Meanwhile, the Apostle of Conquest, held captive in the Void Insects' nest, wore a savagely contorted expression.
[This… How could this happen…!]
The final moments of his clones scattered across the world linked by the hive mind, were being vividly relayed into his consciousness . New York, Shanghai, Tokyo… His clones in various parts of the world were being extinguished one by one. Their dying voices flowed towards him, the main body.
[Kraak! Thomas Andre…! How could he…!]
[Cha Hae-In! Cha Hae-In's lightning decimated everyone…!]
[Sung Il-Hwan…! A human wielding the power of a High Priest is here…!]
[Liu Zhigang's sword skills…!]
[Even the civilians have become Awakened…!]
Flash! Crackle! Rumble!
Voices mingled with fear and awe. Their screams from various locations, accompanied by the roar of intense battle, ultimately became their last words. But even in such a situation, there was nothing he, the main body, could do. Nothing but watch their final moments from here. He lamented.
[How could this be… Our plan was perfect….]
[Variables always exist, you know.]
Arsha, displaying an elegant posture before the Apostle of Conquest bound in magical chains, spoke.
[You all underestimated the potential of the human race too much.]
[How on earth… How could humans become this strong….]
[Growing through pain and trials. That is the essence of life, after all.]
[To think it was possible to turn humans with no mana aptitude into true Awakened individuals in the Tower of Trials….]
The Apostle of Conquest simply couldn't believe the current outcome. His strategy had been flawless. Battle and war are different. No matter how strong an individual named Sung Suho was, no matter how much his allies had awakened as the next Monarchs, even if they could lose in direct combat, there were countless weaknesses to exploit when looking at it from the perspective of war. In fact, there were too many. All of humanity on Earth was their weakness. But now, even those ordinary citizens were becoming Awakened and playing their part. In reality, the Apostle of Conquest's plan had failed utterly in every aspect.
[You bastards….]
The main body of the Apostle of Conquest, gritting his teeth in frustration and anger, cursed Suho as soon as he appeared before him.
[Just you wait! It's only a matter of time! Someday, my great god will surely descend upon this land! At that time, no matter how much you struggle, it will be useless!]
"…"
Even hearing such curses to his face, Suho calmly looked at the Apostle of Conquest's main body. And placing a hand on his head, he opened his mouth.
"You curse me, but I, in turn, shall bless you."
[…What?]
"The blessing of the dead World Tree."
[…!]
At Suho's words, the Apostle of Conquest's venomous glare wavered.
"For a long time, the World Tree purified dead souls and bore fruit. New souls were born and circulated from those fruits, but from the most luscious fruits among them, the soldiers of the Rulers were often born. Though the World Tree is dead now and cannot perform its function…"
Faaah—
With a calm voice, a white energy from Suho's hand seeped into the Apostle of Conquest.
"I can."
[…?!]
Flash!
Instantly, the Apostle of Conquest's vision went dark. His pupils turned white. The Apostle of Conquest, eyes wide and whitened, gritted his teeth and shrieked into the void.
[Whatever you're doing, it's useless! I am the Apostle of Conquest, bestowed with power by the great god! Turning me into a mere Shadow Soldier is absolutely impossible!]
"My father said it was possible."
[Even your father cannot turn all apostles into soldiers! Especially not beings like me, whose soul is fragmented!]
The types of creatures created by the Itarim were truly diverse. Among them, some creatures had souls so bizarre that they definitely couldn't be extracted as Shadow Soldiers. The Apostle of Conquest was one of them. But…
"Maybe not a Shadow Soldier, but how about this?"
Suho playfully raised the corners of his mouth. However the situation that unfolded immediately after was by no means a joke.
Fwaaaaaaah—
[…!]
Instantly, the Apostle of Conquest saw it. The pure white shadow cast before him. He lifted his head and looked up. And his soul trembled with genuine terror. It was the 'White Night'. The shadow of the World Tree, so vast its end couldn't be seen, was looking down at him from that high place. And looking again, clearing his eyes, that shadow had, at some point, transformed into Sung Suho's form. Looking up at that incredibly high place, the Apostle of Conquest let out a wretched groan.
[You, you are, what in the world….]
Suho looked down at him and spoke calmly.
"You don't even qualify to become a Shadow Soldier. Instead, I shall extract all your nutrients."
[Using Skill: 'Fruit of the World Tree'.]
Shluuuuurp—!
At that moment, the Apostle of Conquest's soul was forcibly torn out by the white shadow. And then…
Purification.
Compression.
Crystallization.
Extraction.
Ting!
[Successfully extracted Rune Stone: 'Apostle of Conquest'.]
