Chapter 183
Chapter 183
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 183
Chapter Title: The Final Dragon (2)
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Can a human survive in hell?
It's a paradoxical question that doesn't even establish a premise to begin with. Hell isn't a place where living humans go.
But there's an exception to everything.
A certain grand archmage, who connected the mortal world and hell, threw herself into the abyss alive to find the answer to that riddle. For decades, she breathed demonic energy instead of air, wandered between pits boiling with hellfire, built mountains from the corpses of demons, and returned. The conclusion she brought back was "yes."
But the archmage's survival posed another question.
Can a human whose soul has died truly be called "alive" in the full sense?
Melissa, who had wandered hell for nearly half a century and returned... had become a being with absolute power but missing something essential as a human.
"I see... So that's how she crossed the threshold of 'transcendence' and gained such immense power..."
Ilenia's murmur. She nodded as if realizing something, then met Kadim's eyes and spoke gravely.
"Kadim, do you remember what I told you last time? About the three elements that make up a heavenly god."
"...Divinity, body, and divine rank, I think."
"Yes, that's right. What I didn't explain then was about 'rank.' In truth, we separately call the rank of divine beings 'divine rank,' but every living creature in this world possesses this 'rank'."
Like 'divine rank,' 'rank' was a measure of a being's absoluteness. Beings with higher rank wielded greater power and authority, and threats from lower-ranked beings rarely harmed them much.
Kadim had interpreted 'divine rank' back then as a game's 'god level.' Similarly, 'rank' seemed like 'existence level.'
No, listening further... it really felt like the exact concept of a game's 'level.'
"Humans, elves, demons, monsters—all are born with a rank, and they can raise it through specific conditions. As you know, demons raise their rank by gathering 'pain and despair.' They grow horns as proof of their accumulated rank and gain greater strength and abilities."
"..."
"Humans can raise their 'rank' in the same way. There are superhumans in this world—like you, Kadim, the Holy Knights of Elga, or the mages of the Magic Tower—who clearly surpass human limits. And after long investigations, our church has inferred this conclusion... The condition for humans to raise their rank is this."
Facing and defeating a being stronger than oneself.
Just as demons gain 'rank' by consuming pain and despair, humans gain 'rank' by killing higher-ranked beings. But challenging a superior rank is never easy, so such high-ranked humans rarely appeared, unlike demons.
...Except for the rare few who hunted 'demons' as naturally as breathing, each for their own reasons.
"And as rank keeps rising, at some point, the being's 'rank' leaps into 'divine rank' through a phenomenon called 'transcendence.' From then on, it gains a true name as an existence and wields a fragment of god-like authority. For example, like a high demon with three horns..."
"..."
"In short, the archmage became an absolute powerhouse because... over her long years in hell, she killed countless demons, raised her rank, and crossed the threshold of 'transcendence.'"
A deep furrow formed between Kadim's brows.
This 'rank' was eerily similar to a game's 'level' system.
All beings can level up; low levels deal almost no damage to high levels; killing low-level demons or monsters gives little experience, but high levels give much; and at some point, abilities leap dramatically...
Come to think of it, in both his first and second playthroughs, his body had grown superhumanly strong by facing demons and powerful foes. It seemed his assumption that this world had no levels or stat points was mistaken.
Whether the game replicated this world's truths or the world mimicked the game's system... the causality was unclear. But the reason for his defeat to Melissa and the path to victory were now clear.
The reason for defeat: his 'rank' was too low.
The path to victory: raise his 'rank.'
...Or cooperate with someone, like when he slew the great demon.
After Ilenia's explanation, Lilia agreed it made sense. But Kadim couldn't shake off his unease. A major question about Melissa's abilities remained.
"But how did Melissa survive in hell and still use 'magic'? I heard the ancient mana was completely depleted after casting the grand spell."
Lilia let out a low sigh and continued.
"It's known across the continent that all mana was depleted. The truth is different. To be precise, half vanished when the rift opened, and the other half was monopolized by one human..."
Melissa's unique trait, Vessel of Mana.
A trait that condenses and stores massive amounts of ambient mana in her heart. In the game, it was implemented as exponential increases in max mana and recovery per level-up. But its real-world application far surpassed the game's effects.
Melissa had condensed the world's entire mana into her heart.
