Chapter 156
Chapter 156
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 156
Chapter Title: Heaven for You (2)
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At a glance, they looked just like a group of people gathered together.
The darkness served as a veil that deceived the eyes. The faint outlines of the cluster didn't look much different from humans. Even the boldest person might hesitate to charge in swinging before at least trying to talk first.
But Kadim charged right in and swung his axe.
Hwoong—wung, jjerrrggggrrrk—!
The merciless onslaught of black iron swept through, slicing the monsters' bodies apart like bundled mushrooms. Severed heads and chunks of flesh tumbled in heaps, bodily fluids spilling like overturned paint. The faces of the group all turned toward Kadim in unison with a grinding screech.
Those faces had no eyes or noses—only swollen lips plastered thickly across them.
"……."
Kadim furrowed his brow slightly.
He'd known they weren't ordinary humans from the start. This wasn't some place for a group outing, their forms were grotesque, and he could faintly sense 'demonic energy' from them.
The monsters didn't let out even a single stifled scream despite having so many mouths. But it was a tense silence, like a dam on the verge of breaking, the tension etched into their cracked lips.
Sure enough, the trembling lips soon opened all at once. Damn it, more of that creepy nonsense, Kadim thought, trying to slice them apart and shut them up before the noise started.
But his expectation missed the mark.
- Goodnight, Mommy. Goodnight, Mommy. Goodnight, Mommy…….
- Thank you, Mommy. I'm happy. Thank you, Mommy. I'm happy. Thank you, Mommy. I'm happy…….
- What are we doing today, Mommy? What are we doing today, Mommy? What are we doing today, Mommy? What are we doing today, Mommy…….
All those countless mouths were politely calling out to their mother.
"……."
It might have been better if they'd spat curses and nonsense like other demons. He wouldn't have hesitated to keep slaughtering them then. For a moment, Kadim's thoughts froze solid.
But despite their words, the monsters' actions were utterly insolent.
- Wow, my favorite snack. Wow, my favorite snack. Wow, my favorite snack…….
- Itadakimasu, Mommy. Itadakimasu, Mommy. Itadakimasu, Mommy. Itadakimasu, Mommy…….
The monsters lunged with mouths gaping wide. Thick clusters of nail-like teeth lined the front of their soft tongues.
Blood returned to his stiffened brain. Yeah... that's more like it. A demon's nature doesn't just vanish. Kadim gripped the axe handle tight and twisted his upper body powerfully.
Hwoong—wung, hwoong—wung, hwoong—wung, jjerrrggggrrrk—!
A vast whirlwind tore through the charging bodies in succession. Thin fluids gushed from crushed skulls, split torsos vomiting entrails in reluctant heaps. No matter how many mouths or how sharp the teeth, it was useless. The ones that got close were all reduced to chunks of meat rolling across the stone floor without exception.
Yet they didn't die.
Kurruk, kurruruk…….
Heads, entrails, torsos... the scattered flesh melted together like thick porridge. Some stuck viscously to other pieces, while others reformed alone into human shapes.
Tszzk, kuddududuk…….
The monsters had actually increased in number. Few returned in the same form; most shrank to child-size, matching their speech.
- It hurts, Mommy. Stop it. It hurts, Mommy. Stop it. It hurts, Mommy. Stop it. It hurts, Mommy. Stop it…….
- I did wrong, Mommy. I did wrong, Mommy. I did wrong, Mommy. I did wrong, Mommy…….
"……."
There was only one type of demon that regenerated like this. Kadim clicked his tongue softly.
'Fissionkind... Given the human form and fast regeneration speed, probably mid or high-grade...'
Fissionkind were like slimes that split instead of dying when cut. The differences? They could take solid flesh forms, fire, ice, or acid couldn't stop the fission, and they multiplied in greater numbers each time.
But these hadn't increased in quantity—just split.
The reason was obvious. They'd starved for so long, weakened. No way to harvest pain and despair in here.
...So why is a demon trapped in these ruins? And why did the shrine maiden leave it alone?
He couldn't guess. She couldn't have missed a demonic incursion... Unless she left it as some 'trial' on purpose...
Too many questions. But this wasn't the time to dwell. With filthy demons right in front of him, the task was clear.
- It hurts so much, Mommy. Don't do that. It hurts so much, Mommy. Don't do that. It hurts so much, Mommy. Don't do that…….
- I did wrong, Mommy. Forgive me just once. I did wrong, Mommy. Forgive me just once. I did wrong, Mommy…….
There was only one way to deal with Fissionkind. Kadim gripped his axe again.
"……Shut up. If you did wrong, you take the punishment."
Hwoong—wung, jjerrrggggrrrk—!
Once more, the gale of shredding flesh raged.
The monsters knew no surrender. Even after faces were diced dozens of times and bodies hundreds, they regenerated relentlessly and charged. If they couldn't harvest pain and despair this time, they might starve—desperation fueled them.
The monsters' forms split endlessly. The space filled with dismembered miniatures. Hundreds of venomous newborns, driven solely by the obsession to bite and harvest agony.
- ......Cut wrists happy Mommy cut ankles live well Mommy cut arms play Mommy cut tongue...
- ......I'm suffocating Mommy dig me out of the grave I'm suffocating Mommy dig me out of the grave I'm suffocating Mommy dig me out of the grave I'm suffocating Mommy......
- ......Kkigigigik kkigigigikkiiik gigigiiik......
