The One-Eyed God Descends

Elena, who had been leaning against a rock, shot to her feet.

From the black pillar, a one-eyed giant strode forth. Balor. Balor had descended upon Atlantis.

This was no Pseudo-God. If he had intended to arrive as something so meager, he would never have resorted to such a troublesome method—and Samuel, boss of Helten, would never have taken an interest in the affair at all.

Balor did not appear to be in a normal state. The System's sanctions were bearing down on him.

"I understand that Balor has descended in his true form. But… why?"

From a god's perspective, there was no need to endure the System's restrictions and risk divine annihilation. Atlantis was nothing more than a playground for the gods. There was no reason to cast aside an absolute seat of power on a whim.

"Elena. Do you know what separates a god from a human?"

Samuel asked. His gaze remained fixed on Balor, but his voice carried a strange, almost eager edge.

"There are far too many differences to count."

"Power."

"You mean their Authority?"

"That too. Call it the absolute power a god possesses. Beyond that, they aren't so different from humans. Their strength and individuality are simply extreme."

"…And because that power is absolute, they are gods."

Elena thought she understood where Samuel was going.

"The proof that gods are imperfect is this world itself. Unable to endure boredom, they built Atlantis—a vast playground."

"And we are the toys that move across that board. …It makes me sick."

"Agreed. Elena. Do you really think every god enjoys the playground the same way?"

"Those gods? Hardly."

"Exactly. Some take no interest at all. Some deliberately want to ruin the game. Some throw everything they own into the pot."

"…And Balor is the third type?"

"No. The fourth. He went all-in, lost everything, and then put his own life on the table. Gambling addiction is a word that applies to gods as well."

This was the eighth iteration of Atlantis. Seven previous Atlantises had come and gone. Balor had apparently taken a heavy loss in the last one.

"I understand that Balor's goal is to sweep up every stake placed on Atlantis. But Boss—you're not stepping in? This is a chance to kill a god."

"It's too rare an opportunity to end it so quickly. I'll observe until it becomes dangerous. What matters isn't Balor—it's the gods looking down from on high. And there's still something that bothers me."

"…Something that bothers you?"

"There's a high chance another god is involved. This is too big for Balor to handle alone. The problem is, I have no idea who that god might be. They won't show themselves, of course… but I'd like at least a clue."

"Hmm. I'm going in myself."

"Do as you like. I've already confirmed most of what I needed, so I won't stop you."

Elena turned away from Samuel and White, who sat quietly watching the situation unfold. Judging by their demeanor, they truly had no intention of intervening.

Observe until it becomes dangerous? Elena had no idea where that line was drawn.

I looked up at the giant and swallowed hard.

The one-eyed god. Balor of the Evil Eyes. A god had descended into this world.

The situation was the worst possible outcome—or so I was about to conclude, when Balor's massive body staggered. I did not miss the opening.

The System's sanctions are landing properly. And because he just descended, he hasn't fully adapted to Atlantis yet.

There might be far better odds here than I'd expected.

Gripping the hilt with both hands, I swung toward Balor more than thirty meters away. A blue slash, charged with crimson lightning, struck his body.

A thin line split open across the giant's skin, and blood sprayed out. From my perspective it was enough for two or three people—but for a giant, it was little more than a scratch.

The reeling Balor planted both legs and stood upright. He lifted his heavy eyelids and fixed me with a crimson pupil.

My body shuddered of its own accord.

"You do not die. Is it because you are already dead…?"

Balor's voice rolled through the space—a voice that resembled the death-waves the black pillar had once exhaled.

"…Is Qing Guoli dead?"

"Qing Guoli?"

Balor ran a hand over the wound. It closed in an instant. This was no natural recovery.

"Ah. You mean the human who summoned me? That human stands before your eyes. He will live for eternity as a part of my body."

"What happened to Qing Guoli's soul?"

"You seem rather dull. I already told you. He lives for eternity as a part of my body."

"……"

Qing Guoli had been consumed. That was one way to put it. The odds were high that Balor had stabbed him in the back. Whatever deal Qing Guoli had struck with Balor… he had trusted the god far too much. Not every god honored contracts simply because they were divine.

"I feel their gazes."

Balor lifted his chin toward the sky.

"Gods! Are you watching? I, Balor, am here. Here I will lay a new foundation. I will scrape together Source Power, claim this world as my domain, and rise anew."

"Do not forget! I remember the humiliation of the past! That humiliation will be repaid!"

Balor roared.

It went beyond noise that threatened to rupture eardrums—a force that made every listener instinctively shrink back was woven into the sound.

Balor's gaze locked onto me. Even after I had attacked him, there was no emotion directed my way.

"And that repayment begins with you, human."

I summoned Storm Breaker. Taking the spear-form artifact in one hand, I settled into a throwing stance and imbued it with Astrape. The spear crackled and flashed with lightning.

