Just days ago, Beijing had been a battlefield, a scene of a fierce struggle for the world's fate. Now, amidst the ruins and devastation, particularly the massive scar left by the destructive breath attack, a grand altar had been erected.
A massive, multi-tiered ziggurat-like structure, hundreds of meters wide, impossibly constructed in mere days. But for the being standing atop it, such a feat was trivial.
'Hmm, sturdy enough. It's only for one-time use, but it wouldn't hurt for it to remain as a landmark.'
Horus, a massive golden dragon, tested the structure's durability, nodding in satisfaction. This altar was where the Dragon Heart restoration ritual would take place. It would be preserved as a historical monument, generating a steady stream of karma for him, its creator.
'A small bonus compared to what I've already earned and what I'll earn in the future.'
As the rising sun bathed his golden scales in light—
["We're ready on this side."]
White Dragon's deep voice echoed in his mind.
["Are you sure about this? We trust your abilities, Horus, but this is new for us as well."]
["He'll be fine. His Taoist spells are already on par with the masters, and combined with the magic from his world… I can't even comprehend it."]
Azure Dragon and Red Dragon's voices followed, but Horus was alone on the altar. Their voices were telepathic. The others were preparing the ritual in the Dragon God Temple in the mystical realm.
["This shouldn't be this complicated… But it's too late now. I've set up safeguards. We can always fall back on the original method if something goes wrong."]
Horus chuckled wryly at Black Dragon's grumbling. She had initially opposed his plan, arguing that there was no need to risk an untested method when a proven one existed. The Dragon Children's safety was irrelevant to her.
'It wasn't difficult to convince her, though.'
The Dragon Children weren't ordinary humans. They were apostles, chosen by the Dragon God. They were practically relatives of the Five Dragons, who claimed to be the Dragon God's true descendants. He emphasized that point, and Black Dragon relented. She might be hostile towards humans, but she was protective of her own kind.
["We're ready here as well. We'll begin when the sun reaches its zenith in a few hours."]
Horus glanced at the rising sun, then turned his attention southwest, where a group was slowly approaching.
'They're here.'
The Dragon Children, essential for the ritual, escorted by the Murim Alliance masters. And a large, imposing barbarian carrying a sinister black coffin.
All the necessary ingredients had been assembled.
***
The sun beat down mercilessly, reaching its highest point in the sky.
"Hah…"
Zhuge Huimei sighed as she climbed the steps of the altar. The oppressive atmosphere of the demonic realm had vanished, replaced by a strange tranquility, but her heart pounded with a mix of fear and anticipation.
'I never thought this would be possible. Could it be…?'
A future she had never dared to dream of was within reach. She had believed happiness was a luxury for someone destined to die, but…
Could she continue to dream in this world? In a peaceful world, free from conflict, where she could live a healthy life with her loved ones?
'…Get married, have children…'
She blushed, her thoughts running wild.
'No, no! That's too far ahead! We're not even…!'
She shook her head, trying to banish the image of a certain someone from her mind, her usually calm composure shattered.
But no one noticed her unusual behavior.
"Gulp."
"Hah… Hah…"
The other Dragon Children were equally nervous and preoccupied with their own anxieties.
They reached the top of the altar, gazing up at the massive golden dragon, a creature they had only heard of in stories.
["Don't be nervous. This won't take long."]
A deep voice, both arrogant and childlike, echoed in their minds, attempting to reassure them. But…
Gulp
No one was reassured. They had witnessed the Yellow Dragon's power firsthand. The golden beam of light descending from the heavens like divine punishment, the massive explosion, the mushroom cloud…
And now, they could see the result from atop the altar.
'Where the buildings and walls once stood…'
A barren wasteland surrounded the altar. They remembered the dense ruins that had been here before they fled Beijing. Standing before the being responsible for such devastation, they felt like sacrificial offerings.
Though in reality, the opposite was true.
["Take your seats. I'll handle the rest. Just relax and take a nap."]
A black coffin rested at the center of the platform, surrounded by stone seats that seemed to have emerged from the ground. Uncomfortable-looking seats, but they didn't dare to complain.
They sat down, and moments later—
["It's time. Let's begin."]
Horus, looking up at the sky, declared the start of the ritual.
***
It began in the Dragon God Temple.
Woosh
As the other dragons initiated the ritual, the atmosphere in Beijing became volatile. The ritual was unstable, with the Five Dragons separated and the Dragon Children not yet sacrificed. If left unchecked, the situation would worsen.
Hum
But Horus, in Beijing, took over the ritual, stabilizing the energy. The strange symbols engraved on the altar glowed, drawing in the surrounding energy.
'Let's do this.'
Golden light erupted from Horus's eyes as his accumulated knowledge formed a complex system, a fusion of magic, Taoism, and various other mystical arts. The massive magic circle in the sky connected with the altar below.
