The Reason You Need an Ally
Before returning to Hyoseon Girls' High School, I visited the Yellow Spot again with Mer. I needed to learn from Sataniel how to restore Mer's authority.
'What the... why is it so clean?'
The Yellow Spot I returned to was nothing like before; the yellow toxic fog had completely vanished. It was as if all the miasma had been sucked back into its original owner. Even the subterranean lake, which looked like it would give you a skin rash and make you sick the moment it touched your skin, was now so clear you could see the bottom. The temple, which had been on the verge of collapse, half-swallowed by roots, now looked brand new. It seemed that with the breaking of Sataniel's seal, everything had returned to its original state.
“The subterranean lake... it was such clear water all along...”
“Master, wait... don't even think about drinking that.”
“No! I was just going to bottle some up...”
Mer always assumes I’ll eat just about anything. Of course, the image I’ve built up until now is... well, a bit like that. But even if I do eat whatever I can get my hands on just to survive, I’m not stupid enough to chug water from a subterranean lake without any filtration.
'I didn't know what kind of strange components might be mixed in the water...'
It’s better to leave things like that to Hellas and ask if it’s safe before consuming it. That was why I was going to put the water in the plastic bottle I brought...
“Ah... my mistake. I apologize. No, but you usually eat whatever you want... And make sure to eat your vegetables, too.”
“Wait, no... why are you suddenly nagging me...?”
“Perhaps because the meat supply has been good lately, your picky eating has gotten worse, Master. If you keep this up and don't live long, won't I be the only one left a widow?”
“No... no matter what I do, I won't live longer than you... Mer, you don't even have a lifespan...”
“Well... I cannot deny that. Still, picky eating is not good. I want to live with you for a long, long time.”
At Mer’s words, I let out a dry laugh. No matter how much I extend my lifespan, unless I become immortal, I will die earlier than Mer, who has no lifespan at all. Well, the fact that she wanted to live with me for a long time was slightly touching, so I squeezed her hand tightly.
“Heh... shall we go in then?”
“Let us.”
We stood at the entrance of the temple and called out to Sataniel. Although most of the roots covering the temple had disappeared, the ones wrapping around the entrance still remained.
“Excuse me, Lord Sataniel. We’ve arrived. Please open the door. We can’t get in unless you open it.”
“Yes.”
The roots were sucked into the ground, and the entrance opened. It didn't seem like he had any intention of coming out to see me himself.
'Well... Sataniel is an Evil God, after all...'
He isn't an omnipotent god, but it is only right that a lowly human like me should bow and enter... However, even though he was a god, for some reason, I didn't feel the same sense of awe as I did with Indikron or Kashnakas. Is it because he is of a lower rank than those gods? Regardless, Mer and I entered deep into the temple.
After walking for nearly an hour, Sataniel’s residence finally revealed itself. He was half-buried in an enormous pile of documents, so he was barely visible. Don't tell me... has he been processing all the backlogged work by himself this whole time...?
Mer and I approached Sataniel, careful not to collapse the piles of paper.
“Ah. Yes...”
Up close, Sataniel had changed significantly. The Sataniel immediately after the seal was broken had been nothing more than a dying old man, albeit with an intimidating aura. He had even been in a state where it wouldn't have been strange if he died on the spot, with roots stuck into his back like straws, sucking away his energy...
“Ah, no... it’s just that you’ve changed a lot.”
The being looking at me with flashing reverse-eyes truly had an appearance that suited a fallen angel perfectly. For starters, Sataniel had become incredibly young. He had jet-black skin, thick black hair, and red tattoos engraved all over his face. On top of that, he had black-stained wings and a distorted halo. If it weren't for the tattoos covering his face, he would have looked like a stunningly handsome man. As expected... is it because he’s a former angel that his facial structure is so well-defined? I couldn't possibly associate this handsome man with the old man from before. He was even using mental waves like Yukhapjeonseong now that he had recovered his strength, rather than speaking with his voice like last time. Just like the other gods...
“The aftermath of the seal...?”
“Oh...”
To think that the toxic fog spread throughout the entire Yellow Spot was all his power. The angels had extracted Sataniel's power and cast a double barrier to prevent anyone from approaching him. Now that such a seal had been broken, Sataniel had regained all the power he had been robbed of and returned to his prime form.
'But... now that I look at it...'
Why is it that I didn't achieve any achievements even after encountering Sataniel? Up until now, the Evil Gods had triggered achievements the moment I encountered them, whether directly or indirectly. Along with the message that I had become a servant of an Evil God. However, no such achievement notification appeared even though I had encountered Sataniel's main body. No, from a certain point on, no achievements were being triggered no matter what I did. But why didn't I feel any particular strangeness? It’s strange that I just accepted it and moved on...
