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“What?” Byeok doubted her own ears when Chi-Hyun visited her late in the night. “What did you just say?”

“It is just as I said,” Chi-Hyun responded calmly. “With the end of this war, it seems I will have to make my exit.”

“Exit?”

“Perhaps it could happen in the middle of the war.”

“What do you mean…by a sudden exit…?” Byeok appeared flustered by the sudden revelation.

“Who knows? Perhaps it will be the end or death.”

“Aren’t those the same thing?”

“It can’t be helped.” Chi-Hyun shrugged. It wasn’t that he would exit of his own will, but that he would be forced to. In other words, it was out of his control. Byeok’s lips quivered, not knowing what to say. How could even a hero called the legend not do anything about his end? How tough and hard was the war ahead of them exactly? The thought of it made Byeok shudder.

“But I’m still looking forward to it,” Chi-Hyun said nonchalantly. “Usually, there’s no better cliché than a family member’s sacrifice to make a hero awaken new power.”

Byeok frowned. What was he going on about now? But before she could ask, she saw Chi-Hyun rise to his feet, like he had said all he had come to say.

“But what about you!” Byeok asked and pursed her lips again. Given she was one of the very few privy to his background, underlying her few simple words were many hidden meanings. Chi-Hyun also knew what she was trying to say.

“…Who knows?” Chi-Hyun let out a deep sigh. Chi-Woo’s will was firm and definite. Though he had tried to reverse his brother’s decision many times before, it was difficult to do so. In the end, everything happened as Princess Sahee had said it would. The flow couldn’t be stopped, and it was up to Chi-Woo to decide what would happen next. But because Chi-Woo had made up his mind, the reason for Chi-Hyun’s existence had now disappeared. What had been pushing Chi-Hyun forward continuously finally stopped, and it was now time for the actor to step down from the stage after finishing his role.

“I don’t believe in gods, but…” Chi-Hyun was aware that gods existed, but he also knew that they weren’t omnipotent. After all, even Princess Sahee couldn’t do anything about his situation.

“But if there’s some transcendent being who we don’t know of somewhere in this universe, who would take some pity on us…” Chi-Hyun continued, “Then, I may make a little wish.” But as if he knew that there was no way that would happen, Chi-Hyun walked away with a bitter smile. As Chi-Hyun moved farther away, Byeok couldn’t say anything to make him turn around. It was because from the back, it looked like Chi-Hyun was resolute and determined to shoulder everything.

***

Like how the sun in the middle of the sky slowly crawled downward eventually, the light that made up Chi-Hyun sprang up in one ray of light before splitting into two. Soon, the light beams fell apart like snowballs and scattered away. The dazzling, bright light danced in the air and flew high up into the sky, getting swept by the wind. It flew far up until it disappeared from view. Chi-Woo looked at the scene in a daze and stood still like a boulder. The hands that had been supporting his brother only a few moments ago trembled. His arms felt empty now as he could no longer feel the weight of a slumping body. He also no longer felt the unknown heat that had warmed up his hands. He didn’t feel anything. After realizing this fact, Chi-Woo’s arms drooped.

Chi-Hyun had told him that though he had destroyed the nest, things weren’t over yet. With their future lost, the Sernitas would run berserk, so Chi-Woo shouldn’t let down his guard. Yet the current Chi-Woo couldn’t think. Nothing came to his mind, and with his mouth agape, he simply stared at the sky where the light that made up Chi-Hyun had disappeared into. Meanwhile, the Sernitas were making their preparations to run wild on the turbulent battlefield, as Chi-Hyun had warned him.

The Sernitas had wandered numerous planets with the consciousnesses they absorbed as one body for one grand goal. But because of Chi-Hyun, this goal was destroyed forever like a dream that came and went in the middle of the night. They were so close. They just needed to take a step or half a step further, but in the end, the Sernitas failed to bridge that little gap. Now, that there was nothing for them to strive for, they only had one choice left: to go crazy.

