Published at 12th of August 2026 7:54 am

Chapter 235: Nothing's Changed

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Chapter 235: Nothing's Changed

The sentence was short, but its meaning carried enough weight that Seo-jin had to change how he thought just to begin understanding it. The entire universe was going to die. To die. The very thing that seemed more eternal and timeless than the gods themselves could still succumb to such a mortal concept.

Death wasn't just for living things. It was for everything.

Watching space itself crack and the laws of reality twist and reverse, tension built through Seo-jin's muscles. His fists clenched and released. His toes curled against the wood beneath them. Every time a star exploded or another galaxy blinked from existence, the sneer on his lips pulled tighter until a low snarl worked its way from his throat.

"The Veiled knew the end was close. The gods flew to us in desperation, begging and demanding in the same breath that we save them from their mistakes."

At the center of the universe, a light began to shine, pulling Seo-jin's attention toward it. It was unlike anything he'd witnessed before. For the first time, he could stare directly into its heart without his eyes burning or forcing themselves shut.

His muscles slowly relaxed as a cooling sensation spread through his veins, loosening his clenched hands and easing the tightness in his chest. Without realizing it, his breathing had steadied.

Within the illuminated center, Seo-jin could see the source with perfect clarity.

It was Charon.

He stood at the bow of a massive ship. Constructed from pure white wood, it carried hundreds of masts, their sails embroidered with symbols that seemed to hold the secrets of the universe whenever Seo-jin tried to read them. Thousands of oars extended from either side, cutting through the void in perfect unison.

"With everything in existence hanging by a thread, my siblings and I had felt powerless when the gods fell to war. Though the Veiled stood above them, our elevation came with restrictions. Our power and influence were bound by the Will of the Universe. But now, with that Will broken, we were truly free for the first time. So we used that freedom to make a choice. We chose to sacrifice ourselves."

Still standing at the bow, Charon was joined by the rest of the Veiled. As they gathered together, the light pouring from their auras became too much for Seo-jin to endure. He turned his head away, only to find himself practically face-to-face with a massive blob covered in eyes.

They weren't the only ones watching the ship. The surviving gods had gathered as well.

Countless forms that defied Seo-jin's understanding bore witness to what the Veiled were about to do. As his gaze moved across them, however, it caught on one figure and refused to move. His eyes began to water almost immediately, the tears turning to blood as they ran hot down his cheeks, but he kept staring.

He was determined to burn the image into his memory.

The face of the God of Light, Orashal.

The tension returned to Seo-jin's muscles, his hands tightening as the growl slowly returned to his throat.

"I'm still unsure if it was the right choice. Regret appears to be my constant companion. Unified, we sacrificed our—"

The lamp in Charon's grip began to flicker. Stopping mid-sentence, the darkness within his hood turned from the image of his former self toward the demon sitting in his boat.

Bloodlight had begun leaking from Seo-jin.

"Little Ashkin, remember my warning."

But Seo-jin remembered.

He just didn't care anymore.

For the first time, he stood in Charon's boat, the wood shifting beneath his feet.

"There is no telling what might—!"

"It's all a waste..."

The instant the first word left Seo-jin's mouth, Charon threw up an arm. Light detonated from his lantern, ripping outward into a barrier around the boat, but it was already too late.

Every god floating throughout the surrounding space turned to face them.

Bloodlight exploded from Seo-jin in response. His pale human skin darkened as his body stretched, heat cracking from his flesh while horns punched through his brow. Both Twinback Serpents tore free from his back, their bodies extending behind him as they opened their jaws and bared their fangs at the gods.

"Wasteful children. Every one of you. Rape them. Kill them. Eat, maim, murder, scream, fight! DO IT ALL!"

Lost to his anger and frustration, the demon roared his commands without thinking, as though screaming them loud enough could force his will upon the universe. Whatever fear he'd held toward the gods was gone. All that remained was hate and the need to kill.

