Former Warrior Turns Into A Million-Dollar Actor [EN]: Chapter 179

The End of Heaven (4)

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Above the Iron Kingdom,

A cloud path leading to the towering heavens.

Anyone who saw it would have called it a bizarre sight.

A hero stands with his holy sword stuck in the ground, and right next to him, a saintess anxiously guards him.

In the midst of the fallen angels sat Asruel, the Archangel of Red Light, his massive wings of light shimmering like a mirage.

The silence was broken by the hero, God.

“…Could it be, did you create demons?”

-The word ‘create’ is not fitting. It’s more of an experiment and excavation.

“What?”

-At the very edge of Middle-earth… there was a place overflowing with dark energy among the abandoned wastelands. Some of the archangels burned that land, and others infused the corrupted creatures with energy, even blurring their own existence, for the sake of the world’s survival.

A chilling truth followed. The saintess, pale as a sheet, moved her lips.

“The Burning Hell…”

Asruel made a gesture close to affirmation.

-That’s right. That place was the first stirrings of the Demonic Realm, and the Burning Hell. By steadily injecting power borrowed from the outside world, the creatures there quickly began to molt. It was insignificant to us, but more than enough to threaten humans intoxicated with peace.

“Completely insane. Creating demons to revive human faith?”

God spat out the words as if chewing them. No creator… no, not even a creator should do that.

For thousands of years, or even longer, they deliberately instigated the fight between humans and demons?

-What is the problem?

“…What?”

-I asked what the problem is. According to the world’s great order, we have not directly harmed humans. Furthermore, we provided every convenience for them to stand against demons with their weak bodies.

Suddenly, Asruel extended a gloved hand. A dark red energy, familiar to both the hero and the saintess, gathered at the archangel’s fingertips.

God gritted his teeth.

“You, that power…”

-Hapki [a martial art utilizing internal energy] is also a celestial power. Did humans think they discovered it by chance?

The serene resonance suddenly focused on the hero.

-And you, wanderer who crossed dimensions, you should have no reason to antagonize the lofty heavens.

“Bullshit. You caught me and now you say I have no reason to antagonize you?”

-You were merely chosen. Because the wishes of this dimension and the wavelengths of your soul matched.

Perhaps because he knew he hadn’t lost his memories, the archangel no longer seemed to hide anything.

Asruel raised both hands, causing his white wings to lift his body slightly higher.

-The origin of this world has been damaged. We created an adversary, but there was no hero on the human side to confront that adversary. The plan to bring someone from another dimension was conceived for that reason.

“…”

-Obiel of space and time poured all his power into creating a rift in the dimension, and Tariel of oblivion created the secret art of memory. This was a measure to ensure that the summoned hero could defeat the last great demon even if he died thousands of times… to prevent his reason and sanity from collapsing.

The names of those long gone, names from long ago, are pronounced and disappear in the archangel’s words.

‘Come to think of it, when I first came to this world…’

Numerous deaths erode memories. What happened that morning of the mustering ceremony?

As God retraced his memories, Asruel’s hood suddenly turned towards the saintess.

-Aria Riverot.

“…Yes.”

-You saintesses have, for generations, served as a channel connecting dimensions and a medium for bringing heroes. Those with matching spiritual wavelengths, noble individuals united by a sense of justice and sacrifice, were summoned as heroes. As for why the secret art of memory cracked…

“Wait, then what about the previous heroes?”

The holy sword was silently drawn with a whoosh. God, stepping forward, asked again.

“According to you, this ridiculous ritual has been repeated for thousands of years. Then what about the previous heroes and saintesses? Where did they go?”

Aria’s gaze also turned to the archangel. Asruel answered simply.

-I cannot tell you.

“What?”

-When you kill the fifth great demon, Asmeraus, the hero will return to his original dimension. The world will gain temporary peace, and the Iron Kingdom will flourish once more. Is anything more needed?

“What happens to the saintess when I leave?”

This time, there was no answer. Aria, the person in question, lowered her eyes as if she had expected it, and said nothing.

The answer in the silence is clear. The hero will return, and the remaining saintess will strive for the reconstruction of the nation, eventually disappearing into the annals of history.

With the memories erased by the archangels, without gaining any glory or reward… even the fact that she existed will be erased.

‘I didn’t like it from the start.’

God closed his eyes. Now faded and dim, the ego of Park Geon suddenly surfaced.

