

Swish.

Splash!

With a surge of intense power, I shattered the black sphere and breathed in the outside air to my heart’s content.

It was refreshing and invigorating. Somehow, my thoughts seemed to clear, and everything became more distinct.

Toward Hans, who had emerged from the Book of Death, I softly uttered a phrase.

“I need your help.”

“…You’re using words that don’t suit you.”

That’s true. I’ve never used such expressions with Hans before.

But this time, I had to say it. Hans seemed to immediately grasp my intention and let out a hollow laugh.

“Well, I don’t particularly mind. Is it time to fulfill that promise?”

“……”

“I suppose I don’t need to hear your answer.”

Hans awakened the heart he had received from me before and immediately summoned his steed.

At the same time, I turned my gaze to meet Mors, who was looking at me with interest.

[…I thought you wouldn’t be able to escape.]

“Oh, is that so?”

[So you’ve already surpassed that level. Good. You are worthy of leaving a trace in my memory.]

As if asking me to state my name, I pulled up the corners of my mouth and gave him an answer.

“Let’s save the introductions for after you’ve proven your worth.”

Simultaneously, a powerful wave occurred, and Mors’ body began to be sucked into somewhere.

That place was the entrance of the massive gate from which Mors and his subordinates had appeared.

[…What trick is this?]

“Fights should be fair. If you really want to hear my name, try getting out of there first.”

Neigh!

As I finished speaking and turned around, Hans rushed into the gate with the sound of fierce hoofbeats.

“It’s been quite pleasant days.”

“……”

“Eternal glory to my lord.”

Though I felt some lingering attachment, I deliberately avoided looking at the scene and floated into the air.

With this, I had fulfilled my past promise to determine where he would die.

Now it was time to fulfill my promise to Shin Doyun that I would definitely win.

‘First, I’ll clear all of those away.’

And so, the die of battle was finally cast.

#

[An incomprehensible choice.]

“You think so?”

The inside of the dungeon was a desolate space. As if it had only ever existed as a passage for dimensional travel, there was nothing inside.

And there, two beings stood facing each other.

[You may be a somewhat special existence. However……]

As Mors slightly tilted his head, Hans’ entire body turned to dust and scattered.

This was the stark difference between them.

It didn’t even take three seconds to settle the matter, and with Mors’ power, reopening the dungeon door would be an easy task.

Just as he waved his finger, Mors sensed that something was wrong.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

[…Indeed, there was a valid reason for this.]

It wasn’t simply regeneration or resurrection.

At that moment, Mors had definitely led Hans to a perfect death.

Boom.

Rumble.

As Hans, who had reappeared, struck the ground with his spear, a massive ancient castle began to rise from the barren plain.

It was old and nearly collapsing, but strangely, an unknown power could be felt from it.

“Welcome to the castle of my first master.”

[……]

“I am Zombie Durahann and the proud knight Hans. From now on, you cannot leave this place until you kill me.”

And so the battle began.

Until eight minutes had passed, Hans experienced hundreds or thousands of deaths.

Slash.

Rustle.

Crack!

[…You are truly a persistent one.]

“That’s just how I was raised.”

There was a stark difference between them. Hans’ power was great, but he couldn’t even touch Mors’ feet, and was simply killed one-sidedly.

But paradoxically, Hans did not die.

Having regained his heart and summoned his steed to recover all his souls, he was now in perfect control of his abilities.

Through this repeated process, Mors finally realized his true nature.

[I see. What connects to your soul is not your body, but that endless will.]

That was Hans’ only power.

The current Hans would never reach death as long as his will remained unbroken.

That’s why Baek Eunha was defeated by him in the past, and only in their second confrontation, after an endless battle, was he barely persuaded to form a contract.

Hans quietly recalled that memory.

“I was foolishly unaware. I was the only one who couldn’t accept my lord’s end.”

His lord had humbly accepted his given life and embraced his end.

Until Baek Eunha, who had read his memories from his grave, conveyed the truth, Hans did not understand his intention.

“So until I repay that kindness, I cannot close my eyes as I please.”

