Ending Maker Chapter 59
Ending Maker Chapter 59
Chapter 17 - Revelation #2
Gods.
Transcendent beings.
Unlike reality, where debate over their existence continued endlessly, gods truly existed in Pleiades.
But strictly speaking, the gods of Pleiades were far removed from the omniscient and omnipotent gods people imagined in reality.
They were undeniably powerful, but their limits were clear.
They were called immortals, yet even they could be destroyed.
'To put it bluntly, you could call them insanely powerful espers.'
But still, gods were gods.
They were objects of faith, beings possessed of a greatness beyond ordinary human reach.
'The gods of Pleiades come in roughly three types.'
One was Creator God Lu, called the Creator of the Celestial Realm.
But he or she was closer to a conceptual being whose very self-awareness was questionable.
After all, it was not Creator God Lu who led the Celestial Realm, but the four great angels.
'Angels called gods.'
They were originally angels, not gods, but beings worshipped as gods due to human ignorance.
The representative among them was Solari, the Sun God.
The great angels of the Celestial Realm normally regarded humans as little more than livestock to be managed, but Solari, the seventh great angel, was different.
She regarded humans as still-young children or younger siblings, and sought to guide and care for them.
'Solari wasn't alone. There were many angels who joined her cause, and those who descended to the mortal world were each worshipped by humans as gods.'
But all of that belonged to the past.
Due to the long war against the demons, gods no longer existed upon the earth.
'The last type is the Outer Gods.'
Transcendent beings existing in a third world that was neither the Celestial Realm nor Hell.
But their influence on the mortal world was minimal.
It was no exaggeration to say it amounted to little more than rumors that beings called Outer Gods existed.
'And then there are the Wild Gods.'
Beings that belonged to none of the three categories listed so far.
'First of all, neither the Saelun Kingdom nor the Argon Empire acknowledges the existence of Wild Gods.'
There were political reasons as well, but either way, both nations perceived Wild Gods as fictional beings created by the shamanism of barbarians.
'Even those who acknowledge their existence think of them as little more than powerful spirits.'
And Yuder thought similarly.
The reason was simple.
'Because they don't appear in the original work.'
The Wild Gods were mentioned from time to time in manuals, lore books, item descriptions, and the like, but none had ever appeared directly.
'There was a theory that they were all killed by Belial of Corruption.......'
Either way, all of those theories concerned the period after the Great Invasion of the Northern Barbarians.
At this point in the past, there was still a chance they remained alive and well.
'No, they are alive and well.'
Because right now, before his very eyes, there was a being claiming to be a Wild God.
Great Storm.
The Wild God of wind whom the Great Storm tribe served and revered.
"You are thinking something rude, aren't you?"
Perhaps because he appeared in the form of a boy, Great Storm's manner of speech had become considerably lighter compared to when he first appeared.
Yuder hastily denied it and said,
"No, I was so shocked I couldn't think of anything at all."
In truth, it wasn't entirely a lie.
He really had been surprised.
Who would have thought Great Storm would actually show up? And in this manner, no less.
"Hmph. You sure know what to say."
The boy reacted in a way that somehow reminded Yuder of Cordelia. With a few flicks of his fingers, he made a rock rise from the ground, perched on it, and said,
"Anyway, I am Great Storm—the one whose name you two have been throwing around everywhere."
He spoke mischievously with his chin resting on his hand, and his expression and eyes were exactly those of a prankster brat.
'First of all, he doesn't seem to be actually angry.'
If he had truly been angry, he would have started by demanding how they dared use a god's name without permission and punishing them for it.
"Uh...... ahem, it is an honor to meet you, Great Storm. I am Cordelia Chase. And this is my fiancé, Yuder Bayel."
While Yuder hesitated over what to do, Cordelia stepped forward and spoke.
At her polite display of courtesy, Great Storm smiled with satisfaction.
"At least the girl knows her manners. I like that. When you see a god, you shouldn't just stare blankly—you should state your name first. Indeed."
