Chapter 163
A teal energy first shot up from Serphina's body.
It pierced through the wall of the labyrinth.
And then.
Shhhhh.
The surrounding scenery transformed.
This was the labyrinth, yet it was not the labyrinth.
It was clearly underground, yet he could feel the open air and look up at the sky.
Seonghyun realized at once.
The scenery he was witnessing was likely something akin to an illusion.
Just like when he had summoned Balthar and Drakhanos, an event scene was unfolding.
Hwaaaa——!!!
The surroundings were cast in darkness.
The teal energy that had been piercing the ceiling just a moment ago vanished like a mirage.
Filling the space was a dark night sky.
Not a single star, nor even the moon, could be seen; only a night sky filled with pitch-black darkness.
In that sorrowful and desolate night sky, a crack formed.
Jjeojeok. Jjeojeok.
The crack gradually grew larger.
And then, the crack shattered, the darkness scattering like gloomy clouds in the wind.
And from between the dark clouds scattering and vanishing into the sorrowful and desolate night sky.
Swaaaaaa——!!!
A brilliant and beautiful, yet lonely, moonlight filled the world.
A chilly north wind began to blow, making the lonely moonlight feel all the more solitary.
From beneath that moonlight, a solitary woman slowly walked forward.
Ttok, ttok, ttok.
At the sound of the woman's footsteps, the moonlight seemed to shatter and scatter on the fierce wind, brilliantly illuminating the area.
The woman emerged from within the light, knelt before Seonghyun, bowed her head, and softly parted her lips to speak.
“The dark night has ended. Reborn in the brilliant moonlight, carried on the piercing wind, Serphina Nightbloom greets you.”
Her voice was gentle, and her demeanor was filled with composure.
Following her pledge of loyalty, a system message appeared before Seonghyun's eyes.
[『Homunculus, Entity Name - Serphina Nightbloom』 evolves into 『Witch of Wind and Moon, Serphina Nightbloom』.]
From the Witch of the Night to the Witch of Wind and Moon.
So that's why the presentation was like that.
Seonghyun marveled inwardly for a moment and tried to gauge Serphina's power.
He'd have to see for sure, but seeing as she had evolved through Transcendent Death,
‘Is she a little weaker than Anemor, and stronger than Karisha?’
She was definitely incredible.
Wait.
Then what happened to Helena?
With that thought, Seonghyun looked at Helena's body, which was beside Serphina's.
It was enveloped in a light that resembled a pure white cocoon.
Had her evolution not started yet?
Was she in the middle of absorbing power?
There were no system messages either, so should he just wait quietly?
As he had that thought,
Jjeojeok, jjeok.
The pure white cocoon of light cracked, and just as with Serphina, a teal energy burst forth.
However.
“Keuk.”
The scale was on a completely different level from Serphina's evolution.
A light so intense he could barely keep his eyes open.
As Seonghyun struggled to face the light, he could see the teal energy erupting from the shattering white cocoon mixing with a gloomy, dark energy and a pure white celestial light, the same as the cocoon itself.
What on earth was that?
The collision of those brilliantly shining, rainbow-colored lights looked like the birth of a god from mythology.
“Ah.”
As Seonghyun let out a soft sound of awe, the light swallowed the surroundings and reshaped the world anew.
Hwaaaa———!!!
Just a moment ago, the space had returned to being the labyrinth, but it was transformed in an instant.
It hadn't just changed to look like the outside world as it did for Serphina.
It felt as if the world itself had been replaced.
Kugugugugu———!!!
As if the entire world were shaking, he could feel the space tremble.
But the world revealed itself fully, as if to prove it was still intact.
From the sky above, a pure and noble white light poured down.
But as if in defiance of those heavens, from below, the abyss beckoned, greedily coveting that light.
It writhed ceaselessly, reaching out as if to swallow even a sliver of that light.
Kwagagang———!!!
Hwiiiiiik———!!!
Swaaaaaa——!!!
Amidst the tense energy between the heavens and the abyss, as he faced this new reality, it felt as though he were watching a world in its infancy.
