Level 0 Master

The blood formed a strong current and broke the ground.

It was the suppressing flow which had once destroyed their mountain's peak.

Every single stream contained the destructive power of a flood. One movement dented the ground, and another broke rocks.

Not to question the human body.

Those streams gathered to make an ocean's whirlpool.

Even a battleship would have been destroyed by its power.

This was the incomparable power that slew the three knights with one blow, but Ereka stood in front of its brunt force and held her shield up high.

"Aegis!"

Her golden shield shone, protecting her comrades, showcasing her rightful rulership as an answer to the abusive tyrant.

According to the legend, the blessing of light was impenetrable.

"This stupid shield!"

The bloody torrent of the Blood Ruler clashed with the shield.

Which was stronger?

Between the ultimate skill of an awakened level 8, and the regular ultimate skill of level 6.

The level 8 would be stronger… If it was a normal shield.

But the Aegis that the princess was holding was not a normal shield. It was an artifact given by Athena, the goddess of protection, war and wisdom, to the royal household after they made an oath to protect the people.

This was a power of God beyond the artifacts of saints or heroes.

It was beyond the level of a Divine Weapon that God had made for humans; it was God's Dignity that God created for himself.

That also meant that it could block the power of a level 8 enemy, and support their team.

"It's but a side skill blessed upon a weaker heart. Someone who sacrifices herself for another's life is not suitable to become a ruler! Die!"

The Blood Ruler was left with only one choice.

The bloody torrent swallowed Ereka up. Holding the shield to protect everyone, her body was torn apart.

Although it was like the Blood Ruler to eliminate the protector if the protection was bothersome, all of it was within Sungjin's range of calculations. Ereka's sacrifice was not in vain.

"Now!" Sungjin shouted at the perfect time.

Jenna and Rittier were already prepared to attack according to his order.

Thor's hammer shook the sky, while the old knight's sprint trampled the earth.

That short amount of lag after she used her ultimate skill—they didn't miss that chance to attack her with their best skills.

They had more people, so even though they lost one, they could still win. They worked had hard at eliminating the three knights to get this advantage.

Victory was confirmed.

But then, the scarlet magical sword roared again.

"I will show you the true colors of my sword."

Another bloody torrent spurted out from the magical sword, and the red body of the sword showed its real shape.

It was…

Surprisingly, a sword made of bone—not steel, not a meteor, but bone. It wasn't even the bone of a monster or a magical creature, but the bone of a lamb.

But it was not the bone of a regular lamb.

"True Name: The First Blood! The curse that contains all the bloody sins which appeared after your death. Bring forth your sacred blood, here and now!"

This was an artifact, the First Blood. The origin stemmed from another legend on Earth, when the brother Cain used it as a weapon to kill his younger brother, Abel. The first murder weapon to exist.

It screamed in the hands of a girl who was trying to kill her sister. The magical sword was an artifact made from bone of a holy sacrifice; it was covered with the sin of murder.

It was since then that murder became a repeated sin of humanity.

The reason why the torrent of blood was so oppressive, was because the blood bore the weight of that sin.

So the power as an artifact was as strong as the ultimate skill of the Blood Ruler.

"A… second attack?"

Sungjin froze. The blood ocean swallowed Thor's hammer.

At the end of the day, the Blood Ruler was level 8, while Jenna was in level 5. Jenna didn't stad a chance.

"Kyaaaah!"

The bloody torrent easily stopped the attack and crushed Jenna to pieces. Then it headed to Sungjin to tear him up into a million pieces.

"Iron Faith!"

In that moment of danger, Rittier threw Sungjin behind him and blocked the attack with his whole body.

"You can't! Break my faith!" The old knight shouted out, but the bloody power was way too strong.

"Cute. There's no faith that can't be broken by power. It's only the question of which breaks first, the spirit or the body."

"Ugh."

As according to the scoffing Blood Ruler's words, Ritter disappeared, swept away by the current. Still, the bloody torrent didn't stop and the tsunami of blood came back to take Sungjin.

His cold mind calculated that he couldn't run away from that tsunami with his speed.

Despair swept him up before the tsunami. But then, a little light came out of the bloody ocean.

It was Jenna.

She, who had used her skill and became a fleeing spark of energy, was on the verge of fainting due to her sliced body. But still, she used the last of her strength to push Sungjin's body away from the current with her own.

The blood gnawed at her from behind, but Jenna still pushed Sungjin. She wanted to save him.

"Eeeeeek!"

With a shout, Jenna pushed Sungjin out of the blood. The tsunami died down behind them.

"Hehehe... Oppa, you're okay, right...?"

By the time the light around her died down, she had only her upper body. She was trembling in pain, but she tried to smile for him. Soon, her body scattered and disappeared.

Sungjin couldn't do anything but watch.

That had been the best position he had planned using all their forces. He had used all the information he gathered, studied them, and prepared.

He already knew that there was something more to the ultimate skill of the Blood Ruler that she showed to the princess on the mountain.

He predicted there would be more skills. He studied various cases of the ultimate skill in various battles in numerous locations to understand the possibilities.

And he was sure that he would defeat her when he looked at the ultimate skill alone.

