Chapter 45: Asura 2

A fitting end for a fake hero.

His soul shrieked in agony as it was swallowed up by Verserios.

“Ooaah!”

So long as he remained locked up in his Asura world, he couldn’t enter the cycle of reincarnation.

As Woohyuk wiped the blood off his sword, a white text appeared before him.

[Verserios can change its shape according to its user’s will.]

[If required, you can even summon the Spirits of those you have absorbed.]

‘Spirits.’

They were a bit different than the regular undead, because they retained a certain amount of skills and abilities from when they were alive.

After thinking about it for a bit, Woohyuk decided to make Verserios into a longsword.

‘This should be better when trying to absorb their souls. ’

Also he needed different kinds of weapons.

When he would arrive in the Eeth continent, there were plenty of troublesome opponents waiting for him

While taking a short breather, Woohyuk examined Verserios’ stats.

[Demon God Sword Verserios]

Category: Weapon

Grade: S (Growth)

Durability: 72,500

Effect: Allows the user to wield the power of a Demon God. Can absorb the soul of its victims and summon them to fight for your side. Its power increases the more souls it absorbs. Can only be wielded by an Asura, and can be stored within its owners body without the need for storage equipment.

‘Simply amazing.’

S Grade items were rarely seen. Even those at the Overlord level in the past couldn’t necessarily get their hands on them. Not to mention that it was even a Growth type weapon so who knew just how far it could go.

It should be really strong since it contains the Demon God’s power that is used to destroy this world.

‘I still need Grandia though.’

It had the overpowered ability to steal Stats by killing red marked players, so he was looking forward to what it would look like as its Grade advanced.

As he assimilated Verserios into his body, he heard a loud bang.

“They’ve already made their way over here.”

He needed to settle this first before being able to establish peace.

After looking around for a bit, Woohyuk then walked up to Aris, who was worried she’d be left behind.

* * *

The Demon God’s eye was closed once more. It was all done by Aris which had stopped gathering the Mana from within the capital.

After becoming a member of Woohyuk’s group and regaining her powers, she helped out to restore the capital city Marlene.

There weren’t any further conflicts between the two sides since all remaining Demons were of lower rank than Aris, so they naturally submitted to Woohyuk upon learning of his status as Asura.

The Holy sword Baltia was sealed under the Beatrice Cathedral, in the same place where Verserios had been previously. Elizabeth had vowed not to wield it unless there was an existential threat to her people.

And so, the kingdom was gradually rebuilt. Construction projects were undertaken across the capital, while refugees arrived from the outskirts or the devastated kingdom. There was also a meeting among the upper echelons to investigate what had caused such an unprecedented catastrophe.

Due to this, Elizabeth had been the busiest of them all, the only survivor from the Royal family.

Also, because she was regarded as a rather weak woman, there were many trials she would have to overcome in order to cement her position.

Woohyuk and Leifina stood by her side in the palace during these trying times, throwing their support behind her.

Naturally there were countless ambitious nobles that had seen this chaos as an opportunity to aim for the throne, but they were easily dispatched by Ferdinand and his Black Morris guild.

As a result, Elizabeth was soon crowned as Queen. By gathering loyal supporters to her side, it didn’t take long for her position to become secure.

Commoners went back to their daily lives, as if nothing had happened, and peace reigned across the land.

“Will you be leaving now?”

“Yes, I have many things to do.”

Elizabeth glanced at Woohyuk, who had come over to say his goodbyes.”

A black haired man with cold eyes like a winter’s frozen lake.

She knew that this day would come, but her heart ached all the same.

“Then goodbye.”

“...Wait!”

Just as he had turned around, Elizabeth ran up to him and hugged him tightly from behind.

Her shiny silver hair blowing in the spring breeze, while the scent of blooming flowers was carried in from the open window.

“What is it?”

historical

“I.. I love you.”

At first she had thought it was just a crush, but over time she realised that it was something much deeper.

Feelings that she had never experienced before.

The same emotions that she was taught to be wary of, since she should be satisfied by her future of being used for political marriage.

“...”

“I know we can’t be together, but I felt that if I didn't confess right now, It would be something I’d regret for the rest of my life.”

Her eyelids trembled and tears poured down Elizabeth’s face as she buried her face in Woohyuk’s back.

She was but a 19 year old girl, for whom her first love was more important than all the wealth in the world.

“We can’t.”

Woohyuk turned around as he placed his lips upon hers.

The sweet rose and only wolf’s breath are fixed.

“Hmm”

Elizabeth blushed deeply as her mind raced, her face looked just like an angel.

“Just a little something to remember me by.”

“Well ... Can I ask you one favor?”

“If you manage to achieve all the goals you’ve set out for yourself, can you please come see me once more?”

Elizabeth murmured like a shy little girl.

“I don’t know if it will be possible, but I’ll try.”

“I’ll wait for you Quint.. no, Chun Woohyuk.”

