Chapter 198: Chapter 197

[...] At Suho's exclamation, Antares fell silent for a moment.

[...Huh.] A snort finally erupted from his mouth.

[Hehehehe... Uhahahahahaha!] His crazed laughter shook the heavens and earth.

[Did you just say you would become the Monarch of Destruction? A mere human, not even a dragon, dares to?]

Roar!

Antares. He was the true Monarch of Destruction, who enjoyed bloody battles and felt complete ecstasy only on the battlefield. He had thought he would never be able to fight again, trapped in the distant realm of death, so he intended to savor this long-awaited battle. But at this moment. All the excitement vanished because of the arrogant words uttered by this insignificant vermin.

[Perish, child of Shadow.]

Destruction descended in an instant.

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!

'Ugh...!'

The giant dragon's form, bleeding from Suho's attacks, transformed into bubbling lava and swallowed him. As if all the previous battles were mere child's play. An insurmountable killing intent sought Suho's annihilation.

But then...

"Indeed, Suho." A voice, like a gentle breeze, came from somewhere far away.

"I understand your intentions."

'...?!' The calm yet deeply moving tone brought tears to his eyes.

[Th-this is?!] Antares was even more surprised than Suho.

And then, there was light.

Flash!

'Ah...' At the same time, the flames burning Suho's body began to die down. All the inferno in his vision began to crumble. And what replaced it was pure darkness.

[...Khahahahahaha! So that's it! It was you all along!] Antares, sensing something from the sudden turn of events, burst into laughter like a madman. It was a laughter filled with relief, welcome, and extreme rage all at once.

And then... Whoosh!

In that place where all the heat subsided and darkness descended. Suho stood on both feet in the midst of the pitch-black abyss. And Antares, transformed into his human form, descended before him.

[Yes, I thought something was strange from the beginning.] His arrogant gaze calmly scanned Suho's figure. A miserable sight, charred black by the Breath of Destruction.

Indeed, Suho's body had been no different from a corpse for a while now. It was a wonder he could even stand on his legs. But nevertheless...

Suho's eyes, meeting Antares' gaze head-on, were still burning like an inextinguishable flame. Antares however, was seeing something completely different beyond Suho's defiant stare. The familiar presence of the shadow cast long behind those eyes, reminiscent of 'him.'

[Tsk...]

[Even though I'm just a deceased spirit, there's no way this brat's power could reach me.] Antares clicked his tongue and shouted towards 'him.'

[Stop hiding and come out!]

Flash!

'...!'

As soon as the Dragon King finished speaking. Suho's eyes widened at the sight of the inventory window opening before him on its own. One of the items quietly stored inside started to glow and popped out.

Flash!

[Item: Javier's Soulstone]

[Acquisition Difficulty: ??]

[Type: Gem]

[A gem made by compressing a demon's soul.]

Javier's Soulstone. The unidentified item left behind by Javier in Haeundae, Busan. And this thing...

– Just in case, keep it in your inventory.

...was the item Sung Jinwoo's phantom left with Suho before disappearing.

– Just in case?

– Yes. Seeing you fight, I'm a bit... concerned.

Ding!

[Item: 'Javier's Soulstone' activated.]

Fwoosh!

'Ah...!' Suho saw it. The magic circle invented by the demonic spirits spreading from Javier's Soulstone. The black energy emanating from it. That energy gathered into one and...

Thud!

'He' appeared once again.

'...!' The moment Suho saw that firm and solid back, his eyes widened in shock.

"F-father?!"

"You've done well."

"You endured..."

Sung Jinwoo's phantom turned his head slightly and looked at Suho with a faint smile on his lips. What he saw was Suho's HP bar.

[HP: 1/67,340]

Just 1. Suho's HP had stubbornly remained at 1 for a while now, refusing to drop any further. It was thanks to the magic engraved into Javier's Soulstone. The Sung Jinwoo who appeared here was merely a phantom from memories, not his true self, so he couldn't exert any real influence on reality. But it was different in a place like this. It seems squeezing the demon's soul to its limit was worth it. Sung Jinwoo's phantom had infused his last remaining essence, which was scattering in Busan, into Javier's Soulstone.

His gaze, after checking Suho's condition, turned forward again. And the moment his eyes met Antares', they flashed ominously.

"Yes, I knew you'd do something like this."

[...It's been a while. Have you been well?]

