Mangshin (The Forgotten God)

Outside the Sea God's Cave.

Renea sensed that the colossal presence had vanished only for a new one to emerge—so powerful it shook the soul. She quickly gathered the people who had emerged from the cave.

Kaits and the others.

The Sword Emperor Coalition and Revelation had also come outside. Midway through the conflict, the two clans had sided with Kaits, desperately blocking Nanar’s influence. That was why they couldn’t join the fight.

Or rather, they had realized that even if they participated, it would be pointless against Nanar, if not against Poseid. Then, without warning, everyone had been warped away.

Meiyem, realizing it was the hero’s doing, only approached Kaits after confirming Reina was safe.

"Hero. What happened to Nanar?"

Kaits did not answer Meiyem’s question.

Instead of replying, the hero said,

"You’ve all worked hard. Thanks to you, we minimized the casualties. I’ll head ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠back in now..."

"Wait. Though unintentional, the current situation is our fault. Let’s charge in together."

Reina descended to the ground and approached them, her expression grave. Before ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠she could even ask what had happened—

A wave of power strong enough to collapse the world shook the entire area. Everyone fell silent, words failing them. The force was so overwhelming that any warrior above a certain threshold would have felt it even from the ends of the earth.

Kaits’ eyes trembled violently.

He had known Dre possessed a trump card, but… had it truly been this monstrous? On top of that, Nanar’s presence had grown infinitesimally faint.

‘Did he really… defeat the chief god? Nanar…?’

Gold, who had fainted from the shockwave, opened his eyes.

"Young master!!"

Kaisir, waiting outside the cave, pulled the blood-soaked Gold into an embrace. Thanks to Mari’s holy magic, his arm had regenerated, but he had missed the window to restore anything below his right wrist.

To Gold, that didn’t matter.

The brother he had left behind in that place was what mattered.

‘Brother… Did you stay for our sake?’

The wave of power from moments ago had been anything but ordinary. He tried to rise, but his subordinates held him back. He wanted to shout, yet he lacked even the strength for that. Still, he had to move.

For some reason, Gold had the terrible feeling that his brother would vanish forever if he didn’t.

El and Meiyal, who had been standing in a daze, suddenly bolted back into the Sea God’s Cave. No one could stop them in time. Almiraj, who had secretly deactivated her rabbit suit, desperately wanted to follow, but her body refused to obey.

‘Just what the hell happened?’

A sigh escaped her lips. The match must have been decided. So what had become of Nanar—and Dre?

The aftermath of the crimson sword strike was majestic.

The angels soaring through the air shattered like glass and scattered. The flower field ignited in an instant, leaving roaring flames in its wake. The divine beasts had long since turned to ash and vanished.

And at the center of it all stood the transcendent being who had taken the strike head-on—a god.

The overwhelming power that had surged from his bloodied form was gone. Now he merely panted, gasping for breath.

Nanar’s chest had been sliced open deeply, black smoke pouring from the wound. Blood gushed from it, soaking his entire body. Every cough brought up more blood that stained his chin and splattered onto the ground. Flames still clung to the wound, making the sight excruciatingly painful.

Considering the dignity of the chief god, it was an utterly miserable, pathetic sight.

Yet… he was still alive. He had not been sent back to the divine realm.

"Huk… Huk…"

The aftermath of the single strike Dre had managed to unleash was catastrophic. Cracks spiderwebbed across the heavens, the system had gone haywire, and Nanar’s senses lay in ruins.

Even so, staggering, Nanar rose to his feet.

‘I’m… still alive?’

Touching the wound, Nanar examined his own ruined state. He looked like he might drop dead at any moment.

‘Even during the ancient war of the gods, I never suffered a wound this severe.’

If he stayed like this, he would die. Nanar stared blankly at his body before redirecting every ounce of causality toward healing. Then he lifted his head and looked forward.

There, the man knelt, panting heavily.

‘…Aah.’

When had it begun? Since when had he stopped feeling the joy of life, the thrill of pleasure? The answer was clear.

It had been since he stopped feeling any sense of crisis or loss.

That was why he had loved pain and the unexpected, and why he had supported Kaits, who had the potential to become a true rival. Yet somewhere deep in his heart, there had always been emptiness. Beings of equal standing still existed, but they were either silent or obsessed with maintaining the status quo. He had no worthy opponent.

"Cough."

Even pouring everything into recovery, the wound refused to close. Blood continued pouring from his mouth like it was being scooped out with a ladle. Nanar’s hands trembled uncontrollably.

