CH 379

Despite knowing that Doom Caso would have no memories of inflicting despair upon humanity in the past during a time we were already struggling, I couldn’t help but feel incensed. That moment served as a stark realization that there was still room for us to descend further into despair.

Although the Eight Evils and the Eight Virtues carried out a joint attack and the First Evil, who activated the Man Who Overcomes Adversity, drove Doom Caso out of the mainland, the destruction of one of humanity’s two largest surviving cities was disastrous. That destroyed city was the home base for the Eight Virtues.

Therefore, the previous war, which had been stopped as the Eight Virtues tried to occupy the surviving city of the Eight Evils, soon resumed after that. Just like that, humanity’s remaining time for survival had been shortened. It was the last period of the past from then on. In other words, it was the point that determined the middle and last period of the past.

It became more difficult for me to take care of my mother, so I had to give up on my aunt, who was my mother’s only friend. Since then, I never saw my mother smile again as she had to endure each day in disgusting survival facilities amongst other emotionless survivors.

That was the reason why I had provoked Doom Caso with a bunch of nonsense. If I didn’t do that, I felt like I wouldn’t be able to suppress myself from killing it. Just as I had snapped the neck of the First Evil!

I managed to stop shooting lightning from my spear. As I grappled with the notion that I shouldn’t kill it, my heart raced with a sense of withdrawal. My efforts to control my power only fueled my anger further. The more I attempted to calm myself down, the more my rage festered within.

However, Doom Caso was strangely quiet. It was then I realized that it had stopped making any noise after being beaten successively.

Did it die?

There was no way. I felt a movement and looked back at it. Its remaining eye was slowly opening.

“...What is your grudge with me?”

The voice was the same, but it had a different vibe to it. It was no longer a guy who was frightened by ruthless violence.

“Keeeeuk-! I am! I am so sorry! It’s all my fault, Doom… Doom Man…”

Doom Caso wasn’t the same guy who had crawled and begged me to spare its life earlier.

I quickly suppressed my anger, then flew up in the air where I could look down at it at one glance. Physically, its condition was the same. The lash marks remained where they were, and blood continued to flow from the wounds inflicted by the indiscriminate lightning strikes.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“Doom Caso.”

I snapped, “You know that I am not asking you that.”

“Do you think bringing me to my knees would help you… This is not worth it for you.”

Its tone was resigned, and its pupil no longer chased after me. It was hopeless and devastated. All it did was look at the boundary above it.

The anger that shook my body vanished for a moment because Doom Caso was indeed acting strangely by all accounts.

“I am going to ask you again. Who are you?”

“Ca-lak-too.”

Only then did its eyes move after me. There was a question in its remaining weak eye.

“Odin.”

“Odin.”

“Who called me earlier?”

“Simply a character who had replaced me for a long time. He is quite eager to talk about cooperation with you. He is short-sighted, but has lots of beneficial personalities. Thanks to him, I was able to meet you like this. This was something that I couldn’t have done by myself.”

I frowned. “New character? Why do you even need that?”

“Our bowl is small, and we can’t follow the eternal life of Doom Kaos like Doom Arukuda or Doom Entegasto. Beings like us should have a simple process of thoughts. Odin, you must not be buried in time… You may not understand the story now, but you will in the future.” 

I already knew that Doom Caso could handle mental skills to some extent, and it seemed to have been using it for a long time.

“One thing I don’t understand is why you hold so much anger against me. It was an act of subjugating me with your personal feelings. It is true that I was appointed commander of the Allied Corps that invaded your mainland, but that ended up not working at the beginning phase. You are too much.”

“...”

“You killed my soldiers, and in the last battle, you killed more of my generals and my men. Compared to that, your mainland has only suffered a minimum amount of damage. What is your reason? Why do you want to kill me so bad? And why have you not killed me yet? Do you think it’s possible to obtain whatever you want by subjugating me? No one can challenge the throne of Doom Kaos.”

Its giant eye was filled with a sense of time that seemed to stretch on endlessly. It emitted a sigh, like that of a weary old soldier who had fought in a long and arduous war. The voice that emerged from the monster’s body resembled that of an elder who had experienced much of life. It was then that I acknowledged that I had underestimated Doom Caso.

“How did you obtain the power to kill Doom Dejire? How could you outdo me in a short time? I am not convinced at all, Odin.”

That was what it really wanted to ask.

***

Suffering wasn’t something one could become accustomed to; it could only be endured. Continual exposure to pain had the capacity to erode even the most resilient of egos. A strong will, like that of steel, was bound to break eventually, whether it be through physical or mental violence.

I had seen many individuals crumble in a similar fashion. They had been defeated by underestimating the Seven Demon Kings, assuming that their physiques and spirits were comparable to that of humans.

The notion that there could exist no state beyond pain remained unaltered. I just had to put in as much effort as it had lived. I had no choice but to give up on subjugating it in a short time, so then I decided to kill it.

