Chapter 230

People often talk about destiny, but in truth, no one is born with a predetermined mission.

Even if there are differences in talent and aptitude, what one wants to do is a personal choice. What one strives to do is even more so a personal choice. What is often called fate is ultimately a burden one chooses to carry, a yoke one places upon oneself.

However, unlike ordinary cases, there are beings born with their mission already set.

These are the beings commonly known as Death Gods, or the Gods of the Side.

“O God! Why are you doing this? What do you seek?”

From the moment he stood before the god, the knight knew. That figure, which took the form of a child, was no child—no, not even human. It was undoubtedly a being far beyond a mere human.

Yet, his plea to this great being fell on deaf ears. The Death God, Modrig, felt no sympathy for his words. There was no room for understanding.

The Death God desires nothing. He is a being born solely for this purpose. Though his power may be weak, unlike humans who can decide their place in this world, he cannot.

He was born to corrupt the world,


to dye the entire world in his essence.


That is his mission, his fate, his reason for existence. Thus, the Death God is the most twisted being in this world. It’s no wonder the Three Divine Gods and others recoil at the mere mention of him.

“If this continues, nothing will remain! What do you hope to achieve by staining the entire world?”

Like ink soaking into paper, merely stepping on the corrupted land turns the skin black, and sacredness seeps into the very marrow. Even the training of an expert can only slow this process.

In his fading consciousness, the old knight continued to shout until the end. He cried out with all his will. But the Death God paid no heed to his cries.

It’s not because the knight is weak, like an insect, that he is ignored.

If you told a fish, born to live in water, to live outside it from now on, anyone would react this way. The Death God was born this way from the start.

His value, reason, and purpose are vastly different from ordinary life. The Death God, the most twisted being in the world, is thus a calamity by his very existence.

Negotiation with such a being is utterly impossible. He is not one to be reasoned with. Unless his will is crushed by force, the Death God will endlessly fulfill his reason for existence in this world.

-That’s why I envy you.

The staggering old knight’s eyes widened. The Death God, who had only listened to his cries, spoke to him for the first time.

When their eyes met, the knight almost knelt without realizing it. Faced with the regret and hatred boiling within, he froze.

-That’s why I hate you.

Even the Evil God, Oberta, did not choose to become a Death God or ally with one. They are beings who are acutely aware of their own twisted nature.

They are beings who must live forever with indescribable pain, sorrow, and inferiority. This often transforms into anger, resentment, and rage.

Just as the undead harbor terrible hatred for all living things, the Death God also holds immense resentment for everything except himself and his creations. Even if it is his creator, the Primal Demon King Grimudo, there are no exceptions.

-I loathe the one who created me in this world.

Far from feeling anything akin to parental affection, it is beyond lamentable. His ultimate goal is to one day corrupt his creator and turn him into his servant.

But that dream is still far off. With his current power, it’s unthinkable.

He must corrupt more,


devour more,


and dye the world with his divine power to grow even stronger!

-After I devour this entire world, I will demand an answer from him. I will demand my creator take responsibility for making me.

I hate myself, I hate you, and I hate the entire world.

And yet, the power he wields is truly godlike.

Thus, the Death God is the enemy of all. The Empire has staked its fate on preparing for the final battle against him, sending messengers everywhere to ready for the last fight.

“I sent a reply telling them to stop spouting nonsense, but this is more serious than expected.”

The woman who had personally come to observe the Death God from afar swallowed a sigh. Now she understood why the Empire had extended a hand to their long-time enemies, the Demon Race.

The capabilities of that Death God, Modrig, far exceeded her expectations. The Demon Emperor, Harmail, silently swallowed her saliva. She had thought herself unmatched in the world, but creations of the Demon King are indeed different.

“That Grimudo, why did he create such a monstrosity? Damn it, if this continues…”


“If this continues, we’ll be trampled, and then you’ll follow. Don’t think you can take advantage of the situation. The more things he corrupts, the more power he regains.”

Startled, the woman turned to see a man quietly watching her. The Demon Emperor swallowed a sigh as she gauged his strength.

It was hard to tell if she was above or below him. Truly, the Empire is the Empire. To still have such a powerful figure at their disposal.

“You must be the newly crowned Demon Emperor, Harmail, correct? I believe you already know what path is best for all demons.”


“Were you following me?”


“Not at all. I too came to scout the Death God and happened to find you. I swear on my name, Leyman.”


“Hmm…”

He wasn’t definitively stronger than her. If they fought, she could argue her chances.

If they had met elsewhere, she might have started a fight to weaken the Empire’s strength. But in a place like this, it would be pointless.

If the two clashed, the Death God would notice immediately, and if discovered, they’d have to abandon the fight and flee. Unless they intended to fight the Death God to the end here and now.

“Fine. I’ll trust your words. I now feel inclined to support your Empire. But I expect appropriate compensation, and I have no desire to fight under your command. Who knows what traps you might set.”


“We don’t expect to command someone like you. Just lend a hand in the fight, that’s all. There’s no reason for you to hand over command to us.”


“Then let it be so. I’ll send my demands later through my subordinates. Consider it an advance payment.”

The original plan was to watch the Empire and the Death God fight and then stab the winner in the back, but the more she saw, the more ominous it felt. Especially after visiting the so-called corrupted zones.

Modrig, that one, isn’t someone you can just stab in the back. As they say, nothing in the world is easy. He’s a being that requires all available power to be gathered for a single decisive strike.

“Then I look forward to working with you.”


“As do I.”

They shook hands and parted ways. Today, the Demon Emperor understood why the Death God is called the enemy of all. Against such a being, even sworn enemies must join hands to face him.

*****

Thud!

Flesh-like creatures wriggle across the frozen land. They have mouths, eyes, and teeth. But they are too grotesque to be called living beings.

Squelch!

A flower-like thing shakes its face back and forth. Yes, a face. Not human, not animal, but a clear face with eyes, nose, and mouth, blinking amidst the petals as it quietly watches the Demon King. Soon, it loses interest and looks away.

“Are you trying to awaken again, Mother?”

The Demon King muttered, turning his gaze from the countless incomplete life forms he had seen before. The Arctic is no longer a cold, lonely land inhabited by him alone. At least for now.

If these things can be called life, then this land is now teeming with life. It’s a sign that the Primal Body’s biological activity has greatly increased. Thanks to this, some cells have broken off and given birth to new life forms.

As they are life forms created spontaneously without long evolution, their lifespans are short. These flesh creatures last at most a month, usually not even a few days before becoming cold corpses.

Thus, these creatures themselves are meaningless. They are merely signs, heralding something truly terrifying.

Finally,


the day when this era will come to an end is approaching.