Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: The Light God and Return
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As I slapped the flat of his blade, Suden released his sword and channeled aura into his fist for an attack. For his age, he showed surprising flexibility in his thinking.
As a knight skilled in aura with plenty of experience, he stood boldly alone before us. Unfortunately, his opponent was me—someone forcibly trained while being dragged around by the Incarnation of Darkness.
Now, the amount my stats increased by burning life force had more than doubled from before. It used to rise by 10 to 20 percent, but now it climbs by 40 percent. I was already a stat powerhouse to begin with, and this 40 percent boost elevated me by more than a full level. If I sparred with Hunter Jeong Mingi again now, I could draw out his full strength.
I easily dodged the fist he thrust at me after dropping his sword and drove a straight punch into his chest.
Thud!
Suden's face turned deathly pale, as if he couldn't draw breath.
“I'd like to show respect to my elders, but a lunatic who massacres innocent people is the exception.”
“To dispatch an Imperial Master so effortlessly! As expected of the Saintess's companion!”
Seeing the elderly knight collapse, the lion beastman who had been hiding leaped out.
“Master? This guy?”
“That's right. He's at the bottom rung, but he's definitely a Master.”
Impressive that he could spread and emit aura so widely, but it hadn't felt particularly fast or powerful.
I must have gotten stronger since then.
“But hold on. A Master from the Empire chases after us just for killing one lowly noble?”
With Helen and Franklin dead, the Empire now had only eight Masters left. They weren't the type to have that kind of leeway.
“He wasn't just any noble.”
Suden said, catching his breath roughly.
“Then what?”
Suden clamped his mouth shut.
“Nayoung.”
I called Nayoung, who nodded and placed her hand on the elderly knight Suden's head.
“Answer me.”
“Urk...”
A Master-level human would have strong mental barriers too. I gently choked the resisting Suden.
“I don't care if you die here.”
The hand pressing down slowly tightened around his throat. Realizing he'd die if he didn't submit, his will broke, and Nayoung's mind control took hold.
“So, who was that bread-headed bastard?”
“A barrier mage who managed the barriers. He came to repair the barrier magic in this region. He said he was taking a break during repairs and never returned, so the barriers around here have collapsed.”
“That jerk ditched work to hit the hot springs? And they leave something that critical to just one guy?”
“Originally, four were supposed to come, but they all made excuses and didn't show.”
“The Empire's bureaucracy is notoriously corrupt. Plus, they never imagined anyone would target an Imperial noble—let alone a mage.”
The lion beastman chimed in.
“Hang on—barriers? You mean the ones blocking spatial transfer?”
“Exactly.”
I turned to Eres.
“Eres, didn't you say you don't interfere with the human world?”
“Change the subject.”
“...Yes.”
She shouldn't have said she doesn't interfere in the first place.
“Then... you can use spatial transfer, right?”
“...Indeed.”
Eres grimaced as if she had a headache, and a gate opened.
“Oh, just like that.”
“...Twas not my doing.”
Eres sighed.
“Even so, entering there will take you back to your world.”
We followed Eres through, with Nayoung behind me and a horde of beastmen trailing after.
“You lot cannot.”
Eres held up a hand to the beastmen behind us.
“If you leave them be, they'll die. Please help them.”
Nayoung bowed her head.
“Will you claim non-interference in human affairs again this time?”
“I have no choice. That place is not for them.”
“Saintess, we'll be fine. From here, we'll head west on our own.”
The lion beastman stepped forward as representative.
“Go home now. We'll never forget your grace, Saintess.”
“...I'll contact Sonorim of Malbokia. He'll help however he can. Please take care.”
Nayoung bid farewell to the beastfolk. Even the beastkin children came up to hug her.
“Then, let us go.”
Urged by Eres, Nayoung and I stepped into the gate.
As we entered, I glanced back to see the bloodthirsty beastfolk swarming Suden and the knights. Their fate was obvious. Self-inflicted.
Passing through the gate brought us to a space filled with light on all sides. It was so bright I couldn't tell where it began or ended.
A man approached from within. As my eyes adjusted, I made out the face of a man with shining golden hair. His sculpted features literally glowed.
“You've come.”
“Hmph.”
Eres snorted at his words and turned her head.
“You still love meddling in human affairs, I see.”
The man of light glanced at Nayoung and me as he spoke.
“Twas no great meddling.”
“For no great meddling, you taught him quite kindly. Nostalgic for the old days?”
The man of light eyed me as he spoke. So Eres had trained me harshly to teach me after all?
