Chapter 120
Chapter 120
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 120
Chapter Title: Fervent Devotee of the Terror-Swallowing One, and the End.
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"…"
The mask fell silent for a moment.
And then.
"Ha."
"Haha."
"Ahahahahaha!"
"Euhihihihihihi!"
"Kuh, kuhkuk, kuhkuk, kukuk, kuk, kuk, kuk."
"Ufufufufu."
Nameless's (the Devourer) persona (mask) rapidly shifted forms, and soon Nameless began letting out mad peals of laughter.
The insane laughter from each different personality was deafening enough to tear one's eardrums and chilling enough to shatter the listener's sanity.
Eventually, Nameless continued speaking while changing masks again.
"This is fun."
"Truly exhilarating."
"My stomach nearly split open!"
"A splendid diversion."
"Meeting another Fervent Devotee isn't the first time for me."
"But one as intriguing as you."
"Is a first."
The mask then shifted into the face of an elderly man.
A bladed weapon was clutched in his right hand.
"What is death?"
Stab.
In the next moment, Nameless plunged the blade into his own head without a shred of hesitation.
The old man's eyes rolled back.
Nameless wildly thrashed the blade embedded in his skull.
His brain was utterly pulverized, yet Nameless kept talking.
"Is this death? No, this is merely the dissolution of one among my countless masks."
Next.
Nameless transformed into a being with six eyes and three legs—a creature that could hardly be called human.
He stabbed the blade into his own heart.
The mask shifted again in the blink of an eye.
This time, it was the form of a middle-aged man.
"It seems you're misunderstanding this situation."
The middle-aged man died from self-inflicted wounds.
The mask changed once more.
"Death is not permitted for Fervent Devotees. You are also a Fervent Devotee like me—why speak of death?"
The mask shifted.
"My Sanctum, my domain."
The mask shifted.
"From the moment you set foot here."
The mask shifted.
"You had no choice."
The mask shifted.
"Why haven't you understood that yet?"
"…"
Right.
I must have phrased it poorly.
I already knew that death wasn't permitted for Fervent Devotees.
Last time I even thought about wanting to die, I immediately paid the price for blasphemy.
The 'Archivist's Duty' lists it as 'disposal' rather than 'death,' just like this lunatic mask says.
Fervent Devotees seem to be beings denied death.
I just misspoke because my sense of self is still closer to 'human' than to the 'Fervent Devotee' race.
Of course, I have zero intention of abandoning my human identity like this freak.
I corrected myself and spoke again.
"I misspoke. Get out of Earth right now. Otherwise, you'll be disposed of here and now."
"Heh."
"Hahahahaha!"
"That's a true Fervent Devotee!"
The mask laughed maniacally and continued.
"Then allow me to state my own demand."
"My demand is very simple!"
Whirr.
The mask twisted.
Suddenly, Nameless took on a grotesque form like a jumbled mash-up of countless faces.
The nose was a man's.
The mouth was a woman's.
Left eye an old man's, right eye a child's.
…It was vomit-inducing.
Nameless spoke in various voices.
"Your."
"Sister's."
"Your."
"True."
"Name."
"Your true name!"
"Tell me."
"Please tell me!"
Again with the true name obsession.
Why are Fervent Devotees so fixated on true names?
"If you do."
"I."
"Will."
"Accept."
"Your demand."
"This, I swear on the name of a Great Being."
Back then.
Before I met 'Anum - Jihad.'
I would've blurted out my true name with a 'jackpot!' mindset.
But after the 'Anum - Jihad' incident, I realized Fervent Devotees' true names hold immense value.
Well, if revealing it makes him leave Earth forever, it's still a net win for me no matter how valuable it is.
The problem is.
Revealing my true name means I get disposed of.
I'm too young to die.
I have no intention of nobly sacrificing myself to save Earth.
And above all, duty or disposal be damned.
I just can't stand listening to this obnoxious bastard.
"What if I say no?"
"Your true name."
"I'll rip it out by force."
"Your greatest fear."
"Right now."
"Here."
"In my Sanctum, my domain, it manifests."
"So."
"Just hand over your true name nicely."
"To borrow your elegant phrasing and explain simply once more."
"If you don't reveal your true name."
"You die."
Maybe because it's using a mishmash of personalities, but Nameless tossed me a very human joke.
No.
That's not a joke—it's a threat.
This space full of flesh means it's his turf, so don't defy him.
So.
What is my greatest fear?
…Honestly, I don't even know.
I only learned today that I fear Yoo Euisul's death.
Why should I worry about a fear I don't even know yet?
I haven't seen it.
And even if my greatest fear manifests in the world.
I can just pray to Reflecting Myriad Stars to normalize it.
Thus.
Not scary at all.
My answer was set.
"I can't give you my true name. One last offer: leave Earth. No losses for either side."
At my firm response.
The mask twisted its face into a bizarre grin.
"Kuk."
"Kuhuhuhuk."
"Ahahahahaha!"
"You are truly… the strangest Fervent Devotee I've ever met."
"Chaos, are you?"
"Yes, you are chaos."
"Your actions, your words, your expressions."
"I haven't predicted a single thing since earlier."
"A Fervent Devotee weighing pros and cons."
"From the moment you and I met, one of us had to fall."
"That's the law of the universe."
"The rule of the world."
"Yet you dare defy the natural order?"
"…"
What the hell is he saying?
"Natural order, rules… I don't know what bullshit you're spouting—just get off Earth."
"Conversation."
"Ended."
"Face."
"Your."
"Greatest fear."
It twisted.
The mask began to twist violently, creating the illusion that space itself was warping.
In the surreal, distorted space.
Crack.
