The body of Phoenix Ignur in front of me was huge. I thought that if there was a chicken of this size, I might be able to eat my favorite steamed chicken for life. The majesty and dignity that Ignur showed was different.

[Human of prophecy, do you have no fear of fire? Are you scared?]

Ignur spread out his folded wings and showed off the majesty of a phoenix. Indeed, the crimson flames of the phoenix called Ignur was amazing. However, I was very familiar with fire. It was because fire couldn't be separated from a chef.

“Well, I'm afraid I'm familiar with it. I've always lived with fire due to that friend there.” 

I pointed at Solar next to Ignur. Ignur stared silently at Solar and then glanced back at me. Ignur's gaze was very deep.

[A friend... is it?]

“Yes, it is a friend.”

Of course, Solar's manner of speaking was a bit impolite, but I would forget about it for now.

[You remind me of a human I once knew.]

I seemed to know who Ignur was talking about. Perhaps...

[Alexus was also a friendly person close to fire. He asked me to be his friend, but I couldn't. It was due to my self-esteem. I thought it was impossible for a constellation to be friends with humans.]

I was bothered by Ignur's tone filled with regret. Then I suddenly noticed the deep wound on Ignur's chest. I asked with a shocked expression, “This wound...?”

[It is a wound dealt by Pandora. It won't recover.]

“Aren't you immortal?”

[I thought so. However, the power of death in Pandora is even greater than I thought. If this continues, I will die shortly.]

I frowned as I observed the wound on Ignur's chest. It was so deep that his heart was visible. More than half his heart had been blown away. It was barely beating at the moment and it wasn't strange if it stopped at any time.

[So why come to this place?]

Prometheus walked over with one hand picking his nostril. Ignur spoke to Prometheus in a low and earnest voice, [G.o.d of fire and prophecy, you and the four seasons constellations have accompanied Gaia.] 

Prometheus spoke while still picking at his nostrils, [Yes, that's true.]

[I will die soon. However, you... can't you be a bit more serious?]

[Ah, sorry.]

Prometheus flicked away the booger and looked up at Ignur again. I couldn't help frowning. Ugh, what a dirty guy.

[...Was the name Solar? G.o.d of fire and prophecy, I feel your strength from this child. It is your family, right?]

[That's right. It was made with one of my arms.]

Prometheus indicated to his left shoulder.

[I see. This is what I was looking for.]

Ignur nodded as if he understood. I still couldn't understand what Ignur was saying. Ignur's gaze s.h.i.+fted back to me.

[Human of prophecy.]

“......?”

[Can you accept me as a friend...?]

* * *

“......”

I opened my eyes again and was back in the middle of the battlefield. The clock that was stopped was ticking again. First, I could hear the sounds of various weapons as well as the humans and taurus mixing together. Time stopped and then ran again without hesitation.

“Kill them all—!”

“Archers! Support!”

“Use ice magic!”

The surroundings were full of blood. There were traces of a fierce fight and the ground I stood on had a large shadow cast on it.

“......!”

The giant axe radiating jade flames struck. I managed to avoid it. I used the wind to widen the distance from Belphegor while Belphegor's eyes lit up like he was aiming for me alone.

[Like a rat...!] Belphegor shouted angrily as I continued to dodge the axes. [I'll make it so you can't avoid it!]

Belphegor gathered the jade flames together to create a huge flower. It started to absorb the surrounding jade flames. It was flas.h.i.+ng like it was going to cause a huge explosion.

[Once the jade fire flower fully blossoms, none of you will survive!]

Belphegor laughed happily as the jade petals blossomed one by one, raising the tension. At this moment—

[The sun elemental 'Solar' is ushering in a new change.]

“......!”

The message I was waiting for finally arrived. 

[The sun elemental 'Solar' and Phoenix Ignur's Egg have become one.]

[The sun and phoenix have met and heralds the birth of a new being!]

A giant phoenix appeared in the sky before disappearing. It wasn't a crimson flame that resembled Phoenix Ignur, but a very white flame. Everyone was startled by the unexpected situation. The same was true for Belphegor.

[Uh, how can that existence have the power of destruction! M-My jade fire!]

The white flames emanated at the birth of a new existence and the jade flames disappeared like melted snow.

[The divine creature of the sun, 'Solar Phoenix,' is roaring!]

Then the world turned white and Solar Phoenix started to fight back.  

* * *

At Union headquarters, the planning and strategy department...

Yoo Minseok was watching all of it in real time. It was because Choi Chuntaek was fighting on the battlefield while turning on Arkstagram's live broadcast. The viewers.h.i.+p number was crazy. Based on this, he would soon be able to exceed 100,000 followers.

“Ohhh!”

“Wow, this timing...”

“Soar is evolving.”

The staff and department heads from other departments came here to watch the live broadcast. It was common since the screen of the TV in the planning and strategy room was FHD and the largest in size. In any case, they were cheering for what just happened. 

