My Alter Ego’s Path to Greatness

At the very bottom of the Auterica dimension.

The trash can of a world, where all the discarded remnants gather and fester.

The abyss.

It was a place that didn’t allow the existence of living beings, nor anything with form or individuality.

Pure chaos, where time and space, even abstract concepts and phenomena, intertwined and flowed without any discernible order.

But there are always exceptions.

Even in that horrific space, a being existed, clinging to its ‘self’, asserting its presence.

Twitch—

Deep within the abyss, something writhed, buried and submerged.

Even while half-assimilated with its surroundings, its movements, its undimmed presence, distorted the flow of the abyss, shaking the entire space violently.

But such a disturbance was commonplace in the abyss, so it had no effect on the outside world.

As it had always been.

After a while, the writhing subsided.

It had instinctively reacted to its frustration, but it had existed for far too long to be swayed by such trivial matters.

Gurgle—

Having ceased all movement, it sank back into the abyss, quietly submerging.

Its meticulous efforts had failed, and its impulsive intervention had resulted in significant contamination… but that wasn’t the end.

Frustration was its constant companion.

As long as time flowed, opportunities would continue to appear.

Its task was to seize those opportunities when they arose.

And so, it waited patiently, submerged in the abyss.

For the day that would inevitably come.

______________________

The swirling, crimson vortex that had engulfed the northwestern part of Tarak slowly dissipated.

More precisely, the flow of madness that permeated the world remained, but its intensity and concentration had decreased, fading from sight.

‘It’s safer this way, even if it takes longer to fully manifest the madness.’

Otherwise, the monsters drawn in by its power would wreak havoc on the continent again.

Even now, the situation wasn’t ideal.

From the Revolutionary’s transformation to his demise, barely 10 minutes had passed.

He had dealt with the situation quickly, so most of the monsters had returned to their original habitats… but some, driven by inertia, continued to wander aimlessly, their territorial boundaries blurred. ꭆáΝȫ𐌱Ës

And the consequences would be borne by those living nearby.

‘…Well, it’s fortunate that it ended this quickly.’

Considering the current state of each region, such a small disturbance could be handled before it escalated.

He had done his best.

“Ugh— I feel bloated. And my body is stiff!”

As the storm subsided and silence returned,

Harley, having shrunk back to his normal size, stretched his aching muscles, leaning against the crumbling remains of the giant.

His gaze was fixed on the system message that had appeared before him.

《The individual meets the conditions and grows. You have acquired the special skill “Seed of Madness”.》

What he had stolen had taken root within him, recognized by the system as a skill.

But it was still an incomplete core, so its power was far from the Immortal King’s level.

It could manipulate the world’s madness and serve as a massive energy source… but that was about it.

‘Well, even that is quite impressive. And Harley’s level has increased significantly.’

His “Ultimate Evolved Lifeform” was still adapting, evolving his body to accommodate the new power.

He would have to test it later, but his maximum size in giant form had probably increased.

And they had witnessed firsthand how powerful Harley could become with an abundant energy supply.

It was practically a massive energy tank within him.

And once the seed fully bloomed, its abilities might even evolve further.

‘…But as expected, that “power” he was talking about is gone.’

That was a bit disappointing.

He had hoped to gain some insight into the Revolutionary’s and Diana’s mysterious senses…

‘I can’t steal it this way? Well, it seemed to be related to the banished god, so it’s understandable. It’s a shame, but… now that the Revolutionary is dead, it doesn’t matter.’

He recalled the divine intervention Hans had experienced during their battle in the abyss and shook his head.

Freeing a god imprisoned in the abyss wasn't an easy task.

And he had thoroughly crushed that meticulously planned operation.

It was unlikely he would encounter that god again in his lifetime.

“Saint! Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Thanks to the Saintess’s support.”

“It’s been a while, Harley. I couldn’t greet you properly during the chaos. Are you alright, considering you were at the forefront?”

“Khahaha! I’m always in top shape! To be honest, I just came to visit some friends, and then I ran into that guy! Khahaha!”

As he basked in the afterglow of his victory, others, sensing the end of the battle, began to gather.

“Hmm~ You told me to retreat with the children… and then you hogged all the fun for yourself, High Lord?”

“Hmm, it seems everyone is safe.”

“Well, they’re all True Bloods. And even the ones who were showing symptoms recovered after a few good whacks! Uhuhu~”

So that’s why some of them looked so pale.

It was good that there were no casualties.

Well, the reason they struggled against the giant was because of its immense size, durability, and regenerative abilities… Five transcendent beings, including the three avatars, the Saintess, and Briki, weren't going to be overwhelmed by just that.

They had dominated the fight from the beginning.