Crack crack.
Fissures began to form.
And soon, someone emerged from the cracks.
It was.
She was.
So ecstatic my eyes burned.
So beautiful it stopped my breath.
So radiant the sun would envy her.
Yet.
As horrifying as bugs crawling over my skin.
As repulsive as vomit rising to my throat.
I.
I already knew what that woman was.
Ah.
Reflecting Myriad Stars has descended.
My greatest fear.
Was Reflecting Myriad Stars.
Nameless.
Or Reflecting Myriad Stars spoke.
"Hmm…?"
"What is the identity of this mask?"
"This is… perplexing."
"I have existed in the universe for eons beyond your comprehension."
"And possess countless masks."
"But this mask I'm wearing now, this woman's identity…"
"I can't even guess."
"…"
The woman in white robes pondered for a moment.
Then continued.
"But it doesn't matter."
"Whatever it is, this mask is your greatest fear."
"Come."
"Tremble in fear, my prey."
"Now offer your true name to me."
"And drown peacefully in the eternal sea of terror."
"Your true name."
"To me."
"True name."
The Devourer Nameless had descended in the form of Reflecting Myriad Stars.
Prayer wouldn't work.
Praying would be the same as praying to Reflecting Myriad Stars, who is Nameless the Devourer.
Why Reflecting Myriad Stars warned me.
Now.
I understood.
My body trembled.
Gazing at me, Reflecting Myriad Stars—no, Nameless the Devourer—spoke in a benevolent tone.
"Don't tremble in fear."
"Just."
"Give me your true name…"
…
…
…
Pfft.
"…?"
"Ah, sorry. Couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing."
"…………………………?????????"
"Wanna start over? I was chuckling the whole time and didn't hear a word you said."
"This…"
"How… what is…"
"Unacceptable."
"Unfathomable."
"…"
"This mask."
"What the hell is this mask? Answer properly!"
Ahem.
How do I explain this?
At this point, maybe just be honest.
"It's exactly like the fanart of Myriad Sis I saw. Sorry, but that's fake. One of my fans imagined what Myriad-noona looks like and drew it."
"…What?"
"Myriad Sis… fanart…?"
"Ah. I've never actually met her in person. Have you? Anyway, I haven't."
"Your power manifests fears from the target's mind, right?"
"But I don't know what Reflecting Myriad Stars looks like. Don't even know if she's a sis or a bro."
"So you manifested… as that fanart of Myriad-noona from the fanart board."
"In short."
"Epic fail on the manifestation. Not scary at all, dude."
"Explain properly what this 'Myriad' thing is!!!!!!"
"Still don't get it, you thick-skulled bastard?"
"My greatest fear is the Great Being I, a Fervent Devotee of Reflecting Myriad Stars, believe in."
"Reflecting Myriad Stars."
As I finished speaking.
The 'fake Reflecting Myriad Stars' before me.
"…"
"…."
"…..Ah."
"……Aah."
"……Aaaah."
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Let out a scream that flipped the space upside down.
And began twisting again.
"The Great Being who governs knowledge, Reflecting Myriad Stars…!"
"To dare."
"Dare, for one like me."
"To take the form."
"Of a Great Being…!"
"This is."
"Blasphemy."
"Blasphemy against."
"A Great Being."
"An absolutely unforgivable."
"Sin…! Ah, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
It crumbled.
Melted away.
The fake Reflecting Myriad Stars—no, Nameless's form began vanishing from the world.
Having shed Reflecting Myriad Stars's form for another mask, Nameless spat curses at me with blood vomiting from his mouth.
"My, my, my."
"Existence."
"Is dissolving."
"My countless masks."
"Right now."
"All shattered."
"The price."
"Of blasphemy…"
"…"
"…But."
"I won't."
"Be the only one disposed."
"You."
"Fervent Devotee of Reflecting Myriad Stars."
"You too shall not escape ruin!!!!!!!!!!"
"Me? I fulfilled my duty perfectly—why should I? You die, you crazy fuck."
"You…"
"A mere Fervent Devotee."
"Feared a Great Being."
"That is."
"Even worse than."
"My blasphemy of taking Reflecting Myriad Stars's form."
"You too."
"Shall face."
"Ruin."
"Unavoidable."
"Bullshit."
Snap.
I cut him off curtly.
"By the way, I know your true name now. Devourer, Nameless."
"…! Wh-what is this…"
"The Great Being you serve… uh, Terror-Swallowing One? I don't know his personality well."
"Ag-again, blasphemy…! How dare you! You, you will be erased from existence!"
"Reflecting Myriad Stars isn't that petty. She's a bit stingy, but she really likes me at heart. So it's fine to fear her a little. I fear her as much as I adore her."
"Blasphemy! Blasphemy you can't possibly bear!"
"Shut up. I already worked it out with Reflecting Myriad Stars—why are you freaking out? Right, Myriad-noona?"
Hm.
No response came.
Silence means consent.
"See? God and I agreed."
Boom!
Nameless's left arm exploded.
Boom, boom, bang!
His limbs burst like fireworks in succession.
"…"
"That's."
"Impossible."
"A Fervent Devotee fearing their own Great Being."
"Impossible."
"Defies."
"Reason."
"And natural order."
"Clearly."
"You."
"Were an incomplete fragment."
"Ha…"
"Hahaha."
"Ahahahahahaha!"
Now just a head, Nameless suddenly burst into mad laughter.
Out of joy?
Or sorrow?
Impossible to tell.
"Reflecting Myriad Stars."
"Great Being."
"What have."
"You created…"
Bang!
Nameless's words cut off.
His head had exploded.
Uh.
Hm.
Did I take him down?