Suho knew now… How the Rulers had created rune stones all this time, how so many rune stones had been made. The answer was the Fruit of the World Tree. Just like the way the Rulers' soldiers were born. Extracting only the properties contained within a dead soul and recreating it as a single tool was also the role of the World Tree. Suho, having understood that principle, could now imitate that role.
"Arsha."
Suho handed the rune stone he had thus extracted to Arsha.
"You eat it. It's a power I don't need."
At Suho's command, Arsha opened her mouth as if entranced. With an expression of utter ecstasy.
…Gulp.
At that moment.
Flash—
[…?!]
Arsha's body cracked as if it would shatter, and immense light poured out from the fissures. Like a bomb on the verge of explosion. Due to the Rune Stone of the Apostle of Conquest that Arsha had swallowed, all the abilities the Apostle of Conquest had harbored began to bloom within Arsha simultaneously. She tried to scream from the extreme pain, but…
[Augh–...]
Suho's hand covered Arsha's mouth as he spoke firmly.
"Don't spit it out, swallow it to the end. This is your trial."
Simultaneously, Suho spread his other hand and extended it sideways. At its end was Nidhogg, frozen by Sirka's power.
"If you endure, I will personally bring it to you. The Primordial Darkness meant for the Queen of Insects."
Clang clang!
'Ruler's Authority!'
At that moment, Sirka's sturdy ice shattered. And the last remaining head of Nidhogg, trapped within, was forcibly dragged towards Suho's outstretched hand.
Grwooooooooar!
Nidhogg, even while being pulled by the immense force, opened its maw towards Suho with a fierce expression. But compared to when they first met, it was merely a single remaining head. Conversely, from Suho's perspective, who had grown tremendously compared to then, Nidhogg was no longer a match. The disparity was evident.
Kyaaaaaak—!
'Ruler's Authority'
Following Suho's outstretched hand, the moment he clenched his fist, an invisible giant hand seized Nidhogg and crushed it.
Boom!
Nidhogg exploded, and pitch-black darkness burst out from within like fireworks.
Ting!
[Nidhogg has been defeated.]
It was absurdly easy. As if he had hunted an ordinary magical beast, system messages appeared before Suho consecutively.
Ting, Ting, Ting, Ting!
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[...]
An enormous level-up. It was truly a feast of immense experience points. Previously, when Suho had faced Nidhogg's heads one by one, there had been no experience points. But now, this was the result of having defeated the creature itself, not just its part. However, to the current Suho, levels were no longer important. More significant was the achievement. The very act of defeating Nidhogg with his own hands was more significant. Because that was the feat that proved his qualification, his advancement points.
[Calculating advancement points…]
[Calculating advancement points…]
As if to show off, the system had been continuously calculating Suho's achievements.
[Successfully extracted 'Fruit of the World Tree'.]
[Bonus points awarded.]
[Defeated 'Nidhogg, the Serpent that Gnaws at the Roots of the World Tree'.]
[Bonus points awarded.]
But it wasn't over yet.
[Calculating advancement points…]
Shwaaaaaaak—!
The last Primordial Darkness that burst from Nidhogg was sucked into Suho's hand. He compressed it again. Forcibly grasping it, the masterless Primordial Darkness thrashed in Suho's hand, trying to escape.
"Wait. You'll have a master soon enough."
The more it struggled, the tighter Suho gripped, and just then, good news arrived.
[…Hooooah.]
A deep sigh escaped Arsha's lips, who had been using all her strength to digest the swallowed power. She had finally, perfectly absorbed the Rune Stone: 'Apostle of Conquest.' The result was astounding. Just like the Apostle of Conquest The King of Butterflies was born from a pupa. The Queen of Void Insects Arsha, evolved from a queen bee. There were many similarities between these two. Perhaps because their fundamental nature was that of insects, Arsha succeeded in perfectly making all the abilities the Apostle of Conquest wielded her own. Suho, recognizing that fact at a glance, curled his lips upwards.
"You worked hard. But the real trial starts now, so endure it again."
[W-wait… Ugh!]
Fwaaak!
Suho, giving her no time to rest, fed the grasped Primordial Darkness directly into Arsha's mouth again. But fortunately, since the vessel was already complete, there was no pain.
Flash!
The Primordial Darkness smoothly settled within Arsha's body. And when Arsha opened her eyes again, it resided within her luminous pupils.
Ting.
[The Queen of Insects, Monarch of the Void is born.]
Finally, a new Queen of Insects was born. Along with that…
Ting, Ting, Ting!
[Bonus points awarded.]
[Total advancement points have exceeded the achievement limit.]
[A special reward will be given according to the contract.]
Finally, Suho's class was also decided.
[Your class has been determined.]
