“Why are you scared? What? I told you I would definitely let you go.”
Hyeon Gyu-ha, whose indifference from just a moment ago had disappeared like a lie, fidgeted, and grabbed In Yoo-shin’s shoulder.
“Yes, I do believe that you will send me off safely.”
“Then that’s enough to think that.”
“Gyu-ha will be left alone in the dungeon. I’m no help in the fight.”
“I guess there must be a way.”
“What’s that method?”
“……”
Hyeon Gyu-ha did not answer. From that look, he realized that even if In Yoo-shin died like this, he wouldn’t care at all. Even death is meaningless in the face of his boredom. (I was unsure if it was ‘he realized that In Yoo-shin would not care at all if he died like this.’)
“I don’t want to go out alone. If I apply a buff, wouldn’t the magic consumption be a little less? Let’s find a way together. There are a lot of things I picked up while working at the Department of Education.”
Hyeon Gyu-ha groaned heavily and pressed his forehead.
“Don’t look at me like that.”
“What, my eyes…?”
“I keep thinking about that kid from 19 years ago.”
Hyeon Gyu-ha muttered something meaningless in response, rubbed his face and turned his head.
“There is only one way. I didn’t want to use it because it was a cruel method...………. It’s better than your anxiety.”
With that, he touched In Yoo-shin’s neck again. His heart is pounding.
“So please, don’t be anxious.”
“I won’t.”
“Please hold my hand just once.”
In Yoo-shin silently held Hyeon Gyu-ha’s hand. His fingers, slightly soaked in cold sweat, became entangled with his. He seemed more anxious than himself, like Hyeon Gyu-ha. If it weren’t for that Taming skill, Hyeon Gyu-ha would still have an indifferent gaze instead of feeling uneasy.
“...I’m really sorry about the taming skill.”
“That’s Okay. Because the performance of the free stimulant is quite excellent.”
Hyeon Gyu-ha smiled quietly and held In Yoo-shin’s hand tightly once before releasing it. He then took off the half-glove on his left hand and handed it to In Yoo-shin. The first thing he saw was a broken cross tattooed on the back of his left hand.
“I’m going to use some binding artifacts later, but since I’m not expanding the field, I think you’ll probably feel a little dizzy. Because we have a strong connection through our souls.”
Normally, he would have been a little embarrassed by his jokes, but this time, I was actually happy about them. Hyeon Gyu-ha’s gaze was now directed downward. On the ground, Ataveira is still indignant.
“The dungeon is a world of taxidermized illusions, and the god who appears here is not the body of the original God, but a mere fragment of the shadow cast. It doesn’t mean humans can’t touch it at all.”
“But the weapon didn’t work against it.”
“To defeat a god, you need a suitable weapon or divine power. Moreover, Ataveira is a god who has already been defeated.”
With his words, Hyeon Gyu-ha stretched both arms forward. At the same time, Ataveira’s body, which had been running wild on the ground, suddenly stopped.
[——!]
The woman’s face was distorted, and her frog body was twisted. Intangible pressures were squeezing Atabeira from all directions. Even the wind stops, and the concentrated air grabs and entangles her limbs.
The beetle slithers in and out of Atabeira’s body as she struggles to escape the enormous pressure that resembles her gravity.
It seemed as if Ataveira’s body was making a screeching and twisting sound as it was struggling to escape from the enormous pressure that was similar to gravity. Her twisted flesh was torn apart, and fresh blood flowed. The earth was corrupted by the dripping blood of the maddened God.
Blocking the massive object that blocks the sun will not be an easy task. Cold sweat formed on Hyeon Gyu-ha’s temples as he slowly moved his fingers as if he were lumping invisible clay into a ball.
“Shit. It would be easier to split 63 Buildings.”
Hyeon Gyu-ha muttered a low curse and raised his arms.
[——!]
As Ataveira’s massive body floated in the air, it felt as if the entire mountain was moving. Ataveira’s struggles became more intense. Her flesh was torn deeply, and her fresh blood flowed out.
As Hyeon Gyu-ha said, Atabeira was thrown into the sea.
Kuaaaaang!
The water level rose by tens of meters. In Yoo-shin was startled and stooped down in surprise. The stream of water rising backward hit the force field and scattered beneath his feet. It was as if he were looking down from directly above the fountain. The water droplets that reflect and scatter countless amounts of sunlight like prisms, are paradoxically beautiful.
[——!]
A huge cavity was dug in the sea surface for a short while, and the seawater pushed out by the impact rushed into the deep cavity like a violent whirlpool. Ataveira, which is buried on the sea floor below, must be receiving enormous water pressure.
Hyeon Gyu-ha sighed and rubbed his temples.
“It’s buried so deep that it will take time to come up.”
“Uh, are you just trying to buy time?”
“Just for the time being. I hope Yoo-shin will feel safe and not be anxious.”
While Hyeon Gyu-ha was still opening his mouth, he jumped out of the force field. In Yoo-shin hurriedly followed him with his eyes.
[——!]
