The Eel from the Muddy Depths
A small magic beast resembling a moray eel that had been hiding on the seabed swam out through the muddy water. Life hadn't vanished entirely from the area—just nearly so. And I hadn't cast this spell simply to overturn the ground. If that were the case, summoning an earth spirit for help would have been far more efficient.
Earthquake was a well-known spell among high-ranking mages, yet hardly anyone used it. The reason was simple: its efficiency was abysmal. It packed more punch than expected, but even after I'd poured nearly all my mana into it, the effect was limited to reshaping a mere area less than 200 meters across. If this spell were truly efficient, no one on a battlefield would bother hurling fireballs. I'd chosen it solely because it was the perfect way to draw attention from something lurking underwater and affect it.
The eel-like magic beast swam toward me, apparently intent on filling its belly now that it had emerged. It was small, but big enough to swallow someone my size in one gulp. Not the wisest choice for the eel, though.
"Water Spear!"
Several massive spears of water materialized and pierced straight through the eel in an instant. The poor creature never even got close before it became riddled with holes and began sinking to the bottom.
That's when something slipped out from one of the holes in the eel's flank made by the water spears. At first, I thought it was a chunk of innards, but no—it wasn't. Innards don't glow.
I caught it before it hit the ground. It was an utterly bizarre object. At a glance, it resembled a red gemstone, but it didn't feel like one in my hand. It felt alive, like a living creature. And its shape was impossible to pin down. Even as I stared at it with both eyes, I couldn't define it. The object wasn't changing—my vision was being deceived somehow. It appeared triangular, then square, then octagonal. Captivated by it, I stared for a long while, my mind blank to everything else.
Something lurked inside the translucent gem, whose shape seemed to shift endlessly. To examine it closely, I brought the gem right up to my face.
It was hell itself—the epitome of every torment the human mind could conceive.
My consciousness was sucked into the gem. I couldn't resist. I knew I had to escape, but I couldn't control my body or mind. My soul was being dragged into hell.
Only then did I sense it. A faint, familiar aura emanated from the gem—something no mere mortal could withstand. This was an artifact tied to the gods. And it was likely the cause of this entire catastrophe.
The gateway to hell yawned open. Nothing had actually happened in the real world. My soul had been pulled slightly into the rift within the gem, allowing me a glimpse inside. It wasn't one hell, but hundreds, thousands layered atop one another.
Whether from the side effect of my body and soul separating or the sheer terror of witnessing thousands of hells, my body began to tremble uncontrollably. In that fleeting moment, a sliver of my consciousness returned.
I have to get back.
If I got fully sucked in, would it be death? That would be nothing in comparison. I needed to reclaim my focus from the gem. Think of something else—the many things I'd seen, the experiences I'd had, the stories I still needed to record.
Slowly, my soul returned to its place. Once fully extricated, I thought that if I played my cards right, I might even turn the tables and devour it.
As I glared at the gem, preparing for a battle of wills, a voice boomed around me.
[That is mine!]
My concentration shattered instantly, and I flinched. Only they could pull off something like that.
The seafloor began to rise. It was as if the entire ocean floor were lifting its body. And it took the form of a colossal hand.
[Hand it over!]
The massive hand lunged at me with terrifying speed utterly disproportionate to its size. I could have dodged with a spatial jump, but I couldn't move. Was this how I'd die? I'd nearly died as a soul before and knew death might come someday, but not so pointlessly.
As the hand closed in, one of its fingers poised to crush me, a gigantic tentacle shot from behind and swatted it away.
[Where do you think you're going! That is mine!]
A voice I knew all too well. I'd lived a long life, but I'd never imagined a day when those tentacles would be welcome. The situation hadn't improved, though. Right before my eyes, a monstrous clash was brewing—not between beasts, but gods.
When whales fight, the shrimp get hurt. This was a battle of gods, and my back was about to break. Even in their standoff, the aura from the two gods was overwhelming. My body felt like it would burst at any moment. If I dropped my power, my barrier would shatter, and the pressure alone would kill me.
I had to escape this place.
[Kutula!]
The unfamiliar god, now rising not just a hand but its entire upper body, glared at Kutula with furious rage. It was my first time seeing Kutula's full form too. I'd only ever glimpsed its countless tentacles before; now its whole body was visible. Shockingly, what I'd seen until now was just a part of Kutula's head. The rest resembled a human's. This new god was surely an outer god as well. Juno was the sole god of this world, after all.
But was it okay for these guys to strut around like this?
[Niala!]
Kutula's red eyes began to glow. At the same moment, the crushing pressure eased slightly. Seizing the chance, I spatial-jumped straight to the surface.
The instant I broke the surface, a water column thousands of meters high erupted, as if the sea itself had exploded. Through my avatar's view left in the deep sea, I saw the outer gods colliding at last.
This place wasn't safe either. Without pause, I kept jumping until I reached land.
Yet the clash of the two outer gods sent ripples even here. The ground shook, and in the distance, insane water spouts shot skyward. I observed from the highest mountain along the coast.
At any rate, it was clear both outer gods still wanted the red gem in my hand.
