Chapter 322: Chapter 320

Suho was well aware of the strange phenomenon that occurred in the shadow dungeon after Sung Jinwoo's illusion visited. It would be strange for him not to notice. Ammut's pyramid suddenly increased in size, and Ammut, who lived inside, also grew larger. Additionally to top it off, an unknown black beam suddenly shot up from the top of the pyramid, piercing the sky. From Suho's perspective, it was impossible not to be concerned since those things were happening right in his shadow. At least the first two changes seemed to have a clear purpose: to help Suho train more effectively with Ammut. But he couldn't figure out the purpose of the black pillar.

"What is this? I can't even touch it."

Suho climbed on top of the pyramid and tried to touch the black pillar with his hand. But no matter how much he flailed his arms, his hand couldn't feel anything. Even though a huge pillar of energy was clearly visible, gushing out and piercing the sky right before his eyes. No matter how hard Suho tried, he couldn't touch the core of that energy. He summoned Beru and asked him about it, but the ant didn't give a proper answer. Beru didn't know either. All he could say was that the pillar seemed to be made of layers of demonic spirits' spells.

[Don't worry about it, my liege. The King must have done it for a reason.]

After hearing those words Suho eventually gave up on trying to figure out the purpose of the black pillar. He believed that his father's intention would eventually be revealed, and since this was his father's doing, it wasn't something he should worry about.

Additionally, he was busy.

Even with his filled schedule, he was still visiting Ammut every day and slowly going insane because of the terrible torture disguised as the Iron Body training. It was the result of the increased size of Ammut and the pyramid. But in the meantime...

There was someone who could recognize the purpose of this pillar from the beginning. It was Ragnar, always walking around with a foolish expression. The Dragon King, the Monarch of Destruction, Antares, was always watching the outside world through those innocent eyes. He, just like Sung Jinwoo, had been using countless demonic spirits as slaves for a long time. He even dragged around Yogumunt, the King of demonic spirits, the Monarch of Transfiguration, treating him like a mere subordinate, so in a way, he had been doing something similar to what the current Shadow Monarch did after winning the war. Therefore, it was natural for him to see the real identity of the black pillar. However he didn't feel obligated to tell Suho about it. Antares wasn't that kind, additionally there was nothing Suho could do even if he knew.

'...He'll find out when the time comes.'

And today, That 'time' had come.

Whooosh—

The black pillar.

Watching the backs of the Monarchs' successors jumping into that abyssal stream, Antares, hidden behind the innocent Ragnar, clicked his tongue with an indifferent expression, as if he hadn't been the one who instigated them.

[Tsk. If they can't endure and die, it just means they were That weak, right?]

It was a cold-hearted remark. He was the one who subtly pushed them, but in any case, it was their own choice... In the end, they were responsible for their own actions. Besides,

[I am not a benevolent and soft-hearted Monarch like Sung Jinwoo.]

Antares gritted his teeth as he thought of his nemesis. He was watching everything happening outside the shadow through Ragnar and Suho. That was why he pushed them at this exact time. It might have been a little early, but those who couldn't endure and died now would still perish even if they tried later. It didn't matter when the lives of the weak ended.

[If they're not up to par, I would have to find a replacement anyway.]

Taking care of runts, weak enough to be eliminated even before the war against the outer gods wasn't something that suited the Monarch of Destruction, Antares. He wasn't Sung Jinwoo. But...

[Tsk...]

Even though he felt a little cheated, it was true that he had been resurrected thanks to Sung Jinwoo. He owed his life to the person who killed him, and he even lives in his shadow world now... Although he had the excuse of helping his son in return, his life wasn't so cheap that he could be settled with just that.

[...I should earn my keep.]

No matter what anyone said, he was Antares. The great Dragon King, the Monarch of Destruction, Antares. It was ultimately a matter of pride.

[I really don't like this. Babysitting doesn't suit me.]

In the end, Antares clicked his tongue with a dissatisfied expression and sent a simple message to Suho, who was busy outside the shadow. Of course, it wasn't anything important. This much advice wouldn't change the result anyway.

[If they're going to die, they'll die.]

Ding!

[The Dragon King, the Monarch of Destruction...]

A single system message was delivered to Suho.

* * *

At that time.

Rumble—!

Ammut and Arsha, sucked into the black pillar, were writhing in terrible pain. A tremendous pressure struck them the moment they entered this place!

Rumble—!

[Krrk...!]

[Kyaaaaaaaaaaa...!]

Unlike Arsha, who was screaming incessantly beside him, Ammut gritted his teeth and managed to barely hold back his screams. He strained so much that blood was dripping from his clenched teeth. But that didn't lessen the pain. Rather, the pressure that tightened from all directions was mercilessly crushing and tearing their souls apart like an angry vortex.

'To think this place would be like this...!' He had prepared himself to some extent, but he couldn't have imagined that this kind of pain awaited him. This black stream, which was just an intangible shadow to Suho, was 'death' itself to others.

[Kyaaaaaaaaa...]

Arsha's screams beside him gradually grew faint. Ammut turned his head with effort and saw her disintegrating, unable to withstand the pressure. As the Dragon King warned, Arsha was on the verge of annihilation. And it wouldn't be just death, but the destruction of the soul!

Even Suho couldn't save her at this point.

Even the Shadow Monarch's power that defied death couldn't revive her.

Seeing that, Ammut recalled the words of Sung Jinwoo's illusion again.

– This is a kind of insurance. It has nothing to do with you, so don't worry about it.

