Chapter 346
Chapter 346
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 346
Chapter Title: Peace Before the Storm
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Lightning's body and mind had relaxed, and that's when the thought suddenly hit him.
Is this guy really okay sticking with me?
As Soo-hyuk had said, the outside world was full of gods. That meant there was no one in this world to fight alongside Lightning.
Not just gods—humans were the same.
Any human who fought alongside Lightning was sure to die. Humans simply couldn't stand against gods to begin with.
It was just that Lightning was special.
"I won't die."
Soo-hyuk waved his bony hand.
"As you can see, I'm no different from already being dead."
"I get what kind of guy you are. Master of the Black Soul, right? The one known as the God of Death."
Lightning had already guessed who Soo-hyuk was.
"But you're not immortal. You confident? You sure it's okay? Even if hanging with me turns every god against you?"
"You worry way too much for no reason."
Interrupting the deepening conversation midway, Soo-hyuk handed over a robe.
"Didn't you wanna go out? Put this on and follow me."
Soo-hyuk and Lightning stepped outside together.
Having come out after days cooped up, Lightning found everything feeling fresh. Gods—the very ones he'd been slaughtering—brushed past him on the street.
Standing in the middle of the road, Lightning took in the village scenery.
Soo-hyuk asked Lightning, who stood there dazed for a while.
"What's up?"
"They just look the same like this."
"The same?"
"Humans and gods."
Soo-hyuk agreed with that.
Gods didn't seem all that grand or omnipotent. They just had a bit more special power than humans; there wasn't much difference otherwise.
Of course, Lightning wasn't talking about their strength levels.
What he meant was their clustered living, fiercely competing over food and survival—it was no different from humans.
Thud.
Right then, a ball rolled over and bumped into Lightning's foot.
"Oh dear! Sorry!"
The one rolling the ball was a child. A wide-eyed little girl, and a woman who seemed to be her mother hurried over apologizing.
Then, as her eyes met Soo-hyuk's, the woman's face went pale white.
"S-sorry... please......"
As she seemed about to drop to her knees, Soo-hyuk quickly crouched down first and held the ball out to the child.
"Wanna play with uncle?"
"You're not an uncle—you're a skeleton!"
"May!"
Unaware of her mother's urgency, the girl named May flashed a big smile.
"Let's play!"
Kids are always one extreme or the other. Super timid or totally fearless. Run or freeze. Like there's no "walk" button—never any middle ground.
Fortunately, May was the fearless type. Not scared of the skeleton at all, she grinned wide and kicked the ball hard.
Soo-hyuk actually played with May. Nothing else to do anyway, and this was slacking-off time.
Before he knew it, Lightning got dragged into it too. May preferred Lightning over the ugly skeleton.
After a few kicks, it must've gotten fun. Lightning played ball with May, gave piggyback rides, even did airplane holds—really going all out.
Soo-hyuk stepped aside. He figured his presence would make May's mom uncomfortable.
After playing for a good while like that, May started whining to her mom again.
"Mom, I'm hungry."
It was a lifesaver for the mom sitting on pins and needles. It gave the woman—who hadn't dared suggest leaving first—an excuse.
"U-um, can we head out first?"
"Why would you need permission if you're the ones leaving first?"
Lightning answered.
He stroked May's head and nodded.
With permission granted, the woman hurriedly led May away. Apparently, Soo-hyuk's face was that terrifying.
May, being pulled along by her mom's hand, waved back at Lightning. Lightning waved back at her and asked.
"What the hell are you that everyone's so scared of you?"
"Beats me."
Soo-hyuk gazed down at his ring, thinking to himself.
How much of an asshole was this so-called God of Death that everyone feared him like this? Should've lived a little nicer.
Sunset fell over the park after May left. They'd come out in the daytime, but time had flown by just like that.
In the middle of the sunset-lit park, Lightning muttered.
"So I've been killing these kinds of guys all this time."
"Regretting it?"
Lightning nodded.
"If your plan was to show me this and kill my drive, it's halfway successful."
"Still doubting me, huh."
"You're a god too. If you at least looked normal, I might think you were human—but you look every bit the god. A pitch-black God of Death."
He couldn't deny it. Even at this moment, Soo-hyuk's bones ached.
Soo-hyuk took Lightning's words as banter.
"Then the plan's working."
"Plan? What plan?"
"The plan to drain the venom from your eyes and weaken you. That kid played her part perfectly."
"What?"
Lightning let out an absurd chuckle at Soo-hyuk's quip. Then it dawned on him—Soo-hyuk's words weren't entirely a joke.
He was definitely different from when he'd first met the guy. Could he have imagined, just days ago, playing ball with a little god kid and waving goodbye?
"Still, thanks."
Big decisions don't always come after deep deliberation.
Sometimes they hit suddenly one day, just like this—exactly as if this moment had been destined for the choice all along.
"Thanks to you, now I can finally stop..."
Whoosh—.
Before his words finished, the sky changed.
