“Someday, I want to climb to the top of the Tower where even gods and demons can’t reach. Aren’t you curious to see what’s there? So Jeong-woo, if you’re in my way, I might get rid of you. You know me, right? Just stay with me until the end.”

Vieira Dune had said jokingly, but when his brother had really gotten in her way, she turned her back on him just as she said she would. That was how obsessed she was with reaching the top of the Tower.

His brother had asked over and over why she was so obsessed. He didn’t understand her hate for Allforone on the seventy-seventh floor and the Summer Queen on the seventy-sixth floor. However, each time he asked, Vieira Dune just smiled and never replied. She was always like that.

No matter what happened, she smiled and no one could tell what she was thinking. Because of that, she frightened his brother sometimes, but he was sure that her love was real. His Draconic Eyes verified it, as well. And then, one day, she stabbed him in the heart.

As soon as Yeon-woo absorbed Vieira Dune with Bathory’s Vampiric Sword, he realized that she’d managed to achieve her goal. He’d only absorbed an empty shell, an exuviae.

The true Vieira Dune had been absent from the lower world for a long time already. Through her Channel with Mother Earth, Vieira Dune had been transferring her Ego Data bit by bit. With Body Transfer and Mind Plunder, she could transfer as much of her Ego Data and make as many copies as she liked, and slowly, she began to infect Mother Earth much like a virus would overtake a computer.

Vieira Dune was only a tiny existence in front of a great being like Mother Earth, and no matter how big a sandcastle grew, it would still collapse from a large wave. Still, if the sandcastle grew infinitely and became solid, it could resist. Vieira Dune’s Ego Data endlessly invaded Mother Earth, and if one day, she could control the divine world, would she be able to sweep everything away?

Mind Control could be used on gods and even on yourself. The infinite copies of Vieira Dune’s mind united and eventually succeeded in overwhelming Mother Earth. However, it had some help. ‘She used the Philosopher’s Stone and the Dragon Heart. And even the Soulstone.’

Although she had given Walpurgisnacht the basic Philosopher's Stones, Vieira Dune possessed an almost complete one. She also had something on top of it: half of Jeong-woo’s Dragon Heart.

‘So that was the reason why she betrayed him.’ His brother had inherited his Dragon Heart from the ancient dragon Kalatus. If things had gone as Kalatus intended, a new Draconic species might have risen from the ashes. Perhaps he was even hoping that the Draconic species would gain a new supernatural ability after their fight with the gods and demons led to their fall.

At first, Yeon-woo thought that she’d just been looking for another magic power source, but now he realized that she’d planned on infecting Mother Earth from the beginning. She likely used the Soulstone in the same way, since Luciel was someone the gods and demons feared. A Soulstone with pieces of an entity like that would help raise her level.

With the Dragon Heart, Philosopher’s Stone, and Luciel’s Soulstone, Vieira Dune had an infinite amount of magic power to back up her immense Consciousness. She became an Apostle who consumed her own master. It was a crazy idea that no one would have ever dreamed of. However, it was possible because Mother Earth was a conceptual god without a defined identity.

It also explained why the Channel had been cut off. As soon as Vieira Dune infected Mother Earth, she no longer had time for anyone or anything else.

Yeon-woo still found it hard to believe. He’d never heard of a player taking a god’s seat ever since the Tower was created. No player even knew how to use holiness, although people guessed that Allforone was close.

It was likely that Vieira Dune hadn’t completed synchronization with Mother Earth. Even if she was the one in the driver’s seat, she had limits if her level was too low. It would take her a lot of time to raise those limits, and showing herself like this would cause a huge loss to her.

However, she probably wanted to see Yeon-woo for herself, the person behind all of this.

“Is the air above as good as you thought it would be?”

『It’s great. It’s air that mere mortals won’t ever know.』

Her voice sounded like thousands of people speaking at the same time. Was it because she was the combination of countless Ego Datas?

“I’m sure you like it since you got there by using and discarding everyone you knew.”

The destruction of Walpurgisnacht was a result of her and Mother Earth turning their back on the witches. However, she didn’t seem to care, and honestly, Yeon-woo didn’t expect her to.

『I only came down to warn you.』

Yeon-woo felt the resonance of her voice in the air. He felt cold, and his dragon scales bristled, but his eyes were calm. “Warn me?”

『Yes. To warn you. I don’t have any wish to become involved with you or your brother. I don’t have any regrets about my life in the lower world.』

Yeon-woo was silent.

