['Arise.' The deletion code for the 'Player' cultivation system has been entered.] [The System is being deleted.]
Jin-Woo felt a strange sense of loss, like parting with a nanny who had raised him when he was young, as the System—which was no longer needed now that he possessed true power—began to erase itself. He then asked a question, a thought that crossed his mind.
"How did they apply the female voice to the System?" [...It is the Designer's voice.]
The Shadow Monarch, looking a bit exasperated by Jin-Woo's question, added an explanation.
[His race was androgynous, capable of producing both male and female voices.]
"..."
He had always wondered who the owner of the clear, refreshing voice used for System messages was whenever they rang in his ears. To think it was *him* all along. Feeling suddenly embarrassed, Jin-Woo averted his gaze, and the Shadow Monarch chuckled softly. *Even that trait of yours was pure entertainment to me.* For him, who had once valued loyalty above all else, breaking his promise with the Designer was worth it. A faintly sorrowful light flickered through the Shadow Monarch's eyes. Meanwhile, the System's deletion process continued steadily.
[All power constraints on the 'Player' are released.] [With the removal of power constraints, all 'Commander-class' shadow soldiers granted authority by the Monarch recover their original abilities.] [Commander-class soldier 'Igrit's' power has been restored.] [All stats of Commander-class soldier 'Beru' have greatly increased.] [The former Shadow Monarch 'Ashborn' returns to the eternal realm of nothingness.]
Silently listening to the messages, Jin-Woo raised his head. The Shadow Monarch stood before him, looking back with a calm expression as their end approached. Understanding the Monarch's anguish through the memories he'd shown in the realm of death, Jin-Woo sent a sincere silent farewell. *Goodbye, my King. May you rest peacefully in the land of peace you so desired.* Finally, the System messages announced their parting.
[Do you wish to delete all Systems?]
The words 'Yes' and 'No' blinked in the empty air. Jin-Woo's gaze shifted back to the Shadow Monarch. He had not lost his smile to the very end. This would be how they remembered each other last. So Jin-Woo smiled too. Smiling, he issued what would be his final command to the System.
"Yes."
* * *
WHOOOM! With a burst of light, the violent atmospheric pressure sent the Beast Monarch and the Plague Monarch flying backward simultaneously. The Beast Monarch, quickly regaining his footing, twitched his eyebrows.
[A shard of Radiance...?]
The entire body of the enemy cloaked in the robe was blazing with a golden light. Light, the symbol of the Rulers. There was no doubt he was another human borrowing their power. But why were the Rulers helping the resurrection of one of the strongest Monarchs, the Shadow Monarch? The Plague Monarch shouted.
[Through the human body you seek to protect, the worst catastrophe is approaching! Are you going to hand this place over to the catastrophe with your own hands?] "......"
The man in the robe did not answer. Instead, he merely lifted the two daggers held in reverse grip up to his chin. A silent declaration that he would not yield. Seeing his resolve again, the Plague Monarch's face hardened. The opponent was currently in a state of spiritual embodiment using a human body granted by the Rulers' power. A human body could not withstand divine energy. Unless he had completely possessed the body like they had, he would soon shatter to pieces.
*Even so... he's willing to risk death to aid the Shadow Monarch's resurrection? What on earth are those Ruler bastards thinking?*
The Plague Monarch looked at the Beast Monarch. They exchanged a look that was far from ordinary. There was no time. The Beast Monarch, that beast of a man, nodded his head. In that instant, the two Monarchs split to the left and right in a flash, closing in on the robed man, and unleashed a rapid barrage of attacks. Beastly claws and spears of ice tried to tear him apart countless times, but the man, seemingly accustomed to battle, skillfully parried their attacks. He deflected the ice spears, blocked the claws, and never missed a chance to counterattack in between. It was the handiwork of a warrior who had traversed countless battlefields. A troublesome foe. An enemy with exceptional power and skill was standing in their way, prepared to die. BAM! The robed man, having blocked the Monarchs' weapons laden with immense mana, once again shoved them back with brute force. Judging that this wouldn't lead to a decisive outcome, the two Monarchs retreated to a distance. Step. Step. The man, seemingly having no purpose other than guarding the Shadow Monarch's vessel, did not pursue them and held his ground.
