Perhaps, in all the past and present lives of the Xianzhong Emperor, no one had ever shown it such disrespect.
In the age of war, it had already been called the Butcher of a Million. After death, it reincarnated and obtained an immortal body—no firearm could take its life. Even crying infants would fall silent the moment they saw it.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEe3hUzboQ5
Yet human fear has limits, and eventually it became nothing more than one of many legends.
It recalled this path of existence and felt that humans were nothing but insects—yet these insects could actually cause it pain. The more it thought, the more displeased it became. The more it looked, the more disgusted it felt.
The Xianzhong Emperor slammed its massive palm down toward the spot where Kim Jeok-woo stood. Kim barely dodged, but blood slid down his cheek without him realizing.
Sophia wanted to stop everything she saw before her, but those golden eyes of hers had long shifted into another color—not lake-blue, but a murky dark blue, like deep water disturbed into chaos.
“Catch!”39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsoG3Uoasat
When Kim turned, he saw Fr. Phano throwing a bottle toward him in a near-perfect arc.
“Drink it. It will increase your physical strength,” Fr. Phano added.
However, because of that brief distraction, the three-meter-tall Xianzhong Emperor reached out and grabbed Kim Jeok-woo in one hand. Its monstrous palm tightened like an iron clamp, squeezing until his ribs made cracking sounds.
“Watch me crush you into meat paste!”
It exerted strength, compressing him.
Kim’s chest tightened, his chest cavity felt stuffed with steel wires. In the next second, he spat out a large mouthful of blood.
“Oh? Strange—you’re still not dead?”
“Fortunately, I took Fr. Phano’s enhancer.” Kim struggled with all his strength.
“Hmph! You sewer-rat human—always playing petty tricks. Watch me crush your head next.”
Just as the Xianzhong Emperor reached its other hand toward his head, Kim suddenly burst into wild laughter.
“You monster are truly pathetic. You look down on humans, yet you forget—humans are the apex of the food chain, the spirit of all things!39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnxtU8sfvSm
If my sacrifice can secure the Base’s survival, the others will inherit my will. Fr. Phano will lead them to hunt you down. Even to the ends of the earth, they will tear you apart. Even in death, I will stare at you—watching your destruction!”
Sophia heard his words and muttered softly:
“Sacrifice… inherit the will…”
In that moment, her eyes erupted from dark blue into brilliant gold.
“Contract… fulfilled!”
After speaking, she transformed into particles and entered Kim Jeok-woo’s body. A voice then echoed inside his mind:
“Darling, congratulations on fulfilling the condition. You’ve made me understand what meaning the humans of this dimension possess.”
“At this moment, you are a human who truly commands the power of the Fantasy Realm—able to turn thought into weapon.”
Kim did not understand what strange supernatural nonsense Sophia was doing again. But he understood one thing:39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9bEAeMlSB
his entire body was now overflowing with strength, and his injuries healed rapidly.
He slipped out of the Xianzhong Emperor’s grip like a snake, then seized its giant fingers with both hands and performed a shoulder throw.
BOOM—
The earth shook. Dust surged.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiSJYCziKYQ
But Kim stood at the center, imposing, fearless, looking down at the Xianzhong Emperor.
His posture—39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQbZDfvx27Q
like a god descending.
The Xianzhong Emperor pushed itself up, its movements violent enough to tear the earth.
It threw back its head and roared—39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡox8ISAcDes
a sound that shook the air itself.
Terror became a pressure wave sweeping across the entire Base.
Survivors around them collapsed to their knees, crushed by an invisible giant hand.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRKZXi8fdwc
Behind the monster, a bolt of lightning shattered a tent, flames rising skyward.
In all that chaos—39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2CAZwyFkX8
only Kim Jeok-woo remained standing.
He stared directly at the Xianzhong Emperor,39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFN3WmiTROY
as if clashing with death through his gaze.
In his hand appeared a family heirloom blade from his distant homeland.
Kim stepped forward—39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9bIBTXjbv
the ground cracked beneath his foot.
“Ha—!”
A puff of white vapour escaped his mouth.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2HBYLfzo9e
He murmured:
“Haedong Swordsmanship—First Form: Instant Annihilation.”
He instantaneously moved beneath the Xianzhong Emperor’s feet.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7nqZcdw0X
With a strike faster than lightning, he sliced both its legs clean off, reducing them to particles.
Before it could fall, Kim continued:
“Haedong Swordsmanship—Second Form: Hollow Remnant!”
He leapt—over three meters high—right before the monster’s face.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDf7xQ37kL8
With overwhelming force pressing down on it, he allowed it no movement.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBnADrzmgM
Yet he used slow, deliberate motions to perform rotating slashes, diagonal slashes, reverse slashes—39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44LL0p8bK8
as if several of him were performing the same technique simultaneously.
But unexpectedly, when the final strike descended, countless breaths of force pierced through the Xianzhong Emperor’s head, splitting and disintegrating it into particles.
However, just as everyone thought victory was secured—
The sky darkened.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXbCpP5k5p
No—the entire space turned black and white.
Time froze.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡatgqfa2Rmy
All creatures in the dimension stopped moving.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGaW1gAkRXJ
Even Kim Jeok-woo could not move.
DONG— DONG— DONG—
The air echoed with sounds like church bells.
A rift opened above the Base.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrED53DRau
A hand reached through and tore it wider.
Mephist emerged, along with a young man in all-black clothing.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnjCVMZsXnr
The youth’s face was pale and strikingly handsome, standing two meters tall—a stark contrast to Mephist’s sinister, scheming appearance.
“Hehehe… wonderful… delightful. The puzzle-like game finally has another piece.” Mephist said, laughing darkly.
“…”39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMX3yMafw5B
The black-clothed youth remained silent.
“It’s just that today’s result is disappointing… though expected. Modern humans treat fear as entertainment, as jokes. Naturally, the power weakens.”
“…”
“You’ve disappointed me, Xianzhong Emperor!” Mephist snarled.
Facing this temperamental demon, the Xianzhong Emperor—now a fragment of consciousness—begged:
“My lord, please… give me another chance.”
“Chance is for tools with value—not for trash.” Mephist replied coldly.
“You have no value left. I shall delete you…”
But the black-clothed youth raised a hand to stop him.
“You think the Xianzhong Emperor still has value, Divination Demon?”
The youth—Divination Demon—nodded.
“Hmph. Then I shall do the opposite.”
Mephist pointed a finger—39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhFPH9J7LFX
A bolt of lightning fell like divine punishment, striking the Xianzhong Emperor.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9fl0Amr2mY
It screamed in agony.
Divination Demon frowned and shielded it with a layer of golden light to lessen the pain.
“You’ve been tainted by humanity?” Mephist asked.
Divination Demon knew Mephist was truly angry now. Just as he prepared to unleash power—39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgdnFuh8h5R
Mephist laughed.
“Hahaha, I’m only teasing you. It’s yours now. I must return and instruct my slave on the next step.”
Mephist vanished.
Divination Demon shook his head at the Xianzhong Emperor, then followed after Mephist.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ir8mYVn64
Only Kim Jeok-woo—who had been watching through Sophia’s residual power—remained stunned.
Once the beings of the Fantasy Realm departed, Kim suffered mental exhaustion from the sudden surge of power. He collapsed unconscious.
While unconscious, he dreamed of the days he once spent with A-ko…39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXHWaJKuhp
Then the moment she transformed into the Xianzhong Emperor…39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs8NuacbZv6
And finally, she turned into Sophia—39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡya94K8bxah
her body shrouded in a thin layer of black mist…
and then Add to home screen.