Chapter 123 :

Chapter 123. Eternal Randolph

Fwoooosh!

Flames ignited from my chest.

Instantly the fire spread throughout my entire body.

‘This fire is······.’

But I was puzzled.

The fire’s identity. The truth behind what was burning me as it consumed itself.

Because this was undoubtedly the precious soul harvested by the reapers when they killed someone.

Also called the ‘Fire of the Sinner.’

But the new message called that same fire ‘the Fire of Life.’

The Fire of the Sinner cannot become the Fire of Life.

Its very nature had changed.

And if such a change was possible, then undoubtedly—

‘Don’t tell me Hel ate it and spat it out?’

······ The only reason I could even guess that was because of Hel’s influence.

When Hel ate it and spat it out, the other orthodox beings recoiled and avoided the fire.

It wasn’t just a matter of “eat and spit controversy.”

It wasn’t because it was filthy.

Its nature had changed into something they could no longer “consume.”

And by consuming this altered fire, the hidden trait

‘Eternal Randolph’ activated······.

‘Mystery Destruction evolved the Heart of the Iron-Blooded Monarch into the Heart of the Eternal Monarch.’

The functions of Eternal Randolph.

I thought that was everything.

Honestly, those two alone were already enormous benefits.

Destroying the mysteries of all monsters regardless of grade, and the Heart of the Eternal Monarch erased ‘conditions’ within dungeons.

It was hard enough to imagine anything more.

‘··· But those two weren’t everything. There was a third function.’

And it activated only upon death.

Only now did I understand why it was called Eternal Randolph.

As my entire body burned by the Fire of Life, I finally turned to ash.

At that moment—

Twitch!

From the black ash, the transformation began.

【‘Heavenly’ raises its head.】

【‘Mutation’ opens its eyes.】

【‘Great Sage’ gazes.】

【‘Emptiness’ flares its nostrils.】

【‘Beast Lord’ sniffs.】

【‘Glutton’ opens its mouth.】

【‘High Druid of Great Nature’ sings.】

【‘Dexterity’ reaches out its hand.】

【‘Weapon Master’ grips the heart.】

【‘Heart of the Eternal Monarch’ beats violently.】

【‘Giant’s Magic Resistance’ rises.】

【‘All-master’ begins to run.】

【‘Golden Grace’ stabilizes the center.】

【‘Eternal Randolph’ begins Immortality.】

***

A black barrier surrounding Jeju Island.

Warriors gathered around the area that had swallowed the entire region.

The Leader of the Hero Alliance, Park Tae-woo, as well.

On the deck of a massive ship—

“Even the ‘Projection’ ability user can’t see inside, Alliance Leader.”

“‘Mirror of Penetration’ too. Nothing shows.”

Park Tae-woo clenched his fist and bit his lip.

It was already day 16.

Ever since Baal became ‘the one who is the abyss itself,’ and the warp engulfed Jeju Island, there had been no progress.

All communications were cut.

Entering from outside was impossible.

No one knew what was happening inside.

‘Do we just keep watching like this?’

Damn it.

Even if they said to abandon Jeju Island, not like this.

He was preparing a rescue unit to save whoever they could.

But before they could even begin the rescue, this happened.

‘It’s my mistake.’

His mistake.

He couldn’t hide it.

When he found the crimson warp, he should have announced it and formed a plan.

‘If only I hadn’t hidden it back then······.’

More people would’ve escaped Jeju.

But regrets came too late.

Regretting now wouldn’t change reality.

“What about the investigation?”

When Park Tae-woo asked, the vice-leader replied:

“We couldn’t make contact. Gracia’s associates completely blocked Korea’s link access.”

Link blockage.

In short, access was prevented entirely.

“So we can’t even confirm if he’s alive or dead?”

“Yes······ no related announcement either.”

Park Tae-woo simply wanted to know whether Gracia lived.

If his ‘real body,’ which sank into the abyss at Cartel, was alive, then the people of Jeju might be alive too.

“What about the others? Gracia wasn’t the only participant in Cartel, was he?”

“All twelve we identified— dead.”

“······.”

Despair.

It meant their real bodies on Earth had died.

They sank into the abyss and died.

The deputy added:

“We’re still checking foreign cases through different routes but······.”

“Not easy, I assume.”

“No. But we heard something strange from reporter Kim Hana.”

Kim Hana.

The journalist who threw herself into anything related to Dimension Warriors.

She was the first person to publicly mention ‘Randolph.’

A troublesome figure for players, someone they avoided.

“Speak.”

“She said the ‘Hermit’ is alive. And that the people of Jeju are alive too. She keeps trying to contact us.”

“That ‘Hermit’— who is it?”

“She said she cannot reveal that.”

“Even in this situation?”

“She swore she would not reveal their identity even if she herself died.”

A vow?

Did the hermit have leverage on her?

But words alone weren’t enough.

Without proof, it was no different from a conspiracy theory.

“··· Alliance Leader. The government is telling us to retreat.”

“······ Already?”

“Yes. They’re ordering us to establish a defensive line at Wando and prepare for what comes next.”

“They’re giving up on Jeju then.”

His mouth tasted bitter.

To abandon Jeju.

For 16 days, he hadn’t taken his eyes off Jeju even once.

Because he believed everything was his fault.

