Chapter 119 – Goddess Descent (1)

Gods are born from prayer.

Created by human desire, they feed on human faith.

Faith is their power.

The same is true for Demon Kings.

Having not reached the status of gods, they yearn to become demon gods.

Just because they are Demon Kings does not mean they are on the same side.

They join hands when it is mutually beneficial and betray each other when they stand in the way.

Therefore, Demon Kings do not trust one another.

As the primordial goddess fell asleep, the blessing that graced the world gradually weakened.

A world without its goddess. Humans could no longer be moved by faith alone.

The Demon King of the Other Side, Dantalian.

Born on the continent, he witnessed the battlefields of the Seven Kingdoms.

And he came to rule over all races persecuted simply for looking different from humans.

It was then that he learned he was a Demon King.

No, to be precise, the world needed a Demon King, and Dantalian was chosen by the system.

The Demon King who completely overturned the continental power balance was brought to his knees by humanity’s hero.

The girl who watched this history unfold had to endure an age of persecution once more.

They were merely different from humans, yet they were branded as slaves for their different skin color and appearance.

The war between the Seven Kingdoms and the Hero.

As everyone knows from history, the Hero was victorious.

But that victory brought peace only to humans.

The seven kingdoms did not invade each other’s territories, but the underworld was still rife with demi-human slaves.

The girl, too, was born a demi-human and became a slave.

She suffered through all manner of hard labor, chewing on rotten bread every day.

The humans said it.

That it was a peace unrivaled in history. They praised the noble achievements of the Hero.

The girl resented the Hero.

That so-called Hero was just the same. Because he was a human, he created a world solely for humans.

The girl resented the Hero.

She cursed him.

Then one day.

An incident occurred that stirred the continent.

A village in the Kingdom of Valton was laid to waste.

The brutally murdered villagers had been annihilated without being able to put up a proper fight.

Unable to even flee, the dead had clearly been victims of a large-scale raid.

The Kingdom of Valton requested a Round Table meeting. And there, they spoke of the village massacre.

It couldn’t have been the work of monsters.

If monsters had attacked, they would have devoured the human corpses without a trace.

The gold, currency, and clothing in the village were gone.

In other words, it was highly likely that fellow humans were responsible.

The Seven Kingdoms could not find the culprit. They closed the case, attributing it to the actions of the old Demon King’s army.

The persecution of demi-humans grew even more severe.

One day, a demi-human was trampled to death by villagers.

The reason was simple. It was blind discrimination and violence, calling them the filthy demi-humans who caused the Valton incident.

The dead demi-human was a woman who had been kind to the girl, comforting her by saying that a leader like the Demon King of the Other Side would one day appear, and that better times would come.

The demi-humans had to hide even deeper.

And then, a major incident occurred.

The capital of the Kingdom of Valton was occupied by a group of unidentified mages.

A flick of a finger caused a massive explosion.

The mages numbered only a hundred, but the number of dead was countless.

The continent fell into chaos.

The King of Valton fought bravely against the invaders but died on the first day of battle.

The Prince of Valton fled to another country, seeking help from the Round Table.

To save the imperiled Valton, knightly orders from each country were assembled.

Whenever people saw a mage in strange clothing, they trembled in fear.

The war between the knights and the mages began.

The assembled knightly orders charged to save the citizens of their beleaguered ally.

The mysterious mages seemed stunned by the knights’ majesty, doing nothing.

As if giving up, they prostrated themselves on the ground and began to fumble with something, as if praying to their god.

*KABOOOOM! BANG!*

A sudden explosion erupted. No one had seen the mages chant any spells.

Pillars of fire shot up everywhere along with clouds of dirt, and many knights writhed on the ground in agony.

They fumbled for their severed limbs and knew instinctively.

They could not win against them.

The knightly orders of the six kingdoms suffered a crushing defeat.

Against the group of mages, they sustained losses nearing annihilation.

What crushed the knights’ morale even further was that they had not managed to kill a single one of the hundred enemy mages.

*Rat-a-tat-tat, tat!*

*Bang, bang!*

Every time the mages raised their sticks of fire, many people died.

The Kingdom of Valton became a land of death. And with Valton as their base, the mages began to pillage everything.

They prayed to the gods.

Why had they bestowed such miracles upon such wicked mages?

Unable to bear the atrocities of the evil mages any longer, they pleaded for salvation from a transcendent god.

And as if in response, there appeared those who inherited power.

The girl was one of them.

