From Today, I'm a Player

Chapter 264. Ragnarok Pt. 6

“The Demon King had reached a level that even the Sponsors couldn’t withstand. He killed all of the Sponsors that had taken over.”

They wondered how painful it must have been.

‘Maybe he couldn’t feel the pain anymore.’

His experience was different from others. Even if others died, he would come back to life. It was an endless hell, so long that he may have become dulled to existence.

“He really thought that at that point, it would have been the end.”

He really, truly, had been waiting for this.

“When he had defeated the Sponsors, he had made it so that Hunters didn’t exist anymore…”

It was a result he had wanted.

“There were no more monsters, nor anything that shouldn’t belong, but there was nothing left at that point.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“The battle with the Sponsors was devastating. The Sponsors who had resurrected, and the strength that they had restored after their resurrection…”

All of them froze. It couldn’t be.

“It was enough to destroy the Earth.”

“How could that…”

“If he didn’t kill the Sponsors, then the future would repeat itself. But if he killed the Sponsors, then the Earth would be destroyed.”

In a last-ditch effort, before they died, the Sponsors had destroyed his home so that he wouldn’t be able to find rest.

“Just like that, he regressed once again. He tried to change the outcome over and over again. But, the result was always the same.”

He was, once again, trapped in a hell.

“The deaths of the Sponsors weren’t enough to free him.”

“Just how far…what more could he have done?” Jeong In-Chang said, his hands clenched tight from the rising anger.

Rage toward those devil-like bastards overcame him. They had completely ruined a person’s life and had even made it impossible for his soul to be saved.

“He tried to give up on everything again. But then, he found a possible way out.”

The story was reaching its end.

“The powers of the source had begun to awaken within him, who had repeatedly regressed and hunted down the Rulers and Sponsors alike.”

***

“Even though he had awakened the powers of the source, nothing had changed. No matter how strong he got, the problem stayed the same. Unless he were to obtain all of the powers of the source, nothing would change.”

If he were able to fully awaken the powers of creation that had created the universe, then he would have been able to reach the fate that he had wanted.

“But finding the complete powers of the source was too difficult. That wasn’t something that could be done on a single planet. He had to go through the broken dimensions. It would have only been possible if he searched through them all.”

“But if he wasted his time like that…”

“That’s right. His search for the powers of the source led to the destruction of the Earth.”

They felt like they couldn’t breathe, mired in an inexhaustible hell from which there was no escape.

‘How…just how…’

That question was the only thing that engulfed his mind.

“But he found a way.”

“What is that?”

“Raising successors,” Heimdall stated.

“But even if he raised successors, that doesn’t seem like they would be of much help.

It was a reasonable prediction. Even if he were to find someone who could inherit his power, the Earth would still be destroyed. It would have been useless.

“That was where his abilities shined through. The powers of the source, and…”

Lee Jun-Kyeong interjected, “Time regression.”

"Exactly." Heimdall nodded and continued, “The Book of the Demon King is the culmination of those two powers. He had inserted himself into a gap between space and time and sealed his abilities into a book so that the book would continue to exist within the world where the Sponsors had resurrected.”

The secret behind the Book of the Demon King had been revealed.

“Moreover, he hid himself among the Sponsors just in case that they guarded themselves against him and destroyed the world preemptively. This was all in order for the world to be maintained so that his successor may one day emerge.”

To think he had to stay with those who had completely ruined his fate. The Demon King had been unable to escape that hell, even for a moment.

“He waited, waited for an opportunity to deal with the Sponsors in one fell swoop. Moreover, once he was the last one standing–”

“He needed someone to kill him.”

The ability, time regression—even if it had been bestowed onto the Book of the Demon King, it would have only been a one-time thing. Its true essence would remain with the Demon King and force him to undergo endless regression.

Even if he were to prevent the destruction of Earth, one day, he might be forced to prevent the destruction of Earth once again. Thus, when everything was over, he needed someone to end his exhausted life.

“And I am that person…”

Thus, the person he had found was Lee Jun-Kyeong. He had acquired the Book of the Demon King, had gone back in time, gained the powers of the source, and had gained strength comparable to that of the Demon King. With what he had accomplished, he had to defeat the Demon King, a being with complete immortality—no, a being that was a true immortal.

“He didn’t know how much longer he had to continue after that moment. All he knew was that this was the moment he had been waiting for so long…”

Lee Jun-Kyeong interrupted, “Have you met the Demon King?”

“Yes,” Heimdall said. “He told me that he had drawn a perfect picture that would end his long journey.”

“…”

"But!” Merlin shouted. “This is too much to believe…”

Merlin couldn’t forget a single word she had heard. Moreover, she could tell that this was the truth. She couldn’t feel any lies from Heimdall.

In addition, it wasn’t just a hunch. His eyes had no hint of dishonesty, and his mana was calm.

“Damn it…”

All of that pointed to everything the Hunter was saying to be true.

“That’s everything,” Heimdall said.

“That’s it? What sort of bullshit,” Zeus quipped back. “I understand that the Demon King’s goal is to die and that he needs the Underdog as he can’t do it alone.”

