Chapter 148

Something was wrong.

Panting heavily, my breath came out in ragged gasps. Even if I searched through the memories of this body’s owner, there was hardly any instance where he had panted so harshly like this.

BANG!!

A strong man’s knee hit the ground with a loud thud, a man whose strength could be counted on one hand in this entire world. Even without considering that I had never felt such deep confusion and humiliation in my original body, this sensation now soaked through the chest of the uncertain entity, whether it was him or her.

“Get up.”

The heavy and dry voice of the man cut off any further feelings of humiliation and confusion as he approached steadily.

When he first appeared, he seemed like a brilliant gem with immense potential but no opportunity to blossom. Now, he had become a threat even to the decaying existence that he was.

The thick aura emanating from his body, an aura that could be seen even by the decaying existence who couldn’t even remember their own name, made him a formidable threat.

Even if they were reduced to this decaying state, they knew all too well what kind of power this man possessed, a power that reminded them of the unforgettable humiliation they had suffered.

Even if they were no longer in their prime, this man’s power was dangerous enough to threaten their very existence.

But if it were the first time expressing blind and human anger towards the owner of this body, then maybe things would be different.

This man, who had been learning the sense of transcendence while suppressing all emotions for the greater good, was now unable to withstand it.

While reason told him to retreat quietly from this place, pride and arrogance, which had kept them alive despite losing their power and name, refused to accept such a realistic judgment and denied reality itself.

This can’t happen. This must not happen. Why is this happening to her?

Not only did she lose her power once, but now she’s about to fade away before she could regain it completely.

I cannot accept this. No matter the reason, I cannot accept this reality!

After transforming the overwhelming anger rising within like a flame into a scream and desperately denying reality, the decaying existence, presumed to be him or her, pondered why things had come to this.

Despite the clear fact that the situation arose from their own inadequacy, the decaying existence continued to accelerate their thoughts, trying to find someone else to blame.

The consciousness of this existence eventually traced back to the moment when they first observed the world.

A being that wielded immense power and authority, capable of controlling the world with just a finger or even willpower alone, had fallen from grace.

What action could such a being take when faced with their current decayed state?

Would they sit down and weep, cursing their past glory while recalling the days of their splendor? Or would they dream of a despicable revenge against those who led them to this state, without acknowledging their own faults?

Or perhaps, in desperation, would they thrash about, doing something laughable that others would mock?

For a transcendent being who had fallen to the point of forgetting their original name, the third option was to struggle to survive and strive to reclaim lost glory.

Though they had lost their power and name, there was one thing they hadn’t forgotten. A memory of how they had extended their glory during their glorious times.

In a world with more stars than the night sky, many people dream of impossible things.

One could greatly evolve as a being by giving up on such dreams, but there are those who still seek to fulfill these dreams, relying on an overwhelming power beyond good and evil.

This former transcendent being, defined as him or her, granted twisted desires and gained the divinity needed to exist with dignity.

By accumulating this divinity, they eventually obtained the power and authority to control the world at will with just a single will.

Compared to heroic figures who might contribute to the restoration of order in a chaotic world, or divine beings who descend as avatars to solve widespread problems, the actions of him or her were extremely selfish.

They filled their own ranks by satisfying the seemingly insignificant desires of mortal beings, desires that could be fulfilled through twisted means tainted with malice.

Predictably, this lowly method drew the intervention and eradication of higher beings who had distanced themselves from such methods.

Yet, it was easy to predict that a being who had risen so quickly through such a method would not give up this path easily.

Even though they had once suffered a severe setback and had become cautious, the situation had pushed them to listen to their desires and consider the circumstances around them.

Driven by the desire to survive and reclaim their former glory, this pitiful and disgusting being, who had been eagerly seeking transcendent power to fulfill twisted desires, discovered a wish in a world that resonated with their wavelength.

Compared to the complex actions they had taken in numerous worlds to elevate their status, this was a simple task.

It involved erasing the existence of a single individual, a wish far simpler than the overwhelming desires of someone who sought the world’s destruction.

This wish stemmed from a twisted motivation that he truly despised.

The delusional belief that eliminating a hated existence and leaving no trace would prevent their life from becoming miserable.

This wish and belief, born from such a trivial idea, were too insignificant even for him or her to consider seriously.

But instead of wasting precious power on fulfilling this wish, they scoffed at it and turned away.

It might have been a better choice for the previous him or her to feel satisfaction from watching mortal beings despair over unfulfilled wishes rather than waste effort.

However, due to the urgency of the situation and their inclination to choose safer paths, the decaying existence shifted their focus to this wish.

From afar, it seemed like a minor issue to intervene directly, which contributed to their decision.

In some worlds, individuals could ascend to the same level as their peers despite being born mortal, achieving what seemed impossible.

In places where power was limited to mortal standards, fulfilling a small wish and quickly retreating would ensure success.

Thus, they needed to urgently manifest in the material world to grant the wish of whoever called them, regardless of the conditions.

Realizing this, the decaying existence felt a strange warmth, as if their nonexistent body was heating up.

They realized that the person calling them was acting impulsively based on emotions rather than consciousness, which threatened to ruin everything before they could perform the ritual.

If the decaying existence sensed the end of the other’s consciousness and manifested through their body before they regained it, it wouldn’t be an unusual occurrence, even if it wasn’t a perfect manifestation.

Though regrettable, the incomplete manifestation was a given.

But as they moved to confront the human whose existence they needed to erase to fulfill the wish, the decaying existence realized something.

The human who provided the borrowed body.

Even though they were willing to sacrifice others and the world for the sake of achieving their goals, this was a type of human they found extremely appealing.

Far from just a mere mortal, this human was far stronger than anyone they had encountered in ordinary worlds.

Moreover, despite being bound by mortal destiny, this human possessed talents that were rare even in countless worlds.

Given that even the bloodline the human wanted to eliminate carried such talent, albeit to a lesser degree, it was clear they had a similar gift.

This explained why, despite intending to kill the target immediately upon manifestation, they observed and analyzed the person out of curiosity.

Imagine, in the past, they wouldn’t have even noticed such a wish. Yet, after manifesting, they saw a glimmer of hope in the borrowed body and its owner, a chance to rise to great heights.

How could a desperate decaying existence resist such an enticing prey?

THUD!!

“Looks like even when you’re in top form, you’re still acting crazy…”

The pain spreading from the jaw and stomach, felt through the borrowed body, confirmed the harsh reality.

The target, whom they thought they could control as easily as prey, now treated them as prey.

Even though they had never imagined such realistic violence and pressure before, they couldn’t stand up.

“…Is this the end?”

Even if a miracle happened and they escaped unscathed, the realization that their spirit, depleted of energy and unable to return to the material world, would vanish forever, brought a burst of despair.

“K… Kuhuhuhu…”

Instead of a poignant smile during their initial fall, this existence now let out a hollow laugh, having lost all hope.