Episode 450

“Godslayer.”

In that moment, Solomon truly became a Godslayer.

The great sage spoke to Zeke.

“At King Solomon’s request, the God of Chaos bestowed his tears.”

Zeke knew what the tears of the God of Chaos, the goddess Theia, were.

“Adamantium…”

The tears of the goddess Theia, which he had received as a reward, were actually a metal called adamantium, imbued with the power to slay gods.

Zeke looked at the great sage and asked, “Why did King Solomon change his mind from sealing the constellations in a ring to becoming a Godslayer?”

The great sage nodded. “The ring had its limits. It couldn’t contain the countless ancient beings and constellations that were causing chaos in the world.”

King Solomon had intended to kill the weaker ones trapped in the ring and keep only the constellations he needed, then go after stronger ones.

The God of Chaos, eager to fracture the wheel of fate created by the constellations, willingly granted Solomon’s request.

He took the tears of the God of Chaos, crafted them into a spear capable of killing constellations, and set out to the cities ruled by them.

These cities, filled with indulgence and pleasure, seemed untouched by the twisted calamities of the world.

One such city was the golden city of Blanca, which Zeke had seen.

King Solomon sought out the ruling constellations, driving the spear of godslaying into their hearts and severing their heads.

Some constellations were imprisoned in the ring, while others were simply annihilated.

Before long, the name “Godslayer” became a terror among the constellations.

“The constellations feared King Solomon, who possessed the immortal power to never be destroyed. They decided they couldn’t let him be and planned a final battle in Carcosa, the city he once ruled.”

Dozens of powerful constellations awaited Solomon in Carcosa, intending to capture and seal him away forever.

Solomon, too, aimed to kill all the gathered constellations at once and liberate the world.

The battle in Carcosa raged for days, and many constellations perished by Solomon’s hand.

Yet, despite the sacrifices, the constellations eventually captured Solomon.

He lay on the ground, his limbs severed, and the constellations, fearing his immortal power, decided to imprison him in the deepest abyss of the void.

Hearing this, Zeke wore a bitter expression. “So even King Solomon couldn’t surpass the power of the constellations.”

The great sage shook his head at Zeke’s words. “It wasn’t a lack of power that led to Solomon’s capture.”

The sage’s expression grew complex as he continued, “Solomon’s goal was to save the world from the constellations. But what awaited him after subduing them were the people he sought to save, throwing stones and spitting at him.”

Betrayed and scorned by those he tried to save, Solomon couldn’t recover from the shock.

The constellations seized that moment to overpower him.

The great sage asked Zeke, “What choice do you think a savior, abandoned by those he wished to protect, would make?”

Zeke pondered deeply as he looked at the sage.

“The choice of an abandoned savior…”

Just then, Zeke’s vision changed.

“What?”

He found himself in complete darkness, unable to see the great sage or anything else.

“What happened?”

Zeke tried to stand, but his body wouldn’t move.

“I can’t see, hear, or move.”

As Zeke remained immobilized, a shadowy figure approached him.

A voice from the shadow whispered into Zeke’s ear.

【■■◆◇▲□■◆.】

Zeke realized it was the same language he had heard when he faced Azitahaka’s true form.

“What is this shadow that it speaks this language…?”

Suddenly, the incomprehensible words began to make sense in his mind.

【O king, is this the outcome you have long desired?】

Hearing the voice echo in his mind, Zeke struggled to move.

But completely bound, he could only focus on the voice resonating in his ears.

【An immortal, trapped in the deepest abyss, robbed of all senses, neither living nor dead, spending eternity.】

Only then did Zeke understand his current situation.

“Am I Solomon now?”

Captured by the constellations and imprisoned in the abyss, Solomon was eternally trapped in this void for the crime of trying to save the world.

The voice spoke again.

【O king, I am ready to join you at any time. Together, we can vanquish those hateful constellations and bring true peace to the world.】

The voice persistently tempted Solomon.

Zeke, tormented by the voice invading his mind, desperately sought a way to silence it.

Then, another voice echoed in the abyss, not Zeke’s.

“Why me?”

The voice, like nails on a chalkboard, was weary and desolate, as if it could no longer endure.

Zeke realized it was Solomon’s voice.

The shadow chuckled.

【After ten thousand years, you finally speak, abandoned king.】

Zeke couldn’t believe the shadow’s words.

Time in the abyss flowed differently from the world. Even if it moved at the same pace, time here, stripped of all senses, would feel endlessly slow.

Yet Solomon, submerged in the abyss, had spent ten thousand years in this state, unable to die, bound by everything.

The shadow spoke to Solomon again.

【Why you? You know the answer better than anyone.】

Solomon gave no reply to the shadow’s words.

The shadow continued.

【Abandoned king, you were merely a puppet on the stage crafted by the constellations and the wheel of fate. The fracture you created was too weak to disrupt the order of this world.】

The fracture created by the God of Chaos, trapped within Theia’s name.

Solomon had tried to save the world through that fracture.

But it wasn’t enough to withstand the constellations’ power.

The voice spoke to Solomon again.

【The fracture created by the God of Chaos wasn’t enough. But… what if a larger fracture could be made?】

A fracture large enough to destroy everything.

