One of the many ways to use an elixir
One of the many ways to use an elixir
Kalina and I entered the Black Pit.
"There's no need to take the stairs."
Kalina suggested we jump into the empty space beside the endless stairs instead.
'She liked the surfboard last time, does she like this kind of thing too?'
I nodded and threw myself into the underground towards the faintly flickering blue light.
Before hitting the ground, a giant demon shape sitting on the floor caught my eye. Above its head, the number 665/666 floated in the air.
Thud! Thud!!
After landing, the giant and grotesque demon came into view.
Behind it, a faintly glowing blue hologram floated, with engravings of numerous races carved into it.
In particular, three identical engravings stood out.
Short ears, no tail—they must be the Soi tribe.
But one of those three Soi tribe engravings had an 'X' marked on it.
One of the three must represent all the Soi tribe in this world, another one is probably me. And the one with the 'X' is....
'So Tia really was... the original protagonist.'
My heart sank heavily as I faced the truth once again.
Looking down at me, the demon clapped its hands as if genuinely amused and started running its mouth.
'What the hell is this piece of trash babbling about?'
I had heard it was an intangible illusion, but I needed to verify it myself.
[Blood is also water]
I manifested my [Wish] 'Blood is also water' targeting it. But it felt like water slipping through my fingers.
I realized it intuitively. It was an illusion, yes, but it definitely possessed life. The main body just wasn't here yet.
Regardless, if it's a living thing, it's as good as being in my grasp. But....
"What are you...?"
There was curiosity rather than fear in the eyes of the thing asking me.
It still saw me as a lowly existence beneath its feet.
Beneath, huh?
Really?
"The one who will kill you."
Since falling into this world, I had never properly trained my [Wish].
I heard that other guys in the <Water Ability User Gallery> held swords and trained their [Wish] endlessly.
They said a mid-ranking water ability user creates a water mass the size of a house over a minute. Did they say they raise their rank by repeating this?
But I had gotten a feel for it while wiping out the cultists before coming here. I had unleashed the 'Blood is also water' ability, which was overkill for those bastards, to my heart's content without mercy.
Since everyone was terrified just by hearing the resonance of my [Wish], I used it more on purpose, and thanks to that, I realized something.
"Heh heh heh, if you can really kill me, hurry up and release me from this pit! I only need to exterminate one more race, you know."
The bastard laughed at my words as if they were ridiculous and provoked me to kill it right now if I was confident.
"I was a Transcendent from the start. But I didn't know the limits of my [Wish]es. It seems I didn't fully know my own power. But, I've gotten a feel for it recently? Come to think of it, this might be because of you?"
The original me would never have thought of killing someone, no matter how angry I was. Absolutely never would I have slaughtered them like venting my anger to cause pain and despair.
The brow of the bastard, who had been looking down at me with eyes full of curiosity the whole time, furrowed.
"Since there seem to be plenty of guys who are perfect for practice, it won't take long. Wait quietly."
"It's funny to see you talking confidently when you've only come out with your upper body!"
It seems it wasn't surprised to see me with only my upper body exposed via long-distance [Mist Transformation] for the first time, but was actually mocking me.
"You're the one who's funnier. You maggot hiding in this dark pit."
At my insult, it calmly corrected me this time.
"I am not hiding. I am just sealed before crossing dimensions."
"Isn't that just running away after crossing dimensions? You crawled in yourself and put a leash on yourself, did someone hold a knife to your throat and threaten you to dimension-hop?"
I couldn't kill that bastard right away, so I felt like I had to vent my anger with words to feel satisfied. I intentionally spat out the most triggering words from my original world at it.
"I am the Pit of Ruin! The true Evil God. After ruining everything in this world, I will leave you alive! I will make you struggle forever alone in the hellfire I left behind!"
It seems the shitty memes that scratch the psyche are quite effective even on an Evil God that crosses dimensions. The bastard got riled up and threatened me, screaming so loudly it echoed.
"So you're just a maggot planning to make someone else's house a dump and run away."
It doesn't need to be factual or logical. I saw on the internet that everyone does this when the goal is just to piss the other person off.
"Nothing left to see. Let's go, Your Majesty."
I said, turning my back as if I had no regrets.
"Wait patiently. You maggot demon."
"I am the God of Ruin! Abaddon!"
Kalina, who had come out of the pit, looked up at me with a strange glint in her eyes and said.
"Saklasi, your attitude towards things you hate is very different from usual."
"It's just annoying to see it acting so high and mighty when it can't even get out of the pit on its own."
Tap, tap.
Kalina approached and lightly nudged my body with her elbow.
'?'
Since she was small and only reached about my chest, her elbow was barely poking my side.
"I've been coming in and out of here for 2,000 years and asking all sorts of things. But that thing never even told me its name. I heard things like 'Pit of Ruin' or 'Evil God' for the first time today."
