The World After the Fall

The Captains then looked at each other. If what he said was true, that was a great loss for the [Great Lands]. Varkant added, "But we still have the power to kill all of you here."

Mirel ignored him and asked Gerome again.

"And Catastrophe?"

"He has been temporarily sealed. Eleven of us attacked him and we couldn't kill him. We still needed the Lord of Steel and the Lord of Gold to hold his seal from breaking down even then."

Yoonhwan found it hard to believe if what he was hearing was true. These Lords and Captains were so powerful beyond his imagination. As powerful as these beings were, that required eleven Lords to barely seal it off?

Gerome continued, "I believe we have paid enough to meet with you. Are you still forcing us to prove ourselves? We have taken enough losses to even ask for compensation."

"…Do you want something?"

"Give us the [Fruits]."

"That will be included in our treaty. We cannot hand them over to you just like that."

Gerome became serious.

"Just like that, you said?!"

A world power was unleashed and the Captains all pulled out their weapons. Gerome scoffed.

"Yes, this was how it should've been. I was a fool to even try to talk with you."

Yoonhwan became dizzy from the world powers filling the room. Even Seoyul was vomiting blood that turned into silver right after.

They were at the brink of war. Then, a man appeared in the meeting room. Yoonhwan glanced over at the man. He had some kind of old rag on himself. But he wasn't the Master as Yoonhwan had hoped.

"Oh, so you have no wish to talk things out?"

As he spoke, the world power disappeared from the room. The man's world power pushed everything away. Some Lords even became pale from his power. Gerome was also shocked. It proved that the man was that much more powerful.

"Why are you here, Budda?"

Budda. Yoonhwan realized that he had heard the name before. It was from one of his books he read when he joined Rupture.

'Wait, Budda, one of the 8 Gods of [[Depth]]?'

The 8 Gods of [Depth] were the most powerful Gods. The official name was the 7 Gods of [Depth], but it became 8 after Myad became the ruler of the 8th site, [Caspion].

Budda, the God of Reincarnation, was the 6th God.

'…But why is he here?'

Yoonhwan didn't know why. Whatever he was, why was a God here, at the meeting table in Rupture?

Of course, there were still a lot of empty seats around Rupture's table. From Myad's seat, the 2nd Captain's chair empty, and another one too.

Yoonhwan then became shocked from realization. Budda smiled.

"I'm an Awakener, you didn't know that?"

"Awakener?"

Gerome was also shocked.

"Wait…"

"Yeah. You're probably right."

The 2nd man in Rupture, and 2nd strongest man. The Captains all put away their weapons and greeted Budda.

"Been a while, Budda."

"Long time no see."

"You're late, Budda."

"Yeah, I'm sorry."

Budda then passed by the Captains and got to his seat. He then sat down in the 1st Captain's seat and looked at Gerome with a smile.

"So, can we begin the meeting now?"

Gerome gritted his teeth.

The 1st Captain of Rupture, Budda.

The mysterious 1st Captain that Yoonhwan did not know of. He was one of the 8 Gods of [Depth].

"Shall we begin?"

After recovering everything within the [Record of the Depth], Jaehwan finally opened his eyes. All of the history, along with its long and epic story, filled him and calmed his mind.

"You're awake."

When he opened his eyes, Runald, Karavan and the entire Long Living race surrounded him. Jaehwan asked, "How long have I been asleep?"

"…Almost a month. The Great Warrior said you would wake up today. He was right."

A month. Jaehwan realized he had spent much more than expected for reading Record of the [Depth]. But it had to be done. Just by reading all those memories, Jaehwan was able to enter an entirely different world.

Jaehwan now seemed very different. Runald, Jaehwan's Follower, felt this the most. He also noticed a certain emotion that had grown within Jaehwan.

'He seems lonely.'

It was as if he had found a secret that this world had hidden and he was the only one who could know. Runald wanted to ask what truth Jaehwan had found, but he couldn't ask. There seemed to be some kind of wall between them. Runald felt like Jaehwan was now an entirely different being.

Soon after, Jaehwan and the others were at the entrance of Forest of Madness.

Jaehwan said his goodbyes to Long Living race and Ra-hamad for the last time. What he was talking about wasn't obvious, but it seemed like he promised them something.

"I never thought I would get out of this place after 100 days," Karavan commented as he threw away his scrubbing glove. He now had recovered his link with Ignis through Jaehwan's help. His world power after recovering the link didn't fall behind Jaehwan's at all.

"You grew a lot too. Feels like my world power."

"…I just repeated Ouroboros."

"Yeah. I wonder what it actually means."

"…I don't even want to know."

Runald saw Jaehwan walking toward them and asked, "Are we going now?"

"No. We need to wait for someone."

"Who? Who are we waiting for?"

Runald became surprised. Jaehwan said, "My friends."

Runald became worried if he made a face that might've been rude, but he couldn't help it.

A friend? Jaehwan had no friends. He was alone ever since he came up to [Depth]. That's when he met Andersen and Runald. And Karavan. If he had a friend, only the two of them were here.

But other friends? Runald felt as if he had been betrayed and asked, "Who are you talking about…"

"They'll be here soon. I can feel it."

And at that moment, a giant shadow-like figure appeared from the sky. Karavan screamed.

"W-what is that!"

There was a giant ship in the air, a ship that colored in pitch black. Runald remembered he heard the name of the ship before entering the Forest of Madness. There were the pirates who called themselves the 'Fallbringers'.

"Cheesy name," Jaehwan laughed. As they saw the name, Runald remembered he was right.

The name of the ship was…

-Jaehwan!!

It was 'Fall'.

-Jaehwan!

-Master!

Voices came from the sky. Runald felt the emotions within the voices. It was the voice of longing and waiting that Runald knew very well.

The voices of ones who had waited for one person for a long time.

Jaehwan then saw the people running toward him, two men and one woman.

As he saw them running, Runald became lonely. They were in the same place, but it felt like they were in different places. Runald then realized what was most important thing in human relationships.

This was a wall of time. A wall he could never break. Was this the wall he had been feeling all along?

He wanted to meet Andersen so much. His instincts told him that he could never cross that wall. He will never… he felt as if he was being swept away into darkness, into loneliness.

And at that moment-

"What are you doing?"

A voice saved him as if it was nothing.

"Let's go."

Jaehwan's large hand grabbed his shoulder. Runald realized he was overcoming a wall so easily. He also realized something was going to begin now.

Runald looked back. He couldn't see the Long Living race saying their goodbyes anymore. They were getting further away from the forest.

He had learned a lot within the forest, and he left many things there. He turned again toward Jaehwan's people. Just like wearing clothes, one was gone and a new one had arrived.

Runald then thought he understood a bit more about Ouroboros. He wasn't sure if he was understanding it correctly, but he didn't want to hide this feeling.

He closed his eyes.

He could hear Andersen's song. It was a warm song that she sang to him before.

A poor naked God.

As he walked back home alone,

He thought about it all along.

At least one person.

At least once.

As Runald heard the song, he had mumbled the word for the last time.

"Ouroboros."