CH 318

[Number 18,733 Time’s EXP is entering you.]

[You have received all the stored Life energy at once.]

[Life has risen to level 6.]

Accompanying the notification, a brilliant light appeared from Lee Gun’s body. It was a radiant light never seen before until now. It was a light that signified the evolution of Life.

Of course, it was different from the explosion that happened when Death had leveled up. Death had made it seem as if a calamity had come to the world. The black light had tried to kill everything.

Life was the complete opposite.

[Life stage 6 roars.]

[The deceased are being revived.]

[The extinct plants are blooming.]

[Those who went extinct in the past are coming back to life.]

Boom!!!

The enormous earthquake made the disciples scream. Corpses started coming out of the ground as if they were responding to the light of Life.

“Ahhhhk! Skeletons!”

“Bugs!!”

“Ahhhhk!! What the hell are those prehistoric animals?”

It was as if beings from the netherworld were being called back. That wasn’t all.

[Hair is regrowing]

[All dead things are coming alive.]

“Ahhhk! C-Commissioner! Your Hair….!!”

“M-My god! The dead are coming back alive!”

“Hans!”

The people who had lost their lives came back to life, and the people screaming in pain became healthy. 

Of course, stage 6 was a stage where powers went berserk. However, not all things were positive.

[The pain that you want to forget has been revived.]

[The dark history that you wanted to erase has been revived.]

“No!! I don’t want to relive that!”

“Ahhhk! It hurts! That place hurts!”

“Kuh-huhk! The cavity that was fixed last time is…!!”

“My appendix…!!”

“T-The monsters are coming back alive!!”

“Ahhhk! I have to reenlist! I have to start as a private!”

It seemed the memories that people wanted dead had been revived too. Things that didn’t need to be revived came back alive. People howled in pain in all directions.

As the Zodiac Saint of Life, Chun Sungjae looked like he wanted to die. He had fallen over while clutching between his legs.

“Ahhk! Uncle! Stage 6 is a bit— Ahhk! Daddy! My whale wants to live! Love and peace!”

[Life is going berserk]

[Life says everyone will live an eternal life while feeling pain.]

[Life has revived all the life and pain that had disappeared from the world.]

[Life wants to make a beautiful world where the dead, pestilence, and pain are all alive.]

When Death went berserk, it had tried to kill both allies and enemies. Life tried to bring everything back to life, including things that shouldn’t be brought back to life. It was a crazy situation!!

[The lost gods will be revived.]

[The lost treasures will be revived.]

[The Divine world is in an uproar]

This was on par with the god of calamity, which would be able to destroy the order of the universe.

Therefore, Lee Gun bit his tongue as he tried to control the power. Since he had only killed Time in his younger state, he thought there wouldn’t be enough EXP.

‘Shit! I guess I should have expected it from a monarch!’

The situation seemed as if he were suffering from indigestion because he had eaten too much. This was especially true for the final form of Time. It had given a significant amount of EXP.

Lee Gun tried to press down on Life, but Time let out a cold laugh.

[You must be having a hard time since you have so many that you want to protect!]

“!”

[Even you would have a hard time controlling a phenomenon of this magnitude.]

“Koohk!”

At that moment, Time was about to rush Lee Gun.

Kwahng!!

However, Chun Yooha brought her foot down on the ground, and black light started spreading in various directions. It was the power of Death!

She started killing beings that didn’t deserve to be brought back to life by Life. The move was effective since the Zodiac Saint of Death had taken action.

[Kee-ehhhk!!]

[Kee-ehhk!]

“Huh-uhk!!”

The revived monsters and the unknown prehistoric creatures disappeared.

“Huff, huff… What a relief.”

The people howling in pain came back to normal.

“Huh-uhng. I hate you, Dad! I really hate…!” Chun Sungjae, who had been in pain, also quieted down.

All the things that shouldn't be alive were killed.

Chun Yooha had been looking after her brother when her eyes flashed. “Uncle! I’ll take care of everything else! You don’t have to try to control your berserk power! Just focus on Time!”

