Chapter 678: Exuviation (3)  

『…the ‘Day’?』 In an instant, Allforone suddenly halted his movements. The golden brilliance around him, which had burned so brightly that it seemingly wanted to burn anything that dared approach, abruptly stopped shining. His voice was low-pitched, but it still had a deep resonance.

Cha Jeong-woo did not miss this change. He wasn’t sure just why Allforone was reacting differently, but he could infer that some of his words had stirred something in Allforone’s heart. For the first time since they met, Jeong-woo saw an emotional response from Allforone.

Naturally, Cha Jeong-woo would not let this opportunity just pass by.『I’m not sure what this ‘Day’ is… They’re just giving me the position. It doesn’t seem like you’re very popular with these folks, huh?』

After speaking with the intention of poking and digging into Allforone’s sore spot, Jeong-woo suddenly flipped Dragon Slayer and slammed the blade into the ground. In an instant, the multi-colored light shimmering around the Dragon Slayer spread across the ground.

Boom! The different colored lights stretched out from Dragon Slayer, began to rise, and formed shapes. The ground overturned violently, and the barrier that had made up the world of light was forcefully shaken.

Red, blue, white, and black were four colors symbolizing the four directional planes. As they rose in the shape of a dragon’s head, the colors purple, green, indigo, and gray that symbolized the four directional corners,also rose in the shape of a dragon’s head.

The dragon heads started breathing out brilliant colors. All the dragon heads had a shape like that of Nemesis, previously known as Mirne in Nemesis’ past life.

And then, there was the color gold. At Cha Jeong-woo’s feet, the largest dragon rose. Each of the dragons were formed as if particles of light were compressed to their absolute limit.

To be precise, Dragon of Light was a dragon with nine distinct colored heads: a Nine-headed Dragon.

Each of the dragon heads represented and possessed the power of the nine elder gods protecting Cha Jeong-woo. Thus, they exhaled different breaths. Although they took the form of light, each one of them possessed a characteristic of divinity.

The power of the nine elder gods, whose Channels were opened and connected through Jeong-woo’s Sky Wings, took the form of waves of light… It was the first power that demigod Cha Jeong-woo received once he was recognized as the heir of ‘Day’.

Rumble! Aside from the gold-colored dragon, which wrapped around Cha Jeong-woo as if to protect him, the remaining eight dragon heads all began to move according to Cha Jeong-woo’s direction.

『I see… Perhaps this is only natural as you are the descendant of Pneuma and Quirinale. Alright. Fine. Hahaha… If that’s their choice, so be it.』

Crack! Surrounded by light, Allforone’s expression was unreadable, but it seemed as though Allforone was barely suppressing his anger and seemingly grinding his teeth.

『All this time while the Tower has been in existence, it seems my words of persuasion were all in vain. This is nothing less than an act to humiliate me.』

Flash! Allforone’s entire body was once again dyed with a splendid burst of light.

『I!』 As splendid as the light, Allforone howled ferociously. His previous calmness was no longer present.『This body! And I! Hate you! And curse you! You past existences that no one remembers anymore! Worthless existences who are called gods! Demons who treat mortals as things for entertainment! Dragons! Giants! All you detestable transcendent beings who never cared about us! And also…!』

Allforone lifted his head up.『To you who have put this never-ending cyclical curse upon me!』

There was no blue sky above Allforone since it was an illusory world, but Allforone was only looking towards a place much further beyond. It was beyond the seventy-seventh or seventy-eighth floor, beyond the uncharted territories of the eightieth through ninety-seventh floor, beyond the ninety-eighth heavenly world floor, and beyond the unknown ninety-ninth floor.

Allforone was looking up towards the top floor and the existence that resided there. Allforone was certain that ‘he’ was sitting there alone, monitoring what was going on in this place. At one point in time, ‘he’ was the being that Allforone most respected in the world and who Allforone considered to be his strongest supporter, but now, ‘he’ had become the primary target for Allforone’s hatred.

『Father!』 Allforone looked up towards the sky and cried. However, despite Allforone’s cry… The sky remained quiet, and not even a message popped up.