He clicked his tongue as he finished speaking, and it seemed he liked Cordelia but not so much Yuder.
Instead of being shaken, Yuder paid his respects and said,
"Great Storm, I beseech you to hear our story."
"Speak."
It was the reaction he had expected.
Great Storm had not appeared to punish them.
'If that's the case.'
Yuder took a deep breath and steeled his resolve.
From now on, he had to pull a scam—no, a well-intentioned lie—on a Wild God, not a Fairy Queen or a witch.
"Beyond the border lies—"
"The Wild Lands. That's what we call it. Not the Barbarian Lands."
At Great Storm's preemptive correction, Yuder expressed his thanks and continued.
"I heard that danger is approaching the Wild Lands."
"From whom?"
"From the Fairy Queen of the south and the soul of a witch."
As far as Yuder knew, there was no connection whatsoever between the Fairy Queens and the Wild Gods.
But since he couldn't be sure, instead of naming anyone specific, he showed the Fairy's Footsteps and the Fairy's Bond he had received from the Fairy Queens.
Though their attire had changed because this was a dream, the two artifacts still rested on his neck and arm.
"Hmm...... the Fairy Queens aside, the soul of a witch?"
"Yes, the soul of a great witch who opposed the Infernal Lord of Lust, Asmodeus, for long ages."
"And what did they say?"
"They said a demonic threat was approaching the Wild Lands. In particular, the witch's soul said an organization called the Devil's Eye seemed to have done something to Red Gale, chieftain of the Great Storm Tribe."
At Yuder's explanation, Great Storm's brow furrowed.
And Yuder was certain.
'He's buying it.'
As expected, Great Storm did not really know who the witch's soul was or what she had done.
But Yuder had mixed plenty of truth into his story.
The Devil's Eye.
They were the ones causing harm in the Wild Lands.
Red Gale, dying from an illness of unknown cause.
"So the witch's soul said that, did she?"
"Yes, and my fiancée Cordelia here is the witch's successor... She inherited a portion of the witch's power. The witch therefore asked Cordelia and me to go to the Wild Lands and stop the demon worshippers' scheme."
At Yuder's words, Great Storm turned to look at Cordelia, and Cordelia, who had been blinking, quickly nodded.
"Yes, that's right."
Cordelia blushed, thinking her answer had sounded a little foolish, but Great Storm actually found the awkward sincerity reassuring. Scratching his chin, he said,
"So, to sum it up, it's like this? The Fairy Queen and the witch's soul warned about the danger to the Wild Lands. In particular, the witch's soul even mentioned my tribe and told you to go help."
"Yes. On our way to the Wild Lands, we heard that a girl of the Great Storm Tribe with Winter Elf blood was being held at a slave auction, so we rescued her. That girl is Red Wind."
"Hmm......."
Great Storm scratched his chin again, and Yuder smiled inwardly.
The basic outline of the story left very little to pick apart.
They were on their way to meet the Great Storm tribe, so they rescued a girl of the Great Storm tribe.
What fault could anyone find with that?
After waiting a moment, Yuder drove the point home.
"In order to convince Red Wind, whose wariness had grown strong from being captured as a slave, I ended up using Great Storm's name without permission. I beg your forgiveness."
Yuder bowed deeply, and Cordelia, in perfect sync, lowered her head at almost the exact same moment.
At their courteous apology, Great Storm groaned for a moment, then nodded.
"Fine. I am a fairly broad-minded sort, after all. I will forgive you this once."
"Thank you very much."
"Thank you, Great Storm."
Yuder and Cordelia quickly expressed their gratitude, making Great Storm's forgiveness a fait accompli.
And Yuder even went one step further.
"Great Storm, I dare to ask if you would hear a little more from this insignificant one."
"What is it?"
"I wish to repay your grace in forgiving such a serious offense. Please allow Cordelia and me to fight for the Great Storm Tribe. We wish to become your warriors."
At first glance, it sounded like he was simply volunteering, but in reality it was completely different.
'The self-proclaimed becomes official.'
