Like a rubber band stretching.
『Master Rank debut match will terminate immediately…』
『All players will be forcibly unsummoned…』
Two message windows stretched out. Even as a returnee, Shimun had never witnessed such a rare phenomenon before.
‘So this is… how it stretches?’
Shimun’s mind went blank, beyond the point of confusion.
“Shimun?”
A calm yet sweet voice brought him back to his senses. When he turned his head.
“Take this.”
Nyx, holding out a piece of ember, clutched two elongated messages. Shimun, glancing at those two alternately for a moment, asked cautiously.
“Uh… Nyx, is this really okay?”
Accepting the ember piece Nyx handed over.
“What do you mean by that?”
She tilted her head, realizing Shimun was staring at the stretched message window.
“Oh, this?”
She responded with a mischievous smile. Not just that, “It’s not okay at all. This level is far from enough. About…”
Smack!
Nyx slapped the message window with the hand holding the ember. And it didn’t stop at just once.
Smack!
Slap!
Like a refined noblewoman, Nyx slapped the message window repeatedly with elegant and graceful gestures.
Each time,
『Master… debut match… minate…』
『All… forcibly unsummoned…』
Characters from the elongated message window fell off one by one. Shimun, watching the message window losing characters as if someone was shaking out kernels of corn, flinched momentarily.
Only after nearly all the characters were gone from the message window,
“This level of beating makes it all right.”
Nyx, with a relieved smile, let go of the stretched message window.
Thump…
Like a rubber band stretched beyond its limit, the message window finally collapsed limply.
For some reason, including memories from his previous life, ‘I feel a bit sorry for it…’
For the first time, Shimun felt sympathy for the Galaxy Arena and the system.
Soon, as he watched the message window gradually return to its original form, Nyx, who had been sending glaring eyes of clear contempt, suddenly brightened up.
“Seriously. So annoying? Well, starting from those guys… As you know, Shimun, this ember piece is a divine relic from the Flame Sovereign Shennong.”
She smiled at Shimun as he held the ember piece she had handed over.
Shimun responded, “Indeed, the energy emanating from it feels quite extraordinary.”
He lifted the ember piece, feeling the warmth radiating from his palm as if holding a warm teacup.
“Hoho. Yes, although it doesn’t contain much power. Currently, Shennong isn’t in a position to bestow more…”
Nyx nodded and trailed off for a moment, quietly gazing at the ember. After a while, “Anyway.”
Returning to her usual demeanor, “This piece was created solely for the purpose of extracting and containing divine power.”
She continued in a soft voice.
“Divine power?”
“Yes. It seems like the reason you and the Giants have come all the way to the Abyssal Hell is because of the Bull Demon King. Am I right?”
Could he be a primordial god?
Nyx casually mentioned the Bull Demon King residing in the Speech Hell managed by King Enma.
“Did you know about it?”
Shimun asked directly.
“Hoho. Of course.”
Nyx nodded with her characteristic smile.
“Though I reside in Tartaros, all the underworlds originate from the Abyss.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
“Indeed. The Abyssal Hell also originated from this Abyss. To be precise, they’re like siblings.”
Nyx said this with a playful wink. It was an uncharacteristically lively reaction from her, but, Shimun had no time to pay attention to such details.
It was only natural.
“All hells… originated from Tartaros…?”
Wasn’t he hearing an unimaginable secret?
But to Nyx, a primordial god, it was not surprising at all.
“Of course. In fact, Tartaros is just a designation. Essentially, it is a place that embodies the primordial concept of death…”
She continued without a hint of concern, but then,
“Stop. That’s enough, Nyx.”
Shimun abruptly interrupted her. The reason was simple.
Bzzt!
Unexplainable sparks, or something like that, began flickering around Nyx. Shimun, who prided himself on being quite knowledgeable about gods and divine powers, realized, ‘Any further conversation on this topic would be harmful, even to Nyx.’
He determined that those sparks were related to her recent statements. As soon as Nyx stopped speaking, the flickering around her quickly dissipated.
Yet, “Oh my, how considerate of you.”
The concerned person herself seemed unbothered. Shimun answered back, shaking his head slightly.
“No, thank you. It doesn’t hold much significance for me.”
