From Today, I'm a Player-Chapter 268. The End of a Tragedy Pt. 4
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Chapter 268. The End of a Tragedy Pt. 4
It was only after some time passed that Lee Jun-Kyeong had come to his senses. By that point, the Demon King had already disappeared.
He had been so flustered because of what the Demon King had said.
โYouโve arrived, Son of Heimdall and Athena.โ
โLittle nephew.โ
โIโฆโ Lee Jun-Kyeong muttered blankly. โIโm Hyungโs son?โ
That was something that he had never once imagined. To think the Demon King would say that he was Heimdallโs son. It took him quite a while to accept it, and by the time he had, the only person who could explain anything had already disappeared.
โ...โ
The Demon King had disappeared quite some time ago, saying that he was going to go hunting for the Sponsors.
BANG!
Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly shook himself out of his musing as he saw flames rising from far away and heard the explosions.
โI have to go.โ
He had to go to the Demon King. It wasnโt because he had any intention of following his words like a dog. No, he had to take him down.
Furthermore, he had to hear his story.
Bang!
Suddenly, Lee Jun-Kyeong was also bounding through the air.
***
โHeimdall!โ Athena called out.
The Hunterโs mana was disappearing at a rapid rate. However, maybe because of his vast reserves of mana, or possibly because of some special reason or another, he seemed to be losing his mana at a slower rate than the others.
โAghโฆdid I pass out?โ
Heimdall came to his senses at the sound of Athena's voice.
โDonโt make that expression. Itโs just some mana,โ Heimdall said with a faint smile.
Only then did Athena's expression relax a little. Soon, she realized her own situation and shook her head.
โIt looks like not everyone has lost their mana yetโฆโ Heimdall said, looking around.
Hunters were falling while the Hunters standing next to them, caring for them, looked even more out of place. Not everyone had lost their mana yet.
"Athena,โ Heimdall said while being held in Athena's arms. โIโm sorry, but can I just stay like this for a little while? I canโt move.โ
Thud.
Despite his request, Athena abandoned him, dropping him to the ground. As Heimdall fell, he smiled and shifted so that he was sitting down. However, it seemed as though his words werenโt lies, as his entire body was shaking.
โYou asked about Jun-Kyeongโs identity.โ Heimdall began to speak, his expression blank. โYouโre right. Not just anyone can become the Demon King's successor. That person had to be qualified and had to have the power to inherit the Book of the Demon King because not just anyone would be able to handle it and possess the power contained within it.โ
As Heimdall spoke, Athena continued to look at him. It seemed as though Zeus hadnโt lost his mana yet.
โHowever, finding a child who fit that criteria was tricky. Even the Demon King, who wandered through eternity, felt as though there wasnโt a single child who met those conditions.โ
โ...โ
โSo, he made one.โ
Athena raised her eyes after hearing that.
โHe decided to create a child with the most potential.โ
โThen, is Lee Jun-Kyeongโฆis he the Demon Kingโs child?โ
Heimdall shook his head with a bitter smile in response to Athena's question.
"No."
"Thenโฆ?โ
Thump. Thump.
Athena felt her heart begin to beat violently.
โEven if that child were to be born, if that child didnโt grow properly, then everything would be in vain. Moreover, he needed someone who could properly raise that child.โ Heimdall, on the other hand, didnโt answer Athenaโs question right away. โEspecially after the Paradise of Eden was established in his absence. He needed parents who would protect and nurture the child.โ
Heimdall laughed even more bitterly. โHe chose me.โ
โ...โ
โI didnโt want to accept it. Moreover, my refusal wasnโt because of my relationship with him or an issue with his cause, morality, or even sacrifice.โ
Athena's heart beat even harder.
โIt was because I realized that the Demon King has already gone beyond humanity and righteousness. He was no longer the person I used to know.โ
"So whatโฆso whatโฆ! Speak up, Heimdall!โ
โAt one point, he told me.โ
Anger flashed in Heimdall's eyes, the aura exuding from him too sinister to be thought of as coming from an ordinary human who had lost their mana.
โBefore Eden was erected. Before he entered Gehennaโฆโ
โ...โ๐๐ณ๐๐๐๐๐ท๐๐ฐ๐๐๐.๐ค๐ฐ๐
โBefore the final fight began!โ Heimdall raised his voice, โThe Demon King handed me a child in a sack.โ
Clench.
Athena clenched her hands.
โHe told me that it was Athenaโs child.โ
โWโฆwhat?โ
โMoreover, he gave me some of his abilities, too. So that I could raise the child for eons until he succeeded.โ
He looked up at the sky.
Drip.
Tears were flowing from his eyes.
โThere was a timeline where you and I were together.โ He continued to speak slowly, โThe world might have been horrid, but you and I were happy. But, in that timeline, we were able to discover it.โ
Thud.
Athena fell to the ground.
โThat weโve become unable to have children.โ
โSโฆstopโฆโ
โThe Demon King told you what happened to us during that timeline, and there, you made your choice.โ
โStop it!โ
โYou made a contract so that you could bear our child, and the Demon King would raise that child as his successor.โ
โNo, thatโs not possible!โ Athena rushed out and grabbed Heimdall by the collar. "I! Iโฆ!โ
Her face was covered in tears. โNo matter how I was, how I could be, I would neverโฆ I would never have subjected my child to this life.โ
โI know,โ Heimdall said calmly while Athena was shaking him by the collar. โHe tricked you. Everything had ended in that timeline, and you would have been able to hold that child in your arms without any worries.โ
โButโฆto think that I wouldโฆโ
โDidnโt I tell you? He tricked you.โ Heimdall laughed, but the sorrow hidden within it was sadder than anything else. โIt wasnโt that you had accepted his bargain. The Demon Kingโhe just arbitrarily stole your ovum and created a child through the powers of the source.โ
Athena trembled, her hand gripping the collar.
