Seong-Hwi, Bafor, and Yadir gathered around Lilar’s bed.

“Urgh...” Lilar groaned.

Seong-Hwi glanced at Yadir and asked Bafor, “Are you sure?”

“About Yadir? I am. He is... trustworthy,” Bafor answered.

“Even if I succeed, Lady Lilar will not survive if he fails.”

Yadir raised his head and locked eyes with Seong-Hwi, asking, “Do you believe I won’t be able to sacrifice my life for Lady Lilar?”

“I am just pointing out how particular the Elixir’s condition can be. One must genuinely care for the one they use it on. The genuine care portion is quite vague.”

Yadir stared at Seong-Hwi momentarily in silence and replied firmly, “No, it’s very clear. I am fit for the role. I am the only cowardly survivor of that day’s attack, and... her fiancé who loves her more than anyone.”

“Love, huh?” Seong-Hwi mumbled as he turned to Bafor, who simply nodded.

He must’ve been reserved for this moment. In that case, I’m in no place to say anything else, he thought.

Since he had mentioned the possibility, he would not be responsible even if Lilar failed to survive due to the Elixir’s failed activation.

“However... that dish seemed to suppress Lady Lilar’s convulsions earlier. What is it?” he asked as he pointed at the Primordial Dish, hoping to raise the chances of success as much as possible.

“That is the Primordial Dish, a dwarven treasure. Legends say the God of Blacksmiths, Ustrina, forged it using the primordial metal,” Bafor replied.

“Does it have a healing effect?”

“No, but it can reject all that is wicked. It is similar to Holy Force.” Bafor grabbed the Primordial Dish and showed it to Seong-Hwi. It was a silver-grey metal dish with signs of dark-red rust here and there. “That’s why it was the only metal to endure the Rust of Ruin. Oh, the Rust of Ruin is—”

Seong-hwi interjected, “No need to explain. If we can receive its help, all the better.”

Seong-Hwi grabbed the Primordial Dish and examined the aura exuding from the rust. It felt slightly different, but all too familiar.

[Ancient Rust of Ruin discovered.]

If this is also Rust of Ruin, I should be able to control it. I’ll move the energy in the opposite direction of emission!

Seong-Hwi took a deep breath and activated a skill.

[Activating Skill: Rust of Ruin.]

Dark red energy enveloped his hand, and the rust covering the Primordial Dish began to be absorbed into Seong-Hwi like a lost child running to their mother.

[Absorbing Ancient Rust of Ruin.]

[Rust of Ruin A(2) obtained.]

[Rust of Ruin A(1) obtained.]

[Rust of Ruin A(3) obtained.]

...

[Ancient Rust of Ruin absorbed.]

[Rust of Ruin A(8) → Rust of Ruin A(56)]

...

The Rust of Ruin skill stat rose by A(48) points.

I didn’t know there was a way to raise stats other than opening cubes! Seong-Hwi thought in surprise at the new experience.

However, two others were even more shocked.

“M-my word!”

“What in the...”

The wide-eyed Yadir and Bafor stared at the Primordial Dish, free of rust.

“How did you remove the Rust of Ruin?! Could it be, you...” Bafor asked, staring at Seong-Hwi in shock.

Seong-Hwi smiled at the unexpected profit and pulled the Elixir from his pocket.

“Take these,” he said as he handed Yadir the clean Primordial Dish and the Elixir. “I trust you know what to do with them.”

“I do,” Yadir replied.

“Well, then... I shall begin,” Seong-Hwi declared as he approached Lilar.

***

[Operating Wings of Evolution.]

[Nine Wings.]

[Converting Destiny Force to Holy Force.]

Seong-Hwi’s nine wings were dyed white, and the hexagonal pattern changed into circles like a peacock’s feathers.

“Holy Force!” Bafor mumbled.

[00:02:34]

[00:02:33]

...

I have over two minutes! Seong-Hwi said inwardly as he grabbed Lilar’s wrist and closed his eyes.

The Holy Force moved as Seong-Hwi willed it, into Lilar like waves.

Focus... Focus!

He searched Lilar’s body with Holy Force. Her body was a mess everywhere.

I must find the Chaos Mana! The Elixir will do the healing!

Seong-Hwi rapidly scanned Lilar’s entire body with Holy Force, but the Chaos Mana, noticing he was trying to chase it out, burrowed deep inside Lilar to make Seong-Hwi’s search harder.

[00:02:13]

[00:02:12]

...

Where is it?! Where the hell is it?!

Seong-Hwi controlled the Holy Force even finer. He had been using it like a broom to brush Lilar’s body, but this time, he controlled every fiber of the broom to dig even deeper inside Lilar. Just then, he discovered a lump of grey Chaos Mana circulating throughout Lilar’s blood vessels.

Found it!

The Holy Force quickly chased the lump and used the power of rejection and severance to pull the Chaos Mana out of Lilar.

