Chapter 105
Chapter 105
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: We Call This the 'Eel Deep Kiss'
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Kim Taeyang stepped forward.
The alien god chuckled as if amused.
"You're willing to sacrifice yourself even though this mess isn't your fault?"
"Got a problem with that?"
There was no reason for him to have any complaints about the alien god.
If anyone had complaints, it would be Kim Taeyang toward the team leader, whose fault it was that his arm was about to be torn off.
Yet his attitude showed not a hint of wavering.
"I'll take the arm you mainly use. No regrets?"
"Haaah... This is boring. Hey. I'm gonna take a nap, so rip it off yourself if you're gonna do it."
"?"
Kim Taeyang lay down spread-eagled on the floor.
And after three seconds, he actually started snoring?!
"……."
"……."
The team members watched, utterly speechless.
This went beyond mere bravado.
'Is he insane...?'
Either way, he seemed completely unhinged.
Even the alien god was flustered by Kim Taeyang's gutsy attitude.
"Is he really sleeping?"
"……."
"Unbelievable..."
The alien god wore a deflated expression.
A blade suddenly protruded from its forehead.
Kwachik!
A small figure burst through its head.
This seemed to be the alien god's true form.
Kuwooooong-!
As the woman emerged from the head, the massive giant's body collapsed, shaking the ground.
"Everyone, step back."
The alien god's voice, now in a woman's form, lacked its previous intimidation.
The overwhelming pressure that had crushed Abigail and the heroes was gone.
"A human full of bluff... What a ridiculous fellow."
The alien god approached Kim Taeyang.
It raised the bent sword.
"Let's see if you can swallow even the pain."
Sgak──────!
With a precise motion, Kim Taeyang's right arm was severed.
Blood spurted from the stump.
"Hah?"
Kim Taeyang, who had been sleeping, opened his eyes.
It was a situation where screaming wouldn't be out of place.
"You cut it off right when I finally dozed off? If you're gonna do it, why not sooner?!!"
"……."
"Hey, team leader sow. First aid kit's in my backpack. Patch me up roughly. I'm going back to sleep."
"O-Okay...!"
A madman who planned to sleep even as his arm was severed and blood fountained out.
"It might hurt a little."
"I'm sleeping, so don't talk to me."
"……."
Kwak!
Even as Abigail staunched the bleeding, Kim Taeyang didn't make a sound.
Not even a grimace crossed his face.
'What is he? That mental fortitude...?'
At this point, it couldn't be dismissed as mere bluff.
"Insane" didn't even cover it.
'Is he gritting his teeth to resist cowering before the alien god?!'
'Kim Taeyang isn't just some thug...! He's a hero beyond us petty criminals' comprehension...!!!'
A celestial being descended from the heavens!
Maybe one day he'd become a star, appearing before us as a Constellation?!
As reverence for him swelled...
The alien god began devouring the severed arm.
"Tough."
"……."
The heroes held their breath as their comrade's arm was eaten before their eyes.
The shadow of despair was too thick for Kim Taeyang's small light to kindle hope.
*
I blotted out the pain with Hecate's curse.
It paralyzed my left arm—no, the one that got cut—so I wouldn't feel a thing. The effect was outstanding.
But I wasn't actually sleeping.
I passed out for a bit...
Probably from blood loss...
"K-Kim Taeyang? You're awake?"
"Haaaam..."
A guy pretending he'd just woken from sleep after blacking out!
What a bluffer!!
"Hey. What's with that sow?"
"It's not a sow, it's the alien god."
A woman with pale skin and purple hair.
She was wolfing down what looked like my forearm.
Up close, it was straight out of a horror flick...
"Kim Taeyang..."
Abigail was by my side.
She knelt respectfully and grabbed my hand.
"I'm sorry..."
"Hah? What's this sudden nonsense?"
"You lost your arm because of me."
The truth is, I sacrificed my arm to get on the alien god's good side.
The alien god values sacrifices highly.
It befriends the sacrificer.
And after the dungeon is cleared, it promises aid in return.
All part of the plan.
That doesn't diminish my sacrifice, though.
I bore this pain and disability for real.
...Though it does reattach the arm later.
"If I hadn't shot that arrow into its heart..."
"Hey. Enough of the sow's bullshit."
"What did you say?"
"You did your job as team leader. I did mine as a team member by sacrificing. That's it."
"……."
Abigail looked deeply moved.
Tears welled in her eyes but didn't fall.
Now came the crucial part.
I was Kim Taeyang, not Kang Ju-hyuk.
When playing as Kang Ju-hyuk, Abigail was just a friendly extra.
But now?
'She's an assassin gunning for me.'
Would she change her mind?
Ignore the heavenly revelation and accept me as a comrade?
Any sane person would, but expecting my common sense from a stranger is foolish.
Especially since the Heavenly Church is a cult.
Like Michaela trying to blow up Ark, Abigail was a fanatic ready to kill on a single revelation.
