:
After Kim had finished…
Destroying the planet…
And the life upon it…
And the neighboring planets…
He stood staring beside him…
Into the void.
Then he spoke in a calm voice…
Yet laced with clear rage and sorrow:
"Will you keep hiding like this…?"
"I know you are near me."
"Reveal yourself…"
"Or I will destroy you."
The dimensions of the void cracked…
And a figure emerged.
He revealed himself slowly.
He looked at Kim…
And with a smile spreading across his face, he said:
"I am before you now."
"Impressive… how did you detect me?"
"I had cut off my observation of everyone."
Kim looked at him…
With eyes filled with fury.
"You are very strong…"
"It seems you are the ruler of this world… or these planets."
Then his eyes narrowed further:
"But what makes me angry…"
"Is watching your people…"
"While they die before you…"
"Is it truly entertaining?"
The Ruler laughed.
"And you, too… are no ordinary person."
Then he said coldly:
"Did they not die because they were weak?"
"This… is the wisdom of life."
Kim shouted in rage:
"You are their ruler!"
"You are their savior!"
"You are responsible for their lives!"
"How could you leave them like this?!"
"You do not deserve to be their ruler!"
"You are… a hypocrite!"
He took a step forward.
"Are they not your people?"
"Are they not the ones who seek shelter in you?!"
"If you had intervened with your power…"
"You would have been able to at least contend with me!"
He fell silent for a moment…
Then said in a dark voice:
"What I loathe most…"
"Is one who possesses power…"
"And does not use it to save anyone."
His eyes widened terrifyingly.
"The talk is over…"
"You… are finished."
He reached his hand toward the void…
And summoned the Sword of Hell—
But—
In an instant.
His hand was severed.
Kim froze.
He looked at the Ruler.
Who was… smiling.
"I am finished…?"
"Haha… Hahaha…"
"You fool…"
"No matter how great your strength becomes…"
"You will never rival me."
"I am the one who created this game…"
"And I am the ultimate controller."
Kim's rage intensified…
Until it reached its absolute peak.
"A game…?"
"A controller…?"
He lunged toward him.
Swords clashed.
But—
The Ruler…
Was far more experienced.
His speed…
Was terrifying.
Kim…
Could not keep up.
The Ruler pointed his hand.
Toward Kim's chest—
And it was pierced.
A massive hole.
His skill was…
To penetrate anything…
With a mere gesture.
Blades of light…
Rushed toward Kim.
And skewered him…
In several places.
But—
At that moment…
Kim felt something.
Something…
That broke his mind.
"Will I… die here?"
"You… you hypocritical rulers…"
"You possess this power…"
"And you do not protect your people…?!"
"Was power not created…"
"So that everyone could be equal?!"
"Was the strong not meant… to protect the weak?!"
"Why… did you monopolize this power?!"
"Why… did you not help them?!"
The Ruler laughed.
"Because they are… slaves."
"And wasting power on them… is folly."
"They are insects."
"And those who do not help themselves…"
"Do not deserve my help."
Kim fell silent…
Then uttered a single word:
"Then…"
He raised his head slowly.
"I will make you…"
"Taste… what they tasted."
The Ruler laughed harder…
And harder…
But—
At that moment—
Kim activated his skill.
"Infinite Dimension—"
Suddenly.
A message appeared.
From the System.
"You have become a Transcendent of a Special Rank."
"Do you wish to exert your Authority over this skill?"
Kim did not understand.
But—
The System continued:
"Effect: Special Evolution of your skill."
Kim remained silent…
And that…
Was his consent.
A new message appeared:
"Skill used: Infinite Dimension."
"It has been converted to: Dream Nightmare."
"Skill Type: Manifestation."
"Effect: Transports the target to a fictional world from the owner's imagination."
"Inside this world…"
"There are no restrictions."
"Imagination… becomes reality."
"And the impossible… becomes real."
But—
Kim…
Did not speak its name.
He only said:
"Xeros."
Darkness…
Swallowed them both.
Kim was…
At the height of his madness.
He smiled.
"I was always… the strongest… in my imagination."
"Is… the System finally beginning to align with me?"
He looked at the Ruler.
"I will show you…"
"What it means…"
"To possess potential…"
"Only for the world… to destroy it."
"Here…"
"Imagination… is reality."
"And illusion… is truth."
The Ruler appeared…
In another world.
The ground…
Was black.
Drenched in polluted water.
The sky…
Was gray.
And in it…
A black hole.
But—
It wasn't pulling things in.
Rather…
It was spewing out darkness.
And scattered ash.
Reflections…
Distorted.
Strange.
"What is this…?"
"How did I fall under this effect?!"
"Was I within its range?!"
"I must understand…"
"The capability of this skill…"
"To get out of here."
He looked around.
"Where is he?"
Kim was nowhere to be found.
He grew tense.
He readied himself.
Fearing a back-attack.
Moments passed…
And nothing happened.
Only—
A strange sensation.
"Why… do I feel…"
"As if there is no ground beneath me?"
He looked down.
And he saw his shadow.
It was… smiling.
And in an instant—
It pounced on him.
And dragged him…
Down.