Chapter 595. Ending

Translator: Boko

Kuwaang!

Demonic Dragon Acroma roared.

Horribly evil energy arose from its twin horns, materializing into a wide veil. It was large enough to fill the ceiling of Inarius's vast room.

However, it wasn't just big. It seemed as though something was just waiting to get through it.

Kang Oh saw something larger than a whale, a being with bizarre horns, a creature with sharp claws scratching at the veil, etc. There was even a monster with a bulging mouth and various sized sharp teeth.

Was that what it would look like if you were to gather the world's monsters and then place a thin, black piece of cloth over them?

It was so terrifying that it gave him chills; it was like he was looking at a statue made by a demon.

[Warning! Demonic Dragon Acroma has created a passageway that connects this world to the Demon World.]

[If this passageway is completed, then hordes of demons will flood into this world, bringing untold chaos.]

[10 minutes until the passageway is complete.]

"A tunnel to the Demon World!?" Kang Oh was absolutely gobsmacked.

In Arth, there were various worlds aside from the one they lived in. For example, there was the Demon World or the Illusion World.

Ubist was a denizen of the Demon World, while Talastrum's Demon, or Vladi, was originally from the Illusion World.

In ten minutes, creatures like Ubist or Vladi would come into this world en masse!

Chaos wasn't a strong enough word. If they got through, it would be the end for all of them.

"Master Valan," Kang Oh said, his voice trembling.

"I know. We have to stop it no matter what." Valan's voice remained as firm as always.

Whir!

Valan's silver sword glowed with iridescent light!

Max Perado, which had regained its original form, shook.

Normally, the holy sword wouldn't reveal itself unless its chosen hero was in grave danger.

However, Demonic Dragon Acroma was so evil and such a threat to the world that it had no choice but to awaken from its slumber.

"You're going to try and stop me?" Acroma smiled. A four-eyed demonic mask covered Inarius's original face.

Infinite Evil Shadows!

Countless eggs appeared around it.

Soon enough, those eggs hatched into horrific monsters. There were hundreds, no, thousands of them.

Kuhaaahk!

Kyahahk!

Their shrieks were like nails on a chalkboard. A legion of demons rushed at Kang Oh and Valan like a black cloud.

"Let's go!"

"Yes!"

Kang Oh swung Ubist, while Valan swung Max Perado.

Divide the Sea!

Both Grandmasters unleashed the ultimate technique simultaneously!

The two lines layered together, and stretched outwards.

Their combined power was incredible.

Several hundred monsters were annihilated instantaneously! However, there were still many more where they came from.

"I'll leave the monsters to you." Light spread from Valan's fingertips, transforming his entire body into light.

Hero of Light!

Max Perado gave the hero power to overcome any obstacle, and this was a manifestation of that power.

Bam!

Valan pierced through the legion of monsters, leaving behind a trail of light like a shooting star.

Acroma lifted its body.

It opened its wings and stood on its legs, making it appear more demonic than ever before.

Soon…!

Valan and Acroma would battle.

The brilliant light and the deep darkness would clash for supremacy. It was the classic battle between good and evil.

Kang Oh slashed a flying demon with Sarahoff. However, it didn't deal any damage.

'Ah!'

Sarahoff's blade was still black with the serrated red pattern on top.

His demon sword was still locked in its Dragon Slayer mode. In this mode, Sarahoff wouldn't deal any damage to any other target besides Inarius.

Switch Blood.

Kang Oh stored Sarahoff and pulled out Blood, the snow-white blade enveloped in strange red light.

Devil Trigger.

Since he'd died, he needed to activate Devil Trigger again. A beast mask with demonic horns covered his face, and dark red wings protruded from his back.

Gluttony had deactivated, and he'd also wasted his trump card, Dragon's Hourglass.

But that didn't change the fact that Kang Oh was strong.

Swish! Slash!

He swung his demon swords one after another, cleaving through the closest demon and then moving on to the next.

A blade storm raged across the battlefield.

Darkness Strike activated, and his swords' darkness and blood energy devoured countless demons in his path.

Tramp, tramp.

Kang Oh advanced.

No monster could stop him.

Kuhaahk!

Kyahahk!

The monsters' shrieks and cries of agony mixed together.

How long had he been fighting for?

He no longer heard their shrieks or their cries. All that was there was a pile of monster corpses that sunk into the ground like shadows.

"Hoo, hoo."

Kang Oh raised his head.

Light and darkness.

He could clearly see the battle between Valan and Acroma.

Little by little, the darkness was eating away at the light. Valan was losing.

He was humanity's strongest, and their last hope! That just showed how powerful Acroma was.