[...Who the hell are you?]
The Plague Monarch was bewildered, but the man remained silent. Just then. The Beast Monarch, reverting from his wolf-man form back to his human appearance, spoke.
[I'm withdrawing.]
His sharp fangs, which had protruded, retracted, and his long, sharp nails returned to those of a normal man. As he turned to leave, the Plague Monarch called out to stop him.
[You're going to run away after coming this far? Are you insane?] [Can't you feel it?]
The Beast Monarch raised his head. Possessing senses that operated on a different level, he felt the shifting atmosphere and began to tremble slightly.
[The ambient mana has started to hum. The Shadow Monarch is coming soon.]
The Beast Monarch, who had been looking toward the sky, shifted his gaze back to the Plague Monarch.
[Let's get out of here.] [Didn't you promise to help me defeat the Shadow Monarch!]
Veins bulged on the Plague Monarch's neck in his agitation. However, the Beast Monarch replied calmly.
[My promise was only valid while he was human. But what's coming now is the real deal, so I have no obligation to keep it.] [So the King of Beasts is going to tuck his tail and flee?]
Enraged by those words, the Beast Monarch suddenly grabbed the Plague Monarch by the collar.
[You cannot understand me, Plague Monarch, because you have never faced the Shadow Monarch's true power!]
The Beast Monarch had witnessed the Shadow Monarch's true power—the power that had allowed him to survive facing six legions: his own, Baek Yun-Ho's, and even the Rulers'. In a situation where such a monster was about to arrive, was his pride worth preserving? Let them point fingers even if he hid behind the Dragon Emperor. What wouldn't he do if it meant survival? He had made the right choice in fleeing the battlefield, abandoning the King of Demons, Baek Yun-Ho, whom he had once allied with. And this time too, he had no intention of trying to destroy the vessel while facing the danger of confronting not a fake, but the real Shadow Monarch. The Beast Monarch, the King of Beasts who placed the source of his power in his abundant life force, feared the power of death above all else, as it gnawed at that very life force. There was no time to waste on this back-and-forth. Sensing the fear of death closing in on them moment by moment, he released his grip on the Plague Monarch's collar and generated a personal Gate.
[Farewell, and good luck.]
With that final goodbye, he vanished swiftly into the Gate. The Plague Monarch clicked his tongue, glaring at the Gate that was shrinking and eventually disappeared.
[The fool.]
How could such a man, fleeing with his prey right in front of him, be called the supreme hunter of chaos? The Plague Monarch's mind was made up from the start. No matter what happened, he would kill the Shadow Monarch. His prey was already cornered at the cliff's edge. The appearance of one obstacle changed nothing. He didn't even need the hand of such a coward. Having reached his conclusion, the Plague Monarch immediately began his own spiritual embodiment. It would consume tremendous stamina to maintain since this wasn't his native world, but now was the time for a swift resolution before the Shadow Monarch descended.
[Taste the terror of the plague, you weakling!]
The Plague Monarch transformed into a terrifying ice storm that covered the entire area. A raging blizzard! Having become a living storm, the Plague Monarch looked down at the robed man and let out a thunderous roar.
[This is my true power!]
Tens of thousands of ice spears, formed from condensed ambient mana crystals, began to swirl like snow. Each spear carried the power of an instant kill—a devastating attack. Cars on the road were swept away like toys, and buildings were torn to shreds by the icy gale. Yet, the robed man did not move a single step, dedicating his all to protect Jin-Woo behind him. His body accumulated more and more wounds as he faced the endless blizzard of ice spears. The Plague Monarch did not relent in his assault.
[Soldiers!]
Before anyone knew it, ice golems, forged from mana, climbed onto the snow that was now knee-deep. Their numbers were in the thousands!
[Go.]
Upon the Monarch's command, the ice golems charged at the man in unison. The man frantically resisted, cutting down and shaking off the ice golems that attacked from all sides. However. Thunk! An ice spear pierced his shoulder, making him stagger.
