King of Shadows

"By the way, it's late introduction, my name is Steven Gotters."

"I'm an exponential swimmer."

Steven and the handshake swim were noticed. He has the same concerns as himself. But she didn't say it directly. Could have been an excuse. Steven doesn't seem to think so. It's because he smiled like a villain and brought out a sensitive topic.

"It seems like you're in a lot of trouble anyway, don't you need your strength?"

"Yes?"

The swim frowned as soon as it heard Steven's words. No matter how much he longed for strength, he did not pay attention to suspicious offerings. His expression turned cold.

Steven shrugs. He knew how funny he was talking.

"Don't look at me like that, because I know what I'm saying is weird. It's just that I had similar concerns, and I just reached out because I knew the pain that it was causing."

"I don't think Steven has anything to worry about. Isn't that right?"

"That's all I have to say."

"Get out of the smokehouse now. If not, I'll call the others."

In a decisive voice, Steven shrugs. The threat of swimming was efficient. Nothing could be more intimidating for a man who hates to be seen.

But he didn't give up until the end.

"Here's my room number. Come back if you change your mind."

You shake your head as if you didn't have to worry about the swimming after receiving the note.

"I'm sorry..."

"Just take it. You can throw it away if you want to. I want to give you a chance. You don't have to think hard."

Having forced the swimmer to take a note, Steven takes a step forward with a solemn expression. He turns to the right, just like the swimmer said. But it was a middle-aged woman, not a maid. Fatigued eyes and a pouting mouth were the archetypes of the Sally Man who suffered from his boss.

He gets close, but Steven doesn't look away. Rather, I took a step away from him.

"My work is done, Mr. Jacker."

Steven did not hide his hatred for the middle-aged. Jacker's instructions, a middle-aged man like that, were unique. Even if it wasn't, Steven hated Jacker.

"Thank you, Steven. Thanks to you, we can carry out Kembell's orders."

Steven trembles. Zacker's remarks were profoundly insulting to him.

"Don't say my name with your filthy mouth."

"Does it make sense that a father can't call out his son's name?"

"Wake up. You're not my father."

Seven years ago, a man named Jacques Doland abandoned his family and became a dog of power. Steven still hasn't forgotten. As the Grand Delliol unfolds, Zacker abandons his family and runs to Kembell. His life is more important than the welfare of his family.

Jacques, who abandoned the human race, did not stop there. He even built a new home. He welcomed a younger, more beautiful woman as his wife.

"My father died seven years ago. So be careful not to let me see you. I don't know what I'm going to do if I keep hanging around."

Changing the castle of Doland to Gotus was all to cover Jacquere's tracks.

"This is just the price of helping you participate in the project. Give and take. Promise is important, even if you don't like it."

Two years ago, Steven gained power with Jacker's help. At that time, he promised to grant Jacker a wish. I didn't want to be the same man as Jacquere, so I paid a fair price.

"Maybe she won't come to the room. because she seemed very independent to me."

"Don't worry. It doesn't matter. As long as Kembell is gone, there will be no harm."

"You're as disgusting as ever."

"I'm struggling to survive. You'll see when you grow up. I don't know how hard it was for my father..."

"Don't make excuses. Even if you justify it that way, your sins won't go away."

"You're not the one who taught him the room number."

Steven turns his head, short of his tongue. He knew the swimming could fall into a trap. But he didn't care. Because when Duang came, they were all going to die.

"Anyway, now that you've done your job, you should go."

"I didn't have to tell you."

Steven turns his back on Jacker once. Now that you have kept your promise before you die, there's no time for Jacker to die.

/503

An endless wind of flesh howls over the land of glaciers and snow. The Arctic Ocean, with only snow, was an extreme bluff. The land that did not give up was a barren hell. The only thing in the Arctic was the bitter cold and the thick snow.

But Slander and Chris walked on it as if they were taking a walk. For those who transcended death, the Arctic was just a different theme park. The slander wiggles his fingers around like an antenna and tilts his head.

"Hard to find without a reference point. That's what it looks like."

"That's not why you came all the way out here to tell me you can't find it, is it?"

"I wouldn't say that. It will only take longer than expected."

On the contrary, Slander takes a cheerful step, as if to when he wandered off. Soon after, he stood in front of a frozen glacier that had stopped for a thousand years.

"This is it."

Though unlike the landscape around it, the glaciers that Slander pointed to are colorful enough to be jewels. Not to mention having a glass smooth surface.

