◈ Episode 545. If They Are Gods, I Am (2)
It was an unwelcome reunion.
“You’re thick for a stranger.”
Sarrr.
Through the gap in the window, where the light of the moon and the evil eye mingled.
Shadows crawled in.
Kichi looked around.
The aftermath of injury.
Everyone was in a deep sleep that was nothing more than a faint.
For now, Kichi throws a threat.
“You don’t know what you’re doing here, do you? It’s the Magic Tower. Even if it’s a private room, it’s not a place a half-wit like you should be messing around in, is it?”
But damn it, it didn’t work.
More importantly, how did he get here in the first place?
Oh, that’s the thing.
‘Life is so shallow.’
The land of all things adventurer.
I guess it’s because Seoul has been tinted with the colors of the Arcana continent.
At that moment, Kichi reached for the dagger hidden under her pillow.
‘If it’s the full power of a normal Magic Tower…….’
It would not have been shaken by the invasion of the Shadow God.
But the situation was different.
Four senior mages were sharing their hospital room.
Including the Tower Master, Marcelo.
Most of the seniors had left the Magic Tower.
‘First and foremost, he’s after us, not the Magic Tower.’
Then…….
Kichi stopped reaching for her hand.
Her expression changed, and she continued.
“Still, for old times’ sake, I’ll talk to you. I have a lot at stake with you. I’m sure you’re upset that your contract was terminated so abruptly.”
They didn’t want to cause any more trouble for anyone else.
Themselves.
No, if it could end with me.
‘Not that I don’t like it.’
I’ll take the Shadow stigma again, Kichi thought.
But this was unexpected.
Surely, she thought, he’d come out with a high-handed demeanor.
-I’m begging you.
A request? I’m surprised.
Well, he knew the whip wouldn’t work.
So this time he’s going to start with the carrot?
Kichi, former leader of the Shadow Mercenaries.
Kichi once ruled the underworld of the Arcana continent. No stranger to negotiations. Dalgak. Kichi shifted from the bed to the chair and spoke.
“It looks like it’s going to rain tomorrow, for a favor from the god. I’m intrigued by the novelty. Tell me.”
With her vast experience, she knew what to expect.
When you’re on the losing end, you have two options.
You can either tell them what you’re doing, or you can offer them a fancy reward.
Usually, the latter is the best option.
No one wants to give away their stuff to the world.
Nevertheless, offering a reward first.
That means it’s a shitty request.
As expected, it was like that.
-I will share my power with you.
You really haven’t changed a bit, Half.
“You know better than anyone how I was deceived by your sweet words, and what disgrace I suffered. If you don’t remember, shall I tell you now?”
Be honest.
I’d long since dulled my feelings about the last contract, and after all I’d done as a Shadow Mercenary, it was unconscionable to hold it against them.
But Kichi spoke brazenly.
“I had to watch my friend die with his throat cut because I couldn’t die even if I wanted to because of that damn contract. You know, I haven’t gone a single night without a drink since I signed with you.”
……Momentarily.
‘You heard that outside, didn’t you?’
I could feel it outside the spare room.
It was like that.
It was an act for the master of the charade.
A mage of the Magic Tower would be able to pick up on the current conversation and relay the situation to the higher-ups. Kichi thought of Bellier, the senior mage of the Healing School.
‘……with her.’
I can drive the Shadow God’s alter ego, if not the main body, out of the Magic Tower.
She’d made a judgment call, so she’d deliberately feigned anger.
Of course, there was one more trick up her sleeve.
Kichi’s gaze flicked to the bed.
“Snore! Snore…..”
……Rockid, that damned muscle pig snorted as the spare room floated away, waking up the rest of the troupe.
She looks away again.
‘You never know when he’s going to turn on you.’
And he’s really pissed me off.
Perhaps I should grab a weapon.
Kichi reached under her pillow.
-Then I beg your forgiveness.
“……?”
Again, the words came out unexpectedly.
‘An apology, you say?’
I don’t know what’s going on.
He’s in such a hurry that he’s stroking my ego.
Desperate enough to try to trick me with plausible deniability.
But.
-And I swear to you.
The next words were beyond plausible.
-I will share my Godhood with you.
“……!”
