Chapter 289
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 289
Chapter Title: Death's Form (1)
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Mere moments after arriving at Melen Castle, Preg, the captain of the Valam Mercenary Corps, slumped against a building with his back to the wall.
"Urgh... I'm done for."
"We even used a high-grade potion on you, and it's still not enough?"
"It's not that. I'm just mentally exhausted."
"You should learn a mental fortitude skill or something."
"Does your ancestor do the legwork for you? If I had that kind of money, sure."
The final battle had been especially grueling.
Preg himself had taken deep gashes to his thigh and side from a sword, and just the day before, he'd nearly died as corruption from the undead ate away at his entire body.
Thanks to the high-grade potions Jun had prepared separately and Eleanor's holy enchantment scrolls, he'd managed to save his life.
And it wasn't just Preg.
Numerous mercenaries and adventurers under him had faced death multiple times in that brutal fight.
But still.
"Haa... At least we saved everyone."
Not a single one had died. They'd all made it to Melen Castle.
Even now, it was hard to believe.
The one who'd fought hardest to ensure everyone's survival was that mage, more than anyone else.
Yet the mage showed no sign of resting. He crossed the city teeming with victims' souls, heading straight onward.
To find his comrades.
Watching his retreating figure, Preg shook his head and hauled himself to his feet with a grunt.
"I wish our idiots had all survived like that guy."
Fortunately, his comrades were all safe.
Jun had already confirmed they were alive using the World Tree's essence, but nothing beat seeing them with his own eyes.
After catching his breath, Jun headed straight inside the castle to where the Saintess was.
"Have you been well?"
"Haha... I'd love to say yes, but it's not quite that simple. The sacrifices have been immense."
Thankfully, the Saintess had handled the crisis wisely, even without Jun's explanation.
She knew the people residing in Melen Castle were actually souls, and that those souls were trapped by some entity.
"Still, thanks to the heads-up from Captain Jun, we were able to respond without panicking. But... as I mentioned, the situation isn't good."
"In what way?"
"Supplies are the biggest issue first off."
The resources consumed in the battles so far.
Not just combat gear, but food was the real problem.
Unlike Merdein's souls, the living survivors here needed to eat and drink to stay alive.
"Next is manpower. As survivors gather in Melen Castle, the undead assaults have intensified."
Just the souls Jun had brought today numbered in the tens of thousands.
The undead attacks scaled with the number of survivors, so now it truly felt like an invasion.
"We've held them off with the walls so far... but at this rate, we won't last more than a few days."
"All bad news, then."
"Of course, there's good news too."
First, unlike Jun and others who awoke deep in the south, those who awoke in Merdein's north were close to the exit.
Many were paladins she could contact, so she'd ordered them to lead escapes.
"The last contact was when they reached the boundary wall at this world's edge. We can assume they escaped safely."
The Saintess's words: Millions of victim souls had likely achieved peaceful rest.
'It's definitely unfolding differently from the game.'
That eased the burden considerably.
There had been many souls lost since the crisis began, but escapes were ongoing even now.
If those centered around Melen Castle in the south could escape, it would surely prevent the God of Death from descending here.
"But the real problem is us, isn't it."
Now they just needed to escape themselves, but it wouldn't be that easy.
"I've asked the paladins who left first to contact the main church. So we have two options right now."
One was to hold out here until the Sun Church's Pope found a way to dispel this illusory world.
The other was to break out of Melen Castle and attempt a mass escape as originally planned.
"Neither sounds particularly safe."
"No, they don't."
Waiting for the Sun Church's aid offered short-term safety but had the supply issues she'd mentioned.
"If the church doesn't find a solution within a fortnight..."
"We'll dry up and die in this castle with it."
"Exactly. Our current food won't last half that."
"Forcing an escape, on the other hand..."
"Is the surest way, but insanely dangerous."
The path required punching through hordes of undead.
Sacrifices among the souls would be inevitable, and even the living survivors' safety wasn't guaranteed.
"What do you think, Captain Jun?"
"Hm..."
Both options risked disaster if anything went wrong.
His mind naturally raced.
As always in crises, he coldly reviewed the situation once more.
Since reaching 7th circle, his superhuman intellect simulated scenarios like a supercomputer, pinpointing issues.
The Saintess patiently closed her eyes, waiting as he thought.
After about ten minutes, Jun finally spoke.
"There's another way. Sort of."
"What is it?"
Would this brilliant mage, as always, reveal a path through the impossible?
Her eyes filled with anticipation, Jun slowly opened his mouth.
Four days passed.
The early sun rose, and everyone prepared to depart.
Preg, packing like the others, stopped a passing paladin.
"Hey, paladin. Got a question."
"What is it?"
