Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: The Destroyed World (8)
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That moment when it was revealed they weren't angels, but demons.
The moment it was revealed they had descended not to save the world, but to destroy it.
Not everyone fell into despair. There were those who rose up to fight against the demons.
The high elf Lea formed a resistance army alongside the hero to stand against the demons.
Lea, the hero's mentor, companion, and archmage, repelled the demons with her brilliant magic.
"We can't give up!"
"If we all join forces even now..."
"We can defeat the demons."
"Let's fight together."
However, the resistance didn't last long.
The world had already rotted away to pitch black, but more than that, the prolonged war had bred deep mistrust, preventing them from uniting.
Even so, the hero and high elf Lea refused to yield and waged a desperate battle, but the resistance army fell to the demons.
To make matters worse, the hero vanished somewhere, leaving Lea as the only survivor of the resistance.
"He..."
"He'll definitely come back."
"No matter what happens, he'll return."
"He promised me."
"I believe in him."
Lea believed the vanished hero would return. So she dragged her wounded body into hiding in an ancient forest.
"Ailbern..."
But the high elf Lea didn't have much time left.
It was a dead forest. Not burned black, but a forest where life had faded and time itself had stopped.
"......"
Lee Sang-hyun narrowed his brow as he gazed at the forest where life had ceased and time stood still. He felt an alien energy unlike anything he'd sensed before.
'What is this...?'
It was sinister, but different from demons. Demon energy felt sticky and repulsive...
This was the chilling sensation of stepping into a dark, abandoned haunted house where no one lived.
Instinctual fear, perhaps? Distinct from disgust.
'...Undead that's dead yet alive?'
Undead flashed through Lee Sang-hyun's mind.
But what he'd seen in the Song of the Stars was the miracle of life itself—the polar opposite of undead, a primordial nature alive and breathing.
Of course, thoroughly destroyed by demons, not a speck of that remained, but this was still abnormal.
The lingering stench of the dead making it reek of evil seemed more plausible.
'...I'll know once I go in.'
Lee Sang-hyun sorted his tangled thoughts and stepped into the forest.
He didn't know what awaited inside, but right now, it felt like something unfortunate.
Brazil, tormented by civil war, had finally unified.
The one who unified Brazil was Lord, called the Death Lord, rumored to be one of the Strongest 7 and the mightiest in South America.
No sooner had the Death Lord unified Brazil than he attacked other countries, conquering them one by one.
And in no time, he had the entire South American continent in his grasp.
The birth of a death empire built of blood, evoking the Aztec civilization, shocked the entire world.
Especially the upper region (North America)—the United States expressed grave concerns and made it clear they wouldn't tolerate even minor provocations against them.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the Death Lord never provoked the United States.
As he built his empire of blood, the Death Lord secluded himself and vanished from sight.
People thought he was negotiating with the US behind the scenes.
Modern weapons didn't work on monsters, but they did on players.
So they figured he was avoiding unnecessary friction with the world's greatest military power through talks.
"...We'll see."
Of course, that was just people's misconception.
What Death Lord Arhim wanted was death and destruction. He had no intention of halting his advance.
He didn't care if his empire of blood was destroyed by missiles or nukes—he planned to attack the United States regardless.
But he couldn't carry out that will and was stopped by one of the Strongest 7.
By the hero Jack Roar.
"I'll spare you today. But if you disrupt America, the world order again... then I'll cut you down."
Krunch!!
Death Lord Arhim was defeated by hero Jack Roar. Not a humiliating defeat, but a major one that cost him most of his forces.
So he had no choice but to halt his advance.
"...You'll regret sparing me."
Ugly vengeance and patience suited him surprisingly well. Arhim bided his time, plunging his blood-soaked empire deeper into the mire.
It wasn't a place piled with rotting corpses like mountains. Yet it was a dead forest.
The source of the alien energy Lee Sang-hyun had never felt before was death qi. The twisted aura emanating only from those who died yet were revived.
Lee Sang-hyun steeled his face against the piercing chill of the death qi and pressed forward.
"......"
The long-dead trees and grass were foul. Every step or snap released viscous death qi that blackened his skin on contact.
'...Similar to poison, but different.'
Death qi resembled poison but wasn't the same.
If poison was malice that dyed others in death, death qi felt like the ugly instinct to steal life from others to survive oneself.
'...Ghastly.'
Lee Sang-hyun felt genuine pity for the forest's twisted state as he ventured deeper.
He ignored the life being siphoned by the death qi. It was irritating but minor, like a mosquito bite. His survival instinct didn't raise alarms either.
Rustle, rustle.
But the deeper he went, the stronger the death qi grew. And bizarre bones—presumed to be demons—increased.
