Inside the massive crystal formed by the Dark Ice Mana, Ömer Jin Hoo stood perfectly still Almost his entire body was shattered His arms and shoulders were covered in deep gashes The wounds on his chest were coated in frozen blood, and his skin was encased in ice crystals.
He was not breathing.
His heart was not beating.
Yet…
He had not fallen.
With his head bowed, he stood tall and unyielding It was as if even death could not force his will to kneel.
Oblivor approached the crystal with heavy steps.
The dark mana radiating from his massive frame created new cracks in the void with every step he took His black eyes stared at the body inside the crystal for a long time.
Then, a contemptuous smile appeared on his lips.
"So this is how you end…"
The disdain in his voice spread across the entire battlefield.
"A pathetic human trying to become the Ancient King…"
He turned his back.
Vorgath, who was waiting on his knees a little further away, lowered his head in fear the moment he felt his master's gaze His entire body was trembling He didn't even dare to breathe in front of Oblivor.
Oblivor walked slowly toward him.
Every step increased the fear in Vorgath's heart Finally, he stopped right in front of him.
"Cold Ice Monarch…"
Vorgath spoke with a trembling voice.
"My Lord…"
The expression on Oblivor's face changed completely His rage was no longer hidden.
"You were defeated by this weakling Monarch successor?"
His voice echoed like thunder.
"I cannot believe it."
"A mighty Monarch…"
"…knelt before a human."
Sweat began to trickle down Vorgath's forehead.
"My Lord… I…"
Oblivor cut him off and raised his hand.
A black sphere of mana, formed from darkness itself, began to spin in his palm.
Oblivor's voice was ice-cold.
"A weakling like you has no right to live."
Vorgath panicked.
He took a step back.
"My Lord! Please! Give me one more chance!"
"I will make up for this mistake!"
"Please—"
At that very moment…
CRACK!
A thin sound rose from within the crystal Everyone fell silent at once Oblivor's hand remained in the air.
A second later…
A thin, purple light seeped out from inside the crystal.
Silence…
And then…
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The purple aura exploded from within the crystal like the birth of a star.
Not just the battlefield…
The entire Hydra Constellation shook The fabric of space could not withstand it Dimensional cracks spread for millions of kilometers, and the flow of time became distorted Oblivor's pupils shrank.
For the first time…
His heart tightened with fear.
"This…"
Mortis, behind him, involuntarily fell to his knees.
"W… What is happening?"
Vorgath's eyes were wide open.
This mana…
It didn't belong to any entity he knew.
A second later…
All twelve of the other Monarchs fell to their knees simultaneously None of them did it of their own volition.
Their bodies…
Their souls…
Their instincts…
All were forced to bow before a single entity The purple aura covering the battlefield grew more intense with every passing second Space could not bear this power The stars began to tremble Shattered planets floated involuntarily, and massive chunks of rock began to orbit the purple energy Oblivor looked at his army in haste His army, consisting of millions of monsters…
Without being attacked by anything…
They had begun to melt solely due to the radiating mana Armor turned to dust…
Dragons screamed in agony…
The bodies of giant creatures were turning to ash within purple flames No defense was working
The mana…
It had begun to erase their very existence For the first time, a cold drop of sweat rolled down Oblivor's forehead His instincts were screaming If the entity inside that crystal awakened…
Everything would be over.
He could wait no longer Turning his fear into rage, he bellowed with a voice that spread across the entire universe.
"DESTROY ÖMER!"
"SHATTER THE CRYSTAL!!"
In an instant, all the Monarchs sprang to their feet.
Mortis raised his dark axe.
Vorgath forged his ice spear.
The other Monarchs prepared their most powerful spells Simultaneously…
They all launched an attack toward the crystal Oblivor raised both his arms to the sky All the dark mana around him began to coalesce into a single point It was as if space itself was being crushed in his palms Black flames, dark lightning, and hellish energy were gathered into a single strike.
Oblivor roared with all his fury.
"THE DARK HELL'S…"
"…DESTRUCTIVE BREATH!"
The massive black beam tore through the void and headed toward the crystal It was only a few meters away from reaching it.
And at that very moment…
The purple aura rising from within the crystal flared once more.
This time…
It was far more powerful than before It was as if the universe was waiting for its true ruler to open their eyes.
