**Chapter 412. Appearance.**
—
Kuwaaaaaang!
Along with a blast that shook the very axis of the land, thick smoke billowed upward.
The clash between **Annihilation** and **Extinction King Mork** had already surpassed the labyrinth and was affecting the entire world.
As their terrifying demonic powers collided, the first thing to react was every single **warp**—all of them glowing red as abnormalities erupted.
Connected warp anchors vanished, destinations that should have been unreachable became accessible, and the warps began operating wildly on their own.
As the sky was dyed pitch black, beasts and monsters held their breath.
Even the Lords of the Abyss were unable to move under the overwhelming shockwaves.
“……Has **Destruction** already appeared?”
The **Tower of the War God**.
At its summit stood a being gazing down at the labyrinth.
**Karas, the War God.**
Having fully restored his divinity, he pierced the presence that had appeared in the labyrinth with a sharp gaze.
After the disturbance caused by “another Randolph” at the Tower of the War God some time ago, both Karas and the tower itself had become even more robust.
That was because the Chief Gods of Omen and Ash had delegated full authority over the tower to him.
Blessed by the Chief Gods of Omen and Ash, and able to draw upon their power to a certain extent, he could be said to be stronger than almost any other god—
“Hm……”
……But the opponent was **Destruction**.
Though newly born, the moment it opened the **Door**, it would already possess power surpassing even the Chief Gods. Whether he could win or not—there was no certainty.
Karas turned his head.
At that moment, a golden dragon descended through the storm clouds.
**Einhassar, the Dragon God.**
The instant Einhassar appeared, he let out a sigh and spoke.
—A message from the **Dragon God Council**. They say to eliminate the “new Destruction.”
Karas frowned.
“……Is that all they said?”
—It seems they believe that once it’s been born, it can’t be stopped.
“I doubt that. More likely, they want to first gauge the power of this new Destruction.”
—Ah.
Einhassar agreed.
The **Dragon God Council** was passive.
They were treating Pangaenia as a discarded card, merely trying to assess the strength of the new Destruction.
If it was anything like the Destruction that had attacked Pangaenia before, then no matter how many troops they committed, it would be pointless.
That ultimate Destruction had been……a monster utterly beyond control.
—I heard the Dragon God Council completed a weapon to oppose **Heaven**.
“Doesn’t look like they plan to use it yet.”
—Probably not.
“They’re still useless, those people.”
—……Yeah.
Once again, they were in agreement.
Einhassar belonged to the Dragon God Council and was Pangaenia’s Dragon God, yet he harbored deep resentment toward the incompetence of his own organization.
Unless they were absolutely certain, the Dragon God Council would not move.
That wasn’t all.
They had stagnated, clinging stubbornly to outdated methods, utterly lacking progress.
A weapon to oppose Heaven?
What use would that be if everything was already destroyed?
‘Pangaenia is the only remaining hope.’
Above all, to oppose Heaven, Pangaenia had to survive.
This was the world where divine authority was strongest among all worlds, and where an advanced magitech civilization capable of defying Heaven had once been cultivated.
Even now, the **miracles** scattered across its continents were enough to make every Outer God covet them.
If Pangaenia were to completely collapse and vanish, it would be over.
No hope would remain.
Karas turned his gaze once more.
“……Has *he* still not awakened?”
—It might be better if he doesn’t. He could resonate with the newly born Destruction.
“I suppose. He couldn’t control that power back then either……”
They were talking about **Randolph**.
If Randolph—who had unleashed that tremendous darkness at the Tower of the War God—were to resonate with the new Destruction, it would truly spell the worst possible outcome.
Back then, Randolph had not been able to control that darkness.
He had simply been swept up by something far too immense.
A power so overwhelming that it was doubtful whether control was even possible.
If the new Destruction stimulated him, if that darkness deepened even further……
The mere existence of two Destructions could bring this world to ruin.
Suuuuuu—
A terrifying surge of demonic power swept past them.
At the same time—
Brrrrr!
Karas and Einhassar shuddered slightly.
《The “Labyrinth City” is being destroyed.》
《The “Tower of Destruction (Annihilation)” is being constructed in the Labyrinth City.》
《A “Destruction Gate” has been generated.》
《The aura of “Destruction (Annihilation)” spreads across all of Pangaenia.》
At last, the conditions for them to act had been met.
For gods born as gods to exert their full influence upon the world, certain conditions were required.
And depending on those conditions, the amount of divine power they could use differed.
For example, during a “Demon Hunt,” only about half their divine power could be used.
But when a “Tower of Destruction” appeared like now, they could use **all** of it.
Those were the rules of the gods established by Pangaenia’s Primordial God.
Karas nodded and spread his wings.
“……Time to move.”
*
*
When Extinction King Mork was slain, a **symbol** burst forth from within him.
It signified that after countless evolutions, Mork had been deified.
But even a deified beast was no match for **Annihilation**.
The moment Annihilation shattered Mork’s symbol and obtained **Destruction Points**, it erected the **Tower of Destruction** here in the labyrinth.
“So this is the authority of Destruction……!”
Annihilation smiled.
The authority of Destruction was incredibly diverse.
Moreover, the amount of Destruction Points already in his possession was considerable.
They must have been the points accumulated by the Emperor, who sought to be completed as Annihilation.
As the tower rose, minions of Destruction began emerging through the gate.
—We pay our respects to Annihilation.
—Bring destruction upon this world!
The black soldiers immediately began occupying every corner of the labyrinth.
They wore helmets engraved with a **black star (★)** insignia, and their combat power rivaled that of mid-tier Transcendents.
‘The higher the gate’s level, the stronger the soldiers that emerge.’