"Stupid bastards always get cocky if you treat them nicely. Because you, the benevolent Majesty, have only spoken kindly to it, that maggot-like thing got cocky without knowing its place."
"Hmm! Saklasi, how are you able to say only things that please me so much?"
Kalina's reaction to my words was quite good. Maybe it's because I've gotten used to women after spending time with incredible beauties since coming here, but I think I'm pretty good at talking now?
Since Kalina had a feigned coy expression, I quickly racked my brain and answered.
'But, this is probably also Kalina trying to cheer me up.'
I decided to refrain from letting my emotions dictate my attitude. Staying in a state of crying and anger is just something that worries the people who like me.
I intend to repay my guilt regarding Tia by improving the conditions of the Soi tribe with my power and wealth, and by annihilating that maggot, the Pink Grima, and the Azure Slug.
If the reason I was transported here is to protect this world, then I will move forward that way.
"Well done. But I'm worried if doing something like this to your tender heart is okay, rather than this cruel slaughter."
When I arrived at the Imperial Palace, all sorts of articles were pouring out about me mercilessly wiping out the cultists before I went to find Abaddon.
Most were knights watching my mood, but one media outlet affiliated with the Allied Kingdom had cleverly published content criticizing me.
〖The Transcendent called a Saint, does a Transcendent truly lack a human heart?〗
Even if they are cultists, the fact that an individual inflicted such gruesome private sanctions—
As he is a Transcendent, he might be far removed from the heart of an ordinary person—
It is tragically sad that he, who was once praised as a Saint who saved the citizens of 「Minos」, has changed like this—
〖Breaking News! Imperial Grand Duke Saklasi Stan Drebin brutally punishes cultists!〗
The fact that Grand Duke Stan turned all the cultists hiding in a hideout near the Empire's 「Busanosk」 into mummies—
I guess there are many people interested in my every move since I was officially designated as a Grand Duke and a Transcendent.
"I will clarify this via the Imperial public broadcast, Your Majesty."
A new live broadcast tab appeared at the very front of every gallery.
Live | All | Info | Questions | Broadcast |...
There was a separate tab for broadcasts by ordinary people, but when the state broadcasted publicly, a live tab would appear and disappear on every gallery.
I don't know why my friend made such a cool setting, but anyway, I stood in the studio of that public broadcast for the first time.
I hadn't planned on making my broadcast debut in a place like this, but....
I had no intention of forgiving anything related to Tia's death. I can't get rid of demons immediately because Abaddon keeps summoning them, but cultists are different.
"I am Saklasi Stan Drebin. They were cultists."
I opened my mouth calmly, staring at the camera. The announcer in front of me asked a question with a voice clearly showing nervousness.
"Grand Duke, there is a dominant public opinion that the death penalty for cultists is a matter of course, but there are also voices in the world that the scene was too cruel. Especially since even heinous criminals should follow the proper legal procedures in modern society—"
I raised my hand to stop her. I didn't want to hear any more. Proper legal procedures? Cruel? To those kinds of things?
"I will state this clearly. From now on, I will inflict pain on cultists until they beg me to kill them, and then turn them into mummies."
The atmosphere in the studio froze instantly at my declaration.
Beep—.
Suddenly, the sound of a machine turning off was heard, and a sign indicating that the screen transmission had been interrupted turned on.
Even at my remark just now, Kalina, who was observing from the side, smiled and nodded. I guess it's okay.
The director, who was watching nearby, turned pale and couldn't dare approach me, wandering around. Then, as if grabbing a lifeline, he approached Kalina and asked something urgently, then soon had a look of despair.
And at Kalina's gesture, he cautiously approached me and begged in a voice that was barely audible.
"G-Grand Duke! I am the director of the Imperial Public Broadcasting. I have temporarily suspended the broadcast transmission. Your Highness, that remark just now is too dangerous externally. Please... I beg you to reconsider."
"Turn it back on."
"Y-Your Highness! However..."
"I won't say it twice."
At my firm words, the director made a tearful face and hurriedly signaled the staff.
"It seems there was a technical problem for a moment. Let's continue the story. There is only one thing I want. Find the cultists."
I lined up the glass bottles I brought in front of the camera one by one, and immediately filled them with water glowing with rainbow colors.
They were all Elixirs.
"Every time you report one cultist, I will bestow one bottle of this Elixir. Let's see, the value is... is it about 100 billion?"
Gulp.
At my remark, the studio became as quiet as a grave.
Even the announcer in front of me, who had been talking about legal procedures just a moment ago, was looking at the Elixir with greedy eyes,
And the director who was trying to stop me had eyes that were desperate to run outside right now and catch a cultist.
The billions of people around the world who watched this broadcast through the camera were probably the same.
"Now, let the hunt begin."
I stared straight into the camera and smiled.