Chapter 312: For New Friends
In the depths of the Demon World, the first imagery world, Aldin hurriedly limped with a sprained leg, her broken wrist dangling.
The spirits of demonic magic possessed undeniable power, but when Aldin disappeared, they were left bewildered, holding strips of red velvet. They were unaware that Aldin had moved through a hidden door in the depths of the Demon World. The splendor of the red velvet had stolen their attention.
‘Morons.’
Aldin concentrated her consciousness to bear the pain. As the pain from the second and third imagery worlds overlapped, Aldin felt her cognitive abilities flickering on and off.
But eventually, Aldin reached her destination, where she would complete her task. Aldin entered the Present Hall of the museum. Her mission was simple—not to oppose Sung-Woon. The job given by Bifnen was to make the other three players Fall.
There would be an immediate impact on the system, but Aldin could fix it by herself, which could wait until after all the players were eliminated.
Aldin entered the central exhibition hall of the Present Hall. The name of the exhibition hall was Myriad Demons Wriggle. Aldin had anticipated that Bifnen would unleash the Myriad Demons. In the worst-case scenario, Bifnen would use every weapon without hesitation.
Aldin was surprised after entering the exhibition hall, but for a different reason.
‘Hegemonia... Were you this good?’
The exhibition hall was a giant diorama, tens of meters wide. The floor was made of resin, forming an ocean, with twenty-two Sky Castles hanging by threads from above, each owned by an old god. One of the Sky Castles was large enough for Aldin to climb on, while most were occupied by the three players and the approaching Starkeeper and imperial aircraft carriers.
What was most impressive was the scenery above. There were Demons pouring down, and Hegemonia fighting them. Hegemonia had passed the Hierophany stage and, through accumulating entropy, built up enough stacks to take on the form of an Incarnation.
As a living death, embodying war itself, Hegemonia stood on two Sky Castles, yanking off the head of a goat-headed Demon along with its spine with her hands and crushing a large and ominous golden chariot, drawn by long-legged bizarre animals, with the one foot.
Below, the other two players were advancing with the apostles of the Pantheon and Hegemonia.
Aldin looked at the uppermost Sky Castle. Bifnen stood motionless, expression stern.
‘I should hurry.’
Aldin glanced back and, seeing no one coming after her, felt relieved. Then, she circled the exhibition hall and dragged out a ladder from a temporary storage between fake walls.
Aldin thought about Sung-Woon.
‘Prideful for no reason. Instead of trying to extract secrets from me at the last moment, you should have talked after winning.’
Aldin had thought that Sung-Woon would make a mistake someday. After all, Sung-Woon was human. Especially since the being he had to kill had the face of his already deceased sister, a mistake was inevitable.
Aldin hadn’t given up until the very last moment, nor did she intend to. Everything was a game. Aldin had no intention of accepting an easy play like being persuaded.
Of course, Sung-Woon's inferences were all correct.
‘If Nebula had killed me, it would have been a fight I won.’
Aldin had arranged the players against the old gods, and she had almost succeeded. But Sung-Woon failed to kill her. Aldin was still a player, yet also remained a pawn of the old gods.
Aldin was greatly disappointed in Sung-Woon, but at the same time, she saw another future.
‘It can be changed.’
70,000 years, and then another 40,000 years. Over time, change inevitably occurred. Aldin believed in this potential for change.
‘Someday, I'll be able to go back.’
Ultimately, what consoled Aldin were memories of the past. She still remembered when the system was first created. A festival lasting over a hundred years took place. Endless cheers and joy erupted from every city, and those who had passed away met again within the system. Death truly disappeared, and everyone lived in happiness.
For another thousand years, there was no conflict worth mentioning. The Pain Sect sealed all their knowledge until they would unseal it ten thousand years later. Aldin remembered Bifnen swearing never to use magic for pain again.
The Returner and Aldin danced hand in hand. Everyone truly loved each other. Although these memories being recalled could be due to the old gods tampering and readjusting Aldin's brain, she had now become such a being. Aldin couldn't escape from the memories.
Sha-Cha decided not to press Jeol Woo-Bi further as they continued to say,
-My friend, how can I not cry when the name of my love is still being passed on? And how can my heart not ache when she bravely inhabits such a barren land, trusting in those crude machines?
The other evil gods didn’t say anything. They all understood Jeol Woo-Bi's feelings. Even during the 40,000 years of suffering, there was something they hadn't lost.
Sha-Cha said,
-...So, have you changed your mind?
Jeol Woo-Bi wiped their face under the leather.
-...Of course. They too were deceived into suffering, that’s unacceptable.
-Just like us.
-Yes. Like us.
The reason the evil gods decisively lost in the war against the old gods was that the old gods feigned kindness and ultimately betrayed them. The old gods talked about coexistence but never intended to accept the evil gods and their species from the beginning.
After the betrayal, the evil gods believed that would always be the case. That living in harmony with all species was impossible. But the Empire was defying all those negative expectations.
Then Dide worriedly said,
-Even now, it's okay to refuse Sha-Cha's request. The Myriad Demons are infinite, and fighting them will surely lead to death.
However, no evil god responded to those words.
Sha-Cha said on the second moon,
-It's okay to refuse. But if you do, I will ask you, my long-time friends again.
Sha-Cha looked down at Avartin. Beside them stood four other evil gods.
Sha-Cha continued,
-When we decided to leave like cowards, there were those who agreed to fight to the very end for our children in our place. They have taken care of our children, so they are our new friends.
Everyone silently agreed.
-We have been living too long, tediously, always striving for simple survival. We thought surviving was the best we could do, so we constantly caused pain to our children and never sacrificed ourselves.
The evil gods felt pain in their hearts. Sha-Cha's words weighed heavily on them.
-So, I ask, my long-time friends.
Sha-Cha continued,
-Let's die today. For our children and our new friends, let's not live a cowardly life anymore.
No one countered Sha-Cha’s words. The evil gods decided to die. The second moon, Loom, moved once again.
Dide said,
-The old gods will receive the karma they created.
Loom took off the invisible cloak that had been hiding it. The massive shadow of the second moon, now close to the stratosphere, covered the second Sky Castle.
Dide called for Loom's most fearsome weapon,
-Pulverizer...activate.
Gravitons poured down upon the Sky Castle bursting with Myriad Demons.