Chapter 299: Joaquin Academy (3)
zjK6“Are you not going to regret it?”IjreoeH
hGyNJG8That’s what my other self said when I chose one of the two options without hesitation.X5swQNr
jFPES“No.”XnN7o9f
IAtHoI nodded. There was nothing to think about; my answer was already decided.Q9z
wWw0n“You knew I’d choose that one, didn’t you?”Qw560pI
wbM4gMy other self knew it perfectly well, yet still asked. Because no one knows me better than I do.Q0r4
3EscL“I knew it, but until you say it out loud, it’s not set in stone.”qc5T4hk
nZ7AbcMy other self shrugged and smiled. I looked at him in silence for a moment before asking,Mo6Oz
sopU“Hey, you’re a foreign god, right? Is it really okay for you to interfere with mortal matters like this? According to the Pope, foreign gods are only observers.”zyD
N1bTCGHe let out a laugh.BMH6yO
ucC9e“Normally, yes. But there are no immutable laws in this world. The world is flexible, full of variables. And right now is a perfect example of that. Want the truth? I thought you’d pick option one.”wxEy
ImLAn unexpected answer. It threw me off for a moment, but I let him continue.u4GBo
vKx2cYH“Because I picked option one. Don’t ask me why. It’d take too long to explain. It’d be like asking you to tell me everything you’ve experienced since you possessed yourself in that world.”o0sbdJN
Czk“Ah.”ixx2OLX
p3UH8e“You get it instantly, right? Even if you summarized your one-year journey, it’d be a full-length novel. Mine would be even longer. In my timeline, for example, after graduating from Joaquin Academy, the Second Great Human-Demon War broke out. Want to hear about it? Say the word, and I’ll tell you. I’ve got all the time in the world.”2GYx0
FAhwmMy other self spoke as if probing, but I immediately shook my head.0bek
lsGSI know how precious time is. If you rewind hundreds of millions of years at superluminal speed, a second feels like pure gold.4Fc
mdyhwik‘He probably doesn’t mind too much.’rwX
bWMAfter all, he’s me. And if he’s like me, he’s probably not good with words either.0oVt
GChJk6‘Now that I think about it, the God of the Sword was also me.’sCyKVLw
uPxbnPNThen I get that strange way of communicating. Besides, he had no one to talk to…Upb
di9FVI regret treating him so coldly back then. But nothing can be done about it now.Y4FWzg
eQ5qGHT“Well, looks like our talk is ending. Let’s wrap this up.”iinOxE
i3ZMy other self kneeled and slowly stood up. I looked up at him, slightly awestruck.rgb
sLgC‘He should be the same height as me, yet the difference in perspective is overwhelming.’nTy
nM47TThis other self I’d spoken with so familiarly stood in a place no one else could reach.R6PF
f0eU2j2The ambition of “those idiots” to claim every timeline now seemed like childish whimsy.ajUs
Z0bS93‘Maybe the reason he doesn’t interfere with timelines directly is because, from his view, he doesn’t need to.’ET4JjsX
so9xJnDI was convinced. No matter how hard they try, they’ll never surpass him. Even if they jump, they’re still within the Buddha’s palm.s5DA
uGDIn other words, because this foreign god intervened, those idiots achieved their goal. After all, the entire timeline trembled because of him.CAPwF
guFzes“You don’t have to worry about crossing timelines again like when you first arrived. You’re already there—or rather, I’m already there. Technically speaking, we’re just going to ‘swap’ our existences.”pM0k
hAiUj9CThe foreign god held out his hand.7rxAy
se5“Simply put, we’re switching shifts. I didn’t do much, so don’t worry. The most I did was bring Leon back to Earth from the Moon, where he was sobbing.”1jt
aWbs3fw…Isn’t that quite a lot? His intent to downplay it was pretty obvious.JyuGnLo
Fzi“Take my hand. You’ll be home.”7ixTpF
BsvsGwMy other self smiled warmly. I reached out to take his hand, but paused for a second.kmb9hnZ
vqph“Congratulations on your graduation. At least you finished high school.”VuPFqJ
X1eThat was my farewell. The foreign god was stunned for a moment, then lifted the corner of his mouth.i6n
qldFubZ“Then congrats in advance to you too. Two years feels long to a teenager, but it’ll fly by.”Bd3NPqN
uEn37“I know. I was in my forties in my previous life.”LR3pBv5
