Chapter 193. The Time Has Come

Light, infused with the power the old man had bestowed upon Vango, descended. As it flowed into Kim Do-Joon, so did Vango's memories.

I guess the elder took care of it.

No wonder there had been no trace of Vango on the island. The creature had left for Korea, aiming to kidnap his daughter.

Anger surged through him, but relief soon followed. Leaving Jecheon Seong behind to protect Kim So-Eun had been the right decision after all.

A low rumble shook the ground. Nearby, the old man stared blankly at him, as if intimidated.

Naturally, because Vango's power was cascading into Kim Do-Joon like a waterfall. If the undead got too close, it’d get caught in the torrent and lose Alcyone’s power. Perhaps this hesitation wasn’t just a calculated decision but pure instinct.

—What the hell are you doing?! Stop him! Stop him now!

A furious voice roared from the distance. It was Ushas, barking orders. Moments ago, the balance of power was fragile but intact. If Vango's power fully merged with Kim Do-Joon, it would shatter irreparably.

Though an undead operated on instinct, it still obeyed the commands of its necromancer. Clutching its sword, the old man lunged forward, abandoning its caution.

So, Ushas is taking a gamble.

Better to risk losing Alcyone’s power to disrupt the process than to accept certain defeat.

“

Ha...

”

Kim Do-Joon exhaled deeply and gripped his spear.

Back then, it had been just him and Mel Sior in an isolated space, free from interruptions. If he wanted to absorb every last drop of Vango's power without letting any of it slip away, he would have to outmatch his opponent.

This was the critical moment—the tipping point between life and death. The weight of that realization pressed down on him.

Rumble—!

The ground's trembling intensified instead of easing. At first, the vibrations had been limited to the pillar of light, but now they spread across the entire island, shaking it violently.

And then, out of nowhere, the Roots of the World Tree appeared, surging upward as if to pierce the sky.

—What is this!

Ushas shouted, his eyes widening in shock.

Siwelin, who was barely holding her ground inside Ushas’ mana circle, and the American Hunters nearby, all wore the same stunned expression. Even Kim Do-Joon was taken aback by the unexpected turn of events.

The Roots began to twist together, converging on a single point—the very place where Kim Do-Joon and the old man were locked in a standoff. In mere moments, the Roots enveloped them both, hardening into an impenetrable barrier.

The next thing Kim Do-Joon knew was that he was standing in a dazzlingly white space, so bright it was almost blinding.

And before him stood the old man, alive and whole as he had been in life.

—So, you must be the one who has inherited my distributions.

The old man said, his voice calm yet profound.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the conference room of the Korean Hunter Association, Jecheon Seong sat in a plush chair. In his arms, Kim So-Eun was fast asleep, her head bobbing gently with each breath.

During the fight with Vango, Yeon-Hong-Ah had cast a simple sleep-inducing spell on Kim So-Eun.

"We need to go help him immediately," said Son Chang-Il in a low voice, as if careful not to disturb the sleeping child, or perhaps mindful of Jecheon Seong’s watchful gaze.

The screen displayed a live feed from the island, broadcast directly from the United States. It showed the clash between Ushas and Siwelin, Kim Do-Joon battling the undead, and finally, the moment when the Roots of the World Tree rose and swallowed everything.

“I’ve already contacted the guild,” said Yeon Hong-Ah.

Shin Yoo-Sung nodded in agreement.

“Everyone should be gathering soon. Just prepare a means of transportation.”

Both of them answered without hesitation. In truth, the summoning orders had been sent out the moment Vango appeared. Now, the only thing left was to find volunteers willing to head to the island with them.

As they steeled their resolve, Jecheon Seong spoke up, “I’m not going.”

His words made everyone turn to him in surprise. Son Chang-Il nodded slightly, already understanding why. Someone had to stay behind to protect the child.

However, Jecheon Seong’s next words caught them off guard.

“Honestly, it might be better if none of you go.”

“What?” Yeon Hong-Ah blinked in confusion.

“Why would you say that?” Son Chang-Il asked.

Yeon Hong-Ah’s face darkened slightly. Did he mean that they would not be of any help even if they went? It was not an unreasonable thought. Despite being an S-rank Hunter—one of humanity’s strongest—she had felt powerless in the face of the recent events.

However, JeCheon Seong shook his head, dismissing the idea.

“It’s because by the time you get there, it’ll all be over.”

His gaze was fixed on the screen, specifically on the towering pillar of light and the World Tree’s Roots.

* * *

—So, who are they?

The old man’s sudden question made Kim Do-Joon blink.

“Sorry?” Kim Do-Joon asked, caught off guard.

The old man clarified, “I’m asking about the ones whose powers you’ve reclaimed. This projection was designed to appear after one absorbs the divine authority of two.”

Ah, so that’s why he appeared now.

“It’s Mel Sior and Vango.”

—I see...

The old man’s expression softened, a wistful look crossing his face. Was he recalling memories of the two? Kim Do-Joon couldn’t tell.

Though he had absorbed their memories along with their powers, they were just fragments, pieces too incomplete to form the whole picture.

—I’m surprised the second was Vango. Ushas is far more aggressive than that one.

