◈ Episode 469. To be called a God (2)
‘It’ appeared out of nowhere one day.
The Shadow God couldn’t forget it.
The day the Bad Omen appeared in the Pantheon.
It didn’t discriminate between the beautiful scenery, the noble shrines, or the exalted temples.
It devoured everything.
I dared not resist it.
It was like an irresistible instinct.
All I could do was stare, frozen in place.
It wasn’t enough to swallow up the entrance to the Pantheon.
I watched them enter the entrance of the Pantheon.
-Why……?
For a moment I was surrounded by doubts.
Breaking free of his stiffness, the Shadow God rushed toward the Pantheon.
He knocked on the tightly closed door of the Pantheon.
Thump, thump!
But the door did not open.
He hadn’t been reborn as a true god.
Originally, it was a Pantheon that could not be entered.
He had to believe that nothing had changed.
Thumping.
Floating around the entrance to the Pantheon.
The empty landscape was the biggest change of all.
Suddenly, the Shadow God remembered.
The ones that swam inside the Pantheon.
It was so huge that it was on a different level from the ones floating around the estuary.
His ominous intuition hadn’t been wrong.
After that day.
No God of the Pantheon has answered the prayer of the Arcana Continent. The continent was filled with distrust and negative emotions, and the change was a blessing to the demons.
-Can I, someone without godhood, take their place?
The Shadow God answered the prayer, though he doubted himself.
But the purposes of those who craved the most despicable of gods were impure. The chaos on the Arcana Continent grew worse, and the Shadow God blamed himself.
-Was it all because I wasn’t good enough?
The self-blame did not end there.
If only, if only I had attained Godhood.
If I could have entered the Pantheon.
I could have stopped them.
-To enter the Pantheon, one must possess the Godhood.
For godhood.
To gain more influence on the Arcana Continent.
The Shadow God would stop at nothing.
To fulfill the despicable wishes of even more people.
-……Are you saying it’s still not enough?
Still, the gates of the Pantheon were not opened.
It was then that the Shadow God’s eyes began to glaze over.
His heartless gaze surveyed the continent.
-You have a purpose.
Although he did not have full godhood, he was born as a vessel of God.
The Shadow God could see far and wide.
He could guess their purpose.
-Yes, you are…….
and realized.
That of the Pantheon and that of the Arcana continent.
That they have only one purpose.
-You ate them for the Adventurers.
It devoured the hostile forces that stood in the way of adventurers’ growth.
It devoured monsters that could never be defeated at an adventurer’s level.
From that perspective, if.
-If the Pantheon had existed in its entirety…….
This is a hero that appears in times of trouble.
Heroes would not have been able to appear on the peaceful Arcana continent.
Adventurers would not have been able to grow as rapidly as they do now.
-Why?
From that to Adventurers.
It was then that the object of hatred changed.
Adventurers.
-What the hell are you guys?
Are you saying that you are favored by a transcendent being that even the gods of the pantheon cannot resist? Even as the Shadow God burned with hatred, the adventurers continued to grow.
And eventually, he reached godhood.
A silver-haired adventurer. A mere mortal who had hunted down the Ten Thrones of the Demon World, and claimed his Godhood. The Shadow God was certain.
-You are being favored by it.
It concluded.
The Pantheon was sacrificed only for them.
The Shadow God suppressed his rising hatred and wrote down the invitation.
-You, more than anyone, need to know the truth.
To have risen to the highest ranks of adventurers.
You’ve earned more favor than anyone else.
The Shadow God planned to rob his shadow.
-You, the favored one, should be able to open it.
The tightly closed Gate of the Pantheon.
Indeed, the guess was not wrong.
A karma that is far superior to that of one who has accumulated karma as a demigod.
That karma aside, before the silver-haired man in the corridor, It bowed its head in submission. It gave its back. Of course, there were unexpected circumstances.
-Not your place to interfere.
One of the contractors pushed the man off of it, knocking him to the ground.
But it didn’t matter.
Because a man with God’s character will find his way to him.
-I’ll keep you company while you wait.
