Chapter 340

"My Actions… Acquired points… Higher class…?"

Suho, staring at the continuing system messages, suddenly turned his head sideways. There, the remaining small fire elementals were trembling with rage as they looked at him.

[Uwaah! No!]

[Just you wait!]

[How dare you…!]

But what could they do? The battle was already decided. However… it still wasn't enough.

[Hmm… What's with that dissatisfied expression?]

As Suho suddenly licked his lips looking at them, the Dragon King Antares regarded him with a curious look. But contrary to his words, a strange sense of anticipation flickered in Antares's eyes. Suho spoke resolutely.

"System. Wait. Stop the tally."

'…?'

He didn't know if communication with the system was possible, but he wanted to stop it for now. Suho maintained his Spiritualization state.

"There are still advancement points left to acquire."

[Hooh?]

At those words, Antares's lips curled into a wide grin. Even though the Dragon King himself had declared the trial over, Suho was still brimming with ambition.

Through various mouths, Suho already knew the entire process of his father's class change. Sung Jinwoo had skipped the initial class during his quest, ascending directly to the final one in one go. If he had followed the path originally set by the system, after becoming a 'Necromancer' in the first ques, he would have steadily accumulated more experience points and become the Shadow Monarch in the next class change quest. But Sung Jinwoo hadn't done that. With grit and tenacity, he had accumulated more and more advancement points all at once, clearing both the 1st and 2nd class changes instantly. And Suho, too, had endured the grueling trials of the Dragon King four times to reach this point. But…

'Accomplishments… Every path I've walked so far. If all those experiences combined are what allows for advancement to a higher class…'

'I can still do more.' Having reached a conclusion, resolute determination appeared in Suho's eyes.

Did that determination reach the system?

Ting, Ting.

The continuous system message suddenly stopped. And then, silence. Suho grinned towards the remaining fire elementals with a satisfied expression.

"Indeed, this isn't enough. I won't be satisfied until I eradicate all of them."

At those words, the creatures unleashed their killing intent.

[Eradicate? You dare speak of us?]

[Do you think the vessels our main body prepared, exist only here!]

[Killing us is useless!]

[We are one whole! Eternal and immortal!]

[We can change our main body anytime!]

[That is why we always consider numerous variables and have prepared various and many vessels!]

"How kind. But aren't you revealing such important secrets too easily?"

[Secrets? Hehe.]

[The time of secrets is now over.]

[Since you thieves stole our memories anyway, there's no need to hide.]

[And it has already begun.]

"What has…?"

At Suho's question, the fire elementals sneered at him in unison.

[While you were trapped here.]

[What do you think is happening on the other side of Earth?]

"The other side of Earth?"

At Suho's reaction, they smiled meaningfully.

[Quantity over quality.]

[If the vessel here was quality, quantity resides there.]

"Perfect timing."

Hearing the fire elementals' words, Suho spoke with a meaningful expression.

"System. You said you'd analyze my deeds to grant a suitable class? If you're going to evaluate them, do it thoroughly."

Towards the system that was tallying his acquired advancement points. Suho raised the corners of his mouth and said.

"Though I am doing this to inherit the Primordial Darkness, know that if I wished, I could have severed Nidhogg's head at any time."

Conquering the World Tree meant exactly that. Having made his main base right beneath Nidhogg, meant he could forcibly hunt it if he so chose. Of course, even if he cut off its head and took the Primordial Darkness by force, it would be useless if there was no one to properly inherit it. But conversely, it meant he could just hand it over if he found a vessel capable of handling that darkness… 

What if the vessel wasn't sufficient? Well he could just keep breaking it until it was, tempering it to enlarge the vessel. Wasn't that the very purpose for which Kandiaru designed the level-up system…? To grow humans, making them vessels capable of containing a Monarch. And just in time…

Ting.

[…is born.]

Suho, confirming a system message, grinned and spoke.

"System. Record this as my deed as well. It seems I've just completed another vessel."

* * *

Bubble Bubble.

USA.

