Ranker Who Lives Twice

Kahn stepped into a silent clearing that was filled with trees and rarely visited by people. "It's been a while since I've come here."

Looking at the abbey in front of him, Kahn had an expression of reminiscence. When he was first asked to build this abbey in this location, he thought it was ridiculous. But now, there would've been no better place to live quietly than here. The weather was nice throughout all four seasons, and there was enough rain. It was the perfect place to lazily live out one's days.

If he had known about this sooner, Kahn would've lived here too. Slightly regretting the past, he walked through the open abbey door. Soon after, he met eyes with a nun who was carrying laundry. She put the basket down and came to bow in front of Kahn. "You're the first visitor we've had in a while. What brings you here, sir?"

Kahn laughed in disbelief at being called a visitor. If the nun knew this abbey was built on his money, he wondered just what kind of expression she would make. But most of the people who knew this fact had already returned to the embrace of the god they served. It was also understandable they forgot because of how young he looked.

"Go deliver this message to the abbot." Kahn was able to return to his times as a mischievous youth instead of having to act grave and serious. He said, "His brother is here, so he should get ready to get beaten up."

* * *

This nameless abbey served a god, but no god in particular. They weren't exactly atheist, but they weren't exactly theist either. The priests here always spoke of pantheism. Their god was within all things, but because their god was always together with them like air, it was impossible to observe or give their god any meaning.

So their priests only expressed gratitude in the laws and things within the universe. They never held ceremonies or prayed to him. They didn't give a name to the god they served either. That would be given meaning, which went against their beliefs.

Naturally, many gods didn't look too nicely on this abbey that denied their existence. If their beliefs were spread, they would lose followers, which meant they'd receive less faith. A few gods even spoke of eliminating the abbey, but they failed every time. The abbot of this place was someone stronger than most divine beings—Doyle, the leader of the strongest clan who led the Tower to its demise. Who would dare touch his territory?

Fortunately, Doyle had retired early, saying he would serve some nameless god. If he didn't do so, Arthia would probably still exist to threaten countless societies of the heavenly world.

"You're hundreds of years old. What in the world are you doing?!" However, although Doyle knew the weight of his words and actions, he couldn't help but shout in anger today. His brother, who had come for the first time in a long while, couldn't visit quietly and just had to cause ruckus in the abbey.

Clattter! It was clear Doyle was annoyed by the way he slammed his teacup down.

Kahn's smile only widened. "I can't even visit my brother?"

"If that's how you're gonna come out, you should just leave."

"You're too much."

"Or do you wanna be chased out?"

Kahn's grin turned more mischievous. "I'm going to be chased out of the abbey that I built."

"It wasn't yours the moment you donated it. Anyway, why'd you come?"

"To see my little brother, of course."

Doyle began to stand up as if Kahn's words weren't worth listening to anymore.

"F-Fine! I'll stop playing around so sit down."

Doyle looked at Kahn with doubt, but he sighed and plopped down in the chair opposite his brother. In front of others, Kahn acted all mighty and strong, being called the Cold-blooded Sword God and Lion King, but this damned brother acted like a baby in front of Doyle.

"Cha Yeon-woo."

"What?"

"The name of the god you serve."

"…!"

Doyle tried to keep a blank expression, but Kahn's eyes missed nothing. Kahn said, "I'm right, aren't I?"

"…Ha! How'd you know?"

"How long did you think I'd forget?"

Doyle smiled bitterly. "I thought you were too idiotic to ever know."

"You wanna die?"

"When did you know?"

"It hasn't been too long. Did you know his legends are being spread these days? When I heard of them, I suddenly remembered."

Doyle titled his head. "Legends?"

"You didn't know?"

"I don't take interest in news from the outside world."

"Names of the Black King are being spread. Although they're being spread in a different manner in each planet and civilization."

"I said so many times that names of gods shouldn't be decided on a whim. Goodness." Doyle grumbled about the developments that were opposite their abbey's beliefs, but he seemed to be relieved.

With this, Kahn became certain that his memory was correct. "When did you know?"

"It hasn't been that long. Similar to you, I suddenly remembered it like I received a divine revelation."

After Arthia was disbanded, Doyle felt that something big had left him. He was definitely a priest and an Apostle, but the god he served had left without a word, and he didn't remember anything about him. The god didn't have a name, legend, or voice.

The only thing that remained was the Channel that connected them. But the god never answered, so it was only filled with static. With those feelings of loss, Doyle attempted to live off the grid with help from Kahn. He wanted to find his forgotten god.

In the process, Doyle realized that his god wasn't missing but within all things. Then, he was enlightened that his god was synchronized with the god and changed his teachings. That was how the pantheist ideal of seeking a "nameless god" came to be. At the same time, he continued to seek the god. It just felt like he had to. He researched the laws of nature and took apart the things beyond them. Then, he saw it: a three-worded name.

