Chapter 474
Chapter 474
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 474
Chapter Title: Coexistence
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The rumor that Park Chan-woo had become the new god of the dragonkin spread like wildfire across the entire Abyss in an instant.
The tale grew more exaggerated with each retelling, but its core remained unchanged.
The human, Park Chan-woo.
He had driven out Dragon God Sepiro, earned the acknowledgment of the previous Dragon God Bahamut, and become the new ruler of the dragonkin.
...It was unprecedented.
The lord of humanity and, at the same time, the lord of dragons.
It was as absurd as a sheep becoming the king of wolves or water claiming dominion over fire.
A contradiction that denied all common sense and hierarchies of the Abyss.
But the rumor was fact.
Countless dragons left the Dragon God Temple and returned to their territories, bearing witness to the miraculous sight they had personally beheld.
Their voices carried absolute faith in and awe toward their new god.
It sent ripples throughout the entire Abyss.
For the demons, in particular, it was nothing short of a catastrophe.
"......Impossible."
The seven surviving lords of the thrones.
They repeated the reports from their subordinates over and over, unable to believe them.
Their plans had been utterly upended.
Far from eliminating Park Chan-woo, they had instead handed him one of the Abyss's most powerful forces: the 'dragonkin'.
Touching him now would be far more difficult than before.
Attacking humanity would mean turning the entire dragonkin race against them.
And so, astonishing events began unfolding on Earth.
The countless creators who had clung to Earth like leeches, treating human lives and despair as their playthings.
As if by prior agreement, they began dismantling their 'created Abysses' and withdrawing from the planet.
Clear proof that the demons were starting to fear Park Chan-woo.
The god of humanity and dragons.
No one dared turn the planet he ruled into their playground.
Not when they couldn't predict when that new god's wrath might turn upon them.
There was no need to stir up unnecessary trouble.
Humanity, which they had mocked as weak and pathetic before the Interracial War, had been elevated to an entirely different existence with Park Chan-woo's rise.
This voluntary withdrawal seemed like the prelude to a long-overdue peace for Earth's humanity.
No more innocent citizens vanishing into the Abyss without warning, dying senseless deaths.
No more pointless sacrifices.
But Park Chan-woo, watching all this from the jade throne of the Dragon God Temple, couldn't simply rejoice.
There was a clear drawback to this development.
Namely.
Without created Abysses, we can't grow stronger at a rapid pace.
The most reliable path to humanity's growth was now restricted.
Ironically, that relentless tension of not knowing when the Abyss might invade next, and the desperate struggle to survive—it was the most powerful driving force propelling humanity's rapid evolution.
Flowers in a greenhouse could never grow stronger than weeds in a rugged field.
In the face of true looming threats—like Sepiro's reinvasion or the descent of the Destroyer—this hasty peace could become a poison weakening all of humanity.
But it's still fine for now.
Park Chan-woo didn't grow impatient.
He still had a few cards left to play.
First place in the Interracial War.
The rewards that would come to all humanity would surpass imagination.
The system granted the victorious race immense potential to lead the next era.
That alone would allow humanity to leap forward another step.
And then there was the 'Tower of the Gods', still waiting.
The final legacy left by the transcendent Lir.
A pure space of trials and growth that even the Abyss's creators dared not touch.
Park Chan-woo sat upon the jade throne and quietly closed his eyes.
Not all of humanity needs to grow strong.
Flashes of the hellish landscape from his return, when the Abyss first opened, crossed his mind.
An era where everyone had to take up arms just to survive.
Where neighbors became enemies and family became burdens. A tragedy.
War was tragedy in itself.
It had to be restrained.
For a time, peace would reign on Earth under his name.
The creators had withdrawn, and other races wouldn't dare target humanity.
During that time of peace, he planned to lay the foundation for a new humanity.
Only those who purely craved strength needed to grow strong.
Not war maniacs, but true guardians in the genuine sense.
The 'Tower of the Gods' would be stage enough for them.
And the rest could live their ordinary daily lives in their own places, pursuing the peace they dreamed of.
That was the vision of the new era Park Chan-woo dreamed of.
And that wasn't all.
Signs were emerging that exchanges with other races might slowly begin.
The strange alliances forged in the Interracial War.
It was worth considering ways for humanity to grow stronger through their aid.
Accepting other races' civilizations and learning their wisdom.
Opening greater possibilities not through isolation, but through coexistence.
Park Chan-woo immediately issued his first special order to Darkan, the Dragon of Sloth, who stood guard at his side.
"Darkan."