The girl’s name became Gamigin.

Having gained the power of immortality, she gathered her minions.

Creating minions was easy.

After all, the Kingdom of Valton was overflowing with corpses.

Through the prayers of the people, Gamigin, granted the power of a Demon King by the system, raised zombies.

Of course, she couldn’t defeat the evil mages with mere zombies.

She did not confront them head-on.

Besides, watching the mages kill humans was a rather pleasant sight.

The more corpses there were on the continent, the larger Gamigin’s army grew.

Among them were some with special powers, and she made them her royal guards.

While Gamigin was building her strength, the kingdoms were not idle.

They found a way to withstand the power of the evil mages.

It was to strengthen the body.

Physical enhancement.

The words alone might sound like a method of toughening the body through training. But they needed many soldiers who could fight the enemy mages.

They needed to achieve results in a shorter period.

What they focused on was the magic stone.

After seeing a second nation fall to the mages, the kingdoms ignored human rights and experimented with magic stone humans.

The experiments on magic stone humans succeeded, and the first battle took place.

Magic stone humans could survive for a time even if stabbed with a sword or decapitated.

Most importantly, they could withstand the mages’ magic.

In the end, in a battle led by the magic stone humans, the kingdoms achieved their first victory.

The kingdoms rejoiced after their first victory against the evil mages. But that joy was fleeting.

A fatal problem arose in the humans enhanced with magic stones.

Their lifespans were extremely short.

They could barely live for a full year.

But it didn’t matter.

If it meant they could protect the peace of the continent, it was a small price to pay.

And before long, another side effect began to appear.

Some magic stone humans began to transform into monsters.

Insectoid humans, like butterflies or flies.

In other words, some began to evolve into monsters.

***

I had a dream.

It wasn’t my memory, but probably a memory belonging to the Immortal Demon King.

What an unpleasant feeling….

The war was over.

Due to the sudden Demon King invasion, many of the people who protected the city had died.

Still, the fortunate thing for them was that they would no longer have to suffer at the hands of the Immortal Demon King.

“The immortal legion is gone, too. I wonder if I’m going to lose my job.”

“Don’t you worry. There’ll be plenty to do once you step outside the city.”

The immortal undead legion was gone, but there were still plenty of regular monsters.

The city was in the midst of reconstruction to erase the scars of the last war.

It was hard work, but everyone had a smile on their face.

“You there, the Hero’s eyebrows aren’t that thick. Trim them down a bit more. To the left, that’s right.”

“The Hero’s chest muscles look too small! Make them more prominent!”

“……”

“Oh my, Sir Hero. When did you arrive?”

The city folk seem to have a lot more breathing room now.

Right now, a statue of me is being erected in the city center.

Seriously, why are these people, who are short on food, doing this?

“It is our natural duty and honor to erect a statue of the Hero who has once again saved the continent.”

When the men building the statue say it with such proud faces, it’s hard to tell them to stop.

Let’s see.

It seems a little less handsome than the real thing, but it’s still passable.

“A 1,000% beautification…”

This little brat.

Olivier, freeloading on my shoulder, grumbles in dissatisfaction.

“Try to stop them. Aren’t you embarrassed? People will be looking at that for the next ten, twenty years.”

“Why stop them? It looks cool.”

“……”

To be honest, I kind of like it.

So this is why kings were so bent on building statues of themselves.

“Crazy…”

“Crazy?”

“No, I mean, people will miss you when you’re gone, so it should be fine.”

“Haha, you think so?”

Olivier speaks with a bright pretense, but her eyes look somewhat dead.

The drawbridge of the once-closed castle gate is now lowered.

The citizens, who had been trapped inside the city, were finally able to see the outside world.

“Don’t go too far out.”

“Wooooow!”

The children, forgetting to answer the soldier, came out to see the world beyond the city walls.

Seeing the vast expanse of forests and fields and the clear river streams, the children were beside themselves with wonder.

The city was in a period of festival for the time being.

The Demon King who tried to exterminate humanity was dead, and there were no longer any threats to humankind.

They could now survive.

I came to the training grounds.

This world doesn’t have a systematic training regimen. So, the exercises one can do with their own body are limited.

But who am I?

The strongest porter in the country.

There’s no need to let my overflowing inventory go to waste.

“What is all this…?”

“Ah, want to give it a try?”

The knights approach, curious about my workout routine.

I taught these guys basic stretches and fundamental exercises.

In no time, the training grounds were filled with budding gym rats.

