Chapter 116
Chapter 116
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 116
Chapter Title: The Thing Sealed in the Shrine
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◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After lying down for a bit, my body soon returned to normal. It seemed I hadn't suffered a fatal injury that would keep me from moving.
‘That shining giant definitely tried to kill me, but Eynax must have blocked it.’
My memory was hazy, so I couldn't quite tell if it was a dream or reality, but I vaguely remembered seeing a guy who called himself a good god swinging something like a hammer at me. Yet here I was without a single wound, so Eynax must have repelled him or stood in the way.
Moreover, my body felt strangely refreshed. Like I'd soaked in a hot spring and let all the fatigue melt away. Even my skin seemed a bit smoother.
‘When I summoned Kyseria, I ended up sleeping for half a day...’
I couldn't tell if my stamina had improved or if Eynax had pulled some trick when he unsummoned himself. Probably a bit of both...
I'd scavenged and eaten plenty lately, toughening up my body, and there were clear signs he'd done something to me upon release. Easy enough to guess.
‘Judging by the sticky stuff all over me...’
Last time we contracted, he'd healed my torn eardrums with that mucus. Looked like he'd done the same this time—healed me up with it and took off.
‘No idea what's in that mucus, but it doesn't seem harmful. The issue is this summon keeps slipping my control...’
Both during that last contract and this forced summon. Eynax kept acting way outside my command range, doing whatever he pleased. At least he hadn't dealt me any fatal damage, but it was still irritating that he ignored my orders.
‘If he crawls out on his own without me calling him... that's a real hassle. The mana drain just to summon him once is no joke...’
Then it struck me—a regular summon couldn't pull off stunts like that. No matter how powerful, they're bound by system limits. But Eynax had jumped those bounds this time.
‘That energy I felt... it was Kashnax's. She must have slipped out wearing Eynax like a mask...’
Eynax had said he was part of Kashnax. So in the end, wasn't Kashnax herself borrowing the summon's body to meddle in the real world?
‘Even a god—can they just act so recklessly?’
Last time, when the good gods' minions hit the mart, the Order God had manifested through that dying pastor's body. He'd said interventions like that burned massive karma and came with huge penalties.
So Kashnax had probably taken a serious karma backlash this time. Must've burned through a good chunk of her reserves. I'd funneled most humans her way, but still...
‘If she's reeling from the fallout, the blowback could hit me too.’
Kashnax had been shielding me from the eyes of every good god watching me—and some ancient ones too. That's how I'd sailed through without good-god drama. No more pantheon raids.
Zombies were riskier anyway; no player hits had come my way. But if her cover vanished and the good gods started staring openly, who knew what trouble that'd stir.
‘On top of the Myriad Ghost Realm's world tree and a few ancient gods showing outright hostility. Fingers crossed nothing blows up...’
But what was worth tanking penalties like that? What had she gained by descending in person?
The minions were a lot in number, sure, but Kyseria could've wiped them. Even that demonized Chinese guy—I could've nabbed him with the floating stone necklace and incomplete membrane flight.
Not the kind of spot where a god cheats her way out. Maybe she just wanted to meet me face-to-face... But was Manma's Favor really that enticing for a god to obsess over?
That's when Indicron spoke up in an utterly exhausted tone.
"It's not just the skill." ‘Huh...?’
"Kashnax has never had a subordinate this deeply linked to her before. That's why she's so invested. And didn't you gift her that pillar first?" ‘No... that was just...’
"I know—it was nothing special. Just testing the waters for favor. Bad choice of target, though. In human terms... hmm... right, it's like you mailed a love letter to a basement-dwelling shut-in who's been rejected for eons. One straight-up proposing marriage." ‘Uh...’
"It's awkward even for me to say, but treat us with extreme caution. Right now, I'm chatting 'human-style,' but that's not my true nature. Just scaling down for you humans. We're far more multidimensional and chaotic than you imagine. Your casual actions might hold huge meaning for us. Our tiniest gesture of care could spell disaster for you. Keep that in mind." ‘Yes...’
"Especially!! That gloomy tentacle blob has a super timid, perverted streak. Devoured countless humans but never savored them properly, so she's clueless about humanity. Sigh... you're stuck suffering. Just think of her as clueless parents and tough it out. If it's too much, lean on me. I know humans inside out." Soon Indicron drifted away again, saying she had a ton to handle.
