Chapter 134 – LV.? GM – [Three]

Seo Yun cautiously asked.

“What was that person’s name?”

“It was the same as yours. Seo Yun… Ironically. To this extent, I’m starting to suspect there might be some bizarre connection between me and this name.”

Seo Yun looked at the Troll’s face once more.

Since it was almost pitch dark, she wasn’t seeing it with her actual eyes but with her Soul Sight. Through it, the Troll’s face seemed to resemble that ugly face she remembered. It was a fact she hadn’t been able to discern last time when she saw that face with her naked eyes.

Seo Yun recalled her old friend—no, in fact, even she herself didn’t consider him a close friend, more of an old acquaintance.

During their school days, that ugly guy always wore a face so scrunched up it seemed like it would wrinkle prematurely. It was a face filled with resentment towards the school’s teachers and students, and indeed, the world itself (though in his mind, it was an attempt to look intimidating; but an ugly, small guy walking around with that expression only invited more bullying).

However, now, none of that former venom could be found in that face.

That ugly guy, who had faced all sorts of cruel situations since childhood and, despite fierce efforts, had only met the worst outcomes, now accepted all of it as his own fault. And after resignation and reflection, he was about to make his final choice.

It was reminiscent of a kind of suicide. Despite what he had done, it was pitiful.

Seo Yun suddenly thought about revealing her true identity.

What if she said, ‘The little girl before your eyes is actually that guy you know, and that firefighter didn’t suffocate but was Resurrected and is perfectly fine, so don’t feel too guilty.’ It was an impulse, wanting to have a joyful reunion and comfort this pitiful guy.

But Seo Yun swallowed that impulse back down her throat before it could emerge.

What good would saying that do now? It would only slightly lessen his guilt. But this man had resolved to clean up the mess he caused, using that guilt as motivation. Reducing that guilt might actually lead to an unfavorable outcome.

‘Besides, revealing the situation where that big guy became a pretty girl would be awkward… terribly awkward.’

Seo Yun groaned inwardly.

The Troll, looking at the meteorite, spoke.

“I’ve been talking a lot. Considering this is the Final Boss’s headquarters, I probably shouldn’t be acting so leisurely. Before I do the final thing… the reason I called you here… I have a few requests.”

“Please tell me.”

“Here, give this to Arnold.”

The Troll pulled out something like a crystal orb from the Bag of Infinity and held it out. Seo Yun took it and asked.

“What is this?”

“A video projector. It’s a magic item. It activates when charged with a soul. It contains a message I’m sending to that man. I’d like you to deliver it and explain it to him directly.”

“I will.”

“And in preparation for after I’m gone, I’ve taken various measures like creating homunculi and my Avatar Body to ensure the work I was doing continues… but still, there are worrying aspects.

Especially the teenagers living in my village, I’m worried about them. I doubt they have the ability to survive on their own. I think I’ve been overprotecting them too much until now… Could you check on them later to see if they’re doing okay? If they seem to be having difficulties, you don’t have to take special care of them, but if you could at least offer some advice…”

“I will.”

As Seo Yun nodded, the Troll muttered as if finding it absurd.

“You agree… so easily?”

“It’s not a casual answer; I’m agreeing sincerely.”

“I know. That’s why I feel even more ashamed. It’s not much of a reward, but… you may take all the magic items in that school building I created. Also, this is the location of dungeons I know, which might help with your Leveling…”

The Troll continued, listing things he could give, things he needed to entrust, and methods for the currently endangered Happy Village to deal with the Centaur Empire, then got to the main point.

“Now, finally, watch the Ritual I will perform.”

“The Ascension Ritual?”

“Yes. Later, you or Kim Rayeon might need to follow it. It’s written in the Rulebook, but seeing it done and following along would be easier and more accurate. Since we’re on the topic, let’s do it right now.”

Seo Yun had no chance to stop him.

The Troll strode purposefully towards the meteorite.

Even in the darkness, the presence of the meteorite, flickering with a sinister light, was extremely vivid. The Troll reached his hand towards the meteorite and said.

“I begin the Ascension.”

Here and now, the Troll was attempting to become a god.

Earlier, while belittling himself, he revealed that he had originally intended to entrust this task to the Barbarian Warrior Arnold, but decided to do it himself. It was a clear fact that an Epic Level Mage was far more capable than an Epic Level Barbarian Warrior (Seo Yun 1004% agreed with that statement). He had rationalized passing on the sacrifice with the logic that him staying in the Mortal Realm would be more helpful to the world, planning to send Arnold away while burying the secret of how the world changed, but he had changed his mind.

So she couldn’t stop him. If not him, then Arnold would have to do it instead. And one of the two absolutely had to do that task.

The Troll spoke to the meteorite.

“I am an Immortal who has acquired my own Divinity, one who has surpassed a Quasi-Deity and reached the state of a Demigod. The Faith of people, which I lack, I shall substitute with the Divinity imbued in this meteorite. According to the setting, this meteorite contains the power bestowed by the Goddess of Beauty, so it is sufficiently possible…

Thus, I have gathered all the materials necessary to challenge for a god’s seat. Therefore, I ask for confirmation: Do I have the qualification to challenge a god of the Celestial Realm?”

In response to that question, a hologram-like entity appeared in this space.

It was a Cluster of Light in human form. It was too easy to recognize what that form was. It spoke.

“You have the qualification.”

What appeared here was an Angel. Not some insignificant Angel like the playable Race Lesser Angel, but a Seraphim (Cherubim), acting as the proxy of the gods.