Since I have three sets of most workout equipment in my inventory anyway, I decided to donate them to improve the soldiers’ physical fitness.

“Um, Sir Hero…”

“What?”

That guy Siegfried keeps glancing at me.

Like a puppy that really needs to go.

“If you have something to say, say it.”

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

Siegfried mumbled his words.

He was quite embarrassed after realizing he wasn’t going to disappear.

He avoided me for a while and couldn’t even meet my eyes.

Honestly, it was amusing.

Is my personality just rotten?

No, he’s just so serious that it makes you want to mess with him.

I’m not the only one; everyone would feel that way. I believe so.

“Um, about that Balmung…”

Right, this guy handed over Balmung thinking he was going to disappear.

The demonic sword Balmung, which we got when Siegfried and I used to travel together.

I already had the Holy Sword, so I didn’t need Balmung.

Besides, a demonic sword that loves blood doesn’t really suit me.

So I gave it to Siegfried, and he was quite pleased.

He had the face of a child who just received a transforming car toy for the first time.

“The sword’s pretty good. It has a sharp cut, though it’s a bit of a shame that it has such a strong killing intent. The shadowy afterimage the blade leaves is pretty cool, too.”

“Ah, is that so… Still, Sir Hero, you have the, um, Holy Sword, so…”

“Nope. Not trading. No intention of trading. Now get back to it.”

“……”

At my firm attitude, Siegfried turned away dejectedly and picked up his old iron sword.

Why are you looking back?

The guy practices his swordsmanship with his old iron sword. Then, as if something’s not to his liking, he glances at me again.

It’s useless. Give up.

Honestly, Balmung is a good sword. But it’s not valuable enough for me to take my subordinate’s sword, and I’m not a jerk.

However, since I’ve got a good opportunity, I’ll mess with him a little longer before giving it back.

In return, he has to let it slide that he pointed his sword at me before.

It’s definitely not because I’m petty. I’m just trying to teach him that life in the real world isn’t always easy.

Really.

“So petty, taking your subordinate’s sword.”

“Petty?”

“Our CEO wouldn’t do something like that.”

“Your CEO might. But hey, are your folks over there doing well?”

It’s already been more than three days since I came here.

The portal the old man promised will open in seven days, so all I can do now is wait.

“I don’t know.”

“Why?”

You’re connected to your main body, aren’t you?

“The connection to my main body was cut.”

“…?”

“The Immortal King told you, didn’t she? That killing her would create a divergence and change the portal value.”

Wait, can I not go back…?

“Why don’t you just live here forever? Here, you’re humanity’s hero—even if there isn’t much of humanity left. Anyway, everyone reveres you.”

Olivier covers her mouth and giggles, then suddenly her expression turns serious.

“Ah… I’m sorry.”

Why is she suddenly apologizing?

This is the girl who never said a word of apology even after all the weird things she did to my car.

“You don’t have many good memories of this place…”

“……”

This is the place that gave me a new life.

The place that turned me from an ordinary high school student in South Korea into a monster.

I made many precious people, and I lost many precious people.

Yeah.

This place is a trauma for me.

“Don’t worry. Even if the channel changes, we’ll find it quickly.”

Olivier says, as if to comfort me.

I think so, too.

***

A week has passed.

There’s no word from the old man.

To make matters worse, Olivier, who had been clinging to my shoulder, has also disappeared.

I mean, the main body.

No, calling it the main body sounds a bit weird. Anyway, since the connection to her main body was cut, she probably couldn’t receive any mana and vanished.

Don’t tell me I really can’t go back to my original world.

Last time I came to this world, I was stuck for 11 years waiting for Katrinne, the one who could teleport me, to grow up.

“Hoo, hoo!”

“Power, power! I’m power!”

Contrary to my worries, our capital knights have become proper gym rats.

Their bronze skin looks quite good on all of them.

Today, as part of his daily routine, Siegfried is loitering around with his old iron sword, stealing glances at me.

“Hey.”

“Yes, Sir Hero.”

“Here.”

“Oh, you don’t have to give it back.”

Though Siegfried says that, his hands are already gripping Balmung, not letting go.

The body is honest, huh?

Having gotten his beloved sword back, Siegfried becomes the happiest person in the world, a broad smile on his face.

Then, he clears his throat, *ahem*, and asks me.

“Sir Hero, is something troubling you?”

“Troubling? Ah. I just feel like I might be screwed.”

There’s no news at all.

