Part 2, Episode 197.
The content of the test was simple.
[The Trial of the Iron Chain Thousand Kalpas, the ‘Trial of the Heaven-Shattering Ghost,’ is descended.]
[The Trials of Pacheon-gwi are the tasks he performed as Pacheon-gwi divided into seven trials.]
[Each chain contains a trial, and the ability of the Iron Chain Heavenly Tribulation is unlocked each time a trial is overcome.]
[After overcoming the trial, you can decide whether to take on the next trial.]
[If you fail the next trial, both the rewards for that trial and the previous trial will disappear.]
Pacheongui, Caeliborus.
Overcoming the trial that embodies the punishment for the deeds he committed before being sealed here.
Thus, one truly proves one’s qualifications and becomes the master.
However, the risk was as great as the reward.
“-Iron Chain Heavenly Tribulation… … This wretched chain hates the foolish. I am no different. We cannot grant our power to a fellow who hasn’t even properly grasped his own limits.”
“…….”
I hope you make a wise choice.
Pacheongui grinned, stretching the corners of his mouth so far that it would be impossible for a human to do so, and drooled profusely.
It was like a predator looking at a mouthwatering prey, or like an audience anticipating the brutal consequences that were about to unfold.
As Dohyeon fell silent, Pacheongui grinned and continued speaking.
-Of course… …if I can survive this ordeal.
That was the beginning.
Kugugugu!!
The ground began to shake violently as if there had been an earthquake.
No, it wasn’t just the surface.
The endless sky and the entire surrounding space were shaking.
… … Gaebyeok.
Just as a word that suddenly came to mind was flashing through my head.
Ding! Ding!
A loud notification, bordering on a warning sound, rang out, frantically disorienting my vision.
[The first trial, ‘The Abyss of Original Sin,’ begins.]
[This is a trial ground composed of the first original sin left by Pacheongui in the form of an abyss.]
[This is the moment the Pacheon-gwi first harmed a living creature, and the catalyst that led to its first step as a Pacheon-gwi. It is the terrible place that gave birth to the Pacheon-gwi in the world.]
[Face the shadow of original sin in the unfathomable darkness, and encounter the origin of destruction. And survive.]
[If you survive for 1 hour, the first chain of the Iron Chain Heavenly Tribulation descends, sealing the origin of destruction and passing the test.]
And beyond that message.
iced coffee-
Dohyeon saw.
A world of countless massive black chains thrust from the sky toward the ground, and writhing unpleasantly as if swarming with insects.
A single eye seen at the far end of the world.
Grrr…
It was the abyss, possessing a vastness that could not be expressed in human words, and which was therefore simply overwhelming.
No matter how much the existence of the Heaven-Shattering Demon may be, it is undeniably a trial of the Unarmed.
It is surprising enough that an abyss appeared in such a place, but that wasn’t even just an abyss.
‘……crazy.’
It was 1,456 years ago that it first appeared in the abyss of Avtartel.
However, that could not be called the beginning of the Abyss. It was merely 1,456 years ago that it was revealed to the world, but the Abyss had existed since before that.
Before the emergence of humanity… … .
No, even further back in time than the dragons, the first species to be born.
Perhaps the distant, primordial life forms that may have appeared from the very first moment Abtartel came into being.
[I have encountered the ancient abyss and the first Behemoth, the ‘Behemoth of Original Sin’.]
[For the first time, the player has encountered the progenitor of the former mighty of the Abyss, ‘Rag Behemoth’.]
[It will be recorded in the Book of Adventures.]
[Survive from him.]
[Time Remaining – 01 : 00 : 00]
Ancient Abyss.
That was the true identity of that distant being.
“The progenitor of Lag Behemoth? The first Behemoth? In human terms, isn’t that practically like fighting one of the Five Ancient Kings?!”
Considering the time of its birth, it was safe to view it as an existence holding significance far beyond that.
Dohyeon’s heart pounded violently at a situation that was beyond absurd and left him unable to even laugh nervously, but he struggled to calm himself down.
