Chapter 227
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 227
“So, what were you two up to?” Gio asked in response to Yoo Seong-un’s question.
“We were discussing the wisest course of action for me to take.”
“It didn’t look like such a wholesome discussion.”
Case in point—Ju-hyeon was already completely drained, slumped on the sofa. For a straight-laced man who had yet to adapt to the ways of the supernatural, being caught between two Evil Gods must have been utterly exhausting.
In Ju-hyeon’s stead, Yoo Seong-un took a seat at the dining table.
“So, to summarize…”
Arjio, the long-rumored ‘Evil God,’ wanted to know how to befriend his companions from the ‘Animal Kingdom.’
“Is that right?”
“That is correct,” Gio nodded. “Until the Wolf Tribe, I didn’t sense any crisis at all. I simply assumed Gargal feared me because he was a coward.”
“He must feel so wronged…”
“Yes, I was mistaken. It wasn’t that Gargal was a coward; the Wolf Tribe was just exceptionally tough. They accepted my existence so readily that I grew arrogant about my social skills…”
“And the Fox Tribe’s terror was the result?”
“If I had known it would turn out like this, I would have hidden myself completely from the start.”
Even as he said it, both Yoo Seong-un and Gio knew he would never have made such a choice. In reality, it was more of a lament than genuine regret.
“Hmm…” Yoo Seong-un rolled his eyes. “What about feeding them? That’s your trademark move.”
“Gods, it was a complete failure.”
“So your ‘food-cures-all’ philosophy has finally been shattered. I knew you’d hit a wall sooner or later.”
“I don’t know if my cooking skills were lacking or if there was an issue with the menu. No matter how much I tried to coax them, the Fox Tribe only grew more terrified. They just couldn’t let go of their fear of me.”
“Well, that’s only normal…”
Yoo Seong-un, who was used to the supernatural, and Ju-hyeon, who was strangely bold, might be exceptions, but most intelligent lifeforms would naturally fear a terrifying Evil God from history. Gio looked deeply aggrieved at those words.
“When I fed Cha Ah-ra, Cha Yi-sol’s sister, her wariness clearly melted away. I trusted my culinary skills, but they betrayed me.”
“No, back then, she had absolutely zero information about you. But from the Fox Tribe’s perspective, they’ve just encountered a living natural disaster—someone who, in the distant past, devoured humans, made rivers run with blood, and committed every evil deed imaginable. Do you really think they’d let their guard down just because that person offered them a delicious meal?”
“It’s unfair.”
“In this situation, shouldn’t the Wolf Tribe be the ones who feel the most wronged?”
They were the ones whose toughness had led Gio to mistakenly believe his presence was perfectly acceptable.
Even those wolves, who had seemed relatively unfazed, surely had no idea that Gio never intended to threaten them in the first place. They probably thought his behavior was just a shred of mercy granted by an amused Evil God.
“...”
“...”
Amidst the silence, which felt almost like a standoff, Sankalut spoke up.
“Give up.”
“Says who?”
“To expect mere creatures not to fear a wicked divinity whose reputation spans the dimensions… even to someone like me, who knows little about interacting with intelligent life, that seems like a rather shameless demand.”
“Strangely, your vocabulary improves whenever you’re insulting someone. Is it because your interests and aptitudes have aligned, Sankalut?”
“Yes. It’s quite fun.”
“You wicked divinity.”
“You too.”
Haha, hoho.
How truly harmonious.
Terrifying.
Though disconcerted by the conversation between the two divinities, Yoo Seong-un sided with Sankalut.
“I think it’s impossible, too. Divinity aside, it’s the same for regular people. Unless you use a brainwashing or charm skill, you can’t make someone who fears you deep down feel comfortable around you in a short amount of time. Especially when there’s historical proof to back up that fear.”
“You think so too, Mr. Yoo Seong-un?”
“If you get impatient and try to close the distance too quickly, you’ll only deepen their terror. I think this every time I see you, but Gio, you’re a bit... greedy.”
“Isn’t it natural to want to enjoy everything?”
“You can do whatever you want, but unless you resort to wicked acts like manipulating their minds, the fact remains that it will never be easy.”
“...Is time really the only answer, then?”
