Chapter 114
Chapter 114
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 114
Chapter Title: The Day the Dream Shattered
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* * *
Right after Pibiola was officially chosen by the Sole God 'Dtamuk Thinking Army' and became his shaman.
Up until that exact moment, she thought her days had been quite happy.
Starting with the smallest things first—
When she needed fire, he kindled it for her, and when she needed water, he sent down a gentle shower, even if small.
On top of that, he healed her kin suffering from chronic illnesses with the power of the god.
Whenever the god's 'mysterious power' descended upon Pibiola, she would use it to perform the healings herself.
It seemed the god called this 'Qi'. One might say it was the concept of balloons sublimating into Qi.
Fortunately, as his shaman, she could instinctively grasp it all without needing to learn everything, so wielding Qi wasn't all that difficult.
"My body was already withered and lifeless, but now it's like wings have been attached to it. Thank you so much, Shaman...!"
"No, Rapola. Your thanks should go not to me, but to our god, Dtamuk Thinking Army."
"Thank you, Dtamuk Thinking Army...!"
The god truly was an extraordinary being.
Without herbs or anything else, he erased scars and breathed vitality into aged bodies.
Word spread, and people from nearby villages came to Pibiola in twos and threes.
Of course, regrettably, not every illness could be cured.
[Old fart needs 9 balloons just to open his eyes? Fucking expensive af ㅡㅡ Not even a babe, why waste cash on some dying geezer]
[Can't see and still clinging to life? Just croak naturally already, you geezer bitch lololol]
For severe injuries like lost eyesight or legs that no longer worked, or major diseases, even a god seemed to have no real solution.
Even this much was fine. As the shaman connected to the god, she could instinctively sense that it wasn't something the god was obligated to provide.
When too many kin flooded in, making it hard for her to handle all the patients alone, 'mushrooms that unconditionally improve the body upon consumption' appeared in the cave.
They were natural wild mushrooms infused with the power of the god's 'balloons'—a manifestation of his love!
Thanks to that, Pibiola regained some leisure and could offer more prayers to the god in her spare time.
[lololol face is fucked but those red panties are decent, keep groveling and thanking the god more]
<<[The god is watching your words and deeds. You must show even greater reverence toward him.]>>
'Of course! For me, who diligently conveys your words, to grant another miracle like this... I am truly grateful, great Sole God Dtamuk Thinking Army...!'
What Pibiola felt was joy in helping others. Seeing their smiles, she even wondered why she had ever hesitated on the path to becoming a shaman.
And that wasn't all.
At the elders' suggestion that perhaps 'that matter' could be resolved, Pibiola cautiously made her way to the western forest.
Before long, a massive boulder came into view.
It was the culprit that had blocked her kin from crossing beyond the mountains for centuries.
With their kin steadily growing in number, and various problems inevitably arising within their current territory, advancing beyond was practically a long-cherished goal. Thus, Pibiola knelt once more and cautiously offered a prayer to her god.
'Dtamuk Thinking Army, I beg you. For the spirits beyond—the fragments of the Sole God Dtamuk Thinking Army—please remove this boulder before me...!'
When she prayed like this with sincerity—not long after, that voice echoed in Pibiola's ears.
Whether because it was the god's wording or simply too profound, she couldn't fully comprehend it—
It seemed some being presumed to be the god's proxy was conveying thanks to the god for granting 'balloons'.
And right after the words thanking him for the 'balloons' ended, a crack formed in the house-sized rock—
—Crack!
The enormous boulder, which they could never budge no matter how hard they pooled their wisdom, vanished without a trace.
"Ooh...! A path! A path has opened beyond!"
It was grandly called a boulder, but it was more than just a headache—it completely sealed off any detour across the hills.
Now, their activity range would undoubtedly expand far wider. They could welcome more spirits, more fragments of the god, filling their bodies and minds even more.
Easier food procurement from the expanded territory was a bonus.
[Thought this last time too, 5000 for one rock? Fucking no conscience, so damn pricey]
<<[The god has granted your request.]>>
"Thank you so much, thank you, Dtamuk Thinking Army...!"
"Let us give thanks to the great Dtamuk Thinking Army!"
