CHAPTER 126
126. The World Within the Seed**

A torrent of light washed over them. An intense light, the likes of which he had not seen from Kalesian, from Silbaern, or from the dozens of dragons that had attacked the snowy mountain.

Even in a situation where he felt he could be swept away and shattered at any moment, Jinwoo maintained a thread-like balance. To kill him, his enemy had exposed his soul. It was within reach of his blade. He might survive if he fled this very spot, but his foe had chosen to kill him rather than to live.

This moment, when his opponent unleashed his strongest attack, filled with the greatest killing intent. This was the opportunity. To sever his soul and end it all.

"Jinwoo!!"

Kalesian intervened. Jinwoo's eyes wavered, but his stance and resolve did not. Kalesian, too, had risked his life to step in. If he faltered here, it would all be for nothing.

The mana Kalesian deployed absorbed some of Jerakson's light, scattering it and reducing the breath's power. It wasn't enough to block it completely, but it bought a fraction of a second. With that time, he could swing a more perfect sword.

‘Hoo…’

It was strange. The moment the light reached him was but an instant, yet there was time to take a single breath. His physical body had stopped breathing in concentration, but his flame took one breath. It was the chance Kalesian had created for him.

And then, he swung.

His sword touched the light, yet it did not. No matter how great Rondar's sword was, it would surely break if struck directly by Jerakson's breath. But the sword passed through the light and surged toward the beast's body.

No, it didn't touch the body either. It didn't break the scales, nor did it cut the flesh. It didn't touch the countless layers of mana barriers, and it passed through the heart and organs.

The sword was aiming for only one thing. The black flame crouching at the beast's core. The seed of that flame.

‘The Monarch’s Seed!’

The seed that had transformed the ordinary deity Jerakson into a Monarch of Erosion. The very thing said to have been torn into twelve pieces and scattered by the First Monarch.

For the first time, he perceived its existence perfectly. Not when he met Rondar, not when he met Belkarim, had he seen it so clearly. He had only felt a sense of dissonance, that a Monarch's flame was somehow different from an ordinary flame of Erosion.

But now, he could see it properly. Could he see it in Belkarim, too? He was curious, but there was no time to look to the sky. Rondar's sword swung toward the seed embedded in Jerakson's flame.

At the same time, the light reached him. He couldn't tell which came first. The beast probably couldn't either. The two events happened that simultaneously.

Was severing the seed first, or was his own body being torn to shreds by the breath first?

The last thing reflected in Jinwoo's eyes was the image of a seed split in two.

[Gasp… gasp…]

Jerakson staggered, catching his breath. His head was spinning, and his legs were trembling. Blood poured from his mouth. The breath he had fired with all his might had torn the inside of his mouth, causing him to bleed.

His opponent… was nowhere to be seen. Completely gone. He could feel that the being had been disintegrated without leaving a single particle behind.

[Kuh, kuhahahaha! Hahahaha!]

He roared with laughter. He killed him! He killed the bastard!

Though he was in a pathetic human body, his soul was not to be taken lightly. The hateful man who had stolen his freedom and trapped him in a false sky!

But he had won. He had obliterated not only his body, but his mind and soul as well. He wouldn't be able to pull off any more reincarnations.

This is my victory!

[$@#%@%#$]

He heard Belkarim muttering something. The wolf who swallowed the moon. The one who lives forever in the sunlight.

She was not an opponent to be taken lightly. It would be unwise to confront her now, in his weakened state. But strangely, he felt confident.

He could win, right now. He could easily eliminate this eyesore of a wench.

He did, in fact, have strength remaining. It was strange that he had so much power left, right after firing a breath that took all his might.

But he did not notice the strangeness. Before him lay an opportunity and a greed so great that they blinded him.

[Die!]

Thinking so, he fought, and in the end, he won. He devoured Belkarim's soul whole. He had obliterated that hateful man's soul to prevent reincarnation, but there was no need for that with Belkarim. He swallowed her whole and absorbed her power as his own.

After that, everything was smooth sailing.

That man who would have hindered him was gone, and by consuming Belkarim, he had gathered two seeds.

The power among the Monarchs was in equilibrium; a rash clash would only lead to mutual destruction. A third party would be the only one to benefit. One seed could not overwhelm another.

Jerakson had been one who could not stand that stable balance and was always looking for a chance to disrupt it, but it had not been an easy path. He had painstakingly invaded other stars to gather their essence and build his strength. He had not forgotten to create subordinates and had striven to attain enlightenment himself.

Because he was so prepared, he was able to move immediately upon obtaining the second seed.

He used Belkarim's authority to recover his body over the course of a day. After that, he invaded the domains of other Monarchs, challenged them to battle, and won. He destroyed their territories, slaughtered their subordinates, and stole their seeds.

In this way, he collected the third and fourth seeds, eventually defeating all the Monarchs and ascending to the heavens. He had truly become the master of this sky.

