Hajun’s eyebrows furrowed.
It was a bad feeling.
It was as if the owners of the bones in the image, all the ghosts, were pouring their grudge against him.
I knew that the anger and resentment that was engulfed in it were not directed at me, but it was a sticky feeling as if they were asking for revenge on their behalf.
Until now, Hajun had never heard their voices in the world of images.
[Now you are their master.]
At that time, Leanon looked at Hajun and said.
He opened his mouth to Hajun as if he already knew something he didn’t know.
[You’ll have to give them what they want, if you’re their ‘king’.]
With those last words left, he spread his wings and turned around and left.
Hajun just looked at him with a frown on his eyes for a moment and then left.
* * *
That night.
Elaine and Lian left and Ha-jun, sitting on the bed in a quiet house, was talking to Elaine on the phone.
-Brother, are you okay?
“yes… … , you?”
-Thanks to you, I was able to evacuate with Rian, so it’s okay… … , Brother, don’t push yourself too hard. got it? If you think it’s going to be difficult, just run away.
At those words, Ha-joon smiled unconsciously.
“yes.”
-Then I’ll call you later, oppa, be careful.
pop-
With those words left, the phone hung up and silence came into the quiet house.
It was already late at night, 10:00.
Many heroes, including the agents of the association, were preparing for the dimensional dungeon, but the president of the association did not want Ha-jun’s help in the process.
Did you say it’s better to rest as long as you can rest comfortably?
He was also considerate because he knew that he was the one who would suffer the most in this situation.
Ha-joon accepted the consideration meekly.
That’s why I can rest alone at home like this while the other heroes are preparing for the preparations.
“Shit- I’m going to sleep… … .”
Ha-joon lay down on the bed.
Soon, the countdown of the system was visible in Hajun’s field of vision.
[33:24:22]
Time known in the system was running slowly.
In a way, there were only two days left.
Two days later, the number will be 0 and the gate of the dimensional dungeon will open.
Of course, it’s not very leisurely, but it was enough time to enjoy leisure time for a day or so.
Hajun closed his eyes thinking about tomorrow.
It was then.
“… … .”
Hajun, noticing the abnormality, opened his eyes softly.
Hajun opened his eyes and looked around.
At some point, the soft bed turned into a space full of bones.
Ha-joon, who lay down for a while and turned his head to look around, soon heard the ghosts of courtesy uttering their grievances around him.
-Uh uh uh uh.
Ha-jun frowned and clicked his tongue at their clamor full of resentment.
I don’t know what they’re talking about, but their feelings have been clearly conveyed.
resentment and hatred.
I don’t know exactly what the resentful Wonseong means, but I know for sure that they want something from me.
Pusasak!
Soon, their hands rose above the ground and captured Hajun.
As if to relieve their grievance, Ha-joon’s entire body was entangled.
Ha-joon wrinkled his face annoyedly, shook off their hands, and tried to stand up.
Nevertheless, the hands continued to rise and began to cover Hajun’s entire body.
It was then.
The moment the ghosts’ hands covered Ha-jun’s face.
In the abyss, blinded by the invisible, the specters began to show a certain scene.
‘Here… … .’
The space around was clearly visible.
A sky stained with blood and thunderclouds.
Under the sky, numerous corpses were piled up like a mountain.
An old man stood in the center of a place full of corpses.
The old man’s whole body was stained with blood, and he just stood firm with the hammer he was holding on the ground.
Also, I was able to see five beings looking at such an old man calmly.
A few were familiar faces.
The Fairy King Bahelusia, the Beast King Orgon, and the Human King Zahart.
Then, the other two beings were Hermors, the king of the elves, and Gigant Maciad, the king of the giants. When all the kings except for the king of giants were in a state of disrepair, the king of giants opened his mouth.
[You feel bad, Horton.]
The king of giants, Gigant Macchiad, looked down at the veteran.
His face was distorted with an expression of anger.
[You didn’t kneel until the moment of death.]
At those words, Hajun’s gaze turned to the veteran who was standing firm.
And Hajun could understand the meaning of the giant king.
Not the slightest movement was seen in the body of the old man who was standing firmly.
Ha-joon could notice that he was already dead.
Also, until the moment of death, the back of the old man was firm and brilliant.
It was hard to believe that he was dead because he looked so full of life.
[However, this is the end.]
It was then.
The king of giants opened his huge mouth with a mad smile.
[If I swallow you, I will be able to become a true ‘god’.]
He slowly and violently began to reach out to the old man.
Before his huge hand reached the old man.
At one point, a frenzied light emanated from the center of the mountain of corpses and began to dye the surroundings white.
Soon, Hajun’s gaze turned to the existence that emitted this light.
There, Pilaten, with a familiar face, lifted his staff and stretched it out towards the sky, loftily looking down at the kings.
thud!
With that, the memories ended.
At some point, the surrounding space turns black again, and the memory ends.
