C610
Once again, Jin stood in front of the Chaos Gate.
As usual, all the Legends alternately glanced at Jin and the Chaos Gate.
"Today, that guy's fate will be decided."
"Whatever decision Brother Jin makes, we will sincerely follow."
Jin looked at Vahn, who stood with an expressionless face.
In Vahn's calm eyes lingered the feeling of loneliness he had harbored while gazing at the Chaos Gate for the past two days.
"I'll be back."
As Jin entered the gate, empty darkness and Chaos greeted him.
Initially, every time Jin entered, he would immediately see Chaos's massive body.Chaos would initiate the fight each time with a powerful front paw strike or a mighty tail slap.
Now, whether due to loss of strength or some other reason, Chaos was not visible.
So, Jin advanced aimlessly. He walked slowly for an hour.
And for the first time since entering Chaos's territory, he realized there was an "end" in this dark space.
Jin began to see an unusually dark curtain.
At first, he thought it was a point connected to Chaos's unconsciousness, as it was in the abyss of Gliek.
However, it was simply the end.
It seemed to be blocked by a wall, and Jin couldn't advance.
Even if he slashed it with the Shadow Blade, the crack wouldn't open and it wouldn't be destroyed.
As Jin walked along the wall, a figure of Chaos lurking in the distance became visible.
Chaos lifted its body when Jin came into view, appearing even smaller than last time.
Though maintaining the form of a dragon, it was overall round and almost resembled a rabbit pup.
It seemed it wouldn't even fill Jin's palm if placed on it.
Moreover, there was no longer the destructive force that used to emanate from Chaos.
The moment Chaos was struck by Jin's ultimate sword technique, it lost almost all its power.
"Eh, bastard. It's disgusting to see your arrogant face already drunk with victory."
Jin had an expressionless face.
"The Sister Goddess of Battle said this outside. It's not that you couldn't kill me, it's that you didn't kill me out of fear of feeling even more lonely. Is that true?"
"What do you know, you said you were going to kill me now."
Jin unsheathed his sword and placed it beside him.
Then, after raising his hand as if with no intention of harming, he sat down ten paces from Chaos.
"You never know, your answer might make me change my mind."
"Huh! Are you taking it easy because you think you can handle me even without a weapon?"
"You're distorting the meaning quite a bit."
"Don't you think? My life is ruined because of you. Originally, I was supposed to hatch perfectly by merging with you, but thanks to your sister, that plan went awry. So, we should be able to live our own lives, but you hurried to kill me."
"Isn't it natural since you took away my strength?"
"Your monstrous siblings just sided with you. Ignoring all my pleas."
"If you had returned my strength, the problem would have been solved."
"If I returned it to you, it would be useless, and I would have died by your and those monsters' hands! Did you ever think to speak as you do now? Besides, you keep saying that you stole it from me, but that's my strength."
There was a moment of silence.
"You just said your life was ruined. Is it because you lost all your strength? Or is it because once you enter this place, you can't leave on your own?"
"...Wait, how do you know I can't leave on my own?"
"The Sister Goddess of Battle told me. Every time a crack opened, your inner thoughts were transmitted."
Chaos's eyes widened.
Chaos was completely unaware of this fact.
"Haha! Really? You mean she knew everything. And yet she remained aloof? That's great."
As if it were unfair, Chaos gnashed its teeth.
"She's my sister. It's natural to classify you as an enemy."
Jin took a moment to reflect on the dark space he had traversed.
Nothing but absolute darkness, and it even took an hour of walking to reach this place.
When Jin thought that this was all Chaos was allowed, he felt even more sorry.
The reason the Sister Goddess of Battle kept looking at the gate with such lonely eyes was probably because she deeply felt its loneliness.
Jin could also read Chaos's inner thoughts when he was outside.
At that time, he felt sorry for Chaos, despite the overwhelming anger directed at it.
In a way, Chaos reminded Jin of Shuri.
For nearly a thousand years, Shuri was abandoned and alone in the desolate thorn forest in the corner of the Black Sea.
Let's spare its life.
That's the conclusion Jin came to.
"You don't seem to be able to read my thoughts right now, do you?"
"Are you thinking about how to kill me?"
"It's quite the opposite. However, I do have some concerns."
"What?"
"Firstly, I've heard that you are the First Chaos originated by the witch Heluram. And the first chaos have unpredictable characteristics."
"Who is the witch Heluram?"
"What?"
"I don't know anything about that. I just woke up inside you."