『I don’t know what you’re thinking! Actually, I don’t really care! But I want you to understand one thing!』 Allforone continued screaming as if he knew a response would never come. It seemed that his current action was his only way of releasing some of his pent up frustration and anger.『After all these cursed things are done and over with, I will definitely come knocking at your door! And I will seek a conclusion! Even if you don’t open the door, I will forcefully open it!』

The revival of ‘Day’ was the original goal that Allforone pursued. ‘Day’ was within the faction of order, so it was considered a central existence. It could be said that the ‘Day’ represented the central figure that oversaw the creation of the universe. However, as the Tower was built and completely cut off from ‘night’, the legacy of ‘Day’ was no more.

Although there were existences like Metatron and Baal, they were nothing more than dregs of ‘Day’. Moreover, they turned their backs to Allforone, so he had no intention of working with them. Instead, Allforone tried to convince the elder gods, who were sleeping deeply, to entrust him as the successor of ‘Day’. However, disagreements arose, resulting in armed clashes.

The reason Allforone wanted to revive ‘Day’ was very simple. It was not because he coveted the strength that those of the ‘Day’ possessed but to prevent the beings of the ‘night’, who were trying to chase after the Black King, from intruding into the Tower’s space.

Creation of the universe? Creation of heaven? ‘Day’ and ‘night’? What does it mean or matter to know all that?! Those who are designated to do their work should dutifully do their work! Why should helpless beings and mortals be swept away due to your whims!

Have you higher beings ever thought about it? Mortals have been wounded, fallen, perished, and mourned over due to your actions. For what you consider your right, mortals repeat the same struggling lives, like cattle that constantly go to slaughter.

I… I will stop all of that, so that no one gets hurt. In this world, I will make sure that you cannot do whatever you want just because you are strong! I will keep to my mission.

However, the elder gods, who were involved in the creation of the universe and who Allforone thought would have a deeper understanding of all beings, or the others who represented parts of ‘Day’, weren’t any different from the general run-of-the-mill gods.

Allforone despaired at this fact. He resented his father, who had become a bystander after achieving the feat of dividing the heavens and the earth, separating humans from the gods. Thus, Allforone decided not to stay silent any longer.

Allforone had always held out some hope, however little, up to now. He had firmly established the seventy-seventh floor as the dividing line to prevent gods and demons from going down to the lower floors and to prevent humans from entering the higher floors. He thought that maintaining this artificial division would one day improve the situation for everyone.

Allforone never expected anyone to understand him. He thought that if he just endured and endured, order would naturally be established. There would be an operational world of transcendent beings and an operational world of mortals.

If that came to pass, Allforone could relax comfortably without any regrets. He had always held out hope. However, he now threw away any remnant of hope. He decided to act and move independently. He had made his decision.

Allforone declared that he would no longer just sit on the seventy-seventh floor but climb the floors. By erasing the existence of all gods and demons, and by usurping the throne of the Heavenly Demon, he would himself defeat the existence of ‘night’. Thus, Allforone decided to conclude all talks associated with the creation of the universe and disappear once and for all after giving the remaining future back to the beings of the world.

『If I don’t go to hell, who could enter hell?』

With those words… Thud! Allforone took a powerful step forward. In an instant, the world around him stopped. The entire space where the Tower was located, including the seventy-seventh floor, seemed tightly bound to something invisible and refused to move.

Cha Jeong-woo, the Nine-headed Dragon, even the gods who accumulated contribution points and the demons who watched the unfolding clash… Divinity and Law… Nothing was an exception. Everything seemed to pause.

***

[The player, Vivasvat, reveals his full strength!]

[His divine power has been activated.]

[The system is down!]

[All functions constituting the Tower have stopped operating.]

[All effects have been forcibly terminated.]

[All blessings have been forcibly terminated.]

[All protection has been forcibly terminated.]

Great chaos started to ensue in the Tower. The gods who had been fighting with all their might just a moment ago abruptly stopped.

『This…?』

In an instant, expressions of astonishment flashed across their faces.

『No way!』

『Heavenly Demon Ruling Step! It’s the Heavenly Demon Ruling Step! Has… Has the Heavenly Demon returned?』

『No, that’s not right! This is different. It’s Allforone! It’s Allforone…!』

『Allforone…is able to use Heavenly Demon Ruling Step?』

[All gods who entered the seventy-seventh floor are cursing!]

[All demons watching the seventy-seventh floor are screaming!]

Heavenly Demon Ruling Step was the highest level of power that allowed the Heavenly Demon to rise to the ‘emperor’ level. Everything exposed to the power was brought to a standstill, and there was nothing anything could do to get out of it. And with each step the caster took, the binding power grew stronger. This was also the power that imprisoned all the gods and demons helplessly within the Tower like a curse.

