Chapter 382
Several days passed, and one by one, the dimensions thought to have been consumed by the Encroachment began reappearing.
Kiriel returned to his homeland, the Raden Continent, and soon it was confirmed that the other dimensions were accessible as well. Adventurers who had believed that the Encroached dimensions were erased forever and that anyone who died in the Core could never be seen again were finally able to set foot on their home soil. They reunited with family, lovers, friends, and comrades they had longed for all this time.
Although the people they met had lost their memories of the Core, none of that mattered. These were the same adventurers who’d been transferred to the Core by the Encroachment of their dimensions and had fought desperately to survive. Everyone had predicted that only destruction lay at the end of that path. No one had dared to hope.
“Who could’ve imagined a day like this would come?” Solomon commented.
“Your plan was to become the King of the Dimensions and wipe everything clean to start anew.” Tusitala’s voice was full of anger, and Solomon knew very well the source of that fury: Cecilia—his first and last comrade.
In the beginning, they had fought side by side to survive the harsh reality of the Core. But eventually, ideological differences drove them apart, and they hurt each other deeply. Unable to reconcile, Cecilia was ultimately sealed inside Baal’s body by Solomon.
He had believed that as long as he had the Keys, he could use Ouroboros to access the Path of Dimensions and claim the throne. It was said that becoming the King of the Dimensions granted the power to erase and recreate all things. It would be a small sacrifice for the greater good. It was the natural law.
In a world where order and structure had collapsed, adventurers followed only their most primal instincts. They did whatever it took to survive. The Core, where self-interest reigned and others were pushed aside, was a world that deserved to disappear.
“I was blinded by my arrogance,” Solomon confessed.
He had convinced himself that his way was absolutely right and that in this world, harmony was impossible. Those who were altruistic simply vanished without a trace. Survival of the fittest was the perfect way to describe the Core, and Solomon had believed only the selfish could survive here. That belief of his had begun to change, thanks in part to a baby named Byeol.
But the person who truly moved his heart... was someone else. Whether he liked it or not, the phrase “King of Earth” kept reaching his ears. Everyone followed that man wholeheartedly and, most importantly, genuinely respected him. That sincerity was unmistakably real.
From what little he saw on the message boards, Solomon realized that the King of Earth wasn’t preaching to people about “respect” or “compassion.” He didn’t need to. His actions alone influenced people in quiet, lasting ways.