At the same time, when the hands that were entangled in Ha-Jun’s body let go of Ha-Jun’s body and the sight was secured, I could see Pilaten holding a wooden cane.
With bitter eyes, she looked at the hands made of bones that clasped Ha-jun’s body, and thumped her cane on the road! and took it down.
At the same time, white light spread from her body to the surroundings, and the raised hands gradually crawled into the ground and hid.
She looked at the hidden hands with sad eyes for a moment before opening her mouth.
[Your heart understands. However, please wait.]
As if expressing condolences to the hidden specters, she closed her eyes. After a while, she gently opened her eyes and looked at Ha-joon.
Pilaten slowly approached Hajun and said.
[I hope you understand. It seems they couldn’t control themselves as the battle with the King of Giants drew near.]
“… … Pilaten.”
Ha Joon looked at her for a moment.
Because there was something I wanted to ask.
“Did you hear what Leanon said?”
[…] … Yes, I heard.]
With those words, she softly closed her eyes and politely bowed toward Ha-jun and continued.
[I know what he’s talking about.]
“What is it?”
[It is ‘The Origin of the Dwarves’.]
With those words, it was Pilaten who slowly lifted his head and looked at Hajun.
[My lord, the magic of crushing, the power to break everything is derived from the essence of the dwarves.]
“… … Derived?”
[That’s the power all dwarves have longed for. In the past, in our world, there was a weak race called Dwarves, and after 1000 years, a single Dwarf was born. Horton, the king of the dwarves. He is a great being who was born with all of the dwarves.]
However, soon after he said that, Pilaten’s head sank weakly.
[But in the end, along with the betrayal of other kings, he was defeated by the King of Giants and closed his eyes.]
“… … .”
Ha Joon looked at her calmly for a moment.
Hajun, who had been watching her blankly, opened his mouth slowly.
“Why are you telling me now?”
I asked him why he had kept his power hidden until now.
And to that question, Pilaten answered meekly.
[100 years ago, I came to this world and met many people. I handed over this Maharaj to a human with great strength like you, following Horton’s wishes. But in the end, those who succeeded Maharaj lost their lives either to the elven king who betrayed them without inheriting the power of crushing or because they couldn’t handle the magic of crushing… … .]
At those words, Hajun remembered the first time he met Pilaten.
Apparently, he wasn’t the first.
Well, looking at Hajun’s body at that time, it was understandable to some extent that Pilaten was so crazy.
[I couldn’t tell everyone who sacrificed the existence of this power. The King of Giants wanted this power more than anything else. This is because the moment it is swallowed by the king of giants, its power is transferred to the king of giants. I couldn’t tell them who couldn’t even use the power of crushing.]
Numerous Maharaj’s successors were killed by the elven king without inheriting their original power. That’s why I was looking for Pilaten.
A human who deserves to fully inherit this power even after 100 years have passed.
She looked at Ha-joon with a softly friendly smile.
A human who has developed the power of crushing alone.
Looking at him, Pilaten said.
[However, my new king deserves it.]
“… … .”
[You are the only human who inherited the King’s power.]
At the same time, countless hands rose from the ground again and slowly stretched out towards Hajun.
But Pilaten didn’t stop them this time.
Hajun also did not pay any attention to the hands reaching out from behind.
I just calmly looked at Pilaten in front of me.
[In order to inherit this power, you must be recognized by them as well.]
“Haven’t I already become the master of the world of images?”
[You are the owner of the world of images that inherited Maharaj-]
Soon, Pilaten’s gaze turned to the countless hands stretching toward Ha-joon.
Pilaten continued talking without taking his eyes off the hands.
[They are the dead who have not yet forgotten the king, Horton.]
Hajun could understand that.
The owner of these bones that exist in this world of images has not yet acknowledged himself as the king. He just knew that he was an existence that cooperated with himself.
He only wanted to kill the other kings who had killed their king on their behalf. They were literally just dead people with a grudge.
And… … , Hajun, who noticed the meaning, distorted his face in anger.
At some point, Maharaj was held in Hajun’s hand.
“go away.”
Whoo!!
With those words, Maharaj, who had grown to a huge size, swept all the hands that were reaching for Hajun. Among the swept away bones, the resentment of the ghosts died down and a calm came.
The dead who reached out to Ha-jun fell silent, and Pilaten watched the process in silence. However, I could see that her eyes were shaking greatly.
For a moment she did not understand why the king was angry.
And in the words that followed, she could understand the disrespect the dead had shown to the king.
“I know what they want.”
Hajun thought of killing the king of giants as they wished.
It was never for them.
Of course, considering the current situation, they are threatening the world.
However, he became angry when he realized a certain desire in the emotions of the dead.
It is none other than the feeling that the dead who exist in this world of images try to use them.
Hajun turned around and opened his mouth to them with a voice filled with rough and quiet anger.