“I actually encountered Ushas first,” Kim Do-Joon explained. “Vango was his accomplice, but I managed to reclaim his power before Ushas could do much.”

—Of course.

The old man softly clicked his tongue. No doubt, Ushas had convinced Vango to join him with his smooth words.

Of course, it didn’t matter much to the old man, since both had committed unspeakable atrocities.

The next moment, the old man looked at Kim Do-Joon thoughtfully.

—Would you mind telling me what happened?

“I can tell you, but...” Kim Do-Joon trailed off, his brow furrowing.

The issue wasn't explaining the events but the time it would take. Ushas and Siwelin were still locked in combat outside, whereas he still needed to deal with the undead old man.

—Everything will be okay. Time isn’t passing outside right now.

Kim Do-Joon was surprised but soon nodded. The old man had no reason to lie about this.

He began recounting everything, starting from his battle with Mel Sior up to the present. The old man closed his eyes and listened silently, as if confirming how the plans he had left behind were unfolding.

The first time the old man showed a reaction was when Kim Do-Joon mentioned Vango’s death.

—So, you’re saying you didn’t kill him yourself?

“No,” Kim Do-Joon replied. “An elder I know handled him. And the power that had nowhere else to go returned to me.”

—

Ha!

I see.

The old man’s eyes widening in astonishment.

Jecheon Seong’s involvement was not part of his original plans. Their meeting had been a result of Kim Do-Joon’s desperate search to cure Kim So-Eun’s Nine Yin Absolute Meridians. In other words, it was a connection forged by Kim So-Eun herself.

The old man’s plans had not accounted for details like entrusting his power to a parent trying to save their child. He had simply arranged for his power to return to whoever was most suitable.

That was why he was so surprised to learn that a human had defeated a being as powerful as Vango. Such cases were rare, and no matter how often they happened, they never ceased to amaze him.

And he was glad. Even without him, the world seemed to be managing just fine.

“I wouldn’t say it’s doing fine,” Kim Do-Joon said, frowning slightly.

After the old man’s death, the World Tree had fallen into corruption. The once-vibrant tree had turned into a harbinger of chaos, wreaking havoc in Kim Do-Joon’s world. With Roots erupting unpredictably and monsters crawling out from the shadows, peace was a distant memory.

— I’m sorry...

The old man’s face was shadowed with regret.

He had once been an absolute being—a transcendent, impeccable existence. Yet, when it came to raising his children, he had failed spectacularly. And because of that failure, countless worlds had been devastated.

—Sometimes... when you’ve lived as long as I have, your emotions dull to the point where they’re almost nonexistent. But that doesn’t mean they’re gone. Occasionally, just occasionally, those deeply buried feelings resurface, clawing their way back to the surface.

The old man’s voice was tinged with weariness.

When those emotions emerged, they were impossible to suppress. That was why the Old Man had always acted impulsively when it came to his children. Even knowing in his heart that nothing good would come of it, even when his mind screamed at him to stop, he had been powerless against the tide.

And the result was his death, but that chapter was closed now. Once this fragment of his consciousness vanished, there would be no trace of him left in the world.

My era is over. What matters now is the future—the direction the new era will take.

Looking at Kim Do-Joon, his chosen successor, the old man spoke.

—What will you do next?

It was a question meant to guide the conversation toward the future, toward what laid ahead.

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Kim Do-Joon responded without hesitation, “I’ll destroy the undead Ushas created, reclaim Alcyone’s power, and bring him back to life. After that, I’ll hunt Ushas down and put an end to him. Is there anything you’d like to tell me before I do?”

The old man shook his head.

—No, there’s nothing.

If his successor had been a more selfish person, Alcyone and Laoha would have been stripped of their power and left for dead. However, Kim Do-Joon was not that kind of man, and the old man felt a faint relief at the thought. This was just for this moment, but for all the countless worlds that laid ahead.

Feeling some semblance of peace, the old man gave one final request.

— Can I ask you a favor?

* * *

At some point, Kim Do-Joon’s consciousness returned to the present.

He found himself in a tangled web of Roots—thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands, all entwined in a dark, lightless space. The Roots writhed and twisted, creeping toward Kim Do-Joon and the undead old man.

Swish!

With an almost mechanical precision, the old man swung his blade, slicing through the approaching roots. Gone was the careful tenderness of a man who had once cherished and nurtured the World Tree. All that remained was a cold, machine-like instinct to destroy anything in his way.

However, Kim Do-Joon was different. He placed a hand on one of the corrupted Roots.

Suddenly, a brilliant light radiated from his touch, purging the corruption. The filth that clung to the Root fell away, revealing the clean, untainted wood beneath.

More Roots began to surge toward him, but unlike the ones attacking the old man, these were not hostile. They bowed before him, pleading silently for salvation.

Starting with the nearest ones, the Roots began to purify, shedding their corruption as they were restored to their original state.

However, on the other side of the room, chaos still reigned. The Old Man’s corpse continued to fight against the corrupted roots, slashing and destroying without end.

Kim Do-Joon watched the scene for a moment before tightening his grip on his spear.

“It’s time for you to rest.”

He took a step toward the undead old man, determination shining in his eyes.