Think about it.
Isn’t it strange?
The gods reportedly poured their immense authority into building a perfect system, and because of that, every single god fell into an eternal sleep.
If you think about it for just a moment, it is riddled with oddities.
Does the system truly possess that much power? Does it contain enough authority and strength to cause the extinction of every god?
Of course, the system is an incredible thing, but is it really something those supposedly omnipotent gods would sacrifice their very lives to create?
The answer was ‘no.’
It was true that all the gods had perished. However, it was not for the sake of establishing the system.
“The gods perished together with the Abyss.”
Every god set out to hunt the Abyss. In doing so, they destroyed the Master of the Abyss personally. But as a price, they too had to prepare for their own disappearance.
“What they created at the very end was the system. Their final arrangement was the arrival of Transients like you.”
Then why didn’t the gods pass this truth on to their children? Why didn’t they inform the Dragons who protect the world of the truth or the future? Just what kind of future did they see that forced them to hide it, even while knowing things would turn out like this?
The reason remained unknown, but no one on the surface realized the truth. Not the Pope of the Holy Nation, nor the Emperor of the Empire. Not the most wondrous Dragon, nor the most noble Elf.
No one could have even imagined that the gods and the Abyss had died together.
Except for one person.
The greatest magician, Kreutzvalt.
One might ask how a human magician could discover a truth that even the progenitor of magic and the most wondrous Dragon could not, even if he was called the greatest.
“It was because I was the founder of black magic.”
It was because he was the magician who had personally devised the new field known as black magic. He believed that black magic was the most perfect form of magic. In fact, its limits were unknown, and had he not eventually glimpsed the truth of the world? Had he not seen the future up to 1,300 years ahead?
The young Kreutzvalt of that time had trembled. He could not even begin to fathom the immense value of the world’s truth and the future he had glimpsed. It was said that just thinking about how to utilize this knowledge made an entire day pass in the blink of an eye.
Regrettably, the Kreutzvalt of that time did not know that everything gained through black magic came with a corresponding price. He thought it was over after offering a simple sacrifice, just as he always had.
Before long, he lost his kingdom. He lost tens of millions of citizens and his homeland. Rumors spread that he was a horrific monster who had destroyed his kingdom single-handedly.
It was painful enough to make him want to die, but he was able to endure because his family stayed by his side. He had a wife who was kind and beautiful by nature, and a daughter who looked exactly like her.
However, the truth of the world he had seen was far too vast. It took his wife from him. It took his daughter as well. It took his wealth, fame, and power. It erased his very life from the world.
In an instant, Kreutzvalt became a dead man to this world.
“I had no choice. With the truth of the world I glimpsed and the knowledge of the future I overheard, I had no option but to enter this World’s End.”
He entered the masterless Abyss and took the empty throne. In that way, he became the Master of the Abyss.
“But it was futile. This became a shackle, and I could not leave this place. It was not enough. To revive my family, to restore my kingdom and homeland—being the Master of the Abyss was not enough.”
And so, he made a vow.
“I must become a god.”
Having heard the entire story, Hio wiped the blood from his mouth and smirked. The more he heard, the more preposterous it sounded, so he couldn’t stay silent.
“That’s quite a nuisance of a life you’ve led.”
Just how many people had suffered because of the black magic Kreutzvalt performed? What sin did the perished kingdom and its citizens commit? Furthermore, wasn’t the damage still continuing to this very day?
Despite Hio’s sarcasm, Kreutzvalt responded with an expressionless face, devoid of any agitation.
“That is why I intend to undo it.”
“By becoming a god?”
“Yes.”
“And the reason you’re telling me this?”
“Because the probability of success increases only if you personally consent and surrender your body.”
“Ha.”
Hio swept his hair back as if the situation was absurd and looked around. The area was already a mess. Even though only a single exchange had occurred, Hio had already suffered internal injuries. On the other hand, Kreutzvalt looked no different than he did at the start.
The difference in power was not just clear; it was extreme.
“Why do you think I’d agree to that? No, why me in the first place?”
“Child, I am not unaware that the authority of a god lies dormant within your body. And in the end, you will have no choice but to agree.”
“On what grounds?”
“Think about it. I will be the Master of the Abyss and a god at the same time. Not only will my shackles be broken, allowing me to leave the World’s End, but the Continent will never face a crisis like this again.”
“And for that, I should sacrifice myself?”
Kreutzvalt nodded.
“Are you not a hero?”
Hio was so flabbergasted he was speechless. Why was this guy asking him to clean up the mess he had made himself?
“Even if you do not accept, I will take your life. However, the probability of obtaining divinity will decrease by that much. Either way, you will die, but if you resist with such foolish thoughts, you will die and the Continent will eventually perish as well. All because of your insufficient decision.”
“…Seriously, I’ve been listening, but you sure do spout a lot of insane nonsense.”
Hio didn’t understand everything in great depth, but he grasped the gist of it. In other words, this shameless monster, Kreutzvalt—the reason this crazy black magician had endured for over 1,000 years in this Abyss was…
“You just want to save your family, don’t you?”
