Chapter 73
Chapter 73
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Master of the Blue Moon
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Me and the girls put our heads together, thinking about the reward for the achievement 'Half-Demon, Half-Human's Karma'.
“For now... if we want to twist the future I saw as much as possible, it'd be better to choose something other than the Twisted Faith, right?”
Ye-won asked if it wouldn't be better to choose something different to bring about a future as far removed from the one I saw as possible.
She was right. To twist the future, we had to choose either the hammer or the cross.
“That's true, but... honestly, I kinda like the Twisted Faith...”
A-ram, who had actually used the Main's power, seemed to covet the bracelet.
Well, when horns grew from A-ram and she awakened as a half-demon, her physical abilities became strong enough to tear a Possessed Demon apart with her bare hands, and her ability to absorb demonic energy increased too.
'If I become a true Main, wouldn't I get incredibly strong...'
The part about occasionally losing my reason really bothered me.
If I lost my reason during a battle and attacked friend and foe alike, it'd be game over. Especially if I attacked in a berserk Main form... Probably only I or Mer could stop a rampaging A-ram.
“Let's go with the hammer. You like smashing everything to pieces with a hammer, don't you, sis?”
“W-Well, that's true, but...”
Hwa-yeong said as she gently stroked A-ram's shoulder.
“Wouldn't shooting a cross like a gun be cool too?”
“Would it?”
This time, Hee-seon unnie shook A-ram.
They were each trying to sway A-ram according to their own tastes.
“Um. What do you think?”
“Me? Hmm...”
Personally, if a skeletal giant appeared, smashing its head in would be a great 'means of communication'.
The description said it was 'monstrously huge,' so it's probably an insane size you'd only see in a game...
Plus, a blunt weapon of such a brute size. That has its own romantic appeal.
An overwhelming power that crushes enemies mercilessly and brutally, without any room for technique or skill to intervene...!
“Hammer.”
“Alright... then hammer it is.”
And so, the achievement reward was chosen as the Battle Hammer.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
KWOOONG!!!
In an instant, a hammer of an absurd appearance materialized before our eyes...
It had a weight that made the rooftop floor tremble slightly.
'Someone's supposed to swing this around...?'
It's an insane size...
The head of the hammer was almost as big as a person's torso. Moreover, a blue jewel-like object was embedded in the center of the hammer's head.
'Is this the thing that gives a booster when it absorbs demonic energy? What even is a booster?'
If you got hit directly by a crude weapon like this, you'd definitely be turned into ground meat.
“Wow... It's ridiculously huge...”
“No way... Oppa. Thinking about it... we should've gone with the cross...”
The girls who gathered around the hammer all had something to say.
They wondered who could possibly wield such a monstrous weapon.
“Miss A-ram. May I try to lift this?”
“Ah. Yes, unnie.”
Mer politely asked A-ram, the weapon's owner, and then grabbed the handle of the magnificent means of communication.
“Hup... HAAAAAAAAAA!!!”
In an instant, enormous muscles bulged from Mer's slender arms, making their thickness almost as big as A-ram's waist.
'Crazy...! Internal muscles....!'
In that moment, she surpassed the limits of stats as if it were nothing and began to lift the hammer.
Mer's face, which was usually expressionless or wore a gentle smile, became twisted with bulging veins.
Her face, as if she was putting her whole heart into it, twisted like a demonic executioner, and she grit her teeth.
“KUAAAAAA!!!”
She lifted it.
Mer lifted that insane weapon!!
KUGUGUNG!!!
However, she couldn't hold it for long and put the means of communication back down on the rooftop.
This weight must be in the tons...
“Hoo... Hoo... This... This is something... Hah... Hah...”
Mer collapsed, exhausted.
It felt as if she had poured out all the strength in her body.
“L-Let me try to lift it too.”
Hwa-yeong, who had been watching with her mouth agape, grabbed the hammer's handle with an interested expression.
Stat-wise, she wasn't to be underestimated either. As a vampire, her overall stats were evenly high.
“Krrrgh...!”
Of course, it didn't budge an inch.
“Wow...”
“N-Next!”
After that, they took turns trying to lift the hammer with all their might.
But the only one who could lift it was Merhele.
'I picked the wrong reward...'
I should have just picked the Twisted Faith or the Cross Gun.
It's too late to regret it now, and I can't change the reward, but...
“As expected of a former angel... your basic physique is on another level.”
“Haha... It's nothing.”
At Hee-seon unnie's praise, Merhele smiled awkwardly and waved her hand.
She had a rather satisfied smile.
