Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 473 – One (1)

Whoosh!
The black flames spread.

As they moved from his forehead across his entire body, Mok Gyeong-un’s pupils shook at an incredible speed, almost imperceptible.

From the moment the flames touched him, a vast amount of memories flooded in, as if tearing through his mind.

Even the brief flow of memories easily surpassed the years Mok Gyeong-un had lived.

It was a process of birth.

Even the sight of it forming in darkness and chaos remained in the memories.

‘Stop…’

Mok Gyeong-un sent his will with difficulty.

The vast influx of memories wasn’t just recollections.

Even that strange sensation from within the chaos was vividly transmitted.

That’s why Mok Gyeong-un felt pain as if his brain might burst just from the flood of memories.

‘Enough… Stop it.’

-Endure the pain. This is why I waited until you attained the proper caliber.

The Demon King’s will resonated in his ears.

Though his head felt like it might burst from the flood of vast memories, Mok Gyeong-un understood these words.

If his mind hadn’t been properly awakened through enlightenment, he might have instantly gone mad, losing the ability to think due to these memories.

However, it was still dangerous nonetheless.

The flood of vast memories was gradually blurring Mok Gyeong-un’s will, which had only lived for eighteen years.

At this rate, it was clear he would be devoured.

Was he transferring memories to engulf him like this?

‘Urgh.’

As Mok Gyeong-un struggled, a voice resonated in his ears again.

-Even though you were reborn as a human, your latent potential is boundless. Didn’t I say that the years lived are meaningless? I.

‘……’

Despite these words, Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes gradually grew dim.

He was slowly being consumed by the memories.

Then the black flames spoke in a meaningful voice.

-Will you succumb here and lose another precious being?

‘……!!!!!’

At that very moment,

Mok Gyeong-un’s trembling pupils gradually steadied, and an intense light shone in his eyes.

Seeing this, the black flames flickered more intensely.

Along with this, the memories that had been merely flowing into Mok Gyeong-un’s mind began to appear clearly.

A red sky, and three moons.

A strange world tinged entirely in brown, without a single cloud.

This was not the present world.

Countless beings, too numerous to count, looked up at him with reverence on the vast land of this strange world.

And numerous memories flashed by, all stained with blood and death.

Endless screams and death continuing for decades, centuries, millennia.

How many had died in that time?

Countless beings with pure white wings died by his hand, fearing and cursing him each moment.

The memories were filled with nothing but blood and endless war over a long period of time, gradually feeling emptiness in everything and growing weary.

Then a door opened, revealing a world beautiful with moonlight.

The moment he saw that place, vitality and new energy surged in himself and all those in his memories.

[There’s no need to cling to that world where blood never ceases and everything crumbles.]

Let’s make this beautiful place our new home.

If we cultivate this place a little, there’s no need to fight with them.

With such an ideal, as they came to know this place, they realized that they too were interested in it, just like themselves.

Thus, they realized they couldn’t approach carelessly.

Fortunately, this world had day and night, and the clan members found it difficult to endure during the day, while they found it hard to endure at night.

It seemed difficult to make this place a new home without eliminating the day.

What should be done?

As he pondered, looking down at this place from a mountain peak, an unforgettable being appeared in his memory.

[A female?]

[Yes, it seems so. La…]

[Enough. Kill her and dispose of the body.]

[I obey your command.]

It was a lowly human being native to this place.

Being female, she was quite beautiful, but such things held no meaning for him.

However,

[Female? You talk like shit. Fucking male.]

‘!?’

He was freshly shocked by the curse he had never heard before.

The beings of this world regarded him as a god, all the myriad demons looked up to him, and even those hostile to him feared him and saw him as an object of terror, so no one dared to speak carelessly.

Yet this mere lowly human spoke to him like that?

[How dare you!]

Taura, who assisted him, was greatly angered and tried to kill the woman.

But once his interest was piqued, it didn’t easily subside, so he prevented Taura from killing her.

[Leave her be.]

[What?]

[I said leave her be.]

At that time, Taura showed a look of utter incomprehension.

