The farther they walked, the more the boy’s consciousness began to fade.
The dreadful Angel of the Abyss continued speaking as though they were simply taking a peaceful stroll.
“I fell from divinity and was reduced to a mere demigod.”
His voice echoed through the darkness.
“I was depressed.
But with enough authority and preparation, I managed to conquer and subjugate the dragons.”
The youth smiled.
“I consumed.
I bathed.
I was victorious.”
His voice carried an almost childlike excitement.
“And at last… my ascension to a subsidiary god.”
They continued walking.
The absence of light became increasingly suffocating.
The boy’s thoughts began to fracture.
Terrifying murmurs whispered from every direction, slowly gnawing away at his mind and will.
His thoughts drifted backward.
He remembered the moment he had finally escaped the Abyss.
The fresh, cold air against his face.
The peaceful silence.
The endless snowy mountains stretching across millions of kilometers.
For a brief moment, he remembered what peace had felt like.
The youth glanced toward the miserable boy.
“Do you miss your home?”
He smiled.
“Am I destroying your peace?”
His voice became almost playful.
“Are you feeling more despair?”
And just as the youth predicted—
The boy fell into despair.
His consciousness faded completely.
Yet his body continued walking.
The white-haired youth chuckled and continued onward.
The boy was submerged in darkness.
But this wasn’t the darkness of the Abyss.
This darkness existed inside his own mind.
He floated aimlessly within it.
For once, he had no idea what to do.
He was facing an Angel.
Beings capable of reshaping and warping reality itself.
Only gods stood above them.
And above fully fledged gods were the Great Gods—beings so far beyond conventional godhood that calling them gods was almost inaccurate.
They were something greater.
Something more refined.
But how did one attain godhood?
How did someone become an Angel?
Or even a demigod?
Becoming a demigod was far from simple.
First, one had to find—or inherit—a fragment infused with divine energy.
Then they had to connect their entire existence to that fragment and slowly accommodate its power.
If successful, this process would result in a qualitative change.
But depending on the human or species undergoing the process, ascending to divinity could be extraordinarily difficult.
Becoming an Angel was more of a journey than a simple challenge.
One needed to become familiar with divine energy and learn to wield it with the same mastery that a warrior wielded a sword.
There were many paths toward Angelhood.
One could become one with divine energy and use it to ascend.
One could absorb a greater power or force and use it as the foundation of their ascension.
Or one could serve a greater existence, acting as its Angel through deeds and devotion.
If that existence was pleased enough, it could grant them the means to ascend.
Godhood was simple to explain.
Actually achieving it was another matter entirely.
One could become a deity through another deity’s power, although such occurrences were extremely rare.
Another path was to fuse one’s existence with a divine realm.
Or perhaps fuse with a piece of creation itself.
Both methods were extraordinarily difficult and often required every advantage one could possibly obtain.
But becoming a Great God…
That was shrouded in mystery.
All of the Great Gods had been slaughtered.
Whatever knowledge they possessed had vanished with them.
Nothing from their age had survived into the present.
The boy continued floating within his unconscious mind.
Then—
Something appeared.
A ghastly figure emerged from the darkness.
The boy’s eyes glazed over as the humanoid figure stared down at him.
Its body shifted constantly, as though it were struggling to decide what form it should possess.
Then it spoke in a low voice.
“Oh, fallen one…”
Its voice echoed throughout the darkness.
“How is it that you still live…”
The figure’s form continued changing.
“…and continue to fight against corruption?”
Suddenly—
The boy’s body plummeted.
He slammed onto what seemed like an indestructible floor.
The impact jolted him awake.
The ghastly figure stood before him.
Its body continued shifting, becoming increasingly refined until its appearance stabilized.
The boy struggled to his feet.
And his eyes widened.
Standing before him was a young man.
He had short black hair and wore no ordinary clothing.
A robe seemingly made from pure darkness draped over his body.
The boy stared in disbelief.
“What the hell?!”
The young man looked at him.
There was an indescribable emotion hidden within his eyes.
The boy couldn’t identify it.
Not yet.
The young man remained silent for several moments before speaking solemnly.
“Your predicament is tricky.”
His gaze sharpened.
“An Angel of the Abyss, I see.”
He paused.
“But something else is coming.”
His expression became more serious.
“Something far more important.”
The boy stared at him.
“Who are you?”
The young man chuckled.
“I’ve been asking myself that question for a dreadfully long time.”
He smiled.
“You can call me Kotos.”
The boy remained cautious.
“Kotos?”
“A servant of madness.”
The boy immediately took several steps backward.
“No.
No, hell no.”
He shook his head.
“I’ve dealt with enough madness already.”
Kotos smiled.
“I know.”
His voice was strangely calm.
“But you aren’t aware of something.”
He tilted his head.
“In this world, there are different types of madness.”
The boy frowned.
His head tilted with childish confusion.
“Different types?”
Kotos nodded.
“I’ll explain everything in due time.”
His expression became serious again.
“But right now, your situation is quite dangerous.”
He raised his hand.
“So I will send you out.”
The boy’s heart nearly jumped out of his chest.
“Wait—”
Back within the Abyss, the two figures continued walking.
The boy had regained consciousness.
But he kept his eyes closed.
He didn’t want to see what surrounded him.
The white-haired youth noticed.
He chuckled.
“Well, hello there.”
The boy immediately fell into despair again.
He was being toyed with.
Completely helpless.
His voice came out quietly.
“Kill me.”
The youth laughed.
The two eventually stopped at the edge of a cliff.
Before them stretched an endless blanket of darkness.
It continued infinitely into the distance.
Incomprehensible shapes moved within the lightless depths, twisting and dancing where nothing should have existed.
The white-haired youth sighed.
“This place…”
He stared into the darkness.
“…is my birthplace.”
He paused.
“Here lies a horrible truth.”
His expression became strangely solemn.
“And that truth has been sealed here.”
The youth turned toward the boy.
He smiled.
“You have been a great help to me, boy.”
His voice softened.
“You will be remembered in my heart forever.”
He slowly reached out his hand.
But before he could touch the boy—
A hand emerged from the darkness.
It gently grasped the youth’s shoulder.
A young man stood behind him.
He wore a brown robe.
His skin was bronze, and long brown hair flowed down his back.
The young man chuckled.
“Yehura.”
The white-haired youth froze.
The newcomer continued.
“Didn’t I tell you to leave the boy alone?”
Yehura slowly turned his head.
Then he smiled.
“Oh, Second Lord.”
His eyes narrowed with amusement.
“You have always been there to stop my schemes.”
The young man smiled.
“Your mere ascension to an Angel is meaningless.”
His gaze shifted toward the boy.
The boy remained frozen with his eyes closed, unable to comprehend the sudden arrival of another overwhelming existence.
The Second Lord spoke in a warm, low tone.
“Grinning hideously over their dead bodies…”
His voice echoed through the Abyss.
“Towering over them all…”
He paused.
“…is the embodiment of humanity.”
The darkness seemed to tremble.
“The sole and last survivor of the war.”
His final words carried an almost prophetic weight.
“You will fight in light…”
A pause.
“And in shadow.”
His gaze remained fixed upon the boy.
“And you will be a great favorite.”
The instant those words were spoken—
The boy vanished.
He reappeared upon the snowy plains.
The cold wind brushed against his face.
For a moment, there was nothing but silence.
Then the boy opened his eyes.