episode_0345

What should I call this? Joy, bewilderment, doubt, and a myriad of other emotions swirled together, making it difficult to define in a single word. I never imagined I’d receive a confession from Sara in a situation like this.

‘Why now?’ Did she want to convey her true feelings before dying, thinking this would be the end? As I wondered, I soon realized the reason.

‘Ah! Sara doesn’t know yet.’ The Declaration of Rape was an ability with a wicked penalty, as powerful as its effect. Even if I hadn’t told her directly, Sara, having gone through countless events with me, would have a grasp of its true nature. That’s why she revealed her true feelings, to prevent the worst-case scenario of me becoming a cripple. If she just let me use it as is, I wouldn’t be able to meet the conditions.

However, what Sara overlooked was the existence of Deborah and Roxana, who could completely reverse those conditions. If she had known, Sara would never have revealed her feelings to the world for the rest of her life. But even having grasped all the causality, it was still difficult to accept that Sara loved me. So much had happened between us.

“Professor. Is it true? You… love me?” “Is it hard to believe?” “…” “It’s true. I’ll show you proof.”

Sara smiled bitterly, then took my hand and placed it over her chest. *Thump! Thump!* A pulsation transmitted even beyond her full chest. Her heart was beating violently, as if it would burst any moment. It was undeniable proof that needed no words.

And the moment I gained certainty, my heart also began to pound intensely, mirroring hers. Looking at her face, stained with guilt, fear, and embarrassment, she was so adorable that it was hard to hold back. If it weren’t for the dangerous situation, I would have wanted to pounce on her right away. I desperately suppressed the urge.

“If that’s the case, you don’t have to worry. There’s a way.” “There’s… a way?” “Yes. So you can rest assured.”

I smiled and gently squeezed her chest. At that lewd gesture, Sara flinched, quickly removed my hand, and backed away. “You really are…” Her tone sounded disapproving, but there was no hint of shadow on her face. I faced her and declared boldly.

“Then, I shall now rape you.” “…”

Sara averted her gaze, and at the same time, an immense power imbued me. It wasn’t merely an increase in physical strength; an incomprehensible power enveloped my entire body, elevating my physique to a higher dimension. At this very moment, the being closest to a god was me.

However, that didn’t seem to sit well with Hersculer. *Swish swish!* The creature, who had been calmly watching, suddenly extended thousands of demonic arms. Looking at its face, its usually rigid expression, as if devoid of emotion, was slightly distorted.

‘Surprised, much?’ Elated at the thought of finally landing a hit on the guy, I thrust my fist towards the demonic arms. *CRASH!* Space itself was crushed by pure brute force alone. Starting from the trajectory of my fist, a spatial crack spread for hundreds of meters, swallowing all thousands of demonic arms. Considering that I could barely withstand them before, this was truly a shocking change.

I took a step towards Hersculer, who stood frozen in surprise, and whispered to Sara. “Let’s finish the rest of our talk after the fight. It won’t take long.” “…Okay. I’ll trust you.”

I hoped she’d understand, as this would put her at ease, even if it might actually take a while.

I scoffed, looking at Hersculer, who had now completely transformed into a malevolent demon. “Hey, what’s with your face? Got a complaint?” “…How did you get that power?” “Power?” “Yes. Authority. The path to godhood. The clue to immortality! How did you obtain that?!”

Hersculer’s voice echoed resonantly. It was quite strange to see the usually gruff fellow become so proactive. ‘What exactly is immortality?’ It was understandable for a human to desire a long, healthy life, but seeing him so desperate for it made me curious about his reasons. Of course, I wouldn’t bother asking. I neither wanted nor needed to know the circumstances of a guy like him. Instead, I’d string him along to my heart’s content.

“Ah, that’s what you were talking about? To put it simply, it’s impossible for you.” “What?” “You can’t do it. Give up.”

Nothing is more infuriating than telling someone who has worked hard to give up. Especially a guy who had committed all sorts of wicked deeds for thousands of years with only immortality as his goal wouldn’t stay silent after hearing this. “You’re not going to tell me? Then I’ll make you speak, even if by force!”

*Rumble!* With his roar, dark magic surged out from his entire body like storm clouds, and from within them, undead creatures were summoned. From massive Bone Dragons to Dark Knights emitting sharp auras. An elite legion, carefully selected, charged, targeting only me. This was an offensive on a completely different level from before.

‘Does he not care about his life anymore?’ Knowing he couldn’t easily capture me, it seemed he intended to secure at least my corpse. Thanks to that, the fight was going to become a bit more difficult.

*CRACK!* I shattered a Dark Knight charging from the front with a single blow, then crossed space with photonization and crushed the jawbone of a Bone Dragon that was preparing its breath attack. Bones shattered by my authority and the Flame of Purity did not regenerate quickly. However, there were far too many enemies, and I had someone I needed to protect.