This might have been a natural reaction, as he regarded humans as beings lower than livestock or even insects.

This was the moment that would break his long-standing destiny and change his fate.

But at that time, there were no regrets.

The more he met her, the more he realized that this decision was not wrong.

She was also like him, and we fell deeper for each other.

Although he could only meet her briefly, unable to leave his place for long due to the war with them, it was enough.

But she was merely human.

It was so regrettable that she lived such a short life.

However,

[Someone once told me that it’s because it’s short that it shines more brightly. Can’t we live like that too?]

[Because it’s short, it shines more brightly…]

Truly wise.

Though it would be just a fleeting moment, everything shines beautifully as she said.

He even thought that perhaps his destiny was born not for destruction and annihilation, but for these moments.

What if he had been born human, just like her?

Then he could have walked the same life path as her.

It was on one such day.

[What’s the matter?]

[I apologize. Their leader is personally leading a great army to invade our main stronghold now.]

[… Talisha.]

The leader of those who call themselves the Heavenly Clan or the Clan of Gods.

They had waged war for an incredibly long time.

The war had been going on for so long that it was starting to feel like inertia, but now their leader was coming personally?

‘Perhaps it’s time to end this.’

They too are after this beautiful world.

Perhaps for her sake as well, he might need to end the war decisively.

In the end, he returned and engaged in an all-out war with them.

The war, in which even the leaders of both great clans participated, was incomparably more intense than any before.

And as the forces were evenly matched, the pattern and confrontation of the war dragged on.

Thump thump thump!
Then, his core pulsed unusually, and he was enveloped by a strangely ominous feeling.

Did that unease come true?

A clan member he had sent to investigate reported to him urgently.

[My King. It seems they have intervened there.]

[What?]

The Demon King, unable to believe it, finally opened a door and headed there.

Just in case, he had connected a door to the shrine in the Moon Vein.

‘Ah…’

The first thing that caught his eye as he passed through the door was her figure, wearing a red and beautiful bridal gown with a golden crown.

A sincere exclamation escaped him.

Momentarily entranced by that beauty, he soon launched his body without time to think, sensing ominous energies from somewhere.

And there, he witnessed a scene too shocking to bear.

It was the horrific sight of someone ripping out her heart and crushing it.

‘!!!!!!!!’

At that moment, he lost his reason for the first time.

Regardless of the identity of the perpetrator, his mind was filled only with killing intent.

Crack!
“Aaaargh! Wh-who…”

“I’ll kill you.”

Kwakwakwakwakwakwang!
Not content with twisting and ripping off the arms of the one who tore out her heart, he grabbed the perpetrator’s legs and flung him around in all directions until his anger subsided.

Rumble rumble rumble rumble!
The ceiling of the great hall collapsed, and he ripped out and crushed the heart of the man whose face had been beaten to a pulp.

And not satisfied with even that, he ripped off his head before he could die.

Having instantly killed the man, he rushed to embrace her.

Her body temperature, with her heart ripped out, was rapidly cooling.

[So-wol…]

Is she breathing her last like this?

She said she would return, but is she leaving without waiting?

At that moment, she opened her eyes with difficulty.

Was it a momentary miracle?

[Urgh…]

Seeing her open her eyes, he sobbed.

The pain was so unbearable, as if his chest would be torn apart.

Drip!
A tear tinged with blood rolled down his cheek.

She placed her hand on his cheek and moved her lips with difficulty.

-If we meet again… I wanted… to be… your bride…

I feel the same.

You are my only bride.

He tightly held her hand, which was gradually losing strength, and said:

[You were beautiful… So beautiful, like a single red peony.]

At his words, a smile played on her lips, and then her eyelids closed.

[Uwaaaaaaaah!]

Seeing her breathe her last in his arms, he wailed and roared.

It was too painful, his heart shattering, to have the only love he had found in such a long time lose her life so meaninglessly.

As he grieved like this, the sky darkened and space rippled, then a huge door opened.

A red sky appeared, and hundreds of beings with white fluttering wings were visible.