Antares spoke with a calm smile on his face. But his eyes were overflowing with a more ferocious energy than ever before, as if he would attack at any moment. Sung Jinwoo knew the Dragon King's personality better than anyone. That's why he couldn't help but worry about his son, Suho, who claimed to be the Priest of the deceased Monarchs. Not many were aware of the fact that Antares was a ruthless battle maniac who only communicated through violence. His only interests were fighting and annihilating his enemies, as befitting the name Monarch of Destruction, he was a being who truly sought nothing but destruction.

[I briefly fought your son, and he was pathetic. Has the comfortable peace dulled the Shadow Monarch's blood?]

"He struggled quite a bit, though?"

[It must have been your influence. Did you learn the magic of the demonic spirits? Since when did the Shadow Monarch resort to such petty tricks?]

"Well, raising children is always a continuous learning experience." Sung Jinwoo shrugged and spread his hands.

"But thank you. Because of you, I gained something useful."

[What?]

A new magic circle unfolded on his palms.

Flash. Flash! Flash!

As it spun, a system message arrived before Suho.

Ding!

[Title: 'Overcomer of Adversity' acquired.]

'...This is?'

[Title: Overcomer of Adversity]

[A title given to those who have overcome adversity magnificently.]

[Stats increase in proportion to lost HP.]

[1% stat increase per 1% HP lost]

A buff that increases stats as HP decreases. This was a title Sung Jinwoo had acquired long ago when he cleared his job change quest. But it was different for Suho. No matter how much he leveled up, he couldn't receive job change quests, so it was an achievement he could never obtain. However, if he met the conditions like this, it wasn't difficult for Sung Jinwoo to manipulate the system and grant it to him directly.

Whoosh!

The moment the title's effect was applied, Suho's body, which had been on the verge of death, suddenly overflowed with power.

[What are you doing?] Antares frowned at Sung Jinwoo's sudden action. He wanted to have a good fight with him since they met after a long time, but it was impossible...

Sung Jinwoo was merely a phantom. Moreover, it was a phantom surrounded by the magic of the demonic spirits race, which specialized in manipulating souls, so a proper battle was out of the question. Especially in this world of death, his existence was practically cheating.

"Father..." Finally regaining his senses with the newfound strength, Suho blinked and looked at his father.

Sung Jinwoo reached out and ruffled his son's hair, then answered Antares' question.

"What else? Just some career counseling." Sung Jinwoo's face, with a faint smile, was full of affection as he looked at his son.

"My son has finally decided on his own path, so shouldn't I help him out a bit as a father?"

Flash! Sung Jinwoo placed his hand on Suho's head as if giving a baptism and cast a spell.

Then he asked: "Suho, did you know? The original purpose of the level-up system was to develop the human body into a vessel for a Monarch. In my case, it was the 'Shadow Monarch,' but it's entirely possible to replace that with another Monarch. However..."

'...' Suho knew what his father was trying to say. That process won't be easy.

"Even today, I wouldn't have been able to guarantee the outcome if I wasn't here. Are you sure about this? Do you still want to become the Monarch of Destruction?"

"Yes..." Suho swallowed nervously and nodded resolutely at his father's concerned gaze.

"And I had to meet the Dragon King anyway to ask about the location of the World Tree."

"The World Tree? Are you trying to make the Holy Water of Life? Why all of a sudden?" Sung Jinwoo could infer a lot just by hearing the words 'World Tree.' But Suho's answer surprised even him.

"Grandpa is in danger."

'...!'

Sung Jinwoo's face hardened as he listened to Suho's explanation. Then, he made a determined expression and manipulated the magic circle he was engraving on Suho's head.

"Hmm. I understand. Then... it would be best to do this. And the job change quest..."

[Wait a minute, you two...]

"Hold on. This is more important right now."

[...] Antares, who had been listening to the conversation between father and son from behind, frowned at the strange turn of events.

[What about my opinion?]

"Antares." Sung Jinwoo, having completed the magic circle, turned to the Dragon King and said,

"I know my son's vessel is far too inadequate to inherit your power. He's not even a dragon. So I have a proposition."

[A proposition?]

"Yes. You must be bored being dead, so don't you want to go on a rampage outside?"

[...What do you mean?] Antares frowned at Sung Jinwoo's words.

But The Shadow Monarch knew Antares' personality better than anyone. The true embodiment of destruction. He was a ruthless maniac who felt the joy of life only in bloody battles. So he could be sure that Antares wouldn't refuse his offer. Sung Jinwoo extended his hand to the Dragon King and made an irresistible proposal.

"Ragnar. I'll give you the body of the dragon who is my son's pet."

[...!]

"Come back to life, Antares."

At that moment, the contract was made.

Ding!

[Job change quest arrived.]