He realized that even though he was the progenitor of all Behemoths, he wasn’t really on the level of King O.
“You said it was the first living creature Pacheon-gwi killed.”
Even though it possessed great power befitting a being that opposed the gods, it is true that it was eventually subdued by the chains of hell.
It certainly cannot be compared to the King of Wu, the protagonists who waged a massive war against the gods and came close to victory.
And the fact that the first living creature that Pacheongui killed means that it was the one it faced when its power was significantly lacking compared to when it was seriously confronting the gods.
“Of course, it would certainly be stronger than the intelligenceless Rag Behemoth, but… …”
It’s not like I have to catch anything, I just have to hold on, so there’s nothing I can’t do, is there?
Dohyeon, having composed himself, calmly grasped the Cheonbyeon.
[Casting Heavenly King Tremor Qi.]
[Knight King manifests the spirit of the Heavenly King True Qi utilizing the Qi manipulation method of ‘Ruslein Valemont’.]
[The Unchanging One is activated.]
[You can activate the effects of other devoured weapons regardless of your current weapon.]
[Please select a weapon effect to apply to the current weapon, the White Lion’s Snow Flower Sword.]
[Uses the first move of the Reverse Heaven Period, Shi]
The moment a soft light enveloped the riverside as if responding to his will.
—!! Boom!!
For a moment, the darkness seemed to ripple, and distant eyes flashed.
At the same time, as he reached out his hand, a shock that seemed to shake the world traveled through the blade of the sword.
-Hoho, to block that. Quite impressive.
Pacheon-gwi’s intrigued voice could be heard from far away, out of sight, but Dohyeon turned his back on it.
He simply looked straight ahead.
“To think the first trial is this bad…….”
It was a situation where one might humanly suspect that his balance was broken, but Dohyun smiled.
Clear letters were reflected in Dohyeon’s eyes.
[Recognizes the existence of a person with whom you have a bad relationship.]
Lord Kaiser and ‘Behemoth of Original Sin,’ the former mighty of the Abyss, share a distant, sworn enmity that transcends generations.
[When the conditions are met, the ‘Field of Ill-fated Relationships’ unfolds.]
[The Book of Defiance is reading the narratives intertwined with the caster and the target to search for the appropriate power.]
[The Bond of Rebellion is activated.]
[By strongly resisting fate, you are granted the power to defy a destiny where the probability of being killed by an opponent is highest.]
Ancient Abyss? The First Behemoth?
What does that matter?
As long as it is the abyss, it is Dohyeon’s ill-fated karma, and as long as it is an ill-fated karma, it cannot escape the power of the Book of Defiance.
Yeah, I didn’t expect it to be easy anyway. Let’s see how far we can go.
One week left until the Guild War.
Dohyeon’s eyes shone brightly as he resolved to pour his entire time into it.
* * *
Meanwhile, at the very moment Dohyeon was concentrating on his exam.
A somewhat different wind was blowing from the mansion located in the center of Nymph Village, closest to the World Tree.
“……!”
The Queen’s bedroom.
A woman lying neatly on a green bed that looked as if it were made of nature, trying to fall asleep.
Aridna suddenly opened her eyes wide and sat up.
She was so shocked that the corners of her eyes trembled, and her complexion turned so pale that she looked as if she were about to faint at any moment.
“iced coffee…….”
The voice that came out was so frail it felt pitiful.
“Your Majesty! What is the matter!”
In fact, it was enough to startle Alowin, who heard the voice in the living room of the mansion, and make him open the door and come in.
Normally, she would calm her startled heart by saying it was nothing, not wanting to cause worry, but…
“Haa, haa…… This is unbelievable…….”
She didn’t have that kind of consideration now.
It was because I was so confused that I couldn’t even think about calming down, even though my heart was pounding so violently it felt like it would jump out of my chest.
A feeling of reason being paralyzed.
The only thing that filled her mind was one thing.
Ah, are you saying what you just saw is really true?
A scene shown by her hidden ability, prophecy.