Another variable was a counterattack by an artifact, and he was prepared. He checked all the existing artifacts and planned the solutions for each case. That was why he was 99% sure.

But he was in the 1% situation now—an artifact that could duplicate your ultimate skill.

His team did not have enough force to return that.

He had done everything he could.

But to think the Blood Ruler had the rarest artifact that could make everything else powerless, the only variable within that 1% error.

"Man proposes, and God disposes."

Sungjin felt the same regret that Zhuge Liang felt when he succeeded in his fire attack yet failed to catch Sima Yi.

If there was only the Blood Ruler, he could have won, but fate was not on his side.

Fate protected the level 8 Blood Ruler from the level 0 extra.

An artifact that duplicates… The… Ultimate kill?

Sungjin had to accept his failure in front of absolute power.

He saved his team from any damage and attacked her with their plan… Only to be defeated.

"Hahaha. Finally, you're wearing a suitable expression before me."

Riad laughed arrogantly, but Sungjin couldn't argue.

He was alone.

His team was annihilated.

He couldn't even find a trace of their bodies.

All of them.

No, that wasn't all. His promise to take out the tyrant, the Blood Ruler, to free this world and the hope of people was swept away with them.

Now the Blood Ruler would take over the kingdom to sacrifice everyone for herself. Countless people would be abused and die miserably.

The oppression of the Ministry of Gender Equality was smaller than a needle in a haystack compared to her.

What should I do?

Sungjin's brain calculated his situation and all the possible possibilities in this desperate situation. The answer was clear.

There was no answer.

There was no way to make it work.

The game was over. He was defeated.

"Now, you realise how stupid you are."

Riad pointed her sword towards his neck.

"Using the power you have is not the only way to set up a strategy, but having power itself is always one. You, not killing the princess to obtain power is the reason for your misery."

To fight against the tyrant who killed everyone to accumulate her power, his choice of not sacrificing a girl that he liked was a sign of his weakness.

"Ugh..."

He couldn't argue, knowing she was right.

Is it… over?

Was he bound to end here, far from becoming an Arc Master?

The heroes were praising the Blood Ruler in their waiting room.

"Our Blood Ruler!"

What had they feared?

His devil-like intelligence?

Maybe.

But the absolute power of the Blood Ruler was the greater devil's.

If Sungjin's strategies increased the potency of a power, the Blood Ruler had a power which oppressed everything, even that increase.

In the end, the winner was a level 8's power, not a level 0's intelligence.

One's level was the only measure of power and privilege.

Level was the true power.

The absolute privilege.

The people fell into despair again.

"Ahah... Your Highness..."

"We... are done..."

"Your Highness... Sungjin..."

Nania was among the people who lost their spirit and fell down to the ground. Their hope had been killed by the Blood Ruler's absolute power.

Ereka, back in the waiting room, put her hands together.

"Not yet. Sungjin is still out there."

She told herself that she wouldn't let him lose because he protected not only her rightful rulership but also her life.

She wouldn't let the Blood Ruler abuse people with tyranny.

She had her final method; she pulled out her dagger.

The sword made of gold with an ominous red ruby decorating it looked like bad news.

"Your Highness..."

Rittier's face became dark because he knew that the dagger was to kill herself and finish the ritual to give Sungjin all her power.

"My princess!"

Jenna cried, but none of them could stop her.

This was the only way to stop the Blood Ruler. If they didn't do this, both Ereka's life and the extras' were forfeit.

"Don't!" shouted Sungjin from the battlefield.

He couldn't see the waiting room, but he knew.

"Sungjin. You know this is the only way."

Ereka answered, knowing there was no way he could hear her.

"Don't! I… I will..."

Sungjin couldn't promise that he would win. He couldn't even finish his sentence. His brain knew that there was no way.

He couldn't stop Ereka, while he couldn't even lie to himself.

"Don't blame yourself. You've been great. It's just that the Blood Ruler's power was too great to fight against."

They had to sacrifice something to fight back.

The princess smiled sadly while looking at the sharp dagger.

She thought she was ready, but her hands were shaking.

She remembered the promise she made with Sungjin to go on another picnic.

Ah… yes… I always dreamed of a romance with my ideal man.

She tried her best to get approved by her father, who taught her knighthood and martial arts to make her strong, but she couldn't meet his expectations.

Playing with dolls and talking about romance with princes or heroes always made her heart pound.

She dreamed of falling in love with a prince, cooking for him, dancing with him and making him happy.

She hated martial arts once her father stopped her from going to a dance party to greet a foreign guest. That was why she ran away from home, saying she didn't want to become a ruler.

After her father passed away, she stood against the Blood Ruler while the other heroes stayed silent. She had to give up her dreams as a girl to become a knight… But her childhood dream was still there.

Maybe that was why she was so happy when she met Sungjin and fell in love with him.

It was short, but I was really happy.

She was happy just imagining the picnic with him.

She was shy, but she daydreamed of being his lover.

She wished for a life together with him.

Ah… Sungjin...

She smiled sadly at Sungjin.

She didn't regret her decision to become a ruler.

She was not regretting her oath to choose rulership over love.