“Kurgh!” Lilar grunted, her blood vessels bursting from the impact.

“Lilar!” Bafor shouted.

However, Seong-Hwi did not stop. The Holy Force pulled out the lumps of Chaos Mana hidden inside her blood vessels, cells, bone marrow, and everywhere else. The circles on the Wings of Evolution spun like the angels’ halo. Seong-Hwi injected even more Holy Force into Lilar, and the white energy attacked the Chaos Mana like white blood cells killing viruses.

Small explosions repeatedly occurred inside Lilar, flopping like a fish out of water without even being able to scream. Her cells were destroyed, her bones broke, and her blood vessels burst.

“Keep her still!” Seong-Hwi shouted.

He felt someone holding her down with shaking hands.

[00:01:43]

[00:01:42]

...

At this rate, she’ll die before we even get the chance to use the Elixir! I must find the source... the source of the spreading Chaos Mana!

Seong-Hwi condensed the Chaos Mana even further to the size of an atom and allowed it to swim throughout Lilar. It traveled through her blood vessels, slowly traveling deeper and to the center, toward her heart. At that moment, he saw something strange.

What is... this?

A fist-sized, bumpy lump of metal was embedded inside Lilar’s heart. It exuded brass-colored energy—Mineral Force far purer than anything he had ever seen. It was a surprising sight, but his attention shifted to the wriggling, jelly-like entity attempting to devour the metal. The black jelly that looked as if it were sprinkled with stardust attacked the metal with its tentacles, which the Mineral Force was struggling to defend against.

That’s the source of the Chaos Mana! Seong-Hwi shouted inwardly as he mobilized his Holy Force.

Just then, a voice echoed inside Seong-Hwi’s consciousness.

“What are you? Holy Force? Are you an angel? Don’t you know I’m working together with Creo?”

What the hell are you talking about?! Get out of Lilar!

“Hm?”

Seong-Hwi’s Holy Force smashed into the space-like jelly. The power of rejection pushed the black jelly, but it was only as strong as a weightlifter trying to lift a weight far too heavy for them.

“Hahah! This is the problem with lower lifeforms... Is this supposed to be a massage?”

I’ll kill you!

The Wings of Evolution blasted white Holy Force like a rocket nozzle. Seong-Hwi’s entire body filled with Holy Force, which he condensed to the size of atoms and sent to Lilar’s heart. The atoms gathered to form an army that simultaneously clung to the formless black jelly.

“Wow, look at you!”

The Holy Force atoms began to pull the black jelly apart from Lilar’s heart. The Chaos extended its tentacles again to cling tightly to the heart. Seong-Hwi tried to pull it apart again, but it refused to let go of Lilar’s heart like an octopus stuck to a rock.

“Yahaha! Are we playing tug-of-war this time?”

Get out! Get the hell out!

“No! No way!”

The Chaos mocked the frantic Seong-Hwi.

[00:00:13]

[00:00:12]

...

Dammit! Seong-Hwi shouted inwardly.

He only had a little over ten seconds left. After that, he would have no way of even touching the Chaos Mana.

If I fail now, it will take five days to try again. Not only would the Faber conference be over by then, but Lilar won’t last that long!

Lilar had already suffered significant damage. There would be no second chance.

“What? Is it over already?”

There has to be... There has to be a way!

Seong-Hwi ignored the Chaos’s teasing and racked his brain. He exceeded the limits of his concentration, and the Wings of Evolution exuded insane amounts of Holy Force.

There has to be something I can do!

His vision spun, and white noise and voices echoed in his ears.

“■■, wait for me right here. Mommy... Mommy will come back to get you, no matter what.”

“From now on, your name is Seong-Hwi, meaning brilliant splendor. Become someone who shines as brightly as your name.”

“Destiny is weak to the brave and strong to the cowardly. Become someone who grabs hold of his destiny.”

“Waaah! Mommy! Mommy! I miss you!”

“She’s never coming back. I will not hope for or wait for her return.”

AAAAAHHHHH! Seong-Hwi’s subconscious screamed in agony, his soul feeling like it would break.

Just then, everything went silent, and the pain stopped. All he could see was a void, and it felt like he was swimming inside his mother’s amniotic fluid.

This is... he trailed off in his thoughts.

He realized he was again in the sea of genes, the same sensation he had felt when battling Jazathura. A certainty and a strong premonition—no, a precognition activated.

There is a way!

Seong-Hwi extended the arm of his subconscious and grabbed the shining golden ring before him, which pulled him up to the surface of the sea of his subconscious as if it were a life saver.

[00:00:03]

[00:00:02]

...

“Ehe! Too bad! You tried your best, but it wasn’t enough!”

There were only seconds left. Seong-Hwi could hear the Chaos’s mockery, but his subconscious couldn’t be more peaceful.

Screw off, octopus, he said inwardly as he activated a skill.

[Activating Race Skill: Orbis Repulsio.]