It wasn’t for some great cause or out of guilt. It was just his wife and daughter. He simply wanted to revive his family.
“What is wrong with that?”
Kreutzvalt genuinely tilted his head in confusion.
“The milk was already spilled. The gods vanished, and the world was left unable to clear away the dregs of the Abyss. I am saying that I will personally rule the Abyss, obtain the authority of a god, and save the Continent. Reviving my family would merely be a reward for that.”
“You lunatic.”
He was a man with a rotten ideology. He was a monster who could not be persuaded with words.
“Pavlenko. Do not deny it. Do not force yourself to look away. You know as well as I do that you cannot refute my words.”
“…”
“You will die anyway. It is not a worthless death. The authority contained in your body will simply be taken by someone more suited for it. It is a power far too great for you.”
Kreutzvalt continued to speak with a hollow expression, devoid of any emotion.
“I have known you since a time so distant you cannot even imagine. You were born with the fate of a hero. But that is where it ends. The reason the last goddess handed her authority to you is because she knew I would take that power through you. You were born with the Star of Sacrifice. So, in the end, you will have no choice but to accept it. Because you will know that it is the only way to prevent the destruction of the Continent—that if you alone are sacrificed, everyone else can survive.”
Kreutzvalt’s words carried no emotion. His voice was flat, as if he were merely reciting facts. His pupils were pitch black, like the Abyss itself.
Facing that gaze, Hio nodded.
“It certainly sounds plausible.”
It really did sound plausible. Being born with the Star of Sacrifice and all that. Saying that if Hio alone sacrificed himself, everyone could live. When a magician with that much power says those things with a face like that, it seems incredibly convincing.
“But you see.”
However, Hio had spent over a year right next to Kreutzvalt, being wary of him, doubting him endlessly, and watching him every single day.
“Even now.”
He couldn’t help but know.
“You’re acting, aren’t you?”
That expressionless face. Even that spine-chilling voice he was using now. It was all manufactured. Kreutzvalt’s mask still hadn’t broken.
Hio’s eyes met Kreutzvalt’s. A silence followed. And then.
“I suppose it can’t be helped.”
The corners of Kreutzvalt’s mouth began to twist. His lips curled up into a smirk. His facial muscles twitched and distorted.
“I’ll just pull out your brain and spinal cord and research them for about 100 years. I’ll find my answer then.”
Kreutzvalt, his grin stretching so wide the corners of his mouth almost touched his eyes, flicked his staff. At that, the Abyss—the entire World’s End—began to heave.
“……You monster.”
Against that, Hio also raised his staff.
There were only two superhumans on the current Continent who could handle Ideation: Sword Saint Vitalianus and Dragon Knight Regarda. Although others like Gail Einsidel, Melissa, and the recently famous Claire were expected to reach that level someday, there were currently only two confirmed users of Ideation.
Hio had finally reached that level as well, but he didn’t feel his heart swell with pride or joy. The reason was, without a doubt, the monster standing before him.
The Abyss surged forward.
*Boom!*
Every bit of the Abyss existing on the Continent surged toward Hio alone, following Kreutzvalt’s command. It felt as if the world itself was charging at him. Now, he had to bring out every card he held.
**[Skill: Celestial is being activated.]**
A strange light descended upon the world that had been entirely consumed by darkness. Divinity expanded brilliantly, and the goddess’s touch surrounded the area centered around Hio. But…
*Boom!*
The Abyss, which had hesitated for a moment, soon received Kreutzvalt’s will and began to crush **[Celestial]**. Under the force of an entire world pressing down, the domain of **[Celestial]** rapidly shrank. Even though it was a top-tier defensive skill, it didn’t look like it would last even ten seconds.
**[Skill: Celestial has been canceled.]**
**[Skill: Azure Flame is being activated.]**
**[Skill: Thunder Emperor is being activated.]**
He quickly canceled **[Celestial]** and summoned the **[Azure Flame]** and **[Thunder Emperor]**. His eyes burned with white light. The power of lightning dwelled within his entire body. Blue flames surrounded him gorgeously. And as he flicked a finger where sparks crackled—
*Kacha-boom!*
Black lightning struck down. The **[Azure Flame]** confronted the Abyss. They were top-tier offensive skills with the same names as before, but they were no longer the same. The weight behind them was different, and the power contained within could not even be compared. The blue flames, carrying the subtlety of patience, burned even the Abyss. Hundreds of lightning bolts, carrying the weight of patience, rained down directly onto Kreutzvalt’s head.
*Craaaaash!*
However, he was the true Master of the Abyss and an Archmage of at least the 8 Circles. Even with Ideation imbued within them, the attacks did not work.
“So that is your Ideation.”
Kreutzvalt, who had been giggling with his mouth wide open, lightly waved his staff.
“Not bad. It’ll be quite delicious to devour.”
Simultaneously, a massive amount of magic power covered the entire area. It was an overwhelming magic power that dazzled the eyes and caused every sensory organ to scream in warning. Hio immediately tried to use **[Shukuchi]** to widen the distance, but he couldn’t move very far. It was because the Master of the Abyss was directly controlling the Abyss.