Godhood.
Kichi knew the Shadow God’s purpose early on.
His purpose was solely to have a full Godhood. His plan was to be worshipped in the dark side of Arcana, in the Underworld, not in the light side, so that he could enter the Pantheon with full godhood.
Kichi was dumbfounded.
“……You’re going to share your godhood with us? You?”
Kichi had gotten a taste of the Shadow God’s power by making a pact.
But that was only a small part of it.
She knew better than anyone.
Kichi spoke, not hiding her true feelings.
“You’d think you’d know better what I’d do with that kind of power if you gave it to me… No, not necessarily me, because there are some people here who would do anything to kill you.”
……I’m snorting loudly now, but everyone.
-Don’t care.
“Fuck…….”
-If you want to kill me, you can.
“What, what?”
Screech.
I was startled enough to tip my chair backward, which was enough to pique my curiosity. What kind of situation could have happened that would have caused that cocky Shadow God to turn into such a puppet?
‘I wonder if it has something to do with the opening of the Pantheon.’
Kichi pondered.
Shadow God.
He said in a cold voice.
-But only after killing everyone in the Pantheon.
“……What?”
.
.
.
jeobeog.
“Klee.”
“Yes, Senior Bellier……!”
“You’ll have to wait from here.”
“As you say.”
Bellier paused at the door of the Healing School’s spare room.
Indeed, Klee was right.
It was beyond her own magic.
There were signs that a being of a different caliber had entered the chamber.
‘This is not good.’
Bellier reasoned soberly.
‘Marcelo, Matisse, in the absence of Chief Lee, I’m going to need you to take charge of ……..’
At the moment, the best power in the Magic Tower was Senior Bensch William.
Bellier conjured up a magical structure in her head.
‘…… give and take.’
The highest level of healing magic, was reached by following Chief Lee’s teachings.
It was a magic she hadn’t even named yet.
However, she knew exactly how it worked.
“The target recovers as much as the manifester sacrifices.”
The manifestor didn’t just sacrifice magic power.
However, the healing effect was equally excellent.
If this unfinished magic could restore the Bensch’s health.
It would buy us some time.
But Bellier’s desperate plan didn’t work.
deolkeog.
The door to the inner chamber opened from the inside.
Bellier’s pupils dilated.
“Oh, I was going to tell you that wasn’t necessary!”
From beyond the open door.
It was the leader of the Shadow Mercenaries.
No, it was Kichi, now a member of the Akshan.
“I’ve been indebted to you for a few days, Senior Bellier.”
“……Yes?”
What are you guys talking about all of a sudden, guys?
To think that such an injury would heal in just a few days…….
Bellier took a step toward Kichi and raised her hand.
Kichi flinched.
“Ugh. Hey, Senior. That’s a little ticklish up there……?”
An automatic reflex is born of occupational disease.
Bellier’s hand caressed the nape of Kichi’s neck where the scar remained.
Immediately, her jade pupils flinched.
“……What happened?”
The nape of her neck was covered in sprouting fluff.
The scars were everywhere.
Kichi wasn’t the only one.
Wounds large and small.
The entire Shadow Mercenary Corps was scarless.
Kichi smiled vaguely.
“Well, that was a bit of a surprise.”
“You mean, something to do with the aura I felt?”
“If it was an aura, I think so.”
A trace of another presence.
Bellier wanted to be more specific.
Kichi relented.
“I’ll tell you more when I get back.”
“Where are you going?”
“That’s…….”
As if it was difficult to say.
Kichi hesitated.
Bellier nodded a quick beat as if that was okay.
“You must have your reasons, I understand.”
“As usual, you are merciful……! Thank you, Senior Bellier.”
Kichi soon exited the spare room.
Is the story over……?
Klee, who had been pondering in the corner, approached Bellier and asked.
“Is everything okay, Senior Bellier?”
“I don’t know.”
Bellier wasn’t sure.
They had left their past behind to become the Demon Hunters of Akshan.
“It’s not easy to make a decision because I’m facing a test.”
Despite being stabbed in the back by the newly reborn Goddess Church and a handful of adventurers, Bellier’s reasoning for letting Kichi go was simple.
High-level healing magic, 『Lifeline』
In simple terms, it’s the “ringer” of modern medicine. The only difference is that it’s connected to a needle, which limits its actions.
seug.
Bellier’s hand grabs the stretched lifeline.
“It’s not ordinary magic, but rather the result of exploring and interfering with the mysteries of the Magic Tower, so it shouldn’t be hard to track them down if we follow the connected lifelines.”
So, the senior mage isn’t just anybody.
“I see……!”
Klee is impressed for a moment.
Bellier immediately checked the lifeline.
A senior mage of the Healing School.
She had the power of the chamber, so she didn’t need to do much.
The lifeline floated in the air.
‘It won’t break unless you cut it from here.’
Jigssh
Bellier closed her eyes and followed the magic trail, searching for Kichi’s steps.
She didn’t like snooping around like this.
It was unavoidable.
‘I don’t want to hurt Chief Lee anymore.’
And then she couldn’t believe it.
“……What?”
The magic trail was untraceable.
Or rather, she didn’t dare to search for it.
Because they had become something else.
I wondered if they could grow to be different overnight.
That too, while lying in a medical room……?
“Impossible.”
Bellier blurted out.
“You guys, by any chance, have a contract again……?”
*
They had made another deal.
But on different terms, to be sure.
Rockid smirked.
“Okay, I’ll kill you as many times as we agreed!”
His demeanor had changed completely.
Rockid rampaged as if he couldn’t control his physical vigor.
Alkali stuck his tongue out at him.
“No matter how many times you’ve come close to death, you can’t spoil your own habits.”
“Well, it’s not so bad, you’ve saved me a lot of trouble.”
“It’s not that simple, DeSheve.”
Alkali thought with a hint of senility.
“I wonder why the Shadow God gave the Godhood to us.”
The Shadow God kept his word.
By making a pact with the Godhood, he had shared it equally with the nine former members of the Shadow Mercenaries. Alkali stared at the liquid bubbling in the vial.
This, too, must be the influence of the Godhood.
The recipe for a new elixir flashed through his mind.
The effect, as you can see.
Quack, quack, quack.
The Pantheon.
A monster from the entrance.
The power was enough to crush the prototype.
“Isn’t it good that old man is rejuvenated? Why, he’s so serious.”
“It’s not that simple, well…….”
“Alkali.”
Alkali was interrupted by Kichi’s call.
Well, now you’re bringing an old man to the battle between the gods.
You have no conscience, do you?
He looked at Kichi with those eyes.
Kichi only smiled bitterly.
“I know what you want to say.”
“And you’re the kind of person who knows that and acts like it?”
“Yeah.”
I wonder why.
Why did I hide everything and try to settle down in the Kingdom of Yusra, why did I think I was happy with my boring life, why did I think I was happy when I could have had everything I wanted, and yet, as Alkali said, I found myself back on this battlefield.
“……It was just hard to stay still.”
“Hard to stay still, what do you mean?”
Kichi’s eyes sunk heavily.
“What’s the big deal about the Infinitely Deep Darkness, what’s the big deal about the Arcana continent falling into deep sorrow, what’s the big deal about even the gods jumping into the fray……. I couldn’t understand it. So I couldn’t say no.”
This was a battle to prove that question.
All gods of the Arcana continent.
Even over those damned bastards.
Proof that there was someone else Arcana needed.
Kichi opened his mouth.
“The leader of the Akshan, a darkness so deep that it’s almost unbearable, and the new Demon King of the Ten Thrones, who has consumed three of them at once. Furthermore, he is said to have fallen to Hell…….”
Kichi gritted her teeth.
“A fight for you, who will surely return.”
“…….”
Everyone fell silent at that.
What that silence said was simple.
A strong affirmation.
The Shadow God spoke.
“Didn’t you tell me?”
Before Him.
“That even the full Godhood is but a meaningless ‘status’.”
*
What is this message?
[The Legend, ‘A Being Who Blasphemes Even The Goddess’ echoes].
……Wait, did someone peek into my skill window?!
.
.
.
[Heavenly Infant Solitude (70%) : Unsurpassed, a rare genius that blasphemes even the goddesses, unleashing the talents of Grandfell Claudi Arpheus Romeo.]