Baek Eunha knew. That Hans would meet his true death at the hands of Mors in this place.

So Hans’ task was simply to buy time.

Somehow, to hold back this transcendent being as long as possible.

But even that was now coming to an end.

[I shall highly respect that will of yours.]

As Mors waved his arm, a space like a black hole was created, sucking in Hans’ body.

And from within it, black hands emerged and bound Hans.

‘This is…’

It was similar to the spells Baek Eunha often used, but contained a much more eerie and higher-dimensional power.

Hans instinctively realized. That this time, he would face a true death that he could not overcome.

‘Indeed, he is dangerous.’

Although Hans’ powers had grown considerably as Baek Eunha attained divine status, if Mors had been aware of his ability beforehand, it wouldn’t have taken even a minute to kill him.

[Can you manage this time as well?]

“……”

Hans had to admit. That he had ultimately been defeated.

But he couldn’t bow his head just yet.

Toward Mors, who was turning to walk toward the gate’s exit, Hans softly spoke.

“My second master, regardless of his vessel’s size, truly has a stubborn side.”

[……]

“So if I just let you go like this, he’ll complain even from the afterlife that I didn’t even last ten minutes.”

That was something he could not accept, even in death.

So Hans readily accepted and acknowledged the death that was approaching him.

With that, his immortality lost its power, and Hans’ body began to scatter and return to nothingness.

And in exchange for all that, an immeasurable power surged through his body and soul for a moment.

Thud,

Whoosh!

With his one intact hand, he grabbed his own head and threw it, and it instantly reached Mors.

Rustle!

Mors impassively tried to stop it, but Hans’ teeth were faster in biting his hand.

Boom!

[…What?]

With the intense weight that followed, Mors knelt on one knee and couldn’t proceed toward the exit.

And that lasted for a full 30 seconds until Hans’ lone head completely disappeared.

[……]

Mors said nothing for a while. Then he stood up and began walking toward the exit again.

Defining the slight unease he felt as a mere illusion.

When Mors returned to Earth through the gate, he was greeted by Baek Eunha, who had some minor wounds on his body.

“You’re back?”

But for Mors, that wasn’t what mattered.

Unable to sense the energy of his five subordinates anywhere on Earth, Mors murmured in a subdued voice.

[Where are they?]

“Why, think they went to take a nap because they’re tired?”

It wasn’t a clear answer, but its meaning was simple.

Gradually, a light of anger appeared in Mors’ eyes.

#

[……]

Though his face was still hidden, it was easy to see that Mors was not in a good mood.

Honestly, it had been close. It took longer than expected to deal with all of Mors’ subordinates.

If Hans hadn’t bought enough time, everything would have gone awry.

‘This changes the situation.’

When we first met, the reason Mors challenged his subordinates and volunteered to face me was simple.

First, because he was confident in his victory, and second, because he didn’t want to lose his subordinates.

‘Of course, it’s not easy to build a force capable of invading and conquering multiple planets.’

Although the power of his subordinates might not match Mors alone, their value was considerable. That’s why he deliberately sent them to another battlefield.

And that meant…

‘He judged that I could kill his subordinates.’

I gained confidence from that. That’s why I seized the appropriate opportunity and executed my current plan.

His direct subordinates had all met their deaths, and any remaining forces could be easily defeated by the power of those who participated in Shin Doyun’s plan.

The situation had completely reversed from before, with the time limit now imposed on Mors, not me.

“What? Did the beings from other planets fight honorably or something?”

But unfortunately, I don’t have any pride as a divine being.

I just need to win by any means necessary, and nothing else matters.

After a silence, Mors raised his hand, lowered his hood, and finally revealed his face.

[I admit it. I have suffered a great loss due to your cunning.]

“……”

[But you have crossed the line.]

Contrary to expectations, Mors’ face was that of a very young man.

It was a appearance like a statue modeled after an ancient hero.

And seeing the anger in his eyes, I focused all my available means on defense.

Slash!

Rustle!

Everything around was covered in darkness. I had done something similar earlier, but the power of Mors that now dominated the area was on a completely different level.

