Chapter 181
There, sprawled on the rubble and groaning in pain, was the Dark Wraith, Diseyer.
“Ugh… haa…”
‘It’s not Kylus.’
The anxiety that had gripped her finally gave way to relief.
And Kylus’s body—now possessed by the deity Helios—landed steadily on the pile of debris.
Alice pressed close to the barrier, watching without blinking as the deity approached the Dark Wraith.
More precisely, she was checking Kylus’s physical condition.
Only after confirming that there wasn’t a single scratch on his handsome face did Alice relax her tense body.
But it wasn’t over yet.
Alice moved closer toward them.
At that moment, the deity stopped beside the Wraith’s massive face and looked down at the creature groaning in pain.
With eyes cold and filled with deep anger.
Though the face wasn’t the deity’s own, the Wraith felt as if he could see the deity’s frigid countenance in those black eyes staring at him.
Then the deity spoke:
“I should have completely annihilated you back then, even if it meant overexerting myself. That was my mistake.”
“…Indeed. A grave mistake. Because of it, your world was destroyed.”
The Wraith wore a sneer.
Fighting the deity had drawn out all his power. And with it, his erased memories had returned.
Memories of how he had seized the deity’s world and triumphed.
“Kuh. I wondered why you manifested in such a form… to think you turned back time.”
The Wraith coughed up blood as he spoke.
“The punishment for breaking the taboo must have been excruciating. You should have just created another world. You truly are insane.”
The deity’s gaze darkened. In that moment, he recalled the true punishment that he hadn’t told Alice about.
‘Unable to use his power or manifest on this land for ten thousand years.’
While it was true that Helios had received such a sentence at the divine tribunal, the real punishment for breaking the taboo was something else entirely.
The most painful divine punishment short of annihilation.
Being struck by a thousand lightning bolts while his divine power was sealed.
Even with his divine power sealed, a god still retained immortality. But his body became as frail as a human’s.
So essentially, he endured a thousand lightning strikes with an immortal but human-like body.
The pain was indescribably terrible.
Enough to make one wish for death, enough to make one willing to give up immortality.
And he had been struck by lightning several more times recently.
Helios stepped firmly on the Wraith’s chest, recalling that pain.
“You talk too much, even at death’s door. But you won’t be able to spout nonsense anymore.”
‘For you will face eternal annihilation.’
The deity added in a low voice as he enveloped his greatsword with a thick layer of divine power.
“Shut up! Who’s dying! I absolutely won’t—ugh!!!”
The Dark Wraith thrashed in panic as the fear of annihilation loomed before him. But his body was already in tatters.
Even though the deity hadn’t applied much force, the Wraith coughed up blood again, baring his blood-soaked fangs as he shouted:
“HELIOS!!!”
Just as the Wraith gathered his last strength to attack Helios—
Thrust—
The divine-power-infused greatsword pierced precisely through the Wraith’s heart.
“Gah!”
The Wraith’s eyes bulged wide as he let out an intense final groan.
His massive eyes, now completely red with burst blood vessels, turned toward the deity. But that was all—the Wraith couldn’t even reach for the deity before crumbling into dust and disappearing.
Annihilation that leaves not even a corpse behind.
Yes, unlike death, annihilation made even reincarnation impossible, causing one to turn to dust and completely vanish from this dimension.
As the black dust scattered in the wind, the deity finally sensed the Wraith’s presence completely disappear from this land.
It was truly over.
Now he had to return Kylus’s body.
Helios withdrew the divine power from his sword and said:
“Well done, Kylus.”
Soon, Helios’s spiritual form left Kylus’s body. Simultaneously, Kylus’s consciousness sharpened.
Kylus felt his body moving according to his own will again as he gazed at the ruins of the Empress’s palace.
Though his mind had been hazy when the deity entered his body, his consciousness hadn’t completely shut down, so he had seen everything.
From the moment Rien was first shocked, to the Wraith’s final annihilation.
Among those moments, what remained most vivid in his mind was, of course, Rien herself.
Her eyes, trembling with shock; her voice, choked with tears; and even her trembling touch on his cheek.
In that moment, he had regretted surrendering his body to the deity more than anything.
Because he couldn’t embrace her when she was hurt.
But now, since it was all over… he could at least hold her once before going.
Kylus turned his head toward where she stood.
Their eyes met across the empty space.
But Alice couldn’t bring herself to approach Kylus, who was quietly looking at her.
She was afraid.
Afraid that he might not really be Kylus.
Afraid that, like before in the underground chamber, the deity would again say he was sorry.
That Kylus would never return, that he was already dead.
So Alice remained frozen like a statue, even though the barrier that had been protecting her was already gone.
Then, Kylus spoke:
“…Rien.”
It was a low, soft voice, but Alice clearly heard her nickname.
It wasn’t just any nickname.
It was the one Kylus had created for her by combining her past life’s name with her current one.
