Ranker Who Lives Twice

Ohyohyohyo. Did you ask what a “beast” is?

The day that question was posed now became one Thor couldn’t remember clearly anymore. He had just joined his new companions after drifting around emptiness, barely surviving his collapsing “dream.” He asked what this phenomenon occurring to him in the emptiness was, and what these beasts of the end their leader often spoke about were.

To this, their leader chuckled with that strange laughter of his and spoke again. They’re awry things.

Awry…? Thor didn’t understand.

Their leader nodded. Yes. Things who wished to go the right path, but their situation, environment, and course of life didn’t allow them to, so they had to walk a twisted path.

…?

Doesn’t it help you to understand a bit by looking at Oceanus next to you?

…!

He wanted to become an emperor by properly creating legends, and escape from the dream to completely remove himself from the Black King… But as the dream collapsed, he wasn’t able to. I’m speaking about all of you, who have fallen from your dreams.

…

Normally, you should’ve disappeared along with the dream, but your achievements were so great that they gained some independence and didn’t disappear. Instead, you were promoted to a higher divine being, beings that evolve. That is what a beast is.

Most thought if you became a god or demon, you would have it all. Perhaps they were right. From a mortal perspective, transcendents like gods and demons would’ve seemed omniscient and all-powerful. However, those who transcended were soon faced with reality. Transcendence wasn’t the end. Rather, it was the beginning.

Transcendents had to fight countless battles. To raise their level, they needed to complete legends of their own, and for that, they needed to make outstanding achievements. If not, they’d be swallowed by the legends of other transcendents and disappear.

Beings who had somewhat finished their legends began to realize the existence of the Heavenly Demon and the cycle they were in. From then, it wasn’t simply a matter of raising your level, but a competition to survive. They had to struggle to completely escape. The only way to do so was to gain uniqueness and independence and escape as an emperor.

However, most beings despaired at how high the peak of becoming an emperor was. A lucky few barely managed to maintain their identities in the collapsing dream and float around emptiness. In that process, their promotion to emperor didn’t take place, and they evolved into strange creatures. They had been influenced by the otherworld, the Night, whether they knew it or not.

This was what happened to Thor, who became Behemoth, and Oceanus, who became Leviathan. They were nomads who didn’t belong to Day or Night. And their leader called these creatures “beasts.”

The most representative is the Bull Demon King. He became like that long, long ago and spent some time in despair, but he created his own world at some point and is now in silence. The first beast… The existence of the Bull Demon King must be the same in this dream as well. He exists just the same in all dreams. He’s a beast as well as an emperor…

Thor wanted to ask if it was possible to even be a beast and an emperor, but their leader didn’t explain any further. He asked something else. If there’s a first beast, does that mean there’s a last beast?

There is.

What is it?

Ohyohyo. I think I spoke too much today. At this rate, I’ll reveal all my cards… Hm. How should I answer that question? Some people say it’s a horrific mutant or a hybrid, but I call it this.

…?

The End Dragon.

The End Dragon? I’ve never heard of it.

Of course. This being only appears on the last page of the revelations.

The revelations…? Thor had also heard of the revelations, but it was a mysterious book that he had never seen for himself. It contained the secrets of the universe’s origin and beginning, and prophesied the very end too.

‘The End Dragon is a being that’s on its last page?’ Thor couldn’t begin to grasp what kind of creature the last beast was.

Anyway, since you and all the other beings here are beasts… Shouldn’t the abandoned beasts go in search of a safe haven?

Then…what about you?

What do you mean?

I’m asking if you, who saved us from the emptiness, are also a beast.

Ohyohyo. I wonder.

Does that mean you’re not?

At that question, their leader smiled mysteriously, just as he always did. I never said I wasn’t.

* * *

『I see. So as I thought, you’re all Yvlke’s subordinates.』

Whoosh! Between the cracking pieces of the soul, the final beast’s large eyes flashed as he smirked.

‘I-I’m being read…!’ Thor realized his opponent was reading all his legends and felt chills running down his spine. ‘No…way…!’

Thor couldn’t understand it according to his logic. It was hard to believe that what he’d stacked up for ages was being so easily crushed, but it was harder to accept his information was being taken through that.

Thor was very prideful. Although he hadn’t been able to stop the Black King’s ego, he had become independent from the dream and grown to this level. He was confident he could defeat Yeon-woo once he awakened from his sleep… But he had been arrogant. His opponent was already looking deeply into him, and he didn’t know what to do. Was he supposed to push it off? He needed to escape from the creature’s bite before doing anything else first!

『After eating you whole, I suppose I’ll be able to find out what your purpose is and what you’re scheming.』

Suddenly, Thor felt his heart going cold.

[‘Hades’ Spirit Eating Sword’ is activated!]