The Holy Force atoms gathered to create lines, which also gathered and formed a plane surface. It gathered more and more to create a circular ring that resembled a halo.

“What the—”

This was the first time the Chaos expressed perplexity.

[00:00:01]

Orbis Repulsio, an angel race skill, squeezed the Chaos like a tight hula hoop.

“Let... go of me!”

Despite its screams, Orbis Repulsio instantly pulled the Chaos away from Lilar’s heart like prey caught in a net.

“NOOOOO!”

Once the last tentacle attached to Lilar’s heart fell off, the metal lump embedded in the heart immediately exuded brass-colored energy to protect the heart.

“AAAAAHHHHH! I WAS ALMOST THERE!”

The Chaos screamed as it watched its years of effort being drained away.

[00:00:00]

...

[Terminating conversion.]

[Holy Force enters dormancy for 120 hours.]

Huff! Huff! I did it! Seong-Hwi shouted inwardly.

The Wings of Evolution returned to their hexagonal pattern, and Orbis Repulsio, which was restraining the Chaos, disappeared with it.

“YOU BASTARD!”

The released Chaos directed the entirety of its rage at Seong-Hwi.

“I’LL DEVOUR YOU INSTEAD!”

The Bachtasha-rank Chaos charged at Seong-Hwi, moving its black jelly tentacles like a jellyfish.

***

“Wha... What is going on?!”

“Lady Lilar!”

Bafor and Yadir stared at Lilar, who was lying as still as a corpse after her convulsions stopped.

“Cheon Seong-Hwi! Cheon Seong-Hwi!” Bafor shouted.

Just then, the Wings of Evolution stopped emitting white light explosively.

“Did it... work?” he wondered.

Just then, he saw something squirming on Lilar’s chest, which instantly moved to her left arm and crawled up Seong-Hwi’s right arm.

“Argh!” Seong-Hwi grunted as he quickly took his hand off Lilar’s wrist.

“I’LL CORRUPT YOU!”

Seong-Hwi could sense the entity that entered his right arm. The Chaos had transferred its host from Lilar to him.

“Seong-Hwi!” Bafor shouted.

“Don’t worry about me! Use the Elixir!” Seong-Hwi said.

He made sure to watch Yadir pouring the Elixir into the Primordial Dish before closing his eyes to examine the inside of his body.

“Since you ruined my entire plan, I’ll ruin you!”

“Kurgh! Get out of my body!”

Seong-Hwi’s skin wriggled disgustingly. It felt as if a parasite were stirring up his entire body. The Chaos aimed for Seong-Hwi’s heart without hesitation.

I can’t use Holy Force! Dammit! I didn’t expect... this turn of events!

He was in a desperately dangerous situation. He had used every ounce of strength to treat Lilar, but the source of the problem had entered his body this time.

What do I... What should I do?!

He couldn’t think of anything. Bafor had said it himself that the only way to chase out the Chaos was Holy Force. Just then, he heard the Chaos’s shocked voice, filled with exhilaration and ecstasy.

“T-this is... It’s mine! AHYAHAHAHA! THIS IS MINE NOW!”

It extended its tentacles to wrap them around something.

“To think such luck would find me! With this, I will be...”

It moved as if opening its mouth and devoured something.

Will I be corrupted... and become a Chaos monster? I... can’t have that... There is... so much... that I must... still do...

He couldn’t understand what was happening inside him.

Dammit... This wasn’t... worth it...

His consciousness slowly faded, but he heard the most horrible scream he had ever heard in his life before he passed out.

“GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!”

***

A beautiful young man was lying down on a blue field of swaying grass and fluttering fluorescent dandelions, his silky black hair scattered on the ground. He only had his left eye open as if he were winking.

“Ajingya was annihilated,” the man said as he opened his right eye, which was bright green, unlike his black left eye. “The fool. Not even I could break that powerful lock. Annihilation is only natural if you attempt to devour it.”

He raised his right arm. Much of it had disappeared, but the black curse remained. He had become like this only after taking a momentary peek at it, so Ajingya’s annihilation was no surprise.

“He separated Ajingya from that dwarf? You truly... entertain me to no end, Cheon Seong-Hwi.”

The man, Curiositas, smiled widely. He had also examined the dwarf woman, disguised as one with an S-rank healing skill, and judged it would be impossible to separate Ajingya from the dwarf without killing her. The only possible solution was Holy Force; not just any Holy Force, but one as powerful as that of an archangel or greater. However, a weak human of common caliber—nowhere near on the level of Lee Kang-San—had accomplished it.

“It is always a treat to observe him. Well, then... It’s time for me to keep my promise.”

Curiositas looked around. Everything outside of a five-hundred-meter radius from him was pitch-black. Taking a better look, the black areas were filled with the corpses of elves and scorched nature. He snapped his finger and turned the swaying grass and fluorescent dandelions black like charcoal.