The red of the blood he vomited was the symbol of life desperately trying to survive. It was also the color of the sword strike that had pierced him. That crimson flame had cut through every ounce of Nanar’s power. The vividness he had felt seeing it up close—

Death.

He swore he had considered the possibility of dying before, but this was the first time he had felt it so tangibly.

Had it struck true, the manifested Nanar would not have merely suffered heavy damage ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to his main body—he would have been annihilated. Yes. He would have disappeared from this world entirely, unable to resurrect, completely erased.

Yes. If it had struck true.

There was only one reason Dre’s sword had failed to kill him. He had shown mercy. Not for Nanar’s sake, of course. He had done it to save Makia.

Shockingly, Dre had compressed power capable of destroying even a god, condensing it further and further until it could cut only Nanar. When one considered that even Kaits could only compress his power into a pillar of light large enough to engulf Nanar, it was jaw-droppingly astonishing.

However, Makia and Nanar were fused far more deeply than expected. Avoiding Makia entirely meant dealing less damage to Nanar. Dre had overlooked that.

As a result, though deeply wounded, Nanar lived. His hands would not stop shaking. Was it rage at nearly dying for the first time? No—this was ecstasy. Reverence for the being who had granted him the first true sensation of his life: the terror of death!

"Uhe…!"

Laughter forced its way past his lips. Nanar no longer held back.

It was a small, dry laugh unfit for a god, yet it carried something that sent shivers down one’s spine. Even though his body had not fully recovered, the laughter overtaxed his form. His knees gave out and he collapsed with a thud. Yet the laughter did not stop.

Nanar gazed at the being before him. The one staggering and coughing.

He was charming. Charming enough to possess even if it meant discarding Kaits.

‘Aah, how lovely.’

The mad god rose abruptly, staring at the lovely existence. Even now, the divine beings supporting Nanar were collapsing one after another from the aftermath of Dre’s attack. The consumption of causality for recovery and power maintenance was staggering.

It was a situation that demanded he seize Dre immediately, yet Nanar did not. He could not—because of his very nature. He did not want to be bound by such things. He simply poured out the emotions he felt in this moment.

With an ecstatic expression, he unleashed the human emotions he ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had not felt in so long. He rambled on and on without even knowing what he was saying—the emotions he could not feel when he first came to Elyunaru, received a name, took form, and existed as an absolute god.

He only snapped back to his senses when Dre smiled, baring his gums. Dre said he would use his trump card. His right eye glowed bright red—whether from blood or the lingering embers of the crimson flame.

Seeing that… Nanar arbitrarily recalled a single word.

Demon. Or… god.

Or perhaps death itself.

Another unfamiliar sensation. Cold sweat trickled down his skin. Even on the verge of death, the man was still hiding power capable of threatening the chief god. Just how far did he intend to surprise and excite him?!

"Uhehehehehehehe!!"

Dre muttered something, then spoke.

"You will die here."

If he still had moves left, excellent. ‘Of course I’ll watch. I absolutely have to watch!’ It seemed Dre still had something in reserve. Even in that wretched state, he could still entertain Nanar.

Feeling fire ignite in his once-languid existence, Nanar shouted with pure affection.

"Wow!! Come anytime!! I’ll take it all!!"

The mad god screamed at the top of his lungs.

Fucking hell. This result might as well be a failure.

…Laughing at me. He doesn’t even need to say it. I already know. Trying to save Makia and meddling like an idiot brought the worst possible outcome.

"Uhehehehehehehehehahahahahahaha! Ahahahahahahahahat!!"

The bastard is laughing his ass off. Nanar stood, spreading both arms wide. He had no strength at the moment, but his body was clearly recovering. Was he mocking my hesitation as complacency?

Then Nanar shouted.

"I love you!!!!!"

"......"

……?

Oh? Oh what, you fucker? Ugh, goosebumps. They did say the bastard has no gender, and he’s in Makia’s body right now, but… it’s still creepy as hell.

"Aah!! This joy… this emotion!! So this is what death feels like!! Aaaaaah, it’s ecstatic. Ecstatic!!"

Like a theatrical actor, he dramatically swept his arms down, eyes gleaming with madness as he continued.

"We were originally absolute gods!! We didn’t even understand the concept of death, yet all the others had tasted it! I had no idea what that sensation was!! You awakened it for me!! Thank you! Thank you so much!!"

"......"

I was about to swear in irritation, but Nanar kept going. He was firing words like a machine gun. With the mindset of let’s see how far this bastard will ramble, I waited.