Mouths doubled on the faces. Their words devolved into gibberish. Eerie murmurs echoed off the ceiling. As time passed, Kadim's expression hardened.
Not because fighting the demons was tough.
Tsk, no core-bearer among them...
To kill Possessionkind, destroy the 'main body' command tower of grudges. For Fissionkind, shatter the 'core' source of regeneration.
Yet after slicing every monster and scouring the area, no demonic core showed. Regeneration weakens with distance, so it couldn't be far...
Only one conclusion.
...Damn it, the core's hidden in the ruins' depths.
Meaning the demon had already faced the shrine maiden.
Bad premonition. To kill the demon or uncover the truth, he had to reach the depths ASAP. Passing trials like before wouldn't work. This wasn't a trial chamber anymore—it was a twisted purgatory nursery, and contact with the maiden was cut.
Still, a way in existed.
To open a locked door without a key, smash it down. No guarantees, but no other options. Kadim steeled his gaze and resolved.
To recreate the spell that broke space and tore landscapes—by hand.
He gripped Judgment of Atala and chanted the prayer.
"[God of Struggle and Wilderness, Atala. Look upon your great warrior, raise the torch and guide to the battlefield...]"
⟨ Judgment of Atala ⟩
Wuuuuung…….
The monsters' lips quivered. Sensing doom, they swarmed, merging flesh into a massive child-form pocked with gaping mouths like lotus seeds, preparing a final assault.
Kurruruk, kurruruk—!
- M-Mommyyy!
- Mommy, Mommy, uh, Mommy!
- Momm-Mommy, Momm-Mommy, Momm-Mommy…….
Too bad—Kadim was a step faster.
―――――― Hwoong—wung!
The axe swung like a gale, trailing a sickly yellow arc. The panicked demon gaped its mouths in pressure. But the warrior's target wasn't some coreless meat lump.
Kadim aimed at the space itself.
―――――――― Jje—gyeong!!
Kurrrrung—!
A massive sword-slash mark scarred the ceiling like a mountain hurled. Aftershocks hummed through the space, cracks spiderwebbing the seamless stone walls.
That was just the start. Similar slashes followed in chain.
―――――――― Jje—gyeong!!
―――――――― Jje—gyeong!!
―――――――― Jje—gyeong!!!
From floor to wall, wall to ceiling, ceiling back to floor.
Lines of ruin crisscrossed chaotically. Stone materials were shredded like rag bundles. Walls faulted like tectonic shifts. The wriggling meat-child got caught, diced too.
As the area blanketed in slash scars, Kadim flipped the axe-head and smashed back.
―――――――――― Kuuung—!!!
Resonating thunder—shock too mighty for sturdy buildings rippled out. Let alone this cracked-up mess.
The space began collapsing entirely.
―――――― Kwaang, kwa—ang!! Kwarrrrrr…….
Shaking earth. Rocks and gravel rained, walls dumping heavy chunks. Kadim casually batted falling debris with his axe, then shouldered a wall.
That sealed the collapse.
―――――――― Kwaang, kwagwagwagwagwagwa—!
Center of gravity twisted; ceiling caved, walls toppling in layers. Shattered debris piled in ancient tomb chaos.
Kadim burst through the wall, avoiding burial. The meat-child twitched helplessly, buried under stone.
'M... Mom...'
'M... Mommy...'
Pitiful groans leaked. False wheedling. As long as the core lived, Fissionkind regenerated from pulp. Kadim turned away coldly.
Outside was pure darkness—not floating illusion, but tangible substance. Reaching out, he felt a rough surface like untanned hide.
Kadim exhaled sharply, tension releasing, and swung.
Kkujjjjjujjjeok—!
Darkness split, revealing a familiar scene. Choking dust, narrow chamber adorned with glowing engraved runes and iron fittings.
The shrine maiden's sanctum, the ruins' heart.
Tension eased; a pfft of laughter escaped. He'd half-thought of bulldozing tough trials like this, but actual success? Skeptical, yet it worked...
Kadim replicated the space-tearing spell. With raw overwhelming physics.
...Strictly speaking, the principles differed greatly. That spell temporarily stripped the space-dividing veil; he outright demolished space and the veil permanently. Like picking a lock vs. smashing the door.
Exactly as intended.
Smash the door and enter.
"……."
Not long ago, Kadim worried. What if he faced a problem even transcendent power couldn't solve?
Premature concern. Another counterexample added spectacularly. Save that worry for after true transcendence. Until then, unsolved issues might just mean not enough power.
Vowing to steadily build strength undeterred, he stepped through the split darkness.
Kkujjjjjujjjeok—
Even now, no voice from the shrine maiden. The cramped chamber fluttered with silence alone. Side effects crept in, snuffing divinity. Loosening sore muscles, he scanned slowly—spotting this before her.
Wall murals crammed floor to ceiling.
Crude art. Crooked lines, worn forms blurred. Hard to make out, but outside-world landscapes: rivers, forests—all in grim crimson-black, closer to hell than earth...
Circling the ominous murals, he found a huddled figure in the corner.
The shrine maiden hadn't stirred—like part of the stone wall, rigid back. Dread confirmed. Kadim tsked, approaching.
Sure enough, a slight shoulder shake sent her crooked neck lolling limply.
Crack—
Wrinkled face splotched with age, unfocused milky eyes, a thick branding needle driven like a nail into her forehead.
"……."
And at her feet, a tidy little stone cairn caught his eye next.