Chapter 516. Reversal

After the war with the Abyss, or to be more exact, after Chi-Woo found out about the existence that had interfered and messed up his life, he had promised himself to become great. To become greater than anyone else and step on the law of causality. It didn’t matter that the existence was an intangible being. Even if he had to forcibly give it form, he vowed again and again to crush it. It was now time for him to keep that oath. Chi-Woo raised his arm and rummaged through the air as if he was looking for lost items.

Soon after, Chi-Woo tightly clutched his hand like he finally found what he had been looking for, and his hand trembled; he felt a strong resistance, as if a captured mouse was twisting and squirming its whole body to escape his grasp. However, the mouse’s struggle was futile. When Chi-Woo clenched his teeth and opened his eyes wide, the calm flow of the circle turned volatile with the violent sound of a rupture. Chi-Woo threw his fist down as hard as he could like a hunter refusing to let his prey get away after capturing it, and he brutally dragged his prey out. The whole area fluctuated as if there was an earthquake; it was as if he had thrown an invisible giant to the ground.

It didn’t take long for the trembling ground to become awash in light, but the light didn’t last. It quickly died down and shrunk into human form—how should one describe it? It was in the form of a human, but it wasn’t human. It was a completely different being in a human mask. Like Chi-Woo, it seemed to contain infinity inside it.

Chi-Woo’s words had materialized into reality. Shockingly, he had really forced the law of causality into a physical form. Of course, it had already been decided whose infinity was superior. The human made up of light collapsed and wasn’t able to regain its senses. It looked slightly flustered, which was an understandable reaction. It had tried to change the cause and effect to escape the current situation, but an even greater will had interfered and sabotaged his attempt.

Chi-Woo moved towards the light figure—the law of causality. Standing in front of the human form he had forced the law of causality into, Chi-Woo spoke quietly.

—Why did you do that? If you just let me be, I’d have lived quietly and died.

The light human stopped suddenly.

—Why did you do that? Why did you torture and torment me? Why? For what purpose?

The law of causality slowly lifted its head. When their eyes met, its glowing body trembled.

—Tell me.

It was only a few words, but the law of causality felt overwhelmed by the intense will that pressured its whole body. Thus, its mouth opened against its will, and in an instant, its thought was conveyed to Chi-Woo.

—Me. I’m an agent of the will of the universe.

—You. You are a fate that shouldn’t have been born. A profound threat to the order that maintains the balance of the universe just by your existence alone. Thus, there was no other way. Because…

However, the law of causality couldn’t finish its thought because Chi-Woo had stopped listening and lifted his foot to trample its head.

—How cliché.

He sounded bored.

—Too old. It doesn’t feel fresh at all.

He spoke with a bored expression and drove his heel into its head.

—Can’t you think of a more interesting and new justification? An excuse that would make me think, ah, that’s right. There really is no other way.

The law of causality ground its teeth. How could a great existence like it imagine that there would come a day when it felt such pain and humiliation?

—…That’s why I said it’s dangerous.

The law of causality conveyed its will with its head beneath Chi-Woo’s foot.

—I’m a law born out of necessity from the will of the universe. I am an existence that has been working to keep the balance and order longer than anyone or anything else in the universe.

—But you. You are a mutant at best…!

The will of the law of causality was forcibly cut off again by a kick in the mouth.

—That’s very strange.

Chi-Woo stomped on the law of causality once again and tilted his head.

—At the end of the day, you did what you wanted, didn’t you?

The will of the universe tried to maintain the balance of the universe as fairly as possible, but there was a limit to its fairness. In other words, there were also those who did not fall within those boundaries it set—like Chi-Woo. The will of the universe said that there was no other way since to save the majority, a few had to be sacrificed. Chi-Woo didn’t agree with that thought, but he didn’t deny it either. In the first place, he had no intention to discuss the morality of the universe’s will. Instead, he asked a simple question.

—I’ve become stronger and greater than you. That’s why I’m going to do to you what you’ve done to me.

Since the situation had now been reversed, and Chi-Woo had become the stronger one, he wondered if the law of causality could likewise accept the sacrifice of a few for the majority.

—You can do it. But I can’t?

The law of causality became speechless at Chi-Woo’s question. As an agent of the will of the universe, it was dumbfounded. Unlike its responsibility to balance an indescribably huge stage, its opponent simply desired to live freely however he wanted. The weight of their great cause was drastically different; it would be absurd to apply the same standard. Therefore, the law of causality spoke in a distorted voice.

—You’re a mere mutant. What would you know…!

Bam! There suddenly came a deafening roar. Chi-Woo had slammed his fist down as hard as he could before he even finished hearing what the law of causality had to say. The hit could’ve split a planet in one blow, but Liber was fine because Chi-Woo had focused all his power on one target alone. The law of causality couldn’t even let out a squeal. Since Chi-Woo didn’t even allow its extinguishment, it didn’t disappear. The law of causality suffered an indescribable pain that it had never felt in its entire existence.

