Chapter 118: Twilight of the Gods (2)

“… Eh?”

Belmond’s eyes widened in surprise. 

It was only natural. 

Being linked to my will, he knew the influence that Ea, the Sword of Genesis, would exert. 

If used against a specific world, that world would be destroyed. 

Even if that world was Asgard, the realm of the gods.

“Do you intend to kill all the gods?”

Extinction. 

No, it should be called eternal obliteration. 

Unlike the Twilight of the Gods I had caused in the past, this was a complete exclusion of the gods.

“If I do?”

Belmond stared at me for a moment.

“Ahahaha!” He suddenly burst into hearty laughter, “That sounds fun.”

I had known this in the past, but he was a being full of so-called madness. 

Any ordinary person would have felt a sense of repulsion at the idea of killing gods, regardless of whether it was through a summon or not. 

However, he had no complaints about cutting down Asgard or the prospect of his own life disappearing. 

Interest replaced repulsion and fear.

“The only human to ever shatter the world of the gods! Kuku. Just imagining it fills me with ecstasy.” Belmond spoke as he looked at me, “Shall we begin right now?”

My answer was a simple nod.

“Hehe.” He let out a sinister laugh, looking like a wicked villain.

He ran his hand along the blade of the Sword of Genesis. 

Then, an incredible sight followed.

-Flutter!

The rust decorating the sword peeled away, revealing the original blade hidden beneath. 

It was a pure white metal of unknown material, engraved with geometric patterns. 

I had studied countless ancient books, history, and languages, but I could not identify what they were. 

However…

-Whoosh!

The inscriptions on the blade began to glow with colorful light.

“Look at this.” Belmond, who had been smiling just a moment ago, frowned, “Does it really require this much power and life just to manifest a portion of its strength?”

I could feel it. 

A massive amount of life force was being consumed just to release a fraction of the sword’s power.

‘It is more than I anticipated.’

It exceeded my expectations. 

The only variable was…

‘Is it because he is a summoned creature?’

I had believed that Belmond’s power and life force would be enough to handle the Sword of Genesis. 

But there was something I hadn’t considered — the fact that Belmond was a summoned creature. 

A summon is different from a normal living being. 

It is a false life, implemented by the Tower. 

Therefore, he was bound to be slightly different from the Belmond I remembered. 

The margin of error was apparently larger than I thought.

‘He cannot handle the sword alone.’

The conclusion was clear: Belmond could not wield the sword by himself. 

In that case…

“Come.”

As soon as my will reached them…

“Loyalty!”

“Loyalty!”

The Knights who had been summoned by the tickets until now appeared.

“Help Belmond so that he can use the Sword of Genesis.”

If Belmond alone was not enough, I would combine the strength of the other Knights so the sword could be used. 

There was no complaint or refusal. 

The Knights approached Belmond, who was grimacing under the weight of the sword.

“Clack.”

They held the sword together. 

Along with that…

-Flash!

Even the patterns near the hilt, which had not been glowing, were completely drenched in light. 

Only through the sacrifice of five Knights, including Belmond, did they finally gain the qualification to use the sword.

‘I am losing a lot.’

I felt no sentimentality, but I did feel regret. 

It was inevitable, as it meant the sacrifice of the Knights who had been my hands and feet, as well as Belmond, who was to be my new sword. 

But there was no other choice.

‘If I just watch, he will become an uncontrollable being.’

He was already difficult to handle but what if he absorbed the Rank of another god and became an even more perfect being? 

One might think it was a vain delusion. 

But no I knew. 

Taecho, the one who separated from Hundun, had a special authority to devour other divine statuses. 

Although he was currently acting as the King of the Gods, he would soon reveal his true colors and devour other Ranks to become the most perfect god. 

Even if he did not know it himself, Salmora surely did. 

If that happened, I would not be able to handle him even if I regained the power of my prime. 

Before that…

‘I must nip it in the bud.’

Even if it required sacrifice, it could not be helped. 

Destroying Asgard and completely removing the Divine Rank was the only way I could win this disadvantageous fight.

“Oh?”

A voice reached my ears as I was lost in thought. 

Of course, it was Belmond’s.

-Tremble

He was shaking, as if just manifesting the sword’s authority was overwhelming. 

Veins like earthworms bulged on his skin, and cold sweat poured down like rain. 

The great Belmond was straining every nerve just to swing the sword a single time.

“Strike.”

“Okay!”

Without hesitation at my command, he raised the sword vertically. 

The target of his will was Asgard. 

Originally, it was a domain not permitted to Belmond, but by gripping the Sword of Genesis, he was able to expand his reach.

“… Split apart.”

With those words, Ea, the Sword of Genesis, was drawn down vertically. 

He simply let it fall. 