"I, representing the Shatia elders, shall give greetings on behalf of Shaman and the god!"
We all offered our heartfelt thanks to the god in the heavens.
One of the village elders even bowed deeply in a full prostration, claiming it was for the god himself—
[What kinda bow is that ㅡㅡ You kidding?]
[Pass on to show proper sincerity or he might smash the village with a boulder]
<<[Sincerity is lacking. Unless you intend to blaspheme the god, you must show devotion befitting it.]>>
'S-Sincerity...?'
Pibiola was a bit flustered, but after all, the god had performed a miracle.
'Wh-What specifically do you desire...?'
[Fucking bitch pretending not to know lolololol]
<<[Pibiola. You know best what must be done for the god.]>>
'Ugh...'
Pibiola slowly closed her eyes.
Then, with a resolute expression, she raised her voice to her kin behind her.
"Everyone. From now on, please mimic exactly the actions I demonstrate."
"M-Mimic...?"
"It's a ritual to express thanks to the god, so please cooperate."
Her kin looked puzzled, but since the boulder was indeed shattered, they unquestioningly followed the words of the shaman who communed with the god.
"Ukkikki! Dtamuk Thinking Army ni! For giving miracles again to us savage Kanp, thank you! Thank you!"
"Th-Thank you...!!"
Including Pibiola, the elderly, men and women alike grabbed their ears, stuck out their tongues, rolled their eyes upward, and repeatedly squatted and stood in comical expressions to offer thanks.
If a third party witnessed this, even recognizing it as a religious rite, it could easily evoke horror—a truly bizarre scene.
[Ah fuuuuck lmaoooooooo savage Kanp doing group clown show is hilarious lmaoooooooooooo]
<<[The god is satisfied. Never forget your gratitude toward him henceforth.]>>
She didn't quite understand why the god—the collective of spirits who cherished and loved them—demanded such strange actions—
But up to here, it was understandable.
Healing diseases, prayers of thanks for being chosen, gaining recognition as shaman which elevated her father's voice in the elders' council—
For Pibiola, who had no particular outstanding talent among the elders' children, gradually resolving her kin's issues brought immense self-efficacy.
When expanding activity into uncharted continental areas, foreigners arrived from across the sea.
A race called humans, similar yet different from us.
They appeared to possess more advanced technology than us, but fortunately, they caused no issues during their stay and departed peacefully.
She had used 'Qi' to enable her grandfather Terenser to communicate with the foreigners and asked him to host them—seemingly all went smoothly.
She later learned from her grandfather that their leader had introduced himself as Rengard.
Even if the foreigners harbored hostility, there was nothing to fear.
We had our god, Dtamuk Thinking Army. The great being reborn as one from the spirits who loved us, protecting us.
No matter their advanced technology, before the god, they were mere creations—how could they threaten us?
Thus, great and small miracles occurred.
Welcoming more spirits, Pibiola and the Shatia thought:
With the Sole God Dtamuk Thinking Army at our side, we can achieve anything.
In the minds of Pibiola and all her kin—boundless optimism reigned.
* * *
That day, rain poured down.
At Shaman Pibiola's word, the eleven wisest Shatia—including her father—gathered in the council.
"Everyone's here. Then, straight to the point."
Pibiola glanced at them all, then cautiously opened her tense mouth.
"The god... wishes to change the name of us Shatia."
Murmurs erupted.
The utterly unexpected words stirred the chamber.
"Is that the word of Dtamuk Thinking Army himself?"
"But the name Shatia embodies harmony with the spirits..."
"From the start, we didn't define ourselves as Shatia. We simply were, from the moment in legend we received breath from the spirits."
"I thought so too... but it seems the god is displeased with it."
"What does the god hope to change it to?"
Pibiola bowed her head carefully and said,
"...Kanp."
At the word "Kanp," several Shatia spoke up again.
"Pibiola. Not to disparage you as the new shaman, but I heard the ritual of thanks to the god includes the phrase 'savage Kanp.'"
"Yes."
"We overlooked it not knowing what Kanp meant, but if true, does that mean the god calls us savages?"
"...N-No, that's not—"
"The god is the collective of spirits who love us Shatia. I can't imagine him calling us savages. Not doubting your ability... but perhaps you misunderstood the god's will?"
