At the peak of Mount Okkyung, in the highest of the Thirty-Six Heavens, a figure sat cross-legged in silence. His black hair and eyes blended into the midnight robe he wore, giving him the presence of a living shadow. The air around him was heavy, as though the world itself bowed under his existence.
Before him stood three divine beings — the Primordial Heavenly Lord, the Queen Mother of the West, and the Jade Emperor. They observed him with unease. Though outwardly calm, the man was no ordinary mortal. He was Lee Seong-jun, once human, now feared across realms as the Demon God.
His legend was unmatched. In only a few decades, he had risen from an ordinary Earth-born mortal to a conqueror of continents, a being who shattered boundaries and stormed the heavens themselves. Against gods and immortals alike, he stood unyielding, his strength still growing even now.
The three gods had gathered not to battle him, but to bargain. For years they had sought a way to open the dimensional gate to Earth — the home Lee Seong-jun had longed to return to.
When told it was finally possible, his calm façade nearly cracked. The thought of returning to Earth, to his family, filled him with restless energy. Memories of his past flooded back: quarrels with loved ones, his reckless youth, and the bitter regret of leaving home with harsh words. For forty-five years he had carried that guilt. Now, he had a chance to set things right.
But the path demanded a price. To cross the dimensional gate, he would have to give up everything — his overwhelming strength, his divine power, his very identity as the Demon God.
The gods described it as shedding an old shell, a rebirth that could open the way to even greater heights in the future. For others, such a cost would be unbearable. For Lee Seong-jun, it was simple. He had power, wealth, and fearsome authority, but none of it was real compared to the warmth of his family. To reclaim that, he would surrender everything.
Three divine beads, shimmering with strange light, were handed to him. He poured his energy into them, just as instructed. At once, the heavens trembled. His power, vast and immeasurable, surged like a storm that even the gods could scarcely endure. They realized then how little they had understood the abyss standing before them.
The beads absorbed his strength, but not without resistance. Energy clashed violently within him, threatening to tear him apart. Gritting his teeth, Lee Seong-jun forced the raging powers to submit, bending them to his will. At last, the three beads united as one, creating a rift in space.
Through the crack in reality appeared a familiar sight — a blue planet, shining like a jewel in the void.
Earth.
Drawn by its pull, Lee Seong-jun surrendered himself to the torrent. His body was swallowed by the gate, his power sacrificed, his identity reset.
But in his heart, there was only triumph.
After decades of war, conquest, and god-slaying ascension, the Demon God was finally going home.