Kang Oh tightly gripped Ubist and Blood.

Their battle was so intense and hard fought that even he wouldn't come out unharmed if he jumped in.

However…!

He had to jump in, no matter how risky it might be. Valan needed his help.

'Focus!'

Tap.

Kang Oh soared into the air.

* * *

"Haa, haa." Kang Oh breathed haggardly. His face was filled with exhaustion. Obviously, his body wasn't doing too well either.

His HP, MP, and Stamina were almost depleted.

At the very least, Eder's healing medicine was working wonders.

'Damn it.'

Acroma truly was a monster.

Not only did it possess a dragon's physical strength and magical prowess, but it also had its own demonic abilities and intellect.

To think that the fusion between a demon and a dragon was possible. It was truly a horrific combination.

Sarahoff had returned to its original state. Even so, neither its ice or Blood's power were effective against the demonic dragon.

It was surrounded by darkness, which sucked in most attacks like a swamp.

The only things that could penetrate Acroma's defense was Max Perado's divine light, and Ubist's darkness, which had consumed countless beings in the Demon World.

Even so, the fight was still too difficult. Acroma was ridiculously strong.

Moreover…!

Kang Oh and Valan didn't have much time left either. They didn't have the luxury of backing off and getting help.

[The passageway to the Demon World is nearing completion.]

[Remaining Time: 5 minutes, 23 seconds.]

They only had 5 minutes left.

When the time passed, the veil over their heads would rip apart, releasing countless demons into this world.

"Haahp!"

The Jet-Black Demon swung Ubist in a wide arc. Since Ubist's abyss energy was the only thing effective against the demonic dragon, he stored his other two demon swords.

Abyss Claw!

A three-lined darkness claw ripped through Acroma's wing.

Then, evil energy spread outwards like a rising tide. Giant black flames rained down on him from above.

Whir!

Valan flew over and swung the holy sword. The intense light repelled the darkness and shielded Kang Oh from harm.

However, the light didn't last long, and was soon devoured by the darkness. It was as if their last hope had fallen into a pit of despair.

"Kuhahaha."

They could hear Acroma's excited laughter.

Even so, Kang Oh and Valan had no way of stifling it.

Giant tentacles sprouted from its sides and attacked the two Grandmasters.

Kang Oh dealt with them using Mad Wind's Sword, while Valan used Divide the Sea in tandem with the holy sword. Despite that, blocking Acroma's attacks was all they could do.

'We can't do this with just the two of us.'

They needed help. Not just any help, mind you; they needed the best of the best.

There was someone he thought of.

Kang Oh backed off, and then sent someone a message.

'Please!'

He hoped that this message would reach him!

The system message shined.

[Remaining Time: 4 minutes, 44 seconds.]

* * *

It wasn't a matter of dealing with Acroma before their time was up. At this rate, Kang Oh would die before then.

Valan's light was gradually dimming too.

They were doing whatever it took to survive, but it didn't seem like they would last for very long.

Their surroundings were filled with darkness. It was as if Kang Oh and Valan were stuck in a vast open sea of darkness with no way out.

There was no hope of rescue. It seemed like his message hadn't reached them.

They didn't have much time left.

[Remaining Time: 1 minute, 30 seconds.]

Kang Oh made his decision.

'I have to retreat.'

There was no way for him to stop Acroma from opening a tunnel to the Demon World.

If that's the case, then he had to get Valan out of here, no matter what it took. If he died, then he'd return, but that didn't apply to Valan. They had to prepare for a world filled with demons now.

"Master…" Kang Oh began.

However, Valan interrupted him. "Don't miss your chance!"

All of a sudden, the light around his body intensified. At the same time, shards of light fell from his body.

"Y-You can't!" Kang Oh yelled desperately. He knew what Valan was trying to do.

However, Valan charged straight into Acroma's chest.

"Witness the great power of the Demon World!"

Acroma's darkness completely devoured Valan.

Valan pierced through it, and unleashed light on a scale unseen thus far.

At the same time, his body began to swell. He had sacrificed the remainder of his life to generate as much Light of Life as possible.

The darkness was ripped to shreds.

Kuhaaa!

For the first time, Acroma yelled in agony. The light punctured holes all over Acroma's body, and it wobbled on its feet.

The light had overcome the darkness for a split second.

Kang Oh didn't even have time to be sad about it. This was an opportunity that Valan had given him by sacrificing himself!

He got as close to Acroma as he could and gave it everything he had.

Abyss Predator!

Divide the Sea!

A massive deluge of darkness fell from above.

"Please!"

Die!

Swoosh!

A jet-black line cleaved both the world and Acroma in half!