"So? You came all the way to say that?"

However, Doyle didn't speak of what he learned to Kahn or anyone else. He contemplated how to make them perceive Yeon-woo, but it wasn't easy. Pantheism—it was difficult to recognize the existence of a being who was all around them.

"Of course not. I came to say we should go look for him together."

"…That's possible?"

As if having discovered a way that even Doyle, an Apostle, didn't know, Kahn confidently responded. "No. I don't know. Even you don't know it, so how am I supposed to know?"

"You…!"

"But there's something worth trying."

"What…is it?"

"I'm going to start from the place he cares about the most." Doyle's eyes widened upon realizing the meaning of Kahn's words. Kahn nodded solemnly, then continued, "Right. I'm going to Earth."

* * *

"…I'm going to work myself to death." Leonhardt set down his glasses and rubbed his eyelids. He looked around him and saw papers stacked high on the tables. Thinking about how long it would take to check all these, he smiled wryly.

Leonhardt could feel that he was becoming weaker by the day. In the past, he had considered exuviating or transcending. He lacked some divinity, but he could find a way to attain more if he had to. But he didn't feel the desire to live for so long. He just wanted to live the time he was given. Aging was an honorable thing, and death was dignified. His life was more beautiful because there was an end to it. These were his ideals, and he didn't want to ignore them.

He still didn't understand why he had lived so tiredly during his youth. Still, he had one last thing he wanted to do, which was finding his friend and savior he had so stupidly forgotten about. But no matter how much he reviewed all the information, he couldn't come up with an answer. How was he supposed to perceive a being who was no longer human? How could he forcefully summon him here? There was nothing he could do.

"…But I can't just sit here and twiddle my thumbs." Leonhardt realized he had to take action himself to find the solution. He had used his smart head to turn the world, but there had been times when he was stuck. And the way to solving it was very simple: he had to attempt it until it worked.

Ding. When Leonhardt shook the bell on the table in front of him, a servant who was waiting outside quietly entered. The servant bowed politely in front of the first emperor of the cosmic empire "Lion Heart" after united four galaxies and 142 civilizations.

"Prepare to open the 'door.'"

"To where, your majesty?"

"Earth." While speaking of his friend's motherland, Leonhardt could feel in his gut this would be the last trip of his life.

* * *

"Ah, geez! Where are you going after making such a mess of things, sir?!"

"Earth!"

"My question is, why are you going there?!" The chancellor of L'Infernal, Dantalion, wanted to cry. He was the second in power of one of the most powerful societies and a demon king who owned thirty-six personal armies. Others might ask what he had to complain about, but Dantalion could say with assurance that there was no demon king more unfortunate than him.

Dantalion was only second in power in name, and there were actually seventy demon kings above him. None of them listened to him, and they ignored him at every chance they got. He was chancellor only because all of them pushed it off to him, saying they were too lazy to do it.

Dantalion hadn't been able to leave to his territory and had lived buried under documents for three hundred years. At this rate, he would be discovered as a corpse after suffocating from these papers. However, the true bane of his existence was his damned leader.

"Let go. If you don't let me go, I'll eat you up!"

Agares… As long as this ruffian and troublemaker who was L'Infernal's leader was around, Dantalion would never be able to rest.

"Eat me! I can't live like this anymore either!"

"Are you disobeying me right now?"

"Oh, whatever! Get over it! What am I supposed to do if the leader never does his work and wanders around freely? Kill me or do whatever you want!" Dantalion was a timid demon king, and he did whatever Agares wanted with a single lift of Agares' eyebrow. However, for the last three hundred years, he had been pushed around by seventy higher ups, so his anger was all the way up to his temples. Now, he didn't care about what happened. He just wanted to rest. There could be no purer desire than that.

"So you're saying the problem is that I'm irresponsible despite being the leader." Realizing Dantalion was being genuine, Agares stopped fighting. His mad eyes suddenly turned deep and calm like a peaceful ocean.

Color returned to Dantalion's cheeks. The wayward tyrant was finally listening to him! The truth always shone through. Tears formed in Dantalion's eyes because he was so touched, but Agares began to speak in a solemn voice again. "Then you do it."

"Pardon? What…?"

"The leader."

[Agares has left the demonic society <L'Infernal>!]

[He had appointed Dantalion as his successor!]

"…!" Dantalion fell into a panicked state at the unexpected situation, and Agares took advantage of it to rush out of the palace.

Let's go, puppy!

Woof! From far away, Dantalion could hear a barking sound.

"Aaaaaack!" When he collected his bearings, Dantalion pulled out his hair with a scream.