Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint-Chapter 399: Heroes Are Born in Times of Chaos

Knocking down and rebuilding a single block is easy. But when thousands, even hundreds of thousands of blocks are stacked into a towering structure, both toppling and restoring it become monumental tasks. The conflict between vampires and the Holy Crown Church has endured throughout human history, entrenched across countless nations and the lives of millions.

This struggle, which began in the distant past and continues to this day, is so vast and ingrained that it is perceived as an unshakable truth. Vampires loathe the Holy Crown Church, and the Church despises vampires—both seeking to eradicate the other. In this seemingly inevitable war, powerless humans either conform and survive or fail to do so and perish.

But is that truly inevitable?

Even without demons, humanity changes the world.

And humanity is the world.

Thus, humans can change other humans. It is not surprising. After all, vampires are also humans—humans who reshape others into nothing more than sustenance to satisfy a fleeting hunger.

If vampires can do it, then so can other humans. The only boundary between possibility and impossibility is ability. Unfortunately, neither the Thunder Archon nor the Thunder Guardians possessed the power to overcome the calamity that was an Elder Vampire. It would be cruel to label them incompetent for that. If strength were so commonplace, Elders would not have carved their names into the annals of history as relentless, insurmountable beings. The blood of the fallen was merely another ink stain deepening the cruelty of their legend.

But perhaps, if someone with enough power intervened—

"Aaaaaaaah! This is pissing me off! This is so damn annoying!"

Amidst the massacre, Kabilla seethed with fury.

Her domain was black magic—sacrificial rituals that consumed blood and bone. The simplest, most efficient method of exerting power through her craft was to breathe life into minions, crafting vessels to wield her will. Gifted with darkness by the progenitor, Tyrkanzyaka, Kabilla wove her magic into her puppets, creating indestructible thralls. Monsters seemingly dragged from the depths of hell raised their blades.

But while darkness itself does not rust, the bodies that contain it can still break. The persistent power of corrosion relentlessly wore down her creations. Blades lost their edges. Bone-jointed limbs snapped apart. No sooner had they been completed than they crumbled into ruin, leaving only lifeless remnants behind.

To Kabilla, it was like unveiling a meticulously crafted doll, only for someone to immediately smash it to pieces. For a puppeteer, nothing was more humiliating.

"This is the first command I’ve received in three hundred years! My sister gave me this mission herself, and you dare interfere?! That’s it, I’m killing you! I’ll tear you apart and make you into my new doll!"

Enraged, Kabilla brandished her bone saw, ready to strike. But she did not act immediately—not because she was merely bluffing, but because Tyrkanzyaka stopped her.

Without a word, with only a single glance, Tyrkanzyaka brought Kabilla to a halt. Then, she turned to Peru and spoke in a gentle, measured tone.

"Out of respect for what we once shared, I have no desire to harm you. When my indifference blankets the world, take refuge in its shadow. The darkness is merciful enough to conceal a single soul."

She was within reach of death—if Tyrkanzyaka wished it, she could be killed in an instant. And yet, the progenitor chose not to. In that moment, Peru felt both her arrogance and her grace.

"Then take him and leave. Do not lay waste to Claudia any further."

Tyrkanzyaka did not break her gaze from me as she responded.

"They destroyed what was precious to me first, all of it. If they shattered what I held dear, then it is only fair that they be shattered in turn."

"You intend to slaughter all of Claudia’s people? Simply because the Thunder Archon placed their faith in them?"

"I am not so ruthless. But—"

Tyrkanzyaka’s crimson eyes gleamed with a cold light as she declared:

"I will overturn this land and uproot its very foundation. Wild-growing weeds must be eradicated at their roots."

And in that process, blood would flow. The mere mention of vampires already stirred fear and hatred in many. But beyond that, vampires needed human blood. Wherever they passed, the scent of blood would follow—whether from corpses or from nourishment.

Claudia was Peru’s city. She could not allow it to be seized by another.

"We don’t care." Peru’s voice was firm. "We don’t care about vampires. We don’t care about the Holy Crown Church. We don’t care about what’s between you two. Just leave. Please."

"You will learn soon enough." Tyrkanzyaka’s voice was unwavering. "You will see what becomes of those who invoke the name of God under the fangs of vampires. And I will carve it into history, into the world itself, into your very blood—so that none will ever forget."

As vampires had always done.

As long as the Holy Crown Church existed, they always would.

Peru was left with only one option—to watch helplessly, barely clinging to her life. Just as all other humans had before her.

"...."

As Peru clenched her teeth, weighed down by overwhelming helplessness—

Thump.

My heart pounded violently. Tyrkanzyaka felt the slight tremor in my body and turned her gaze toward me.

"Hughes?"

Her eyes carried a hint of expectation. Under her watchful gaze, I sprang to my feet.

It wasn’t some grand awakening triggered by witnessing human deaths. Nor had I defied death itself to return. I had simply, at long last, discovered the true purpose of the demon’s power residing within me.