“...”

“But was there any reason for him to cause any of the tragedies up until now?”

He had sunk Britain and had prevented them from saving people who could have been saved.

“Even if the Underdog succeeds, Earth’s civilization will regress. The number of surviving humans is too small. How could you say that’s saving the Earth…”

“Think of his title,” Lee Jun-Kyeong interjected before Zeus was able to finish. “He has truly become a Demon King.

Zeus frowned. "What?"

“Whatever reason he had, whatever desires he did all this for.” Lee Jun-Kyeong stood up with a firm voice. “He must have been emotionally worn down over thousands of years. He even mingled among the Sponsors just for the sake of a single goal.”

That was what it meant to be a Demon King. None of them could ask for any more humanity from him. None of them could impose any morality or justice on him.

‘He wouldn’t hesitate to annihilate the Earth for his goals at this point.’

He was a true Demon King.

“When you enter Gehenna, many things will change. If you fail, then history would just repeat itself again,” Heimdall said. “Even if you win… It’ll be difficult for you to come back alive.”

Heimdall had said that at the end of the story, Lee Jun-Kyeong would have to choose again whether he would go to Gehenna or not.

“Gehenna is a cosmic-level space.[1] Moreover, if you include having to fight the Demon King…”

Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded. “Even if I were to win, it would be difficult for me to come back because of my injuries.”

At that time, Jeong In-Chang raised his hand. “Then we will go with him…!”

If that was the Demon King’s purpose, then wouldn’t it be possible for them to just enter as observers and rescue Lee Jun-Kyeong when the time came? However, it was clear that the Demon King had done something to Gehenna.

“It’s impossible. None of you would be able to survive whatsoever. The same goes for Zeus and the others. Maybe if it was the original Gehenna, but…only Jun-Kyeong can enter Gehenna.”

Gehenna, the gargantuan black gate, was shaking as if beckoning towards him.

***

“Either way…”

It was a result that had already been decided.

Lee Jun-Kyeong muttered to himself as he stood in front of Gehenna, “If I run away…there would only be destruction.”

He wondered why Heimdall, Seong-Gu Hyung, had asked such a question. After all, it had already been decided. He couldn't run away.

‘I have to go in.’

Either he was killed within Gehenna, or he died after fulfilling his purpose. It was something that couldn’t be helped. Jeong In-Chang approached as he mused to himself.

“Mr. Lee.”

Lee Jun-Kyeong’s expression changed as he looked at the Hunter. As the corners of his mouth were about to curl up, Jeong In-Chang said, “You don’t have to go.”

“...”

“I know. That if you run away, the end results would be horrid. But you still have the right to choose, Mr. Lee. I won’t blame you even if we face destruction. It’s just another battle in the end,” said Jeong In-Chang sincerely.

Lee Jun-Kyeong lowered his head for a moment. “Thank you.”

“We feel the same.”

Zeus.

Merlin, Arthur, Horus, Ungnyeo, and all of the others.

Before he knew it, everyone was standing before him. They all had the same expression. None of them could erase the shock that they had received after hearing the true story of the Demon King.

“If you want to fight together, we will fight.”

Their faces were all full of determination. Lee Jun-Kyeong looked behind them, toward Seong-Gu Hyung. The man was looking at him with a guilty expression.

‘It’s okay,’ Lee Jun-Kyeong mouthed at him.

Seong-Gu Hyung, Heimdall, had said something to him. ‘I haven’t told you the whole story.’

How did he know all of this? How had he regressed like he did? Why was he now helping the Demon King?

There were many things that Lee Jun-Kyeong had wanted to ask. But the Hunter didn’t tell him.

His eyes just seemed to say, ‘Come back alive. Then, I’ll tell you everything once again.’

If he was curious, then he needed to do his best to come back alive somehow. Only then would he tell him.

Lee Jun-Kyeong laughed. “I’ve already made my decision. Nothing has changed.”

All that had happened was that he had simply discovered that the fairy tale that he had known was actually just a part of someone’s horrifying tragedy.

“Mr. Jeong,” Lee Jun-Kyeong called.

Jeong In-Chang nodded with a stern expression.

“As my shield, please protect anyone. Until you determine if I come…” Lee Jun-Kyeong stopped before continuing, “Until I return.”

“I’ve…accepted your orders,” Jeong In-Chang answered like one of his Familiars.

Thud.

Heimdall approached Lee Jun-Kyeong. “You obtained a title, right?”

It was the only thing that hadn’t been said yet. Everyone started listening again to Heimdall as Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly nodded. It was the title that he had been waiting for so long.

“Ragnarok.”

“Ragnarok…”

“That’s my title.”

Heimdall said with a small smile. “Then, please come back safe, Ragnarok.”

Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly turned around.

The Underdog—no, Ragnarok.

“I’ll be back,” he said as he stepped past the threshold of the black gate, Gehenna.

1. The author forgot that he called it a Transcendental-graded gate earlier and is now calling it cosmic-level. ☜