Distracted by their conversation, I was slow to notice—Nayoung looked deathly pale.
“My presence might be a bit too stimulating for one who wields the power of darkness.”
He closed his eyes, and the light around us gradually dimmed. Nayoung's color returned somewhat.
“Now, I'll send you back to your world, so close the gate that defies the flow.”
“Did you send Sonorim and Blitz?”
“Indeed. I asked them for the favor. I didn't expect you to come here.”
“I have some questions, if you'll indulge me.”
“What is it?”
“If the Destruction God conquers Tellus, won't Tellus vanish?”
“So it would.”
“Then why don't beings like you or Eres stop the Destruction God? Because you can't interfere with the human world? Won't you disappear too?”
“From a human perspective, yes. We've already lived countless eons. Whether we live more or less isn't our concern. And the being you call the Destruction God isn't evil. It's merely a law of the universe.”
“A law?”
“It's a flow neither you nor we can stop.”
“Then can't we just keep blocking the gates and monsters that keep appearing?”
“Even if you repel the invasion force assigned to your world this time, soon a stronger, larger one will be newly created and sent.”
“...So there's no way?”
“Correct.”
“Then why did Sonorim talk of resistance?”
“It's natural for mortals to struggle against extinction.”
I'd thought coming back to the past meant I could finally stop it, but was there no hope for Earth?
“...If we repel this one, when does the next invasion come?”
I needed to find a way to evacuate somewhere before the next force arrived.
“It won't take long.”
Damn it.
“That's by your measure.”
Eres said.
“Eres?”
“Perhaps... ten thousand years, or maybe a hundred thousand.”
“...And that's not long?”
“This world has existed for tens of billions of years. Compared to that, it's a mere instant.”
“Go back now. Struggle or give up—decide that in your world. Just close the gate.”
“We want no further involvement.”
Hope sparked. We might not be able to kill the Destruction God or whatever it was, but repelling this invasion—this wave—would buy us time. In that time, we could flee to another world or humanity could grow stronger.
“Go.”
As the man turned his gaze aside, a gate opened there.
“Thank you for everything.”
I bowed to Eres. I'd been annoyed at first about being held back, but thanks to it, my abilities had grown two levels stronger.
“Hmph... Good, as long as you know.”
I took Nayoung's hand and stepped into the gate.
“We'll meet again soon.”
Before my head passed through, I heard Eres say that.
What? Weren't we not seeing each other again?
The gate spat us out onto a plain. The terrain matched the gate we'd entered from Earth. Unable to open a gate directly to Earth, they'd nested one inside another.
“Let's go.”
“You did well, oppa.”
“You said you were mad last time, so drop the formalities?”
“Wh-when did I...?”
“Just drop them.”
“Sh-should I? Hohohoho.”
Time to finally go home.
* * *
“Five months passed while I was gone?”
I called Sanghun after exiting the gate, and he came to pick us up.
“You didn't know?”
Sanghun asked as he drove.
“Well... there was no sense of time where I was.”
I'd thought my abilities leveled up easily, but apparently not. I hadn't realized so much time had passed.
“Nothing happened?”
“Hmm... Your mothers were really worried.”
“I figured...”
It'd be weirder if they weren't, with son and daughter vanishing without contact for months.
“Go say hi first thing.”
“Yeah.”
“Aigoo!!! Jiseok-ah!!!”
Mom was waiting at the door when word got to her. She ran over as I got out of the car.
I could feel how much she'd suffered from the way she hugged me, like she'd never let go again.
“Don't worry, Mom. Your son's tough.”
“You rascal! Who follows someone into a place like that?!”
Now that she was relieved, it was time for the scolding.
“Sorry.”
If I hadn't gone after Franklin then, neither I nor those around me would've survived his return. It was unavoidable, but Mom wasn't in the mood for reasons right now.
“Never again! Never! Quit being a hunter! You've made enough money!”
“Mom...”
“No! No way!”
Mom was too furious to listen. Rational talk was impossible now.
“Got it. Let's go inside first. I'm hungry.”
“Oh my, look at me. Hold on, I'll make food.”
“No need for you to cook, Mom. Let's eat out.”
She'd lost so much weight from the stress while I was gone. I subtly placed a hand on her back and infused some life force.
“Oh... Is it because my son's back? I feel energized.”
Sudden infusions might overwhelm the body, so I'd give her a little every day.
While I got chewed out, Nayoung got smacked around like a rat by her own mom. I felt like I'd gotten off lighter.
Even as we ate, Nayoung kept getting an earful nonstop—her appetite seemed to vanish entirely.