Chapter 285

Chapter 285

I Became the Only Non-mage in the Academy.

Episode 285: The One Who Devours Stars (3)

Kim Seo-hyun read the message left by Lee Seo-ha and immediately entered the guild master’s room.

“……You’re ridiculously fast.”

A white-haired woman let out a sigh.

A middle-aged man with a muscular build, whom she had never seen before, was also present. Kim Seo-hyun recognized him. The Thousand Sorcerer had warned that he was unpredictable and had even described his appearance.

‘Why is the Fist Demon here?’

Kim Seo-hyun kept an eye on the Fist Demon, ready for any unforeseen circumstances.

“Such overwhelming confidence.”

The muscular man, Fist Demon, thought of Lee Seo-ha.

Everyone who needed to know was aware that he sought to summon the Evil God.

Only those with at least the highest rank or equivalent authority knew about it, but no one had expected him to act so quickly.

‘Well, he’ll handle it on his own.’

Summoning an Evil God wasn’t something one could just “handle,” but it was said that he had already hunted the Black Sun.

Opinions were fiercely divided among the top-ranked heroes, but those who had participated in the battle against the Black Sun argued that he was right…

There must be something he had prepared to oppose the Evil God.

Something else also caught Fist Demon’s interest.

The grandson of the Thousand Sorcerer, Kim Seo-hyun, was wary of him.

That, in itself, wasn’t an issue.

Fist Demon had been cured of his madness thanks to an elixir from Veritas, but only he knew that.

‘But still…’

The problem was that his own body was on high alert.

Even though it had only been a short time since the boy had reached transcendence.

His senses were ringing alarm bells.

As if warning him—if they fought, he would lose.

Meanwhile, Kim Seo-hyun, keeping her guard up against Fist Demon, looked at the portal made of blue energy.

It was undoubtedly the portal Lee Seo-ha had left behind.

“Are you going?”

“Yes, I have to. I don’t want to let Seo-ha fight alone. What about you?”

“No, I’ll go later. I’ll bring the others with me.”

At Eun Yu-ha’s words, Kim Seo-hyun stepped through the portal without hesitation.

The moment he arrived, an unbearable stench hit her, causing her to instinctively frown.

And then—an overwhelming presence of evil energy.

“There’s already been a fight…”

Not far away, a figure was visible.

Swaying slightly, staring blankly at the sky.

Deceptive Evil.

–How… How did this happen? How could he summon the Evil God…

Deceptive Evil murmured in a hollow voice.

Kim Seo-hyun looked at him and thought:

‘He looks weak.’

But Deceptive Evil was not weak.

Even though transcendents had tormented him, he had still managed to prepare a sacrificial ritual to summon an Evil God within a year—proof of his capabilities.

Yet, he looked weak now.

If Kim Seo-hyun were to go all out, he wouldn’t last long.

‘White… That’s what it was called, right?’

A presence residing within her spoke.

Lee Seo-ha had vaguely mentioned it too.

A power that stood in opposition to his own—the force of creation, or perhaps transformation.

‘This is a good chance to get used to my new weapon.’

Kim Seo-hyun gripped her sword.

It felt as though she was grasping something in empty air.

The Formless Sword (Ex).

A weapon so valuable that even Lee Seo-ha had coveted it.

With the sword in hand, Kim Seo-hyun lunged at Deceptive Evil.

The world was nothing but black.

A black sky loomed high, and an ink-dark sea rippled below.

That was all there was to this world—until a massive presence appeared.

The One Who Devours Stars had entered my inner world.

It filled most of the sky.

Looking down at me.

[I’ve wanted to meet you.]

Three heads gazed at me.

Countless black hands, extending like human arms, held orbs as round as moons.

Its three sets of eyes shimmered like stars.

“You wanted to meet me?”

[Yes. Since the dawn of the universe’s history, there has never been another like you. Many have opposed us before… but you are only the second to grasp the entirety.]

“……The second?”

The One Who Devours Stars moved slowly.

[Yes, the second. Others have tried to play tricks… and infused their power into it. But they paid a heavy price.]

It spoke as if it found the situation amusing.

[That’s why you are special. Despite having nothing, you opposed the Evil Gods… No, perhaps you didn’t have nothing after all. Your very existence—I think I now understand why the Black God took an interest in you.]

“What am I, exactly?”

[You are likely the only one whom the heavens have bestowed with such power. That’s just the nature of the heavens.]

“…….”

The Evil Gods.

They were like glitches born when the Creator God formed the universe.

But for them to take such an interest in the heavens…

‘No, it makes sense.’

They were born with overwhelming power.

Calling them literal gods wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

Even if all the gods of Earth banded together, they would struggle to properly handle even a single Evil God.

However, over the past year, I had delved into the power that descended from the heavens.