That was why the Shadow God had dealt with Gabriel in moderation.
And soon enough.
The adventurer the Shadow God had been waiting for as much as he hated.
He faced the silver-haired man.
And saw.
“I will ask again, is the delusion still valid?”
As if to prove he hadn’t told a single lie.
It floated resolutely through the Pantheon.
The excitement of blowing up all the prototypes.
“…… What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
The darkness of the Arcana continent.
Hatred for the player.
The Shadow God’s settings began to falter.
*
For balance, that is.
‘You witnessed it yourself, didn’t you?’
I didn’t just witness it, I fixed it.
I’m the chief mage of the Magic Tower, after all.
Because Magic Tower was so powerful.
From the days when Arcana was just a game, until recently.
I realized when I saw the Magic Tower unable to do anything about it.
‘The settings left behind will be realized in some way.’
I thought at that point.
『The Worst Darkness of the Arcana Continent』
Perhaps the Shadow God was only given a single line of setup. From what I’ve heard from AAU branch leaders, I only know that a rough concept exists, but for more specifics …….
-“Only Raymon Sean, the CEO, would know the answer.”
They didn’t seem to know.
But I realized that even if it was a set-up, I could overcome it, as I set the truth of the Magic Tower straight. So I swung my Illusion Breaker.
And I asked.
“Are you sure?”
The Shadow Corridor approaching the appropriate level of two to three thousand.
No wonder the prototype that emerged was so high level. The moment I strike, they strike back, including the whale-like prototype I defeated in the social hall.
[Prototype, the ‘Bad Omen that Swallowed a God’ goes berserk.]
“……!”
The Shadow God turned to face me.
He stopped before Bad Omen.
It’s a reaction he already knows.
Why, I’ve already heard it from the forces that were swallowed by the Bad Omen.
-“I couldn’t resist, my body was immobilized…….”
-“It’s like a primal fear.”
-“Bad Omen, I couldn’t resist it, not even a little…….”
The Bad Omen was a tool to remove unnecessary aspects from the Arcana.
Strong or weak.
No being on the Arcana continent could resist the Bad Omen.
‘That was my conclusion.’
But as I said.
“Was it truly an unstoppable being?”
See?
[Sword that Cuts Through Illusions: Illusion Breaker]
[Rank: Legendary]
[Limit : Unknown]
[Effect : When battling a ‘Prototype’, its destructive power is greatly increased].
[Description : An ego sword with a noble ego].
Nevertheless, the Prototype is an illusion.
In Arcana Continent terms, it was nothing more, nothing less than an unfinished monster with the effect of inducing an abnormal [fear] in the beings of the Arcana Continent.
The proof.
[You’ve leveled up].
The moment you defeat it, a message pops up.
[You have earned a bounty].
[Karma earned: 1,041 Karma]
Even our own Akshan seniors have proven it.
The Akshan’s tenacity can resist any status abnormality. Even though it is swallowed up in the belly of a Bad Omen, it is said that it can keep the Bad Omen in the southern sea.
‘So it is not irresistible.’
The Shadow God paused.
“I am……!”
Oooooo.
And with its gaping mouth open.
The Bad Omen that Swallowed a God, charging this way.
Yeah, I have every right to be angry.
‘Because this probably wasn’t your plan.’
What is Raymon Sean up to? We don’t know the whole story yet. But one thing is certain: he wants the Arcana continent, and reality, to collapse.
‘I can tell by the way he patches things.’
Routine updates, emergency updates.
The moment you clear it, it throws you a bigger test.
That seemed to be Raymon Sean’s idea of difficulty control.
‘Maybe.’
Maybe if the Shadow God broke the established setting of the Arcana continent’s Darkness, we’d get an even more insane, and emergency updates that will be difficult to overcome may come pouring out.
No, looking at what has been done so far, it is safe to say that it is confirmed.
‘But.’
Did you ever see Grandfell compromise with his prey?
No, not even Grandfell.
I, Lee Hoyeol, have been victimized by you, too.
Raymon Sean.
I can’t stand to see things go the way you want.
-The Bad Omen That Swallowed a God.
