Chapter 449: Ruler of Voracity

Fwoosh—!!

The Flames of Voracity aggressively bounced away from Oh Kang-Woo. The flames tried to charge at him several more times.

"You still haven't learned your lesson, motherfucker?"

Kang-Woo frowned. The Flames of Voracity charging at him were being bounced away by an invisible force. The battle between a single human and flames colossal enough to swallow the world whole looked like it wouldn't even be a contest from a glance.

'But this is a space formed within my consciousness.'

The laws of physics did not apply here. It did not matter who was stronger; one's willpower and ability to control energy did, and Kang-Woo had far surpassed even the Demon God in those two aspects.

Fwoosh—!

The Flames of Voracity exuded intense heat in anger and twisted around as if it couldn't understand. If willpower was the most important in this space, this phenomenon couldn't be. After all, desire was the most powerful instinct for a demon.

Fwoosh.

The Flames of Voracity condensed in midair and took the form of a human. It was similar in size and shape to Kang-Woo as if it had used him as a template. The flames in the form of a human slowly walked toward Kang-Woo.

"What do you want?" asked Kang-Woo as he smirked fiercely.

He lightly stomped his foot and then the Demonic Sea wrapped around the Flames of Voracity.

Fwoosh—!!

It writhed aggressively but could not escape from the enormous Demonic Sea's clutches. Now that Kang-Woo was free from the shackles of desire, the Demonic Sea was back in his full control.

"Got a problem?"

Fwoosh—!

"Hah. You've sure had it easy, huh?"

Kang-Woo slowly walked toward the blazing Flames of Voracity. It struggled with all its might and burned even more fiercely to get out of the Demonic Sea's grasp. The sticky black mucous energy began to evaporate little by little.

"After ten millennia of being under my feet, you happily decide to crawl up after seeing a sliver of a crack in my defense to take advantage of?"

Kang-Woo smiled widely at his desire. He had never once succumbed to his desire in the long span of ten millennia. He had overcome it every single time and emerged victorious. His desire was unable to control him; he was always the one to control it.

Split.

Kang-Woo opened his mouth. The corners of his mouth ripped to his earlobes and sharp teeth emerged from between his lips.

Crack!

Goat horns sprouted from his forehead.

Grrrrk.

The Demonic Sea surged and wrapped around Kang-Woo.

"Hurghhh."

He crouched within the raging Demonic Sea. An unfathomable sense of omnipotence filled him.

Fwoosh—!

The Flames of Voracity in human form stepped backward. Feeling uneasy, it then turned around and began to run away. Kang-Woo cackled as he stuck his long tongue out.

"I told you—"

Boom—!!

Kang-Woo shot forward like a bullet and the Demonic Sea wrapping around him followed as if stuck to him.

Whoosh!

The Demonic Sea stuck to Kang-Woo's back spread out like a fan. The Demonic Sea spread on each side of his back looked like giant black wings made of sticky mucus.

"To kneel!"

Splash!

Kang-Woo clenched the fleeing Flames of Voracity and shoved it into the Demonic Sea. The endless abyssal sea swirled around like a vortex and began to devour the Flames of Voracity.

Grrrrk! Grrrrk!

The Flames of Voracity floundered desperately. The black sea was greedily devouring the Deific Essence of Voracity.

Fwoosh!

The Flames of Voracity stuck within the Demonic Sea extended its arm toward Kang-Woo as if begging him to let it out.

Kang-Woo cackled and asked teasingly, "What? You want to live?"

Fwoosh, fwoosh!

It nodded with what looked like its head. Kang-Woo grabbed the Flames of Voracity stuck within the Demonic Sea.

"Hmm. What to do?"

He narrowed his eyes and fell into thought. It would be the best choice to eliminate it since it had risen against him.

'But I can't abandon something that I went out of my way to raise to Top-rank Deific Essence.'

He couldn't afford to abandon the Deific Essence of Voracity because the Flames of Voracity were extremely powerful.

"Come out."

Kang-Woo pulled out the Deific Essence of Voracity stuck within the Demonic Sea.

Fwoosh—!

The flames that had been blazing so fiercely that they could devour the entire world stepped away from Kang-Woo as if running away. The blazing flames then bowed to Kang-Woo like a loyal subject of a king, or a devotee to a god.

Riiing.

[The 'Flames of Voracity' have surrendered to you!]

[Raising the rank of the 'Flames of Voracity'!]

[You have absorbed the Deific Essence within the 'Flames of Voracity.']

[Raising the level cap from 100 to 110!]

[You have reached your Twelfth Awakening!]

[You have fulfilled a portion of the condition to acquire Transcendent-rank Deific Essence!]

[There are ten more levels left until you reach the maximum level (Thirteenth Awakening).]

"Sheesh, this thing is loud as hell. Why are you coming out only now when you didn't when I was telling you to?"

Kang-Woo smirked as he picked his ear. The blue message windows did not appear in front of him because this was a space within his consciousness. In exchange, the messages were read out within his head.

'Well, I'll think about them later.'

Kang-Woo slowly turned to the flames in human form bowing to his feet and narrowed his eyes.

"Bow down properly."

The flames flinched, properly smashing its head down on the ground.

"Stand up."

The Flames of Voracity stood up.

"Sit down."

The Flames of Voracity quickly squatted down. Kang-Woo chuckled.

'I don't see the point of something like this in my consciousness, but...'

It at least showed that the Flames of Voracity had submitted to him completely.

'That aside, do Deific Essence usually have individual will?'

Kang-Woo thought for a moment and narrowed his eyes.

'It's a fact that gods are influenced by their Deific Essence.'