โWe were just caught up in something he had no choice over.โ
โ...โ
โI remember every timeline. Because of the powers that the Demon King gave me.โ Heimdall pursed his lips. โI remember every single time our child died.โ
***
Crack!
The Arm of Surtr grabbed the giantโs heart and pulled it out as the empty cavity left behind began to burn.
The giant struggled in pain, its huge hand trying to crush Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was engulfed in flames.
โIf you donโt use the powers of the source, it wonโt die.โ
A sharp voice rang in Lee Jun-Kyeongโs ear, and it was only then that he came to his senses and dodged. As he looked at the Sponsorโs body, he could see that the burning body was regenerating faster than it could burn. Lee Jun-Kyeong spun, and as he was spinning like a top, he came into contact with the giant.
โ...!โ
He could see the giantโs shocked pupils.
โGood, good. Thatโs how you do it.โ
The Demon Kingโs voice could be heard again. As Lee Jun-Kyeong came to his senses, an earthquake happened.
BOOM!
While floating in the air, Lee Jun-Kyeong looked blankly at the fallen giant.
โIโฆa Sponsorโฆโ
He had taken one down. It wasnโt a dead corpse or one that had been forcibly brought back to life by the powers of the source. He had just taken down a complete Sponsor.freewebnove l.com
โYou did well. Your understanding of the powers of the source is higher than I thought.โ
When he heard the voice again, Lee Jun-Kyeong came to his senses once again and looked around his vicinity.
โ...โ
Three of the giants that were around them had already fallen as the Demon King disappeared once again.
BANG!
Another explosion occurred in the distance as by the time Lee Jun-Kyeong had taken one down, the Demon King had defeated the other giants and moved on. Lee Jun-Kyeong threw himself forward without any further delay. Moving quickly, he quickly approached the Demon King and the giantsโno, the Sponsors.
Lee Jun-Kyeongโs eyes slowly turned blood red.
โThe Sponsorsโฆโ
He hadnโt realized when they were deadโthat there was this intense anger hidden inside of him.
โThe Sponsors!โ However, his anger had awakened just as he had knocked down a Sponsor. โItโs all because of you bastardsโฆ!โ
Although he had come to Gehenna to defeat the Demon King, the Sponsors were the true cause of this chaos. Saeynkaed had told him. It was all part of a long, long game that the Sponsors had been playing. They were the cause of the eternity of pain that the Demon King had to go through.
โAGH!!!โ
Furthermore, these culprits, who had plunged his world into this chaos, were now before his eyes. On top of it all, he had the power to take revenge on them.
โGood! Blow them up even more!โ the Demon King said.
โShut up!โ Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted as he transformed his arms into Surtrโs.
โYou have realized the true nature of your transformation. The body of a giant is a symbol of power. It is a vessel that can fully accept your terrifying strength.โ
The Demon Kingโs voice buzzed in his ears. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong ignored him and moved on.
Squelch!
Another body split before him.
โItโs still not enough. If you continue as is, youโll just die. Donโt underestimate your power.โ
The giants fell, one by one.
โYou are already complete.โ
โAGH!!!!!โ
Lee Jun-Kyeong began to ignite as his body began to swell. With a colossal body, he ran wild as if he had gone insane.
โHave you ever wondered why youโre Heimdallโs child?โ The Demon Kingโs voice became more and more like a whisper. โItโs because I decided it to be.โ
โAGH!!!!!!!โ
Lee Jun-Kyeong waved his arms as if he had completely lost his senses. With every swing of his arm, an explosion occurred as if volcanoes were erupting.
BOOM!!!!
Within the chaos, the colossal flame giant began to rampage as if it would destroy everything.
***
โI resisted at first,โ Heimdall said. โI tried to run away with the child.โ
His voice sounded sad.
โThere was a time when I thought I could live in hiding for the rest of my life,โ he said, the tears running down his face, never stopping. โHowever, it was all to no avail.โ
He looked directly at Athena.
โNo matter what path I chose, you would always be taken over by your Sponsor and come chasing after me and the child.โ
Athena covered her mouth.
โMoreover, the Demon King refused to allow the child to grow properly.โ Heimdall continued, โWhen I had tried to run away from the fate that he had set for us, he showed me.โ
โ...โ
โEven if I didnโt fulfill my role, the child would still have to return to the past and perform his assigned role.โ Heimdall clenched his fists. โThus, the unprepared child would always return to the past and soon die.โ
โThen, why notโฆwhen he returned to the pastโฆwhy not escapeโฆโ
โIf we did that, the Demon King would come and tear us apart.โ
โ...โ
โI only realized it after a while,โ Heimdall said weakly.
โAll I could do was prepare my child properly,โ he sobbed, tears flooding from his eyes.
Before she knew it, Athena was also crying as if she couldnโt bear it anymore.
โBut this time, it will all end because Jun-Kyeong is already complete.
He felt ashamed. He was ashamed because there was nothing he could do for his child. All he could do was watch the child fulfill his own destiny. There was only one single thing he could be grateful for.
โAt least you and Jun-Kyeong donโt remember any of it.โ