Chaos was in a state where it was unaware that it was the "First Chaos Originated by the Witch".
This was the reason why it had always perceived Jin's strength as its own.
Chaos believed it was not born from the Witch but originated in Jin.
"Then why did you react so sensitively to the Shadow Energy?"
"It's instinctive fear. It's like not knowing how I could exist from someone like you with that kind of thing."
In other words, Chaos was a kind of "seed".
Heluram's power was implanted inside Jin as a sprouting seed.
To Chaos, it didn't matter who planted the seeds, and it didn't even care.
Initially, trying to devour Jin and become one was nothing more than an instinctive growth process from Chaos's perspective.
When Chaos explained these things, Jin couldn't help but laugh.
"They're incredible stories."
"Whether it's true or not will be revealed as soon as we step outside. Your monster sister can read my inner thoughts."
"Don't you have tricks to get out?"
"I really don't trust you all the way. I fled to this place because I was afraid of your monster sister, and you kept getting stronger by resonating with her. Now, I've even lost my power. What can I do if I go out? I have nothing left, thanks to you!"
It didn't seem like a lie.
'Well, he was terribly afraid of my siblings even when he had power.'
Jin nodded.
"Alright, I'll take you out. What do I do?"
"If you just open a crack... really?"
"Since I've regained all my strength, there's really no reason to kill you. Personal resentment has also been somewhat resolved. There's one last problem, but for the sake of the Sister Goddess of Battle, I'm willing to endure it."
"...For the monster sister?"
Swoosh-!
Jin unleashed his Shadow Blade and opened a crack.
"Let's go."
Chaos followed Jin and stood in front of the crack, then hesitated for a moment.
"If I leave, won't your monster sister hate me?"
"Well, if you want to stay here, feel free to do so."
"No, no. I'll leave, I'll leave."
Finally, when Jin and Chaos stepped out into the training ground, the Legends widened their eyes in curiosity.
"Is that the First Chaos?"
"It's gotten very small, hasn't it?"
"Brother Jin, you said you wanted to give him a chance, but it seems you decided to let him live."
"Now that it's come to this, let's give him a warm welcome. He even looks a bit cute."
"Oh, Brother Jin. Well done! I was actually worried about what would happen if you killed that guy. Nice to meet you, I'm Boras, the Fifth Battle King! Since we need to proceed with some investigations with your help, it would be good for us to get closer quickly, right?"
Surprised by the unexpected welcome, Chaos seemed bewildered and hid behind Jin.
Additionally, Jin noticed Vahn's eyebrows furrowing.
She could now read Chaos's inner thoughts.
On the other hand, Jin didn't hear Chaos's inner thoughts.
"Come closer."
Vahn reached out to Chaos. Chaos looked at her and cautiously climbed onto her hand.
'Although he kept saying she was a monster, he seems very docile with Sister Vahn.'
There was one last problem.
When Jin said that just before coming out, he referred to the black stains that had remained on his body.
It was hinted that they might disappear if he killed Chaos, but Jin spared Chaos for Vahn's sake.
It was because he had seen Vahn sad. Vahn had felt Chaos's loneliness as if it were her own, and she felt a kind of camaraderie with Chaos.
A feeling of being trapped in a dead world, unable to escape even if she gave her life for it.
That's why she had been looking at the Chaos Gate with such a lonely expression.
Chaos seemed to be continuously talking with an inner voice while sitting on Vahn's hand.
Occasionally, Vahn nodded in response.
"...So, does that mean you can get rid of the stains on Brother Jin? I understand. Brother Jin."
"Yes, Sister Goddess of Battle."
"Now, I'll take care of this child."
Jin didn't question Vahn.
Her choice meant she trusted that Chaos could never threaten her and the siblings.
A black energy, like Shadow Energy, flowed from Chaos's body.
The energy hovered near her, Vahn, and was absorbed by her Light Heart.
As Chaos's energy seeped into Vahn's Light Heart, the black stains in the form of tumors on Jin's body faded and disappeared.
It seemed like some kind of contract, and from Chaos's perspective, it was a "relocation".
'But how can you be so cruel? You've been reading my thoughts all along.'
'That's because you tried to harm Brother Jin.'
'In the end, the reason you agreed to accept me is that I could be of help to that damned one.'
To that, Vahn responded by stroking Chaos's head and said,
"It's not just for that."
And Chaos read Vahn's inner thoughts.
The truth is, I've felt a lot of pity for you since the first time your inner thoughts were transmitted through the crack.
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