The ability to summon lightning? It wasn’t anything so grand. The truth was, even Fran had not sought to conceal the blaring, overwhelming power of thunder. No, the real secret was something else entirely. What I had been granted was not the destructive force of a storm but merely a fragment of its essence—just enough for my weak body to wield it in the smallest of ways.

And ironically, that was the one thing the Lightning Thief had most wanted to keep hidden.

The tingling sensation coursing down my spine felt sharper than ever. I clenched my fist. The lightning threading through my body responded, guiding my fingers to curl inward. Making a fist was something I did all the time, but this was the first time I had truly grasped its mechanism and twisted it into something I could control at will.

The Demon of Lightning, Fran. I had glimpsed the meaning he had tried to conceal. And now, I could command the faint lightning flowing through me however I pleased.

I let out a quiet sigh.

Wow. This is completely useless.

What the hell was I supposed to do with this? The power to forcibly hold together a broken body and push it to move? That was nothing but self-destruction. If my body had collapsed, there was a reason for it. A strike wasn’t something you could just ignore—sometimes, your body needed to shut down. I should be respecting its right to go on strike. What was the point of gathering demonic powers if this was the result?

Still, I had work to do.

"Hughes?"

Ignoring the voice calling me, I approached Peru. Standing before her, I carefully calculated my breathing and forced my lungs to produce sound. Only I knew just how excruciatingly difficult it was to utter even a single word in this state.

"Are you still afraid of destroying everything?"

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"...."

"Are you still hesitating to use your power, afraid it will tear this country apart—even when you’re on the brink of death?"

She hesitated, despite holding the power in her hands. Up until now, the only ability she had ever wielded was the Corrosion’s power. Even now, with the Golden Mirror at her disposal and the Lightning Thief watching her intently, Peru still refused to swing her strength freely. She lacked experience, yes, but that was secondary. The real issue was that she was still wondering whether she should wield it at all.

"Humans waste far too much time worrying about meaningless things. 'The laws of nature.' 'The will of the heavens.' They act as if disrupting them will bring disaster. But if you really think about it, it’s utterly meaningless."

Animals don’t attach significance to every action they take. But humans? They create reasons for living, fabricate concepts like 'value,' and then tie themselves to them. They construct this illusion that life has an answer, and that answer dictates how they must live.

Like fools.

"If humans are part of nature, then everything humans do is also natural. If the heavens truly have a will, then human will is part of it too. Defining something as 'forbidden' is nothing more than glorifying human existence beyond its due. Are there really things we can and can’t do? Where’s the proof of that? We do things because we can, and we succeed because we try."

I cast a glance back at Tyrkanzyaka.

"There’s a living example right over there. Hold onto a single belief for a thousand years, and it becomes common sense, an unshakable truth. Even though nothing was ever set in stone to begin with, it becomes an immutable reality."

Truth does not exist among beasts. Sheep do not consider wolves their sworn racial enemies. If they did, shepherd dogs would never have existed.

Nothing is predetermined. Deciding and choosing—that is something only beasts do. And surprisingly, it’s neither noble nor extraordinary. It’s simply life.

"Are you telling me... to fight?"

"How do you move forward without clashing against something? Well, if even with this power, you’re still afraid, running away is always an option."

"Can I... do it?"

"As long as you don’t throw it away."

All I did was give her a push toward making an ordinary choice.

Peru made her decision. She raised the bell in her trembling hands. Weak, frail arms shook the bell, producing a feeble chime, no louder than the dying cry of an insect.

"From this moment on—"

And yet—those sensitive to power froze. A shiver ran down their spines. Silence fell as all eyes turned toward her.

Toward the scene of an overwhelming force being unleashed—something far too immense for a mere human.

"No one here... will die."

A single vow transformed into power.

Ding.

A quiet chime echoed through the mist.

The restorative power of the Golden Mirror spread indiscriminately, affecting everyone.

Severed wounds forcibly sealed themselves shut. Broken limbs rejoined, not as a process of healing, but as a complete restoration—an absolute reconstruction of what had once been whole. The Thunder Guardians, beings born from alchemical refinement, those who had not yet perished, were granted a temporary reprieve.

And beyond that, something long dormant awakened at the sound of the bell.

A flicker of light surged from the Thunder God’s remains. Then, with a great rumbling, a massive hunk of metal regained its form and rose.

Clouds spiraled inward, drawn to its awakening. Mist laden with lightning wove itself between the construct’s frame, forming its very body. From its eyes, thunder crackled. From its mouth, storms howled.

Restored through the power of alchemy, the fully reformed Thunder God stood behind Peru and let out a deafening roar.

[----!!!!]

Even excessive power is nothing to fear once you decide to use it.

Peru had just undone Claudia’s greatest wish—the elimination of the Thunder God. With the colossal entity standing behind her, she spoke with unwavering resolve.

"From this moment on... I will allow no further destruction."