Elizabeth stood a step back and gave him a beaming smile.

She seemed to have cleared up the confusion in her heart.

Woohyuk then left Elizabeth’s room, meeting up with Leifina that had been waiting by the door.

“That took a while.”

“There was some business to discuss.”

He felt it was better to keep what happened between Elizabeth and him to himself.

As they made their way down the corridor, Wooyhyuk pulled out the item he had received for completing the final quest.

[Lemegeton]

Category: Personal Item

Effect: You can Seal and then Command Solomon’s 72 Demon Kings. When you’ve sealed them all, a hidden ability will activate.

‘I never expected Lemegeton to have been here all along.’

The legendary book which was known as the Lesser key of Solomon. He now understood why no one had ever found it 40 years ago.

Since it was a reward given out for completing the 100th floor of the Twilight Tower, he was sure it would play a key role in reaching the Divine Throne.

“Finally Heavenly God never showed up.”

“It is because he can’t go against the System’s arrangements.”

The Demon God’s Throne was destined to be occupied eventually.

The reason Verserios had previously been stuck in the ground and sealed, was to maintain the current system.

The Royal family weren’t made privy to any details, only being told to unseal the sword on a specific date. This would release the Demon God’s power, which would then destroy the world. When the world would enter the cycle of reincarnation, Leonhardt would be reborn and once again found another kingdom allowing him to once more live a life of opulence.

Of course now that Verserios had a new owner, the future was uncertain.

‘300 years is enough.’

According to Aris, the destruction was only supposed to occur then, but she didn’t want to wait that long. To that end, she invented the Demon God’s eye in order to bring about the world's destruction ahead of schedule.

‘The Demon God rebelled against the system.’

Woohyuk wasn’t sure what decision he would have made if he had been faced with the same circumstances as the Demon God who occupied the Throne.

Still, it wouldn’t be too late to decide on his answer after first making his way up to that position. For now, all he needed to concern himself with was how to continue moving forward.

“Should we head back?”

“Yeah!”

Leifina shouted excitedly as she followed behind Woohyuk, stepping into the golden dimensional portal that appeared before them.

* * *

At the Twilight Tower’s entrance, Samuel was preparing his party to lead the raid.

‘Huu.. I’m a bit nervous.’

The last Historical Site.

Just based on its location and size, it was obvious that it would be the one with the highest level of difficulty.

It was a given that it might be too hard for Samuel and his team who were far from being the cream of the crop.

Still, he had no other choice.

Pretty much all the hunting grounds had been cleared and there weren’t any other areas to earn Ancient Coins. The only two remaining were the Griffins’ area and this tower, and everyone by now knew that the Griffins were not something they could deal with.

For that reason, when he proposed to his team to tackle the Twilight Tower, most were in agreement.

“Mr. Samuel, do you think we are enough?”

“If we aren’t confident, shouldn’t we consult with Lee Jaesung..”

Of course there were still some among them that had their doubts.

“It’ll be fine, at worst if it becomes too dangerous you can always use the Return Stone to escape.”

Samuel was running out of areas to prove himself, and he needed a big win to restore the team’s and alliance’s confidence in him.

He was sure of one thing.

‘Chun Woohyuk’s definitely inside the tower.’

Despite being their Commander, he had been absent for quite some time now. The only place that could catch the interest of such a man would be this Twilight Tower.

Even if he had no idea as to what they’d encounter inside, it was easy to assume that the rewards would be plentiful.

Samuel’s plan was to meet up with him inside and quietly profit from behind. He smiled to himself as he was about to give the order to enter.

[The Twilight Tower’s final floor has been cleared.]

[The Twilight Tower will disappear shortly.]

[All adventurers who are inside will be teleported out to their respective Fortresses.]

An announcement that struck them like a thunderbolt. Everyone, Samuel included, was shocked with their eyes open wide.

“He’s already reached the very top!?”

“But it’s so high..?”

Although it wasn’t like the Canyon Battle had just begun, but the idea that someone reached the top of such a high tower in so little time, was simply too absurd.

While everyone was stunned, coming to terms with the latest announcement.

“Ah ah ah!”

A woman’s shriek rang out in the air.

Panicking, Samuel looked up in the sky and froze.

‘A Griffin..’

He had almost died to one of them while out scouting the mountain ranges. Although he hadn’t been on the receiving end of any of their attacks because he had run away immediately, it had still been a traumatic experience.

However this one was a bit darker, as if it had died and been brought back to life.

“That...it’s coming this way.”

“Samuel! Quick, make a decision!”

The adventurers behind urged Samuel on as they looked up nervously.

Samuel quickly pulled out a Return Stone from his pocket.

“Everyone retreat immediately!”

Now that the Twilight Tower was no more, there wasn’t any reason for them to stick around any longer.

If he risked his party members’ lives for no reason, he would come under criticism as an incompetent leader.

Seeing Samuel’s party retreat instantly, Woohyuk could only shake his head.

