Chapter 271

Chapter 271

A fierce battle began.

“T-that thing, what the hell...”

“It’s a dragon...!! A dragon’s appeared!!”

“Everyone, get a grip and prepare for battle!!!”

Abnormalities erupted all throughout the ‘Amusement Park of Dreams.’ The entire sky turned into a universe, and then it cracked, opening gaps. And through those gaps like shards of a broken mirror, grotesquely rotted dragons crawled out.

They weren’t enormously large, but they were bizarre and repulsive. Some of them had human bodies attached.

Instead of dragon feet, they had human limbs, or their heads were not dragons’ but humans’, or they were twisted and rotting as if covered in curses.

From between the cracks in the universe, the evil god whispered.

『Prove it』

The evil god’s malice, or a test. Either way, for humans it was a calamity.

“Everyone, get a grip! Don’t listen to the whispering!!”

“Priests, we’re counting on you!!”

“Everyone, keep your minds steady so you won’t be corroded by curses...!!”

“If you hold on, we’ll help you!!”

Before human endurance and will, the dragons screamed.

“Aaaaaaah—!!”

“Hhk... hngh, w-waaaah...!! Aaaaaaah!!!”

“Kiiieeek, kiiieeeeeeeek!!!”

Any dragon that had eyes sent a gaze of hatred. Any that had mouths and could scream spat curses in abundance. With hands and feet they tore at humans, and with their torsos they constricted them, revealing their rage toward them.

“Aaah, human, human, human...!!”

“You abandoned me...!!”

“Father, answer me, Father!!!”

“How could you abandon me!!!!”

Of all things, childish voices and faces.

“C-crazy...”

“...Fuck, this is dogshit...!!”

Most of them looked like children barely past ten. When dragons with children’s hands rummaged through people, the wounded didn’t know what to do with that horrific sensation. It was a disgusting sight.

Not a few synchronized with it and went mad.

“Ah, ahaha...!! Yeah, humans are disgusting!! Aaah, we abandoned these children! We deserve to die!!”

“Grab that bastard, quick, so he can’t do anything stupid!!”

“Aaaagh!!! Aaaaaaagh!!! Please, don’t let me stay alive! Please! I can’t live like this—kill me...!!!”

Quite a lot of them attempted suicide. Some were stopped, but some weren’t. In this extreme hell, a few hunters with some leeway noticed what was visible through the cracks in the universe.

“The evil god...!”

“The evil god is there!! Right there!!”

Through a crack like shattered glass, the evil god’s face was reflected. A face that was only half. A head filled with golden fluid. A hunter who met that entrancing smile lost the will to fight and went insane. That was the fate of one who met the evil god’s eyes.

“Everyone, don’t meet the evil god’s gaze!!!”

He had no eyes, and yet he had a gaze. Facing twisted mystery like the evil god head-on was a foolish choice. But the situation wasn’t great.

“Boss, the damage is too big...!”

“Fuck, why are these moron bastards losing it staring straight at a god!!”

“Even if you say that to me...!”

How many battles against divinity had there even been on Earth?

“That’s why the young brats are such a hassle!!”

Well, there used to be many, but recently there hadn’t been battles that big. It was thanks to the Symbols of Eternity holding the line. It was also because Earth’s system blocked them. Young hunters were inexperienced in battles against divinity.

“Hey, hey, hey, pass it along! Pass it along, quick! Tell them not to look up at the sky!”

[—Ahem, hunters! Hunters! Announcing this during battle! Do not look up at the sky! Do not look upward! We earnestly request that you focus on the battle on the ground immediately!!]

“That’s it, good job, my kid!!”

“The boss only ever says I did a good job at times like this!!”

“Then when the fuck else are you gonna use that loudspeaker!!”

“No, that’s not a loudspeaker...!!”

“Like I give a shit—keep saying it!! Keep shouting!!”

[—...Announcing this! Do not look up at the sky! Do not look upward! We earnestly request that you focus on the battle on the ground immediately...!!!]

Once one person came to their senses and started steadying the battlefield, hunters from other guilds spread the same words around. With help from seasoned hunters, the minimum chaos was subdued.

“You’re so busy fighting you could die—what kind of time do you have to look up at the sky, you dumbasses!!!”

At the seniors’ rough encouragement, the younger hunters came to their senses.

“Ugh, fuck...!!”

“...So this is why divinity is divinity...”