A feat possible only after reaching grand archmage status through long training and research, evolving the trait. She gathered that mana initially to cast the grand spell. But even with half remaining after, she didn't return it to the world.
The reason was simple.
'Lilia, I'm heading to hell. I'll reduce the demons' numbers as much as possible and find a way to close the rift. Don't worry—with all the remaining mana, I can manage somehow.'
To personally head to 'hell' and resolve the disaster.
Hell had no mana, making it a necessary choice. Though it caused continental spirits to perish, mages to lose their mysteries, and the Magic Tower Lord to use demonic energy as a mana substitute... her intentions weren't entirely impure.
Anyway, the greatest good news after the rift was Hesilia's descent to the mortal world.
Lilia's desperate wish, offering everything but her life, finally reached the heavens. The elves' god, manifesting as the World Tree, sealed the most dangerous rift's center with its roots, postponing the world's end.
And the greatest bad news after the rift was Melissa's return from hell.
She had slain countless demons but failed to find a way to close the rift. Moreover... she had become a completely different person from before entering hell.
'The Harlot of Flames has returned! The one who caused the disaster, stole the world's mana, and fled to save her own skin!'
'Rip that bitch apart right now! Tear her to shreds, offer her corpse as fertilizer to our mother World Tree!'
"..."
When some elves denounced her return and demanded she be torn apart, Melissa instead tore them all apart. She quenched her thirst with their blood as casually as drinking from a spring, then ascended to the World Tree's pinnacle in an instant, lording over all elves.
The elves' fierce resistance couldn't even scratch her. Her overwhelming rank built in hell, the vast mana left after massacring countless demons, and this.
'W-what? I clearly hit her heart... Gahk!'
"..."
Melissa's other unique trait, Blessing of Mana.
A trait that consumes stored heart mana instead of taking physical damage. Combined absurdly with her monopoly of the world's mana, it made Melissa an immortal tyrant impossible to kill.
The resisting elves were predictably massacred one-sidedly. In the end, most submitted before the archmage.
Lilia, who had been chosen by the World Tree to become its Keeper, was deeply shocked. Dragging her frail body, she visited Melissa daily, attempting dialogue and persuasion. Why was she doing this? She couldn't massacre the elves like this. What happened in hell...?
Thanks to their old sisterly bond and her control of the World Tree, dialogue worked at first. But after the existence of the 'World Tree's Dream' was revealed, things changed.
'...Inside this world, you can achieve anything you desire?'
'Yes, but... Melissa, the World Tree's Dream is a resting place for the dead, not an escape for the living. Now's not the time to waste its power here—we need to focus on sealing the rift...'
"..."
Melissa ignored her. She tried to forcibly seize the 'World Tree's Dream' and reshape it into her ideal paradise. Unable to endure the twisted former sister's tyranny, the Keeper finally led fellow-minded elves from the World Tree's embrace.
Though Lilia was born under an unlucky fate, it was clear she was loved by the gods. Forced to abandon her role as Keeper, the Forgotten God chose her as its apostle. Her followers embraced the dark faith, taking on a form unlike ordinary elves.
The birth of the 'dark elves.'
Old kin pointed fingers calling them heretics, but they had no choice. Without the Forgotten God's guidance, they couldn't have escaped the archmage's pursuit. The dark elves hid in shadows' folds, living in seclusion for a time.
Regrettably, it was a peace that couldn't last.
Melissa claimed to be the World Tree Keeper but still lacked authority over it and its Dream—that remained with Lilia. She wandered aimlessly, eyes burning with rage, searching for her departed sister. Planting World Tree branches to block paths, forming a guard of 'World Tree Guardians,' scouring the great forest...
The false Keeper's pursuit reached the dark elves' hideout. They barely saved Lilia from abduction, but at great sacrifice, abandoning their home. The dark elves entered long years of wandering and hardship without a home.
Yet even closing one's eyes in the abyss, darkness always leaves an exit somewhere.
Wandering in search of a new home, the dark elves reached a deep cave in the great forest and encountered an unimaginable being.
- What insignificant creatures dare enter this dragon's lair?
A voice that ripped the soul out just by hearing it.
A blaze of fate awakened the supreme hidden existence from long slumber.
"...So the dark elves met the dragon and joined hands to overthrow Melissa?"
"Yes, though there were many twists and turns along the way... it ended up that way."
"But I heard they ultimately lost. That dragon."