‘Only Kylus can call me Rien.’
The real Kylus had truly returned.
Alice bit her lip, overwhelmed with emotion, and was about to approach him.
If only Kylus hadn’t suddenly coughed up blood.
Kylus hurriedly covered his mouth with his hand and bent over, but he couldn’t stop the unstoppable flow of blood.
The pain was as if his internal organs were melting.
‘You will die.’
The deity’s words seemed to echo in his ears once more.
So this is how… I die right away.
“Ugh…”
Blood escaped between his fingers and splattered onto the stones below.
Just as Kylus collapsed to his knees from the unbearable pain and dizziness, Alice, who had been frozen in shock, cried out:
“Kyl!!”
Alice scrambled over the uneven rubble to reach Kylus.
Even when her ankle twisted on the uneven ground, she didn’t stop.
After running frantically, she reached Kylus just as his body crumpled to the ground.
Alice hurriedly stretched out her hands, but she couldn’t prevent his collapsing body.
She knelt down and cradled his head.
“…Ri… ugh!”
Kylus coughed up more blood, his face deathly pale.
The red blood soaked the hem of her dress and flowed over the stones.
‘I cannot be certain if you will survive after everything is over.’
‘A human who wouldn’t matter if they died.’
As she watched the bright red blood spreading, leaving a vivid stain, the deity’s words echoed in Alice’s mind.
“No. You might… not die… he said…”
Alice strained every muscle in her body as she desperately tried to deny it, but as if to say miracles don’t exist, the life was draining from Kylus’s black eyes.
Alice exhaled a trembling breath and forced strength into her reddening eyes. Then she slowly lowered his head to the ground.
Looking directly into Kylus’s eyes, Alice spoke deliberately:
“Kyl. I’ll, I’ll heal you right away. I’ll make you all better. So just hold on a little longer.”
Alice placed her hands over Kylus’s body.
As a tear she could no longer hold back fell, her holy power manifested.
A bright light radiated from her hands, but the light couldn’t enter Kylus’s body.
As if there were a barrier.
It kept bouncing off, unable to penetrate.
“Why, why is this happening…”
Alice sobbed as she continued to exert her power.
Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, but she didn’t stop. She didn’t care if she used up all her holy power, as long as she could save Kylus.
But Kylus’s body continued to reject her holy power.
“Ah! Please work!!!”
Alice cried out in anguish.
No matter how hard she tried, Kylus wasn’t recovering.
There wasn’t even a sign of it.
‘I knew someone might die in my place, but I never thought it would be you…’
‘Am I being punished for turning a blind eye to someone else’s sacrifice?’
“It’s because of me…”
Just as Alice’s outcry turned into sobbing, Kylus grasped her hand.
Alice paused and looked at him.
“…Kyl.”
Kylus gripped her hand with his last strength and painfully moved his lips.
A silent movement. Alice followed the shape of his lips:
“…Stop… it… Ri…en…”
Yes. Kylus had already known his fate.
That her holy power would be useless, that he was going to die.
And as Kylus, who had been gazing intently at Alice, slowly closed his eyes.
The moment his hand, which had been holding hers, fell limply, Alice’s face contorted with despair.
“Ah… ah…”
Alice groaned as if her breath was being choked off, tears streaming down endlessly.
“No. Please…”
Alice tried to use her holy power once more. Just then, a familiar voice came from behind her.
[My, I’m a bit late.]
It was the deity’s voice.
Seeing Alice’s holy power, the deity continued:
[Child, there’s no need—]
But before the deity could finish, Alice whipped her head around and shouted:
“You bastard!!!”
[…What?]
The deity paused and widened his eyes in shock, but Alice didn’t stop.
“How could you do this to me?! If you were going to do this, you should have just killed me! Or chosen me!! I told you I loved him!! I told you I wanted to spend my whole life with Kylus!! But why!!!! WHY!!!”
‘Why… of all people… did it have to be him…’
Alice screamed, then broke down sobbing like a child.
The deity let out a heavy sigh as he watched Alice wailing.
He tried to say something, but Alice abruptly turned away.
Alice buried her face in Kylus’s chest and wept.
“Hic… Wake up, please… I told you I don’t want to be a widow…”
“…”
“If you die like this, I’ll… I’ll really live with another man!! I’ll live well, just to spite you! I won’t remember your name, I won’t think of you ever again, I’ll just love that man for the rest of my life… hic…”
Alice couldn’t finish her words and just sobbed loudly.
But then, a faint heartbeat sounded from the chest that had been silent.
Thump—
Just when she thought she might have misheard, the heart sound echoed once more.
Thump— Thump—
This time it was louder and faster.
‘His heart is beating again.’
‘Could it be…’
Hearing his heartbeat, Alice stopped crying and lifted her head from his chest.
Black eyes met hers, as if they had been waiting for her.
Kylus smiled faintly and said:
“I told you I couldn’t bear to see that, Rien.”