Her "knowing humans well" probably came from savoring the emotions of despairing ones she ate. Felt more like a foodie dissecting cuisine than any fondness.
Either way, both sides were equally terrifying and overwhelming.
‘Whatever the case, Kashnax is seriously into me... But she definitely said she took something before leaving. What could it be... no way...’
What Kashnax took from me? My semen.
She'd milked me dry, then said in a satisfied voice that she'd taken it for sure.
‘So she really... just came for my semen because she likes me...?’
Ridiculous thought, but it fit the facts. So what was she planning with it... no...
‘Pregnancy...?’
An evil god... carrying my kid?
No clue how to react. Responsibility without the fun? Nah, it felt way too good.
‘Honestly... best sex of my life, hands down.’
Even felt like getting devoured wouldn't be so bad—the peak pleasure still wouldn't fade from my head. Hell, I was still basking in the afterglow.
That sensation of every life function dumped into sperm production and ejaculation, slowly withering away to death... eclipsed getting drained by Hwa-young while thrusting, or shaking my hips drunk on Hee-sun Noona's scent.
Transcended vampire sex and aroma sex into pure, brainless milking bliss.
‘Life traded one-for-one for pleasure... gonna lose my mind... scared I'll get hooked.’
My groin started asserting itself again. Had to pick time and place, but after bliss worth more than death, nothing could kill the thrill.
‘Forget it. Wipe it clean.’
I was mentally belting the national anthem and meditating when Ha-rin snuck up, beaming as she back-hugged me. Felt her chest press against my back.
Massive jolt after my whole body had turned into one big erogenous zone. But I held firm. Shrine raid soon, then home. Nail this today, back by Friday or Saturday. Just a bit longer...
"Lord, got 'em all rounded up over there. Five survivors or so?"
"Yeah. Good work."
I'd ordered the half-wrecked good-god minions dragged to one spot. Nearly thirty of them, but only five still breathing.
All Japanese, so communication sucked, but Eun-ji and Hotaru translated, letting us enslave them smoothly.
They'd witnessed Eynax and lost all fight. Didn't care about good or evil gods anymore—just begged to live. Stamped slave brands on every forehead.
‘Decent classes.’
Quick rundown on the five Japanese survivors: First, Hayato—the hot anime-protagonist type who'd swung the cross at me. Then his bespectacled secretary-or-girlfriend Hitomi. Skinny Gen, fat Hakubo, and tough bob-cut girl Rin.
Melee specialists: Hayato and Rin. Hayato was an Inquisitor, heretic interrogator—a pantheon-style demon slayer. Rin was a Templar, fast-attack hit-and-run class. Half Shadow Walker like Eun-ji, half Sword Dancer like A-reum.
Hakubo and Gen were both Priests—western onmyoji types. Funny part: total opposite skill builds. Skinny Gen went debuffs and seals to toy with foes. Chubby Hakubo built barriers and buffs for team defense.
Hitomi was a Cleric, healer. Rising Flesh rival appears.
"So what'd they do to get banged up like this?"
"Said they scratched themselves?"
"Huh..."
Had Hitomi heal her comrades to test if her healing outdid Rising Flesh.
She claimed low mana, couldn't do it. So I slipped off the Star Necklace I'd bought from the jeweler and put it on her.
+100 Magic Power, but -30 to physical stats. She looked drained the second it clicked on.
My raw stats were sky-high, so no big change for me, but Hitomi—who wanted to collapse and sleep—looked wrecked.
"No whining. Get to it."
"Ngh...!"
Under my harsh command, she grimaced, stepped before Hayato, and reached for his head.
Muttered some Japanese incantation, green light poured from her hand, mending his torn skin.
‘Better than Rising Flesh...?’
Queried her through translator Eun-ji. Turns out her heals were subdivided: trauma, internal injuries, disease, purification, etc.
Mine could slap limbs back on brute-force but guzzled mana and hurt like hell. Hers were more efficient and varied across categories.
Downside: Rising Flesh couldn't handle diseases or fully regrow missing parts, so Cleric won on versatility.
Still, she couldn't graft body parts like my experiments on Lee Chan-seong at the sports center. Like chopping wrists to ankles, ankles to wrists, or ripping off someone else's arm for transplant. Hitomi stared like I was insane.
"Hotaru, devil corpse?"
"Right there, master."
"Got the idols?"
"Yes. Here. Bronze mirror."