The veil was split diagonally, and Acroma's body was likewise bisected.

'Is it over?'

But…!

Acroma was truly a stubborn bastard.

"I won't die!"

Although its body was cut in half, it stretched out its arm and grabbed Kang Oh. The severed pieces of its body began to mend together too.

"Ugh."

Death was right at his doorstep.

'Ubist. Just once, I leave this to you.'

Kang Oh used Demon's Descent and summoned Ubist. Ubist's head formed, and then the rest of its body. It immediately devoured the darkness in its surroundings.

However…!

Sharp spikes of darkness impaled Ubist from every direction, preventing its movement. Ubist violently struggled against its restraints, but it was no use.

'Damn it.'

They had no other options.

Everything was over. Kang Oh closed his eyes and awaited his death.

At that moment…!

A miracle had come.

* * *

The room, which was completely enveloped in a sea of darkness, was illuminated by a brilliant golden light. It was like an aurora.

A short while later…

A white-scaled dragon appeared from the golden, glowing magic circle.

Divine Dragon Gainus!

Kang Oh's request for aid had finally made it to him.

He had sent Sephiro a message, asking him to find Eder. Eder was the only one who could contact Gainus and request his aid.

That's why Gainus was so late. But it was a relief that he was here, and that it wasn't too late.

"Begone, Denizen of the Demon World!" Gainus unleashed a breath that glittered like the stars in the milky way.

Divine Dragon's Breath!

If Acroma were at full strength, then Gainus would've found it difficult to oppose it.

However, Valan's sacrifice and Kang Oh's attacks had weakened it significantly.

Thus, it couldn't deal with his Divine Dragon's Breath. The mighty, holy breath of light swept through Acroma and made it explode.

"Nooooo!"

'Do you know how long I've waited for this moment!? I can't let it end like this!'

The darkness glimmered.

However, Gainus was the mightiest of dragons, and was given the title of Divine Dragon to prove it. It was more skilled in magic than any other dragon to ever exist.

Explosion of Divine Light!

Holy Impact!

Luhan's Judgment!

He maintained his breath till the very end, whilst casting grand light magic one after another to repel the darkness.

Whir!

The brilliant light repelled the darkness like the rising sun. It didn't allow a single speck of darkness to remain.

Kuhaaaahk!

That was its final cry.

Acroma swirled around like liquid flowing through the sewers and slowly dwindled in size until it was completely gone.

"You get lost too!" Gainus directed his holy light at the passageway to the Demon World that Kang Oh had cut.

[Remaining Time: 3 seconds.]

[The passageway to the Demon World has been destroyed.]

The world had been saved.

* * *

Inarius was killed, as well as the parasitic demon that had been possessing its body.

However, that wasn't a cause for celebration. Valan had gone on his final journey to the underworld.

Valan was the hero that saved the world.

What if he hadn't been there? Then the continent would be a hell infested with demons right about now.

However, no one knew about the hero's death, nor did anyone hold a ceremony worthy of a hero that saved the world.

After all, it was clear that Valan wouldn't have wanted something like that.

Only a select few (Gainus, Kang Oh, Asu, Sven, Burkan, Darion, Dion, a few of Valan's friends, and Kang Oh's comrades) were invited to pay their respects to the hero that had saved the world.

It was sad that Valan didn't have any family members to mourn his passing.

But there was an upside. Kang Oh was sure that Valan was smiling right now. After all, his family of swordsmen had all come to pay their respects.

𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

The dwarves and countless other races were freed from Inarius's control. Those that remained loyal to the dragon until the very end disappeared without a trace.

"Thank you, Savior!"

"Thank you so much."

Hoffman, Randelhoff, and the rest of the Black Hammer Dwarves cried as they returned to their home in the Phamas Mountains.

In the future, they would create a giant city, which they would name Valan.

They said that they'd name the city in Kang Oh's honor, but he insisted that they name it after Valan instead.

Kang Oh roamed the continent.

He completed the Guardian of the Continent Quests, explored never-before-seen, extremely dangerous areas, and uncovered countless secrets hidden within dungeons.

He also retained his title as strongest for a very long time.

Kang Oh, who was called the Predator and/or the Dungeon Predator, would be remembered as a legend even after Arth's service was terminated.

* * *

Many years later…

The warm sunlight shone through the wide window of the living room. Jae Woo and Soo Ah were glued together on the sofa.

Jae Woo wasn't young anymore. The signs of the passing years were apparent on his face. His chin had become thicker, and his stomach was bigger too. In no time at all, he had become a middle-aged man.