No matter how much I had mastered necromancy, could I ever reach such a realm?

The conclusion is that it would be impossible. It was literally the source. A realm that could never be reached through effort or talent.

‘…This is terrifying.’

It had been a long time since my fists clenched and sweat formed.

It was already difficult just to block the waves, but the offensive had only just begun.

[Fall into this swamp and offer your miserable life.]

Splash!

Rustle.

Though I was clearly floating in the air, suddenly the ground beneath me turned to black sand and began to swallow me.

And from the parts in contact with the sand, I felt extreme weakness.

‘Is it absorbing my power?’

Whoosh!

Hurriedly taking out a seal, I summoned the streams of the netherworld to create a passage through the sand and escaped.

This time, various birds and insects made of black mist attacked me.

“Give me a break!”

I fired various spells, but they just turned to dust and reformed.

In response, I created a vortex of death energy by waving my hand.

But I couldn’t withstand the enemies that somehow broke through and attacked, causing me to fall to the ground.

“Ah, seriously!”

Crash!

As they disrupted my magic formulas, I couldn’t even use teleportation spells, and Mors slowly began to approach me.

[You overturned all principles with a human body. But that’s as far as you go. You cannot advance beyond this point.]

Our origins were different.

Mors was one of the oldest gods, and I was just an ascended being who had struggled up from the bottom.

Realizing this, Gordon’s words suddenly came to mind.

[As long as you’ve lived as a follower of the death god, you can never defeat him, Master.]

I had to admit it now. That statement was certainly correct.

One with divine status based on the concept of death can never surpass Mors, who is essentially the origin of that concept.

But because of that, I still had a possibility.

“They say the right person succeeds even when falling backward.”

[What are you saying……]

I clearly succeeded the Netherworld King who existed on planet Thebe, but the divine status I built up with my own hands that day was far from that nature.

“After devouring your subordinates’ memories, I found some interesting content.”

[……]

As I’ve repeatedly said, these beings are not the creator or monotheistic god as recognized by the world.

They are just beings who regulate the world, with power befitting that role, nothing more than higher-level existences.

Then what is their origin?

Which came first, the birth of living beings or their birth?

Unfortunately, I couldn’t know the answer, but I could understand one fact.

That in the beginning, the two had a complementary relationship.

“The humans of the planets needed you, and you existed because of them.”

According to the subordinate’s memory, by the most preeminent of the nine divine beings with the oldest history, they formed a powerful covenant.

None of the nine divine beings should directly harm any human.

That was how they came to be called the guardians and gods of the planets, and it was also their starting point.

And that covenant lasted until Brühe, the god of life who proposed it, died at human hands after a long time.

“Honestly, it’s not my business.”

That was from a distant planet and the distant past.

However, if the nature of my divine status is included, it’s a completely different story.

“In the end, you too were originally a being who protected life, and that was your only wish and purpose.”

[…Even if you know that, nothing changes.]

“No, I think it will.”

In that barren field where nothing existed, I used divine power for the first time to create just one shabby skeleton.

And what it symbolized was my starting point.

The one mark that allowed me to crawl up from the bottom where I had lost everything to where I am now.

So naturally, the nature of the divine status I awakened pointed to that.

“Let’s go back.”

What my divine status encompasses is the starting point.

It is the coordinate itself that truly signifies the beginning in the long journey that all life will inevitably depart on.

Whoosh.

Flash!

As all the divine power I had stored was released, it covered everything around for a moment.

And in that space, we faced each other in our primordial forms.

I as the human Baek Eunha, and he as Mors, the guardian of the planet and the god who brought peace to all.

At that point, Mors seemed to understand my meaning and showed a perplexed expression.

[Indeed, this is what you meant. Certainly, I cannot do anything to you here.]

Right now, I am just an ordinary human. One who cannot use necromancy or wield divine power.

But because of that, Mors could not touch me.

[It will take time, but if I destroy this place, the matter will be resolved.]

“Then I’ll die from the aftermath of that power, won’t I?”

[……]

He probably couldn’t easily destroy it either, but in any case, Mors could do nothing.