They lost all sanity because the goal that had been within their reach turned to nothing all of a sudden. And all that rage and vengeance headed for one person, Chi-Woo. If they couldn’t have him, they would destroy him. The Sernitas, whose forms had been crushed by Chi-Woo’s outburst, rose again and looked at Chi-Woo one by one. Near Chi-Woo, Sernitas, in the form of golems surpassing 10 meters in height, emerged and lifted their feet. These golems were advanced technology developed with the intention to reach a god like the Babel tower; but in the end, they lost to the Sernitas and were absorbed by them.

And as such golems rose their feet toward Chi-Woo, Chi-Woo didn’t show the slightest stir. Even as a giant shadow cast over him, he stayed on his knees, his fingers not even twitching. It appeared he would remain like this. It wasn’t that he was despairing or giving up on everything. His head was in a completely blank state because the shock was so great that he couldn’t accept reality. And when the golem’s feet were about to hit Chi-Woo’s face—

Booom! With a loud collision, thick white smoke puffed up from the sheer impact. Amid the flowing smoke, a thick, ashy leg came into view. A semi-transparent barrier had formed around Chi-Woo to block the attack even though a long crack had been left on its surface. While extending one arm, a trickle of blood streaked down Evelyn’s lips. She swallowed her blood and shouted at the top of her lungs.

“Proooootect!” Simultaneously, a group including Ru Amuh rushed past Chi-Woo toward the incoming Sernitas. The Seven Stars came to protect Chi-Woo. Swing. Ru Amuh’s sharp air blades sliced through one golem’s thick thighs. The golem lost its balance and was tilting when Yunael climbed over it.

“Haaaa!” She rode on top of the golem’s hard metal surface while twirling her spear with both hands and struck down on the golem. Though she failed to destroy its head with her spear, the golem soon wavered and toppled over. Boom! The weight shook the ground, and Apoline quickly rose and conjured fire all over the golem. Soon, a fearsome bang and explosion erupted from the golem’s body. They managed to destroy one golem, but that was only one enemy. The Sernitas were running berserk, and their number was limitless as they swept in like waves. But with the fall of this golem, the temporary standstill between the alliance of humanity and the League and the Sernitas came to a stop, and the war recommenced.

It wasn’t just Chi-Woo. Everyone saw Chi-Hyun turn into a cluster of lights and scatter away. Like Chi-Woo, they couldn’t believe it and didn’t want to accept the truth. If they could, they wanted to get on their knees and wail while striking the ground. But the situation didn’t allow for it. Though Chi-Hyun had disappeared, Chi-Woo was still alive. Chi-Woo was a member of the Choi family and the legend’s blood-related sibling. They believed that Chi-Woo could resolve the situation.

Thus, the rest of humanity and the League, including the Seven Stars, rushed forward to protect Chi-Woo from the incoming Sernitas. The battlefield was filled with screams, explosions, and great chaos, and eventually, the battle tilted toward one side—the Sernitas. It was only expected. Humanity and the League had already suffered significant damages after facing the Demon Empire, the Abyss, and the Cassiubia main force. And when the Sernitas began to run berserk, their forces on the battlefield became incomparably more powerful.

The Sernitas’ forces were made up of existences that were considered the most valuable in their respective worlds, and furthermore, they had been upgraded with the information the Sernitas already possessed. And among their forces, there were plenty of beings even the heroes, whose work had taken them all over the universe, were seeing for the first time. To make a comparison, it was as if each and every one of the Sernitas was on the level of Ru Amuh. As a result, humanity and the League were getting one-sidedly beaten.

“Ahhhh!” There was Eshnunna getting thrown away, unable to resist the crazed King of Spirits any longer.

“What…?” Yeriel shuddered when she saw a magic cannon crackle with considerable currents with the slightest touch. “What the hell…?” Her eyes quivered as she looked up at the sky and saw it filled from corner to corner with spaceships. When each of them glowed with a bright red light, she cried out, “Isn’t this toooo much—!”