It was a very subtle difference. The red sunset froze, feeling like time itself had stopped.
In that instant, a bolt of lightning flashed in Lightning's pupils as he stared at Soo-hyuk.
Inside the formation, Hailz stared intently at Soo-hyuk.
It had already been three days since he closed his eyes. He hadn't eaten a thing in that time, just keeping his eyes shut the whole while.
Worried he might never open them again, Unhyang asked from beside her.
"He'll be okay, right?"
Her body was covered in bruises and cuts. Inside the formation, Unhyang had been sparring nonstop with Ye-ryeong.
She'd taken a short break during that, coming to check on Soo-hyuk.
"You sure worry a lot."
Unhyang nodded at Hailz's response, as if to say she was fretting over nothing.
"If something happens to Soo-hyuk oppa, I'm out of a job."
"You don't need to manage anyone—you'd live just fine anyway."
As if she knew everything, Hailz smiled and asked.
"The martial art you use as manager... it's the Heavenly Demon's, right?"
Unhyang flinched in surprise.
How could she know? She had no expertise in martial arts—she was a mage, not a warrior.
She hadn't really been hiding it, so Unhyang didn't deny it.
"Yeah. It is."
"Figured you were his daughter. No wonder you look alike."
"Alike? Where?"
Unhyang asked, startled.
"I'm way better looking, right?"
Whether in beauty or handsomeness, she'd always thought herself far superior to the Heavenly Demon. He was decent-looking, sure—but still, not as good as me, right?
Then Unhyang had a sudden thought.
In the past, hearing that would've flooded her with endless anxiety and confusion. But now... it didn't faze her at all.
"Judging by your reaction, Soo-hyuk oppa knows too, huh."
"Everyone does."
"Everyone but me?"
"You did join latest, after all."
"Treating the latecomer like the baby? That's fresh—I like it."
"No way, it's not like that."
The flustered Unhyang waved her hands hurriedly. Hailz burst out laughing at the reaction.
"Anyway, I wanted to say don't sweat it. The Heavenly Demon's not my sworn enemy or anything."
"I wish everyone thought that way."
Unhyang voiced the last lingering worry in her heart.
"Is it really okay for me to be in this guild?"
What would happen if this ever got out?
Lee Soo-hyuk's popularity had peaked when he defeated the Heavenly Demon in the past. That's how massive the fear and resentment tied to that name was in this tower.
But if it came out that the Heavenly Demon's daughter was in Blue Eyes, the guild flying that name's banner?
She might end up as the guild's headache. That thought stung Unhyang's heart.
Yet Hailz didn't seem worried at all.
"You said everyone knows, right?"
"Yeah."
"Then it'll be fine. They must have their reasons for trusting. Even if things go south, they won't turn around and blame you then."
Was it the reassurance from an archmage? Strangely, the more she heard Hailz, the stronger Unhyang felt.
"If you can't trust yourself, try trusting the others. That's what a guild is for."
"Is this magic too, by chance?"
"Huh?"
"Just a few words, and my mind's suddenly at ease."
The moment she heard Hailz's words, her heart eased like magic. Maybe she'd felt the same deep down.
Seeing Unhyang's far more relaxed expression, Hailz grinned.
"Think I'd be an archmage for nothing?"
A shadow of death draped over the village. The beautiful sunset glow was swallowed by the shadow, and a suffocatingly massive aura weighed down the air.
The gods had come.
Not ordinary gods. Not the ones laughing and chatting in the village, raising kids—but the real ones Lightning had fought.
Beings with immense power, lording over this world like kings.
Their approach en masse toward the village could be felt. No—they were already here.
In that instant, Soo-hyuk and Lightning's eyes met.
From Lightning's gaze, Soo-hyuk read his thoughts crystal clear. He wasn't hiding them.
Was it really a trap?
Reading that look, Soo-hyuk shook his head.
That was conversation enough. No words exchanged, but Lightning trusted Soo-hyuk enough now to believe that much.
He'd also judged that a real trap wouldn't be set up like this.
"Rest's over."
With those words, Lightning turned away from Soo-hyuk.
"Don't follow. Stay with me, and you'll be hunted too."
"Too late for that."
True enough. How many gods had seen Soo-hyuk here by now? Way too late.
Lightning said no more and started walking. His back, facing the fight ahead, felt like a completely different person from the last few days.
That was when it happened.
"Kyaaack!"
Screams began echoing from spots all over the village.
The fight hadn't even started yet?
The moment he sensed something off, Lightning's face hardened viciously.
"Fuck..."
Dreading the worst, Soo-hyuk and Lightning rushed toward the screams.
Village center. The busiest street packed with people.
Fresh blood soaked the ground. Fallen corpses lay strewn haphazardly across the road.
The weapons of gods armored in plate and shields were drenched in the blood of their fellow gods.
The instant he saw it, Soo-hyuk felt his head grow hot.
And with it...
Hummm—.
At their deaths, the Black Soul ring began emitting its black glow once more.