**386. The Golden Spirit**
—
The Abyss.
It was a place unbearably dark and suffocating.
For the First Heavenly Demon—who had once ascended to the heavens to glimpse truth, and wandered the entire world to gaze upon all creation—the Abyss was an especially cruel place.
*‘I was indifferent to the world’s destruction.’*
His sole purpose had been to reopen the Gate of Truth.
And through that, to absorb the power of the Primal Heavenly Demon and overturn the heavens themselves!
However, his grand design changed drastically after the appearance of **Destruction**.
Every realm and all believers, including the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, sank into the Abyss.
The Eight Families’ Fivefold Gate Opening remained in the land above the sky—*Pangaenia*—but the other half, the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, fell into the Abyss.
…Forever, his goal would never be fulfilled.
The completion that required the union of those two powers had become nothing more than a distant hope.
Destruction.
He had been far too careless about its emergence.
Because he believed it had nothing to do with him.
After that, life in the Abyss became hell even for the First Heavenly Demon.
Though sealed within the Heavenly Demon Blade, he could still share the consciousness of the “Heavenly Demon” who had mastered his techniques.
But once everything sank into the Abyss, he was forced to settle within a cramped fragment of land.
His mind became corrupted, his body warped, and a life like a chicken trapped in a coop—unable even to stretch his legs—continued for an unbearably long time.
So long that even his immortal sense of self nearly scattered.
*‘Destruction… If only that thing had never appeared!’*
Resentment piled up.
Hatred grew deeper.
The being that trampled his dream.
If he were to meet it again, he would never let it be.
Never again would he stand by, telling himself it was not his problem.
That accumulated, deep-seated grudge erupted once at the **Island of the Gods**.
The Island of the Gods was one of the few places in the Abyss where the *toxic miasma of the Abyss* did not exist.
No one knew why such lands existed within the Abyss.
There were only rampant rumors that it was land capable of connecting to *Pangaenia*.
That was why, to the lords of the Abyss, it was a top-priority territory—something they desperately desired.
If only he could seize the Island of the Gods…
At the very least, his sense of self would no longer collapse.
Perhaps—just as the rumors said—using this land as a foothold, he might even extend back into *Pangaenia*.
He might be able to fulfill his dream.
—*A bug.*
…If only he had not encountered *that thing*.
It was Destruction.
Without question, it was Destruction.
Yet that thing regarded him as a mere insect.
It looked down on him as a being too insignificant to even bother dealing with.
And then, it erased even its memory of him.
In the entire life of the First Heavenly Demon, he had never experienced such disregard.
Nor had he ever felt anger this intense.
*I will kill you.*
*Even if I myself vanish, I will kill you.*
That was why—
The moment his memories returned, he self-destructed.
No matter how much Destruction it was, it would not be able to handle that immense torrent of energy.
It was a fitting death for the one who stole his dream, imprisoned him, and trampled him into the dirt.
*‘I have no regrets now.’*
So it was fine.
This, too, had been one of his goals.
In fact, avenging his grudge felt even more satisfying.
The fact that he had brought down the hammer upon the one who scorned him.
The First Heavenly Demon—the evil god sealed within the Heavenly Demon Blade—smiled as he accepted his own annihilation.
*
*
It was a dead end.
Even the Primal Heavenly Demon had not expected that thing to self-destruct.
He was struck head-on by the energy of the Sixfold Gate he had opened and the Asura Heaven-Crushing Art.
Moreover, since all of the First Heavenly Demon’s energy had detonated at once, death was certain.
Even if it had been the Primal Heavenly Demon’s true body, it would have died.
The problem was—
“Move, Thirteenth Key!”
…There was no way to resurrect.
The potential the Primal Heavenly Demon saw in *Park Hyun-myung* was astonishing, but unlike Randolph, this body carried no principle of resurrection.
There was only one thing worth gambling on.
The *Thirteenth Hidden Trait*—the one even the Primal Heavenly Demon was dying of curiosity over.
If it was not merely a key, it would not stand by and watch its master’s death.
“Damn it…!”
But it did not move.
The *Gate* was still open, yet nothing changed.
That Thirteenth Key did not seem to be the kind that affected life and death.
*‘Then what is it?’*
Was it not a key created to complete something?
And if completion was the goal, then Park Hyun-myung’s survival should take absolute priority.
Even the Blue Bird had left behind its authority to protect Park Hyun-myung.
His left arm possessed the power to *block all miracles*.
Thus, the Primal Heavenly Demon had naturally assumed that the Blue Bird coveted Park Hyun-myung.
…Was that a misunderstanding?
Or… if not that, then…
“What in the world is inside you?! For what purpose do you even exist?!”
The final possibility vanished.
If that thing did not intervene in the life and death of the physical body, then there had been no reason to enter the *Gate* in the first place.
How hard it had been to escape that seal.
If Park Hyun-myung died like this, the Primal Heavenly Demon would also die.
If Park Hyun-myung died, Randolph would die as well, and everything would be annihilated.
He could not even begin to imagine what kind of repercussions this outcome would have on the world.
“N-no…!”
They were scattering.
Park Hyun-myung’s body was collapsing.
The Primal Heavenly Demon’s soul followed suit.
Everything was rushing toward its end.
At the same time, text appeared before his eyes.
《‘Park Hyun-myung’ has died.》
《Game Over》
This was not a game.
It was not a simple form of entertainment.
If it truly were a game, he would have revived.