They seemed to have entered the forest, unable to endure the death qi, and perished...
"?!!"
Something dank and humid entered his sensory domain. Not alive, but moving with clear intent.
'...It's coming!'
Lee Sang-hyun went on guard.
Moments later, the dank, humid thing revealed itself.
"Puu... huu... euh... euh...!"
The dank, humid thing was a deer. An enormous deer the size of an elephant.
"Puu... huu... uk...!"
The giant deer was dead. Clearly long deceased, its life spent.
Yet it wore pristine white hide and misty haze, staring at Lee Sang-hyun with hollow eye sockets.
"Undead..."
Lee Sang-hyun realized the deer was undead—and that it was the forest's guardian deity from long ago.
Guardian God Elka.
Though only its hide remained of its past form, it was definitely Elka.
The attack began from the tree roots.
Krunch! Krunch!
Thousands of roots erupted from underground, trying to ensnare Lee Sang-hyun.
Of course, he wasn't fazed. Reading it all through his sensory domain, he calmly swung his sword, severing the roots.
Slash!!
Then Elka grew furious.
"Puu... huk...!"
Even this long-dead guardian god retained emotions, apparently—black liquid poured from its eye sockets as it raised even more roots.
Krunch! Krunch krunch!!
'...Troublesome.'
For Lee Sang-hyun, the fight was no issue. He could just slice all charging roots.
But he pondered whether to kill the guardian god outright or find another way.
"Puu... huu... uu...!"
Krunch! Krunch!
Honestly, killing a 'guardian god' didn't sit right.
Even if only hide remained... killing something still guarding the forest felt wrong. Like killing Tethys—it gave him chills.
'Nameless...'
Nameless remained silent as ever. Not a word, just watching from behind.
'Figure it out myself, huh.'
Lee Sang-hyun furrowed his brow and created distance. But Elka kept raising roots.
Krunch! Krunch!
'...No choice.'
The deliberation didn't last long.
'Have to take down the guardian god.'
Lee Sang-hyun resolved to send Guardian God Elka where it belonged.
No drawn-out fight—he leaped and severed its neck in a flash.
Slash!!
"Puu... huu......!"
It was lightning-fast.
Thud.
The headless Elka's body toppled sideways, crumbling into fallen leaves.
"......"
Lee Sang-hyun swallowed his bitterness. But he didn't stop. He pressed on, holding back.
Yet the roots that should have sunk into the earth remained, attacking him.
'What...?'
At the incomprehensible sight, Lee Sang-hyun scanned around. Then he saw the dead Elka emerging from a tree.
"Puu... huu... uk...!"
'Resurrection?'
It wasn't repetition—it was revival. And now there were two.
"Puu... uk...!"
"Puu... huk...!"
"......"
This wasn't the time for idle pity.
Of course, doubling didn't threaten his life. But a small mistake could lead to big trouble.
So Lee Sang-hyun spun his body wide, unleashing sword ki.
Slash...!!
The sword ki drew a massive circle, slicing not trees but the forest itself. Elka's bodies split in half simultaneously.
'...Over?'
Krunch. Krunch. Krunch.
Because of that needless noise? Guardian God Elka multiplied into over a dozen.
Of course, his combat prowess still overwhelmed. Survival instinct stayed silent.
But the situation was growing serious.
"Puu... huu... uk...!!"
The thought flashed that perhaps the entire forest was Guardian God Elka.
'...If so, no way to defeat it. Can't win unless I chop the whole forest.'
Lee Sang-hyun slashed madly charging roots while racking his brain. But no solution came.
"Puu... huu... uu... uk...!!"
Suddenly, hundreds of Elkas let out eerie cries in unison.
The next instant, roots burst from underground, piercing Lee Sang-hyun's thigh.
Puk!!
Luckily, not a major wound. Minimal bleeding, no survival instinct alarm.
'...No other way.'
Lee Sang-hyun's eyes turned ice cold.
'...Sorry, but have to cut them all down.'
Pity lingered, but resolve was firm. To fell Guardian God Elka, he'd raze the forest.
But right then.
'...Hm?'
A sudden doubt crossed his mind.
His thigh pierced by a root—a serious injury—yet why was survival instinct silent?
"......"
Why no alarm from survival instinct, which rang even for minor life threats?
"Puu... huk... uk...!!"
The ripple in the calm lake led straight to the truth.
'...If survival instinct has no reason to warn, meaning no killing intent toward me... that explains it.'
Krunch! Krunch krunch!
No certainty, of course. But the scattered demon bones gave him conviction.
Guardian God Elka...
Was fighting to slay the 'demons' entering the forest.
"Puu... huu... uu...!!"