In the Spirit Realm, there were many other deities besides the Monarchs. Some were ancient, indigenous gods, older than most Monarchs, whose power even a Monarch could not dismiss lightly.

But they could not stop Jerakson, who had gathered all twelve seeds. His power now rivaled that of the First Monarch of old. That being who had tended to the garden known as the Spirit Realm and governed all cycles and nature.

He had become a being of equal standing, so what did the indigenous gods matter? No matter how ancient and powerful they were, they were ultimately just creatures living in the garden. They were no match for him, who now possessed the power of its master.

And so, all the deities bowed before him, fearing and worshiping him. Those who resisted were killed, their souls collected. Those who submitted were accepted with magnanimity. He was the Monarch of Oppression. Those who accepted oppression were the people of his domain, so there was no reason to kill them.

His power and influence did not stop at the Spirit Realm. The planets he had originally been invading, like Earth, as well as the Dragon Star Realm and the worlds within the Gates below it, could not escape.

In the first place, the Gates were like a basement laid out beneath the Spirit Realm, so it was not difficult. If he controlled the Spirit Realm, he could rule all worlds.

And so, he had reclaimed it.

‘Everything!’

His former glory. The position where no one could touch him, where no one could harm his freedom.

No, the days when he thought he was free in the past were just an illusion. The sky of his past was a sky, yet not a sky.

But now it was different. Now, he truly ruled the real sky, holding it beneath his feet. Oppression was for the things on the ground; he, who was above it, was freer than anyone.

He was a tyrant, but he was merciful to those who did not defy him. The Spirit Realm he ruled was peaceful under him, and above all, comfortable.

Once again, he could leisurely stroll through the world, and it made his heart soar.

"It is vast."

He rejoiced that in this wide world, only he was completely free. All the oppressed beings below could just live their desperate lives. He was the only one who had ascended to the heavens.

He was satisfied with this world, failing to realize for the longest time that it was a world within a sundered seed.

The moment the seed was cut, the intense light and mana were all sucked into it. It was a force so powerful that it could not be compared to the gravitational pull of a dragon that endlessly draws in mana. Resisting it was impossible for anything.

And so, Jerakson, along with his breath, was sucked into the seed. But he did not know this fact. Satisfied with the fleeting world unfolding within the seed, he had lost his enlightenment.

"What do I do with this…"

The seed gently landed in Jinwoo's hand. The split part seemed to have sealed itself, now crudely woven together. It did not look like a solid, stable object.

Was Jerakson trapped inside this, not annihilated?

"Pfft!"

At that moment, Kalesian burst out from under a pile of rubble. He had tried to block Jerakson's breath, but lacking the strength, he had been sent flying. Still, the time he had bought had been enough for Jinwoo to refine his sword strike.

"Are you alright?"

"Hoo… I'm alive, somehow. But I'm all out of mana."

Kalesian's mana was completely depleted. Though he was in the body of a hatchling, his mana reserves were comparable to an adult dragon's, yet that vast pool of mana was now empty. It would take a considerable amount of time to recover.

"What is that... Hah! Is-is that a Seed?”
"Yes."
The one who asked about the Seed Jinwoo was holding quickly realized what it was and shut his mouth. He had only heard stories about the Seeds of the Lords; this was the first time he had seen one in person.
Instinctive curiosity arose, but it was overshadowed by astonishment. The Seed exuded Jerakson's presence.
"Don't tell me Jerakson is..."
"He's trapped inside this."
"...You couldn't kill him completely?"
"He wouldn't be cut completely."
It was a shame he couldn't kill Jerakson. He had wanted to slice him cleanly in two, but the dragon had been tougher than expected. It probably meant his swordsmanship wasn't at that level yet.
Even so, the fact that it had turned into a form of sealing was unexpected. Jinwoo didn't know any sealing magic, so this was a result of the Seed acting on its own.
"What will you do with it? It doesn't seem like something you can easily discard."
"Well... I'll have to hold onto it until I figure out how to deal with it."
He couldn't just leave it here. Someone might find it and misuse it, or Jerakson might awaken on his own and break the seal. Either way, letting it leave his side was the worst possible choice.
The Seed seeped into Jinwoo's hand and settled within his flame. It didn't mix completely, but the absorption process was smooth.
For the first time in a long while, Jinwoo felt his energy surge. A sense of emptiness that hadn't been filled by any elixir for some time was partially relieved.
It was a level of satisfaction he hadn't felt when taking elixirs from Kalesian or even when absorbing Silbaern's soul.
Did this mean the power of the Seed was that immense? Or was there another reason?
'…Either way.'
He couldn't carelessly release this Seed into the world. Worst case, some other god-like being could pick it up, consume it, and become a new Lord.
[You've shown me something interesting.]
Just then, Belkarim, who had been observing the entire situation, descended. Jinwoo's eyes pierced through her. Within her Black Flame, a Seed similar to Jerakson's was nested.