Chapter 139
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 139
Chapter Title: 13th Floor - Planetary Skies
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"Aigoo, I'm dying!"
As soon as I arrived, the reactions were dramatically split.
My party members all stared at me with expressions screaming, "Who the hell are you?"
The quickest on the uptake was still the Hunter.
"Pardon me... but are you the Leader?"
A high-pitched, girlish voice came from my throat. It wasn't entirely unfamiliar—no, it was an experience I knew well enough, just one I hadn't had in ages.
I replied with the kind of playful smile the Goddess would flash.
"Who else would it be?"
"My god."
"It's the young boss."
"Heavens above."
"No way."
"......"
After their individual reactions passed, the goblin soldiers around us, who had been frozen in stunned silence, finally stirred.
There were no cheers, no screams, no frenzy.
They dropped to their knees like machines.
A panoramic wave of knees hitting the ground, cloth rustling—sounds overlapping in perfect sequence.
A unified motion that created solemnity in itself.
For this moment, even the distant roar of artillery seemed to quiet.
It was simply still.
Hundreds of goblin troops bowed their heads to their god as if rehearsed, prostrating themselves.
And they offered prayers with an unparalleled reverence.
My party members, who had been about to say something, clamped their mouths shut.
An overwhelming atmosphere.
A sacred mood filled every direction, where not even a whisper of noise was permitted.
It was so deathly quiet it felt alien, like stepping into another world.
In that silent intensity, I couldn't help but laugh in disbelief.
'Why does everyone recognize me? Did you make statues or something?'
「Of course we did. It's an essential for a socialist paradise on earth, isn't it?」
'Whoever taught them did a damn good job.'
「As an immortal philosopher-god implementing his ideals, even Marx in the afterlife must be smiling. Machiavelli too, probably.」
'Didn't you call it Stalinism?'
「Sure, but it was my dictatorship from the start. In a theocracy where the god actually exists, how could it not be?」
I wondered what the hell I'd created.
I put on my best Lady Goddess act—or maybe the Goddess herself—keeping a serene smile as I sprinkled blessings that looked divine enough, even if not one by one.
As if the Goddess of Chaos had descended here, taking pity on her soldiers.
* * *
I was exhausted.
Truly exhausted.
The atmosphere had been way too intimidating.
Only after boarding the transport shuttle and ascending into space did I regain some peace.
Even though I'd been a great warrior before, as the Goddess incarnate, I was handled with far more caution.
Amid it all, the Goddess couldn't stop marveling.
「Ha... really. Ha. I'm so pissed, but I'll admit it.」
'What now?'
「You seem more feminine than me.」
'Don't say creepy shit. I picked it up dealing with all-female races like sirens.'
「Should've known when you were a master at cooking, sewing, and all housework.」
'That was out of necessity.'
Her Highness the Goddess graciously added commentary while praising me.
「Back when I ran a big church, I didn't step up much. I could fake being refined, but actually being it? Nah. I tossed positions to gods more high-class than me and let them handle it.」
'No talent for acting, huh?'
「Didn't I tell you? I was just a minor noble's daughter. Not even that—a gang leader's kid from the boonies, bossing around the peasants' brats. Get it?」
'Guess that helped with exile life. You still remember it all. Mine from outside is getting fuzzy.'
「Childhood memories stick hard. Looking back, I was general material, not seductress.」
The Girl was the same, and there weren't many normal women around me.
Good thing in the Labyrinth, though.
Fancy elegant noble ladies were useless here.
Well, unless you wanted to dive into continental politics as an exile.
Unfortunately, no staircase appeared for becoming a socialite queen.
What the Labyrinth wanted from exiles was combat, conquest, and victory.
Fierce, brutal survival struggles.
More savage, primal stuff.
So why was I stuck doing political crap?
「Looks like your noble, elegant demeanor really impressed the faithful. Their faith's exploding for an 'Elegant Goddess.'」
'No other motives?'
「Goblin aesthetics might differ.」
'Anyway, better than being treated like a cute mascot, from a god's perspective.'
「All thanks to our High Priest. I'll commend you.」
'Just drink your words.'
Either way, noble blood wasn't a lie—the Goddess's reflection in the mirror was plenty beautiful.
Western features matured fast.
Petite build, but she could pass for the Girl's age. She'd said she became an exile around middle school.
Purple hair? Whatever world that was from.
'Be honest. Devil class with beauty buffs?'
「Skin like that's inevitable. Hard to remember my human look perfectly.」
'Fine, change me back now.'
The Goddess consented, but it didn't happen right away.