In response, “Oh my~ Really?”
Nyx’s smile became curious.
“The primordial concept of death I was about to mention, if understood properly, can allow one to transcend death. In other words, it grants immortality.”
Immortality.
For humans with a fixed lifespan, no.
“For any mortal being, everyone yearns for that eternity.”
Beyond the human race. Anyone belonging to a mortal race would inevitably long for it.
“I can impart that concept… or should I say, truth to you.”
Nyx spoke of the wish of all mortals.
“You are a remarkable being. You might come to realize it someday…”
Like the gentle draping of a night’s shawl, “You could eventually reach the realm of immortality.”
She whispered in a sweetly seductive and irresistible voice.
The Dragonoid.
Despite wearing the Nemean Lion’s Hide, which granted over 58% resistance to powers, the temptation of sleep seeped through.
“If you say so, Nyx, it might be true. But…”
Despite his eyelids being half-closed, “I’m fine.”
Shimun answered in a half-drowsy voice.
Recognizing the unmistakable certainty within him, fitting of a primordial god, “Why is that?”
Nyx, with her hair waving like a flowing river, questioned him.
And, in response to an answer even a primordial god could hardly imagine,
“It wouldn’t be good for you, Nyx… You’ve already helped a lot… any more and…”
“…….”
Nyx looked at Shimun with bewildered eyes, her mouth slightly agape. Perhaps because of her unveiled presence, Shimun, much like a protagonist in a fairytale, fell into a deep sleep.
Watching him for a while, she bowed her head slightly, “Pfft, pffft!”
A small laugh broke the silence.
That small laugh gradually,
Hahaha! Ha ha ha ha ha!
Echoed endlessly throughout her realm. As if in response,
Rumble, rumble, rumble!!
A vast and expansive domain, encompassing entire galaxies, vibrated intensely.
Because of that,
Srrr…
It unraveled like thread. Nyx’s expansive domain unwound at one side.
Thunk.
The echoing laughter of Nyx and the shaking galaxies came to an abrupt halt.
The Goddess of Night, Nyx.
Even for a primordial god like her, to casually intrude into the domain of another primordial god and exert this much influence was something to be wary of.
“Ah… Truly. Your timing for waking up is impeccable.”
Nyx, looking at the part of her domain that unraveled, was flushed with excitement. She could not contain her thrilling sighs.
“How is it? Did you even know this response already? Hmm?”
She rambled on incoherently, like someone intoxicated on a powerful drug.
“How can we also be completely free from the chains like you? Can we know everything too? Tell me.”
She continued muttering aimlessly with unfocused eyes.
“Is that why you chose this person? Or is it alchemy… Oh my? Could it be that Paracelsus was…”
As if responding to her murmur,
Srrr.
The unraveled space trembled lightly.
“Pfft! Ahaha! Yes. You have no obligation to tell me. In fact, I hoped you wouldn’t.”
Nyx burst into a clear, pure laughter. She then shifted her gaze to the sleeping Shimun with eyes full of warmth and serenity.
“Even beings like us need goals to alleviate this endless boredom, right?”
She spoke with tenderness, as if gazing at her own child.
“He might be the key. For me, Yahweh, Buddha, and even our friends and sisters. Everyone is drawn to him.”
Caressing Shimun’s cheek softly, “Of course, he might not be. But it doesn’t matter.”
She gently stroked his sleeping face.
“He already holds immense value just as he is.”
With that, the conversation seemed to end.
Srrr…
The unraveled space closed back.
And as if on cue,
Swish!
Buzz.
Crackle.
Ahh~.
Various energies manifested with forms like tentacles, beards, wings, and more, containing voids of black-purple, thunder, demonic energy, and divine aura.
It was as if they were trying to locate the entity she had just conversed with.
-You wench! Hey! What did you do?!
-How could he be here…
-I have questions too!
-Can’t you summon him again?
-Hmm!!
-It’s been ages. I only met him once!
Amid the clamor from the divine beings, “Hoho. Do you think I know? Despite knowing well what kind of being he is…”
Nyx shook her head slightly, a soft laugh escaping her lips. Soon enough,
“And. You all know the method well, don’t you?”
