Chapter 282
Chapter 282
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 282
Chapter Title: Savior (8)
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"Failed again, bro."
Abel said. Like Cain, he had grown into a young man in his twenties. In his well-trained hand, he gripped a longsword caked in blood and oil.
"Bro?"
When no reply came, Abel repeated himself. Exposed to the intense light, Cain and Abel's faces glowed red-hot like blades fresh from the forge. Cain, staring blankly ahead, murmured softly.
"...It seems that way."
His voice was as hollow as a dust-covered cutting board. Dozens of mushroom clouds bloomed over the horizon. Pillars of fire, dust, and radioactive material linked heaven and earth like colossal towers.
Fine ash like volcanic fallout drifted down. As one mushroom cloud dissipated, new ones sprouted nearby, sweeping everything away.
The air tasted metallic with every breath. Cain clenched his fist in silence. He remembered the names of every city and village disintegrating in the flames.
"Now that you're awake, I can tell you. While you were asleep, armies from countless nations marched in. I thought they were bringing food, but no. They wanted to steal your power. Guess which place sent the most troops?"
"The Dainhar Empire."
"Right! The country you cherished and loved so much. You even used your wish to avert its destruction by natural disaster, and this is what it comes to?"
With that, Abel slammed his sword into the ground. Kwachik! Sparks flew as the sharp blade pierced the machinery. At their feet lay mountains of soldiers armed with heavy weaponry and combat machines.
All foes Abel had slain to protect the sleeping, defenseless Cain. Cain had no reply this time either.
As Abel said, he had just awakened from centuries of slumber—the price of halting a supervolcano that would have wiped out most life on Earth.
Kwaaaaang! Another mushroom cloud erupted where the empire's capital stood. Humanity had doomed itself again. Sweeping back his hair, Abel sighed.
"Bro. Let's call it quits."
Endless meaningless charity work in Cain's wake had reached its limit. No matter how many he helped or civilizations he rebuilt, they always met self-destructive ends. Cain shook his head in silence.
"We'll head out once the blasts die down. There are still survivors in the bunkers."
"...You're serious?"
"Yes. We can't just leave them. New shoots sprout from burned earth."
Cain said. Since leaving his homeland, he had devoted his life to humanity's progress. It started from pondering how people could avoid losing loved ones to fleeting deaths.
For that, wars, diseases, and accidents had to end first. Cain believed nations as communities held the answer. Abel snorted in disbelief.
"Bro, Dainhar conquered seventy percent of the world and launched junk into space. How long do you think it'll take to reach that level again?"
"Faster than now. We've gained experience."
Cain nodded firmly. The Dainhar Empire had come closest to his ideal. They conquered most diseases, developed clean energy, and launched spaceships.
They were first to convene a global summit. Cain was certain a few more centuries of peace would achieve his goal. Scratching his head, Abel spoke.
"Hear me out instead, bro. I've got a better idea. I made an amazing discovery about forty years ago."
"Amazing discovery?"
"Yeah. Dainhar's expedition caught it last. Wanna see?"
Abel pulled a small device from his pocket. The flat screen played footage of a city under destruction. Winged giants soared through the skies, hurling spears of light at the ground.
A civilization just reaching modernity offered no resistance. Citizens screamed and fled. The video ended with a giant hurling a spear at the filming expedition.
"This...!"
Cain gasped at the horror. Undeniable giants. First he'd seen since leaving home eons ago.
"Impressive, right? But the real kicker's next."
Abel nudged him with an elbow. The giants who exterminated all life in sight suddenly spread their wings wide.
At the same moment, pale gaseous wisps rose from the victims' corpses, drawn into the giants' bodies. It wasn't hard to guess they were souls. Cain said,
"...Absorbing souls?"
"Yep. My research says their bodies are made of souls. They invade planets with intelligent life, absorb the souls, and grow stronger."
Abel grinned. He'd already researched giants extensively. His sparkling eyes and smirk made him look like an excited kid.
"This is the answer, bro. We need to become higher beings. Shed mortal concerns with our flesh, become apex predators, and roam the sea of stars."
"You've gotten cheeky in just a few centuries, Abel. You're saying kill everything on this planet."