"I accept your apology. But don't regret your choice. You're the team leader, right? If you waver, the whole team wavers."
"R-Right..."
"So tighten up and get your head straight. Got it? Huh?"
"Got it. Thanks for the advice..."
Her expression suggested she was fully convinced.
Anyway.
The alien god seemed ready for its next move.
"Dawn is breaking. Wake everyone."
At the alien god's words, the sleeping comrades stirred.
After watching a comrade's arm torn off by a mystery god, who could sleep properly?
The alien god, sitting cross-legged, wiggled its ankle and continued.
"Your goal is escape, right?"
"Yes..."
"Mine's similar. Collect my scattered organs here, fully revive, and leave. That's my aim."
Abigail recalled the old woman's words and quickly replied.
"We'll help! We'll fetch your organs!"
"Quick on the uptake. Lungs, liver, kidneys, stomach. My body's incomplete, can't stray far from the heart. So I'll use you lot. Bring them all, and I'll help you escape."
"Thank you!"
Abigail and the heroes prostrated without being told.
Probably imprinted by yesterday's pressure in giant form.
Abigail asked while bowed.
"One question."
"Speak."
"What should we call you?"
The alien god didn't answer immediately, stroking its chin.
"Hm... Such a pathetic language. No word to express or describe me."
Stop the bullshit!
At best, ancient god or otherworldly deity.
I've played enough games.
Never met a poser with real substance.
"Call me Alien God."
Oh, from outer space?
Cthulhu or something?
Figures, this game's a mishmash without roots...
"Understood, Alien God..."
"Don't waste time. Go."
The team rose.
I planned to join them.
I roughly knew the organ locations, so we might clear this dungeon quick.
"You stay here."
"Hah...?"
Didn't expect it to hold me back.
This screws the progression...
"Kekeke. Asking me on a date, sow?"
"Exactly."
"?"
I'd just said it offhand, but it accepted...?
Something's wrong...!
Not content with Greek-Roman gods, now an alien god hookup...?
Save me...!!!
*
"Save me!! Save me!!! I really wanted to scream that."
Kim Jun-hwan was making a fuss.
No team member showed disgust at his exaggerated tale.
The alien god was more intimidating than any monster they'd faced.
"A Constellation?"
"It called itself a god, so probably."
"But not a normal one. Maybe a Wanderer, or an unknown type."
The heroes' serious discussion continued.
They'd spent the day under the alien god's watch, pent-up with things to say.
Kim Taeyang's sacrifice was a hot topic too.
"Kim Taeyang... Never thought he'd step up so readily."
"Not like the rumors."
"Yeah. Looks like a thug, but his actions are the most righteous... Might fit Justice Guild best."
"Enough chit-chat. Kim Taeyang's a hostage now. Find the organs or the old lady, do something."
"What about the team leader?"
As team members burned with zeal,
Team leader Abigail conversed with her Constellation a bit away.
Or rather, argued.
"Abigail! Hear the heavenly voice! Serve the heavens! Whose side are you on?!"
"I'm not defying the revelation! I mean watch a bit more! Kim Taeyang saved my life, and sacrificed willingly—facts!"
Kim Taeyang was the issue.
Angel Fortis wanted him dead.
If not, escape the dungeon now.
Her stigmata could make escape possible.
"You'll face trial. Per heavenly law, traitors fall to hell. Abigail... Abigail! Want torment until your soul wears away?!"
"Couldn't Fortis help? Why so quiet before the alien god?"
"How dare you insult me!"
Poof-!
Fortis manifested.
A Constellation with angelic wings, armed in celestial gear, radiating holy light.
She was Fortis, who sanctified beholders.
Normally, Abigail would've crossed herself and knelt.
But now? No reaction.
'Confirmed. Fortis is leagues below the alien god.'
All thanks to the alien god.
It forced every hero to kneel just by existing.
Fortis's silence in its presence had reason.
Fortis, mace over shoulder, glared down contemptuously.
"Fine. If that's your choice, I'll decide too. Declare first: as Heavenly Church follower, you renounce heavenly words. Then I'll sever the Constellation-hero contract and leave."
"……."
Fortis wanted to flee the dungeon.
Abigail wanted to stay.
Or precisely, help Kim Taeyang.
She owed him big.
But.
"Abigail. Revelations never lie. Obeying them is true salvation."
The Heavenly Church revelation weighed heavy too.
It had saved her family.
She'd sworn total devotion that day.
"I don't understand the revelation's will."
"How can a lamb stand above the almighty archangel?"
"It can't."
"The devil's tempted you briefly."
She sorted her thoughts slowly.
Her heart lightened quickly.
'Karma, really. Out of all dungeons, Kim Taeyang chose this one.'
'Meant to kill him anyway. No pity needed.'
'Kim Taeyang's a thug. Ark agitator, woman harasser, scum.'
