Chapter 543: The Apostle's Destiny (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 543: The Apostle's Destiny (2)
The moment I felt death draw near.
The world turned black.
And when I closed my eyes and opened them again, a familiar face appeared.
Han Ju-hee.
No, that wasn't right.
“…Gula.”
Gula, the Goddess of Greed.
Her expression, which I hadn't seen in a long time, was fierce.
It seemed something had displeased her.
Her lips parted.
“It seems you have finally faced your first destiny.”
“…Destiny?”
Destiny, she called it.
“Did you not meet an apostle of Greed, same as you?”
“Ah…”
Viktor Vadim, the Apostle of Greed.
Was meeting him a predetermined fate?
Perhaps it was.
Weren't we the two most exceptional beings among the countless followers who had received Gula's grace?
“That child has surpassed my expectations.”
“What expectations?”
“I speak of how he sublimated the Divine Authority I bestowed upon him in his own unique way.”
“Ah, that.”
What was it called again?
Blood Eater… I think.
“That was certainly incredible.”
It was so impressive that even I, who am stingy with praise, had to admit it.
Blood imbued with a will and greed that craved and devoured everything.
The combination of these two powers created a truly absurd result.
A beast that moved according to its master's will, yet thought for itself.
Hadn't I been utterly defeated by that powerful combination?
What was more surprising was that his ability wasn't even being used to its full potential.
In other words, it still had room to grow.
If left alone, just how strong would it become?
As I was marveling at that formidable power, Gula's roar echoed in my ears.
“This is no time for marveling!”
“Well…”
What am I supposed to do? It was powerful, that's a fact.
She bent at the waist, thrusting her face close, and poked me hard in the chest with her index finger.
“What in the world have you been doing?!”
“…Haven't I gotten stronger in my own way?”
Compared to the last time I was here, I felt like I was worlds apart in strength.
At my excuse that wasn't quite an excuse, the chill in her eyes grew even colder.
“Yes. You have certainly grown. But why hasn't my Divine Authority within you grown as well?”
“That's…”
“Indeed. It is because you have disregarded my Divine Authority.”
She was right.
My growth was achieved while excluding the Divine Authority of Gluttony as much as possible.
All I used was this body and my past experiences.
But it couldn't be helped.
I'm not a black-hearted person like Viktor Vadim. If I had gone around recklessly brandishing the power of the Seven Deadly Sins, Francis would have targeted me for subjugation long before him.
As if reading my inner thoughts, Gula laughed mockingly.
“So you, too, are bound by the name of the Seven Deadly Sins.”
“Bound… by the name?”
Her words sounded profound.
“The Seven Deadly Sins are known as emotions that give rise to sin. You know this as well, I presume.”
“…That's right.”
“And yet.”
Her face crumpled.
The lines etched on her beautiful face were filled with emotions like injustice and regret.
“Does merely harboring such an emotion make it a sin?”
“Uh…”
No, it doesn't... right?
“And is the power born from that emotion inherently evil?”
“……!”
Right.
How could I have forgotten?
“Power itself… has no sin.”
Hearing my answer, the corner of her mouth twisted into a smirk.
“Yes. It seems you have finally realized.”
She continued.
“Originally, a god is permitted only a single apostle.”
“……”
“A clever one like you must understand. The reason I called your meeting with that child 'destiny.'”
Only one apostle is given to each god.
But currently, Greed has two apostles.
Which meant.
“One of the two must die.”
“Correct.”
That's why it's destiny.
Sooner or later, they must meet, kill the other, and monopolize the god's grace for themselves.
I recalled the situation in reality before I arrived here.
I was on the verge of being killed by the charging beast.
For her to call me at that moment…
“Do you want me to be the apostle?”
“Of course not.”
She laughed coldly.
“I quite like you. But that is not to say I dislike the other child. While you are endlessly defiant, that child is very respectful to me. He has his own cute charms, shall we say? Hehe.”
After a brief laugh, she continued.
“In short, it means I will gladly accept whichever of you becomes the apostle.”
“If that's the case, you could have just let me die. Why call me all the way here to give me advice?”
I spoke like a pouting child, a sudden peevishness taking hold. Finding it cute, Gula tickled my chin.
“Did I not say? It is a small bit of favoritism. The difference in power between you and that child is clear. He is not so weak that you could overcome him with mere advice like this.”
“……”
“I simply hope you do not die so easily. Even if you are to die, you should not leave behind any regrets, should you?”
It didn't exactly seem like a lie.
The problem was, it didn't feel like the whole truth, either.
“Now, be on your way. Go and face your death with dignity.”
I pushed away her hand, which was treating me like a child, and got up.
Face death with dignity, she says.
“I have no intention of dying.”
“Oh…? Do you believe you can win?”
“It's not a matter of 'can' or 'can't'.”
“Then?”
“I will win. Unconditionally.”
I gave her curious forehead a light flick.
Thwack-!