Below the calm surface of New York Harbor. Something unnoticed for a long time stirred. Breaking the peaceful moment, when the Statue of Liberty quietly watched over the city.

Thump—

A great vibration began deep underwater. At first, it was a small ripple. Tourists thought it was merely the wake of a passing boat. But the ripple soon became a wave, and then the water began to churn as if boiling…

Kwaaaaaang—!

"…!"

Suddenly, the waters of New York Harbor split apart as if from an explosion. And from within, a colossal figure of unimaginable scale soared upwards. First, two giant antennae emerged from the water. Followed by the unfurling of two pairs of enormous wings. It was a butterfly so massive that even the Statue of Liberty seemed small beside it. Its wings, shimmering with intersecting gold and black, were dazzling, as if reflecting a thousand suns. Each flap sent fierce winds crashing into the city.

Kwaaaaaang—

"What is that…?"

"God, have mercy…"

Citizens on the streets looked up at the sky, paralyzed with fear. Thousands of small lights glittered on the giant butterfly's abdomen. Each light, like a living eye, watched every corner of the city. This was no mere monster. Its very existence was a declaration. The beginning of the conquest. Deep in the undiscoverable ocean depths. The massive vessel the Apostle of Conquest had prepared over a long time.

Fwaaaaaaah!

As the overwhelmingly massive butterfly fully spread its wings, its presence filled the New York sky, radiating an oppressive aura like a divine being from another dimension. Intricate patterns seemed to live and move upon its dazzling wings. And from each pattern, golden dust scattered, settling down upon the city. New York was quickly being eroded by the brilliant golden light. And from the sky above, a majestic voice, imbued with divine power, thundered across the entire city.

[I declare!]

[I offer this land to my great god!]

[Bless me, I pray!]

"Evacuate! Everyone get indoors!"

The Hunter Association's emergency alert blared throughout the city. But the citizens, overwhelmed by the sheer spectacle, seemed rooted to the spot, unable to move. The giant butterfly slowly circled above the buildings, as if calmly observing the world. Then, its antennae moved, vibrating as if sending a signal. At that moment, wherever the golden dust had settled, small flames began to bloom like embers. And soon, another change occurred in the New York sky. The heavens distorted, and space ripped like tearing fabric, creating cracks. From those fissures, thousands, tens of thousands of smaller butterflies poured out. The children, or perhaps clones, of the giant butterfly. Hunters, having been summoned, began to arrive on the scene, but their expressions turned grim as they looked up. As they had intuited, this was an 'invasion,' a declaration, on a completely different scale from any ordinary dungeon break they had encountered before.

[My name is the Apostle of Conquest!]

[For the great Itarim!]

[I shall conquer this land!]

The Apostle of Conquest, no longer hiding, finally revealed his existence publicly to the entire world. As the golden dust settled upon the city, everything it touched began to slowly corrode. The metal surfaces of cars rusted, asphalt softened, and building windows fogged over. It was as if the materials of this world were kneeling before the alien energy.

"Please… save me…"

A woman on the street knelt and cried out to the sky. There was nowhere left to run, nowhere to hide. Hunters had deployed, but the enemy numbers were overwhelmingly vast. However the real problem wasn't the numbers. It was that giant beast! The colossal butterfly monster, too large to take in at a single glance. The appearance of a being that shattered the Hunters' common sense, leaving them clueless as to how to even confront such an absurdly massive monster. Before it, some despaired, crouching beneath cars. Some picked up their phones to deliver final words to loved ones. Some were even seen turning on their phone cameras with trembling hands, trying to record this final moment. The butterfly's antennae, high above, moved this way and that, looking down upon all these despairing figures. The thousands of eyes glittering on its abdomen blinked in unidentifiable patterns, sending signals as if communicating amongst themselves. It seemed to be scanning the territory it would conquer. And then…

[Conquest, begin.]

Kyaaaaaaaaa—

Finally, the great chaos began. And the day of despair, later to be called the Second Cataclysm, dawned.

Uwaaak!