The hideous abyss and the noble heavens.
And between them, a dreamlike, light-pink flower bud bloomed.
Neither stained by the noble light of the heavens nor crushed by the hideous grasp of the abyss.
The flower bud grew steadily, swallowing both the brilliant light and the abyss's hideous grasp whole.
Ssssssssss———.
And as the flower bud, possessing both a brilliant light and an abyss darker than anything else—finally bloomed, a mysterious woman appeared within it.
She looked like both a primordial god and a primordial demon.
Jiiiiiiiii———!!!
Kuuuuuuuuu———!!!
The world trembled as if in a seizure.
As if to bless her birth. No, as if to curse it.
In a state of chaos, its true will unknown.
She tossed her luscious, red hair that shone like the crimson moonlight, possessing a body like the heavens and black eyes like the abyss.
This woman slowly approached Seonghyun.
“……”
As Seonghyun watched her without a word, she gave a fresh, alluring smile and parted her lips.
“Hi? Nice to meet you.”
Just like the first time they met, she greeted him.
And Seonghyun, just like that first time, replied without thinking.
“Hi. Helena.”
[『Homunculus, Entity Name - Helena』 evolves into 『Monarch of Heaven and Abyss, Helena』.]
Monarch of Heaven and Abyss.
She had departed from the class of Overlord, but she was a Monarch all the same.
An absolute being who could command the world and bring the masses to their knees.
Seeing Helena like this, Seonghyun nodded his head.
‘Helena is still Helena, after all.’
As Seonghyun marveled, system messages appeared.
[The Authority of the Overlord now dwells within 『Witch of Wind and Moon, Serphina Nightbloom』.]
[『Witch of Wind and Moon, Serphina Nightbloom』 receives the Blessing of the Undying.]
[『Witch of Wind and Moon, Serphina Nightbloom』 transcends her previous power and gains new strength.]
[The undead that has transcended death will react to its master's growth and grow infinitely as well.]
[The Authority of the Overlord now dwells within 『Monarch of Heaven and Abyss, Helena』.]
[『Monarch of Heaven and Abyss, Helena』 receives the Blessing of the Undying.]
[『Monarch of Heaven and Abyss, Helena』 transcends her previous power and gains new strength.]
[The undead that has transcended death will react to its master's growth and grow infinitely as well.]
After the entire transcendence process was complete, he could finally begin to feel Helena's power.
From the strength he could sense,
‘Is she on par with Drakhanos?’
Drakhanos, who had displayed power that was overwhelming compared to the other familiars.
She was similar to him.
To think that a being created with Transcendent Death and Homunculus Alchemy was on par with a primordial demon knight.
It was nothing short of astonishing.
Unlike Drakhanos, who was aged and couldn't be active for long, Helena could be active at any time.
He had obtained his strongest card.
However.
‘Should I call this disappointing?’
This was Helena, after all.
To think she was only on par with Drakhanos.
Having experienced Helena's former majesty firsthand, Seonghyun couldn't help but feel a little let down.
“Hmm.”
“Hm? Why? Because you think I'm not as good as I used to be?”
Helena looked at Seonghyun, her eyes half-lidded.
She seemed a little angry, a little pouty, but Seonghyun didn't deny it.
I mean, it wasn't untrue.
He obediently nodded his head.
“Well, yeah.”
“Hmph~ Serphina, do you think so too?”
“…O-Of course not!”
When Helena asked Serphina, she answered while trembling in fear.
The hierarchy seemed to be firmly established.
Well, the difference in their power was significant, so it was only natural.
And then.
“No, Serphina. Seonghyun is right. I may have obtained the status of a Monarch, but still... it's true that this is a bit disappointing.”
He thought she was just teasing, but now she admitted it readily.
It was certain that she couldn't even be compared to the Helena of the past.
“I'll just have to think of myself as newly born. What can I do? At least I have a body now, so my soul won't scatter.”
“That's a huge relief.”
“Hmph, flattering me won't get you anything.”