Her gaze, still cradling him,
“It lies with the one who has received his unique attention.”
Shifted toward the soundly asleep platinum-haired young man. Naturally, the gazes of the divine beings also converged on a single point.
Perhaps because of this,
“Hmm…”
Shimun, under the sleep induced by the Goddess of Night, murmured faintly.
At that, “Pfft! He’s still in the Master Rank, yet he can already sense the presence of divine beings even unconsciously…”
Nyx laughed.
“Everyone’s just drooling, aren’t you?”
She glanced mischievously at the gathered divine beings.
“And… I kind of feel bad?”
She softly stroked Shimun’s chest. For some unknown reason, her eyes were filled with, a mix of poignancy and longing.
“I thought I was repeating the same mistake again… I guess I was foolish.”
*
Earth’s representative arena channel, TWC.
It was currently, “What the hell happened?”
“Get the camera up!”
“Call the disaster mobilization team, now!”
In complete chaos.
The reason was simple. Along with TWC’s stage,
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
A powerful earthquake shook the entire building. Fortunately, the quake didn’t last long.
“Here too!”
“Secure the objects mainly with psychokinesis and air!”
“Deploy the protective shields!”
The disaster mobilization team, comprised of Awakened individuals, quickly subdued the internal commotion.
As the situation calmed,
『Ladies and gentlemen, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.』
In true global arena channel fashion,
『There was a tremor… That’s right, a massive global earthquake just occurred!』
Caster Michael compiled the incoming information and explained, despite the sudden earthquake.
『Ha! It’s a relief. Since you viewers felt the shake along with us!』
『I agree with Michael. You probably didn’t have the leisure to watch our ridiculous behavior.』
『Jonathan is absolutely right. Ah! If anyone suffered any harm, we extend our condolences…』
He smoothly transitioned with wit.
『The Master Rank promotion match has ended.』
A sudden message window popped up.
『Oh!? We have unexpected news of the arena’s conclusion!』
『This is just too much! First, the broadcast was interrupted arbitrarily, and now this sudden conclusion notice?』
Michael and Jonathan. Both expressed their disappointment but that was all. Whether Shimun had left the arena, the broadcast screen had completely gone dark.
『It is quite disappointing, but after all, everyone predicted Kim Shimun’s first place finish.』
『That’s right. He had already completely dominated the Capture the Flag match before the screen went dark.』
『Exactly! Let’s watch the highlights again!』
TWC quickly replayed the footage from before Shimun’s screen went dark.
『From a commentator’s perspective, I believe the moment that chest appeared, the situation was over.』
『Haha! For me, it was from the moment we saw those platinum lightning strikes…』
They continued wrapping up the broadcast.
That day,
『Sudden massive tremor! But not caused by an earthquake?!』
『Earthquake experts say, “This wasn’t a normal earthquake”.』
『New disaster from the arena?! The world is in turmoil!』
Alongside articles about the sudden tremor,
『Record-breaking Master Rank debut match!』
『Kim Shimun, overwhelming power in the Master Rank! Next top ranker confirmed?』
『When will Kim Shimun’s ranker evaluation be held? The world’s attention is focused!』
Articles about the Master Rank debut match flooded in.
*
『You have achieved first place in your Master Rank debut match.』
『Due to your overwhelming performance and unprecedented achievements, your clear rewards have increased.』
『The bound trait Philosopher’s Stone has received a portion of experience.』
『Your level has increased by 30.』
『The Philosopher’s Stone’s level has increased by 25.』
Messages poured in.
However, instead of his usual cheers,
“Hmm…”
Shimun merely furrowed his brow slightly.
Soon after,
“Here…”
Still groggy, rubbing his eyes, Shimun sat up to see the familiar scenery of his laboratory.
– Oppa, are you alright?
He smiled faintly upon seeing the Philosopher’s Stone floating in the flask.
‘I must have returned.’
Just as he was about to respond to the Philosopher’s Stone,
『Hoho. Did you sleep well?』
A message window appeared before his eyes. Unlike the ones from the Galaxy Arena, it had a different dimension, yet felt soft and familiar, a black message window.
TL’s Corner:
Hell and Underworld are used interchangeably depending on the context.