-Kuooh!

The roar of Solar Phoenix rang out through the planning and strategy department. Yoo Minseok watched such a phoenix.The old man's 'Solar' was the sun elemental and was very famous. Just now, Solar combined with the phoenix for a new evolution. The name was 'Solar Phoenix.' It became the divine creature of the sun and poured out white flames at the demon king Belphegor.

-Kuock. This is ridiculous...!

On the screen, the demon king Belphegor was gritting his teeth. Belphegor was very fl.u.s.tered. Currently, all of the first team including Yoo Minseok were conducting an investigation on those who were called demon kings. It was because NPCs that Yoo Minseok and the Arkstar development team didn't know about had become demon kings. 

'Maybe...'

The thought that they might be the signs of disaster that Dr Kang Jaeseong talked about or bugs settled in his heart. For this reason, Yoo Minseok devoted all his energy to pursuing their whereabouts. Only then could they prevent the disaster.

'In any case, I have to cheer for him now. If the old man defeats all the demon kings then the signs of disaster might go away.'

At this moment, Yoo Minseok felt a small vibration from the phone in his suit pocket. Yoo Minseok pulled out his phone to check it.

[Chairman Lee Geonmyeong has pa.s.sed away from his long-standing illness.]

“......!”

* * *

An hour ago, at the private villa owned by Lee Geonmyeong...

Lee Geonmyeong felt his life disappearing as his body gradually slowed down. It was due to old age, but something felt a bit different today. It felt like he was squeezing out his last remaining power and melting the remaining candle. He felt very light for some reason. Lee Geonmyeong took it for granted that the clock of life was ticking. He was an old man who lived a long life and suffered from a deadly illness.

'It is today.' 

He finally realized it for himself. This was going to be the day he left the world. He knew it would come one day, but Lee Geonmyeong felt solemn in front of the word 'death' that suddenly came. On the other hand, it was very unfair.

'There were really hard days.'

Lee Geonmyeong grew up with various hards.h.i.+ps since childhood and hated the world very much. His life had always been troubled. He was born in a poor house that was going to fall apart, and he didn't really know that his poor childhood was difficult. He was still too young.

However, this changed when he became a middle school student. He had no food so he had to eat peeled apple skin and rice. His parents were always engaged in marital fights and left the house in turn. His youth was very dark and lonely. The emptiness of the world always embraced him.

After his turbulent school days, Lee Geonmyeong started a small business with the money he had collected from hard labor. It didn't go very well in the beginning, but he used his fort.i.tude to overcome the difficulties. He endured numerous insults with a weed-like spirit. Until then, Lee Geonmyeong thought that life wasn't about living, but enduring.

At 28 years old, Lee Geonmyeong finally met his wife. After nearly two years of dating, they got married. His wife was a wise person who sheltered him like a tree. Her name was 'Han Hyeyeon.' She was the first woman he loved when he hated everything. Such a wife was everything in the world to Lee Geonmyeong. He didn't need anything else in the world as long as there was her.

'Honey...'

Lee Geonmyeong smiled as he looked at the picture of his wife in the photo frame. His fading vitality told him that time was running out. Lee Geonmyeong immediately left the room and met the housekeeper who looked after him. “You have worked hard in the meantime.”

He took several thick 50,000 won bills from his wallet and gave them to her. The housekeeper's eyes widened and she waved her hand. “T-Thank you for the favor, but...”

“Take it. I want to ask you to do something for me.”

“A favor?”

“Yes. This is the payment.”

The housekeeper received the money with a confused expression. Lee Geonmyeong looked at the housekeeper and said, “It's nothing much. Just come into my room in 30 minutes.”

The housekeeper felt it was a bit strange, but didn't have many doubts. It was because Chairman Lee Geonmyeong gave her a pretty large sum of money. This money meant she wouldn't have to worry about her son's tuition for the first semester. 

Lee Geonmyeong headed back into his room. 

“......”

Then he took out a small syringe he had left in the drawer for this moment. It was a new drug that was secretly developed based on the data of Dr Kang Jaeseong during the early days of creating Arkstar. It was a new drug with specific components of nanoparticles that had the effect of strongly activating the brain. Even the brains of those who died were able to be reactivated for a moment. 

This reminded Lee Geonmyeong of his illegal experiments. In fact, all of this was intended for his dead wife. It was intended to revive Han Hyeyeon.

“...Um.”

Lee Geonmyeong immediately injected it into his arm. He felt a cool sensation in his blood and laid down in the special capsule in the room. The capsule had the ability to forcibly overwrite a specific NPC's memory with the user's memory. It fully embodied Lee Geonmyeong's ambition to create a virtual afterlife where the dead could live. It was literally beginning a new life.

“...Hrmm.”

The days of his life pa.s.sed like a kaleidoscope. Lee Geonmyeong slowly closed his eyes and accepted his impending death. For him, death was just a new beginning.