From the moment Great Storm permitted it, Yuder and Cordelia would effectively become true warriors of a Wild God, chosen by Great Storm.
'We have to operate in the Wild Lands anyway.'
The two of them had to stop the Devil's Eye and the Angry Rhino Tribe for the happy ending.
If so, wouldn't official warriors be better than self-proclaimed warriors?
If they could obtain official recognition from Great Storm, operating in the Wild Lands would become much easier.
'And if it's official, he'll give us something.'
Would a being calling himself a god really appoint them as warriors and give them nothing?
"Hmmmm."
At Yuder's request, Great Storm narrowed his eyes and let out a groaning sound.
Something felt off. The two clearly had an ulterior motive, but there was nothing he could actually fault them for.
'And just sending them away doesn't seem right either.'
After all, it was true that demon worshippers were plotting something in the Wild Lands.
In fact, the reason Great Storm had deliberately appeared before Yuder and Cordelia was precisely because of that.
'Hmmmm, it feels like I'm being played.'
But there was no other choice.
After deliberation, Great Storm nodded.
"Very well, I shall grant your request. From this day forth, you are my warriors."
The instant Great Storm made his declaration, a brilliant light flared from Yuder's and Cordelia's right upper arms.
What followed was momentary but intense pain.
Amid the pain, as if being seared by a hot brand, Yuder and Cordelia quickly pulled back their sleeves and soon confirmed the tattoos now situated on each of their right arms.
The emblem of a thunderbird wreathed in wind.
It was the crest of the Wild God symbolizing Great Storm.
The instant they saw the crests, Yuder and Cordelia had the same thought any rotten fossil would.
'Does it have any special effects?'
'No options?'
Because there was no change they could immediately feel.
Yuder and Cordelia looked at each other and checked the other's crest. Then they realized something else.
'It's different?'
'They're different?'
Yuder's was silver, and Cordelia's was gold.
When the two turned to Great Storm side by side, he smiled and said,
"It is my crest. If you show it to my tribesmen, they will recognize you as my warriors."
'No, that's important too, but.'
'What's the difference between silver and gold? Gold is better, right?'
Yuder and Cordelia tried desperately to communicate with their eyes, but Great Storm either failed to notice or pretended not to and simply kept talking.
"Now that you have become my warriors, there is a task I wish to entrust to you."
The true reason Great Storm had appeared here.
In game terms, it was the moment a quest was about to begin.
But Yuder and Cordelia were more interested in the crest they had just obtained than in the quest about to start.
And the fact that one was silver while the other was gold only made them more curious.
'Should I just ask?'
'He'll probably scold us for interrupting, but should we?'
The moment they exchanged glances.
Great Storm finally realized why the two were so impatient. Laughing heartily in a way that did not suit his boyish appearance, he asked,
"Are you curious about the power of the crests?"
"Yes!" they answered in unison.
Yuder and Cordelia answered at the same time. Great Storm laughed again and continued.
"They are crests imbued with my power to rule the wind. In other words, from now on, you could say you are on the side of the wind."
'Side of the wind? Does that mean our wind attribute gets stronger?'
'Or that we can control the wind?'
While Yuder and Cordelia were doing their best to interpret, Great Storm continued speaking.
"The silver crest holds the Blessing of the Wind Barrier. When used, a barrier of wind will unfold and block projectile attacks. The gold crest holds both the Blessing of the Wind Barrier and the Blessing of Wind Command. If you use the Blessing of Wind Command, you will be able to freely control the blowing wind around you, albeit briefly."
A Wild God was still a god.
The Blessing of the Wind Barrier alone was useful, but the Blessing of Wind Command was an ability with enormous potential for application.
"Wow! Thank you so much!"
Cordelia examined the golden crest on her arm again and beamed with delight. Great Storm smiled back, clearly pleased by how happy she looked.
But Yuder was different.
'Why.'
Why was Cordelia's crest gold while his was silver?
Was there some kind of quantity limit?
In a situation like this, shouldn't both people normally receive the same thing?