The attacks of all the Monarchs converged into the same tide of darkness What advanced toward the crystal was no longer merely an attack It was absolute destruction power capable of erasing an entire universe.
And then…
The attack struck the crystal.
For a brief moment, everything fell silent.
Then—
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The force of the explosion engulfed the entire Hydra Constellation in blinding white light The shockwave spread across millions of kilometers Mortis and the other Monarchs were hurled away, covered in blood Vorgath's armor shattered into pieces Even Oblivor was forced several kilometers backward by the overwhelming blast The arm he had regenerated was torn off once again Yet within seconds, black mana reconstructed the lost limb.
Dust…
Fragments of stone…
Remnants of stars…
Everything drifted silently through the endless void No one moved No one even breathed Oblivor narrowed his eyes and stared into the cloud of smoke.
"…It's over."
The very moment he thought those words—
Two golden lights emerged from the dense mist First came a pair of daggers.
Then a long, tattered beige coat…
Broad shoulders…
A muscular physique…
Long flowing hair…
A beard reaching his shoulders…
Ancient sealing tattoos covering his right arm…
And pure golden mana overflowing from his eyes.
Lunara… The Monarch of Light.
He stood alone before the crystal Not a single attack had been allowed to reach the frozen crystal behind him Golden mana streamed from the tips of his twin daggers, tearing through the darkness of space and illuminating the endless void.
Oblivor's pupils shrank.
"…You…"
Lunara slowly raised his head There was no fear in his eyes…
No anger…
Only unwavering resolve He took a deep breath Then his deep voice echoed across the boundless cosmos.
"MY SON…"
He took a single step forward Golden mana began illuminating the entire universe.
"…I WILL PROTECT HIM."
That single declaration alone was enough to fill the Monarch Army with fear Oblivor's face twisted with rage His veins bulged as black energy surged through them.
"You still cling to hope?"
His laughter shattered the silence of space.
"You, Your son, Humanity…They will all kneel before me!"
He spread his arms wide Black mana erupted uncontrollably from his body.
"First I'll kill you…"
His voice transformed into a furious roar.
"…AND THEN YOUR SON!"
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
His roar shook the Hydra Constellation once again Oblivor's body began to crack.
His muscles expanded…
His bones twisted into new forms…
Countless black spikes erupted from his back The mana radiating from him no longer distorted space alone It had begun to bend the very fundamental laws of reality.
Lunara tightened his grip on his twin daggers His golden eyes never left the monstrous being before him The entity standing in front of him was no longer merely a Monarch It was absolute catastrophe given form And the one standing before that catastrophe…
Was a father.
Oblivor's body began to change His dragon scales grew layer upon layer His horns extended high enough to pierce the heavens When he spread his wings, the surrounding asteroid belts shattered into countless fragments.
But the transformation did not end there Oblivor slowly turned his gaze toward the Monarchs behind him.
Mortis…
Vorgath…
And the other twelve Monarchs…
Before any of them could understand what was happening, a chill ran through them Mortis instinctively took a step back.
"My Lord…?"
Oblivor's eyes turned completely black.
"I no longer need your loyalty."
"I need your power."
In an instant, enormous chains of darkness burst forth from the depths of space.
SHRAAAK!
SHRAAAK!
SHRAAAK!
Six Monarchs were bound by the chains.
"N-No!"
"My Lord!"
"Please!"
Their screams echoed throughout the Hydra Constellation Yet not the slightest trace of emotion appeared on Oblivor's face The chains slowly dragged them toward the core of darkness.
Then…
One by one…
Their bodies began to dissolve Their flesh…
Their bones…Their souls…Their mana cores…
Everything transformed into black energy and flowed into Oblivor.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
As the final screams of the six Monarchs echoed across the universe, their very existence was erased Mortis and Vorgath stood frozen in absolute horror Oblivor's mana had reached a level beyond measurement.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
Another colossal explosion of mana erupted.
Planets melted…
Star systems collided…
The balance of galactic gravity completely collapsed.
Lunara's eyes sharpened.
"…That mana…"
Oblivor no longer resembled his former self His colossal body towered beyond planets His dragon form, covered in pitch-black scales, resembled the void itself When he spread his wings, even light fled from them Black aura poured endlessly from his eyes With every breath, hellish black flames melted the very fabric of space.