“You’re uncharacteristically impatient,” Yoo Seong-un asked, crossing his arms. “Is there a reason? You’ve never been the type to force a friendship. If they feared you, you let them fear you; if they became close, you accepted them…”
“It is merely my greed, as you said, Mr. Yoo Seong-un,” Arjio let out a deep sigh. “It’s because they made me think of my family.”
“...Ah, I see.”
Yoo Seong-un had heard the stories about ‘Arjio.’
Didn’t he grow up in the Black Forest and share a deep, affectionate bond with his beast family?
Even if they couldn’t speak to each other back then, he must have loved them. On top of that, since the tribes in the ‘Animal Kingdom’ regarded the ‘Evil God’ as a sort of parent deity, his own sense of intimacy with them must have been immense.
To use a human analogy, it’s like an old grandfather who thought he had lost all his blood relatives suddenly discovering he has distant descendants. And if those descendants are struggling to make ends meet, it’s certainly understandable why he’d be so desperate to dote on them…
But in their eyes, that grandfather was a loan shark kingpin. It was far more natural for them to view his goodwill as a mere whim rather than genuine love.
Strictly speaking, they were so distantly related that calling them ‘family’ felt embarrassing, if not outright impossible. From their perspective, it was only natural to beg for a merciful handout. They probably thought they were being treated more like pets than family or friends.
Even so, they had to fill the bellies of their starving families, so they desperately fawned over him. How precious those family members must be, having barely survived in such a barren world.
“Uh… maybe it’s because their core essence is still animal. Even if they’ve gained human-level intelligence, they’re ultimately wolves and foxes, right? Their reason and emotions might be far more intuitive than a human’s.”
“Seeing how the world was ruined but only the humans died out completely, that certainly seems to be the case. It’s quite strange, isn’t it? They can do so many things, yet the smarter they are, the stupider the choices they make… Truly.”
Clicking his tongue, Arjio sat up from where he had been slouched in his chair.
“...It’s a pity to keep terrifying them, so I will let go of my greed. If a scary grandfather who doesn’t even feel like family tries to act close, it will only be a burden. They could never truly become close to me.”
“Did you read my mind?”
“Oh, it seems our mindsets are very similar. How delightful.”
“That feels somewhat uncomfortable.”
In any case, Yoo Seong-un nodded.
“Try to have some self-awareness. I know what you’re trying to say, but in the end, to them, you are an Evil God, not family or a friend. It might happen someday, but it’s not going to be easy right now.”
“I’ll do that.”
Gio also admitted that he had been too hasty.
*
The crows were wise.
They remembered the longest history. They excelled in strategy, wielded magic with the greatest skill, and crafted various devices to protect their weak, light bodies.
There was no way they were ignorant of the ‘Evil God’s’ existence.
“...”
Sitting breathlessly upon a tree branch, they beheld his presence.
He is not human, so why has he taken a human form?
The Crow Tribe Chief, Valp, was the first of the three tribes to notice Gio’s existence. After all, he had flown tirelessly through the Black Forest in an attempt to somehow sustain this crumbling world.
Unfortunately, crows did not have a sense of smell as keen as wolves or foxes. However, their vision was superb. He knew that the man in the small black cloak, carrying death in both sunlight and shadow, was no human at all.
Though he looks no different from a human…
Valp saw.
“...”
A color thick with the scent of blood.
He saw the immense mystery within that noble skin mimicking a human body.
Ah, he is a god.
He was an unexpected guest who had visited this broken world.
The thick scent of blood that even his poor sense of smell could detect, and the intense wrath filling him to the very tips of his red hair. Yet, his voice was gentle. His gestures, benevolent. His steps, deceptively light…
Valp, a 114-year-old crow who remembered countless histories, realized that this was the ‘Erased Wrath.’
It will be the end, or perhaps the beginning.
It would be death, or an opportunity.
What choice should we make?
No, would a choice even be offered?
Of all the tribes, Valp knew the most about the ‘Erased Wrath.’ It was said that he devoured living beings raw, constantly received living sacrifices from humans, and, whenever the whim took him, went on hunts to bring chaos to the world.
He was a cruel beast and a monster, yet he enjoyed taking human form. And it was said he crafted battlefields that were as delicate as they were beautiful. Valp felt terror.
