Chapter 409
“Goal?”
“It’s nothing special. Cliché as it is… the ruin of the world.”
The Magus Chancellor grinned.
“Unlike the Celestial Realm, Gehenna, or the Magus Emperor, I desire a perfect ruin.”
“What kind of crazy talk is that?”
“Ah. It means I wish for a perfect ruin with no next world to follow.”
The reason the Magus Emperor, the Celestial Realm, and Gehenna had tried to destroy the world was not because they truly wished for its ruin.
It was to ascend in the new world that would arrive after the end of the current one.
“Why would you wish for such a thing?”
“No particular reason. Just… because it seems like it would be fun?”
“!!”
The Magus Chancellor gave a faint smile.
It was an innocent, and for that very reason, all the more chilling smile.
When the Magus Chancellor flicked his fingers, Chris’s vision changed.
Paaaaaaaat!
In an instant, Chris and the Magus Chancellor had risen to a distant sky from where they could look down on the surface at a glance.
“Look down below. See how many humans are wriggling like insects. The thought of all those humans screaming as they are annihilated, doesn’t the mere imagination of it send a thrill down your spine?”
“……”
“That’s not all. Look at the arrogant ones of the Celestial Realm and Gehenna.”
Tta-ak, when he flicked his fingers again, the scenery of Gehenna and the Celestial Realm appeared.
“How happy would it be to watch them disappear, screaming pathetically? Ah, the mere thought of it sends such a shiver down my spine that I can hardly bear it.”
“…You’re insane.”
The Magus Chancellor chuckled.
“I have always been insane. Do you know why I tried to conquer the Magus Empire back when I was the Demon King of Dark Annihilation? The fools who knew nothing praised me as great, but I simply wished to stain the Magus Empire with blood with my own hands.”
“……”
“The Magus Emperor noticed my dark intentions and made me his slave. He never imagined that it would be the very thing that would lead to his own demise. It was a good thing for me, though. Thanks to that, I was able to bring about the true ruin.”
Chris frowned.
“By what means do you intend to carry out such a thing?”
“Huhu, it is possible. Look at that pillar in the Imperial Capital.”
Even though the Magus Emperor had been annihilated, the violet pillar had not disappeared and was emitting an ominous light.
“The true owner of that pillar is not the Magus Emperor, but me. The Magus Emperor didn't even know that his authority had been stolen.”
The Magus Chancellor raised his hand.
The body and soul of the Magus Emperor, which had been turned to dust by Chris’s authority, were circling around the Magus Chancellor, and they began to tremble violently.
“Don’t tell me that is?”
“Yes, that’s right. For hundreds of years, I stayed near the Magus Emperor and made arrangements so that upon his death, he would become my sacrifice.”
Chris had tried to completely annihilate the Magus Emperor’s body and soul earlier, but had been unable to, and remnants had been left behind.
It was because of the trick the Magus Chancellor had cast on the Magus Emperor’s soul in advance.
“However, I had no way of killing the Magus Emperor, so I could only watch, but it was a relief that you took care of the Magus Emperor for me. You did just as I had hoped.”
That’s right.
This was the very scheme the Magus Chancellor had wished for from Chris.
“…Do you think I will just stand by and watch as you have your way?”
Chris raised his hand.
“Die.”
Flash.
Light and darkness intersected.
The Magus Chancellor raised his hand to block Chris’s attack, but it was useless.
Chris’s quality had already far surpassed that of the Magus Chancellor.
In a single blow, the Magus Chancellor sustained a fatal wound.
Like the end of the Magus Emperor, the world began to erase the Magus Chancellor’s existence, and the Magus Chancellor’s body and soul began to turn to dust and scatter.
However, Chris frowned.
‘It’s not being completely annihilated?’
It was the same as with the Magus Emperor.
“Don’t tell me you?”
“Kukuk, that’s right. I have already offered my own soul as a sacrifice as well. The souls of the Magus Emperor and myself should be enough to make that violet pillar run rampant and swallow this world.”
The Magus Chancellor burst into a mad laugh.
“It is a pity that I cannot witness the ruin of the world myself, but it matters not. Ahaha! Then I hope you will struggle in the coming ruin, O great king of men.”
The souls of the Magus Emperor and the Magus Chancellor were sucked into the violet pillar.
And at the same time, a terrible thing happened.
Rumble!
Being in the sky, looking down on the continent, he could see it even more clearly.
The pillar, which had been confined to the Imperial Capital, expanded to the entire central direct jurisdiction, then to the entire Magus Empire, and finally to the whole continent, including the Golden Cross, the Karn Empire, and the Holy Empire.
It all happened in an instant.
‘That violet pillar is trying to destroy this world by offering the souls of all the humans on the continent as a sacrifice.’
Chris’s face turned pale.
The nature of the pillar had changed.
The Magus Emperor had tried to strengthen his own power with the sacrifices offered to the pillar, but the Magus Chancellor had made it so that it would only cause destruction.
Since it was taking the souls of all the humans on the continent as a sacrifice, a perfect ruin would surely arrive.
‘I have to stop it!!’
But it was too late.
That violet pillar was something the Magus Chancellor had schemed for hundreds of years.
No matter how powerful Chris was, he could not stop it in such a short time.
Gooooooooooooo!!!!