“Alright, then...”
I tried to lift it myself, but it only lifted slightly off the ground. I couldn't lift it high into the air like Mer did.
It felt as if it was mocking me, telling me this was the limit of a human.
After my turn was finally over, A-ram stepped forward.
I felt sorry for her. She had finally gotten a weapon made for her, but she couldn't use it.
“Then it's finally my turn.”
A-ram let out a deep sigh, then rotated her shoulders to loosen up.
Then she reached out for the hammer.
“Hup...”
She couldn't lift it either...
“HAAAAAA!!!”
In an instant, a dark blue energy burst from A-ram's hand.
It was demonic energy she had stolen from the Possessed Demons.
Woooooo
Her demonic energy was sucked into the jewel in the center of the hammer.
CHIIIIIIIIIIK!!!
Soon, the hammer split open slightly as if it were breaking apart, spewing out steam before it began to float.
“I-It's lifting...!”
This hammer was a item that only those who possessed demonic energy could truly use.
It was a weapon exclusive to classes related to demons.
“Krrgh...”
KWOOONG!!! KWA-JEOK..!
When A-ram let go of the hammer, cracks ran across the rooftop.
“It's done... It's done. This is the real deal.”
A-ram had gotten her exclusive item.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Alright, then next is this...”
I took out the Man-gwi-jeon ticket.
“Finally...”
Ha-rin's expression lit up with anticipation when she saw the ticket.
“Everyone's okay with Ha-rin going, right?”
“Yeah. I'm for it.”
“Me too.”
Everyone agreed. Besides, Ha-rin was the one who wanted to go the most right now.
We had no way to level up right now since we didn't know when we'd find a field boss, so we needed to get stronger by means other than leveling up. That's why I planned on using the Man-gwi-jeon ticket now.
'If I went myself... ugh.'
Since I'd almost messed up multiple times by moving without thinking, from the black market to even within a dream, I figured it was right to just send Ha-rin this time.
Who knows what trouble I'd get into if I went again, thinking I could handle it. If a Durahan appeared while I was gone... my world would go dark.
'But what are those ancient gods up to...?'
The evil gods are a bunch of crazy bastards obsessed with human sacrifice, like something out of the Cthulhu mythos, and the good gods are scumbags pretending to be nice.
'I've already seen two precedents... the bastards at Man-gwi-jeon are definitely crazy too...'
In my opinion, they seem to be the ones led by the World Tree.
Given their title as ancient gods, they're probably gods close to nature.
Evil gods are beings that personify cosmic horror. Good gods personify concepts created by humans, such as justice, order, and hope. Ancient gods seem to be closer to totemistic primitive beliefs.
Things like trees, animals, or dragons.
I'd like to go meet them in person, but... if the ancient gods are really the ones centered around the World Tree, I can't go.
'When I wore the Living Flower Ring last time... the World Tree tried to kill me...'
I don't know the reason, but the World Tree genuinely tried to kill me back then.
Thinking about it, it was probably because I had consumed the Druid.
Then wouldn't I be torn to shreds the moment I go to Man-gwi-jeon?
“Hee-seon unnie.”
“Yeah?”
“Is there anything... uh, like a god talking to you or something?”
“A god? Ah~ The strange things you called good gods or whatever last time?”
“Yeah... like the World Tree.”
“I don't know... sometimes when I'm meditating... it feels like someone is talking to me, but I'm not sure. I've never actually had a conversation.”
“I see...”
Actually, I had considered sending Hee-seon unnie.
'But for some reason, if I send unnie... she might not come back...'
I get a feeling that the World Tree would pull all sorts of dirty tricks to take Hee-seon unnie, the Druid, away from me.
'But sending Ha-rin alone also feels unsettling.'
I looked at Ha-rin, who was filled with expectation.
She seemed happy, saying that for some reason, she felt she could get stronger this time.
“Ha-rin. Are you really going?”
“Yes. I want to go... I feel a strong pull. Since last time... something has been calling me.”
“My god... a divine calling... Ha-rin. It's not that I want to say this, but the gods I've met were mostly mentally unstable or... crazy bastards...”
Just as I was about to tell Ha-rin more about the reality of the gods...
『What did you say? Do you... think of us like that?』 『From a human's perspective... we are a bit scary, I suppose.』
Cashnax asked in shock, and Indicron answered as if to say, 'Why are you surprised by something so obvious?'
『Scary... What did I do...?』 『Are you really asking that because you don't know?』
“Kuk...”
These crazy gods were having a conversation through my head again.
