Gift of the Evil God (5)

"Haa, huuu. Wow... Seriously, my skin crawls every single time I look at this..."

Peering through the astronomical telescope, I wiped my sweaty palms on Wilson's body. My hands were slick with sweat from clenching them in sheer tension. I already knew the gang was pursuing the girl. But I hadn't been too worried. She still had a perfectly functional AK-47 and about two magazines of ammunition left, which I figured would be more than enough to handle them. In fact, I had intentionally refrained from giving her any signals in the underpass. I thought it would be better to deal with them quietly inside the bunker rather than risking gunfire echoing outside and drawing unwanted attention.

But who would've thought they had an Awakened capable of blocking bullets?

The moment I realized something was wrong was when the gang arrived in front of the bunker. When the one they called their boss proudly stepped forward, boasting that as long as they hid behind him, they wouldn't have to worry about guns. When his skin began to gleam with a bizarre, metallic luster. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Only then did it click.

You idiot. They chased her even though they knew she had a gun. You should have considered the possibility that they had a way to block bullets.

I had been complacent. Foolish. Of course, I wasn't entirely without excuses. Since the world went to ruin, how many desperate fools had taken to gambling their lives on a whim? I assumed the gang was just another pack of those idiots—the kind who charged in blindly without any solid backing. On top of that, my own physical condition was a mess. I had stayed up all night in despair after the girl left, and today I was far too overexcited by her sudden return. It was hardly the ideal state of mind for critical thinking.

But still.

"Get a grip, you lunatic... This is the first sliver of hope you've had in years. Are you really going to lose it over something like this?"

I couldn't let that happen. I absolutely could not. After countless years of isolation—so long I had lost track of time—a being who finally recognized my existence had appeared. If I lost her now due to a single mistake, just because I was feeling a bit under the weather and slightly out of my mind...

"I might as well die too. I'll smash my head against the wall and end it."

Slap! I slapped my own cheek hard, forcing myself to focus.

It wasn't thanks to me that we survived this ordeal. It was thanks to the woman who had crossed the Gate to Earth long ago, holed up in that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bunker conducting her mysterious research. She used to live with chemical agents piled high in her room, as if she were manufacturing explosives. Watching her manipulate fire had been quite fascinating, so I used to observe her from time to time. Then, she suddenly vanished, and I hadn't paid much attention to it since.

Thank goodness whatever she left behind actually worked.

But what if it hadn't? The situation had already been completely fucked. Seeing the old man use fire magic, I had merely pointed out the location on a whim, hoping for the best. I had absolutely no guarantee. Frankly, what if that stuff hadn't been a combustible catalyst? What if it was combustible but too old to ignite? Or worse, what if it had exploded right in the girl's face the moment it caught fire?

It would have been a straight-up bad ending. The only thing left for me to do would have been to watch helplessly from above, weeping as the girl gasped for breath in some wretched brothel.

I have to make sure nothing like this ever happens again. Absolutely never.

To keep her from leaving. To keep her from dying. Even if a subtle glance is the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠only way I can guide her, I will do so with everything I have.

First, I need to map out every single Awakened in the vicinity. And find the items needed to reactivate the bunker. I must also consider any potential overlap with the Haninhae. Don't miss a single detail.

Spurring myself on, I began to move. I rotated the telescope, gathering information. I needed to become omniscient, at least regarding this immediate area. For a useless entity like me, it was the very least I could do.

"Hiira Amelis... She was here?!"

Merlin cried out in sheer shock. The former Tower Master of the Red Tower. The woman who wielded the most diverse flames in existence. A genius whose ascension to a constellation after death was considered a near certainty. An explorer who had crossed over to the other world after the Gate Incident, only to lose contact entirely, further fueling the Continent's terror of the land of monsters. This record was the hidden footprint left behind by that missing genius.

"Yes, Merlin. It seems she stayed here... for quite a long time."

Seraphina handed Merlin a few more sheets of paper. They were notes heavily weathered by the passage of time. With trembling hands, Merlin began to read through them.

As the numbers grew larger, the handwriting became increasingly frantic and erratic. Furthermore, the final note was damaged, as if scorched by fire. It was fortunate that the entries grew shorter toward the end, as they were barely legible. Yet, even from the fragments that could be deciphered, the meaning behind these sentences was clear. Though they took the form of scribbled notes, the sequence of text was closer to a diary.