Helena said, sounding a little pleased by Seonghyun's words.
While the two of them were talking, the familiars, who had been standing guard at a distance, sensed that Seonghyun's alchemy was finished and approached.
They were a little surprised to see Serphina and the powerful energy she exuded.
To think he had created a new familiar!
Just as they were thinking, 'As expected of our master,' their gazes shifted to the woman standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Seonghyun.
-Uh, uhh!? L-Lady Helena?!
-Hieeee!!! Lady Helena!!!
“L-Lady... Helena?”
The three familiars' eyes trembled violently.
They knew Seonghyun was performing alchemy, but they had never imagined that Helena's body would be completed so soon.
They couldn't help but be shocked.
However, they all just looked at Helena, not knowing what to do.
Their master now was, unequivocally, Seonghyun.
Approaching Helena to greet her warmly in front of him could, in a way, be seen as a form of idolatry.
They couldn't help but be cautious.
But was Seonghyun the type of person to get upset over something like that?
As if telling them to enjoy their reunion, Seonghyun stepped aside for his familiars.
Helena, too, looked at her familiars, laughed, and then scolded them.
“Aha-ha! You all are still going to act like babies?”
-Hwaaaaaah! Lady Helena!!!
-To think we'd... truly meet Lady Helena like this again...
“...It has been a long time...”
They had spoken to her as a ghost through Leonik, and they knew she was there, but it had been such a long time since they'd talked with her in a physical body.
Just as they were about to start catching up, Helena shook her head and spoke to them.
“We can chat all we want when we're resting in the old castle in the Netherworld. Are you really going to do this now, while Seonghyun is here?”
-W-Well, that is...
-Ah, ahh.
“Keuheum.”
“Remember, my master now is Seonghyun, not me. If you cause even the slightest trouble for him...”
Helena didn't finish her sentence, but seeing her fearsome glare for the first time in ages, they all came to their senses.
The emotional reunion was overshadowed by the thought of receiving the same strict punishment they remembered from the old days should they cause trouble for Seonghyun.
They all swallowed hard and trembled.
They really didn't want to receive that kind of punishment again.
They were older now, too.
They wanted to avoid it at all costs.
Seeing them all stand at disciplined attention, Seonghyun shook his head.
'That's Helena for you.'
She's no joke.
“Aha-ha! Alright, alright, if you understand, then let's be good. So, Seonghyun.”
“Hm?”
“Shouldn't we test out how strong Serphina and I are?”
That was just like Helena, knowing exactly what Seonghyun wanted to do.
He obediently nodded his head.
Helena looked at him and said,
“Regular monsters are too boring, so shall we go hunt what you all call a 'raid boss'?”
Seonghyun nodded, looking at Helena, who spoke with an alluring smile.
So, where should we go?
To check how strong a Witch and a Monarch are?
Ah, and while I'm at it.
‘She did ask me to contact her beforehand, right?’
He should do a live broadcast for the first time in a while.
1.
Watching from afar, Branch Manager Belmore couldn't stop his eyes from trembling as he saw Seonghyun create the homunculi.
Seonghyun, the one and only heir of Over Palace, a man who would become a great being.
The homunculi he created were astonishing.
The first witch he created was surprising, but the sight of the Helena he made afterward left him speechless with emotion.
Her pitch-black dress, her skin as white as the heavens, and the extraordinary power of a Monarch that emanated from her.
A being of such stature had become the heir's familiar.
And he realized who that transcendent being was.
“Ah!!! Ahhhhh!!!!!! Ahhhhhh!!!!!! The great previous Overlord has personally descended to become the heir's familiar!!!”
Of course, his line of thinking was a little strange, but Branch Manager Belmore made his judgment and hastily left the area.
This had to be the sign that Seonghyun was the true heir.
He wanted to announce the joyous news to the whole world, but he had a more important mission.
“Let's wait until we can offer tribute to the heir—no, to our master.”
Thinking that the time would come soon, Branch Manager Belmore continued to follow Seonghyun.