Several gods spoke at once. Their layered words struck harder than any weapon, each syllable driving pressure through Seo-jin's skull and rupturing blood from his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. Still, the demon remained standing, blood running down his face as his Bloodlight screamed in defiance.

An arm covered in eyes, large enough to dwarf a mountain reached toward the boat. Charon's lantern did something Seo-jin had never seen before.

The light went out.

Along with it, whatever sense of stability that remained in Seo-jin's body vanished. The instant Charon's lantern went dark, it felt as though a hole in reality had opened behind him and dragged him through.

He was in free fall. His body was still bleeding, internal wounds burning as darkness rushed around him, yet through the chaos and pain, his disgust toward the gods remained his only anchor. All the waste he'd witnessed. The fact that they had nearly destroyed the entire universe because of their pathetic fear and greed had buried itself inside him like an incurable disease.

Consumed by the darkness, his body growing numb to everything around him, Azakh-Tur's consciousness finally slipped away.

Bloodlight still rising.

----

Sunlight struck his face like a brick. It felt as though someone had clamped his brain in a vise and started tightening. Slowly, with painful care, Seo-jin pushed himself upright and opened his eyes.

He'd somehow changed to his human form, and as his vision cleared, the ruined battlefield of the Freelands came back into focus.

He was back.

"That was profoundly unwise, little Ashkin."

Seo-jin forced himself to his feet. The physical ache left behind by the experience faded quickly, but the anger stayed lodged deep in his chest.

Turning toward the ferryman, he realized the awe and hesitation he'd carried since their first meeting was gone.

"Your aspect was Life, wasn't it?"

The boat had vanished. Charon still stood a head taller than him, yet somehow the difference between them no longer felt as vast. The ferryman seemed to notice it as well the moment he met the demon's eyes.

"It was. I instructed the gods in the shaping of new life. When I sacrificed my authority, their knowledge was surrendered with it."

[Then which god created humanity?]

Charon's hood lowered slightly toward Seo-jin's chest.

"Humanity was not fashioned by any god. They were the first mortal race to arise without divine intervention. I believe that is why the fragments of the Godspark were drawn to Earth. Because humanity was born from what remained of the previous universe's Will."

Before Seo-jin could fully process the bombshell Charon had just dropped, the ferryman raised one thin hand and extended three fingers.

"You disregarded my warning and gave yourself voice where silence was required. Because of that, our remaining time has been greatly diminished. Three questions, followed by my final warning. That is all I can afford you now."

Charon's lantern shifted softly at his side.

"Choose with care, little Ashkin."

Without taking even a moment to think, Seo-jin knew what his first question had to be.

"How did my Shard end up in the Maw?"

Charon lowered one finger, the movement slow and deliberate.

"When the Seven Aspects perished, one succeeded in taking hold of a Shard and carried it within its dying form."

The answer was what Seo-jin expected, but he needed to be sure. Even then, it raised more questions than it answered, and with only two left, he didn't know if any of them were worth asking.

[What do you need to know to survive, that's all that matters.]

His thoughts were scrambling in a dozen directions, but the system's words were simple enough to cut through the noise. Seo-jin drew a slow breath, felt the tension ease from his shoulders, and thought clearly for a moment...

"What will happen when I go back to the Maw?"

Charon lowered another finger, leaving only one raised.

"Death waits for you. The moment you return, the Maw itself will seek to reclaim what it believes belongs to it."

Once again, Charon's response raised more questions than it answered. Still, two down and only one more...this one had to be worth it.

Seo-jin looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers once before turning toward the still-sleeping Brood. The final question hit him all at once.

Everything else was backstory. The gods, the Godspark, all of it filled in the gaps, but none of it mattered as much as what came next. Like his system said, survival was what mattered most.

"At the root of everything, strength is the answer. I already know how to get stronger. The fact is, no matter how much I want to deny it, my connection to the Maw remains. Too much of me is tied to it. So my last question is obvious. How do I become the Demon Lord of the Maw?"