Shwaaaaaak—
At that moment, the 'White Shadow' elongated beneath Suho's feet, smiled, and spoke to him. Strictly adhering to the system's way.
[Analyzing player's actions to assign a suitable class.]
[Wherever the player stays, the breath of the reaper always lingers.]
[Wherever the player passes, corpses pile up, and the stench of blood fills the air.]
[Your desire for great power is strong enough to summon the wandering spirits from the valley of death.] [The army of the dead following your command will forge a path for you alone, without anyone's help.]
[Furthermore]
[The player craves great power, does not rely on companions.]
[Solely with his own strength…]
Crackle—
"Hm?"
Suddenly, the pre-determined messages delivered by the system distorted mid-way, and the characters shattered. Then, those characters reassembled themselves here and there, creating a new message solely for Suho.
Unlike Sung Jinwoo, who had always fought alone, Suho had consistently fought alongside his companions. And to be of help to his father, who was fighting overwhelming enemies, he had striven with all his might, using any means necessary. Sometimes those means were strength and tenacity. Sometimes those methods involved the Tower of Trials or virtual reality games, inducing the awakening of all humanity. The result…
Ting.
[Your creativity allows you to reach a positive solution somehow, in any moments of crisis.]
[Your righteous heart will influence those around you, enabling everyone to reach the correct outcome.]
[The player is granted the choice of one of three classes.]
'Three choices…'
Suho calmly looked at the options that appeared before him.
[The first class is 'Soul Striker'.]
[Interpreting past data, the player is granted the hidden class 'Soul Striker'.]
This was the dream he had in high school. It was 'Soul Striker,' the advanced class of the Martial Artist he had once class-changed into back then.
[The second class is 'Monarch of Destruction'.]
At that moment, Ragnar appeared beside Suho as if waiting. Casting a solemn gaze. Within it, the Dragon King Antares watched Suho's choice.
[To the player who overcame the Dragon King's trials and proudly proved his qualification, the power of the 'King of Dragons, Monarch of Destruction' is granted.]
But even under the Dragon King's fiery gaze, Suho did not waver.
"So, what's the last one?"
After all, Suho's choice lay beyond that. The first two classes were already his. Powers he had already achieved through his own efforts; there was no need to choose them again now. And the reason he had forcibly postponed his class change, going as far as to finally defeat Nidhogg, annihilate the Apostle of Conquest, and ultimately make all his companions new Monarchs. The fruition of diligently scraping together as many advancement points as possible before the class change had finally arrived before Suho.
[The third class is....]
Suho chose that class without hesitation.
Flash!
[The player class-changes to 'Monarch of Transcendence'.]
Thus, the Primordial Darkness received from the Dragon King Antares was reborn under the name 'Monarch of Transcendence.' But Suho did not become a king. Suho, being human, could not become the 'King of Dragons,' nor did Suho wish to become the king of humans. There was a far more fitting name.
Flash!
[The 'Guardian of the World Tree, Monarch of Transcendence' is born.]
'Guardian of the World Tree.'
Having conquered the Sea of the Afterlife. Having found the dying World Tree somewhere in that vast sea. And having proudly proven, through his own efforts, his qualification to stand face-to-face with the Shadow of the World Tree, Suho's new name was…
[Guardian of the World Tree…]
Watching Suho's form, the Dragon King Antares savored the name with a peculiar expression. Was it not truly coincidental? To dismiss it merely as chance…
[Could it be that the reason 'He' gave his child the name 'Suho' was…]
The feeling was strange. Until now, all the other successor candidates had striven so hard solely to obtain a single 'name.' Yet, Suho, from the moment of his birth, already possessed a 'name' personally bestowed by the being who was the Greatest Fragment of Brilliant Light and the Shadow Monarch. That 'name,' decided upon after much deliberation by such a great being, called out thousands, tens of thousands of times with affection.
'Sung Suho' (성수호 - 成守護)
…A direct translation of its meaning would be 'One who protects and guards the stars.'
And before long, that child had grown into an adult. And through the numerous achievements he had cultivated through his own growth, he had finally seized a new name…
[Guardian of the World Tree, Monarch of Transcendence]
'…Sung Jinwoo… just how far did you see?'
The Dragon King Antares eventually let out a hollow laugh. For a long while, he stared blankly at Sung Suho's form. Simultaneously recalling the image of 'Him', who even at this moment must be engaged in a fierce war with the Itarim in outer space. Antares chuckled softly, wondering if he knew that his son was striving so hard to protect this planet, to live up to that name…
After all the meaning of their names was the authority and mission given to the Monarchs who inherited the Primordial Darkness.
Thus.
Sung Suho's long, long class change quest came to an end.