A complete dilemma, to which Mors finally relaxed his expression and revealed a hollow laugh.

[This is absurd. To be completely caught by such a ridiculous trick.]

And then he softly expressed his intention for peace.

[I’ll give you time. I won’t touch Earth for the next 10 years. I swear on my divine status.]

In short, he was suggesting a temporary truce before settling our unfinished battle.

But I smiled and gave him my answer.

“I don’t want to.”

[Why? It should be a proposal with no loss for you either.]

Even if I spent time doing nothing, eventually I would die with a human body when my lifespan ended.

In contrast, if given 10 years, I could devise some countermeasures again.

It was truly a natural principle, and it was the best option.

Of course, that would be if the opponent in front of Mors wasn’t me.

“You seem to be greatly mistaken, but I won’t die.”

[What?]

“How many years do you think it took me to break free from the constraints of lifespan?”

Mors couldn’t have imagined, but I attained eternal life as a necromancer after just about 30 years of falling to Thebe.

In other words, I am confident that I can secure my lifespan by elevating my realm if given a similar amount of time.

Considering the abundant energy in this space, it might even be twice as fast.

[What does that even mean……]

As Mors continued speaking, he seemed to realize my true intention and blinked his eyes in stiffness.

Seeing this, I finally voiced my true thoughts.

“That’s right. I’m going to train again from the beginning in this place.”

And as time passes, I’ll break free from the constraints of lifespan and gradually increase my power.

“Soon enough, I’ll grow to a point where I can reach you.”

Only then will our confrontation come to an end.

Mors cannot touch me, and I will be able to unilaterally beat him.

[Such a thing, cannot be possible……]

“Why not? I can’t guarantee there won’t be variables, but the situation has already become like this.”

Mors couldn’t offer any rebuttal to those words. Of course, there was no falsehood in what I said.

[No, if you grow enough to regain divine status, then my oath loses its meaning.]

“Then I won’t obtain it.”

Honestly, I did this because the situation was urgent, but if I had enough time, I was confident I could find other ways to gain even stronger power without divine status.

And frankly, my power before gaining divine status was sufficient.

“Haven’t you heard of the spoon murderer?”

[……]

“If I keep hitting, you’ll eventually die.”

Mors seemed to be in agony, but there was no clear solution to be found.

The situation was clear.

Mors had lost, and I had won.

With that, Mors asked me a question in a resigned, hollow voice.

[Even so, you too cannot leave this place during that time. Are you okay with losing everything you’ve cherished?]

But for that too, the answer was already determined.

“It doesn’t matter.”

It would be a very boring and tedious time, but considering the power of Mors in front of me, that’s a small price to pay.

And as a result, I didn’t need to give up everything.

“This place runs at 1/10th speed.”

The nature of this space faithfully follows the time of planet Thebe, which is also my starting point.

In other words, even if I spend a generous two hundred years here, I can return to Earth where only 20 years have passed.

That would be sad in its own way, but as I said before, this is a very cheap price to pay.

Having lost all possibilities, Mors looked at the void for a long time with a somewhat bitter gaze, then finally conveyed the result of the match to me.

[I have lost. The invasion is over. I will liberate all the planets I’ve taken and return to where I should be.]

“……”

[I swear on my divine status.]

The moment I heard those words, I couldn’t help but clench my fist.

Honestly, it was an uncertain battle. Even I reflexively thought of defeat when I first encountered Mors.

But in the end, I won. It was truly an unbelievable thing.

“Are you certain?”

[I never speak falsehoods.]

In the back of Mors as he turned away coldly, there was an infinite loneliness.

Perhaps he too had reasons and purposes for causing such events.

But such things don’t matter.

In the end, what’s precious to me are my family Seoha, the people around him, and this planet where I live.

“You were strong.”

However, even for him, it was too much to try to rule numerous planets alone.

That’s all there is to it.

Whoosh.

Rustle!

After some time had passed, the space that had confined us finally disappeared without a trace.

And the same was true for Mors.

‘……’

It was the moment when the dungeon crisis that had oppressed Earth for a long time finally came to an end.