Jaehwan realized as he watched Sameng Garam walking up to him.
"I might lose."
However, he already was ready for it. He didn"t come because he was sure that he would win. It was just that this was not his final destination. He had to go to the top of the Tree of Imagery. If he were to be stopped here, if he avoided this fight, then he would not be able to reach the top anyway.
Sameng Garam"s body began to wield a dark flame.
"W-we have to run!" Sirwen shouted frantically. "He"s not a Greater General… no!"
Sirwen also realized when she saw Sameng Garam wielding his power. The most powerful Greater General? No. It was a false rumor.
"He"s already at the level of a Commander!" Sirwen shouted, but her voice faded away as Sameng Garam"s dark flame distorted the s.p.a.ce to create a new s.p.a.ce.
"We don"t need disruptions."
Jaehwan looked around. The world was distorted, but this place wasn"t anyone"s unique world. It was a normal world with the same system. Sameng Garam spoke.
"Awakeners wish to destroy this world."
He spoke as a dark flame burst from his fist.
"That"s why they- you don"t see it. This world itself is a unique world to some."
The flame then was thrown at Jaehwan. Next moment, Jaehwan was being thrown away. It was the first time he couldn"t dodge an attack. This was the real power of the System.
Jaehwan landed and tried to quickly dodge. But he still couldn"t dodge Sameng Garam"s fist. Second punch shook Jaehwan"s body. Jaehwan tried to focus his power on the sword to use Strong Stab again. But the attack, powerful enough to destroy the land and sea, was being destroyed by Sameng Garam"s punches.
"No matter how strong it is, you cannot fight me with just Spirit Power."
He spoke arrogantly.
"I see. So, attacks with Spirit Power don"t work against him."
Spirit Power, after all, was a resource offered by the "System" itself. However, Sameng Garam"s power was beyond that. It was something that was the world itself.
"You seem like you are on the verge of "Creation", but do not know how to use your world yet. You wish to move up to the Depths with such a level?"
Sameng Garam stopped attacking and Jaehwan"s expression darkened. It was a sign of arrogance, breathing s.p.a.ce given to Jaehwan as mercy.
"Show me your world. Open your "Creation"."
Creation. Jaehwan knew this word already. In the book that Mulack left, there were records of his findings about Awakeners.
-Awakening is divided into 6 steps. The first three steps allow one to destroy the current world, and the latter three allow one to create a new world. These make up the step of "Creation".
Jaehwan knew he was at the 4th step, meaning he had reached the "Creation" stage. But he couldn"t understand what it actually meant. He already had a unique world. What did he need to create after that?
Jaehwan thought. What did he need to create? What was the difference between a unique world that had started "Creation" and one that didn"t? "I will not wait for too long. If you cannot open it, I will force you."
He was looking elsewhere. Jaehwan felt his heart fall. Sameng Garam charged and ran past Jaehwan.
"NO!"
His attack threw Chunghuh and Sirwen away. Cayman was barely standing now with his sword as a prop. Yet Sameng Garam smashed the quadhorn sword into pieces. Jaehwan felt Cayman"s spirit energy being destroyed as Sameng Garam repeated his attack.
Jaehwan ran with all his might. And-
"M-master…!"
Cayman shouted in shock. Jaehwan was struck hard and blood began to seep from his mouth. But he stood. He then glared at Sameng Garam, panting.
"They are not like you. This life is all they have. This world is "only one" they can live."
…
Suddenly, Jaehwan felt as if he was struck by lightning. This world was the "only one"? He began to see flashes of his memories. Memories of when he was born, when he went to school, when he was with his friends… all those memories had one thing in common. The world where he was in.
And when he was there, he did not grow [Suspicious] of his world. How could he? He was living in the world. The world was there because he did not become [Suspicious]. He knew it as "real". The world of the system was born with that "trust".
"If then…"
If the world existed through "trust"...
"What if I trust another world?"
At that moment, Jaehwan"s unique world moved. All those memories began to speak to Jaehwan.
"That world is fake."
"That is not the world we lived in."
"Do not run from the world!"
It wasn"t easy. Trusting a new world didn"t just create a new one right away.
"One isn"t enough."
Jaehwan needed absolute trust to create a new world. He needed all of his memories to be changed. All of them had to yearn for the new world. But how could he persuade them? They represented all the "Jaehwans" himself, the stubborn one that never forgave.
Jaehwan chose not to persuade them. He just glared at them, declaring silently that he would not give up.
As for the attack from Sameng Garam, Jaehwan did not do anything. All the Jaehwans from his memories were shocked. If it was left alone, their body would perish.
"Dammit."
"…He"s me after all."
"Just for this one time."
Soon, all the Jaehwans turned to the same world. The world that had not existed before. And in the next moment-
Jaehwan"s body that was burning in dark flame began to s.h.i.+ne. The world that Jaehwan had in his imagination was now turning into reality.
"…Ah!"
Sirwen was stared in astonishment. She who had lived for 2000 years knew what was happening.
Creation.
From the opening of the world, Jaehwan pulled out something. It was a dark sword. Jaehwan then realized the keyword for the 4th step. The 4th step was the power allowed imagination to turn into reality.
[Theory]
A dark sword was the symbol of objection to everything of this world. Jaehwan held the new sword, and his old sword in each of his hands.
"So, this is your world."
Sameng Garam spoke as he looked at the new sword.
"It is unfortunate."
Sameng Garam knew what it meant. He knew what Jaehwan"s world was trying to achieve.
"A world born only to destroy another world."