Prologue (1/2)
They say one's life is a continuation of choices. But if the end was predetermined from the beginning, what significance did these 'choices' have?
The world was headed towards its destruction, and I had tried to impede the inevitable with all my might. I survived in the battlefield where I should have been killed dozens, even hundreds of times while cutting down those who stood in my path.
From a certain moment, people started calling me a hero, because I was able to single-handedly prevent the descent of the Demon Lord.
The ultimate hero, Oh Hansung.
But the Demon Lord was only the beginning. Even more powerful beings were crouching within the abyss. The end had already been predetermined from the beginning. Furthermore, monsters from the abyss weren't the only trouble we had.
Enemies from within. Alethea, the evil doctrine.
”Sir, that is the holy ground of the Order of Alethea.”
There was a colossal tower standing in between the mountains.
I nodded my head. This long game of hide-and-seek would finally come to an end.
”It took us a time span of a decade to find this place. Please give us the command.”
Whoos.h.!.+
A rough gust of wind blew.
On board the Ark, the behemothic vessel, I slowly opened my mouth. Behind me were a thousand silver knights awaiting my command. Alethea. Vermin-like existences who were rearing monsters from the abyss to attack humanity.
If we wipe these worms out today, mankind would be preserved by at least another year. Today, they will be annihilated.
Throwing myself from the s.h.i.+p's railing, I uttered.
”Destroy…. Them all.”
Inside the interior of the spear-shaped tower that was seemingly reaching the skies.
On top of the tower that took thousands of dead bodies' to build, a man who was impaled on both hands by a nail could be seen.
The priests around him were in the middle of memorizing prayers while drawing a figure of a circle.
”We were given permission by Cronos himself! Do you really think you can stop us!”
The head priest screamed towards me who had slaughtered a plethora of monsters on the way here. They were full of confidence towards us even though we had arrived in front of their doorstep.
I soon realized where their confidence was stemming from.
Krrrrr!
Kuuuaahhhh!
A black dragon rose from beneath the altar with its behemoth wings and appeared before us.
A Demon Dragon!
I clicked my tongue. These b.a.s.t.a.r.ds were crazy enough to breed even a dragon. Demon Dragons, in particular, were the most powerful amongst the various dragon races. It would be difficult to say the least for my warriors and me to handle that clash with that dragon.
'I will not die.'
However, I firmly shook my head.
If I was destined to be killed by a mere Demon Dragon, I wouldn't have been able to kill the seemingly invincible Demon Lord.
But I didn't die.
If so, I would surely not die today.
Swiing!
I raised a blade in my right hand and galvanized the magic of the temple in my left.
”Wait.”
The man who was tied in the middle of the altar, Mins.h.i.+k, a friend who remembers me, and also the last friend I remember.
I had a rough idea of what was going on. He was chosen to be Alethea's human sacrifice!
Wiggle!
Mins.h.i.+k's body moved as if he heard my voice. That was enough. As long as he was living, it was enough.
”Oh Demon Dragon! Kill these heretics!”
Zziiiiiik!
I materialized the power of lightning in my hand as soon as the priest finished speaking. A Demon Dragon's main weakness was its vulnerability to lightning.
As I channeled the power of lightning into my sword, the blade began to flow with currents of electricity and exuded a powerful aura.
'I, will not die.'
I leaped towards the Demon Dragon.
My entire body was soaked in blood, and my consciousness was on the verge of fading out.
After killing the Demon Dragon and slaughtering every last priest, not even half of my silver knights were remaining. But we won.
The sacrificial ceremony had been prevented. However, my eyes burned in fury. I walked over to Mins.h.i.+k, the man who was tied in the middle of the altar, to listen to his dying words.
'This d.a.m.ned curse… He won't make it'
Amongst my followers, there were those who had the ability to heal, but when I saw the face of Kronos engraved onto Mins.h.i.+k's heart, I shook my head. The curse had altered his body beyond repair; even I had never seen a curse of this magnitude before. Why would the religious fanatics of the temple choose Mins.h.i.+k as the human sacrifice?
”Sorry….. I'm sorry…..”
This was Mins.h.i.+k.
He was still alive, but the flames of life were already dwindling.
”What are you sorry for?”
”Everything. If our G.o.d reversed the flow of time, I wanted to be a greater hero thanyouu…”
”Time cannot be reversed.”
”You… never know.”
With that, Mins.h.i.+k forcefully smiled. I could not return the grin.
”You have not paid the price for your sins yet. It's too early for you to die.”
He was originally a kind person. But he changed after joining Alethea. Mins.h.i.+k had personally raised monsters himself using them to attack civilians. There was no room for compa.s.sion here. Mins.h.i.+k extended his hands and touched my cheeks, as if he was pa.s.sing his dying will to me.
”If I were to be born again… I will not live with any regrets again. Every sin that I committed in this lifetime, I will pay back.”
I did not answer.
Mins.h.i.+k opened his mouth again.
”Hansung… You were my hero and a role model that I have always looked up to. I always envied you… Almost too much envy…”
I understood. It was understandable to envy a friend who seemed to be a stark contrast from themselves.
”Everything I did was foolish. I'm… really sorry….”
Thump!
His hands fell to the ground; his heartbeat stopped beating. My friend was… dead.
'Hansung, Lord Kronos will reverse time for me. I will go back. I will go back and be a hero like you.'
'Did you think I came into this place of my own free will? I want to s.h.i.+ne like you!!! Hansung, I have no other options if a worthless man like myself were to survive in this G.o.d forsaken world'
The last I saw him was five years ago. He was a villain. A common mid level boss, if you will. At that time, he said this to me. 'Lord Chronos will return you back in time and grant infinite glory to you if wors.h.i.+p him and sacrifice everything you have.' I told him to stop babbling and wake up to reality, but his desire to become a hero still remain.
”.... Yeah, I hope you will be a hero.”
I carefully placed Mins.h.i.+k's body on the ground.
”Boss.”
I turned my head to see one of my warriors who was covered in blood. His sword was mottled with spots of flesh and fur.
”We have to take care of the remaining monsters and return as fast as we can. The President called for our service.”
”What President?”
I crinkled my eyebrows.
”John Bross, the president of World United. He requested us to stop the Level 9 calamity that appeared in LA. The situation over there is code 'Andanius'.”
How long had it been since we've attacked the Holy land of Alethea? Still, we were ordered again to take part in another battle. The world was uncaring; there was no rest for us. I couldn't help but smile.
”Level 9? LA will be destroyed in 3 hours.”
”We do not have time to discuss this. The only one who can prevent a Level 9 calamity is the hero, Oh Hansung.”