One thing was certain. Those words were true. This black stream wasn't insurance for them. It must be insurance for his son, Sung Suho.

Rumble—!

𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Just like that, their souls were being mercilessly ground by the black stream that started from the top of the pyramid and swept upwards. Like vegetables in a blender.

[Aaaaa...] Arsha's screams, caught in that torrent, gradually faded like an echo.

Ammut finally gritted his teeth and reached out his hand.

Grab—!

He caught something at the edge of the abyss. It was a fragment of Arsha, on the verge of annihilation. Unlike Ammut, who was a dead soul from the beginning, Arsha was still a living being. That's why she was even more afraid. Why else would she readily pledge allegiance to Suho out of fear of death? But having experienced it firsthand, this black stream was a space that was even harder for living beings to endure.

[Krrk! Why did you follow me...!]

[Th-thank you...] Arsha's soul barely managed to answer Ammut's words. But the pain didn't disappear, and she was still stunned. It was then...

Kyaaaaa—!

[...?!]

Vicious fangs suddenly appeared from the endlessly surging black vortex.

'Sharks? Whales?'

Unknown monsters were swirling in the abyss, opening their mouths wide and trying to bite and devour Ammut and Arsha.

[Kyaaa...! B-be careful...!] Arsha, barely hanging onto Ammut's arm, screamed in fear. But before she could even finish her sentence, the attack began.

Chomp! Chomp!

Their existence was already on the verge of being scattered just from the terrifying pressure, and now unknown predators appeared.

[Krrk!]

But Ammut grinned, baring his teeth.

[This is perfect!]

Bang—!

'...?!'

His fist smashed the monster that approached right before his eyes and it popped like a balloon. Then he stepped on the corpse and kicked off. And grabbing the jaw of the monster above, he brutally slammed it down.

Kyaaa—!

The monster screamed as its body, from its forcibly opened mouth to its tail, was torn in half. Using the recoil from that attack, Ammut gained momentum and leaped upwards.

Crash! Bang! Crack—!

A gruesome scene of carnage began. Ammut continued to brutally tear apart the monsters that appeared in the torrent, And using their corpses as stepping stones, he climbed the endless black stream. It was by no means an easy process. Every time he killed one of the abyssal monsters, more injuries appeared on Ammut's body .

Arsha?

She was already spent. She didn't even have the time to regret following him here after hearing the Dragon King's warning. All she could do was focus, to keep her existence from disappearing. It was then...

[Ah...!]

An accident occurred. As Ammut gained momentum, Arsha, who was barely hanging onto his body, lost her grip. She was sucked into the violent storm of the abyss. Her soul was in danger of being completely shredded at any moment.

Whoosh—!

Ammut hurriedly extended his hand, and the mummy bandages covering his body stretched out, wrapping around Arsha's main body like a whip. But... even that was useless.

Rip—!

It wasn't a torrent that mere enchanted cloth could withstand. The mummy bandages were torn, and Arsha fell far from Ammut's reach. Far, far away...

At that moment, Instead of closing her eyes in fear, Arsha noticed Ammut's gaze looking at her. Only at the moment of her imminent annihilation did she finally realize her feelings for Ammut.

[I also...]

Ammut, relentlessly tearing apart the abyssal monsters and climbing upwards in this torrent, The strength he possessed was real. That power was so beautiful and dazzling in the eyes of Arsha, who was about to die without being able to do anything.

[I also wanted to be strong like you...]

An existence incomparably stronger than the queen bee who could do nothing but increase the number of her workers. Compared to herself, who only struggled out of fear of death, Ammut's figure, pursuing strength even in death, was so...

'...enviable.'

No, not just Ammut, but everyone else was enviable. Even that... 'guy', who only wagged his tail and ate, was much better than her...

[Grrrr!]

'...?!'

It was then. A welcome growl suddenly came from behind Arsha, who was swept away by the torrent.

Grab—!

[Y-you?!]

Arsha was startled and looked at the 'wolf' that had her in its mouth.

[Grrrr!]

[Gray?! When did you...!]

'Gray! It is Gray!' The last descendant of the King of Beasts, the Fang Monarch's lineage, had jumped into the black pillar belatedly.

'But why?' His form was much larger than usual.

Actually, while Suho was possessed by him and fought countless times, Gray was directly or indirectly participating in more battles than any other descendant. Always with his master... As a result, Gray, who was just a wolf cub at first, had achieved explosive growth.

Kyaaaaaaaaa—!

Gray howled. And he quickly took the fading Arsha from his mouth, put her on his back, and showed her how he got this far.

That unknown pressure dominating this space? It was pain applied to Ammut, Arsha, and Gray. But Gray had something special that they didn't...!

Chomp! Crack! Gulp!

[Grrrr!]

A true hunter always preyed on the weak. They devoured the weak and grew stronger. Gray was becoming stronger and stronger by eating the corpses of the countless abyssal monsters that Ammut tore apart here. Just like he always did. Just like when he was with Suho!

Kyaaaaaaaaa—!

[Heh...] Ammut chuckled looking at Gray, who was majestically roaring and following the black torrent.

'Who was it...? Suho? Or Antares?' He didn't think that stupid dog came here on his own. But it was truly exquisite timing. Thanks to that, they fortunately survived at the edge of the abyss.

Whoosh—!

And before them lay the place, they had to break through the vortex of the souls to reach...

There, the true 'death' awaited.

[...This is...?]

Whoosh—!

An endless expanse of the open darkness. A black sea filled by the bottomless abyss unfolded before their eyes.