It was worth the effort to try to protect everyone.

But… but…

She didn't know she had to abandon something that made her so happy, something that she wanted so badly.

If only she could fall asleep in his arms one last time…

She wished and wished.

If she had one more day, she would have spent it in his arms.

If she had one more day, she would have confessed her hidden feelings.

But now, it was the moment of choice. No, she had already made her choice when she was holding her shield.

She had a million wishes, but that didn't change her mind.

Good Bye. I give my everything to you.

She could trust him and give him her life because she loved him.

She pushed the dagger into her heart.

There was no blood.

But the ruby sucked up her blood. The ominous red shone brightly, and the ruby started to pound like a real heart.

The princess protected everyone once again.

Even when nobody protected her.

A flame of darkness spurted from Sungjin's body. It was not burning or melting but swallowed up the ground around him with the intention to annihilate everything in its path.

"What?"

The massive power made even the Blood Ruler step back.

Dark flames evaporated the bloody ocean.

It looked like a gigantic dragon was coiling up. If the bloody ocean of the magical sword was made of human sin, then the dragon of dark flames was evil itself from the deepest parts of hell.

"AHahaha, so this is your power?"

The Blood Ruler laughed, pretending to be calm, but she couldn't even hold her sword still.

Even if the princess sacrificed herself to give her power to Sungjin, she was only a level 6. She thought that shouldn't be threatening, but the dark flames with unimaginable power were pressing down against her.

She understood that if she fought this being, her, her level and her everything would become ashes in a heartbeat.

This magical creature from the Other World had power beyond measurement.

It was impossible to measure him with levels, now that the ritual has been completed. The princess was just a catalyst; she was not the power that was given to him. The power was from another realm.

Princess Ereka's spirit whispered to Sungjin.

She was slipping away, and her spirit was dragged to the battlefield by the power, allowing her to witness the burning flames of darkness.

So this is Sungjin's sealed power.

As her life faded away, the evil dark flames started to show its shape.

I'm glad. With this power, you can fight the Blood Ruler.

Her sacrifice had not been in vain.

It must be difficult, but take my life.

Sungjin understood her.

Realistically, this was the best way. He meant it when he said he wanted to protect her. But what he wanted, reality wouldn't allow him.

It didn't matter who was right in this world. The strongest would always be the winners.

Using everyone as her sacrifices didn't matter. As long as she got power, the Blood Ruler would be the winner.

What they needed was the power to fight back, not just justice. Justice was the last thing they needed.

It was ironic that a girl became unhappy to make everyone happy, but that was how it worked in any world.

When fighting against a weak enemy, he could talk about a perfect victory, "following his dream kind of bullsh*t" to look cool. But when he had to fight against a strong enemy, there was no place for vanity. To become strong enough to fight back, a sudden level of sacrifice was a necessary evil.

He had to accept the power from the princess. This was the only way to win. That was the conclusion his brain had reached.

This was the best way for the princess as well. Although she lost her life and her happiness, she would be able to keep the last the last thing she wished to protect as a ruler.

The dragon of dark flames coiled around him they became united. A dragon brand started to appear on his chest around his heart.

"The person who followed the forbidden ritual to join the battle watched by God. I have fallen from the light. I was light but became darkness."

A deep and dark voice echoed.

"The king of those who fights against God. The great king of kings who rules hell."

Sungjin was full of power. The Blood Ruler in front of him was nothing to fear.

He was sure that once he took this power, he would win.

"My name is the morning star which abandoned the light. The despair that left hope."

The dark flame dragon roared. The air heated up, and all the clouds on the battlefield evaporated.

"I am… Lucifer."

When he revealed his name, a circle of pact appeared under Sungjin's feet. The name and the weight of the name agitated the battlefield and the waiting room.

Heroes succeeded only in the name of spirits.

But superhumans.

Those who overcame the limits of humanity.

They were the successors of various spirits from different worlds beyond Valhalla.

But to think he would be greeted by the ruler of hell.

Not the ruler's minions, the ruler.

The king of kings.

An extra, no… a magical creature from somewhere else will succeed the great name of the king of hell?

Now people understood why this power was beyond levels and was above any existing means of measurement.

"Now. Answer. Just one word. You give me your first encounter to be my successor. With your answer, I will become your power."

In the moment of defeat, the king of hell offered victory. It was a great offer.

"Answer. You shall rule this world."

He wasn't promising one victory.

"There will be no human who can fight against you. You will be beyond them."

It was a glory beyond humans. He had to accept it, but...

"I don't need it!" Sungjin answered.

The black flames disappeared, and the imprint disappeared with the flame.

The power of the princess went back.

He didn't need it. He didn't need a cheap victory by using her as a sacrifice.

He was going to fight without it.

His head understood the impossible reality and accepted it while his heart couldn't.

Sungjin drew out his sword with his pounding heart. He ran toward the Blood Ruler with his pumping blood. He ran towards a level 8 wall of despair.

It was not an act of courage without fear. Every step came with bone-crushing fear weighing on his shoulders.

It was the fear of reality that Ereka had to sacrifice herself in order to fight back against this evil.