In the world created under the 'law' established by Itarim, Suho was completely powerless. A world where all his strength and growth had become 'undone.' But…
Something still remained. Because it was not 'Suho's power.' And because it was a power that could never become Suho's. The 'Masterless Primordial Darkness,' just as its name implied. The one piece that had escaped Itarim's law. Suho reached into the deepest part of his soul, a domain even Itarim could not interfere with.
"Awaken, Kandiaru."
That low voice became an incantation that defied the law.
Fwaaaah—!
The world stopped. All the fanatics who had been surrounding and mocking Suho froze in place. The echo of their ridicule, which had been erupting from their mouths, and the law of Itarim that had been pressing down on Suho, all of it stopped as if it were a lie. All those things gradually faded to white. And the moment the texture of reality vanished…
"…"
When Suho opened his eyes again, he was standing in a familiar space. A pure white horizon with no discernible end. The world of the dead Monarchs.
Precisely, the world of 'Nothingness'
And… beyond the edge of this vast horizon, there was a 'dead Monarch,' standing and staring blankly into the void.
[King of the Demonic Spirits, Monarch of Transfiguration]
No, the spiritual body of 'Kandiaru,' now dead and devoured by the 'Primordial Darkness'… was looking around with a hollow expression and muttering.
[…This place is.]
'Where am I? Why am I here?'
Kandiaru searched his memories. He had certainly been… an apostle of the Outer God, facing the son of the Shadow Monarch. He was just about to seize the body of that damned son of Sung Jinwoo and make it his immortal vessel. But the next moment, all his memories were cut off. And now, he had awakened in this unidentified space. Only now did he realize that his body had turned into a transparent spiritual form. It was then…
[You bastard!]
Kandiaru finally spotted Sung Suho standing before him. At that moment, his last severed memory vividly revived.
Nidhogg. The billions of humans flying towards him. The moment his infinite barrier was torn to shreds by that immense energy. The black flames of destruction that pierced his heart. And at its center, Sung Suho's cool gaze.
[You! You killed me!]
Ruuuumble!
The dead Monarch's resentment burned the pure white space like a flame. Immortality! The dream he had dedicated his entire life to had been shattered once by Sung Jinwoo, and now again by his son.
[Why! Why do you and your father interfere with my eternal life!]
A magic circle full of killing intent instantly surrounded Suho. But, with his arms crossed, Suho silently received all that fury. It was a familiar sight, yet different from before. Because the current Suho was the true master of this world.
"Is that all for your last words?"
Suho's provocation pushed Kandiaru's anger to its peak.
[What did you say!]
But just before his attack could reach, a single phrase stopped everything.
"I will make you an immortal being."
Kandiaru's magic stopped right before Suho's nose.
[…What nonsense is that.]
"Your wish, I'll grant it."
[Ha.]
At those audacious words, Kandiaru scoffed. And in an instant, the smile vanished from his face, his two eyes shot forward, right up to Suho's nose. He gritted his teeth, glaring into Suho's eyes.
[Do you know? Monarchs originally have no shadow. That is why even your great father, the Shadow Monarch, cannot command them as his subordinates. When a Monarch dies, he simply returns to 'Nothingness'. Yet the likes of you? You think such a thing is possible? Something even your father cannot do, you dare?]
Despite Kandiaru's blatant mockery, Suho leisurely nodded.
"True. I am not my father. I cannot become like him, nor do I intend to. It's impossible anyway."
Suho shrugged calmly and continued.
"Because my father is above me, even if I diligently use the level-up system you created, I can never become the Shadow Monarch."
[…!]
The more Suho spoke, the more violently Kandiaru's pupils began to tremble. Because what Suho was saying was a story that precisely pierced through Kandiaru's own life. Reading his expression, Suho smirked.
"Why that face? A bit similar? To your life, spent as the eternal second-in-command. But the end is different. I'll acknowledge it. You still achieved your dream, didn't you? Though you're dead now, you succeeded, even for a moment, in becoming the Monarch of Transfiguration, through your own devoted efforts."
[…Wrong.]
Kandiaru gritted his teeth and retorted. His voice was like that of a racehorse, exhausted at the end of an endless race.
[My dream was not to become a Monarch. What I desire is only immortality. That is why, even if not as a Monarch, even as an apostle of an Outer God…]
"Yes! That's exactly what I wanted to hear!"
Suho cut off Kandiaru's words. And grinning wickedly, he asked.
"So you're saying, as long as it's eternal and immortal, it doesn't matter what form you take, even if not that of a Monarch?"
[What? What on earth are you trying to say…]
At the confusion in Kandiaru's eyes, Suho proudly clenched his fist and beat his chest.
"In that sense, let me reintroduce myself."
And the self-introduction began.
"My name is Sung Suho. My hobby is drawing. My class is 'Guardian of the World Tree, Monarch of Transcendence,' and also 'Shadow of the Dead World Tree.' And my specialty is…"
Suho's smile grew ever deeper.
"…disturbing the eternal rest of dead Monarchs, which even my father can never awaken."
[…!]
At that moment, Suho extended the fist that had been clenched to his chest and offered it to Kandiaru, making an irresistible proposal.
"Now, I propose again. That dream you couldn't achieve in life, you can achieve it with me. As long as you don't care what form it takes."
[…]
Kandiaru fell silent. His pupils wavered violently between greed, suspicion, and a sliver of hope. Eternal immortality. Before that obsessive desire, the disgrace of joining hands with the enemy who had killed him was nothing.
[…Fine. That proposal, I accept.]
Kandiaru smiled sinisterly, extending his own fist and bumping it against Suho's.