I hurled it at Balor's eye. The spear streaked forward like a bolt of thunder—then stopped dead before the giant's face, as if time itself had frozen.

"Those who fought me always aimed for the eye. At first it irritated me, but I came to understand. To them, my gaze is terror itself."

Balor flicked a finger against the spear hanging in midair. It veered wildly off course and buried itself in the ground. I let out a groan.

…That was a serious attack, and it was blocked this easily?

Mana surged around Balor.

Magic.

Magic of a far higher order than anything a human mage could cast.

"I already knew my gaze does not work on the dead. My eye is dangerous, but its limits were clear. So I pondered. How could I transcend those limits and kill the dead? A foolish question, in the end. If a gaze cannot kill… then simply kill with physical force."

Balor's pupil blazed. A crimson beam lanced from his eye and locked onto me.

Startled, I used Charna and dodged in a frantic scramble. Balor's beam melted the sand-choked earth. The sand turned glowing red and boiled.

Off-the-charts destructive power. If that beam touches me even once, I'm finished.

I called on the power of the Golden Mask of Tutankhamun. With Qing Guoli gone, the nearby undead had reverted to a feral state. I seized control of them and sent them charging at Balor.

"Things that reek of corpses. There was a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠time I sought ways to dominate you. But what can mere carcasses accomplish? Do not defile my domain. Disappear."

Undead that knew no death felt no fear even before a god. Crimson beams swept through them. Their bodies ignited and evaporated without leaving ash. Yet the undead horde was still vast.

Balor swung his arm as if brushing away bothersome insects. A Death Knight flew more than a hundred meters and slammed into the ground. Armor and all, it shattered and never rose again.

A Death Knight, one-shot.

I clicked my tongue, activated the Illusiter to turn myself invisible, and slipped toward Balor. His arrogance was a tremendous help.

I arrived beneath the giant. Up close, the pressure was far heavier than it had been from a distance.

He hasn't noticed.

The conditions for an ambush were met.

Balor was still smashing the undead horde as if flaunting his power. His movements were growing smoother by the moment—he was adapting to that body.

For maximum ambush effect, timing is everything.

I waited in silence for the perfect moment. It came soon enough. When he had crushed half the undead with overwhelming force, Balor's tension eased—just a fraction—and he closed his eyelids as if resting eyes that had grown hot from firing beams.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Balor screamed and toppled forward. Blood poured ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from the severed right ankle.

"A mere human dares—! Know your place!!"

Balor's mana convulsed. I scrambled backward. Flames erupted from the ground and raced outward in every direction. Even without direct contact, my skin turned red.

The earth the fire touched was being ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠eroded into black ground.

…No. Strictly speaking, it's simply returning to what it originally was.

I surveyed my remaining forces. Less than half the undead horde remained, and even those numbers were dwindling as the flames consumed them. The feral undead were still throwing themselves at Balor—his vast life force must have been driving them into a frenzy.

I have to finish Balor while the undead are still here. My odds aren't great to begin with—without them, it's over.

Having lost his right ankle, Balor forced himself upright. The right foot remained severed; he balanced on his left alone. He opened the eyes he had closed. They were bloodshot, as if ready to weep tears of blood at any moment.

"I never imagined I would suffer such humiliation at the hands of a human…. I acknowledge it. You are no ordinary man—you are a hero. I can feel a hero's fate upon you. But that fate will be crushed here."

I summoned my spear and hurled it at his eye. It did not connect. The spear struck an invisible wall and bounced away.

…That's not magic. An enormous mass of mana is surging through his body and repelling the spear.

It was a kind of protective aura—though not one Balor had deliberately formed. It was merely a byproduct of the way he used his mana.

That vast mana gathered in the air and took the shape of eyes. Twelve crimson eyes identical to Balor's own appeared in the void. Combined with his own, thirteen Evil Eyes fired crimson beams across the black earth.

The ground burned. Undead melted. Thirteen beams reduced the surrounding area to scorched ruin.

But even that soon reached its limit. The problem was the ground the beams had already crossed—it had become red-hot, almost lava. There was nowhere left to plant my feet.

Damn it…!

Closing in for melee was impossible. The entire area around Balor was already boiling. Without heat resistance, my body would melt the moment I entered. Ranged attacks were my only option—and a full-power spear throw had already failed.

No options left? Modern weapons only matter against small fry. Against Balor they're worthless. There has to be another way…

Thirteen beams came at me from every direction. It was already too late to answer with the Heavenly Demon Sovereign Step. The technique's full power required dominion over the surrounding space—and any space the beams touched stripped that dominion away with ease. With ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠beams everywhere, the Sovereign Step was sealed.

I was prepared to die once… but I at least expected to take an arm with me.

That was when it happened. A blue butterfly, utterly out of place in the scene, fluttered gently into the air before me.