"To think we believed she fell to the monsters... She was continuing her research here all along."

The missing genius had been repeating experiments using catalysts from this other world. It seemed she had even achieved some sort of breakthrough at the very end, given that any signs of life in this private room had ceased a long time ago. However, what truly astounded Seraphina and Merlin was not the contents of Hiira's research, but rather the fact that she possessed the talent of a priestess—the ability to perceive the gaze of a constellation.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"...Ha. Truly astonishing."

Having personally received a gift from the Evil God, the two naturally found their attention drawn to the "God" mentioned in the notes.

"Could there be another constellation in this world?"

"No. There is only one God in this world."

Seraphina answered without a moment's hesitation. Of course, Seraphina had only set foot in this other world a short while ago. She had no way of knowing what the situation was years ago when these records were written. Yet, she could easily deduce it. The cold, silvery gaze that currently dominated this world—that lofty throne could never have been shaken. From the very moment he destroyed a great civilization and poured monsters through the Gates, everything in this world must have been held firmly in the palm of the Evil God's hand.

The girl spoke with absolute conviction.

"In the end, all of this was God's design. From years ago."

Was it not written in the records? The Evil God had been watching the Tower Master's research. But why? Was it because sitting upon his grand throne left him with too much time on his hands? Or was it because the experiments of a mere mortal were somehow amusing to him?

There is no way.

The Evil God, who held the entire world in his grasp, would never do something so meaningless. He must have watched her experiments with a specific purpose in mind, and that purpose undoubtedly aligned with why he had guided Seraphina and Merlin here. Yes, God had foreseen this very moment from the beginning. From the moment the Tower Master crossed over shortly after the Gate Incident began. He had pierced through Hiira's desires, tempting her to leave her legacy in this place, all to draw Merlin here. So that a defective mage, incapable of wielding fire mana, could ignite flames using the catalysts of this other world.

"Everything... was in the palm of His hand."

Seraphina was growing weary of even being surprised anymore. Connecting the Gate near the village where Merlin resided. Predicting that Seraphina would bring Merlin along. Linking the Gate to the middle of a city, guiding them out of nowhere to this distant building. And even the fact that the legacy of the Red Tower Master was waiting inside this very building. To dismiss all of this as mere coincidence would be beyond foolish—it would be sheer madness. It was no different from those conspiracy theorists on the Continent who claimed the world was a sphere. Under that distant, silvery gaze, the Evil God's guidance had been prepared years in advance.

Just how many more of these plans does He have in motion...?

Seraphina felt the terrifying weight of the Evil God's authority anew. Merlin was no different. The old man, already ecstatic from witnessing the flames, felt his chest swell to the bursting point with profound awe. The reverence was so overwhelming it was almost liberating, bringing a helpless laugh to his lips. Merlin spoke aloud the vow he had made while staring into the fire.

"Seraphina. Saintess of the Great One."

A strange power infused the old man's words. It carried the heavy, solemn weight that usually accompanied a grand declaration.

"...Members of the Solbeirn family cannot learn any magic other than fire. It is due to our lack of talent. We only bred our bloodline with those who possessed an affinity for the flame attribute. And yet, I was rejected even by that singular flame."

Seraphina recognized the gravity of the moment. She remained silent, listening intently to Merlin's words.

"I was able to learn illusion magic only because it is closer to an art than true magic. But one who manipulates illusions is merely a jester, not a mage. Who would ever consider a knight who can only perform a sword dance to be a true knight?"

"..."

"Yet your God... has bestowed fire upon a half-wit like me. Even the Constellation of Good, who supposedly granted humanity its very first flame, could not give me fire. But the God of this other world has made it possible."

Seraphina could easily predict what the old man would say next. A lifelong yearning that no one else could satisfy—when such a desire was finally fulfilled by a supreme being...

"Though it requires a catalyst, even this catalyst must have been created by that entity in the heavens. He even went so far as to have the former Tower Master refine it so that it would be easy to use."

For it was in human nature to worship that which saved them.

"How could I not marvel? Every god this old body has known until now was a lie. How can an entity be called a god if they cannot grant even a single lifelong wish of an old man? Only now... only now have I come face-to-face with a true God."

