Chapter 206: Apostle (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 206: Apostle (1)
The Hundred Ghosts (百鬼) were one of the Four Major Factions in Psychedelia.
Alon knew quite a bit about them.
Unlike the Apostles, the Four Major Factions were groups that inevitably appeared during the mid-game of Psychedelia. For players who had leveled up, they were entities that injected a new sense of tension beyond the Sins.
In fact, Alon knew more about the Hundred Ghosts than any of the other three factions.
Actually, it wasn't just Alon; any Psychedelia player was bound to be most familiar with the Hundred Ghosts.
Fundamentally, the other three factions were determined to be allies or enemies based on the route the player took and the choices they made. Even if they were classified as enemies, a player could often avoid a fight by choosing the right dialogue options or completing a few essential quests.
But the Hundred Ghosts were different.
No matter what choice or route was taken, they appeared as enemies without fail. Unlike the other factions, combat could not be avoided through quests or conversation.
In short, if you met the Hundred Ghosts, you had to fight. And as a major faction, even their low-level grunts were incredibly strong, making them a massive headache to deal with.
To top it off, the King of the Hundred Ghosts was so powerful that unless the player and their companions were near the level cap in the final stages of the game, it was often better to just hit "Load Game" rather than try to face her.
Yet, even putting aside that overwhelming power, the reason the Hundred Ghosts remained so vividly etched in every player's mind was—
"Wow, this is seriously pathetic. Is this really the best you can do? How boring."
"I'll kill you all. From here to there, from there to here—every single one of you, without exception!"
"You fought a Sin? So what? What does you fighting a Sin have to do with me being bored?"
"It's a festival! A festival! Kill them all!"
It was because of their catastrophic personalities.
The Hundred Ghosts, and especially the King of the Hundred Ghosts, were perceived by players as the epitome of "unbridled tyrants"—a mix of extreme narcissism and utter insolence.
They would attack the player at the drop of a hat. They didn't just wreck villages; depending on the route, they could even bring about the destruction of the Ashtalon Kingdom or the Kingdom of Calliban.
Even the reason for destroying a kingdom was based on nothing more than a ridiculous whim:
"Because it looked like it would be fun."
Since they were a faction that committed endless atrocities without a moment's rest, Alon had been extremely tense from the moment the Hundred Ghosts first appeared. If the beings before him were the Hundred Ghosts he knew, he wouldn't be making it out of here alive.
However.
"Long time no see!"
Seeing her greet him with a bright, beaming smile, Alon couldn't help but have a flurry of question marks pop up in his head.
This was a completely unexpected situation.
What is this?
Bewildered, Alon stared at the King of the Hundred Ghosts.
She was waving her hand vigorously with a wide grin as if she were truly happy to see him. To anyone watching, she looked exactly like someone thrilled to be reunited with a very old friend.
Alon shifted his gaze slightly.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on him. Even the subordinates who had been following the King of the Hundred Ghosts with indifferent expressions just moments ago now had their eyes wide with shock, as if they were witnessing something truly bizarre.
"What do you mean—"
Alon started to speak out of habit but stopped himself. He realized that this situation might actually be an opportunity.
The King of the Hundred Ghosts is mistaken.
Alon concluded that she was clearly under some sort of delusion. Whether she was mistaking him for the Lightning Receiver Kalanon or someone else, she currently believed he was a different person.
Alon had never encountered the King of the Hundred Ghosts before, and under normal circumstances, there was no way he ever could have.
For now, I have to use this.
Alon swallowed his words. Honestly, he wanted to respond to her greeting with a question, but if the King of the Hundred Ghosts realized she was mistaken, he might be killed on the spot. No, he would definitely be killed instantly.
He took a breath and swallowed hard.
"It has been a long time..."
"!"
He played along and looked at her.
The King of the Hundred Ghosts's face lit up instantly, a visible glow of joy spreading across her features because Alon had returned her greeting.
In the game, the King of the Hundred Ghosts only ever expressed negative emotions—boredom, annoyance, or anger. Seeing her wear a childlike smile as if she didn't have a single care in the world made Alon daze for a moment before he noticed something.
Her hair... it's black?