The world flickered with an eerie violet light.
All the souls on the surface screamed in despair.
The same was true for the Celestial Realm and Gehenna.
The boundaries of the three realms crumbled, and the Great Stars and Great Devils urgently unleashed their authorities, but it was useless.
It was the moment the true ruin was about to arrive.
Uddut, time stopped around Chris.
At the same time, a voice was heard.
[Christian… O great king of men, I shall grant you a chance.]
It was the voice of the 2nd-realm being he had heard before!
[I shall open a new world.]
[…You will open a new world?]
[Yes. No matter how great that energy of ruin is, if we, the 2nd-realm beings, offer all of our authority, we cannot be stopped from opening a new world. You shall become the master of the new world.]
It meant that the wish of the Magus Chancellor, who had desired a perfect ruin, would be thwarted.
But that was not what was important.
[If you open a new world? What happens to the remaining humans?]
[The only one who can greet the new world is you. The rest of the ordinary humans will all face annihilation.]
[!!]
Chris gritted his teeth.
[It cannot be helped. This world was fated to be ruined anyway, according to the cycle of creation and destruction. You can just think of it as the time being moved up.]
[…….]
[If you are hesitating because of the deaths of those close to you, I will allow them to head to the new world with you. You can become the master of the new world with them. You can also enjoy the wealth and glory you desired in the new world.]
It was a proposal like the temptation of a devil.
No, there was no other way.
But for some reason?
Chris could not nod his head.
[What is the matter? Did I not say that I would allow all those close to you to be with you?]
Yes, there was nothing to hold him back.
The other people who would be sacrificed?
Since when had Chris cared so much for others? He was a thoroughly selfish human being.
Above all, their deaths were not his fault. There was no reason for him to feel any guilt.
And yet.
[…I refuse.]
[…What did you say?]
[I said, I refuse. You incompetent fools.]
[!!]
[I am their king. I will not let them die.]
Chris let out a hollow laugh, unable to understand the choice he had just made.
Since when had he cared about others like this?
He knew it was unlike him, he knew it was a foolish choice, but he could not bring himself to run away like this.
[…It’s just that running away like this feels wrong.]
Chris forced himself to give that reason.
There was just one way.
[I will offer my soul as a sacrifice, so stop that ruin.]
[!!]
[It should be enough if you take my soul as the price, shouldn’t it?]
He was no ordinary Great Being.
He was the great king of men.
As such, his soul was more valuable than all the other humans combined.
[…Are you being serious? Are you truly going to make such a choice?]
[…Don’t ask any further, as I, too, feel like a fool.]
Chris let out a smirk.
Why did he have to make such a sacrifice?
No matter how he thought about it, it was a foolish choice.
But he had made his decision.
[Hurry! There’s no time.]
[…I pay my respects to your sacrifice. You are truly a great king.]
What nonsense. It was an admiration that offered no comfort at all.
Chris closed his eyes.
He could feel the authority of the 2nd-realm being enveloping his soul.
Paaaaaaaat!!!
A brilliant light burst forth from his soul.
It was a radiance that would illuminate the entire world.
He could see the violet pillar, touched by his light, lose its power and die down.
The people who had been offered as a sacrifice to the violet pillar and then brought back to life looked up at the sky and shouted.
“H-how did we survive?”
“That light over there!! It’s thanks to the Ma-hwi!!!”
The souls that had been trapped in the violet pillar knew that Christian had saved them by sacrificing his own soul.
“Long live the Ma-hwi!!!”
“Our king!!!”
Chris twisted the corners of his mouth into a smirk.
‘Forget it. I wish I could have had one last drink.’
The thought that he was really going to die made him regret it.
Why had he done such a thing?
‘Ah. So I won’t get to enjoy wealth and glory in the end. I haven’t even had a proper drink. How unfair.’
But it was too late.
And so, all the violet pillars died down, and all of humanity was saved.
It was his turn to face death.
Chris’s consciousness sank into a deep darkness.
Just as he was about to face an irreversible annihilation, a sudden change occurred.
“Stop!! I will offer my soul in place of Christian’s soul!!!”
It was Evan’s voice.
Idrinne and Ranya also stepped forward.
“Step aside. The one who will sacrifice herself in Christian’s place is me, his closest friend.”
“…I don’t want to die in his place, but as a genius mage, I can’t let Christian act all high and mighty on his own. I will offer my soul as well.”
They were not the end of it.
“You unfilial brat. Do you think you can just die without your grandfather’s permission? Take my soul instead of my grandson’s soul!!”
“The same goes for me. D-dying is scary…! And I don’t want to die without ever having been in a relationship…!! But I’ll offer my soul, too!!”
Nordian and the Demon King of Silver Snow also appeared.
And that was not the end of it.
“Hyung-nim, my soul, too…!!”
“You terrible person!! Always acting so high and mighty on your own…!!”
“Brother Chris!!”
“Grand Prince, I am here as well!!!”
“Me too…!!!”
Everyone who had been helped by Chris offered their own souls.
And they were not the only ones.
“Heavens, have mercy on our king…!!”
“Please…!!”
Until just a moment ago, the souls of all humans had been trapped in the violet pillar. Therefore, everyone knew of the sacrifice Christian had made.
The people of the entire world knelt in unison and pleaded for Christian’s revival.