"Do you happen to know where the White Whale Mercenary Corps went?"
"...No."
The paladin looked like he obviously knew.
"Ah... I see. Got it. Carry on."
"Yes. Farewell."
No trace of the White Whale Mercenary Corps anywhere in the exodus.
The only thing Preg could think of was what happened in the dead of night before dawn.
During four days of defense, their captain never showed.
Flash-!
From Melen Castle where he stayed, a blinding white glow erupted, nearly blinding onlookers...
Rumble-!
Followed by a deafening roar that tore at eardrums.
Could that explain their absence?
'What the hell are they thinking?'
Preg couldn't fathom it.
At the same time.
Jun and his comrades, having slipped out of Melen Castle before dawn, trudged through a deep canyon.
One that spanned a vast section of Merdein.
On barren land eroded by salt-laden sea winds.
Jun silently glanced at his comrades following behind.
Beyond them stretched only the desolate canyon, nothing else.
In other words, Jun and his group had brought no victim souls with them.
Their pace was naturally swift; at full speed, they'd escape Merdein in another day.
Compared to the main group handling millions of souls, this was several times faster.
Chasing undead?
In this vast canyon, shaking them off wouldn't be hard.
Jun recalled the Saintess's expression when he shared his plan.
It was etched clearly: deep suspicion.
Like looking at a gambling addict chasing a big score.
"Phew. Shall we rest here?"
About an hour after ditching a undead pack.
After half a day of full-tilt running, they needed to pace themselves.
"But Captain, will that thing really play along?"
"It's a one-track pony. It'll know better but fall into the trap anyway."
"I hope so. Otherwise, it'll leave a bad taste."
"Same here."
All or nothing.
A third option, beyond the Saintess's two choices, crafted by Jun.
Gazing at the shattered void beyond the fake sky like a broken windowpane, Jun taunted.
"Your move. Do we escape first, or do you descend first? Take your time thinking it over."
Four days earlier.
Having convinced the Saintess, Jun immediately called his comrades and posed a question.
"What are some ways to kill a god?"
"Hm...?"
"What's with the sudden crazy talk, Captain?"
The first to react were, predictably, the two who served gods: Bern and Eleanor.
"Just a question. Ways to kill a god. If mortals like us could kill an immortal god, what would it take?"
"Ways to kill a god...?"
Aiden pondered briefly before giving up with a casual shrug.
"Stab it with a sword...?"
"Oh, exactly."
Aiden said it like 'how to fit an elephant in a fridge.' Surprisingly, Jun affirmed it.
"Pardon...? Did I actually get it right?"
"Leader, did lightning strike your head? Why would a god die to a sword?"
"Obviously, even a god dies if you stick a sword in its head. Immortal or not, it won't survive decapitation."
"Uh..."
Maya, who'd never met a god, floundered at the bizarre logic.
"Of course, it's not the full answer. To behead a god as humans, it takes a complex yet simple process."
"Complex yet simple? Is that some new slang I don't know?"
Maya eyed him frustratedly, but Jun just shrugged and answered.
"It's true. Super simple, yet incredibly complex."
"What is it?"
"Lower its divine rank."
"Rank...?"
"Yeah, rank. Soul rank. Demote it from godhood."
"Easy to say, but is that even possible?"
"Told you: simple yet complex. Demoting a god won't be easy."
First, for the God of Death to manifest, it needed Merdein's trapped souls.
To absorb their power and fully incarnate here.
"But we've been trying to stop its manifestation, right?"
"Yes."
"Think opposite. Force it to manifest before it's ready."
"Pardon...?"
Was that even possible?
A way to summon it prematurely...?
Aiden tilted his head repeatedly, unable to grasp it. Eleanor looked at Jun with slight horror.
"You don't mean bluffing against the God of Death, do you?"
"Spot on. As expected."
"Hm... I'm struggling to follow. What exactly?"
Bern, Aiden, and oblivious Maya turned to Jun.
"Simple. Deny it what it wants most. Threaten that if it doesn't come now, it'll lose its prize forever."
"Threaten...? It wants to manifest... Wait."
Bern's face paled in realization.
"No way, Eleanor...?"
"Yes. The God of Death obsesses over Eleanor strangely, as it once tried to use her as its vessel."
Like in the north, it stalked her excessively.
Its reason for manifesting here was surely to claim her body.
Now that she'd come to its turf in Merdein, but vanished suddenly... it'd be like a dog chasing a chicken, left empty-handed.
"That's my only lifeline."
Safely evacuating millions of souls from Merdein.
The sole way to perfectly slay the incompletely manifested God of Death.
Pointing at the gaping hole in the sky, Jun said calmly.
"Now, we're going to kill a god."