“I’m going insane—can we really win this?”

“Who cares? If you don’t wanna die, pick up an axe!!”

The same chaos unfolded on the Black Forest and ruins side as well.

“Th-this is...!”

“Dragons are crawling in from the amusement park side!!”

Hunters investigating materials in the old-world dimension, the abandoned world, quickly took up battle formations. It was because liquid-like creatures were pushing through the narrow hole leading into the abandoned world.

Naturally, they were rotting, decomposed dragons.

“Th-that thing is...!”

Like a sticky swamp, they forced their way into the abandoned world. Then, as they crawled up, they shook the Black Forest. Viscous, mucous bodily fluids carried poison and threatened the hunters.

Fortunately, the hunters gathered in the underground world were quick in judgment, and most were seasoned. They immediately shook off the chaos and began to keep the dragons in check. The Moon Lady Religion’s priests were the same.

“We’ll provide cover!”

“With the Moon Lady’s wisdom upon us, watch over this inadequate vessel...!!”

When contending with divinity, the ones who show the most power are, without question, priests. Even with a faith that had sinned, they protected their comrades. With the priests’ help, the hunters could rampage more comfortably.

And it wasn’t only humans fighting.

“—Grrrrrrrrrk!!!”

“W-wolves...!! The wolves!!”

“Kwaaak!!!”

The dungeon’s animals stepped forward to help the humans too.

“Huh?!”

—Caw! Caw!!

Kuuuuuuuk!!

Caw!!!

“Th-that just now...!!”

“It’s crows—crows are helping us!!”

“Good job, fuck!! Block their vision!!”

The wolves used their huge frames and swift, powerful ability to bite and smash the charging dragons. The crows flew through the air, obscured the sight of flying dragons, and clawed at their eyes to hinder them.

“Hhk, ngh... huh?”

“Kyawng.”

“...F-fox?”

The wounded were cared for by foxes.

“No, wait, where are you going right now...”

“...What, there was a burrow here?”

The foxes dragged weakened people into burrows they had dug. With soft fur and coquettish gestures, they lowered people’s guard to the limit, brought them to their burrows, and helped them recover.

Even those mentally exhausted or outright driven mad received the foxes’ help. The foxes burrowed into their arms and helped them find calm. They licked them with warm tongues and wrapped them in fur.

“...Th-thank you...”

“Keheung.”

One by one, the hunters who regained themselves went back outside and helped their comrades again.

“I-if it’s like this...!”

“Yeah, we can do this!!”

“Come at me, you worm bastards!!”

Whether it was the created world or the abandoned world, the animals lent their strength. The fact that other species were helping them boosted morale. The hunters found what little fighting spirit they could and faced the bizarre dragons pouring out.

But it wasn’t a hopeful situation.

“This is a dream in the end, right? The evil god’s dungeon.”

“We can endure, but how long we can keep this up...!”

And as expected, the seasoned hunters answered.

“Just believe.”

They had always built history like this.

“Someone will save everyone.”

“B-but...”

“We’ve lived like that all this time. It’s not like there’s anything else we can do anyway.”

A middle-aged hunter said as he stabbed a blade into a dragon.

“So endure it.”

Among them, there was always a hero.

* * *

Yes, it was a fierce battle.

“Mr. Kang Eunseong!!”

“Charge in and leave it to me—I’m supporting you!!”

“Thanks, as always!!”

Kwaa-jik—!!

Seo Seohui brought his greatsword down.

“Hoo...!!!”

Kwagasgasgasgak—!!!

A slashing strike flew out and shattered the evil god’s body.

『Hey there, my friend. Why are you so angry?』

『Now, tell me. I’m listening.』

『I’ll help you, I’ll embrace you...』

Clang!!

A sound rang out like a glass or pottery cup shattering.

The universe, which had fallen silent, filled once more with every kind of deafening roar. Seo Seohui knocked away a gigantic hand like a dead tree as it attacked, and counterattacked the evil god.

He called for the Moon Lady Religion’s saintess.

“Saintess!!”

“Proceed as you are.”

She wasn’t idle either.

“Every curse that reaches you, I and my brothers will sever.”

Aram stood with a huge Moon at her back, receiving help from brothers that glittered like stars. Many priests gathered wisdom and reached out their hands, then refined all mystery, seen and unseen, in one pass.