"..."
Even then, the ice golems continued to swarm in like a dark tide. The man planted his feet firmly and gritted his teeth. As he held out stubbornly, even the Plague Monarch himself joined the attack. The Plague Monarch, now the very embodiment of freezing cold, emitting white vapor from his entire body, marched forward step by step.
[Move aside!]
At his shout, the ice golems scattered like insects. Before the man, the Plague Monarch opened his mouth wide. Then, a piercingly cold energy began to condense within. The air froze. Frost crept white onto the man's chin, exposed beneath his robe. He was in danger if this continued. The man knew it. But if he dodged, the direct hit would fall upon the fallen Jin-Woo. The man showed no sign of yielding even before the Plague Monarch's murderous intent. The Monarch's face twisted in fury. How dare a mere human, who had borrowed the power of a higher being, wear such an insolent expression before this overwhelming power! From the enraged Monarch's mouth, a terrible burst of freezing energy erupted. WRAAAH! The man crossed both arms in an X to block the cold. As was only natural, having to take the full brunt head-on, his arms quickly froze solid, becoming immobile. Against the now defenseless man, a truly merciless assault followed. Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Each time the Plague Monarch struck, the man's upper body jolted. But he never retreated a single step. Blood pooled thickly beneath his feet, yet he held on until the very end.
[How dare a mere human!]
The Plague Monarch twisted his shoulders and raised his right arm high. The freezing energy coalesced in an instant, transforming his arm into a massive block of ice. Let's see if you can withstand this. The Plague Monarch, intending to crush both the man and the Shadow Monarch's vessel behind him, poured all his mana into a downward swing with all his might. WHOOOM! The man saw the shadow of the approaching ice block and raised his frozen arms above his head. Even if his arms shattered and his body was crushed, he would protect him. Drawing upon all the power of the Ruler granted to his body, a golden radiance shone brilliantly from him. And then, at last. BOOM! Impact. But the impact came, yet he felt none of it transmitted to himself.
'What is this...?'
The man opened his closed eyes and saw someone standing before him.
'...!'
Pitch-black armor. And from the top of the black helmet, a mane of blood-red extended long to the back. It was Igrit, the Shadow Monarch's most loyal retainer. Igrit forcefully shoved aside the massive ice block he had just blocked with both arms. The Plague Monarch, whose attack had been perfectly intercepted, doubted his own eyes.
[Igrit?]
And the appearance of a Commander-class shadow soldier here meant! The startled Plague Monarch's gaze hurriedly shifted behind the man. Sure enough. The human who should have been there was already gone from sight. Now... now even the Plague Monarch could feel what the Beast Monarch had spoken of and fled from. The atmosphere was trembling. The mana filling the air resonated with the arrival of a transcendent being. Igrit, having turned around, knelt politely and bowed his head. Screeeech! Beru, who had appeared alongside Igrit, also let out a rough roar signaling his master's return and knelt in the same direction. Between them, Jin-Woo walked forward. Surveying the utterly devastated surroundings, Jin-Woo addressed the Plague Monarch.
"Did the beast run away?" "..."
The Plague Monarch finally understood, too late, why the Beast Monarch had been so terrified and fled—it was only after facing the true Shadow Monarch. Even he, the King of Frozen Beasts and the very embodiment of the plague, felt his body tremble before the King of Death. Jin-Woo spoke.
"......I did not permit it."
The Plague Monarch, unable to understand his words, asked.
[Huh?] "I did not give him permission to leave." [What are you...?]
Before the Plague Monarch could even be flustered. Jin-Woo closed his eyes gently, finding the Beast Monarch's unique mana frequency, and rapidly expanded his sensory perception outward. The range of his senses crossed beyond Korea and spread across the globe in an instant. He felt a strong confidence that he could definitely find the Beast Monarch if he was hiding somewhere on Earth, rather than having fled to a dimensional rift. And his confidence was correct. Having located the beast's hiding spot, Jin-Woo opened his eyes with a slight smile.
"Found you."