Boooom! As soon as the cannons boomed, Yeriel flew off as the stage she was standing on was hit by a series of merciless explosions. A giant mushroom cloud rose from the back, and Ru Amuh turned around in reflex after having fought senselessly the whole time. The Sernitas didn’t miss that opening and blasted a laser beam at him.

Ziiiing! Ru Amuh had been sweeping through the battlefield at a speed faster than light. But the moment he turned back to see what was happening, the laser beam penetrated through his chest like paper. Ru Hiana screamed seeing Ru Amuh fall, and hearing this noise, Evelyn’s expression grew even more anxious. Even the trustworthy Ru Amuh failed to endure longer and fell. However, Evelyn didn’t have the luxury to worry about anyone else. In front of her, a giant cross fell and pierced the ground. Unable to even make a scream, she flew into the air and rolled around.

She barely managed to raise her head and saw a holy angel blowing a trumpet in the air while shedding tears of blood. Evelyn didn’t know which planet this angel belonged to, but the universe was surely large and vast. In all aspects, this was an opponent superior to her in abilities. Feeling herself reaching her limits, Evelyn dug her fingers into the ground and gathered a clump of soil. Though she had expected this to happen, the situation was really on another level to deal with. At this rate, it seemed obvious that they would lose.

There was only one person who could turn the tide. Evelyn worried her lip between her teeth and looked below. With her head tilted, she could see that Chi-Woo appeared the same as before. He was kneeling on the ground with his arms slumped to his sides, staring up at the sky blankly with his mouth gaping and a dazed look in his eyes.

“Chi-Woo…” Evelyn extended her shaking arms.

Truthfully, it wasn’t as if Chi-Woo didn’t know what was happening. Though he wasn’t actively observing the situation, his senses were passing on information about his surroundings to him. He sensed Emmanuel, who only had half of his body left after a grotesque alien creature covered and melted him with an acidic substance. There was Yunael, who was resisting with all her might by swinging her spear, but the lower part of her body was already inside a bug monster, and more of her body was getting eaten by the second. There was Apoline, who was swinging left and right in the air like a puppet; her arms and legs twisted in bizarre ways until her head hung low, and only her body fell off. Yes…it wasn’t as if he didn’t know.

He simply…just… Chi-Woo inhaled deeply—so deeply that he could hear his throat gurgle. Even the Seven Stars who managed to resist well until now all crumbled. And after successfully breaking the final barrier, the Sernitas swept in like turbulent waves. The angel shedding tears of blood struck Evelyn’s head with her trumpet. Evelyn’s head cracked, and blood poured out of her eyes, nose, and ears. Right before she closed her eyes, she saw something. She didn’t know whether it was her vision or Chi-Woo’s body that was shaking. Then, her half-closed eyes fluttered open again.

Wiggle, wiggle. All parts of Chi-Woo’s body bent, distorted, and moved. His head bobbed up and down like it was going to break off, and his whole body was shuddering like he suddenly had seizures. His arms and legs danced on their own rhythms and dangled in opposite directions. That wasn’t Chi-Woo. Rather than Chi-Woo, it appeared that an unknown existence locked inside Chi-Woo was trying to break out of Chi-Woo’s skin. Chi-Woo’s shuddering soon grew worse.

“Urrrrrrrgh—” It sounded like he was on the verge of exploding. And when the Sernitas trampled over the Seven Stars and were about to go after Chi-Woo from all sides, Chi-Woo’s harsh breathing suddenly stopped. His wiggling also subsided, and his tilting head fixed to the center again. His hazy eyes regained focus, and Chi-Woo raised one of his knees and pushed himself off the floor. With both hands, he clutched his two thighs and raised his torso. Then, his eyes widened so much that they seemed like they would rip, and from his eyes, a dazzling and fierce light burst out. After finally getting up, Chi-Woo’s mouth stretched wide open like a monster’s.