The curses that had been blazing hot cooled under the Moon’s chill. Aram did not stop there; she beckoned to the stars and wrote out a score. Ting! Tting! Tiding, ting—!! The stars rang out strongly, declaring their will.

“My beloved brothers.”

As her hand fluttered like a butterfly, a meteor shower fell like daggers.

“Have courage, have will, and see the world. I am with you. The wisdom that fills the Moon is with us! The day our faith rewrites history is drawing near!”

One, two, three—then countless stars glittered. Stars birthed light. The scattered clusters of light became great and small moons of their own, shining their will. Their stars touched the evil god, scattered, and exploded.

“Our wisdom fashions mystery!!”

They touched the evil god’s essence. Divinity is mystery. These stars were humans imitating mystery.

“Read that lofty diagram! If you have read it, fall like rain! If you have fallen and touched it, break mystery apart! I will help you—my mystery, the Moon’s, the universe’s, is helping you!!”

At that, as if answering, every star shone fiercely. Aram smiled as well.

“...See? You’re good at this.”

At the saintess’s gesture, the stars raised a clamorous cry.

Aram was grateful for all of this. In reality, her mother—the bishop of the Moon Lady Religion—was gathering the senior brothers’ minds into one and coordinating them so each could shine their own will. She truly was an excellent manager.

Yes, even failure becomes knowledge and wisdom.

“Eyes—yeah...! Aim for the eyes! Block their vision!!”

“Saintess, I think you’re getting a little too excited!!”

“Push down that obnoxious evil god’s arrogance!!”

“Oh dear...”

Seo Seohui moved busily, yet smiled awkwardly. It seemed that while she had been kidnapped, the saintess had piled up a lot of resentment. Should he say it was fortunate she had this much energy?

‘Well, anger makes a pretty decent tool.’

Anger was effective for overcoming fear, and also for making reasons to live. Through anger, conflicts could be adjusted, and sometimes it gave the strength to show abilities beyond what one had.

‘A weapon and a fortress, or something.’

The evil god’s words were accurate.

‘He really is divinity of rage.’

Seo Seohui held the evil god in his eyes head-on.

Unlike what he had seen before, he had shrunk to the size of a human. No, that must have been his original size. He had only grown bloated as curses and hatred piled up. What a pitiful story.

“...Saintess!!”

“Yes, speak!”

“How long do we have to keep doing this?!”

“Endure it—you can do it!”

Aram answered.

“Hold out until Mr. Ather finishes persuading him!”

Whether it would be annihilation, or learning, was ultimately their own share.

And this rage—wasn’t it the wraiths’?

* * *

“...”

Ather knew this sight.

“...The ruins.”

The ruins were full of vitality.

“Ah, that’s mine...!”

“You’re too slow to eat, so it’s yours?!”

“You’re so petty, seriously!”

Children with unfamiliar faces were fooling around with food. They bickered and got angry, then quickly made up. Then they laughed. It was the 모습 of children growing up in a typically healthy way.

“So I...”

“Oh, come on—seriously? That’s too much of a lie.”

“No, really, I’m telling you!”

He could also see young people laughing with light, clear voices. It seemed like they were chatting happily. Maybe they were handy, because they were weaving silk or making ornaments with it.

“Now, spread your hand like that...”

“Like this?”

“No, not that. Like this!”

He also saw people sharing magic and martial arts they knew. They gathered, debated, and when someone demonstrated, they admired. There was even an adult kindly teaching children holding weapons.

“...”

Ather clenched and unclenched his hand.

‘...So they can’t see me.’

He couldn’t tell exactly where he was. Was this a dream? Or a life-flash-before-the-eyes? Or perhaps, by luck, he had arrived at the place he wanted. Ather walked through the ruins.

The ruins were far more brilliant than he remembered. The walls were filled with orderly records, packed with beautiful paintings. At a small sound—clang, ka-kak—Ather lifted his gaze to the ceiling.

“...Ah.”

Twilight.

‘Magnificent.’

Twilight made by human hands was being created.

“Mr. Argio.”

“Is someone calling me?”

“My god.”

“...Hmm, let’s see...”

The one who had climbed onto a ladder-chair long enough to reach the ceiling grinned and looked down at Ather. Long red hair reaching his waist swayed leisurely like a beast’s tail.

The last dragon looked at the last hero.

“I’m not a god.”

“...Of course you aren’t.”

Ather let out a hollow laugh.

(Continued in the next part)