This situation might be ideal.
Remove him without dirtying her hands.
As she rationalized, team members joined.
"Team leader. Something wrong?"
"We're retreating."
"Pardon?"
Everyone's jaws dropped at the team leader's words.
"Retreat? Is that possible? The bridge collapsed."
"My stigmata can do it. Mana was low yesterday, but recovered now."
They knew she had wing stigmata.
But thought escape impossible due to limits.
"Doesn't flight suffer? Short duration, heavy weight penalty."
"Got a way. Rope the bridge debris. Follow my plan, no worries."
Suppose they escape cleverly.
What about Kim Taeyang?
"Team leader. You mean... abandon Kim Taeyang?"
"The living must live."
"Hah."
Kim Jun-hwan grimaced unwittingly.
A face for creepy bugs.
"Kim Taeyang yielded his sleeping bag to the injured, shared hot packs, then shivered himself."
"I know."
"And lost an arm from your heart arrow."
"I know."
Kim Jun-hwan shook his head in disbelief.
"You know and still abandon him?"
"Watch your words. Tactical retreat."
Blood vessels bulged on Kim Jun-hwan's forehead.
He grabbed Abigail's collar, unable to hold back.
"Don't you get it? Every mess you made, Kim Taeyang cleaned! Arm cut because of you! You cut it!!!"
"Kim Jun-hwan! Calm down! Team leader has no choice!"
"Shin Yu-jin! Warm in the sleeping bag and still say that?! You human scum? Even beasts wouldn't!"
"Sacrifice over one sleeping bag?"
"What, a politician? Forgot Bondragon already?!"
The team fractured.
Kim Jun-hwan wouldn't side with Abigail.
"Go if you want, you bitches! Nice knowing ya, stuck with a selfish cunt like you...! Byung-wook! Lark! Come on!!"
He figured like-minded comrades remained.
"……."
"……."
Reality was harsh.
Byung-wook and Lark just stared at the ground.
"What? All gonna run with these bitches? Hah. Unbelievable... Trusted backs like these..."
"Kim Jun-hwan. Last chance. No apology needed. Follow silently, you're with us."
"Fuck off. Better die than live like trash like you."
Kim Jun-hwan punched Abigail square.
The sound and motion were so perfect, worth replaying forever.
He headed for the ruins without looking back.
"Foolish idiot..."
Abigail muttered.
"Team leader. Let's go. No point persuading."
"You did nothing wrong. Loyalty doesn't feed you."
"Right. Stubborn against irregular foes is stupid."
Comrades consoled her.
The more they did, the more her brow furrowed.
"I know I'm a shitty bitch."
"Pardon...?"
"But you're all the same."
"……."
No one met eyes.
"Let's go."
Abigail walked, eyes down.
Comrades followed.
Destination: the collapsed bridge.
*
"Hey hey!!! These trash bitches for real?! Thought S-rank heroes, but betrayal masters?! Back of my head stings like hell!!!!! Hey!!!!!"
I'd watched the whole scene.
Not my power—the alien god showed me.
Via crystal ball or something.
"Heh heh heh. Betraying the comrade who sacrificed an arm in their stead? Quite entertaining."
"Hey! Don't laugh at others' misery! What's wrong with your humanity? Huh?!"
"Who knows. Not your worry. You lavished on comrades, got betrayed by all. Heh heh heh heh."
"Hey...!"
Even Kim Taeyang got speechless from betrayal facts...
Abigail, you wicked bitch!
"Don't take it too hard. At least one stayed."
Surprisingly, Kim Jun-hwan remained.
Even cussed on my behalf... Honestly touching.
But why you...?
He didn't seem loyalty type.
I'd bullied him before the bridge too.
People can't be judged by first impressions.
"Situation's fun now. Time to catch the betrayers."
"Hah? What're you saying?"
First time for this plot twist.
Everything felt unfamiliar.
But I could guess why the alien god wanted Abigail.
She'd want organs fast before the old lady noticed, needing many hands.
"Can't let workers flee after agreeing."
"Didn't I say you won't get far, sow?"
"Right. I lose power away from this heart. So lend you some temporarily."
Oh.
Didn't see that coming.
Squirm squirm~!
A deep-sea eel-like thing emerged from the alien god's mouth.
The god held the meat and asked.
"We call this □□□□."
"Hah? What?"
"Ah, need translation. In your pathetic tongue... 'Eel Deep Kiss'."
"???"
The deep-sea eel in her hand leaped.
No time to react.
Shwook!
The disgusting eel burrowed into my mouth.
I swallowed it...
"How's it? Feeling of devouring power granted only to gods? Heh heh heh."
"Hey... Obviously fucking awful?"
"Boring review... Hurry catch the runaways. Fail, and it'll devour your heart."
Cthulhu confirmed?
Eel deep kiss, you crazy fuckers!!!
Too fucked up, it's terrifying!!!!!