He looked up.

Grind!
So you were involved in this?

Did you truly want to go this far?

Grooooar!
Seeing the figure emitting five-colored splendid light with larger and more magnificent white wings than the others visible in the red sky, he stretched out his hand.

Whoosh!
Then the black bracelet wrapped around his wrist transformed into a black sword.

[The price… is death alone.]

Pat!
Then he launched his body towards the red sky.

***

It was a battle lasting dozens of days.

The result was almost a mutual destruction.

Most of the clan members who followed him came due to the prolonged fight, but the result was so fierce that hardly any survived.

‘I should have killed him.’

It was regrettable that he couldn’t kill him for certain, but he succeeded in inflicting a fatal wound enough to burst his core.

Of course, he had to pay an equal sacrifice for it.

It was when he returned to the castle, wounded.

Since the war with them wasn’t over yet, all his subordinates had gone to the battlefield, and only a few assistants were guarding this place.

It was while he was recovering from his injuries.

[You can’t. he is still recovering his body.]

[Step aside. If you don’t want to die.]

[However…]

[I have something urgent to report to him.]

The voice heard from outside was that of his assistant, Taura.

Though they desperately tried to stop him from outside, they were no match for the strong Taura.

Taura killed them all and forcibly opened the door of the audience hall to enter.

[I’m sure I told everyone not to let anyone in.]

[You did. But if not now, there won’t be another chance.]

At this moment, the killing intent in Taura’s voice and eyes became clear.

Then Taura put something down, and it emitted light, creating a door of rippling space.

Woong
[What are you doing now?]

[I’m trying to understand your true intentions one last time.]

[What do you mean?]

[Give me the order right now. Tell me to enter here and deal with all the insects in that world.]

What is he saying all of a sudden in this situation?

If not for his injuries, he would have punished him, but now he couldn’t.

[I’m sure I told you I wouldn’t rule that place.]

[Ha… The you I know is not like this. Shouldn’t you only be for the clan? Showing mercy to insects because of a mere human woman?]

[Taura. I will not forgive any further disrespect.]

At these words, Taura suddenly laughed madly.

[Kwahahahahaha! So it’s true that your core was pierced by the Heavenly Clan King’s divine sword.]

[……]

[I’ll go there right now and remove everything that has weakened you, returning you to your original state. Please understand my loyal intentions.]

[Taura!]

[First, I’ll kill that woman and send you her head.]

She had already lost her life.

However, with his grief and anger not yet subsided, he couldn’t bear this.

Finally, unable to contain his anger, the Demon King stopped his recovery and launched his body at Taura.

However,

[Is this… all you can do? You’ve truly become weak.]

Having suffered serious injuries, he couldn’t exert his power properly.

Taura grabbed his head and chest.

[You know what ability I have, don’t you?]

[Taura…]

[It seems impossible for you to lead our clan any longer in your weakened state. And that weakened heart of yours too.]

[Cough cough. You’ve become twisted, Taura.]

[Hmph!]

Shuuuu!
Taura began to absorb his remaining demonic energy.

‘Haah…’

Although weakened, he wasn’t completely drained of power and could have resisted this, but he soon stopped.

What meaning was there in living when she was no longer in this world?

He no longer had any lingering attachment to this world of killing and being killed.

As Taura absorbed almost all of his demonic energy over a long time, he sneered with a voice full of confidence.

[How disappointing. The greatest warrior and incarnation of the black flame not even resisting.]

To such a Taura, he, having lost his strength and become haggard, said:

[End it with me alone.]

[… What are you saying now?]

[I’ll allow you to lead the clan, so don’t pay any more attention to that place.]

Grind!
At these words, Taura sneered as if disappointed.

Then he lifted his body up.

Grab!
[What are you trying to do?]

[Until the end, only that human woman matters to you.]

[She’s not everything. Not like you think…]

[Enough. I understand well how you think of the clan. If you like that place so much, rot there for the rest of your life.]

[Taura!]