Raising the level of a Destruction Gate required a significant number of points.
Fortunately, he had just enough.
《The rank of the “Destruction (Annihilation) Gate” increases.》
《Stronger soldiers emerge from the gate.》
Soon, the soldiers that appeared wore helmets engraved with **two black stars (★★)**.
The previously existing soldiers were strengthened as well.
‘That’s as far as I can go for now.’
He had used up all his points.
And beyond this, it would require far more—at least twice the amount he had possessed.
But this was only the beginning.
‘This labyrinth is overflowing with prey.’
Once the labyrinth was fully occupied, even third-stage enhancement would become possible.
At that moment—
“……?”
Annihilation tilted his head.
As the power of Destruction accelerated, the range of his perception expanded.
Naturally, he became aware of **two divine beings** rapidly approaching this place.
They caught his attention—but they weren’t the only ones he sensed.
“Oh ho……”
Farther still—
He perceived the Lords of the Abyss rising across Pangaenia,
The monsters lurking in the deeper Abyss,
And even the **Demon Realm**, another world nesting beside Pangaenia.
Yet from that place, one presence stood out, overwhelmingly intense.
Most likely……
‘The Demon King.’
The Demon King had noticed Annihilation’s emergence as well.
And killing him would probably yield an enormous amount of **Destruction Points**.
Perhaps even more than—
No, definitely more than the two beings now flying toward him, already standing before him.
It was tempting.
This world still overflowed with possibilities.
With hope—hope for him to devour.
—……Are you the new Destruction?
So that was it.
**Einhassar, the Dragon God.**
And **Karas, the War God.**
Indeed, beings stronger than most gods.
They were likely the last remaining light of Pangaenia.
All the other gods had either been erased by Destruction, buried in the Abyss, or stripped of their power.
But—
“……Insects scurry, but insects they remain.”
Annihilation was confident.
He was the Destruction that would surpass the old Destruction.
**Annihilation**, which erased everything and left only itself behind.
The legendary druid Albino, the Black King, Extinction King Mork, and even the two gods standing before him—
Compared to his existence, they were nothing more than insects.
*
*
They could no longer stand by.
Endless waves of Destruction’s soldiers were pouring in.
To oppose them, Phantom’s avatars had no choice but to move.
“Why are there so many of them……!”
“Hold them back! Protect the **Fire**!”
The soldiers of Destruction had already reached the center of the labyrinth.
Hudson’s pupils shook violently.
‘……The labyrinth has been breached.’
A natural fortress.
A labyrinth he had believed could never be penetrated.
Yet by the time he came to his senses, only the final bastion remained.
If this place fell, there would be no hope left in the labyrinth.
If the **First Fire** was lost, even Park Hyunmyung’s existence would be in danger.
“……Sir Kasim?”
At the center of it all—
Hudson noticed Kasim standing motionless and spoke.
**Kasim, the Radiant Transcendent.**
The Goddess’s Knight who was said to have slain an Evil God three hundred years ago.
“……”
He was trembling.
From the fine tremor in his hands, it was clear how tense he was.
So much so that he couldn’t even move against the approaching enemies.
“……I definitely…… I definitely killed it……”
“Pull yourself together, Sir Kasim!”
“Was what happened three hundred years ago merely a prelude?”
“What nonsense are you talking about? A prelude to what?”
Kasim’s face turned deathly pale.
……Three hundred years ago, an Evil God had appeared in Pangaenia.
The cause of its summoning was unknown.
After immense sacrifice, Kasim had managed to kill it.
But now……
The aura he felt was similar to that time.
Similar—but the power being released now was incomparably greater.
“A prelude……”
Looking back now, it had been a sign.
A sign of the emergence of a **new Destruction**.
Indeed, since the appearance of the Evil God three hundred years ago, the structure of Pangaenia had changed.
The war between the Black Lion Tribe and the White Tiger Tribe.
The Emperor falling into slumber around that time.
And the appearance of the **possessed ones**—that too had begun then.
Back then, the possessed ones used strange words like “level” and “system.”
They hadn’t thought much of it at the time—but all these dramatic changes had begun three hundred years ago.
“That thing……can’t be beaten. We can’t win……”
For three hundred years, he had honed his sword.
Yet he had failed to overcome the fear of the **Evil God** lodged deep within his heart.
Kasim clenched his teeth.
But he couldn’t move.
He was afraid.
There was no way……
It felt impossible to win.
‘……Aren’t you afraid?’
The Knights of the Round Table.
Phantom’s avatars.
They alone continued to fight to the very end.
They didn’t flee.
They didn’t give up.
They desperately protected the **Fire**.
……Was that Fire really worth that much?
Even a Druid of the Golden Scale could not turn this situation around.
Little by little, the front lines were being pushed back.
Bang! Bang!
Kwaaaang!
The once-deafening labyrinth gradually fell silent.
In the end, even the two divine beings had failed to contain the new Destruction.
Once it left the labyrinth, it would destroy the world in an instant.
Kasim squeezed his eyes shut.
Called a Goddess’s Knight, he had fought evil—
But the evil now before him was beyond what he could handle.
Yet as he closed his eyes, a strange sound tickled his ears.
Tap—tuk.
‘What…?’
Footsteps.
Someone who hadn’t been here before.
And they were coming from the direction of the **First Fire**.
Someone was approaching.
This place.
Kasim opened his eyes again.
“……?”
But the owner of the footsteps was nowhere to be seen.
……Strange.
Kasim closed his eyes once more.
Tap. Tap. Tap!
The footsteps were drawing closer.
And before long—
Fwoooooosh!
The **First Fire** erupted in a fierce blaze.
“……Ah!”
……**He** appeared.