“Alright. Thank you.” Lee Gun no longer had to be careful. He sent the full power of Life toward Time.

Koohng!!

[Life has revived all the pain inflicted on Time.]

[All the wounds and pain felt through the 18,733 returns to the past will be revived all at once.]

[Life is sad about Time, who can reset everything if he fails.]

[Life says one’s life has to be full of pain. It says Time should feel the value of pain and endurance through eternity]

Time screamed as the light of Life surrounded him. Just the mere act of reviving pain was torturous.

However, he had been hit with wounds and pain he had suffered in the timeline that he had traveled back into. He almost lost consciousness when they hit him all at the same time.

[Kuh-huhk!!]

Moreover, Lee Gun had stolen his core, so it was hard for him to maintain his body. This was why Time tried to fall unconscious.

[Life is angry, saying how dare you try to forget about the pain.]

[Life has revived Time’s consciousness.]

[It has stopped Time from dying.]

The live torture was continuous. Normally, this pain couldn’t be called back since Lee Gun had killed every version of Time.

However, Life was in the calamitous stage 6, which could destroy the order of the universe!

In the end, Time glared at Lee Gun. However, Lee Gun let out a cold laugh as if to say Time was going nowhere. “Remember this well. You killed Yeonwoo and Junwoo 18,733 times. Your pain is nothing compared to theirs.”

[…!]

“This one is for the pain I endured within the tower!”

Time screamed. He could no longer stay on his feet. He gritted his teeth. The completed power of Cycle was in front of him, yet he could do nothing.

‘I’ll have to give up on this timeline.’

He decided to give up on Lee Gun and return in time.

‘If I’m lucky and there is another Lee Gun, I’ll just kill him when he is young and take over his body.’

Despite not having a core, he had enough power to return in time. That wasn’t all.

‘He looks like he’s fine, but he is barely controlling that power.’

Stage 6 was extremely powerful, but in its berserk state, the power didn’t care about its owner’s body!

Time laughed as he looked at Lee Gun.

‘I can visibly see his life expectancy decrease.’

He believed Lee Gun was barely holding on!

Flash!

Time squeezed out his last remaining power to activate his ability.

[Time has disappeared from this timeline.]

“!”

Time was trying to run away to the past. Lee Gun ground his teeth. If Time moved to the past, Lee Gun couldn’t do anything.

This was why Lee Gun had used the torture attack so that Time couldn’t even think about using his ability!

Time laughed in contempt.

[You’re a novice. The difference in our experiences is stark. Do not take a great monarch lightly.]

Lee Gun quickly headed toward Time, but he was a bit too late.

[Time is disappearing…]

Kahng!!

[!!]

Accompanying an odd sound, Time flinched. His body, which had been disappearing in a haze, snapped back in place.

“…!”

Surprised, he looked down at his hands. He had given up on everything to return to the past, yet he couldn’t run away. This could have only one reason.

“I fixed your time.”

[…!!]

The one to catch Time as he was about to run away was Hailey. Hailey used the same ability as Time and desperately called out to Lee Gun, “Lee Gun! I’ll keep him in place! Hurry!”

Time glared at her.

[You are…!]

“I’ll make sure you will never be able to use that power once again.” As if she had been waiting for this moment, Hailey used all the power of Time that she possessed.

[The power of Time has been sealed.]

[The ability of Time has been sealed.]

[Time can no longer use the power of time.]

Lee Gun laughed. Then the pain of Life bloomed once again!

[Ahhhk!!]

Lee Gun called forth Death. Since both of them were going berserk, it was hard for him to call forth the other Divine status. However, he had no choice.

[The Cycle ability is still on cooldown.]

[You will be able to use it after 1 minute.]

He had no choice but to keep them in check until he could activate the power of Cycle.

[59s]

[58s]

Time, who had been looking at Hailey with betrayal in his eyes, suddenly burst out laughing.

[Yes. You’re capable of that.]

Time let out an odd laugh. It was as if he had expected this moment. Then something shocking happened.