"What's wrong with that? It's just a step to paradise. The world you dreamed of—no more fleeting deaths."
Abel spread his arms in protest. A nuclear blast lit his back like a halo. As Cain opened his mouth to reply,
"Oh, and I wanna ask you something."
"Hm?"
"Why can we use the giants' power?"
Cain's face stiffened briefly. Abel raised a finger, concentrating mana at the tip. A glittering orb formed—the star's blessing, giants' power.
"You... how...?"
Cain's eyes widened. No doubt it was giant power. Had he found one and drunk its blood? Impossible.
"Could use it one day. Their power matches ours perfectly. Means we're connected to giants."
"...What are you getting at."
"If you know the truth, tell me. Unlike you, I have no memories before ten. What happened?"
Abel grabbed Cain's shoulders. Cain just breathed raggedly, silent. Abel continued.
"We can do it, bro. Make people better beings. No more suffering."
"...You've changed, Abel."
"No, you've changed. You know something—tell me."
"I know nothing. Even if I did, I wouldn't say."
"Damn it, why hesitate? Spill it!"
Abel suddenly shouted. Millennia of madness and rage swirled in his eyes. His grip tightened.
"You bastard...!"
Cain couldn't hold back. He swung a fist, eyes squeezed shut. Abel drew his sword in panic, but the punch nailed his face center.
****
"So what happened? Did you win?"
Ronan asked. Amid the shocking exchanges, only Abel getting pummeled mattered now. The Savior nodded.
"Yes. It took a year bedridden before he recovered enough for normal life."
"Kya, that's the way. You get tough when it counts."
"That's when we grew distant. He never called me 'bro' again."
His voice was somber. Now Ronan understood why Abel in the mental world treated the Savior like a superior. Who'd have thought such backstory.
"Anyway... drink this. Lucky it's not fully dry."
Licking his lips, the Savior gestured. His finger pointed to the puddle under the giant's foot.
The blood, once enough for a hot spring, had dried to less than a bowlful. Even that was squeezed from the heart by Ronan's sword.
"Drinking this lifts all curses?"
"With the ritual, yes. Not all at once, but they'll fade progressively soon."
"...I see."
Ronan knelt on one knee by the puddle. His face reflected in the glistening blood. Still uncanny resemblance to the Savior. Suddenly, without turning, he said,
"Gotta say this. You're wrong."
"What?"
"People aren't babies forever. On letting them grow on their own, I agree with that bastard Abel. Dad helped speed progress, but they could've done it without."
Ronan's voice echoed in the hollow. The Savior raised a brow.
"Out of nowhere... what're you saying."
"Even regaining power, I won't live like you. My calling ends with slaughtering those baldies and saving sis."
"You..."
The Savior's face hardened. After long silence, he spoke.
"Fine... post-curse, your life is your freedom. But I can't agree I'm wrong. Ever lost everything sustaining your life in an instant? Felt that despair?"
His voice trembled. He hadn't expected his son rejecting his ideals. Ronan nodded calmly.
"Yes."
"What?"
"I have. Lost everything."
Ronan turned. The Savior flinched at his gaze. Those sunset eyes, identical and serene, held no lie.
Ronan remembered vividly. The day three giants descended. His beloved sister, hometown, army—all annihilated.
His first life's end was wretched. The Savior asked,
"...Then why resist? Just let it be. Let all life here get absorbed by giants, as Abel wants."
"C'mon, mister. That's not comparable. Jungle beasts fighting among themselves versus poachers wiping them out—totally different."
Ronan smiled proudly. Apt metaphor, he thought. Speechless, the Savior twisted his lips.
"And you're misunderstanding—I don't advocate neglect. Just stop treating them like babies."
"Like babies..."
"I believe people are stronger than you think. Overprotection won't reach your dream paradise. Good intentions, wrong direction."
Ronan's voice brimmed with conviction. Heavy silence fell. The groaning Savior finally spoke.
"Then what would you have me... do?"
"Simple."
Ronan trailed off. Days from two lives flashed by. Closing then opening his eyes, he chuckled.
"Just believe. In people's potential."
Ronan faced the puddle again. Cupping the blood in both hands, he brought it to his lips. The blue liquid that started it all flowed smoothly down his throat.