The King of the Hundred Ghosts's hair was black. As far as Alon knew, it was supposed to be white.
Is it a different person?
He immediately shook his head. Aside from the hair color, her face was identical to the King of the Hundred Ghosts he had seen in Psychedelia.
What was going on? Why was the hair color different...
"Whoa—Boss, what's with that smile? Anyone would think you've found a lover you haven't seen in hundreds of years—"
KABOOOOM—!!!
...Yes. It was definitely the King of the Hundred Ghosts.
Watching the blue-skinned man get sent flying by the King of the Hundred Ghosts's fist, smashing through the forest as he went, Alon nodded silently to himself.
Judging by that ruthless hand, this was definitely the entity he knew.
Just as his last shred of doubt vanished—
"Hmm—"
"!"
The King of the Hundred Ghosts was suddenly right in front of Alon's eyes.
She had approached so quickly he hadn't even noticed. With a face full of curiosity, she stared intently at Alon as if observing something.
"The black thing."
She tossed the words out.
It was a question that meant nothing to Alon, but clearly carried some significance. Alon instinctively realized she was testing something, but he couldn't easily open his mouth. He knew all too well that his life hung on this single answer.
However, he also knew that failing to answer quickly would result in his head being lopped off. Just as he was about to say something—anything—
"Hmm."
He faltered again as her expression changed.
As if she had realized something, the bright smile from before vanished, replaced by a peculiar look. Alon felt an instinctive sense of crisis, but—
"I see. Not yet, then."
"...?"
The King of the Hundred Ghosts muttered so softly that even Alon, standing right in front of her, could barely hear, and then she turned around.
Then.
"Let's go."
Unlike before, she spoke with a lazy drawl and began leading her subordinates back into the forest.
"Wait, you came all this way just to leave—"
The blue-skinned man who had been smashed into the forest earlier rejoined the group, covered in dust. He scratched his head as if the devastating attack he'd just received was no big deal. Everyone present thought he was an extraordinary individual for his sheer brazenness, but—
KABOOM!
As soon as he joined the line, he was sent flying through the air again by the girl's fist, smashing into the forest once more.
"See you next time—"
The King of the Hundred Ghosts shrugged nonchalantly as if nothing had happened and disappeared back into the woods.
And Alon's party...
"......???"
...could only stand there in the middle of the mutant corpses for a long time, staring blankly at the spot where the Ghost King had vanished.
* * *
Immediately after the Ghost King disappeared, Alon collected the horn Kalanon had requested, along with the ink-black spool Kraksha had possessed, and began preparing to return to the Luxible Grand Duchy.
"...So this is why you said we'd be fine even in the Hundred Ghosts' territory."
"..."
Alon remained silent at Reinhardt's question.
In truth, the reason Alon thought it would be okay to enter the Hundred Ghosts' territory wasn't what Reinhardt suspected, but rather because of the nature of the Hundred Ghosts themselves. Fundamentally, they didn't like to move unless it was night. Even then, they usually only moved if someone actually entered deep into their territory; they wouldn't come hunting just because someone brushed against the border.
But for them to appear like this and then withdraw without taking any action... even Alon hadn't foreseen this.
...What on earth was that?
Alon thought back to the King of the Hundred Ghosts once more. There were too many strange things.
I'm sure she realized I wasn't who she thought I was.
Her final expression... whatever her delusion had been, she had clearly realized something at the end. And yet, she had left without saying another word to Alon.
Leaving behind only the words, "See you next time."
...What on earth was that?
Alon had been pondering it from the moment he stepped into the carriage until now, but he couldn't come up with a solid theory. He lacked the information to properly grasp the situation.
As his thoughts continued, the preparations for the return were finished. Alon climbed into the carriage.
"Marquis."
"What is it..."
"You look like you're in pain."
"...Well, I am."
"You're a god, though. Aren't you supposed to not feel pain?"
Alon looked at Evan, puzzled by the subtle question.
"...A god?"
"Yes. The rumors outside are everywhere. Even the knights of Calliban were calling you Kalanon."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Otherwise, there's no way I would know, since I didn't follow you."
"I suppose so."
"So, is it for real this time?" Evan asked, almost as a formality.