I got back my half-of-a-Holy-Sword.

I beat up the Demon King who was doing all sorts of strange things.

All that’s left is to go back to my world and live comfortably.

“Do not worry. I will be by your side.”

Don’t say that. At a time like this, those words are just asking for trouble!

“I mean that you should have some peace of mind. The city is having a festival, so why don’t you cool your head a bit?”

Just as Siegfried says, the city is holding a festival.

Well, the city isn’t what it used to be, so they can’t celebrate properly.

There’s not much alcohol brewed, either, just enough for the villagers to have a glass each.

Still, everyone will laugh and talk, gathering to commemorate this day.

People are already gathering in the square.

A crowd so large you wouldn’t think it was a dying city has gathered.

“Everyone has gathered because they want to see you, Sir Hero.”

I know.

To them, I am their savior.

“Let us go out together.”

“Nah. If I go out there carelessly, I’ll get dragged up to say a few words in front of the crowd. You go on. It looks like the ladies over there are waiting to see if a handsome ghoul happens to pass by.”

Siegfried gives a bitter smile at my words. But it doesn’t seem like he dislikes the idea, as he goes to mingle with the women waiting for him.

But that guy’s a ghoul, not a human. Is it okay for him to live in the city?

Well, it’ll probably be fine.

I didn’t leave the castle, instead watching the citizens from a hidden spot.

The faces of the people, who looked so worn out when I first appeared here, are all bright.

As if they’ve found hope again.

It’s going to be tougher from now on. They have to build a new civilization from scratch.

“Sir Hero.”

At the voice calling me, I turn around to see Princess Diana. No, she’s the queen now.

“Your Majesty, the Queen.”

“Pfft, what’s with that act?”

Diana laughs with untroubled clarity at my jest.

“Sis.”

“……”

“Big sis?”

“Don’t do that.”

I used to be much older than her. Now, Diana is the older one.

Honestly, I don’t know why there’s a time difference between the dimensions.

It’s not like I’m a researcher in that field.

However, there are theories related to time machines within the study of black holes.

Maybe it’s something similar to that?

I call myself the strongest, but that’s only in terms of physical power.

There’s still so much I don’t know.

“I heard you might not be able to return to your original world.”

“Who said that? I’m going back.”

“…It’s okay if you live here, you know. Everyone loves and respects you.”

Seeing a middle-aged man, drunk on the first alcohol he’s had in a long time, shouting, “Sir Hero, take all of me!” really makes me dislike that idea.

“And I feel the same way.”

She’s suddenly coming on strong.

Diana, her luscious platinum blonde hair tied up neatly in a dress that reveals her shoulders, looks at me.

As if observing my reaction, expectantly.

Old memories surface.

I was dumbfounded when a scruffy little blonde kid declared she’d make me her king.

And despite being so weak, she asked me to train her, and even when she was panting like she was about to die, she endured until the end.

In a way, this kid, like Katrinne, is precious family to me.

“I should be honest. You’re not my type, kid.”

“That’s harsh. I thought I grew up rather well.”

Seeing her smiling brightly in a princess-style dress she doesn’t usually wear, I feel like an elf from the stories is standing right before me.

“You look like you’d cause too much muscle loss.”

“……”

I think I helped her build up a lot of muscle mass back in the day, but now she’s rail-thin.

I wonder if she’s even building muscle properly.

A woman should have a body like an overturned beetle, like the trainer Kim Tae-yeon whom I respect.

All ripped and bumpy. You know?

Isn’t that great?

Diana laughs as if in disbelief.

“If I build muscle, will you seriously consider it?”

“I won’t be here by then.”

“We might meet again someday.”

Diana is so serious that I can only let out a hollow laugh.

“Sure, I’ll entertain the thought then.”

“You promised, you know. You definitely promised.”

We will never see each other again.

Knowing this fact, I still made the promise.

“Oh, right. Sir Hero. There’s someone who wishes to meet you.”

“Me?”

“Yes. Just a moment.”

With those words, Diana gently closed her eyes.

Is she about to start meditating or something? What’s going on?

When she opened her eyes again, Diana smiled serenely.

“Should I say it’s been a while, or is this our first meeting?”

Diana, who had been using formal speech, suddenly changed her tone.

No, it wasn’t just her tone that changed.

“You must have many questions.”

Diana’s sapphire-blue eyes had changed into something alien.

A dignified, golden hue.

“A goddess?”

Behind her serene smile, an undeniable halo was beginning to form.