"Just how did you wield Prunar’s power so perfectly? It’s also shocking how well you assimilated foreign substances like the water dragon and Malakia into your own strength!! Aaaaah. Your attack… it’s thrilling. So thrilling… If you hadn’t tried to protect Makia, I would have definitely died. Did you know that? Over a hundred divine beings follow me, and nearly half of them collapsed from your single strike!! You’ve essentially taken down dozens of gods!!! Keu… No wonder Kaits pales before you… If Kaits Hope possessed the talent to become the first Prunar, then you possess talent that could surpass even Prunar!! No wonder the reclusive Gaia made her move!! Huh? But what is this? Leaving a man like you alone—what is a woman like her doing?! In that case, I’ll take you! Dre! Come with me! The causality I’ve lost so far is nothing compared to you. So, with that said…"

......

I can’t listen to this anymore. This guy talks way too fucking much.

Finally seeming to reach a conclusion, Nanar nodded repeatedly.

"No can do. Nope, absolutely not. Letting a man like you rot away like this is no good! I’ll steal you! Ah! Is this what you call NTR, the thing you hate so much? Ahahahahaha."

"You fucking bastard."

He’s been saying nothing but irritating shit since earlier. Does he think he’s the winner or something? Actually, it was understandable. His body was slowly regenerating. He hadn’t fully recovered yet, but it was only a matter of time.

"Aah. What a truly strange feeling… I want you. I want you so badly I’m going insane… Yet on the other hand, I also want to break you and feel the sense of loss! If I lose you—who makes me feel this desperate—how hollow would my chest become? That emptiness… It’s frightening, but I’m so curious!"

"......"

"You dislike misfortune? Then you must like human happiness, right? For example, love. Heterosexual romance. Since your soul is so stubbornly solid I can’t turn you into a woman, shall I become a woman and bear your child? How about it? Don’t you want to experience mating with a god for the first time?"

Talking about women, men, and babies. The infuriating part is that it’s Makia’s face, so some part of me is actually drawn to it. I converted that infuriating feeling into rage and shouted.

"Stop talking nonsense and come at me already."

"Hmm? You still want to fight?"

He’s been chattering nonstop. He must think I can’t fight anymore. Anyone would think so. The massive damage I dealt Nanar had almost completely healed. On top of that, I don’t know how much power he had been hoarding, but his total energy was now even greater than before. A hundred people seeing this would all say it was over, that I had lost.

So what?

You arrogant bastard. I’ll kill you.

Killing intent transformed into power, and flames erupted across my body. The arm I had painstakingly created through property alteration burned away. Even the arm Mari had regenerated would soon disintegrate.

So what?

Either way, I’m dying here. If that’s the case, I’ll burn everything and swallow the entire area in flames.

"Nanar."

"......"

Looking at the bastard who stared blankly at me burning with killing intent, I declared.

"You will die here."

"With that mangled body where every ounce of power has been depleted? How?"

"With my trump card."

And I grinned. Not to intimidate him. I simply found genuine joy in imagining the scream that bastard would let out when frightened by my trump card.

Nanar froze for a moment, then burst into mad laughter.

"Uhehehahahahaha! Yes! Yes! So you still had something left?! You had a trump card even after nearly killing this Nanar?! Aah…! I love that those words aren’t a bluff! I love it so much!"

The disgusting bastard clutched both cheeks, wearing an ecstatic expression.

"Of course! I have to see it! Our Dre’s power! I absolutely have to see it! Come! Come quickly! This time, kill me for real! Make me feel that I’m truly alive!"

He’s really losing it. A laugh escaped me involuntarily.

It’s not that nothing weighed on my mind. First, this technique might not be able to show consideration for anyone, so the chance of killing Makia was high. And… I would never see the people I had met again.

It feels like it’s been a long time since I last saw Asita. I never even got to ask whether Leysia or Birnus was her real name. To Rena… I wasn’t good to her. I kept putting it off because I didn’t know how to treat her. I wanted to ask Laiet what happened afterward, and there was still so much left undone with Refelt… and Emily too…

And Meiyal…

......

It’s a little bitter, but I feel no fear. As embarrassing as it is to say, dying while protecting those kids would be a pretty decent end for someone like me. If anything lingers in my mind, it’s Suryeon. That damn bitch… but Kaits will probably handle her. If he regresses, I might come back to life too. Even if not, using the final resort would sharpen my senses enough that I might be able to warp to her side and kill her.

Alright then.

What should I use to crush that son of a bitch waiting for me with an excited face on purpose?

The Galaxy Sword?

Using it to annihilate everything at once with no escape would be good.

The Absolute Sword?

What kind of face would he make if I slammed him with this cheat-like skill? There were plenty of other skills I wanted to use. Just as Nanar was excited, so was I. I could feel death drawing near.