"A wise choice."
Suho's and Kandiaru's gazes crossed in mid-air.
"Then let's begin right away."
Suho declared, his gaze serious, as their fists remained touching.
"Oh, Masterless Primordial Darkness. I, Sung Suho, the 'Shadow of the Dead World Tree,' command thee: return to 'Nidhogg.' Waiting until your next master appears, for all eternity."
That declaration became an 'authority.'
[There will be no next. If one appears, I will bite and kill them all.]
Kandiaru chuckled, his eyes sinister.
At that moment.
Fwaaaaaah—!
The 'pure white world' surrounding him, no, the 'Shadow of the World Tree,' collapsed inwards, engulfing the dead Kandiaru.
Kwaaaaaaa—!
A pure white vortex raged violently, centered on him. In that spot, the dead Monarch Kandiaru no longer existed. Instead, there was…
[Nidhogg, the Serpent that Gnaws at the Roots of the World Tree]
Grwoooooooar—!
Grwoooooooar—!
A giant serpent with pure white scales. Nidhogg, with only one head containing the 'Primordial Darkness,' looked down at Suho, boasting its great majesty.
But it was different from the Nidhogg that had existed only as a beast of instinct until now. The Primordial Darkness, the dead Monarch Kandiaru. He had come to rule as the one and only head of Nidhogg, under the blessing of the 'Guardian of the World Tree, Monarch of Transcendence.'
Suho looked up at the giant serpent and shrugged.
"What to do? The World Tree you're supposed to gnaw on is already dead."
[Then reviving it first would be the proper order.]
From within Nidhogg, 'Kandiaru' chuckled, flicking his long tongue. With a voice dripping with killing intent.
[To raise the World Tree so I can gnaw on it forever, I will need a great deal of nutrients. For instance…]
The corners of Nidhogg's massive mouth stretched wide, forming a heinous smile.
"A god, perhaps?"
Joining in, Suho also grinned wickedly. And he spoke, his cool eyes flashing.
"Our goals have finally aligned. Shall we go then?"
At that moment.
Flash!
The stopped time began to move again, violently. In a brief moment. In the instant of a single blink, a change occurred. The Itarim's eyes widened. An unbelievable thing had happened.
[How?]
Within the perfect prison he had created, Sung Suho, now draped in a pure white shadow of 'Nidhogg' like a scarf, was glaring at him. But, instead of answering Itarim's question, he asked…
"Do you see it, Kandiaru?"
[Disappointing. A hastily made world, too many flaws.]
Kandiaru clicked his tongue. The Itarim was a creator. Therefore, if they wanted to fight, they would create weapons to fight for them; but to create, they would first make tools to design for them. Because that was more efficient. In that sense, Kandiaru was the most high-performance 'architect' among the creatures created by a god.
[Design, begin.]
Pabababababababat!
Following Kandiaru's will, numerous magic circles unfolded simultaneously around Suho. They spun like cogs, beginning to overwrite the 'law' created by Itarim with a 'new law.' To describe this process in human terms…
Ting!
[Hacking the system.]
"Oh, what a welcome sight."
Suho felt a sense of gladness seeing the system message begin to appear before his eyes again. In contrast, Itarim's face turned crimson with rage.
[How dare you! The law I created…!]
Boom!
Itarim's rage destroyed a portion of Kandiaru's magic circles. However, he did not stop.
[What do you think, Sung Suho?]
Kandiaru whispered like a demon.
[Drawing a picture and ruining it. Which is easier?]
Ting! Ting! Ting!
[Hacking the system.]
[Hacking the system.]
[Hacking the system.]
[The answer is tearing the picture.]
Craaack—!
Finally, a crack formed in the perfect world.
[You humans call that a 'Gate,' I believe.]
Crrrrack—!
[Hacking successful.]
In the world the Itarim itself had created, a small hole was finally pierced.
And from beyond that hole…
A jet-black hand, contrasting with the clear and radiant sky, suddenly shot out. Two hands blazing with black steam grabbed the edges of the crack, struggling to crawl this way, roaring like an angry beast.
[Kieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!]
"He made it."
Looking up at the sight, Suho smiled in welcome.
[Young Masterrrr—!]
Crack! Crrrrack!
A crack, once started, grew uncontrollably. The peaceful sky began to fissure like a spiderweb.
[This cannot be!]
At that sight, Itarim's form suddenly vanished. Suho saw it. The peaceful lecture hall transforming into a cave covered in hideous slime, the brightly smiling students turning into horrific monsters, then reverting back.
[A hastily made world is ultimately like this. Just changing the shell of the existing structure.]
As Kandiaru said, Itarim was short on time.
[If that thing had more time, even I would have struggled. But with just this much, the fun of breaking it is quite rewarding.]
Shwaaaaaaak—
Kandiaru swelled his form from within Suho's body. He opened his maw wide towards the sky and roared.
Grwooooooooooo—!
A black beam of light shot out in a straight line.
[Sorcery is complex, but the principles are simple. First, make a crack, then hit it hard.]
The target of that beam was precisely the dimensional rift Beru was squeezing through.
[With this, the architect's role is over. Next, it's the weapons' turn.]
Kwaaaaaang—!
Darkness exploded. And bursting from that breach…
[Kieeeeeeeek!]
Beru descended like a thunderbolt, landing in front of Suho.
Boom—!
[Young Master. Marshal Beru has arrived. From now on, this humble servant shall….]
Beru slowly raised his body. Blazing with black energy, he declared with a ferocity more deadly than ever before.
[…beat the living daylights out of this damned false god.]
Ruuuumble!