To him, Taura whispered with a cold smile:

[Ah! I forgot this. Come to think of it, how do you think they knew about your woman?]

His pupils shook madly.

[You… Don’t tell me…]

[Huhuhu. They will come looking for you. Try to survive while running away desperately. If you can survive in that state, that is.]

Pat!
With that, he threw him into the door.

The place where the door opened was none other than high in the sky.

If he hadn’t known the truth, he might have thought it better to die like this.

But now he couldn’t do that.

Knowing he couldn’t endure falling like this in his current body, he drew out the residual demonic energy within him.

Whoosh!
His body was enveloped in black flames.

In that state, he fell towards the ground at tremendous speed.

Thud!
Though he protected his body with the demonic energy of the black flames, he couldn’t avoid the pain of his insides being shaken.

As he was about to collapse, someone appeared in his vision.

There, he saw an old man bowing down to him with tears in his eyes.

Is this a human who worships him?

Thud!
As the flames dissipated due to the loss of energy, he collapsed.

The old man ran to him, supported him, and checked his pulse.

[O Divine One. I am a servant who serves you. Please allow me to save your life.]

[Do as you wish.]

The man, who identified himself as Jang Mun-no, the Guardian of Fire Faith Order, carried the Demon King on his back and headed towards a large village where he could procure medicinal ingredients.

The village they headed to was Longmen in Guangdong Province.

Jang Mun-no sat him down in a deserted alley corner and said:

[I will find medicinal ingredients, so please wait here for a moment. I’ll be back soon.]

[… Do so.]

After Jang Mun-no left, the Demon King, leaning against the wall, touched his core.

Not only was his core pierced, but he had been nearly drained of all his energy, so it was no exaggeration to say he was facing death.

Is this how he would disappear?

Grind!
It was truly unbearable.

Should he have killed that bastard then, even at the cost of his own life?

His great mistake was simply giving up, feeling resentful for not choosing the clan and having no lingering attachment to life.

Having lost all his power, even if he survived, there was no hope left.

But right at that moment,

Flinch!
He sensed their energy from somewhere.

It was clearly the energy of the Heavenly Clan.

Were they searching for him, as that bastard Taura had said?

Swish swish swish!
They were approaching.

Though he had lost almost all of his demonic energy, he seemed to have immediately noticed due to his ability to sense the unique energy of the demon clan and detect cores.

Grip!
Clutching his chest, he moved his body.

He couldn’t die like this yet.

Pat!
He climbed onto the roof and launched his body in the opposite direction of the approaching energies.

Throb throb!
However, not only had he lost almost all his energy, but his core was also pierced, so he couldn’t move his body freely.

As he was crossing the roofs, he soon fell, unable to endure the sharp pain.

[Ugh!]

Bang!
Coincidentally, the place he fell was none other than a carriage.

He fell through the carriage into it, where a woman who had collided with him lay unconscious, and he saw a baby she was cradling with her body.

[Waaah waaah!]

A crying baby.

It’s so small, as if it was born not long ago.

After staring at it for a while, his eyes grew bitter.

If she had lived, would they have had a baby like this too?

But now, longing for that was just a vain attachment.

After all, since he wasn’t human, she couldn’t have given birth to a…

[Ah…]

Human…

He had wanted to become human, wanting to walk the same life path as her.

He had wished for it so desperately in his mind, but he couldn’t do it, having to abandon the clan he led.

But now there was no reason to give up.

After staring at the baby for a long time, he finally reached out his hand to it.

Swish swish swish!
The energy, presumably theirs, was getting closer and closer.

At this point, if he gave up his core and became human, he could also escape their eyes.

But if he exhausted all his remaining power to become human, his consciousness or self might disappear as it was.

He had become that weak.

But there was no other choice left.

‘Yes.’

If he became human like her, perhaps that would be a shining ending in its own way.

The Demon King, stroking the baby, finally muttered softly:

[So-wol… I miss you.]

Whoosh!
Then his body was enveloped in black flames, and his form slowly began to shrink.

And within those flames, there was another baby that looked exactly like the crying baby.