Whereas Soo Ah seemed to have not aged one bit. To be more specific, her face had retained its youthfulness, but had also gained a kindness and warmth it didn't have before. Her beauty had only grown with age.

On one side of the living room lay frames of their wedding photos.

His family, as well as Soo Ah's family were in the photos. Yura had become a baker, while Mina had become a dance choreographer.

Sephiro, Bart, Helena, and the members of the Witch's Forest had also attended the wedding and had given their blessings.

"Oppa, take a look at this." Soo Ah pointed at a picture in their picture album.

It was a picture of them in their youth; they wore sunglasses, masks, and hats in order to hide their identities. The Eiffel Tower was behind them.

"That's when I went to Paris to see you."

Jae Woo was lost in nostalgia.

"This is when we disguised ourselves to get the paparazzi off our back. Do you remember?"

"Of course."

"Do you know how disappointed I was back then?"

"Why? Since we couldn't have a proper date?"

"No, it's because the paparazzi were there for you, not me. Even though I'm the idol! It hurt my pride."

"I was a bit more successful than you." Kang Oh grinned.

Whack.

"Ow."

She punched Jae Woo's chest. Soo Ah stared at Kang Oh with her beautifully aged eyes.

"You were so popular with girls back then. Do you know how sad that made me?"

He was approached by models, announcers, female idols, and even actresses. It truly was a mess.

They became even more aggressive once they realized how much he was worth.

"But I only had eyes for you." Jae Woo hugged her tight, and kissed her cheek.

Soo Ah relaxed. Then, she flipped through the album again.

They relived several memories.

The two of them had spent so much time together, talking together and loving each other so much.

The memories were like pastel colors. It felt like the photos were giving off a sweet scent.

They hadn't experienced just happiness though. The two of them had gone through hardship of their own, causing them to ignore each other, fight with each other, and even separate at one point.

It was like how chocolate was originally bitter.

However, the two were destined to meet again. In the end, the two confirmed their love for each other and got married.

Now they were living a good life together.

Their love had borne fruit too.

"Mom, dad, can you not do that in the living room!?" Their first daughter, Eunbi, came out of her room and whined about her parent's open display of affection.

"Please do it where no one is looking."

"This is my house, you know. And he's mine too." Soo Ah grabbed Jae Woo's face and kissed him.

"What's wrong with kissing what's mine in my house?" Soo Ah placed her hands on her hips.

"Bleh."

"Mm." Jae Woo nodded his head.

She was in eighth grade, so she was about the age where she'd get sick of seeing her parents doing things like this.

Soo Ah didn't even bat an eye.

"Man." Eunbi looked at her parents one more time, and then returned to her room.

Thud!

Closing one's door that hard was pretty symptomatic of an eighth grader.

Jae Woo and Soo Ah focused on the album again.

"Oh my, take a look at this."

It was a picture of their 2nd child Eunseong's first birthday. On that day, the baby reaches and picks out anything on the table (with gifts and food), and what he picked was…

Then…

Ring!

The front door opened, and a boy from elementary school came inside. He threw his bag inside his room and then turned around.

"Mom, I'm going out. I'll be back later," Eunseong said sweetly.

Eunseong looked just like mother. He was like a doll. When he was younger, he was even in a commercial.

"Are you going to another capsule room?"

"Yes! My friends and I agreed to go to a capsule room together. I'll be back."

"Don't come back too late."

"Ok!" he replied enthusiastically, and rushed out the door.

A short while later, they could hear the front door being shut.

"You can't fool blood." Soo Ah stared at Jae Woo.

"It's destiny." Jae Woo pulled out the picture and shook it.

Eunseong had picked up an old gaming console on his first birthday.

"He has the blood of a legendary gamer in him, after all." Jae Woo grinned.

"What about me? People called me a fairy."

"Eunbi took after you. She's our little fairy."

The daughter being the apple of one's eye was a true saying.

"An eighth grade fairy."

"Hehe."

A short while later…

Soo Ah stood up.

"It's already this late? I have to go to the practice hall to prepare for the year-end concert."

Soo Ah, who was once one of the best idols out there, was now a singer that people called a diva.

"I'll be back."

"Alright."

Soo Ah left, and Jae Woo turned on the TV. Then, he switched channels to GBS.

It played footage of the hottest game called 'Legendary'.

To be more specific, it was showing an interview of the coach of the Dragons Team. The ten best teams competed in what was called the Legendary League, and the Dragons Team had won first place and was also considered the dominant team.

"Coach, your team has won five times in a row, and things seem to be going well for you. Do you think you'll win first place this year too?"

"Of course. We're the strongest, after all!"

Within the screen…

Jae Woo was smiling.