Kyaaaaak—!

Screams stained with despair and fear echoed through downtown New York.

But then…

Screeech—

At the center of all this chaos and fear. On the upper floor of a tall building, a man quietly opened his eyes. Soon, the lid of the game capsule opened, and 'Thomas Andre' sat up.

"…"

He listened to the screams and explosions coming from outside. Then turning his gaze to the window, his eyes took in the sight of the giant butterfly monster crushing the city. An absurd scene, like something out of a Hollywood movie, had become reality.

"Heh. Inside the game or in the real world…"

Yet a faint smile touched his lips as he witnessed the scene. The golden divine energy of the Outer God poured through the window. As if dazzled by it, Thomas Andre narrowed his eyes slightly and extended his hand to the side.

"Laura, sunglasses."

At his voice, his waiting secretary approached and handed him sunglasses. Thomas Andre casually accepted and put them on, even as the world seemed to crumble around him.

"Shall I prepare the helicopter?"

"Ah, no need."

Dismissing Laura's words, Thomas Andre leisurely walked. Not towards the elevator, but towards the window overlooking the giant beast. The closer he got, the more details of the situation in New York became visible. 

Streets dominated by chaos. 

People running frantically in all directions. 

Cars colliding. 

Streetlights, knocked down by the giant butterfly's wingbeats, lay scattered everywhere.

Crash!

Thomas Andre leaped through the window, towards that catastrophic scene

Swiiiiiiiish—

His massive body cut through the wind, plummeting towards the ground at high speed accelerated by gravity's pull. His white hair, like a lion's mane, fluttered behind him.

Boom—

As his sandaled feet landed on the ground, the road beneath him cracked and sank inwards.

At that moment…

Flinch.

His presence was instantly detected by the giant butterfly's senses. A large old man in a Hawaiian shirt was trudging towards it. But contrary to his leisurely gait, an ominous threat, completely different from other humans, was detected from him. Instantly, the butterfly moved, following its instinct.

Boom—!

From the sky above, the butterfly's massive leg slammed down. An overwhelming attack, as if intending to crush an ant. Before it, Thomas Andre grinned and thrust out his own fist. Muttering a single word.

"Giantification."

[…!]

At that moment. With that single word, an immense force exploded from Thomas Andre. His body began to rapidly expand with a roar like space-time itself was tearing apart.

'Goliath.'

Befitting the nickname that had always preceded his name.

Kwaaaaaang—!

Thomas Andre's fist, transformed into a giant's, collided head-on with the giant butterfly's attack. The shockwave generated from the collision spread out in all directions like the blast of a nuclear explosion. The windows of nearby buildings shattered instantly. Cars flipped over like toys. People were swept away by the fierce wind. At the spot of that tremendous collision, Thomas Andre grinned like a mischievous boy and spread his other hand wide.

"Not so fast. That's dangerous."

He clenched his hand, grabbing the exploding shockwave as if protecting a treasure, simultaneously the mana that was about to spread in all directions was sucked into his palm.

Fwoooooosh—

Then, drawn by that immense gravitational pull, the people who had been swept away by the fierce wind surprisingly descended back to the ground. Gently and safely. An incredible ability, as if controlling gravity itself! Thomas Andre gathered that immense energy into one hand, and with that empowered fist, struck the giant butterfly once more.

Kwaaaaaang—!

This impact was even stronger. The Apostle of Conquest's massive body was pushed back, creating a giant waterspout in the Hudson River.

[Kraaaaaaaak!]

Then, a scream erupted from its mouth, like a human's scream, yet simultaneously like the overlapping voices of thousands. From the Apostle of Conquest. Or rather, their collective entity. Before long, Thomas Andre had grown large enough to look down upon the giant beast.

"Apostle of Conquest… I like it."

His eyes were no longer those of a human. It was as if they were—

"I'll be using that name from now on."

The giant Thomas Andre's voice shook the entirety of New York like thunder.

[King of Giants, Monarch of Conquest]

—those of a Monarch.