If so, death—come. Let’s burn together.

Grinning, I placed my hand over my heart and stabbed my fingers in deep. Squelch.

Alright. Let’s begin. My final flame.

Hwaruruk—

Your flame, fourth stage…

Ah, you fucking bastard. I was trying to set the mood. Do you have any idea how rare a final sacrificial protagonist moment is?

……?

What proposal? Mangshin’s words left me dumbfounded. I had thought he was joking, but he was serious? This bastard had been saying it since the fight with Poseid.

Lend me your body for a moment.

It was surprising that he could even do such a thing, but even if I handed over my body, could he win? Wasn’t Mangshin one of the gods who had been defeated by the current divine beings and forgotten?

So fucking confident… Well, even powerful gods could have been ganged up on and forgotten. Even if he can win, how do I know what he’ll demand from me? I have no idea what kind of restrictions this pervert might force on me. For example, ordering me to rape Claire or to sleep with someone that goes against all morals…

No, I wasn’t particularly suspicious of that… Forget it. I can crush him with my own hands. Nanar is strong, but it seems he can’t use a god’s full power in the manifested world. At this level, my trump card can handle it just fine.

......

Why bring that up now?

"Waaaait, Dreeee!!"

Ah, fuck. When did this bastard get so close? Nanar had approached until his face was inches away, as if about to kiss me.

"Who are you talking to? I’m jealous!!"

Kwaang! Kwang!

Fists infused with light swung simultaneously. Each one carried destructive force reminiscent of a nuclear bomb. Since I couldn’t move properly, I could only resist using the principle of knowing both self and enemy. Still, thanks to my newfound understanding of divine power, I was holding on far better than before when I had been helplessly pierced. Though I was still being sent flying everywhere.

Mangshin laughed with that signature uhehehe.

A voice overflowing with confidence and a wicked laugh. It felt like a demon presenting a contract. Yet strangely, it didn’t feel unpleasant. Though he really is acting like a total mastermind.

Gods form oaths with words alone. With Mangshin’s declaration, I felt a provisional contract form between us. If I simply accepted, the contract would be complete.

To me, who was still hesitating, Mangshin spoke again.

Human flesh? Or god flesh?

…Ha, fuck. This feels like I’m getting scammed…

Dre was absolutely not the type to cling to his life.

The reason he had stopped right before burning his own life force and had not attempted his so-called trump card again was not because he regretted it, but for another reason.

When he focused his power, he realized Dre was conversing with someone whose strength was so great that even Nanar himself could not eavesdrop.

‘Who could it be at this stage? Gaia? Or another god?’

Whoever it was didn’t matter.

That one was his.

Nanar’s eyes gleamed with more greed than ever before. He intended to use every means at his disposal without reservation for Dre’s sake.

"Dre! If you keep stalling like that, I’ll finish everything before you can even use your trump card~?"

Booom!

Dre was sent flying by the mad god’s strike. Nanar giggled while watching Dre writhe with all four limbs blown away as if they had just been restored.

‘It’s over now.’

He had sensed the existence of a trump card powerful enough to threaten, even kill him. But now it seemed he wouldn’t get the chance to use it. Whoever he was talking to, and whether they were giving advice or not, it had been a truly terrible move.

It didn’t seem like she would intervene now, and even Gaia would be unable to do anything in this situation. Even if she descended by borrowing Dre’s body, his body was far too weakened to wield any real power. This was all the price of neglecting him.

‘How foolish, Gaia. To have left such a child alone. Or perhaps I’m simply stealing him before she can do anything…?’

Nanar smiled brightly, full of love.

"Now then, Dre. Let’s go to the divine realm together!"

Nanar placed his hands on his waist, puffed out his chest, and smiled widely. That Nanar saw—

Dre stood up. Before anyone realized, both legs had regenerated.

"......"

Was this the hidden move? No. It wasn’t. This was a different power. He could feel nothing. No—he could not feel anything. Only a sense of dissonance—

‘…What is this? I can’t feel anything…’

Can’t feel anything? Another wave of dissonance.

‘No, it’s not that I can’t feel it… something… something… what was it?’

The dissonance. And the moment he saw the eyes of Dre as he raised his head, Nanar realized.

That was not Dre. There was no way those cold eyes belonged to Dre. Before he could even ask who it was, the other party spoke first.

Just the voice. That alone made every hair on Nanar’s body stand on end.

The cold voice sliced like a blade. Nanar’s legs were severed instantly. He fell with a wet thud, blinking in confusion, as Dre—no, the unknown entity—declared: