◈ Episode 555. There is no lie

It’s times like these that the PomSaengPomSaga(폼생폼사가) comes in handy.

“What are you doing……!”

Look, even the great goddess is freaking out, right?

I sneak a glance over.

To the flashing message.

[Skill, ‘Exorcism Ritual’ conditions were not met.]

I’ve been saying this for a while, but my class is [Demon Hunter].

Even if a Goddess is a demon by Grandfell standards.

That means I can’t activate a [Exorcism Ritual] that’s only valid for demons.

‘Only.’

The only ones who know that.

I’m a demon hunter after all……!

That’s why I was acting.

In Freyja’s body.

As if I were really going to uproot the Goddess.

“How do you feel, Goddess?”

In that sense, let’s thank you once again.

“Welcome to my consciousness.”

The impudence to even try to blaspheme a Goddess!

‘Did I stay up all night reading books to pull off this scam…….’

I suddenly felt a sinking feeling.

In the meantime, I read it in my head every day.

I replayed the contents of various magic books in my head.

Imitating the space of 『Consciousness』.

Whether it’s the Exorcism or the Spacetime Social Hall, every consciousness space has its own special rules.

No one, strong or weak, is exempt from the rules.

For example, any use of force is prohibited in the Spacetime Social Hall.

‘It goes without saying.’

It’s impossible for me to manifest a true space of consciousness at my current level.

No, I don’t think Raymon Sean can do that either.

Which meant I’d have to fool the Goddess by setting the mood plausibly, and then adding to it an iron-faced Method act.

“How dare you try to outsmart me.”

Of course, she’s not going to take it easy.

Jiiing.

That must be the power that defeated the paladins.

Freyja.

A halo shines from behind her, and then a stick of light rises.

Soon a flash of light rushes towards me.

‘……Damn.’

Under normal circumstances?

Of course, I shouldn’t be facing such a thing.

A God of the Arcana Continent, no less.

She was said to be the greatest of all Gods.

I would have avoided it, or mitigated its destructive power with architectural magic.

But.

Pug.

[※Warning: Health drops rapidly].

I didn’t dodge the light, I took it into my body.

The reason was simple.

I told you.

Enough to make one think that this is a space of consciousness.

I had to fool the Goddess perfectly.

‘It hurts like hell.’

Me, Lee Hoyeol.

I dare say.

If it weren’t for Grandfell’s iron skin.

‘It’s an act, it’s nonsense……!’

It’s a pain that makes me want to curl up in a ball.

But who is our Grandfell? A truly human telephone pole who overcame pain and never lost his uprightness until his death on the Arcana Continent.

I opened my mouth in an unwavering tone.

“Any attack is pointless.”

I said, reversing the wound.

What does it take to fool an opponent?

A trick they don’t know.

‘I need a trick that not even the Goddess knows.’

That’s right.

That was the Reversal Magic.

Because it was a trick that I, Lee Hoyeol, invented while struggling.

It’s not something a Goddess can recognize.

But.

“It can’t be.”

Our Goddess is very suspicious, indeed.

Even after seeing me calmly pretending to be fine.

The Goddess seemed quite unbelievable about the situation.

Jiiiing.

There are too many flashes.

Calculated by the life force that escaped in one blow…….

Even if I don’t make it this time, I’ll lose at least 70% of my life force.

‘The good news is.’

[Six Sight Brooch].

It still feels uncomfortable though.

The set effect feels like insurance.

That’s why this snout was able to keep talking.

“Not only are you stupid, but you’re slow to learn.”

“What?”

“You make me feel sorry for Freyja, who trusted you.”

“!”

You stir up anger as it is, Grandfell.

“You are insulting me.”

Indeed, such words are hard to bear.

More flashes appear behind Freyja. I, Lee Hoyeol. My back stiffened and my vision blurred as I thought of the pain that would pierce my entire body.

……Stumbling.

The Goddess, or more accurately, Freyja’s body, was unable to withstand her power. Freyja’s flesh lost its balance and staggered, then stood upright.

“Foolish.”

The Goddess glares at Freyja’s body.

“You are of no use to me, Freyja.”

……But I’m listening.

That Goddess.

She’s not as good as our Grandfell, but she’s quite brazen.

Indeed, the dirty dog has had enough and opens her mouth.

“I don’t know who to say.”

……Really, who has the last word, Grandfell?

I don’t know either.

I continue.

“What are you talking about……?”

“Actually, you are the one who was of no help.”

“What?”

Okay, here’s the deal.

I realized that no Goddess could wield a power that could kill me instantly, not while possessing Freyja.

I didn’t bother to refrain from bullshiting.

“Behold.”

His arms spread out as if waiting.

As if in response.

The jacket of dawn fluttered.

“How the Infinitely Deep Darkness has fallen upon your holy land.”

“…….”

“How you beg for mercy from such darkness.”

“……!!”

You are mistaken, Goddess.

You’re the first to say you’ll show mercy, but it’s not my side that’s in need, it’s yours, isn’t it? You blame Freyja’s flesh, but you’re not doing anything about it…….

‘I’m afraid you’re not in a position to stay in the Pantheon.’

Indeed, as much as I’ve honed my magic.

It seems that practicing venomous words has paid off.

Parrrr.

The Goddess stirred in Freyja’s body.

And then she says there’s no excuse.

“I will definitely avenge this shame.”

Chaechaechaeng.

With a loud crash, the darkness came.

The flashes of light shattered, and Freyja fell to the ground. Shouldn’t you be helping her up, Grandfell? Grandfell’s distant stare bothered me.

Glad to hear it.

“……Commander-in-Chief Lee Hoyeol?”

Freyja, who had fallen to the floor, snapped back to her senses.

Fortunately.

I didn’t have to worry about Freyja falling into a useless illusion.

“I apologize.”

She’d been watching everything from within.

It seemed to know the Goddess’s whereabouts, too.

Freyja placed a hand on her sternum.

“The Goddess has closed her eyes within me.”

She’s looking for an opportunity inside Freyja.

You don’t look like much of a Goddess.

Of course, now that I’ve realized that, I can’t sit idly by.

‘I’ll have to kill her spirit before she can think of anything else.’

I said seriously.

“If you thought you could hide, you were sorely mistaken.”

My threat must have gotten through.

Freyja closes her eyes tightly.

Then she opens them once more and speaks.

“The Goddess has spoken, and I will not exert any influence in the future. With the Pantheon in such disarray, and the Goddess’s authority at the bottom of the heap. She doesn’t even have the strength left to plan schemes like yours…….”

Well, should I believe her?

To judge.

First, we need to know what happened to the Pantheon.

I wonder if it really has become a mess.

Unlike the Goddess, Freyja was a quick thinker.

She spoke up without being asked.

“I will tell you the news of the Pantheon on behalf of the Goddess.”

And so the news came.

I was stunned by the words.

“The God of War has turned his back on the Goddess and the Pantheon. The pantheon is stained with blood through indiscriminate massacre……”

It wasn’t just the infighting at the Pantheon.

I looked at Guyver, who was unusually unharmed.

I had already guessed it.

Yes, it was the other news that had me shaking.

“Afterward, the Shadow God and the Nine Servants invaded the Pantheon.”

……Wait, the Shadow God and the “Nine Servants”?

The first thing that came to mind was the nine former Shadow Mercenaries. But I was the one who broke their contract, not anyone else.

‘No way.’

They’re under contract again.

The Shadow God had stabbed me in the back.

I didn’t even have time to react.

Freyja interrupted.

“In the Goddess’s memory, their last appearance was of all nine of them, their cold corpses strewn across the Pantheon…….”

“We are thankful, Freyja.”

“……Yes?”

I said with all sincerity.

“For giving me the justification to destroy the Pantheon.”

*

Quack.

Confirmed kill.

Continue to trample.

The figure is crushed.

Instead of blood and flesh, a dark shadow soaks the floor and spreads out.

“You’re ugly to the end, halfpenny.”

Never underestimate his karma?

“Especially that last one, it wasn’t even funny.”

The Gods.

He had been in the God Realm since before the Arcana Continent began.

No matter how many times he had flown and crawled on the Arcana Continent.

In the end, he was just a mere mortal.

“Does karma seem ridiculous to you?”

One thousand.

That’s a karma that even a single world could not collect in a single lifetime. He had only reached that realm by slaying every god except the Goddess.

“No matter how hard you try, you’re in the middle of a mess.”

Even if he captures demon kings, kills the great evil, and is praised.

He can only accumulate a hundred karmas.

And that was assuming he lived his life to the fullest.

Duduk.

The God of War craned his neck.

“Well, that’s it. I can’t even hear it anymore.”

A shadow that begins to color the pantheon in the same shape as the blood that stains the pantheon. The God of War turned around and picked up his spear again.

“Where have you hidden, you pretender?”

Pretender, a word for the Goddess.

The God of War mulled it over in his mind.

If he killed the Goddess.

At the very least, he would gain hundreds of additional karma.

That would give him access to at least one more holy relic.

Why, the karma I gained from killing the Shadow God a moment ago would be…….

“Huh?”

The karma was ridiculously low.

It wasn’t because Halfpenny was a god.

The Shadow God.

The karma he possessed.

He couldn’t even reach the level of an ordinary human.

“……!”

It was then.

The God of War.

His intuition had warned him.

hweg.

He turned reflexively, and there it was.

“Fucking half-penny bastard.”

I never thought he would pull off such a trick.

Creeping.

The shadows that had been spreading across the Pantheon seeped into the nine bodies.

Like threads controlling a puppet.

It stretched out and began to move the bodies.

Of course, they wouldn’t call them remnants if it ended there.

“This sucks. Is this how you’ve been feeling all this time, Kichi?”

The words came out of the decapitated head.

The God of War understood everything now.

Why that halfpenny hadn’t broken until the very end.

It was, until the last moment.

He had distracted me with his nonsense.

To keep this trick hidden until the last possible moment.

“A brilliant strategy. This God of War praises you.”

But I’m afraid not.

I am not the man I once was.

Nine revived humans.

“I will honor you with my power.”

The God of War called upon his weapons to fulfill his declaration.

[Winged Comb Horn].

And [the Heavenly Sword, Excalibur].

“Come, holy relics.”

But.

“…….”

The only thing that flows is silence.

In that silence.

The Pantheon gradually began to color.

“Hey, God of War. Is that all you got?”

With shadows.

‘……Karma. You’re telling me this isn’t all bullshit?’

Into the infinitely deep darkness.

–

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TL/N: PomSaengPomSaga(폼생폼사가) means that regardless of the actual importance of other factors, such as character, essence, and substance, the person places the utmost importance on external appearance or maintaining a certain level of dignity. It’s the main way of justifying a normal thing of oneself over a reasonable thing.