Thumbs Up, Level Up - Chapter 303

The Demon King of the Apocalypse was born from the minds of those who sought to invade this world and establish themselves in it. This being had emerged as a force meant to challenge the current inhabitants of the Earth and eventually reshape the world for the sake of other races’ survival.

However, the birth of the Demon King was not solely a result of random desires. It was the sacred power of the System created by the collective might of the Gods that had brought it into being, and the Demon King’s powers themselves had also been granted by the Gods.

Consequently, it knew who its adversary was—the God born in this world, [GodTube_superstar].

And its opponent had now arrived.

Though it had not been in existence for long, the combined experiences of countless races that had invaded this world throughout millennia were ingrained within it.

Thus, it understood its own purpose well. It would only be free to use all the power at its disposal the moment it had won over this entire world.

The time to fulfill that purpose had finally arrived.

“Submit, and be crushed!”

A human, many times larger in size than his companions, swung a fist toward the Demon King. It struck the highest part of its body.

‘Ah… the time has come. You beautiful beings of life. It saddens me, but I shall bring the Apocalypse upon all of you.’

The Demon King of the Apocalypse began to move.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

There was a man who inherited the bloodline of the Titan race of Greek and Roman mythology, some of the most ancient myths of the Earth that people still knew about. One day, the blood of the Titan race awakened within him, and the power of the ancient giant race coursed through his body.

His initial ability was the Giant Metamorphosis, which alone granted him tremendous strength. As he fought in the form of a Titan, it was natural for most enemies to be crushed in a single blow. As he leveled up and acquired new skills, he could even harness the special abilities of the Titan race.

Now, to unleash his ultimate and strongest attack, he called upon the most powerful ancient divine blood he could summon. His body grew as massive as the Demon King, and in that state, he clenched his fist.

“In the name of Iapetus, I will pierce you!”

Iapetus the Piercer was one of the Titans. He was the brother of Kronos, the God of time and father of Zeus. His name itself meant ‘piercing,’ as he was the one who could pierce through everything in the world.

The full power of his descendant, the Hunter known as the Titan, gathered within his colossal fist. Though it appeared to be a simple punch, it contained the ability to penetrate anything. It was a truly unblockable strike, and that strike was directly aimed at the Demon King of the Apocalypse.

Astonishingly, his power pierced through the Demon King, leaving behind a giant hole several meters wide.

“Hahaha! I did it! Behold, Ji-Cheok! I am the world’s strongest Hunter, not someone like you! Do you get it? I am the strongest Hunter! Hahahaha!”

He raised his fist triumphantly, and with his godlike power, unleashed a barrage of strikes. Dozens of powerful blows rained down, shattering the flesh of the Demon King into pieces and scattering its blood all over the lunar soil.

The Demon King was gone.

The world was saved. He became a hero, proving himself that he was above Ji-Cheok and becoming a global superstar.

Everyone loved him, and no matter what mischief he caused, he was forgiven by the world.

Thanks to his power, he lived for hundreds of years, but eventually succumbed to old age and died.

The Titan, Frank David, lived a happy life, but in the end, he failed to become a God and died as a mortal.

‘Wait… Is this all a dream?’

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

“The final weapon of the Moon Blade, Moon Breaker, is ready for activation!”

“The final weapon of the Moon Blade is ready for activation! Time to activate, T-30 seconds!”

“As soon as the preparations are complete, use the Moon Breaker immediately!”

It was a desperate situation.

Within the colossal spaceship, Moon Blade, designed and created by Adam with the help of Ji-Cheok, there was a superweapon capable of destroying the Moon if necessary to prevent its fall, even if it meant the Demon King of the Apocalypse would not be defeated.

The weapon was called the Moon Breaker. It was a simple name for a destructive weapon capable of annihilating the Moon. The entirety of the giant Moon Blade was wrapped in the power of magic and divinity, as well as all the buffs available, as it plummeted toward the Moon.

It was once said that a master swordsman could cut down a mountain. If that was the case, there was no reason why this massive space battleship, which was shaped like a greatsword, could not be wielded like one!

The Moon Breaker mode was created with that in mind.

It utilized all of its available energy to become a ridiculously destructive sword, capable of literally splitting the Moon in half!

And now, that absolute power had been activated.

Woong!

A massive space battleship with a length of seventeen kilometers had now turned into a greatsword, and it was falling toward the Demon King of the Apocalypse. It tried to stop the battleship with all its tremendous power, but it was no match for the Moon Blade. Everything cracked open, and the Moon Blade pierced straight through the Moon’s surface!

Crack!

Boom!

It passed through the ground and went straight to the core. Moments later, it exited on the other side of the Moon. The terrifying power had destroyed the Moon along with the Demon King and shattered it into pieces!

It was an unbelievable feat!

“Captain! We did it!”