Rumble—

Clatter, clatter

And it wasn’t just the hero party and the Hybrid vampires who had gathered.

A large group of people, on horseback and in carriages, was approaching from the direction of Talia.

Heinrich glanced at them and, his eyes widening slightly, stroked his chin.

‘A master-level knight and an elite knight order… Dispatched from the Tulk royal family? And… is that Cardinal Donovan from the Picaol Temple? With Paladins and Archbishops?!’

They were reinforcements, responding to the reports of the incident.

Not just the kingdom’s elite forces, but also the powerful figures from the Picaol Temple, which governed the western Ion Continent.

Cardinal Donovan, whom he had met during the holy sword trial, was the head of the temple.

He had heard he was a former Paladin, but he hadn’t expected him to personally come to such a remote location.

‘They would have been helpful if they had arrived earlier.’

Of course, now that the situation was resolved, they were a bit late… but it was only because he had immediately sent his avatars that they seemed late.

The battle had ended much faster than expected, thanks to Harley's final attack.

‘Well, they’ll still be helpful.’

And in a way, their timing was perfect.

Rumble—! Boom—!

This wasn’t over yet.

Neigh—!

Whine—! Snort!

“Whoa! Whoa! What’s happening?!”

“Look, over there!”

“This is…!”

Those who had been approaching, ready to greet them, suddenly pulled on their reins, their faces tense.

Their horses, startled by something, began to act up.

Everyone’s gaze turned towards the source of the disturbance.

Rumble— Crackle—!

There was no need to search.

A grotesque sound, like shattering glass, accompanied by a spectacular visual, drew their attention.

Some distance away from where the giant had fallen,

A crack appeared in the air, spiderwebbing outwards.

Dark clouds gathered, engulfing the sky.

And then, with a deafening roar, black lightning struck the ground.

A chilling wind swept through the area, and frost, unseasonable for this time of year, began to form.

“Dismount! Form a defensive formation!”

“Holy Knights, to the front!”

“We pray to the Main God, grant your children your grace…”

The approaching troops immediately prepared for battle, their auras rising.

Those who had been fighting the giant also regained their focus.

And at the center of the sudden phenomenon,

Crack—! Shatter—!

The crack in space expanded, shattering outwards.

And from within, a dark energy began to spread, engulfing the surroundings.

[Khehehe, it’s been a while. Hero, Heinrich Saint Landguard.]

The true mastermind behind this world’s destruction, an absolute evil far surpassing the fallen giant.

The continent’s fear, humanity’s despair, the embodiment of death risen from the abyss.

“The Immortal King… Hannibal Strauss…!”

The Immortal King had descended.

Followed by a massive army of undead, their sinister auras chilling the very air.

______________________

The founder and leader of Oath of Heaven’s Defiance, the Revolutionary.

He was the mastermind who manipulated the world from the shadows, a heretic dreaming of resurrecting the evil god banished to the abyss, and the giant who had displayed overwhelming power against numerous strong individuals.

Excluding Hans, the Immortal King, who was just an actor playing a villain, he was the true final boss of this world…

‘Well, it’s always good when things go smoothly.’

…but his end was anticlimactically simple.

The giant, which had shown signs of something significant…

Had its skull crushed by Harley before it could even reveal its trump card.

And then, its Seed of Madness stolen, it vanished.

The end.

Honestly, as someone still writing the scenario, he was dissatisfied with the giant’s sloppy ending.

If you’re going to lay down foreshadowing, you have to follow through. If you’re going to act all mysterious, you have to deliver!

It was a severe lack of professional ethics.

‘These modern villains have no dedication.’

Of course, he was joking.

But despite its anticlimactic demise, the giant was still a valuable asset.

It was the host of madness, the catalyst that had plunged the world into chaos, and a monster that had fearlessly faced numerous transcendent beings, including the hero.

He couldn't just let it fade away.

So, he had prepared something.

[Ah— Indeed, quite impressive. This was a carefully prepared gift.]

A final act to perfect the giant's role.

“You did this, Immortal King!”

[I gave you something, so it’s only natural to receive something in return. It’s a shame. I thought it would be enough to destroy a kingdom or two.]

The giant’s assigned role was the Immortal King’s secret weapon.

The mid-boss.

[Hero, Knight of Light. I haven’t forgotten. The moment you pierced my heart with that cursed holy sword in the south.]

“So, you’re here for revenge?”

[Khehehe— Not at all. I’m simply… delighted. That my nemesis can bring me such joy.]

And the scenario for their encounter continued.

[By the way, Hero, did you know? It’s almost been a year since that day.]

“…What are you trying to say?”

[Oh, it’s nothing. Just…]

It was the beginning of the final act of ‘Home Theater: Demon King and Hero’.

[I was getting bored waiting.]

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