Hersculer, who had initially focused on me, changed his target to Sara, as if to prove he hadn’t completely lost his reason. By doing so, he restricted my range of movement and prevented me from reaching him. ‘Damn it. It’s still not enough.’ No matter how powerful my authority was, it couldn’t overcome the absolute difference in realm. With not just one, but two stages of difference, it was impossible to protect someone else while also defeating him. At this rate, my mana would run out first.

But I had already exhausted all available methods. Ultimately, to break through this situation, I had to increase my own power. It was time to advance to the next realm. ‘I have to take a gamble.’ I had already gained the initial clue of enlightenment. If I attempted it prematurely without properly establishing it, the tower I had painstakingly built so far could crumble. But if staying still only meant death, then I had no choice but to try something. To advance to the next realm, one must know oneself and carve out one’s own path. That is called shedding the shell.

I looked at my fist. ‘Authority.’ This power called Destruction. An alien energy that affected all things without any cost. Only after using this power did I vaguely understand what I had truly wished for.

I desired destruction. However, I didn’t want to destroy everything. I wanted to protect what was precious to me and what I liked. Destruction and protection. Two contradictory wills. I wavered between them until I finally realized that they were not so different. Destruction was another name for regeneration. Regeneration was another name for destruction. They were together and one.

*Woosh!* I ignited the Flame of Purity and the Flame of Destruction in both my hands. Two energies that were balanced by the Three Extremes Harmony Art, yet still incompatible. I combined them into one.

*Sizzle!* In a forced fusion, the two flames rebelled, raging wildly. The cost returned to me entirely, twisting the mana channels throughout my body and spreading internal injuries. Terrible pain assailed me, but I endured with fearsome regenerative power and patience, continuously attempting to unite the energies.

Because they were polar opposites, they could simultaneously fill each other’s voids perfectly. If I succeeded in this fusion, I would obtain a flame more powerful and pure than anything else in this world. I gathered all the enlightenment and experience I had gained so far and achieved coexistence.

*Woosh!* The purest flame and the destructive flame slowly intertwined. The result of the crimson and vermillion flames harmonizing was, strangely, a pure white form. The flame, so pure yet simultaneously destructive, emanated a mighty aura, as if there was nothing in this world it couldn’t incinerate.

I was captivated by it. ‘I did it.’ And as if to prove my thoughts, a status window appeared before my eyes.

[The Flame of Purity and the Flame of Destruction have become one.] [You have acquired the Primordial Flame.] [Primordial Flame – Fire gives birth to life and also takes life. It burns everything as fire, and from it, it burns infinitely.]

The explanation was truly unhelpful. But interpreted differently, it meant it had no limits and could be used in a broad sense. I drew upon the Primordial Flame.

*Woosh!* With just a surge of my will, not only my skin, but also massive white flames erupted tens of meters in every direction around me. The charging undead army and demonic arms were purified and annihilated with just a touch of the flame.

“This is incredible?” The power was immense, and the mana consumption was extremely low. No, rather, mana surged and brought vitality with each spread of the flame as it incinerated the undead corpses. Without a shred of exaggeration, it felt like I could fight infinitely.

‘I can do this.’ With this power, I could kill Hersculer. A glance at my body showed that the shedding of the shell seemed to have finished while I was concentrating on the flame. All my physical abilities had risen a level, and the flow of mana had also become faster.

I raised my head and saw Hersculer’s astonished face. “You… what is that now?” “Do you think I’d tell you?” “You won’t tell me? Fine. I sense eternity from that flame. I must capture it!”

Intense obsession and madness could be seen in his always empty, dead eyes. Hersculer began to launch an even more persistent offensive.

But it was different now. “Try if you can.” I mobilized all the mana in my body to form a massive firestorm.

*ROAR!* The pure white vortex swallowed all the undead and demonic arms, and even melted the walls that had been isolating the outside. Thanks to this, Sara and the Saintess were also caught in the storm, but due to perfect control, they suffered no damage whatsoever. It burned only what I wished to burn. Normally, exerting such strong output would dry up my mana in just one second, but now, the energy transmitted by the flame continuously replenished my mana in real-time, forming an infinite cycle.

Feeling an exhilarating sense of liberation, I slowly walked and stood before Hersculer. The guy couldn’t move, seemingly overwhelmed just by enduring the firestorm.

“So you’ve finally reached this point. Are you ready to die?” “Why… why was such power given to you? To you, not me, who has strived for thousands of years!” “Isn’t that obvious? I know why, you see?” “You know? What is it?”

Hersculer’s eyes gleamed with curiosity, unable to suppress it even when facing death.

I grinned, looking at him. “I won’t tell you.” “…What?” “I said I won’t tell you. Die without knowing anything.” “You baaasstard!”

*CRACKLE!* My fist pierced his heart. Though he wouldn’t die just from losing his heart, the Primordial Flame and the Authority of Destruction went beyond his flesh and destroyed even his soul. Hersculer was annihilated without ever hearing the answer.

I withdrew my fist and murmured words that wouldn’t reach him. “Actually, I don’t know the answer either.” How could I possibly know something like that?