What did he fight for?

At first, he fought to save the world, then to return to his family… and at some point, he went half-mad, repeatedly massacring demons.

‘Just like those bastards.’

So he had forgotten. What did returning or being an absolute being matter? A grand conspiracy was unfolding in this world that had called him.

The son of Park Yeol-ho and Han Young-ju.

Park Geon had never run away from injustice.

Thwack―!

The next moment, the holy sword swung like lightning, aiming for the archangel’s neck.

However, the blade was blocked by a hemispherical barrier. Asruel, turning his invisible face to the hero who had narrowed the distance in an instant, said:

-What are you doing? I thought you understood well enough?

“I can’t do that.”

-……?

Even though he had approached to point-blank range, the face inside the archangel’s hood was not visible.

What flickered within was… only the shadow of a monster that had lived an ugly existence.

“Before I return, I need to take down you pigeons first.

-What exactly is this pigeon thing…

The archangel, about to say something, raised his hand. At the same time, the dark red holy sword tore through the barrier and flew towards him.

The blade was caught by the white gauntlet, but Asruel seemed surprised. A wave close to bewilderment rippled through the red light.

-It shouldn’t even be able to make a scratch on the celestial barrier… Did you develop Hapki?

“Well, did you think I was just playing around?”

He tried to chuckle, but the hero’s face gradually contorted.

He could tell by directly touching hands. The absolute being of this world is stronger than those demon scraps they created, beyond comparison.

“…Kugh.”

Asruel of the Red Light, it was said that even the air held its breath where he descended. Just holding the sword against him, a terrifying pressure weighed down on his body.

Bang!

Asruel waved his arm, and he flew like a cannonball, crashing into the white ground.

Staggering to his feet, God roughly shouted at the saintess, who was trying to gather holy power.

“Don’t interfere!”

“But…”

If he charged alone, it would just be a foreigner’s recklessness, but if the saintess joined, the story would be different.

Besides, unlike him, the saintess was someone who had to live in this world in the future.

Whether he died here or succeeded in the gamble, it was right to fight alone.

-Now I understand. You have reached the extreme of Hapki and strengthened its power by overlapping it several times.

Asruel commented with interest, looking at the now completely black holy sword.

That’s right. After defeating Modeum of Discord, he had repeatedly researched. The great demons are as capable of evasion and defense as they are of their powers.

To break through that solid wall of magic… he needed an extremely fast sword and destructive power concentrated on one point.

“I’ll ask one last time. What do humans mean to you celestial beings?”

-A worthless question.

Even while exchanging a few words, God’s five senses were fiercely analyzing the archangel.

There are no weaknesses. He could at least gauge Balmon of Wrath, the third great demon, but it was difficult to even recognize that guy’s existence itself.

If there was one possibility…

‘That bastard sees me as a bug. Even now, after his precious barrier was torn, he still doesn’t.’

Asruel, that bastard, is not using his full power. He wouldn’t throw away the hero he went to the trouble of moving across dimensions. If only because he would regret the number of great demons he had defeated so far.

Crack, creak! The muscles, heavily compressed with Hapki, screamed, and the hero’s body suddenly disappeared from the ground.

Lightning Flash Sword.

A technique that had countless times blown the heads off powerful great demons from the first to the third, and God’s own favorite finishing move.

And the Archangel Asruel drew his sword for the first and last time.

-Hero, your time is limited.

The place where the form appeared was in the sky. God, who had vanished, reappeared like a hologram, and the black burning holy sword fell towards the top of the archangel’s head.

A moment of time… A clear resonance reached God’s ears as he accelerated to the fullest.

-Go down to the ground. The moment you defeat all the great demons, you will see me and my brothers again.

There, his vision disappeared.

.

.

.

Border of the Iron Kingdom,

A place where the royal castle was not visible.

Embedded in the middle of a huge crater, God stared blankly at the sky.

In the nearby fields, cows grazed, and in the distance, the sound of a shepherd’s flute could be heard.

It was a pasture in a farmhouse, quite far from the royal castle where he first climbed the cloud path.

“…What was that crazy sword? It wasn’t even comparable to the holy sword.”

The saintess, sitting next to him in relatively good shape, raised her head.

Still, being a cleric, she didn’t just drop him to the ground.

“It’s a celestial sword. The three archangels each have one.”

“It’s not just a piece of metal, but you only gave me a sword.”