Looking around, Chris notices a crack under the glacier. Deep, dark cracks like the Abyss. Chris sensed a strange power in it.

"Is it down there?"

"If I'm not mistaken."

"You don't want to be wrong and say that... Don't you think it's funny?"

"Monkeys fall from trees, too. It's virtue to be humble when you can be humble."

Chris raises his strength, ignoring Slander's nonsense. As he turns his gaze, the thick ice begins to melt. Poian, the steam rises and takes a step back as if it were nothing to do with Slander, not even an inch ahead.

Inside the glacier were constellations. Glaciers that absorbed sunlight uniformly emitted a variety of colors, like the spectrum. Even in the comic book, it was not an exaggeration.

"What's that?"

What Chris pointed to was a lump of flesh that revealed the tendon and blood.

A lump of flesh with primitive, pure power rushed towards him as soon as it sensed Chris' prowess. Bang, a chunk of flesh accelerates faster than a bullet and rushes to Chris.

Ordinary pioneers would have died on the spot. But the surprise didn't work on Chris out of frame.

"Not a chance."

He reaches out and grabs the lump of flesh lightly. Slowly, he instinctively gripped a lump of flesh with the feeling of a worm crawling on the palm of his hand. Qasim, a lump of flesh that could not withstand Chris' power, vomited blood all over his body.

"It's like the juice is flowing."

"..."

It was not a good experience. It is because the blood of the lump is like gummy bears. Chris, who evaporated the blood, nodded.

"Again, what is this?"

"The Ancients. More precisely, the descendants of those who ruled this star earlier."

"This is the Ancients?"

"Yes, it was their world until the end of the age of creation."

"Why are you here?"

"Death is here because it's out of reach."

"That's strange. No, I must say I'm disappointed. If what you say is true, then this star's ancestor is a lump of flesh."

"There's no need to be so disappointed. Didn't I tell you that they are the descendants of those who ruled this star earlier? Those trapped in the Arctic have regressed to survive. These are the Ancients, not the Ancients."

"Literally a bag of genetic information only..."

Losing interest, Chris heads deeper. Ancients have been prowling for him from all over, but it's no use. The resistance of the Ancients was not a ready-made movement.

But it's also an extension of the experience. Corrected by infinite growth, Chris was able to absorb the abilities of the Ancients in the creation age. Chris, who received the knowledge of the past in secret, made a look on his face.

"Is it absorbing like this?"

"There is no high and low level of learning. There's something to learn from a fleshlump."

Slander hugs the Ancients as hard as he can. Blood drips from his backpack, but he looks at Chris as if he's fine.

"Will you take it?"

"Of course. It won't be long now. Follow me."

It was a vague answer, but Chris didn't say anything. It's because Slander's actions are impeccable. As Chris goes deeper and deeper, he stops walking after entering a dead end.

"... Is this the Lan Tagos you were talking about?"

"Yes, it is."

The creature buried in the glacier is entirely circular. The six claws are scattered. Maybe it's the fur that grows so much. It's about three meters taller. Lan Tegos didn't even flinch, despite the guests.

"You're taking a deep nap. It's worth taking care of."

Slander lays the Ancients in his arms to the ground. At that moment, Lan Tegos reacted. His mouth, sharp as a needle, broke the ice and came out.

Chuckle, Lan Tegos' mouth, which has grown like an elephant's, has sucked the blood of the Ancients. The Ancients were drained of blood and melted like slime. With the Ancients adopted, Ran Tegos realizes that Slander is right in front of him.

"You, Alathothep...?"

"Here, Chris. May you absorb the power of Lan Tegos. I don't think he's recovered yet. Now's your chance."

"There's no need to rush. I'll take care of it."

At the end of Slander's words, Chris puts the mouth of Lan Tegos into his arm. As Chris watched Lan Tegos drain his blood, he was able to realize the 'resurrection'.

Lan Tegos tilts his head as he looks at it.

"Are you, by any chance, aware of my ability...? Why...?"

"To be stronger."

Despite hearing Chris' answer, Ran Tegos' question is not over.

"Yes, go? Don't you know? What are you...?"

The words of Tegos do not continue. It's because Slander tore his mouth off. Chris frowns, covered in red blood. No matter how much I think about it, Slander's reaction was not normal.

"What are you doing, Slander?"

"Yes? What do you mean?"

"There's no point in a bunch of idiots. You deliberately interrupted Lan Tagos."

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