Six wings fluttered, casting a divine light into this dark space.

“Immortal who seeks to become a god, which Divine Throne do you seek to claim?”

In response to the Seraphim’s question, the Troll said.

“The one I challenge is the God of the Sun.”

And the Seraphim immediately replied.

“It is not permitted.”It seemed to be the expected answer. The Troll immediately fired back.

“Why? Because that god already exists?”

「Speak of a god that does not exist.」

“The Sun God does not exist.”

「He does. The Sun God is the chairman of the Celestial Council—」

Cutting off the angel’s words, the Troll shouted.

“No, he does not exist! I am not speaking to the Seraphim, the administrator of the Celestial Realm within the setting, but to the Meteorite beyond it… Meteorite, you have not yet created the gods. Any god is still merely text on paper! Is that not so!”

After the Troll’s usual meta-comment burst forth, the Seraphim’s tone changed. A more mechanical, rigid voice echoed from somewhere, no longer the divine voice from moments before.

「Even if it is not yet constructed, if it is set to exist, then it exists.」

Seo Yun felt a slight chill and wondered. Is that voice speaking now the Meteorite itself? The one who changed this world into this mess?

A sharp voice echoed.

“That is for me to judge, not you! I have the right! Because I am the GM of this ruined game!”

The Troll continued shouting.

“This damn worldview was already written in the rulebook, but when playing a TRPG, one does not strictly follow only the text of the rulebook. If that were the case, a GM would not be needed!

As a GM, I have previously implemented the contents of the rulebook into sessions according to my will, and I have interpreted detailed rules not written in the rulebook at my discretion to intervene in the players’ gameplay! That is precisely the GM’s right written in the rulebook. Is it not!

And surprisingly, the Seraphim agreed with that claim.

「According to the second clause of the Mastering Rules in the 7th edition, it is correct. Therefore—」

“So the one who has the right to judge how to interpret what’s written in that damn rulebook and to order the world around is not you, but me!

And now, as the GM, I declare… the Sun God does not exist in this world right now! A qualified player can challenge the position of a non-existent god! Therefore, I can challenge the position of the Sun God! Do you acknowledge this as well!”

The Seraphim—or perhaps the Meteorite’s—answer came only after a long while.

「I acknowledge it.」

Seo Yun recalled what the Troll had told her earlier.

The Sun God of the Immortal Kingdom is the former head of the old Celestial Council, the second divine being born into this world, and as the supreme god involved in the creation of many things in this world, he is the judge who discerns and rewards or punishes all things in the world. To put it in gaming terms, he is essentially the GM within the Immortal Kingdom worldview.

Considering that in the Immortal Kingdom, the Sun God could not even clear away the layer of ash covering the sun, the actual influence of that god might be limited, but that Troll was also the GM of this session.

If the position as the former GM acknowledged by the Meteorite and the authority of the Sun God within the setting were combined, he might truly be able to perform the role of a proper GM. If that happened, he could genuinely take over some of the tasks the Meteorite had been doing.

“Then, right here, right now, I begin the Ascension!”

With the Troll’s declaration, his body began to glow. Starting from his feet, he began to turn into golden particles and scatter into fine pieces… Losing his physical body, the Troll turned his head and looked this way.

“Lastly, let me say, Seo Yun?”

“Yes?”

“In many ways, I’m sorry.”

It was unclear what he was sorry for. Was he sorry for recommending that she, too, must later ascend to godhood and undergo such a sacrifice? Or for causing her to go through many hardships due to what he did to Gaeulbi?

Or perhaps, that Troll had already realized that the Seo Yun before him was the Seo Yun he knew.

She didn’t bother asking. There was no time to pry into unnecessary things from someone who would soon leave the Mortal Realm.

Seo Yun said.

“There’s no need to be sorry.”

“Why?”

“You did your best.”

“With the result being like this, can it be called doing my best?”

“Of course not. I’m not trying to say I forgive you for making the world like this or that all of this is innocent. I don’t have the right to do that. But…”

The Troll’s lower body turned to light and vanished. Not much time remained. Seo Yun spoke quickly.

“But I can say this. If I were in your position, I couldn’t have done as much as you. Whether before or after becoming this Mage Troll.”

Without realizing it, informal speech slipped out as memories of the old days came to mind.

Seo Yun cleared her throat and continued.

“The world was cruel to you. You might have returned that anger to the world, leading to this result, but your final choice was for that terrible world.”

“I—”

“Including me, others couldn’t have done that in your position.”

The Troll fell silent for a moment, then asked.

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“Is that so, you say. Then… let me add one thing to my apology.”

The Troll’s splendid silk robe lost its body and fell to the floor. With only his face remaining, he said.

“Thank you, Seo Yun.”

“For what?”

“My, past.”

With those words, the Troll’s form turned into a golden cluster of light and vanished.

It was a common visual effect. One could guess it was directly taken from the Ascension sequence in video games set in the Immortal Kingdom.

Yet it looked divine. Even to Seo Yun, who hated everything about the Immortal Kingdom and its game elements, it was a sufficiently beautiful scene.

Seo Yun closed her eyes for a moment and offered a prayer. A prayer for the departed man, for the newly born god.

“Well then, goodbye.”

Then she turned around. After the spellcaster left the Mortal Realm, she stepped into the Dimensional Gate, which now glowed even more vividly, imbued with the divinity connected to that Celestial Realm.