I had to guzzle the ship's stock of human blood for any potential risks.
Only after filling my blood pool to bursting could I revert.
The Goddess briefly descended again, and everything—gear included—returned to normal.
"You planned this from the transformation, didn't you?"
「The me on auto-play for 500 years wouldn't pull this. AI limits.」
Even gods had troubles building and maintaining forces.
This server's time kept flowing, eventually to some distant future exiles couldn't reach.
Even as a closed server, residents lived on inside.
Gods watched.
And if even gods were forgotten...
Did the server just vanish?
Who knows.
This server was nearing its last exile by server time anyway.
The Goddess wanted a solid foothold before shutdown.
「A recent miracle will sustain faith longer.」
"It'll be forgotten eventually."
「New servers pop up.」
"Kinda nihilistic."
「What isn't? Like I said, I wish this Labyrinth was really just a game.」
That'd torment many, but no way to check.
Not yet.
* * *
The Girl looked glum.
"I'm so sad I didn't get to see the Goddess."
"Isn't it just 'cause you couldn't hug me?"
"Aaaah, but Uncle's too big normally! Grip matters!"
"Don't treat me like a pet..."
Petty nonsense. Truly petty.
But a bigger issue loomed.
"Where's the staircase?"
We'd dropped into a battlefield where victory was mandatory.
We'd fought for the Federation, brushing off the trivia.
So where was the damn staircase?!
"As soon as the Imperial fleet retreats fully, we'll scour with everything we've got!"
"Look at the ground down there?"
"We can do it!"
This was a pure transport shuttle, no fleet battle capability.
Not Barbarossa's party-exclusive one—just military-grade, so not comfy.
But for this battlefield, heavy military gear was better.
The ground observation monitors showed waves of red beasts.
Surface troops had withdrawn successfully. Some losses, but greenskin heavy vehicles couldn't catch goblin agility.
Units ordered to hold and die for the retreat? Apparently recorded as national heroes.
Gave me chills.
The abandoned greenskins and empire livestock were mostly beast fodder now.
That red tide was visible from orbit, covering half the landmass.
Left alone, it'd swallow seas too.
Only after absorbing all blood-bearing life would it die off.
Remnants rotting, feeding surviving plants.
Monsters driven by pure instinct, no reason or mercy. Devouring everything in reach.
Spread speed was awe-inspiring. Why most kingdoms banned [Blood Lord].
Power for war, not battles.
"You think we can find it in that?"
The fleet commander dumped command to his XO, victory assured.
I wondered if that was okay, but warp reinforcements arrived, so yeah.
Numbers alone doomed the Empire.
To flip it, dragons—but those lazy asses were probably still chilling.
A goblin commander with weird lollipop rank insignias spoke.
"The Federation's always exile-friendly. Guiding's basic basics. Our stair-finding tech? Best in the universe."
Made sense. No retort.
I trusted the goblins and swung the ground camera away.
The battlefield where Chaos's incarnation thrust her spear.
Red beasts had swept everything here, origin point.
Cracked crust visible.
Clouds shredded too—clear even without filters.
Clouds split unnaturally triangular.
Despite scale, no backend damage. Peak spear mastery control?
Nature God, back to spectate, commented.
「Precision-compressed linear destruction. Pierced ground, exited 10km away into orbit.」
'Aimed off-ground from start. Message to War God?'
「More like safe overkill, avoiding fallout. Fling that at sky, hits fleet.」
High ranker firepower.
Great for my clear this run—stronger gods, better.
Goddess surprisingly strong, but War God disappointing.
Nature God chuckled low.
「War God's not weak. Chaos is too strong. Never beat her once.」
'Mage?'
「Yeah.」
'1v1s suck.'
Matchup issue.
I voiced the rest for Goddess too.
"Linear powerhouse [Longinus's Spear] main, backed by physical beast [Planetary Strike]. Planet-splitter focuses power well, and [Song of Annihilation] clears debris damage. Thoughtful combo."
Girl should've heard, but didn't grab hand. Turned—her face was off.
"Goddess said she's napping. Body tired after ages. Told her you'd ask, though."
"I just listed it all?"
"Yeah."
Nature God asked disbelievingly.
「She didn't think Chaos knew it all? Used 'em all? Mixed? Never seen luck like his in my life.」
I smirked.
"Luck? Unique skills are designed."
Well-made luck-shitshows had that flavor. Luck, but more.
Added from old game-enjoying senses.
"Solid synergy combo. Stays physical staple. Demon race magic-focus is the fly in ointment, though."
Ah, Koreans hate that in games.
Empty wallet makes it bearable.