Until now, the ferryman had answered every question without hesitation. This time, silence stretched between them. After several seconds, Charon lowered his final finger, though not completely. Instead, he extended it toward Seo-jin's arm.

"Awaken fully the weapon I entrusted to you, and you will earn the right to lay claim to the Maw."

Light began spilling from Charon's lantern, winding around his body as the air stirred with it.

"The blades you wield are one of the Prime Sins, weapons forged in the death throes of the Seven Aspects of Hahn'mak. Awaken them, claim the Maw, and what remains hidden from you will reveal itself. Until that day, heed this warning—"

The light closed around Charon like a cocoon, swallowing his form as the rising wind forced Seo-jin back, his coat snapping against his legs.

"Avoid the Church of Light. Orashal is aware of your existence now. Should confrontation with an angel becomes unavoidable, do not allow them to ascend. And if you encounter a Throne, abandon everything and flee."

Along with Charon's voice, the light began to fade. His body vanished within it first, then the glow itself thinned until only a few words remained on the dying wind.

"Claim your birthright, little Ashkin. When you have, we shall meet again."

Then the air went still.

Behind him came the first grunts and shifting bodies of the waking Brood, followed by the sounds of the world rushing back in as the space Charon had sealed finally released.

[You alright?]

Still staring at the spot where Charon had last stood, Seo-jin rolled his neck until it cracked.

"No."

He was far from alright. Raising one arm, he stared at the scars littering his forearm, his fingers slowly curling into a fist.

"I don't like any of this."

[What're you gonna do?]

He flexed his fingers, watching the tendons shift beneath his skin as his expression hardened. Bloodlight began leaking from his eyes.

"Nothing's changed. Just more things to kill."

Behind him came the frantic rush of the Brood, their feet tearing across the ruined ground while fear and desperation flooded through the broodlink. Before they completely lost the plot, Seo-jin raised a hand.

"Everyone calm down. The threat is gone."

Ten Broodspawn and two broodlings slowed their approach, but still gathered behind Seo-jin. Their eyes remained wary as restless auras pressed against one another.

Snare stepped forward and bowed his head.

"Apologies, Broodfather. We weren't strong enough. Please punish the Brood as you see fit."

None of them argued. From Widow to Bug, the entire Brood dropped to one knee and bowed their heads, filling the space behind him with sudden silence.

"I suspect only a god would have been strong enough. Maybe not even then. Raise your heads. You did nothing wrong."

They obeyed and rose, though Seo-jin wasn't finished.

"But you are correct about one thing. You're still weak, and our enemies have gotten stronger. Plans have changed. We will no longer be farming experience."

Seo-jin looked over each of his children. They had all grown immensely, but everything he'd just learned had opened his mind to new possibilities, including the very real certainty that one day they would be fighting against the gods themselves.

"When it comes to a fight to the death, what determines victory?"

The question wasn't directed at anyone in particular, but Panic answered first.

"Strength!"

Snare followed immediately.

"Strength and experience. Overwhelming power can decide most fights, but against an opponent of equal strength, experience becomes the determining factor."

Turning toward his brother, Panic sneered.

"But what if both are equal in strength and experience? What then?"

Snare answered without hesitation.

"Breeding. The natural talent you were born with. Talent can even overcome compatibility, such as a bowman killing a knight in close combat. Strength first, then experience, then—"

A burst of bloodlight rolled off Seo-jin, forcing the Brood back a step and silencing them.

"Both of you are wrong. Starting now, I'm going to make sure every one of you finds the answer, or I'm going to kill you trying. One-on-one sparring starts now."

Seo-jin stripped off his coat, then unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it free. His chest piece and gauntlets materialized next, and he removed those as well, leaving himself bare to the waist.

"Pain, you're first."

Before any of them could fully process it, the Brood's deepest dream—or worst nightmare—was about to happen.

"Yes, Broodfather!"

Pain couldn't stop smiling.

 

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