‘He’s as fast as ever at running away.’

Even after they went to the continent, he had managed to survive quite long due to his timidness. Still, since he hadn’t improved his strength and influence much, eventually it caught up to him and he perished.

“Wake up, we are back on solid ground.”

“Lord...I still feel a bit dizzy.”

She murmured, half asleep.

Woohyuk sighed and hugged on to her tightly.

“No, you don’t need to do that.”

“Don’t be so shy, I have an obligation to take good care of you.”

Even while they had stayed in the Royal palace, it had been Woohyuk that stayed by her side, nursing her while she lay unconscious.

That meant that Woohyuk would wash her and change her clothes as well.

When she thought about what he’d done, her face began to heat up and turned red.

“Please put me down, I can walk by myself.”

“Okay.”

As Woohyuk released her, she quickly put some distance between them.

A women’s protective instinct.

She couldn’t control her shyness,

“Are you acting cute on purpose?”

“No way...”

Leifina, who had tried to deny it, quickly shut her mouth because she saw Woohyuk staring straight at her.

“Let’s take our time heading back.”

“... Okay.”

A man who always did the unexpected.

Leifina followed behind him with a grim look.

Quaaddek!

Large cracks began to form across the Twilight Tower, as it began to collapse into a pile of rubble.

A mysterious building left there by the Creator.

It housed countless tragedies, noting the rise and fall of many small kingdoms.

The same was true for the future of these adventurers. They would have to have to resolve different situations in this chaotic world.

Using a Return Stone, the two of them left the shifting sands behind.

* * *

Upon returning to the Fortress, Woohyuk received some updates on their current status from the Leaders.

Two years had passed for him inside of the Twilight Tower, but out here in the canyon it had only been a fortnight.

After a day’s rest, Woohyuk led his undead army to scour the mountain ranges and valleys in search of any rewards that might still be hidden.

Unfortunately, aside from the mountain tops, they didn’t encounter anything valuable. He only managed to collect some more Leadership Skill points and Teleport Scrolls.

After concluding that he had more or less pillaged everything, Woohyuk decided it was time to put an end to this Canyon stage.

There wasn’t any reason to drag it out any longer.

Just three hours later..

“Kuaahak!”

“Sa, save..Kuhuk”

The adventurers from the Blue Faction that were defending their Fortress’ entrance, collapsed to the ground in agony.

Some chose to fight to the last man, and had to be killed.

Quazizzic

Their Guardian stone was shattered with a single slash from Grandia, causing a white text to appear before everyone’s eyes.

[Chun Woohyuk from the Red Faction has destroyed the enemy’s Guardian Stone!]

[The Red Faction is Victorious!]

[A grace period forbidding any violence is now in effect.]

[All surviving adventurers from the Blue Faction have been sent to the Labour camps.]

[Red Faction members are free to travel between either Fortress.]

[The General Shop function within the Adventurer's Watches is now disabled.]

[Items sold in Taverns are now free to those from the Red Faction.]

[Any criminal acts are now forbidden, law breakers will be sent directly to prison without any exception.]

[Red Faction’s Leaders can consult and decide what to do with their prisoners of war.]

The stage had come to an end.

All the monsters across the entire map had now disappeared. Any survivors from the Red Faction had been teleported to the entrance of the Blue Faction’s fountain.

“Congratulations on your victory in this battlefield!”

Eve smiled as she looked down at the players that stared back with solemn expressions.

“What happens next?”

“Do we have to fight again?”

Seeing everyone’s anxious expressions, Eve wagged her index finger.

“No, no, with this the Canyon Battle has come to a close. This is also where we will part ways.”

Of course the trials that would continue to be forced upon them were basically endless.

They would now head to the main stage, and be forced to carve their own path. This game would not end until all the Thrones were occupied.

Hearing Eve’s description, the adventurers couldn’t help but despair.

“Eeth continent?”

“Clearly it would be teeming with monsters.”

Fear of the unknown.

As she watched their reaction with a satisfied smile, Eve waved her hand and summoned a black portal.

“I can understand your worry. One advice I’ll give you is to gather your forces!”

During this grace period, the survivors had the time to build up their forces.

The battle for the Throne.

It was a place where Crowned Leaders would face off against within a desert map.

The winner would rise in tier, absorbing their opponent’s forces. The highest tier they could reach was the tier 10 Gold Crown.

The Leaders gulped, excited at the prospect of leading a group of 10,000.

“Not to worry however, you won’t be facing off against each other since the matchmaking avoids those from the same Sector. Good luck!”

The grace period only lasted until the following night, depending on when the Canyon Battle had been brought to an end.

In order to eliminate any exploits, the Leaders ability to expel members, as well as the members ability to Impeach their leader had been temporarily disabled.

Only voluntarily leaving, or assimilating forces with the use of the Negotiation Leader skill was possible.

As Eve disappeared, the remaining players started discussing among themselves in their groups.