Chi-Hyun had said that the will of the universe was fair in its own way, and he wasn’t exactly wrong. Perhaps the will of the universe really sought the maximum fairness it could possibly carry out. However, the problem was that there was one prerequisite for that, which was none other than its superiority. Fairness pursued on the basis of one’s superiority was nothing more than a lie. Rather than working hard for everyone sincerely, it was closer to a charitable act of benevolence based on a sense of superiority.

If the law of causality had maintained a consistent attitude without making an exception for itself, acknowledging and accepting this fact, Chi-Woo would have also thought a bit differently since it would have set a fair standard as Chi-Hyun said. However, the law of causality hadn’t done that. At Chi-Woo’s question, it discarded its mask of fairness and revealed its true nature by making an exception only for itself.

—That’s.

Chi-Woo slowly raised his fist.

—Not fair.

If said fairness, which was the basis for maintaining the balance and order of the universe that the law of causality so advocated for, only stemmed from its own idea and self, then there was no reason for Chi-Woo to hesitate anymore.

—You’re just doing whatever you want in the end. Like me.

If anyone could set a standard, there was no law that stated the will of the universe must be the one to take the position. Chi-Woo stared down at the law of causality, which was squirming like a worm. Judging from its open mouth, it seemed to have something else to say.

—No, leave it.

However, Chi-Woo had no desire to listen any longer. After confirming that the will of the universe was also nothing but an existence with free will, all his lingering hesitation had disappeared.

—You’ve been bothering and tormenting me for too long.

Chi-Woo reached out to the law of causality.

—Disappear from my life now. Forever.

With these last words, the body made out of light rose and lengthened as if it was being sucked into a blackhole. It stretched like a piece of straw and spun around before being swept into the endlessly spinning circle inside Chi-Woo. And that was it. The infinite vortex was caught up in the infinite circle and disappeared without leaving a trace. Chi-Woo fully absorbed the law of causality and glanced up. The will of the universe had not yet disappeared, yet it had become obsolete after losing to Chi-Woo its most powerful weapon that controlled the universe, the law of causality. As a result, the existing order that maintained the balance of the universe had essentially collapsed.

Of course, that didn’t mean the will of the universe would just stay quiet. It had been robbed of its precious weapon, and with a knife at its neck, it would probably run wild with fear and anger. The will of the universe was already running berserk. Although the sky was still blue, Chi-Woo could clearly see it—a tremendous chaos that had just started in the universe. Now, starting with that chaos, countless chain reactions would occur and dominate the universe. As Chi-Hyun had said in a metaphor, it would be like many countries obtaining nuclear bombs that only one country had had.

However, it didn’t matter. Chi-Woo looked up and smiled thinly. He had been prepared for this in the first place. If he didn’t have the confidence to handle it, he wouldn’t have even started. The events that had happened so far crossed his mind like a panorama. When he first entered Liber, everything had been hopeless and bleak. He had wondered if he could ever get rid of all the enemies on Liber and return to Earth. While walking with difficulty step by step, he was always doubting himself. However, he had finally reached the end despite all that.

The Demon Empire had fallen, and he had destroyed the Abyss. He also managed to cause the Sernitas to self-destruct. Furthermore, he even dragged down the will of the universe, which could be considered his true enemy. In a dark tunnel where there was no end in sight, he finally saw the glowing exit. Yeah, it had appeared before him, but…

—…

He wasn’t as happy as he thought he would be. Although all enemies had been wiped out, Liber was saved, and he had finished his ultimate opponent, he wasn’t moved in the least. What was wrong with him? Chi-Woo looked around and realized the reason.

He had finally gone through the exit, but when he came out, there was no one around him. He spotted Ru Amuh, who was on the ground with his eyes open, and Ru Hiana, who was lying prone on top of him. It seemed as if Ru Hiana had seen Ru Amuh get beaten and run to him before ending up joining him in death. Yunael seemed to have been eaten by a cannibalistic monster, and her lower body was gone. In contrast, Emmanuel’s upper body had melted. Apoline had lost all her limbs, and her head and torso remained alone. There were no signs of Yeriel at all. The back of Evelyn’s head had been crushed, and a mix of blood and gray matter flowed out. And…Chi-Hyun. Horrors that were hard to look at were everywhere around him.

He could count on one hand the number of people who were still relatively fine, like Flora. Thus, he couldn’t be happy. Even though he had accomplished his goal, could he say that he had reached the future he wanted after witnessing this horrifying scene? No, not at all. How could that be? They were those who had suffered more than anyone else after entering Liber. Rewards should be given for good work and punishments for bad deeds, likewise, there needed to be joy after suffering. Of course, there was no law stating that had to be the case. Since there was nothing as absolute, this outcome could also mark the end of a story, but—

—…No, this isn’t right.

Chi-Woo of all people didn’t want this ending.

—It shouldn’t be like this.

He didn’t want a sad ending that went, ‘after bravely fighting and winning, the world was saved, but most of them were brutally killed…’ Instead, he earnestly wished for and wanted a happy ending that stated, ‘after bravely fighting and winning, the world was saved, so everyone lived happily ever after.’

Thus, at this very place, Chi-Woo turned everything back—to get everything he wished for and wanted.