BXLUBtI gripped his hand. Then my body began to disintegrate, starting from the limbs, like turning to grains.ckY0LY
sJQXhg“That’s why I want to record every day I have left at the Academy. My teacher always said—”J7GbW
ikT“The habit of keeping a journal.”JVY8X
3AlMy other self finished the sentence.QJnLScB
j37yrq“Journals are good. You never know… maybe someone somewhere will read your story. Maybe someone even above me.”AgQ3
EQwGGp“Someone above a foreign god?”2Km0CEA
3ZwZBC“Told you. There are no absolute laws in this world. I’m just another cog keeping the timeline running. I’m not everything. Anyway, time’s up.”old
lT3xiNHis final words were—Q2OOGU
TxdJzGi“Be happy. Because you deserve it.”7tuT
L3TWFAnd so, as my consciousness faded, I disappeared completely.TISd
sTE88k***nRp9
unByDU[You have acquired the Final Fragment, “Joaquin Academy.”]3Ihc3wi
kSt—Flash!oCU9n
1ETZ05g『The beginning and the end of all things.』guPt
X8gD[With all fragments obtained, your latent divinity is fully unlocked.]5Ii
JZeVAk1[…]KGkF
r8vd[…]1VJ9kL
CXHM[Well done.]7gMbb
Wl6FxJv***krT
rLfLThrough the curtain of rain, Kuarne turned pale at the sight of the dark divine silhouette.kh5ol3
IqDHis body trembled as if in spasms. His goat-like chin quivered, and his rectangular pupils shrank completely.ddPN
ywGTKlu‘What kind of state is that…?’6kUfOz
r0gT8If Kang Geom-Ma had ascended as a true god, he would’ve welcomed it with joy. Even if he stabbed him in his frenzy, he would have accepted it with a smile.1NcWcZD
dnkCKuarne’s desire was never for himself. His mind was filled only with Kang Geom-Ma. There was no space for himself in that place.vvKO8iX
ETH2aHe dreamed of it every night. That man becoming the master of the world, and he, kneeling beneath him in obedience.gbnk
2qNjDcJust imagining it sent shivers down his spine and made his body tremble. But now, Kuarne shuddered for a very different reason. As a former lackey of the gods, he could tell at a glance.XTFR6xK
rXdY4That being approaching—Kang Geom-Ma.kVu
MDWHe was not a god.RVh
w8LdDVFrom that perspective, his presence was extraordinarily unnatural. Though human, the power he held surpassed that of the gods. It was truly astonishing.c2nP3A
L07i“H-how is this possible!?”3LnVDu
7fpnlCMKuarne screamed at the top of his lungs, wringing out his voice in desperation.6mPKu
Iaou4h“How can a mere human body contain a god!? This goes beyond blasphemy, beyond language itself!”JtQIb
unYh2It was a tantrum. His desperate wish of hundreds of thousands of years had crumbled. The wave of madness drowned his reason completely. His already hideous face became even more grotesque.nxXWD
XMfiemKang Geom-Ma did not respond. He stared steadily at Joaquin Academy.CgoEn
QZaHIt lay in ruins. The once radiant buildings were now covered in blood, the majestic main hall split in half. It was hard to find a single intact corner.jdD
XpTAnd there, the heroes, covered in dust, looked at him in reverence. They leaned on each other, intoxicated with relief.99bi
6ovq3jN‘Ah, of course.’SaKW5eO
flwThe Academy was the cradle and home of heroes. In the end, buildings were just structures. They could be rebuilt.cC9y
rgmIhqThe heroes were still alive. That was enough. The Academy stood firm. Its knowledge and wisdom would live on.822T
yGw7“Answer me, Kang Geom-Ma!”aJnN
w61KezeKuarne demanded furiously. The demon had lost everything. All that remained was the life he so despised.uiPY
Zp4a1xKang Geom-Ma raised his sashimi. A swirl of light enveloped the blade. A light so cold it was as if the sun itself had frozen upon it.gnZ
wTKPYFwoosh…GzqE8q
fqa99A gentle breeze blew. The low grass bent. It cooled the sweat of the heroes. Even the demons felt kindness in that wind. It was a current that made no distinction between friend or foe.yxT6Y3
OZh“I can’t accept your existence! You could’ve shone brighter than anyone! Why? Why did you choose the filthy human path!? How!? How could you give up everything in this world!?”aAMz
6Opkr4Kuarne screamed as he charged. He violently shoved aside Leon and Metatron, who tried to stop him. His torn black arms lunged with brutal force toward a single point.GYRxS9W