“…!”

“!!”

Hailey started vomiting blood. A long insect burrowed out of her heart. The Scorpio Saint fell to the ground in a bloody mess. The insect then took Hailey’s core from her body and headed toward Time. 

Time laughed. The core was synonymous with Hailey’s life. This was why the power of Time was contained within her core.

[I’m glad I hid that just in case.]

“…!!”

[Die.]

Along with a curse, Hailey’s connection to her Zodiac was severed. Then Time used Hailey’s core to use the power of Time.

Boom!

Time disappeared in an instant. He had returned to the past. As soon as he disappeared, changes started occurring to this timeline.

[Warning! The timeline is about to collapse.]

[If this timeline collapses, everything will turn into nothing.]

It was Time’s strategy. The monarch was using his power to destroy the timeline containing Lee Gun. The Constructs gnashed their teeth since they knew this.

[Shit! If we don’t chase Time and stop him…!]

[However, we have no way of chasing after him!]

[How can we catch a time traveler?]

On the other hand, Lee Gun decided that healing Hailey was the priority. He approached her.

[Super Regeneration]

However, Hailey stopped Lee Gun from using Super Regeneration. Her kind couldn’t last long without a core.

“My body was made by Time. Basically, I’m connected to that man. If you heal me, that man will also receive the power.”

“…!”

It was why Time had taken down Hailey in such a cunning manner. She would be more helpful if he left her dying.

However, Hailey laughed as if she had been waiting for this moment. “I knew from the start that he would take my core.”

“What?”

“I will send you to Time.” The bloodied Hailey summoned something.

Lee Gun became surprised when he realized what it was. He naturally knew what it was.

“I was going to let my subordinate give it to you, but…” Hailey struggled to stroke Lee Gun’s face.

A light appeared from Lee Gun’s body. This was the only way someone could chase after a Time Traveler. It was a spell that Hailey had been preparing for a very long time.

“Go. Hurry up and get revenge for the one you love.” Hailey smiled.

* * *

Koo-goo-goong!

Time was breathing hard as he laughed. He had come to his 18,734th world. In place of his own core, he had placed Hailey’s core in his body. Now, he was destroying the timeline containing Lee Gun.

Countless parallel worlds existed, and one could usually interfere in one timeline from another. This was why Time hadn’t planned on getting rid of the timeline.

‘The risk is too high.’

If one destroyed a timeline, all the existences within the timeline would be destroyed. However, this was the only way Time could stop Lee Gun.

‘I’ll get rid of Lee Gun and anything that gets in my way with this. I’ll erase them all.’

He would be able to start a new life in the 18,734th world!

[No one will be able to chase me here and interfere in my—]

At that moment…

“Is that so? You were that confident in your ability to run away?”

[?!!]

Time was shocked by the voice that he heard coming from behind his back. It was to be expected since Lee Gun was standing behind him.

Time looked at Lee Gun as if he had seen a ghost. Flustered, he tried using his power to return in time again. This would be his 18,735th world! 

Time wiped his sweat when he made sure he did his return properly.

[Shit… I thought I had returned, yet was I mistaken?]

“Really? Is this all you can do?”

[??!!]

Time almost fainted once again when he heard the voice.

Lee Gun had chased after him as if he were showing off. This bastard wasn’t supposed to have the power of Time!

18,736!

18,737!

18,740!

18,800!

Time kept running away over and over again, yet Lee Gun kept showing up next to him. It flustered him. 

Time’s case was understandable since he had stolen Hailey’s ability, but Lee Gun should have no way to follow him.

[How…!]

Lee Gun’s eyes flashed as he said, “Confusion.”

[…!]

“Your younger brother was always dragged along with you whenever you returned in time, right?”

[…!!]

C…Could it be?

Lee Gun ignored him. He just smirked as he activated the ability. “Give me the core that you stole!”

Lee Gun’s ability finally landed on the last enemy of humanity.

[The power of Cycle is being used.]

[Time is being dismantled.]