You could have inserted another coin and restarted.
Above all, Park Hyun-myung was a real, genuine being.
His existence had nothing to do with a game.
Then why was even Park Hyun-myung’s death being accepted as the result of a *game*?!
《Game Over》
《Game Ove》
《Game Ov》
《Game O》
《Game》
That was when it happened.
The letters began to be erased, one by one.
But what followed was entirely unexpected.
《Game E》
《Game En》
《Game End》
…End.
What had ended?
What kind of end had Park Hyun-myung’s death brought about?
However, he could not know what followed.
Because even the Primal Heavenly Demon’s consciousness had completely shut down.
Annihilation.
Gone forever.
*
*
Kuuuurrrrr—!
The world shook.
Everything at the very bottom of the Abyss was vanishing into nothingness.
《A ‘party member’ has died.》
《The ‘party’ has been disbanded.》
《‘Abyssal Miasma’ has begun its corrosion.》
Basara’s expression hardened.
Just moments ago, a being possessing thirteen Hidden Traits had died.
Whether it died fighting someone who had descended, or whether some other problem had arisen, she did not know.
*‘This is not a simple Abyss.’*
At least one fortunate thing was that during that time, Basara had explored a significant portion of the underground cavern of this Abyss.
And the conclusion she reached was simple.
This place was not a mere Abyss.
No—it was not even an Abyss at all.
*‘…Found it.’*
At the end of the underground cavern, Basara discovered something.
An ornament radiating light like the sun.
And the being holding it.
This entire incident had begun there.
Because that being had coveted that object, all of this had happened.
The Seventh Lord, Basara, spoke the other’s name with emotion.
“Third Lord, Mammon.”
“……”
“Return the *Golden Spirit* to its original place at once.”
“……”
“That is not something you are meant to covet.”
Mammon’s gaze slowly turned toward her.
Golden eyes gleaming.
“…Seventh Lord Basara…”
He had seen through her identity.
But he did not seem to be in his right mind.
Mammon, Lord of the Primordial Spirits, let out a soft laugh.
“A traitor who helps humans while wearing a human form. If the Demon King knew, he would be heartbroken.”
“……”
“No—there would be no need for heartbreak. I will become the master of the Demon Realm.”
“You’ve lost your mind.”
“The power of this spirit is… ahh, intoxicating. So utterly intoxicating. I think I understand everything now. Even why you were born as a ‘mutant Dragon God.’”
“……”
“Shall I tell you? Issera, and Basara. The reason behind the fate that caused you to be persecuted.”
Issera and Basara had been born as mutants from the very beginning.
That was why the Dragon Gods had refused to accept them.
That was the reason Basara had left for the Demon Realm.
But… was there truly a reason they had been born as mutants?
Mammon’s smile deepened.
“It’s your parents.”
“Enough.”
“…?”
“I’m not particularly curious.”
Yet the Seventh Lord, Basara, did not care.
Because she truly was not curious.
Whatever her fate had been, she would have broken through it.
She did not cling to the past.
She was that kind of being.
There was only one thing she was certain of.
“You need to die, Mammon.”
“Hahaha! Do you think you can kill me in that form?”
“In this form, it would be difficult.”
“Then what? Your true body cannot enter this place.”
“Who says so?”
“…?”
At that moment—
Rip—
Space tore apart and opened.
But this was the bottom of the Abyss.
Inside the domain of the Golden Spirit itself.
Who would dare enter here at will?
Impossible.
Whatever lay above, this underground cavern was absolutely inviolable.
“…What?”
But Mammon faltered.
Because of the being that emerged from the torn space.
Then, upon seeing Mammon, the newcomer burst into loud laughter.
—Kyakakakakaka!
*
*
Kuuuurrrrr—!
That tremor was the beginning.
“T-the Black Dome…!”
“What on earth is happening inside it?!”
Everyone on Earth looked toward a single place.
The source of the tremor—the Black Dome.
The Black Dome had originally been spherical, true to its name.
But now, it was violently convulsing, spikes protruding as if it were going mad.
Like a balloon about to burst.
“What happened to the people who went inside?”
“D-don’t tell me… they were all wiped out?”
The exploration team sent to resolve the issue had sent no news at all.
And yet, such a phenomenon was occurring.
That meant—
The exploration had failed.
Perhaps they had all perished.
*‘…All the names have been erased from the Hall of Honor.’*
Park Tae-woo, head of Korea’s Hero Alliance, frowned.
When entering the Abyss, it was normal for names to disappear from the Hall—but that was not the issue.
It was not just *their* names.
Every name had vanished.
All the names that had been in the Hall of Honor.
*‘The World Tree community isn’t functioning either.’*
It felt as though the components that moved the world were shutting down.
One by one.
And soon, it seemed they would all stop.
Something enormous was happening.
This did not seem to be a mere consequence of the collapse of the Spirit Tower.
“Huh?”
“C-Commander, do you see this?”
“What is this…?”
The alliance members who had been anxiously standing by suddenly raised their voices.
Not just them—every awakened being stared at the message appearing before their eyes in disbelief.
“W-what does this mean?”
“Why is this happening all of a sudden?”
“Does anyone know what’s going on?”
They truly could not believe it.
They could neither understand nor accept it.
The message floating before their eyes was only a single line.
Just one line—
Yet it was more than enough to throw everyone into chaos.
《The service for ‘Pangaenia’ has been terminated.》