Only after facing Sataniel did I feel like something was blocking my path.
“Um... that is...”
I explained the situation regarding the achievements to Sataniel. He listened to me quietly, then nodded and shared his thoughts.
“Yes...?”
“Aha... I understand. I see what you mean...”
No wonder I didn't feel any awe... it seems it was because our ranks were equal. But to be a god and yet a servant to other gods... Rather than vaguely evaluating Sataniel as low-ranked, I think the three gods I had been conversing with so familiarly until now were incredibly high-ranked. So... I was just a regular employee, but because I was the only staff member left in the company, I had been having private meetings with the board of directors all this time. From the start, they said the reason I perceived the Evil Gods as women was because the gods were adjusting to me...
'Right... when I first encountered Indikron while dying after eating the Black Snake's core by mistake on the supermarket rooftop... she definitely changed the sound of insects being crushed and broken into something like a human voice to talk to me...'
In fact, the Evil Gods don't have a gender. They just adjusted to my preferences... Of course, Kashnakas, who has a dogmatic side, forced me to match her preferences... This... just thinking about Kashnakas... my crotch is starting to bulge. This is insane. This is also a severe condition. She has ruined me...
While I was blaming Kashnakas and singing the national anthem in my head to calm my excitement, Sataniel, who was stroking his chin, muttered.
“What do you mean, not only because of that...?”
“Uh... okay...”
Sataniel ordered Mer to step aside for a moment, then spent a long time waving his fingers toward the empty air. Soon, the third eye wrapped around his forehead opened. That pupil observed me...
“What are you talking about...?”
“No, what does that mean? Are you saying I was hit by something?”
“The Apostle of the Hall of Ten Thousand Ghosts...? There are plenty of people from the Hall of Ten Thousand Ghosts around me...”
A peculiar class belonging to the Hall of Ten Thousand Ghosts. Harin is from the Hall of Ten Thousand Ghosts, and Hee-sun is also from the Hall of Ten Thousand Ghosts. But those two are my slaves, so they are excluded...
'Uh... don't tell me... Meiling...?'
The woman who was on the same team as me at the Thrill Mansion, who changed her gender to male and introduced herself as Bai Yu, only to have her memory erased and be abandoned after I tore her apart later... Don't tell me... the one who was torn apart... was it me, not her?
“Uh... I have met a trickster named Meiling. I met her in person at a place called the Thrill Mansion... Now that I think about it, I haven't heard any achievement completion notifications since then.”
Soon, his index finger, which had been embroidering the air, stopped right in the center of my forehead.
Achievement Completed! 'Thrill Mansion Strategy'
Achievement Completed! 'The Puppeteer's Secret'
Achievement Completed! 'The Black Market Rascal'
Achievement Completed! 'One Who Tamed Sin'
Achievement Completed! 'Paimon's Enemy'
Achievement Completed! 'Guide Usurper'
Achievement Completed! 'Train to the Abyss'
Achievement Completed! 'Abyss Tourist'
Achievement Completed! 'The Sin of Hero-Slaying'
Achievement Completed! 'One Who Awakened the Sleeping Evil'
Achievement Completed! 'The Theory of Raising 100,000 Slaves'
Achievement rewards are granted.
Achievement rewards are granted.
Achievement rewards are granted.
Countless achievement reward notifications appeared in an instant. I found it hard to keep my composure amidst the notifications that made my ears ring. At that moment, Sataniel laughed while looking at me, who was flustered. A very triumphant expression... I could understand why this handsome man was the most useful servant of the self-proclaimed Three Main Gods.
'So this is why... Indikron told me to meet an ally...'
I finally understood why she told me to enter the Abyss quickly. Perhaps Indikron had also felt that something was strange...
Soon, a halo appeared behind Sataniel's back. At the same time as that light, another achievement was completed.
You have encountered the Evil God 'Sataniel'!
Congratulations? You have become an 'Apostle' of the Evil God!
You have taken a step closer to the Evil God!
The Mark of Corruption is engraved!
All players of the Pantheon faction feel a certain sense of unease from you!
Indikron's authority is activated! The effect of the Stigma is halved.
Botamilli's authority is activated! You will not be discovered.
Achievement Completed! 'Sataniel's Apostle'
Achievement rewards are granted.
A notification that I had become a subordinate, not a servant, of the Evil God... And the eye-shaped mark engraved on my palm overlapped with the Stigmas engraved by the other three Evil Gods.
“Yes... Lord Sataniel...”
I bowed my head to the Enlightenment Angel who had fallen for the first time. The first impression of him being like a weak old man had long since disappeared.