"Perfect. All set."
Hayato handed over the bronze sword. Hotaru farmed the bronze mirror from the demon-possessed corpse. Add my magatama. Three Sacred Regalia complete.
We ate a quick meal in the shrine clearing, rested up, and prepped fully.
Then we took the regalia to the entrance. The chains clattered free; the massive three-meter door groaned open.
Wouldn't budge before, but the regalia popped it right open.
"Ugh... rotten stench..."
"Ha-rin, bow out if it's too much."
"I-I'm fine... urk..."
Stale, ancient air flooded out. Ha-rin, sharpest nose, pinched hers and scowled.
Smelled like tree roots inside—nauseating beyond words. Everyone's faces hardened.
"J-Jun... that thing. God idol?"
"Yeah... Noona. Looks like it."
Shrine maiden Naase Sora lit the way, revealing a small totem smack in the shrine's center.
Like a Buddha weeping blood tears. God statue, probably. Grabbing it'd trigger a fight with whatever was sealed here, right?
"Alright... everyone hang by the entrance. I'll tentacle it out."
No way I was trekking deep for that. Plan: pluck the idol with a tentacle and bolt. Activated the skill.
That's when something deep inside lashed an arm, snatched the idol, grabbed my tentacle, and spoke.
"Shit!!"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Did you think you could just take it? A deep, neutral voice heavy with pressure echoed through the shrine. A normie player would've buckled from the sound alone, but we'd stared down cosmic horror half a day back.
All the growl in the world wouldn't faze us.
"You'd do better to hand it over nicely."
I pulled mana, ready to summon Kyseria, and shot back.
No matter how strong this guy was, this forest was a level 15 baseline dungeon. Judging by how we had slaughtered the beasts and aberrations of the forest so far, they were all entities that could easily be killed as long as five or more level 15 Awakened individuals banded together.
Therefore, this guy was highly likely to be an enemy fitting a player's level, or perhaps in a weakened state. At any rate, the probability was high that he wasn't a mind-shattering monster on the level of Kyseria.
[C-Calm down. I have no intention of fighting a bizarre human like you either. I merely want to propose an offer.]
"What offer. Let's hear it. If it's a shitty offer, we go straight into combat."
[Goodness... quite aggressive. It means you have that much confidence in your skills. Well, since you are a human receiving the interest of an evil god, it makes sense that you'd be arrogant.]
"Don't drag your words to buy time."
[Understood! Sigh... I don't know how my plight ended up like this.]
The bastard lamented his misfortune, let out a deep sigh, and opened his mouth again.
[My proposal is nothing grand. I want you to get me out of here.]
"Get you out? Are you telling us to undo the seal?"
[No. That's not it. It's not simply about the seal being undone; I literally want to escape from this forest.]
"What does that mean?"
[Even if the seal is undone, I cannot leave this forest. However... if one of you accepts me... I can escape from this dreadfully suffocating forest.]
"Uh... accept you?"
The bastard requested of me once more in a deeply weary voice.
[You are not an ordinary player, are you. I can smell our own kind on you. The stench of the shallow sort of scum who lives by using humans as sacrifices... But since there are no traces of cannibalism, you must be a servant of an evil god, correct?]
The bastard's reddish eyes, which had been concealed in the darkness, flashed. He observed me. He also confirmed the entities that would be behind me and smiled.
[I beg of you, O one who receives the Favor of the Myriad Demons. I hope one of you will accept me. It is simply transferring the seal bound to the shrine into a human body. You will obtain great power. I beg of you.]
I didn't know how to respond to the bastard's desperate plea. Transferring a seal. It wasn't like he was trying to put a Nine-Tails inside Naruto's stomach; did it mean we had to engrave a seal on someone's belly?
Thinking it was way too uncomfortable and that it would be better to just kill him, a notification window suddenly popped up before my eyes.
[You can form a contract with 'Chihiro', the Oni sealed in the shrine.]
[If you wish to contract, accept the Oni's proposal.]
[If you harbor Chihiro, your class will change.]
[Your faction will change to Pandemonium.]
"Oppa. Um... I want to do it...!" Eun-ji raised her hand high, as if she had seen the same notification.
"Is there a need..? You're already strong enough, Eun-ji."
"I also... I also want to... engrave a crest... I want to belong to the Pandemonium faction..."
"Ah..."
I had no choice but to grant Eun-ji's earnest wish.