Then he would use **[Blink]**. But even that was canceled.
“Did you think you could cast even a trivial spell in front of me?”
Some magic or a magic field deployed by Kreutzvalt was interfering with every spell Hio attempted to cast beforehand. This was the overwhelming difference between an Archmage presumed to be at the 8 Circles or higher and a hollow 7-Circle magician who had barely met the qualifications.
However.
**[Skill: Blink is being activated.]**
He could not interfere with a skill that activated with its own flashy effect. He was a magician, not a god. He was the Master of the Abyss, not a god. This was the power of the system he had ignored.
“That is quite annoying.”
Kreutzvalt, his face crumpling in rage, began to pour out magic in earnest. The ground split open, and a hellish, toad-like monster lashed its tongue out from within. Hio hastily activated **[Blink]**.
**[Skill: Blink is being activated.]**
As if his destination had been predicted, a massive black explosion occurred simultaneously at the spot where he reappeared.
**[Skill: Celestial is being activated.]**
*Kaboom!*
In that single blow, a hole was torn through **[Celestial]**. While Hio faltered from the shock to his heart, a pitch-black rain began to fall. The ground melted. Black hands reached out from all directions. Over a dozen spells, whose names could not even be accurately identified, poured down.
He had to dodge those first. However, he had just realized that using **[Blink]** in front of Kreutzvalt was dangerous, even if it was a skill. That man had a unique constitution that allowed him to see magic power with his eyes, just like Hio. Predicting the destination of a **[Blink]** would be easy for him.
**[Skill: Thunder Emperor is currently active.]**
He moved by becoming lightning, the most primitive means of transportation.
*Flash!*
He reached out and fired lightning, repeatedly dropping overlapping bolts onto Kreutzvalt’s head.
*K-boom!*
It was meaningful. The speed and destructive power contained in a top-tier offensive skill, combined with the Ideation of patience… no matter how great Kreutzvalt was, having to react to that speed and constantly block hundreds of overlapping lightning bolts would be a burden.
That wasn’t the end.
“Azure Flame.”
He summoned the **[Azure Flame]** that had been burning the darkness a short distance away. He compressed the sea of fire as wide as the sky into a single point, imbued it with Ideation, and fired it.
It was a **[Blue Sun]**. Small, but containing the heat of a sun and its corresponding weight, it was the true power of the **[Azure Flame]**.
“You’re more useful than you look.”
But the reaction of Kreutzvalt, who witnessed all those attacks, was far beyond ordinary common sense.
“It was worth the effort of forcibly expanding the vessel.”
His face was full of satisfaction, as if Hio’s body already belonged to him. The corners of his mouth twitched bizarrely. At the same time, he slammed his staff against the ground.
*Thump.*
Behind his back, a darkness even denser than the Abyss leaked out.
“Child, look closely, for this will be the last thing you see.”
A blackness deeper than pitch black. An abyss deeper than the Abyss itself. An infinite darkness that neither the fire of the **[Azure Flame]** nor the flash of lightning could reach.
“This is my Ideation.”
**[Skill: Azure Flame has been canceled.]**
**[Skill: Thunder Emperor has been canceled.]**
As that darkness swept over the **[Azure Flame]** and enveloped the **[Thunder Emperor]**, the skills were completely canceled. Every light was extinguished in an instant, as if greedily devoured by that Ideation.
‘……Ideation?’
In the Abyss where all light had vanished, Hio stared straight into Kreutzvalt’s darkness, which was even denser. Having seen that, his fear and terror actually vanished.
“There’s no way that thing is Ideation.”
In its place, a sense of unpleasantness—or perhaps pity—filled his heart. That wasn’t an Ideation completed by projecting one’s convictions, mission, beliefs, or life. It was just an abyss. Empty. Infinite because there was nothing there. An empty, hollow abyss.
Thus, without even bothering to try and recast the canceled skills, Hio looked at Kreutzvalt. That monster spoke as if he knew everything, but he didn’t even know Hio’s true abilities. He prattled on as if he had discovered all the truths of the world, but what he had seen was likely only a fraction of the truth.
And so.
“It’s regrettable.”
He just felt pity. As a price for glimpsing a flawed future. As a price for learning a shallow truth, he had lost his homeland, his kingdom, his wife, and his child. He had lost his life and his path, and in the end, even his emotions and humanity had been stripped away.
“You are foolish.”
Knowing that even his words about becoming a god and saving his family were lies. Knowing that he was desperately ignoring that fact.
“Pitiful Kreutzvalt.”
**[Congratulations! You have reached the goal for the Hidden Trait: Violence is Not Allowed!]**
**[The hidden reward for the Hidden Trait is being granted.]**
**[Patience is Bitter, But Its Fruit is Sweet!: The Ideation of the skill is no longer a lie but becomes reality. Accordingly, the skill effects are readjusted and the skill name is changed.]**
**[Skills evolved as a reward will not be deleted.]**
**[Please select one of your possessed skills.]**