Chapter 221
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 221
"Gio?" Yoo Seong-un called out.
"What have you been up to lately?"
"Making friends."
"I can hear those 'friends' of yours praising you all the way over here, you know."
"It’s a good thing to be loved. It’s only natural."
"At this rate, you’re going to end up with your own religion."
Gio tilted his head at that.
"I was told it was an appreciation club."
"Oh, right. A religion masquerading as an appreciation club."
"I didn’t think religious groups formed so easily."
"They can form anytime, as long as there’s a catalyst… especially when a divinity is already primed and ready."
Yoo Seong-un sighed.
"Anyone with a silver tongue can start a religion. Of course, those are usually classified as cults. But in your case, you’re highly charismatic, you possess divinity, and you give out incredible rewards."
"Is there something wrong with that?"
"So you are doing this on purpose. I wouldn’t say it’s wrong, exactly… but the thought of what kind of impact your believers will have is a little unsettling."
"I borrowed the structure of a religion for my own benefit, but I desire friends and family, not fanatics. I am certain it won’t lead anywhere dangerous," Gio asserted confidently.
"The world is too cold these days."
"That’s just how the world is, as far as I’m concerned," Yoo Seong-un replied.
But.
"...I do agree that it’s a heartwarming sight."
It felt like watching neighbors become a close-knit family. While it wouldn’t wash away all the cruelty of the world, it was certainly better than nothing.
"Why the sudden interest?"
"As I’ve said repeatedly, I want to have many friends."
"Weren’t Ju-hyeon and I enough? Wow, that actually hurts."
"But you’ll all leave me someday, won’t you? Of course, if you’d like to be my friend for life, I would gladly draft a contract, but I doubt you’d want that."
"I’m going to die as a human."
Ju-hyeon would surely feel the same.
"So you’re starting a religion just because you’re lonely? That’s a bold move."
"There is another reason. I wanted to properly reward those who support and cherish me for their good deeds."
"...Ah, that."
Yoo Seong-un recalled the 1:1 Rule of the Black Cloak. Gio had always enjoyed rewarding humans who pleased him. Subjectively or objectively, this was inevitable.
It’s just that the timing is a bit awkward.
The fact that the Black Cloak possessed divinity had been revealed, and groups dedicated to appreciating him were on the rise. Among them, Gio frequently turned his attention to the groups that focused on genuine good deeds. Gaining momentum from his notice, the members of those appreciation clubs began acting like medieval knights.
They’re all a little unhinged, though…
Was this what they called a "clear-eyed lunatic"? They all seemed kind and wholesome, yet a strange hint of madness lurked just beneath the surface.
"...I suppose it’s a form of management. After all, leaving the consequences of your influence completely unchecked isn’t your style."
"You are correct, Yoo Seong-un," Gio said from inside the frame, his tone as blunt as ever.
"Because the fact that I have obtained divinity will never change."
"...I suppose so."
"There is a saying: 'If you can’t avoid it, enjoy it.'"
"That’s true, too."
Yoo Seong-un smiled faintly.
"Well, it looks like you’re enjoying yourself then."
"I am."
"So, have you finally accepted that you’re a divinity? You used to deny it, asking how you could possibly be a god. It was so frustrating to watch."
"? I am not a god."
"Oh, come on. Not this again."
"Obtaining divinity is different from being a god," Gio asserted, as he always did. "In life, one can inherit divinity. One can even become a portrait."
"A normal human can?"
"I have a conscience, so perhaps I can’t call myself entirely normal. But for the sake of argument, let’s say I am. I’m merely an ordinary person who happened to acquire various traits and abilities."
"You’re unbelievably stubborn..."
Then again, it would be stranger if the Origin changed its attitude over a few words from a human. Ultimately, Yoo Seong-un accepted Gio’s logic and rubbed the back of his neck.
"So, to sum it up: you want to have it all?"
"An excellent summary."
He planned to be both human and god, doing it all.
"Isn’t it wonderful?"
"You really are something else."
"I suppose I am."
After all, there was nothing he couldn’t do.
* * *
Gods are defined by various concepts.
They could be the vastness of nature, impossible for the eye to fully behold, or the destiny that cannot be grasped yet inevitably approaches. They could be the parents who birthed all things and raised them with love and providence.
Sometimes, they were simply a massive mystery.
"…"
They do not distinguish between good and evil.
Since human morality is a concept that arose far beneath their notice, those lofty beings have nothing to do with the affairs of mortals. One could no sooner debate human laws with the clouds drifting across the sky.
Thus, countless divinities destroy dimensions as easily as breathing, with a single glance.
"…"
They inflicted pain on humans, treating them as toys for their amusement.
Do not summon the gods. Do not look into their eyes, do not call their names, and do not listen to their voices, lest you lose your mind.
Every human who knew of the gods said as much. Because they were such colossal disasters, mortals had no choice but to hold their breath.
They had to hide. They had to avoid looking, calling, or listening. That was the only way.
"…"
Yet, in the end, humans cry out to the gods despite knowing all of this.
"...S-save..."
Begging to be saved.
"...S-Save... me..."
Begging for help.
"It hurts... so... much..."
Crying that they cannot bear the terror.
"...Please..."
His entire body was impaled, causing him to gasp and choke.
The pain was so excruciating he could barely remain conscious. He had no idea how much time had passed. Even imagining his own wretched state was a torment.
It hurts.
He was all alone here.
It hurts so much.
No, was he truly alone? He doubted it. Otherwise, it couldn’t possibly be this quiet. The graves of countless heroes couldn’t have grown so cold.
As his loneliness grew, it turned into terror. As the pain dragged on, it became a daze. His prolonged groans became a thirst that gnawed at his being. He couldn’t even tell if he was rotting, burning, or being torn apart.
