Chapter 455. **Rampage**
—
The moment he consumed a rune, Apsel changed.
Roaring like a beast, he became a monster that devoured everything in sight.
While Apsel charged out alone, slaughtering the knights—
Dietrich went to save *him*, who was trapped behind the iron bars.
“……”
But the moment Dietrich saw the figure inside the cell, he had no choice but to stop.
…it was too horrifying.
It was hard to even call that torn, gnawed body a *corpse*.
Calling it a *lump* might have been more fitting.
Parts that hadn’t yet regenerated were exposed in a grotesque state.
Still, Dietrich moved.
He unfastened the chains and tore off his outer garment to bind the mangled mass together.
*How can something be this horrific?*
No matter how different the world, no matter how different the species and their way of life—
This was impossible to understand.
Even this world should possess some sense of reverence for life.
If one evolves by consuming runes, shouldn’t there naturally be respect for the body that binds that evolution together?
But these beings had none.
Despite possessing intelligence sufficient for speech, they chose to become beasts—
For evolution. For power.
No, even beasts wouldn’t commit acts like this.
*Those who have no respect for life deserve none in return.*
Dietrich’s eyes were stained with rage.
It was fortunate—no, a relief—that these beings did not belong to Pangaenia.
—You are… a human of Pangaenia?
At that moment, the voice echoed once more in his mind.
“Apsel will buy us time. We’ll escape while he does. Hold on tight.”
There wasn’t even an arm left to hold onto, but Dietrich didn’t point that out.
What mattered now was escaping—truly escaping.
—Ah. So you were the holder of the key. I can feel it. The will of the Guardian Holy Sword…
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The Guardian Holy Sword at Dietrich’s waist shone brightly.
—Apsellon will not be able to withstand King Rundmal’s assault. Rundmal has already absorbed nearly half of Apsellon’s rune…
“That’s not what you said before!”
He had been told to feed his body.
That if Apsel absorbed it, he would regain his strength and escape.
But now—the story had changed.
—I thought Apsellon would consume me entirely. Your rune and body are extraordinarily clear and radiant. I believed that, driven into a frenzy by you, he would devour even *me*—and that there would be a chance…
“So there’s no chance now?”
—Why didn’t you eat me, Apsellon…? Why didn’t you end my suffering…?
He was in despair.
He wanted this pain to end.
“Are you the Dwarven God?”
Dietrich asked as he climbed the underground stairs.
—Once… I believe I was called that.
“Then don’t give up. They haven’t given up on you.”
Dietrich had seen it in the tunnels.
Baek—and the dwarves who carried on his will.
All of them were desperate to save their god.
The reason they couldn’t end a war already thought finished—
Was solely to save him.
Yet their god had given up on everything.
Wishing for the pain to end, denying reality itself.
—They can’t win. They never will…
“You don’t know that.”
—No. The fact that Pangaenia hasn’t been destroyed is unexpected—but even if someone crossed over from there, the kings of this world are on a different level entirely. In fact, because of you, they may now consider crossing over *into* Pangaenia. Ah… this is the worst. The absolute worst.
The Dwarven God lamented.
King Rundmal, having consumed Apsellon’s rune, had grown even stronger.
A being who already surpassed the chief god of the White Divine Hall.
If the dwarves refused to give up and continued the war, the only end awaiting them was annihilation.
But worse than that—
Was King Rundmal and King Lemegheton crossing into *Pangaenia*.
If they led their knights there, the outcome could be worse than the emergence of Annihilation itself.
—The only reason they stayed here was because they believed Pangaenia had already fallen. But now that another being has crossed over… ah… this is all my fault. I should never have come to this world in the first place.
He regretted it.
If he had never led the dwarves into this barren world—
None of this would have happened.
The end of a fugitive.
Yet the thought that Pangaenia—having barely survived—might now face complete ruin because of him made it impossible to lift his head.
—What is the state of Pangaenia now? Does the Divine Hall still remain?
“What’s that?”
—The Empire? The Hexagonal Heroes? The Mage Tower? The Druid High Chieftains—how many World Trees remain?
“The Arhon Empire exists, but the Hexagonal Heroes died long ago. I don’t know what the Mage Tower is. And Druids—are they a race? As for World Trees, officially one remains. Unofficially, two. I’ve heard rumors that a ‘World Tree of Honor’ recently appeared in the Sanctuary of Honor.”
—Arhon… that was the name of one of the Empire’s four great houses. Did they seize the throne? I recall the Empire collapsing alongside the Four Calamities… Still, the two goddesses must remain, yes?
“Goddess Leah perished along with Annihilation. Goddess Pina, according to the histories, lifted the remaining continents that were not submerged into the abyss into the sky.”
—Ah… then the Divine Hall is gone, and the goddesses have lost their power. The brilliant Empire and its magical civilization have fallen. A world sustained by merely one or two World Trees has obvious limits… You’ll never be able to stop them…
“You’re thinking far too pessimistically.”
—Are there any gods left at all?
“War God Karas, Dragon God Einhassar—”
—War God Karas? He’s not a god of the Divine Hall but a *demigod*. A half-baked crow granted divinity to manage the tower alongside the Omen God and the Ash Chief God. As for Dragon God Einhassar—he may as well not exist. That trash heap called the Dragon God Council only *talks* about protecting the world, yet never sends a proper dragon god…
Ah.
The Dwarven God sighed even more deeply.
If Rundmal and Lemegheton crossed into Pangaenia, it would be the end.
There was no one left who could stop them.
Even before Annihilation’s appearance, it would have been hopeless—
And now, with all gods and civilizations gone, Pangaenia would stand no chance.
“I think you’re mistaken about something. I didn’t cross over alone.”
—One or two—it doesn’t matter how many. It’s already too late.
“…Phantom is still there.”
—Phantom? What is that? I’ve never heard of it.
“He’s called the ‘Druid of the Golden Scale’ by the Elf Queen. And if the rumors are true, he’s powerful enough to defeat the Empire on his own.”
—The Druid of the Golden Scale? Hah. Ridiculous. The elves themselves wouldn’t know what that truly means. And besides—the Empire already fell, didn’t it? Even if everything you said were true, it wouldn’t be enough.
“…You lack faith.”
—The Guardian Holy Sword… you brought its key. It’s only a matter of time before they cross into Pangaenia. What are we supposed to do…?
The Dwarven God spoke as though resentful.
But Dietrich did not answer.
Escaping came first.
KWA—AAANG!
KURURURUNG!
The tower shook.
The path Apsel tore open was littered with crushed corpses.
Every knight who stood in the way lay dead—stripped of their runes.
—Child. Feed me to Apsellon. No matter how I think about it, that’s the only answer. Let him consume my entire existence and rune, and face King Rundmal.
“The dwarves are waiting for you. And Apsel wouldn’t want to eat you.”
If he wanted to, he would have done so already during the escape.
But Apsel hadn’t eaten Dietrich—or the Dwarven God.
Even in his rampage, he hadn’t touched the two of them.
That meant a shred of reason still remained.
Perhaps living as a dwarf had taught him to respect dwarves.
If he had rampaged purely as one of the Three Kings, neither would have survived.
“…Where do you think you’re going with *that*?”
At that moment—
Just as Dietrich was running through the corridor in search of an exit—
A knight blocked his path.
—Guardian Knight Avalon… It seems this is as far as we go.
The Dwarven God lost all will.
He already knew—Dietrich stood no chance against a guardian knight.
An opponent Dietrich could never defeat, no matter how many times he lived and died.
“If you hand it over quietly, I’ll grant you a painless death.”
Black tendrils writhed across Guardian Knight Avalon’s body.
In an instant, they surrounded Dietrich from all sides.
There was nowhere to escape.
Shing.
Dietrich drew the Guardian Holy Sword.
No matter how impossible it was, he couldn’t give up.
There were things he had to do.
Dreams he had to fulfill.
“Tch. Then I’ll have to kill you painfully.”
Sssrrrk!
The tendrils closed in from all directions.
Dietrich clenched his teeth.
And then—
Slash!
Thud!
Suddenly, the tendrils stopped moving.
Guardian Knight Avalon’s head fell to the floor.
“What are you idiots doing here?”
“…Who are you?”
“It’s me. Satan. And that lump you’re carrying—is that the Dwarven God?”
“Satan? The demon sword…?”
Dietrich blinked.
He couldn’t understand why a demon sword had appeared in human form.
And then—
“Ghk—!”
Dietrich quickly raised his sword.
A knight stood beside the young man calling himself Satan.
The same knight who had kidnapped him and Apsel.
“Ah, that guy’s not an enemy. No need to be on guard.”
“A Guardian Knight… not an enemy?”
“Yeah. He’s my underling.”
“U-Underling…?”
Calling a guardian knight an underling.
“……”
Guardian Knight Andro stood there, unable to say a word.
“…Are you truly Demon Sword Satan?”
When Dietrich asked with difficulty, Satan nodded.
“What do you think of my look? Pretty good, right?”
“…Yes. Magnificent. But this appearance—”
“He made it.”
“By ‘he’… do you mean Phantom?”
“Yep!”
“Then… is Phantom here as well?”
“No. He’s still in the tunnels. Got work to do.”
“Work…?”
“Yeah. He’s crafting the body of my eternal partner—*Winter*.”
“……”
“He’s in ultra-focus mode right now. I wanted to end this war as peacefully as possible, so I didn’t interrupt him. If he comes here, there won’t *be* a conversation. Still, luckily, you’re alive. That means there’s enough room for possibilities.”
“Possibilities… because I’m alive?”
Dietrich asked.
Satan shrugged.
“The possibility that Phantom won’t end this world.”
FKIN COOL