My head felt like it was going to explode, so I quickly stopped them. If I didn't intervene quickly, they'd just keep arguing.
They didn't used to be this human... I wonder why they've become like this.
As I had that thought, Botamily answered in a tiny voice that was barely audible.
『That's because our favorability for you has increased.』 『We are beings outside of your cognitive domain.』 『We change according to how you perceive us.』 『Of course, this is also because we cherish you dearly.』 『You are the one who will fulfill our grudge (???), Cultist.』
Due to Botamily's nature, multiple voices spoke in turn.
'Our favorability has increased, so we change according to how you want to see us...'
They've become human-like.
They're not planning on descending as humans soon, are they?
“Hoo...”
More importantly, the three evil gods didn't try to stop Ha-rin from going to Man-gwi-jeon.
Maybe it's because I'm not the one moving, so they don't care what happens...
“Be careful. Don't get hurt.”
“Yes. I'll... come back stronger, for sure.”
“Don't push yourself too hard. Got it?”
“Yes, unnie.”
We took turns hugging Ha-rin as she packed her weapon and left.
She had been harboring a sense of inferiority lately, feeling that she was the weakest and most useless among us.
Our party members' abilities were just too outstanding. She, with her relatively ordinary skills, was always discouraged.
So she must want to become strong by becoming an ancient god's incarnation this time.
Even if the Slave Mark gets erased at Man-gwi-jeon... I'll just find her again and make her mine.
“Then I'll be off!”
Ha-rin tore the ticket slightly.
FWOOOSH!!
A ray of light fell from the sky, just like when a Peddler moves, and took Ha-rin away.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Ugh...”
Seong Ha-rin opened her eyes in a dark, dense forest.
“W-Where is this...”
A place she had never seen before.
She felt a moment of fear at the fact that she was alone.
“Hoo... I can do it... I can do it...”
She gripped her axe tightly and stood up.
'First, should I get out of the forest? I was told I could meet one of the ancient gods belonging to Man-gwi-jeon...'
She looked around and slowly walked forward.
The trees gradually thinned, and a vast meadow appeared under a full moon.
A landscape with a large blue moon and a yellow moon crossing each other.
“Wow...”
She stared up at the beautiful scenery, like a scene from a fantasy world, and was lost for words.
“KIAAAAH!!!”
Then, a beast's cry echoed throughout the forest and the meadow.
PSASUK!
POO-DUK-DAK!!
Soon, the forest she had emerged from shook, and black monsters with gleaming yellow eyes ran out.
A bloody stench radiated from them.
“T-This..!”
Seong Ha-rin quickly re-gripped her axe.
She had no intention of just sitting there and taking it.
“UAAAAAAH!!!!”
A Savage's Roar burst from her mouth.
The black beasts, which had been trying to surround her, stumbled back in an instant, and she quickly brought her axe down on the head of the closest beast, splitting it open.
'I can win..!'
Seong Ha-rin was confident of victory.
She always fought with the belief that she would win.
Her straightforward nature didn't allow for thoughts of defeat.
'I've come all this way, I can't die to beasts like these.'
The black beasts bared their crimson teeth and charged at Ha-rin.
Then.
DOO-KOONG!
The forest shook for a moment.
AWOOOOO!!!
AWOOOOOOOOO!!!
Wolves, cutting through the wind, ran out from all over the forest in an instant.
They tore apart the dozens of black beasts surrounding Ha-rin, shredding them into rags.
“T-This is...”
Ha-rin stood her ground against the wolves, axe still raised.
They were wild beasts the size of cars.
They looked down at Ha-rin as if they were evaluating her.
Then, the forest shook, and something walked towards Ha-rin.
'D-Damn it...'
An overwhelming presence.
A size that couldn't be compared to the other wolves.
The moment Ha-rin met the eyes of the beast looking down at her, her will seemed to break.
However, she couldn't drop her axe.
If she let go of her weapon, it was defeat.
If she gave up, it was the end.
Her pounding heart wouldn't allow it.
It was telling her to fight back.
『Do you still intend to fight?』 『Truly.』 『A valiant one.』
The wolf laughed.
Looking down at the small human who, while trembling, never lowered her axe and looked up at him with fierce eyes of determination to win.
『I like you, human.』
The Queen of the Meadow asked the still-small wolf.
"You who shall receive the Blessing of the Full Moon. Reveal your name."
She was the goddess of valiant warriors.
The leader of all wolves.
The vanguard who runs ahead of all on the battlefield.
The Master of the Blue Moon, Garia of the Azure Moon, revealed herself before Seong Ha-rin.