Kadim's indifferent remark. Lilia and Remillion nodded bitterly in unison.
The grand archmage returned from hell versus the final dragon.
Just hearing it sounded like an epic, sweat-gripping clash of the century, but the outcome was disappointingly decided.
The result: the dragon's utter defeat, inflicting no meaningful damage. It suffered grave wounds and secluded itself for ages; its ally Lilia was imprisoned; Melissa ascended to unchallenged supremacy. Though rumors said the dragon didn't go all-out for some reason...
Kadim stroked his chin subtly. The outcome itself was suspicious, but an even stickier question loomed.
"Anyway, how did you convince the dragon to face Melissa? Wasn't that damned dragon utterly indifferent to worldly affairs?"
The answer came not from Lilia, but from Remillion, who had befriended the dragon.
"Strictly speaking, persuading Rapustran was mostly my doing. Though Lilia and the dark elves persuaded me first."
"...Then how did you convince the dragon? Defeating Melissa wouldn't necessarily prevent the world's end."
"No, it would."
The heavy air stirred with reversal.
Remillion's vertically slit pupils gleamed as he spoke with conviction.
"If we slay your old comrade, the 'World-Burning Conflagration,' we can surely avert doom. That was one decisive reason my reluctant friend finally moved."
"..."
A subtle tension filled the air—expectation mixed with strain.
Kadim lowered his hand, flexing his arm muscles. If those words were based on uncertain speculation, he might not join them, even after they saved him.
But Remillion's claim wasn't baseless. Lilia added testimony.
"Yes, what the dragon's friend says is true. Strictly, it's not preventing doom but postponing it once more."
"...Tell me how that's possible. I heard the World Tree's power has reached its limit."
"No, the World Tree's power still remains to some extent. The problem is... it was diverted by my sister."
Melissa had imprisoned Lilia for 150 years, forcing her to pour the World Tree's remaining power into manipulating the 'World Tree's Dream.' Thus, Melissa enjoyed god-like omnipotence there... but the roots sealing the rifts withered and fell, losing vitality.
"In other words, if we subdue my sister and remove her from the World Tree, I can redistribute the power used for the Dream to revive the roots. Then we can truly hold back the rifts' collapse until Hesilia's power is exhausted, postponing doom."
"..."
"But we have little time left... The recent clash damaged the World Tree's main roots badly. We must restore its power before the remaining roots give out and fall."
Lilia spoke resolutely, without a hint of hesitation.
She didn't seem to be lying. Heavy regret clouded Kadim's eyes.
The ugly truths piling up weighed on his shoulders. The title 'World-Burning Conflagration' was no empty name. Melissa was truly fueling her twisted desires with the world's lifespan.
She might quibble that doom was inevitable anyway, but...
"If you revive the roots, how long can you postpone doom?"
"Assuming maximum efficiency, 30 years... no, probably 40. We'll have to find a way to fully close the rifts during that time."
...That was ample reprieve to avert doom.
300 years ago, hadn't he and the hero's party saved the world in a mere tenth of that time?
Kadim made his decision.
"Then I'll lend my strength to subduing Melissa, as you wish."
"...!"
"I owe you for saving me. Besides, I can't take her down alone anyway."
The group showed surprise and joy. They'd expected persuasion to be tough even after the clash with the archmage, but gaining such top-tier aid willingly was cause for cheer.
However, Kadim added a condition.
"But I won't allow anyone to kill Melissa."
"..."
"I still have things to hear from her. Beating her black and blue is fine, but if you try taking her life, I'll stop you with full force. Even if killing her becomes unavoidable, I'll take that role. Accept this condition, and I'll gladly join you."
After deliberation, the group slowly nodded.
It was understandable, if nagging. Even with unforgivable sins, to Kadim, Melissa was the old comrade who had waited her whole life just for him...
Anyway, they'd secured one wing to extinguish the 'World-Burning Conflagration.' Now for the other wing's cooperation.
The world's strongest creature: the dragon.
But the dragon's friend balked.
"Er... well, about that. Hmm, I didn't mention this earlier, but... currently, Rapustran... won't be easy to meet and persuade. Because, um, you see..."
Remillion hemmed and hawed under silent urging until he finally spilled.
"Sigh... Don't tell her I said this, no matter what. This is something only possible because I'm truly close friends with that dragon..."
"..."
"Rapustran right now... is scared stiff and cowering."