Gaia with the Deific Essence of Parental Love deeply cherished her children and retainers, and Tirion with the Deific Essence of Heroes possessed a heroic personality that one would only see in comic books. Even Odin, the God of War, stood at the forefront of the battlefield during Ragnarok.

'So gods are usually meant to be influenced by their Deific Essence.'

If that were the case, Kang-Woo would also naturally be influenced by the Deific Essence of Voracity.

"Is it really okay for me to get this thing to Transcendent-rank?"

The rise in rank of one's Deific Essence would also mean that its influence over them would also rise. Kang-Woo had been fortunate that he had not acquired Transcendent-rank Deific Essence after devouring Odin. If he had acquired it while there had been cracks in his defense...

'I might have been completely taken over by the Deific Essence of Voracity.'

Kang-Woo could not afford to take it lightly.

'But it's not like I can give up on Transcendent-rank Deific Essence either.'

Kang-Woo smiled softly. He was in a situation where he couldn't give up on Transcendent-rank Deific Essence but was unable to block the influence that the Deific Essence had on him.

'In that case, I'll just make the Deific Essence submit.'

He would make it so that the Deific Essence couldn't even look up at him.

"Up, down, up, down."

The Deific Essence of Voracity stood up and squatted repeatedly at Kang-Woo's command.

"Sit, sit. Huh? Are my words going out the other ear? Did I tell you to stand up? Huh?"

Fwoosh!

"What? You didn't know? Huh? Do you think saying that solves everything? Do you want to be annihilated? Get your shit together."

Fwoosh, fwoosh.

"Down. Up, down, up, roll to the left, roll to the right, jump, fly."

The Flames of Voracity moved exactly as Kang-Woo commanded. Kang-Woo smiled as he stared at the Flames of Voracity.

"Well, since this is a world within my consciousness, I'm sure we have plenty of time..."

Fwoosh, fwoosh...

"I'll make sure to put you in your place."

'So that you can never even think about coveting my body.'

Kang-Woo burst into laughter. The Flames of Voracity flinched.

Fwoosh...

***

"Fuuu... Haaa."

Kang-Woo slowly opened his eyes. He wondered how much time had passed; his sense of time had been so distorted in the world of his consciousness that he was not sure. Kang-Woo turned his head and saw Lilith, who was staring at him in the same spot and posture that he remembered her being when he closed his eyes.

He asked, "How much time passed?"

Lilith's eyes were subtly shaking anxiously. She answered, "About... three hours."

"Really?"

He felt as if it had been three years. Kang-Woo looked at Lilith as he stretched. He could see her gaze shaking anxiously.

"What is it?" he asked.

Lilith looked at Kang-Woo's back without answering.

Kang-Woo tilted his head in wonder and looked back as well.

"Wha..."

Black wings had sprouted from his back. Demonic energy condensed to its absolute limit was dripping from the wings that looked as if they were made from sticky mucus.

'The hell are these?'

He had indeed made wings when he was in the world of his consciousness, but they were still there in the real world.

Fwoosh!

Just then, gold and black flames set the black wings alight.

"M-Master Kang-Woo...!"

Lilith quickly reached out to Kang-Woo, who lightly shook his head and grabbed her hand.

"It's okay," he replied as he lightly moved his blazing wings around.

This was the first time that he gained wings despite being a demon for ten millennia, but he was able to control them easily as if he had them from the beginning.

Riiing.

[The 'Flames of Voracity' has surrendered completely to Player Oh Kang-Woo!]

[You have acquired the title 'Ruler of Voracity'!]

[You can control the impulse of Voracity as per the title's effect.]

'Whoa.' Kang-Woo's eyes shone as he read the message in front of him. 'Is this because the Flames of Voracity's rank rose?'

He now possessed wings of gold and black flames.

"So fucking cool..."

'It's sick as fuck. I might fall for myself.'

"Master Kang-Woo?"

"Look at these, Lilith. Aren't they cool as fuck?"

"..."

"They're wings! Yeah? Wings!!"

'You can't get any cooler than this!!!'

Fwoosh, fwoosh.

Kang-Woo excitedly flapped his wings of fire.

"Phew..." Lilith sighed in relief after finally realizing that there was nothing wrong with Kang-Woo. She gave him an angry look and said, "I thought something bad happened to you."

Kang-Woo snickered and placed his hand on Lilith's cheek. "... Thanks."

If it hadn't been for Lilith, he would have gone insane after getting his mind devoured by his desire.

Lilith lowered her head as she blushed. Kang-Woo patted her head. "Are you... completely fine now?"

Kang-Woo nodded and snapped his finger instead of answering. The wings of fire were immediately sucked back into him. He then looked at Lilith and smiled gently.

"Ah..." Lilith expressed. It was the smile that she knew and had seen all this time. "Master Kang-Woo."

She hugged Kang-Woo tightly, teary-eyed. She had acted like she was fine, but her heart had felt like it would burst from the thought of Kang-Woo being taken over by some other entity.

"I'm... I'm so glad. Sniff."

She was so glad that a tentacle slowly sprouted from her chest and burst, putrid yellow pus splashing on Kang-Woo's clothes.

Kang-Woo grimaced.

He was about to say something but stopped himself. He sighed and turned around.

"Let's go."

He took off the jacket stained with Lilith's pus and burnt it to ash with the flames that casually ignited from his finger. His use of the flames was so natural that it couldn't even be compared to when he first learned the Flames of Voracity.

"..."

Lilith stared blankly at Kang-Woo's back. She smiled widely and knelt on one knee.

"Victory—"

To her beloved, who stood up in the end despite being crushed by unfathomable weight.

"To my beloved king."