Zeke heard Solomon’s heart begin to beat.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

After ten thousand years, his heart started beating again.

Sssssss―

The shadow wrapped around Solomon, imprisoned in the abyss.

It whispered in Solomon’s ear.

【O king, join me. If you allow it, I will create a larger fracture and destroy the wheel of fate they have crafted.】

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

Solomon’s heart raced uncontrollably.

Even though Zeke was merely witnessing his memories, he felt swept up in the exhilaration.

Then Solomon’s voice was heard.

“Do you promise to stop the constellations and save the world?”

The shadow seemed to ripple with joy at Solomon’s words.

A darkness distinct from the abyss emanated from the shadow.

【I promise, O king.】

Solomon spoke with difficulty.

“Destroy the wheel of fate… without fail.”

With those words, the shadow surged and transformed into smoke, merging into Solomon’s body.

Rumble―

Zeke, observing Solomon’s memories, felt the change in Solomon after his pact with the shadow.

“This energy…?”

It was a familiar energy to Zeke.

“Magic?”

The energy of corruption and depravity that dwelled within the beasts.

Zeke felt the magic surge from Solomon’s body.

“Ugh!”

The magic emanating from Solomon was far more concentrated and powerful than any beast’s.

Crack―

Solomon’s body began to transform.

Even with the power of an immortal, Solomon was human.

But now, with the potent magic emanating from him, it was questionable whether he could still be called human.

A being that transcended human limits, boundaries, and forms.

Ooooooo―

Zeke realized what this being was.

“The Demon King.”

The king of all that is unholy, the master of the forsaken.

The savior, abandoned by his people, ultimately chose to fall into the abyss and become the Demon King.

A contradiction in itself, becoming an unholy being to set the twisted world right, was the true nature of the Demon King.

Rumble―

Even the void, where nothing existed, began to tremble under the Demon King’s power.

Zeke found it increasingly difficult to breathe under the growing pressure.

Then, Solomon, now fully the Demon King, spoke.

【With my power, all mortals on earth shall be saved.】

Crash―

At that moment, the space of the void began to tear apart.

The abyssal prison created by the constellations shattered, revealing a fracture within.

The Demon King Solomon slowly walked into the fracture.

The constellations had unwittingly crafted their most terrifying adversary with their own hands.

As the Demon King plunged into the abyssal rift, a massive wave of energy surged from the torn dimensional seam, threatening to consume even Zeke’s soul.

“Ugh!”

Amidst the colossal dimensional storm, Zeke glimpsed something through the Demon King’s eyes.

A vast light.

Without hesitation, Zeke leaped into the radiant expanse.

At that moment, a sound echoed in his ears.

Snap!

When Zeke opened his eyes, he found himself back in the chamber of the Great Sage.

His face was drenched in cold sweat.

“It felt like years had passed in an instant.”

The Great Sage, observing Zeke’s state, poured him another cup of tea.

“This is herbal tea. Try it. It will clear your mind.”

Still reeling from the shock of being trapped in the abyssal prison, Zeke hesitated to pick up the cup.

Even a fleeting memory of such an experience was overwhelming. It suddenly seemed understandable why King Solomon, after ten thousand years of confinement, had become the Demon King.

Finally, Zeke managed to lift the cup and take a sip.

As the Great Sage had promised, his mind cleared, and a warm sensation spread through his body.

Setting the cup down, Zeke looked at the Great Sage and asked, “Was that… something you showed me?”

The Great Sage shook his head.

“Even I don’t possess the power to meddle with King Solomon or the Demon King.”

“Then how did I see those memories? Why do I have them…?”

As Zeke spoke, a thought flashed through his mind.

“King Solomon made a pact with an Elder Dragon. A bond between a dragon and a human is unbreakable. Could it be…?”

Zeke turned to the Great Sage. “Are these the memories shared with King Solomon by the Elder Dragon?”

The Great Sage smiled faintly. “The reason the Elder Dragon’s memories surfaced is because you now possess the Akashic Code.”

The Akashic Code, granting access to the dimensional server, allowed one to handle the records of all that existed and had existed in the world.

Zeke realized the immense power the Akashic Code held.

“The Elder Dragon entrusted me with the Kabbalah system and the authority of the Akashic Code because I am the one destined to defy fate and vanquish the Demon King.”

The Demon King had chosen a greater rift to set the world right.

But now, Zeke had to stop the Demon King from tearing the world apart to protect it.

Zeke had once thought it was enough to simply thwart the Demon King and live a free life.

Yet, after glimpsing King Solomon’s memories, his heart felt conflicted. He quickly shook his head to clear his thoughts.

“No need to overthink it. I’ll defeat the Demon King before he resurrects. And I’ll crush anyone who stands in my way. That’s all there is to it.”

As Zeke steeled his resolve, the Great Sage slowly rose from his seat.

With a gesture, the Three Sacred Treasures floated into the air.

The Great Sage looked at Zeke and spoke. “Time is running short, Zeke Draker. There is something you must know.”

A bright light shimmered from the Three Sacred Treasures.

He continued, “The ‘irrevocable promised power’ that turned back your life to the past was a contingency I prepared.”