No one knew how Allforone was able to emulate this power, and they didn’t know the truth, so they could not help but scream.

『Penance and more penance.』 Allforone completely abandoned his defensive attitude and showed, for the first time, offensive aggression. Having revealed his hidden card, it seemed Allforone no longer felt the need to only defend.

Reflecting Allforone’s changed attitude, the world of light blazed like flames, exuding a scorching heat.

It was reminiscent of the Fire of Origin that existed in the beginning of time.

『First the Heavenly Demon Ruling Step, now the Soulstone…?』

『Allforone! Have you gone mad?!』

『Everything…! Are you planning to burn and incinerate everything?! Even the Tower?!』

『What the hell are you doing?!』

[All gods who entered the seventy-seventh floor are protesting against Allforone!]

[All the demons who are observing the seventy-seventh floor are trembling with fear!]

[The gods, who noticed the abnormality, want to return to the ninety-eighth floor.]

[Transportation requests are momentarily not processing due to portal overload.]

[Transportation between the floors have been paused!]

『Burn, and burn some more. Incinerate, and turn everything into nothing.』Ignoring the screams around him, Allforone continued.『All is useless and done in vain.』

Allforone released the Fire of Origin that he had accumulated. A huge fire devoured everything at once. Everything burned. Light and heat filled the stage.

No screams were heard. Even the medium of air was burnt, so no sound was transmitted. All the beings that had been tied down by the Heavenly Demon Ruling Step were wiped out at once.

[Most of the gods who entered the seventy-seventh floor have been deleted!]

[Data cannot be restored due to the non-operational cloud system’s function.]

[The surviving gods are screaming!]

[The surviving gods are shouting out in pain!]

[The gods who have come to their senses are trying to escape!]

The message that the stage had collapsed kept popping up.

However, the greater problem was that the Heavenly Demon Ruling Step consisted of ‘seven’ steps.

[The second step of the Heavenly Demon Ruling Step shall commence!]

[Warning! A new explosion shall ensue!]

…

[The third step of the Heavenly Demon Ruling Step shall commence!]

…

[The godly society, [Memphis], has been wiped out!]

[The godly society, [Deva], has been utterly defeated!]

[The godly society, [ Chan Sect] has suffered near-annihilation!]

…

[The side of the gods have fallen into utter chaos!]

[The heavenly world has fallen silent!]

[All the demons who observed the seventy-seventh floor are stunned!]

[All elder gods on the seventy-eighth floor have been penalized after the forced termination of their Channels!]

[All Apostles and believers located below the seventy-sixth floor have fallen into a state of confusion and despair due to the penalty due to the forced termination of their Channels!]

[Due to the absence of the gods, the functions of all laws that were operating under the authority of those god have been suspended.]

[The impact of the sudden system shut down is spreading.]

…

[The Tower has fallen into a state of ‘confusion’…]

[The Tower has fallen into a state of ‘fear’…]

[The Tower has fallen into a state of ‘paralysis’…]

…

Even those great gods and supreme gods were in a hurry to save their own lives. All the other gods on the seventy-seventh floor burned under the Fire of Origin. A greater damage than that which came from Lucifer was unfolding.

[The player, Vivasvat is preparing to enter the seventy-eighth floor!]

[The fourth step of the Heavenly Demon Ruling Step shall commence!]

[The Central Bureau cannot impose restrictions due to the Tower’s system being down!]

Allforone did not care that his holy territory had been devastated. He attempted to climb to the next floor, something he had delayed for thousands of years. He used his Fire of Origin in its maximum capacity while passing through each floor.

At some point…

[The spring of time is operating!]

[The ‘small wheel’ was forcibly stopped.]

[The fourth Heavenly Demon Ruling Step has stopped.]

[The ‘Fire of Origin’ has stopped.]

『What is this?』Allforone did not make it up to the seventy-eighth floor. He suddenly felt a strange sensation of something forcibly holding him back.

[The ‘small wheel’ is being rewound.]

Allforone clearly saw the world that he had turned upside down through Heavenly Demon Ruling Step slowly start to be put back together as time flowed backwards.

[An unknown force successfully hacked the Tower’s system and is attempting a forced reboot.]

[The cloud system that had been shut down will restart.]

[Server Back-Up is being initiated!]