『So, don’t bother me. The Vieira Dune in the lower world is already dead, no? Your revenge is over. Don’t be annoying.』 She almost sounded bored and annoyed, as though Yeon-woo were a little fly buzzing around her face. Yeon-woo was flabbergasted by her attitude and slightly annoyed at his brother for not seeing people as they really were.

To Vieira Dune, Cha Jeong-woo was nothing more than a memory and a stepping stone to greater things. She easily got rid of emotions, her body, and her memories to reach godhood. Jeong-woo was just collateral damage.

Crunch! Yeon-woo ground his teeth as he glared at Vieira Dune. “I also have a warning for you.”

『You? A mere mortal?』 She snorted. The difference between Yeon-woo and Vieira Dune was too great. She might even be greater than Hermes or the Monkey King’s exuviae.

She was so powerful that he didn’t know if he could ever reach her, but Yeon-woo still growled with hard eyes, “Wait for me there. It won’t take that long.”

『Do you know what you’re saying?』

“Yeah.”

『No, I don’t think you do. You’re talking about killing a god. You don’t know what that entails.』

“No, I’m only saying it because I know exactly what it means.”

Countless messages popped up in front of Yeon-woo.

[Hermes bursts with laughter and smacks his knees at your statement.]

[Athena looks at you with warm eyes.]

[Urd snorts.]

[Poseidon is greatly angered by your arrogance. Many gods agree with Poseidon.]

[Poseidon shows a strong hostility towards you.]

[Agares grins evilly.]

[Agares has strengthened the power he gave you, ‘Wicked Devil’. You can to do more with the power from now on.]

[The skill ‘Demonic Magic’ has been combined with the power ‘Wicked Devil’.]

[Agares turns around and shouts loudly at the other demons.]

[The other demons ignore Agares.]

[Most demonic societies are looking at you with serious eyes.]

…..

When he had killed the Summer Queen, the gods and demons didn’t react, but as soon as he threatened to kill a god, the responses were fierce.

Gods were great beings, and their reputation and honor were extremely important since that was the foundation of their worshippers’ belief and the seat of their holy position. Threatening to murder a god in front of them was like throwing that reputation and honor in the mud.

Even those who had nothing to do with Yeon-woo would feel uncomfortable. Poseidon, who hadn’t looked kindly upon Yeon-woo for a long time, was now completely hostile. Because Yeon-woo had bound Brahm as his subordinate, his reaction was even more pronounced.

『Crazy bastard.』 Vieira Dune scoffed at him, her eyes clearly laughing at him mockingly. She seemed to be challenging him to see his words through. 『Sure. Thinking foolish things is also a freedom that only mortals can have. Do whatever you want. I’ll be here.』 Vieira Dune disappeared in the fog as though she’d never appeared.

“A god. Someone became a soul, but someone transcended. Interesting. Haha!” Brahm couldn’t help laughing after watching Yeon-woo and Vieira Dune’s conversation. Then, he looked at Yeon-woo with cold eyes. “Look here, Master.”

“Yes.”

“You’ve said this before, right? You’ll help me return to my original position someday.” He meant Yeon-woo’s promise to return him to being Brahma again. “You’d better keep that promise because I need to kill Mother Earth myself.” Brahm was displeased that Vieira Dune was still fine even after what she did to his daughter. He was even more angered that she’d managed to ascend.

However, Yeon-woo shook his head. “You can’t.”

Brahm furrowed his eyebrows. “What?”

“I’m going to be the one who will rip her to pieces. I can’t give that up.” Yeon-woo’s serious reply made Brahm sigh to himself.

“What should we do? I can’t give that up either.”

“Then let’s make a bet to see who’ll do it in the end.”

“Sounds good.”

[Multiple godly societies are looking at you with dissatisfaction.]

Brahm snorted at the messages. So what if they were dissatisfied? For all their amazing powers and their level, they couldn’t even move from the ninety-eighth floor. They couldn’t do anything to them.

Also, Brahm strongly believed that he could do it. If he was with Yeon-woo, nothing was impossible. He’d had a vision of the future, as well. His clairvoyant abilities had practically disappeared after his holiness disappeared, but he still had a small amount of holy power that gave him occasional glimpses.

He’d gotten a flash of what seemed like a family picture that had him, Galliard, Sesha, and Ananta. Everyone was laughing happily, and in the middle was Yeon-woo, with a smile so tender he almost looked like Jeong-woo.