Chapter 248
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 248
The Evil God he had summoned was perhaps not as merciful as he had thought.
‘…I considered that possibility long ago. From the very beginning, the words “Evil God” and “mercy” never belonged in the same sentence.’
Ater organized his thoughts as he climbed the stairs once more.
Those who called themselves gods knew nothing of mercy. Often, their “mercy” amounted to a disaster for humanity. How much worse would an Evil God be? Arjio had already proven his wickedness throughout history.
‘If he were truly as benevolent a god as the one I saw and felt, such a history would never have been written. Even if he was falsely accused, the number of humans the Evil God Arjio devoured and crushed was far too great. No matter what anyone says, he is the Evil God of wrath and pain.’
How could Ater, who had once been undeservedly called a hero, not know this?
‘I still remember.’
A tongue spewing curses, eyes filled with hatred. Massive, sharp claws reaching out without mercy, and a gaze that flashed with the thrill of battle. A catastrophe forged from the sacrifice of countless humans.
How many of my comrades died by those hands and that tongue?
‘Therefore, it is only right to assume the version of the Evil God I witnessed during my pseudo-resurrection was either a complete fabrication or a distortion. Or perhaps, out of his tens of thousands of wicked faces, the one benevolent aspect just happened to be the one shown to me.’
What remained certain was that Arjio was an ‘Evil God.’
‘He cannot be considered a human like me. He is a terrible, wicked catastrophe capable of merely pretending to be human. If he is restored to his complete form, the chances of that disaster repeating are far too high…’
By then, Ater had climbed the last of the stairs and returned to the ruins.
“……”
As he stepped out of the tomb, a bright light washed over him like sunshine.
‘…But even this sunlight was created by Arjio.’
These ruins had no electricity or modern amenities. Torches alone could never illuminate the space so brightly and comfortably. Arjio had said he summoned the sunlight and trapped it within these walls for that very reason.
‘The mercy he showed me was not a lie, either. As long as I have been saved and am enjoying this peace, I must not deny it. To do so would make me lower than a beast…’
Ater soon reached a conclusion.
“Arjio.”
“You called for me back then, too.”
The Evil God stepped out from the shadow of a pillar cast by the ruin’s light.
“……”
Not a single sound came from the ornaments adorning his bare feet.
His long red hair trailed behind him like a beast’s tail, adorned with enough gold and silver treasures to dazzle the eye. His skin was as pale as a demon’s, untouched by the sun, and a confident smirk played across his face.
This was the being who had saved Ater from the endless agony of the Thorn Prison.
“…You are the only god who has ever answered my calls.”
“Of course. After all, this place was abandoned by the Creator.”
“That is a fascinating story, but I will ask you for the details later.”
“Which means there is something else you wish to ask.”
Once again, he showed Ater mercy.
“I shall grant you an answer, so speak.”
“Thank you for the opportunity.”
Taking a brief, deep breath, Ater asked, “Who are you?”
The Evil God Arjio—the cruel beast—could not possibly be the man standing before him.
“Having seen it with my own eyes, I am certain. You are not the Evil God Arjio I once knew—the one who sought to slaughter me and my comrades. The entity bound to me by that deep, horrific fate is the one sleeping in the Last Coffin deep in the tomb below. Not the you standing here.”
“What makes you think that?”
“The cruel beast was born from the wrath and hatred of the sacrificed Saint. That is a truth even a god cannot deny. I, who remember every record of the royal family and these ruins, know that the moment a god denies his own essence, he ceases to exist as a god.”
“So, you believe I am not the Evil God Arjio?”
“…To be honest, I do not know.”
Who on earth was he, to be able to deny his very self and yet continue to exist?
“I can accept your restoring me to human form from a slurry of rotten flesh as a miracle. But the miracle of an Evil God cannot be this merciful, this perfect. How could a rebel against Providence achieve such a thing?”
“Then it seems you do not understand after all.”
“Furthermore, you should not have been able to take human form. Humans are, ultimately, children of Providence. While you might mimic our shape, you eat. You sleep, pass the time, and live within the same flow of Providence as you converse with me.”