God laughed in vain. The moment Asruel swung the incandescent sword, the space literally split in two.

Just being caught in that current, he fell helplessly to the ground. If he had swung it with the intention to kill, he would have been split into particles.

“It’s cheating to pour missiles in the age of cold weapons.”

“Missiles?”

“I mean, I can’t compete.”

God replied and got up. He had strengthened himself with Hapki, and since the opponent had no intention to kill, he was not particularly injured.

As if she had finally come to her senses, the approaching saintess grabbed his hand.

“Missiles or whatever, that’s not important right now! Are you crazy? You cut an angel, and even swung your sword at Asruel…”

“What about it? You were trying to help me fight earlier.”

“We’re comrades!”

“How long have we known each other, having met for the first time?”

The saintess became speechless. God looked down at her hand holding him and said.

“Saintess, how far does your memory go?”

In the dusty platinum hair, a painful anguish lingered on her white face. After moving her lips several times, the saintess eventually avoided his gaze.

“I can’t say.”

“I thought so.”

“No, it’s not that!”

As if frustrated, the saintess pounded her chest armor with her fist and took a deep breath.

“I really can’t say. The secret art of memory has been broken, but other restrictions are still in place. I can’t say it out loud, and the moment I do, many things will go wrong.”

God shrugged.

“Then next question. Is there any way for me to go back to my original world besides catching demons?”

“I don’t know.”

This time, an immediate answer came. When he stared at her with a crooked look, Aria hurriedly waved her hand.

“No, I really don’t know! I only sent wavelengths, that is, holy power, through the gap in the dimension to find someone who resonated there.”

“You only know how to bring them, but you don’t know how to send them back?”

“Yes. I only heard that if you defeat the fifth demon, Asmeraus, the archangels will come down and the dimensional rift will open again.”

This, too, is uncertain. After all, they are beings who have been deceiving humans for thousands of years.

The saintess is also just a piece on a giant chessboard, and no one knows what will happen when all five great demons are defeated.

But…

“I can’t not go.”

As he had done so far, the hero once again stuck the holy sword in his belt.

Then he turned his head. His first companion, with whom he had shared hundreds of deaths, was looking up at him with a resigned expression.

“Gorgon of Arrogance, Modeum of Discord, Balmon of Wrath, Berial of Sin, Asmeraus of Emptiness.”

“……”

“As promised at the beginning, I will defeat all those great demons.”

The saintess’s white hand slipped down. God, turning around, began to walk.

“And I will find out the secrets hidden by the lofty heavens, those shady archangels, and this world. Even if I can’t return to Earth in the process.”

“Hey, Hero.”

“Aria Riverot, faithful servant of heaven. I cannot trust you.”

Even though she was behind him, he could feel the saintess lowering her head.

“But I can trust you as a comrade who fought together, and as the first friend I made after coming to this world. I will continue to entrust my back to you…”

God half-turned around. Two pairs of eyes, each hiding their own secrets, met in the air.

“I believe that one day, you will make the right decision at the moment of choice.”

Even if it is a betrayal towards someone.

*

“Wow, this is really crazy.”

Park Geon’s fan cafe [online fan community].

Han Ji-young, the sub-manager who was a first-generation member of ‘Fervent Geon’ and now a meritorious contributor, exclaimed while looking at her smartphone.

Another sub-manager, who often came to visit because they lived in the same neighborhood, poked her head in.

“Why? Did a new 움짤 [cute animated image] from the filming site come out?”

“No, there’s a novel that Oppa [term used by younger women to refer to older brothers or male friends] is serializing on the fan cafe, and two episodes were uploaded yesterday in a row… Seriously, it’s like a fantasy novel.”

Anyone who is a fan knows about ‘The Tale of the Iron Kingdom,’ which Park Geon directly serializes.

It has been reported in articles several times, and the actor himself mentioned it in interviews as his favorite hobby.

The sub-manager smacked her lips and turned on her phone.

“Ah, I need to catch up again. I’ve been holding back because it’s been so tantalizing.”

“Watch it right now, Unnie [term used by younger women to refer to older sisters or female friends]! This is the most fun novel I’ve read these days? If our actor takes on the script and even the lead role…”

Han Ji-young, who had been excitedly turning the wheel of happiness, suddenly stopped talking. Why again? At her colleague’s question, she tilted her head for a moment and muttered.

“But there, did the filming in New Zealand already end?”

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