Alon thought for a moment and then shrugged.
"...About half?"
"...If it's real, it's real; if it's not, it's not. What do you mean 'about half'?"
"There are some circumstances."
"You won't tell me even if I ask, right?"
"I'll tell you once this is all over."
"Whoa..."
Evan's face suddenly filled with emotion.
"...What's with that look all of a sudden?"
"No, it's just... I thought you wouldn't say a single word about it until the day you died. Hearing that you'll tell me later... I'm actually a bit moved."
Seeing that burdensome reaction, Alon suddenly changed his mind.
"Forget it. I'm not telling you."
"Hey—why are you being like that? I even brought you a gift."
"A gift?"
Evan pulled a stag's horn from his robe and handed it to Alon.
"It's the horn you mentioned earlier, Marquis."
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it. It's not like I dug it up myself; I just carried it."
The moment Alon took the horn from Evan—
"Ah."
[Oh, thank goodness.]
Alon met the Lightning Receiver Kalanon once again.
However.
[First, don't ask questions and just listen, okay? I don't have much time left.]
"...What? Suddenly?"
[It's not sudden. I've used up all my divinity, so I won't be able to contact you for a while.]
She hurriedly spread her small fingers, counting something intensely before explaining.
[First of all, I used up all the divinity we've gathered so far in this battle.]
"All of it?"
[Yes, all of it. You probably won't be able to use divinity for a while.]
"Didn't you say divinity is gathered through faith?"
[That's right. It's probably being gathered again even now. But the absolute amount is small, right? It'll take some time to gather enough again. Ahem—and well, I had to make it a bit flashy.]
"...Flashy?"
[Right? I needed a bit of impact to survive, too. Well, it's not like I used that much, okay? Just enough to make the horn. And of course, a few crackling bolts of lightning—things like that.]
"...Don't tell me that horn was just for decoration?"
[It's not a decoration, it's my lifeline... Yes... think of it as a struggle to not be forgotten...]
Hearing the hint of moisture in her voice, Alon asked, "Is that enough?"
[As long as the symbolism of the horn continues, I won't disappear. I made sure the impact was strong. Ahem—anyway, that's not the problem—]
Kalanon continued, looking at Alon.
[Gather as much faith as possible as quickly as you can. Only then can I properly teach you how to handle divinity.]
"...I'll try."
[Oh, but that doesn't mean you should go around recklessly causing trouble just to gather faith!]
"Why not?"
[Well, there are several reasons—but I don't have time, so I'll explain that later. Just one more favor.]
"What is it?"
[You know those statues? The ones you're using to gather faith right now.]
"Mhm."
When Alon nodded for her to continue, Kalanon spoke tentatively.
[If it's not too much trouble... could you put some horns on them?]
"Put horns on them?"
[I have to make a living too...]
Rumble—
The moment Kalanon sighed, the world began to crumble.
[Ack, time's up already—! Anyway, I'm counting on you. Okay?! It's actually really important! Please!]
Kalanon, who had been firing off requests like a machine gun, vanished.
"Marquis."
"...Ah?"
"Why do you suddenly have such a blank expression?"
Alon realized he was back in reality when he saw Evan looking at him with a bewildered face.
...Put horns on them?
He stared at the horn in his hand, lost in thought.
That... might not be easy.
With that thought, he let out a quiet sigh.
* * *
The next day.
Without having been able to ask Kalanon a single proper question, Alon woke up, his body still aching.
As soon as he got up, he headed to the audience chamber to meet King Famillono. It was because of the request Kalanon had made the day before. Even if it wasn't an easy task, he couldn't just ignore it.
...But it really won't be easy.
Asking to add horns to statues that were already finished... From Alon's perspective, it was a difficult favor to ask, and for the person receiving the request, it was likely to be awkward and difficult. It was essentially asking them to remake the statues.
So, it was with a somewhat worried heart that Alon arrived at the audience chamber, only to see—
"I greet the Great One, Lord Kalanon."
"..."
He saw it.
King Famillono had descended from his throne and was bowing deeply to him.
"Ah, please, take a seat."
The King was politely gesturing for Alon to sit on the throne.
Alon...
"..."
...felt his head start to spin again.