“And I bleed red blood, do I not?”
“I do not understand how any of this is possible. And no matter how strong or clever I might be compared to other humans, I am still just a human; there is no way I could uncover your truth on my own. If I am to learn it, it will only be because you permitted it.”
“So, you are asking for my permission?”
“If it is something I must know, you will allow me to know it. If it is not, you will leave me to live in falsehood for the rest of my days, or make me forget this entire conversation. But since you have shown me such profound mercy, unless it was all merely for a moment’s amusement…”
Yes.
“…Unless that is the case, surely you will not dismiss my question as if it were nothing.”
Maintaining a shred of faith in him was Ater’s choice. Just as humanity had prayed to the gods throughout eternity, Ater believed his question would not go unanswered.
“……”
“……”
Stroking his chin, Arjio spoke.
“Even so, do people usually ask so bluntly…? Am I not an Evil God? I know what you saw and heard down in the tomb just now, but shouldn’t that make you more cautious?”
“I find my own behavior utterly absurd to the point of self-loathing, but I have always believed that all conflict and discord stem from a breakdown in communication… I cannot help it. I must do what I can.”
“I truly cannot tell if you are incredibly quick to resign yourself, or simply wise.”
“I would at least like to know what role I play in your story.”
“Your role? That is simple.”
He declared cheerfully, “My friend!”
“……”
“To be able to curse me so thoroughly with just your eyes… impressive.”
“Ah, my apologies. I lack discipline…”
“You were a royal librarian, yet you never learned how to control your facial expressions?”
“I was scolded often for that exact reason back then. They said I looked obnoxious.”
“I can picture it perfectly.”
“Of course. You are an Evil God, after all; why would you need to look to know the past?”
“Do you suffer from some disease where thorns sprout in your mouth if you fail to speak your mind?”
He was a companion who spoke his mind without a filter, though in a completely different way than Ju-hyeon.
“Hmm. So you want a more proper role, is that it?”
“It is not as if I particularly desired one.”
“If you insist, I could appoint you as the right-hand man to the Demon King who will soon be born.”
“With all due respect, I have absolutely no desire for such a position.”
“Since we are on the subject, how would you feel about becoming the head of a cult?”
“Could you please give me a moment to collect my thoughts?”
“I will give you ten seconds. One, two, three…”
Ten seconds passed.
“Your answer?”
“I will give it to you once you reveal your true identity.”
“Well, you certainly won’t let anyone take advantage of you.”
“Pardon my disrespect, but that is an unfamiliar term. What is a ‘hogu’?”
“It refers to a naive fool who is highly exploitable.”
“That is not a friend, is it?”
“Indeed.”
Indeed, he had risen to the position of royal librarian despite being born a commoner. It was not a post one could attain by being merely kind and idealistic. Gio decided to share his story.
“Do you know what a split personality is?”
“Does that not refer to a person with two souls sharing a single body?”
“Think of me as something like that.”
“…A split personality? An Evil God?”
“No. As of right now, there are three.”
In any case, it was a similar concept.
*
They relocated to Ater’s quarters, which were equipped with a comfortable sitting area.
“To put it simply, I am a sampler.”
“What do you mean by ‘sampler’?”
“Quite literally, a small portion of food served to give you a taste before the main course is brought out.”
“That is rather abstract.”
“To use an easier analogy, you could think of me as a prototype created before the final product is finished.”
“Are you saying… you are the result of an experiment?”
“Well, I certainly wasn’t created by the petty experiments of the mages you know.”
Perhaps the analogy was a bit too complex.
“Let me break it down step by step. I am currently composed of three entities named ‘Gio’ merged into one: Seo Gio, Giovanni, and Arjio. All three were once known as Gio.”
“…I am listening.”
“Wise. As you know, I was the Evil God of wrath and pain. That existence was born from the innate mystery and negative emotions of countless sacrificed Compatibles. And those very things—the ‘innate mystery and negative emotions of countless Compatibles’—now sleep deep beneath these ruins, in the tomb.”