Alowin, having grasped the situation just from the rambling monologue, asked with a pale face.
“What on earth did you see…….”
He knows that, too.
How she reacts on the days she occasionally sees prophecies.
Among them were days when she saw a catastrophic future, and even then, the Queen was extremely anxious, but…
To think the Queen would show such a reaction… … !?
I can say with certainty that it wasn’t this bad.
Moreover, among them was even a scene from the Great Cataclysm of Elanis, which served as the catalyst for the Queen’s sealing.
“Haa… Haa. Hwoo….”
Alowin just watched in silence as she gasped for breath and struggled to calm herself.
As I heard his breathing gradually settling down, his heartbeat grew louder in contrast.
The words that will soon come out of those small lips.
I was extremely curious, yet afraid to hear it.
However, regardless of his feelings, her breathing regained its stability, and soon her beautiful lips also parted.
“……Kaiser, where is Lord Kaiser?”
“As for Lord Kaiser, I understand he has gone into training, saying he has an important schedule.……”
“Ah… I must tell him. That the day of the promise has been broken. That they are coming soon.”
“……The Day of Promise? What on earth…… No, more importantly, when you say ‘them’?”
“Those who have existed since the very distant past… Those called the Five Suns by some, and the Five Moons by others.”
She swallowed hard and her eyes trembled.
Her eyes held a fear that had never been seen before.
The moment their names slipped out of her lips, Alowin couldn’t help but feel a dizzying sensation as if she were about to faint.
And at that moment… … .
Thump, thump.
A space filled with darkness.
A man was walking in a pitch-black space where only a faint candlelight illuminated the view.
However, it was a surprising thing.
Even though it is being illuminated little by little by the candlelight, it only appears dark, and neither the face nor the appearance is visible.
A mystery that seems to voluntarily refuse to be revealed to the world.
Thump.
Nevertheless, the contradiction of being perceived as a man is likely due to the information he permitted.
It was then that the sound of his footsteps, which had been ringing out regularly, stopped.
A huge table revealed beyond the dim vision.
And as they came face to face with the silhouettes of the five people sitting around there, they all stood up from their seats at once.
-Hehe, you’re here, Captain.
-Did you come?
You’re here, Captain!
-… … .
Seeing that the Captain is here… … I can look forward to it, right? Huh?
From the silhouette of a woman thrusting her voluptuous figure forward while making an alluring sound, to the silhouettes of a small man and woman standing side by side like twins.
The silhouette of massive wings and a physique simply bowing in silent reverence.
Finally, even the silhouette of a human man with a particularly flamboyant lion’s mane standing out.
Swoosh-
The man called the captain took them all in one by one, then fixed his gaze on one spot.
The wall beyond them.
Saaa-
Dull light and brilliant light, red light and luminous light.
To the ‘pieces’ emitting different lights.
The man slowly opened his mouth as he looked at the five pieces that fit perfectly into the grooves of the wall.
The time has come.
A voice with an unfathomable tone.
The moment that androgynous yet irresistible voice flowed out.
Chuck, chuck, chuck.
The owners of the silhouettes all knelt down at once.
What I felt from them as they trembled was not fear.
Rather than that… … a sense of liberation.
-iced coffee…….
-at las…….
I almost died waiting.
You said you’d step forward first, but were you actually embarrassed that you couldn’t do anything?
-Hah! What am I supposed to do when the damn promise hasn’t been broken?
Even among them, who were practically in awe, the one that drew a particularly strong reaction was the silhouette of a man with a lion’s mane.
Now that the opportunity has come, I should smash everything I’ve held back.
And at that moment.
Hwaa-
The wind blew, and the candlelight flickered violently, revealing his face.
White fangs. Yellow eyes like those of a beast.
It was Dakan.
And, very rarely for him, the man called the Captain nodded in response.
Right. Now the time has come. Time to bring back the remaining piece.
Five suns and moons.
Those called Messiahs by some, and nightmares by others.
I mean the fragments of destiny.
Wolryeongdan.
They finished preparing to reveal themselves to the world.