The atmosphere froze in an instant.
The enraged goddess's fiery command fell.
“You, you insolent…!”
Yikes.
Time to get out of here.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
On the path from my mindscape back to reality.
On that path, which could feel impossibly short or eternally long depending on how you thought of it, I reflected.
Greed (貪慾).
It literally means the act of excessively pursuing desire.
There's an old saying: Excessive greed is bound to bring disaster.
So, is greed a bad thing?
Until a moment ago, I had mistakenly thought so, but I was wrong.
Everyone has one.
A lifelong wish that is not easily held, and even harder to achieve.
Francis and the Saintess are no different.
They wish for the eternal peace of humanity.
Considering that in all of human history there has never been a single moment of peace, isn't that wish also an excessive desire—a form of greed?
Thus, greed is not a bad thing.
There simply exist desires that move in the wrong direction, and those that do not.
Rather, greed should be seen as a lubricant that makes human life more progressive.
The moment I realized this, the Gluttony sleeping in my gut emerged of its own accord and conveyed its will.
You're only figuring that out now?
“Yeah. I get it now.”
So what?
What are you gonna do about it?
Is a mere wisp of energy going to persecute its master?
The thing naturally bowed its head.
It's sulking. Definitely sulking.
Still, you should be happy.
I won't suppress or bind you anymore.
Gluttony responded.
At the same time, my consciousness, having passed through a long, dark tunnel, arrived.
Grrrrr...!
Kwoooar!
Prrrrrrrng
Back to the harsh reality where death lurked right before my eyes.
But now, I saw it differently.
Not as death.
“Sluuurp… Why do you look so delicious?”
But as mere prey.
Just before the sharp, red teeth touched my skin.
The aura of Gluttony shot out from my gut and tore through their bodies.
It doesn't desire blood.
What it devours is the aura of Greed steeped within the blood.
Chomp-!
Sluuurp...!
Crunch, crunch, crunch!
Buuurp.
Having gorged itself, the aura of Gluttony pressed down heavily on my shoulders.
Shouldn't you go on a diet...?
The beast, having lost its aura of Greed, was still solid.
This was because its form was composed of the True Ancestor's power.
But it didn't matter.
Destroying the power of a True Ancestor that hasn't been fully absorbed is easier than a piece of cake.
Go, Gluttony.
“Destroy it.”
I no longer deny it.
Because desire is not a bad thing.
And our Gluttony, born from such desire, isn't a bad kid either.
The ones who use it for evil are the bad guys.
Right.
Like Viktor Vadim over there.
Famished, Gluttony tore at the beasts with its sharp teeth.
CRUNCH!
The will was violently ripped away.
The beasts, having lost their power, collapsed all at once.
Splaash-!
Pooof!
A pool of blood rose to my ankles.
“Mmm…!”
I could taste a savory flavor in my mouth.
A sense of satisfaction quite different from eating food.
“This is delicious.”
I licked my lips, savoring the taste.
It's tasty, but it feels just like that.
Like dining at an ultra-luxurious restaurant.
The portions are too small.
So.
“Give me some more.”
All of it, if possible.
As if in response, the aura of Gluttony swelled.
* * *
An astonishing event unfolded before his eyes.
His opponent's disposition had changed.
An aura of utmost purity had transformed into one that was coarse and murky.
It was an aura that was certainly familiar to Viktor Vadim.
It had to be. It was, in essence, the same as his own aura.
“H-How do you possess that aura…?”
Gula, the Goddess of Greed. The grace bestowed upon those she chose.
There was only one possibility.
“Don't tell me you're…”
The opponent before him had to be an apostle chosen by Greed, just like himself.
But even that was hard to believe.
He had heard the stories that meeting the other apostle was his destiny, but could it be this coincidental?
Or perhaps… was he chosen just before his death?
His surprise was brief. Viktor Vadim smiled as he realized this was not necessarily a bad thing for him.
It didn't matter either way.
The benefits he would gain from killing his opponent had merely increased.
“Die.”
He had grown more accustomed to handling his ability.
He could now create dozens of beasts in a single breath.
He completed his legion, imbuing it with a different will than before.
‘Rip my fated rival to shreds!’
The sole apostle of the goddess. The greed for that title summoned even greater power, which was loaded into the beasts' red bodies.
Grrrrr...!
Stripes of greed formed over their red skin.
Finally, a massive, completed tiger charged toward Kim Do-jin to fulfill its master's will.
ROOOOAR-!
A cry that shook the entire ancient castle.
Claws hard enough to easily shatter a Sword Aura drew three lines in the air.
And that was the end of it.
Splaash!
Even the beast, imbued with a strength far greater than before, dissolved into a pool of blood before him.
A thick taste lingered in his mouth.
Licking his lips as if not to miss a single drop of the essence, Kim Do-jin held out his hand.
“Bring out the next course.”
“……”
An unknown tension began to gently tighten around Viktor Vadim's neck.