Whoosh
Rumble
Storms raged, and the earth quaked. 「Ruler of All」 controlled the surrounding energy, 「Seeker of Mysteries」 refined and shaped it, and 「Defier of Fate」 neutralized any interference.
The massive energy flowed through the Dragon Children, converging on the Karma Jiangshi—the Heavenly Demon—lying in the coffin at the center of the altar.
The Heavenly Demon, a conduit for karma, began absorbing the surrounding energy. The Dragon Children, except for Zhuge Huimei, lost consciousness. Even she could barely maintain her awareness.
'I've diverted most of the ritual's burden elsewhere, so there shouldn't be any strain on their bodies. That's what the altar is for.'
Crack
Small cracks appeared on the sturdy altar. Horus, feeling the immense pressure, frowned slightly, checking the Heavenly Demon's condition.
He judged the moment right and channeled the accumulated karma downwards, towards the sacrifice buried beneath the altar: Greed's remains.
Twitch
Greed's massive body convulsed, absorbing the incoming karma.
["Kuku— He's devouring it greedily. An excellent choice."]
Hans, assisting with the ritual from below, nodded in satisfaction. Greed, a monster whose very existence was defined by consumption, was the perfect vessel, even in death.
["Excellent. It's practically done."]
Greed, the Dragon of Annihilation, who had touched divinity. And now, infused with the Dragon God's power through the ritual. The combined efforts of the otherworldly Gold Dragon and the dimension-invading Demon King were nearing completion.
Flash
Greed's massive body disintegrated in a flash of light, and a massive pillar of light erupted from beneath the altar, reaching towards the heavens, visible from across the continent.
Everyone watched, mesmerized. Zhuge Huimei, barely conscious, the masters waiting anxiously outside the altar, the factions rebuilding their strength, and even the ordinary people, struggling to survive the long years of hardship…
They all stared at the sky, tears streaming down their faces.
Then, the light faded.
And everyone in Ganghwange knew.
The world's fate, the tangled threads of causality, the predetermined future…
Had changed.
["Horus! You did it! The balance…!"]
["Wow! We actually did it! Now…!"]
["I can't believe it worked… I was skeptical…"]
["Good work…"]
The dragons' excited voices filled Horus's mind. They had sensed the change from the Dragon God Temple.
'It's done.'
He didn't worry about side effects or temporary phenomena. The proof was before him.
"Feat Achieved! Restored a collapsing world's balance."
"For successfully restoring a dimension, you are awarded the perk 「Savior」. Ignore all restrictions in other dimensions."
"You have significantly impacted the world by achieving this feat. Karma greatly increased."
Not just an 'achievement,' but a 'feat,' his first beyond transcending dimensions.
***
Within a hidden realm connected to Earth—
Twitch
The figure, sitting cross-legged and motionless like a statue, stirred. The tremors intensified, and his eyelids fluttered open.
"This is…"
The Master of Heaven's Turn Society, who had been refining his divinity, instantly grasped the situation. Such a reaction couldn't be trivial.
"Ganghwange again."
The dimension where his apostle, the Heavenly Demon, had died. He had been annoyed by the loss of his agent, but this was different, more concerning.
"…How?"
The flow of causality connected to him had shifted. The dimension he had meticulously destroyed was being restored. This wasn't just about the death of his agent.
'Did the main god intervene? No, even a god has limitations. And Ganghwange's god is a passive observer.'
A dimensional god was too vast a being to micromanage the affairs of its world. It was easier to destroy and recreate than to restore a damaged dimension…
'I thought I had thoroughly destroyed it. I must have missed something.'
A god could only nudge things in the right direction, hoping its creations would figure things out. He had taken that into account, but it wasn't enough.
'I had a bad feeling ever since the Heavenly Demon died.'
It seemed a great hero had emerged in that dimension, someone capable of altering even a seemingly fixed destiny.
"Tsk, it's done."
He couldn't do anything about it now. He had already extracted everything he could from Ganghwange. Returning there would be pointless. It was more profitable to explore new dimensions.
"…It's time to move again."
The slumbering giant within the quiet, isolated space began to stir, seeking new worlds to devour, to satiate his hunger.
***
"Excellent. Simply excellent."
I nodded in satisfaction, a beer in one hand and a chicken drumstick in the other. Hard work deserved a proper reward. And the accounting after a major project was always the most anticipated moment.
"Now then…"
The last time he checked, he had around 6 million karma points after absorbing the Demonic Cult and enhancing 『Dimensional Barrier Weakening』. He had been scraping by, barely able to afford 『Growth Elixir (7 days)』…
『Karma Possessed – 9,510,657』
"…Karma's multiplying…"
His karma had replenished, an abundance of digits filling his vision.