I was about to start by telling it ‘I am a Past Life Returner.’ I planned to bring out its true story after telling it my entire life since I was going to kill it.

However, it continued speaking after closing its one eye.

“Please stop. I just wanted to complain and ask you to understand my situation. If you kill me, then Doom Kaos will punish you no matter what. Don’t let him get angry at you. There is no benefit to you, Odin.”

It couldn’t read my mind due to its weak mentality, but it was quick-witted.

“All the monarchs on the rankings aspire to have the power of Doom Kaos. That’s something that naturally occurs, so Doom Kaos doesn’t mind it. However, the one thing he doesn’t tolerate is fighting amongst ourselves without his approval.”

I commented, “You are talking like you know much about Doom Kaos.”

“No, despite having lived for many years, my knowledge about him would be as limited as yours.”

“That means you know nothing. How come you don’t know anything when you have spent so much time together?” I asked.

“It can’t be helped. I haven’t reached the third step yet, so I can only sense their presence as they remain concealed behind a curtain. Their battles extended far beyond the reaches of this battlefield, in areas that were beyond my recognition. You will come to realize this once you attend the meeting. The war has been reignited, and the meeting will be convened shortly, affording us the opportunity to see them. All that is left to do is wait.” 

There was a such thing called ‘meeting’ among entities like them.

“I’d like to hear more about it. How are the other Dooms?”

“I can’t even mention Doom Entegasto, the monarch on the third staircase. But I can say that those up to the fourth step are similar to me. Doom Insectum, Doom Mount, and high-ranking monarchs.”

“What do you mean that they are similar to you?” I asked.

“They, too, are enduring and preserving themselves through the years with their newly acquired personas. The time will come when you will have to undergo a similar transformation. Failure to do so will result in the fading away of all the blood and desires that currently drive you, leaving nothing in their wake. Don’t forget that we are vulnerable, Odin. This is the second point that Doom Kaos never tolerates. We must be in a position to accept his orders and not to be abandoned.”

Its every single word contained remorse and regret. Maybe all it had left was its survival instinct and its real name. The spoils of Dooms like vitality, soul, and earth of the dimension were all occupied by the high-ranked monarchs, and Doom Caso had been dragged around many warzones with stagnant growth.

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But did I feel bad for it? No. It was the same as the Old One and Doom Kaos.

I asked while looking down at its giant body, “Are you a Declan?”

“The Declans are soldiers who worship me.”

“But you look like a Declan. What happened to that?”

When considering the abilities of the Dooms, one common thread was apparent in both Doom Caso and Doom Dejire: they appeared as their own followers. Therefore, Doom Dejire was as small as the Lunea Clan, and Doom Caso was gigantic as the Declans. The notion that the Dooms could potentially move about among their followers remained a persistent concern in my thoughts.

In order to uncover the secrets of dealing with Power, I needed to know each of Doom's abilities in detail. When I asked about that point, Doom Caso answered, “Transfer of Souls. It is a common power that we have. We have a similar appearance as our worshippers, as Doom Insectum had advised. But Odin. Power is not to be gained by oneself. Instead, it is only permitted.”

“Do you really think so?”

I was aware of its intention. What would be the reason for it to give me advice and answer questions even when it was tired of its current life. It was not much different from me.

Our objectives may have differed, but we both sought to attain higher positions, preferably up to the level of Doom Entegasto. We aimed to secure the spoils of the Dooms and achieve divinity without the need to forge a new persona. Our aspiration was to possess a strength that would endure even if we were to live for an eternity, unaffected by the passage of time.

I could feel those emotions from its complaints.

“There are many forces that have not been collected in your old battlefield, which is here. Also, the Old One is here too. If we can retrieve everything, then it’s not impossible to challenge Doom Kaos’s throne.”

I then called it by its real name, “Calaktoo. I guarantee you will never escape from being a slave, but I’m strong. I will become more powerful by utilizing the resources left here, and I will obtain enough power to challenge the throne. Didn’t you see that possibility in me? It’s something that you can’t achieve.”

“...”

“You would know best that only pain exists under Doom Kaos. You will forever be the same without someone leading you.”

It wasn’t just Doom Caso. Doom Insectum and Doom Mount wouldn’t be in a different situation. That would stay the same until I took full control of the Seven Demon Kings like how I had engulfed the Bilderberg Club and completed Jeonil Club!

“I don’t care whether it is your new persona, or your own. Swear obedience to me and wait.”

“Doom Insectum is the highest of us, and it is completely different from me.”

“Then I will just kill it and fill it with ‘My Doom.’ The new Doom will be under you, so it is a good thing to you, too.”

“Odin…”

“I shall become the monarch who attains immortality, wielding a harmonious power derived from both the Dooms and the Old One simultaneously. I will ascend the throne and summon you to join me on the higher level.”

Roar!

The Wings of Flame spread out.

Zing-

The lightning that carried my voice struck in all directions.

“Obey me, Calaktoo.”

The order will be reorganized soon.