"You called, Dragon God?"
"Develop a new magic system suited for humans. And train teachers to pass that knowledge on to them."
Darkan's eyes widened in awe.
"......Are you saying you'll teach dragon magic to humans?"
It would shatter a taboo never once broken in dragonkin history.
Dragon magic was a sacred and perilous power that only those of draconic blood could bear.
But Park Chan-woo shook his head.
"Not dragon magic. Magic for humans. Forge it anew, based on your wisdom, to fit the vessels of humanity."
Darkan trembled at those words.
This was exactly what he had dreamed of his entire life.
Their wisdom and techniques used not for destruction or domination, but for creation and coexistence.
"......If it is your will, my lord."
Darkan bowed deeply, his body shaking.
"My Sloth Clan will stake everything to see it done."
The fiery passion of a researcher, long forgotten, reignited in his eyes.
Having received his mission, Darkan hesitated a moment before cautiously asking one more thing.
"My lord... may I ask one more thing?"
"Speak."
"What will become of the souls of the forgotten, dead dragons slumbering in the 'Square of Memories'?"
His voice was filled with deep affection and pity for his kin.
Park Chan-woo briefly recalled the thousands of glowing statues erected in the square.
And answered in a very serene voice.
"They will be reborn in the form they desire."
Through the newly opened River of Reincarnation, their noble souls would now begin new lives free of pain.
Hot tears welled in Darkan's eyes at those words.
He asked nothing more and quietly withdrew to fulfill his calling.
Park Chan-woo thought.
Now it's time to return to Earth.
He couldn't stay in the Dragon God Temple forever.
He had to keep showing his presence, his will.
Especially to Earth, which had only just begun reclaiming peace.
Park Chan-woo headed to Earth.
"Waaaaah!!"
"Park Chan-woo!"
"Our great god!"
The moment he appeared in the skies over Seoul, the city erupted in ecstasy once more.
With Lee Hyuk-soo at his side, he headed to the heart of the newly reorganized 'Earth United Defense Force' headquarters, the core of the Abyss Safety Bureau.
Just his walking down the corridors made every awakened, soldier, and researcher there halt in unison and salute.
Gazes bordering on worship.
It wasn't familiar, but it was something he had to grow accustomed to.
Gulp!
Ever since he appeared, peace has come.
A young soldier swallowed unconsciously.
Just a month ago, he had lost comrades to the claws of an Abyss monster and spent sleepless nights in despair.
He had thought Earth's destruction could come any day, that this hell would never end.
Yet now, the being who had ended all that despair was walking right before his eyes.
The myth he had only seen on screens had become reality, passing by him.
His heart pounded as if it might burst.
It wasn't mere respect.
It was an instinctive awe toward an absolute existence he wanted to devote everything to follow.
Lee Hyuk-soo, walking right beside Park Chan-woo, felt the weight of all those gazes pouring down as well.
But rather than complication, his heart swelled with overwhelming emotion.
Behold, Prophet.
Lee Hyuk-soo murmured inwardly.
This is the world you protected. Because of your sacrifice, hope has returned to their eyes.
As Park Chan-woo's closest disciple and knight, he knew better than anyone the weight of the solitude he bore.
And now, billions of humanity walked that lonely path with him.
Lee Hyuk-soo felt a thrilling joy knowing his god was no longer alone.
Park Chan-woo silently accepted all the gazes and emotions as he walked toward the deepest part of the headquarters.
By showing himself, expressing his continued deep interest in Earth, ensuring no being in the Abyss would dare target this place.
That was another burden the new god had to bear.
...It was then.
Kwarrr rumble!
The entire headquarters shook violently, as if struck by an earthquake.
Everyone looked out the windows in shock.
In the middle of Seoul's blue sky, a massive spatial rift—a gate—was opening.
"An invasion?!"
"No, that pattern is......!"
Lee Hyuk-soo furrowed his brow at the familiar aura emanating from the gate.
Finally, the gate fully opened, and a colossal figure began descending toward the ground from within.
Thud!
With a earth-shaking boom, the giant landed in the plaza before the headquarters.
It was Hekalim, the leader of the giantkin they had seen in the Interracial War.
As he surveyed his surroundings, he spotted Park Chan-woo standing at a window of the headquarters building.
And he bellowed in a voice like rumbling mountains.
"Human god, Park Chan-woo!"
His tone was intimidating, but it lacked the previous hostility.
"Our giantkin lord, the great Hekate!"
Hekalim pounded his fist to his chest and bowed his head in formal respect.
"Wishes to meet you in person."