The sea was violently turbulent due to the struggle of Ataveira, which was crawling up from below the surface, making a boiling, gurgling sound. The tattoo on Hyeon Gyu-ha’s left hand shone.
[The artifact ‘Broken Cross of the Last Emperor’ belonging to Henri Raymond Charles Françoise VII has been partially liberated.]
After releasing some of the belonging artifacts, the vision in his head flowed through the bridge of souls to In Yoo-shin.
It was a cathedral, with majestic rays of light coming in through a high, round skylight, illuminating the icon.
The final Eucharistic service that would last until the end of the empire was being held under the Son of God, who was crucified to atone for the sins of humankind. People wearing old, shabby clothes desperately prayed and sang hymns in despair.
「May the Lord God remember us all in his kingdom, now and always and forever.」
“Amen, it is to welcome the King of the universe, who is surrounded by angels and receives an invisible guard. Alliluiya, Alliluiya, Alliluiya.”
Thick tears flowed down the rough, wrinkled cheeks of the emperor who held the most ancient position.
When Hyeon Gyu-ha woke up at the end of the dizzying fantasy, a brilliant light appeared on Hyeon Gyu-ha’s left arm. Ataveira, exposed to the sacred light soaring high, convulsed, and screamed.
‘Ah…………….That’s why Gyu-ha said he didn’t want to use it because it was cruel.’
As he said, it was a truly cruel method. Aren’t parents and children killed by the same means?
At the same time, he thought it was ironic. Unlike those who massacred the children of Ataveira with distorted beliefs, the memories of the artifacts released by Hyeon Gyu-ha were of faithful believers who sacredly upheld their faith until the end of their destruction.
The brilliant light that came from a decision of pure faith fell upon Heoshin Ataveira.
***
[The hidden boss of the dungeon, ‘Heoshin Ataveira,’ has died.]
[The dungeon has been completely cleared.]
Heoshin Ataveira did not leave his body behind like other demon beasts. The only trace of her existence was the crystal stone left behind her as she disappeared into thin air.
“Gyu-ha-ssi!”
As soon as Hyeon Gyu-ha dropped him from the air, In Yoo-shin ran to him.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“I’m fine. Please hold out your hand for me quickly.”
“You suddenly became more active.”
“Ah shi-! Quit ignoring my words!”
In the end, when a harsh sound came out of In Yoo-shin’s mouth, Hyeon Gyu-ha flinched and obediently held out his left arm. The damage to his left arm was terrible. If a 5-ton truck runs over his arm, pours oil on it, and throws it into the fire, this is what it would look like.
‘What if healing doesn’t work?’
‘Isn’t this a terrible injury that can’t even be compared to a knife stab wound?’ Hyeon Gyu-ha only broke out in a cold sweat and did not let out a single groan. He was calm and looked pale, but the person with a pale complexion was actually In Yoo-shin.
He desperately gathered up mana and poured heals. Milky healing power enveloped Hyeon Gyu-ha’s arms. And for the tamed entity, Master’s skills were more effective than anything else in the world.
“Oh!”
Hyeon Gyu-ha briefly admired his cleanly healed left arm.
“The way it was supposed to be, I had to go to the church, sprinkle some holy water, and get a blessing for it to be cured. I got better quickly that way too.”
“I’m really glad the healing worked………….”
For some reason, he was more exhausted than when he was watching the fight in full swing. After pouring in most of the available mana, he felt severely depleted. He was lucky he didn’t faint. Hyeon Gyu-ha gently supported In Yoo-shin’s waist using psychokinesis as he tried to sit down on the floor.
“I borrowed divine power without a holy relic, but it worked very cheaply with just one arm. Thanks to that, I also obtained the hidden boss crystal stone.”
The crystal stone that was floating on the sea flew through the air and landed in Hyeon Gyu-ha’s palm. Unlike the opaque crystal stones of ordinary magical beasts, it has a mysterious light that seemed to have five-colored brilliance radiating from within.
Hyeon Gyu-ha, who was about to put the crystal stone into the space, thought for a moment and held out his hand.
“Would you like me to show you something fun?”
“What is it?”
“Do you want to touch it?”
“Can I touch it?”
He was already amazed at the brilliance of the five colors. In Yoo-shin gently placed his hand on the hidden boss crystal stone. It even felt warm, as if it had been soaked in hot water for a long time and then taken out.
‘When it’s cold, it would be nice to hug to keep warm.’
‘What an extravagant delusion it is to use hidden boss crystals, whose monetary value is difficult to put, as a substitute for a hot pack.’ While he was thinking nonsense, Hyeon Gyu-ha injected mana into the crystal stone.
It was that moment.
- Help me.
The world has changed completely.
Support on Kofi:
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Credits:
Translator: Hoshi Miya
Editor/Proofreader: PsycheAsylum, Ghostx
P.A : I’ve been thinking… that maybe~~ both of them are connected 19 years ago. No! I’m convinced, I’ve been feeling this since Gyu-ha cut himself to test Yoo-shin’s healing abilities.
HM: Interesting theory