Just as the Winter Fairy Queen had bestowed the Blessing of Winter equally on both of them.
Yuder's question was reasonable, so Great Storm easily guessed what he was thinking and said with a smile,
"The reason is simple."
The reason he gave the gold crest to Cordelia and the silver crest to Yuder.
"I am a man, and I like a pretty, kind, cute, honest girl far more than some shady, scheming fellow."
At the utterly candid answer, Yuder blinked, and Cordelia smiled brightly again.
* * *
"Well, that's not the only reason, of course."
As Yuder had guessed, there were quantity limits for the gold and silver crests respectively, so it was impossible to give gold crests to both of them.
"That girl and I somehow seem to be on the same wavelength. Strangely so."
'Maybe because they're both storms.'
Great Storm and Yellow Storm.
Cordelia, perhaps thinking something similar, nodded repeatedly with a smiling face.
"That's right, Great Storm. I think I get along well with you too."
"Right? I think so too."
Cordelia and Great Storm had somehow grown quite friendly.
Yuder forcibly swallowed his sense of alienation, then moved the conversation forward again.
"Great Storm, what is the task you would command of us?"
"Ah, right. We were in the middle of talking about that."
Great Storm clapped once, shifted his position on the rock, and began again.
"As you said, those demon worshipper bastards seem to be plotting something. Strange phenomena are occurring in several sanctuaries throughout the Wild Lands."
"In the sanctuaries?"
"Yes, we Wild Gods each have our own domain. We call that domain a sanctuary."
If one had to compare, Wild Gods were beings similar to the mountain spirits of Korea.
They selected their own domain, the sanctuary, and cultivated their power within it.
Thanks to that, within their own domain they could exert power worthy of being called gods, but outside their domain their power dropped sharply.
"There is a place nearby that used to be a sanctuary. A Wild God called Rough Avalanche once lived there. Rather than watching over a tribe, it became one with nature. In any case, even after it vanished, the Wild God's power remained and the place continued to function as a sanctuary."
The reason the barbarian tribes could sustain life in the extreme environment of the Wild Lands was thanks to the sanctuaries overflowing with the blessings of the Wild Gods.
"But it seems something has gone wrong there. The natural energy has become twisted, and recently, monsters have even begun to appear."
The story sounded strangely familiar.
Great Storm continued.
"As I said earlier, more than one or two sanctuaries seem to be affected. I cannot leave my own sanctuary empty in a situation like this, so I sent several tribesmen to investigate, but it did not go well."
None of the warriors who had gone to Rough Avalanche's sanctuary had returned.
Normally, he would have sent Red Gale, the tribe's greatest warrior, but Red Gale had already been bedridden for years. That was not an option.
"The distortion of the corrupted sanctuary has begun to affect even my own sanctuary. So, children of the south, my warriors. Investigate Rough Avalanche's sanctuary for me."
Yuder and Cordelia looked at each other.
In Hero Legend 2, the Wild Lands had not properly appeared.
Quests involving the Wild Gods likewise did not exist.
Because of that, what lay ahead was likely unknown territory even for rotten fossils like Yuder and Cordelia.
The unknown was frightening.
Not knowing what would happen was frightening.
But even so.
'It sounds a bit strange, but it feels like playing a newly released expansion pack.'
Cordelia said it with her eyes, and Yuder agreed. His heart beat a little faster too.
And really, this was something they should have expected.
Because Yuder and Cordelia's goal was to smash the scenario of Hero Legend 2.
'Moreover...... it's not as if we have no information at all.'
Although the Wild Lands had not appeared as a stage, the Devil's Eye and the corrupted barbarian tribes had definitely appeared in Hero Legend 2.
Yuder knew plenty about them.
'And there will be rewards too.'
A Wild God was still a god.
Just as he had given them crests this time, he would give appropriate rewards.
'Simple.'
It was something they had to do anyway. If they could earn rewards on top of that, of course they were going to do it.
'Let's do it.'
Yuder said with his eyes, and this time Cordelia agreed.
The two's gazes turned toward Great Storm.