We are children born of his wrath, but there is no guarantee he regards us as such. The probability that he hasn’t even recognized us is very high. What attachment could he have for lives born from a single one of his steps?
If there was any shred of hope, it was that Gio had shown interest in beast-like lifeforms for a very long time. What did he find so amusing? That beasts could speak?
“...”
But even that was worth enduring.
...Even if we must become slaves to an Evil God, the living beings of today need mercy. Even if it is a mercy that mortgages our future, the important thing is to obtain an opportunity. Gargal seems to understand that well.
But that was merely the lesser of two evils, not the best outcome.
If we are lucky, we might be guaranteed a decent future, but we might also end up collared by a wicked divinity, bound as his slaves. Even if it cannot be helped for our generation, it would be a sin against the descendants to be born in the future.
Gargal, the chief of the Wolf Tribe, had said he would place his trust in him because he was treated as a friend, but the Crow Tribe was not as simple-minded and honest as the wolves. While they did not need to cower and bow like the Fox Tribe, they knew they had to be far more cautious.
“...”
“You there,” the Evil God beneath the tree called out to him.
“Yes, you.”
“Caw.”
“You certainly have a lot on your mind.”
“...”
“I don’t know why everyone is so deep in thought.”
“...What is it that you want?”
“I wish to be friends with you.”
Those words felt sincere, but…
By what measure can a mortal be certain of a god’s truth?
He could not.
A god was an immense mystery that mortals could not oppose. They knew that in the end, everything would unfold as the god desired, whether they were aware of it or not. Yet, Valp still agonized. He thought, and he groaned inwardly.
For in the end, the Evil God could extinguish their feeble light with a single gesture.
“The word ‘friend’ is far too empty.”
“Then what words are you waiting to hear from me?”
“That you seem amused by everything terrifies me. That you have taken human form yet are not human terrifies us. The words that leave your mouth are no different from fate itself, making the world tremble.”
“Well, what if I make a promise, then? That I won’t harm you.”
“This lowly one cannot believe even that. I am sorry.”
That gentle face and touch could easily be fabricated. In the end, they had no power of choice. Since their destined fate was approaching, the remaining living beings had to make the proper preparations.
Therefore, the crow dared to make a proposal.
“Please subjugate us.”
“How is that any different from being slaves?”
“Bind us to your soul. Rule us with your words, crush us with your hands. Bind us to a contract so that we may rejoice and be enraptured by a single glance from you.”
“You speak of terrifying things…”
“We earnestly beg for a transaction, not mercy.”
“Oh, you poor thing. You truly think of that as a transaction.”
The Evil God smiled deeply.
“I understand your worry. Yes, incomprehensible goodwill only makes the other party more afraid. Only when I name a price will those as fearful as you find peace of mind.”
For he was a merciful wrath.
“Therefore, I refuse.”
“...”
“We have plenty of time, don’t we, Valp?”
“...You are saying that, eventually, we will be able to rely on you completely.”
“I was born arrogant, and I don’t know how to do anything I dislike. Since I know I will win in the end, why should I play a losing hand?”
“O Divinity, have you come to rule this place?”
“I came because I know it is a place that can become better.”
The Evil God’s eyes curved into a smile.
“But if you are truly so anxious, I shall make a request of you. By fulfilling it, you’ll put me in your debt. Then, even if the disaster you fear comes to pass, you’ll have at least one thing to hold over my head, won’t you?”
“Please, speak. I shall do as you command.”
“Find the one who summoned me.”
It was the voice of a ruler.
“Find the one who summoned me to this desolate and silent homeland. It could be a beast, a human you have not seen, or something holding its breath and playing dead.”
Just who on earth had summoned this Evil God back to this world?
...This means there is someone who knows this Evil God’s true name.
The name of the cruel beast that even an old crow who had lived for 114 years did not know. Someone who knew it had summoned the Evil God of war and wrath. Furthermore, the Evil God had answered that summons and was now here in human form.
Was this the end, or the beginning?
“...”
Since the god had given a trial, there was no choice.
“...I will find them.”
“I shall look forward to it.”
Valp took flight, feeling the beginning of a catastrophe.
*
“...”
Gio massaged his own face.
I suppose I do look a bit scary.
This damn face of mine.