“……”
Frowning, Ater asked, “…Mystery and emotions? Are they not the actual humans themselves?”
“If you consider one’s innate mystery and fleeting emotions to be the essence of a human, then that is not entirely incorrect.”
“So, at least they are no longer human.”
“You could say that.”
They were certainly not in any shape resembling a normal human.
“And the red-haired human you see before you, as well as the sealed ego in the Last Coffin you just encountered below, are both ‘Arjio.’ The final Compatible abandoned in the Black Forest. The entity who traversed the boundary between the forest and the outside world, known as ‘Arjio.’”
After a moment of contemplation, Ater asked, “…Are they so different? You, the others in those coffins… and the person named Arjio…”
“They could be the same, or they could be different. In the end, it is merely a matter of perspective.”
To him, it was an incredibly trivial distinction.
“The final Compatible, who was also one of the components of the Evil God, seized a golden opportunity. That resulted in the current me—the opportunity to merge with the other ‘Gios.’”
“Merged…”
“The conditions aligned perfectly, allowing ‘Arjio’ to become the me you see today. And with him as the catalyst, all of the Evil God Arjio’s existence and mystery became mine.”
“But you said you have not yet obtained the heart.”
“And that is precisely what you just witnessed.”
“What on earth is that heart?”
“…Hmm…”
This time, it was Gio’s turn to ponder.
“How should I explain this…”
“To think there is something even an Evil God cannot explain.”
“It is rather tricky.”
After a brief hesitation, he managed to come up with a plausible analogy.
“If you were to swallow a fruit whole, and it had a seed the size of an eyeball inside, which part would be easier to digest?”
“…The flesh, I suppose? I have never swallowed a seed of that size, so I cannot say for sure.”
“That is exactly the situation I am in. The easily digestible part was the personality of ‘Arjio,’ who found pleasure in life-or-death battles. I have also fully digested the fragments of mercy, peace, and happiness that the Compatibles possessed. However, I have been unable to digest the most crucial part—the seed—so it remains stuck in my stomach.”
“So the stomach is the underground tomb, and the seed refers to the coffins you called the heart?”
“Precisely.”
“Uh, so…”
Ater’s expression turned complicated.
“Does that mean the things left in that tomb are nothing but the worst troublemakers?”
“You speak of ‘the worst troublemakers’ so easily right in front of the person in question.”
“Even if I am torn to shreds for it in the next moment, I must speak the truth.”
“Look at you, the very picture of a loyal minister whose head would end up on a pike in the market square for speaking too bluntly. But they are not troublemakers. They are a part of me, and indeed my heart. They are existences I must eventually digest… indispensable parts of myself.”
“From the perspective of a mere human, I would love to ask if we cannot simply leave things as they are and destroy everything in that tomb. But I suppose that would be a grave insult to you. Am I correct?”
“Knowing that and still saying it to my face… is this your roundabout way of challenging me to a duel?”
“You misunderstand.”
It was not a provocation; he was entirely serious.
Then, Ater connected the dots and reached a conclusion. As the terrifying realization dawned on him, his face drained of color. He cried out, “…So in the end, this is just a prophecy of doom warning us that you will eventually revert to that horrific Evil God Arjio!”
“Accept the unchangeable reality, my friend! Life never goes quite the way we want it to. I certainly never expected to share a body with such tedious, peace-loving fellows either!”
“Damn it! No wonder you seemed so human, you wicked Demon King!”
Ater howled in despair. Arjio thoroughly enjoyed it.
*
“……”
Having heard the entire story, Ju-hyeon gave a bitter smile.
“Another victim, even over there…”
“A victim?”
“So, what did he decide to do?”
“Lately, he has been constantly challenging me to one-on-one duels.”
“Oh, dear.”
Ju-hyeon applauded Ater’s sheer bravery.
“He wasn’t a hero for nothing.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
“Are you humoring him?”
“Naturally. I accept every challenge.”
It was good exercise, and he quite enjoyed it.