lU19v9“I haven’t given up anything.”xUOejc6
E1PNb4That was Kang Geom-Ma’s reply. Though his words meant nothing to the deafened Kuarne.THG2JF9
66UZrHe wasn’t expecting an answer anyway. He didn’t have the habit of chatting with the dying.ixy6T
HgPB“I’m not like you.”0Gr
d8vThat was all he said.PH9FG
doUKuarne drew close. From his back, black arms rose like mantras and snapped their fingers in unison.2J2UDDq
9E8Five thousand pairs of dark arms. Ten thousand spells cast at once. Spells powerful enough to lay waste on their own surged toward Kang Geom-Ma.iSz2
2zKCJXtThe sky filled with dazzling magic.WxFYB
TjGSpace twisted and tore as Kang Geom-Ma brought down his sashimi.eCdH
mZQUBn9A single cut descended. A strike that embodied all the laws of the sword. And immediately, the vision went white.QHNrF96
nTFj1YfThe magic and black arms stopped just an inch from his face. Just before impact.qqWE
DhXYnIn that completely bleached world, they exploded like crisscrossing lightning and then, like small suns detonating, burst one after another into red spheres.gET6AJ
uXuBOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!BiU9
Ipi9The gentle wind became a scorching tornado that swept everything away, heat clinging to the ground.bZBfW
EYCPt2Heroes and demons lay flat, clinging to the mud to avoid being swept away by the gust.uJd
PRwgeAmid the deafening noise, someone slightly lifted their head. Their eyes widened.au5
uSEaF“…!”wlB1
954GTheir pupils grew as large as lanterns. They looked up with a stunned expression, and the heroes beside them also lifted their gaze.mMo5
rfEzAnd all showed the same reaction. The greatest awe is expressed in silence.AApQG
ohifWuWhen the sky and earth divide, the horizon is born. When the sea splits, the waterline emerges. Thus, everything in the universe is organized in up and down, in horizontal lines.INKDj1f
JL55But here, that principle and logic were denied.wGO7
KmJKqbThe open sky revealed a universe filled with stars and galaxies.gk8
yWeIt wasn’t just a split cloud.NOZNgk
ifBovuThe sky itself had been divided.Cl4
AGbYThat majestic, breathtaking sight overwhelmed everyone. In the crystalline retinas of the heroes, stars shone. And in the center, Kang Geom-Ma, standing above the clouds.KxQu
ujdlInaccessible. Supreme. The stars looked like dust next to him. Even galaxies and celestial bodies were mere ornaments to him.fh6jy
T8Zc4Oh, heavens… If that man isn’t a god, who could dare claim to be?ABK9
CFfBViThe heroes wept.jADH
Py0dThey bowed their foreheads to the ground and worshiped the sky with their napes exposed.8fFlU
xCqUcThe gods’ blessing that guided them manifested in that scene.zhY6J
9N9PcDespair and pain were wiped away. A wave of reverence spread across the land instantly.BcU7i
32S1B5mNot even the demons were an exception. Each, in their own way, bowed in devotion.vGy
m2O20XIn the deep silence, only Kuarne whimpered.bnIob
6vfUe“…Ah.”2WmU
BasQw52Kuarne looked down. He scratched his chest with thin nails.yGNX
2RAA line of blood split his sternum. From that tiny crack, spiderweb-like fractures formed all over his body.wgnIhM
wU7hsThe breaks thickened. Until not an inch of skin remained untouched.pLw
oAcTDvKuarne slowly raised his head. Tears slid down his blood-lined face.ZE9pc
jF1E0“You truly took everything from me…”O4I5s5b
KXfeSCgAnd with those words, he vanished with a soft pop. Nothing remained. He evaporated without a trace.B0d92Ex
SyYHaEStep.ePkdz
pSC0T2My feet touched the ground. My hair waved as if I walked underwater.gciycNj
GrKZCMy eyes lingered on my feet for a while. How long had it been since I stood on solid earth? It felt strange.4dLdl
C3kxI took a deep breath. Felt the texture of the air in my nose. Then I looked away from the ground and glanced around.Vl4W7
tMDzA field full of corpses. Pools of blood among bodies, all bowed before me. A heavy silence spread everywhere.uEN
6nZme0sI let out a bitter smile. Still, everyone desperately waited for me to speak.GA7
WbDyn“Raise your heads.”ytHRh
dOrDs7I spoke.bfUN2C
s7j“We’ve won.”5XW
DjHogMy declaration echoed across the silent world.UL1xhQb
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