That’s why I knew just how alien that power was.

‘Like all colors merged into one.’

That’s what it felt like.

I had never been to the heavens.

But through talent—through the power of the heavens—I had a rough understanding of what that place was like.

The heavens… Perhaps that was where the Creator God resided.

–I wouldn’t know.

Black Heaven, reading my thoughts, spoke.

–I definitely ascended to the heavens. But there was nothing there. That’s why my inner world contains powers related to training.

‘Then there’s nothing to be done.’

I looked at the One Who Devours Stars.

[I see curiosity in your eyes. You wonder why I came here so readily. Why I do not display hostility even after arriving.]

“I am curious.”

[You humans call us anomalies, glitches born into existence. But our natures vary. It is true that we grow stronger by consuming human malice.]

The One Who Devours Stars gazed at me slowly.

[Your emotions waver. You no longer feel the need to hide them—that confidence suits you well. But—]

A surge of malevolence erupted.

[Do not act human.]

An overwhelming amount of evil energy bore down upon me.

[We were born from His shadow. We were granted the power to punish countless worlds. And you, whether intentionally or not, have also become such an existence. After devouring the Black God, you now carry the power of three Evil Gods within you.]

“For someone like that, I don’t feel all that strong.”

[For someone who devoured the Black God… I had thought you were weak. But now, I see it differently.]

“Is that so?”

[Yes. The Black God could do nothing but devour.]

One of its three heads turned toward the sky.

[It consumed the power of the Black Sun but could not use it. It devoured Destruction of Heaven and Annihilation, yet could not wield their power. Is this the limit of the power that descended from the heavens…?]

The One Who Devours Stars murmured in admiration.

Its gaze fixed on me, filling the sky with an oppressive malice.

“So, what exactly are you trying to say?”

[Become one of us.]

The One Who Devours Stars continued.

[The Black God caused us great harm. By joining forces with the White, it inflicted a devastating blow upon us. Even if that were not the case… If you were to become an Evil God, I would welcome you anytime.]

“An Evil God, huh…”

I considered it briefly.

If I became an Evil God, what could I do?

At my will, I could destroy countless planets, command populations numbering in the quadrillions without hesitation. That was what Evil Gods were.

Furthermore, with both black and blue powers within me, I would be a uniquely powerful Evil God.

It might be the safest way to protect Earth.

‘Nonsense.’

I curled my lips.

It was all nonsense.

The malevolent energy that Evil Gods possessed came from within themselves. It was the very thing that corrupted them.

Evil Gods devoured humanity’s negative emotions.

They transformed those emotions into malevolent energy, using it to amplify their own strength.

They were worshiped by the Mine.

They granted malevolent energy to their followers.

The more their followers displayed hostility toward the world, the stronger the Evil Gods became.

‘Compared to those things…’

The power I had built up felt more genuine.

Evil Gods were strong. They were dangerous.

If they decided to destroy something, there was no stopping them.

That’s why I had to open the world of my inner mind.

I could kill them with absolute certainty.

But the moment my Inner Mind World shattered, I would die.

‘It was bound to happen eventually.’

Even if I became an Evil God, they wouldn’t let Earth survive.

If the Black God and the White had joined forces in betrayal, then they would surely find my power just as troublesome.

Or perhaps, if I became an Evil God, I would end up destroying Earth myself.

If I chose to align myself with the One Who Shatters Stars, there were far too many uncertainties.

Rather than worrying about such things, I needed to make a definite choice.

I steadied my breathing.

During my year of seclusion, I had accomplished many things.

I had observed my power, fused my strengths into one, and made the powers that descended from the heavens my own.

‘Not yet.’

There were still too many gaps.

I wanted to lock myself away again and strengthen my power further.

But time did not permit it.

If that was the case, then I would simply have to engrave it into my body through actual combat.

I raised my sword.

Srrrng─. The Black Heavenly Demon Sword was drawn.

Yet, it was different from before.

Half of its blade gleamed in pure white, revealing a transformed form.

‘The Black Heavenly Demon Sword and the Four Seasons Blade.’

I had fused them.

Something that should have been impossible.

But it became possible when I awakened another power of Blue.

Holding the evolved Black Heavenly Demon Sword,

[Absolute Stat, Black-Blue has revealed itself.]

[Dark Blue Sword (Ex) manifests within the Inner Mind World.]

I clad myself in the newly transformed Dark Blue Sword.

[So, you have truly chosen to face judgment!]

The One Who Devours Stars opened its mouth wide.

All three heads parted their jaws, filling their throats with an overwhelming amount of malevolent energy.

Swooooosh──.

The Blue and Black radiated harmoniously, their light intensifying.

The Black Heaven Annihilation Sword.

The Flames of Annihilation.

The flames of Black and Blue, capable of incinerating all, descended upon the world.