Soon, a colossal tsunami slammed into the land. This wasn't comparable to any deep-sea beast's wave—it towered dozens of meters high, devastating the coast. The vibrations from the abyssal battle felt like earthquakes onshore.
Viewing the outer gods' fight through my avatar defied common sense. A single punch from them birthed mountains and split seas. The battle dragged on without end, and the continent's damage mounted. The destruction from tsunamis and quakes alone was incalculable.
Nearly a month passed like that. Their fight ultimately birthed a new continent right there. The massive earthquake from their clash had reshaped the terrain entirely.
So this is what it meant by 'vast land emerging'?
Juno's oracle came to mind, drawing a wry smile. Chaos? Could you call the world's potential end mere 'chaos'?
The worst had happened. No—it already had. If an earthquake strong enough to create a new continent struck, what of the existing ones?
Half the western continent sank. Mountains crumbled, and the land tore apart. Magic beasts from the Great Forest and Dragon Mountains rampaged everywhere, causing massacres. Rivers vanished, groundwater dried up, leaving people to die of thirst. Food shortages bred bandit hordes.
Even mighty Ether Empire could no longer function as a nation. The emperor's death under the collapsed palace was now a trivial footnote.
The eastern continent fared no better. Seventy percent of humanity perished from the aftermath of just one month of these outer gods' brawl.
Akasha Territory hadn't been spared either. The entire domain sank. I'd only managed to save a dozen or so people.
"How long is this going to keep going?"
I fell silent at Howard's question. Naturally, I had no idea. Part of me wondered if handing over the gem and dying under Niala's finger back then might have prevented this catastrophe. I considered asking Anjuhr if a new oracle had come down, but Anjuhr had been swept away by the first tsunami.
This couldn't go on. At this rate, not just humanity but the whole world would end. I steeled my resolve. I'd throw myself into the outer gods' fight and get my back exploded, or toss the red gem between them and negotiate. I'd stop this disaster.
"I'll stop it somehow."
Would I die if I went now? Interfering in a gods' battle meant certain death. Still, I had to go.
A laugh escaped me. Was I the only one who could save this world?
"Jayke, Argin, Joseph, and everyone—thank you for following a fool like me all this time."
"My lord!"
Jayke, realizing what my farewell meant, rushed forward, but before his hand reached me, I began teleporting.
I arrived at what had once been the northern part of the western continent. The two outer gods were still unleashing everything they had at each other. The moment I neared their clash, a shockwave hit me, nearly stopping my heart. That single blow shredded my fragile insides. I healed with my regenerative power just as the next wave came. I barely managed to raise a barrier to blunt it.
"Kutulaaaaa! Nialaaaa!!"
I bellowed their names at the top of my lungs. But the fight didn't stop. Was I too quiet? No, that couldn't be—they were gods; they'd hear me.
"You fucking bastards!!"
Maybe calling them octopus and anchovy bastard was the mistake. As I tried to correct and shout again, the battle halted as if by magic. Both outer gods turned, glaring at me with fury.
Ah, now I'm really dead.
Being the first human to curse gods to their faces before dying—had to be a record.
"Here's the gem. I don't care what you two do with it, but can you stop fighting?"
As I held out the red gem, their eyes gleamed. They really wanted it.
[That is mine.]
[It was originally mine.]
Both extended hands toward me. Ah, so if I just gave it to one, the fight would finally end? But no—they were already swinging fists at each other again.
"Stop it already!"
Of course, they ignored me. Time to call them octopus and anchovy scum for real.
Then, amid their clash, someone appeared.
[What are you doing in my world?]
A handsome middle-aged face, etched with exhaustion—the one I knew.
The two outer gods halted their fight. No, like last time when Juno descended through Anjuhr's body, time around us froze.
[Juno.]
Kutula acknowledged him and stepped back. But not Niala.
[Are you the Juno of lies and love?]
Niala looked down at Juno with supreme arrogance. The moment Juno's eyebrow twitched, Niala's body began to crumple.
[Niala of folly and chaos—how foolish indeed. Dare you defy me in my world?]
[No, no! I was wrong.]
As the crumpling Niala waved his hands in plea, his body restored to normal.
Juno's cold gaze shifted from the two outer gods to me. He was far away, but gods didn't care about distance.
[Come closer.]
The moment Juno spoke, I was already before him. I hadn't teleported.
[Did you see it?]
Juno's finger pointed to the red gem—likely referring to the hells within.
"Yes, I did."
[You endured well.]
A warm smile, like a father proud of his grown child, briefly touched Juno's lips.
[You've heard, haven't you? This belongs to the Record.]
Juno declared it firmly. The two outer gods said nothing.
[If you want it, state your price.]
Juno spoke again. Whatever this red gem was, it held immense value. No wonder the two outer gods had fought over it so fiercely. To me, though, it was worthless. I'd felt like I could absorb it, but devouring a gem packed with thousands of hells left an uneasy aftertaste about the consequences.
[I'll shield you from the three calamities that will befall you.]
Niala made the first offer. Three disasters averted by a god's guarantee—solid indeed. But not what I wanted.
Now it was Kutula's turn.