This…
Was the true final form of the Dark Monarch.
The Hydra Constellation had been completely erased Nothing remained except endless darkness Oblivor lowered his enormous head and looked down at Lunara.
This time, his voice shook the entire universe.
"Now…"
"No one can stop me."
Lunara took a slow, deep breath He tightened his grip on the twin daggers in his hands Golden streams of mana pulsed through the veins in his arms He cast a brief glance toward the crystal behind him Inside it, the silhouette of his son remained completely still.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Even if the day comes when I fall I will never allow anyone to clear the path that leads to you."
In an instant, a radiant golden aura soared into the heavens.
Oblivor's infinite darkness…
And Lunara's divine light…
Faced one another once again.
At that very moment…Oblivor let out a thunderous roar.
"BLACK FLAME!!"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
A colossal torrent of black fire erupted from his jaws This was no ordinary breath attack.
Wherever it passed, space itself melted…
Darkness consumed even the very essence of light.
Within seconds, the attack reached Lunara Lunara stepped forward without hesitation.
"HAAAAH!"
He swung both daggers at the same time Golden mana, taking the form of a mighty dragon, surged forward The two forces collided.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The resulting shockwave was immeasurable For a brief moment…The black flames split in two.
Lunara had actually managed to cut through the attack.
But…
Oblivor had anticipated it His gigantic dragon body vanished in an instant.
"…!!"
Lunara's eyes widened Behind him…
Massive claws had already emerged from the darkness.
CRAAAAASH!!
The claws pierced straight through his chest His ribs shattered His internal organs were torn apart Blood scattered across the void like a crimson mist.
Lunara's body was hurled for kilometers.
Everywhere he flew, space fractured into new cracks Oblivor never stopped.
His eyes remained fixed on a single target.
The crystal.
"First, the heir…Then everything else."
With colossal strides, he advanced toward the crystal With every step, the void collapsed, and the remnants of stars crumbled into dust.
Just as he raised his claw…
A streak of golden light shot toward him from behind.
Lunara.
Despite being drenched in blood, he had risen to his feet once more Pain was written across his face But his eyes held nothing except determination.
"I-It's…Not over yet."
He gathered every last drop of mana into the dagger in his right hand The golden light became so intense that the dagger itself disappeared Only pure energy remained.
Lunara charged forward.
"HAAAAAA!!"
A gigantic golden dragon burst forth from the dagger It crashed directly into Oblivor's right arm.
CRAAAAAAACK!!
The enormous claw was severed completely The attack did not stop there It tore through his chest as well Pitch-black blood rained across the void For the very first time…
Oblivor roared in agony.
"AAAAAAARGHHHH!!"
But only a few seconds later His severed limbs began to regenerate Black mana spiraled around the wounds Flesh wove itself back together…
Bones reformed…
And within only a few breaths…
Oblivor had completely restored himself Lunara clenched his teeth.
"…His regeneration Is far too fast…"
At that very moment The space behind him rippled silently.
Mortis.
Like a shadow, he appeared directly behind Lunara Before Lunara could react…Two massive arms wrapped tightly around him.
"I've got you…"
Lunara struggled with all his remaining strength But his grievous wounds had slowed his movements Mortis tightened every muscle in his body, holding him firmly in place.
"My Lord!"
"Now!!"
Oblivor slowly opened his jaws once again.
This time…
The energy gathering within them dwarfed the previous attack The sphere of black mana continued to expand Nearby planetary remnants were crushed apart by its gravitational pull alone The orbits of distant stars began to shift The void itself collapsed inward Oblivor poured every ounce of his mana into the attack.
The darkness within his eyes deepened even further.
"With this attack…Everything will come to an end."
The enormous sphere of energy had grown to the size of a small star Helplessly, Lunara turned his gaze toward the crystal.
Toward the son sleeping within it…
For one final time…
He smiled.
Then he whispered to himself.
"Hold on… Ömer Just a little longer Your father is still here…"
Oblivor drew back his head Gathering all of his darkness into a single point, he unleashed his ultimate attack.
"BLACK HELL'S… ANNIHILATING BREATH!!"
The Breath of Death surged forward, racing directly toward Lunara And the crystal behind him.