Seraphina smiled and clasped her hands. She knelt on the floor and prayed to her God. Merlin, too, knelt beside the girl. Bowing deeply, he offered his prayers to the very same deity.

"Therefore, O Great One, I beg Your forgiveness. This old fool dared to doubt You. I dismissed the truly supreme being as a mere delusion. I repent, so please, receive me... I offer this body to the all-merciful God."

The second believer of the Evil God's church was born.

After their heartfelt prayers concluded, the two rose to their feet. Seraphina took the notes back from Merlin and spoke.

"It seems the former Tower Master left for somewhere else after completing this 'perfect fire.'"

"Likely because she was no longer needed in God's plan. Or perhaps even her departure was part of His design."

"If so, we might cross paths with her again someday."

"That, too, would be His will."

After their brief exchange, the two stepped out of the private room. They returned to the room where they had first unpacked their belongings to discuss their next steps. The discussion stretched late into the night. Seraphina explained everything she knew about the Evil God of this other world to the best of her ability. That He controlled the monsters. That He manipulated the Gates. That He was presumed to have destroyed this world's past civilization. And that He delivered revelations to Seraphina through His gaze. She organized all the topics she had subtly hinted at while they walked through the underpass. Previously, Seraphina had posed these points as mere questions, but now, Merlin was the one eagerly clamoring for answers.

"Then, does God intend to rule the Continent through the Gates...?"

"I do not know even that much. In the first place, how could we ever presume to measure the thoughts of God?"

"Haha, quite right. Indeed. It is not God's ultimate purpose that we must ponder."

"Yes. We only need to... fulfill what God desires of us right now."

"Well said. More believers, you say... Hmm. Actually, something comes to mind."

Merlin pondered Seraphina's words for a moment before crying out as if struck by a brilliant idea.

"There is the village this old man built. It is filled with unfortunate souls who have nowhere else to go. If God would embrace them, there could be no greater honor."

Merlin made the proposal as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Seraphina took a moment to organize her thoughts. It was almost certain that more believers were needed to satisfy the Evil God. It was clear from what had happened to Merlin after she brought him. Of course, whether the Evil God would accept the people she brought as 'believers' remained to be seen... but if she could expand her influence in any way, surviving in this other world and achieving her vengeance would become much easier.

"Very well, Merlin. Let us return to the village first and gather more people."

With that, Seraphina and Merlin made their brief preparations. Seraphina inspected the Evil God's gift, which was running low on catalyst, while Merlin packed items from Hiira's workshop. Once ready, the two retraced their steps. They walked back through the underpass toward the Gate. Having traversed the path once already, the return journey was not difficult. The Iron Masks they occasionally encountered recognized the Evil God's gift and kept their distance, while Merlin dealt with the few who dared to attack.

His method was simple: blind them with illusion magic, scatter Hiira's catalyst, and throw a spark to ignite it. This combination was possible because illusion magic was closer to an art than true magic, allowing for a high rate of mana recovery, and Merlin's flames consumed almost no mana. Of course, given the abysmal mana density of this other world, even this required the agonizing effort of squeezing out every drop of mana he had.

Whoosh!

"Hehehe... Well? Was my flame hot enough for you?"

On the contrary, Merlin let out a satisfied chuckle every time he incinerated an Iron Mask. He did not hesitate to substitute his own life force for his lacking mana. To him, gazing upon those beautiful, flickering embers felt as though it were naturally extending his lifespan.

Some time passed. Before long, the two returned to the underground cavern where the Gate was located. At that moment, the wildly trembling silvery gaze reflected in Seraphina's eyes. The girl looked momentarily bewildered before she spoke.

"Ah, Merlin? I am sorry to say this... but I do not think I can go with you."

"Saintess. Has something happened?"

"It seems God does not wish for me to go—"

"—Ah, then it cannot be helped. Please wait here for a moment."

Merlin accepted it instantly. He didn't even ask why. If God willed it, he would simply obey. He truly believed nothing more was required.

"I shall return swiftly, then."

Without hesitation, Merlin threw himself into the colors of the alternate dimension.

A short while later.

"Now, gather round, everyone! I have returned with a new truth! I shall reveal to you the truly magnificent being who resides in the world beyond the Gate!"

Watching their elder, who had sacrificed himself for the village only to return completely brainwashed in a mere half-day, the villagers began to weep in collective despair.