Past Life Returner

There was no reason to hesitate. I descended as the physical embodiment of the Great Red appeared, and I felt the soul of Red plummeting deep within immediately. Just as its painful howling rapidly faded, I felt a new sight opening.

Flash!

I saw the one fleeing before my eyes. I combined my power with the strength that Red had and struck the barrier. The one escaping crashed into the barrier and was thrown backward. When it looked back at me, the face was unmistakably that of the Elf Queen.

However, those eyes were eerily similar to those I had seen in Doom Kaos. Only those with nothing left but the sheer intent to survive a long battle and become the strongest had such horrific eyes.

Sheeeek-!

My massive arm, covered in red scales, pierced through my sight. Controlling my new tail felt natural. I predicted its attempt to dodge my attack by jumping up, so I swiftly struck it down with my tail in the cataclysmic fire, which was said to occur at the world’s end!

The fire instantly engulfed the creature. Its flailing shadow in the flames resembled a desperate dance. Once I smashed it down with my palm, I felt resistance. It was trying to reveal its true form by shedding the disguise of the frail Elf Queen.

Then…

[Doom Kaos is attacking the reinforced Absolute Warzone.]

Of course, Doom Kaos was aware of the situation.

[Warning: Doom Kaos has destroyed the reinforced Absolute Warzone.]

I summoned even more power to suppress the resistance. I felt the crushed corpse of the Elf Queen beneath my palm. However, the true Old One was still present, embodied in the two relics - the necklace around the Elf Queen’s neck and the artifact resembling the emblem of the altar. They were exactly as I remembered from Gold’s memory.

[Relic of the Lacryma Sect, the Great Emblem]

[Relic of the Lacryma Sect, the World Tree Guardian Necklace]

When I threw those merging relics into space, a blade capable of instantly slicing its neck fell from the sky.

Thud!

***

Thanks to successfully releasing the descent and returning to my body, the pulsating feeling in my chest was my heart, not the Great Red’s.

[The bound entity, the Great Red, has died.]

If I had been a little late, then I would have not have been able to avoid a fatal injury along with Red’s death. However, I could not afford to think about Red’s demise.

Two relics popped out of the space in front of me. As soon as I caught them with both hands, I pressed them down with force again. Although it had already been hit by the curse and could no longer wield its original sanctity, the situation could have worsened if I did not manage to stop the Old One from fully forming its true body.

Pa-pa-pat!

I continued to exert force and travel through space. The destroyed cities of the elves flashed past me. Eventually, I was able to see its true form when the resistance of the Old One seemed to wane.

The entity I held with my left hand was its real neck, and the one clutched with my right was its eyeball. It had offered one of its eyes to control the past queens.

[Relic of Lacryma Sect, the Great Emblem]

[Old One’s Right Eye]

Thus, the face that was held in my hand had one empty eye socket, just like mine. The cursed face looked grotesque, as if infected by a plague. The remaining eye conveyed a clear intent. It was a wicked message proposing a collaboration with me if I let it go at the moment.

I promptly dismissed its creepy voice.

[Old One: Na Seon…]

I could lift the curse that plagued the Old One, but colluding with it would be a path to my own destruction.

[You have blocked the Old One’s message.]

I had no intention of having a conversation with the Old One. Its manifestation, which had momentarily exposed itself, collapsed back into the form of a necklace and emblem.

Doom Kaos’s pursuit was relentless. Each time I leaped through space, it chased after the distortions of space I left behind. At one point, it was catching up and the distance between us was narrowing by a slight margin.

Ddd…

It was not too late. When I sensed the moment I had been waiting for and exerted more force…

Whack!

My right hand, which held the eyeball, clenched into a tight fist. Blood oozed out from between my fingers, and the pain that the Old One must have felt was transmitted through the grip of my left hand.

When I opened my hand, all that was left were remnants of the crushed eyeball. It was merely the remnants of an ordinary eyeball that had lost its divinity. The omnipotent deity overseeing everything in the universe had actually never existed from the beginning. The Old One had evolved from a mere particle to what it was now, either from cosmic realization or by harnessing powers from other worlds like Doom Kaos.

They were no different from me. It was tragic that I had been under their influence for so long. Therefore, it was time to put an end to such days!

[You have destroyed the Old One’s Right Eye.]

Although it was just a part of the Old One, its power was immense. My desire to harness it began to cloud my thoughts.

However, I had seen too many cases where one got trapped in a quagmire due to mere greed for economic, political, or personal matters. It was the same now. I needed to keep in mind that this power was merely the toll I had to pay to return to my homeland.

Stick to the plan. Stick to the plan.

There were times to take risks and times not to. I chose not to absorb the Old One’s power. Instead, I broke it into pieces for Doom Kaos to consume. I spread it around and waited for the opportune moment.

As expected, Doom Kaos’s power that was controlling the rift reacted to its own greed. The sky opened.

Yes, I knew it! You would never be able to push this away. The only thing left in you is that determination to be the strongest. Take this and get away, you beast!

***

When I arrived with all my might, Lee Tae-Han’s office was not empty. Gillian was sitting at Lee Tae-Han’s desk, focused on the monitor which displayed Orca’s magnified two eyes.

「Odin was a terror to all of us. You are under the protection of such a being.」

The caption in English was also embedded below. In the seemingly frozen time, Gillian and Jessica, who were reporting to him, were also motionless. The flow of my power swept them away from my sight.

Even then, with walls covered in sturdy material, the last resistance of the Old One was still intense in my hand. When it was in the form of a necklace, it emanated colorful lights and vibrations. When it was in the form of an eyeball, it glared at me as if it wanted to kill me at any moment. Although it was distorted in pain, there was no hint of fear.

Suddenly, such a glance felt eerie. It was not because of the cursed grotesque look, but because I realized that their mindset was driven solely by a single circuit even though they were gods.

.

Just as the two had fought with each other and had fallen into corruption, my final battle was also predetermined. That battle had taken place in a realm different from the one I had with Arukuda. This fight could feel like an eternity…

I gritted my teeth and focused all my strength on my grip.

[System Administrator Odin: I will never become like you guys.]

Crack.

[System Administrator Odin: Even if it means perishing with Doom Kaos! Never!]

The Old One neither laughed nor pleaded. There was no hope left, but it did not waver at all.

Was I impressed by it? Not at all. It was pitiful and disgusting.

That was the end. The phenomenon of switching between the necklace and eyeball was limited to the necklace now. The chains, intricately intertwined like a precise German machine, began to loosen and dropped out of my grip.

It would meet its end not in its original shape, but as a mere object. There could not be a more miserable end than this. It was the perfect death for it.

Finally, as the necklace turned to dust, its spirit also shattered.

[You have removed the Old One.]

[Warning: But remember. It is not over. It is not over. It is not over. It is not over. It is not over. It is not over.]

[Warning: Doom Kaos is attacking the mainland’s barrier (Mana Engineering Defense Device).]

The power left by the Old One vibrated in the room. When it permeated through my skin and filled me, it resonated throughout my body. Then, it proved its existence, once having fought for the title of the sole deity.

“I will make good use of what you have left behind.”

[The Great Silver has been extracted.]

…

[The effect of the Great Silver ‘Significantly increases power against beings of Doom Kaos’s faction’ is combined with the blueprint ‘Wrath of the Ancient.’]

[Odin’s Flame Shield has been extracted.]

…

[The Great Red’s Unique Power ‘Absolute of the Crimson Flame’ is combined with the blueprint ‘Flame Hell of the King of Hell.’]

It had always been like this. Even when I felt I had reached unsurpassable growth, there was always more, and the rivals who threatened me fell.

Nonetheless, I was certain now that there was only one step above me. I could either step on it and put an end to this never-ending fight, or embrace it and plummet into the abyss of death together.

[Warning: Doom Kaos is attacking the mainland’s barrier (Mana Engineering Defense Device).]

I was ready for either way.

「Father and Mother,

I was able to come this far as my loved ones dedicated themselves to me as if they were looking after themselves. I can finally repay the words they gave to me to you two. Even if I turn back time again and again, I will never do any better.

But my wish is to return victorious and show my healthy self to you both. I promise to do so.

But if I cannot return to you, please do not shed tears in front of my picture. Instead, please be proud of me. The son you gave birth to and raised, gave it his all without any regrets.

I love you, Father. I love you, Mother. 」

The letter that was created in an instant, disappeared across the space.