“······ But not yet. Even if I retreat later, I at least have to meet reporter Kim Hana first.”

If he could confirm the hermit was alive, it meant the people of Jeju were alive.

He had to confirm it.

“Yes. I’ll bring reporter Kim Hana quietly.”

***

Kim Hana swallowed nervously.

All civilians except soldiers and Dimension Warriors were forbidden from approaching Jeju.

Even reporters were no exception.

But Park Tae-woo secretly brought her in.

“You confirmed the ‘Hermit’ is alive?”

When Park Tae-woo asked while serving coffee,

“······ Yes. And many people on Jeju are alive as well.”

She answered firmly.

Alive. Hope must not be abandoned.

Park Tae-woo spoke bitterly.

“I hope so too, but the government wants us to retreat.”

Kim Hana’s eyes widened.

“T-the government? How could they······.”

“Because a surviving Korean Peninsula is more important than a vanished Jeju.”

“······.”

Kim Hana was speechless.

She never thought the government would decide that on day 16.

Even if the people of Jeju survived, they’d need a fast rescue team.

They were pulling back all forces?

“And most people believe Jeju has been ‘lost.’ The government’s decision is realistic in a sense.”

Most had already accepted Jeju was gone.

Only Park Tae-woo hadn’t given up.

Then he spoke quietly:

“······ If only I could confirm that ‘Hermit’ with my own eyes.”

But Kim Hana shook her head.

“That’s··· impossible.”

“Why? If you let me verify the hermit is alive, we won’t have to withdraw.”

In Pangaenia, death meant real death.

If the hermit was alive even after sinking into the abyss with Baal, then their body on Earth must also be alive.

That proof could keep the front line in place.

“Instead, I’ll give you other information.”

“··· Something more compelling?”

Kim Hana nodded, then pulled a ‘book’ from her coat with a hardened expression.

“What’s happening inside. And why you must not withdraw the front line now.”

······ What in that book?

Receiving it, Park Tae-woo quickly flipped through the diary-like entries.

***

–Day 1

After the clash of the giant monsters, the next day. People clustered together, preparing for whatever might come.

A few surviving ‘Bell of Curse’ monsters began harassing people.

–Day 2

Upon waking, all ‘Bell of Curse’ monsters were gone.

But on that desolate land, people were still in confusion.

Because they witnessed the headless body of the ill omen being absorbed by ‘Baal.’

–Day 3

The surviving warriors gathered to attack Baal.

Led by Gracia. But they couldn’t inflict even a scratch on Baal’s outer shell.

–Day 4

I confirmed the end of the abyss.

And the fact that there was no way out as well.

-6th day

A wasteland. A place with no water, no food.

People had reached their limits.

At this rate, hundreds of thousands might end up devouring one another.

And Baal absorbed the entire body of the Death Omen.

I have a bad feeling about this.

-8th day.

Gooooo.

Early morning, accompanied by a strange sound.

… Baal awakened.

After being further drenched in the Death Omen’s ominousness.

But something is strange.

The awakened Baal wandered inside the abyss for a long time.

-9th day

Since yesterday, Baal had been injuring himself or screaming.

Gracia bravely approached and managed to check Baal’s condition.

She said it felt like something inside him was fighting.

Could it be some sort of identity split?

-15th day

After thrashing around for a long while, Baal stopped again.

He collapsed, gasped for breath, then began to melt.

So, did he die?

But he had not died.

He had finished evolving.

The one who was the abyss itself, descending further into an even deeper abyss.

…… But what is that?

Baal’s stomach split open, and from within appeared a black egg.

Could it be that when that thing hatches, everything truly ends?

One thing is certain: since that egg appeared, the “veil” surrounding the abyss has begun to collapse.

Maybe we can escape from here.

……

***

The Fourth Evil, Baal.

The being called an Evil God, a calamity in itself.

Right now, he was being “eaten.”

-Crunch! crunch!

By something bearing a sinister form.

But such a thing should be impossible.

Whenever Baal faced a mortal threat, his “hidden thing” would burst out and slaughter the opponent.

And yet even after killing them, how did that enemy come back alive?

Baal could no longer resist.

Since the first moment he encountered “it” within, it had been devouring him greedily.

Something human, yet not human.

Even Baal, who had seen countless horrors, experienced this for the first time.

The moment he encountered it, Baal could not fight back.

It was like a god, yet even more terrifying.

Something more dreadful than himself—who was called life and curse incarnate, the Evil God.

Baal had everything stolen away from him.

《The Glutton has devoured ‘Evil God Baal’.》

《The Glutton has devoured ‘Baal’s Core’.》

《Devouring complete.》

《‘Trait Evolution’ is beginning.》

Devouring: complete.

Just as he once became the king of corpse crows and then the monstrous Death Omen—

“it” inherited all of Baal’s traits.

But that wasn’t all.

Not every part of Baal had vanished yet.

The last thing remaining—“Baal’s soul,” that massive flame of spirit—

-kyahahahaha!

Hel sucked it in as if savoring the taste.

All of it. Without a single bit wasted.

《‘Hel’, having finished the meal, begins evolving.》

《Evolution complete.》

《You have obtained ‘Evil God’s Death Power’!》

At last, a pair of wings sprouted from Hel’s back.