"Changing the name doesn't change who we are; seems meaningless..."
Pibiola couldn't retort to any of it.
Frankly.
She thought the same.
He made them say 'thank you for miracles to us savage Kanp' every time, and now change our Shatia name to Kanp?
Yet no matter how many times asked, the god's will was firm. He truly desired their race to be named Kanp.
At the same time, a vague unease she'd tucked away began to surface.
—Does the god actually see us as savages?
Well, others might not know, but Pibiola did.
Making them say 'thank you for miracles to us savage Kanp' after each miracle proved the god viewed them as 'savage Kanp' from the start.
Though she didn't know exactly what the word meant, today's oracle confirmed it. The god called them not Shatia, but Kanp.
But voicing it publicly would tarnish the Sole God as spirit collective, so she'd passed it off as a religious ritual.
"Everyone. A name is just a name, isn't it? The existence of the god granting miracles, Dtamuk Thinking Army, is beyond doubt. I think changing our race's name to Kanp is fine. To the god, aren't we creations who are indeed savage?"
"Harsh words, Terenser. We're not slandering your granddaughter. Just want to ask once more. Do the spirits... does the god truly wish us called savage Kanp?"
"...Please wait a moment."
Pibiola silently prayed.
To confirm the god's will one last time.
And—
<<[The god commands a vote.]>>
'...Yes?'
<<[Command those who wish to keep the name to raise hands.]>>
Hearing this, Pibiola thought:
The god, overlooking us, must grasp that the elders' decision sways the tribe—
Thus, deciding by majority.
In her innocent naivety, she thought so and spoke to all.
"Those who do not wish to change the name, please raise your hands."
At her words, all ten elderly Shatia except her grandfather Terenser raised their hands.
To her, it was an obvious outcome.
After making kin utter 'savage Kanp' till now, declaring from today we're Kanp— even as god's word, who would accept it unquestioningly?
Thus, she thought:
Dtamuk Thinking Army, confirming our opinion, would mercifully withdraw his demand.
After all, a mere name change wasn't important.
The god loved them enough to work miracles aiding them, so surely no excessive demands.
—But.
《No!!!!!! Bro Dtamuk Thinking Army!!!! For real? This is insane? Nooooo!!!!!!》
That somewhere jovial-sounding voice of the god's proxy.
Like a child receiving a huge gift—she couldn't forget that voice even now.
Because that moment was precisely—
――BOOOOOOM!!!!!!!
―Splash!
"...Ah?"
Something sticky splattered on her face and body.
She mindlessly looked down at it. Pibiola still regretted looking.
Entering her vision—red, slimy something.
Precisely—blood. Dark crimson blood. The fishy stench of life stabbed her nostrils.
At once, her mind spun frantically to interpret the absurd situation.
...Blood, why?
Why... why is blood suddenly splattering?
Turning her head slowly in confusion revealed—
[ Dtamuk Thinking Army has sent 30 balloons! [Smash the pots of these geezer Kanp defying the god] ]
—
Ten headless, seated corpses.
[Holy fuck, does god gotta persuade these frozen shits? Lmao just pop their heads clean]
[Disrespectful Kanp geezer saider twosies~~~~~!~!~!~!~!]
《30 balloons! No, a whopping 30 balloons, thank you so much! Right! Defying the Sole God Dtamuk Thinking Army? Straight to re-education! Ah! Truly! Thank you! Squish squish! Thank you~~~!!!! A whopping 30 balloons!!! Nooooo!!!!! Thank you, Bro Dtamuk Thinking Army~~! Ah! Bro slays!! Aaa!!!! Thank youuu!!!》
"Gy, GyaAAAAAHHH!!!!"
The sole survivor, Terenser—splattered in blood like Pibiola—tumbled backward.
30 balloons thank you, 30 balloons, 30 balloons, 30 balloons...
That phrase endlessly echoed in Pibiola's ears.
Like bugs crawling.
Yes.
That somewhere jovial-sounding voice of the god's proxy.
Like a child receiving a huge gift—Pibiola couldn't forget that voice even now.
Because that moment was precisely—
"――KYAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!"
—the moment her brief dream ended.