“Of course, we did it! Who do you think I am?”

“Yes!!!”

The people on the bridge shouted and cheered. The Demon King was destroyed, and the world was now safe.

“Full power reversal! Remove as much of the Moon’s debris as possible! Minimize the damage done to Earth!”

“Yes, Captain!”

That was it.

Adam Bronze became a hero. He descended to Earth and became the head of a massive conglomerate that encompassed the entire world. He was the leader of the largest Hunter force the world had ever seen.

Gradually, he became an absolute ruler, dominating the world. His endless inventions brought significant profits when trading with beings from other dimensions, and his name spread widely across all dimensions.

He led a happy life, enjoying the best of every day, until one day, hundreds of years later, he vanished without a word.

No one knew where he had gone.

‘The dream grows deeper.’

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

Everything came to a halt.

It seemed as if time had frozen, but Ji-Cheok instinctively knew that was not the case.

The world had momentarily stopped, yet time somehow continued to flow. Every being and every object, every single thing around him came to a standstill.

The Titan froze in mid-air, looking rather funny with his colossal size. Following him, everything and everyone else froze in place, whether they were stepping on the ground or were suspended in the air.

The Moon Blade remained motionless as well.

Mu-Cheok, Ji-Byeok, Ha-Na, Seong Kwang, and everyone else…

They were all frozen.

‘What’s going on? What on earth…. What the fuck is happening?!’

«You need to calm down, Master. The monsters are also frozen!»

‘I can see that. Too bad there is one that is still moving.’

“The Demon King of the Apocalypse…”

The figure hundred of meters tall and enveloped in an inexplicable energy was moving, unlike the rest of the monsters. It alone continued to move, its energy rippling.

‘Do I have to face that thing alone? Is this part of its ability?’

[You have come. My adversary.]

As he gazed upon it, the creature spoke to him.

“Is this your doing?”

[Indeed. I have bestowed a doom upon them…]

Tssss~

Its black energy swirled, creating a vortex. Then, it started to shrink in size.

What was a weird blob hundreds of meters tall started to compress and condense, taking on a concrete form. Moments later, a being was revealed.

It donned a helmet with four gems embedded in it that resembled crimson eyes. It looked overall humanoid, except for its four arms, and it was wrapped in armor that showcased its figure rather than serving as protection. If anything, it was more akin to a combat suit. Around its neck and shoulders fluttered a cape made of energy currents.

It looked too delicate to be called a man, but its physical shape was too large to be called a woman.

‘Is it androgynous? Or genderless?’

Either way, it was a being that exuded an eerie sensation.

This was the Demon King of the Apocalypse.

[I am the Demon King of the Apocalypse. That is my name, and it alone defines me. You are my adversary. How about we talk for a little before our final battle? I have momentarily halted the Moon’s movement as well. There will be no harm in conversing with me, my nemesis.]

‘A dialogue, you say?’

«Since we lack information about the opponent, engaging in conversation would not be a bad idea, Master.»

‘That may be true, but…’

“Very well. Let’s try to have a conversation. So, why aren’t people moving around us?”

[I have merely granted them their doom. They are… marching toward the doom they desire.]

“Don’t give me that philosophical bullshit. I want to know what happened to them.”

[Was that difficult to comprehend? I see. Then take a look at this.]

The Demon King folded two arms and raised the others toward the sky. Suddenly, an image appeared. It was a video of Seong Kwang, and it was moving really fast.

It depicted Seong Kwang, nurturing his children in the orphanage. The children grew, achieving success in various fields, and Seong Kwang himself matured into an adult. Every endeavor resulted in a happy ending. After living for several hundred years, Seong Kwang peacefully passed away with a satisfied expression.

In the end, the image came to an end, leaving behind only a black void.

‘What the hell was that?’

«That is a dream, Master. They are forcefully… being made to dream of a happy future.»

‘Is that some kind of sorcery or illusion or brainwashing?’

[This is neither an illusion nor brainwashing. It is akin to experiencing a future in which they will be happy. The future they desire… and a satisfying death. In other words, the doom they long for.]

Realizing Ji-Cheok’s confusion, the Demon King explained to him.

[I am the one who shall grant you your doom. But is it necessary for me to inflict suffering upon you as well? I believe not.]

“Ha… Your empathy is quite remarkable. If that is the case, why would you fight us in the first place?”

[The battle between us is inevitable. Your existence, after all, is my own doom.]

“Then why did you propose a conversation?”

Ji-Cheok glared at it, wielding his dual swords.

‘Is there a need for a dialogue with this crazy bastard?’

[I wish to know you.]

“Me?”

[Yes. You are a being of a similar caliber to me. By getting to know you, I will become more complete. Furthermore, I seek to learn in order to bring about the doom of other worlds. And by observing me, you can acquire information to defeat me. It is a mutually beneficial agreement.]