In that moment…

“Boom, rumble!”

I couldn’t hear it, but it felt as if I could. The sound of Asgard, the world of the gods known as the Sky Castle, being annihilated. 

And…

“…..”

I felt the Rank dwelling within me, the Status of Victory, vanish. 

It was unavoidable. 

The power of a Divine Rank could only be exerted because the world of the gods, Asgard, existed. 

It was not merely a world where gods lived, but a medium and a conversion device that allowed a Rank to be emitted as power. 

But if that place disappeared? 

It meant the immediate extinction of the Rank. 

Victory, the earth, war — none could be called gods anymore. 

Everything vanished from Earth completely, as if it had all been an illusion. 

And…

“Please take care of your health!”

“It was an honor to be with Your Majesty.”

The bodies of the Knights who had been with me until now — though they were summons, they had served with total loyalty — began to scatter like dust.

-Sss

The price for destroying Asgard was their extinction. 

That applied to…

“Ahahahaha!”

Belmond was no different. 

Perhaps to prove he was of a different caliber, he held onto his existence until the very end. 

Of course…

-Ssh

The traces of his physical body were gradually disappearing.

“This is more fun than I thought. Destroying the world of gods with only a human body… This is something even you, the Summoner, couldn’t do. Only I could do it. Isn’t that right?”

“That’s right.”

I had to agree. 

Unless I sacrificed my own life, destroying the world of the gods in this manner would have been impossible.

“Wow. That was fun. If my life had been full of such exciting things, I wouldn’t have been so bored….”

I knew. 

The Belmond of the past had been filled with emptiness. 

To fill that void, he had fought the Thousand Year War and attempted to unify the continent.

“… If I had met you earlier, my past might have changed a little….”

As he spoke, Belmond’s body turned completely into dust and scattered into the air. 

I stared at the spot for a brief moment but the sentiment was short-lived.

“Ring, ring!”

An interrupting sound rang out. 

The smartphone in my pocket was vibrating fiercely. 

The name on the LED screen was Kim Chaun.

“What is it?”

Kim Chaun was the only one who knew my contact information. 

However, he rarely reached out. 

If he was calling, it was usually an emergency situation.

“I-It’s a disaster!”

Fittingly, a frantic voice echoed through the receiver.

“Please check the TV, any channel will do.”

He seemed to have judged that it would be better for me to see it myself rather than hear an explanation. 

I immediately turned on the TV in the room.

“… This is a breaking news report! The Church of Creation has declared a holy war against South Korea and Kim Si-won!”

“According to an official, the Order of Victory and South Korea have violated the taboos of the Church of Creation….”

No matter which channel I turned to, there were only news reports about the war.

‘They’re finally moving.’

It was expected. 

It had to happen because Asgard and the Divine Ranks had disappeared. 

This applied not only to me but also to Taecho’s divine status. 

For a church to be maintained, it needed the Rank and blessing of a god, but those had suddenly vanished due to my actions. 

So, what would their next move be?

‘Attack using the people and the Church before they realize the Divine Rank is gone.’

If the news that the Divine Rank had vanished spread through the Church, what would happen? 

Humans driven by self-interest would seek something other than the Church. 

It could be a new power or a different religion. 

But it hadn’t been revealed yet. 

That was why they declared war on me and South Korea, using people as much as possible. 

They framed us with the ridiculous accusation that we had violated the taboos of the Church of Creation. 

However, this method was effective.

— The World Creation Alliance, including the United States, Russia, China, and Japan, has emerged. Their goal is to punish South Korea and Kim Si-won.

The world began to move. 

It was natural. 

Currently, the Church of Creation had spread all over the world, functioning as a state religion.

We had supposedly violated the taboos of a church with such influence.

‘No. Even that is just a pretext.’

From the beginning, it was merely an excellent excuse to strike us. 

Countries like the United States, Russia, China, and Japan were burning with hatred toward South Korea due to past grievances. 

It just so happened that the Church of Creation, which they had established as their state religion, decided to start a war. 

It was a natural progression for them to pretend to be swept up in that flow and launch an attack.

“As if they were waiting, the forces of the World Creation Alliance are heading toward the borders. If we don’t prepare for this….”

Their movements were swift. 

They had already organized their forces and were approaching the South Korean borders from various locations via sea and air. 

But the situation was not good. 

The opponents included Salmora and Taecho — no, the man who had returned as Leon. 

Dealing with them was hard enough, but now the world’s military was involved as well. 

Furthermore, I had now lost all my Knights and my powerful ally, Belmond. 

Even for me, who had read the moves and responded until now, this moment was bound to be quite perplexing. 

However…

“It can’t be helped.”

If the situation was pushed to such an extreme, I had no choice but to pull out the card I had been saving.