Please save me.
He had endured for an incredibly long time.
Please save me.
He had spent an eternity alone in this pain, in this darkness.
Please save me...
He didn’t even care if the pain stopped. He didn’t care if his body, surely hideous by now, was never restored. The man, who had spent more than an eternity here, desired only one thing.
Though he knew he shouldn’t.
"...Ar...jio."
He did not want to be alone anymore.
"Arjio..."
And so, the broken, ruined former hero called upon the Evil God.
"...I... see... you."
He looked upon him, called to him, and listened for him.
"Mercy..."
Or failing that, even greater pain.
Even that would feel like mercy to him now.
* * *
"…?"
Gio, who was eating his forty-first dumpling in the cabin, blinked.
"...I think someone called me."
"Kwoo?"
"If I had been called from the sea or the city, it wouldn’t have sounded this faint. And if I had been called from Earth, it would have been crystal clear. That leaves only one candidate."
"Kwoo..."
"It has been neglected for quite a while."
Gio obediently took his hand off the dumplings.
"You kids know the remaining twenty-three dumplings are for Dad, right?"
"Kwoorrrrk."
"Mwangmwangmwang..."
"Why does nobody ever listen to me?"
Their devious intention to gobble them up the moment he looked away was painfully obvious.
Is this the power of divinity?
No, it was pig instinct.
"Anyway, calling my name is practically synonymous with wanting to be my friend."
"Kwoo...?"
"Calling my name when we’ve never even met? That’s basically a proposal. The moment they called my name, they must have been fully prepared to make a friend like me."
"Kwoo??"
"Well, I’ll be off. Let’s go, kids. I have no doubt you’ll choose your dad over dumplings."
The teddy bear looked like he had some objections, but he soon waved a cotton-stuffed hand to send off his son and grandchildren, telling them to be careful. Buoyed by that warm love, Gio headed up to the second floor.
There, he lifted the black cloth covering a piece of work he had tucked away in the storage room.
"…"
The painting of the wasteland.
"...I’ve always wondered why animals could come out of here."
It was finally time to solve that mystery.
Gio reached toward the painting, his hand melting into the canvas as he became part of the art himself.
* * *
"…"
"…"
And what Gio saw was not a human.
"...? A deer?"
It was a deer.
"What a beautiful deer."
"Peeeeeik..."
"Its cry is pretty, too."
He had heard sika deer make a similar sound before, but this creature looked nothing like one. It wasn’t small by any means, and its antlers rose majestically. Aside from their unique shape, it looked like an ordinary deer one might see on Earth.
"A deer like this in a place like this?" he wondered. "Come here."
"Peeik..."
"That’s a good one."
Whether it understood his words, recognized his gesture, or simply wanted to approach, the gentle-looking deer padded over as gracefully as a falling cherry blossom. It stopped in front of Arjio and leaned its head against him.
"You’ll make a good friend."
Deer
A small, young deer.
The description was so simple it was suspicious.
"I have no idea which part of you is supposed to be small and young, though."
It was indeed suspicious. After all, the beasts that had emerged from the 'Animal Kingdom' so far were all hulking, twisted monstrosities with nasty tempers to match. So even if this deer was only mimicking a gentle appearance, it wouldn’t be surprising. Gio didn’t mind. If it was that clever, it was a welcome change.
It’s far more worth doting on than those wild beasts that can’t even be reasoned with.
Gio gently stroked the deer’s chin and cheeks.
"Oh... you’re soft."
"Peeeeeik..."
"And your cry is quite cute."
"Peeik..."
"How adorable."
It almost seemed to be making a cuter sound in response to his praise, but whether it was his imagination or not didn’t matter. If it was the former, its innocence was lovely; if the latter, its cleverness was so adorable he wanted to pinch its cheeks.
"…"
But seriously, what was going on?
"There’s nothing here."
"Pik."
"Right, friend."
Gio asked, stroking the deer as it clung tightly to his side, "By any chance, was there someone here who called out the name Arjio? Someone definitely called my name, but the voice cut off. It was so faint I could barely hear it. This is a problem."
No matter where he looked, there was only a barren wasteland without a single blade of grass. Any creature that could have clearly called the name 'Arjio' was nowhere to be seen. It was enough to make him wonder if it had been an auditory hallucination.
"Still, it couldn’t have been a hallucination. Hey, friend."
"Peei."
"Have you seen any humans around here?"
"…"
Stepping back slightly, the deer tilted its head.
"Hmm, I see."
Gio expanded his search area a bit.
"Then, any other living creatures besides you?"
"Peeeee."
The deer began to move, as if to show him something.
Sure enough, a quick look around confirmed there wasn’t a single animal in sight, let alone a blade of grass. No life was visible anywhere, but Gio decided to follow, giving it the benefit of the doubt.
"...? Ah."
And then, Gio realized something.
"Was it underground?"
"Peeeeeik..."
"Clever thing."
An underground entrance, previously hidden by dirt and withered weeds, was revealed.
Just in case, Gio offered some jerky to the deer. The deer sniffed it for a moment before carefully taking it in its mouth. Leaving the deer to enjoy its tasty jerky, Gio descended into the depths and surveyed his surroundings.
"…"
There was a name attached to this place—one he recognized from the beasts he’d eaten.
Ruined Abilas Rainforest.
It was the 'Black Forest,' a place familiar to Arjio as well.
"...But why did it sink underground?"
"Peeik?"
"I wasn’t talking to you. Keep eating."
He was just dumbfounded.
It would take more than an ordinary accident to cause this.
What kind of tectonic shift had occurred while he wasn’t looking?