Divine Sword Body Unity status.
Thanks to you, Illusion Breaker.
You’re on the same page as me, aren’t you?
-Then I will be reborn as a sword that cuts down gods and bad omens at the same time.
Suddenly.
With an upright posture, I raise the sword, the sword, and my body that has become one with the sword. It was only when I was sealing the bad omen of the southern seas that I had to get help from my seniors, but not anymore.
Kwazik.
The Bad Omen that swallowed the gods, its side is sliced open.
At the same time, the things it swallowed begin to regurgitate.
The empty entrance to the Pantheon begins to regain its original appearance.
[Prototype, The Bad Omen that Swallowed the Gods suffers from ‘excessive bleeding’].
If you think it’s over with a single blow, you’re wrong.
I’ve learned quite a bit of convincing swordplay.
In the blink of an eye, I’ve slashed at its body dozens of times.
kwakakakag.
A louder and louder sound. With more and more sword wounds, more and more of the swallowed things flow back. More and more messages come to mind.
[Pegasus, the guardian spirit of the Pantheon, spreads his wings once more].
[The Blue Pomegranate, the elixir of the Pantheon, takes root once again].
[The Cloud Bridge of the Pantheon is once again embroidered.]…….
Let’s see.
Considering the calamity in the southern sea, maybe this backflow will be followed by buffs, big and small. Of course, it wasn’t such a trivial message that caught my eye.
” …… The Pantheon? How?”
The Shadow God was agitated and had lost his will to fight. I guess he never imagined that I would cut down a Bad Omen and that the things that were swallowed by the bad omen that I cut down would come out intact.
However.
“……No, I am not convinced.”
Just the entrance to the Pantheon to find himself.
It wasn’t enough.
Or, more accurately, he didn’t want to admit it.
“If this sight I’m seeing is really true……. then isn’t this all truly due to my lack of godhood… my lack of godhood……!”
Tears formed in the corners of the Shadow God’s bloodshot eyes.
“All of this was caused by my inability to enter the Pantheon because I lacked the Godhood, and I was frozen in front of it, unable to resist it at all. All of this was caused by my lack of……!”
The Pantheon.
I looked to where the Shadow God’s gaze was directed.
There was a door that was truly closed.
Truly, it was closed as if it would not let anyone in.
But.
‘You must know why.’
I opened my mouth.
“God, I’m sorry to say.”
I said, in my usual Grandfell style.
“I don’t believe in Gods. Therefore, I do not believe in a Pantheon. You, who claim to be a Shadow God, seem to me to be nothing more than a threat.”
“……!”
A look in his eyes as if asking what on earth he was talking about.
I think it can happen.
With the Shadow God and the Pantheon.
I was spouting this crap in front of everyone.
But what if it really looks like that?
“You don’t need the Godhood to enter the Pantheon.”
ttogag.
I took a step toward the entrance of the Pantheon.
And the Shadow God stared.
Of course, I couldn’t open the gate.
No wonder.
[You cannot access it yet.]
[Currently being updated].
[Progress: 94.7%]
‘It’s not us who are lacking, it’s Raymon Sean, that bastard.’
The moment I saw the message, I was certain.
Raymon Sean was inside the Pantheon.
But I didn’t really know yet.
‘The conditions of entry to the Pantheon.’
That’s why I needed insurance.
I needed an ally who could enter the Pantheon on my behalf if I failed to fulfill the conditions for entry. In that sense, the right person was in front of me.
‘Who could it be, the Shadow God.’
I opened my mouth.
“Choose.”
“You want me to choose ……?”
“The godhood that is no different from an illusion, or the truth.”
“……!”
And then my eyes flashed.
[You have failed the main quest, ‘Uncovering the Darkness’.]
dump.
As if he had dropped everything he was holding precariously.
The Shadow God collapsed to his knees.
He looked up at me and said.
“……Show me the truth.”
[Your relationship with the Shadow God has reached its maximum].
[Main Quest, ‘Truth Beyond the Shadow’ begins].
[You have acquired the title, ‘Savior of Darkness.’]